Strictly Pizza, located at 4400 Boston Post Road and owned by the local Arakas family, opened Feb. 7 as Pelham’s newest pizza shop and is already winning early positive online reviews from residents.

Owners Nicholas and Sylvia Arakas purchased the space that was formerly Knucklehead’s Tavern before the Covid pandemic, unsure of what the future would hold. The pizza plan then began to take shape.

A notable feature of Strictly Pizza is its style, with an interior that boasts a clean, marble aesthetic.

Sylvia Arakas said the goal for the business is about great pizza and a great customer experience.

“Aesthetically, we wanted something different from a typical pizzeria,” she said. “We believe our pricing is still fair and equal to other places in the area, but we take pride in our pies, made fresh with organic ingredients.”

The Arakases said they were also deliberate about their hiring process.

“All of our workers have had at least 20 years of experience working in a pizzeria,” Arakas said. “It’s important to us that our pizza is being handled by experienced and trustworthy staff.”

Following the opening, the owners and staff are already planning additions to the business.

According to Arakas, “We originally were planning on making it a drive-through. After some evaluation, considering the safety of the customers and employees, we decided to draft an idea for a late night pick-up window. That way, if customers would like to order late, they don’t put the space at a safety risk, and they can still enjoy fresh pizza at night.”

Strictly Pizza is also planning a delivery app.

To give back to the community, the restaurant would like to host Pelham varsity sports teams for their team dinners, as well as open the space for kids’ parties with pizza making so the children can learn the fundamentals of making pies.

“The feedback has exceeded our expectations,” Arakas said. “We were all blown away by the kindness of the community.”

“We wanted a change in the pizza scenery.”