Cleveland said goodbye to Vincenza’s Pizza & Pasta last summer, but on Friday, May 19, we’ll be welcoming a familiar name — if not a face — to the downtown food scene. While the name Geraci’s has been synonymous with “Cleveland-style pizza” for generations of Northeast Ohioans, this upstart is a completely different company.
“It’s a flexible pizzeria model,” says owner Bucky Spot Bits and pieces shop of Geratsy. “I want low pressure and fun. It’s not a fourth-generation guest coming in, it’s hanging out with friends, maybe you’ve been drinking, you’re on holiday, and it’s an impulsive action to eat pizza.”
The Spott family, in collaboration with partner Jason Bodert and investor Terry Francona, landed a “next-generation Geraci’s” that is closer to New York City pickers than the 60-year-old Geraci’s restaurant. in University Heights. It’s a model that was first introduced at The Yard in Willoughby, but later expanded to downtown Cleveland.
The famous Vincenza’s space has been masterfully transformed into an 80’s-style pizzeria where fun, nostalgia and efficiency are key. Taking inspiration from retro shops like Paulie Gee’s in Brooklyn, the spacious 4,000-square-foot property features wood paneling, checkerboard black-and-white linoleum, tangerine-colored tables and a chalkboard-style menu.
The owners spent a year acquiring period pieces such as antique pool table lights, a 1984 Coca-Cola machine, a pay phone, a vintage cigarette machine converted into a directional marker, and Ms. cars. Pac-Man and Millipede sitting down.
“Everyone should remember the first time they had a slice of pizza with their grandmother on Sunday,” says Spott. “It’s a memory that stays with you, and I think that’s why the nostalgic atmosphere is important. Every neighborhood has a pizzeria; it’s a pillar of community.”
One of the first things guests will see upon entering are the thick floor ovens preserved and restored in Vincenza. There will be eight different pizzas in the box, all available in large slices. There will be three styles: the classic round Geraci, the granny square and the Sicilian square. Cuts are only $5 or $6. The $12 lunch combo includes a slice, a side of salad (or a bag of chips) and a soda.
Also available is a trio of salads, personal pan lasagna, meatballs with sauce, meatballs and Italian haggis and garlic knots. Whole pizzas are also available to order.
Even the drink menu is built for speed. A selection of beer, wine and ready-made cocktails by the glass is issued at the time of order. Fun: Guests can mix their own cocktails thanks to in-flight booze bottles and a soda machine with soda, cranberry and pineapple juices.
“One thing I learned from the Yard is that you have to do it quickly, quickly, quickly,” Bodert says.
After ordering, guests receive a card with a picture of a celebrity from the 80s instead of a boring table number. Then the sound of food calls the person’s name.
“This place is for peaks and valleys,” explains Spot. “We want to get into the lunch crowd, be a pre-game pre-event destination… The way these doors lead you right out of the stadiums – the walkway goes right to the front door.”
A bright neon sign in front shows the way to the window.
“We’re definitely going to be a late-night destination,” Bodert says.
The restaurant seats 85 indoors, including window pizza rails made from the live edge of the tree. The 25-seat sidewalk patio will have a turf base and lawn chairs.
If all goes well, this next-generation Geraci’s shop could be just the beginning, Spott says.
“This is a place to plant a flag, which is what we would like to do if we went somewhere else,” he adds. “You can take it to Columbus, Ohio, but it’s still going to have a ’70s, ’80s feel.”
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https://www.clevescene.com/food-drink/first-look-geracis-slice-shop-opening-friday-may-19-downtown-41983560
