The curtain has gone up on a first-of-its-kind pizzeria revitalizing a nearly century-old Art Deco theatre in the heart of one of Jacksonville's historic neighborhoods.

Electric Dough Pizza Co. premiered June 18 at the historic former San Marco Theatre in a concept sparked by award-winning Jacksonville chef Tom Gray, a veteran restaurateur whose vision led to the restoration, renovation and revitalization of the nearly 87-year-old landmark building.

Offering "craft casual dining," the family-friendly restaurant showcases Gray’s freshly made-from-scratch, rectangular artisan pizzas featuring a Roman-style dough which produces a light, airy crust accentuated by corner-to-corner toppings, and crispy, cheesy edges similar to Detroit-style pizza.

Electric Dough, at 1996 San Marco Blvd., emphasizes fresh flavors and high-quality, “better for you” ingredients amid a backdrop that celebrates and pays homage to the theatre's history and significance to the community.

The new restaurant joins established dining destinations such as Taverna Oceana, the original Taverna, and Gemma Fish + Oyster on San Marco Square.

Hand-crafted pizzas are the main feature, but Electric Dough also offers seasonally inspired fresh salads, specialty cocktails, and a rotating selection of gelato and other Italian-inspired desserts.

Electric Dough is the third restaurant from Gray and his wife and business partner, Sarah Marie Johnston, of CuliVino Hospitality Management + Consulting, headquartered in Jacksonville. They are also the founders and owners of Prati Italia, at 4972 Big Island Drive at the Markets at Town Center, and Town Hall, at 2012 San Marco Blvd., a few doors down from the theatre.

"We call it a blend of 'old world and new world,' meaning the old world Roman-style dough that is long-fermented, which yields a light, airy crust that is about an inch high when baked, with a 'new world' Detroit-style crust that has the baked crispy, cheesy edges," Gray told the Times-Union.

The combination of the two, he said, "is what we feel brings the best of both worlds together in our unique style along with our completely unique topping combinations."

The San Marco pizzeria is the first in a concept Gray confirmed he would like to expand throughout Northeast Florida, although no future locations or timetables have been set.

'Old world meets new world' as Roman-style pizza rises from supporting player to restaurant headliner

Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union

All pizzas are priced according to their size, toppings, and whether the crust is gluten-free.

New York, Neapolitan, and Chicago-style pizzas are found throughout Northeast Florida. Roman-style pie is rare, and Electric Dough's version is one-of-a-kind.

"Our style is unique, exclusively to us. There isn't any other. We've made this and it's unique to our formula, recipe, style and technique," said Gray, who spent about six months perfecting the recipe.

Gray introduced his pizza at Prati when it opened in January 2020. Since then, the pizza has risen from being a supporting player on the menu to headlining its own restaurant concept.

Electric Dough features 10 signature pizzas plus a "build your own" option.

The Roman-style rectangular pizzas are offered in two sizes: medium, which has six slices, and large, with 10 pieces. They also offer gluten-free pizzas that have a thinner crust and are only available in an oval shape with 12 slices.

Electric Dough also features salads and appetizers called "Lightning Bites," including some customer favorites from Prati Italia and Town Hall.

The Lightning Bites include gluten-free meatballs + ricotta ($14); Whipped Riccota Trio dip ($12); Warm 3-Cheese Spinach + Artichoke Founuta ($14), and the Pimento Cheese Dip with its pepper jelly drizzle ($11).

Salads, such as Simply Caesar ($10), Power Bowl ($14), Ed's Cobb ($13), and Mediterranean, which is vegetarian ($12), are offered. Desserts range from 12 flavors of gelato to a double chocolate brownie and an Affogato.

Gray collaborated on the menu with Pam Smith, founder and CEO, and chef Cliff Pleau, culinary innovation partner, both of Shaping America’s Plate Inc., an Orlando-based multi-dimensional food and beverage consultancy firm.

The restaurant's bar has specialty cocktails, local draft beers, and wine as well as frozen "hard slushies." Other available beverages include Lavazza espresso, organic sodas, juices and teas

A small retail area is stocked with Gray's signature line of pasta, sauces, house-made pimento cheese, and frozen, ready-to-bake pizzas. There will also be canned tomatoes from Italy, olive oils, and other specialty items.

