Zazzy's Pizza Opens in Wynwood With Vegan Options Galore

On Thursday, August 25, New York City-bred pizzeria with vegan options aplenty, Zazzy’s Pizza, will open its first Florida location at 2525 NW Second Avenue, across from the Wynwood Walls. The intimate spot includes seating for 12 and, by all indications, its existing brand meshes perfectly with the neighborhood’s vibe.

“Every Zazzy’s operates as an art gallery and supports local street artists, so we’ve been kind of running a Wynwood-esque theme before ever being in Wynwood,” says Coming Soon Food Group cofounder, Jon Gabel. “For us, it’s about three main cultures - food, art, and music. We do a lot of programming around those three focuses, and, for us, it’s always been about community-based activations.”

The Miami opening marks the fifth location for Zazzy’s Pizza. There are three existing spots in New York City and one in Cartagena, Colombia. According to Gabel, a sixth location is in the works for Bali, which is slated to open this November. As for why Zazzy’s is making the move to the Sunshine State, Gabel’s reasoning will surely resonate with many.

“Let’s face it, so many people from New York have moved to Miami... in fact, Miami has always been considered the sixth borough,” he says, reflecting on his own decades spent in South Florida managing various events. “For me, I am following my passion, which is food, and it’s all about the lifestyle here in Miami.”
For Zazzy’s newbies, the menu is a hybrid of traditional pizzeria fare with a strong focus on vegan offerings. Musts include “the world’s best” meatless meatballs as well as vegan spins on a Caesar salad, mozzarella sticks, and buffalo wings. Amid customizable New York-style pizza concoctions vegan and non, Gabel says the No. 1 sellers in New York have been its cheese and pepperoni slices.

“To be quite frank, the quality of our pizza has been the differentiator,” he says. “Ninety percent of pizza places use bleached, cheap flour to make the dough, which is illegal in Europe. We use artisanal flour from Italy and a long fermentation process. Where some places – even the popular ones – make the dough in the morning and use it that same day, we have a multi-day fermentation process. It makes all the difference in taste and quality.”

Beyond Zazzy’s, Coming Soon Food Group also operates a vegan bakery and café concept called Innocent Yesterday. According to Gabel, an Innocent Yesterday will occupy the existing Love Life Cafe space at 2616 NW Fifth Avenue in Wynwood in the coming months. Construction will reportedly begin on October 1.

Zazzy’s Pizza. 2525 NW Second Ave., Miami; 305-599-0241; zazzys.com. Sunday through Wednesday noon to 9:45 p.m., Thursday noon to 2 a.m., and Friday and Saturday noon to 4 a.m. Opens Thursday, August 25.