Since opening his restaurant last May, Matt Gill has been working almost nonstop to bring quality New York-style pizza to the people of Cypress.

The dedicated restaurateur comes in at 8 a.m. seven days a week, even though his shop—Ernie’s Best Pizza—does not open until 11 a.m. He often stays until 11 p.m. each night, he said.

“It’s a necessity,” Gill said. “If you’re going to sell the type of pizza I do, there’s going to be a lot of work behind it.”

Gill’s workday starts each morning by preparing a fresh batch of dough to be used throughout the day to make anywhere between 35-50 pizzas. All pizzas are made from scratch, hand-tossed and cooked daily on the stone surface of the shop’s brick oven, he said.

The restaurant gets its name from Gill’s father Ernie, who opened up a pizza shop in New York when Gill was 3 years old.

“I lived and grew up in that environment,” Gill said. “I came to Houston to escape the cold, and when I saw how few brick oven pizza places there were around here, I knew I had an opportunity.”

Gill also brought some of his New York tricks to Houston with him, which he believes help his pizza stand out and taste better than most. Some differences may seem subtle, but have a big effect on the overall flavor, he said.

“I like to put the toppings under the cheese before putting the pizza in the oven,” he said. “It helps keep the toppings anchored to the pizza, but it also helps the veggies stay juicier longer.”

In addition to a variety of pizzas—including meat lovers, Mediterranean and four cheese blend—the menu also includes cheesesteaks, calzones, stromboli, hot subs and several pasta dishes.

Gill said he retains most of his customers, and business has been picking up over the last few months. He said he brings in additional kitchen help for busy evening shifts and recently started working with a new delivery driver as well. However, Gill still does the vast majority of the day-to-day work himself.

“This is what I love doing,” he said. “I love being able to take a piece from my past and share it with my customers.”

10730 Barker Cypress Road, Cypress 281-758-1030 www.erniesbestpizza.com Hours: Mon.-Sat. 11 a.m.-10 p.m., Sun. noon-8 p.m.