Dick's Pizza Has Opened in the Old Sunny's Pizza Space in Sellwood

An illustration of the front of Dick's Pizza. — Image credit: Dick’s Pizza.

Chris Pfeifer, who you may know from The 1905 in North Portland and Original Dream Pizza in Northeast Portland, has opened Dick’s Pizza, a new pizzeria in the Sellwood-Moreland section of Southeast Portland. It’s in the former location of Sunny’s Pizza, and is located between a Cena and its private dining space Festa. Update 3/16/26: Thanks to a friend of the blog, I’ve learned that they are in soft opening pop-up mode until mid-April, when they will fully open.

Chis has been working on this location since at least the start of the year, taking what was a big cleared-out space and turning it into something fresh yet familiar. I happened to stop in a while back—a kind of by-chance encounter with Chris after sitting down with Dustin at Slow Pour—and saw the interior.

The dining room, save for some wooden seating around the edges, was pretty empty and dark. The floor had normal wear and tear on it. There was a bar and a pizza oven remaining. But it was more or less a blank canvas for Chris.

It looks like they’ve painted some of the walls a brighter color, changed up the lighting, and gave the place a fresh feeling.

Sunny’s Pizza

Sunny’s Pizza was a project from the a Cena people. Eater reported in 2018 that it would “incorporate research from the family’s trips to Naples, San Francisco, New York, and Chicago to create a very specific style, with 18-inch whole pies and by-the-slice classics.” Sunny’s Pizza opened in November 2018. I saw some comments online about how massive their slices were.

I looked at the Sunny’s Pizza Yelp page, which had some interesting tidbits from owner Chris Custer about how they operated the space from an environmental standpoint:

“When owner Chris Custer developed the concept of Sunny’ Pizza, he wanted to implement as many Eco-friendly strategies that he could. The foundations of the pizzeria incorporate repurposed design elements such as electrical insulators from the Bonneville Dam and reclaimed wood table tops. The back bar includes vintage pinball art panel inserts. Most appliances used at Sunny’s Pizza reduce water and electrical usage. The solar panels assembled on the roof of the building supply enough energy to power the pizza ovens.”

The pizzeria closed in March 2024.

Dick’s Pizza: What’s in a Name?

That’s an easy one, according to Chris: it’s named after his dad.

Who’s Making the Pizzas?

That would be Jon Wiley, who runs the kitchen at Scorfana, the culinary partner at The 1905. He stepped into that role in January 2024, when Chris took over operating the club. When I saw Chris back in January, he could not say enough good things about the work Wiley does over at the jazz club. He’s very excited to have him involved with Dick’s Pizza.

You may have seen and tasted Wiley’s work over the years at Tulip Shop Tavern, Jojo, Plumb (on hiatus), and/or La Moule (RIP). The menu at Scorfana is Italian-American and focuses mostly on pizza by the slice (e.g., cheese, pepperoni, Supreme, and a monthly special) and pasta dishes (e.g., Rigatoni alla Vodka, Pappardelle Bolognese, Spaghetti and Meatballs). Wiley is bringing a similar aesthetic to the food to Dick’s.

More About the Food at Dick’s Pizza

Dick’s Pizza features hand-tossed New York–style pizza, fresh salads, and craft cocktails. They went a little further into what that actually means and it includes a classic NY-style pie and a “Brooklyn slice”—to me, that could mean a thick Sicilian slice like you get at L&B Spumoni Gardens, or a thinner crust that’s kind of neo-Neapolitan, and the use of fresh mozzarella. I’ve asked Chris for clarification on this detail.

Pizzas at Dick's Pizza. — Photo credit: Dick’s Pizza.

Toppings include pepperoni, housemade sausages, Pecorino, hot peppers (hoping for Mama Lil’s), and other high-quality ingredients. Plus, chocolate cake.

On the drinking side of things, look for classic cocktails, seasonal and craft cocktails, beer, and some NA options, as well. The drink menu has been developed to pair well with their food.

A Neighborhood Restaurant

They mentioned it’s a “neighborhood-driven setting” and that reminds me of the importance of the neighborhood restaurant. This is the kind of place that is for the neighborhood—the restaurant version of the neighborhood local—and less of a destination restaurant.

In their words, the aim is for Dick’s Pizza to be a “go-to gathering spot for locals seeking quality food, drinks, and vibe without pretense.”

Chris is a lifelong Portlander and has called Sellwood his home for the past couple of decades. He said in a press release, “The goal is to create a place that feels instantly familiar but thoughtfully executed, Sellwood has such a strong sense of community, and we’re excited to contribute something that’s casual, fun, and rooted in craftsmanship—from the pizza dough to the cocktail glass.”

Opening Dick’s Pizza

They soft opened Thursday, March 12 with slices and soda with the plan of leveling up to full pies eventually. Initial hours have been Thursday through Saturday, 4pm to 8pm.

Wishing Chris, Wiley, and the Dick’s Pizza team all the best as they expand the pizza options in Sellwood!

Dick’s Pizza [soft opened March 12, 2026]
7738 SE 13th Avenue, Portland
Dick’s Pizza website | Instagram | Facebook

Updated March 16, 2026 with new information about their status as a soft opening.