Pizza Spot Will Replace Tory Row in Harvard Square

A Washington, DC-based pizza place will soon land in Harvard Square, taking over the former Tory Row space and the shuttering Crimson Corner newsstand, according to Cambridge Day.

The chain &pizza already has locations in the D.C. area and Philadelphia, with a New York spot on the way, in addition to the forthcoming Cambridge restaurant, according to Boston Magazine. &pizza’s concept bears a resemblance to locally-based Oath Craft Pizza: The D.C. chain specializes in personal pies that are rectangular and customizable with a range of toppings, then cooked on a conveyor belt.

&pizza was founded in 2012, and CEO Michael Lastoria wanted to create a concept that would offer an experience rather than just food, while building a tribe feeling among employees, he told DC Inno.

Now, he plans to bring that tribe, and its pizza, to Greater Boston.

"We love Boston and know an &pizza will fit right in. As soon as we have more news to share, you can expect us to be shouting it from the rooftops," he said in a statement to Eater.

Harvard Square has seen a tremendous amount of change of late, with a number of longstanding restaurants shutting down or relocating. A number of the closures, as Cambridge Day notes, have to do with the increasing cost of rent in the area. &pizza has made proposals to the city for alterations and merging of the Tory Row and Crimson Corner spaces, and hearings on the company’s plans will be held over the course of the next week.

&pizza will be joining a wealth of other pizza spots in Harvard Square, which are plentiful despite the recent closure of Uno Pizzeria. Otto sits just around the corner from the forthcoming &pizza, and Cambridge 1, Just Crust, and Pinocchio’s Pizza & Subs are also nearby. Additionally, there are pizzas served at both Waypoint and Russell House Tavern.

• Forced Closing of Crimson Corner Typifies Churn of Harvard Square Business [CD]
• Harvard’s Crimson Corner Will Shutter to Make Room for More Pizza [BM]