New Kensington, Pennsylvania, may be a little outside your line of vision, but it’s worth bringing into focus. The community has undergone a quiet renaissance in recent years, with new businesses, restaurants, and hot spots breathing life back into this blue-collar town. It’s cheaper than the city and carries a pastoral vibe, giving New Kensington a renewed small-town charm — this time with some serious upgrades.
What’s Happening in New Kensington?
Something Savory…
Meet Gavin McCall, owner of Common Oven Pizza. After working various odd jobs, he began making pizza at home about nine years ago and later worked at several other pizza shops.
Wanting to make his own mark on the industry, he launched a mobile pizza concept, Pittsburgh Street Pizza. Inspired by fresh, local ingredients, he began popping up around the city before refining his concept and opening Common Oven Pizza, a brick-and-mortar location in New Kensington.
“The name comes from the historical concept that I liked back in the old days — like before tomatoes were in Italy — when people lived in wood-thatched houses and there was one oven in town,” he said. “This was a place where everyone would go to bake their bread and be together.”
Taking a page from history, he envisioned a space that felt communal; a place where people could gather, eat well and leave feeling genuinely nourished. Sourdough, which predates commercial yeast, felt like the natural foundation for his pizza. Paired with house-made mozzarella, handmade meatballs, the fan-favorite Philly cheesesteak and a small lineup of thoughtfully crafted salads, he’s found a clear and confident niche.
Why New Kensington? “I didn’t originally plan to end up in New Kensington, but I love this community. It’s down to earth, genuinely supportive and not overly curated. You can actually build things here that — unless you have a lot of money to start with — you wouldn’t be able to do in other parts of the city. I plan on being here forever,” he said.
Something Sweet…
From working at a zoo to owning his own bakery, Evan Morgan-Newpher’s journey to New Kensington is anything but ordinary. Before moving to the region, Evan was an elephant keeper at the Tulsa Zoo in Oklahoma for five years. In 2015, after suffering an injury in the elephant barn that left him laid up with not much to do, he turned his attention to “The Great British Bake Off.”
“I watched it and I thought I could bake, too,” he said. “But I was awful at it. So my husband bought me the first-season cookbook, and I did all the recipes, kind of like that movie ‘Julie & Julia.’”
Whether it was divine intervention from Julia Child herself or the inspiration that comes when practice meets passion, he grew his skill set and was cast on “The Great Chocolate Showdown” (Food Network Canada) in 2021.
In the meantime, his husband, a teacher, was looking for a new job, which led them to Pennsylvania. “I decided to throw all of my energy into a bakery,” Evan said. Vowing to never open a brick-and-mortar, he now has two locations in New Kensington: a production facility and his Evanly Bakes retail spot, with plans to expand into a larger space in the coming months.
His specialty? Cake jars with flavors like chocolate cappuccino, lemon, peanut butter and chocolate, birthday cake and more. There are blondies and brownies, as well as vegan and gluten-free options.
“I wanted everyone to be able to walk in and find something they like and can enjoy,” he said.
Not in the neighborhood? Never fear — he ships nationwide. Now, that is (h)evanly!
Something for the Arts…
Want a feast for the eyes? Look no further than the new Manos Gallery, housed inside the Aluminum City Arts building. The structure later became the Citizens General Hospital School of Nursing before sitting vacant until Ernesto Camacho Jr. and his partner of 10 years, Brian DeFelices, noticed a diamond in the rough.
“We wanted to bring it back to life, turning it into a multifunctional art gallery and cultural hub that can anchor a creative ecosystem,” Camacho said. That system will include a custom frame shop, dance studio, theater production company, historical museum and collaborative spaces, along with an events venue.
“This is more than just preserving a building,” he added. “We love saving old historical sites and expanding the art communities. This is very needed in New Kensington and will help bring the neighborhood and surrounding areas together.”
The art gallery is now open to the public, with more to come.
“Everyone is moving to the suburbs,” DeFelices said. “New Kensington has really grown in the last few years. We have several bakeries, we have breweries, we have restaurants. The city is going to do art-all-night events, car shows and different markets. We want New Kensington to be the place to be.”
Want more? Check out these other hot spots, because in New Kensington, there is something for everyone.
- Jillian’s Restaurant
- Vinci Winery
- Farmhouse Fresh
- Taqueria El Pastorcito
- Sweet Tillies
- Ethical Hope Gift Shop
- Knead Community Cafe
Story and Photography by Natalie Bencivenga
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