Mozza Pizza, a favorite among Huntsville diners, is set to open a second location. The new pizzeria will be at 8404 Logan Drive, following the success of its first restaurant at 520 Jordan Lane N.W., which opened in 2023.
The new site was previously a Chinese restaurant and is located in a busy strip mall anchored by a Kroger grocery store. Co-owner Thomas Quijada noted that many customers have requested a South Huntsville location for easier access to their favorite pizza. “They wanted something closer to their homes,” he said. “We found the right spot that we liked, and we decided to go for it.”
Quijada hopes to open the new pizzeria by November. The location on Logan Drive attracted them due to its high traffic from the nearby Kroger, as well as its visibility and proximity to other businesses. “Here on Jordan Lane, we’re a little bit hidden within the Plaza,” he explained.
South Huntsville is home to several popular eateries, including the Salt + Light food truck, Bubby’s retro diner, Cap’s Philly Cheesesteaks, and Nick’s Ristorante. However, this area lacks the number of new restaurants seen in downtown and west Huntsville. Recent additions like Tom Brown Restaurant at Hays Farm have shown promise for the dining scene.
While South Huntsville may not be trendy, it is a desirable place to live, offering relatively affordable housing compared to other parts of the city. Mozza Pizza fits this profile well. Quijada aims to provide high-quality New York-style pizza at fair prices, especially amid rising dining costs. “Pizza isn’t supposed to be a fancy thing. It’s supposed to be something for everyone,” he stated.
In 2022, Quijada and his cousins, Tino Duarte and Marlon Salazar, took over Mozza Pizza in Athens, about 40 minutes from Huntsville. They refined the dough recipe to achieve an authentic New York crust—thin, foldable, chewy, and crispy. Quijada explained that New York’s unique tap water is key to the flavor of its pizza. “The water in New York is very different from the water down here,” he said.
Duarte has 15 years of experience making pizzas at Pizza 2000 in Harrison, NY. To replicate the New York crust in Alabama, the team adjusted the water temperature and used specific flour, making their dough and sauce from scratch.
After living in Huntsville for six years, Quijada recognized a need for authentic New York pizza and invited Duarte and Salazar to join him in meeting that demand. In addition to whole pizzas, Mozza offers pizza by the slice, a buffet, calzones, calamari, strombolis, spaghetti and meatballs, baked ziti, and cannoli.
The new South Huntsville location will have a guest capacity of around 100 and a staff of about 12. Quijada’s uncle, Eladia Monroy, will also join the ownership team and will run a Greek food concept called Rella Gyro within the pizzeria. The menu will include gyros, stuffed flounder, spinach pie, pastitsio (Greek lasagna), moussaka, and Greek chicken. “We wanted to offer more options for Greek food in Huntsville,” Quijada said, noting the lack of family-owned, non-chain options.
The name “Rella” symbolizes the connection between the Greek concept and Mozza’s pizza, referencing mozzarella cheese. If successful, they may consider expanding the Rella Gyro concept into a separate location.
Mozza Pizza on Jordan Lane recently celebrated its one-year anniversary, and the positive reception has left the owners grateful. “We are very, very thankful for everyone that’s supported us,” Quijada said.
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