(Updated 4 p.m.) One of Arlington’s most successful restaurants is coming to one of the county’s least successful restaurant locations.
Neapolitan pizzeria Pupatella, which was a popular food truck before opening its acclaimed bricks-and-mortar location in Bluemont in 2010, is opening a second Arlington location in the restaurant “Bermuda Triangle” at 1621 S. Walter Reed Drive. The opening is planned for this summer.
“The restaurant is 2,200 square feet and will seat approximately 60 guests inside,” a press release said of Pupatella’s new location in the Nauck neighborhood. “The location also features a covered patio area that will have seating for another 40 or so guests.”
Pupatella also announced plans today to open a 2,700 square foot location at 1821 Wiehle Avenue in Reston by early 2020, as part of a new expansion push fueled by a $3.75 million investment.
“More company-owned locations are currently being pursued in Fairfax County, Montgomery County and Washington, D.C.,” said the press release.
“The community in Arlington has been so wonderful to us over the past decade that it was a simple decision for us to open a South Arlington location,” Pupatella founder Enzo Algarme is quoted as saying in the press release. “The area is exploding with growth, and we want to be sure that growth includes great pizza!”
Algarme did not respond to multiple inquiries from ARLnow.com last week seeking to confirm that they were behind the new restaurant at 1621 S. Walter Reed Drive. A spokeswoman said today that he was out of town.
Eater, which reported the Pupatella news late Thursday morning before the press release was sent to ARLnow, quotes another company co-owner as saying the Walter Reed Drive location will help fulfill “spillover demand” from its busy, original location.
The full press release is after the jump.
Pupatella, the award-winning Neapolitan pizzeria that has been a favorite of pizza lovers in Virginia since 2007, announces the signing of two lease agreements to open new restaurants in South Arlington and Reston. This expansion is fueled by a $3.75 million investment the brand secured from several notable private investors in the fall of 2018. In addition to these two leases, more company-owned locations are currently being pursued in Fairfax County, Montgomery County and Washington, DC.
Slated to open this summer, Pupatella South Arlington is located at 1621 S. Walter Reed Drive. The restaurant is 2,200 square feet and will seat approximately 60 guests inside. The location also features a covered patio area that will have seating for another 40 or so guests.
Pupatella Reston will join the lineup in early 2020 at 1821 Wiehle Avenue. That restaurant is approximately 2,700 square feet and will also have a large dedicated patio area for outdoor dining.
Both of the new locations are highly visible, unique stand-alone buildings with dedicated parking for Pupatella guests. The South Arlington location will add to the very exciting growth that has been underway in that area for the last number of years.
“The community in Arlington has been so wonderful to us over the past decade that it was a simple decision for us to open a South Arlington location. The area is exploding with growth, and we want to be sure that growth includes great pizza!” says Pupatella founder Enzo Algarme.
Pupatella Reston will also be situated in a high growth area of Reston, with proximity to the new Wiehle Avenue Silver Line metro and the high density mixed use development that is sprouting up all around that immediate area. “As a native Restonian, I know all the wonderful things Reston has to offer, but one thing that has been missing is authentic Neapolitan pizza. I couldn’t be more thrilled to bring Pupatella to the neighborhood,” says founding partner and head of real estate and supply chain, Michael Berger.
Husband and wife founders Enzo and Anastasiya Algarme started Pupatella as a food truck in 2007, then opened their first pizzeria in Arlington in 2010. The Algarmes’ “back to the basics” approach to classic Neapolitan pizza was a resounding success and prompted a partnership with founding partners of Elevation Burger in 2016 to grow the brand. Franchisee Zeeshan Kaba opened a successful Pupatella in Richmond’s Fan District in 2017, followed by a second location in Glen Allen in 2018. While Kaba continues the company’s success in Richmond, the Pupatella team is focused on corporate expansion in the DC Metro area.
“Our passion with Pupatella is to serve the authentic Neapolitan pizza experience in our neighborhoods exactly as it has been served for over 150 years in neighborhoods throughout my hometown of Naples,” says Mr. Algarme. “We have really enjoyed sharing our classic, delicious pizza with the Arlington and Richmond communities, and we look forward to introducing even more guests to the Neapolitan difference.”
Pupatella proudly achieved certification by the Naples-based Associazione Verace Pizza Napoletana (VPN) and remains obsessed with maintaining the authenticity and quality of the pizza in all of its upcoming pizzerias. The pizza is made according to nearly 150-year-old Neapolitan techniques, and the dough is prepared with only four ingredients: 00 Italian flour, sea salt, fresh yeast, and water. Each pizza is baked in a traditional wood-fired oven made of brick from Mount Vesuvius and cooks in around 90 seconds. Ingredients are imported weekly from Naples.
In addition to its classic Neapolitan fare, Pupatella is also known for its convenient and affordable format. Guests order at the counter and then are seated to enjoy full tableside service from the Pupatella staff. A robust menu of red and white pizzas, friggitoria (Italian fried food), small plates and salads is complemented by select wines and a rotating offering of craft beers, which also makes Pupatella a favorite for date nights.