"There are very few sole proprietors or non-franchise operations in this town today," Robert Booth says.

Demographics have changed, too.

"As I look out my front door there aren't any single family homes or apartments for about two miles. The density of housing has all turned over in the last couple of years," he says.

At lunchtime, McHart's attracts diners from surrounding businesses but, Booth says, "The people who come to work here don't live here. It's at night that we get the neighbors--people going to the dry cleaners or the drug store, along with mothers on their way home from work getting food to put on the table."

McHart's is in The Marketplace Shopping Center, which Booth describes as "a nice, safe area." It's also convenient since the Booths live only a couple of miles away. That's a good thing because Booth has made the trip from home to McHart's and back approximately 25,000 times.

The Booth family has lived in Cupertino since 1980, so it has become firmly entrenched in the community. He regularly donates pies to the rotating shelter run by local churches. Schools and other charities also benefit from his in-kind donations.

Although the restaurant itself is small, it puts on a big spread. The salad bar features 24 items. They hand-prep the salad bar and all the pizza toppings.

A McHart's special features pepperoni, Italian sausage, fresh mushrooms and tomatoes, red onion and bell peppers. The Cupertino's Choice is loaded with Italian sausage, pepperoni, salami, ham and linguica. Calzones and turnover sandwiches are also available on a limited basis.

Thick crust is the norm at McHart's, but thin crust can be ordered. The crust is hand-spun and made from a 150-year-old secret, sourdough recipe.

"I've had people tell me it's the best pizza they've ever had," Booth says. Making the perfect pizza can be a challenge, though. "If you put too much stuff on it, it affects the way it cooks."

Booth cooks his pies in a rotating oven with four shelves. The bottom shelf cooks the crust while the top shelf cooks the toppings.

"It's a tough oven to run," he says, "because the oven guy has to learn to move the pizzas while the oven shelves are moving."

Booth employs local college and high school students to fill out McHart's busy schedule. The restaurant is open seven days a week, with the family putting in the bulk of the time.

"I haven't had an official vacation in five years. But when it's busy I love it. I like the fast pace, so it's still exciting and fun," Booth says. Even though the hours can be grueling, Booth considers his store an extension of his home, "almost like my living room. It's like a Broadway show that's been going on for 18 years."

J.T. McHart's Pizza Restaurant, 19732 Stevens Creek Blvd., 408.255.0500. Hours are Monday-Thursday 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Friday and Saturday 11 a.m.-10 p.m. and Sunday 4-9 p.m.