COLUMBIA — Mallikarjun Mallipedhi remembers walking through downtown New York City and trying a thin-crust Margherita slice for the first time about four years ago.
Since then, the Lexington resident has helped start Ferrara Real NY Pizza in Irmo, which opened last year. Now, he’s preparing to open Manhattan Pie in the Vista District across from the South Carolina Statehouse on Oct. 20.
“I want our people to taste that,” Mallipedhi said of New York-style pizza. “They sell by the slice, and we want to do that.”
Walking into the roughly 45-seat restaurant at 1004 Gervais St., customers will be greeted by a mural of the Manhattan skyline and Brooklyn Bridge painted by Columbia folk artist Ernest “Chicken Man” Lee. From a counter near the bar at the back of the restaurant, customers will be able to order New York favorites ranging from chicken bacon ranch and buffalo chicken to classic pepperoni and cheese. Other varieties include Sicilian, a thick-crust rectangular pizza and Grandma, a thinner rectangular style from Long Island.
From a counter at the back of the restaurant, Manhattan Pie customers will be able to order New York favorites ranging from chicken bacon ranch and buffalo chicken to classic pepperoni.
Andy Tsubasa Field/Staff
Mallipedhi, who will co-own Manhattan Pie, said cheese slices will cost $2.75 at lunch and those with toppings $3.99. Along with pizza, the restaurant will sell pasta, subs and calzones.
The restaurant plans to keep prices low to attract nearby University of South Carolina students, and the owners say they’re confident they can after seeing Ferrara’s popularity with middle and high school students.
“They have to afford to eat in this area,” said co-owner Madhu Reddy, adding that the restaurant aims to stay competitive with fast-food prices while serving “authentic New York and Italian-style pizza.”
And with that authenticity, they hope to attract retirees from New York who have moved to Columbia and its surrounding communities.
Like Ferrara, Manhattan Pie will feature chefs from New York. Earlier this month, chef Alex Monfil could be seen sitting at the bar amid stacks of equipment and supplies as work continued on the restaurant. He said that besides New York, he’s made pizza in Summerville as well as North Carolina and Florida.
He was also critical after trying one local downtown spot.
“They make it very thick on the back of the pizza and very thin on the middle,” Monfil said. “The pizza should be even.”