As it approaches three years in its Lower Alabama space at Underground Atlanta, Dolo’s Pizza is making plans to relocate within the development. It will move to a location on Upper Alabama, according to a release.
Yusef Walker and Alyson Williams launched the concept as a pop-up during the pandemic, eventually landing as a pizza cart in the Underground Creative Carts Collective at Underground in 2021. It transitioned to its spot on Lower Alabama in 2022.
Walker told What Now Atlanta that the new Dolo’s Pizza location on Upper Alabama will not give them a major shift in square footage — the new spot will be about 2,050 square feet, he estimates. However, it will allow them to transition to having daytime hours so they can open for lunch. Currently, they are open from 6 p.m. to 2 a.m. Wednesday through Saturday and 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. on Sundays.
“We were looking to be open for the daytime hours and we’ve had a pretty good relationship with the Underground so far,” Walker said. “So we were hoping to continue our relationship with them, but also getting some daytime exposure. That was the biggest incentive behind it.”
Customers can expect the new space to stay true to the menu and design of the current spot, offering the feel of a nostalgic pizzeria with nods to the owners’ personalities and backgrounds. The menu offers pizzas like the Matey (with marinara, mozzarella, jerk chicken, blue cheese and honey), Hot & Sweet (with marinara, mozzarella, plantain and jalapeño) and The Colliseum (with marinara, lemon-pepper impossible beef, broccoli, red onions and balsamic glaze).
The change in location comes during a time of experimentation for the Dolo’s team. Walker said they have a sourdough concept in the works, which they might implement in their pizzas in the future. However, the feel of the brand, and the team’s commitment to its roots, will remain the same.
“We want to stay true to ourselves, which is Atlanta-style pizza, with hints of our upbringing like Caribbean [elements],” Walker said. “We want to stay true to our customer base, our loyal customers and the client base that we have. We want to keep our quality the same.”
As of now, an opening date and relocation timeline are still in the works.
Underground Atlanta, which was purchased by Lalani Ventures in 2020, has seen additional changes this year, with more still to come. Rapper Trinidad James opened apparel store HOMMEWRK on Upper Alabama in February. A six-stall food hall is also in the works on Upper Alabama, though tenants for that food hall have not been announced yet.
