"There has been a gap in that market for us to go into."
Miles Palliser, co-owner of Oakland's Mama's Boy, was talking about New York-style slices in the Inner Sunset when he said that to the San Francisco Chronicle in September. He pointed out that the neighborhood already has a decades-old pizzeria, Pasquale's, but that it doesn't specialize in New York-style pies. In October, Mission Local placed a second pizza operator with an international following in a storefront on the same block.
A month ago "more pizza on Irving Street" would have sounded like a joke. The corner already had Arizmendi, Pasquale's, Cybelle's Front Room and Fiorella within a few blocks. The two newcomers add range to that list. One brings the contemporary Neapolitan style that won Vincenzo Capuano a world championship. The other brings the thin, crispy New York slice, a style Pasquale's doesn't specialize in, according to the Mama's Boy owners.
Two storefronts the whole block kept walking past
Both new pizzerias are moving into spaces the neighborhood has been watching.
The first is 801 Irving St., on the corner of Ninth Avenue. It was Reliable Rexall Sunset, the neighborhood pharmacy, until the pharmacy closed in early 2025. Mission Local reported that the vacancy "baffled neighbors" for almost two years, because the space sits on the strip's busiest intersection and gets heavy foot traffic. The for-lease sign came down in early September.
The second is 822 Irving St., near Ninth Avenue, where Inle Burmese Cuisine closed in October. Inle had been the only Burmese restaurant in the Inner Sunset. It moved there in 2023 after starting out at 1298 Church St. in Noe Valley. Co-owner Morgan Sue told Mission Local that Inle may come back in a different form. The same storefront was once a Patxi's, so a pizza oven isn't new to that address.
When the Mama's Boy owners explained to the Chronicle why they picked Irving Street, they cited the location near Golden Gate Park, the core commercial corridor, the steady foot traffic, and the corner's usefulness as a base for delivering to surrounding neighborhoods. Ezra Berman and Palliser started scouting San Francisco in late 2024, so this corner was a deliberate choice.
What the corner already does well
Pizza at Ninth and Irving already comes in several distinct formats. That's why the new arrivals read as additions rather than competition.
| Place | Address | What it's known for | Hours on its own site or ordering page |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arizmendi Bakery | 1331 Ninth Ave., between Irving and Judah | Worker-owned cooperative bakery serving gourmet pizza | Tue–Sun, 7:30 a.m.–6 p.m.; closed Monday |
| Pasquale's Pizzeria | 700 Irving St. | A neighborhood staple since the 1960s | Pizza ordering window 4–10:40 p.m. |
| Cybelle's Front Room | 1385 Ninth Ave. | Pizzeria with online ordering | Mon and Wed–Thu 11 a.m.–8 p.m.; Fri 11 a.m.–9 p.m.; Sat noon–9 p.m.; Sun noon–8 p.m.; closed Tuesday |
| Fiorella Sunset | 1240 Ninth Ave. | Sit-down restaurant with several pies on its dinner menu | Reservations into the evening |
The hours alone show how these places divide the day. Arizmendi is a daytime bakery that closes at 6 p.m. Pasquale's pizza service starts at 4 p.m. and runs late. Cybelle's covers lunch through early evening most days. Fiorella is where you book a table. Arizmendi's toppings lean inventive. The Mission Local reporter who covers the Sunset named the triple-mushroom slice with sesame-ginger-garlic vinaigrette as a personal favorite.
That's the mix the newcomers are joining. Each one is aiming at a style this table doesn't cover.
Mama's Boy brings the New York slice
Mama's Boy opened in Uptown Oakland in 2023 and built its following on no-frills New York-style slices. It sells whole 20-inch pies with classic toppings such as pepperoni and mushroom, plus less expected combinations like burrata with hot honey. The dough ferments for 48 hours. Chronicle critic Cesar Hernandez ranked its pepperoni slice among his top five in the Bay Area. Its $5 to $7 slices also made the 50 Top Pizza ranking of the ten best slices in the United States.
The Irving Street shop will cover about 1,800 square feet, with booths and stools at a counter. The menu will stay close to the Oakland original, including meatballs, chopped and Caesar salads, and beer and wine. Getting there means a full buildout: kitchen equipment, new floors and refurbished restrooms in what used to be a pharmacy.
The owners told the Chronicle they hope to keep Reliable Rexall's old neon signs in place. For anyone who filled a prescription on that corner, the sign may still be the landmark.
The owners have estimated an opening around mid-2027. Berman and Palliser have run a San Francisco business before. They sold their 11-year-old sports bar, the San Francisco Athletic Club in Pacific Heights, last year.
Vincenzo Capuano brings contemporary Neapolitan
Across Irving, the old Inle space will become Vincenzo Capuano SF, the first United States pizzeria from a Neapolitan chef with 24 restaurants across Europe and Asia. Capuano won the world championship of contemporary pizza at the Caputo Trophy in 2022. The San Francisco Business Times described him as a celebrity pizzaiolo known for cloud-like Neapolitan crusts and golden scissors.
Capuano is opening the Inner Sunset location with Osilio Florese, who owns Mona Lisa Ristorante and Steps of Rome in North Beach. That partnership matters for the corner's future. A North Beach restaurateur, from the neighborhood San Francisco has long treated as its Italian dining district, chose Irving Street for his next pizza project. Mission Local ran its October column under the headline "Is the Inner Sunset the new North Beach?" and wrote that Ninth and Irving "may have the highest density of pizzerias outside of North Beach."
Mission Local also pointed out that Capuano and Mama's Boy have both won recognition from 50 Top Pizza. When they open, two ranked pizza operators will face each other across one of the Inner Sunset's busiest intersections, joining four established places nearby. No opening date has been announced for Vincenzo Capuano SF.
What to eat now, and what's coming
For a resident deciding where to get pizza next Friday, here's where things stand in early November 2026:
- Open now, daytime: Arizmendi at 1331 Ninth Ave., Tuesday through Sunday until 6 p.m.
- Open now, lunch through evening: Cybelle's Front Room at 1385 Ninth Ave. Skip Tuesdays.
- Open now, evening and late: Pasquale's at 700 Irving St., with pizza ordering from 4 p.m.
- Open now, sit-down dinner: Fiorella Sunset at 1240 Ninth Ave., by reservation.
- Coming, date not announced: Vincenzo Capuano SF at 822 Irving St.
- Coming, owners estimate mid-2027: Mama's Boy at 801 Irving St.
One more storefront change is happening a few blocks east. At 641 Irving St., the former home of the decades-old cafe Tart to Tart, empty for four years, tiles spelling out Mayer's Delicatessen in blue letters went in during the week of October 19. Who's behind it and when it will open haven't been made public.
If you own a home near Ninth and Irving, a corner that's changing on a street you walk every day affects how buyers will see your block. Aviva Kamler follows changes like these block by block and can show you how they fit into your home's value. Request a Personalized Home Valuation whenever you'd like a clear, current read.
