After ten years of trying, Old Town Pizza is getting its downtown Roseville moment. Founder Reese Browning is set to open the local chain inside the city’s former post office at 320 Vernon St., transforming one of downtown’s most recognizable buildings into a three-level restaurant and rooftop bar. They are targeting a late September opening, according to a social media post.
The building, constructed in phases between the 1930s and 1960s, was purchased by Old Town Pizza for $1.75 million, part of an $8 million total investment to reimagine the 91-year-old structure. The ground floor will feature a traditional sit-down dining experience, while the rooftop level, expected to seat up to 300 people, is designed as a full event and nightlife destination with sweeping views of downtown. Both levels will include a full bar, a significant upgrade for a brand that has historically operated on beer and wine only.
The property has sat largely unused since the U.S. Postal Service left in 2020, and has been a lingering redevelopment question for city leaders for years. The city originally wanted a six-story mixed-use project with a hotel, housing, retail, and a rooftop restaurant, but that plan eventually fell apart when developers determined it wouldn’t pencil out. That’s when Browning saw his opening.
“We always wanted to be in the old historic downtown areas,” Browning said to the Portland Business Journal. “So we inquired about the property again, and they said ‘yes, we’d be happy to have you do it this time.'”
