2 of the 3 from a campaign vid
A pizza joint with some interesting names behind it is being planned for an area of Pike already so crowded with hipster goodness that the new place is going to do business out of a converted garage.
Vellotti’s Pizza is being planned for the garage beween Caffe Vita and Super Genius Tattoo on E. Pike. The license describes the business as a “Restaurant / lounge — spirits, beer and wine (50 percent or more dining).” Even more interesting is the super trio on the paperwork behind the lounge.
Vita’s Mike McConnell, Jason Lajuenesse of Neumo’s and Seattle band promoter, entrepreneur and political insider David Meinert are teaming up on the new E. Pike joint. Meinert is also the driving force behind the Capitol Hill Block Party.
Busy week for Meinert. Busy pizza world for McConnell (on the right in the picture below) who also operates the Via Tribunali chain in Seattle and recently bought, then shut down, Madrona’s Cremant restaurant.
tsb 109 Originally uploaded by Caffe Vita
Francesco Angiuli, director of operations for Via Tribunali, confirmed that the restaurant is being planned and is in the process of securing licenses and permits. He wouldn’t confirm other details about the restaurant but did drop one important piece of data. “This won’t be Neapolitan style pizza,” Angiuli said. “It’s going to be a different kind of place with New York style.”
We’ll see if we can track down some more information including confirmation that the location is, indeed, planned for the garage and storage area next to Vita and whether Meinert and Lajuenesse’s involvement is a harbinger of live music at the venue.
This strikes me as strange for the Vita owner who also owns Via Tribunali to open another pizza joint just down the street. I am all for new places in Pike/Pine, don’t get me wrong, but this strikes me as a weird. Also, I don’t want to sound like a hater, but I am kinda tired of the same small group of people as owners/investors/partners in several businesses. This is a great neighborhood, but is really run by one elite group. Not really my cuppa tea.
I am frankly disappointed to hear this and am really starting to want to support the “under dogs” in the area and by underdogs I mean those businesses and restaurants that are truly independent and not part of this conglomerate of owners.
On my project list: A family-tree map of the alliances of Capitol Hill. You’ll find this in other areas of the Hill also.
that BBQ dude who took up residence there for a while, nice smokey hot links and good sides :(
“I am kinda tired of the same small group of people as owners/investors/partners in several businesses. This is a great neighborhood, but is really run by one elite group.”
It’s not as if they use scale of operation to destroy smaller operators, it’s just easier for them to market by word of mouth due to prior good will to their other establishments, and they have more capital to work with, clout to get decent chefs/waitstaff.
new york style pizza and neapolitan style pizza are actually very different things. but i might just be biased because i’m from new york.
I like the feeling of the new start up family owned business … but in the end that is rare. On the Hill it takes mega bucks.
Of more interest is good food for the money.
Fusion Pizza folded, the market for the stuff may be a bit saturated, esp. if too costly.
Course, they will make their money on booze … and that market on the Hill is booming.