At a time when many Valley restaurants are struggling to survive, Sal’s Gilbert Pizza is expanding.
The 11-year-old neighborhood favorite in Gilbert Town Square – on the west side of Gilbert Road halfway between Warner and Ray – is taking over the strip-mall space next door recently vacated by Mike’s Burger’s & Cheesesteaks.
It will be the second such expansion for Sal’s, which began as a 2,000-square-foot space and added an 800-square-foot dining area six years ago.
The addition of the former Mike’s space will bring Sal’s total interior to 4,000 square feet.
The family-run pizzeria is well-known for its specialty pizzas, including such unusual offerings as a baked ziti pizza, a spaghetti and meatballs pizza, and a lasagna pizza.
Construction work already is underway on the new addition, which will become home to the bar, the pizza case, and the main entrance. It also has a small east-facing patio that is being enlarged.
The original section of the pizzeria remains open for business during the construction next door. Eventually, though, the old flooring will be replaced to match the flooring in the new addition.
Construction is scheduled to be completed by the end of July.
