Downtown pizzeria expected to open
By Rochelle Moore
Published in News on July 15, 2016 1:46 PM
Downtown Goldsboro will soon have a New York-style pizzeria as the owners of Ed's Southern Food and Spirits prepare to open a new restaurant on East Walnut Street.
"I just love pizza," said Ed Cogdell, co-owner of Ed's Southern Food and Spirits. "It's a niche that needs to be filled. It seems like it will be fun. We want it to be a fun place, very casual."
Owners Cogdell, Alvin Grant and Rob Waldron recently held a restaurant naming contest, which captured 347 ideas from the public and promises to provide the winner with one large pizza each week for a year.
The winner hasn't been announced, but Cogdell told the Goldsboro News-Argus Wednesday the name will be Off Center Pizzeria. The restaurant is planned to open at 115 E. Walnut St., just off downtown's Center Street.
An opening date has not been set, but the owners are working to renovate the inside of the building that will provide seating for 50 customers.
"It's a nice pizzeria, family oriented, a place you can go and have fun, relax and get a slice of pizza," Grant said.
Homemade, hand-tossed and gluten-free New York style pizza, made with natural ingredients, will be available either whole or by the slice.
"I like being able to offer by the slice or the whole pie," said Cogdell, who learned how to make pizza from an Italian when he previously lived at the Outer Banks. "I've made a lot of pizzas, and it's something I enjoy."
Gourmet as well as traditional pizzas will be available, and several ingredients will be homemade, including the sauce, dough and cheese, Cogdell said.
Customers will be able to order at a front counter inside the business where a mix of booths and tables will be available, during lunch and dinner hours. Carry-out service will also be offered.
"We'll probably have a few sandwiches and some nice salads, all homemade with high-quality ingredients," Cogdell said.
The inside of the restaurant will be decorated with older photos of Goldsboro, which capture part of the city's history.
"We want it to have a real Goldsboro feeling to it, a real downtown feel to it," Cogdell said.
The owners of Ed's Southern Food and Spirits decided to open a second downtown restaurant after learning that the East Walnut property was available. Downtown's growth following the multimillion-dollar streetscape revitalization project also played a role.
"I see a lot of rejuvenation coming to this area," said Cogdell, a fourth generation downtown business owner. "We are starting to see the snowball effect."
Since late 2013, downtown Goldsboro has experienced an uptick of interest from business owners and residential investors, with more than 30 businesses opening, said Julie Metz, Goldsboro downtown development director. The interest continues, with nearly a dozen more projects or business openings in the works, Metz said.
"We believe in this area, too," Grant said.
The owners of Ed's Southern Food and Spirits, located at 103 N. Center St., have experienced their share of success. The popular eatery opened in October 2014 and expanded by the end of 2015.