'Celebrating the theatre as a work of art' via exposed brick walls, vintage lighting, and repurposed chopsticks

Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union

Designed by prominent Jacksonville architect Roy Benjamin, the San Marco Theatre opened on June 5, 1938, as a Sparks Theatre. The Art Deco theatre operated continuously as a movie theatre until December 2022, then closed on Jan. 1, 2023.

The restaurant pays tribute to the iconic Art Deco theatre's history, showcasing the best of the past while accentuating the present with modern decor throughout the roughly 4,200-square-foot building.

Reflecting the theatre's heyday, the classic gold fluting of the exterior facade above the marquee is mirrored by the restaurant's interior walls. The original movie projector that graced the theatre's lobby for many years is displayed prominently near where it once was showcased.

The interior walls were also stripped down to expose the original brick. In the main dining room, old black-and-white silent movies and cartoons are projected onto one wall in a nod to the decades of entertainment offered at the theatre, dating back to the 1930s.

Globe chandeliers from the theatre's later years hang from the ceiling. The circular bar lights are reminiscent of the vintage Hollywood-style vanities and highlight where the original movie screen once was.

In a unique contemporary element, the tabletops are crafted from repurposed chopsticks by ChopValue, headquartered in Vancouver, Canada, which creates "climate-positive wood furniture." Each one bears an etched infographic detailing how many chopsticks were used and how much the carbon footprint was offset by using them.

Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union

Atlanta-based architecture and design firm ai3 did the interior design — intended to "celebrate the theater as a work of art." Urban Partners Construction LLC of Jacksonville was the general contractor. In addition, the building's owner, TSG Realty of Jacksonville, committed to maintaining the building’s historic facade.

San Marco Theatre a family touchstone

Co-owner and chef Tom Gray grinds fresh pepper to garnish a pizza fresh from the oven at his newly opened Electric Dough Pizza Co. in the historic former San Marco Theatre in Jacksonville. Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union

Gray is a two-time James Beard Award nominee and a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York. He's worked his way up in kitchens from coast to coast.

The San Marco Theatre holds special memories for Gray and Johnston, who've lived and raised their family in the close-knit neighborhood since 1999.

"Our son celebrated many birthday parties here. It was date night for us, we watched countless movies and ate countless plates of nachos and had glasses of beer and wine," he said. "So we know what this means to the neighborhood, the community, and to the city. … It's a historic theatre from the 1930s that's still here today."

In a way, the theatre selected them, Gray said of their decision to locate Electric Dough there when TSG Realty said it wanted to transition the building to a new use, including a restaurant.

"The more we thought it through and spent time in here, and realized that this pizza restaurant ultimately should grow beyond San Marco, we felt like this is the right spiritual home to be where the concept is born," Gray said.

As they considered the restaurant's design, the couple wanted to honor the theatre's history as well as "bring it to a modern use and make it a family-friendly, community-oriented space for people to enjoy and build new memories in," he said.

Theatre revitalization 'heartens' San Marco residents

Jacksonville City Council member Matt Carlucci grew up in San Marco. It was bittersweet for residents when the beloved neighborhood theatre shut its doors. It "marked the end of a cherished chapter in our neighborhood’s history," he told the Times-Union.

Carlucci said with the arrival of Electric Dough, "We now turn the page with gratitude." The theatre's transformation is "a sign that while some chapters end, others begin with great taste and community spirit," he noted.

"The new Italian eatery has beautifully preserved the theater’s iconic Art Deco façade while bringing fresh energy and flavor to the Square," he said. "It’s a thoughtful, vibrant addition to San Marco that honors the past while embracing the future."

Why it's named Electric Dough Pizza Co.

The restaurant's name, Electric Dough Pizza Co., references the imported Italian electric ovens where the pizzas are baked in the restaurant's open kitchen.

Soon to be expanded, the Electric Dough's temporary hours are daily 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. for lunch, then 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. for dinner. The July 4th holiday hours will be 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Beginning July 5, its regular hours will be 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday, and 11 a.m. to midnight Friday and Saturday.