Just a few years after launching their brand, Hibler and Sanfield abandoned their initial concept and by 2003 moved toward a more artisan pizza focus. … Pizza is a very communal, personal experience.” We learned early on that pizza is not fast food. We were turning it around quick and we were serving it more like a fast-food restaurant than a quality restaurant. Unfortunately –– and this is one of our market advantages –– we found out really quick that it just doesn’t correlate. There are a lot of people trying to rush into the pizza market who are trying to do a Chipotle version of pizza. “We wanted some equity in a brand, and we thought ‘Let’s do a pizza version of a Baja Fresh,’ which is incredibly ironic today. “We wanted to build a company with equity,” Hibler says. In the mid- 1990s, Hibler and Sanfield watched the explosion of concepts that combined high-quality food in a fast-casual setting, and they had been grilling and baking pizzas on-set for years. Two basic ideas fueled Pitfire’s development in 1998. For years, they owned one of the top movie catering companies and toured the world working on high-budget films. Hibler and his business partner, David Sanfield, got their start in the industry in a roundabout way. market but also in the pizza industry –– and earned the designation of Pizza Today’s 2013 Independent Pizzeria of the Year. With seven stores and sales of just under $25 million, Pitfire Artisan Pizza has rapidly made a name for itself not only in the L.A. In other Pitfire news, they recently started serving organic vanilla soft serve ice cream from Straus Family Creamery at the Westwood branch, and it will be available in NoHo and downtown in the next month.By 11 a.m., customers have started filling the booths, but few probably realize the magnitude of the company they’re patronizing. In case you didn’t know, Hibler and Sanfield are The Edison’s food partners. The other side of the commissary is the production line for The Edison. It’s aged for two days and divvied up between the three locations. To keep the food consistent and to keep costs down, they have a 3000-square-foot commissary below the downtown Pitfire where they produce 1500 balls of dough per day for pizza and panini. “It’s somewhere in between.” He wouldn’t reveal Pitfire’s proprietary three-component blend, but he did leak that it includes semolina. When it comes to the pizza, “We’re not strict Neapolitan, and it’s not New York,” says Sanfield. The Culver City-specific chef is Andy Lopez, who previously cooked for the group that owned the Sunset Room and Ritual in Hollywood. Michael Ainsley is the overall executive chef who’s in charge of consistency and developing market-driven, seasonal specials. “We want to keep the food consistent, but each place has a different personality,” says Hibler. Think apple or cherry, and once a year, they score prized olive wood from up north, which “burns hot and is really aromatic.” The showpiece of the dining room is a red Mugnaini oven, which burns 50% red oak and whatever fruitwood Pitfire can get. You may even find a Dutch BINGO board from the ’50s. Insulated ceilings are coated with craft paper. Walls will be lined with irregularly tilted mirrors. In all, Pitfire houses 130 seats, including banquettes and an elevated area lined with booths colored British racing green. The lighting consists of yellow dock lights and, during the day, skylights. Instead of a standard L-shaped counter, you’ll find 22 stools that wrap around two jutting communal tables. The patio will be covered with a grape trellis.Įnter the front door and find the ordering counter on your left, along with a glass wall of kegs and draught lines that lead to 6-8 taps.īy the time Pitfire opens, the interior will house a polished concrete floor and a counter lined with Carrera marble. “Master gardener” Maggie Lobi will plan and curate the garden.Ī giant sliding glass and metal barn door separates the 30-seat patio from the restaurant. Along the lot’s east wall, you’ll find an olive grove and edible garden with tomatoes and herbs. “We actually took parking out to add greenscape,” says Hibler. They reoriented the entrance away from Washington Boulevard traffic, replacing the front door with a three-tiered planter that will sprout wheat. “In it’s day, Shakey’s was progressive.” This was one of the first Shakey’s, constructed in 1970. Pitfire Artisan Pizza touts a retooled logo to match their updated concept.įor Culver City, the longtime business partners hired architect Barbara Bestor (Intelligentsia Silver Lake) to transform the space into what Hibler calls a “pop art Pitfire.” “We love that it was a Shakey’s Pizza Parlor,” says Hibler.
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