Upside Pizza To Open Slice And Soft Serve Shop On The UES

UPPER EAST SIDE, NY — After years of searching for the right location, Upside Pizza is finally headed to the Upper East Side, where founder Noam Grossman hopes the neighborhood's newest restaurant will become more than just another place to grab a slice.

The popular New York City pizzeria is preparing to open at 1501 Second Ave., at East 78th Street, with an anticipated opening sometime between September and October, pending construction, Grossman told Patch.

"We, as a group, have been looking for a location on the Upper East Side for about four years," he told Patch.

Founded in 2018, Upside Pizza was created by Grossman and partners Eli and Oren Halali, the founders of Two Bros Pizza, with the goal of serving what Grossman describes as "an elevated New York slice" using premium ingredients and traditional preparation methods.

The Upper East Side shop will be the company's ninth pizza location and fifth soft serve ice cream outpost.

"Everyone loves pizza and ice cream. I just found a way to bring it to them on an elevated level," Grossman said of the venture.

Unlike the brand's busier downtown shops, Grossman said he wants the Upper East Side restaurant to feel like a neighborhood gathering place where families can linger.

As part of the build-out, the long-vacant storefront will receive a new facade, redesigned interior and significantly more seating than most Upside locations.

"I wanted it to feel more like a family neighborhood pizza shop versus a super high-traffic downtown shop," he said. "I want people to be able to come in with their kids and families and have space."

Customers can expect Upside's signature lineup of house pies, rotating seasonal specials and a full ice cream counter.

The Upper East Side location will also be the first Softside designed with dedicated indoor seating and a fully realized interior, rather than the walk-up format used at many of the company's existing ice cream shops.

Although Grossman grew up in New Jersey, he said he has long felt connected to the Upper East Side, recalling frequent trips to J.G. Melon and noting that many of his friends have since settled in the neighborhood with their families.

That community is part of what excites him most about the new shop.

"I'm very lucky, because my job in my business is ultimately giving people what they want," Grossman said. "There's a beauty in being the ice cream guy."

Construction is expected to begin as soon as permits are approved, with demolition and interior work already being planned.

Know of a business opening or closing on the Upper East Side? Email Miranda.Levingston@Patch.com.