“After several months scouting out concepts all over the country for their new north-central Phoenix restaurant, Craig DeMarco and his partners in Upward Projects have settled on the tried-and-true: pizza, baked in a wood-burning oven,” according to azcentral.com.

“Federal Pizza – the restaurant will be in the old First Federal Savings & Loan building – is scheduled to open Tuesday, Oct. 9.

Why pizza? DeMarco says he “looked at the demographics” and listened to the neighborhood. And the “neighborhood requested pizza, especially take-away.” To meet that demand, the transaction window in the bank’s old car-teller lane will turn into a pick-up window.

DeMarco has snared a big name to launch and initially oversee the operation. Michael Coe, one of Arizona’s premier bakers, will be designing the dough, as well as hiring and training the staff.

Upward Projects, whose team includes DeMarco’s wife, Kris, and Lauren and Wyatt Bailey,has two other restaurants in the pipeline as well.”