Truly Pizza, the popular Dana Point eatery, has enjoyed a remarkable first year, earning a spot on 50 Top Pizza’s list of the 50 Best Pizzerias in the USA and winning the Best Traditional Pizza award at the World Pizza Championship in Italy. Now, the restaurant is setting its sights on Laguna Beach for its next location.
On Monday night, a crowd of eager diners gathered at Truly Pizza’s host stand, hoping for a table on the restaurant’s cozy, lemon-tree-shaded patio. Earlier that day, the pizzeria’s owners announced plans to open a second location in Laguna Beach next year, capitalizing on the success they’ve seen in Dana Point.
“Bringing Truly Pizza to Laguna Beach feels like coming home,” said co-founder Donna Baldwin in a press release. A 20-year resident of Laguna Beach, Baldwin opened the Dana Point location in the summer of 2023 with World Champion pizzaiolos John Arena, Chris Decker, and Michael Vakneen. “We believe in creating a space where pizza brings people together, and our new location on PCH is the perfect place to make that happen,” she added.
The new location, planned for 320 N. Coast Hwy., will be near the Laguna Art Museum and is expected to feature a 2,000-square-foot venue with outdoor seating for 100 guests. The design will mirror the open-air, shoreline dining experience of the original location, reminiscent of Italy’s Amalfi Coast.
Truly Pizza has earned a strong reputation with its two distinct styles of pizza: the 12-inch American Artisan, known for its crispy, airy texture and hearth-baked finish, and the square “grandma slice,” featuring a light crust. “First and foremost, our dough and our technique is the foundation of everything,” said Chris Decker, partner and head pizzaiolo, in a May interview with TimesOC.
Decker emphasized that the restaurant’s success comes from its carefully developed dough and the use of local California ingredients. “There is thought and intention behind every menu item, like taking a sausage and mushroom pizza and elevating it in a new creative way—the La Foresta,” Decker explained. This popular menu item features a combination of fresh and aged mozzarella, fontina, roasted mushrooms, sausage, and herb ricotta. Decker also highlighted the restaurant’s dedication to high-quality products at reasonable prices as a key factor in their success.
In addition to their renowned pizzas, Truly Pizza offers a variety of dishes inspired by Italian and Californian flavors. These include an Italian tuna sandwich served on house-baked focaccia and a salumi chopped salad featuring little gem lettuce, sliced salami, soppressata, red onion, shaved fennel, beans, fresh mozzarella, olives, and Calabrian chili vinaigrette.
The Laguna Beach location will feature the same carefully curated menu, including Truly’s premium soft-serve desserts. The beverage program will continue to highlight regional craft beers and small-batch wines, with the new location also offering a selection of cocktails and mocktails from a full bar.
Truly Pizza’s Laguna Beach location is expected to open in 2025. “We are looking forward to sharing our love for authentic, quality pizza with even more people,” Baldwin said.
