BALTIMORE — A pizza parlor in Federal Hill is experiencing a renaissance after a visit from Dave Portnoy, founder and president of Barstool Sports.
Portnoy surprised the owner of Tiny Brick Oven with a One Bite Pizza Review and a donation to keep the small business from closing.
“Oh my gosh. It totally blew my mind. I mean, there are so many things I should have told him when he was here, and I couldn’t. I was too excited,” Tiny Brick Oven owner Will Fagg told 11 News.
Fagg has been on an emotional roller coaster with a pizza parlor full of new customers.
“Don’t make me cry! I’m trying to make pizzas!” Fagg said.
Fagg was about to shut down for good due to some economic issues and slow business.
Now, pizza boxes are flying off the shelves, and it’s all thanks to a viral video.
“This is a thin, New York kind of style. I really like it,” Portnoy said in his review. “There’s no way this place should be going out of business. None.”
Once Barstool founder Dave Portnoy tried a slice, he decided to give Fagg a Christmas miracle to the pizza shop.
“Can I ask you something? How much money do you need to stay open for like a year?” Portnoy questioned.
“That’s a really good question. I’m not sure,” Fagg said.
“Well, if there’s somebody super rich right in front of your face who’s in the pizza business, and by serendipity is like, ‘What do you need to stay open for a year,’ you’ve got to give him some figure, because then he’s going to walk away,” Portnoy said.
“I know it. Listen, I think we could probably get our liquor license and continue to stay open if we had $60,000,” Fagg said.
“Done,” Portnoy said.
Hopefully business will pick up and he can continue on his own after a year.