Erik Spoelstra pops in to new pizza spot in Kendall: ‘Pleasant and generous’
It’s not every day a famous basketball coach christens your restaurant. Which is why it’s important to take a selfie to document the situation.
Thelvius Winieckie did just that the other day. The longtime chef at Miami’s Best Pizza recently opened his own joint called Thad’s Pizza, after his nickname. It’s located near Dadeland Mall in the King Creek’s shopping plaza in the space formerly occupied by Mamma Dora’s.
“Coach stopped in to congratulate us on the opening,” said the caption on the eatery’s Instagram page, adding that Spoelstra had been a regular at MBP for many years. “Always pleasant and generous with the crew, GO HEAT!”
It’s not known what Spoelstra ordered on his probable cheat day, but Thad’s is known for its old-school, thin, crispy pies with a robust, sweet tomato sauce. Spoelstra wasn’t the only famous local visitor lately. On Instagram you can see a bunch of media folks from WTVJ-NBC6 got together for a reunion there like Pam Giganti, Kelly Craig and Richard Dalkran.
On Yelp, a recent reviewer calls Winiecki a “great guy with a stellar pizza making pedigree” and gushes that his new place is a “hole in the wall gem.”
In the response section, the industry vet thanked the diner, writing, “I take everyone’s pizza order seriously and I’m always passionate about getting it right every time.”
Yep, Winieckie is loving all the hoopla (it’s also a huge hit on DoorDash). He just announced that due to overwhelming demand, he’ll be closing on Mondays in the short term to “work on the business and scale it up.”
THAD’S PIZZA
8016 SW 81st Dr., Miami
www.thadspizza.com; 786-542-5060
This story was originally published September 29, 2025 at 3:50 PM.
