This past summer, our mouths and souls were graced by a tasty weekly pop-up at Cincinnati vino shop and bar Oakley Wines.
Parlor Pizza Project, founded by Alex Plattner, kicked off its Sunday Slice pop-up in late August, featuring two or three different 10-inch pizza options weekly, which guest could either enjoy at the shop or take to-go.
And after many sold-out nights and success, Plattner has announced plans to open his very own brick-and-mortar pizza shop just down the road in Hyde Park.
Pizza Parlor Project’s petite shop, located at 3392 Erie Ave., is slated to open early this February, and will focus on carry-out pizzas and salads.
“I was born down the street. My parents live five minutes away. This is where I wanted to be. Can’t wait to be a part of the neighborhood we know and love,” Plattner wrote in an Instagram post.
Plattner acknowledges the challenges of the pandemic on the restaurant industry, but says despite these struggles, he was motivated to follow his dreams and “go for it.”
“My fellow small business owners have been through a gauntlet of stressors during the pandemic, on top of the challenges that exist in ‘normal times.’ It’s been sobering and heartbreaking to witness people I care about struggling to stay afloat, to protect their employees, and to mind their own mental health. I feel the gravity of their experiences as I move forward. At the same time, the pandemic forced me to distill my many vague and ever-changing plans for the future, and most of all, convinced me that I’ve got to go for it. I love to make pizza and I can’t wait to get this thing going,” he continued in his announcement.
The Oakley Wines pop-up will continue every Sunday through the end of January before Plattner shifts focus to his own endeavor. He notes in his post, that he is currently looking for pizza makers and a front-of-house manager to join his small but mighty team. Reach out to Plattner via his Instagram page @parlor_pizza_project for more info.
Parlor Pizza Project, 3392 Erie Ave., Hyde Park.
This article appears in Jan 1-31, 2021.