What happened to Alley Cats Pizza?

Not Danshui, you haven’t. It’s been closed close to a year, now.

Of course, in true Taiwanese style, the signs are still up and even the menu board near the front door.

But, you ain’t gettin’ no pizza there!

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I second that. Fantastic pizza. Great hang out spot for locals. I’m fortunate in that it’s a 5 min walk from my apartment.

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So I decided to try Solo Pizza Napoletana, and here’s my short review: porca miseria!

Let me explain it. The dough, the crust, is GOOD. Probably that’s the way pizza is supposed to be, but I can’t tell because pizzas and me come from different countries. However, I suspect theirs are right.

The problem is… that even if it’s not super expensive, the place looks like a restaurant, you pay like in a restaurant, and it’s not a restaurant. The service is a bit on the crappy side, you have to pick up your food and dump the garbage later like if it were a McDonald’s, and everything is served in disposable plates. Cutlery is a plastic joke. If you want to add something to your meal… you have to queue in line again!

As for the food… well, my pizza was something like spinach and pork sausage, and although it was OK, my friend’s cheaper margarita was better. Was very good indeed. Then I also ordered some sliced salami (I think) because it was like 45NT for 5 slices. Well, I swear to God you could see through those slices, they were paper thin, and to me, nothing special flavour wise. We also had croquettes (just smashed potato inside??? crap… although that might be the Italian way, who knows) and a 99NT sausage, which was full of fat: it didn’t make any good to my stomach.

So bottom line is: it’s like a fast food restaurant and you should just stick to the simple pizzas, which are probably very good, but don’t expect them to be super filling nor very meaty. They have also affordable salads and other stuff I didn’t try. And the mushroom soup is not bad I guess.

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Yes, as far as I know they’re now down to 2, Q-square and Huashan, and their website says as much.

I was involved with the opening of Alleycats. I was there at the opening too.

Alleycats was 100% founded and started by Alan and his ex-wife.

I hate it when people try to hide the truth to make themselves look better.

Reading about how some guy called Mark founded Alleycats made my eyes pop and my ears steam.

I haven’t seen anyone who knows trying to discount Alan’s (and his wife’s, of course) contribution.
Even so, the fact its that once it was up and running and viable, Alan had neither the skill set for, nor any interest in, taking it to the next level, that is, multiple locations replicating the original experience, as he himself would be the first to tell you.
Hence the (100% amicable) buyout of his interest.

Yes, Alan founded the original restaurant.
But it’s also true that the Alleycat’s model, with which most people are familiar, was created by Mark and his original management team.

Not a lot to mess up there!

7 posts were split to a new topic: Croquettes

Affordable … but you didn’t try, so basically they could be affordable but not that good?

His brother in law copied it and opened ‘Captain’s Pizza’! :astonished:

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If they make money it’s good. No need for more when they lose money, it’s only more problems.

Next level ?

The whole concept and original execution was Alan’s.
Even the name has a very personal connection to him.

The black and red design and logos, more western style ambiance, good beer and meetups, stone baked pizza…all was there before the so called next level.

There’s a load of old rubbish written about the founding of Alleycats on their website in Chinese.

A less charitable person would call them lies. I’m charitable so they must be written in error somehow omitting the WHOLE story.

Just because some money changed hands along the way doesn’t alter historical facts.

I wouldn’t trust em given what they are writing on their website .

Blast from the past lol :grin:

It would be fun if the English Catalan Freedom Fighter and the Gigantic Rat knew each other in real life but they were yet to find out.

Taiwan Freedom Fighter is more appropriate.

Probably not , our time continuums seem to have not crossed paths.

Maybe he is that guy… you know, that hateful guy you can’t stand…

Which guy ? There are quite a few possibilities.

You know which one I mean :wink:

Alleycats introduces new range of Ovaltine Pizzas: News at 11.

https://udn.com/news/story/7270/3648488