Brick oven pizza has European flair
There's going to be a new Mac's in town.
Butler High School alumnus Spencer McKivigan, a grandson of the owners of Mac's Cafe, is borrowing the name as he breaks out on his own with Mac's Brick Oven Pizza.
Renovations have already begun at 120 E. Jefferson St. in shopfront space that is catty-corner to the Springhill Suites by Marriott hotel.
McKivigan said the location is perfect for pizza. He said Jefferson Street gets the second most traffic in the city, and the building's proximity to the hotel could offer more customers.
The building's owner, Scott Taggart, said he bought it in August 2015 and did some research into its past.
He said the building's foundation is older than the building itself, which he traced back to its original uses in the oil industry.
“The foundation is the old, old cut stone, and then they used new technology to build on top of it,” Taggart said.
Taggart said most people will remember the building for its time housing medical offices. When he bought the place, it was a hair salon — and it was pretty weathered. That's why he needs to do renovations before McKivigan can move in.
“I'm supplying him with an ADA-compliant shell,” Taggart said. “Then there's a few things that will be essential for his purposes and he'll take care of those.”
Taggart said he was waiting to rent the storefront to the right person.
“We had offers before, but it wasn't anything that would be good for Butler,” Taggart said. “As soon as people see and hear about his style, I think Spencer is going to be extremely successful.”
McKivigan said he is still months away from opening the restaurant, but when the business does open he plans to use experiences from his time following his passions around Europe.After high school, McKivigan graduated from culinary school in Boulder, Colo. He said he discovered brick oven pizza while traveling through Europe.“In Italy, I had actual brick oven pizza really for the first time, and it just blew me away,” McKivigan said.McKivigan said he also plans to bring experience from his time working at a Michelin-starred restaurant to his pizza. He said he really learned the art of experimenting and bringing out the best in each ingredient to make the whole dish spectacular.“I learned a ton at that Michelin-star restaurant,” he said. “French food is all about not using a simple ingredient.”McKivigan said he also thinks people can relate better to pizza, and he thinks customers will be excited about what a brick oven can do to a classic favorite.“The main benefit of a brick oven cook is the flavor development in the crust,” McKivigan said. “That higher temperature gives you the ability to cook the crust faster while keeping a shorter cook time on the toppings.”McKivigan said traditional oven pizza tend to overcook some ingredients, most notably the cheese.“Often you notice the grease floating on top of the average pizza, which is the result of overcooking the cheese to the point that the fats lose emulsification, and separate from the cheese,” McKivigan said.“Your standard other pizza place will cook their pizza for about 10 to 15 minutes,” he said. “With the brick oven, the pizza is cooked from start to finish in about four to five minutes, creating a beautiful color on the crust, properly cooking the ingredients and a delicious 'melt in your mouth,' cheese.”McKivigan said he thinks he will make a pizza that Mac's fans will find new and refreshing.He said he also hopes to lean on his family's wisdom for support, although he plans to run the business on his own,“Basically I've been around the business since I was 5-years-old,” McKivigan said. “I feel pretty confident on my own.”
