Fire Street Pizza a feast for all to enjoy
By RACHEL STRICKLAND | Photos courtesy of FIRE STREET PIZZA
Nestled in the heart of rural Belton sits a welcoming pizza joint that prioritizes excellent food, a fun, family-friendly experience, and happy customers. Fire Street Pizza began as a food truck and has grown into a well-loved hang-out spot for locals who want to enjoy a hot slice of wood-fired pizza, a cold, locally sourced beer, and a fun destination experience.
Since the beginning of their relationship, Jason Brumbalow and his wife, Alis, wanted to open a restaurant. They bought a plot of land from family in 1998 and began working on their dream. Jason said the area lacked a Neapolitan pizza joint and he wanted to help fill that void. They started out with a food truck, and in late 2017, the couple was finally ready to open a brick-and-mortar restaurant.
“We found resounding success with a destination wood-fired pizza restaurant that we built, by hand, over 18 years,” Jason said.
Born and raised in Killeen, Jason began working in the restaurant industry at the age of 15. Something about it just struck a chord with him. By age 18, he was bartending, but ended up leaving the bar scene and went to school for 3D animation instead.
“I learned very early that being creative was the best way I could stop time and find stillness,” he said. “So, art, design, photography, videography, animation and production have always been a thing (for me). I soon developed into a producer in the magic industry, working with the creative teams of David Blaine, David Copperfield, and Criss Angel.”
Since Jason has always been interested in startups, advertising, and marketing, opening a restaurant wasn’t too much for him. From the moment you turn into the gravel parking lot of Fire Street Pizza, it’s obvious you’re in for an experience. The ambiance is impeccable — string lights sparkle from every corner and music keeps the vibes high. There is plenty of seating available, both indoors and outside, and there’s plenty of room for the kids to run and play.
Fire Street serves up traditional, wood-fired Neapolitan pizzas, a style that originated in Naples, Italy and is distinctive by its soft, fluffy crust. Jason says it’s the most important part of the pizza, and he’s worked hard to perfect his recipe. For Jason, coming up with different pizza varieties is the most fun part of the creative process.
“Food is the only art form I know of that can be enjoyed with all five senses,” he added.
Even the names of the pizzas are unique, and Jason says they all come from pop culture references, inside jokes, and music themes, including “California Dreamin,’” “Harvest Moon” and “My Sharoni.”
It’s a fact that pizza just isn’t the same without a cold one to go along with it, and the folks at Fire Street are fully aware of this, so they have a ton of beers on tap. They source their beer from local breweries within a one-hour radius and then work to pair them with the food. The mix of good food and drinks makes Fire Street a great place for people to hang out.
“Most people come to stay and chill, rather than turn and burn,” Jason said.
Fire Street hosts trivia and jukebox bingo every Thursday from 6 to 9 p.m., which are both huge crowd-pleasers. They also feature local musicians, which helps to cultivate their self-proclaimed “funky vibe.” Fire Street’s customer base is mainly families and locals, and over half of them are returning customers who have turned into lifelong friends.
“That was something that I experienced in my old restaurant days, and it’s wonderful to see it happen here again,” Jason said. “Our entire staff rallies under the idea of ‘creating a place to free people from concern.’ Life is tough; we want to create a getaway.”
The food and atmosphere at Fire Street are so incredible that many people choose to hold their events there, including birthday parties, bar mitzvahs, hail and farewells, and even divorce parties. They also offer off-site catering.
“We can bring the oven truck to your door, or you can bring your crew to our spot,” he said.
From lounging in their spacious outdoor seating area to taking pictures in front of the “I Love You to Pizzas” wall, time spent at Fire Street Pizza is truly an experience.
“There is an X-Factor here that you have to see first-hand to ‘get it,’ Jason said. “That’s why most people return. I’ve even had customers tell me they come to watch the staff because they are so energized and excited by what they do. I couldn’t think of a better measure of success than something like that.”
Fire Street Pizza
Address: 10310 FM 439, Belton
Phone: 521-910-4676
Website: firestreetpizza.com
Hours: 5 to 9 p.m. Thursday and Friday; noon to 9 p.m. Saturday;
11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday
