Right by Granville Towers and across the street from Might As Well, The Pizza Press is Franklin Street’s newest addition, offering a classic, custom, and affordable dining experience. This fast-casual, newsboy-themed restaurant features a wide variety of fresh toppings and North Carolina beers on tap.
The Pizza Press plays up its newsboy culture theme with newspapers lining the walls, newspaper-themed pizza combos, and pizza presses similar to old-fashioned newspaper presses. These presses cook pies in just 3 minutes and 45 seconds.
Stuart Pannill, owner of The Pizza Press, was inspired to open it when he noticed a gap between cheap, late-night pizza by the slice and more upscale, sit-down Italian restaurants. While he recognizes that there are plenty of pizza establishments on Franklin Street, he seeks to fulfill the need for a middle ground between the two ends of the spectrum. He opened the flagship North Carolina Pizza Press in Chapel Hill to draw in the community.
“What we offer is the experience of watching the process, seeing the fresh toppings, and being able to say, ‘A little less sauce, a little more sauce; can I get a little more of that?’” Pannill said. “You’re able to come cruise through the line, get your pizza, then enjoy it here or take it with you.”
There are so many topping options at the Pizza Press, you could come for a month straight and get a different pizza every time. There are seven sauce options — red, spicy red, white, pink, barbecue, olive oil and pesto; nine cheeses — diced mozzarella, perlini mozzarella, smoked Gouda, goat cheese, feta, cheddar, aged Parmesan, ricotta and a vegan option; five proteins — chicken, bacon, ham, sausage and pepperoni; 17 vegetables; finishing toppings like basil, cilantro and arugula; and finishing sauces — Frank’s hot sauce, sriracha, pesto, ranch, balsamic glaze and more.
Pannill has two favorite pizza combinations.
“My main go-to is spicy red sauce, mozzarella cheese, blue cheese, pepperoni, bacon, sausage, jalapeno, then some aged Parmesan on top,” he said. “Or I like to do basil pesto, mozzarella, smoked Gouda, chicken, bacon — it’s always got to have bacon — banana peppers and spinach or kale.”
The Pizza Press cooks their pies in just 3 minutes, 45 seconds. Photo via The Pizza Press.
The Pizza Press was originally founded in Anaheim, California as a means for Disneyland guests to get quick, cost-effective pizza that doesn’t skimp on quality.
When Pannill first decided to open one, there were just three locations in California. He thought its emphasis on craft beer made it a perfect fit for North Carolina and prides himself on the wide range available at the Chapel Hill location.
“Apart from being a pizza place, we’re also really into the craft beer scene,” he said. “We’ve got a great lineup of beers on tap; it’s going to be constantly rotating with breweries from all over North Carolina. On Tuesday, there’s half off select pints.”
These beers run the gamut from light golden ales like Triple C Goldenboy to dark options like Fiddlin’ Fish Black Mountain Chocolate Stout. While there are no domestics or macro imports, there are so many varieties that visitors can easily find options similar to their favorites in terms of alcohol by volume, hops and bitterness.
The Pizza Press offers 10 percent off for college students and faculty, direct lobby delivery to Granville Towers and a Newsboy Lunchbox Special, which includes a small pizza, small cheesy bread or side salad, a drink and a cookie for 8 dollars. Pannill said a Pizza Press app is also in the works and will feature a points-based rewards system so that frequent customers will get the most out of their experiences.
Features image via The Pizza Press
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