How Edison's Pizza Kitchen Found a Fitting Revival in Tremont's Dining Scene

On a relatively cool Saturday afternoon in Tremont, a group of six women sit in the corner of Edison’s Pizza Kitchen, passing slices back and forth as conversations overlap. They had been counting down the days until Edison’s reopened for in-person dining after a nearly two-year absence. One woman is visiting from Indiana, while another drove more than 30 minutes for the meetup. This was the pizza, after all, that fueled the long sessions studying for their boards as nurses. They always used to order days ahead, trying to beat the long wait on Friday and Saturday nights.

“Does it stack up to the Edison’s you remember?” I ask.

“Oh, yes,” says one of the nurses, boldly admitting that she and another friend at the table had been sneaking away from the group for an extra fix. “This is our second time in two weeks."

The ladies laugh at the confession. Just like old times. Those original gatherings were more than 10 years ago, when Edison’s pickup spot was a half-mile down the road inside Edison’s Pub. Today, the women dine in the former Lava Lounge, an institution in its own right that closed in 2024.

After splitting from the pub in 2023, the Edison’s Pizza Kitchen brand lived on through satellite counters at Lucky’s Market on West 117th Street and Dave’s Market in Ohio City, plus take-and-bake pizzas at both grocery stores. Now, a trio of longtime friends, business partners and Edison’s super fans — Evan Bailey, Mike Beder and Donna Grigonis — are bridging the past and present by merging two institutions, the Lava Lounge and Edison’s Pizza Kitchen into one.

The connections between Beder, Bailey and Grigonis date back to their college days at Kent State University. Bailey and Beder met in 1999 while helping promote events through student government.

“We have a close friendship and a close working relationship. They don’t really feel like two different things,” Bailey says. “Our first conversation, I remember it clearly, was over making a flyer for something, and we kind of built our friendship on work from there.”

Grigonis and Beder, meanwhile, connected through Kent’s nightlife industry a bit later in 2008. In the years that followed, the couple married and welcomed two sons. Once they officially took over Edison’s Pizza Kitchen and Lava Lounge from the founding owners, Beder was thrilled to be invited in. 

Nearing retirement, previous Edison’s Pizza Kitchen owners Karl and Beth Nickel were thrilled, too, that the group wanted to carry on their life’s work. Grigonis, who also works full time at Tremont West Development Corp., has been an Edison’s enthusiast since her 20s, when she was living “her best life” in Ohio City. For her, the restaurant isn’t just a business — it’s nostalgia.

“It was right people, right place, right time,” Karl Nickel says. “We weren’t really shopping it at the time. Thanks to the strength of our faith and the incredible workers we had, we had a good business. After 15 years in Tremont, our customers there were loyal and fantastic with us, so we were honored that we had a reputation that somebody wanted to carry on.”

“Carry on” may be the understatement of the year. Making sure to do right by the memory of Edison’s Pizza Kitchen is paramount for Bailey, Beder and Grigonis. 

Their “Cleveland-style pizza” still starts with a handmade, rolled-edge crust that’s somehow crispy, yet chewy, and baked to perfection. Just like it did in the good ol’ days, Edison’s overloads each slice with toppings, dusts the edges with Parmesan cheese, and offers it up with a sweet honey dip (or drizzle) that “pairs perfectly” with its savory pizzas.

“We haven’t changed the recipes at all,” says Grigonis. “(The red sauce) is made in-house. It’s a very secret recipe, which only a handful of people know.”

Edison’s isn’t the only legacy the group hopes to honor, though. 

While visiting the Lava Lounge for another project in mid-2024, Grigonis learned that then-owners Jack Anfang and Ricardo Sandoval were considering selling the space. 

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“We didn’t have a broker or anything,” Sandoval says. “And then Donna walked in the door one day, and she just said, ‘Well, we’re looking for a place. How much?’ and she came back basically within a week with an offer. That’s how fast that happened.”

After 26 years of operating the Lava Lounge, waiting for the right buyers was especially important to Anfang and Sandoval since they still own the catering kitchen next door. Now, they can’t imagine their old haunt being owned by anyone else and make it a point to stop in once a week, if they can.

“I love it,” Anfang says, while noting that the little touches from Lava Lounge’s past mixed into the decor make it extra special for them as they show their support. “I’ve seen that in a lot of places, like in New York City, where they maintain the integrity of the previous business if it was something special. I love what they’ve done in there.”

There’s the original Lava Lounge sign hanging outside, the private pop-up area enjoyed only by those in the know, and the artwork by Chicago artist Eric Skaggs — a friend of Anfang and Sandoval — prominently displayed inside the entrance to tell the stories of swanky late nights spent within dark red walls to the soundtrack of downtempo music. But it’s more than that.

The space is brighter now, and a disco ball hangs in the middle of the room where there once wasn’t one. The not-so-subtle nods to Lava Lounge’s legacy still make the space feel like home to those longtime customers, many of whom still live in the neighborhood or had their first date at the bar.

“It’s been wonderful seeing people’s reactions as they try it again and hearing them talk about their experiences in the past,” Bailey says. “It really seems it’s not just food. It’s like a cultural memory, so that’s been really interesting to be a part of.”

It’s not all nostalgia, however. The group is exploring some new additions, such as signature pizzas with more modern flavors and expanded vegan options. They’re also planning to partner with local chefs to plan pop-up experiences in a tucked-away secret location called, none other than, Lava Lounge.

Beder, who lives in Kent and also partners with Bailey at The Cleveland Bagel Cafe there, likes the idea of bringing Cleveland-style pizza to the rest of Ohio and, eventually, beyond. Then, Clevelanders could have a taste of home wherever they may be.

“There’s an amazing food scene in Cleveland,” Beder says. “I see this fun opportunity to put this very distinct Cleveland style of pizza on the map.” 

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