The establishment’s first location, on South First Street in Austin, has been a popular eatery since it opened more than three years ago.
DeLaCruz said he had wanted to create a restaurant-and-bar type of establishment for a long time, and it was a trip to Chicago about a decade ago that helped inspire the Toss brand as it exists today.
“Just going to some of the pizza shops [in Chicago] and seeing the vibe of them—I just thought we were kind of missing something like that in Austin at the time,” DeLaCruz said.
DeLaCruz, Pirtle and Pennington started brainstorming, scouting locations and fundraising, and by summer 2016, the first Toss location was born.
Its location on Bee Caves Road is multifaceted and features, among other amenities, a play area for children, a ping pong table, an expansive outdoor patio and a full bar.
DeLaCruz said he is planning by early 2020 to expand the Bee Cave location’s hours to be open for lunch on weekdays and not just on weekends.
While it was the vibe of the Chicago pizza joints that inspired Toss, DeLaCruz points out the pizza is not the same as Chicago’s signature deep dish pie style.
The pepperoni is the most popular pizza, but DeLaCruz said the Texas BBQ Brisket and the Pulled Pork Carbonara pizzas are also big sellers.
Beyond the pizza, DeLaCruz said the frozen margaritas at Toss are popular at the bar, as are the Old Fashioned and the Watermelon Press, made with Tito’s Handmade Vodka.
The Bee Cave location is still brand new, and DeLaCruz said he and his team are happy to be in the area.
“Word-of-mouth is very strong out here,” he said. “We have a lot of repeat customers, which is one of the biggest compliments, when people come back over and over.”
11905 Bee Caves Road, Bee Cave
512-502-5773 | www.tosspizzeria.com
Hours: Mon.-Thu. 5-9 p.m., Fri. 5-10 p.m., Sat. 11 a.m.-10 p.m., Sun. 11 a.m.-9 p.m.
