Wizard of Za pizza shop near University of Dayton closes
Sicilian-style pies served there for less than two years.
The Wizard of Za, a pizza shop with Sicilian-style pies, has closed on Brown Street near the University of Dayton.
“We gave it our best. We really did,” a sign posted at the restaurant reads. “To our friends and guests near and far, we know this restaurant closing is very sad. Please know it was a great joy to serve you.”
The pizza shop opened at 1200 Brown St. Suite 150, in the former space of Zombie Dogz, in November 2022.
“At the very beginning of the pandemic, the Wizard began making pies in his own kitchen and was taking orders through Instagram. Word spread and so did the waitlist. It was clear we needed a larger kitchen feed more people, more quickly,” the website states. “After partnering with FUSIAN, the Wizard relocated to a temporary pizza kitchen in Westerville, before eventually moving into its permanent home in Clintonville in late 2020.”
When the concept opened its first restaurant in 2020 in Columbus, it was voted the “Best New Restaurant” in its inaugural year.
Paceline Restaurant Partners, which owns and operates FUSIAN and HunnyBee’s Crispy Fried, purchased the pizza shop concept in October 2021, said Stephan Harman, co-founder of Paceline
Restaurant Partners.
The Wizard of Za still has a spot on North High Street in Columbus, about a mile north of the Ohio State University campus.
“If you’re ever in Columbus, please drop in to our original shop and enjoy a slice with us,” the sign reads.
For those who are holding gift cards, they can be redeemed at any FUSIAN or HunnyBee’s location.