Two years ago, husband and wife team Alex and Jen Aton were serving their homemade pizza to friends in tattoo shops. On Monday, August 5, the doors to Junior’s, their pizzeria, will open in Summerhill.

Junior’s will be the newest tenant on the stretch of Georgia Avenue that’s home to recently opened Wood’s Chapel Barbecue, Little Tart Bakeshop, and Halfway Crooks Beer. “It was one of the few places that wanted to actually talk to a small-time operator, in comparison to all of the newer developments going in that only want to put their money behind someone that’s already fully established,” Alex says. While Junior’s will be the couple’s first restaurant, they’re not strangers to the industry; Alex worked at Fellini’s for a decade and Jen has worked at restaurants throughout the city. In their partnership, Alex is the cook and Jen, he says, “is the real boss.”

The pizza, described by Alex is, “New York style, but we kinda like to call it Atlanta style just because we’re born and raised here.” There will be a variety of traditional toppings on the menu, but their signature is the “cup and char” pepperoni. They source it from Ezzo Sausage Company in Ohio because, Alex finds, their slices curl up just right and taste the best. Good news for vegans: they’ll offer Daiya dairy-free cheese and Beyond Meat’s Italian sausage. All of the vegetable toppings are vegan-friendly, too.

Junior’s Pizza, 77 Georgia Avenue
Website: https://www.juniorspizzaatl.com/

Read the full article with photos in Atlanta Magazine, click here.

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By Lia Picard, Atlanta Magazine