BELMONT — Brooks Rice opened his first restaurant by taking advantage after Bertucci’s closed its Andover eatery three years ago.
“I was able to jump on the space because it was perfect," he said. "It had a massive pizza oven and a very great location and it’s a nice town. We’ve slowly built up a nice reputation with the community."
Brooksy’s Brick Oven and Bar opened in 2023 on 90 Main St. (Route 28) in Andover. Now Rice is utilizing the same strategy to open a second restaurant, this time in downtown Belmont.
Stone Hearth Pizza, 57 Leonard St., closes June 29 after more than 20 years in business. Two days later, Rice inherits the keys to the space and will begin preparing to open Brooksy’s Pizzeria in September. He learned about the coming vacancy from a customer who works for Locatelli Properties, which owns the Leonard Street property.
Brooksy's owner seeks to develop top-notch staff
Rice, who lives in Newburyport, loves going into work every day and describes himself as a hands-on owner.
“It’s really my focus to not just create a good product, but to create a good, comfortable place within the community that I can be proud of and look myself in the mirror, if you will, and get that reward, too, when customers go out of their way to tell you how nice the staff is, how good the food is, and how they enjoy it," he said.
Paul Joy, a member of Belmont's Economic Development Committee, raved about the service at Brooksy's Andover restaurant after recently dining there. He hopes Rice can expediently navigate the opening process with the town.
"Their Andover location is, by all accounts, extremely successful, with high-quality ingredients and a solid menu," Joy said.
Rice is working with artist Mark Grundig to do a cosmetic renovation of the Leonard Street space, giving it a fresh new look. He aims for Brooksy's Pizzeria to be a family-friendly and welcoming environment.
Rice, who was general manager of Game On, a Fenway sports bar, before going out on his own, hopes to open by Town Day on Sept. 14. He's not sure whether he'll have his wine and beer liquor license transferred by then.
What's on the menu at Brooksy's Pizzeria?
Brooksy’s Pizzeria will use the same gas-fired wood stove oven that's at Stone Hearth. Everything on the menu, including pizza dough, is made in-house with Neopolitan flour, Rice said.
“I buy the best cheese, the best sauce and the best tomatoes,” he said. “(But) It’s not just about the product, which is obviously very important. It’s the care and attention that you give to your co-workers, your colleagues, the community, the space in general.”
Brooksy’s Brick Oven and Bar was recently featured on the "Phantom Gourmet" television program. On the show, Rice describes the pizza crust as “Brooksy style.”
“We give it that nice smoke flavor, and then when the pizza crust has a very light char, it's ready to go,” he said at the time.
Brooksy’s is known for specialty pies, including a Korean barbecue pizza with braised short rib.
The Belmont menu will also offer salads, meatballs, mac and cheese bites, chicken tenders, buttermilk chicken and short rib melt sandwiches. A favorite dessert menu item is a skillet cookie cooked in the oven with ice cream and chocolate syrup.
Brooksy’s offers menu options for those with allergies, such as gluten-free pizza crust and buns. Takeout and delivery will be available for those with gluten-free diets.
What's next for Stone Hearth Pizza
As for Stone Hearth Pizza, co-owner Yorwin Mendez plans to reopen in Cambridge, where he said his rent will be about half what he pays in Belmont. He'll offer the same menu.
A GoFundMe account has been created to assist Mendez, who got his start at Stone Hearth as a 17-year-old dishwasher in 2007, with the transition.