1 00:00:14,956 --> 00:00:15,396 Speaker 1: Pushkin. 2 00:00:30,636 --> 00:00:33,796 Speaker 2: My friend Katie made business cards for me because she 3 00:00:33,836 --> 00:00:35,676 Speaker 2: knew that I was, you know, trying to figure out 4 00:00:35,716 --> 00:00:38,276 Speaker 2: the next step, and she wanted to make sure that 5 00:00:38,316 --> 00:00:41,596 Speaker 2: whatever was written on the business card as my job, 6 00:00:41,636 --> 00:00:43,956 Speaker 2: as my career, was something that was true and honest. 7 00:00:44,276 --> 00:00:49,436 Speaker 2: And so the card says Scott Wiener, pizza enthusiast. 8 00:00:48,996 --> 00:00:52,716 Speaker 1: Scott Wiener enjoys pizza more than anyone I've ever met. 9 00:00:53,596 --> 00:00:55,956 Speaker 1: For a long time, his love of pizza was just 10 00:00:56,036 --> 00:01:00,676 Speaker 1: a hobby until he created his dream job, taking people 11 00:01:00,796 --> 00:01:03,916 Speaker 1: on tours of pizza rhas across New York City. 12 00:01:04,596 --> 00:01:09,356 Speaker 2: I had never run even a practice pizza tour. I'd 13 00:01:09,356 --> 00:01:12,356 Speaker 2: never run any tour. I'd never been a tour guide. 14 00:01:12,996 --> 00:01:15,876 Speaker 2: I had a license, and I knew I like to 15 00:01:15,876 --> 00:01:16,756 Speaker 2: talk about pizza. 16 00:01:19,396 --> 00:01:23,116 Speaker 1: On today's episode, what happens when you follow your passion 17 00:01:23,196 --> 00:01:29,396 Speaker 1: to extraordinary lengths, and that passion is pizza. Quick disclaimer, 18 00:01:29,916 --> 00:01:36,156 Speaker 1: this episode may make you very hungry. I'm maya shunker 19 00:01:36,396 --> 00:01:38,916 Speaker 1: and this is a slight change of plans, a show 20 00:01:38,956 --> 00:01:41,356 Speaker 1: about who we are and who we become in the 21 00:01:41,396 --> 00:01:56,036 Speaker 1: face of a big change. On a recent trip to 22 00:01:56,076 --> 00:01:59,316 Speaker 1: New York City, my friends suggested that instead of going 23 00:01:59,356 --> 00:02:01,996 Speaker 1: out to dinner at a restaurant, we should take a 24 00:02:02,036 --> 00:02:05,756 Speaker 1: pizza tasting tour instead. I didn't even know that was 25 00:02:05,796 --> 00:02:09,636 Speaker 1: a thing. That any tour that involves food is clear 26 00:02:09,756 --> 00:02:13,596 Speaker 1: yes in my books. Scott was our tour guide and 27 00:02:13,636 --> 00:02:15,956 Speaker 1: he ushered us onto a bus that took us to 28 00:02:16,076 --> 00:02:20,116 Speaker 1: three pizzerias across Manhattan. He taught us about the history 29 00:02:20,116 --> 00:02:22,876 Speaker 1: of the restaurants and the origin stories of different types 30 00:02:22,876 --> 00:02:28,716 Speaker 1: of pizzas, all as we scarfed down slice after slice. 31 00:02:28,756 --> 00:02:31,636 Speaker 1: Scott also introduced us to the team of pizza makers 32 00:02:31,636 --> 00:02:36,076 Speaker 1: behind the scenes. They're called pizza yolos. When I casually 33 00:02:36,116 --> 00:02:39,316 Speaker 1: mentioned that I enjoy shredded mozzarella on my pizza more 34 00:02:39,356 --> 00:02:43,036 Speaker 1: than the fancier fresh mozzarella slices, one of them made 35 00:02:43,076 --> 00:02:46,796 Speaker 1: me a special pie on the spot and then lightly 36 00:02:46,876 --> 00:02:51,316 Speaker 1: judged me for my preference. Scott called it the Maya Pia. 37 00:02:52,556 --> 00:02:56,996 Speaker 1: I found Scott's passion for pizza so inspiring. I was 38 00:02:57,036 --> 00:03:01,196 Speaker 1: watching someone in their element doing something they really really 39 00:03:01,236 --> 00:03:03,916 Speaker 1: loved and they had found a way to make it 40 00:03:04,076 --> 00:03:08,236 Speaker 1: their career. Many of our conversations on the show are 41 00:03:08,276 --> 00:03:12,796 Speaker 1: about people face unexpected change. Today, I wanted to hear 42 00:03:12,836 --> 00:03:16,156 Speaker 1: from someone who wasn't thrown a giant curveball, but who 43 00:03:16,196 --> 00:03:21,396 Speaker 1: decided to throw one himself. Scott's enthusiasm for crust, sauce, 44 00:03:21,436 --> 00:03:24,796 Speaker 1: and cheese goes way back in college when he was 45 00:03:24,836 --> 00:03:27,916 Speaker 1: touring with his band. He was eating pizza in cities 46 00:03:27,996 --> 00:03:30,796 Speaker 1: across the country, and he wanted a way to keep 47 00:03:30,836 --> 00:03:32,996 Speaker 1: track of his reviews so that he could share them 48 00:03:33,116 --> 00:03:34,236 Speaker 1: with his friends back home. 49 00:03:35,076 --> 00:03:37,956 Speaker 2: I would report back, oh yeah, we went to this 50 00:03:37,996 --> 00:03:41,036 Speaker 2: great pizzeria, or oh yeah, I was in North Carolina. 51 00:03:41,116 --> 00:03:43,516 Speaker 2: We actually found this really cool New York style pizzeria. 52 00:03:43,956 --> 00:03:46,996 Speaker 2: So it really became a joke that, oh, I should 53 00:03:47,036 --> 00:03:50,476 Speaker 2: keep a pizza journal. And my friend Michelle took one 54 00:03:50,516 --> 00:03:54,236 Speaker 2: of those empty journal books, like a sketchbook, and she 55 00:03:54,516 --> 00:03:58,316 Speaker 2: took paint pens, and she wrote Scott's Pizza Journal, and 56 00:03:58,356 --> 00:04:00,996 Speaker 2: then on the first page she wrote like a rubric 57 00:04:01,036 --> 00:04:04,396 Speaker 2: for scoring the pizza. And then on every single page 58 00:04:04,436 --> 00:04:10,036 Speaker 2: she wrote by hand, date, name of pizzeria, who was 59 00:04:10,036 --> 00:04:14,476 Speaker 2: I with cost, you know, like by hand, every single 60 00:04:14,476 --> 00:04:15,076 Speaker 2: one of them. 61 00:04:15,236 --> 00:04:17,396 Speaker 1: Oh my gosh. Okay, So for folks who can't see 62 00:04:17,476 --> 00:04:20,276 Speaker 1: it has adorable little drawings of pizzas on the cover. 63 00:04:20,956 --> 00:04:23,076 Speaker 2: Yeah, these are all like stickers. She had a little 64 00:04:23,276 --> 00:04:25,836 Speaker 2: I think it fell apart, but she created a little 65 00:04:26,436 --> 00:04:29,796 Speaker 2: sticker satchel in the back of the notebook. 66 00:04:29,436 --> 00:04:31,596 Speaker 1: So you can put like five stars four stars. 67 00:04:31,716 --> 00:04:34,316 Speaker 2: Yeah, so it's funny that you say that because it 68 00:04:34,476 --> 00:04:37,436 Speaker 2: wasn't a number of stars. And that's actually really significant 69 00:04:37,476 --> 00:04:41,796 Speaker 2: because I'm far less interested in ranking pizzerias. I'm way 70 00:04:41,836 --> 00:04:44,596 Speaker 2: more interested in the philosophy that all pizza has its 71 00:04:44,596 --> 00:04:47,156 Speaker 2: place and that it really just turns into, well, what's 72 00:04:47,196 --> 00:04:49,756 Speaker 2: the right situation for that pizza. So Michelle took that 73 00:04:49,796 --> 00:04:53,396 Speaker 2: into account when she wrote the score sheet, which the 74 00:04:53,476 --> 00:04:57,476 Speaker 2: lowest score is a little yellow smiley face, and the 75 00:04:57,556 --> 00:05:00,116 Speaker 2: description she wrote is all pizza can at least make 76 00:05:00,156 --> 00:05:03,756 Speaker 2: you smile, even when it's nothing special. That's the lowest rating. 