Junior’s Pizza, now open on Georgia Avenue in Summerhill, began as a childhood dream for co-owner Alex Aton. He used to dress in a pinstripe suit as a child each time his family ordered pizza for delivery to their Atlanta home and imagined what it would be like to open his own pizzeria one day. That childhood dream eventually propelled Alex into the pizza business, working for a decade as a pizza maker and general manager for Atlanta-based Fellini’s.

Alex began developing his own pizza recipes two years ago, using only a Kitchen Aid stand mixer and the oven in the home he shares with his wife and business partner, Jennifer. The couple would then deliver the pizzas to friends working at tattoo shops and restaurants around Atlanta.

Junior’s quickly built an underground following online.

But, the goal was to always open a pizzeria. That opportunity finally presented itself last August when the Atons met with Summerhill developer Carter. “We cooked three pizzas to show them what we wanted to bring to Summerhill,” Jennifer says of pitching Junior’s Pizza to Carter. “Three days later, we had a letter of intent.”

Alex doesn’t like referring to his pizzas as “New York-style”, but admits he’s “inspired by” the variety of pizzas in New York. This includes using “cup and char” pepperonis which curl and char on the edges as they bake for Junior’s thin crust pizzas and offering Sicilian-style deep dish pizzas with a focaccia-like crust over the bready Detroit-style pies.

All pizzas are baked in a Marsal and Sons gas-powered deck oven.

Junior’s is currently dine-in only as the Atons gauge the crowds at their new pizzeria, including students returning to nearby Georgia State University and football fans attending games at GSU’s stadium this fall. Takeout and delivery should begin in the near future. Once Junior’s acquires its liquor license from the city, beer and wine will also be available.

Customers choose slices or whole pies from a menu hanging above the cash register at the counter. Old school VHS tapes serve as table markers. Orders are then delivered to each table.

Junior’s Pizza features 44 seats inside with seating for an additional 40 people outside on the sunny patio. Murals are taking shape on walls throughout the dining room from local Atlanta tattoo artists like Stenvik Moström of Liberty Tattoo.

Junior’s is at 77 Georgia Avenue.

Click here for full article in Eater Atlanta.

Click here for the Junior’s website.

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Written by Beth McKibben, Eater Atlanta