›› Lauren Gaultier
When asked how owner Matt Viellette came up with the name Standard Pizza, he said that before opening people kept asking “what kind of pizzas will you make?” As he hadn’t yet discovered the term Neo-Neapolitan, his response was “standard.” Since opening in early 2015 on the corner of Pandora and Cook, his growing customer base has come up with a new meaning for the name: it sets the standard.
Prior to opening this shop, Viellette built up years of experience across the globe working in, and operating, a wide range of restaurants. He has spent time specializing in baking, cheese making, fine dining, and even smoking fish. When he found out his local bakery was shutting down, he jumped at the opportunity to fill the space. It wasn’t long before his original team of three quietly opened their doors and started dishing out pizza reminiscent of both Italy and New York; curated with the best quality ingredients.
Being a Fernwood resident, selecting our community for his business location was both a simple and strategic decision. As he puts it, “Fernwood is a corridor between Oaklands, Oak Bay, downtown, and Fairfield”—those residents make up 99 per cent of his client base. His goal for Standard Pizza has always been longevity; a place serving locals and becoming the ‘Cheers’ of pizzeria—where everyone knows your name (and your order).
If you are already a fan of Standard’s take-away wood-fired, brick oven pizza, you will be happy to learn that they have recently expanded their space and have plans to extend their hours. They keep broadening their offerings continuing to solidify their commitment to our community. If you haven’t been there yet, what are you waiting for? Head down after 5:00pm from Wednesday to Sunday to find out what all the hype is about. You can peruse their menu online at standardpizza.ca and check out @standardpizzayyj for specials.
