A local pizza chain will open a new location in Western Market before the end of December.
Andy’s Pizza owner Andy Brown said he will open his fifth D.C. location and ninth total location in the space that formerly housed Tigerella — an Italian cafe that closed its doors in May — in Western Market before Dec. 25. He said he was interested in opening a location in Western Market before it first opened in 2021, but Western Market had another vendor with exclusive claim to pizza at the time.
Brown said he looked forward to reaching GW students and nearby office workers with the location.
“We’re really excited for the opportunity to build a community there with the people who are there every day,” Brown said. “And I think that that’s exactly what we’re going to get.”
He said the menu at the location “likely will not differ” from that at other locations, featuring appetizers, like fried Brussels sprouts and roasted broccolini, and pizzas using 72-hour fermented dough, like the Buffalo Crispy Chicken pizza and the Diavolo, featuring onion and calabrian ricotta.
Brown said the corporate office for Andy’ Pizza is located on Western Market’s upper floor, so the location may serve as a test kitchen for new menu items during events like Wine Wednesdays and Bucket Night Beer Thursdays.
“Any sort of recipe testing or things going on are going to happen downstairs in that kitchen, which is going to be really fun,” Brown said.
Brown said prices are standard between locations, with full, 18-inch pizzas costing between $22.50 and $32.50 or $4.50 per slice. He said the team is still working with landlords to set hours, with the hopes of holding late-night business.
“Being able to be a part of the school is super exciting and be a part of the programming,” Brown said. “So yeah, we’re just psyched about that.”
Tigerella owners said the lack of office workers returning to the area post-pandemic made their business unsustainable. Tigerella’s cafe closed in January, and the business started offering pizza slices and whole pizzas. D.C.-based chain Bullfrog Bagels replaced the cafe space, while Andy’s Pizza will overtake the main restaurant space.
