Jackson Flynn | Crumbs
Patrick Hanlon | Crumbs
Dressed in a white apron, flour under his fingernails and with the smell of pizza in the air, owner Nikolaos Lagos said he warmly welcomes customers to his new pizza restaurant.
Lagos and his business partner Jenny Alexandropoulos started the idea of Last Frontier Pizza Company in August of last year. The pair said they saw the need for a new pizza restaurant in Moscow for families and college students to enjoy pizza by-the-slice or as a whole pie.
Since opening Dec. 15, Last Frontier Pizza Company has grown a loyal local customer base, Lagos said.
“We’ve got a great niche,” Lagos said. “We have quality pizza that’s perfect for families or students at an affordable price.”
Lagos said he took inspiration from New York and New Haven style pizza and refined his recipes with the help of his family in Alaska. Learning from the years of experience his father and uncle have in the pizza business gave Lagos his inspiration and the charisma to open the restaurant.
The family-owned restaurant rolls their own pizza dough and creates their sauces and even some of their meats every morning from scratch. Last Frontier offers a wide variety of dishes, from pizza and salads to gyros and Philly cheesesteaks, but the signature pizza, “The Last Frontier,” has been the local favorite so far.
The restaurant gets its name from Alaska, which is known as the last frontier. Lago’s father owned many pizzerias when he was growing up in Alaska, and that was the style of business he has grown to know and love. Lagos said he loves sharing his family’s creations with students and residents of the Palouse. He wants anyone and everyone to come in and give it a try.
Last Frontier Pizza Company resides in the old location of local favorite Piehole Pizza, which closed its doors last June. Lagos and Alexandropoulos said they wanted to give Last Frontier a rustic makeover. The pair had new wood benches and tables custom built to give the restaurant rustic feeling.
“The place was already pretty rustic when we bought it,” Lagos said. “It was a great starting point.”
Not only does Last Frontier Pizza Company serve pizza by the slice, it also fills the void for late night munchies. Last Frontier is open between 11 a.m. and 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday, and open later for those downtown Friday and Saturday nights.
“We’re proud that we can come to Moscow and get to know the community,” Lagos said. “We have people come in for their first time and they’ve been repeat customers since.”
Patrick Hanlon can be reached at crumbs@uidaho.edu