77 00:05:04,596 --> 00:05:05,436 Speaker 1: What are the other ones? 78 00:05:05,516 --> 00:05:07,476 Speaker 2: And then we get a large happy face, which is 79 00:05:07,476 --> 00:05:10,076 Speaker 2: some pizza makes you very happy than a gold star, 80 00:05:10,196 --> 00:05:12,796 Speaker 2: which is the standard to which most pizza should be held. 81 00:05:14,436 --> 00:05:17,316 Speaker 2: And then there's hearts, and that's some pizza you can 82 00:05:17,356 --> 00:05:21,476 Speaker 2: fall in love with. So these are just different elements. 83 00:05:21,676 --> 00:05:22,556 Speaker 1: That's kind of beautiful. 84 00:05:22,596 --> 00:05:24,916 Speaker 2: I love it, Yeah, and it really I think this 85 00:05:25,036 --> 00:05:27,836 Speaker 2: was a reflection on my personal philosophy. But it also 86 00:05:27,916 --> 00:05:31,916 Speaker 2: really helped shape my philosophy even more because I was 87 00:05:31,956 --> 00:05:35,236 Speaker 2: more interested in writing a commentary about what I was 88 00:05:35,236 --> 00:05:37,836 Speaker 2: doing in my life that day at that moment. Who 89 00:05:37,916 --> 00:05:41,596 Speaker 2: was I with? Oh, we're in Kansas City. We got 90 00:05:41,596 --> 00:05:45,476 Speaker 2: a flat tire. Oh, I had this great milkshake, and 91 00:05:45,516 --> 00:05:47,996 Speaker 2: we got this great pizza, which was good enough for today, 92 00:05:48,276 --> 00:05:50,716 Speaker 2: but it wouldn't have been good if the sun was up. 93 00:05:50,716 --> 00:05:52,836 Speaker 2: It was good as an after dark pizza. You know, 94 00:05:52,876 --> 00:05:58,396 Speaker 2: Like the reviews are not so much qualitative reviews. They're 95 00:05:58,436 --> 00:06:00,596 Speaker 2: really contextual stories. 96 00:06:01,316 --> 00:06:03,636 Speaker 1: So you're revisiting parts of your life, like it's bringing 97 00:06:03,636 --> 00:06:06,516 Speaker 1: you back, yeah, to things, the things you were going through. 98 00:06:06,756 --> 00:06:08,916 Speaker 1: Can you, I mean, since you have the Pizza Journal 99 00:06:08,916 --> 00:06:11,716 Speaker 1: with you, do you mind reading an excerpt for us? 100 00:06:11,796 --> 00:06:14,556 Speaker 1: Can you give us a taste? Sorry, this whole interview 101 00:06:14,596 --> 00:06:20,636 Speaker 1: will be peppered, peppered with lots of puns. Sorry slight 102 00:06:20,836 --> 00:06:21,756 Speaker 1: change listeners. 103 00:06:22,236 --> 00:06:24,516 Speaker 2: Look, if you don't like pizza puns, you don't have 104 00:06:24,556 --> 00:06:24,956 Speaker 2: to listen. 105 00:06:24,996 --> 00:06:26,036 Speaker 1: Actually, please still listen. 106 00:06:26,476 --> 00:06:29,756 Speaker 2: O'm kidding. So I don't remember when this happened, but 107 00:06:29,796 --> 00:06:31,996 Speaker 2: a while back I did go through the books, or 108 00:06:32,036 --> 00:06:34,676 Speaker 2: a friend of mine did and kind of dog eared 109 00:06:34,756 --> 00:06:38,156 Speaker 2: some of the best entries. So I have some from 110 00:06:38,236 --> 00:06:41,236 Speaker 2: volume two because I have I think six or seven 111 00:06:41,316 --> 00:06:42,076 Speaker 2: of these books. 112 00:06:42,636 --> 00:06:44,196 Speaker 1: Does it have a pizza stain on it? Or is 113 00:06:44,196 --> 00:06:45,956 Speaker 1: that coffee? Okay, there's something on there. 114 00:06:45,996 --> 00:06:47,596 Speaker 2: This is definitely tomato sauce. 115 00:06:47,676 --> 00:06:49,396 Speaker 1: Tomato sauce, Okay, no doubt. 116 00:06:49,436 --> 00:06:51,876 Speaker 2: Okay, So let me read you this one. We'll see 117 00:06:51,916 --> 00:06:57,676 Speaker 2: how it goes. This is Tuesday, August twenty. First, it 118 00:06:57,716 --> 00:07:00,356 Speaker 2: looks like it was two thousand and six. Okay, So 119 00:07:01,396 --> 00:07:04,676 Speaker 2: it's ten pm. It's in Park Slope, Brooklyn, and it's 120 00:07:04,676 --> 00:07:08,196 Speaker 2: at a place called Gino's. I had a cheese pizza 121 00:07:08,236 --> 00:07:10,316 Speaker 2: and I've given it a red star, and next to 122 00:07:10,356 --> 00:07:14,596 Speaker 2: it it says a go to pie, especially at two am. Okay, 123 00:07:15,036 --> 00:07:20,156 Speaker 2: So I just saw the first line. 124 00:07:21,116 --> 00:07:23,036 Speaker 1: Dramatic reading, Scott, dramatic reading. 125 00:07:23,356 --> 00:07:26,756 Speaker 2: Listen. I don't know if I've said it out loud recently, 126 00:07:26,996 --> 00:07:31,236 Speaker 2: but I love pizza. This place reminds me of why 127 00:07:31,276 --> 00:07:35,516 Speaker 2: I love quote average pizza reas ouch harsh. Gino's is 128 00:07:35,516 --> 00:07:39,596 Speaker 2: pretty standard in that it's big, floppy, consistent across the pie. 129 00:07:40,636 --> 00:07:42,876 Speaker 2: But it's a great example of a standard pie because 130 00:07:42,916 --> 00:07:45,996 Speaker 2: it's so darn tasty. The sauce is just fruity enough 131 00:07:45,996 --> 00:07:49,556 Speaker 2: to notice, and the cheese is sweet and tasty. As 132 00:07:49,596 --> 00:07:52,196 Speaker 2: for the crust, it's nice and snappy in the center, 133 00:07:52,396 --> 00:07:56,036 Speaker 2: but dobe and puffy at the cornichone. That's the edge crust. 134 00:07:57,076 --> 00:07:59,076 Speaker 2: I was delighted to discover a good deal of my 135 00:07:59,116 --> 00:08:02,876 Speaker 2: slice's sweetness in the crust. Between the texture, flavor, and 136 00:08:02,916 --> 00:08:05,836 Speaker 2: location of Gino's, I would be delighted to happen upon 137 00:08:05,876 --> 00:08:08,236 Speaker 2: it when in search of a slice. This isn't a 138 00:08:08,276 --> 00:08:11,876 Speaker 2: delicate flavor blast, but it is just the right thing 139 00:08:12,076 --> 00:08:16,156 Speaker 2: to satiate yourself when hunger strikes. 140 00:08:17,196 --> 00:08:17,956 Speaker 1: That's great. 141 00:08:18,236 --> 00:08:20,236 Speaker 2: This is more of like a hard review. 142 00:08:20,476 --> 00:08:23,396 Speaker 1: Yeah, so after your time with these bands comes to 143 00:08:23,436 --> 00:08:25,996 Speaker 1: an end, you did try your footing in a few 144 00:08:26,076 --> 00:08:28,676 Speaker 1: other jobs. Do you mind setting the scene for me 145 00:08:28,756 --> 00:08:30,356 Speaker 1: at this point in your life, like, what were you 146 00:08:30,436 --> 00:08:33,396 Speaker 1: up to, where were you living, what were you craving 147 00:08:33,996 --> 00:08:36,276 Speaker 1: that you weren't getting from the day job that you 148 00:08:36,316 --> 00:08:37,076 Speaker 1: were in at the time. 149 00:08:38,116 --> 00:08:39,916 Speaker 2: So I had a couple of different jobs at the 150 00:08:39,916 --> 00:08:42,836 Speaker 2: same time. The main job was that I was the 151 00:08:42,876 --> 00:08:46,436 Speaker 2: assistant Cultural Affairs coordinator for the City of Hoboken, New Jersey, 152 00:08:47,156 --> 00:08:50,436 Speaker 2: and that town is this really cute one square mile town, 153 00:08:50,796 --> 00:08:54,156 Speaker 2: super walkable, super flat. And we had a lot of 154 00:08:54,156 --> 00:08:57,796 Speaker 2: cultural events happening in the city, so parades, concerts, a 155 00:08:57,836 --> 00:08:59,476 Speaker 2: lot of concerts for little kids, because there were a 156 00:08:59,516 --> 00:09:01,836 Speaker 2: lot of young families in that town. But I hated 157 00:09:01,836 --> 00:09:04,596 Speaker 2: the atmosphere of working in a building where I'll never forget. 