Martha’s Pizza II Opening in Downtown Halifax
HALIFAX– A little more than a year after purchasing the popular Bedford pizza joint Martha’s Pizza II, Deep Patel is already about to expand to a third location. Patel anticipates opening in downtown Halifax, at 5212 Morris Street, in early August. Prior to his newest spot, Patel opened a Truro location of Martha’s.
The 1,200-square-foot Morris Street location will be a bit different than its counterparts in Bedford and Truro. Patel wants to create a dine-in experience that will include a selection of beers and wines.
“It has an ambiance in the dining area,” explained Patel. “There’s going to be all kinds of different liquor options, like the wine. So, I’m looking to make a better experience for the client because my other two locations are not that much into dining. Those are just mostly takeout and delivery restaurants.”
Martha’s is well-known in Bedford, where it first opened in the mid-90s. But it will be new to customers in downtown Halifax. Patel anticipates tossing out some special deals on opening day to get people interested, such as $2 for a medium pizza. Patel said he will be open to feedback.
Patel moved to Halifax from India in 2017. Before buying Martha’s in Bedford, he had worked several years in the restaurant industry. He knew Martha’s was a restaurant he could turn into a brand when he tasted the quality himself.
“I was jangling around and seeing the opportunities, and [Martha’s] has really good, positive feedbacks on all the platforms, like Google, Skip the Dishes, Uber, and Glass Door — everywhere they have really great reviews,” recalled Patel. “This was the first [business I’ve] purchase ever in my life, so I looked at the quality of the food and the customer service.”
Patel said he loved the crunchiness of the pizza crust and the quality of the donair meat they use at Martha’s. On top of that, the pizza chefs at the Bedford location have mastered the tradition of hand-tossing the pizza dough.
“When you see that dough flipping and spinning in the air, it’s not only fun to watch, but it also makes your appetite roar,” boasts Martha’s Bedford website. “Not all chefs hand toss pizza dough but all pizza lovers should know that hand tossing pizza is not just for your entertainment.”
Prior to Martha’s Pizza II, 5212 Morris Street was home to WowPop Woodfire Pizza and Morris East Restaurant.
“[The previous owner] came up to me last year [to buy] that location but at that time I was not really into it,” recalled Patel. “Then he just texted me that it’s still for sale, and I thought that now is the right time to get into the downtown and try to make a better and stronger brand.”
When asked how he was able to expand Martha’s so quickly into three locations, Patel gave all the credit to his employees and his crew.
“I do have a good team with me, which is giving me my backbone, can support me all the time. And that’s how I can just be expanding the business.”
Derek Montague is a Huddle reporter in Halifax. Send him your feedback and story ideas: [email protected].