Owner Kristen Castillo stands behind the counter of K’s NY Pizza, the newest restaurant in Saluda. (Photo by Storme Smith)

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SALUDA—One of the newest restaurants in the area is K’s NY Pizza, owned and operated by Kristen and Kristofer Castillo. K’s NY Pizza is located at 102 E. Main St., adjacent to Green River Adventures. 

The Castillos originally landed in Flat Rock during the pandemic while visiting from Florida. They made a decisive move to shift from managing others’ businesses to creating their own, leading to the launch of K’s NY Pizza on Upward Rd. in East Flat Rock, which has been serving the community for over four and a half years.

The couple’s passion for pizza stemmed from years of experience in the restaurant industry.

“Who doesn’t love pizza?” Kristen said.  

Kristen says they chose to open the second location in Saluda after a friend who managed the building introduced them to the property. 

“It just happened,” Kristen adds. “It was a great location. We loved it. We saw the vision.”

The menu features a wide selection of pizza options, including significant specialty pies like the Saluda Special, filled with steak, mushrooms, green peppers, and onions, as well as customer favorites such as the Kahuna, which combines ham, bacon, and pineapple. The pizzeria also offers a variety of sandwiches, including an Italian sub and a hearty meatball sub, both designed to cater to different tastes.

The dough is made fresh daily in-house, and pizzas are hand-tossed. They also offer pizza by the slice for those looking for a quick bite. 

Customers can also enjoy subs, salads and cheesecakes made by Kristen’s mother, Sherry, affectionately known as “the cheesecake lady.” They also have rotating dishes such as calzones and lasagna.

“We encourage everyone to support local,” Kristen says. “We’re all about giving back to the community, which has already been super supportive of us.”

K’s NY Pizza also runs a “Feed the Need” program, where they regularly serve 150 meals free to the community.

K’s NY Pizza operates Thursday through Saturday, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., and on Sunday and Monday, noon to 7 p.m. To place an order or for more information, call (828) 551-2619.