LAKEWOOD, Ohio -

Beginning tomorrow, Lakewood's new

opens its doors to serve up wood-fired pizza at 14319 Madison Ave.

The bar and restaurant boasts a concise menu of pies - three red, two white - in a cozy 1,000-square-foot space converted from a former recording studio. You'll be able to watch pizzas pulled right from the Pavesi oven, which was delivered straight from Italy. A small selection of beer, liquor and wine will be served, along with beverages like Topo Chico and agua frescas.

Owners Emily Flamos and John Sweeney always had their eyes on the building, but they were about to ink a deal on another location when the Madison Avenue storefront popped up for sale. It underwent a year and a half of renovations.

"I've loved the architecture of this building for years," Sweeney says. "When it came on the market, it was like destiny."

For the couple, who named Harlow's after their daughter, the shop blossomed from spontaneity. They had both worked in the bar and restaurant business, and one day devised a plan as simple as, "Let's go to Italy and learn to make pizza."

They traveled to Naples and took classes in crafting Neapolitan pies. There, they ducked in and out of tiny pizza shops, much like the one they're bringing to Lakewood.

"We were trying to keep the style of what we saw in Naples," Sweeney says. "The best pizza I had ever had in Naples was at a place just slightly larger than ours, all communal seating. It always had a 45-minute wait with a line out the door."

They'll bring that atmosphere to Harlow's with a communal table for eight. The storefront doors slide open for an airy feel as you enter to a 12-seat bar and smaller tables for four. A patio has communal beer garden tables imported from Germany and Acapulco chairs brought in from Mexico.

"We wanted the pizza itself to be traditional, but we both didn't want people to walk in to an old-school feel," Sweeney says.

It's not just about the pizza, it's the space that makes it special, too, Flamos echoes.

"For some people, we want it to be a place where you can go to the bar, have a drink and relax," she says. "For others, they'll see it as a pizza shop where they can have an inexpensive bite."

The crisp, stylish look might be an homage to their love of Mexico's art and architecture, but when it comes to the menu and ingredients, the duo intends to keep things stripped down. In small Naples kitchens, there's little room for coolers and storage, so everything has to be made fresh.

"Everything is really minimal," Sweeney says. "In the U.S., it's often about how much you can put on top of your pizza. We're moving away from that and taking everything back to simplicity."

That's why they opted for a glowing neon sign that solely says "Harlow's," Sweeney notes.

"When you walked in here, it's whatever it is to you," he says. "I wanted it to be something different for everyone."

Hours will be 5-10 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday and 5 p.m.-midnight Friday and Saturday.