The Washington Avenue streetscape will lose a pizza-and-beer destination tomorrow when Hot Pizza Cold Beer (610 Washington) closes after 20 months in business.
The concept, from the team behind Sugarfire Smokehouse and Hi-Pointe Drive-In, is located in the former Pi Pizzeria space in the Mercantile Exchange building. (A hat tip to “Downtown Denis” Beganovic, for the P.I. work.)
The Closure
Charlie Downs, a seasoned restaurateur and managing partner for the Sugarfire brand, tells SLM that his group had high expectations for the concept, but a lack of volume was the ultimate reason for the closure.
“What’s odd and makes no sense to me,” Downs says, “is that Sugarfire’s business—right across the street—was up this year. We could not do the same at Hot Pizza, and I really don’t know why. We had an above-average product at a good price point.”
Downs, who’s entertained several potential buyers, says that “after the Pentecostal convention this weekend—which is a huge one—not much is happening after that, and a lot of our business there is predicated on conventions… We’ve been trying to rebuild and advance the Sugarfire brand for the past several years, and 2025 was a decent year. We improved our bottom line, even given the insane cost of food and a recent major uptick in insurance costs. Our cost of sales have gone from 39 to 34 percent, and labor is in the low 20s, both really hard numbers to achieve. And still, Hot Pizza Cold Beer was not successful. If it did more volume, it would have been. It performed at half the volume we projected it would.”
Fortunately, the terms of the lease were generous, he says. “Amos Harris is our landlord at both Hot Pizza and the downtown Sugarfire,” Downs says. “He was understanding during the pandemic and continues to be so. More than anything, he just wants us to be successful. Amos owns property all across the country and is such a big believer in downtown, and we are too, which is why it really hurts to close.”
The Concept
The family-friendly restaurant embraced the irreverent, playful style of the Sugarfire and Hi-Pointe brands. It features vintage arcade games, pop-culture décor, and a sprawling U-shaped bar framed by floor-to-ceiling windows A wooden-plank ceiling adornment above the bar adds warmth to the industrial feel.
The menu’s far broader than the name indicates. Pizza is the headliner, available in 14- and 18-inch sizes, some with nods to the group’s other concepts, including the Sugarfire BBQ (with smoked chicken) and Hi Guy (a hamburger and bacon pizza on a sesame crust, topped with all the burger accouterments, including cheddar, ketchup, mustard, red onion, pickles, lettuce, and French fries).
But the signature pizza item was the 16-inch P.I.M.P. slice, a pick-your-own six-topping job. Cut from a large, round dough, it laid claim to be the biggest slice in town.
Other options include wings, salads, five sandwiches, and an appetizer selection including meatballs, cheese bread, charcuterie, a selection of dips, and, of course, plenty of cold beer.
“I still think it’s a great spot,” Downs says, “just not for us, not right now.”
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