Pacific Crust Pizza Company Has Packed Up Its Downtown Location

The ground-floor pizzeria that held outdoors-themed Pacific Crust Pizza Company is once again in need of a tenant.

Pacific Crust has quietly departed the space at 400 SW Broadway a little less than a year after it began slinging dough. The business, which is part of the Independent Restaurant Concepts family (Paddy’s, Produce Row, North 45), is not calling it quits, however. Its website says that Pacific Crust is searching for a new glampsite, and may even have a temporary pop-up in the meantime.

The restaurant group confirmed that it does have plans to fire up the ovens once again.

“We loved our time at Hotel Lucia, but our lease was up, so we decided to move to a different neighborhood,” IRC’s marketing manager, Victoria Wagner, tells WW. “We’re looking to reopen soon in a space that allows us to have outdoor fire pits, picnic tables and true outdoor vibes to fit our brand better.”

Pacific Crust leaned into its theme once it transitioned from a takeout-only operation on Northeast Alberta Street to a dine-in restaurant on Southwest Broadway. The menu was modeled after a key for hiking trails and divided into three sections (“Easy,” “Intermediate” and “Expert”) in order to help you decide how adventurous you want your meal to be. In addition to that, the space was outfitted with a king-sized tent in the form of white canvas draping, Coleman-style lanterns and climbing ropes.

During our visits last winter, pies coming out of the Montague oven were solid. Blurring the line between New York and New Haven styles, each slice could be folded easily yet maintained a hefty rim for superior chew and crunch. Toppings that adventured beyond pepperoni and cheese were also appreciated—our favorite was the Traverse, a crimson-and-gold disk of lightly smoked tomato sauce with corn kernels, truffle shavings, blue cheese, black pepper honey and arugula.

However, the location seemed to be a challenge. The dining room was somewhat small, and more often than not, customers appeared to prefer to get their pizzas to go. The primary restaurant space next door that used to hold Imperial remains empty, which means there is still less foot traffic than pre-pandemic times. And the downtown crowd remains a little rough.

Pacific Crust’s move also leaves Hotel Lucia again without a food outlet. (The space previously held Vitaly Paley’s pizzeria the Crown.) Currently, the hotel’s website advertises room service for guests from long-standing West End restaurant Cheryl’s on 12th, about six blocks away.