Smokin’ Dough Pizza Co. opened its residency at East Austin’s Kitty Cohen’s on September 4, bringing smoked-meat pizzas and 72-hour-fermented dough to the bar. The team says it hopes to stay as long as it can.
The residency, first detailed by CultureMap Austin, is the brainchild of founder Austin Orwasher, a former Facebook employee who was laid off at the end of 2025. Rather than chase another corporate job, Orwasher decided to pour his energy into elevating Austin’s pizza scene, according to the outlet. He’s originally from Connecticut, home turf for the famously thin, charred New Haven style of pie, though Smokin’ Dough has carved its own identity with Texas smoke instead.
Orwasher’s partners are chef Garrett Cullen, who previously led bread and fermentation at Emmer & Rye, and barbecue and smoke specialist Richard Rodriguez, according to CultureMap Austin. Their approach includes dough that ferments for at least 72 hours.
What to Know About the Dough and Daily Supply
Orwasher told CultureMap Austin that the extended fermentation helps the team achieve its preferred flavor, stretch, and crispness. The kitchen makes a limited daily supply; when the prepared dough is gone, service is sold out for the day.
CultureMap Austin reported that the regular lineup includes the Spicy Marg, Funky Shroom, Big Red, a classic pepperoni, and a pork belly pie, along with a rotating special. One listed special, the Drunk Smoked Bird, combines vodka sauce, cheese, smoked chicken, and saba. Smokin’ Dough also publishes menu information on its menu page.
Brunch Joins the Rotation
The residency added Sunday brunch on October 11. The menu includes a white-sauce breakfast pizza, a vodka-sauce pepperoni pizza, two sandwiches made with pizza dough, avocado or seasonal-fruit toasts, and salads, CultureMap Austin reported.
Smokin’ Dough operates at Kitty Cohen’s, 2211 Webberville Rd. #3548. Its hours are Mondays, Thursdays, and Fridays from 5 to 10 p.m., Saturdays from 2 to 10 p.m., and Sundays from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Orwasher told CultureMap Austin, “They're great partners. We love working with them.”
Austin’s Pop-Up and Residency Models
Smokin’ Dough is not the only documented East Side food residency, though arrangements vary. Eater Austin reported in 2025 that chef Anthony Martin planned Residence, a limited-time dinner series at 2600 East Cesar Chavez Street, open Wednesday through Saturday. No closing date had been announced; that temporary series differed from Smokin’ Dough’s ongoing residency at Kitty Cohen’s.
Kitty Cohen’s had hosted food collaborations before Smokin’ Dough: a 2017 CultureMap Austin report described a rotating calendar of culinary pop-ups featuring regular purveyors and special guests. That account documented a multi-purveyor format, rather than a single ongoing residency.
No Rush to Expand
Orwasher says his focus is building Smokin’ Dough at Kitty Cohen’s before considering another location. He has indicated he would like to expand to more locations eventually, once the East Austin residency is running smoothly.
