Madison Avenue Pizza is filling its weekly closed night with something new. The Dunedin pizzeria launched "Off The Avenue," a pop-up Italian dining experience running every Tuesday through Aug. 25.

The concept transforms the restaurant's regular dark night into an aperitivo-style evening with a dedicated menu, an original cocktail program and music.

Doors open at 5 p.m.

There's no cover charge and no reservations needed.

Chef Sean Ferraro and his team spent months building the pop-up from scratch, according to a promotional post by the Dunedin is Awesome Instagram account on Aug. 8. The restaurant described the debut on its Facebook page as "a special Aperitivo style night chock full of good music, delicious food, awesome new drinks, and the best vibes."

Ferraro, who owns the restaurant with his wife Jackie, studied restaurant management at Florida State University and has nearly 30 years in the industry. Madison Avenue Pizza, at 2660 Bayshore Blvd. near the intersection of Alt-19 and Curlew, has won Best of Dunedin honors and was named Best Pizza in Tampa Bay at the Best of Bay awards.

The pop-up arrives during a tough summer for Dunedin's restaurant scene. At a July 9 City Commission meeting, more than a dozen downtown restaurant and bar owners asked commissioners to create a "Sip and Stroll" open-container district, citing steep sales declines. "A lot of restaurants are down double-digit percentages, 20% or more," Jason Seibert, owner of Flanagan's Irish Pub and Rosie's Tavern, told commissioners at that July 9 meeting.

The city's own 2025 Business Survey found that 40% of local businesses said more events and festivals would be the most effective way to attract off-season customers, and 21% said the business climate had worsened over the prior two years.

Off The Avenue runs Tuesdays at 5 p.m. through Aug. 25 at 2660 Bayshore Blvd., Dunedin. No word yet on whether the series will continue past August.