Almost four months after closing, the takeout-only location of Stone’s Throw pizzeria at 86 Ferry Road in Charlotte will reopen on January 30.
The building has undergone a “pretty massive update to the septic” since September, co-owner Tyler Stratton said. That lengthy project — along with difficulty in staffing — “halted our business there but allowed for a nice little transition time,” he continued.
During that closure, Leyland Papa approached Stratton and Stone’s Throw co-owners Allison Stratton and Silas Pollitt.
“Among the supportive emails we received [after closing], Leyland’s was the only one that said, ‘Hey, I’d like to run the shop,'” Stratton said.
Papa, a Chelsea native, has an extensive wine and beverage background in the New York City area. He holds the Wine & Spirit Education Trust’s Level 3 Award — an advanced qualification for wine professionals
He purchased Trash Away, a trash removal business in Shelburne, at the end of June and moved to Charlotte in September.
“I was picking up these pizza boxes every week, and it prompted me to start going to the place,” Papa said. “Now it’s full circle” as he partners with Stone’s Throw to run the Charlotte location.
Papa will put his own stamp on the shop’s wine selection, he said, building on the curation of Stone’s Throw beverage manager Adam Goddu. The pizza will stay the same.
“We try to make stores that reflect the town they’re in,” Stratton said. “Our partnership with Leyland is just a greater expression of what we think Charlotte is.”
Stone’s Throw currently operates shops in Fairfax, Richmond and Waterbury. Its new takeout spot at 38 Route 15 in Jericho, which was originally planned to replace the Charlotte location, will still open this spring.
Stratton said all the Stone’s Throw locations implemented a tip-free model earlier this month: A 17.5 percent service fee (20 percent at Waterbury’s dine-in location) is automatically added to each bill. That charge goes directly toward employee wages, allowing the owners to offer expanded benefits such as 401ks and expanded sick leave, he explained. Expect the same model in Charlotte.
This article appears in Wellness Issue 2024.
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