One pizza review from Dave Portnoy has completely flipped the fortunes of a small Massachusetts restaurant, triggering a surge in customers so intense the owner was forced to double her staff almost overnight.
The Barstool Sports founder stopped by Gianni’s Deli and Pizza on January 8 for one of his signature One Bite reviews, joined by special guest Ann Michael Maye, the wife of Drake Maye of the New England Patriots.
Portnoy handed Gianni’s a 7.7, which he noted is a strong score by his standards. Ann Michael Maye went even higher, giving the pizza an 8.1. The video quickly spread online, but the moment itself started quietly. Owner Aida Agayby had no idea who Portnoy was when he walked in with a large group, asking for a single cheese pizza and two plates.
Dave Portnoy pizza review causes immediate impact
Within days of the video going live, Gianni’s was overwhelmed with orders. Agayby’s niece took to social media asking for help, explaining that the shop had always been run by just a few family members, but demand had suddenly exploded.
Agayby said relatives rushed in to keep the business afloat, including her son, who works full-time at Boston Children’s Hospital. What is usually a three-person operation ballooned to as many as eight people working at once.
“Crazy. We’re slammed,” Agayby said. “Two days after he posted the video Thursday night at 7:30… after that, the phone never ends.”
The surge could not have come at a more critical time. Agayby recently had to leave her home due to severe water damage caused by a burst pipe, forcing her to juggle insurance claims while living out of a hotel on month-to-month payments.
Speaking to CBS Boston, she described the review as a turning point. “I got a little sad, not upset. I said, ‘God, can you do something?’ Then Christmas Eve, this guy came to me like God sent something for me.”
Portnoy’s reviews have a long history of transforming small pizza shops overnight. The Barstool founder tracks every score on his One Bite app, where fans can also find some of his most brutal ratings, including rare 0.0 scores.
For Gianni’s, though, the verdict was clear. One bite really did change everything.
