Scott Weiner, a true pizza-enthusiast, some would even throw it out there and say he’s a pioneering pizza entrepreneur (god that’s a mouth full), however his friends would say (quite simply) he’s a true lover of pizza.
On average he eats 15 slices per week, writes some juicy columns in Pizza Today magazine, judges pizza competitions. Oh I forgot to mention he’s a Guinness World Record holder for the largest collection of pizza boxes, now numbering nearly 1,000 different boxes from 55 countries. Not only does he fit all that into his life (and apartment), he has a kickstarter documentary coming out later this year showcasing his tripadvisor rated pizza street tours in New York. If that wasn’t enough, he organises Slice Out Hunger, an annual event, which has raised over $70,000 for hunger relief organizations in New York.
How did I find out about him, I hear you cry. Well being a kickstarter geek (that I am) and also having a true love for melt in your mouth pizza, accompanied with a beer (preferably craft beer of some sort). You can’t beat it! So, what happened next? Well. I needed to speak to him and find out more. So, I decided to interview him on Skype, and get the low down on chow down.
Here goes…
1. Tell me about yourself?
“I like pizza like anyone else. But, something clicked in college about 10-15 years ago, when there wasn’t a sniff of a hearty pizza in sight…Literally it was either, hot, cheap or cheesy! But, it wasn’t any good. I thought there must be some (decent) pizza out there and there was a shining light at the end of the tunnel…good pizza actually does exist”.
2. How did the whole pizza street tours thing come about?
“In 2009, my friends told me I had to do something and that I did. They knew my love of Pizza had grown tremendously since college and it would be a shame to not explore what was out there in the pizza universe. I truly believe if you love something deeply, you should give it a good go”.
3. Kickstarter?
“I made contact with Ryan at Notice Pictures, we had a call and came up with the idea to document the most beloved food, this would be pizza, of course. They follow me round most days to get a snippet of my true passion for pizza – and they’re job was to slice it up and make a documentary out of it”.
4. Viva la pizza, the art of the pizza box? What is your source of inspiration?
“I’ve been collecting pizza boxes since 2009. And, yes, I have 975 pizza boxes stored in a (small) Brooklyn apartment.They’re are all little different in their own way. Randomly, a friend at a publish company said she was looking for someone to produce a book about pizza box art, and I fit the bill (mind the pun) perfectly”.
5. Pizza boxes? Where do you store them?
“I have the pizza boxes (flat packed) stored in three different closets. I guess my favourite ones are, well, the story starts in the Netherlands, where I went to a quirky pizzeria. At first the owner gave me a plain cardboard box, really boring, to be fair. But, then miraculously he brought out a Simpson’s pizza box, most certainly an imitation and illegal – but very cool”.
6. Slice out of hunger? Where did that idea come from?
“The idea was simple: use food donated by independent pizzerias to raise money for a local hunger relief organisation with a proven track record. It has raised over $70,000 to fund hunger relief since its first event in 2009”.
Then I hit him with the Quickfire Round…here goes…part deux..
7. What’s your favourite pizza?
“Margarita – well baked, punchy sauce and melt in your mouth mozzarella”.
8.Stuff or thin crust?
“Thin, of course!”
9.Pizza: Homemade or in a restaurant ?
“Homemade – nothing beats it, if it’s well cooked!”
10.Beer or soft drink?
“Coca-Cola” (So…American)
11.Cheese or no cheese?
“Cheese”
12.Gluten or gluten free pizza?
“GLUTEN! Are you mad?”
13.Calzone or pizza?
“Pizza, a calzone is a pizza hiding its feelings”.
14. Where’s the best place to eat pizza?
“U.S of A!”
15.Favourite topping(s)?
“Sausage” (no pun intended)
16.Pizza wedding or no pizza wedding?
“Pizza, but I feel sorry for the caterers”.
17.Sex or pizza?
“Pizza…all the way!”
Are you a REAL pizza lover? or don’t you know your thin crust, from your deep pan? Why don’t you leave a comment below and tell us all about it. You can also follow us on Twitter and Facebook.
