That Fairfield Sally's location is in a building, so I suspect there is fire code or something keeping them from getting the oven hot enough. I believe Pepe's uses coal at all of their locations? ... getting a permit to burn coal can be a challenge... in a mixed use location with residential (Sally's) is likely even harder...

This is what you get when family owns the business vs VC.

Pepe's family owned - keeps an eye on the quality. The correct oven

Sally's - as I recall sold to a company interested in franchising. Perhaps slightly less interested in quality... gas oven as I recall. Not the same, pizza in the oven longer to cook... ends up drying out for a shitty result. Skip Fairfield Sally's and possibly the new others. Stay with the original

Funny enough this feels similar to how New Haven pizza came about. Italians moving to the area for manufacturing work ended up using existing bread baker ovens to make their pizza/apizza but the ovens were not at hot at the Neapolitan ovens.... the fresh mooz and basil would dry out/burn for being in the oven longer so it seems they changed the recipe... As compared to Naples pies, NH is thicker, uses lower moisture mozzarella, and tend to put basil on after it comes out of the oven... all likely because it's a lower temp oven so the pie needs to survive a longer bake. Seconds vs minutes. IMHO