Earlier in the year, a Houston-based pizza restaurant with historical ties to Italy announced it would make its Arizona debut in Mesa. However, the restaurant was originally supposed to open in the spring of 2024. As the calendar suggests, spring has come and gone and we are now fully enthralled in the middle of autumn (which, ideally, should bring down temperatures and AC bills). There were a number of delays with making the move, though it appears to finally be ready to launch in the Valley, with the possibility of additional locations to come.
There were rumors of a Russo’s New York Pizzeria opening in Mesa all the way back in the winter of 2023. The brand wanted to move west from its Texas location, and metro Phoenix made the most sense. It had the largest population footprint and was continuing to grow. The overall goal of the brand was to launch 100 new restaurants by 2026. If the other restaurants have gone through the same kind of delays as the Mesa location that lofty goal likely will not come to fruition. However, as for the local restaurant, things are finally starting to look as if an opening is in the near future.