Crispy coal-fired pizza coming to Lowertown

By Jake Spitzack | Staff Writer | April 2025

Longtime Twin Cities restaurateurs Shaz Khan and Antonio Gambino are bringing a slice of their success to St. Paul this summer. They’re planning to open Prince Coal-Fired Pizza in the former Black Sheep Pizza space at 512 Robert St. Their pizzas will be made from stoneground wheat sourced from a local miller in Minnesota and baked in a coal-fired oven. Pies range from classics to exotics and can also be purchased by the slice.

You’ll find meatball pizza, mortadella pizza, and even one topped with pistachio cream sauce. Gambino said the dry heat of the coal-fired oven makes cheese caramelize better and gives the pizzas a distinct crunchiness. Also on the menu are meatball subs, crostini (toasted bread with toppings) and salad. The restaurant will seat about 65 and operate 11 a.m.-10 p.m. daily. It will have a bar and patio and may offer live music some nights.

“The pizza industry is always evolving as far as what can go on a pizza, so I like to stay on top of the game and improve and come up with new recipes,” said Gambino. “My favorite item is the crostini. We’re doing a roasted pear with wild mushroom ricotta. It’s fantastic. We’re also making a Calabrian romesco crostini.”

Khan and Gambino have been close friends since high school and began working together about a decade ago when they opened their first business, Frank and Andrea’s, which still operates in Minneapolis and is expanding to Madison, Wis. this year. They also operate Tono Pizzeria + Cheesesteaks, which they founded in 2019 and now has nine locations across the state with three more slated to open this year.

“We have a significant footprint in St. Paul,” said Khan. “Our second and flagship location of Tono is in St. Paul, and we have a headquarters based in St. Paul…. St. Paul has always meant a lot to us. It’s a great city. There’s a huge opportunity for what can only be referred to as the revitalization in Lowertown. We feel that we’re equipped and ready for those challenges. With our experience and the passion that we have we can start building bridges and doing work to help open the gates for that revitalization to occur.”

Khan is a St. Paul native and Gambino hails from Philadelphia and is the son of an immigrant from Palermo, Italy. Gambino also operates Andrea’s Pizza, which his parents ran from 1999 to 2019 at four locations in Minneapolis. The first Andrea’s Pizza opened in Galtier Plaza in St. Paul 1992, but since closed.

“We’re taking a very community-centric approach here,” said Khan. “Our intention is to engage with local businesses, community groups, neighborhood groups and the city to do whatever we can in order to make this a destination.”

• Facebook
• ShareCopied to clipboard

<<< Back to Home