Pizza Legend’s Slice House Targets Carlsbad In 2026 North County Push

Tony Gemignani’s fast-casual Slice House is headed for Carlsbad, lining up another by-the-slice player for North County. The new spot is slated to open by summer 2026 and follows the brand’s recent San Diego debut in Little Italy, giving Gemignani a growing foothold in the region.

As reported by What Now, the Carlsbad location will be owned by franchisee Shayan Rajabi and is expected to land in the Plaza Paseo Real shopping center. Rajabi told What Now he is also eyeing a La Jolla/UTC site for a third shop once Little Italy and Carlsbad are running smoothly. What Now also notes the brand has more than 140 locations either open or in development nationwide.

Franchise Push And Expansion

Slice House’s move into Carlsbad is part of a broader franchising surge the company has been rolling out in recent years. The chain launched a national franchise program in 2023 and has been signing multi-unit deals across several states, according to Pizza Marketplace.

Where It Is Headed

The brand’s locations page lists the Carlsbad site as “Coming Soon” at 6981 El Camino Real, which effectively confirms the address for anyone tracking the buildout. That lot puts the pizzeria in a busy retail cluster that can pull from neighborhood foot traffic along with nearby office workers looking for a quick slice.

What Carlsbad Can Expect

Customers can expect Slice House’s multi-style lineup of New York, Sicilian, Grandma and Detroit slices, plus salads, meatballs, garlic bread and vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free options, per What Now. The concept leans on counter ordering with quick service, dine-in seating and takeout, a setup built to handle high-volume mall and neighborhood business.

Big-Name Pizza Pedigree

Slice House was founded by Tony Gemignani, the 13-time world pizza champion behind Tony’s Pizza Napoletana in San Francisco. Gemignani’s work has drawn significant industry recognition, and Tony’s placed near the top of 50 Top Pizza’s USA rankings in 2025, underscoring the pedigree franchisees highlight when pitching new locations, per 50 Top Pizza.

For Carlsbad diners, Slice House’s arrival adds another quick, artisan-style option to a steadily growing retail hub. If Rajabi can keep both Little Italy and Carlsbad humming, his planned La Jolla/UTC move would underline a strategy of building tight local density before stretching Slice House further across San Diego County.