This article was inspired by content originally published by Dianne de Guzman on Eater SF
A New Slice of Culture in Chinatown
Outta Sight Pizza, the beloved thin-crust and tavern-style slice shop from the Tenderloin, has opened its highly anticipated second location in Chinatown at 643 Clay Street as of January 15, 2025. Founded by Chef Eric Ehler and Peter Dorrance—alumni of Michelin-starred Mister Jiu’s—the pizzeria has built a reputation for classic pepperoni and inventive specials (such as burrata and ikura) in its original spot. Now, with a larger kitchen and localized inspiration, the second location is poised to deepen its cultural ties.
🍕 Enthusiasts: Expect Bold, Regionally Inspired Pies
The new Chinatown outpost will feature innovative “cheffy” originals that reflect the neighborhood’s flavors—think Peking duck pizza, loco moco gravy white pies, butter chicken slices, and tea-smoked duck. Some pizzas are even shaped into thick “grandma” style rectangles, destined to sparkle across social feeds. If you own an at-home pizza oven, these combo-of-cultures pies are the perfect inspiration for experimenting with Asian American toppings and artisan dough formats.
Affiliate tools for enthusiasts:
- A cutter with square precision, like the OO-PEX Pizza Wheel, handles grandma pies with ease.
- An infrared thermometer helps you replicate that New York-style crisp from your oven.
📦 Suppliers: A Market for Flavor Innovation and Equipment
Outta Sight’s menu evolution signals two supplier trends: ingredient innovation and kitchen scale-up. The rise of Peking duck, butter chicken, and loco moco gravy pies is a signal to stock premium proteins, regional sauces, and specialty cheeses. Simultaneously, the move into a larger Chinatown kitchen underscores the need for reliable hood systems, smoke generators, and slicing equipment to support expanded creativity and volume.
Suggested affiliate tools:
- Commercial smoke guns for in-house tea-smoked ingredients
- High-quality square pizza pans for grandma-style slices
🏪 Pizza Shop Owners: Strategy Meets Community
Opening in Chinatown wasn’t just expansion—it’s a return home. Freelancing at Mister Jiu’s, Ehler and Dorrance have tapped into a powerful narrative: community roots, cultural references, and hip-hop fun. Early neighborhood excitement, including word-of-mouth buzz by local skateboarders, highlights how location-specific branding drives loyal traffic.
Actionable strategy:
- Mirror Outta Sight’s embrace of locale—create pies inspired by neighborhood heritage, perhaps a “Chinatown Special” with local flavors.
- Use a POS system like Toast to track top performers and seasonal hits, such as butter chicken or mapo tofu pies.
- Offer limited-time “grandma slice” format to generate buzz and visibility.
🔍 Hypothetical Expert Commentary
Pizza consultant Marco Li observes:
“Location matters—and what makes Outta Sight compelling is its rootedness. They’re not just serving pizza; they’re telling Chinatown’s story through dough, toppings, and flavor passages.”
🍕 California Pizza Reinvented
This expansion aligns perfectly with the broader California pizza renaissance, characterized by cultural mash-ups, artisanal doughs, seasonal styles, and encoded narratives in toppings. Outta Sight’s localization offers a compelling template: roots + rock, meaning + mechanics, art + commerce.
✅ Final Slice: Lessons from Outta Sight’s Chinatown Move
- Pizza enthusiasts: Craft regionally inspired pies that tell stories—from duck to butter chicken. Elevate your kitchen with sharp pans and smart tools to replicate bold formats.
- Suppliers: Be ready with cultural ingredients and niche cookware—think smoked-tea kits and square pans.
- Shop owners: Connect with neighborhoods on a cultural level, use tech to track performance, and play with formats that create urgency and loyalty.
Outta Sight’s Chinatown debut is a masterclass in place-making—where pizza isn’t just food, but context, culture, and community on a plate.
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