A trio of Encinitas natives are collaborating to create a brand new concept called Odie’s Pizza Company, which will open in Oceanside at 121 North Cleveland Street.
The new restaurant is a collaboration between three lifelong friends, according to San Diego Magazine. Odie O’Connor is the founder of Portland’s Boxcar Pizza, while in San Diego, Clayton Wheeler and Craig Applegate launched Blacktop Restaurant Group, which is responsible for the likes of Board & Brew, Pure Taco, and Casero Taqueria. Now, the three are coming together to open Odie’s Pizza Company in the former home of Sublime Tap House in January 2025, offering a little bit of everything.
Customers can expect plenty of sourdough pizzas and slices with gluten-free and vegan options when the new pizza concept opens early next year. The trio chose to focus on sourdough pizza crust because it can taste better and be better for digestion. When O’Connor launched Boxcar, he offered sourdough pizza because it wouldn’t leave him and his customers with a heavy gut feeling often experienced after eating a standard slice of pizza. Now, with Odie’s, the team sees the same opportunity in San Diego and wants to bring the pizza-making technique to Oceanside.
“The idea was to bring something that wasn’t in San Diego and make it available for everyone, to be inclusive of all diets, or as many as we can,” O’Connor tells San Diego Magazine. “I turned into a total dough nerd.”
Odie’s Pizza will be open seven days a week, starting at 11 a.m. and closing at 9 p.m. The restaurant will have 16″ New York-style pies and 16×16″ grandma-style pies. Other delicious items on the menu include wings, salads, milkshakes, soft serve, and local craft beer.
