General Manager Josiah Johnson makes a pepperoni pizza. (Photo by Mark Gilliland)HOME SLICE
Address: 2000 E. 23rd St.Hours: Monday-Sunday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.Phone: 423-531-3500
Open only about eight months, Home Slice Pizza's business is already big - as big as the restaurant's pies, loaded with cheeses and toppings. Take its "Meat Monster," for instance, topped with nearly a pound of ingredients: pepperoni, ground beef, spicy Italian sausage, smoked ham and bacon bits.
But Home Slice is more than just a carnivore's delight. In fact, the restaurant's vegan specialties, said General Manager Josiah Johnson, are exploding in popularity.
Vegan options include Home Slice's "hot cauliflower wings," made using a homemade batter and a separate, vegan-friendly deep fryer and served with vegan ranch. There is vegan cheese bread and, of course, a number of animal product-free pizzas such as the popular "Buffalo Chick-un." And the cherry on top? There is even homemade vegan dessert: deep-fried Oreos served with vegan caramel sauce.
Offering a vegan menu, Josiah said, is a choice and not a burden. And it's a commitment that customers can taste.
"We're doing so much vegan business, we had to hire a full-time person to help create full-blown vegan menu," Josiah said, referring to new employee Linley Artis. "And if you can't make it to 23rd Street? We're happy to bring food to you."
The pizzeria's fare aside, Home Slice is becoming well-known far and wide for its delivery - spanning a whopping 15-mile radius, with a $3 flat delivery fee.
"We deliver to parts of Harrison, parts of Hixson, Lookout Mountain, Signal Mountain, Fort Oglethorpe," Josiah said.
Yes, business is good at Home Slice Pizza.
"We're already looking at a second location," he added.