A Reno-based pizza brand is coming to downtown Carson City, bringing Portland-style pies, late-night hours and a space welcoming to students and families.
When husband and wife team Marlon and Rosy Flores first opened Dirty Dough Cookies on Highway 50 E. two years ago, they didn’t expect so much of their lives would revolve around dough.
But now, the pair are getting ready to open their next dough-based business — Wild Garlic Pizza — in the former Alatte Wine & Coffee Bar space at 507 North Carson Street.
The Food
Wild Garlic opened in Reno around 2012 as a sister brand to the Portland-based Blind Onion.
It’s known locally for Pacific Northwest-style pizza with a thin, crisp crust and a braided edge served with cups of honey for dipping.
The Carson City location will sell whole pies as well as pizza by the slice.
The menu also includes fresh-baked Focaccia sandwiches, garlic knots, salads and Rosy’s personal favorite — “Detroit bites,” squares of house-baked focaccia bread covered in sauce, cheese and toppings.
The Carson City site isn’t a franchise, however; after over a year of discussions, the Floreses decided to become business partner with Wild Garlic owner Dean Christopher.
“We just fell in love with the style and the vision,” Marlon said. “And so we started to think, how can we bring this to Carson?”
All Wild Garlic dough, sauces and toppings are scratch-made in the company’s central kitchen in Reno, delivering ingredients every 24 to 48 hours to each location to maintain strict consistency.
“It keeps the control on the quality of the ingredients,” Marlon said. “Dean is very analytical; he’s an engineer by trade. That dedication is one of the things that completely sold us.”
Filling a late-night gap downtown
When it comes to location, they knew they wanted to be downtown — Marlon said he grew up going to Nick’s Pizza, and wanted to bring another pizza shop to Carson Street.
For Rosy, the opportunity also addressed something she believes downtown is missing: late-night food options.
“We love going downtown and going out, and there’s nothing for us to eat if we want to get food later,” she said. “Everything closes at 8 or 9 — after that, you’re just stuck with the same fast food. If you work late, there’s nowhere to go after closing up.”
They believe the later hours could serve more than the downtown bar and concert crowds. Families returning from sporting events, students finishing extracurricular activities and employees getting off work late could also use another option.
“Sports get out late,” she said. “You need to have a place to go and eat.”
A space designed with — and by — students at the center
Marlon and Rosy have somewhere between three and 17 kids, depending on how you look at it.
Three are their own, but the rest are their employees at Dirty Dough, who Marlon and Rosy say have become part of their family over the past two years.
“When we opened, most never had real jobs before, they were just entering sophomore year — they didn’t know how to interview or put a resume together, and now, they’ve become our family,” Rosy said.
“We’ve only lost about four employees since we opened, and that’s because they’ve gone off to college out of state,” Marlon added. “But when they come home for breaks, they still ask to pick up shifts.”
The Floreses say the secret to their retention is simple: as employers, it’s their job to offer mentorship and help their staff become confident, responsible adults.
“No one wants to work in a cookie shop forever,” Rosy said. “It’s a stepping stone, and it’s our job to make sure we’re elevating them to be better and ready for that next step.”
Marlon says Rosy takes it a step further: she’s become the shop “mom” to their student workers, and keeps track of everyone’s sports and extracurricular schedules, when tests are coming up and makes sure no one is getting burned out.
“We know their parents, their schedules — it really is a family,” Rosy said.
Which is why, when it comes to Wild Garlic, some of their current workers and their own kids aren’t just going to be transitioning to the pizza shop, they’re actively helping shape its operations.
“Carson City is so limited when it comes to places for kids to go and just hang out,” Marlon said. “We’ve picked all their brains on how we can do something different, and make sure it’s a safe and welcoming atmosphere.”
These have turned into ideas like discounts for customers with active student IDs, late-night study-friendly accommodations such as free wifi and outlets at every table.
Marlon said they’re also commissioning a large-scale mural from local muralist and tattoo artist Andrew Doiron to bring something different to the art landscape downtown.
Movies and Music
Their plans extend beyond the restaurant itself. The Floreses said they plan to host monthly outdoor movie nights and live music in the Laxalt Plaza between the Carson Nugget and the Nevada Secretary of State’s Office.
While there are many live music venues in town, few are accessible to younger crowds. Many are only 21 and up, and options for alternative genres are often few and far between.
“We’ve been talking to some bands who do covers of Yellowcard and All American Rejects,” Marlon said. “We’re Millennials — it’s the kind of music we like, and there are a lot of other genres out there. We want to bring a whole different music scene than you can typically find in Carson City.”
Construction is currently underway inside the former Alatte Wine & Coffee Bar, and pending permits and inspections, Marlon said they hope to be open by Nevada Day.
