Wednesday night: &pizza gets set for its grand opening on Thursday, October 20
and did a test run for a few friends
Barracks Row &pizza Opens Thursday at 11:00am – First Photos Inside
By Larry Janezich
Barracks Row &pizza opens Thursday, October 19, at 11:00am. At tomorrow’s opening, the first five guests to request a tattoo of the &pizza’s signature ampersand will receive it gratis, complements of D.C. tattoo partner Laughing Hyena, and those five will receive free pizza for a year. Additionally, free pies will be given to the first 118 guests in line.
Pizza guests can craft their own individual pie (with unlimited ingredients) or choose from nine signature pizzas, such as the meat heavy Maverick, the egg-topped Farmer’s Daughter, or the Gnarlic. The pizza shop uses fresh ingredients and works with local producers to create its signature and seasonal menu of pizzas, snacks, craft sodas and artisanal teas. Pizzas can be ordered ahead for carry out or dining in on &pizza’s app.
The company’s commitment to each neighborhood it joins is reflected in the shop’s interior design. For &pizza Barracks Row, the company partnered with local artist Matt Corrado to paint a mural for the shop’s interior using “dazzle camouflage,” the term for geometric shapes of contrasting black and white colors used on ships in the first World War to mislead the enemy. The pattern pays homage to both the neighboring Marine Barracks as well as &pizza’s iconic graphic black and white shop design.
Additionally, through &CHARITY, the brand’s localized charity arm, &pizza will launch its “Buy One, Give One” campaign on Friday, October 21 through Sunday, October 23. For every pizza sold during opening weekend, &pizza will donate a pizza to either the Capitol Hill Arts Workshop or Ready, Willing & Working, at the guest’s choosing.
The hours for the store – located at 405 8th Street, SE – are 11:00am until 11:00pm Sunday through Thursday, and 11:00am until 2:00am on Friday and Saturday.
Founded in 2012 in Washington, D.C.’s historic H Street NE corridor, the brand is characterized by the organizational culture of its employees (the brand calls them Tribe Members), its rapid expansion, and numerous “best pizza” awards. &pizza currently has 18 shops in the Washington, D.C. region as well as Baltimore and Philadelphia. &pizza’s website is here: www.andpizza.com.
CAPITOL HILL CORNER 
THE GOLD STANDARD OF BEST PRACTICES: Many, many thanks to Michael Lastoria (owner of &Pizza) and Julia Wright (owner of Pillar Development and Michael’s project manager). After some initial bumps in the process, Michael and Julia have turned the Barracks Row &Pizza into a model of the sort of best practices that are needed if DC is to ensure healthy, pleasant mixed-used neighborhoods as it continues on its apparent trajectory to becoming a restaurant destination. &Pizza’s indoor trash storage room is the gold standard for denying rodents a food source — lots of room for employees to properly deal with garbage and recycling in a safe, well lit and ventilated space protected from rodents, weather, and the late night safety issues posed by the alleys and back yards where trash is normally stored. &Pizza’s pollution control unit eliminates rodent attracting odors, grease and food particulate — a particularly important consideration in the fight against rats. And &Pizza’s mechanical sound proofing, which is exemplary, contributes to residential neighbors’ continued enjoyment of their homes and gardens despite the increase in mechanical noise which occurs when restaurants replace retail in mixed-use blocks. Michael Lastoria’s &Pizza (405 8th St.) and Michael Babin’s Eatbar (which employs the same practices at 415 8th St) together set the standard for clean, rodent reducing restaurant operations. And the food is excellent! Both establishments deserve the neighborhood’s most enthusiastic support! On behalf of the many, many neighbors who, together with ANC6B, have worked tirelessly for the institution of the best practices that will begin to make a dent in the city’s exploding rodent population, thank you Michael Lastoria and Michael Babin!
Linda Elliott, Katherine Szafran, and Ritu Upadhyay
The neighbors of the 200 block of 8th Street who worked with Linda, Katherine and Ritu and attended meetings with Michael Babin add our deep appreciation to these restauranteurs. Their willingness to adopt best practices for exhaust, garbage storage and removal, and sound proofing of mechanicals make them exceptional commercial neighbors. We hope other food service establishments on the Hill will follow suit. Thank you Michael and Micahel!
Some worthwhile reading up there. Bottom line is that the Barracks Row neighborhood supports &Pizza and Eatbar in the 400 block of 8th St SE, 20003.