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North Beach Pizza Moved to New Berkeley Location

The restaurant chain has secured a new storefront in Berkeley, replacing a recently shuttered local business.

Updated on Oct. 13, 2026 in Openings & Closings

An empty brick commercial storefront with large glass windows and a recessed entrance in a mid-density urban environment.
North Beach Pizza is relocating its Berkeley operations to a storefront on University Avenue, occupying a site vacated earlier this year. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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North Beach Pizza has signed a lease to relocate its operations to 2072 University Avenue in Berkeley. The move marks a return to University Avenue for the pizza chain, occupying the space formerly held by Bobby G's Pizzeria.

Why it matters

The relocation allows the restaurant to secure a high-visibility space left vacant by a local exit, demonstrating how operators leverage existing commercial real estate to maintain proximity to established customer bases.

The 44-year-old pizza chain currently operates through a distributed ownership model, with the Ramirez family overseeing seven locations and founder Altamir Souza holding one, following the brand's 1982 founding.

The players

Altamir Souza

The founder of the 44-year-old North Beach Pizza chain who retains ownership of one individual location.

The Ramirez family

Operators and owners of seven North Beach Pizza locations.

The details

The restaurant is currently undergoing renovations at the 2072 University Avenue site to prepare for operations. This shift transitions the business from its previous footprint at 1598 University Avenue and current site at 2420 Shattuck Avenue to a vacant storefront that hosted Bobby G's Pizzeria until its closure in April 2026.

Timeline

  1. 1982: North Beach Pizza opened in San Francisco.

  2. April 2026: Bobby G's Pizzeria closed.

  3. October 2026: North Beach Pizza signed a lease for the new storefront.

  4. Next few weeks: The new restaurant location is expected to open.

Market Landscape

This move follows a pattern of restaurant brands absorbing vacancies left by shuttered neighborhood staples like Bobby G's Pizzeria to maintain market presence. It highlights the role of commercial real estate turnover in shaping local dining density in Berkeley.

Operators looking to expand should monitor the availability of storefronts recently vacated by similar businesses to minimize renovation lead times. Owners should assess the potential for increased foot traffic when pivoting to established corridors like University Avenue.

The takeaway

The relocation highlights the tactical advantage of securing existing restaurant-ready spaces to expedite reopening timelines. Track similar commercial vacancies in your corridor to identify opportunities for store footprint optimization.

Further reading

For more updates on local commercial changes, visit Openings & Closings.

Source note: This article includes information reported by Berkeleyside.

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Do you support established local chains expanding into your neighborhood's vacant restaurant spaces?