Out with the old, in the new — new name that is. Michael Schwartz’s popular pizza mini-chain, Harry’s Pizzeria, is getting a facelift and a new name: Genuine Pizza, a nod to Schwartz’s James Beard award-winning restaurant, Michael’s Genuine Food & Drink.
The team behind Harry’s secured $2.5 million in funding, and decided with the influx of cash to give the six-year-old brand a revamp. The company will unveil the new concept’s first location at the Aventura Mall in November, featuring a new restaurant design, branding and signage, while maintaining the current menu. Existing Harry's Pizzeria locations will stay as Harry's, but will eventually transition to the new brand name and design.
The new restaurant interior was designed by Miami-based craft and construction firm McKenzie features light woods and accents like yellow and grey Cuban tile, orange chairs, and the yellow-tiled Marra Forni oven.
Following the Aventura location opening, Genuine Pizza plans to roll out 18 locations in the next few years, including Aventura (November), Atlanta (December), Cleveland and Miami Beach (2018), and Sunrise (2019). The OG Harry’s Pizzeria Design District location is set to move locations in the spring of 2018, under the Genuine Pizza name.