Pizza Persona

Closed permanently, according to their Facebook page.
And so we learn the lesson again: support your local small businesses.
These guys busted their asses day in and day out on a high-​quality, unique concept. I have no doubt that they will create something new, bigger, and better. I look forward to reading about the day they made their first billion.

Another one bites the dust.*
They closed permanently on ¹⁄₁₀. So I’m sure you are wondering why the s am I reviewing it now? How could that help you? Well, allow me to explain. Maybe they’ll find a way to reopen or someone will bite their style and open something similar, since I liked it a lot. Triple A. Not the car helper service or bra size but All Adriane All (the time).
Surriously, it was a cool business model. Inexpensive persona pizza with infinity toppings, myriad sauces, white/​wheat/​gluten free crusts that were thin and crisp, and awesome service. Sadness. Support local businesses!
*You’re welcome for getting that song in your head.

Did you ever want to make your own pizza without even getting your hands dirty?
Then this is the perfect place for you!
This place lets you be the head chef. When you walk in, you are greeted by a friendly staff. The base pizza is only $ 6, which is a great deal. You simply pick your dough. They have wheat, white or gluten free. The pizza maker even tosses your dough in the air. I love seeing that and secretly wish I could do that but it is never going to happen.
Then you pick your sauce. There are a bunch to choose from. I decided to get a little creative and had them mix the red sauce and then some spicy hot sauce. I know I was getting crazy.
Next I added cheese and I went with the fresh mozzarella and now it was time for toppings. All of the veggie toppings are free except for mushrooms and roasted red peppers. I added red onions, basil, black olives, fresh tomatoes, jalapenos. For additional charge you can add premium toppings which include all of the meats. I added ham and roasted red peppers. Finally, I waved goodbye to my pizza as it was thrown into an oven for 5 minutes.
As I sat there waiting for my pizza, I started thinking about all of the different combinations I could have created. I also thought did I make the right choice and would my pizza be any good. Yes I was second guessing myself. This place is like a version of subway but everything feels real fresh and not fake fresh. I could see this place turning into a huge franchise because there is nothing else like this place. Real fast food pizza made right in front of you without having to wait over an hour for a guy to deliver it to you cold in a box.
My number was called and I went up to pick up our pizzas. I loved that the staff cut the pizza for me. Typically when you get a personal pizza like this they never cut it and you are forced to cut it yourself. I really enjoyed the pizza. My favorite part was the crust. It was cooked perfectly… just the right amount of burn on the bottom. I was also really happy with my sauce creation too.
My only complaint was that my basil was dried out. One of the workers came up to the table and asked how my pizza was. I showed him the 4 pieces of dried burnt basil and I suggested they add the fresh basil after the pizza is pulled from the oven. He agreed but told me that it would be too hard for the kitchen to offer that to customers. I was not totally happy with the explanation. He then suggested that next time I add the basil first so that it is touching the sauce and it will not dry up. Yes his advice was good but it was a little too late, after my pizza was cooked and served to me. He did tell me that next time they would put the fresh basil on my hot pizza, after it was pulled from the oven if I requested it. So I guess the reason I am writing this is to warn you to have a Basil plan, when you are making your pizza here, so you are not let down like I was.
So if you are looking for an affordable pizza, then this is the place. They also have $ 4 beers here and $ 5 wine. I think the prices are great. $ 4 for a 312 Wheat Beer is a great deal in this neighborhood, unless you have a whole case of it sitting at home. There is also a TV in the corner too with ESPN playing on it. Parking can also be a little tricky too… this neighborhood is crowded.

A very unlikely good place I found here.
The name of the place and the looks of it outside really just reminded me of a pizza version of Chipotle to be honest. Fast and Casual as they say…
However, after eating a whole meat lover pizza made on the spot, I had to say that the place was pleasurably unique in its ability to just make a pizza for me just like that (it only took 10 min) which was pretty good. After eating I checked this place on Unilocal and I was like, I do understand why this place has a high rating now.
FYI, another reason why I decided to walk in was the fact that almost everyone eating inside was female. To the guys, the presence of having a lot of ladies at a restaurant is a very good sign that the restaurant’s food is good. The ladies tend to be a little bit more exquisite about the taste of their food. Right am I not? :)

The area needs more places like Pizza Persona. It’s modern, clean & delicious. Helps to raise the bar in the neighborhood from all the Section 8 housing trash that is around.
I had the Meathead & it was insanely good. Highly recommend!

