Zelda’s pizza is getting a new owner. Will anything change at popular Sacramento spot?

Jacqueline Pinedo
·2 min read

After more than four decades in Sacramento, a popular pizza restaurant is getting new ownership.

Zelda’s Original Gourmet Pizza, 1415 21st St. in Sacramento, was founded by Zelda Breslin in 1978.

Her son, Kerry Matthews, has been running the restaurant for the past 18 years. Now, he said, it’s time for the business to pass to someone new.

Matthews said he’ll continue running the restaurant for a while before turning over the keys.

“It’s me for a couple of weeks,” Matthews said Wednesday evening.

A Zelda’s Original Gourmet Pizza Chicago-style deep dish pizza sits — hot out of the oven and cut upon request — ready to be boxed and served for takeout at the side door of the 21st Street restaurant Tuesday, Dec. 22, 2020, in midtown Sacramento.
A Zelda’s Original Gourmet Pizza Chicago-style deep dish pizza sits — hot out of the oven and cut upon request — ready to be boxed and served for takeout at the side door of the 21st Street restaurant Tuesday, Dec. 22, 2020, in midtown Sacramento.

What is Zelda’s Original Gourmet Pizza?

Zelda’s Original Gourmet Pizza is credited with introducing Chicago-style pizza to the capital city in the late 1970s.

An Illinois native, Breslin perfected her deep dish recipe at Pizzeria Uno in Chicago, The Sacramento Bee previously reported.

In addition to thick, cheesy pizzas with classic toppings such as sausage and pepperoni, Zelda’s menu serves up specialty pies such as the Everything, which comes with sausage, pepperoni, mushrooms, green peppers, onions and anchovies, or the Spinoccoli, which features broccoli, seasoned spinach, fresh tomato slices and three kinds of cheese.

Pizzas are sold whole or by the slice.

The restaurant also offers appetizers, sandwiches, salads and pasta.

Zelda’s Original Gourmet Pizza owner Kerry Matthews — son of the late Zelda Breslin, who opened the restaurant in 1979 — walks a stack of Chicago-style deep dish pizza pies to the side door for takeout as coronavirus prevention measures are in place Tuesday, Dec. 22, 2020, in midtown Sacramento.
Zelda’s Original Gourmet Pizza owner Kerry Matthews — son of the late Zelda Breslin, who opened the restaurant in 1979 — walks a stack of Chicago-style deep dish pizza pies to the side door for takeout as coronavirus prevention measures are in place Tuesday, Dec. 22, 2020, in midtown Sacramento.

Why is Sacramento restaurant owner selling business?

After keeping Zelda’s running for nearly two decades, Matthews said he’s ready to “become a professional leisure-est” and “move on to the next chapter in life ... out of California.”

Matthews said he plans to move to Nevada.

Asked who is buying Zelda’s, a representative for the business told The Bee they were not legally allowed to provide that information.

However, Matthews confirmed that he is selling the pizzeria to someone who’s work for the restaurant for 40 years.

“Nothing will change” with the sale of Zelda’s, he said. “It would be a win win for everybody.”

As Matthews prepares to hand over the business, he said he’s thankful for the community’s support, adding that he’s met “many great customers” and “fantastic people over the years”

“I thank everybody for their patronage over the last 48 years,” he said.

Zelda’s has been dishing out pizza in Sacramento since the ’70s. Do you know its story?

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