A father-and-son pizza operation that got its start in Miami has planted its first flag in Palm Beach County, opening a slice counter inside The Gardens Mall food court on September 15. Ben's Pizza serves seven pizza varieties by the slice alongside sandwiches and dessert, with a standout hot stracciatella pie topped with melted mozzarella, San Marzano tomato sauce, charred pepperoni cups, creamy stracciatella cheese, fresh basil, and a drizzle of hot honey.
The new shop, located within The Gardens Mall's food court and reachable through a dedicated parking lot without cutting through the main mall corridors, marks the brand's debut in Palm Beach Gardens, according to The Palm Beach Post. Ben's Pizza was founded in March 2022 by father-and-son team Eduardo and Erick Passo, who named the shop after Erick's firstborn son, Ben, and the pair had previously opened locations at Miami's Bayside Marketplace and Brandon Exchange before expanding north, as Hoodline previously reported.
Slices, Sandwiches and a Hot Honey Signature
Per the Post's gallery coverage, menu offerings at the new counter include pepperoni, meat lovers, and cheese slices, with customers able to top their pizza with freshly grated parmesan cheese. Beyond the slice case, Ben's Pizza also offers sandwiches.
Ben's Pizza operates as a fast-casual, slice-only concept under the slogan “The Freshest Dough on the Block,” leaning on New York-style dough with Italian flavor accents rather than offering traditional full-service dining, according to The Gardens Mall's own retailer page. The format mirrors what the Passo family built at its earlier Miami-area locations, now adapted for the steady foot traffic of a regional shopping center.
Part of a Bigger Wave of Mall Makeovers
The new pizza counter is the latest addition to The Gardens Mall food court, joining a 2026 lineup of new retail arrivals that also included the U.S. brick-and-mortar debut of Norwegian apparel brand SWIMS, Hoodline reported. That turnover comes as The Gardens Mall considers a major anchor redevelopment, with planners reviewing an application to replace its former Sears building with a 140,000-square-foot Dick's House of Sport and an expanded Arhaus, with subsequent board and council reviews still ahead, according to Stet News. Mall owner The Forbes Company settled litigation with Dick's Sporting Goods to make the expansion possible, the outlet reported.
Opened in 1988 as a 1.4-million-square-foot enclosed shopping venue originally developed under the name The Gardens of The Palm Beaches, the mall remains a key regional shopping hub in northern Palm Beach County, according to The Palm Beaches.
Ben's Pizza's arrival also lands amid a broader surge of fast-casual pizza openings across northern Palm Beach County. Just last month, takeout-focused Pizza Connection opened at Donald Ross Plaza, Hoodline reported. Together, the two openings suggest shoppers in the PGA corridor now have more New York-style slice options than ever before.
