A new sourdough pizzeria has taken over a downtown Huntsville storefront that's already seen two other food concepts come and go in under three years. Dough Dough Pizza Co., operated by local restaurant group Mercado Group, began a six-day soft opening on Friday at 222 Holmes Avenue, with a grand opening set for Thursday.
The storefront has housed two food businesses before Dough Dough. Razzo Pizzeria, a sourdough-by-the-slice shop operated by Heidi Kizer, closed in June, AL.com reports. Before Razzo, the space held The Bakingtist, Kizer’s science-themed bakery, which later shifted to an in-house baking school, according to the Huntsville Business Journal.
Dough Dough adds another concept to Mercado Group’s downtown portfolio. The Luthers opened The Standard Social Market in 2021; the New York bodega-inspired market combines a restaurant with a fresh meat counter, according to a Huntsville Convention & Visitors Bureau profile.
A Pizzaiolo's Resume Built in Austin and Downtown Huntsville
Luther trained at the Auguste Escoffier School of Culinary Arts in Austin, Texas, then worked under chef James Boyce at Huntsville restaurants Cotton Row, Commerce Kitchen and Pane e Vino, according to We Are Huntsville’s earlier coverage of the Luthers. Pane e Vino also gave him experience in a pizzeria. Luther has said his strengths lie more in business than cooking, AL.com reports. His Mexican mother’s home cooking also informs Mercado Group’s Del Chuco Cantina y Cocina, the outlet notes.
Dough Dough’s menu is built around New York-style sourdough pizza, made with dough that is cold-fermented for 48 to 72 hours, Luther told AL.com. The shop also offers cauliflower crust and sells pies by the slice or whole. Its lineup includes classic, vegetable and meat options, with Sicilian and Detroit-style crusts planned for the future, the outlet reports.
Two specialty pies connect Dough Dough to the Mercado Group family: the Chuco is named for Del Chuco, while the Julio honors Dough Dough manager Julio Lopez. Lopez has also worked at Pane e Vino and Tortora’s, AL.com reports.
Sandoughs, a Dough Dog, and a Kitchen You Can Watch
The menu also includes starters, salads, strombolis, desserts and sandwiches wrapped in the shop’s pizza dough, which Dough Dough calls sandoughs. The restaurant offers a hot dog wrapped in dough as well, AL.com reports. Stephanie Luther designed the dining area, where customers order at the counter and can see the pizza oven from the dining room, according to the outlet. The restaurant is near a multi-story parking garage in downtown Huntsville.
Mercado Group employees are helping launch the new restaurant. Kayla Goosby and Luke Hawk, who leads the group’s The Local Café, are among those assisting, AL.com reports. Luther told the outlet that staff from the group’s other restaurants help train new hires. The company’s downtown concepts also include Del Chuco, Chuco Underground and Jefferson Alley, according to We Are Huntsville.
Dough Dough and Greek cocktail lounge Elysium were announced during the Huntsville Times Building’s 100th Anniversary Block Party in July, according to We Are Huntsville’s coverage. We Are Huntsville says the building opened in 1926 as Huntsville’s first tall office structure for The Huntsville Daily Times. The Huntsville History Collection describes its Art Deco and Beaux-Arts features, including terra cotta eagles at the entrance arches.
Hours, Grand Opening, and a Crowded Pizza Market
Dough Dough’s grand opening is Thursday. The restaurant plans to operate seven days a week, with regular hours of 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.; on Fridays and Saturdays, the dining room will close earlier while the counter remains open later, AL.com reports.
The opening comes as Huntsville’s dining options continue to expand. Hville Blast reports that North Italia is set to open October 28 at Bridge Street Town Centre. Downtown development is also extending beyond restaurants: the Huntsville City Council this month approved a $910,375 design contract for the next segment of the North Huntsville Greenway, planned along Pinhook Creek between Holmes Avenue and Pratt Avenue.
Earlier planning for the North Huntsville Greenway
The Holmes-to-Pratt segment is part of a broader effort: according to the City of Huntsville, on August 8, 2024, the City Council authorized an agreement to develop a master plan for the North Huntsville Beltline, with proposed greenway connections from Holmes Avenue to Sparkman Drive. That earlier planning action is distinct from the later Segment C design contract; the announcement describes the broader planning area, not a detailed route, schedule or funding plan for the Holmes-to-Pratt segment.