Loved pizza persona. People behind the counter were extremely helpful and nice. There was one guy who explained the entire menu which was appreciated because it’s slightly daunting at first.
You literally see the pizza made from scratch in front of you, so tastes very fresh and healthy. Also I don’t understand how it is so reasonable. One pie is very large and pretty difficult to finish by yourself and customized to whatever you want!
Would go back anytime. Very casual, clean inside — outdoor area too if nice outside.

Thank you, Ox&Pen, for introducing me to this great little pizza place! Thin crust pizzas, made to order with your choice of FRESH ingredients. And they certainly don’t skimp on the toppings! Mine was loaded, and somehow the crust still held its own.
They had quite a line since they were having a promotion but the staff handled it with grace, making the line move pretty quickly. From when you start verbalizing your dream pizza, it’s only 5 minutes and you’re biting into a piping hot slice of deliciousness. You can really taste how fresh everything is.
Color me impressed!

If I had to describe my experience in one word I would say «surprised». I really didn’t expect much from this place. It was described to me as being similar to Chipotle but Pizza instead of a burrito. In my mind I couldn’t fathom how that could work. Despite my cynicism it does work! They roll the dough out to order and allow you to pack on as many veggie options as your heart desires. They even have wheat crust at no additional charge! They employees are friendly and are not afraid to guide your topping decision in the right direction. The pizza only takes 5 – 6 minutes to cook in their wood burning oven. It’s another very solid option located within crawling distance from home.

This place was a really nice surprise. It’s a great alternative to a greasy delivery pizza place, but won’t cost an arm and a leg like a more upscale pizza bar. Prices are very reasonable and I love that you customize everything on your pizza right down to white, wheat, or gluten free crust. They have a variety of cheeses, sauces, and ingredients from the typical pepperoni to roasted red peppers and fresh basil. The staff is helpful, accommodating, and make some great suggestions when you’re overwhelmed by the variety of ingredients. It’s like Chipotle for pizza.
They also serve individually sized wines and Goose Island beers, which is a nice alternative to fountain soda.
I really don’t have any complaints about the time it took for the pizzas to cook. It’s fresh pizza dough and cold cheese. Of course, it’s going to take some time to bake.

We stopped in to check this place out with some friends and a Gilt City deal. For $ 12 we got two pizzas and two beers. I think we saved about $ 10 because of the Gilt.
Some people have complained about the time they waited in other reviews. The place was pretty empty when we got there and the food was prepared quickly and was hot when we received it. I don’t think you want a thin crust pizza rushed through the baking process so people should probably relax a little. I went with one of their standards the Cowboy (BBQ chicken pizza) and added mushrooms. The BBQ sauce was not over powering and overall the pizza had nice flavor. I ate the whole thing. My husband had the Purist with added spinach and banana peppers. He also finished his pizza and seemed pretty happy with it.
Overall, the place seems to be quick and cheap and I’m glad we found it. Come hockey season, we make frequent trips to Tin Lizzie (in the area) and have been trying to find someplace quick to eat before heading to the bar. I think we found it.

This is the Subway of pizza. Not a fan of Subway but I mean the operation of the place, Choose your crust, sauce, cheese, toppings, they bake it and voila! They also have gluten free dough if that’s your thing.
I love that you can get a boatload of toppings for free and some are pricey and you’d expect to be charged for them — fresh basil, spinach, green peppers, and pineapple. Premium toppings are only a greenback each.
Service was EXTREMELY friendly and helpful. If I owned a restaurant, I’d steal these guys to work for my joint.

A great spot to grab a quick lunch. The pizza is probably about 3.5, but I’m bumping the review up to 4 because of friendly staff, interesting flavors and booze! Oh, plus I scored a great deal on Gilt (and other Unilocalers have said they’re always on Groupon Now). Gotta love a deal.
I had the Yuppie. I asked if the Thai peanut sauce was super spicy and he let me have a taste to judge for myself! It’s definitely tangy, and ended up making me sniffle a few slices in, but I’m a wimp. So the sauce is used instead of tomato sauce, then topped with chicken, corn, carrots, onion and cilantro. They even asked if I wanted extra toppings! It’s a unique «pizza», I enjoyed it. And I enjoyed the thin crust.
My friend had the Meathead and he enjoyed it as well. He was offered extra toppings too, but really what else could you want with 3 types of meat? I also ogled the Purist (margherita) at the table next to us.
They have 3 choices of beer and red and white wine. It’s a convenient spot to grab a bite before/​after a movie at Landmark. I’ll keep PP in mind.

