Punch Neapolitan Pizza is making its way to Eagan. The co-owners of the restaurant, John Puckett and John Serrano, are planning a location near Pilot Knob and Yankee Doodle road. The new location will be part of the Central Park Commons, and will open late this year or early next year.

Puckett states, “We’re excited because it’s the first one we’ve done south of the river. We get so many requests from people and we’ve been looking for a while.” The first original Punch Pizza opened in St. Paul Highland’s Park in 1996, and this new location will be the tenth one. 

Puckett said the company was attracted to the site because of the idea that large amounts of pedestrians would come to the location. The store will cover about 2,000 square feet, with fifty to sixty seats inside along with a patio with forty to fifty seats outside. 

The Punch Pizza has been named one of the top fifty restaurants by Minneapolis St. Paul Magazine, and currently has locations in St. Paul, Eden Prairie, Wayzata, Minneapolis, Woodbury, and Maple Grove. The pizzeria has been welcomed with warm reviews as well as a presidential shout-out, as President Obama praised the company as it expanded and raised its minimum wage to $11. 

The Eagan restaurant is expected to perform with great success and will officially open later this year or in early 2016.