The first official Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Pizzeria opened Wednesday at 1444 Third Street Promenade in Santa Monica, kicking off a roughly 10 day soft opening ahead of a formal ribbon cutting next Saturday. The neon soaked, merch heavy restaurant brings the franchise's sewer to slice fantasy to the Promenade just as downtown leaders try to draw more visitors back to the corridor.
Pizza, neon and ooze
The space, which takes over the former Johnnie's New York Pizzeria, is decked out in wall to wall TMNT decor, complete with "ooze" installations, neon lights and staff in Turtle themed aprons and Foot Clan uniforms. The menu pairs classic New York style slices with on site merchandise like keychains and t shirts, and there is a back bar that will pour alcohol on weekends, as reported by Santa Monica Daily Press.
The entrepreneur behind the concept
Andy Nguyen, the serial entrepreneur behind themed concepts such as the One Piece Cafe and Sonic the Hedgehog Speed Cafe, has been teasing the pizzeria since mid 2025. Nguyen wrote on LinkedIn that the team has been "kicking off our first tasting phase with a NYC pizzaiolo" to dial in a classic New York style slice, and his background in fan focused, IP licensed dining is outlined by What Now.
Part of a bigger TMNT push
The Santa Monica location is one of three pizzerias Paramount has announced globally, with others slated for Monterrey and São Paulo, and it is being rolled into a broader franchise expansion. That push includes new media and merchandising moves, including a global master toy license awarded to Mattel beginning in 2027 and tie ins to an accelerated theatrical slate, as announced in a Mattel press release and noted by Downtown Santa Monica.
What it means for the Promenade
City and business groups have been trying to coax customers back to the Promenade, and officials approved a $3 million plan this spring to revive downtown with easier permitting and an expanded entertainment zone, according to CBS Los Angeles. Local leaders say experiential tenants can drive foot traffic, even as some residents raise concerns about theft and other retail headwinds.
Lines and merch hungry families are likely to show up during the soft opening and the ribbon cutting next Saturday, and Nguyen’s team says it will keep fine tuning the pies until service stabilizes. For now, the Promenade's newest tenant is a high profile, nostalgia driven experiment in whether pop culture dining can help turn a tourist strip into a destination again.
