Black Street Pizza Co.: Serving Up Hope One Slice at a Time

A new pizza place has opened its doors in Barbourville. Its name is Black Street Pizza Company, doing business under the umbrella of local nonprofit Appalachian Restoration Project Inc., which also operates local business Talking Donkey Coffee House, as well as Hope City, a recovery program for women, and Redemption Road Recovery, a recovery program for men. Appalachian Restoration Project Inc. is led by Scott Phipps and wife Tammy, who also serves the community as pastor of North Main Community Church.

Phipps built a strong presence in the community, helping countless people turn their lives around from the throws of addiction. Through the work being done at Hope City and Redemption Road many individuals and their families have found new hope. The programs have reunited families and helped people struggling with addiction get clean and begin rebuilding their lives.

Places such as Talking Donkey Coffee House and now Black Street Pizza Company hire through the church and employ graduates of these programs, providing them with new opportunities.

Black Street Pizza Company is located on Black Street, just off Court Square next to Los Primos Mexican Restaurant. A grand opening is planned for Friday, June 20.

Alan Townsley and Jimmy Barton are managing the new restaurant. Townsley is confident they will have the best pizza in town, while Phipps says they’ll “let the pizza do the talking.”

The menu is intentionally simple to avoid overwhelming customers with too many choices. Options include classic cheese, pepperoni, and pizzas named after familiar local spots. The California Holler, a Hawaiian-style pizza, features ham and pineapple. The Artemus Bridge pizza is topped with green peppers, onions, and sausage. Other offerings include the Frog Level Supreme and additional specialty pies.

The menu also includes salads, pretzels, and a cheese dip with a kick. Phipps noted that their pizza uses imported Italian ingredients and is the only pizza in the area made with “live yeast.”

While there are no firm plans yet to do so, delivery or DoorDash may be options in the future. Recently, Talking Donkey Coffee House started using DoorDash as a delivery service.

Black Street Pizza Company started serving the public beginning June 16. A full menu can be found on their Facebook page.