Popular SLO pizza maker goes from online orders to a restaurant in Pepe Delgado’s spot
A San Luis Obispo native whose Detroit-style pizza business has a loyal following on social media plans to open his latest venture this summer in the former location of Pepe Delgado’s Mexican Restaurant.
Ben Arrona, 41, has been operating Benny’s Pizza in San Luis Obispo since February 2020, using his Facebook page to line up orders for pickup only at a location on Foothill Boulevard.
He’s teaming up with two silent partners to launch Benny’s Pizza Palace and Social Club at 1601 Monterey St. in San Luis Obispo.
The new restaurant will serve Arrona’s popular Detroit-style pan pizza as part of an expanded menu that includes salads, mojo potatoes and chicken wings. His menu will include gluten-free, vegan and pesto options, Arrona said.
The new business will double as an “East Coast loungey bar” offering an assortment of mixed drinks, wine and beer for relatively low prices, Arrona said.
“Between my partners and me, we have 40 to 50 years in the bar industry and 70 years in the restaurant industry,” Arrona said. “I’ve worked for restaurants and bars since I was 15. ... We know that SLO doesn’t need another foo-foo place where cocktails cost $14 and up. Our prices will be a little less than downtown and we’ll have a killer happy hour.”
Arrona and his partners closed escrow last week on their purchase of the commercial space in the Upper Monterey district, between Grove Street and Grand Avenue.
“I’ve been looking for for a space to move into for five to seven years, but it had to be right,” Arrona said. “This was perfect spot because the sale not only included the business but also the liquor license.”
Arrona isn’t disclosing the cost of the building or liquor license, but he acknowledged a liquor license in San Luis Obispo County these days typically costs about $250,000 to $275,000.
Benny’s Pizza Palace and Social Club plans to open in July after tenant space upgrades.
Arrona said the name of the business pays homage to beloved Templeton restaurant Hoover’s Beef Palace, which closed in 2014.
“It’s a silly but old-school name,” Arrona said.
SLO pizza business has Facebook following
Arrona is a graduate of Mission Elementary School, San Luis Obispo High School, Cuesta College and Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo.
He was first exposed to Detroit-style pizzas by a friend, former Firestone Walker Brewing Co. brewer Will Crosby, who moved back to Minnesota after having children.
The thick, rectangular pizzas have chewy, crispy crusts and are made with tomato sauce and cheese that goes all the way to the edges. They were originally were made in unused oil drain pans by automobile factory workers, creating the signature shape, Arrona said.
Arrona began making the labor-intensive pizzas for friends before launching a small business that has continued to grow in demand. There are 4,600 members on the Benny’s Pizza Facebook group page.
Arrona’s pizzas features dough and sauce made from scratch, and a multi-stage proofing process. The entire process takes four to six hours.
Arrona typically dedicates two to three days per week to making pizza in a 1,000-square-foot commercial kitchen space at 977 Foothill Blvd, No. 109. He also works as a Cuesta College history lecturer
He’s learned to keep his business simple — offering first-come, first-serve orders and designating online time slots for pickup.
“As always, my toppings stay the same, no substitutions or special order,” he said in a recent Facebook post. “Benny’s Famous Red sauce only.”
Those toppings include pepperoni, sausage, onion, olive, bell peppers, pineapple and jalapeños. He also serves lasagna and cheesy bread.
Arrona usually sells out of roughly 200 pizzas and 50 lasagnas each week, inspiring online wait lists. Pizzas cost $25 each and lasagnas range from $35 to $40.
The pizza maker plans to rent out his commercial kitchen, where he has a five-year lease, to local chefs or caterers as he moves into his new venue.
New restaurant is moving into old Pepe Delgado’s space
Pepe Delgado’s was one of San Luis Obispo’s longest continuously operating restaurants when it closed in the spring of 2020 after nearly 50 years in business.
Pepe Delgado’s owner Yvonne Poulsen decided to retire after shutting down the eatery due to the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020.
“(Poulsen) built an empire and wanted to retire, just like each and all of us want to do,” Arrona wrote on Facebook. “So, she trusted me and my business partners to keep her legacy alive. Yes Pepe’s is gone. It was gone even before I even thought about buying the building, but remember, life is about change. Keep up or fall behind.”
“Everyone reading this post is always welcome at Benny’s Pizza Palace and Social Club as long as you enter my new establishment with an open heart, open mind and a positive and supportive attitude,” Arrona added in his post. “If you can’t do that, then please don’t come. Love you all, Benny.”
Poulsen told The Tribune in August that she was willing to accept the space’s transition to new ownership.
“It could remain Pepe Delgado’s,” Poulsen said then. “I hope it does. Or it could become something else. That will be for the new owner to decide. It has been very difficult to let go.”
What will Benny’s Pizza Palace look like?
Arrona said Benny’s Pizza Palace and Social Club will keep some of the decor from Pepe Delgado’s, which featured Mexican-themed folk art and furnishings.
He and his partners are currently planning to add a new roof and pizza ovens, along with bar decor changes.
“We’ll have an East Coast lounge vibe with a little kitsch to it,” Arrona said.
The restaurant will seat up to 64 people at a time.
Arrona plans to start hiring waiters, bartenders and kitchen staff in coming weeks, estimating the business will employ 20 to 25 people total. He said his staff will earn at least a dollar over minimum wage and he’s looking into health insurance programs for the workers.
“Each of us (partners) has had manager experiences (as staffers) that are good and bad and we’ll draw from those experiences to be the best we can be,” Arrona said.
He hopes that Benny’s Pizza Palace will appeal to a broad range of community members.
“We’ll be a family friendly place, where kids and parents, softball teams, and really all walks of life can come in and enjoy the experience,” Arrona said.
This story was originally published June 3, 2021 at 5:00 AM.
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