One of Brooklyn’s favorite pizza joints is getting ready to launch their first-ever Manhattan expansion with a brand new outpost in Hudson Yards.
Baby Luc’s is a Brooklyn-based pizza shop from critically acclaimed pizzaiolo Mark Iacono. Mark is best known as the founder of Lucali in Carroll Gardens, widely regarded by many critics as one of New York’s best pizza restaurants. He founded the restaurant in 2006, when one of the neighborhood’s most beloved candy stores – Louie’s Candy – closed after the death of its eponymous owner. A lifelong loyalist of Louie’s Candy, Iacono decided to lease the space himself and covert the store into a brand new pizzeria of his own design.
Despite having no experience in making pizza before, Iacono studied the techniques of New York’s master pizzaiolos and quickly acquired all the skills he needed to launch Lucali, whose name is derived by combining Louie’s Candy Store with his daughter’s name – Kalista. Iacono initially wanted to establish an old-school Brooklyn slice shop but soon discovered that a full sit-down restaurant worked better for the space. Before too long, word of Iacono’s quality pizzas spread like wildfire, and Lucali soon found guests willing to wait for hours just to get a pie of their own. Dubbed “the best pizza in New York City” by The Infatuation, the restaurant received significant coverage when Jay-Z and Beyoncé skipped the 54th Grammy Awards in order to get a pie at Lucali.
In 2021, Iacono finally realized his initial dream of opening a Brooklyn slice shop when he launched Baby Luc’s, a more accessible Lucali outpost that offers pizza by the slice. Located at 387 Court Street, Baby Luc’s has earned some serious attention since launching only a year ago, and is already gearing up for an expansion into Manhattan. Previously unavailable anywhere outside of Brooklyn, Iacono is getting ready to develop Baby Luc’s first new outpost in Hudson Yards later this year.
The new slice shop will be opening up at 20 Hudson Yards, joining the impressive array of shops and restaurants that have been flocking to New York’s newest steel oasis. The new Baby Luc’s will be moving into the unit that is currently occupied by Jack’s Stir Brew Coffee, a popular New York based coffee chain that has been around since 2003 and boasts multiple locations across Manhattan and Long Island. As a slice shop, there won’t be too much room for sitting, but guests will be able to grab their favorite slices quickly and efficiently as they enjoy the many impressive amenities that Hudson yards has to offer.
For the menu, guests can expect that same perfectly prepared pizza they’ve come to expect from Iacono’s other ventures. At the moment, the menu lists four different options for pizza, including Regular/Margherita, Ricotta & Broccoli Rabe, Sausage & Peppers, and Pepperoni. Pies run between $30 and $34, while slices will run between $4 and $4.50. Additionally, Iacono is hoping to acquire a full liquor license for the space, enabling guests to enjoy a refreshing Negroni with their favorite pizza. He is proposing operating hours of 12:00 PM – 9:00 PM every day, seven days a week. For more updates, you can follow Baby Luc’s on Instagram as Iacono and his team continue to move the project forwards.
