Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy gave a glowing review to a brand-new pizza shop in Columbus, Ohio, but he’s worried his score might be more than the small family business can handle.
In his latest One Bite review, Portnoy visited Artisan Pizza Cafe, a new restaurant run by a husband-and-wife team. The couple, who make every pie by hand, had yet to learn how to take phone orders when Portnoy dropped in.
Despite the shop being empty at the time, the Barstool boss predicted things would change fast, as his reviews have a history of causing a flood of new customers.
“After I post this video, there’s going to be a line down the corner. You’re not going to be able to get in there,” Portnoy warned.
Dave Portnoy concerned new pizzeria will be overwhelmed after review
Portnoy scored the pizza an 8.1, tying it with Sexton’s and Emelio’s for the highest-rated pies in the city. He praised the fresh ingredients and craftsmanship, even though the crust came out a bit too crispy for him.
“I think the pizza’s really, really good,” he said, but given how new the restaurant is, he had some concerns about the score. “I’m worried about how many people are going to show up to try to eat.”
“They can’t keep up… I asked them, I said, ‘What happens if there’s a line of 10 people here?’ … I was worried it would be really good. And it is really good,” he explained.
According to Portnoy, the couple didn’t seem to understand the question and insisted every pizza would still be made slowly by hand.
Still, Portnoy encouraged customers to be patient and praised the passion of the couple, noting that the wife had even lived in Italy and brought her experience into the kitchen. The two also plan to hire more staff to keep up with the demand.
“You’re going to have to show up in person and you’re going to have to be patient. That is my advice if you want this pizza. This is very good,” Portnoy told viewers.
Lo and behold, the same day Dave posted his review, the restaurant posted a sign on its window saying they had “closed due to an emergency” because they “ran out of food.” The shop is set to reopen on Wednesday, September 10.
Portnoy keeps track of all of his reviews on the One Bite app, where you can also see his harshest reviews for the worst pizza he’s had – including some 0.0 scores!
