Sentinel staff report–
Drivers traveling along Auburn Boulevard may have noticed new signage outside a recently renovated strip mall announcing a new pizzeria, slated to open in November.
Andray Mikayelyan, owner of Benji’s Woodfire Pizza, told The Sentinel in an interview this month that his pizzeria started in his garage two years ago, before using a commercial kitchen at 7530 Auburn Blvd., which is now being remade into a restaurant to serve customers with indoor and outdoor patio seating.
Social media posts show a van and mobile woodfire oven has been used by Mikayelyan for catering and appearances at various events over the past two years, with the business already earning 4.7-out-of-5 stars out of 56 reviews on Yelp.
The new restaurant on Auburn Boulevard is in the final stages of health inspections and completing the interior work. Once operating, Mikayelyan says proceeds will help fund The Father’s Lighthouse, a home for fatherless boys.
Editor’s Note: See full feature on Andray Mikayelyan’s journey from drugs and prison to being a business owner in next weekend’s e-Edition of The Sentinel.
