The 3-year-old Waterbury outpost of Stone’s Throw Pizza at 13 Stowe Street has closed for on-site dining but will continue to serve takeout pizza, salads and cannoli, as well as be available for private events. Co-owners Allison and Tyler Stratton said Stone’s Throw’s three other pizzerias will remain the same: Richmond and Fairfax have dine-in evening service and morning café hours, while Jericho offers takeout only, along with a retail selection of wine and beer.
The couple, both now 40, opened the first Stone’s Throw in Fairfax in 2018 with Tyler’s childhood friend Silas Pollitt, who is no longer involved in the business. They expanded to 39 Esplanade in Richmond in 2020 and operated a location at 86 Ferry Road in Charlotte for a couple of years before staffing shortages prompted them to move that operation to 38 Route 15 in Jericho in fall 2023.
Stone’s Throw’s Waterbury outpost opened for dine-in in spring 2023 after a few months of takeout only. The group’s largest restaurant at 70 seats, it supplemented the pizza offerings with seasonal small plates and a full bar with cocktails.
Several factors contributed to the end of Waterbury’s on-site dining, led by staffing challenges, which are “1,000 percent worse in Waterbury” than at their other locations, Allison said. A severe shortage of downtown parking for employees and customers also played a role, the couple noted.
A multiyear dispute with a neighboring landlord over two dedicated takeout customer parking spots was recently resolved. With those spaces reestablished on Bidwell Lane, the Strattons believe they can make the Waterbury pizzeria sustainable as a to-go spot.
“Takeout is what makes that location make sense for us,” Tyler said.
The original print version of this article was headlined “Stone’s Throw Pizza in Waterbury Cuts Back to Takeout Only”
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