Perry’s Pizza in Huntington Beach, California, is celebrating 50 years in business this month. Since 1973, this restaurant, owned by husband-and-wife duo Jess and Dawn Bingaman, has prided itself on its commitment to artisan pizza and fostering a strong sense of community and togetherness.

In fact, the owners’ own love story started at the pizzeria, where, in the late ’70s, Jess worked as a manager for the original location (then in Newport Beach) and met Dawn, who was a regular customer. When the pizzeria’s owner decided to sell the business in 1996, the couple, by then married, decided to purchase Perry’s Pizza.

The Newport Beach location, with its boardwalk storefront, thrived for more than 40 years and was known for its annual End of Summer Party, held to welcome back locals after the busy summer season. In 2014, the couple was forced to relocate to Huntington Beach when their lease was not renewed. But, after a nine-month build-out, they reopened Perry’s Pizza in 2015—and it’s been expanding ever since. In 2022, they acquired the space next door, doubling in size with an enclosed patio, additional indoor seating, a 10-seat bar and 16 taps, from which they pour beer into their iconic 32-ounce milk jugs. Today, Perry’s Pizza serves a loyal and still-growing customer base from its nearly 4,000-square-foot location.

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“Our move to Huntington Beach has been the biggest blessing. In a way, it’s allowed us to grow with our guests,” Dawn says. “The guests we grew up grabbing a slice with in Newport now visit us in Huntington with families of their own—and the expanded space allows us to welcome our growing community in. We’ve created this to be a place they can call home.”

The photo montages that once adorned the original location’s walls are now immortalized through laminated tabletops in Huntington Beach. And, in honor of the 50th anniversary, Perry’s Pizza will unveil a new tablescape filled with recent memories and photos submitted by guests.

Signature made-from-scratch Sicilian-style pizzas at the pizzeria include classics like the Hawaiian and Margherita, as well as boldly flavored specialty pies. The Pickle Your Fancy is topped with pastrami and housemade pickles, while the spicy El Serrano features a pink-hued Parma rosa sauce, chopped pepperoni and ham, mozzarella, and fresh serrano peppers. The menu has also evolved to offer other items, including sandwiches, pastas, and weekday specials like prime rib on Wednesdays and prime rib sliders on Thursdays. Everything, from sauces to dough to sausages, is made from scratch in-house.