Downtown St. Paul is getting a new coal-fired pizza restaurant from the owners of local chain Tono Pizzeria + Cheesesteak.

Prince Coal-Fired Pizza will open this spring in the former Black Sheep Pizza space on Robert Street.

Co-owner Shaz Khan said the restaurant will be what they’re calling “polished casual,” in that you order at the counter and food and drinks will be delivered to your table, but they will take reservations, and there will be a full bar. Takeout will also be available.

“This is not another Tono,” Khan said. “We will have a specialized menu that will include coal-fired pizza, meatball sandwiches, appetizers and other sandwiches.”

There will also be specialty cocktails and non-alcoholic beverage options.

Tono, which has eight Twin Cities locations, serves brick oven pizzas and cheesesteaks, as the name suggests. The company also owns Frank & Andrea in Dinkytown.

Khan said he and co-owner Antonio Gambino are aware that downtown restaurants have been struggling, but they have purchased the space, which gives them a little more flexibility, and they would love to be in on the ground floor of a downtown revitalization.

Khan said he’d love to hear from neighbors and prospective customers about what they’d like to see from the restaurant.

“I know what that area used to be,” Khan said. “We’ve been in St. Paul for a long time. And we’re hoping that with our experience and genuine outreach to customers, we can make this a success.”

Black Sheep operated in St. Paul for 11 years before its 2022 closure, citing the pandemic and the downtown bike lanes that replaced parking spaces in front of the restaurant.

Prince Coal-Fired Pizza: 512 N. Robert St., St. Paul

Related Articles

Reader alert: Send us your fish fry information!

Downtown restaurant and event space, formerly Pazzaluna and Momento, to be sold at auction

Lowertown eatery Dark Horse to close after nearly 10 years

New ‘high-end’ buffet restaurant coming to Woodbury

Keg and Case: St. Paul Tap owner in talks to buy the former West Seventh food hall, open Fort Road Social