Popular Waldo’s Pizza is On Its Way Back to Rochester, Minnesota

Eight years ago, a fan page was created to help bring a popular restaurant back to Rochester, Minnesota.  Today, it looks like its wish is coming true.

Last 24 Hours Have Been a Whirlwind of Memories for Waldo's Pizza Fans in Rochester, Minnesota

If you ask a longtime resident of Rochester, Minnesota what they miss the most, a whole bunch of places will pop up including a spot known as Waldo's Pizza.

"From Shakey’s to Waldo’s to Dooley’s. The golden years! Best pizza & best environment. Brings back great memories. Texting with a large group of HS buddies to meet & pound some slices! Can’t wait!"

- Tom Knoepke

And in the last 24 hours, those memories have been flooding in after the news broke that Waldo's Pizza is making a comeback.  People who worked there, friends that would drive to Rochester just to check out the John Marshall boys who were hanging out there, to birthday party celebrations they will never forget.

Get our free mobile app

Waldo's Pizza is On Its Way Back to Rochester, Minnesota

I wasn't part of this community when Waldo's Pizza was around so I feel a bit out of the loop on all the excitement.  I learned quickly that there were three locations at one point in Rochester.  One was at the Apache Mall, another at Northbrook in Broadway, and the third spot at the corner of 18th Ave. and 37th Street.

Finding out the locations wasn't enough info for me though.  I knew that I had to talk to the owner of Waldo's Pizza, Mike Henning, before my radio show so I could get up to speed on the latest foodie news.

"Today my sons and I are announcing that Waldo’s Pizza is now adding a fully functioning Waldo’s Pizza truck." - Waldo's Pizza Facebook Page

Will Waldo's Pizza Taste Like You Remembered It "Back in the Day"?

Chatting with Mike at Waldo's Pizza gave me a chance to ask the questions that I have been seeing pop up on social media.  One of those was about the taste of the pizza.  Mike and his sons have the original recipes and as Mike shared with me, people from Rochester come to the St. Cloud location quite often just to have Waldo's Pizza.

For those of us who have never had the pizza, here's how Mike described it when I asked him about the taste.

It's originally described by the the original owners as a New York style deep dish pizza. It's a thick crust.  It's doughy.  A lot of cheese.  I giggle sometimes when I'm gonna take a order that says extra cheese. It's like this is one of those pizzas you really don't need to order extra cheese with but I'll be happy to put it on there for you.  So it's thick and cheesy."

When is the Waldo's Pizza Truck Coming to Town and Where Will it be Located in Rochester, Minnesota?

If you've got vacation planned for July, maybe change them because somewhere in there is the anticipated time frame for the Waldo's Pizza truck to make its grand entrance into town.  I haven't heard if a parade is planned but that would be pretty fun!  Have fans lined up on Hwy 52.

What people probably don't realize is that this food truck idea has been in the minds of the now St. Cloud-based pizza restaurant for 15 years.  Finding the right truck was key and when that appeared recently, they had to go for it.  Right now, the food truck is in the process of being finished with the hopes that inspections and all the details will be completed towards the later part of May.  There is some work that needs to happen after that as well as the process is fine-tuned to ensure that the pizza quality is the best for all of the Waldo's pizza fans.

As far as where the truck will be located in Rochester, that is up in the air at the moment.  Mike did mention that a lot of places were already reaching out so the excitement of the food truck is evident.  Fingers crossed they can stick around for a few days before they head back to St. Cloud, where they are based.

Get the Latest Info About Waldo's Pizza

As I hear updates on the date and location for the Waldo's Pizza truck, I'll post that info on my Facebook page - Jessica On The Radio.  Give it a follow and stay up to date on what's happening in the area.

READ MORE: New Coffee Shop Just Opened in Rochester, Minnesota