Grand Avenue is getting some new, serious pizza, and soon.

OG Zaza is opening its sixth metro location in the space next to Grand Ol’ Creamery, most recently occupied by Big E. The local chain, which will refresh the space to reflect its brand, is aiming for a Jan. 1 opening.

Chef Joshua Hedquist said he’s excited to be on Grand Avenue, and especially to be sharing space with Grand Ol’ Creamery.

“They’re a juggernaut on Grand Avenue,” he said. “They’ve been around 30 years, and everyone knows them. …  I like working with other local small businesses. We all have to stick together.”

OG Zaza’s New Haven-style pizza is the real deal — Hedquist cuts no corners. The restaurant uses local, unbleached, unbromated flour that is fermented for 120 hours for its signature charred crust.

“That allows you to digest it more easily,” Hedquist said. “I care about what I put in my body … this is way healthier for you.”

All the other ingredients are made 100% from scratch, too, and sourced locally when they can be.

“There’s a lot of real soul to what we do,” he said. “Our cheese doesn’t have (anti-caking ingredients). We use crushed whole tomatoes, make our own pickles for our pickle pizza, roast off local blue oyster mushrooms, make our own ranch from scratch.”

Hedquist said he’s not worried about his shop being just down the street from Punch Pizza. In fact, he said, Punch inspired him to do what he’s doing.

“I remember when Punch Pizza came in and you could watch them make pizza in front of you and they serve it to you in five minutes,” he said. “That was mind-blowing, and the first time I experienced that. I think Punch had a long-lasting effect on me and what I was going to do. I fell in love, conceptually, with how you could get something so good, so fast.”

OG Zaza: 750 Grand Ave., St. Paul; ogzazamn.com

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