Khanh Nguyen’s cult classic pizza concept, Zalat Pizza, is growing to its eighth unit and will open at 4980 Belt Line Rd, Unit 180, Addison, TX 75254 on Thursday, July 16. This location will function as another cloud kitchen for the zealous pizza brand, strictly serving delivery via third party delivery apps or takeout through Zalat’s website.
“We opened our first cloud kitchen at the start of the pandemic and have seen firsthand how relevant this model is in today’s world. Removing the dine-in element of the restaurant experience allows us to focus 100% of our energy on producing high quality pizzas quickly and efficiently. At max peak-times a handmade pizza leaves the restaurant every 20 seconds,” says Nguyen, CEO and Founder of Zalat Pizza. He continues, “Although the stay-at-home order is lifted, and establishments are reopening we are continuing to implement health standards and safety precautions for both staff and 3rd party drivers alike.”
Taking care of his Zalat family is Nguyen’s passion. “Our staff, or our ‘zealots’ as we like to call them, are of the utmost importance to us. We recently made stock options available for all zealots in the company from dishwashers and cashiers, to our store managers. We feel everyone deserves a piece of the pie and want them to share in our success as we grow,” explains Nguyen.
The first Zalat opened on Fitzhugh Avenue in 2015 and quickly became Dallas’ favorite late-night pizzeria. The brand now has seven locations in the DFW area where zealots serve up only the highest-quality pizza. Everything is scratch made from their dough, to fresh sauce with oven-roast Roma tomatoes and fresh basil. They use 100% beef pepperoni and the most delicious cheese they can get their hands on. In fact, Nguyen pays more for cheese than he does in rent every month.
All pizzas are taste-tested for months before they make it onto the menu. Pizzas are cooked in old school deck ovens to create the perfect balance between crispy and chewy…not to mention those awesome little char bubbles. The perfect pie is their Mona Lisa, their raison d’etre, their Sistine Chapel or Angela Jolie, which is why before any pizza goes out the door, a zealot always inspects it for perfection and personally signs the box. If it’s not up to par, they make it again.
Zalat is known for elevating the common pepperoni pizza into a work of art along with many unique pizza combinations like The Zealot, Pho Shizzle, Elote, Loaded Notato, Chicken Teriyaki and more. An equally famous and crave-able must have item is their trademarked sauce, Sirancha– a combination of Sriracha and ranch to create the perfect mind-blowing pizza dipping sauce.
The new Addison location will open with slightly condensed hours: Monday through Saturday 12 p.m. – 12 a.m. and Sunday 12 p.m. – 10 p.m. Eventually, the store will return to Zalat’s regular late night hours of being open until 2 a.m.