It’s the season of giving!
Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy has donated $60,000 to help save a veteran-run pizzeria in Baltimore that is at risk of closing permanently after being overwhelmed with orders from customers.
Portnoy made a pit stop in mid-December while traveling to Maryland for an Army-Navy football game. small brick oven to wrap up a day of filming his viral pizza review in the Federal Hill area. According to producer Austin Jenkins,.
Owner Will Fagg, a Navy veteran, was working behind the counter when the pizza master arrived and revealed that his beloved shop would be closing on Christmas Day.
Fagg said the store was forced to close due to not being able to obtain a liquor license and cash flow issues.
“You can't get a liquor license here,” Fagg told Portnoy in a video uploaded Monday. “Our politicians gave this market a liquor license and they won't give it to us…It's really unfortunate.”
“This store has to stay open,” the Barstool Sports founder said as Fagg packed pizza into boxes.
Portnoy, who went outside to rank the pizzas, took a bite and raved about them, even more surprised that the restaurant was preparing to close.
“This is a skinny, New York style. I really like it,” Portnoy said in his review. “There's no way this store will go out of business. None.”
He then read aloud from a sticker on the box explaining the closure and reading, “Every purchase supports veterans.”
Mr. Portnoy then met Mr. Fagg at his door and asked him “how much money” he needed to keep the business open for another year.
Mr. Fagg was taken back by the question and was at a loss as to how to answer.
“Well, if you have a very wealthy guy in the pizza business sitting in front of you and you happen to be like, “What does it take to stay open for a year?'' you have to give him some numbers. . Then he'll walk away,'' Portnoy said.
“I know that. Listen, I think $60,000 would probably allow us to get a liquor license and stay open,” Fagg said.
“Done,” Portnoy replied, quickly waving his hand to confirm the deal.
Portnoy went inside to exchange information with Fagg and told him he rated the slice a 7.9 out of 10. This was a high score for a pizza sorter.
The review has been viewed more than 12 million times on Portnoy's X page since it was posted, and Mr Fagg said: CBS News TinyBrickOven's business has exploded.
“I've never seen it this crowded,” the veteran said, noting that on Christmas Eve there was a line out the door and the store's phone kept ringing.
Mr. Fagg also shared that a fundraiser that was already set up before the pizza review took place skyrocketed to more than $50,000 within 24 hours of being published on the internet.
“People call this a Christmas miracle,” he said. “It's like a Christmas miracle!”
Fagg opened TinyBrickOven in Baltimore in 2019 and has often used his business to help others.
A few months after opening, Fagg heard the story of a disabled Vietnam veteran who had lost his home in a house fire, and although business was taking off, within a week he was devoting 20% of the store's profits to repair costs. donated as.
“I'm a Navy serviceman, and the Navy and Marines have a long history of helping each other, so when I saw this story, it really broke my heart and I wanted to do something to help.” he said. wimal In 2019.
According to the pizza shop WebsiteHe also uses his business to feed the homeless and raise money for the Maryland Food Bank.
