The pizza shop got its start as Over The Counter Pizza — a mobile pizzeria nestled in the back of a vintage truck bed — and then blossomed into Penelope Pizza found inside Cartel Roasting Co. at 210 E. Broadway Blvd.
Penelope Pizza’s next move: The wood-fired pizza joint is moving to the east side at 800 N. Kolb Rd.
The building has a fun history of local pizza restaurants. For a few years, Dry River Company was slingin’ pies there near the corner of Kold Road and Speedway Boulevard. Then, FireTruck Brewing’s pizza concept, FireTruck Pizza Company, moved in a couple of years after Dry River closed.
FireTruck Pizza Company’s temporary closure turned into a permanent one, opening up a new opportunity for Jared Schwartz and the Penelope Pizza crew.
However, this means the downtown location inside of Cartel will be closing its doors soon.
“We are going to be closing the Cartel location at the end of July,” said Schwartz. “But will have so many more things to offer at the new place.”
A little over a year ago, Penelope Pizza began hosting pasta nights on the last Tuesday of the month. So, perhaps we can expect to see more pasta dishes at the new location — it’s something Schwartz hinted at in the past.
Stay tuned for an official closure date of the downtown location as well as a Grand Opening of the new restaurant on the east side.
Recently, the Italian website 50 Top Pizza listed Penelope Pizza as a Top Pizza in the USA for 2024. Penelope Pizza ranked #46 out of all pizza shops in the country!
I’m not fluent in Italian but I was able to translate the text on the website with Google’s nifty abilities. Here’s what the 50 Top Pizza folks had to say about Schwartz and the team:
“Among the New York-style pizzas, in addition to the classic Neapolitan ones, there are many more creative versions much loved by customers, such as the Nina, Pammy, and Spicy Jim. On the menu are tasty salads and typical Italian appetizers to accompany by choosing from the rich basket of homemade and baked breads.”
Penelope Pizza is located at 210 E. Broadway Blvd. For more information, visit penelopepizza.com and follow Penelope Pizza on Instagram.
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