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Welcome to Pizza Online Company and Woody’s Boba Drinks, where technology meets your taste buds.
The new marriage of pizza, BBQ wings, salads, sandwiches and boba drinks, made from the extracted root of the cassava plants, has opened its doors at 5746 Calle Real, but don’t try to walk in, unless you have ordered first — online.
The restaurant opened on New Year’s Eve and is a partnership between Juan Ramos and Pablo Ayala Jr.
The hook of the new place? People have to order online via the company’s website; there are no phone orders.
In fact, the place doesn’t even have a telephone number to make calls. People who walk into the store and want to order have to either do it on their smartphones, or use the point-of-sale machine at the front. There are no cashiers.
Ramos and Ayala Jr. are the only two people inside the store.
“I had a dream that Amazon called and said, ‘I want to buy your concept,” Ramos told Noozhawk.
There are also no specialty pizzas on the menu. Ramos says customers can order any kind of pizza they want online and he will make it.
The web site is linked to two delivery services if you want the pizza brought to your door.
Ramos, 55, said the place has been busy in the first week. The restaurant doesn’t even have a permanent sign yet — only a banner hangs out front of the store, which is next to Massage Envy in the Calle Real Shopping Center.
The other half of the business is owned by Ayala Jr., who started the boba drink concept in Santa Maria. The boba drinks encompass smoothies, slushies, iced teas and milkshakes.
Ayala said he was raised in a family that made the boba drinks.
Using the root plant “makes the drink fun,” he said. “They are really diverse.”
The restaurant is open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Rockfire Grill
Isla Vista has a new restaurant, also with a new concept. At the site of the former Rincon Brewery, 6583 Pardall Road, is the Rockfire Grill, which is putting a spin on the traditional sandwich and hamburger.
Rockfire Grill cooks its specialty flatbread after the customer makes an order. The bread is served warm directly from the oven.
“We are an incredibly unique burger joint based in OC,” wrote Rishi Syal, the restaurant’s owner, on Facebook. “And instead of traditional boring burger buns, we use mouth-watering freshly baked flatbread to caress our precious patties.
“What makes our creation special is that your burger bun is baked from raw dough immediately you order. As the flat bread bakes, we char-grill our patties so that both finish cooking at the same time — allowing us to serve our savory burgers at the perfect temperature every time!”
The restuarant offers flatbread pizza, sandwiches, beer and cider. The restaurant was closed the past two weeks for Christmas and New Year’s, but will re-opon on Sunday.
Restaurant Month
The Santa Maria Valley Chamber of Commerce & Visitors Bureau is holding Restaurant Week Promotion from Jan. 16 through 27.
All participating restaurants will offer a $20.19 deal that includes wine pairings, tastings and special menu items.
“Santa Maria Valley Restaurant Week is an incredible opportunity to take advantage of some of the most authentic culinary experiences in our destination, including wine pairings and desserts,” said Jennifer Harrison, director of the Santa Maria Valley Visitor Bureau. “This year we’ve expanded our program to include a craft cocktail contest, the first of its kind for our destination.
“January is also a great time to get hotel deals and experience the diversity of what our destination offers, from wine country to outdoor adventures and live theatre.”
The event is part of the ninth annual California Restaurant Month, designated by Visit California.
For more information and a list of participating restaurants, visit www.santamariavalley.com/restaurantweek. For more information about California Restaurant Month, visit www.DineinCa.com.
— Noozhawk staff writer Joshua Molina can be reached at jmolina@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.
