Things are really starting to heat up in Norfolk’s Railroad District.
District Apizza, featuring New Haven, Connecticut-style pizza, known for its crispy thin crust, will open in mid-August at 2411 Granby St. Pronounced “ah-beetz,” the business is affectionately called by the name Neapolitan immigrants dubbed the style of pizza before they brought it to the U.S.
The pizzas are baked at 600-700 degrees Fahrenheit in wood-fired ovens imported from Italy that were assembled piece by piece on site by masons.
In addition to pizza, the menu will include salads and Italian bar food with a tapas twist featuring pasta made on site, said Matt Albano, one of the owners. The restaurant will also sell beer, wine and cocktails.
“I think the quality of the food will speak for itself,” he said.
When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, Albano, like many others, took stock of his professional life. Recruited in 2007 as the campus president for ECPI’s Medical Careers Institute in Virginia Beach, Albano had stayed on board there for seven years before taking a similar position at Fortis College in Norfolk.
“I noticed that regional pizza varieties were becoming more popular in their own right,” he said.
Albano, a Connecticut native, came up with the business idea and partnered with friends Mike Kreider and Rich Coleman in the business. All three live in Chic’s Beach.
Kreider, a Virginia Beach native who lived up north for two and a half years, said he only missed two things since returning south: the pizza and lobster.
“I missed it, and I wanted it here,” Kreider said.
For Coleman, owner of HK on the Bay in Chic’s Beach, it was a trip last summer that sold him on the pizza.
“These guys took me up there, and we spent a weekend eating pizza,” Coleman said. “You go to pretty much any big city and you can find New Haven-style pizza.”
Gaining popularity, primarily along the East Coast, Albano said he is excited to bring the pizza to the designated historical district that he and his partners see as an up-and-coming vibrant and energetic area in Hampton Roads.
District Apizza is housed in a former tractor supply building that dates back to circa 1920. It was most recently the site for the nonprofit organization ForKids’ thrift store, Good Mojo.
The trio signed the lease in late June 2022 for the 7,200-square-foot building and began the build-out following the landlord’s work on water lines, gas lines, heating and air conditioning and plumbing.
With an indoor seating capacity of 168, including tables, high tops and bar seating, the space boasts a traditional feel with a mix of original tiles covering its floor and white washed bricks poking through the walls.
John Williams, general manager, said he’s been busy with all different aspects of readying the restaurant for its opening, including hiring and training a team of roughly 50.
In time, the trio wants to invite local bands to bring their talents to the restaurant.
For now, Albano said the pizza will be the star of the show, and he’s fired up to introduce it to Hampton Roads.
Sandra J. Pennecke, 757-652-5836, sandra.pennecke@insidebiz.com
