Ever since Mellow Mushroom closed its doors in October, the restaurant space less than 500 feet east of the UF campus has been vacant.
Not anymore.
Nearly a year later, a new tenant will occupy the 3,400-square-foot building at 1209 W University Ave. when Anthony's Wood Fired Pizza opens in mid-August.
"We know who our customers are," said William Gray, a restaurant manager. "We are, 100 percent, a school-oriented restaurant."
Anthony's will serve food until 4 a.m., providing bar patrons a reasonably priced, late-night option to "settle you down," Gray said.
Besides pizza, Anthony's will also serve wings, fajitas, lasagna, burgers and an array of appetizers including a concoction called "Gator Bites."
The Gator Bites, with a spicy kick from fresh jalapeno peppers, will be the restaurant's claim to fame, he said.
"But four or five of them can be dangerous," he joked. "We might have to have people sign a waiver."
A full vegetarian menu is also in the works, he said.
The restaurant will use wood-burning ovens to cook nearly every item on the menu. It will also serve a variety of imported, local and microbrew beers, he said.
"We want as many [beers] as we can get our hands on," he said.
The restaurant will also feature a chalkboard menu with daily specials.
While specific prices have yet to be set, Gray said there will not be any $12 burgers like he saw at another Gainesville establishment.
"What's up with that?" he asked. "Nothing is cheap these days, but it doesn't have to be overpriced either."
Before Anthony's signed the lease, the property attracted plenty of potential clients, said Jamie Kennedy, the commercial real estate agent who was assigned to the lot.
"We could have showed it five or six times a week," Kennedy said. "That's a pretty hot property."
