SLO County man turns Mexican restaurant into a pizza place. Here’s a look at the new menu

Experience in the restaurant and technology industries helped a Cambria eatery owner recently convert the decade-old La Terraza Mexican Grill into Luigi’s Pizza.

A restaurant’s flip to another cuisine usually happens when someone new buys the place, but Luis Plascencia bought La Terraza back in 2019.

Since then, he said he learned the restaurant “didn’t have enough kitchen staff to continue offering Mexican dishes,” especially the wide variety of upscale, popular items he wanted to add to the menu, he told The Tribune.

Also, the restaurant at 1316 Tamsen Drive wasn’t eligible for a full bar license, frustrating some dining on tacos, enchiladas and such, who “wanted margaritas with real tequila,” he said.

Plascencia researched other options, eventually settling late last year on a cuisine switch: pizza with other options.

It’s a plan that could potentially help Luigi’s Pizza fill a much needed niche on the North Coast.

Other Cambria pizzerias deliver, but don’t take orders online, Plascencia said, and that’s how many of his customers want to do business these days.

The hungry patrons also want to be able to order food other than pizza and have them all delivered at the same time, he said.

SLO County restaurant owner also runs meal delivery website

Plascencia moved to the U.S. in 1995 from Guadalajara, Mexico, and started working at the jobs available at that time for an 18-year-old with no experience.

He rose through restaurant ranks from dishwasher to server, bartender and host at eateries including the Hearst Castle Visitor Center walk-up and El Chorlito Mexican Restaurant, both in San Simeon, the upscale Brambles Dinner House, San Simeon Resorts and then La Terraza Mexican Grill.

He began working at La Terraza in 2014, and bought the 10-year-old restaurant five years later.

And yes, Plascencia answers to Luigi, too.

Plascencia is also a computer-systems programmer, and his side hustle is the fledgling meal delivery website Rakoon, which he launched after buying La Terraza.

“I realized that many local customers and tourists were looking for pizza and burgers with online ordering and delivery services, which are highly demanded in these times,” he said. “I reached out to local pizzerias to see if they wanted to partner with Rakoon and offer our services, but none of them were interested. They didn’t want to deal with technology.”

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Luigi’s Pizza customers can dine in, select their various kinds of food by phone for takeout or to eat there, or even order online and opt to have their meals delivered to addresses in Cambria and San Simeon.

Plascencia’s assumptions seem to have proven out, he said. As of Tuesday, he estimated that about 40% of Luigi’s business is ordered online for takeout or delivery. Approximately 50% is ordered in house to eat there, and the rest of their orders come in by phone.

Customers can order online for pickup or delivery at the Rakoon website. Delivery costs $5 in Cambria and $7 in San Simeon, and there’s currently no minimum-order requirement.

Making the switch to pizza at Cambria restaurant was complicated, owner says

Over several months, Plascencia and wife Claudia bought pizzeria equipment, then tinkered with the new menu, adding and deleting items.

They’re still doing that.

At Luigi’s, they make their own pizza dough every morning, Plascencia said.

“Local temperature greatly affects the dough’s development, so we have to be very careful with time and weather conditions,” he said.

Anybody who’s ever tried to make sourdough bread knows how finicky it can be. What many don’t know is that proper pizza dough is closely related to sourdough.

“We are experimenting with different types of fermentation and various pizza doughs, from the type of crust to our best toppings,” Plascencia said. “We aim to achieve a crispy and flavorful crust for our pizzas. Along the way, we’ve noticed that many people prefer soft and thin crusts, but we’re putting in all our efforts to satisfy our customers.”

He added: “We work hard to make our pizza delicious and unique while ensuring that it appeals to everyone.”

Throughout the years, the Plascencia family has also played an important role in the business.

“We are a close-knit family and have always supported each other in everything that happens,” Plascencia said.

Plascencia said his younger brother Joel Plascencia, “has always supported me physically and morally to move forward … part of the dream that we continue to develop.” The younger sibling works at Luigi’s when his schedule allows.

Luis and Claudia Plascencia’s son Luis A. Plascencia studied computer engineering at Cal Poly and works for Microsoft. Their daughter Shaidy Plascencia is in her second year of studying neurobiology, physiology and behavior at UC Davis.

They, too, help however they can, whenever they can, their proud father said.

What’s on the menu at Luigi’s Pizza?

Besides nearly a dozen pies, the menu includes a wide variety, including jalapeno poppers, sweet potato fries, chicken tenders, calamari rings and coconut shrimp to chicken wings, nine salads — including grilled chicken and grilled salmon options — a dozen sandwiches, a hot dog on a French roll and seven different burgers.

Luigi’s pizzas go from mini 8-inch to large 16-inch pies. Base prices with sauce and cheese go from $8 to $24.

Preset combos cost from $9 for a mini pepperoni to $27 for a large pesto veggie or a combo pizza loaded with Canadian bacon, salami, pepperoni, sausage, mushrooms, olives, onions, bell peppers and lots of gooey mozzarella cheese.

Luigi’s also offers the always popular build-your-own category.

Available sauces are red, pesto, barbecue and white with garlic. Topping options range from artichoke hearts and olives to jalapenos, chorizo and the often-argued-about pineapple.

Gluten-free pizza is offered in a 10-inch size with any assortment of toppings. Other gluten-free entrees are also available, and Luigi’s can accommodate vegetarian diners, too.

“I’m looking for a good dairy-free cheese for vegans,” Plascencia said.

Wine, beer and agave margaritas are on the menu, as are Mexican drinks, fountain beverages and others.

More about Luigi’s Pizza

Luigi’s Pizza isn’t in a high traffic area, but is instead nestled on a hillside overlooking Main Street.

The eatery is located across Tamson Drive from Cookie Crock Market in a commercial and business complex of several buildings that also house the Cambria Community Services District offices, Gym One, Bob FM 105.3 FM, other businesses and some vacant suites.

The restaurant is open Sundays through Thursdays from 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m., and until 9:30 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays.

For more information, call 805-927-7700, or visit Luigi’s website, Facebook or Instagram.