New pizzeria offering Mediterranean menu Business Intel: Basil Pizza (copy)

Go to this story at roanoke.com to read more about Gusto Pizza.

Pulaski-based Basil Pizza is now serving up pies in Roanoke with the opening of a second location on Williamson Road.

The restaurant offers a full menu of pizzas, pastas, wings, subs and burgers as well as some Mediterranean specialties, said owner Mohamed "Mo" Elsayed, a blend inspired by his own upbringing. Elsayed's mother is Italian, and his father is Egyptian.

"It's Italian but with a little bit different menu," he said of his restaurant. "We have a gyro platter, lamb meat, shawarma."

The kitchen offers halal meats, and has a gluten-free pizza option.

Basil Pizza, which first debuted in Dublin in Pulaski County in 2019, is known for its mini pizza rolls and cheesesteak crescent pizza rings. Both are included on its Roanoke menu.

The new restaurant launched a soft opening in May, and is set to celebrate its grand opening July 14.

The eatery took over a 3,000-square-foot space that was once a SunTrust branch, and more recently a Chik'N Fry.

The dining room can seat 28, and delivery options are offered. The pizzeria accepts delivery orders directly, and can also be found on DoorDash, Grubhub and Uber Eats.

Creating restaurants runs in the Elsayed family. Mo Elsayed's brother, Adam, owns Gusto's Pizza, which started in Wythe County and opened a Salem location earlier this year.

Mo Elsayed said he enjoyed the work and the connections formed with customers. "I have many who, they are not just customers actually, they are my friends," he said.

Basil Pizza, located at 3403 Williamson Road, is open from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Mondays to Thursdays, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Fridays to Saturdays and from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sundays.

New NRV shop features crafters

A new shop just launched in Christiansburg is bringing together local crafters to offer a wide array of gifts, home decor and more.

"I wanted it to be as diverse as possible," said Alison Nordgren, owner of The Crafter's Corner, which opened at the end of June.

"We have anywhere from door hangers, jewelry, kids clothing, craft kits, tumblers, we've got a lady who repurposes things into succulent planters. It's a little bit of everything."

The store - which spans about 1,300 square feet in the Regent Plaza shopping center near New River Valley Mall - has booths featuring the work of 28 local craftspeople from around the region.

Nordgren, a longtime crafter herself, said the vibe of the space was akin to a street festival, with rows of booths spotlighting unique, handmade goods.

Her own time on the circuit spurred her to start thinking about the need for an upscale local vendor outlet, she said.

"I wanted to make handmade items in the U.S. more widely available, and also help all of my fellow crafters get a leg up and get their businesses going," Nordgren said, adding her vendors run the gamut from veterans of crafter sales to newcomers.

The Crafter's Corner also plans to host regular classes that can teach crafts to people of all skill levels. The first event, set for July 21, is a paint night organized in partnership with Pulaski-based Painting in the Spirit.

Updates about events and class schedules can be followed on the shop's social media or its website at www.TheCraftersCornerNRV.com.

The shop, located at 3225 N. Franklin St. Suite 17, is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesdays to Saturdays and from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sundays.

Plaza filling up with new clients

Old Country Plaza, a large shopping center off Electric Road anchored by a Food Lion, has hit 96% occupancy after welcoming a string of new tenants.

The center, in operation for nearly four decades, now houses the Soccer Post, a soccer gear store, and AmRhein's Fine Jewelry.

AmRhein's had called Old Country Plaza home once before and returned to the shopping center after selling another space, located about a quarter-mile away on Ogden Road, where it had last been based.

The family-owned jewelry store, founded in 1921, took over a roughly 2,800 square-foot-storefront at Old Country, said Linda Vaughn, property manager of the shopping center.

The Soccer Post - which has been open since 1989 and was known as the Soccer Stop before refreshing its name last year - moved into a roughly 2,100-square-foot space.

In addition to that, Humana MarketPoint, a health insurance provider, has signed on to lease a 6,000-square-foot space, with plans to open the new office to clients around October, said Vaughn.

One of Old Country's biggest storefronts, spanning about 12,300 square feet, will also be the site of a Spirit Halloween shop during the upcoming trick-or-treat season. That lease just took effect, Vaughn said, although the shop won't open until later in the year once its setup is complete and the holiday is nearer.

Those milestones, all together, have put the more than 83,100-square-foot shopping center at nearly full occupancy.

"We're very excited," Vaughn said. "We're just happy that all these tenants have decided to come to the center."

In addition to its new destinations, Old Country Plaza, located at 4387 Starkey Road, offers a Buffalo Wild Wings, Ben Gui Sushi, Bellacino's Pizza & Grinders, L A Nails, and Arthur Murray Dance Studio of Roanoke.

Contact Alicia Petska at alicia.petska@roanoke.com