[EXCLUSIVE] The Local Pizzaiolo To Open Westside Restaurant in January

This past March, ToNeTo Atlanta was first to report on the launch of a new fast casual pizza restaurant, The Local Pizzaiolo.  Now, we can exclusively report that the first The Local Pizzaiolo, located on Atlanta's Westside, will open Tuesday, January 23.  The restaurant, located at 1000 Marietta Street, will replace what was most recently Bellwood's Social House. 

Giulio Adriani poses outside the Westside The Local Pizzaiolo

Earlier plans were for the group's Toco Hill location, opening in place of a former coin laundry, to open first, but those plans changed months ago when the Westside lease was signed.  That said, typical delays have delayed the openings of both the Westside and Toco Hill restaurants.  

The Local Pizzaiolo currently plans to open their Toco Hill location  in "late February."  Additional locations planned for Roswell Road at Modera Sandy Springs and Memorial Drive at the Madison Yards development should follow late this year and mid next year respectively.  

Allison Satter Hill serves as the company's CEO and brings with her years of marketing experience at Coca-Cola and Miller's Ale House, an Orlando-based chain of casual dining restaurants, among others.  Native Italian Giulio Adriani will serve as the restaurant's Master Pizzaiolo and will train "the local pizzaiolos" who will helm the individual restaurants.  Adriani's accolades include the Gold Medal at the 2010 World Pizza Championship in Salsomaggiore, Italy and World's Best Pizza – America's Plate, in New York, also in 2010.  

The restaurant will feature ordering from kiosks or from the counter, and will also feature a small marketplace where customers can purchase ingredients such as olive oil, tomatoes and truffle honey. The Local Pizzaiolo aims to be a step above fast casual: "fast premium," serving sit-down quality pizza in a quick-serve setting.    Hill further describes the concept as being at the "intersection of tradition and innovation." The Local Pizzaiolo will feature 11 inch Neopolitan pizza pies and assorted appetizers, salads, craft cocktails, wine, beer and desserts.  

Rize Artisan Pizza & Salads, a similar concept, has gone through a number of changes since its launch last fall.  Their Poncey-Highland location closed this past August and their Sandy Springs location, near the The Local Pizzaiolo's space, is reportedly teetering on the edge of closure. 

While chain operators such as MOD Pizza and Blaze Pizza have both recently entered the Atlanta market with multiple locations already open, The Local Pizzaiolo could be well positioned to find success in their "fast premium" space.   

Are you excited about the opening of The Local Pizzaiolo?  Do you think The Local Pizzaiolo will be a welcome addition to the centers in which they plan to open?  Where should The Local Pizzaiolo open next?  

Please share your thoughts below.  

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