Mountain biking enthusiasts turned restaurateurs, Aaron Freitas and Ryan Thompson both grew up locally before meeting while working together at the Fox shock factory.
Now, business partners, they opened Pogonip Pizza two months ago, partially inspired by Freitas owning a nearby business and noticing many locals and students going into an adjacent convenience store for pizza.
Thompson, the executive chef, turned his longtime passion for cooking into a profession and had one of his pizzas win a competition at the International Pizza Expo. An idea two years in the making, Pogonip Pizza is located just one block from UCSC.
Freitas says the ambiance blends mountain bike-themed décor and outdoor/redwood vibes, defining their pizzas as artisan, seasonal and specifically designed thin-crust “tiger-style” (“If you know, you know,” says Freitas).
Thompson’s headlining award-winning pie is the Mushroom Hunter with locally sourced medley, thyme and lemon zest, Freitas’ personal favorite is the High St. Local with spinach, green olives, tangerine chili and scallion sauce, and another popular pick is the Barking Dog with pepperoni, dill pickles and ranch dust. They also offer salads, focaccia sandwiches, a large handmade pub pretzel with dipping sauces as well as a local beer and wine selection.
Tell me about Ryan’s dough.
AARON FREITAS: He prides himself on it. We think we have one of the best in town and we’ve tried many other local options. It’s fresh hand-mixed daily, and produces a very light and airy thin crust utilizing a long fermentation and wheat that is regeneratively farmed. It’s a very natural process with no preservatives and helps create a dough that is not only full of flavor, but also a cleaner style that is easier to eat and digest.
How has business been?
Great, we’ve been extremely well received by the local community and the neighborhood has been in somewhat of a food desert, so we have been a very welcome addition. We are still in our soft opening and trying to figure out the demand, but currently, we sell out of pizza about half the time. We plan to expand the menu and beverage options soon, add desserts and build an open family-style outdoor patio. We also plan to expand our hours of operation, offer discounted slices for students and start taking phone and online orders.
222 Cardiff Place, Santa Cruz, 831-889-5446; pogonip.pizza
