Balancing Whimsical Moments with Seriously Good Food

Words by Jessi Devenyns Photos by Shelby Bella

Entering Swift Pizza Company, also fondly known as Swifty’s, comes with a warning. Opening their door will evoke a sense of happiness and encourage fun.

Immediately, a step over the threshold of the monochrome charcoal-colored exterior transports diners into a whimsical rainbow of sensorial pleasures. Garlic wafts from the kitchen, heralding the appearance of freshly baked pizza pies. Vibrant statuettes beg diners to take a field trip from their tables and peer through glass cases where graffitied basketballs, vintage video game consoles, and cat totems lurk. All of this eye candy is just far enough away from the illuminated ‘pizza rats’ that provide each family-filled table with an ambiance that kids (and adults) can converse over while waiting to indulge in the simple pleasure of pizza. 

As a circular dish with a reputation anchored in memories of pizza parties, sleepovers, and field trips, it can be a bold move on the part of a chef to dress up a pizza’s flavor profile to cater to elevated adult palates. So, rather than fix what isn’t broken, Executive Chef Brandon Fuller chose to emphasize the childhood nostalgia and schoolhouse vibes that are baked into a pizza pie. 

The balance between simple flavors and updated classics is reflected on the menu. “I think that it’s also a reflection of how we treat the food here, which is a mixture of having a lot of fun with it, but also being very serious about how we’re sourcing, how we’re treating the ingredients,” offers Brandon.

Although the menu highlights familiar favorites, don’t be deceived. Diners will be wooed by pizza joint staples like chicken parmesan, an all-cheese masterpiece called Cheese Louise, and good old-fashioned mozzarella sticks. But when a dish is served, pay attention. What appears to be a classic comfort dish will have a subtle twist. From the complex layers of pecan pesto and golden raisins that coat fire-roasted cauliflower to the substitution of ketchup for the pizza sauce on the Jacoby’s Cheeseburger pizza, Swifty’s compositions are culinary doodles. 

Of course, this whimsical aesthetic was not chosen by accident. This pizza parlor was inspired by owner’s Kris Swift and Adam Jacoby’s twin toddlers. “I have a picture somewhere of [my son] literally pointing at the architectural plans on that bar,” smiles Kris, who says that the multi-colored, neon yardsticks that create the bar’s façade are his twins’ favorite feature in the space.

Unadulterated fun is unquestionably on the menu here, where dinner on a school night is swiftly transformed into a moment where both kids and adults are encouraged to engage their imaginations. Build pizzas, indulge in creamsicles and rice krispy bars, or spend time chatting about the four-legged friends that adorn a subtle colorful atmosphere that radiates joy from every corner. 

More Fun!
Take a peek at the displays around the restaurant and look for the Cereal Killers collection by artist Ron English. But don’t just focus on the figurines! Be sure to hunt for the reinterpreted iconic images displayed on the cereal boxes that hark back to the childhood of millennials. 

Contact:
(512) 422-9776
3223 E 7th St.
swiftpizzaco.com