Warehouse Pizza

The inspiration

Warehouse Pizza began in 1972, when John Knerr, who had been running a belt and tie warehouse in the building, decided the space was better suited to pizza¹ . The name stuck, and the place has anchored downtown La Verne ever since¹ . The kitchen keeps to old-fashioned methods: hand-thrown pies cooked in a rotating baker's oven, with plum tomatoes and Wisconsin mozzarella¹ .

Who's behind it

Kenny Schonfeld, a Pomona native who has worked in restaurants since he was 15, bought the business in 1986 with his longtime friend Kirk Anderson, who left in 1994^1,2 . Anderson had considered gutting the place, but townspeople convinced him the location would work, and the two turned it into a lasting success² .

What to order

• Turkey avocado bacon sandwich: the other local favorite, served on freshly toasted bread with melted mozzarella .^3,4

What people are saying

Regulars tell Campus Times the place feels like a fixture of downtown La Verne, and students from the nearby University of La Verne are among the regulars^5,4 .

Why you should try it

This is a classic independent parlor that has drawn families, students and long-time residents since 1972, with children who grew up on it now bringing their own kids^3,6 . If you are staying near La Verne, it offers hand-thrown pizza, a covered patio and a slice of old downtown California that has outlasted nearly everything around it^1,4,6 .