Pizza Pilgrims to open first permanent Slice spin-off restaurant

Pizza Pilgrims is to open the first permanent restaurant under its spin-off Slice concept next month.

The group has taken the former Quality Fish Bar site in London’s Finsbury Park which will launch as a 50-cover restaurant on 11 August.

Slice is inspired by Pizza Pilgrim’s founders Thom and James Elliot’s trips to the US and Italy, and serves metre-long rectangular pizzas cut into large slices.

It opened a pop-up on London’s Southbank in January and took a spot at crazy golf venue Swingers West End in May.

The Finsbury Park restaurant will offer classic pizza varieties such as a Margherita and new flavours including the ‘penne alla vodka’ slice, made with pasta, alongside drinks such as canned Amalfi lemon and peach ice-tea slushies.

The venue will also have classic 80s arcade games such as Pac Man and Street Fighter, with high scores rewarded with pizza slices.

All staff will be cross trained in front of house and kitchen roles to encourage the team to develop their skills.

Pizza Pilgrims was founded by the Elliot brothers and opened its first restaurant in London's Soho in 2013. It has since grown to 14 sites in London and one in Oxford.

In March the group www.thecaterer.com/news/pizza-pilgrims-restaurant-opening-expansion-funding-imbibal">secured a £3.5m investment from Imbiba towards its expansion, with further sites set to launch in Lower Marsh, Marble Arch and Queensway by 2022.