Sept. 11, 2023

Pizza and pasta have returned to the food court at The Empire Mall.

Fat Kid Pizza from the owners of Fat Kid Filly’s opened today in the space that has been held by a couple of restaurants since Villa Italian Kitchen closed in March 2020.

The daily offerings by the slice will include five or six varieties, said owner Cody Sauers of Salem, who started the business with his wife, Amber, as a food truck serving his twist on Philly cheesesteaks in 2020 and expanded into concessions.

The pizza options will include favorites like pepperoni, meat lovers and cheese, he said.

“It’s kind of a traditional big slice, not thick, not thin,” Sauers said. “I’m trying to chase New York-style big pizzas.”

Customers can order custom whole pizzas. With a 500-degree oven, they can be ready in 15 minutes. Fat Kid Pizza also offers a cauliflower crust for a gluten-free option.

Ready-to-go pasta offerings will include mac-and-cheese, fettucine alfredo and penne with spaghetti sauce.

The menu also includes garlic bread sticks and Coke products with free refills.

Customers won’t find Filly’s sandwiches because cheesesteaks already are on the menu at Charleys Cheesesteaks in the food court.

Eventually, Fat Kid Pizza might offer a breakfast pizza for early shoppers and those wrapping up their walks in the mall, Sauers said.

The couple hired Amber’s father, Curt Branson, to serve as general manager, and Sauers’ mom, Connie Eakes, to work as the assistant manager.

Connie Eakes, Cody and Amber Sauers and Curt Branson

Branson worked at the Fryin’ Pan on 41st Street for two decades, filling a variety of roles, Sauers said. His mom worked for over two decades at the Nickel Plate, a longtime cafe in downtown Sioux Falls that her parents owned, and has helped occasionally with other Fat Kid operations.

Fat Kid Pizza will follow the mall’s hours.

“We will offer great food, affordable prices and outstanding customer service,” Sauers said.