Houston is about to get a taste of New Haven, Connecticut. Famous pizzeria Sally’s Apizza, beloved by celebrities like Frank Sinatra and Gwyneth Paltrow, is eyeing Houston as part of a 45-restaurant Texas expansion starting in 2026.

Sally's Brand Advisor Christian Bonaventura confirms that Sally’s is scouting real estate in San Antonio, Houston, Dallas, and Austin as part of a growth strategy to open 255 new restaurants across 12 states. The long-term goal is for the chain to spread to 1,000 units.

“Texas represents the ideal next chapter for Sally’s,” says Bonaventura in a statement. “As you well know, these cities all have strong foodie cultures and Texans have long-ago embraced other elevated, dine-in, craft casual concepts.”

Founded in 1938 by Salvatore Consiglio, a nephew of legendary pizzaiolo Frank Pepe, Sally’s has long been one of the most talked about restaurants in the U.S. Its signature apizza (pronounced "ah-BEETZ," with the emphasis on the second syllable) is known for its irregular, hand-stretched, and intentionally well-done coal-fired crust.

In a 2024 column, the late Ken Hoffman described his visit to Sally's as follows:

The waiter brought us our pizzas. They were very large and shaped more like an off-kilter oval than a circle. The pizza was cut into squares. One look and we definitely should have just ordered one pizza.

Ten minutes later, both pizzas were reduced to a few crumbs left on our plates. The pizza was perfect, charred black around the edges, and (as Dave Portnoy would say) good undercarriage and no flop.

It was the best pizza, maybe the best thing, I’ve ever eaten. I pondered, how can I ditch these three losers and spend a couple of days in New Haven?

The distinct style has made Sally’s a cultural phenomenon. It has been the subject of a museum exhibit and documentary, and in 2022, Dave Portnoy of Barstool Sports ranked it at the top of his list of the top 10 pizza places in the world.

And of course, there is the celebrity connection. The original location sports a collection of signed pizza boxes from guests like Conan O'Brien, Pete Davidson, and Brooklyn Beckham. The other locations have a more Mid-century Modern feel with full cocktail bars and music memorabilia.

Although Sally’s will begin its Texas takeover in 2026, the company has not yet released a timeline or targeted neighborhoods. We will keep following the story as specific locations are confirmed.