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.
In Other News…
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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Article written by:
Matt Sterner
More about MattAt a very young age, Matt Sterner was gifted with the artistic ability to masterfully roll a burrito to the highest of standards, but the wrapped medley of delicious innards wasn’t his first love. Matt’s first true love was a combination of reading, writing, and creating. He grew up reading comics, the ingredients list of his shampoo and conditioner bottles, choose-your-own-adventure books, and the Scrabble dictionary — something he found useful when challenging his grandmother to a game.
He attended college at New Mexico State University and graduated with a degree in Digital Filmmaking. One of his favorite classes was screenwriting because he became responsible for the story’s birth before it came to life on-screen. After school, Matt took on numerous positions at a local television station in Tucson. From dealing out stories about heartbreak to producing “fluffier” content for a lifestyle broadcast, he learned what it takes to adapt to the many emotions the world of media can stir. Since 2017, Matt has dabbled in the culinary world of Tucson as well as San Diego, California from time to time.
If you’re in the mood for strange stories, head over to his pride and joy, wonkytimes.com. And in case you’re curious — yes, after all of this time, he still manages to roll a killer burrito.
