Home Slice Pizza Turns 20: Austin’s Iconic South Congress Pizzeria Celebrates With Community Carnival

On South Congress Avenue — a street known for its steady churn of tourists and storefronts — one pizzeria has remained a fixture for two decades now. Home Slice Pizza, which opened its doors in November 2005, is celebrating its 20th anniversary, and it’s doing so with big plans.

The co‑owners, Jen Strickland, Joseph Strickland and Terri Hannifin, founded the pizzeria as a “scrappy local mom‑and‑pop pizzeria” on South Congress. They were intent on bringing what they considered genuine New‑York‑style pizza to Austin: thin crust, foldable slices and a dedication to authenticity.

It was an audacious move in 2005, when Austin’s pizza scene was still dominated by chains and convenience options. As Jen recalled, “I was tired of chasing down the pizza I loved so much. There were very few pizza options back then,” and when a place called itself “NY‑style,” she would race to try it and be disappointed every time. Pressed to act, she says, “I started making it myself in my kitchen. The results were infinitely better than what I was tasting out in the world.”

Joseph added, “We felt that the kind of pizza experience we were about was not being offered in Austin at that time.” Hannifin echoed that they felt “so much support from other restaurateurs and small businesses around town. Austin is a very supportive community.”

The original South Congress location has spawned additional operations: a take‑out and slice window launched across the parking lot in 2010, a North Loop and Duval location opened in 2018, and the business expanded into Houston in December 2022.

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Guests can expect live music, games, raffles and performances at Home Slice’s 20th anniversary celebration. (Photo by Annie Ray)

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A unicyclist plays the violin during Home Slice Pizza’s Carnival O’ Pizza in 2008. (Photo courtesy of Home Slice Pizza)

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Guests enjoy games, music and pizza during Home Slice Pizza’s Carnival O’ Pizza in 2016. (Photo courtesy of Home Slice Pizza)

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The community event, which began in 2006 as a neighborhood fundraiser, returns this year to celebrate the pizzeria’s 20th anniversary. (Photo courtesy of Home Slice Pizza)

A carnival returns for the milestone

To celebrate its 20th anniversary, Home Slice is bringing back its long-running community tradition, Carnival O’ Pizza — an event that’s been on hiatus since 2016. First launched in 2006 as a modest fundraiser, the carnival eventually grew into a full-blown neighborhood fair with games, live music, raffles and, of course, pizza.

This year’s one-day revival takes place Saturday, Nov. 15, from noon to 6 p.m. in the South Congress parking lot, and benefits Foundation Communities, a nonprofit that provides affordable housing and on-site support services. The partnership reflects Home Slice’s growing concern with Austin’s affordability crisis, and the owners say Foundation Communities’ community-based mission closely aligns with their own values.

20 years on SoCo

As for what’s next, the Home Slice team plans to grow — but carefully. They say future expansion will be thoughtful and rooted in the same values that guided them from day one: hospitality, humility and community. Inspired by the longevity of classic East Coast pizzerias, they hope to become an enduring Austin institution.

Twenty years is a long run for any restaurant, especially on South Congress, where turnover is frequent and growth rarely slows. Home Slice has endured, not through reinvention, but through consistency and a steady connection to its neighborhood.

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