The Concept’s Famed New York-Style Slices and Whole Pies Will Arrive In South Tempe In June
Artichoke Basille’s Pizza, the nation’s largest and fastest growing New York-style pizza concept, is expanding its West Coast footprint into Arizona with a restaurant opening at 1120 E Baseline Road in South Tempe. The restaurant is slated to open doors in June and begin serving its authentic NYC pizzas and more for dine-in, takeout, and delivery.
The Tempe menu boasts a full bar, salads, and lighter fare alongside Artichoke’s signature New York-style pizzas like the Artichoke Pie and Crab Pie, plus traditional pizzas like Margherita, Pepperoni, and Meatball. The 2,500 square foot South Tempe restaurant pays homage to Artichoke’s roots with NYC-inspired design elements like exposed brick and antiqued tin, while also incorporating modern touches including an indoor/outdoor bar and garage doors that open to a 1,000 square foot patio.
“We’re confident that our first Arizona location will be welcomed by the people of Tempe and we’re thrilled to add another community to the Artichoke family,” said Francis Garcia, co-founder and co-owner of Artichoke Basille’s Pizza. “We couldn’t have asked for better franchise partners to spearhead Artichoke’s development in Arizona.”
The Arizona franchisees, Keith Bolognese and Ron Marino, are long-time friends of Artichoke Pizza’s founders and fans of the New York-based pizza brand. Bolognese’s primary background is in finance and investing with an emphasis in the hospitality industry, and Marino has owned and operated restaurants and bars throughout Los Angeles for nearly two decades.
“We wanted to bring Artichoke Pizza to Arizona since it’s such a fast-growing market with tremendous opportunities for development, and we know that the brand and high-quality product will be well-received by those in Tempe,” said Marino. “We feel fortunate to have such supportive, encouraging partners in the Artichoke Pizza team and for their faith in us and our ability to make a splash with this opening.”
Founded in 2008 by cousins Francis Garcia and Sal Basille, Artichoke Basille’s Pizza specializes in serving an authentic style of pizza born and bred from fourth generation New York City pizzaiolos. The idea to start their own pizza shop was first sparked while the duo was working in their family’s restaurant in Staten Island, where they would sneak slivers of their now-famous Artichoke Pie into the bread baskets. The overwhelmingly positive response gave Fran & Sal the confidence they needed to open their first outpost in Manhattan – a small, sub-400 square foot shop in East Village. Nearly overnight, Artichoke’s signature slices and whole pies attracted a dedicated fan base that would wait in endless lines, both during the day and late-night, trying to get a slice of the pie. In addition to being known for its high-quality menu offerings, Artichoke has made a name for itself on the national stage with appearances by founders Fran and Sal on nationally syndicated television shows like Good Morning America, The Rachael Ray Show, Fox & Friends, Jimmy Kimmel Live!, and even two of their own Cooking Channel series: Pizza Masters and Pizza Cuz.
The authentic New York pizza concept currently operates 16 locations from coast-to-coast in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, and Northern California. To stay up-to-date with the latest Artichoke Basille’s Pizza happenings, visit www.artichokepizza.com and follow the brand at @ArtichokePizza on social media.
Artichoke Basille’s Pizza is a New York City-based fast casual pizza concept known for its authentic, thick crust New York slices and whole pies. The concept was founded by cousins and pizzaiolos Francis Garcia and Sal Basille in 2008, and has since attracted legions of fans from NYC locals, tourists, and celebrities alike. Unlike other fast casuals, their pizzas are never made in a conveyor belt oven, and their curated flavors range from the unique to the traditional, like the namesake Artichoke Pie, Crab Pie, and Vodka Pie. Artichoke Pizza has gained national attention via Fran & Sal’s two Cooking Channel series, appearances on nationally-syndicated television shows, and was recently named on QSR’s list of ‘40 Most Exciting Fast Casuals Under 40 Units.’ The brand currently operates 16 locations from coast-to-coast, with additional locations on the way in New Jersey, Connecticut, New York, Northern California, and Arizona. Visit www.artichokepizza.com for more information.
