Eight years after opening its doors, the popular Central Pizza restaurant in downtown Lafayette is preparing to open a second location in the parish at 1581 S. Bernard Rd. in the City of Broussard. According to ownership partner John Petersen, the initial concept for Central Pizza was focused on serving wood-fired pizzas and craft cocktails to downtown workers and adults looking to dine out.
“The thing that surprised us was how much of kind of a family restaurant that Central Pizza became,” Petersen recently told What Now New Orleans. “We should have anticipated that because it’s pizza and everybody likes pizza. But what we were shooting for was, like, just some really cool spot that had great cocktails and great pizza; good for a date night or after-work drinks. And it turned into this place that is great for families and kids’ birthday parties.”
When it opens in late summer or early fall, the new location will take Central Pizza’s somewhat unexpected family-friendly nature and run with it. While the food and drink menus will be largely the same, the new restaurant will have a large patio, ample parking, and significant green space on the property. Petersen said guests should expect the same high level of food, drinks, and service, in keeping with the high level of competition in the Lafayette Parish restaurant industry.
“The competition here is high,” he said. “We have to do what we do to a high standard for folks who live here to come to the restaurant, and for folks who are coming in from out of town.”
