[EXCLUSIVE] New Pizza Restaurant Coming to Familiar Space

The short lived Ponko Chicken in Chastain Park is becoming yet another new restaurant.  With a lease signed and work having quietly gone on for the past few months, Enzo's Pizza is planning to open in Chastain Square soon.  The new pizza shop will open in the 1,200 square foot space vacated by franchisees of the Ponko Chicken this past September.  

Enzo's Pizza Chastain is the fast casual sibling of the original Enzo's in Tucker.  The existing Tucker outpost of Enzo's Pizza is located at 4437 Cowan Road, having relocated in 2015 from a onetime Hardee's at 4487 Hugh Howell Road.  The original Hugh Howell site, which founder Tom Tillotson debuted in 2007, was subsequently converted into a Cook Out restaurant.  A separate Enzo's on Stone Mountain Highway in Snellville was previously sold and renamed Fratelli's Pizza.  Fratelli's subsequently relocated to Athens Highway in Grayson several years ago.  

The Chastain Square space has seen quite a bit of turnover with Enzo's now the sixth concept to occupy the suite in just the past ten years.  ToNeTo Atlanta has reported previously on earlier tenants including Cafe Prego, Cafe Ago, Filo's Greek Grill, Poke Nooke and later Ponko.  

Tom Tillotson, Enzo's founder, reportedly sold the business to entrepreneur Johnny Liu of Cafe at Pharr and Cultivate, among other concepts, about a year ago.  Liu, along with business partner Luke Davis, has spent the past few months improving the quality of the pizza and perfecting the concept to grow it, first to Chastain, and later to additional units in the future.  

Enzo's serves Brooklyn-style pizza - offered as a pie or by the slice - as well as assorted pastas, salads, sandwiches, wings and desserts, among other options.  The restaurant will be open for lunch and dinner seven days a week.  

Davis tells ToNeTo Atlanta that barring any further delays, he plans to have Enzo's Chastain open no later than Labor Day, and hopefully a few weeks earlier.  

Enzo's likely won't compete much with fellow Chastain Square tenant Papa Johns but will offer a product more similar to Fellini's, an area mainstay for several decades.  

Are you pleased to see a new pizza offering open in Chastain Park?  Who do you think makes the best Brooklyn-style pizza in metro Atlanta?  If Enzo's continues to expand, where would you like to see them open next?

Please share your thoughts below.