Tommy Sanders held back tears as his family, friends and staff came together this afternoon for a special occasion before opening night this afternoon, and he got to say a proper thanks to everyone for their help over the past months of hard work to bring back a favorite place to eat for people near and far.

After more than a year out from the fire that destroyed the landmark restaurant on Knox Mountain Road, construction is done and all the paperwork is completed to re-open Pizza Farm.

Sanders, longtime owner with his family of the restaurant, said he wasn’t much for speeches, but thanked everyone for their continued support of Pizza Farm during its relocation down to Marquette Road, immediately across the highway from Rockmart High School’s campus and next door to Day’s Chevrolet.

The entire Pizza Farm family then headed outdoors after prayer and thoughts from others shared indoors to cut the yellow ribbon brought over from the Polk County Chamber of Commerce, and then got to work getting ready for the big night and the expected rush that arrived as the doors opened.

WATCH NOW: Scenes from Pizza Farm’s ribbon cutting ceremony

Hours for the restaurant will be limited for the time being to dinner service only, and only four days a week with a shortened menu as the staff gets back on their feet after nearly a year-and-a-half of being closed due to the fire.

E.A. Benefield Construction completed the work as the general contractor on the new restaurant, built in a pole barn style to match the Pizza Farm brand. Inside, the walls are adorned with reminders of history of the area.

Sanders is especially proud of what might soon be Jacket Row at the restaurant, where several booths feature memorabilia from Rockmart High School over the year. That includes a display of information about the Jackets’ trip to play in the Peanut Bowl in 1951, jerseys, helmets and more.

“I’ve gotten so much from folks out in the community that want to put items on display on our walls,” Sanders said on Wednesday during a brief tour of the inside of the restaurant.

However, he’ll have to make some room for a special item that was created in just the past weeks. A sign honoring the grand opening day for Pizza Farm created by his grandsons was left out front for patrons who enjoyed opening night to sign. Plans are to hang it inside the restaurant on the wall to honor the hard work everyone put in to bring back the restaurant.

As everyone piled back indoors following the fanfare of the ribbon cutting, Frank and Jimmie Hatch of Ball Ground sat on a bench outside the front door, and with more than an hour to go they waited for the doors to be unlocked and they could go inside.

Jimmie, originally of Hiram, began eating at the restaurant when she was 17. Her husband Frank joined her 30 years ago as well, and family came in too eat as well along the way. They’re used to making a sojourn here at least three times a year – and sometimes more. Jimmie says they have one reason for waiting more than a year to get to come back and hopefully be the first customers.

“We always get pizza and fries,” she explained. That’ a supreme pizza with fries, and “it’s the only place that I can get pizza and fries together.” Usually, Frank eats the sausage off of her pieces whenever they stop in for a meal.

It’s folks like this that Sanders says have shown their love during the move down from the location destroyed by fire on Knox Mountain Road down to Marquette Road.