Franchising

Artichoke Basille's bursts on to Arizona pizza scene

Photo: Artichoke Basille's Pizza

June 17, 2020

Artichoke Basille's Pizza has opened its first Arizona location on East Baseline Road in South Tempe. The store is also the first for local franchisees and operators, Keith Bolognese and Ron Marino, a news release said. 

"This opening has been a long time coming for Keith and I, and we're proud to bring such a great, nationally recognized concept like Artichoke Basille's Pizza to Arizona for the first time," Marino said in the release. "South Tempe needs a cool, quality New York-style pizza restaurant, and we know anyone who visits or orders from us will continue to return to Artichoke again and again."

The Tempe menu includes a full cocktail bar, salads and lighter fare alongside Artichoke's signature New York-style pizzas like the Artichoke Pie and Crab Pie, plus traditional pizzas like Margherita, pepperoni and meatball. 

The 2,500-square-foot South Tempe restaurant pays homage to Artichoke's roots with NYC-inspired design elements like exposed brick and antiqued tin, while also incorporating modern touches including an indoor/outdoor bar and garage doors that open to a 1,000-square-foot patio. The brand said all spaces will be used in compliance with COVID-19 pandemic health guidelines. 

"We've known Keith and Ron as friends and fans of Artichoke Basille's Pizza for a long time, and we're super proud to have them introduce our concept and brand to Arizona," Co-founder Francis Garcia said in the release. "We know there's no better duo to help us expand Artichoke Pizza to this new market than Keith and Ron, and we're excited to see how it's received in Tempe."

The New York City-based brand now operates 17 locations in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, California and Arizona.