A new Italian pizza concept, LAPizza, is getting ready to make its debut next year at 107 W 9th Street in Downtown Los Angeles.
The new pizza concept will move into the former home of Woodspoot, a Brazilian restaurant that closed last year after 16 years, according to a recent liquor license application. Owner Michael Backlinder tells What Now Los Angeles that LAPizza is expected to open in late Spring or early Summer 2025, offering various Italian-style pizzas, as well as salads, snacks, hors d’oeuvres, and other bites to eat. LAPizza will also have plenty to drink, including beer, wine, and more.
This will be the second concept for Backlinder, who owns Il Cafe. Like his first concept, LAPizza is an Italian play on words, translating to The Pizza. He tells What Now Los Angeles that this concept, which will be open for lunch and dinner, is hopefully the first of many, as the business owner hopes to establish this location before possibly expanding to multiple sites, much like how he did with Il Cafe, which translates to the coffee.
To help bring authentic Italian flavors to this new restaurant, Backlinder is partnering with Oskar Montano, the author of Pasta Wizard and Pizza Wizard and the owner of Sweden’s 800° Pizza and 800° Slice Shop. Montano will help bring in the ingredients for the pizza shop, which is expected to start construction at the beginning of the year. This isn’t the only person Backlinder is bringing in to help with this concept.
In addition to Montano, LAPizza will have Avanthi Dev as its executive chef. Dev previously worked as the executive chef at Grà, where she received a Michelin Guide recommendation before her departure. She also worked at Blue Hill at Stone Barns in New York City and Destroyer/Vespertine in Los Angeles. Together, this team will create a one-of-a-kind pizza experience that is hard to find in Downtown Los Angeles.