158 00:09:04,636 --> 00:09:07,116 Speaker 2: It was on the anniversary of my first year working 159 00:09:07,156 --> 00:09:11,396 Speaker 2: there that somebody came up from HR and they said, oh, hey, congratulations, 160 00:09:11,476 --> 00:09:15,196 Speaker 2: it's your first anniversary here, only twenty four more years 161 00:09:15,236 --> 00:09:17,716 Speaker 2: to go, and you can retire with your full pension. 162 00:09:18,316 --> 00:09:20,556 Speaker 2: It was the most depressing thing I've ever heard, because 163 00:09:20,596 --> 00:09:24,796 Speaker 2: I was twenty five, twenty six maybe, and while that 164 00:09:24,956 --> 00:09:27,396 Speaker 2: was the first and only job I've ever had that 165 00:09:27,476 --> 00:09:32,036 Speaker 2: had a steady paycheck and health benefits, it was the 166 00:09:32,036 --> 00:09:35,636 Speaker 2: most depressing just because everybody in the building. I'll never forget. 167 00:09:36,236 --> 00:09:39,036 Speaker 2: It's like on the office there's all these characters, you know, 168 00:09:39,116 --> 00:09:41,036 Speaker 2: they all hate working there, and they all are getting 169 00:09:41,116 --> 00:09:43,116 Speaker 2: up walking toward the door, so that exactly at five 170 00:09:43,116 --> 00:09:48,316 Speaker 2: o'clock they're stepping across the threshold. Anyway, So I think 171 00:09:48,356 --> 00:09:51,356 Speaker 2: it might have been the day or two after that 172 00:09:51,396 --> 00:09:55,116 Speaker 2: first anniversary that I put in my two weeks notice. 173 00:09:55,156 --> 00:09:56,756 Speaker 2: I didn't know what I wanted to do. I just 174 00:09:56,796 --> 00:09:58,716 Speaker 2: knew I didn't want to do those things that I 175 00:09:58,756 --> 00:10:01,796 Speaker 2: was currently doing. This is where I mean luck really 176 00:10:01,836 --> 00:10:04,076 Speaker 2: brings it up here is I had the luxury of 177 00:10:04,156 --> 00:10:07,036 Speaker 2: quitting that job because I was in a living situation 178 00:10:07,396 --> 00:10:11,516 Speaker 2: that was rent free. And that living situation was that 179 00:10:11,596 --> 00:10:15,196 Speaker 2: I was living aboard an old, decommissioned Ellis Island ferry 180 00:10:15,196 --> 00:10:19,676 Speaker 2: boat where I was working part time as their caretaker, 181 00:10:20,516 --> 00:10:22,596 Speaker 2: which meant that I could live on board for free 182 00:10:22,956 --> 00:10:25,476 Speaker 2: in exchange for doing about twenty hours of work every 183 00:10:25,476 --> 00:10:29,036 Speaker 2: week like scraping, painting, cleaning. And I had taken that 184 00:10:29,116 --> 00:10:31,276 Speaker 2: job because I wanted to live close to where I worked, 185 00:10:31,476 --> 00:10:34,476 Speaker 2: but I could not afford to live in Hoboken even 186 00:10:34,476 --> 00:10:37,116 Speaker 2: though I worked for the city, so I was living 187 00:10:37,156 --> 00:10:40,116 Speaker 2: sort of off grid. We didn't really have electricity, we 188 00:10:40,196 --> 00:10:43,716 Speaker 2: definitely didn't have internet. And I just knew that I 189 00:10:43,756 --> 00:10:46,196 Speaker 2: had a free place to live, so I could quit 190 00:10:46,196 --> 00:10:48,516 Speaker 2: the job because I had a little bit of a cushion. 191 00:10:48,756 --> 00:10:51,716 Speaker 2: So I quit the job and I told myself, I said, 192 00:10:52,156 --> 00:10:55,836 Speaker 2: you got six months. I'll give you six months before 193 00:10:55,916 --> 00:10:57,796 Speaker 2: you have to start applying for more jobs. But I 194 00:10:57,796 --> 00:11:01,916 Speaker 2: figured with six months of letting my mind not concentrate 195 00:11:01,996 --> 00:11:05,396 Speaker 2: on a career, I knew I would find some kind 196 00:11:05,396 --> 00:11:06,436 Speaker 2: of a path that I'd go on. 197 00:11:07,436 --> 00:11:11,116 Speaker 1: And so how did the Pizza's a tour company idea 198 00:11:11,236 --> 00:11:11,916 Speaker 1: come into being? 199 00:11:12,396 --> 00:11:15,756 Speaker 2: Yeah, So during that six months that I gave myself 200 00:11:15,796 --> 00:11:19,076 Speaker 2: to just go on my mental quest to find my 201 00:11:19,116 --> 00:11:21,796 Speaker 2: next career, I didn't know what job I wanted to do, 202 00:11:21,876 --> 00:11:24,596 Speaker 2: but I knew that I loved visiting pizzerias and writing 203 00:11:24,596 --> 00:11:27,396 Speaker 2: about them in my pizza journal. So I started taking 204 00:11:27,396 --> 00:11:29,596 Speaker 2: my friends on little adventures to go to the Bronx 205 00:11:29,636 --> 00:11:32,196 Speaker 2: to visit six pizzerias in a day, or go to 206 00:11:32,196 --> 00:11:36,076 Speaker 2: Brooklyn and visit those L and B Spomoni Gardens and Totono's. 207 00:11:36,236 --> 00:11:39,956 Speaker 2: So I started going on these little adventures, and maybe 208 00:11:39,956 --> 00:11:43,156 Speaker 2: two or three months into that break from work was 209 00:11:43,156 --> 00:11:46,876 Speaker 2: my birthday. It was my twenty sixth birthday. Every year, 210 00:11:47,436 --> 00:11:50,756 Speaker 2: to celebrate my birthday, which is by the way, in October, 211 00:11:50,836 --> 00:11:54,196 Speaker 2: which is National Pizza Month, we always celebrate my birthday 212 00:11:54,316 --> 00:11:59,356 Speaker 2: aka scott Toberfest by doing very important. We always celebrate 213 00:11:59,396 --> 00:12:03,716 Speaker 2: it by doing an educational experience. So one year, we 214 00:12:03,756 --> 00:12:08,836 Speaker 2: did a brewery tour in Pennsylvania. Like museum, it's always educational. 215 00:12:08,916 --> 00:12:10,916 Speaker 2: I'm not in the going to bars really. 216 00:12:11,156 --> 00:12:12,996 Speaker 1: Yeah, but this was even before the pizza thing. Like 217 00:12:13,036 --> 00:12:15,436 Speaker 1: you always made your birthday an educational experience. 218 00:12:15,676 --> 00:12:19,636 Speaker 2: Scott Toberfest is to be celebrated by learning. So that's 219 00:12:19,636 --> 00:12:22,316 Speaker 2: why for the birthday, I said, oh, well, everybody wants 220 00:12:22,316 --> 00:12:24,476 Speaker 2: to go on these pizza crawls with me. Let's just 221 00:12:24,516 --> 00:12:27,356 Speaker 2: rent a school bus. We'll pack all my friends and 222 00:12:27,396 --> 00:12:29,916 Speaker 2: family who want to go. I'll give the driver a 223 00:12:29,956 --> 00:12:32,116 Speaker 2: map of where I want them to take us, and 224 00:12:32,156 --> 00:12:34,756 Speaker 2: we'll just hit up cool spots. I'll bring my megaphone 225 00:12:35,556 --> 00:12:38,276 Speaker 2: and I'll give everybody a little pizza lecture on the bus. 226 00:12:38,796 --> 00:12:40,396 Speaker 2: Still have the megaphone, you do? 227 00:12:41,396 --> 00:12:42,476 Speaker 1: I love the megaphone. 228 00:12:42,556 --> 00:12:46,436 Speaker 2: It's funny. I found there's a video on YouTube of 229 00:12:46,836 --> 00:12:49,236 Speaker 2: that birthday crawl and you can see me like making 230 00:12:49,276 --> 00:12:52,196 Speaker 2: announcements in the megaphone, just saying stuff about, oh, this 231 00:12:52,236 --> 00:12:54,036 Speaker 2: place uses a coal fired oven. 232 00:12:54,116 --> 00:12:59,076 Speaker 3: There with beautiful glows, with delicious fresh mazilla. 