1 of 7
The new Zorch Pizza Parlor is located at 7524 Forest Hill Ave. in South Side Richmond.
2 of 7
Rob Zorch, owner of Zorch Pizza
3 of 7
The outdoor area behind Zorch Pizza Parlor
4 of 7
The goal is for the new outpost to operate as a dine-in spot, while the original Carytown location will be focused on slices.
5 of 7
The video games inside Zorch were sourced with the help of Richmond-based DawnStar Video Games.
6 of 7
A Pac-Man game that has been converted into a two-top table inside Zorch
7 of 7
Another view of the dining room at Zorch Pizza Parlor
He may not have intended it, but Zorch Pizza founder Rob Zorch has been on a three-year business cycle. In 2018, he founded a New-York-style food truck, which quickly amassed a devoted following. Next came his namesake Carytown brick-and-mortar restaurant in 2021. And now, he’s ready to continue the cheesy journey and channel the pizza shops of yesteryear with big booths, shakers of Parmesan and red pepper, and classic video games.
On Tuesday, Aug. 27, Zorch will host a grand opening celebration for his second pizza shop at 7524 Forest Hill Ave. in South Side Richmond. Taking over the former Don’t Look Back - South space, Zorch Pizza Parlor offers an expanded menu, full bar, outdoor dining and plenty of parking.
“We want it to be more of that dine-in experience,” Zorch says. “I always love when people order a dine-in whole pizza in Carytown because I think that’s the best way to eat pizza. We’ll lean into the old-school pizza parlor vibe.”
A western Pennsylvania native, Zorch fondly recalls family pizza nights when he was growing up. His parents and three sisters were regulars at Jioio’s, a multigenerational mainstay known for its thin, sweet, pastry-style crust. (The Almost Like a Pizza Pie on the menu at Zorch is a nod to the childhood favorite.)
“We would always go to a pizza spot as a family,” Zorch says. “We got takeout sometimes, but our thing was always going there and sitting down. I feel like there aren’t really those spots anymore, and that was always my initial idea. It still feels nostalgic to do that, and hopefully we can bring back that feel.”
With only 15 seats, the original Zorch Pizza operates mainly as a grab-and-go slice shop and on busy nights can sell out before 7 p.m. The vision is that its 2,000-square-foot South Side counterpart will be a place diners can stay awhile, a place that cranks out plenty of pizza.
Leaning into a “Cheers” atmosphere but with a pizza persona, the Forest Hill Avenue Zorch outpost is anchored by a small wooden bar, with a dining room that can seat 150. Mortal Kombat and X-Men video games are in the front corridor, while “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” memorabilia and a neon Pittsburgh Steelers sign dot the walls.
A Pac-Man machine has been converted into a two-top table — the unofficial date-night seat — and a few flat-screen TVs are scattered throughout the restaurant, destined to broadcast everything from NFL games to “Power Rangers” episodes and cartoons.
The menu will feature traditional options such as cheese and pepperoni (with vegan versions, too) and Zorch signature options including the sauce-on-top specialty, The Upside Down; The White Out, with caramelized onions, ricotta, garlic and olive oil; and the pan-baked, rustic Grandma-style. Previous specials, including the Chicken Bacon Zranch, with spicy fried chicken and ranch sauce, and the Broosel Sproots, topped with shaved Brussels sprouts, garlic oil, balsamic glaze, mozzarella, Parmesan and Romano, have secured a permanent spot on the menu. For the variety-seeking or indecisive, any pizza can be made with half-and-half toppings.
Slices will be available only during lunch Friday to Sunday, when diners can snag triangles of cheese, pepperoni, The Upside Down, The White Out, Grandma and vegan pepperoni.
Appetizers include pizza shop standbys mozzarella sticks, wings and fried artichokes, as well as prosciutto-wrapped melon with arugula and hot honey and an assortment of salads. Sandwich offerings range from a battered and fried Buffalo chicken on brioche to traditional and vegan cheesesteaks and a vegan Italian hoagie.
For dessert, Zorch Pizza Parlor is serving up slices of cake from Union Hill bakery Fat Rabbit as well as dirt cups, a riff on the kid-friendly ’90s favorite featuring homemade vanilla pudding studded with chunks of Oreo crumbles and gummy worms.
A University of Richmond chemistry grad, Rob says the second store also offers growth opportunities for his longtime staffers. “Most of them have worked with me since I first opened, and [this] will give them a chance to do a lot more cause they’re definitely in a position where they want to and are also great at it,” he says.
Day-one employee Maddie Chapman is helming the bar program, while Shayla Thomas, who has been working at Zorch since its food truck days, has stepped into the role of general manager. Previously making pizza at Wegmans and at home with her Ooni pizza oven, Anna Morgan will be in the kitchen, joined by front-of-house turned back-of-house staffer, vegan-food connoisseur and fellow pizza maker Emily Anderson.
For drinks, signature cocktails include The Pizza Punch, made with Cirrus vodka, brandy, amaretto, grenadine, pineapple, orange and lime juice, and the rum-heavy, banana and pineapple-spiked Banana Hammock, offered alongside classic libations (martini, Tom Collins, Negroni). Imbibers can also sip draft beers, canned options and a rotating natural wine selection.
Out back at the restaurant is a spacious grassy area home to picnic tables and a small bar that will offer limited drink selections. Giving a shout-out to fellow pie purveyor Pizza Bones, Zorch says he envisions hosting markets, pop-ups and private events in the future.
“Everyone is always asking us to open up in their neighborhood. Hopefully we have a lot of already regular customers on this side and will attract a lot more,” Zorch says. “We can also hopefully change the mindset of our customers and try to make Carytown the slice shop and this the restaurant and balance that a lot better.”
Zorch Pizza Parlor is open Tuesday through Thursday from 3:30 p.m. to 10 p.m. and Friday through Sunday from 11:30 a.m. to 11 p.m.
