A new pizza place is opening in downtown Jefferson City.
Nick Kramer is working to open Pizza Underground at 219 Madison St., hoping to have an informal test with friends and family around the Fourth of July, and officially opening the restaurant after that. The new pizza spot is in the former home of Sabaai-Sabaai Thai Cuisine, which closed in late March after more than four years in business.
Kramer's goal in opening the new spot is a simple one: "To do pizza my way," he said. "Made with more of a passion for it."
That means high quality ingredients to consistently make a delicious pizza, Kramer said, right down to the Italian flour he's selected to make his dough.
"I think it makes a big difference," he said, adding his menu will not have a single frozen item on it.
Simplicity is important. Kramer emphasized his belief that a simple, focused menu offering items made from local, high-quality ingredients will keep a loyal customer base. The menu he's planning will focus on the pizzas, along with a couple of salad options.
Kramer is quick to say he's not a chef or a cook. He said he spent more than a decade working in manufacturing, but he's passionate about making pizzas and didn't want to miss an opportunity to go after a dream. Kramer said he's spent a lot of time experimenting with recipes to find the best way to make his pizzas. In fact, he'll be the sole pizza maker on the premises.
"I've made many different pizzas," Kramer said.
Throughout that testing process, Kramer said, it was the dog he shares with his girlfriend, Tabatha, who was always nearby, just waiting for an ingredient to fall to the floor. To honor that, the entrance to Pizza Underground features a silhouette of a lone pizza maker -- Kramer -- and a small silhouette of a dog at his feet.
The space itself on Madison Street has been transformed from its previous life as a Thai restaurant. Kramer, along with Tabitha and a few family members, have been working on everything themselves, breaking down wooden pallets to make into wall features, new table accents and other decor items that, when combined with the new lighting, gives it a rustic feel. The goal, Kramer said, is for the place to almost glow outwards in the evening through the big windows, hopefully drawing in some new customers from the downtown foot traffic.
Kramer plans to have a Facebook page running in the next few days, and hopes to open in early to mid-July, though that depends on finishing a few touches on the space itself, including the addition of the new pizza oven. Once the restaurant opens, Kramer said he plans to be open for lunch and close around 1:30 p.m. to prepare for dinner, reopening around 4 p.m. daily.
Kramer noted he will be looking to hire a few servers, and that information will be posted on the Pizza Underground Facebook page.
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