Long-awaited pizzeria, bar open in historic downtown Phoenix space

Otra Pizzeria and Better Days, the highly anticipated one-two punch of a restaurant and bar from chef Cesar Velasco and the team behind The Churchill, will soft-open in Phoenix’s Warehouse District this weekend.

After navigating construction delays, the pizzeria and the second-floor watering hole will debut in the historic Gerardo’s Building located on the northeast corner of Third and Buchanan streets. The space was formerly home to a pool hall and soda fountain, and more notably, the long-running Sonorense Cafe. 

After this weekend, Otra will officially open on Wednesday, and Better Days will follow on Friday.

Kell Duncan and Stephen Allen are behind the shopping and dining hubs The Churchill in downtown Phoenix and the forthcoming Jefferson House in Peoria. Duncan moved to the Warehouse District around 2012, and his time living there made him fall in love with downtown Phoenix. The developer recalls often walking by the two-story, Art Deco-detailed brick building.

“I was always looking at that spot,” Duncan says. “I always wanted to know what was going to happen with it.”

Now, Duncan has turned his curiosity into action. A pizza oven helmed by Cesar Velasco and his team will warm the first floor, while The Churchill team run the bar upstairs. Velasco’s Neapolitan-style pizza pop-up has gained a dedicated following over the last three years. He’s excited to take the next step.

“It’s been very surreal,” Velasco says. “I know we’ve been busting our butts and making sure that we’re out there being consistent, and now it’s finally paying off.”

Though the businesses will operate separately, the teams will serve food and drinks across both floors.

“Essentially it is one concept,” Churchill owner Kell Duncan says. “Even though it’s one thing, they both have their own identity.”

What to expect at Otra Pizzeria and Better Days

When guests step inside the modern, retro-inspired Otra Pizzeria, the open kitchen set the tone. Giving diners a glimpse of the pizza-making process mirrors what Velasco and his team have done since 2023: cooking pizzas in a wood-fired oven outside local wine bars, breweries and businesses. 

“What we offer at the pop-ups now is what we’re trying to offer at the restaurant,” Velasco says. “It’s just more of a deeper dimension.”

The chef came up through the fine dining ranks at notable Valley eateries, including Christopher’s, Chula Seafood and Fat Ox. Velasco started stretching dough and firing pies at The Pemberton’s pizzeria, Pie-Curious. He soon channeled his culinary know-how and heritage with Otra Pizzeria. 

After a brief residency at the now-shuttered Miracle Mile location of Spce Coffee, Velasco was searching for a brick-and-mortar. A Local First Arizona staffer introduced him to Duncan.

“I had a whole business plan,” Velasco says. “He’s had my pizza, so he knew who he was going into business with.”

The chef will keep Otra’s menu similar to what diners have come to expect at the pop-up: wood-fired pizzas with charred, bubbly crusts topped with classic and fusion ingredients, like housemade fennel sausage and burrata with salsa macha. Seasonal salads and Otra’s popular charred romaine Caesar will continue to be part of the menu, too.

To open the brick-and-mortar version of Otra, Velasco brought in longtime friend and chef Kevin Rosales, who cooked at the now-shuttered Disco Dragon. The native Chicagoan worked at the original Lou Malnati’s Pizzeria and made and sold pizzas from his ASU dorm room.

“I’ve always been obsessed with pizza,” Rosales says.

Velasco, Rosales and their crew will add appetizers and pasta to their dinner and late-night menu. They hope to grill carne asada on Sundays and host events featuring Mexican wines. Otra’s chefs will also craft some desserts, and Velasco plans to partner with local vendors on other treats. In time, the chef anticipates adding more seasonal dishes highlighting Arizona ingredients. 

The pizzeria will offer daily counter-service lunch and full-service dinner.  The Otra kitchen will turn out Roman-style square slices from around 10 p.m. to midnight for Better Days customers. Beer, wine and cocktails from Better Days will also be available to Otra patrons. Duncan has tapped long-time Churchill bartender Fendi Vaughn to manage the bar.

“I really want her to have creative freedom,” Duncan says of the bar menu.

The bar will open in the evening and stay open late. The upstairs watering hole will feature a vintage dive-bar feel, with warm, dim lighting, checkerboard floors and red booths lining the perimeter.

“We’re going for a friendly, approachable, neighborhood bar,” Duncan says. 

Better Days and Otra Pizzeria

Opens this weekend
421 S. Third St.