Tutti Builds a New Kind of Pizza Shop in Charleston | Video

By: Maggie Ward

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On Upper King Street in Charleston, Tutti was built around a simple idea: Create the kind of pizza shop you want to have in your own neighborhood.

“I grew up here, and as Charleston kind of evolved in the food scene, I was like, man, sometimes I just want a cold mug of beer and a big pepperoni pizza,” says co-owner Miles White. More specifically, he wanted somewhere equally suited to an easy Tuesday dinner and a lively Friday night—a place where families, college students, longtime locals, and the city’s food & bev crowd could all find a seat.

That broad definition of a neighborhood restaurant drives Tutti. “The more we can bring in different kinds of people, the more I feel like an actual neighborhood spot,” says Kirsten Bhattacharyya.

At the center of it all, of course, is the pizza. Chef and partner Anthony Guerra approaches Tutti’s pies with the same balance of thoughtfulness and approachability that defines the restaurant itself. Rather than trying to replicate one rigid regional style, Guerra pulls from the pizza traditions and techniques that have influenced him throughout his career, creating classic pies that feel familiar while distinct. The goal isn’t to overcomplicate pizza, but to lean into the fundamentals and details that make a simple pizza stand out like the dough and fermentation to the quality of the toppings. Tutti is known for its Sicilian-style square pie with a sesame crust that guests can pile high with ingredients or enjoy for its simple flavors all on their own.

For Guerra, getting to bring that approach to Charleston carries particular meaning. “This is a city that I love. This is a city filled with chefs that I adore,” he says, pointing to Charleston chefs including Jason Stanhope and Mike Lata as heroes. “Look at my business partners. I mean, my God, I get to do this. Like, this is my job. It’s so much fun.”

That same combination of serious craft and lack of pretense carries into Bhattacharyya’s wine program. Her list is designed to make good wine feel as natural alongside a pizza as a cold beer. A section dedicated to Piedmont allows her to showcase the region’s indigenous Italian grapes, while bottles from exciting domestic producers keep the selection wide-ranging. “I make sure that there is some small part of the menu that is always focused on women in wine,” she says. “Keeping diversity within who’s making the wine is really important to me too.”

The result is a distinctly Tutti combination of high and low. As co-owner Femi Oyediran puts it, guests can simply “come as they are” and enjoy “one of the great joys of life, which is really great wine and food.”

That philosophy extends beyond Tutti’s walls. Through initiatives like Pass the Peel, the restaurant invites local chefs into its kitchen to create collaborative pizzas, while its Sunday programming has highlighted local vendors and brought more activity to the block.

Oyediran admits he initially wasn’t convinced Charleston needed another pizza restaurant. Seeing what Tutti has become changed his mind.

“I’m so happy that we did,” he says. “I’ve seen how important it’s been to the neighborhood. I’ve seen how it’s changed the block.”

Surrounded by restaurants and businesses helping shape this stretch of Upper King, Tutti isn’t trying to stand apart from its neighbors. It wants to be part of them.

“The question always is, what more great things can we do for the neighborhood?” Oyediran says. “How can we make this neighborhood better? And I think we’re doing that.”