Pizza Today - February 2018 - 67

found a suitable space, it was
game on.
"This building had been a
pizzeria previously, " Sweet
says. "When I saw it was
available, I knew it was perfect
for us."
It's located on a square in
Bloomington, just adjacent
to the Indiana University
campus. It's ideally situated
in an area that attracts
students, university staff and
locals alike.
"The previous place did
more of a New York-style
and had big deck ovens in
the back," Sweet says. "I
wanted to move the kitchen
out front where everything
is visible. And of course I
wanted to put in the woodburning oven, which is the
heart of the restaurant."
 King Dough turns a
hand-tossed, artisan
pizza out of the woodburner - and not much else.
The menu is streamlined and
simple out of necessity. "The
oven is the only cooking
source we have," Sweet
says. "We don't have grills
or fryers, so everything we
produce has to come out
of that oven. That is it. Of

course we do some salads,
service. Every day brought a
but we're pretty limited
new lesson, he says. 
overall with our setup. We
Now that serving the
do offer sandwiches and
masses
seems to be in
meatballs. We have a few
hand,
the
entrepreneur is
select appetizers that don't
hard at work on his next
require using the oven, such
challenge - store No. 2. The
as marinated olives or a
new location is
charcuterie
opening soon in
"People want
and cheese
Indianapolis.
board. And
to eat what they
"We're
we have
love. But they
trying to line
gelato. But
want to know
up some popthat's about
that what they're
ups with some
it. "
eating is not
high-traffic
Truth be
garbage. Give
restaurants in
told, the small
people a great
Indianapolis
menu was
product and
over the next
probably a
you can be sure
few months
godsend when
they'll
respond."
to help build a
King Dough
Adam
Sweet
base of customer
first opened.
recognition and
Sweet admits
get our name
he had his hands more than
out there more," Sweet
full early on.
explains. "We have some
"We had a soft opening,"
friends in the Indy food
he explains. "I think I
scene who are like-minded
posted 'Doors are Open' or
something like that on social and are going to help us out
with that. We're also doing
media, but that was it. And
some events up there with
the people literally came
the mobile oven to garner
pouring in. It was crazy. I
interest. But I think we're
wasn't ready for it, for sure.
going to be pretty busy in
We were slammed."
Indy based on the fact that
King Dough ran out of
a lot of people in the city
dough many times as Sweet
seem to already know us and
was learning to ramp up his

are asking about us. We're
always getting questions
about when we're going to
open. So I think people are
ready."
While the Bloomington
shop has beer and wine
offerings, the Indianapolis
location will have a full bar.
"I think with our location
there, we're going to be in an
area where people are going
to want to come in after
work or before dinner and
have cocktails," says Sweet.
"So we're going to make sure
we can offer that to them."
Though they might be
slightly different markets,
Sweet says he ultimately
doesn't expect the customer
base to be that different
between the two stores. It
all comes down to executing
great pizza, he says. Do
that and you'll stay busy, he
believes.
"People want to eat what
they love. But they want
to know that what they're
eating is not garbage," he
says. "Give people a great
product and you can be sure
they'll respond." n
 
JEREMY WHITE is editor in chief
at Pizza Today.

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