8 May 28 - June 3, 2026 miaminewtimes.com | browardpalmbeach.com NEW TIMES | MUSIC | CAFE | CULTURE | NIGHT+DAY | NEWS | LETTERS | CONTENTS | Month XX–Month XX, 2008 miaminewtimes.com MIAMI NEW TIMES | MUSIC | CAFE | FILM | ART | STAGE | NIGHT+DAY | METRO | RIPTIDE | LETTERS | CONTENTS | Royal feast Fort Lauderdale is finally getting NYC slice culture. BY NICOLE LOPEZ-ALVAR F ort Lauderdale’s restaurant boom is not slowing down anytime soon. Between splashy steakhouses, luxury lounges, chef-driven res- taurants, and major hospitality groups investing heavily in Broward, 2026 is shaping up to be one of the biggest years the city’s dining scene has seen in decades. Now, Marc Falsetto and his group, Falsetto Hospi- tality, are adding another concept to the mix. This time it’s centered around one thing Fort Lauderdale has quietly been missing for years: a true New York-style slice shop. This winter, Falsetto Hospitality will open Pizza Queen at 1217 E. Las Olas Blvd., the for- mer home of Damiano’s Café and Bistro. The 1,000-square-foot spot will bring oversized New York-style pizza slices, whole pies, espresso, Italian sodas, and classic grab-and- go slice culture to the heart of Las Olas. According to Falsetto, the idea came from living in the neighborhood himself. “I live on Las Olas, and I noticed over the years you just can’t even grab a slice,” Falsetto tells New Times. “There was no slice culture. We thought it was a perfect opportunity for lo- cals, passersby, and workers in the area. There’s just nothing like it.” Pizza Queen is designed to feel more like the artisanal slice shops currently dominating New York City than a traditional sit-down pizza restaurant. Falsetto points to popular New York spots like L’Industrie and Mama’s Too! as inspiration for the concept. “We’re doing what’s called artisanal New York-style pizza,” he says. “Traditional New York slices with cool ingredients on them. We’re specifically going to do slices and whole pies.” The restaurant itself will be compact. Ex- pect limited indoor counter seating and a handful of outdoor tables for guests who want to linger over a slice and an espresso. The pri- mary focus, however, is speed and accessibil- ity. “It’s mostly grab your slice, eat it, and go, just like New York slice culture,” Falsetto says. “Not everybody wants to spend $50 or $60 on lunch. People want a slice that travels well, something quick, something good.” That casual approach separates Pizza Queen from many of the Italian restaurants currently dominating Las Olas. Most of these tend to lean more toward full-service dining and Neapolitan-style pies. “There’s plenty of sit-down restaurants,” Falsetto says. “But people kept asking us, ‘Where can we just grab a slice?’” Pizza Queen is built around dough de- signed to recreate the texture and flavor of classic New York pizza. The dough begins with imported Italian flour free of bromates. It then undergoes a long fermentation pro- cess meant to create a lighter, crispier crust with deeper flavor. The restaurant will also use a specialized water-controlled system to balance mineral levels. This will replicate the conditions needed for authentic New York-style dough. Then, pizzas will be topped with imported Ital- ian tomatoes alongside fresh local ingredients. For Falsetto, the slice shop is a natural ex- tension of his longtime success in pizza. His Fort Lauderdale restaurant, Pizza Craft, earned an 8.1 rating from Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy. Ever since, it’s become one of Broward’s most recognized gourmet pizza spots. “We own Pizza Craft, and our customers kept asking for slices,” Falsetto says. “This is completely dif- ferent. This is full New York slice culture.” Pizza Queen is being developed alongside Falsetto Hospitality’s corporate chef and partner, Robbins Martinez, and Pizza Craft’s general manager, Jaziel Perdomo. “We’ve opened 18 restaurants together,” Falsetto says. “This is really a collaboration between all of us.” The menu is still being finalized. However, guests can expect everything from traditional cheese and pepperoni slices to more over- the-top creations. One concept already in de- velopment is a lower-carb option called the “Skinny Queen.” And when asked about the inspiration be- hind the name, the answer is personal. “That’s my wife’s nickname,” he says. “She lived in New York. She’s obsessed with slice culture. She’s known as Pizza Queen.” Pizza Queen will arrive shortly after the opening of Caviar Club, Falsetto Hospitality’s highly anticipated American restaurant, steakhouse, and martini lounge slated to de- but in October. Falsetto describes Caviar Club as a plush concept inspired by places like Polo Bar and the St. Regis, complete with a martini lounge, a private-members component, and, eventu- ally, an off-site cocktail-bar expansion. Together, the two openings signal some- thing much bigger happening in Fort Lauder- dale right now. For years, Miami dominated the conversa- tion around South Florida dining. Increas- ingly, however, Fort Lauderdale, especially Las Olas, is becoming a serious hospitality destination in its own right. New restaurants are opening at a rapid pace, major operators are betting heavily on Broward, and the city’s dining scene feels more ambitious than ever. Amid all the caviar, martinis, and luxury concepts headed to Las Olas this year, Pizza Queen aims to bring something more casual to the neighborhood: a classic New York slice shop built for locals, late nights, and people who simply want to grab a really good slice of pizza. Pizza Queen. 1217 E. Las Olas Blvd., Fort Lauderdale. Opening Winter 2026. [email protected] ▼ Café L’industrie photo L’industrie is a famed New York City slice shop that is a bit more refined than the average NYC slice joint. “WE’RE DOING WHAT’S CALLED ARTISANAL NEW YORK- STYLE PIZZA. TRADITIONAL NEW YORK SLICES WITH COOL INGREDIENTS ON THEM.”
