Longtime residents of Carlsbad have no doubt made their way at one time or another to That Pizza Place. For many of us who grew up in Carlsbad, That Pizza Place has been the place for birthday parties, viewing big games, end-of-season trophy celebrations and the go-to hang out with friends.
That Pizza Place has always been that unique spot that is somehow suitable for kid’s parties, family get-togethers and still cool enough to be a teen hangout.
So, there was communal dismay when, in 2020, That Pizza Place announced that after over 40 years, it would be closing down.
The grief was short-lived when four longtime friends made the decision to buy the iconic pizza parlor.
John Chavez, Chris Chiarappa, Troy Guerra and Thadd MacNeil took the gamble to return That Pizza Place to their community.
There are many aspects of the original That Pizza Place that the new owners kept intact.
Some are immediately obvious to a returning patron, and some are subtle. There are also notable upgrades to the space, the menu and — most importantly to the author of this article — to the beer lineup.
That Pizza Place serves eight local brews (as well as wines and kombucha). The TPP House Blonde is brewed by Carlsbad’s Burgeon Beer Co. It’s a medium-bodied blonde ale with subtle herbal notes reminiscent of tea.
The IPA lineup is strong. My Yard Live’s Flight of the Kiwis is a West Coast IPA and a 2021 medal winner at the Great American Beer Festival. From Oceanside, Breakwater Brewing’s flagship DMJ IPA offers a different take on the West Coast style. Other local favorites include Eppig Brewing’s Wake Up and Slay IPA and Delahunt’s Overcast Hazy IPA.
For those looking for less hoppy beer, Mother Earth’s Cali Creamin and Port Brewing’s Midnight Expression offer tasty alternatives. While I didn’t explore the option, I did note that several non-alcoholic beers were not only available but were offered at a very reasonable price. I had the chance to sit down with two of the co-owners, Chavez and Guerra, to talk beer and hear about their venture to reestablish That Pizza Place as a community hub.
Cheers!: Tell me about your beer lineup.
Guerra: We aren’t huge beer experts ourselves, but what we wanted to do is to have some classics like Coors Light and Modelo. But for the rest of the beers, we wanted to put an emphasis on local brewers, specifically North County breweries.
Cheers!: What has been most popular?
Guerra: Flight of the Kiwis from My Yard Live Beer Company in San Marcos. We have a rotation; our best sellers stay on because it’s blasphemy if we take them off. We also have a rotation of 5-6 different beers based on the season or what’s new and available.
Cheers!: We’ve covered the beer. Let’s get into the story. What made sense about buying this place during COVID?
Chavez: More than a few people had questions about why we were doing this. It has been a labor of love.
Guerra: Yes. It was always a place that was about family and community and sports. I wanted a place for my kids to come to like I always had. It was something we felt compelled to make happen.
Chavez: For me, it was a time when the world felt upside down. And for us, when we saw it was going to close, it just felt like everything was so abnormal. We wanted to bring some normalcy back.
Cheers!: As soon as you walk in, you recognize it as That Pizza Place.
Guerra: The bartops are all original. We’ve kept the classic red plastic cups and the wooden salad bowls. All the signage and trophies on the walls are original. There’s even a little of the old velvet wallpaper on the wall of the arcade.
Cheers!: What has been the most rewarding part of this venture?
Guerra: We knew how nostalgic this place was to us. But in the first few months of reopening, we heard hundreds of people —
Chaves: — If not thousands!
Guerra: — saying thank you for opening this place back up. One family said our father’s wake was here because it was his favorite restaurant. One couple told us they had their rehearsal dinner here in 1979. It’s a place that’s truly connecting community and families.
Chavez: I knew how special it was to us, but to hear it from so many others has really made it worthwhile.
Guerra: I came in one day, and there were four birthday parties with balloons and cakes ranging from two years old to seventy-five. I got a little choked up, and I said to Johnny, “This is why we bought this place. For this right here.”
That Pizza Place is located at 2622 El Camino Real, Carlsbad. Jeff Spanier is the host of I Like Beer the Podcast. To hear the full interview, take a listen wherever you get podcasts.
Follow Spanier’s adventures @ilikebeerthepodcast on Instagram.
