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Oh My, What a Fine Square Pie! Squarehouse Pizza, Gainesville, FL
A history of Squarehouse Pizza
A dive into the operation of Squarehouse Pizza, located in 4th Ave Food Park. Owner Mark Rodriguez discusses the opening of the restaurant and its challenges and successes.
The history of squared pizza in Gainesville, Florida, is quite brief. In fact, it only involves a single restaurant, Squarehouse Pizza. Since its opening in 2020 the pizza landscape of our city has changed for the better. Just blocks from the University of Florida’s campus, Squarehouse Pizza puts on a masterclass on all things square, mainly their delicious pizza and waffles. Despite the turbulence of opening during COVID-19, the restaurant started blazing hot in July of 2020 and hasn’t looked back since.
Its now sole owner, Mark Rodriguez, brought his love for music and all things punk into the pizza business. The restaurant’s decor both inside and out is one-of-a-kind; its inside is filled with funky art and its outdoor seating area is covered with retro dial-up and rotary telephones. Punk music has its fingerprints on the restaurant’s merchandise as well; one of their latest shirts depicts the Grim Reaper saying ‘death to round pizza,’ as featured in the interview with owner Mark Rodriquez [https://youtu.be/Kn5IATGV-EM?si=v_QUyQTJzNL2ThZu]. Besides the flavorful, cooked-to-perfection, mouth-watering food, the punk style is what makes this restaurant one of a kind. While yet to feature on any of Guy Fieri’s TV Programs, it certainly should be on his shortlist because this restaurant is genuinely Gainesville.
Surprisingly, an issue the business has run into is the supply of waffle irons, not related to their pizza production at all. While variations of the waffle have been around since ancient Greece, known as ‘Obleios’, the waffle maker itself was first patented in the US on August 24th 1869, by a Dutch-American named Cornelius Swarthout. Squarehouse Pizza only uses one specific brand of waffle maker from the 1950s, which makes it difficult, almost impossible, to find replacement parts. These rare irons give the waffles their signature square shape and crispy outside while maintaining a soft, cakey interior. As Rodriquez explains, “they're pretty simple machines, like the old ones, and they're kind of built really well, but they're not commercial. They're like, they made them for your house, but like the stuff, the parts they used back then are way better than a lot of parts that get used now. But, there's like literally one little resistor that if that goes out, like you can't get it.” Luckily, there haven’t been any issues that have disrupted the waffle production. So, have no fear; you can still satisfy your waffle craving from open to close at Squarehouse Pizza.
Outside of music, the restaurant also takes inspiration from the city of Detroit. Founded in 1701 but experiencing immense growth at the start of the 20th century due to the automobile industry, Detroit has a deep history and culture. Starting as a fur trading outpost, it was under French, then British control until it became the capital city of a new US territory, Michigan, in 1805. Despite a lack of consistent success in sports in modern times, the city never fails to resiliently stand behind its teams. The Tigers’ baseball logo is seen all over the city and inspired the tiger designs that adorn the restaurant, its logos, and its merchandise. “I grew up in a very like Punk Rock setting of like making cut and paste fliers of, like, doing, you know, stuff that's like a little bit bolder, like whatever. And also like in a tattoo, kind of like that's the style of artwork I like. And so that tiger kind of just fit into that aesthetic”.
In addition to the typical pizza toppings, yes, including pineapple, the restaurant offers a limited specialty pizza menu. The specialty menu is guaranteed to pique your interest and entice a growl out of your stomach, featuring the ‘Mariah Curry’ (Curry chicken or cauliflower, onion, green pepper, jalapeño, coconut curry sauce, tomatoes, and cilantro) and the ‘Buffalo Bird’ (chicken, bleu cheese, red onion, and buffalo sauce) for example. Many of these specialty pizzas are invented and workshopped by the employees themselves. All of their pizzas are also available with a gluten-free crust that tastes anything but gluten-free. The menu is rounded out with salad, wine and a local beer menu. No matter your taste or dietary restrictions, you are sure to find something spectacular at Squarehouse Pizza!
References:
- “The Amazing History of Waffles.” Chicago Waffles, March 6, 2024. https://www.chicagowaffles.com/the-amazing-history-of-waffles/.
- “History of Detroit.” Encyclopædia Britannica, November 15, 2021. https://www.britannica.com/place/Detroit/History.
- “How to Tap into the Gluten-Free Pizza Goldmine.” PMQ Pizza, April 5, 2024. https://www.pmq.com/how-to-tap-into-the-gluten-free-pizza-goldmine/.
- Jay, Mark, and Philip Conklin. "A People’s History of Detroit." Duke University Press, 2020. https://doi.org/10.2307/j.ctv1131811.
https://www.squarehousepizza.com/
405 SW 4th Ave, Gainesville, FL 32601
Images
https://inquire-capitalism.clas.ufl.edu/index.php?gf-download=2025%2F10%2Fff726a5f833adf9662d68d427aff9f79.png&form-id=3&field-id=9&hash=9ca5bd15c5086e55231578f78bbe3913dd0a0dd9f76dbb790c56d62182c0e239
https://inquire-capitalism.clas.ufl.edu/index.php?gf-download=2025%2F10%2F708ee908d18f3bf0f04a89c7ca6aa575.jpg&form-id=3&field-id=9&hash=923eebcaed2b40363ff2ea992fce0757697c4be3da6c978dc195729852278e86
https://inquire-capitalism.clas.ufl.edu/index.php?gf-download=2025%2F10%2F49b14b58e89f277ae69f9c882bef9775.png&form-id=3&field-id=9&hash=9bcd3576f68c85af22808873874fb58c854bb609ecb8e74065be7318c78a1e94
Location
Citation Info
Avi Ackerman, "Oh My, What a Fine Square Pie! Squarehouse Pizza, Gainesville, FL," Squarehouse Pizza, accessed , .
