Local World Pizza Champion opens first restaurant in Uptown with big plans for growth
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King of Fire Pizza, a popular local food truck with a fleet of seven trucks, recently opened its first restaurant in Uptown at The Green. The popular brand has ambitious plans to expand far beyond its Charlotte roots.
Why it matters: Its founder, Siler Chapman, is a "pizza savant," co-owner Evan Gentile tells Axios.
Context: Chapman is a four-time World Pizza Champion, and this summer, he won first place in the American pizza category at the Trofeo Caputo Cup, a worldwide competition in Naples, Italy.
- "I take it to the extreme," Chapman said about his love for pizza and his craft."His dough is very unique," Gentile added.
Dig in: Chapman and Gentile recommend trying one of their best-sellers, whether it's the "Honey Pie" or "Hardy Pickle Pizza." They've also added new pizza options like "La Regina" and "Cal Italia." Plus, King of Fire also has gluten-free pizza that can be served with vegan cheese.
- In addition to personal 10" pies, King of Fire has salads and stromboli.
Stop by: King of Fire is at 435 S Tryon St. in the former Matt's Chicago Dogs space.
- Open Monday-Friday from 11am-3pm. Closed Saturdays and Sundays.
Flashback: Chapman and his wife Amber started King of Fire as a side hustle in 2018. He fell in love with a small pizza trailer they spotted on a trip to California and told Amber "I just have to have one."
- They started by working weddings and events, and the side hustle quickly became a full-time job.
- Shortly after buying their second trailer, the pandemic started. Rather than taking a hit, business boomed. They took their trucks to neighborhoods around Charlotte and people lined up in droves. "If you didn't pre-order, you didn't get a pizza," Chapman said.
- That visibility during the pandemic helped them buy two more trucks, and even when the world began to open up, demand for their pizza continued. "This year alone, we did 132 weddings," he said.
- Chapman and Gentile met through a separate business opportunity and decided to partner together with their spouses to franchise King of Fire. Their first step in that journey is the Uptown brick-and-mortar.
What's next: Gentile and Champan plan to franchise King of Fire pizza nationally starting in 2025.
- Champan will open an Italian restaurant, Queen by King of Fire, in Clover, South Carolina, at 117 N Main St. in February or March of 2025. Queen by King of Fire will serve five styles of pizza, including Detroit and New York-style.
Go deeper: 125 restaurants and businesses in Charlotte that opened in 2024 so far