Sunset Pizzerias

I had the great opportunity to photograph Michael Zakis in his Sunset Downtown Bar & Grill located in the Water Street District on Water & Atlantic.  He has some great food and is a love for the Henderson Community.

Michael was born and raised in San Francisco, in a rough part of town. Michael’s grandfather came from Greece to Ellis Island in 1912. Michael said, “Being raised by two immigrant parents, let me tell you wasn’t easy.” However, he eventually discovered that his passion was in the pizza business.

  “When I was 13 my uncle had a liquor store in the heart of San Francisco. One day my father told me I was wasting my time at school. He picked me up and dropped me off at my uncle’s liquor store on Gough and Market and said, ‘Go to work son.’ At the age of 13, I did as I was told.”

 While Michael was working at the liquor store, his uncle also opened a small 800 square foot pizza shop next door. Michael was sent over to the pizza shop often to watch things. No one in the pizza shop wanted Michael to learn in fear of their jobs. He wanted to learn, so he taught himself. As he practiced, he developed a passion for pizza and continued to get better and better. He learned the basic recipes and slowly started to modify them to have his own signature taste.

By the age of 22, Michael had saved up enough money and he bought the pizza shop from his uncle. He owned his first pizzeria by the age of 22!

In 2002, Michael ended up moving to Las Vegas and found his way to Henderson and called it home. Still having a burning passion for pizza, Michael couldn’t resist opening a pizzeria here in town. Opening his first pizzeria in 2004 on Sunset & Eastern.  In 2015 Michael opened Sunset Downtown, serving up his pizza, wings & has a bar with gaming. It is a great addition to the Water Street District.

 From the start of his time here in Las Vegas, Michael has opened 6 pizzerias. He has pizzerias on Eastern & Sunset, Horizon & Stephanie, Boulder & Greenway, Fort Apache & Tropicana, Boulder & Pueblo, and Lake Mead & Mohawk.  With a new Bar & Grill opening in October. It will be in the Smith’s Shopping Center at Boulder & Palo Verde.

  All 7 locations are family owned. Michael has made Henderson his home and says that he has been blessed to be a part of such a great community, & we are blessed to have him bring economic growth to Henderson.