Upper Kirby diners will soon have a new pizza option. MidiCi: The Neapolitan Pizza Company announced it will open its first location inside the city limits on August 4. The California-based pizza restaurant already has a location in Katy. (Update: The opening date has been changed to August 18.)
“Opening our first location inside the loop in Houston marks a milestone in our expansion,” said franchisee Keon Suber in a statement. “We’re confident that our location will create a lasting bond with the Houston community for years to come.”
MidiCi offers a fast casual serving format that's similar to Chipotle. Diners walk along a line to order their meals — choosing from a range of pizzas or selecting their own toppings, along with salads, and small plates like meatballs and charcuterie boards. The almost 4,000-square foot space features a high-style design by hotel and restaurant architect Sam Marshall.
"MidiCi is bridging the gap between fast-casual and full-service restaurants," Suber adds. "I like to call MidiCi 'fast-fine dining,' and it certainly isn’t something Houston has seen before."
As the name implies, Midici serves classic Neapolitan-style pizza, which means using dough made from four ingredients: Italian "00" flour, water, salt, and yeast. The pizzas typically contain no more than four toppings and are baked for 90 seconds in a wood-fired oven that burns at close to 1,000 degrees. Houstonians should be familiar with Neapolitan pizza; it is currently served at restaurants like Pizaro's, Cane Rosso, and Dolce Vita.
Founded in 2015, the company is growing quickly, with locations in eight states. In addition to the Katy location, the company has plans to open in Pearland and across Dallas and Fort Worth.
To celebrate its grand opening, MidiCi will serve a free margherita pizza to each diner on August 4 and 5, from 11 am to 3 pm and 9 pm to midnight (one per customer, dine-in only, additional toppings $1 each). (Update: The free pizza giveaway has been changed to 11 am to 1 am on August 18 and 19 and 11 am to 11 pm on August 20.)
MidiCi: The Neapolitan Pizza Company; 2925 Richmond Ave; Sunday through Thursday 11 am to 11 pm; Friday and Saturday 11 am to 1 am
MidiCi's classic margherita pizza.
