‘We prayed about this:’ Charlotte’s Bird Pizzeria has expanded into a larger space.
Beloved Optimist Park establishment Bird Pizzeria has expanded into the space next door, giving the popular pizza business a way to offer more goods and seat guests who want to dine in.
With the brick-and-mortar originally opened in December 2021, Bird Pizzeria has been gathering a dedicated fan base and plenty of accolades. Blogger AndrewLoves even called it the best pizza in Charlotte. As CharlotteFive previously reported, the outfit was originally a pop-up around the Charlotte area.
With success booming in Optimist Park, co-owners Nkem and Kerrel Thompson were scheming an expansion for a while. Now, the dream has come to fruition. Stars aligned when the tattoo shop, Coast To Coast Tattoo, next door to Bird closed and the space became available.
“We prayed about this space,” Nkem told CharlotteFive. “We’re just like, ‘Man, this would be amazing to be able to not have to pick up our stuff and go to a new location.’”
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Before, there wasn’t indoor seating at Bird. This expansion is a gamechanger for the restaurant to offer a community-oriented dine-in experience — a vibe that makes sense for the couple that, during the early days of covid, peddled pizzas out of their house for loved ones.
“We’re really excited to open our dining room literally as if it was, you know, an extension of our house,” Nkem said.
The vibe, according to Nkem, is communal and friendly. It’s a place to bring the people you love, hang out for a while, and maybe even make some friends.
“Now we’ll have more room for you to stay a while,” Nkem said.
Curated pizza options are offered in the new expanded space, but lovers of a little variety needn’t fret — there will be plenty of items added to the sit-down menu, not just pizza. Lunch service will be happening in the new space, and later dinner hours will be offered.
Bird Pizzeria
Location: 510 E. 15th Street, Charlotte, North Carolina, 28206
Neighborhood: Optimist Park
Cuisine: Pizza
Instagram: @birdpizzeria
This story was originally published April 8, 2024 at 6:00 AM.