OneSpeed Pizza, the bike-themed pizzeria in East Sacramento, is searching for a new location as its lease on Folsom Boulevard ends this year and the landlord plans to redevelop the block. Chef-owner Rick Mahan aims to stay close to the restaurant’s regulars, but the new space must be fully equipped for a kitchen, creating a challenge of finding the right spot quickly without overlapping rent for two locations.
Lease drama, landlord plans and a tight timeline
According to The Sacramento Bee, the property owner is interested in demolishing the current building to clear the way for a multistory residential project. The landlord still has to honor OneSpeed’s lease through the end of the year, so the restaurant is not being kicked out early, but the writing on the wall is hard to miss.
Mahan told the Bee he would “love to get out next month” if the right space opened up. At the same time, he made it clear that he is not willing to shoulder double rent for the rest of the year. He estimates that once he commits to a new address, it will take about six months to make the move and reopen, from signing papers to firing up the pizza oven again.
OneSpeed’s roots and East Sac loyalties
OneSpeed opened in 2009 and has become a neighborhood staple at 4818 Folsom Blvd, known for American-style pizzas made with farm-fresh ingredients, according to Sactown Magazine. It is a more casual offshoot of Mahan’s Midtown restaurant The Waterboy, which dates back to 1996 and remains a local fine-dining mainstay, per Inside Sacramento.
That long history in Central City and East Sac helps explain why Mahan is intent on staying nearby rather than chasing a cheaper or shinier location across town. The regulars are not just customers at this point, they are part of the restaurant’s identity.
What Mahan needs in a new space
Mahan told The Bee he is focused on finding a turnkey restaurant space, as reported by The Sacramento Bee. In practical terms, that means existing plumbing, a grease trap, hood vents and enough electrical capacity to run a full kitchen without major upgrades.
That wish list narrows his options. Fully built-out restaurant spaces do not stay empty for long, and waiting for the perfect fit can stretch the timeline. Mahan is effectively walking a tightrope between grabbing the first acceptable space that appears and holding out so he does not end up with costly construction on top of overlapping rent.
What the move says about the local scene
OneSpeed’s looming departure from its original corner is part of a broader shift along Folsom Boulevard, where older storefronts are giving way to new development and higher costs. Longtime businesses are finding it harder to stay put when the land under them becomes more valuable than the buildings sitting on top of it.
At the same time, the OneSpeed brand is not shrinking. The pizzeria is listed among Terminal B concessions in Sacramento International Airport’s updated lineup of new operators, according to the airport’s new-concessions notes. That presence suggests there is solid demand for OneSpeed’s style of pizza even as the flagship East Sac shop prepares to move.
What happens next
For now, Mahan plans to keep OneSpeed operating at its current address while he scouts new digs. His goal is to land in or very near the same neighborhood, minimizing disruption for the regulars who have kept the place busy for years.
Diners can keep an eye on the restaurant’s own channels for details as the search progresses. Until the lease runs out and a new location is locked in, OneSpeed remains an East Sacramento mainstay, even as its next chapter starts to take shape.
