Dec. 19, 2024

The ovens at 2300 S. Minnesota Ave. are busy making pizzas again.

Big Poppa’s Pizza opened today in the former Bella Cucina space, which was Pizza di Paolo before that.

But get ready for a different type of pizza. Big Poppa’s features Chicago-style deep-dish and New York-style hand-tossed versions.

“We’re trying to put a unique stamp in town when it comes to pizza,” owner Tony Axtell said. “We definitely have our own taste and profile. People are going nuts for the sauce and the crust.”

The restaurant invited guests for a soft-opening event last week, and the deep-dish pizzas sold out, he said. The made-from-scratch garlic knots also were a “huge hit.”

In addition to build-your-own options, there are nine specialty pizzas, everything from taco and buffalo chicken to the Widow Maker with beer cheese sauce, beef, bacon and jalapenos.

Hand-tossed crusts come in 12-, 14- and 16-inch sizes. Deep-dish pizzas are 12 or 14 inches. A gluten-free option is available in a 12-inch size.

In addition to the garlic knots, there are cheese sticks and a salad for appetizers.

Sweet offerings include dessert pizzas and New York-style cheesecake, available whole or by the slice.

Both Coke and Pepsi products are sold in bottles, but the restaurant doesn’t have an alcohol license, so diners won’t find beer or wine.

Customers can get pizza by the slice for lunch, and from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. daily, Big Poppa’s Pizza offers a special. “Our meal deal for lunch every day is $10. You get two slices of pizza and a drink,” Axtell said.

Slices are ready to go with a few options, including one of the specialty pizzas, he said. Eventually, they might be offered in the evening too.

Big Poppa’s Pizza offers a free lunch to on-duty law enforcement officers, firefighters and paramedics.

Next month, the menu will expand to include pastas, including gluten-free options.

The restaurant seats about 50 customers at booths and tables.

Customers also can order online, and delivery will be available once the bugs are worked out of the computer system, Axtell said. In addition to Sioux Falls, coverage will reach to Hartford, Brandon, Tea and Harrisburg.

Axtell said the staff, which includes workers from Big Poppa’s Food Truck, has been through lots of training, and he’s still looking for a few more people.

To start, hours are 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 11 a.m. to midnight Friday and Saturday.