By Justin Smith
Dough. Sauce. Cheese. Pepperoni. The ingredients for a classic pizza. However, that’s not the case at Brixx Wood Fired Pizza in Virginia Beach. They’re throwing conformity out the window and cultivating a new, creative standard for pizza. Located at 1909 Landstown Centre Way, Brixx Wood Fired Pizza has become a hot spot in the Virginia Beach area. Brixx offers 23 unique pizzas along with a variety of salads, pastas, sandwiches, wraps and desserts. For those of age, customers also have a selection of 24 craft beers on tap and 14 wine options to choose from.
One waitress said it’s the variety of pizzas that Brixx offers that makes the restaurant one of a kind. “We offer a lot of pizzas that many places don’t have,” the waitress said. Brixx’s pizza menu showcases the talent they have for combining unusual ingredients. Customers can order the familiar Hawaiian or margarita pizza to play it safe. If they’re taste buds are feeling adventurous, customers can try the more uncommon pizzas, like the spicy shrimp or Caribbean jerk chicken pizza. Those with a sweet tooth can try Brixx’s S’mores pizza.
Customers can choose between traditional, wheat or gluten-free dough for their pizza’s crust. Brixx also accommodates to its vegan customers by offering vegan cheese free of charge. By tapping into beer culture and vegetarian and gluten-free cuisine, Brixx keeps their menu fresh and new customers flowing, according to Brixx’s website.
Some Virginia Wesleyan students, like senior Cassie Conley, are not turned down by the 25 minute drive from campus to the restaurant.
“I definitely liked all the variety the menu had and the variety of pizza themselves,” Conley said. “They were new and innovative in a way, as some of the pizzas I had never heard of, but they sounded delicious.”
The menus and beer and wine selection of each Brixx location are tailored by corporate and franchise employees, according to Brixx’s website. By cultivating a menu that is unique to individual markets, a Brixx is transformed into a “neighborhood Brixx.”
The Virginia Beach location Brixx serves craft beer from local breweries. These items are regularly discounted throughout the week.
Those who walk into the local Brixx will notice a variety of seating options that create a casual, youthful atmosphere. A huge U-shaped bar is the focal point of the restaurant. The bar faces the open-concept kitchen that allows customers to witness their pizzas being prepared and baked. A number of high-top tables and stools surround the bar while a more spacious dining area with bigger tables is located on the left side of the restaurant.
The food and décor at Brixx isn’t the only thing that contributes to the relaxed environment. The friendly staff helps customers feel at ease, according to customer Laurie Thompson.
“The food was amazing. The atmosphere was even better,” Thompson said. Thompson enjoys interacting with servers because it makes the dining experience fun. “Most places you don’t get that, but she [the waitress] was very spunky and friendly.”
Although Brixx sees a wide variety of customers, from families to young professionals, their daily promotions cater to the younger crowd.
Brixx offers a buy one, get one special on any pizza after 10 p.m. every day of the week. With a closing time of 1 a.m., night owls will have no problem finding a hangout spot thanks to Brixx. Customers can take advantage of Brixx’s to-go option when ordering food, as they offer pick-up orders. Brixx also has daily specials that change every day. All Brixx restaurants strive to form a strong bond within the communities they’re located, a view the founders of the franchise have encouraged since the beginning. The restaurant works with local schools, churches and nonprofit organizations through their program Brixx Buxx. Those who partake in a Brixx Buxx event work with their local Brixx to conceive, prepare and promote their fundraiser. The organization, in turn, receives a portion of the sales made by their guests.
Brixx restaurants also do their best to be eco-friendly. Each location recycles all paper, cardboard and glass. Brixx only serves their beer on tap to reduce their glass waste. Brixx Wood Fired Pizza was founded in 1988 by Eric Horsley, Jeff Van Dyke, Barbara Bodford-Morgan and Neil Newcomb. The first restaurant of the franchise opened its doors in Charlotte, North Carolina.
The Brixx Wood Fired Pizza in Virginia Beach is open Monday-Saturday from 11 a.m. to 1 a.m. and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. For more information on their menu or locations, visit www.Brixxpizza.com.