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Oh My, What a Fine Square Pie! Squarehouse Pizza, Gainesville, FL
A history of Squarehouse Pizza
A dive into the operation of Squarehouse Pizza, located in 4th Ave Food Park. Owner Mark Rodriguez discusses the opening of the restaurant and its challenges and successes.
The history of squared pizza in Gainesville, Florida, is quite brief. In fact, it only involves a single restaurant, Squarehouse Pizza. Since its opening in 2020 the pizza landscape of our city has changed for the better. Just blocks from the University of Florida’s campus, Squarehouse Pizza puts on a masterclass on all things square, mainly their delicious pizza and waffles. Despite the turbulence of opening during COVID-19, the restaurant started blazing hot in July of 2020 and hasn’t looked back since.
Its now sole owner, Mark Rodriguez, brought his love for music and all things punk into the pizza business. The restaurant’s decor both inside and out is one-of-a-kind; its inside is filled with funky art and its outdoor seating area is covered with retro dial-up and rotary telephones. Punk music has its fingerprints on the restaurant’s merchandise as well; one of their latest shirts depicts the Grim Reaper saying ‘death to round pizza,’ as featured in the interview with owner Mark Rodriquez [https://youtu.be/Kn5IATGV-EM?si=v_QUyQTJzNL2ThZu]. Besides the flavorful, cooked-to-perfection, mouth-watering food, the punk style is what makes this restaurant one of a kind. While yet to feature on any of Guy Fieri’s TV Programs, it certainly should be on his shortlist because this restaurant is genuinely Gainesville.
Surprisingly, an issue the business has run into is the supply of waffle irons, not related to their pizza production at all. While variations of the waffle have been around since ancient Greece, known as ‘Obleios’, the waffle maker itself was first patented in the US on August 24th 1869, by a Dutch-American named Cornelius Swarthout. Squarehouse Pizza only uses one specific brand of waffle maker from the 1950s, which makes it difficult, almost impossible, to find replacement parts. These rare irons give the waffles their signature square shape and crispy outside while maintaining a soft, cakey interior. As Rodriquez explains, “they're pretty simple machines, like the old ones, and they're kind of built really well, but they're not commercial. They're like, they made them for your house, but like the stuff, the parts they used back then are way better than a lot of parts that get used now. But, there's like literally one little resistor that if that goes out, like you can't get it.” Luckily, there haven’t been any issues that have disrupted the waffle production. So, have no fear; you can still satisfy your waffle craving from open to close at Squarehouse Pizza.
Outside of music, the restaurant also takes inspiration from the city of Detroit. Founded in 1701 but experiencing immense growth at the start of the 20th century due to the automobile industry, Detroit has a deep history and culture. Starting as a fur trading outpost, it was under French, then British control until it became the capital city of a new US territory, Michigan, in 1805. Despite a lack of consistent success in sports in modern times, the city never fails to resiliently stand behind its teams. The Tigers’ baseball logo is seen all over the city and inspired the tiger designs that adorn the restaurant, its logos, and its merchandise. “I grew up in a very like Punk Rock setting of like making cut and paste fliers of, like, doing, you know, stuff that's like a little bit bolder, like whatever. And also like in a tattoo, kind of like that's the style of artwork I like. And so that tiger kind of just fit into that aesthetic”.
In addition to the typical pizza toppings, yes, including pineapple, the restaurant offers a limited specialty pizza menu. The specialty menu is guaranteed to pique your interest and entice a growl out of your stomach, featuring the ‘Mariah Curry’ (Curry chicken or cauliflower, onion, green pepper, jalapeño, coconut curry sauce, tomatoes, and cilantro) and the ‘Buffalo Bird’ (chicken, bleu cheese, red onion, and buffalo sauce) for example. Many of these specialty pizzas are invented and workshopped by the employees themselves. All of their pizzas are also available with a gluten-free crust that tastes anything but gluten-free. The menu is rounded out with salad, wine and a local beer menu. No matter your taste or dietary restrictions, you are sure to find something spectacular at Squarehouse Pizza!
References:
- “The Amazing History of Waffles.” Chicago Waffles, March 6, 2024. https://www.chicagowaffles.com/the-amazing-history-of-waffles/.
- “History of Detroit.” Encyclopædia Britannica, November 15, 2021. https://www.britannica.com/place/Detroit/History.
- “How to Tap into the Gluten-Free Pizza Goldmine.” PMQ Pizza, April 5, 2024. https://www.pmq.com/how-to-tap-into-the-gluten-free-pizza-goldmine/.
- Jay, Mark, and Philip Conklin. "A People’s History of Detroit." Duke University Press, 2020. https://doi.org/10.2307/j.ctv1131811.
https://www.squarehousepizza.com/
405 SW 4th Ave, Gainesville, FL 32601
Images
https://inquire-capitalism.clas.ufl.edu/index.php?gf-download=2025%2F10%2F708ee908d18f3bf0f04a89c7ca6aa575.jpg&form-id=3&field-id=9&hash=923eebcaed2b40363ff2ea992fce0757697c4be3da6c978dc195729852278e86
https://inquire-capitalism.clas.ufl.edu/index.php?gf-download=2025%2F10%2F49b14b58e89f277ae69f9c882bef9775.png&form-id=3&field-id=9&hash=9bcd3576f68c85af22808873874fb58c854bb609ecb8e74065be7318c78a1e94
Location
Citation Info
Avi Ackerman, "Oh My, What a Fine Square Pie! Squarehouse Pizza, Gainesville, FL," Squarehouse Pizza, accessed , .