Neighbors Applaud Log-Cabin Style Pizza Place's Patio Proposal

Feedback was far from negative Tuesday night regarding Homeslice Wheel House's request for a sidewalk cafe.

The less than one month-old Webster Avenue pizzeria was met only with praise from the 40 or so residents who attended a community meeting on the matter. The two owners of Homeslice, 938 W. Webster Ave., want a 16-person sidewalk cafe along Bissell Street throughout the patio season—it kicked off March 1—between 11 a.m. and 10 p.m. daily.

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The log cabin-style eatery, which boasts fresh, high-end pizzas, opened in late March. Asked which residents in the room Tuesday had been there to eat, more than half raised their hands; many applauding its family-friendly setting. 

"The food is amazing, the atmosphere is amazing. It's a really good space," Linda Miller, who lives in the Sheffield Neighborhood area, said after the meeting, adding that she has already been to Homeslice three times. "I think it's an excellent addition and we need more."

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Ald. Michele Smith (43rd) and others referenced push-back from the community when Armitage Avenue restaurant, Tarantino's, requested a sidewalk cafe. But the venue has since become a community staple. Matt Rich, Smith's director of zoning and urban development, said he has never seen as much support for an outdoor patio as that shown by residents on Tuesday.

READ: Sidewalk Café Issues: Now’s the Time to Speak Up

Sheffield Neighborhood Association community relations manager, Patty Hayes, has been handling the restaurant's application process. She said she received 21 e-mails in favor of the outdoor area. But she was anticipating one group of people opposing it—they contacted her, too—to speak out. There was no such group on Tuesday.

The Sheffield Neighbors will recommend that Smith move forward with the restaurant's request, Hayes said. She then must present it to the City Council for review and later, approval.

Oregon natives Clay Hamilton and Josh Iachelli are behind Homeslice. Hamilton said he wants to create a welcoming environment for those who have lived in the neighborhood for a long time.

"When we opened up, we had four high chairs and six booster seats," he said. "After about four days, we had to order eight more high chairs and four more booster seats."

He said he's even contemplating a "stroller valet" system that includes a stroller parking lot on the premises based on the number of families that have been frequenting the restaurant. He and Iachelli strive to be good neighbors, he said, and may expand the outdoor patio, eventually. But if that happens, the community will know about it.

"I would love to," Hamilton said. "We have the space. But we're also very conscious about what people want and what people don't want. From our perspective, we don't have a problem establishing ourselves. The space is there."

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