Danny Meyer Exposes Future Fast-Casual Pizzeria

Superfans of Danny Meyer and his new fast-casual pizzeria Martina can get a sneak peek of the under construction space in the East Village right now on the restaurant’s Instagram stories.

Martina Pizzeria

Chef Nick Anderer — who’s also the chef at sister restaurant Marta — walks Meyer through the space at 198 East 11th Street for the first time in the video, which can be seen by going to the pizzeria’s Instagram on a mobile phone and tapping the profile photo. It will be online for at least the rest of the day.

In it, Anderer reveals that people will start waiting in line next right when they walk into the door. Any line will be right next to an open kitchen where the staff will be making the Roman-style pies. “You’ll be able to peek over,” he says. A menu will be displayed overhead near the cashier, like at a fast food restaurant.

The chef noted that the pizzas only take a couple minutes to make, but once a queue of orders starts rolling in, it could take seven to ten minutes for a diner to receive their pie. Other menu items, including drinks and sides like meatballs and antipasto, will go out more quickly.

The restaurant is expected to open some time next month. Gas has yet to be turned on, and as the video shows, the space is still very much under construction.

Martina is worth watching if for nothing other than Meyer’s stellar track record with fast-casual giant Shake Shack. He hasn’t yet stated any ambition to make Martina a chain, but the set-up sounds like it is built to be cloned.