Great place! I’ve read some of the negative reviews and they seem to revolve around it taking a while to cook the pizza. If you’re in a hurry, go to McDonald’s. It’s not like you’re waiting for 20 minutes for the pizza anyway. At most it’s 5 – 6 minutes.
Oh boo-​hoo, they don’t offer gluten free. Who cares? Since when did every single restaurant have to cater to every made-​up food allergy?
The place is great. I like the White Collar with some black olives. The ricotta really comes out nice and fluffy. You can put almost any topping you want on your pizza FOR FREE. There are a few «premium» toppings that cost an extra buck.
The staff is wonderful. Always friendly and will walk newcomers through the experience.
They usually have Groupon Now’s which will save you $ 3 or so. It has become by go-​to place when my wife and I are in the «what do you want? I don’t know, what do you want?» mode.

I am having a hard time finding something NOT to love about this place.
–Your own customizable pizza out the door in roughly 5 minutes from order to pick up
–3 different kinds of dough, 7 different types of sauces, and 6 different types of cheeses — what other pizza place offers this many choices WITHOUT an upcharge*?! (*ok, the gluten-​free crust has an upcharge, but still!)
–19 FREE, unlimited vegetable toppings!!! When was the last time you got a supreme pizza without practically donating a kidney? Load up on your reds, oranges, and greens without unloading all your hard-​earned cash.
–Meats and select veggies are $ 1.00 each, which is still below average for a pizza place.
–Prime Diversey outdoor seating… I truly believe this is the best people-​watching corner in Lakeville and possibly the city.
My onlly complaint is that they do not have sundried tomatoes. Owners, if you are reader this, please get them!
This place encourages creativity with your pizza ingredients but also offers some pre-​determined «personas» in case your imagination fails you. I’ve done everything from the Meathead ($ 9) to my own personal white crust-​pesto-​fresh mozzarella-​tomato-​basil pizza ($ 6 — yay for unlimited free toppings!!!). At a base rate of $ 6, this place is a STEAL compared to any thin crust pizza place in the area.
The restaurant industry can be brutal, but the founders have a great idea and, by seeing the increase in business recently, people are finally starting to catch on!

Went there for the first time today even though I’ve walked past over a dozen times since they opened.
Usually, I’ll read Unilocal reviews before I go into a new place (and I probably did when they first opened). I was surprised that they started with a chunk of dough that they rolled out and tossed. I was picturing a partially baked crust or something. The pizza is thin, so 5 minutes to cook seems reasonable now that I think about it.
I got a basic pizza with just sausage & mozzarella and the traditional sauce so that I could compare other basic pizzas that I’ve ordered. The sausage was good and the overall pizza was good. The staff was friendly and it was nice to sit in the window and watch the crowds walk by while I read the Red Eye on a lazy day.
I’ll be back!

Welcome to the neighborhood Pizza Persona and thanks for the free pizza!
I can’t believe someone dared to give this place 1 star, they haven’t even been open a month give them a break. (also her review makes no sense the business has no way to filter the reviews that is all Unilocal so don’t punish Pizza Persona for this!)
The owner James did a great job organizing their free pizza day though I agree there was some disorganization around the soda fountain but I think that was more due to another disorganized customer than anything else!
Love all the choices in crust, sauces and toppings! Thier Pre-​made selections are also great and I like their fun names! We tried two pizzas
White Collar Pizza — Garlic, olive oil, mozzarella, feta and ricotta ($ 8) — good but could have used a bit more flavor and with no real sauce it seemed to be ½ plain crust
Cowboy — BBQ sauce, chicken, onions and cheddar cheese — our favorite very flavorful
I agree some of the pizzas don’t have as much topping and therefor don’t really seem like the best value especially for a more casual fast food type place. I think this is a great concept and after my brief chat with the owner I know they have put a lot of thought in to it so I am sure they will be able to tweak things a little and it will be a huge success! BYOB perhaps?!

Very nice staff, great service!