BREAKING: Raniero's Pizza Moving Into Fort Thomas Plaza

Raniero's Pizza will be opening up in the Fort Thomas Plaza. FTM file.

In the infancy of Fort Thomas Matters, we traveled Greater Cincinnati to unlock the best food challenges that the area had to offer. We ate grilled cheese donuts against ESPN 1530's Mo Egger, challenged Tricia Macke's entire brood to a stuffed pizza challenge, and participated in the Olde Fort Pub's annual hot dog eating contest on the Fourth of July. There were ten challenges in all.

Of course we did this to raise money for Brighton Center.

The very first installment of "Mark vs. Food" took place at Raniero's Pizzeria in Cold Spring, Kentucky. Will Chambers and myself took on former Highlands football greats Jared Lorenzen and Patrick Towles in a ten-minute pizza eat-off.

The skinny guys won.

RELATED: Mark vs. Food, Episode 1. 


Now, after closing their Cold Spring location on Martha Layne Collins Blvd., in 2014,  Raniero's is bringing their New York style pizza back, this time to the Fort Thomas Plaza at 90 Alexandria Pike.

Owner, Mike Rainero Jr. said that his former customers were demanding his product to be back in the marketplace and that since closing his Cold Spring location, he's going to build his business steadily, and will "take my time to build it from the bottom to the top again."

"When I was in college, even in other places, I noticed there was always pizza. I just wanted to cater to this crowd and give them some affordable options, like pizza by the slice," he said.  "The proximity to NKU in Fort Thomas was a plus."

Raniero’s Pizza is a stone-baked New York style pizza. They will also sell hoagies, bread sticks, cheesy bread, fresh salad, cannoli and single topping pizza sold by the slice. Rainero said that the bulk of his business, which is in the old Dominos Pizza location at the Fort Thomas Plaza, will be carryout and delivery, but he will also have bistro seating available.

"We have big plans for the future. Our family recipe will be the same," he said. "It's a killer location, moving into a space that was already setup for a pizza restaurant for 28 years was a no-brainer. Fort Thomas is a great community that seems to support family-owned restaurants and small business." 

Rainero said that his friendship with Fort Thomas Plaza owner, Ken Perry, was what initially attracted him to the space. He said that they kept in contact through Facebook and when Domino's left, the opportunity presented itself.

He said that they have a targeted opening date of March 1 and yes, the 24-inch pizza challenge will be available.