The wait is finally over — Rockaway Pizzeria 3.0 will open in Regent Square next week.
Owner Josh Sickels said the new location’s grand opening on Braddock Avenue will take place starting at 11 a.m. on May 2.
But the wait to actually get a slice of pizza will be much longer, Sickels said, as he expects it could “for sure” exceed two hours.
“I would just expect very long waits for pizza,” he said. “Please be patient with us for the first few weeks.”
Rockaway, once based in White Oak, earned widespread praise from many locals as one of the top pizzerias in the region. Its reputation received an extra boost after a visit and high rating from Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy.
Rockaway’s hours in Regent Sqaure will be 3-9 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday, and 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Friday and Saturday. Sickels said the pizza shop will be closed Sunday and Monday for now.
In the summertime, he said hours will be extended after the grand opening hype dies down.
Pizza will be available for dine in and takeout, and it will be available on a first come, first served basis, according to Sickels.
Because he sources some ingredients from New York City and Italy, sellouts “are very likely to happen.”
“When it’s out, it’s out,” Sickels said.
Dine-in seating is available for around 45 people inside the new Regent Square locations, and a few tables will be added outside as well. Guests can take advantage of the BYOB policy, he said, and there’s no corkage fee.
Sickels said the pizzeria will do its best to answer phones amid the in-person rush of people.
“We do have a phone that we will be answering as much as possible,” he said. “The phone might take second place to the in-person orders.”
Delivery is not available, Sickels said.
Portnoy visited Rockaway’s White Oak location in the fall to review Sickels’ pizza and wait times subsequently skyrocketed.
“I would imagine the same thing would be happening,” he said of the new Regent Square location. “As we get busier and continue to grow, (call-in orders) became something that became very unmanageable for us.”
There’s a chance call-in orders could be eliminated altogether since people tend to prefer more grab-and-go style food in the city, according to Sickels.
“City food traffic seems to be more of a steady thing,” he said.
This is Sickels’ third iteration of Rockaway Pizzeria, as he only keeps one location open at a time. It’s because he still makes the pizza himself. He said he suspects this will be his final iteration of the pizzeria in Pittsburgh.
“I don’t have a reason to go anywhere else after this,” Sickels said.