In the past decade the Twin Cities saw an explosion of Neapolitan-inspired pizzas cooked quickly in ultra-hot ovens, courtesy of Punch, Pizza Nea, Pizzeria Lola, and others. This week, a new pizza concept called PizzaRev enters the market. The Hopkins shop is the first of the Los-Angeles-born franchises to venture out of California, thanks to an investment from Minnesota-based Buffalo Wild Wings.
PizzaRev, a mashup of Punch Pizza’s speed and Subway’s assembly line, offers the convenience of fast food with fresh ingredients. Dough is made daily and pressed flat when customers order. They move through the line and decorate their pie with more than two dozen sauce, cheese, meat, and vegetable options. The best part? There’s no extra charge for any toppings. Pile ’em on and still pay the base price of $7.99.
The setup is designed to help customers discover new flavor possibilities, and it works. After seeing the variety of ingredients laid out in front of me, I chose a combination I might not have ordered off a menu—barbecue sauce, mozzarella, chicken, bacon, and onions.
My Roman-style pizza emerged from the 900-degree open-flame stone-bed oven in just three minutes at the press preview. The thin crust was perfectly crispy; the chicken, fresh and juicy.
On Sunday, May 18 from 5–10 p.m., guests who “like” PizzaRev on Facebook can stop by to enjoy a free pizza.
525 Blake Rd. N., Hopkins, 952-938-2408, pizzarev.com
