PIE IN THE SKY

Praise-worthy local pizza joint flies into Austin airport

It's a little taste of heaven.

Photo by Richard Casteel/Dandelion Gatherings

Hungry jet-setting Austinites in search of a little Salvation have to look no further than the Austin airport.

Opening Wednesday, June 16 at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport, local love Salvation Pizza, which specializes in New Haven-style pies, has touched down at Gate 11 in the Barbara Jordan terminal.

Specialty pies and pizza slices, as well as beer and wine, will be available at Salvation’s airport depot, which will be open daily from 2-9 pm, with the pizzeria serving lunch and dinner offerings initially and breakfast in the coming weeks.

And just because you’re traveling, that’s no reason to eat on the run, especially since Salvation offers a seated area perfect for lounging with a slice.

Salvation’s menu of New Haven-style pizzas — made with thin, hand-pounded crust that yields a crunchy snap and piled with the crisp-fresh toppings — includes classics like pepperoni and Margherita, as well as specialties like the all-in supreme pizza, the drool-inducing Pesto Primavera pie (pesto, spinach, heirloom tomatoes, mushrooms, red onions, balsamic-reduction drizzle), and the Spicy Hawaiian pie (fresh pineapple, Canadian bacon, and pineapple habanero sauce) — great for noshing in anticipation of a flight to a tropical locale.

The menu will also include perfectly portable house-made stromboli (essentially an Italian meat and cheese roll) and a selection of side salads available for dine-in service or to grab and go.

The airport Salvation, while a slice of heaven for Austinites in the know, will also expose the long-loved local brand to visitors, likely gaining it some new fans in its aspirations to become even more awesomesauce.

The company, which has been dishing out pies in Austin since 2006, also maintains two other Austin locations — the enduring Rainey Street spot and one at the Domain Northside — though it shuttered its original Central Austin location on 34th Street, now home to the newly opened Honey Moon Spirit Lounge.

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Games on the Go

This outdoorsy mountain trolley is now a vintage arcade in Austin

Photo courtesy of the Austin Arcade Trolley

The trolley still bears most of the markings from its past life in Tennessee.

Some classic arcade games are now on the go in Austin with the launch of the Austin Arcade Trolley. Housed in a renovated trolley car, this new mobile arcade shows off eight vintage 80s and 90s games, while keeping some of the transportation nostalgia intact, too.

Austin Arcade Trolley owner and ex-corporate salesman Trey Tschoepe said in a press release that the idea came about after attending birthday parties with his 6-year-old daughter. The parties inspired a desire to "keep Austinites young at heart." It wasn't intended as a business, but Austinites can now book it for their own events.

The vintage games include:

NBA Jam
Golden Tee
Ms. Pacman
Atari
The Simpsons
NFL Blitz
Mortal Kombat
Street Fighter II

Austin Arcade Trolley interior Even though the aesthetics are different, both halves of this bus are very retro.Photo courtesy of the Austin Arcade Trolley

It's not just limited to those classics, though; a 55-inch screen will let guests play more than 30,000 other games. Minecraft, Roblox, and Tetris are a few of those offerings.

“Not only are we delivering nostalgic fun that accessible to all ages, but we’re also doing it in style with a vintage trolley car converted into a mobile arcade," said Tschoepe. "There’s truly nothing else like this in Texas or anywhere else.”

There certainly are other mobile arcades, but the trolley is unique not just for its vintage selection but a delightfully outdoorsy look. The back of the vehicle looks like an arcade, but the front and exterior sidestep the expected design elements — neon colors, envisionings of cyberspace — by keeping everything as-is.

Austin Arcade Trolley interior This part of the trolley basically looks like any other mobile arcade.Photo courtesy of the Austin Arcade Trolley

The wooden interior still has some passenger benches, and the outside even displays its original affiliation: the Tennessee town of Pigeon Forge, where it was designated a "Fun Time Trolley."

Tschoepe did put some work in, even though he kept the aesthetic intact. He purchased the decommissioned car in May 2024 and spent six months implementing custom woodwork and other design updates.

Now it can fit 15 guests in the arcade section, with space for 7 more in the seating section. There's also wifi and air-conditioning, and guests are encouraged to bring their own snacks and drinks onboard.

Austin Arcade Trolley interior This part of the trolley brings light to an airier side of gaming.Photo courtesy of the Austin Arcade Trolley

The trolley is available for hourly booking every day. The case price is $375 including delivery, setup, and unlimited play within the booking time, which happens in two-hour increments. It can travel around Austin as well as to Round Rock, Cedar Park, Pflugerville, Georgetown, Leander, Dripping Springs, Bee Cave, Buda, Kyle, and Lakeway.

Tschoepe welcomes kids and adults for birthdays, bachelor and bachelorette parties, weddings, corporate and team-building events, and anywhere else it's needed.

“We’re excited to spread the fun throughout Central Texas," he said.

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