Smokin’ Oak Wood-Fired Pizza is happy to announce the opening of its first Sunshine State location. The new restaurant will be located at 13180 Cortez Blvd. in Brooksville, FL and will celebrate its grand opening on May 3, 2022. This will be a true family-run business, locally-owned and operated by Rod and Cat Scott and managed by their adult children, Anthony and Brittany. 

Rod Scott is a combat veteran and wounded warrior who after 32 years of service in the Army, decided to trade in his combat boots for a chef’s hat. In 2017, Rod retired from the military and enrolled in culinary school to pursue his lifelong dream of opening a restaurant of his own. Now, a certified culinary and pastry chef, Rod knows a high-quality pizza when he sees one and was initially intrigued by the franchising opportunity offered by Smokin’ Oak Pizza. After careful consideration, Rod and Cat decided that the brand met their high expectations of food quality, and loved the added bonus of the taproom. They then became set on bringing the concept to their local community in Brooksville.

“I always appreciated how wood-fired pizzas have the most flavor and are the best for you in terms of health and digestibility,” said franchise owner, Rod Scott. “Our oak wood oven cooks each menu item with the same flavor and intensity as original Italian pizzerias and as the only self-serve taproom in Hernando County, our local guests are sure to be impressed.”

This will be the first Smokin’ Oak Wood-Fired Pizza restaurant the Scott family intends on opening, with plans for additional locations in the near future. The Brooksville location will be home to indoor and outdoor seating and a self-serve Taproom. A large roll-up door has also been installed that connects the inside and outdoor patio space.

Smokin’ Oak Wood-Fired Pizza and Taproom features a full menu of wood-fired pizzas, sandwiches, salads, starters, and even desserts. The oven, fueled by oak wood, gets to about 900 degrees and cooks pizzas in about two minutes. The brand delivers an enjoyable pizza experience through the use of its open-plan kitchen, which allows customers to be able to customize and watch their pizzas being made right in front of them. The dough and sauces are made in-house, veggies are cut fresh throughout the day, and even the meats are roasted in the wood-fired oven to infuse real oak wood flavor. The restaurant is perfect for those that need a quick lunch, but with the addition of the Taproom, it’s great for those that want to linger and take advantage of all that the self-serve tap wall has to offer.  

The Taproom features a self-serve tap wall that offers beer, wine, and mixed drinks. To use the Taproom, a guest will start a tab, be provided with an RFID-enabled bracelet, and then be free to explore the tap wall. Guests can pour anywhere from one to 16 ounces at a time, which provides them an opportunity to try different wines, beers, ciders and other drinks they may not otherwise try. A Taproom Attendant will be available to answer any questions on how to use the tap wall and to provide recommendations. 

“We are thankful to have our first location in our home state of Florida opened by such passionate local owners as Rod and Cat,” said Matt Mongoven, CEO and co-founder of Fourth Avenue Restaurant Group, the Franchisor of Smokin’ Oak Wood-Fired Pizza. “The local Brooksville community has been extremely welcoming to our restaurant concept and we are confident they will fall in love with our wood-fired menu items and self-serve Taproom wall.”

The opening of the Brooksville location marks an important step in Smokin’ Oak Wood-Fired Pizza & Taproom’s continued national expansion. For more information, please visit www.smokinoakpizza.com.