Move over, roast beef. Now there's a pizza pop-up at the iconic Arby's on Sunset
The now-vacant, iconic Arby’s on Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood will soon be home to a New York-founded pizza joint — and the neon-lighted cowboy hat sign will remain in its original state.
On Thursday, Prince Street Pizza, a slice shop with locations across Southern California and Nevada and in Toronto and Miami, announced that it will open its first drive-thru pop-up at the former Arby's location on Aug. 8.
The pizzeria will be serving its signature square Sicilian-style pies by the slice — as well as premiering the brand’s new mozzarella sticks — daily from 4 p.m. to 4 a.m.
“We are excited to experiment with the idea of a pizza-slice drive-thru,” said Prince Street Pizza CEO Lawrence Longo. "We are so honored to be able to lease the historic, old-Arby’s space in Hollywood. We understand what this location has meant to the Hollywood community over the past five decades and want to be as respectful of that as possible..”
Arby's illuminated 10-gallon hat sign has perched itself over Sunset Boulevard since 1969 . Since opening, the Hollywood location of the nationwide chain that's known for its beef-and-cheddar sandwiches has had a single owner, Marilyn Leviton.
Gary Husch, the location's former general manager and Leviton's son-in-law, cited lasting effects from the pandemic, shifting neighborhood demographics, rising food costs and an increase to the state's minimum wage as reasons behind the closure.
“We were deeply saddened to see Arby’s leave after nearly 55 years serving the Hollywood community," said the former owners in a statement. "However, we are beyond excited to welcome our new operator, Lawrence Longo, and NYC’s Prince Street Pizza to this iconic location. ... Longo and the Prince Street Pizza team have been respectful of the drive-thru’s history at Sunset and Bronson, while also breathing new life into the corner.”
The Prince Street Pizza pop-up will run through at least Halloween.
This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
