A Ripon-based, family-owned pizza chain is heading north with its first Sacramento-area location.
Gold Dust Pizza Express will open at 2201 Francisco Drive, Suite 150 in El Dorado Hills, co-owner Jeremiah Willey confirmed. Slated for a late spring 2026 debut, the eatery will join the chain’s four full-service locations in Ripon, Oakdale, Copperopolis, and Sutter Creek, along with two Express outposts in Modesto and Manteca.
Founded in 1984 by Bob Willey, Gold Dust Pizza has become a local staple in the “Jewel of the Valley,” celebrated for handcrafted pizzas and a family-first, community-minded approach. “Employing young adults and teaching them core life skills is something we take to heart and cannot wait to do in the El Dorado Hills area,” Jeremiah told What Now Sacramento.
The Express model offers a streamlined version of the brand’s full-service restaurants, focusing on fast-casual convenience without sacrificing quality. Guests can expect quicker turnaround times and a slightly more compact footprint—ideal for busy families, team dinners, and weeknight takeout—while still enjoying the same scratch-made dough and signature recipes that built the brand.
The upcoming El Dorado Hills location will seat over 50 diners, accommodating small- to medium-sized groups, and will include TVs for fight nights and sporting events. Guests can also order through the Gold Dust Pizza app to customize pizzas, earn loyalty points, and access secret menu items.
The menu will feature longtime favorites like the Gold Dust Combo and Vegetarian specialty pies, alongside newer creations such as the Triple Strike Pizza, layered with three types of pepperoni and finished with a drizzle of hot honey. “We use fresh ingredients of the highest quality, and a dough recipe that dates back over 40 years,” Jeremiah explained.
Offerings also include fresh salads, boneless or bone-in wings, oven-toasted sandwiches, breadsticks, and the brand’s signature “colossal-sized” calzones.
Gold Dust Pizza Express is slated to open in El Dorado Hills in late April or early May 2026. For sneak peeks and grand opening updates, be sure to follow @golddustpizza on Instagram or visit golddustpizza.com.
