As the food scene around Journal Square continues to add restaurants like Freetown Road and the upcoming Emma’s, a unique franchise has finalized a deal for space in one of the neighborhood’s notable office buildings.
Newmark Knight Frank announced last week that they have secured a lease to bring Chicago’s Pizza With a Twist to the ground floor of 2 Journal Square. The property, built in the 1980s, has undergone an overhaul during the last two years to install more retail space and outdoor seating areas at the street level as part of an effort to bring vibrancy to the block.
The lease was negotiated by NKF Senior Managing Director Glenn Beyer and Associate Director Robert Mackowski. A press release notes that property owner GAIA Real Estate’s continued investment in 2 Journal Square has drawn a diverse group of tenants that include the upcoming BurgerIm outpost set to open later this year.
“The building’s recent renovations and prime location will provide our business a steady flow of customers as well as a high-quality restaurant space,” said Virender Singh, franchisee for Chicago’s Pizza With a Twist. “We are excited to get the restaurant up and running and bringing this unique brand to the Journal Square neighborhood.”
Chicago’s Pizza With a Twist will be setting up shop in 1,240 square feet of retail space on the ground level of 2 Journal Square. The company was first started back in 2014 in California and currently has about 45 locations throughout North America. An outpost in Edison opened last year.
While any restaurant with the name pizza in it can be expected to feature tons of Italian dishes, the “twist” the eatery provides will come in the form of fusion pies like a lamb kebab pie or a desi combo. Other twists provided throughout the restaurant’s menu include pizza that features a naan crust, paneer pies, or tikka masala pizzas.
A few Indian-infused pasta dishes like shahi paneer pasta and chicken options like tandoori or halal-style wings are scattered throughout the menu at Chicago’s Pizza With a Twist, which also features side dishes like breadsticks, veggie calzones, and oven-baked samosas. The eatery notably serves several gluten-free, vegan, and vegetarian pizzas.
Hours for Chicago’s Pizza With a Twist’s Journal Square location haven’t been clarified, but their franchises tend to operate from 10:30 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. seven days a week. A timeline for the opening of their Jersey City outpost hasn’t been announced.
