Tony Gemignani’s fast-casual Slice House is officially headed for downtown San Jose, bringing his multi-style pizzas to the Marketcenter on Coleman Avenue. The new shop will fill the former Blaze Pizza space and is expected to sling slices for quick pickup along with whole pies for takeout and limited dine-in, giving downtown workers and visitors another convenient craft pizza option.
The Mercury News reported that the downtown location will occupy 685 Coleman Ave inside the Marketcenter and confirmed that the storefront previously housed a Blaze Pizza. According to the outlet, a Slice House representative said the store is targeting a summer debut, framing the move as part of a broader Slice House expansion across the Bay Area.
What To Expect From The Menu
Slice House builds its menu around several regional pizza styles, including New York thin-crust, Sicilian, Grandma, and Detroit, available by the slice or as whole pies. The lineup also includes salads, pastas, wings, and desserts. As outlined by Pizza Today, the brand offers gluten-free and vegan options and has standardized its format to support rapid franchising.
Millbrae Opening And The 'Hot Ron'
A nearby Millbrae Slice House location just opened Saturday at 357 El Camino Real, franchised and operated by the Yuksel family. The Millbrae debut also spotlighted the shop’s exclusive "Hot Ron" New York-style slice, topped with hot honey sausage, pepperonata, roasted red bell pepper, three cheeses, basil, oregano, and a finishing drizzle of hot pepper and garlic oil. Those details were included in a company release covered by Franchising.com and are listed on the brand’s locations page.
Why Coleman Makes Sense
The Marketcenter strip on Coleman is packed with convenience-focused retail and steady foot traffic, a natural fit for Slice House’s small-footprint, takeout-friendly setup. The San Jose Blog notes major anchors at the center, including Target, Marshalls, and Trader Joe’s, while MapQuest identifies the Coleman unit as the former Blaze Pizza space.
Gemignani's Bigger Plan
Chef Tony Gemignani, a 13-time World Pizza Champion best known for Tony’s Pizza Napoletana in North Beach, has been formalizing Slice House’s franchise program since 2022 as the brand shifts from licensed locations to standardized franchised shops. As Gemignani wrote on his own site and as reported by Pizza Today, the strategy includes standardized equipment and a training program designed to speed up new openings across the region.
The company has not yet announced a firm grand opening date for the Coleman Avenue shop and continues to list upcoming locations on its website. For now, the summer target cited by company representatives and local coverage is the timeline to watch as the Marketcenter buildout moves ahead.
