‘Legalize marinara.’ New Stoner’s Pizza Joint restaurant makes Bradenton debut
Matt Winters has worked in the restaurant industry for 23 years.
A longtime friend he met in the business, Jason Goetz, had become a Stoner’s Pizza Joint franchise owner and kept talking to him about taking that step.
“I decided to give it a try,” Winters said. “I wanted to gamble on myself.”
That gamble is opening Bradenton’s newest pizzeria this week. Stoner’s Pizza Joint, which was founded in 2013 in Texas, began an expansion process in July, according to a news release.
The company announced it would increase its locations from 40 to 100 in 18 months, the news release said.
One expansion location is the store at 3985 Cortez Road W., Bradenton, which opened Tuesday.
“I’ve had some signage up for a while, so everyone that has come in has been really excited,” Winters, owner of the Stoner’s on Cortez, said.
Inside the pizzeria, there are playful references to the company’s “stoner” branding, including large text on the walls that read, “Legalize marinara” and “Get baked.”
Winters said nothing is frozen, the dough is made daily and they use fresh ingredients.
“We have a propriety dough recipe, sauces, cheese blends and offer a few specialty pizzas,” he said.
Aside from pizzas, Stoner’s features calzones, strombolis, hickory-smoked chicken wings, salads and desserts. Through the end of January, Stoner’s is offering a $5.99 large one-topping pizza for carry-out as a special to commemorate the Bradenton opening, Winters said.
For more information, visit Stoner’s Pizza Joint online at www.StonersPizzaJoint.com or the restaurant’s app. Winters said app users can earn reward points, where every 10 points equals $1 off.
The pizzeria is open 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday to Thursday and 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. on Friday and Saturday.
This story was originally published January 10, 2025 at 5:50 AM.
