Pacific Crust Pizza Company Moves Downtown, Into the Former Crown Location

You may actually feel as though you’ve left the heart of downtown and stepped into a glampsite now that the dining room is outfitted with canvas tents, lanterns and climbing cables.

Pacific Crust Pizza Company Photo courtesy of Pacific Crust Pizza Company.
By Andi Prewitt

Almost exactly one year after Vitaly Paley’s downtown pizzeria, The Crown, switched off its ovens due to the pandemic, the ground floor of Hotel Lucia will once again have a restaurant slinging disks of baked dough.

Pacific Crust Pizza Company quietly opened for delivery and pickup at 400 SW Broadway on Oct. 29 before launching dine-in service the following day. Its new home takes the brand across town after originally opening October 2020 as a takeout-only operation on Northeast Alberta Street.

Customers can expect a similar menu with a Northwest-outdoors theme created by chef Aaron Dionne, formerly of New American and Higgins. That means you’ll find ingredients like elk fennel sausage, Cascade lox and elderberry vinegar atop pies here. The pizzas are also categorized like hikes—“easy,” “intermediate” and “expert”—indicating how adventurous the toppings might be to someone used to ordering plain old cheese and pepperoni.

There is a “Blaze Your Own Trail” option (choose your own adventure), and you can end the meal around the campfire, s’mores style, with a dark chocolate brownie with graham cracker and toasted marshmallow.

The food lineup is joined by a full slate of cocktails, craft beers, wine, ciders, hard seltzers and non-alcoholic beverages, like Jones Soda and San Pelligrino.

Once you walk through the doors of the former Crown location, you may actually feel as though you’ve left the heart of downtown and stepped into a glampsite miles away following Pacific Crust’s extensive remodel. The dining room is now outfitted with canvas tents, lanterns and climbing cables.

Pacific Crust Pizza Company Photo courtesy of Pacific Crust Pizza Company.

In fact, those who show up to the grand opening on Nov. 11 will be able to watch Timber Joey chainsawing through a huge rope—the rugged form of a ribbon-cutting ceremony. Free slices and swag bags will also be available at the celebration.

Pacific Crust is one of the latest businesses from the team at Independent Restaurant Concepts group, which also runs seven other properties, including Paddy’s, Produce Row and North 45.

Pacific Crust Pizza Company Photo courtesy of Pacific Crust Pizza Company.

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