233 00:12:59,876 --> 00:13:01,676 Speaker 1: They import all their ingredients from Italy. 234 00:13:02,796 --> 00:13:04,476 Speaker 2: I want you to taste it. You'll know what the deli 235 00:13:04,596 --> 00:13:06,596 Speaker 2: is and I gave everybody a little goodie bag with 236 00:13:06,676 --> 00:13:11,476 Speaker 2: a notebook, a pen, some care and pallet cleansers. You know, 237 00:13:11,516 --> 00:13:13,356 Speaker 2: I wanted it to feel like a real fun adventure. 238 00:13:13,436 --> 00:13:16,756 Speaker 2: And it was so fun this pizza crawl that at 239 00:13:16,756 --> 00:13:18,676 Speaker 2: the end of the day, my friends all knew that 240 00:13:18,716 --> 00:13:20,836 Speaker 2: I had just quit the job. They knew that I 241 00:13:20,916 --> 00:13:23,996 Speaker 2: was on my vision quest. They were like, this was 242 00:13:24,076 --> 00:13:28,196 Speaker 2: so fun. You got to do this for random strangers. 243 00:13:28,196 --> 00:13:31,156 Speaker 2: You're going to sell tickets. This is your new career. 244 00:13:31,996 --> 00:13:35,116 Speaker 2: My friend Katie made business cards for me because she 245 00:13:35,156 --> 00:13:36,916 Speaker 2: wanted to make sure that whatever was written on the 246 00:13:36,916 --> 00:13:40,396 Speaker 2: business card as my job, as my career, was something 247 00:13:40,436 --> 00:13:42,916 Speaker 2: that was true and honest. She knew that whatever I 248 00:13:42,956 --> 00:13:45,996 Speaker 2: ended up doing, I would always at my heart be 249 00:13:46,276 --> 00:13:50,116 Speaker 2: a pizza enthusiast. And so the card says my name 250 00:13:50,156 --> 00:13:53,796 Speaker 2: on top, it says Scott Wiener, pizza Enthusiast, and it 251 00:13:53,876 --> 00:13:57,876 Speaker 2: had my hotmail email address, and it had my phone number. 252 00:13:58,436 --> 00:14:01,516 Speaker 2: And that was her birthday present to me. And she 253 00:14:01,556 --> 00:14:04,796 Speaker 2: didn't write pizza expert, pizza connoisseur. She knew that I 254 00:14:04,876 --> 00:14:08,556 Speaker 2: wasn't into that sort of elevated talk that a pizza 255 00:14:08,676 --> 00:14:11,396 Speaker 2: enthusias you can never take that away from somebody. 256 00:14:13,036 --> 00:14:15,076 Speaker 1: We'll be back in a moment with a slight change 257 00:14:15,076 --> 00:14:17,716 Speaker 1: of plans, and if you feel the need to order 258 00:14:17,756 --> 00:14:20,196 Speaker 1: a pizza at this point, you've got at least a 259 00:14:20,276 --> 00:14:30,156 Speaker 1: minute to make that happen. After months of weighing his options, 260 00:14:30,396 --> 00:14:33,996 Speaker 1: Scott eventually pulled together a business plan to start a 261 00:14:34,036 --> 00:14:37,556 Speaker 1: pizza tour company. His first step was to find an 262 00:14:37,636 --> 00:14:40,156 Speaker 1: actual pizza place that he could partner with and bring 263 00:14:40,196 --> 00:14:43,596 Speaker 1: people to on his tour. He managed to convince the 264 00:14:43,676 --> 00:14:47,596 Speaker 1: owners of Lombardi's, a classic New York City pizza joint 265 00:14:48,036 --> 00:14:50,596 Speaker 1: that's also one of the oldest in the country, and 266 00:14:50,636 --> 00:14:52,916 Speaker 1: he's still not sure why they said yes. 267 00:14:53,636 --> 00:14:56,396 Speaker 2: I have no idea, because I never would have said 268 00:14:56,476 --> 00:14:59,036 Speaker 2: yes to myself. I was living on a boat. I 269 00:14:59,156 --> 00:15:02,076 Speaker 2: probably hadn't showered. I'm sure I was wearing a sweater 270 00:15:02,116 --> 00:15:04,756 Speaker 2: with holes in it. I bet I hadn't shaven in months. 271 00:15:05,196 --> 00:15:07,756 Speaker 2: You know, when you're going to pitch a business to somebody, 272 00:15:08,156 --> 00:15:10,636 Speaker 2: you clean up and dress nice. I was not in 273 00:15:10,716 --> 00:15:15,476 Speaker 2: that mode. So I think maybe because nobody ever approached 274 00:15:15,476 --> 00:15:17,956 Speaker 2: them about that sort of thing. You know, like you're 275 00:15:17,996 --> 00:15:21,276 Speaker 2: a restaurant, you're there to sell food, that's your business. 276 00:15:21,636 --> 00:15:24,556 Speaker 2: But you also have a great story. But you can't 277 00:15:24,636 --> 00:15:27,036 Speaker 2: waste too much time in your business telling that story 278 00:15:27,196 --> 00:15:29,396 Speaker 2: because it could get in the way of selling the 279 00:15:29,396 --> 00:15:32,036 Speaker 2: food and paying your rent. So I pitched to them 280 00:15:32,076 --> 00:15:34,316 Speaker 2: this idea of filling in the blanks. I'm gonna bring 281 00:15:34,356 --> 00:15:37,516 Speaker 2: people in maybe thirty minutes before you open to the public. 282 00:15:37,876 --> 00:15:39,836 Speaker 2: I'm just gonna show them around and point out what's 283 00:15:39,876 --> 00:15:44,236 Speaker 2: so special that a normal customer would never see. And 284 00:15:44,276 --> 00:15:46,316 Speaker 2: then we're gonna sit down and eat. And it's going 285 00:15:46,396 --> 00:15:48,836 Speaker 2: to be a way of shepherding people through an experience 286 00:15:49,156 --> 00:15:52,276 Speaker 2: that doesn't start and end with the food. It takes 287 00:15:52,316 --> 00:15:56,676 Speaker 2: into account the entire context, the story, the family, the 288 00:15:56,716 --> 00:15:59,996 Speaker 2: people behind the food, and the equipment behind the food. 289 00:16:00,636 --> 00:16:02,316 Speaker 2: Where at the end of the day, you're not going 290 00:16:02,396 --> 00:16:04,396 Speaker 2: to be able to just say, oh, that pizza was 291 00:16:04,436 --> 00:16:06,876 Speaker 2: a five out of ten or something. You're gonna have 292 00:16:06,916 --> 00:16:10,756 Speaker 2: a better appreciation for what the place represents more than 293 00:16:10,916 --> 00:16:13,516 Speaker 2: just selling a disk of dough, sauce and cheese. 294 00:16:14,236 --> 00:16:16,676 Speaker 1: Yeah. And then when it's said with the infectious energy 295 00:16:16,756 --> 00:16:19,236 Speaker 1: of Scott Wiener, I guess it gets the job done 296 00:16:19,396 --> 00:16:20,916 Speaker 1: because I've met you in first and I've done your 297 00:16:20,916 --> 00:16:23,836 Speaker 1: pizza tour, and I fell more in love with pizza 298 00:16:24,036 --> 00:16:28,076 Speaker 1: throughout the evening, So I understand. So Scott, can you 299 00:16:28,116 --> 00:16:30,316 Speaker 1: bring me back to the first day in which you 300 00:16:30,396 --> 00:16:33,156 Speaker 1: opened your business? So what's it called? What's the scene? 301 00:16:33,556 --> 00:16:35,556 Speaker 1: How many people have signed up for your bus tour? 302 00:16:35,836 --> 00:16:37,516 Speaker 1: I want to know all the details. Just bring me 303 00:16:37,556 --> 00:16:38,676 Speaker 1: back to that morning. 304 00:16:38,876 --> 00:16:41,436 Speaker 2: April twenty seventh, two thousand and eight. 305 00:16:42,556 --> 00:16:43,916 Speaker 1: Okay, what's your business called? 