Dining
BY ANNA MANESS
Promise Pizza in Round Rock celebrates 15 years of serving specialty pies At Promise Pizza in Round Rock, hospitality runs in the family. Brothers and co-owners Umer and Ali Seliya have been running the store with their father Naveed Seliya since they took owner- ship, creating an all-halal menu in April 2019, 10 years after it rst opened in 2009. What’s on the menu Using traditional Pakistani avors is import- ant to the Seliyas, who created spicy tikka and gyro pizzas, two of their most popular pies. A pork-free restaurant, Promise Pizza o ers beef or vegan pepperoni, turkey bacon and chicken sausage. “You can have a pepperoni pizza anywhere,” Umer said. “But the quality and taste you get from it being this fresh, organic—I mean, we make our dough and sauce every single day.” Promise Pizza serves faloodas, a Pakistani-style ice cream drink topped with vermicelli noodles, basil seeds, almonds and jelly, Naveed said. Patrons will nd burgers, calzones, wings, salads, mushroom caps and stu ed jalapenos at the restaurant. The dessert menu also features cinnamon knots, brownies, beignets, gulab jamun, tiramisu and cheesecake. About the owners Naveed’s great-grandfather was the pioneer in the service industry, and the Seliyas had ve restaurants in Karachi, Pakistan, before leaving the country. “Everything stems from Pakistan,” Umer said. “ ... [For] some of our menu, we’ve sat at a din- ner table and we’re like, ‘We’re launching this
A pork-free restaurant, Promise Pizza o ers beef or vegan pepperoni, turkey bacon and chicken sausage.
PHOTOS ANNA MANESS COMMUNITY IMPACT
The spicy tikka pizza comes with grilled chicken, red onions, green peppers and jalapenos.
Guests can order classic, pistachio, mango, paan or kul faloodas.
tomorrow.’” The details
Gluten-free, whole wheat and cauli ower crusts are available for pies, along with vegan cheese. Many pizza chains don’t always have options for allergies or intolerances, which allows Promise Pizza to be some customers’ rst pizza experience ever, Naveed said. “Pizza is one of those things that everyone wants to enjoy,” Umer said. “But people have dietary restrictions. Some people are lactose [intolerant], some people have celiac, so they can’t consume wheat or dairy. This kind of allows everyone to create their own pizza.”
GATTIS SCHOOL RD.
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1500 S. A.W. Grimes Blvd., Ste. 410 www.promisepizza.com
From left to right: Ali, Naveed and Umer Seliya pose with a pizza box in front of Promise Pizza in Round Rock.
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