Black-owned pizzeria in Homewood becoming a community staple

The scent of bell peppers and tomatoes tickles your nose from the steps of the East Busway and Homewood Avenue Station. The aroma of pizza wafts down the block, ushering any passerby to the doorstep of North Homewood Pizza on the corner of North Homewood Avenue and Susquehanna Street.

It’s the first Black-owned pizza shop in Homewood and the revival of pizza in the neighborhood, where there had been an absence of cheesy goodness since the ’90s. Behind the new hot spot is 26-year-old entrepreneur and Homewood native Keith Calhoun.

He’s known across the neighborhood. Many people who watched him grow up are now frequent patrons — not just because they are rooting for him, but because the pizza is just that good.

“Everyone loves pizza,” Calhoun said, wearing a cobalt blue North Homewood Pizza shirt, his locs tied behind him and a welcoming smile.

North Homewood Pizza is in a prime location, within walking distance of the Homewood stop of the East Busway, drawing foot traffic from those coming to and from the P1 or P68 buses. It’s also across from Everyday Cafe, another Black-owned eatery, just a few blocks from Operation Better Block and short walk from multiple churches.

There are a few seats inside, as well as outdoor patio seating around the building, which features a mural.

They have a from-scratch system — the restaurant doesn’t own a freezer, so fresh ingredients are delivered daily. The recipe is a thin and crispy focaccia crust, and all pizzas are build-your-own with plenty of cheeses, meats and sauces to choose from. They have one size: an extra-large 18-inch pizza cut into 16 slices. Single 10-inch slices are also available, cut from a 20-inch pizza.

Varieties of sausage and pepperoni include turkey, beef and lamb — fresh meat arrives daily and is ground in-house. The red sauce strikes a nice balance between sweetness and acidity, made from tomatoes that Calhoun often gets fresh from local farmers’ markets and gardens around the neighborhood.

“We try to give back to the community and keep it in the community as much as we can,” Calhoun said.

Growing up in Homewood wasn’t easy, Calhoun said, but he surrounded himself with positive people.

“It was easy to fall into the wrong crowd. There were few opportunities growing up,” he said.

Calhoun considered himself a regular, everyday kid, outside playing sports, basketball, baseball in Little League at Homewood Field and football.

He attended Faison Elementary, then Westinghouse for middle and high school. He was raised in his great-grandparents’ home, which has been in his family for generations. His first experience cooking was at 7 when he learned how to flip an egg.

“And it’s been up from there. I like to eat good food,” he said.

Calhoun has worked in the restaurant industry for years, beginning in high school when he worked in his family’s soul food diner around the corner, Dubby’s Diner. He became a chef when he was 20.

He always worked in his family’s businesses, which instilled in him the desire to be a business owner. “I don’t like working for other people,” he said. “I’d rather work for myself.”

Rahim Williams, also from Homewood, watched Calhoun grow up. On an October afternoon, he ordered three servings of potato buds — a Homewood staple, they’re potatoes molded into a circular patty shape and then fried.

“I usually get the pizza. It is one of a kind. The sauce is special, real special. You don’t gotta tell ’em how to cook it,” Williams said.

The idea of a Black-owned pizza shop is not proverbial, which is why Calhoun jumped at the opportunity. He was working at The Abbey on Butler Street in Lawrenceville when his mom mentioned the idea, and he went full steam ahead.

“I began putting all my focus on pizza,” he said.

This focus has proven successful. During the early stages, he tested ingredients and sauce recipes, developed the menu and asked residents to be taste testers. On their soft opening on Aug. 4, there was a line from inside the shop to around the corner.

Calhoun hasn’t taken a day off since that soft opening, often staying in the shop until midnight or the early morning hours — the phone buzzes nonstop.

“I had to step it up to make this come to fruition … less sleep, but it’s about the greater goal,” he said.

Getting the community involved was essential to Calhoun. Inside North Homewood Pizza, members of the neighborhood who are making a difference and doing something positive are featured. Familiar faces — such as Drew Allen of Showcase Barbecue, rapper J Biggz and Splashy Styles owner Tazhe Johnson — are among those featured on the “Homewood Heroes” wall.

“It’s all about the positivity in Homewood. We are … trying to change how the city sees Homewood,” Calhoun said. “Homewood is often seen as a bad neighborhood, but we have been thriving, quickly. We wanted to celebrate the common man. If you’re from Homewood doing good things, or if you’re not from Homewood but give back to the community, you are a hero.”

Lunchtime brings a surge of customers. Calhoun answered the phone while collaborating with his sous chefs, Yanibeth Sanchez and Yojanis Gervis, sometimes speaking a mix of Spanglish.

“I’ll need a hero with cebollas,” said Calhoun (using the Spanish word for onions). The Homewood Hero is a popular menu item featuring beef pastrami, roast beef and spicy beef pepperoni with banana pepper relish, lettuce, banana peppers, onions, black pepper and balsamic vinegar all hugged together in a hoagie roll. They also have pressure-fried wings and potato buds with a mustard-based sauce dubbed Woodside sauce.

“It feels good to see this flourish and get good Black-owned pizza,” said regular customer Reginald Smith. “It’s excellent and it motivates others.”