Artichoke Basille’s Pizza, the nation’s largest and fastest-growing New York-style pizza concept, has officially opened doors at its first Arizona location at 1120 E Baseline Road in South Tempe. The restaurant is now slinging its large New York-style slices, whole pizzas, and more for dine-in, takeout, and delivery across the East Valley. This is the first Artichoke Pizza opening for local franchisees and operators, Keith Bolognese and Ron Marino.
“This opening has been a long time coming for Keith and I, and we’re proud to bring such a great, nationally recognized concept like Artichoke Basille’s Pizza to Arizona for the first time,” said Marino. “South Tempe needs a cool, quality New York-style pizza restaurant, and we know anyone who visits or orders from us will continue to return to Artichoke again and again.”
The Tempe menu boasts a full cocktail bar, salads, and lighter fare alongside Artichoke’s signature New York-style pizzas like the Artichoke Pie and Crab Pie, plus traditional pizzas like Margherita, Pepperoni, and Meatball. The 2,500 square foot South Tempe restaurant pays homage to Artichoke’s roots with NYC-inspired design elements like exposed brick and antiqued tin, while also incorporating modern touches including an indoor/outdoor bar and garage doors that open to a 1,000 square foot patio. Artichoke Pizza in Tempe will practice safe social distancing and abide by the new health and safety guidelines that have been introduced in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Founded in 2008 by cousins Francis Garcia and Sal Basille, Artichoke Basille’s Pizza specializes in serving an authentic style of pizza born and bred from fourth-generation New York City pizzaiolos. The idea to start their own pizza shop was first sparked while the duo was working in their family’s restaurant in Staten Island, where they would sneak slivers of their now-famous Artichoke Pie into the bread baskets. The overwhelmingly positive response gave Fran & Sal the confidence they needed to open their first outpost in Manhattan – a small, sub-400 square foot shop in East Village. Nearly overnight, Artichoke’s signature slices and whole pies attracted a dedicated fan base that would wait in endless lines, both during the day and late-night, trying to get a slice of the pie. In addition to being known for its high-quality menu offerings, Artichoke has made a name for itself on the national stage with appearances by founders Fran and Sal on nationally syndicated television shows like Good Morning America, The Rachael Ray Show, Fox & Friends, Jimmy Kimmel Live!, and even two of their own Cooking Channel series: Pizza Masters and Pizza Cuz.
“We’ve known Keith and Ron as friends and fans of Artichoke Basille’s Pizza for a long time, and we’re super proud to have them introduce our concept and brand to Arizona,” said Garcia. “We know there’s no better duo to help us expand Artichoke Pizza to this new market than Keith and Ron, and we’re excited to see how it’s received in Tempe.”
With the opening of the Tempe location, the authentic New York pizza concept now operates 17 locations from coast-to-coast in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, California, and Arizona. To stay up-to-date with the latest Artichoke Basille’s Pizza happenings, visit www.artichokepizza.com and follow the brand at @ArtichokePizza on social media.
