INTRODUCING LEONA'S. Leona's, formerly known as Covizza, announced it will reopen on Galloway Street in a Jan. 10 social media post. (Submitted image of owners Jakob and Brittany Paulsrud)

If only a few positive things came out the other side of the COVID-19 pandemic, surely one of them was Covizza. A backyard pizzeria born during the pandemic quickly developed a loyal following, and founders Jakob and Brittany Paulsrud moved their home operation into the brick walls of Eau Claire’s Banbury Place in early 2022.

As life began to settle back into routine, a slice from the little Banbury pizzeria became a part of day-to-day life for many. (I remember my first slice: the Squash the Patriarchy special.) Then Covizza announced big news last fall: Another move was coming, and it was going to result in a collection of locally-founded gems, all housed at The 1106 (formerly known as Artisan Forge Studios). As you may be aware, that project did not reach fruition, and the let-down created ripples: The pizzeria was unsure where – if anywhere – it would move its operations, and Modicum Brewing Co. closed permanently.

Maybe folks were through with having little joys snatched away, or perhaps longtime locals who had seen their favorite hole-in-the-wall joints close were finally putting their foot down. Maybe it was just for the love of pizza. Whatever the reason, the pizzeria’s uncertain future triggered an outpouring of support, something rarely seen in the online landscape. 

Leona's humble beginnings in the Paulsrud's backyard, Brittany and Jakob pictured. (Submitted photo)

We’re talking dozens, then hundreds of locals flooding the Facebook post’s comment section with suggestions, links to rental spaces, people tagging real estate companies and their local connections, practically demanding that a new home for the pizzeria materialize.

The pizzeria’s new home needn’t appear out of thin air, it turns out. In fact, the Paulsruds are setting up shop just a mile away from Banbury Place at 408 Galloway St., most recently My Office Lounge. To make a long, whirlwind story short, the Galloway Street location was among the many suggested to them.

“Since COVID, it’s been kind of hard to tell if some places were being occupied or not, so I always thought (408 Galloway St.) was a potential landing spot, but didn’t know who to contact,” Jakob explained. “We always wanted a stand-alone building, so here we are, and couldn’t be happier.”

Besides finding a future home, the biggest change to come is the pizzeria’s name. Covizza is no longer, and the joint will be known as Leona’s – which was always the plan, the Paulsruds said.

“Covizza was an idea executed during the pandemic. It was our way of coping with uncertainty, bringing people together in a safe manner and was very much our hug to our community,” the duo said. “(The name) started as a joke, trying to make light out of a very trying time. ‘COVID’ plus ‘pizza’ equaled ‘Covizza.’ We didn’t want to remind people every time they thought of getting pizza from us of COVID as well. That being said, we had always planned to change the name once we found our permanent space.”

Leona is Jakob’s great-grandmother’s name, one of those in Jakob’s family who landed in northwest Wisconsin from Norway. His great-grandmother is buried in Eau Claire, and the namesake is very much a nod to her, to Jakob’s family, and how lucky the Paulsruds feel to own and run a business here, they said.

“We hope this space can be a place for other families to come and gather, and feel like they are at home,” the duo agreed.

Now able to look back on the last few months, the Paulsruds said the abrupt end of The 1106 expansion project became an opportunity for them to get back to their original dream: owning a stand alone, home-to-all pizzeria.

Leona’s will be everything folks knew and loved about the COVID-era pizza joint: “For the people, by the people” is not just the pizzeria’s tagline, but its overall mindset. The kind of warm-hearted, sharp-witted, artistic atmosphere flung together among the flour and heat of the stone-fired ovens will welcome customers once again at Leona’s.

Jakob and Brittany grew up in the punk communities in and around Eau Claire, Minneapolis, and Duluth, which gave them a DIY mindset and a natural inclination toward community-building. In similar fashion, the Leona’s team began moving into its new location at the end of January and – along the way – is figuring out definite hours, how it will use the spot’s patio, what live events could like there, and how the bar fits into it all.

The menu will (of course) include its standard and signature pizzas, plus a couple of salads, sandwiches, one calzone option, and potentially a few appetizers, the Paulsruds shared. They plan on securing a liquor license before opening, though that is not the main priority.

“We are a pizzeria first and foremost, that has the opportunity to sell alcohol – not a bar that sells pizza,” they stated. “We really want to focus on N/A options as well. Again, we want everyone to be seen and heard here.”

The Northsider special. (Photo by McKenna Scherer)

Squash the Patriarchy special. (Photo by McKenna Scherer)

Now able to look back on the last few months, the Paulsruds said the abrupt end of The 1106 expansion project became an opportunity for them to get back to their original dream: owning a stand alone, home-to-all pizzeria.

So, when will Leona’s open? The short answer: Who knows. Finding contractors to build out the location’s kitchen, nailing down an official menu, and other details will eventually determine the opening date, the Paulsruds said.

However, folks will hopefully get a taste of Leona’s before next fall, and the plan is to be open Wednesday-Saturday for both lunch and dinner, dine-in and take-out. 

“We really just want to thank everyone that has shown us support,” the Paulsruds said. “Seeing how the community reached out was so amazing that words can’t even describe (it). It’s amazing, the outreach and uplifting words we received, and (we) hope that we can pay it back!”

Keep up with Leona’s (408 Galloway St., Eau Claire) on Facebook and Instagram.