Persona Wood Fired Pizzeria is looking to open as many as 20 Bay Area restaurants over the next several years. The area’s first restaurant is slated to open in Santa Rosa in March and will take over the space previously occupied by Arrigoni’s Deli & Cafe for nearly 40 years.

“Persona′s expansion into the Bay Area is a major milestone for the brand as we expand beyond our Santa Barbara roots,” says World Pizza Champion and Persona co-founder Glenn Cybulski. “We look forward to introducing the brand to guests throughout the area and have no doubt they will love the Neapolitan-style pizzas that have made us so popular.”

Persona’s Neapolitan-style (thin crust) pizza is modeled after the legendary pizzerias in Naples, where each pizza is handcrafted and made-to-order. Similar to restaurants like Chipotle and SUBWAY, customers can pick and choose from more than 30 toppings and watch as their customized pies are assembled. There are also fixed-price specialty pizzas to choose from, based on Cybulski’s award-winning recipes.

Each pizza takes only 90 seconds to bake using imported Marra Forni ovens that are 300 degrees hotter than most ovens. The pizzas are 12 inches in diameter and start at $7.95.

“While nothing can replace a culinary pilgrimage to Italy, we’re determined to create a far more affordable alternative right here in the Bay Area,” Cybulski says. “We craft an authentic Neapolitan pizza from flour and tomatoes imported from Naples combined with locally sourced fresh vegetables, meats, and cheeses. Our meatballs, sausage, and sauces— all made on-site— have won gold medal acclaim nationally and internationally, and we think our customers’ taste buds will agree.”

News, Persona Neapolitan Pizzeria