Pizza that’s the bomb
Local duo opens restaurant featuring East coast entrées
BY PAUL TACKETT
World Staff Writer
Matt Layland and Rick Muttoni are retracting the landing gear with hopes
their idea of a new pizzeria is ready to fly.
The partners recently opened B- 52 Pizza, a restaurant featuring handtossed
and deep-dish pizza along with other East-coast flavored specialties including
subs, calzone and stromboli.
“The B-52 idea was born at my kitchen table,” Layland said.
“A 20- year dream of mine came together in about six weeks.”
The restaurant opened April 26.
Layland said a fair description of their hand-tossed pie is New York style
while their deep-dish offering is more of a Sicilian style of pizza.
“We make everything fresh daily,” Muttoni said. “Nothing
out of a can unless I have to.”
The pizza is available in two sizes, 14- and 16-inch for the hand tossed
and 12- and 15-inch for the deep dish.
The restaurant has basic toppings available, with the pies costing between
$11 and $16 depending on type, size and number of ingredients.
Pizza by the slice is also available: hand toss is $1.75 a slice, with
deep dish costing $2.
One of Layland’s favorite menu items is the stromboli while Muttoni
takes pride in his Alfredo sauce.
Muttoni said customers have a hard time deciding what to eat.
“You’ll be more confused after you’ve tried more than
one item off the menu,” he said.
B-52 Pizza has a unique theme. “He (Layland) wanted an aviation
theme,” Muttoni said.
Model World War II planes hang from the ceiling and war memorabilia decorate the walls. Classic war movies such as “Flying Leathernecks” and “Memphis Belle” play on a couple of television sets.
While the partners tried to pick a name for their eatery, names such as Pie In The Sky surfaced.
But that name shortened is the PITS, so it was tossed.
Another possible name could be the Doghouse, Muttoni jokingly said.
“My wife wants to burn it (the restaurant) down,” he said.
Muttoni is overseeing a new restaurant while being father to five children ages 6, 5, 3, 1 1/2 and a newborn.
Muttoni learned pizza while working at a pizzeria and studying acting and writing at Emerson College in Boston.
He grew-up in Broken Arrow, graduating from high school in 1993.
“Walk in the door and give me a try, I’ll have you hooked,” Muttoni claims.
He said he wants to create a restaurant that encourages children to tug on their parents’ shirt and say, “I want to go to B-52’s to eat.”
“We are a little pizzeria,” Muttoni said. “I like being small.”
The restaurant employs eight people working in one of three positions: counter, kitchen and/or delivery.
Layland, who’s from Pennsylvania, is an engineer during the day and by night a father and restaurant owner.
“Our focus is on quality and our desire to serve,” he said.
B52:
Paul Tackett, 259-9650
paul.tackett@tulsaworld.com