306 00:16:44,356 --> 00:16:47,516 Speaker 2: Scott's Pizza Tours. Let me just start by saying the 307 00:16:47,556 --> 00:16:52,396 Speaker 2: reason that I picked that name was a I was 308 00:16:52,436 --> 00:16:54,236 Speaker 2: the only person who is running the tours. 309 00:16:54,676 --> 00:16:57,476 Speaker 1: So that's a fine way, Scott or bust everyone. 310 00:16:57,716 --> 00:17:01,076 Speaker 2: Yeah and b I wanted people to understand that it 311 00:17:01,156 --> 00:17:05,236 Speaker 2: was my perspective. So this is not something called famous 312 00:17:05,236 --> 00:17:08,636 Speaker 2: Original New York Pizza Tours Incorporated. I didn't want it 313 00:17:08,676 --> 00:17:12,036 Speaker 2: to have this generic thing that assumed itself to have 314 00:17:12,076 --> 00:17:14,956 Speaker 2: any kind of expertise. I wanted to be clear that 315 00:17:15,036 --> 00:17:18,716 Speaker 2: this is a perspective. This is my perspective, Scott's Pizza Tours. 316 00:17:18,716 --> 00:17:20,956 Speaker 1: So there's a humility in that title, like that's what 317 00:17:20,996 --> 00:17:22,876 Speaker 1: you're trying to convey. I'm not trying to be an 318 00:17:22,876 --> 00:17:25,076 Speaker 1: expert here. I'm not trying to tell I'm not trying 319 00:17:25,116 --> 00:17:28,236 Speaker 1: to prescribe to people what they should like. It's just 320 00:17:28,316 --> 00:17:29,636 Speaker 1: my point of view, is that right? 321 00:17:29,836 --> 00:17:31,996 Speaker 2: Yeah, And it's funny because I actually think when you 322 00:17:32,076 --> 00:17:34,556 Speaker 2: name a business after yourself, it feels like the opposite 323 00:17:34,556 --> 00:17:39,276 Speaker 2: of humility. But my intention was to let people know, hey, hey, hey, 324 00:17:39,316 --> 00:17:41,676 Speaker 2: this is just my you know, because I knew people 325 00:17:41,676 --> 00:17:43,956 Speaker 2: were going to come at me on it. Hey, I've 326 00:17:43,996 --> 00:17:46,396 Speaker 2: been eating pizza longer than you've been alive. Hey, you're 327 00:17:46,436 --> 00:17:48,756 Speaker 2: not even Italian, you know. I knew I would get that, 328 00:17:48,836 --> 00:17:51,436 Speaker 2: and I knew that I had to maintain that. Okay, 329 00:17:51,556 --> 00:17:53,996 Speaker 2: this is just my perspective. I want to make sure 330 00:17:53,996 --> 00:17:55,596 Speaker 2: you know that. So that's on day one. That was 331 00:17:55,636 --> 00:17:58,236 Speaker 2: what it was called Scott's Pizza Tours. The whole plan 332 00:17:58,356 --> 00:18:00,796 Speaker 2: was to use a yellow school bus and to go 333 00:18:00,836 --> 00:18:03,076 Speaker 2: out on Sundays. So this is where I'm not a 334 00:18:03,156 --> 00:18:06,716 Speaker 2: good business person. A school bus has a lot of overhead. 335 00:18:06,756 --> 00:18:08,996 Speaker 2: You've got to rent the buzz okay, the driver. If 336 00:18:09,236 --> 00:18:11,956 Speaker 2: it started as a normal tour operator, I would have 337 00:18:11,956 --> 00:18:14,756 Speaker 2: done a walking tour, which has almost no overhead. So 338 00:18:14,836 --> 00:18:17,196 Speaker 2: I said yellow school bus because when I was a 339 00:18:17,276 --> 00:18:19,356 Speaker 2: kid I always walked to school. I never got to 340 00:18:19,436 --> 00:18:21,956 Speaker 2: ride the bus, but I would see that on TV shows. 341 00:18:22,356 --> 00:18:24,636 Speaker 2: So whenever we had the bus, the yellow school bus, 342 00:18:24,716 --> 00:18:26,956 Speaker 2: it was to go on a field trip. So I 343 00:18:26,996 --> 00:18:30,316 Speaker 2: have this association with a yellow school bus and escape 344 00:18:30,676 --> 00:18:34,476 Speaker 2: from school building but still like learning something kind of cool, 345 00:18:34,756 --> 00:18:37,956 Speaker 2: so yellow school bus. Nice. Twenty five people signed. 346 00:18:37,756 --> 00:18:39,716 Speaker 1: Up, and that was just word of mouth or were 347 00:18:39,756 --> 00:18:41,596 Speaker 1: you doing any marketing emails? 348 00:18:41,676 --> 00:18:44,316 Speaker 2: I sent emails to all my friends and family. Everybody 349 00:18:44,356 --> 00:18:46,996 Speaker 2: who signed up was somebody I knew, or who knew 350 00:18:47,036 --> 00:18:50,756 Speaker 2: somebody I knew. Also from being in bands, I knew that, oh, 351 00:18:50,796 --> 00:18:53,596 Speaker 2: you got to send out press releases. See if somebody's 352 00:18:53,636 --> 00:18:57,116 Speaker 2: going to review your record or preview your show or whatever. 353 00:18:57,356 --> 00:19:00,076 Speaker 1: Interesting, so you leverage the skill that you had built 354 00:19:00,076 --> 00:19:00,796 Speaker 1: as a musician. 355 00:19:01,196 --> 00:19:04,476 Speaker 2: Exactly, I sent out press releases. I remember waking up 356 00:19:04,476 --> 00:19:07,036 Speaker 2: on the boat and I got a call from somebody 357 00:19:07,036 --> 00:19:09,476 Speaker 2: from New York Daily News and they said, we got 358 00:19:09,476 --> 00:19:12,076 Speaker 2: your press release and we want to show up and 359 00:19:12,116 --> 00:19:13,196 Speaker 2: cover the tour today. 360 00:19:13,596 --> 00:19:13,916 Speaker 1: Wow. 361 00:19:14,396 --> 00:19:18,396 Speaker 2: I was horrified, and my initial response was, no, this 362 00:19:18,436 --> 00:19:18,796 Speaker 2: is your. 363 00:19:18,716 --> 00:19:20,796 Speaker 1: First day open that the New York dealis wanted to 364 00:19:20,796 --> 00:19:23,436 Speaker 1: come and be on the Okay, Wow, so. 365 00:19:24,196 --> 00:19:26,556 Speaker 2: Okay, Maya, I have to just make sure that the 366 00:19:26,556 --> 00:19:30,316 Speaker 2: picture is very clear. I had never run even a 367 00:19:30,436 --> 00:19:33,996 Speaker 2: practice pizza tour. I had done the birthday thing with 368 00:19:34,036 --> 00:19:36,876 Speaker 2: my friends, but I'd never run a pizza tour. I'd 369 00:19:36,876 --> 00:19:40,476 Speaker 2: never run any tour. I'd never been a tour guide. 370 00:19:40,556 --> 00:19:43,436 Speaker 2: I had a license, and I knew I like to 371 00:19:43,436 --> 00:19:46,276 Speaker 2: talk about pizza. But I knew that on that day 372 00:19:46,676 --> 00:19:47,356 Speaker 2: I was a fool. 373 00:19:47,476 --> 00:19:51,676 Speaker 1: My gosh, Scott, I love it. Actually, I could talk 374 00:19:51,716 --> 00:19:53,756 Speaker 1: about living on the edge. This is great. 