Fans of Johnny's New York Style Pizza in Conyers will be delighted to know that a new franchise was recently opened in Covington.

Pizzeria owners Mike and Suzanne McClean said it was a natural decision to expand into Covington after the success of their Conyers location.

"The Conyers store has been so successful [that] we wanted to expand," Suzanne said. "Covington seemed like the natural progression."

Characterized by large slices with a thin crust, the pizza served at Johnny's is authentically New York in style.

According to Suzanne, all of the ingredients used in the pizza are fresh. The dough is made and hand-tossed daily. All of the recipes come from New York.

Dark wood paneling and brick columns give the interior of the pizzeria, located behind Newton Federal Bank at the intersection of Ga. Highway 36 and the Bypass, a New York-feel though the sports jerseys decorating the walls are from Georgia teams.

"The concept is your neighborhood pizzeria, so it's a family restaurant," Suzanne said.

Three large televisions mounted on the wall complete the décor. Like their Conyers location, Suzanne said they plan to hold Fifth Quarter Nights where the restaurant will remain open past normal closing hours for sports teams and their families and friends, to come and enjoy a meal while they watch a recap of their game. Suzanne said the events have been very popular fundraisers with sports teams in Conyers, as Johnny's will share a percentage of the night's proceeds with the team.

Specialty pizzas at Johnny's include a Greek pizza, a Chicken Florentine pizza, Pesto Pie and Buffalo Chicken pizza among others. Slices, medium pies and large pies are all available.

Other Italian cuisine includes calzones, which are folded pizza dough with seasoned ricotta, mozzarella and fresh toppings; stromboli, which is pizza dough stuffed with mozzarella and served with marinara sauce; lasagna; eggplant parmigiana; baked ziti and spaghetti with meatballs. Italian dinners range in price from $7.45 to $8.45.

All subs are under $6 and include Johnny's Italian Special, a tuna melt, a buffalo chicken sub and a veggie sub.

Lunch specials are served daily from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Customers can order two large pizza slices and a soft drink or one slice with a side salad and drink for the same price of $5.95. Other options are also available.

Johnny's features low-carb items including a range of salads and tortilla wraps. The restaurant also offers a kid's menu. Catering is available

Beer and wine can be ordered with your meal.

"It's not that we're a bar, but if mom and dad are going out with the family and dad wants a beer, dad can order a beer," said Suzanne.