CARLSBAD — For those craving a slice of authentic New York-style pizza in San Diego County — follow that truck! Carlsbad-based Flippin’ Pizza recently unveiled its first restaurant on wheels, bringing America’s latest food craze to San Diego County.
The mobile restaurant is stopping in Carlsbad, Sorrento Valley, Pacific Beach and everywhere in between to serve New York-style pizza to the masses.
“It’s a completely different experience than eating at a restaurant,” chain owner Patrick Farley said. “It’s getting a really great response.”
Farley utilizes Flippin’ Pizza’s four North County locations — in Carlsbad, Encinitas and Vista — as commissaries for the truck before it hits the road.
Before an event, dozens of pies are assembled on site using the restaurant’s signature handmade dough, impressive dough tossing skills and fresh sauce.
The pizzas are then racked on the truck before a final bake in the onboard ovens.
“There’s so many factors that go into making the perfect pizza,” he said. “If I didn’t have the restaurants, it would be a lot harder.”
Just one month young, the truck has already earned rave reviews from satisfied customers. Whether office workers in Sorrento Valley’s business parks or a group of friends hanging at Moonlight Beach, pizza enthusiasts are chowing down when the truck rolls up.
“You’re going through a high volume of pizza in a very short amount of time,” Farley said. He has been utilizing this truck as a learning experience to work out the kinks and create a standard for future trucks. “You have to have a fast, casual model.”
The truck has also been a great promotional tool for the company, Farley said. He is able to drum up interest in neighborhoods that do not currently have a Flippin’ Pizza just by parking the truck and serving slices for an hour or two.
“There are so many things that I can do with the truck that will hopefully push people to the store,” he said.
The Flippin’ Pizza truck already has a dozen scheduled appearances at school fundraisers, local sporting events and employee appreciation celebrations in September alone, with no plans to put on the brakes.
“My favorite thing about it is the response we’re getting,” Farley said. “It’s such a unique and different experience.”
Farley first took over Carlsbad’s Knockout Pizza in 2004 and he has since grown the Flippin’ Pizza chain to include three other stores in North County and eight in the Washington, D.C. area.
“My intention is to eventually have a truck associated with each store,” Farley said.
To find out more about the Flippin’ Pizza truck and where it will be serving next, visit www.twitter.com/FlippinPizzaCA.
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