Godfather’s Pizza open for carryout, delivery in Charlotte — and there’s a line to get in
Godfather’s Pizza, the iconic pizza parlor of 1970s and 80s childhood memories, has opened for carryout on Prosperity Church Road in Charlotte, with delivery planned to begin Monday evening. There is no dining room at this location.
On Monday at 11 a.m., a line had already formed outside of Godfather’s with people waiting to place carryout orders and welcome the chain back to the Queen City.
Just before 1 p.m. on Monday, Godfather’s temporarily closed to catch up to the 100-plus carryout orders the restaurant had already received. A team member said the restaurant hoped to reopen by 2 p.m. to resume carryout.
Around 6:30 p.m. Monday evening, the restaurant closed early again. “Due to an extremely high volume of orders that we had received, the wait time was exceeding the threshold for new orders that were placed,” Godfather’s posted on Facebook. “We unfortunately have had to stop accepting new orders for the rest of the day. We have very high standards set in place for our products and we want to ensure every pizza is prepared and cooked correctly. Our store will be open again tomorrow.”
Omaha, Nebraska roots
Godfather’s Pizza was founded in 1973 in Omaha, Nebraska. In the late 70s and early 80s, the chain with more than 900 locations was third in sales behind Pizza Hut and Domino’s, according to the New York Times. Hundreds of locations closed in the 1990s after the chain was sold to a private group.
Locations of Godfather’s Pizza were sprinkled throughout the Charlotte area during the pizzeria’s heyday. QC Metro once said if you remember eating at the locations on Freedom Drive or Park Road, it was a sign you may be a native Charlottean (Black edition).
In the line: A feeling of nostalgia
While waiting in line, several customers were excited about their first visits back to Godfather’s.
- “Iconic. This is one of the best pizzas the city has ever had. We’ve been doing Godfather’s since the 80s ... We have followed this pizza all over the Southeast to get it, and now it’s back in Charlotte,” Leonard Christian told CharlotteFive’s Lorenza Medley.
- “I’m a Charlotte native,” Tracy Coleman said. “We would frequent the one at Tryon and Eastway. This is the first time I’ve had Godfather’s Pizza in a while and I’m so glad to be here.”
- “It used to be a staple here in the Cotswold area — many of them closed,” Damien Council said. “As you can see, many people have been anxiously awaiting this day to actually have another Godfather’s here because it’s great pizza.”
- “Very excited about it,” Shon Coleman said. “Living right around the corner from Godfather’s, I’ll be here every day.”
On the Godfather’s Pizza menu
Head down memory lane with a classic order, or find a new favorite on the menu. Some notables:
- Taco Pie: Spicy taco sauce and topped with seasoned beef, onions, cheddar and mozzarella cheese, lettuce, tomatoes and more cheddar.
- Humble Pie: Pepperoni, Italian sausage, onions, green peppers and mozzarella cheese.
- Chicken Bacon Ranch: Boneless grilled chicken breast strips, wood-smoked bacon bits and mozzarella cheese on a base of ranch.
Godfather’s Pizza
Location: 3020 Prosperity Church Rd F, Charlotte, NC 28269
Instagram: @godfatherspizza
Lorenza Medley contributed reporting.
This story was originally published October 17, 2022 at 11:21 AM.
