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More Pizza Heading for Former Pete's Space
Friday, August 3, 2012 at 10:19AM 
When third-generation pizza man Peter Thristino opened Pete's Pizzeria last March on Fifth Avenue between First and Second Streets, he most likely expected it to do as well as as his other long-standing pizzeria, Pete's Downtown by the Brooklyn Bridge. Even though the pizza was quite good (Pete and his brother Joe spent months perfecting their wood-burning oven skills), the space was awkwardly planned and it just couldn't hold its own amongst the glut of decent local pizza. It closed before the year was out, and the space has sat empty since.
Well, it looks like more pizza is heading for the space. Yesterday an eagle-eyed reader spotted a pizza oven being brought into the storefront, and asked someone on site what was up. He turned out to be one of the partners, and he told her the pizza served there would be "like Motorino or Keste." High standards to live up to, but they've got some good inspiration!
A permit was issued last month to completely renovate the space, and it appears as if the new owners are HMRP Hospitality Inc., which I haven't been able to track down any information about.
Coming Soon, Under Construction in Food, Scoops, Storefronts
Reader Comments (8)
It should be noted that Pete's Downtown has also closed, so I have to say I'm no impressed so far.
This neighborhood already has some of the best pizza in the city....Franny's, Giuseppina's, Toby's, Campo di Fiori, Fornino, South Brooklyn Pizza and 10 other slice joints.
Why in the world open another one in an already saturated market especially given that your last pizza restaurant just failed. it makes no sense.
It's also a block or two away from La Villa. Neither Motorino nor Keste compare to Giuseppina's or Franny's.
Pete's was awful. I was super excited about it opening up, with that oven and they had brought in some pizzaiolo dude from Italy, but the crust was boring and bland and the sauce was too sweet or something. I was super disappointed and never went back. Plus it looked like an Olive Garden.
Why were they bringing in an oven when they already had one?
This entire operation sounds like pouring good money down the drain. Open up something INTERESTING instead of trying to copycat another pizza place in a neighborhood absolutely filled with superb pizza places. Are these guys just stupid?
You'd have to really bring it as far as pizza goes to succeed. La Villa is solid, but unspectacular, and isn't any sort of destination for pizza. I've been there maybe three times in ten years, and I love me pizza. The Slope Fornino is too bizarre to be considered unless you have a specific jonesing for pizza toppings on a cracker that night. The truly good options are either in the extreme north or south ends of the neighborhood. If a place truly to the level of a Motorino or Keste were to open smack in the middle, they'd succeed. Until I actually see that, though, I'll assume it's smoke up our asses.
Pete's had a very odd feel to it and the pizza, while good, wasn't going to bring you back around multiple times.
Monte's has pretty good pizza, but i've only ever had delivery, no clue what the place is like inside
WT-
My guess, as a pizza devotee, and after having been to Pete's a few times, is that the oven they are bringing in is an actual wood burning oven, like at Keste, as opposed to a faux wood-burner (which is really a gas oven with wood in it for the illusion of being a true wood-burning oven) like at La Villa, Giuseppina's, or Franny's...
Hire a publicist, pay him to hang out in front of your restaurant and drop names lik Motorino or Keste. Then watch neighborhood blogs eat it up. Priceless.
Hey Lassie, I'll take that approach over fake parking tickets.