Chef Tom Gray announced Jan. 29 he will open his newest concept, Electric Dough Pizza Co., in the historic San Marco Theatre in San Marco Square, by the fourth quarter of 2024.
Gray said in a news release that the fast-casual Electric Dough Pizza Co. will be the counterpart to his two full-service restaurants, Prati Italia, which opened in 2020 at The Markets at Town Center, and Town Hall, which opened in 2017, also on San Marco Square.
Gray said the transition of the lease, originally held by Al’s Pizza founder Al Mansur, was finalized in January. Mansur had planned to open his Flying Iguana concept in the space but instead will be an investor in the new restaurant.
The San Marco Theatre, designed by architect Roy Benjamin, was built in 1938. It is at 1996 San Marco Blvd.
The release said custom interior design planning for Electric Dough Pizza Co. is underway. Gray engaged the ai3 group for the effort.
He said ai3 also designed Town Hall, Prati Italia and its predecessor, Moxie Kitchen + Cocktails.
Founded in 2004, ai3’s Atlanta studio practices architecture, interior design, graphics and branding for the hospitality, restaurant, corporate and residential markets.
Jacksonville-based TSG Realty, the owner of the building, has been working on interior and infrastructure renovations. It has committed to maintaining the historic facade.
“This location has been a neighborhood cornerstone visually and historically for nearly 90 years,” Gray said in the release.
“San Marco is my home, and we are inspired by the opportunity to preserve the soul of the building and breathe new life into the interior with stylistic touches that mesh our concept with the beauty and presence of the theatre.”
Gray said the restaurant will feature rectangular artisan pizzas that feature a Roman-style dough with Detroit-style crispy, cheesy edges.
“The pandemic helped us realize that this pizza is so unique it can stand on its own as a new concept,” he said.
The release said the pizza has grown in popularity at Prati Italia and at local retailers where they are sold, such as Native Sun in Jacksonville Beach.
The name Electric Dough refers to the Italian-imported electric oven that the pizzas are baked in and the handmade, long-fermented dough, which produces a crunchy crust and has toppings that cover the pizza from corner to corner, according to the release.
There also will be seasonal fresh salads and a rotating selection of gelato and sorbets with flavors such as Salted Caramel, Italian Espresso and Limoncello.
Beverages will include a full bar, domestic and imported beer, and wine, along with craft sodas and zero-proof offerings.
“Locating Electric Dough Pizza Co. in San Marco is ideal because this concept is 100 percent focused on being an inviting, lively and family-oriented addition to the neighborhood,” Gray said in the release.
In addition to the interior and patio dining spaces, a retail area will feature take-and-bake frozen pizzas to prepare at home, fresh pastas, from-scratch sauces, housemade pimento cheese and other retail products.
Gray said that he and his wife and business partner, Sarah Marie Johnston, had date nights at the San Marco Theatre and that their son celebrated several birthdays there.
Gray is also the co-owner of CuliVino Hospitality Consulting and Management, a restaurant management and consulting firm he founded with Johnston, along with Chef Albert Fuentes.
CuliVino Hospitality Consulting and Management specializes in existing business consultation, new concept development and operations management.