The team behind San Diego's Caliano by Spinelli wood-fired pizza food truck is gearing up to open their first brick-and-mortar restaurant. The Friendly is currently being installed in North Park and will soft open as early as this weekend, offering a menu of East Coast style pizza made with fresh ingredients and local flavors.
Heading into the 980 square-foot storefront at 452 30th Street that was home to DeAngelo's Pizza for over three decades is The Friendly, a neighborhood pizza parlor from Caliano Truck owners Chef Mario Maruca and longtime restaurant general manager and cook Brandon Zanavich - who has worked at Pizzeria Luigi, Carnitas' Snack Shack and BeerFish. The Friendly will be a "pizza diner" of sorts, boasting a communal counter and large open kitchen where chefs will interact with patrons. Like the name suggests, the restaurant aims to garner a community following and become a San Diego destination for authentic local food done right.
"My career as a food truck pretty much started at Fall Brewing, so it means so much to me to take this next step so close to where it all began," explained Caliano and The Friendly chef and co-owner Mario Maruca. "We look forward to welcoming the neighborhood in for a slice and a beer really soon!"
Caliano food truck will continue to pop-up at local breweries and will be offering expanded full-service catering options in 2018. The Friendly aims to soft open on Friday, January 12 with a more official grand opening taking place once the liquor license arrives. For more information, visit thefriendlysd.com and calianotruck.com.
