&pizza opens in Chinatown Today with “option for a dining experience with elevated service.”

705 H Street, NW

From a press release:

“&pizza, the brand of unconventional pizza shops known for their craft pizza, and soda and ampersand-tattooed employees, announces the opening of its 16th shop in Chinatown at 705 H Street NW. The new location, which will open its doors today, marks the launch of &pizza’s new curated beverage concept that includes three signature cocktails, as well as the option for a dining experience with elevated service.

courtesy &pizza

The bi-level space will offer two distinct guest experiences. The first floor of the shop channels the hustle of Chinatown focused on take-out, ideal for &pizza’s new order ahead app feature that allows guests to jump the line.

The second floor offers a more elevated dine-in experience. A mural-adorned staircase welcomes diners to another level of the shop where they can order, take a seat and for the first time have &pizza Tribe members deliver pies and signature &bar cocktails right to their table.

“We are constantly challenging ourselves to elevate and innovate the guest experience, and our new shop in Chinatown is a great example of where that type of thinking can take us,” says &pizza founder Michael Lastoria. “We couldn’t be more excited to bring the first iteration of the &bar concept to life and to connect with our guests in new and different ways – especially over a drink.”

The Chinatown shop will serve three signature cocktails made with &pizza’s craft sodas and &TEA. Developed by &pizza’s Culinary Director Jordan Schlotterbeck, the program expands on the brand’s previous offering of &WINE and beer – pushing the menu into the cocktail space for the very first time. The cocktails are made with local spirits and mixers including CIVIC Vodka from Republic Restoratives, TRUE Syrups and Garnishes and Runningbyrd Tea, as well as Boar Creek Appalachian Whiskey and The 86 Co.’s Tequila Cabeza. &WINE, DC Brau beer and refreshing non-alcoholic versions of &SODA and &TEA will also be available.

&BAR CURATED COCKTAILS

// GINGER BERRY LEMONADE + VODKA

Ginger Berry Lemonade Craft Soda • Civic Vodka • Ginger Syrup • Lemon • Mint

// SWEET TEA + WHISKEY

Peach Ginger &TEA • Boar Creek Whiskey • Brandied Cherries • Lemon Peel

// LIME PASSION FRUIT + TEQUILA

Mango Passion Fruit Craft Soda • Tequila Cabeza • True Grenadine • Spiced Rim • Lime

ARTIST COLLABORATIONS

Continuing the brand’s commitment to localized shop design, &pizza partnered with local artist CHELOVE – a multi-disciplined creative who straddles the street art, illustration, and interactive design worlds – to create three murals on the store’s interior walls, one of which spans the two-story staircase. Adding to the brand’s iconic black and white aesthetic, the Chinatown interior features hints of gold for a nod to the elevated experience it will offer and the cultural influences of the neighborhood.

Additionally, &pizza commissioned 15 DC-based artists, including CHELOVE, to collaborate on a permanent installation of custom designed sneakers. Using white sneakers as a blank canvas, each artist designed a pair of sneakers inspired by the brand’s street style to be displayed in the store. Participating artists include:

// CHELOVE

// KellyTowles

// Matt Corrado

// SUPERWAXX

// Tim Conlon

// MasPaz

// Eva Calonder, Printed Wild

// John Ortiz, Soul& Ink Crew

// Moses “Mosart” Rivera, Soul & Ink Crew

// KaliQ Crosby, Soul & Ink Crew

// Peter Chang, No Kings Collective

// Brandon Hill, No Kings Collective

// MONOLITH

// Justin Poppe, Grand Buffet Studio

// Issac M. Colon-Francia III, Laughing Hyena Tattoos

THE MENU

&pizza is constantly evolving its menu items, using the highest quality ingredients to build flavor profiles that are distinctly their own. The pies are cooked in under two minutes and guests can top pizzas with a selection of finishes including housemade sauces and oils. &pizza works with other craft businesses to create exclusive ingredients like pickled red onions from Gordy’s Pickle Jar and feta croutons from Moon Cheese. The cult brand also developed its own line of pure cane sugar craft sodas to complement its menu of well-loved signature and dessert pizzas, and offers artisanal teas in four flavors. Guest favorites include the Maverick, a spicy pie that incorporates three different types of meats and the Gnarlic, which tastes as garlicky as it sounds.”