The Shari’s building in Westgate has been demolished. Here’s what will replace it

The old Shari’s restaurant building in Tacoma’s Westgate neighborhood is gone. That’s prompted readers to ask what’s next for the Westgate South shopping center.

The answer is that a Mod Pizza will open in a new building constructed at that site. That opening won’t be until 2019.

“This store is slated to open late summer 2019, if no construction delays,” said Charlotte Wayte, public relations director for Mod Pizza, a Seattle-based fast-casual pizza restaurant.

The restaurant is a magnet for families with kids because of its casual setting and non-fussy menu of build-your-own pizzas.

The setup is something like a cooked-to-order pizza version of a Chipotle or Subway. Diners customize their order from a long list of options. Diners pay one price no matter how many toppings they select. The restaurant also serves build-your-own salads.

Mod Pizzas are located at Tacoma Mall, Lakewood Town Center and in South Hill’s Sunrise Village, which was the first Mod Pizza to open in Pierce County.

There is space in the building for another tenant. Permits issued by the city in October reference “fixture plumbing for future Starbucks.” The permits also reference a drive-thru. The building’s operator declined to confirm a Starbucks will be the tenant, and Starbucks did not respond to inquiries.

ANOTHER MOD RESTAURANT

University Place diners are also getting a Mod Pizza. An opening is slated for late 2019 for a Mod Pizza that will operate in a new building at The Village at Chambers Bay. That building also will house an Orange Theory Fitness.

This story was originally published December 17, 2018 at 11:00 AM.