As Blue Bridge Hospitality continues to expand and explore new concepts, its commitment to valuing both its menu and its team remains the cornerstone of the business.
“Both pizzerias, since they’ve opened, have kept their originality and are very approachable,” says Oriana Spatafore, Director of Sales and Marketing at Blue Bridge Hospitality. “It gives the feel of a traditional Italian pizzeria. You get a different vibe at each. Village Pizzeria at Bayside in the Ferry Landing has the beautiful cascade of the bay. It’s very open and airy, but you still get that rawness of very classic pizzas, hoagies, wings.”
Village Pizzeria Downtown
On the other side of Coronado is the original Village Pizzeria. “It makes you feel like you’re in an East Coast pizzeria. It’s right on the street side of Orange Avenue. Since COVID, we moved to full counter service. It’s a very East Coast pizzeria vibe. You hear the cars going by, and you can watch through the window as the chefs make the pizza.”
Right next door to Village Pizzeria, at 1202 Orange Ave. was Island Pasta, which after 31 years closed in October 2025.
Blue Bridge Hospitality moved into the space in March 2026 with Double Standard, creating more opportunities for the pizzeria. “There’s an open doorway, so you can move from Double Standard to Village Pizzeria. The two restaurants are connected by one wall. If you’re a family of four and someone wants pizza and someone else wants burgers, you can go your own way. But you’re still in one place to enjoy both meals at once.” Continuing to sample into the other sister restaurants, Spatafore shares, “At Double Standard, you get a legit milkshake with MooTime Creamery ice cream. You’re not getting something with additional additives or fake food coloring. We aim to use all-natural dyes. Our ‘Silly Vanilly’ is not as blue as it used to be because now we’re using a beetroot powder.”
Blue Bridge values its ingredients
“We don’t shortcut things,” Spatafore says of all Blue Bridge restaurants. “[At Villiage Pizzerias] we house-make our dough. We house-make our marinara. We house-make all of our sauces. At Double Standard, we’re using high-quality wagyu beef and all-natural chicken. At Little Frenchie, we use imported Valrhona chocolate from France for our Parisian hot chocolate. Staying true to ingredients that some restaurants try to shortcut changes the value of the food.”
Blue Bridge values its team
At both pizzerias, Spatafore credits the team for decades of success. “We hire a lot with the seasonality of strong summers, but we also have people who have been here year after year and have grown with us. They understand the company values and understand providing great customer service.”
The pride is evident as Spatafore continues, “A lot of people have worked at Village Pizzeria for years. Let’s talk about the guys who are making the pizzas. I think Javi has been there since I worked at Village Pizzeria, which was over 27 years ago. Felix has been there for 20-plus years. A lot of our kitchen staff, I could be their daughter,” she laughs. “Brandon started off working as an employee. He’s moved his way up. He’s now the general manager. His little brother works there, and he’s the supervisor now. Everybody’s family.”
Created family blends with existing families at Village Pizzeria. “We are a family restaurant. We’ve had a lot of locals who are Coronado natives and work there. We have the owner’s son who’s in there. He’s going to school, but he’s also back there making pizza some days. All the kids have worked there. Every single family member has worked there.”
In addition to behind-the-scenes, locals are on the other side of the counter. “You get a lot of locals that come in every week. A lot of the military supports us. Seeing a familiar face at the counter is key to what makes Village Pizzeria what it is. That’s what makes it special. We’re very blessed to have people who have stayed with us for so long and remain loyal. They enjoy where they work, which, as an establishment, is all you can ask for.”
Community support & Village Pizzeria
Blue Bridge is well known in the community for giving back to local organizations. In particular, its pizzerias and Moo Time. “We are working with Sharp Hospital on the golf course tournament. We’re working with the Coronado Island Film Festival in November. There are special prices for all school lunches. We have the Harvest Hoedown that’s coming for Village Elementary. We do $7 pizzas for the schools, so we get a lot of orders. I would say on a weekly basis we’re doing something for the schools,” says Spatafore.
Being able to give back is something they are most proud of. “They feel connected enough to reach out to us and know that we are always going to support them.”
Visit Village Pizzeria at the Ferry Landing and enjoy all Blue Bridge Hospitality restaurants for a valued experience.
