30-year-old Rock ‘n’ Roll-inspired pizza chain shuttering 6 WA restaurants

Oct 24, 2025, 8:11 AM | Updated: 3:28 pm

A view of pizza in wood burning oven. (Photo: Rodin Eckenroth, Getty Images)

(Photo: Rodin Eckenroth, Getty Images)

Content Editor

A three-decade-old local pizza restaurant chain, The Rock Wood Fired Pizza, announced on Thursday that it will close six restaurants across Washington.

The Rock Wood Fired Pizza closures include its locations in Renton, Federal Way, Tacoma, Puyallup, Covington, and Lacey, the company announced.

“From the bottom of our hearts, thank you for being part of our story,” the company stated. “Your loyalty, laughter, and love for our pizza, buckets, and beer have meant the world to us. We’re incredibly proud of the memories made over three decades of dough, sauce, and smiles.”

30-year-old pizza chain to close six locations across WA

The company did not announce specific dates for each location’s closure.

The Rock Wood Fired Pizza will continue to operate out of its last Washington location in Auburn.

“While this chapter closes, the story isn’t over. ‘The Rock’ is excited to continue welcoming you at the Lake Tapps ROCK restaurant in Auburn — where the ovens are still hot, and the same great pizza and hospitality await you,” the company shared.

The pizza chain initially opened its doors in 1995 in Tacoma, under its former name, “The Wedge.” Founders Don Bellis and Jay Gigandet created the company after they enjoyed a wood-fired pizza establishment in a small New England town.

As the two founders were hard at work, crafting pizzas from scratch with fresh ingredients, their favorite Rock ‘n’ Roll tunes would play throughout the restaurant.

The work crew and guests would yell to turn the music up louder, which prompted the name change from “The Wedge” to “The Rock.”

The Rock’s menu features various takes on Rock ‘n’ Roll-inspired meals, including the Free Bird Sandwich, a Lynyrd Skynyrd-inspired chicken sandwich, and its “Stairway to Heaven” specialty sauce in honor of the Rock group Led Zeppelin.

Follow Jason Sutich on X. Send news tips here.

Please follow our Community Guidelines

Lifestyle

A grocery store employee stocks produce, which is covered by the USDA Supplemental Nutrition Assist...

Associated Press

SNAP has provided grocery help for 60-plus years; here’s how it works

The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, is a major piece of the U.S. social safety net used by nearly 42 million, or about 1 in 8 Americans, to help buy groceries. Originally known as the food stamp program, it has existed since 1964, serving low-income people, many of whom have jobs but don’t make […]

8 hours ago

Katrina Guischard

Parenting advice: What kids lose when life’s too convenient

Waiting, being patient, wanting something and not having it — these feelings aren't as built into children's lives in 2025 as it was in past generations.

8 hours ago

FILE - A Trulieve employee listens during a discussion of the medical marijuana company's product a...

Associated Press

Campaign to legalize recreational marijuana takes DeSantis administration to state Supreme Court

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — The campaign to legalize recreational marijuana in Florida is suing Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis’ administration in the state’s Supreme Court, alleging state elections officials are trying to improperly block the measure from getting on the ballot in 2026. It’s the latest escalation in a yearslong clash between progressive organizers seeking to […]

10 hours ago

FILE - A strawberry full moon rises behind a statue of William Penn atop City Hall in Philadelphia,...

Associated Press

Quakers at a glance: A look at the faith’s beliefs and the tradition of activism and silent worship

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Do Quakers quake? Do Quakers eat Quaker Oats? Are Quakers still around today? These are some of the questions that visitors often ask at the Arch Street Meeting House in Old City Philadelphia. Many visitors don’t know about the Quakers’ faith. But in recent years, attendance has been surging. The Arch Street […]

15 hours ago

Quakers attend a Sunday worship in the historic West Room of the Arch Street Meeting House in Phila...

Associated Press

Young adults turn to Quakers’ silent worship to offset — and cope with — a noisy world

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — At the Arch Street Meeting House in Philadelphia’s Old City, more and more young people are seeking respite from a clamorous technological age in the silent worship of a centuries-old faith. Like other Quaker houses of worship, it follows values of simplicity and equality. There’s no clergy, pulpit or altar. No statues […]

15 hours ago