The goal of a successful Kickstarter campaign has been met, and no, I’m not talking about that [potato salad guy](https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/324283889/potato-salad). I’m talking about Pizza Tree.

Yes, folks, the local favorite is back. What started as an idea to sell pizza at Mojo’s spawned a crowdfunding effort to build a new restaurant where people can get their beloved slices.

Owner John Gilbreth is excited about the support the restaurant has gotten from the community throughout the process and says that “is why we used Kickstarter in the first place.”

Gilbreth says he closed shop with every intention of reopening, but wasn’t able to run Pizza Tree and look for a new space.

At the new location at 909 Cherry St., he says he hopes to “take good care of the local economy, products, employees, and customers,” while serving amazing pizza.

So what makes Pizza Tree stand out among the rest? Ingredients.

They “make the dough today and use it tomorrow,” says Gilbreth, so the foundation of the pizza is guaranteed fresh.

They also stretch their own mozzarella cheese and make their sausage and ham with meat from Columbia’s [Patchwork Family Farms](http://www.patchworkfamilyfarms.org/). Their pepperoni is from Ezzo, a source in Columbus, Ohio that Gilbreth says has some of the best pepperoni he has ever tasted.

The focus on ingredients may have you worried about prices, but Gilbreth says, “there’s a local focus, but we’re not trying to be ‘gourmet’… we just want pizza made how it should be.”

With slices of cheese for $2.25 and pepperoni or sausage for $2.50, Gilbreth is keeping up with that promise.

You can also count on good extras, with four draft beers and plenty of non-alcoholic beverage options. The pizzeria makes its own condiments, including a hot sauce that starts with carrot juice and is aptly named “Kill Da Wabbit” after the Bugs Bunny cartoon.

With the local focus, finding a great new location was key, and stepping into the restaurant, it’s clear everyone has put their best into the place.

Executive chef Jay Westcott says he “love(s) the new spot,” and that the shop “outgrew Mojo’s so soon.”

Gilbreth says he prefers the smaller location so he doesn’t have to worry about filling a space and can focus on serving the best product possible. Gilbreth is also excited to bring his own vibe to the block and says he loves the neighborhood.

If all of that hasn’t enticed you to head over to Pizza Tree yet, then the overall feel of the restaurant will.

Pizza Tree is tucked into a corner behind Harpo’s, but once you step inside, large windows make it feel much bigger. The walls are decked out with pizza-themed art and you can watch (and smell) employees putting fresh pizzas in to bake behind the counter.

And for those of you who simply can’t bear to leave your room, Pizza Tree delivers from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. seven days a week.