- November 23, 2024
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Ormond Beach is about to get its own slice of Gotham.
Gotham City Pizza officially opens its doors on Tuesday, with hopes to make it into destination for families and geek culture aficionados alike. The pizzeria is themed around comic books, with original artwork and vintage toys lining the wall. It will occupy the storefront where DeVinci’s Italian Restaurant & Pizzeria used to be.
Owner Marco Falletta, 41, describes himself as a kid at heart. His passion for comic books has been with him since he was a child and opening Gotham City Pizza is a dream come true. He’s been in the pizza business for over 25 years, but the timing’s never been right.
Until now.
When the opportunity came up, Falletta told his wife one of two things was going to happen.
“I said we’re either gonna get laughed at or people are going to gravitate towards it,” Falletta said. “And so far, people have been gravitating towards it.”
With “Geek Culture” on the rise in popularity today, Falletta said he hopes to make Gotham City Pizza a destination for out-of-towners.
“It’s not a fad,” Falletta said. “If anything, it’s getting more popularity now than it ever has.”
For The Kids
Falletta’s family is originally from Sicily, and has been making pizza for over 50 years. Because of his devotion to his wife, quadruplet 4-year-old daughters and 2-year-old son, Falletta is determined to make the pizzeria a fun place for children as well.
He said with the rising prices of comic books, the hobby has become one more geared toward adults—but he has plans to help change that.
Falletta believes comic books are educational for children, not only because they encourage reading, but because they could give kids idols to look up to.
“Maybe even gets them away from the bad stuff,” Falletta said.
“It's not a fad. If anything, it’s getting more popularity now than it ever has.”
Gotham City Pizza owner Marco Falletta.
He’s contacted his friends in the comic book industry, who ended up donating thousands of comic books for Falletta to keep in store for children to read and take home with them for free.
It’s his way of giving back to the community. He also plans to have days where kids can come in and make their own pizzas to eat, as well as superhero movie nights in the future.
What’s On The Menu
Gotham City Pizza will feature 10 different specialty themed pies. Some of them include the “Cape Crusader” (named after Batman), the “Boy Wonder “(Robin), the “Joker”, and “Merc with a Mouth” (Deadpool). All of the pizza pies will have their own signature ingredients to go along with their theme.
For example, the “Joker” pie is a French fry pizza, topped with ranch dressing, bacon and mozzarella.
The pizzeria also comes with its own unique challenge. Falletta said the “Infinity Gauntlet” challenge involves eating a 3-foot Stromboli in 30 minutes or less. If they win the challenge, the person has their picture taken with the Infinity Gauntlet glove and will have their face permanently sketched on the pizzeria’s wall.
These are all details of how Falletta plans to distinguish his pizzeria from others.
“You have to be different,” Falletta said. “You have to do something different nowadays and I hope I hit on something really special here.”
The Grand Opening for Gotham City Pizza will take place on Saturday, Aug. 5, from 10-5 p.m. at its location on 197 N. Yonge St. It will feature superhero cosplayers, comic book artists and Tim Proctor, who played a walker in “The Walking Dead.”
