Mark Rich's New York Pizza Plots Comeback in Northwest Las Vegas

A Las Vegas pizza institution that closed its doors after nearly three decades is planning to come back to life in the northwest valley. Mark Rich's New York Pizza & Pasta, founded in August 1994, is anticipated to reopen at 1930 Rock Springs Dr within Rock Springs Plaza sometime in 2026 or early 2027, according to a city of Las Vegas permit tied to the address.

The permit lists Danielle M. Buda as a representative of an entity called Jersey Girl Ventures LLC, and Buda confirmed the planned opening, as reported by WhatNow. The Pioneer Park-area space sits near Summerlin and Desert Shores, giving the reborn brand a built-in neighborhood of pizza fans to win back.

Founder Mark Rich is a New Jersey native who moved to Las Vegas in 1974. He got his start as an early DJ in the valley before running Paul Anka's Jubilation nightclub, per the outlet's report. Mark Rich Consulting notes that Rich also promoted major concerts in Las Vegas through the 1970s and 1980s, bringing acts like The Beach Boys and Johnny Maestro & the Brooklyn Bridge to town before he transitioned into the culinary world.

A 28-Year Run Built on Fresh Dough

Rich went on to own and operate Italian restaurants in the Las Vegas Valley for 28 years, building Mark Rich's New York Pizza and Pasta into a local staple with locations that included a spot near Red Rock on West Charleston Boulevard and another in Centennial Center on West Tropical Parkway. The brand made fresh dough daily, a technique it used to turn out hand-tossed pies, classic thin-crust pizza, and traditional pasta entrees, according to the same WhatNow account.

That commitment to twice-daily dough prep dates back to the restaurant's early reputation; MyVegas Magazine reported in 2013 that the brand crafted its hand-tossed East Coast thin-crust and Sicilian thick-crust pies from dough made fresh twice a day. Years earlier, the Las Vegas Review-Journal highlighted the Centennial Center location's customer-focused promotions, including $8.99 all-you-can-eat pasta nights on Mondays and buy-one-get-one pizza specials on Wednesdays. The pizzeria's Facebook page has since been removed and its website is defunct, remnants of a brand that eventually closed all of its locations.

Behind the counter for much of that run was Rich's niece, Samantha Boydman, who served as general manager for 22 years before her passing in July 2025, according to an obituary published by Dignity Memorial.

Life After the Pizzeria Closed

When his original pizzerias shut down, Rich didn't step away from the local hospitality scene. He transitioned into small-business consulting, establishing Mark Rich Consulting to lean on 22 years in nightlife and 28 years in restaurant ownership to advise Southern Nevada businesses, according to the firm's own account of his background. He also co-owned and operated Salud Mexican Bistro and Tequileria near The Lakes in Las Vegas alongside his daughter, Summer Rich, starting in late 2020.

Following in a Pizza-Loving Space's Footsteps

The address Rich is returning to has its own recent culinary pedigree. 1930 Rock Springs Dr previously housed Old School Pizzeria, the concept Chef Giovanni Mauro of Monzú Italian Oven + Bar fame expanded into the space in February 2021 to serve the northwest Las Vegas area, according to the Las Vegas Review-Journal. That pizzeria built its own following on a 300-year-old Neapolitan sourdough starter, naturally fermented for 120 hours to produce unbleached, unbromated crusts, per its Toast ordering page.

The retail center also houses Hawaiian barbecue spot Makai Pacific Island Grill next door at 1932 Rock Springs Dr, a tenant Hoodline featured among the valley's top Polynesian spots back in 2019. Rock Springs Plaza's mix of tenants underscores how the corner of northwest Las Vegas has become a small hub for established local food and drink operators.

Whenever Mark Rich's New York Pizza & Pasta reopens, it will be entering a Las Vegas market where East Coast-style pizza already has a foothold. Neighborhood spots like Dom DeMarco's Pizzeria & Wine Bar on West Charleston Boulevard, which traces its lineage directly to Brooklyn's famous Di Fara Pizza, have kept the style in front of local diners. For now, the exact opening date remains unannounced, but the permit and Buda's confirmation suggest the comeback is moving forward.