Top This Pizza Co. will soon be opening its doors in downtown Los Gatos. Its unique format allows a more nuanced pizza experience, in which guests create their own personalized pies.

Inspired by fast, quality restaurants like Chipotle, Top This! founders Jerry and Yovette Raymond seek to eliminate the “pizza compromise” encountered by so many families on a Friday night. For about the same price as a large pizza ($8/person), each family member can oversee the creation of his/her own custom pie, sans the foreboding notion of clean up and a hot kitchen.

The format is simple: with the help of a Top This! Pizza Artist, diners choose from a grand assortment of dough, sauce, cheese, and fresh toppings. Once assembled, their 10-inch personalized pizza is popped into a sizzling, 800-degree oven for 3 minutes. The result: a pizza with a crispy crust and slices that reflect the diner’s own tastes. In effect, making personal preference the focus within a cuisine that is traditionally more confined to mass appeal.

Signature pizzas, salads, and pizza roll appetizers called Top Pockets are also on the menu, along with a slew of sweet desserts. The restaurant is slated to open this week in Los Gatos. Another location in San Jose is also in the works.