When Lee Kindell opened Moto Pizza in a house in West Seattle in 2021, with the bridge closed and the pandemic still happening people thought he was crazy.

But his unique take on "Detroit Style" pizza ended up being so sought after he literally has a months long waiting list. That success led him to open another shop in Edmonds, which after a brief glitch is now running well according to Kindell.

Next up for Moto is the company's new Belltown location at 3131 Western Avenue opening at the end of March.

With seating for 105, the first floor restaurant will extend out its doors into a courtyard on warm days and will be able to double the number of pizzas served in the West Seattle location, thanks to his new robotic pizza making assistant he calls "Otis". That machine made by Seattle based Picnicworks, is capable of up to 130 pizzas an hour or around 500 per night.

See it in action here.

"It will be just like West Seattle only larger production," Kindell said. The West Seattle location does around 250 pizza in a five hour period from 4 to 9pm.

"This is a concept that I'm trying out because supposedly this saves up to 40% of your labor costs and I do spend a lot on labor prepping the pies. So right now this is a prototyping of our system to see how that works. I think technology is the future of food service, especially fast food. I think if you are not experimenting or getting into technology now you are going to lose. It's moving that fast. I'm not knocking hand crafted. There's great value in that. But I think you can mix the two together really well."

But all this is just a prelude for the plans still being made. After Belltown opens, Moto will be serving pizza at T-Mobile Park, debuting during the All-Star game on July 10.

Unlike the muti flavored, layered, and wait-list variety served at their neighborhood locations, baseball fans will be served cheese and pepperoni types so they can get their pizzas immediately. More styles are likely going to be available in future seasons.

All locations open at 4pm. 

Kindell like others is also staffing up and says he's "looking for magical people." You can apply here.

The new location is decorated in similar moto style by artist Joey Brooks with bright, almost street art style characters on pale yellow walls. 

Kindell says, "It's all working because of the time I put into the pizza. Every pizza I sell tells a story. As you bite through it, it kind of takes you on a journey. That's what I'm about. There are so many options out there but if you want to try something a little different, a new experience... that is what I want to be, just a little different. That's why I call it 'odd pizza' It's a curated experience."

The Belltown location was inspired by the "night markets in Europe and Asia. All those flavors I experienced in my travels, I try to incorporate as much as I can into what I do."

Kindell believes his concept is both expandable and transferrable and thinks his style and methods could grow to become a national brand. He's got plans to open 3 or more a year and is busy scouting other locations in the greater Seattle area.