375 00:19:54,196 --> 00:19:56,876 Speaker 2: Yeah, I think I said no right away. I know 376 00:19:56,956 --> 00:19:58,916 Speaker 2: what was going on in my head, which was, I 377 00:19:58,956 --> 00:20:01,636 Speaker 2: don't know, it's my first time doing this, I've never 378 00:20:01,676 --> 00:20:06,116 Speaker 2: done it. If it's awful, it's gonna be awful forever, 379 00:20:06,156 --> 00:20:08,196 Speaker 2: and it's gonna get this coverage. I just thought, no, 380 00:20:08,436 --> 00:20:10,796 Speaker 2: don't do it. Let me get better. But then I 381 00:20:10,836 --> 00:20:12,676 Speaker 2: realized that it was kind of the same thing that 382 00:20:12,796 --> 00:20:15,076 Speaker 2: held me back for a few months after my friends 383 00:20:15,156 --> 00:20:16,996 Speaker 2: told me, oh, you should do a pizza tour as 384 00:20:16,996 --> 00:20:20,276 Speaker 2: a business, and I just figured in that moment, wait, 385 00:20:20,356 --> 00:20:22,836 Speaker 2: this is the opportunity. I'm just going to make a 386 00:20:23,036 --> 00:20:24,996 Speaker 2: rule for myself that I'm not going to say no 387 00:20:25,196 --> 00:20:29,236 Speaker 2: to anything that, just say yes and then make it happen, 388 00:20:29,396 --> 00:20:32,116 Speaker 2: just make it work. So I said yes. They showed 389 00:20:32,156 --> 00:20:36,956 Speaker 2: up with a photographer and the journalist, and I remember 390 00:20:37,036 --> 00:20:39,876 Speaker 2: I set up the tables inside. Lombardi's was our first stop. 391 00:20:40,116 --> 00:20:42,596 Speaker 2: And the way the tour worked is I had all 392 00:20:42,636 --> 00:20:45,476 Speaker 2: the tables set up because I made everybody a goodie bag, 393 00:20:45,796 --> 00:20:48,356 Speaker 2: just like at my birthday party, and I put them 394 00:20:48,356 --> 00:20:50,716 Speaker 2: out on the tables and I went outside to meet 395 00:20:50,756 --> 00:20:53,516 Speaker 2: everybody and I said, Hey, everybody, welcome, and I just 396 00:20:53,636 --> 00:20:56,476 Speaker 2: the second before I stepped out, I remember I reminded 397 00:20:56,476 --> 00:20:59,316 Speaker 2: myself that I've never done this before. I don't know 398 00:20:59,316 --> 00:21:00,996 Speaker 2: what the heck I'm I about to talk about. And 399 00:21:01,036 --> 00:21:03,316 Speaker 2: I kind of said to myself, like, I'll see you 400 00:21:03,356 --> 00:21:06,396 Speaker 2: in four and a half hours. Good luck, you know, 401 00:21:06,756 --> 00:21:09,876 Speaker 2: just switch the brand and go into the tour mode 402 00:21:09,876 --> 00:21:12,676 Speaker 2: and see what that even means. And I remember I 403 00:21:12,716 --> 00:21:15,796 Speaker 2: went out, and I don't remember any detail about that tour. 404 00:21:16,396 --> 00:21:18,916 Speaker 2: I just remember that when it ended, it was the 405 00:21:18,916 --> 00:21:21,756 Speaker 2: same adrenaline rush that I would have after playing a 406 00:21:21,796 --> 00:21:26,636 Speaker 2: great show with my band. The daily news piece. I 407 00:21:26,716 --> 00:21:29,716 Speaker 2: learned this early that the way that the press works 408 00:21:29,796 --> 00:21:33,116 Speaker 2: is they see it in the daily news, and then 409 00:21:33,356 --> 00:21:35,796 Speaker 2: the local Fox affiliate wants to cover it, and the 410 00:21:35,836 --> 00:21:40,236 Speaker 2: local the PIX and NBC, and so I started getting 411 00:21:40,236 --> 00:21:43,036 Speaker 2: calls from other news outlets who want to do a 412 00:21:43,116 --> 00:21:45,956 Speaker 2: shoot with a camera crew on a tour. So then 413 00:21:45,956 --> 00:21:48,956 Speaker 2: I was calling up everybody I knew, can you pretend 414 00:21:48,996 --> 00:21:51,716 Speaker 2: like you're on a pizza tour with me tomorrow, you know, 415 00:21:51,756 --> 00:21:53,556 Speaker 2: because they wanted to cover it, and I said, well, 416 00:21:53,596 --> 00:21:56,196 Speaker 2: I'm not doing a tour until next Sunday. So I 417 00:21:56,236 --> 00:22:00,236 Speaker 2: just remember drumming up all these like press tours because 418 00:22:00,236 --> 00:22:02,436 Speaker 2: I was getting feedback from press agencies. 419 00:22:03,516 --> 00:22:05,956 Speaker 1: Is there a moment you remember from those early days 420 00:22:06,036 --> 00:22:09,396 Speaker 1: or early months where you thought, damn this this is 421 00:22:09,436 --> 00:22:12,276 Speaker 1: what I'm supposed to be doing. Like the puzzle pieces 422 00:22:12,356 --> 00:22:16,196 Speaker 1: are fitting together, things are lining up, I'm hitting my stride. 423 00:22:16,276 --> 00:22:18,116 Speaker 1: This is the right job for me. Yeah. 424 00:22:18,156 --> 00:22:21,396 Speaker 2: I remember maybe three or four months in. By that point, 425 00:22:21,476 --> 00:22:24,196 Speaker 2: we were doing a tour on Sunday and then a 426 00:22:24,196 --> 00:22:26,476 Speaker 2: walking tour on Wednesday, and I might have even added 427 00:22:26,476 --> 00:22:29,676 Speaker 2: a walking tour on Friday by then. But I remember 428 00:22:29,716 --> 00:22:33,196 Speaker 2: my mom would call me every Sunday at four o'clock. 429 00:22:33,396 --> 00:22:35,436 Speaker 2: My tours ended at three point thirty, and she knew 430 00:22:35,436 --> 00:22:38,116 Speaker 2: that at four o'clock I would be walking toward the 431 00:22:38,156 --> 00:22:40,156 Speaker 2: path train and go back to the boat. And I 432 00:22:40,156 --> 00:22:42,556 Speaker 2: would always give her the recap. And I remember a 433 00:22:42,596 --> 00:22:45,316 Speaker 2: few months in saying I was in a groove today, 434 00:22:45,396 --> 00:22:48,276 Speaker 2: I was in a trance. Like it all worked. It 435 00:22:48,316 --> 00:22:50,596 Speaker 2: all made sense because I never sat down and wrote 436 00:22:50,636 --> 00:22:54,276 Speaker 2: a script like tour companies usually they write scripts, they 437 00:22:54,276 --> 00:22:58,436 Speaker 2: have beats that they hit, it's sort of wrote, but 438 00:22:58,756 --> 00:23:00,996 Speaker 2: our concept is to not do any of that. I 439 00:23:00,996 --> 00:23:04,396 Speaker 2: wanted to be really on the fly. So sometimes that 440 00:23:04,436 --> 00:23:06,796 Speaker 2: means it's not great. It's like going to see a 441 00:23:06,836 --> 00:23:10,276 Speaker 2: comedy show, you know, like sometimes it just like doesn't work. 442 00:23:10,556 --> 00:23:13,516 Speaker 2: But then there's some times where the magic is just there. Yeah, 443 00:23:13,556 --> 00:23:15,436 Speaker 2: And I would have those moments, and once it started 444 00:23:15,436 --> 00:23:18,356 Speaker 2: to happen a few times in a row, I remember 445 00:23:18,436 --> 00:23:20,396 Speaker 2: saying to my mom, I was like, oh, yeah, I'm 446 00:23:20,396 --> 00:23:23,676 Speaker 2: going to increase doing this. Which the more that I 447 00:23:23,716 --> 00:23:26,036 Speaker 2: would do of the pizza tour, the further away I 448 00:23:26,076 --> 00:23:31,156 Speaker 2: got from applying for a quote real job. And then 449 00:23:31,356 --> 00:23:33,636 Speaker 2: I don't remember the no. I do remember the moment 450 00:23:33,676 --> 00:23:35,436 Speaker 2: that I really like put all my chips in that 451 00:23:35,476 --> 00:23:38,636 Speaker 2: one number was when I moved off the boat when 452 00:23:38,676 --> 00:23:40,916 Speaker 2: I realized it's time to start paying rent, and like, 453 00:23:41,156 --> 00:23:45,716 Speaker 2: can I pay my bills using revenue from this business? 454 00:23:46,196 --> 00:23:48,196 Speaker 2: And I remember going to sleep at first night in 455 00:23:48,236 --> 00:23:50,156 Speaker 2: that room and just like looking in this what I 456 00:23:50,156 --> 00:23:53,636 Speaker 2: would now consider to be like a problematic situation of 457 00:23:53,676 --> 00:23:56,676 Speaker 2: like a gross apartment. But I remember being so giddy 458 00:23:56,756 --> 00:24:01,316 Speaker 2: that like, Wow, this pizza thing is paying for this 459 00:24:01,956 --> 00:24:06,756 Speaker 2: palace which is on dry land and has electricity on internet. 460 00:24:07,116 --> 00:24:09,036 Speaker 2: That was the moment that I was like, Okay, this 461 00:24:09,316 --> 00:24:09,836 Speaker 2: is the career. 