Don’t be ‘mad,’ Boise. Opening 2nd store, pizza shop dresses Boise icon as a Ninja Turtle
Feet growing cold, Brennan Conroy almost bailed on his idea — at the last minute.
“You guys might get canceled,” his dad warned.
“I was like **** it, I’m not gonna do it,” admits Conroy, co-owner of Americana Pizza.
But his mom, who helped create the Teenage Ninja Turtle Costume, disagreed. “I think it’s funny,” she said.
So if you were one of the honking motorists Thursday who drove down Vista Avenue while Conroy was high in the air dressing up Betty the Washerwoman as a cartoon turtle, well — here’s why it was happening.
Americana Pizza, which has operated at 304 S. Americana Blvd. since late 2018, is expanding to a second location in the recently closed Cucina di Paolo space at 1504 S. Vista Ave.
The motorized Betty — who has toiled away above the sign outside since at least the 1950s — comes with the small building. Decades ago, it housed a Maytag Laundry.
Conroy hoped that transforming Betty into a Ninja Turtle would be a hilarious marketing video.
“Instagram loved it!” he says happily.
Passersby were definitely ... curious. “There’s a bank across the street — the whole bank office came out,” Conroy says. “It was funny!”
Within 10 days, pizza lovers will have something to celebrate, too. Americana’s new location should open around then — with Betty watching over it.
“If anyone’s mad,” Conroy adds with a laugh, “don’t worry! We’re gonna put her back in a dress within two weeks.”
Focusing on takeout and delivery, Americana hit a new gear in 2020 during COVID. Its delicious New York-style pizza has evolved into a local favorite. The pizzeria rates 4.6 out of 5.0 stars on Google. “This place is phenomenal!” wrote one reviewer. “Best pizza I’ve had in the U.S.”
The small new location will have the same business model: Get in and get out — or get it brought to you. “There’s gonna be two seats,” Conroy says. “If you want to sit there and eat a slice ... go right ahead.”
The sign outside is being restored with fresh LED and neon. And Betty? She still functions. “It’s creakin’ and movin’,” Conroy says.
He and Americana co-owner Max Lillie are hoping that the Vista expansion might take some weekend pressure off the original store.
“Basically, we’ve been looking for a second location for a minute,” Conroy says. “Especially with the impending doom of the cold storage one, too.”
Last year, the future of the 1.73-acre property at 304 S. Americana Boulevard — which includes Boise Cold Storage and Americana Pizza — became foggy. The sandstone building next to Rhodes Skate Park under the Boise Connector was put up for sale.
But, for now, it remains business as usual. There’s been no word that American Pizza needs to exit anytime soon, Conroy says. “It’s not like they’re gonna buy it and tear it down the next day.” So he and Lillie will “run two joints.”
But if the pizzeria ever does have to leave its original location? They still have Betty.
“We just couldn’t pass that building up,” Conroy says. “It’s so cool.
“... That is our exit strategy.”
This story was originally published January 24, 2025 at 1:08 PM.