Julian and Jacob met while working together at Eleven Madison Park in Flatiron. The idea for Ceres took shape after EMP closed during the pandemic—they both knew they wanted to build something of their own, and pizza felt like the natural direction. Jacob grew up around pizza in New Jersey, and Julian’s connection to it comes from his 

childhood in Europe and time spent in Italy. What started as a shared passion quickly  turned into something much bigger than they anticipated. They found themselves in a four-year process to open—turns out, building a restaurant in New York City is anything but simple. 

In January 2025, they finally opened their doors with one singular goal: to make the best pizza they possibly can, every single day. They’ve been fortunate to  partner with incredible purveyors and producers—people like Beatrice from Gustiamo, Sal from Jersey Artisan Co., and many others—who make what they do possible every day. It 

means a great deal to them to be recognized by their peers around the world for their work. They are committed to continuing to push themselves and their craft forward, and to championing real food made with real ingredients by real people.