462 00:24:10,556 --> 00:24:13,836 Speaker 1: Wow, tell me how things are today? So what is 463 00:24:14,276 --> 00:24:15,156 Speaker 1: Scott's pizza tour? 464 00:24:15,276 --> 00:24:15,356 Speaker 2: Like? 465 00:24:15,396 --> 00:24:17,636 Speaker 1: How many employees do you have? How many years have 466 00:24:17,716 --> 00:24:18,796 Speaker 1: you been around now? Scott? 467 00:24:19,516 --> 00:24:24,356 Speaker 2: So on April twenty seventh, twenty twenty three, it will 468 00:24:24,396 --> 00:24:28,996 Speaker 2: be fifteen years old. Wow? So wowow as we talk 469 00:24:29,076 --> 00:24:31,836 Speaker 2: right now, I'm up against the fifteenth anniversary. 470 00:24:32,076 --> 00:24:32,596 Speaker 1: Amazing. 471 00:24:33,036 --> 00:24:35,836 Speaker 2: And now I have actually I have seven other tour guides, 472 00:24:36,476 --> 00:24:40,036 Speaker 2: one director of operations who deals with all the scheduling 473 00:24:40,196 --> 00:24:43,116 Speaker 2: and private tours and all that. There's a tour out 474 00:24:43,196 --> 00:24:45,676 Speaker 2: right now that I'm not running, which is still bizarre 475 00:24:45,756 --> 00:24:49,436 Speaker 2: to me. We run about fifteen tours per week. We've 476 00:24:49,476 --> 00:24:53,276 Speaker 2: had one hundred and ten thousand people on our tours, 477 00:24:53,396 --> 00:24:56,396 Speaker 2: lectures or online pizza classes. Over the past fifteen years. 478 00:24:57,116 --> 00:25:01,396 Speaker 2: We've been featured in TV shows and morning programs The 479 00:25:01,436 --> 00:25:03,156 Speaker 2: Tonight Show All Right to. 480 00:25:03,156 --> 00:25:05,596 Speaker 4: Decide the winning pizza. We have a special guest serving 481 00:25:05,636 --> 00:25:09,076 Speaker 4: as our master Pizza Judge. He's the founder of Scott's Pizza. 482 00:25:09,116 --> 00:25:12,716 Speaker 4: The tours runs a pizza theme nonprofit Slice Out Hunger. 483 00:25:12,876 --> 00:25:14,596 Speaker 4: Please welcome Scott Pletter. 484 00:25:18,076 --> 00:25:20,156 Speaker 1: You've had a documentary made about you. Scott. 485 00:25:20,196 --> 00:25:23,756 Speaker 2: The documentary, Yeah, that was wild. That was a friend 486 00:25:23,756 --> 00:25:26,316 Speaker 2: of a friend was a filmmaker and we met at 487 00:25:26,436 --> 00:25:28,996 Speaker 2: dinner at some point and he said, Hey, can we 488 00:25:29,036 --> 00:25:31,396 Speaker 2: follow you around for a little bit and just see 489 00:25:31,436 --> 00:25:33,636 Speaker 2: what happens? And then the next thing I know, they 490 00:25:33,636 --> 00:25:36,156 Speaker 2: were coming to Italy with me the Pizza Expo in 491 00:25:36,196 --> 00:25:37,276 Speaker 2: Las Vegas. 492 00:25:36,956 --> 00:25:42,836 Speaker 1: And yeah, Scott, what have you found over the years? 493 00:25:42,836 --> 00:25:44,836 Speaker 1: Makes for a really great pizza tour. 494 00:25:45,676 --> 00:25:47,676 Speaker 2: I really love it when I'll get a call or 495 00:25:47,716 --> 00:25:50,356 Speaker 2: a text. I got a text from my friend Felix 496 00:25:50,996 --> 00:25:52,636 Speaker 2: and we were on a tour and he said, Hey, 497 00:25:52,836 --> 00:25:56,836 Speaker 2: I'm making pizza at the Puppy Cafe today, bring your 498 00:25:56,876 --> 00:25:59,196 Speaker 2: group by. And I was like, the puppy Cafe in 499 00:25:59,236 --> 00:26:01,236 Speaker 2: the East Village where you can go and pet puppies 500 00:26:01,756 --> 00:26:03,636 Speaker 2: and drink coffee and you're gonna make pizza there. 501 00:26:03,676 --> 00:26:06,356 Speaker 1: Sorry, a puppy cafe, like a cafe that has puppies 502 00:26:06,356 --> 00:26:06,756 Speaker 1: in it. 503 00:26:06,996 --> 00:26:09,676 Speaker 2: That you can pet the puppies while you're drinking the coffee. 504 00:26:09,756 --> 00:26:11,396 Speaker 1: Oh my gosh. 505 00:26:11,516 --> 00:26:15,196 Speaker 2: Okay, so maya, I know that it sounded too good 506 00:26:15,196 --> 00:26:15,836 Speaker 2: to be true. 507 00:26:16,236 --> 00:26:16,836 Speaker 1: Yeah it did. 508 00:26:17,116 --> 00:26:20,676 Speaker 2: Yeah, I know it's true. So we rerouted the tour 509 00:26:20,716 --> 00:26:24,036 Speaker 2: and we went there, and I have the bus vote 510 00:26:24,036 --> 00:26:25,316 Speaker 2: on uh, do you want to go to a puppy 511 00:26:25,316 --> 00:26:27,436 Speaker 2: cafe and eat pizza there? That's like a pop up, 512 00:26:27,636 --> 00:26:31,516 Speaker 2: a limited edition pop up that doesn't always happen, where 513 00:26:31,556 --> 00:26:33,636 Speaker 2: we could talk to the guy about the pizza he 514 00:26:33,716 --> 00:26:36,396 Speaker 2: makes one on one like when we talk to the 515 00:26:36,396 --> 00:26:39,956 Speaker 2: person who's making the pizza and get some real deep experience. 516 00:26:40,276 --> 00:26:44,236 Speaker 2: That's the best. But over the years, I've realized that 517 00:26:44,716 --> 00:26:47,356 Speaker 2: the thing that people enjoy most about the tour is 518 00:26:47,356 --> 00:26:51,196 Speaker 2: the sense of discovery and not the facts. And once 519 00:26:51,236 --> 00:26:54,316 Speaker 2: they look at something like pizza that's so simple and 520 00:26:54,596 --> 00:26:58,876 Speaker 2: so universal, and once they realize that there's more to 521 00:26:58,916 --> 00:27:03,076 Speaker 2: it than what's on the surface, that moment of discovery 522 00:27:03,276 --> 00:27:05,356 Speaker 2: is the thing that resonates the most with me. And 523 00:27:05,396 --> 00:27:07,876 Speaker 2: when I see that look in their face that they say, oh, 524 00:27:08,036 --> 00:27:10,916 Speaker 2: never look at pizza again, same way, That's what I 525 00:27:10,956 --> 00:27:14,356 Speaker 2: love because and I've only really developed this thought in 526 00:27:14,556 --> 00:27:17,876 Speaker 2: more recent years, which is that I see the Pizza 527 00:27:17,916 --> 00:27:20,436 Speaker 2: Tour as this sort of subversive way to teach people 528 00:27:20,596 --> 00:27:24,796 Speaker 2: about the fact that everything is layered and every person 529 00:27:24,916 --> 00:27:28,716 Speaker 2: is layered, and that they might think they know a 530 00:27:28,756 --> 00:27:31,956 Speaker 2: person or a thing or a sport or music or whatever, 531 00:27:32,556 --> 00:27:34,916 Speaker 2: but that everything is way more complex and has a 532 00:27:34,916 --> 00:27:38,636 Speaker 2: way deeper history. So if you can understand that things 533 00:27:38,636 --> 00:27:43,036 Speaker 2: are complex, multi layered and have a deeper history through pizza, 534 00:27:44,396 --> 00:27:47,436 Speaker 2: then I think you can take an easy step to 535 00:27:47,476 --> 00:27:51,796 Speaker 2: apply that to everything else, like other people, other cultures, 536 00:27:52,956 --> 00:27:56,916 Speaker 2: like literally everything. So the Pizza Tour is not just 537 00:27:56,956 --> 00:28:00,076 Speaker 2: about pizza. It uses pizza as a way to hopefully 538 00:28:00,676 --> 00:28:03,676 Speaker 2: let people know that their mind can expand that there's 539 00:28:03,716 --> 00:28:13,836 Speaker 2: way more going on than what you see. 540 00:28:17,076 --> 00:28:19,756 Speaker 1: Okay, so we have a special treat for Slight Change listeners. 