Fort Myers Downtown House of Pizza to expand, add craft beer bar

The heavily-frequented downtown pizza parlor is known for it's good eats, but also tight space. The long standing Downtown House of Pizza plans to double in size this fall.

"The goal is to give people more space to dine," says owner Jason Kohn. "we're also adding a second oven, that's a huge component of this."

Kohn wants to debut the expanded property in September or October, depending on permits and construction speed. They plan to remain open during most of the renovation, but will have to close for a few days when the kitchen is expanded.

The most notable news is the addition of craft beer. "We're going to put in a craft beer bar for customers to enjoy. That'll be kind of in the middle between the new dining room and the current location," Kohn said. "We want to be more accessible all-around."

Kohn opened Downtown House of Pizza in August 2005. Sold as whole pies or by the slice, the restaurant is known for its scratch-made, hand-tossed, New York-style pizzas.

Kohn states that the small restaurant can turn out close to 1,000 pizzas on busy days. With a second oven and expanded area, the business will be able to improve on their previous success.

"This has been a long time coming," he said. "We've needed this."

Downtown House of Pizza is at 1520 Hendry St.; call 337-3467 or visit http://downtownhouseofpizza.com for more info.

The News-Press