It used to be a Kentucky Fried Chicken right there on the corner of Laurel Canyon and Ventura boulevards. “I don’t remember it, but it was a long time ago,” said Neighborhood Council vice president Lisa Sarkin.
But today it houses the largest stone bed oven in all of Los Angeles, according to chief operations officer Nicholas Eckerman of Pizza Rev, which is opening on Friday in Studio City.
Eckerman was excited to show around the new Pizza Rev restaurant that is having an invitation-only launch on Thursday night. It is a unique style of pizza.
Imagine this: your own private pizza with as many high-quality toppings as you want all for $7.95. Oh, and it takes two minutes to cook.
“You pick what you want to put on your pizza, and it’s all the same price, and that’s it, it’s yours.”
The family-owned craft-your-own style pizza first sprang up in Northridge, and they decided to give the Studio City location a try.
“We know the area, we like what is happening around here,” Eckerman said.
Yes, but two major pizza places opened within a mile in the past six months. That doesn’t bother Eckerman.
“We have quality ingredients, but it’s not at a gourmet price,” he said. The concept is a fast-casual pizza concept similar to the Chipotle model where guests are invited to “craft their own” pizzas with unlimited toppings for less than $8.
Irv Zuckerman and Rodney Eckerman (Nicholas’ dad) previously served as Co-CEO’s of Clear Channel Music, which was later acquired and became a part of Live Nation. At the time, Clear Channel Music had gross revenues of over $1.4 billion which included over $100 million in revenues generated from food and beverage sales. They opened their first pizza place in Northridge, and plan for expansion.
The pizza is made from fresh dough with a thin crust that is cooked in their 2.5 ton open-flame oven that can reach temperatures nearing 1,000°F.
They have a vegan menu and a Gluten-Free crust also available. Guests then have a choice between an Organic California-Tomato Red Sauce, a creamy Parmesan White Sauce, or a spicy-sweet BBQ sauce, followed by a choice of creamy cheeses including premium Mozzarella made with a kiss of buffalo milk, Ricotta, Feta, Bleuand Vegan Cheese. Unlimited toppings include a choice of three styles of Pepperoni, seasoned crumbled Meatball, and Fennel Sausage among others plus over 20 fresh veggie toppings including Arugula, Roasted Garlic, Kalamata Olives and Capers. A Dessert Pizza can be made with melted Butter, Cinnamon and sugary Frosting is topped with a choice of Chocolate, Raspberry, and Caramel finishing sauces.
“We know our pizza,” said Eckerman, who has worked in the industry for 16 years, since he was 15 years old.
Pizza Rev opens for business on Friday.
