Pizza Rossa to open permanent site
The concept, which serves pizza by the square slice, has secured a property at 168 London Wall, and continues to run its pop-up operation at Whittington Avenue, Leadenhall Market, which opened last June.
The company made headlines earlier this year by securing 157 per cent of the capital it needed (£440,000) in just 17 days through crowdfunding platform Crowdcube.
New venue
For the new venue, open Monday to Friday from 7am to 5pm, Pizza Rossa has streamlined its operation to create a bustling atmosphere typical of an Italian street.
The simple décor features bespoke furniture handmade in Sardinia, display units made from reclaimed timber, and blackboards listing vegetarian and meat pizzas are listed, as well as a different pizza special every day.
The menu also includes Italian specialities such as home-made lasagne, aubergine parmigiana, and panini. A selection of baked goods such as cornetti, pastries and coffee are also on offer for breakfast and snacks.
The restaurant offers meal deals combining pizza, salads or soups and drinks, for £4.99. Individual pizza slices are priced from £2.69.
Lunch-to-go market
Speaking to BigHospitality before opening the first pop-up, founder Corrado Accardi explained that he was hoping to fill a gap in the lunch-to-go market, with ambitions to open 15 venues in London over the next five years.
"I see potential for more than 20 outlets in the City alone," he said. “There is also big opportunity for other metropolitan areas in the UK, as well as petrol stations, airports, railway stations."
According to him, this first permanent opening marks the real roll-out for the brand, which has other venues already earmarked for 2015.
Complete meal
A member of the Sustainable Restaurant Association (SRA), Pizza Rossa aims to replicate the Italian pizza al taglio tradition, providing a complete meal with one slice of pizza.
Targeting City workers, the company produces lower-calorie dough that’s easier to digest by using less yeast and salt and proving it for 20 hours.
The brand recently soft-launched a loyalty programme allowing the use of Oyster and contactless payment cards to register.
