A new pizza shop will bring extra-large slices to State College. What’s on the menu?
A new pizza shop will bring extra-large pies to downtown State College once it opens this spring.
Benny’s Pizza expects to open its doors at 109 S. Fraser St. in mid-April in the former location of the juice bar K2 Roots, which moved to 114 S. Garner St. last year. The State College pizza shop will mark just the third Pennsylvania location for Benny’s, the regional chain largely centered in Virginia.
Franchisee Colin Farrell will oversee State College’s pizza shop. Farrell, a Bloomsburg native, got involved with Benny’s as a Virginia Tech student and expects to have a hands-on approach in Happy Valley while managing his first location.
“I’ve come to really enjoy my time making pizza at Benny’s, and I think it will do great in State College,” Farrell told the Centre Daily Times. “I’ll be on-site pretty much every hour of operation, especially in these first few months. I’ll be in the shop making pizza alongside everybody we train here.”
Benny’s shops are known for just about one thing: extra-large, 28-inch New York-style pizzas. Each pie, significantly bigger than the average joint’s 18-inch large pizza, is cut into eight slices. Slices are often ready to go in just a few minutes.
“It’s a hefty slice and a hefty pie,” Farrell said. “We cut our pizzas into eight slices, so it’s easy to walk up and grab a slice quickly.”
Though Benny’s often opts for traditional toppings like pepperoni and sausage, some flashier options are available. The chain’s shop in Blacksburg, Virginia, recently debuted a pizza topped with burger fixings and another fitted with broccoli, crispy onions and beer cheese.
No matter the flavor, each slice typically costs around $5, Farrell said. That price point can make Benny’s a generally affordable option for a quick and easy meal. The franchisee described Benny’s offerings as having a “homemade feel” without a hefty price tag.
“We sell a meal for $5, pretty much, which I think appeals to a college crowd very well,” Farrell said. “It’s a great market because there’s always something going on here, even during the summer. We’re a great fit for that business, that fast-paced lifestyle.”
Benny’s shops usually feature an open kitchen concept, Farrell said. Those who walk in for a slice might see workers mixing dough in the back or stretching out a pie right behind the counter.
Each Benny’s location features a unique name that helps personalize it to the area, ranging from “Benny Marzano’s” in Blacksburg to “Benny Fierro’s” (playing off of the Italian word for “proud”) in Philadelphia. State College’s location will be Benny Leone’s — and for good reason, Farrell said.
“Given that State College is the home of Penn State, kind of the pinnacle of the community, we went with ‘leone.’ After all, it means ‘lion’ in Italian,” he said. “We try to make the name attached to each location representative of the area.”
Benny’s began scouting locations near State College in July, Farrell said. The restaurant expects to open next month once it receives a few operational approvals and puts the finishing touches on its space.
State College’s Benny’s shop expects to hire a dozen or two employees, Farrell said, though no more than about six workers would be on-site at a time.
This story was originally published March 15, 2025 at 5:00 AM.
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