Will Sunnyvale be welcoming another pizza place after bidding farewell to a beloved one along El Camino Real?
That’s correct, indeed. The location of A Slice of New York at 1253 W El Camino Real is being replaced with Slice of Homage Pizza. Owner Steven Barrantes says residents may expect Homage to make its appearance in the coming months.
Barrantes stated that our top priorities are quality and client service. That’s what we intend to do here.
For 14 years, A Slice of New York, which also has a shop in San Jose along Steven’s Creek, provided delicious hot pies from Sunnyvale. According to owner Kirk Vartan, the business struggled to stay solvent due to years of personnel shortages and expensive renting space, and on June 14 it served its final pizza slice.
The native of New York noted that although closing was a difficult decision, he is pleased that another independently owned pizza company would replace it. Vartan stated, “Aside from us keeping it, it’s exactly what we wanted.”
Known for its Sicilian, New York-style, and Detroit-style pies, Slice of Homage Pizza first opened its doors in 2020. The company runs a ghost kitchen out of Sunny’s Food Hall in west Sunnyvale and has a shop in downtown San Jose.
According to Barrantes, Homage is doing well at the food hall, and the employees are eager to start operating the restaurant fully at the El Camino location. The business will have more pizza varieties, sit-down dining options, and extended hours.
Barrantes remarked, “We just want to celebrate all styles of pizza.” In this manner, someone can consume Detroit-style, round, deep, super thin, or crispy. Everyone can find something they like here.
Residents of Sunnyvale loved A Slice of New York’s thin-crust pizza, life-size ornamental subway vehicle, and famous paintings of the New York City skyscraper. Employees witnessed clients grow up and assisted in throwing a lot of birthday celebrations and other noteworthy events.
Then the COVID-19 pandemic struck. Many small enterprises found it difficult to survive when the Bay Area’s economy declined in 2020. Some restaurants, such as A Slice of New York, never fully recovered, even after years had passed.
Vartan stated, “I can draw a straight line from Covid through the closing of our shop.”
According to Vartan, the restaurant mostly had trouble hiring and keeping full-time employees. The establishment could only afford to operate a restricted three-day-per-week schedule in the absence of a steady workforce. Vartan finally announced the June shutdown on social media in March.
He wrote, “Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for your incredible support.” We have been proudly serving this community for more than 14 years since we opened on January 1, 2011, during times of industry change, economic downturns, and most recently, the long-lasting consequences of COVID, which particularly affected this area.
According to Vartan and Barrantes, they have been collaborating since March to ensure a seamless transfer. According to Vartan, it’s critical for both proprietors to be able to offer Sunnyvale a fun and easily accessible pizza place.
“There’s a lot of life in the shop,” he remarked.
