Update: Denton's Flying Tomato (aka The Tomato Pizza) Finds a New Home

For more than two decades The Flying Tomato — later just The Tomato — was a quintessential college pizza hangout across from the University of North Texas in Denton.

By Lauren Drewes Daniels

February 27, 2023

The Tomato Pizza is back. Courtesy of Micheal Slusarski

[
        {
          "name": "Air - MediumRectangle - Inline Content - Mobile Display Size",
          "component": "18855504",
          "insertPoint": "2",
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "2",
          
          "watchElement": ".fdn-content-body",
          "astAdList": [
            {
              "adType": "rectangle",
              "displayTargets": "mobile"
            }
          ]
        },{
          "name": "Editor Picks",
          "component": "17105533",
          "insertPoint": "4",
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "1",
          
          "watchElement": ".fdn-content-body",
          "astAdList": [
            {
              "adType": "rectangle",
              "displayTargets": "desktop|tablet"
            },{
              "adType": "rectangle",
              "displayTargets": "desktop|tablet|mobile"
            }
          ]
        },{
          "name": "Inline Links",
          "component": "18349797",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 8,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "7",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        },{
          "name": "Air - MediumRectangle - Combo - Inline Content",
          "component": "17105532",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 8,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "7",
          "maxInsertions": 25,
          
          "watchElement": ".fdn-content-body",
          "astAdList": [
            {
              "adType": "rectangle",
              "displayTargets": "desktop|tablet"
            },{
              "adType": "rectangle",
              "displayTargets": "desktop|tablet|mobile"
            }
          ]
        },{
          "name": "Inline Links",
          "component": "18349797",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 12,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "11",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        },{
          "name": "Air - Leaderboard Tower - Combo - Inline Content",
          "component": "17105535",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 12,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "11",
          "maxInsertions": 25,
          
          "watchElement": ".fdn-content-body",
          "astAdList": [
            {
              "adType": "leaderboardInlineContent",
              "displayTargets": "desktop|tablet"
            },{
              "adType": "tower",
              "displayTargets": "mobile"
            }
          ]
        }
      ]

Update Feb. 27, 2023: The Tomato posted an update to its Instagram that the former Fry Street pizza spot has secured a location for its new pizza truck. This spring you'll find them at East Side Denton and Austin Street Truck Stop, which are adjacent spots with a large outdoor food truck space, just off Denton's square.

For more than two decades The Flying Tomato — later just The Tomato — was a quintessential college pizza hangout across from the University of North Texas in Denton. Becky and Robert Slusarski opened the restaurant in 1984, and it was part of a special Fry Street era, uniquely weird and perfect.

The space burned down in 2007 in the Fry Street Fire, an act of arson to protest the redevelopment of the area. The Tomato never reopened in that location after the fire; a spot opened in Sanger in 2011 but closed the next year.

Great news today: the original owners' son, Michael Slusarski, is bringing The Tomato back. A post on Facebook this morning got Dentonites and former UNT students in a dizzy:
We'd heard that The Tomato actually lived on for years as a small side hustle business for a few people who were in the know. The Slusarskis would bake pizzas for pick-up, sometimes making the exchange in a Dairy Queen parking lot. Soon, though, everyone will be able to have another slice of The Tomato.
Michael Slusarski confirms that the pizza will be the same.

"The plan is to do pizza by the slice like we used to at the store on Fry Street, personal-sized Chicago style, sandwiches and more," he says.

Pizza ovens are often quite large, so finding the right kind of truck was a big challenge.

"We ended up finding a good deal on a trailer with more space than some of the food trucks/trailers I've seen recently," Michael Slusarski says.

The menu will be tight to accommodate the small space. There's no timeline or location yet, but Michael says they'll have a better idea about all that in the coming weeks.

We will certainly follow-up.

Become A Member

BEFORE YOU GO...
Can you help us continue to share our stories? Since the beginning, Dallas Observer has been defined as the free, independent voice of Dallas — and we'd like to keep it that way. Our members allow us to continue offering readers access to our incisive coverage of local news, food, and culture with no paywalls.

Lauren Drewes Daniels is the food editor of the Dallas Observer. She started working as a freelance writer in 2013 and became editor in 2021. She covers Dallas' evolving dining scene, the many openings and closings as well as trends and breaking news. She oversees annual lists including Top 100 Bars and Top 100 Restaurants and contributes to the Best of Dallas. If you have a tip about an amazing pastry, pie or taco, let her know.

Contact: Lauren Drewes Daniels

Follow:

Facebook: cityofate

Instagram: @lbd1975