Inner Loop pizza lovers rejoice. Pizaro's Pizzeria Napoletana opened its second location at the corner of Montrose and West Gray at 11 a.m. Wednesday morning.
Anticipation for the new location has been building for almost two years. Owner Bill Hutchinson announced his intentions to expand back in August of 2013 and received construction permits in September 2014. The wait has been lengthy enough that Houston is awash in more high quality pizza than ever thanks to new arrivals like Coltivare and Weights + Measures, but still, Pizaro's has maintained its status as Houston's best source of authentic, Neapolitan style pie.
"We saved everything we could for three years and doubled down on it for this location."
At least until Dallas-import Cane Rosso stakes its claim with a location in The Heights.
After an invite-only practice run Tuesday night, the restaurant is ready to go. The good news is that fans of the restaurant's original location in west Houston will find that the new location is essentially just a spiffier version of the original.
Same menu of 13 pizzas. Same BYOB policy. Same wood-fired ovens.
"We saved everything we could for three years and doubled down on it for this location," Bill's son Matt Hutchinson tells CultureMap.
For example, the new location has two ovens instead of one and both of the ovens have more internal room than the original. Back of the house prep and storage areas are more spacious, too. A mixture of tables and booths seat about 80. The walls have a little art and style instead of the no-frills look out west.
Matt Hutchinson adds that the new look provides his father and him with a template for a third restaurant — if everything goes well here.
Which it should. After all, they've had enough time to prepare.
Pizaro's Pizza has opened in Montrose.
