Pizza Mia Planning Return to Downtown State College

A Bellefonte-based pizzeria plans to have a downtown State College location once again.

Pizza Mia will open in the second half of 2024 inside the new 12-story building under construction at the corner of East College Avenue and Hetzel Street, owner John Jennings wrote in a Facebook post.

“So yes the rumors are true… Pizza Mia! to reopen in the brand new building at College Ave and Hetzel!” Jennings wrote.

Pizza Mia operated its State College location from 2016 to 2021, when its building at 114 Hetzel Street was sold and subsequently razed for construction of the same mixed-use high-rise the restaurant will be moving into next year. Jennings indicated at the time that developer Core Spaces had discussed the possibility of Pizza Mia reopening inside the new building.

The high-rise, which will have two floors of commercial space and 10 floors of mostly student apartments, is named ōLiv State College and is scheduled to open in fall 2024.

Pizza Mia is currently hiring for its Bellefonte location, 106 N. Spring St., and for the new location, Jennings wrote.

John and Melissa Jennings opened the flagship Pizza Mia in Bellefonte in 2003. In addition to the Bellefonte and State College locations, the restaurant also had a Lock Haven location, which closed in 2022.