There’s always room for more pizza, apparently. California-based Pizza Studio is the latest brand to enter the fast-casual pizza market in D.C., signing a lease for the former Baja Fresh space in Dupont Circle.
The location at 1333 New Hampshire Ave. NW — which aims to open in November — will be the chain’s first in the region, but it likely won’t be its last. Papadopoulos Properties represented Pizza Studio in lease negotiations.
Although the company has developed some other markets in the U.S. through franchisees, D.C. will be a corporate market.
The concept combines the pizza with a flair for the arts. Each location has a “starving artists wall,” which displays work from local artists that’s for sale, according to Pizza Studio marketing director Mike Mirkil.
“The way we approach the business, it’s about really embracing the local aspect of being involved with the communities,” Mirkil said. “We felt a passion for supporting the art community. You walk into local places, and they have local art hanging on their walls, so we wanted to capitalize on that and create some excitement around local artists.”
An 11-inch personal pizza costs $7.99. Customers choose one of five crust options, which include a whole grain and a gluten-free, and then move on to choices for cheese, sauce and unlimited toppings.
The idea for Pizza Studio began with CEO Samit Varma, who was teaching at the University of Southern California and found himself wanting a fast-casual pizza option to mix up his routine of Chipotle, Subway and other similarly concepts, Mirkil said.
Varma quickly brought on Ron Biskin, a restaurant industry veteran who previously worked for Baja Fresh, Burger King and Wolfgang Puck Express.
The company is poised for rapid growth nationwide. Pizza Studio has 15 locations around the country and plans to have 25 by the end of the year and 100 by the end of next year. Its most recent opening was a gutsy move — New York City, unofficial pizza capital of the world.
Mirkil said the location, across from Fordham University in the Bronx, has been well received since students returned for the fall term. As a Fordham alum, I have to say, unless they’re open until 4 a.m., they have their work cut out for them to compete with student favorite Pugsley’s Pizza.
