This Detroit-style pizza place to open its first NC location in Charlotte this week
EDITOR’S NOTE: This story originally published Aug. 20 and has been updated with the official opening date.
Plaza Midwood will have a new spot for pizza and burgers this week.
Emmy Squared Pizza will open Thursday, Sept. 9, at 1508 Central Ave., the company said Thursday in a news release. Emmy Squared is named for its Detroit-style square pizzas and co-founder Emily Hyland.
It will be the first Emmy Squared in North Carolina as the company expands down the East Coast, the Observer previously reported. Last month, the (Raleigh) News & Observer reported that a Durham location is expected to open in November.
Emmy Squared’s pizza is similar to Sicilian pizza, a deep dish with a fluffy crust and crispy cheese baked on the sides with sauce stripes applied after baking, company CEO Howard Greenstone previously told the Observer.
Hyland recently moved to Charlotte’s South End neighborhood from New York City, saying in a statement, the company is “dedicated to engraining ourselves in the local culture and getting involved in every way we can.”
That will extend to Emmy Squared’s menu.
Pizza, burgers, beer on the menu
Along with its popular pizzas like the “Colony, a pizza topped with jalapeno and pepperoni and drizzled with honey and a red sauce, Emmy Squared Charlotte will make “a specialty pizza inspired by the Queen City,” the news release said.
The restaurant also will serve craft beers from Plaza Midwood neighbors Pilot Brewing Company, Resident Culture Brewing Company, Protagonist NoDa, Wooden Robot Brewery and Divine Barrel Brewing, as well as Twenty-Six Acres Brewing Company from Concord.
Other pizza choices include The Emmy with banana peppers, red onion, ranch and side sauce; and the MVP with a house-made vodka sauce, red sauce and garlic parsley pesto, as well as gluten-free options.
Emmy Squared also is known for its Le Big Matt Burger, a double-stack beef burger with American cheese, greens and pickles on a pretzel bun.
And menu starters include Eggplant Parm with Japanese eggplant, burrata, sauce, mozzarella, Calabrian chiles and basil and Brussels Sprouts salad with pickled red onion, cashew, blue cheese, dried cherries and miso dressing.
About the restaurant
As part of renovations to the former retail space, outdoor seating is available at Emmy Squared, as well as a dining room, takeout and delivery services, and space for private parties.
The front room of the 4,800-square-foot restaurant will have booth seating and the backroom will have a full bar, the Observer previously reported. An alley space will become a patio space.
The Charlotte location expects to hire up to 50 full- and part-time employees, and hiring is underway.
The first Emmy Squared opened in 2016 in Brooklyn, New York. Other locations are open or planned in Atlanta; Nashville; Louisville, Kentucky; Philadelphia; and Washington.
This story was originally published August 20, 2021 at 6:20 AM.