Pizzeria Irene Owner Rick Guzman pairs a glass of wine with his fresh-baked pizza.  He plans to have the restaurant ready for customers by early fall.  In the food industry for more than 15 years, Guzman studied wine pairings in Argentina to get his sommelier certification.

- - - -

Pizzeria Irene

Pizzeria Irene is bringing a fresh slice of Italy to Old Towne, offering a new twist on classic, well-loved Neapolitan pizza.  The restaurant, located centrally in the Plaza on North Olive St., plans to open in early fall.

Owner Rick Guzman, a lifelong resident of Orange with more than 15 years experience in the food industry, has already made his mark with Taco María, a Michelin-starred modern Mexican restaurant in Costa Mesa.  His deep love for Mexican food and pizza fueled his dream of introducing something new to Old Towne.

“We were looking to open a wine and pizza bar in Downtown Santa Ana, but once we found this building in Old Towne, we fell in love with it,” he says.  “I wanted to open something special that this area didn’t yet have.”

On a trip to Italy, Rick discovered a new twist on classic pizzas that guided his approach to Pizzeria Irene’s menu.  He was eager to try as much pizza and Italian cuisine as he could on his visit and stumbled upon fresh techniques that shaped his own offerings.

“I fell upon contemporary Neapolitan-style pizza and discovered this whole new world,” he says.  “There’s a new generation of people taking over their family shops and changing the game.  They’re implementing strategies to create a new, higher hydration dough to create a superior bread."

Diners will choose from four classic pies, a rotating pizza, and a wine list curated by Rick’s expert sommelier background.  The menu will also be complemented by salad and cheeseboard options, with produce sourced directly from the Santa Monica Farmers Market.

For Rick, the magic of Pizzeria Irene goes beyond Neopolitan-inspired pizza.  The restaurant is a family affair.  He partnered with his sister, Yara Guzman, to run the restaurant, and the shop is named after their grandmother.

“The homage to our grandmother Irene is in hopes this restaurant has a full life as she did,” says Yara, who has served as a project manager since the idea for the pizzeria first came together more than two years ago.  “She loved to cook, loved food, and she loved to gather.  I hope this restaurant remembers her well.”

Rick and Yara feel the restaurant connects them to the rest of their family history in Orange, too.

“Our grandfather and his brother worked the orange fields here long before they imagined we would ever have an opportunity to do anything like this,” says Yara.  “I would love the restaurant to be a place where people can enjoy themselves and relax.”

Pizzeria Irene
123 North Olive St., Old Towne Orange, CA 92866  /  714-602-7861