Pizza typography debuts at Rio in Las Vegas

Think of it as pizza with a typographical flourish — and a pronunciation puzzle. &Pizza — officially, “And Pizza,” but plausibly, “Ampersand Pizza” — is a fast-casual pizza restaurant with shops across four mid-Atlantic states and Washington, D.C.

Now, &Pizza is bringing the ampersand and its stuffed-crust pies to the West for the first time, with a location in the Rio set to open in spring, the property announced Monday. The Rio will own and operate the new &Pizza.

“It’s been full throttle for &pizza this year, and we’re not letting off the gas anytime soon,” said Mike Burns, CEO of Latitude Food Group, parent of &Pizza. “Our expansion goal is bold, and entering dynamic markets like Las Vegas is key to making it happen.”

The menu on the &Pizza website (andpizza.com) lists almost two dozen pies shaped like a racetrack oval, including a vegan Thee Sheriff (tomato, vegan mozzarella, plant-based chicken, banana peppers, smoky barbecue drizzle), a Lil Roni with double cup-and-char pepperoni, and The Farmers Other Daughter, sister to The Farmers Daughter (parm-romano sauce, mozarella sautéed spinach, crisp bacon, hot honey garlic butter drizzles, a fried egg).

The menu also runs to za’co pizza dough shells stuffed with pizza toppings, salads (including a Caesar salad pizza), sweet and savory knots, and desserts.

The &Pizza announcement follows the ongoing refresh to the food and beverage program at the Rio, one that also encompasses the December debuts of The Kitchen Table and Eggslut; the October opening of High Steaks Vegas, the latest project from chef James Trees, atop the Masquerade Tower of the Rio; and the 2024 launches of Canteen Food Hall and Luckley Tavern & Grill.

Contact Johnathan L. Wright at jwright@reviewjournal.com. Follow @JLWTaste on Instagram.