The owners of Toronto’s Beast Pizza are opening their second location in the Civic 66 building at 66 Weber St. E. this October. Beast Pizza has built a strong following since co-owners Scott Vivian and Nathan Middleton opened its doors in Toronto’s Queen West neighbourhood in 2010. Originally known for its tapas, the restaurant pivoted to pizza during the pandemic and has grown a cult following for its pizza, wine selection and unique culinary events.
The idea for opening a second location started after Vivian and his family bought a home in Kitchener. Vivian said he and his wife were looking for a place in Toronto, but Kitchener’s more affordable housing market and the support of his wife’s family in Waterloo made moving here the right choice.
After moving, Vivian had been commuting to Toronto, but said the long hours started a conversation with Middleton about opening a Beast Pizza in Kitchener. The timing coincided with a call from a representative of Killam Apartments REIT, the owners of the 66 Civic building.
“They reached out and said they were looking for somebody to come in here, and that the CEO of Killam really wanted a pizzeria that had a good wine list. That’s us,” Vivian said.
Beast Pizza joins a growing lineup of gourmet pizzerias in Waterloo Region, including The Civil, Willibald Pizza and Back of House Pizza. Middleton said the growing demand for better options started during the pandemic.
“Since the pandemic, takeout and delivery really went up a level. With pizza, I think it’s one of those things where you’re not going to make it at home. You can make it at home, but you’re not going to make it at home,” Middleton said.
While Beast Pizza offers delivery, Vivian and Middleton are focused on creating a Kitchener-based version of the “vibe” from their Toronto location. The restaurant features an eclectic collection of posters, classic Coca-Cola memorabilia and vintage tables and chairs.
“Pizzerias really lend themselves to being a neighbourhood spot. So yeah, there’s a lot of pizzerias, but there’s a lot of neighbourhoods. I think when people really hone in on Beast, it can become their place. We pride ourselves in Toronto on being that,” Middleton said.
Vivian added that the dine-in experience is what helped Beast Pizza carve a space for itself alongside traditional New York-style slice shops.
“We really embraced the true style of a pizzeria, which is to come in and sit down. We can create a vibe, and people have a good time and they want to come back over and over and over again,” Vivian said.
The look and feel of the two locations are not the only things that are different. Middleton said Beast Pizza Kitchener’s menu will evolve as they explore more of the city.
“One thing that I’m just so impressed about Kitchener is it’s so diverse. There’s a Middle Eastern grocery, a South African grocery store, a Chinese grocery store, a Vietnamese grocery store. The palate and the potential is really broad. We get the luxury of doing a pizza special every week, and we’re just going to see how people receive it, and that’s kind of how we’re going to grow from our starting menu,” Middleton said.
Middleton added that Kitchener’s culinary and arts and culture community has welcomed them to the area. They’ve attended a number of small business events and were taken on a tour of Centre in the Square.
“The community here is a big neighborhood. Everywhere you go is ten minutes away. I grew up in Stratford, and it kind of reminds me of that. Everybody kind of gets to know everybody, especially in the industry,” Middleton said.
Vivian added that Kitchener has all the right ingredients to make Beast Pizza successful.
“There’s a strong sense of supporting local businesses. You do have your big box stores here, like you do everywhere, but you definitely see those mom-and-pop shops are still supported, and we really like that. Everybody’s looking to not have to go to Toronto if they want to experience something fun, and so for us to be able to create that here is really special,” Vivian said.
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