A South Sound pizza chain that started as a single food truck is about to claim prime real estate inside one of Pierce County's busiest retail hubs. Fat Zach's Pizza will occupy the former MOD Pizza space at Tacoma Mall, across from BJ's Restaurant & Brewhouse, marking the company's fourth brick-and-mortar restaurant.
The new location sits at 4502 S Steele Street in Tacoma, inside a mall that spans 1.3 million square feet and is owned by Indianapolis-based Simon Property Group, according to The Business Journals. WhatNow published a report on the expansion in June 2026, months before MyNorthwest's October 14, 2026, story, which noted that Fat Zach's Pizza began as a food truck in 2019 before growing into a husband-and-wife-run operation with restaurants in Sumner, Downtown Puyallup, and South Hill. An exact opening date for the Tacoma Mall location has not been announced, per that same report.
From a Cart to a Mall Storefront
Owners Zach and Shanna Johns built the brand from a food truck in 2019 into a multi-unit regional operator, expanding into three storefronts, according to The Knot. The company has leaned on its mobile fleet to support weddings, corporate events, and private gatherings, offering seasonal salads and signature charcuterie grazing tables as part of its catering packages, per a listing on WeddingWire. MyNorthwest reports that Fat Zach's is known locally for oversized pizzas, specialty pies, and a family-focused atmosphere, with a menu spanning traditional favorites, wings, salads, and desserts.
The chain's reputation extends beyond its own marketing. Fat Zach's Pizza has received local honors, including Best Pizza in 2022 and Best Pizza of the South Sound in 2023, the company notes on its site. That local recognition came before the Tacoma Mall move, giving the brand an established fan base in Pierce County as it steps into a much larger stage.
A Menu Built on Comfort-Food Mashups
Fat Zach's signature pies lean into unexpected combinations rather than standard toppings. The Outlaw pairs beef burnt ends, beer mac and cheese, bacon, red onion, and mozzarella with a barbecue sauce, according to WhatNow. Other menu items cited by MyNorthwest include the Fat Zach pizza topped with Canadian bacon, pepperoni, sausage, and bacon; the #NBD, built on a ranch base with mozzarella and pickles; and the Just Peachy, which features a garlic olive oil base, bacon crumble, basil, feta cheese, and balsamic glaze. Customers can also build their own pies from a choice of crusts, sauces, meats, cheeses, and other toppings, and select locations offer beer, wine, hard seltzers, and canned cocktails, per the same MyNorthwest report.
Why the Space Opened Up
The storefront becoming available traces back to MOD Pizza's financial troubles. The Bellevue-based chain, founded in Seattle in 2008 by Scott and Ally Svenson, was acquired by California-based Elite Restaurant Group in November 2024 after closing dozens of underperforming locations nationwide amid financial distress, KING 5 reported. Hoodline previously covered the Svensons' mansion sale after the co-founders sold their 118-year-old Medina estate for $11.6 million, $4.4 million above its county assessed value, based on King County records and reporting by The Seattle Times.
Fat Zach's isn't the only brand capitalizing on MOD Pizza's retreat. A Westgate South storefront vacated by MOD Pizza in 2024 is now being renovated by Chipotle under a $600,000 permit filed in February 2025, The Business Journals reported, illustrating a broader pattern of expanding fast-casual chains absorbing the pizza chain's old real estate across Tacoma.
Tacoma Mall's Dining Makeover
The new pizza shop lands inside a mall mid-transformation. Tacoma Mall has been redeveloping its exterior footprint into The Village, an outdoor lifestyle and dining district built on the site of a former Sears store demolished in 2019, according to the South Sound Report.
A Local Addition to Tacoma Mall's Dining Mix Fat Zach's arrival adds a homegrown option to Tacoma Mall's dining mix, giving South Sound diners a local alternative.
