On March 14, 2008 (π Day), Chris Sommers introduced St. Louis to a San Francisco-inspired type of pizza, a deep dish pie with an addictive cornmeal-based crust.
Now he's planning to introduce St. Louisans to another San Francisco-inspired concept: Early next year, the co-founder of Pi Pizzeria will roll out ‘ZZA, a common colloquialism for pizza. With it, St. Louisans will discover a completely different product than Pi.
"The only thing in common is the circular nature of the pizza,” says Sommers. "It’s not a pivot by any means, as we will continue opening Pi Pizzerias, as we recently did in Bethesda, Maryland.” (Euclid Hospitality Group owns Pi, while Sommers will be the sole proprietor of 'ZZA.)
‘ZZA will be located at 282 N. Skinker, in the same block as Kayak’s and just to the north of Bobo Noodle House. It was inspired by one of Sommers' favorite spots in San Francisco, a restaurant that he thought was forward-thinking and played to diners' evolving tastes.
Among the most notable offerings will be the “pi’zzata,” Sommers’ moniker for a pizza with the center cut out and a small salad placed in the middle—a novel, efficient, calorie-saving way to enjoy both familiar dishes' ingredients at once. The menu will be simple, comprised of about eight varieties and the same number of salads (many containing protein), so customers can mix and match. The single serving entrée meal will be priced around $9.
One of the reasons it made sense to develop the concept now was Sommers’ discovery of a quick bake convection oven made by TurboChef. ‘ZZA pizzas will cook in two minutes, right in line with fast-casual wait times.
'ZZA pizza dough will have a higher gluten content than Pi’s thin-crust recipe (though a gluten-free crust will be available as well), and the hot air circulation produces the desired bubbles, blisters, and char. The TurboChef cooks much more evenly than a traditional wood-fired oven, Sommers says, so the result is "a more consistent texture from crust to center."
Rendering courtesy SPACE Architecture + Design
SPACE Architects + Design, the same company responsible for Pi’s downtown St. Louis and Cincinnati locations, is designing the 30-seat, 1,600-square-foot space. The location near Washington University’s campus is key, Sommers notes, because most of the clientele will likely be foot traffic from the university, neighborhood, and nearby Metrolink stop. Sommers notes that the university's investment in the neighborhood is increasing and about 500 new students will pass by every day after Clayco/Koman's Everly building opens on Delmar next year. To accommodate customers, ‘ZZA will offer an online ordering app, integrated rewards for frequent diners, and delivery.
‘ZZA is slated to open in early 2017, and a second location downtown is already close to being finalized. Additional sites are being considered in St. Louis and beyond, including airports.
