Jemma Pizzeria Set to ‘Pop-Up’ in Palisades Village

By SARAH SHMERLING | Editor-in-Chief

If there’s one thing chef and restaurateur Jackson Kalb wanted the community to know ahead of the opening of the Jemma Pizzeria pop-up in Palisades Village, it’s that for him, this is a homecoming years in the making.

“Coming back is the most exciting part for me,” Kalb told the Palisadian-Post on Tuesday, December 5.

Kalb, who grew up in Pacific Palisades on Via De La Paz, said he always knew that when he reached a certain point in his career where it was feasible, he would expand to the Palisades. That time is quickly approaching, as Jemma Pizzeria is slated to open in the next couple of weeks, taking over a space formerly occupied by ROCA Pizza on Swarthmore Avenue.

“Jemma Pizzeria pays homage to old-school Italian-American joints with a touch of modern California flair,” according to the Palisades Village website. “Their pizzas are made with an organic flour dough that took over four years to perfect and Lodi, California, tomatoes that feature the perfect blend of sweetness and acidity.”

Kalb said the pizzeria will serve 12-inch pies, which could serve one hungry person or be shared. It will also have sandwiches, which are “made with fresh baked bread,” which takes more than two days to make. The sandwiches are “piled high with elevated classics that are made to order.”

With Kalb at the helm, the Memento Mori Hospitality group operates Jemma Hollywood, Jemma di Mare, Ospi Venice and Jame. Tim Lee will be the general manager of the Palisades Village location, according to its website.

“Guess what? We’re popping up at [Palisades Village],” read a post on the Jemma Restaurants Instagram on Friday, December 1. “Jemma Pizzeria coming [very] soon.”

ROCA closed six months after opening at Palisades Village, effective Tuesday, September 5.

“ROCA loved serving the Palisades community, and are grateful to their loyal customers and valued employees,” a representative from the brand said to the Post on Wednesday, September 6. “The primary reason for closing ROCA was due to unexpected costs associated with pandemic-related opening delays.”

ROCA’s Palisades Village location opened on March 6 in a space previously occupied by SunLife Organics. The restaurant was first announced in July 2021, with plans at the time to open by January or February 2022.

The ROCA Pizza brand, which offered an “elevated fast-casual interpretation of Roman-style street food pizza,” was the creation of Rick Rosenfield, a co-founder of California Pizza Kitchen, and his wife, Esther. Their pizza was served “al taglio,” which translates to “by-the-cut.”

Kalb said that Jemma Pizzeria will be different than the previous concept, and each pizza will be made fresh to order. At this time, Kalb said Jemma Pizzeria will be in Palisades Village on a one-year lease to be reassessed and possibly extended when it finishes, depending how things go.

“Soon, you can grab a fresh pie to enjoy in The Park,” Palisades Village concluded.