Ava Pizza is a first-floor counter inside Optimist Hall, the converted cotton mill at 1115 North Brevard Street in Optimist Park. It has no dining room of its own. That single fact governs a visit with a dog, because the hall owns the seating, not the individual tenants.

The hall’s FAQ publishes the policy in two sentences: “Your furry friends are welcome to enjoy our outdoor spaces, including the Main Courtyard. Due to health codes, however, any dog that is not a service animal is not permitted inside the food hall.” The counters are all indoors. The Main Courtyard is not. Ordering means one person goes in for the pizza while someone stays outside.

Optimist Hall describes the stall as “an authentic Italian eatery serving traditionally prepared Neapolitan pizza, cooked in a specially designed wood-fired oven.” Ava publishes no menu on a site of its own — its Instagram bio points to a ChowNow ordering page, and that page doesn’t render a readable menu.

Leash specifics and water bowls aren’t published, not by Ava and not in the hall’s FAQ. County law is the operative rule in the courtyard regardless.

Ava runs 11am to 9pm Monday through Thursday and Sunday, 11am to 10pm Friday and Saturday. The hall itself opens at 7am on weekdays and 8am on weekends, so the courtyard is open well before the oven is.

Parking is registered, not free by default. Scanning a QR code in the lot registers the vehicle once with Metropolis, and the first hour and a half is free; after that the posted rates are $5 for 1.5 to 3 hours and $18 for 3 to 24 hours. On transit, the hall’s own directions: “We’re located just a block away from the Parkwood Station. When exiting the station, turn right and you’ll see us shortly.”

Birdsong Brewing, whose taproom page welcomes leashed dogs indoors, is about a quarter mile away on North Davidson. Ninth Street Dog Park is under a mile southwest.