&pizza, the Washington, D.C.-based brand known for its critically-acclaimed pizza, craft beverages, ampersand-tattooed employees (known as the “Tribe”), hyper-local charity partnerships, and commitment to conscious community will debut its first New York City shop on June 20.
An anti-establishment establishment, &pizza is more than just a pizza shop—it’s an experience punctuated by localized store design, murals created by regional artists, high-energy music, and a Tribe of dedicated team members. Each of &pizza’s 22 outposts in D.C., Baltimore, Philadelphia, and soon, New York City, is a reflection of the culture and people that inhabit the neighborhood.
The &pizza New York City shop will be located at 15 West 28th Street in NoMad, centered north of Madison Square Park and walking distance from Penn Station and the Empire State Building. The new location will embrace the fast-paced, magnetic force of the city that never sleeps. With its unique combination of rich history and vibrant, bustling modernity, the NoMad neighborhood is the perfect home for the inaugural NYC shop, which will exemplify the brand values of unity, connection, and inclusion. This will be the company’s twenty-second shop and first location in co-founder, CEO, and creative director Michael Lastoria’s hometown.
“The idea for &pizza was born in an art studio in West Chelsea, so the opportunity to bring the fully-realized concept back to its start is pretty rad,” says Lastoria. “The pizza community in NYC is strong and we look forward to adding some new flavor into the mix.”
Simply put, &pizza is a different kind of pizza shop, where experience is the focal point and speed and quality are never compromised.
&pizza is known for its unique, oblong-shaped pizzas that are made with high quality ingredients and bake in under 2 minutes. For just about $11, guests can either craft their own individual pie with unlimited toppings or choose from 9 signature pizzas—“The Hits.” From the Maverick (for meat lovers) and the egg-topped Farmer’s Daughter (breakfast with a kick) to the Pineapple Jack (a twist on the classic Hawaiian) and the Salad Pizza (a new way to go green), each option offers a bold flavor profile and can easily be further customized. The brand partners with local suppliers called “Little Giants” to collaborate on innovative menu offerings that span a variety of food and beverage categories, including their signature craft fountain &SODA and small batch &TEA.
By partnering with Little Giants—small, like minded brands and organizations that are doing big things in their communities—&pizza is always looking to elevate the experience by offering creative twists on familiar classics. To celebrate their first NYC shop opening the brand is excited to introduce NYC-based partners into the collective like their Cereal Milk Cream Soda collaboration with Milk Bar, Christina Tosi’s award-winning bakery known for playfully addictive premium treats, as well as Brooklyn-based Mike’s Hot Honey, a new “drizzle” that guests can use to finish their pie with some sweet heat. &pizza will continue to add NYC-based partners and menu offers to the arsenal over time.
&pizza’s award-winning hyperlocal shop design philosophy is grounded in a clean black and white aesthetic and powered by a set of creative Little Giants. Mixed media art installations by famed muralist Tony Rubin and graffiti artist Bisco Smith will punctuate the space while employing angular visual nods to the neighboring Flatiron building. The NoMad shop’s interior architecture was designed by Jeffrey White of Ecology Architecture Urbanism (The Garret, Chillhouse) with an intent on using familiar New York materials in unique and unexpected ways – from custom cut subway tiles, overlapping linear LED lights, and exposed steel columns to a “floating” communal table.
Since 2012, &pizza has been fueling the communities it serves through its charitable arm, &CHARITY—it has supported over 1,000 organizations since the program’s inception. As the Tribe grows, &pizza continues to deliver on its community commitment by hosting fundraiser nights and Buy One, Give One campaigns.
&pizza will kick off its opening weekend from June 24 to June 25 with one such promotion—for every pizza sold on those days, &pizza will donate one to FoodCorps, a NYC-based organization that connects kids to healthy food in school. FoodCorps—a national service organization that delivers hands-on lessons in gardening, cooking and tasting healthy food, improving school meals, and encouraging a school-wide culture of health—will use the donations to fuel volunteer days.’