ASHEVILLE, N.C. (WLOS) — A new pizzeria named in honor of Highland Brewing founder Oscar Wong is set to open in November, fittingly called Oscar’s Pizza.
Highland Brewing said in an Oct. 7 news release that the restaurant will hold a soft opening with a special event menu during the brewery’s 30th anniversary Cold Mountain Weekend on Nov. 13-15.
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The restaurant will have a full menu the week of Thanksgiving prior to holding a grand opening later in December, the release said.
Wong, who died in 2025, was a 54-year-old retired engineer in 1994 when he started making his mark in the beer business. According to the release, he brewed Asheville’s first craft beer, Gaelic Amber Ale, in the basement of Barley’s, a pub in downtown Asheville that was also known for its pizzas.
According to the release, Oscar’s Pizza will serve made-from-scratch thin and crispy pies, salads and shareables, with Guest Experience Director Chris Genua leading development of the concept alongside Head Chef Adam Jones.
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Genua brings a lifelong obsession with pizza and Southern Italian food to the menu, while Jones brings extensive experience opening concepts and leading high-volume kitchens, the release said.
Genua is a first-generation Italian American who grew up in Philadelphia. He has been making pizza since childhood, starting alongside his grandmother and later with family in Italy. After moving to New York City, he spent 12 years immersed in the city’s pizza and restaurant culture. His restaurant experience included serving as opening general manager of Brooklyn’s The Double Windsor, where he spent six years and helped develop the food program before moving to Asheville and leading the pizza concept for White Labs Brewing Co.
“Pizza has always been tied to family for me. I grew up making it with my dad and grandmother in Philadelphia, made it with my family in Italy, and later spent years immersed in the pizza cultures of New York and New Haven,” Genua said in the release. “Oscar’s brings all of those influences together in a thin, crispy, charred pie meant to be shared with friends over a few Highland beers.”
Leading the kitchen alongside Genua is Jones, a Hickory, North Carolina, native who moved to Asheville to attend culinary school before building his career in kitchens across Asheville, Charleston, Denver and Dallas.
More information about Oscar’s Pizza is available at Highland Brewing’s website.
