After growing his home bakery into one of the most prolific baking operations in Los Angeles, and then launching a Very popular Glassell Park restaurant specializing in sandwiches —Andy Kadin is ready for what's next.
The baker and founder of Bub and Grandma's is opening a pizza shop in Highland Park, where he'll take over the former Town Pizzeria. After all, he said, bread, pizza and sandwiches go hand in hand, and it's been his passion all his life.
“Pizza has always been very important to me,” Kadin said.
Bub and Grandma's Pizza is expected to open in 2025 and will serve 18-inch whole pizzas and slices prepared in a New York style with a New Haven twist. That means a leopard-print crust and a structured base so you can fold a slice, likely topped with low-moisture mozzarella, tomatoes, olive oil and simple, classic toppings.
It's all inspired by his childhood in New Jersey and his favorite pizzerias from decades ago, including Arturo's, Grimaldi's and Zuppardi's. Other dishes like meatballs, salads and bologna-related items could also make an appearance.
It's a moment of coming full circle for Kadin, who used to bake his bread in the city's ovens 10 years ago.
She had quickly outgrown her home kitchen trying to meet the demand of her first wholesale customers, which included Dune, Wax Paper, Cookbook, and Dinette, and her friends, who owned Town, were offering their kitchen while they were closed for lunch service.
“I would mix the dough at home, carry it down the 100 steps to the street, put it in my truck, drive into town and bake it there,” he said. “I did that for three or four months. It’s totally crazy, but it’s also kind of how Bub’s has been doing.”
Kadin will also take over the takeout-only Cypress Park outpost, which will serve as a commissary kitchen for Bub and Grandma’s catering operations.
But Kadin says he hopes to keep his retail presence small. “My goal is not to become a giant,” he said. “The goal is to grow as much as we can, creating the same product and maintaining the same relationship with the people who come to eat with us.”
Highland Park's Town restaurant closed Sept. 7 after a decade of serving pizza on York Boulevard.
(Stephanie Breijo / Los Angeles Times)
But before Bub and Grandma's can open its new restaurant, Kadin will be making some changes. Previously, Town operated out of two spaces: a New York-style takeout location, with whole pizzas and slices displayed in glass cases, and a dining room next door. The Highland Park restaurant faced space constraints during its decade of operation, relying on a two-story pizza oven that couldn't keep up with demand.
Kadin plans to do away with the one-stop-shop format and completely reimagine it as a kitchen, with additional ovens and a prep room. Instead, he will operate a one-stop-shop, which will be the first phase of his pizzeria.
A few months later, he hopes to debut the other side of the restaurant with a casual counter-ordering format, plus offering beer and wine, as well as bringing back the fan-favorite photo booth for Town fans.
Earlier this year, Town's owners reached out to Kadin to take over the space, and after some reflection, despite going through a tough year for restaurants, and expanding its offering to survive — One of the city’s most prolific bread suppliers decided to take the plunge.
After all, he served “pizza-like” flatbreads at his stand at farmers markets years ago, and at his Glassell Park restaurant, pizza is often on the menu for staff’s private family meals. But what Kadin will be serving at Bub and Grandma’s Pizza will be markedly different.
Bub and Grandma's Pizza will be a new face on a rapidly evolving stretch of York Boulevard that has seen the opening of several new restaurants in the past two months. From Bella and Gite.
“[Town has] “It’s been a part of my life, too,” Kadin said. “I’m sad to see it go, but I’m so glad I can keep the great things the city put together, including the photo booth, which I know is very important.”
The city’s pizzeria closed on Sunday, but days later passersby still approach the building without noticing the “CLOSED” sign posted on the front door. On August 30, the city announced its closure in an Instagram post in which it thanked the community for its support.
“We are very grateful to have had the opportunity to serve [Highland Park] and the surrounding communities for the past 10 years,” the statement read. “It has been an incredible journey and we have been grateful to be able to call York Blvd our home for as long as we have. Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end. We will greatly miss all of our customers and sincerely thank them for all of their support over the years.”
