It’s a family affair for the new owners of popular Center Street pizza shop
by Lorne Chambers | Editor
From a tiny Center Street storefront, Slice of Folly has been slinging piping-hot slices of cheese and pepperoni to visitors and locals for the last eight years. For a large part of that time, local twin teenagers Thomas and Henry Hastings have been right there, making the pizzas, serving customers, and helping do all the little things that go into running a pizzeria in a busy beach town.
Their parents, Matt and Sarah-Hamlin Hastings, say they never really planned on owning a restaurant, and they surely never thought their youngest boys’ summer jobs would end up being a family business. But that’s exactly what happened last year when the Folly couple had the opportunity to buy the busy Center Street pizza shop.
Although they purchased the business in August of 2024, the Hastings largely kept their venture quiet, even amongst friends and extended family. With the help of Thomas and Henry, who knew the business well, the couple spent the last several months tweaking some things and ironing out all of the kinks. Then, last month, they revealed to everyone that they were the proud owners of Slice of Folly.
“We wanted to learn the equipment and see what works and what doesn’t,” says Sarah-Hamlin. “We wanted to be able to serve a consistent product every time, so when people come in, they know what they’re getting and that it’s going to be good.”
According to Sarah-Hamlin, they needed to get back to the basics with what Slice offered, which meant cutting certain things from the menu, like subs and salads. They wanted to just focus on the pizza.
“As we get some of our processes upgraded, as we transition into the summer, we’re excited about exploring specials, promotions, and things that will keep Slice fun,” says Matt. Sarah-Hamlin adds that the boys have been experimenting with weekly specials, like the Double-Pep & Hot Honey pie or the controversial Pickle-Bacon-Ranch pizza that people either loved or thought was blasphemous.
Besides twins Thomas and Henry, the Hastings have two other sons, one who graduated from USC and now lives in Utah and another who currently attends Trinity College in Dublin, Ireland. All bring different talents and have roles within the business.
“It’s been very cool. A real family affair,” explains Sarah-Hamlin, an interior designer and owner of Fritz Porter Design Collective, a boutique textiles and hand-crafted furniture showroom located in North Charleston. She says her husband Matt is the numbers guy and she used her expertise in revamping the design of the tiny pizza shop and led a redesign of the company’s colors and logos. “It really wasn’t a dream. But we love pizza, love eating out, and love Folly.”
While owning a pizzeria wasn’t necessarily Matt and Sarah-Hamlin’s dream, Matt says they did desire to one day own a family business that involved their sons.
“What we didn’t anticipate, but makes it even better, is that our boys are who led us to Slice,” says Matt. “All of them have worked summers at Folly through the years. Our son Henry’s first summer job was at Slice back when he was 15. His brother Thomas followed suit, working at Slice, and Coconut Joes last summer. Charlie has been a lifeguard on Folly for several summers, and our oldest, Jack, worked at Taco Boy all during high school and college. So we know the summer crowds and their eating habits well!”
The pizza industry may be relatively new to the Hastings, but pizza is not. Sarah-Hamlin is from Charleston but met Matt, a native Virginian, while the two were living in New York. The couple spent many years in New York and Connecticut, two of the best pizza regions in the country (calm down, Chicago!). Then, several years ago, they decided to move south to Sarah-Hamlin’s hometown of Charleston. Eventually, they moved out to Folly Beach full-time.
“Since acquiring Slice in August, we’re focused on every aspect of the business, which, of course, starts with our cheese. I’d love to make our own Mozzarella, but our small space makes that difficult,” says Matt. “We’re ordering the best cheese and most expensive cheese available. We’re committed to the cheesiest experience for our customers and, of course, perfecting the ‘no flop’ crust that all New Yorkers insist on.”
Slice of Folly is located at 16-B Center St. To place an order, call (854) 803-8011 or visit www.sliceoffollypizza.com.
