By Naomi Hofferber
A new pizza shop, Marquee Pizzeria, aims to bring an open family-dining experience to the Iowa River Landing.
The restaurant, set to open this fall, will include a full-service bar and focus on wood-fire pizza.
Sam Hall, one of the owners, said by featuring food that fosters communal sharing, he hopes to create an open environment. Hall co-owns the new restaurant with siblings Ravi, Raj, and Sajni Patel.
“We really want it to feel like you’re at a big-get together or an outdoor barbecue kind of setting, where it’s very open, you’re talking to your neighbors, you’re getting to know your friends,” Hall said. “It’s very family-friendly oriented, too.”
The pizzeria will be an open area, with tile and exposed brick, large windows, and wood-fired ovens.
“The biggest difference will be the ambiance, the atmosphere,” Hall said. “It’ll have a unique look to it. I care a lot about the little details, the hospitality in the restaurant scene, and just making sure that nothing gets overlooked, from the décor to the tables to the comfortable seating — making people feel really warm and welcome.”
Hall said he was inspired for the restaurant by a pizzeria he experienced in New York.
“In my travels, I’ve had the chance to go to a lot of really neat restaurants and a lot of really neat pizzerias,” Raj Patel said. “Sam Hall … had the chance to go to a few really cool ones in Brooklyn, I’ve had the chance to go to a couple cool ones in Austin, Boulder, Los Angeles — so really all across the United States, we just felt that there really wasn’t a really trendy, hip pizzeria in the area that could provide excellent pies but also provide the atmosphere.”
Patel and his siblings run a hotel business in the Coralville and Iowa City area and initially worked with Hall with restaurants in hotels. Eventually, the group decided to move toward starting stand-alone restaurants.
“The Iowa River Landing was really a perfect spot for us to do this restaurant because it’s a way for us to secure the success of the Iowa River Landing, which in turn, I believe, ensures the success of the Coralville and Iowa City corridor,” Patel said. “Being in Iowa City and living in Iowa City, and calling Iowa City my home for many years, I care deeply about the success of the area and the community.”
The new pizzeria will be located at the developing Iowa River Landing location, which will soon see new businesses, including Trader Joe’s.
“We continue to look for new and unique opportunities when it comes to retail, restaurants, and entertainment,” said Deanna Trumbull, a consultant with Iowa River Landing. “Marquee Pizzeria was a concept that we really liked the ownership and vision for the restaurant. We feel they really created a nice, family atmosphere in it as well as providing a place for people to come have a beer or glass of wine in the evening if they’d like to.”
The district is following a master plan for the area, which includes encouraging unique and particular businesses.
“There will be continued growth in the next few years, particularly as we move toward the river,” Trumbull said.