Pitfire Pizza has opened its first San Diego restaurant at a busy shopping center in south Carlsbad.
The pizza t, owned by American Gonzo Food Corp., opened its first location in north Hollywood in 1997 and has since expanded to other outposts in Los Angeles and Orange counties.
CEO Jeff Goodman, who has 10 years of experience as a restaurateur in San Diego, said his company is always looking for diverse neighborhoods with “young families and a sense of community.”
“We have been looking for our first opportunity in San Diego for a couple of years now,” Goodman said. “It is an amazing SoCal city not too far away from our home and the center of our company.”
The 3,500-square-foot Carlsbad eatery is in The Beacon shopping center at 7720 El Camino Real. The restaurant features a 20-seat cocktail bar, leather booths, pizza parlor tables and an outdoor patio.
Pitfire Pizza’s 12 California-style pizzas are cooked in Marra Forni oven, where the sourdough is “charred to perfection” and topped with flavors like classic pepperoni, margherita and specialties like the Honey Bear with ricotta, mozzarella, provolone, sausage, honey, calabrian chile and bee pollen.
House-made vegan cheese, cauliflower crust and other vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free options are also available, along with salads, pasta and desserts like ice cream from Strauss Family Creamery.
Goodman says his company is actively looking at other locations in the San Diego region where they can grow their brand. The company owns other Los Angeles-area restaurants including Superba, a cafe and bakery; The Win-Dow, a smash burger t; and American Beauty, a neighborhood steakhouse in Venice.
Visit pitfirepizza.com and follow @pitfirepizza on Instagram.
Roxana Becerril is a freelance writer.
