Third Restaurant Brings Fresh Flavor and Cool Gelato to Local Community
(Belmont, Mass…March 15, 2007) Stone Hearth Pizza Co., the upscale eatery that has been cultivating its roots in the suburban communities of Sudbury and Belmont, Mass., will open its third location in the nearby town of Needham next month. The town’s central retail area and strong community focus make it the ideal spot for Stone Hearth Pizza to settle and share its Neapolitan-style pies, gourmet salads and Italian-inspired desserts-all crafted from organic and local ingredients-with a new set of neighbors.
“We’re excited to give Needham residents a new place to take their families and friends for a relaxed dining experience they can feel good about,” says co-owner, Jonathan Schwarz. “With each new Stone Hearth Pizza, we’ve been able to fine-tune our concept to that community’s needs and, by now, I think we’ve perfected a lot of the little details.”
Located at 974 Great Plain Avenue, the 64-seat Needham restaurant will be the first to showcase its own gelato counter. While Stone Hearth Pizza has always offered its guests homemade gelato from Angelato of Belmont as a sweet ending to dinner, the new display will encourage passers-by to stop in for a scoop. Free Wi-Fi will further establish Stone Hearth Pizza as a local hangout, where patrons can linger with their laptops and lattes.
Coinciding with the Needham opening, Stone Hearth Pizza will enhance all three of its locations. Menus will suggest wine pairings, highlighting the ideal wine to match each of Chef Michael Ehlenfeldt’s creations. Keeping the younger crowd in mind, the restaurant will roll out a children’s menu, where kids can choose their own eight-inch Classic Jr., Pepperoni Jr. or Cheeseburger Jr. pizza. All pizza juniors come with a fountain beverage and a choice of two cookies or a small scoop of gelato for $8.50.
The Needham Stone Hearth Pizza will host an inaugural fundraiser on Tuesday, May 15, to celebrate. Wasting no time in efforts to support community development, the restaurant will donate the event’s $25 ticket price to the Needham Community Council (NCC). Since its founding in 1920, the NCC has provided Needham with services such as a food pantry, a medical loan closet, English as a Second Language tutoring and the Child Assault Prevention (CAP) program. Stay tuned for more details on this grand opening.
About Stone Hearth Pizza Co.
Stone Hearth Pizza Co. debuted in August 2005 in Belmont, Mass., when longtime friends Christopher Robbins and Jonathan Schwarz leveraged a combined 30 years of business and entrepreneurial experience to open an upscale neighborhood dining spot based on their shared core values: friendship, good food and family. The company’s commitment to sourcing sustainable, organic and, whenever possible, local ingredients ensures a superior product, supports family farming, protects natural resources and strengthens local economies. Chef and general manager Michael Ehlenfeldt’s menu offers both classic and unexpected varieties of Neapolitan-style, oven-fired pizzas, as well as a regional beer and wine list. A second location in Sudbury, Mass., opened in May 2006, and plans for more locations are in the works. Visit www.stonehearthpizza.com to find out more.
