Pizza Worth Eating at a Food Court? It's On the Way

The culinary world's gone topsy-turvy; airport food is becoming its own attraction and eating in a food court is no longer a concession, thanks to concepts like the soon-to-open Craft Pizza Company.

Steve Suh, founder of the SoCal-based Stone Oven franchise, is among the partners behind Craft Pizza Co.; reportedly, Suh competed with a number of other popular quick-service pizza businesses to snag the Westfield UTC mall spot. What sealed the deal? He brought on local chef, Chad White (Plancha Baja Med), and designer, Michael Soriano (Queenstown, The Pearl), to help make Craft a cut above.

Due to debut in one to two weeks, Craft pizzas will be available by the slice or as 18" whole pies. White is working on honing a menu that ranges from the traditional to margherita to a banh mi-inspired version with Jidori chicken meatballs and pickled vegetables and a carnitas-topped pizza with poblano chiles. They'll be baked-to-order by a Woodstone oven in six minutes.

Beyond pizza, there are composed salads based on local lettuce or kale and topped with proteins; local P. Balistreri sopressata is an option. Among the pasta, cooked fresh, is rigatoni with pesto, roasted tomato and lemon. Desserts will be provided by another local company, Cupcakes Squared, which has a space next door. After launching in the mall, Craft Pizza Company will also offer delivery service to the surrounding neighborhoods.

Its founders are hoping this chef and ingredient-driven food court concept has legs; the plan is to open five to ten shops within San Diego and Los Angeles in the next two years.
Craft Pizza Company [Facebook]