Charleston-based wood-fired pizza catering truck to hit the streets in Greenville
Picture this if you will: a 1955 Chevy truck, repainted bright teal, fully restored and, wait for it...a fully functioning wood-fired Valoriani oven in the back.
When its oven is burning, the Coastal Crust truck is quite the sight to behold.
“It’s a cool thing to see when its going down the road and there is smoke coming from the chimney,” says Bryan Lewis, one of the partners in the Coastal Crust Greenville project.
Now, Lewis, along with Coastal Crust’s other owners Brian Piesner and Mickey DeMatteis, are bringing the innovative artisanal pizza catering concept to Greenville.
Coastal Crust, which launched in Charleston three years ago, will expand its reach to Greenville this summer. The company plans to roll out a Greenville-based wood-fired pizza catering truck in late June or early July and will open an event space and a brick and mortar restaurant in The Village of West Greenville in the fall.
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“I think it’s an exciting time for expansion into this culinary scene,” says Lewis, who also owns the creative Mexican restaurant, Basico, as well as gourmet market and sandwich shop, Mixson Market, in Charleston. “It’s a great culinary scene that’s already happening and we’re just excited to be a part of it.”
What Coastal Crust brings is a completely unique experience. Owner Brian Piesner hatched the idea about three years ago. Piesner, a New York native, wanted to bring scratch-made Neapolitan style pizza to the mobile food market. The type of pizza is known for its crispy thin crust and balanced approach to toppings and sauce.
Coastal Crust offers customizable catering packages for any event. The offerings range from pizza-only to salads, fresh focaccia, espresso and gelato as well.
Coastal also has a craft beer and wine truck as well. The Greenville truck will have four taps built into the side, Lewis says.
“A lot of what I’ve seen from my business is the catering industry is getting a little more casual,” Lewis says. “I think the plated sit-down dinner is something people are moving away from now.”
Lewis has been eyeing this city for a while. His younger brother, Campbell Lewis, played baseball for Furman and now calls the city home. So the elder Lewis has been a regular visitor to the Upstate.
Add in the Village of West Greenville, and this city became even more appealing.
“I think it’s an exciting time for expansion into this culinary scene,” Lewis says of growing in Greenville. “We have been looking in West Greenville for a while and that’s an exciting area. I love the art scene there. It’s got a great community around it and I think it’s where we wanna tie our roots.”
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Beyond the vehicle, Coastal Crust has quite the reputation for good food. The pizzas are all made from scratch, from dough to sauces. Toppings range from the traditional basil and mozzarella to the more interesting curried cauliflower and cured meats.
The local outfit, like its sister operation in Charleston, will utilize local ingredients as much as possible. Lewis has already been in contact with local farms and operators of the Feed & Seed project about sourcing from the operation’s farmers collective.
In addition, Coastal is in talks with Bacon Bros. Public House about sourcing the restaurant’s house made cured meats as well.
Greenville’s menu will be different, Lewis says, with a focus on “a fun mix of seasonal produce.”
“Our philosophy is simpler, classic good food, sourced from good producers,” Lewis says.
Coastal Crust is set to launch its Greenville arm in late June or early July. The event space and restaurant will follow in late summer and fall.
For more information visit www.coastalcrust.com and see the truck’s progress on the Coastal Crust Instagram page.