Signage for the incoming pizzeria has recently been installed at the storefront, which was home to Sipz Vegetarian Kitchen for more than a decade before its 2024 closure. Since then, the space has cycled through Rising Sun Collective, a multi-concept Japanese-inspired venue, followed by Common Table, an Asian-fusion concept that operated only briefly before shutting down earlier this year and recently taking over the kitchen at nearby bar-arcade Coin-Op Gameroom.
Pizza On Pearl traces its roots back to 2009, when it first opened in La Jolla with recipe consultation from longtime San Diego chef Jack Monaco. The brand has undergone multiple ownership transitions over the years, including stewardship under restaurateur Aram Baloyan, who is also tied to The Taco Stand and Himitsu Sushi.
The original Pizza On Pearl location in La Jolla previously closed for a period and was rebranded into a branch of Mr. Moto Pizza House, a concept launched by Baloyans' nephew, Gibran “Mr. Moto” Fernandez, after honing his craft at his uncle's pizza shop. Years later, the Pizza On Pearl name returned to its original neighborhood, reviving its classic menu and identity. The La Jolla shop has since rebuilt a following around its straightforward approach to New York-style pizza, offering thin-crust pies by the slice or whole, alongside strombolis, calzones, salads, wings, garlic knots, and classic desserts like New York cheesecake.
The forthcoming North Park location is expected to mirror that formula. The current menu centers on both red and white pies, ranging from traditional cheese and pepperoni to combinations like the AB7, topped with pepperoni, ricotta, basil, and hot honey, as well as specialty white pies like the BCR with bacon, chicken, caramelized onions, and ranch. Slices remain a core offering, reinforcing the brand’s casual, fast-service appeal in contrast to the more experimental or chef-driven concepts that have recently occupied the space.
Pizza on Pearl is expected to open in the coming months at 3914 30th Street in San Diego's North Park. For more information, visit pizzaonpearl.com.
Originally published on April 1, 2026.
