By EMILY SPARACINO | Staff Writer

MONTEVALLO – A craft pizza place with Birmingham roots is about to make its much-anticipated debut in Montevallo.

Slice Stone Pizza and Brewhouse will open at 11 a.m. on Monday, July 25 at the corner of Ashville Road and Wadsworth Street.

“We’re just glad to be a part of the community,” Slice COO Jerry Bajalia said at a Montevallo Chamber of Commerce luncheon on Wednesday, July 20. “We’re glad we finally got there. You guys are our big step forward after all of the things that have happened.”

The plans to open a Montevallo location of Slice were made public in 2019, but a combination of factors delayed progress on the restaurant.

One factor was the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.

Then, Jeff Bajalieh, one of Slice’s founders, died in December 2021 after battling cancer.

“We honestly didn’t know how much further we were going to go without him,” Jerry Bajalia said. “Things have worked out. Slice has a bright future, and you guys are a big part of it.”

Bajalia said Montevallo’s Slice is the third location of the restaurant, joining existing locations in Lakeview and Vestavia.

The restaurant prides itself on using local, seasonal ingredients to create specialty pizzas, salads and desserts.

“We have what we consider craft pizza,” Bajalia said. “We use artisan dough, we use wood fire and all the ingredients are fresh. We’re working on something that we’re going to call ‘The Montevallo.’”

Slice also offers options for customers with dietary restrictions.

“We have a cauliflower crust, and we also have vegan cheese,” Bajalia said. “The Very Veggie pizza looks like a salad on a pizza.”

Regarding beverages, Slice serves a variety of local craft beers, along with wine and mixed drinks.

The restaurant will offer ample patio seating in the primary building, plus indoor seating in a space the owners are renting in the Village on Valley building next door.

Pets are welcome on the patio, too.

Slice’s Montevallo restaurant hours will be 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. on weekdays and 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. on weekends, but Bajalia said they might adjust the hours later depending on community response.

“We’re thankful for the opportunity,” Bajalia said. “You guys are the reason we’re here.”