Although the Super Bowl officially ends football season, Johnny’s New York Pizza is still a great place to go to watch college basketball with friends and take the family for pizza, wings and all variety of Italian food.
Whether customers want to eat in, take out or have an event catered, they can get a variety of pizzas, like the Meat Deluxe or the Great White; several Italian meals like strombolis, spaghetti, ravioli and baked ziti; and a wide variety of wings.
Co-owner Mike McClean said in addition to those staples Johnny’s is going to be adding several new meals including fettuccine alfredo with chicken, chicken and spinach cannelloni, a jerk-chicken sandwich and a spinach-artichoke appetizer dip.
Johnny’s is also adding several chicken wing sauces. Currently, the restaurant only has mild, medium and hot flavors. New flavors will include mild, medium and hot teriyaki and barbecue sauces, a jerk sauce, a gold rub sauce combining honey mustard and hot sauce and a samurai teriyaki sauce combining hot sauce and garlic.
Of course the name describes the most popular menu item, New York-style pizzas. Large slices and thin crispy crusts cooked in a stone oven are the signatures of the pizza. McClean said the pizza dough and sauce are made fresh every day, and he emphasizes fresh toppings.
Although Johnny’s Pizza is a regional chain, McClean said every franchise has its own local feel.
"The corporate office really wants each store to represent the neighborhood it’s in and be a neighborhood pizzeria. We’re really in love with the schools, my wife (co-owner Suzanne McLean) and I. Both our Conyers and Covington locations are decorated with football, baseball and basketball jerseys and T-shirts from the local schools," he said.
As an education partner, Johnny’s also sponsors Fifth Quarter Nights. After football games and other high school sporting events the teams can reserve the restaurant which will stay open past its usual 10 p.m. closing time just for the students. A portion of the money spent goes back to the teams.
Johnny’s also plays host to Spirit Night where different school organizations, like parent-teacher organizations, can come in and use Johnny’s for their event. Again, some of the proceeds go back to the group.
"I think that’s the way to show people that we are a part of the community, and that we support local families," McLean said.
Johnny’s does weekday lunch deliveries for orders more than $25 and has several special nights including trivia on Wednesdays at 7:30 p.m. and live music on Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. McLean said the restaurant has six TVs, which makes it a great place to watch any games.
Johnny’s also caters and serves limited varieties of beer and wine. For a full list of specials and a full menu visit johnnyspizza.com/ga.php and click on the Covington location.
