Jason Gregory and Kelli Marie Hindes will pack a lot into the next few weeks.
In early August, they take possession of a new restaurant space in the NorthWood Shopping Center, near 47th and Mission Road.
They’ll work on the spot before marrying on Sept. 12 — maybe have time for a short honeymoon — and then gear up for a November opening for their new 1889 Pizza Napoletana.
The couple met eight years ago while students at the University of Kansas in Lawrence. They graduated in 2009, Gregory with a master’s in accounting, Hindes with a B.A. in journalism and strategic communication.
On study abroad trips to Italy — Gregory for four months, Hindes for two months — they fell in love with the culture and Gregory began studying guidelines for true Neapolitan pizza. He worked in award-winning California restaurants that specialized in the pizza and then became certified.
According to the Associazione Verace Pizza Napoletana in Naples, 1889 was the year when the first Pizza Margherita was made for then Queen Regina Margherita. So Gregory and Hindes are naming their new restaurant 1889 Pizza Napoletana. It will use premium, fresh ingredients and dough made in-house daily. The restaurant also will serve salads and appetizers, as well as have beer and wine on tap.
They are still fine-tuning recipes but their specialty pizzas may include the Signature Margherita (with San Marzano tomatoes, fior di latte, basil, parmigiano reggiano and extra virgin olive oil), the Piccante (San Marzano tomatoes, salami piccante, soppressata, basil, hot Calabrian chilies and extra virgin olive oil), the Quattro Formaggi (fior di latte, ricotta, Gorgonzola, fontina, basil and extra virgin olive oil), Green Eggs & Ham (basil pesto, fior di latte, egg, prosciutto, arugula and extra virgin olive oil), and the Honey Bee (fresh pear, Gorgonzola, local honey, arugula and extra virgin olive oil). A wood-burning oven will bake the pizzas in 90 seconds
Customers also will be able to order “build-their-own pizzas” and select from a variety of ingredients.
1889 Pizza Napoletana’s open kitchen will be based off of the eat-in kitchen of a Tuscan home but with contemporary touches, they said.
The restaurant, at 2872 W. 47th Ave., will join Gus’s World Famous Fried Chicken, which plans an early fall opening in the NorthWood center. It also is near such restaurants as Joe’s Kansas City Bar-B-Que, Taco Republic and Lulu’s Asian Bistro.
To reach Joyce Smith, call 816-234-4692 or send email to jsmith@kcstar.com. Follow her on Facebook and Twitter at JoyceKC
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