A slice of life: Happy Slice Pizza owners strive to ‘elevate the pizza experience’ in Austin

Three years later, owners of 600 Degrees Austin approached the pair about buying the restaurant, and they jumped into action—going from neighbors to business partners.

“Being next door [at] Mama Betty's ... we're already here, so it made sense 150 feet away to sign another lease and start doing pizza with my neighbor,” Carrier said.

One of the most popular specialty pizzas at Happy Slice is inspired by Carrier’s Tex-Mex restaurant. Known as the Barbacoa Betty, the pie is served with Mama Betty’s barbacoa, diced onions, cilantro, jalapeno crema and adobo sauce.

Another bestseller is the Sweet Heat, which features traditional and cupping pepperoni with sweet ricotta, basil, hot honey and red sauce.

What’s special about it?

“When I had the opportunity to start over and just do a pizza place like I would want now, it was about the better ingredients,” Higdon said.

Happy Slice dough is made with unbleached and unbromated flour, cellulose-free cheese and no artificial citric acid in the tomato sauce. The menu also offers gluten and dairy-free options for people with dietary restrictions.

“I want ... people that are gluten-free or dairy-free to not feel like we're having to make exceptions for them—they get the same experience that everyone else gets,” Hidgeon said.

Happy Slice Pizza is also the first pizza restaurant in Texas to serve the San Nicola tomatoes in its sauce. Previously, the sauce was exclusively made for restaurants on the East Coast, until the company opened up a second line of capacity, Hidgeon explained.

The pair crafted Happy Slice with the intention of creating a welcoming, family-friendly environment—one that the two often enjoy on their own time.

“I think what has made Happy Slice work is that we're building the place that we would want to take our families to,” Higdon said. “It's just an extension of our neighborhood and our house.”

The restaurant includes an outdoor patio with fans, TVs, tables and turf to make a relaxing and comfortable space. Happy Slice hosts neighborhood parties, birthdays and team sports celebrations.

“We're very grateful that people choose to hang out with us,” Carrier said. “There's a lot of pizza in Austin. There's a lot of places that people can go eat. When you realize someone chose us to spend their hard-earned money on a cherished Friday night, that's pretty flattering, and you want to make the environment and experience as great as it can be for them.”

• 9900 W. Parmer Lane, Ste. 100, Austin
• www.happyslicepizza.com