The Standard, a new pizza and wing restaurant located on the Strip, at 1217 University Blvd opened on Feb. 23, serving out of their window.  

However, during their opening weekend they sold solely pizza and fries and didn’t allow customers inside to dine.  As the weeks have passed, The Standard is now open with plans of regular hours Tuesday through Sunday, 11 a.m.-2 a.m., which is when their newly acquired liquor license makes them close. 

The Standard has a full bar with liquor, seltzers and beer on tap. The Standard got their liquor license last Wednesday, March 22, just after students got back from spring break. 

The Standard is co-owned by Billy Cornish, Greg Melhem and Johnny Maynard. 

Cornish said The Standard is having a tough time staying stocked, and often has had to close when it runs out of ingredients. The Standard makes their own dough, which then needs one to two days to proof, which is the process of dough rising. 

“Last Saturday [March 25] everyone came in at once, we were trying to be ready, it was hard to serve that much food at once,” Cornish said. He said that weekends are the busiest, but they have “found a pattern” in their busy days.  

Cornish said he is eager to hire more students and is hoping to double his employees, of which he currently has 37. Students looking for a job can fill out an online application.  

The Standard plans to stay open during the summer, which allows students who want to stay in Tuscaloosa a place to work.  

“There will always be a demand for a couple of slices and a couple of drinks,” he said. 

Their menu will continue to remain the same, as they experiment with some specialty pies, such as the “Boom Boom” pie. This dish can only be bought as a pie and not by the slice; it includes breaded chicken tossed in “boom boom” sauce and a ranch swirl.  

The Crimson White asked several students what they would rate The Standard on a scale of 1-5 and why.  

Abby Lutz, a sophomore majoring in hospitality management, rated The Standard a 4.  

“It is delicious, but the wait is ridiculous,” Lutz said.  

Aleece Pickett, a sophomore majoring in nursing, also rated The Standard a 4.   

“It is not too filling but has good flavor and sauce ratio. But the style of how it is cooked and prepared sometimes gives a burnt flavor that I don’t really enjoy,” Pickett said. 

Harrison Ross, a sophomore majoring in public relations, said he would rate it a 5.  

“A big reason for that is because of how big the single slices are. You can get one big slice for a minimum of $3.50 and a max of $5 if you want a specialty slice,” Ross said. “When I found out The Standard was coming to The Strip, I was so happy because a pizza place was like the last thing the Strip needed [to feel complete]. A pizza place is such a college staple, and The Standard does live up to its name, with great-sized pizza slices for the college kid prices.”  

Cornish is happy with the customers he has brought in but knows the novelty may wear off.  

“I know the newness will go away,” he said.  

Cornish said he avoids large amounts of marketing, as he wants to give his current customers a good experience. Instagram is The Standard’s main communication platform, which allows customers to know when they are open and specialty items they serve.