541 00:28:19,996 --> 00:28:23,476 Speaker 1: We've never done this before, so we're piloting something totally 542 00:28:23,676 --> 00:28:25,876 Speaker 1: new for those of you who listened to a slight 543 00:28:25,956 --> 00:28:27,796 Speaker 1: change of plans. You might know that at the end 544 00:28:27,796 --> 00:28:30,276 Speaker 1: of the credits, I always say, and a very special 545 00:28:30,316 --> 00:28:33,276 Speaker 1: thanks to Jimmy Lee. Well, now you get to hear 546 00:28:33,316 --> 00:28:39,596 Speaker 1: from the man himself as the closet door closes. My husband, 547 00:28:39,676 --> 00:28:42,996 Speaker 1: Jimmy is a trivia buff. So he's been on Jeopardy 548 00:28:43,556 --> 00:28:46,156 Speaker 1: and he's going to just conduct a lightning round a 549 00:28:46,196 --> 00:28:48,436 Speaker 1: piece of trivia with you, just like a couple questions. 550 00:28:48,876 --> 00:28:49,796 Speaker 2: My palms are sweating. 551 00:28:50,116 --> 00:28:53,196 Speaker 3: Okay, Scott, We're going to do some pizza trivia. Okay, great, 552 00:28:53,236 --> 00:28:56,436 Speaker 3: bring it all right, We're gonna start with this one. 553 00:28:57,036 --> 00:29:01,556 Speaker 3: Rafae la Esposito is considered by many people to be 554 00:29:01,596 --> 00:29:05,596 Speaker 3: the father of modern pizza. In what city did he 555 00:29:05,676 --> 00:29:06,316 Speaker 3: make his pizza. 556 00:29:07,756 --> 00:29:10,116 Speaker 2: It was June of the d eighteen eighty nine, in 557 00:29:10,156 --> 00:29:11,396 Speaker 2: the city of Naples, Italy. 558 00:29:13,876 --> 00:29:19,516 Speaker 3: Okay, that is absolutely correct. Okay, next question. So I 559 00:29:19,556 --> 00:29:22,756 Speaker 3: am a proud Midwesterner, so I got to represent the 560 00:29:22,756 --> 00:29:27,276 Speaker 3: Midwest a little bit here. What kind of I would say? Delicious? 561 00:29:27,876 --> 00:29:32,236 Speaker 3: Gouey processed cheese is used on a Saint Louis style pizza. 562 00:29:33,156 --> 00:29:36,796 Speaker 2: It's technically not a cheese, It's a dairy product called provel, 563 00:29:36,996 --> 00:29:41,516 Speaker 2: but technically not a cheese according to the FDA. Yeah 564 00:29:41,556 --> 00:29:41,996 Speaker 2: that's fair. 565 00:29:42,636 --> 00:29:42,996 Speaker 1: Okay. 566 00:29:43,196 --> 00:29:48,556 Speaker 3: Next question, sold in an orange colored box? What brand 567 00:29:49,116 --> 00:29:56,156 Speaker 3: sells frozen pizza that's made from chickpeas? Aha? 568 00:29:56,556 --> 00:29:58,956 Speaker 2: We got a pause here, Yeah, we got a pause here. 569 00:29:59,076 --> 00:30:00,756 Speaker 2: I've never I don't think I know the answer to 570 00:30:00,756 --> 00:30:05,196 Speaker 2: this question. It's a frozen pizza, orange box, chickpea bass 571 00:30:06,156 --> 00:30:09,396 Speaker 2: that's right, I don't know the answer. Okay. 572 00:30:09,716 --> 00:30:12,436 Speaker 3: I'm very pleased to have stumped to you on this. 573 00:30:12,676 --> 00:30:18,396 Speaker 3: Maybe listeners will recognize the brand Bonza, and Bonza is 574 00:30:18,396 --> 00:30:20,596 Speaker 3: not affiliated with this podcast. I think we're just fans 575 00:30:20,596 --> 00:30:25,196 Speaker 3: at home. I'm not a fan, okay, I'm more a fan. Yeah, okay, 576 00:30:25,276 --> 00:30:28,396 Speaker 3: So the answer there was Bonza pretty tasty given that 577 00:30:28,396 --> 00:30:31,076 Speaker 3: it's made out of chickpeas. Okay, I have one final 578 00:30:31,156 --> 00:30:32,156 Speaker 3: question for you, guys. 579 00:30:32,156 --> 00:30:32,956 Speaker 1: Is a real tough thing. 580 00:30:33,076 --> 00:30:34,476 Speaker 3: This could be tough. I think it's gonna be tough 581 00:30:34,476 --> 00:30:37,116 Speaker 3: for a lot of people. According to the Guinness Book 582 00:30:37,156 --> 00:30:41,036 Speaker 3: of World Records, what person holds the record for the 583 00:30:41,156 --> 00:30:44,876 Speaker 3: largest collection of pizza boxes? Extra points if you can 584 00:30:44,916 --> 00:30:48,036 Speaker 3: tell me how many boxes are cited in the official record. 585 00:30:48,436 --> 00:30:52,036 Speaker 2: So the official record on I want to say was 586 00:30:52,116 --> 00:30:58,556 Speaker 2: October twenty thirteen, is five hundred and ninety five boxes 587 00:30:59,076 --> 00:31:05,556 Speaker 2: held by the young gentleman Scott Wiener, a very impressive record, 588 00:31:05,596 --> 00:31:08,036 Speaker 2: although the record currently the actual number of boxes that 589 00:31:08,156 --> 00:31:10,756 Speaker 2: have broken is north of eighteen hundred. I mean, I 590 00:31:10,876 --> 00:31:13,076 Speaker 2: just got a ton in the other room, like I 591 00:31:13,196 --> 00:31:14,476 Speaker 2: just got him this past week. 592 00:31:15,116 --> 00:31:20,436 Speaker 3: Well, Scott, you've done an amazing job. I'm surprised as nobody. 593 00:31:20,476 --> 00:31:21,076 Speaker 3: This is a lot of fun. 594 00:31:21,116 --> 00:31:30,796 Speaker 1: Thank Scotting, Thanks Scott, Hey, thanks so much for listening. 595 00:31:31,236 --> 00:31:33,916 Speaker 1: If you enjoyed my conversation with Scott, I'd recommend you 596 00:31:33,996 --> 00:31:38,316 Speaker 1: check out another conversation I had with Christine ha. Christine 597 00:31:38,436 --> 00:31:41,236 Speaker 1: went permanently blind when she was twenty four because of 598 00:31:41,236 --> 00:31:44,316 Speaker 1: an autoimmune disease, and then went on to become a 599 00:31:44,396 --> 00:31:47,836 Speaker 1: world renowned chef. We'll link to that episode in the 600 00:31:47,876 --> 00:31:51,196 Speaker 1: show notes and enjoin me next week. When I talked 601 00:31:51,196 --> 00:31:54,916 Speaker 1: to David Lindon, a neuroscientist who is diagnosed with a 602 00:31:54,996 --> 00:31:58,396 Speaker 1: rare form of heart cancer and given just eighteen months 603 00:31:58,396 --> 00:32:02,076 Speaker 1: to live it's now been more than two years. I 604 00:32:02,196 --> 00:32:05,076 Speaker 1: talked to him about how his diagnosis has changed some 605 00:32:05,116 --> 00:32:09,036 Speaker 1: of his most deeply held views. More on that next week. 606 00:32:19,116 --> 00:32:22,116 Speaker 1: A Slight Change of Plans is created, written, and executive 607 00:32:22,116 --> 00:32:25,996 Speaker 1: produced by me Maya Shunker. The Slight Change family includes 608 00:32:26,036 --> 00:32:30,156 Speaker 1: our showrunner Tyler Green, our senior editor Kate Parkinson Morgan, 609 00:32:30,716 --> 00:32:35,036 Speaker 1: our producer Tricia Bovida, and our sound engineer Andrew Vastola. 610 00:32:35,996 --> 00:32:39,596 Speaker 1: Louis Scara wrote our delightful theme song, and Ginger Smith 611 00:32:39,676 --> 00:32:42,676 Speaker 1: helped arrange the vocals. A Slight Change of Plans is 612 00:32:42,676 --> 00:32:46,356 Speaker 1: a production of Pushkin Industries, so big thanks to everyone there, 613 00:32:46,956 --> 00:32:50,156 Speaker 1: and of course a very special thanks to Jimmy Waite. 614 00:32:50,796 --> 00:32:53,276 Speaker 1: You can follow A Slight Change of Plans on Instagram 615 00:32:53,316 --> 00:33:04,356 Speaker 1: at doctor Maya Shunker. See you next week. 616 00:33:10,396 --> 00:33:11,436 Speaker 2: Do you will