Believe it or not, there are people who think State College doesn’t have enough choices when it comes to pizza.

Allowing people to customize their pizzas — from dough to sauce to cheese — is the hook that Christel and Tom Gibson believe will catch customers and allow their new restaurant to shine in the overly saturated local pizza market.

“People can get what they want,” Christel Gibson said.

The Gibson’s new restaurant, Pizza Heaven, opened in December at 1101 N. Atherton St., near the now-shuttered Blockbuster, at the former location of Le Bistro, and more recently, a Brothers Pizza franchise.

While Pizza Heaven serves fresh mozzarella, it also features less traditional options such as cheddar and gouda. More adventurous customers can venture beyond regular tomato sauce to craft pizzas lined with pesto, Cajun or spicy tomato sauces.

And for dough, the restaurant offers flavored crusts, as well as gluten-free and whole wheat alternatives for those with dietary restrictions or healthier habits.

“We want people to be creative,” Christel Gibson said.

To encourage creativity, the Gibsons have created a two-tiered pricing system: No charge for one to three toppings, and slightly more for a “loaded” pizza that customers can customize in whatever way they desire.

“We don’t want people not getting everything they want to try because it’s too expensive,” Christel Gibson said.

The restaurant is geared toward “townies” rather than the student population, Gibson said. Her ideal customer base would be the residents of Park Forest, Woodycrest and Toftrees.

“We’re going to go the extra step,” she said. “Tom has a real passion for pizza — it’s always been his dream to own a pizza shop. Once we have a nice customer base, we want to move to using mostly local ingredients. In the spring, we’re hoping to use fresh, local vegetables. And we have a goal of using all recycled paper products.”

Pizza Heaven is mostly geared for take-out but has a few tables for those who prefer to eat in the restaurant. It’s open from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday.

Philipsburg gets Real(tors)

Philipsburg’s real estate market isn’t anything like State College’s — and that’s a blessing, according to Amy Doran.

Doran co-founded, along with friend and business partner Wanda Ryen, Ryen Realty at 21 N. Second St. in Philipsburg last month.

Having lived in the area for most of their lives, Doran and Ryen hope to leverage their local expertise into a “home field advantage” for their clients.

For example, it’s true that Philipsburg is still in Centre Centre (mostly) but it’s a whole different (and less expensive) world than State College, Doran said.

“You get a whole lot more bang for your buck here than the Centre Region,” Doran said. “The last few years, more and more people have been coming to this side of the mountain just for the cost of living.”

The average price of a home in Philipsburg is $85,000, according to Doran.

But because it’s close enough to State College to fall within the Penn State bubble of economic prosperity, local housing prices have risen and will continue to see steady growth.

“It’s steady as you go here,” Doran said.

“Prices aren’t really ever affected by the economy,” she added.

The completion of Interstate 99 has made the commute from Philipsburg to State College a 20- minute affair, door to door, Doran said.

“That’s really allowed this area to become a bigger bedroom community for State College and Penn State,” she said.

Since Philipsburg also reaches into Clearfield County, Ryen Realty has joined both the Centre County Association of Realtors and the Clearfield/Jefferson Association of Realtors.

“That’s an advantage because anyone we’re listing for gets more exposure,” Doran said.

“All Realtors who are members of either association will see that listing.”

Doran said Ryen Realty is a full-service brokerage that seeks to serve customers looking to buy or sell residential, commercial or industrial property.

The firm can be reached at 343- 6731.

New look for Supercuts

Supercuts, the discount haircutting chain, is renovating its location at 106 W. Beaver Ave. in State College.

According to Megan Kelley, the manager of the other Supercuts in the Centre Region at 2030 N. Atherton St., the downtown store is going through a standard remodeling and will reopen on Saturday.

When it’s finished, “It should look a lot like the one on North Atherton — everything more modern,” Kelley said.

Both stores are owned by a franchisee in Pittsburgh, Kelley said.

Trader Joe’s update

A first layer of asphalt has been put down, and construction workers driving trucks and back hoes are now swarming over the spot at 1855 N. Atherton St. that’s destined to become home to a Trader Joe’s.

The clock is now ticking down on the store’s much-anticipated and twice-delayed opening, which was originally scheduled for fall of 2011.

Cliff White can be reached at 235-3928.