We were lucky to catch up with Hal Mooney recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hal, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Do you take vacations? How do you keep things going – any advice for entrepreneurs who feel like they can’t step away from their business for a short vacation?

Vacations are extremely important. Like, extremely. And while they’re difficult to find time for (time to plan, time to do), we still do our best to do them when we can. We’ve been limited this year because our budget is going 100% towards opening the restaurant, but we can still fit in some camping trips and day trips to the beach. Running a business is super fulfilling for me, but my primary purpose is my family. It’s what I think about most, it’s what I care about most, and it’s the thing that I am innately drawn towards at all times. I love my business and I care about it deeply, and actually taking time away from it is healthy.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

Mooney’s Pizza Tavern is a family-owned neighborhood pizzeria opening in Long Beach in early 2026. Founded by Hal and Cindy Mooney, both Certified Cicerones® and longtime beer pros, the tavern blends the nostalgia of a classic 90s pizzeria with modern touches: naturally leavened pizzas made with organic ingredients, 20 taps of craft beer, natural wine, and frozen custard for dessert.

What sets Mooney’s apart is its balance of craft and comfort. The dough is serious, but the vibe is playful: kids in booths, dogs on the patio, karaoke in the event room, and that home-away-from-home kinda bar vibe. It’s a tavern built for community, whether you’re celebrating a birthday, watching the game, or just dropping in for some ‘za and a beer.

How did you put together the initial capital you needed to start your business?

Funding our business has been a full time job. We went into the build-out underfunded, but we knew that getting into it, so we knew it was going to be a game of finding funding along the way. It’s a large restaurant build with a lot, A LOT of renovation to do, but we were confident that our business plan was good, our product was great and the project made sense. We used all of our personal savings plus a second mortgage on our house, which is a huge risk, but then again, what’s a better bet than betting on yourself? We also negotiated a good tenant improvement package from our landlord, which is a large part of it. We were able to get a little bit of friends and family money and then, to close the gap, we launched a Honeycomb community investment that has actually been going really well.

Have any books or other resources had a big impact on you?

Setting the Table by Danny Meyer is a great management book. Not just for hospitality, but for any business person or entrepreneur. I also really like PEAK from Chip Conley. It’s about running your business and your team based on Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. I align a lot with that one.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://mooneyspizza.com
• Instagram: @mooneyspizza
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61577226321258

Image Credits

Jay Diebel Photography