Food & Drink
Royal Pizza Brings Authentic Swedish-Style Pizza to Texas
Sasha Jam knows a thing or two about Swedish pizza.
Jam, the owner of San Antonio-based Royal Pizza, spent most of his early life in Sweden, from six months through high school. He loved living in Jönköping and Gothenburg. He also loved the pizza.
What constitutes Swedish pizza? Typically, they feature gyro meat, white tzatziki-style sauce, tomatoes and cheese (not necessarily mozzarella) on a thin crust. That’s right – hold the pepperoni.
Jam became a fan of San Antonio after visiting his older brother who attended the University of Texas at San Antonio. He later applied and was accepted to UTSA, where he enjoyed the sunny weather, affordable cost of living and friendly people, but something was missing: Where was the Swedish pizza?
Passing on an opportunity to put his biology degree to use and attend medical school, Jam convinced his father to open a Swedish-style pizza restaurant in San Antonio. Royal Pizza was born.
“Our pizza is very authentic,” he said. “We make everything from scratch.”
Customers can order traditional style pizzas with fresh kebab and white sauce, as well as a cabbage-based Swedish pizza salad featuring vinegar and different peppers. With more than 65 pizza options, American pizzas are available as well. The team uses the Sweden-made PizzaMaster to bake its pies, and its logo is a crown featuring the blue and yellow from the Swedish flag.
“I like to give people the chance to try Swedish pizza,” Jam said. “I love when they stay here and eat, so I can see their expressions when they try it for the first time.”
Swedish expats in Dallas have even been known to make the four-hour drive to enjoy Royal Pizza’s menu. Jam described one weekend where multiple Swedish families were eating at the restaurant and began speaking to each other. Soon after another family chimed in, and the entire restaurant was speaking in Swedish.
The restaurant has grown to two locations – a restaurant and a catering space – in San Antonio, and another eatery in Cancun, Mexico. Royal Pizza’s San Antonio restaurant recently joined efforts in the city to feed the homeless. Jam started the “Royal Challenge” to encourage local restaurants to provide food for the homeless at a weekly church service held under a bridge near I-35 and Cesar Chavez Boulevard in San Antonio.
“You have to make sure you give back to other people,” Jam said. “That’s what it’s all about. It’s really close to my heart.”
Royal Pizza provides pizza for some of the services and is encouraging other local restaurants to do the same.
For those in or visiting San Antonio, Royal Pizza is located at 523 Med Ct. in the Stone Oak area. Taking a trip to Cancun this summer? Grab a bite to eat at the family’s restaurant at Blvd. Kukulkan K.M. 9.5 local B6.
