Beloved Renton pizza spot celebrates 10 years

Owner Tushar Batra cut the ribbon to celebrate the only restaurant in Renton that combines monkeys, astronauts, galactic powers, smoking and award-winning pizza.

By Max Burchi • June 24, 2024 4:25 pm

Smoking Monkey Pizza has been Renton’s one and only primate sci-fi pizza parlor for over a decade.

On June 4 in downtown Renton, Smoking Monkey Pizza commemorated its 10-year anniversary with a celebratory ribbon cutting ceremony.

After the opening of the Renton Farmer’s Market, residents flocked to support the restaurant on this milestone day. In addition to the ribbon cutting, Smoking Monkey Pizza had raffles, a spinning wheel for prizes, a buy-one-pizza-get-one-free deal and — quite on brand — a large monkey and pizza costume.

“It was a really great moment for us,” said new owner Tushar Batra of the ceremony. “We did various activities for kids, for teenagers, and even for old people. We were having a face painting booth, we were having a spin the wheel game to get free drinks and free food.”

Smoking Monkey Pizza was created with a unique goal in mind — combining science fiction and delicious pizza.

Over the past 10 years, the restaurant has evolved a complex background narrative of asteroid mining companies and an intergalactic “Federation of Pizza.”

The restaurant has blossomed into a staple of the Renton community with food equal in quality as the decorations. Smoking Monkey Pizza was voted Renton’s Best Pizza in 2024, adding onto a long list of awards racked up over the years.

While the ceremony had face painting stands and winnable prizes, at the end of the day, it is the food that brings customers back.

“I love food, I love to cook every day,” said Batra of the center of his business. “I am very glad I got the opportunity to buy this store, and I am really attached to the food. Whenever I make the food, I always give 100%.”

Tushar Batra has only owned Smoking Monkey Pizza for just over three months, but he has already acclimated to the support of his Renton neighborhood.

“This is a very good location for me. I love the community, I love the people, and I am really happy to serve right here,” said Batra. “Our neighbors are pretty good. If I need something I ask, if they need something I can help them. This is a small neighborhood so we can help each other to grow.”

Batra recalled some specific kind gestures his fellow small business owners made to him before the ceremony.

“When I was doing my ten-year anniversary, everyone put posters for me outside their businesses. That is the main reason I am here,” he said.

After a decade of success, many wonder what the next decade will look like for Renton’s favorite monkey-based pizzeria. While nothing is certain, Batra is confident in the changes he is making and the continuation of what everyone already loves.

“I have changed a couple of things. I have introduced a good bar for the people, I have changed the color for the store interior, I have increased the food quality by adding my own appetizers, but the rest is the same. The recipes are all the same,” he said.