When Dave Portnoy, founder and president of media firm Barstool Sports activities, stepped into Baltimore-based pizza store TinyBrickOven, he did not know the shop was in its last days — or that he would play an important half in saving it.
In a video posted on YouTube and social media on Monday, Portnoy ordered a pizza from TinyBrickOven for his One Chew Pizza Evaluations channel, which has over 1.3 million subscribers on YouTube (and all people is aware of the principles).
Whereas ready for his meals, Portnoy chatted with the shop’s proprietor, Will Fagg, who revealed that TinyBrickOven was closing eternally in just a few days, on Christmas.
“We’re simply not making any cash man, it has been loopy,” Fagg stated, including that TinyBrickOven had been unable to get its liquor license, however a spot close by had, which put his restaurant at a drawback.
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Portnoy paid for the pizza and took his chunk exterior. His first impression of the slice was that it was a “superb” New York-style pizza and that he “actually favored it.”
“There isn’t any manner this place must be going out of enterprise, none,” Portnoy stated. He walked again to the shop and requested Fagg, “How a lot cash do that you must keep open for a yr?”
Fagg stated $60,000 — and Portnoy stated, “Performed.” Portnoy rated the slice a 7.9 out of 10.
The free publicity that got here subsequent, reaching tens of millions of individuals, could be priceless.
Barstool Pizza Evaluate – TinyBrickOven (Baltimore, MD) pic.twitter.com/hDqhclD45D
— Dave Portnoy (@stoolpresidente) December 23, 2024
Because it was posted earlier this week, Portnoy’s video with TinyBrickOven has been seen 14.5 million times on X and 300,000 times on YouTube. The publish has nearly 70,000 likes on Instagram as of press time. Fagg advised CBS News that on Christmas Eve, TinyBrickOven had a line out the door and the cellphone was continually ringing.
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“It sort of feels like a Christmas miracle,” Fagg advised the outlet. “We have by no means had a crowd like this.”
After Portnoy’s video took off, different donations got here pouring in.
TinyBrickOven’s web page on GoFundMe exceeded $120,000 in donations on the time of writing. Portnoy advised CBS that Fagg acquired his separate $60,000 donation by Wednesday.
Portnoy started filming pizza opinions in 2013 and now has a overview web site known as One Bite.
