THUNDER BAY — There are plenty of pizza outlets in Thunder Bay, but The Pizza Street can claim it provides a unique taste experience from South Asia.
After a soft launch earlier this week, the restaurant held its official opening at McIntyre Centre on Memorial Avenue on Wednesday.
Co-owned by local residents Arvin Wadhawan and Harpreet Bhullar, The Pizza Street's menu includes both Indian-style pizza and traditional pizza.
"You get a lot of unique taste in the sauces," Wadhawan explained in an interview. "We have tandoori chicken sauce, butter chicken sauce that we make in-house. And we also have the first cheese-burst crust in Thunder Bay. Nobody carries that."
He said the restaurant also offers lactose-free, gluten-free and halal options.
"The whole concept of The Pizza Street is it's a street-wide pizza, so people can come and have fun, enjoy the music, and take out the pizzas. Moreover, we are bringing alcohol on board if the AGCO (Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario) approves us."
The restaurant is independent, but Wadhawan said he got the idea from a popular chain of similar eateries in the Mississauga and Brampton areas.
He moved to Thunder Bay as an international student in 2017 and worked at Monsoon, another restaurant in the city.
Five years later, he and partner Harpreet Bhullar became joint owners of the business.
Their newer venture, Wadhawan said, got off to a good start both Monday and Tuesday.
"We opened at 3:00 p.m., and we were sold out at 7:00."
The usual operating hours will be 1:00 p.m. to 2:00 a.m. Monday to Wednesday, and 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 a.m. Thursday to Sunday.
