20-05-2025
Ray Ray's Hog Pit to open new location in former Wizard of Za shop
COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — Ray Ray's Hog Pit, a fleet of barbecue eateries featured on 'Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives,' is trading one of its food trucks for a new central Ohio storefront inside the space previously home to Wizard of Za.
The brand's longtime food truck parked outside Ace of Cups is shuttering to make way for a new brick-and-mortar location inside a shared space with sushi chain Fusian at 4214 N. High St. in the Clintonville neighborhood. Fusian was most recently roommates with Wizard of Za, a pizzeria whose Sicilian-style pies garnered a month-long wait during the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Closed in January, Wizard of Za was created by Youngstown native Spencer Saylor, who sold his pizza through his Instagram in 2020 and later collaborated with Paceline Restaurants, the owner of Fusian, to move into the Clintonville store. Paceline acquired the Wizard of Za brand in 2022 and expanded with a second location in Dayton that closed last year.
Ray Ray's Clintonville move comes after the brand opened its first full-service restaurant inside a historic Marion building on May 13. Although Ray Ray's is known for food trucks and walk-up eateries, the Marion restaurant marks the brand's first foray into full-service dining. Watch a previous report on the Marion restaurant in the video player above.
The barbecue fleet is currently home to several other central Ohio eateries, like the food truck parked outside Aardvark Wine & Beer in Linworth. The brand also operates a walk-up window at Land-Grant Brewing in Franklinton, a drive-thru in Westerville, and a casual dine-in and pick-up location in Granville.
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Ray Ray's Reload, one of the brand's renovated food trucks, was parked outside The Bottle Shop in Victorian Village for most of 2024 before moving in November to Hoof Hearted Brewery in the Short North.
Chef and Ray Ray's owner James Anderson was featured on 'Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives' in 2017, praised for his 'succulent smoked offerings' at the 'one-of-a-kind' barbecue truck. During the episode, Guy Fieri tried Ray Ray's Mangalitsa Brat Burger and St. Louis Spare Ribs.
Ray Ray's new Clintonville shop will open in June.
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