Dear Nylon Magazine, Thank you for naming our Forbes Waggensense pizza one of ‘the 15 best slices of pizza in America‘. To be one of the 15 best of anything in the greater United States is, well, we just, like, we don’t know what to… we mean, like…

According to food blog ‘The Daily Meal’, we make one of of them. Right between #81 and #79. It’s called the Forbes Waggensense…

“dear gramba, i’m having the best time ever at camp pizza. I’m never coming home again!”

The guardian included us in a recent entertaining blurb entitled ‘Eight crazy Kickstarter campaigns that should have never succeeded‘. Maybe it’s true. Maybe we pizza pioneers of Philadelphia had the decks stacked against us from the start, like some sort of mythical underdog sports archetype hero who, in the face of nearly insurmountable odds, made the impossible happen while running up a bunch of museum steps. Maybe there’s a multiverse somewhere out there where pizza brain never came to be, and we never even bought a single pizza comic book to hang on our walls. Maybe it was a long shot.

On the other hand, we’ve always counted on pizza as a pretty safe bet.

If you find yourself wanting to ride it and what not, consider this list put together by Brit + Co - we’re on it; sammiched right between a drive-thru tree park in CA and a dollhouse mecca in AL.

In our 1.7 years of existence, we’ve experienced many strange moments of exposure. To be included on a list with such global cultural gems as these is humbling, nay, preposterous? We’re all…

y’aint ready for it.

read more about it here.

It’s us! Yep. We’re on the cover of the June issue of PMQ Pizza Magazine (aka ‘Pizza Magazine Quartely Pizza Magazine’ - without question the the Wall Street Journal for pizza shop owners, or maybe O – The Oprah Magazine). Nestled in between all the vibrant, informative ads for pizza ovens, pizza toppings, pizza-related equipment, chicken wing sauces and articles about how calzones can help out your bottom line, we’re there. Glory be, we’re a real live pizza shop now.

Hey internet, co-founder Brian Dwyer is doing a Reddit AMA (that stands for “ask me anything” in case you’re unfamiliar with Reddit and all its untold wonders) from now until later this afternoon. Feel free to join in and ask him just about whatever! He’s ready.

Third Thursdee May…

Adventurous yups, er, young professionals, check out this list Amtrak just released called ’10 East Coast Cities That Fit Your Personality’, and visit us over here in ‘Fishtown, Pennsylvania’. There’s pizza.

The benevolent staff over at monster food blog The Daily Meal have deemed us fit to be included in their recent post about Philly’s top 10 places to experience pizza. We’re so very pleased to be included amongst such fair food company . A hearty congratulations to all our philly pizza brethren and sistren out there, whether you’re on this list or not; you’re the reason our city’s ever-expanding pizza scene continues gaining the substantial momentum it so lovingly deserves. Let’s dance.

Brain James Dwyer, one of the founders of pizza brain, recently celebrated the birth of a human he helped create. It seems the internet celebrated alongside him. At barely a week old, Brian’s son Waldo became a viral international fluff piece, right up there in the same universe as a water-skiing squirrel.

For a full recap on the week’s weirdness, check out this article written by longtime pizza advocate Drew Lazor. Or just google ‘Waldo James Mysterious Dwyer’ and bask in all the unhinged fluffiness.

In the summer of 2013, co-founder Brian ‘Brain’ Dwyer participated in an exclusive, never-before-attempted one-on-one interview with his hair.

Said interview was conducted by the unflappable duo of Zach Stock and Levis Landis, and is now the first episode in a podcast series they’ve just launched known as ‘we need to talk’.

may you thoroughly its vulnerable, pizza-fueled transparency.

The entity that is Philadelphia Magazine recently printed a round-up of, as they put it, the best of the [pizza] newcomers shaping our scene today. Alongside friend and pizza brother Joe Beddia and other wondrous pizza family, we’re flattered to have been included. In a town as historically strange, odd, peculiar, and yes, weird, as Philly, we’re honored to be considered weird, too – whatever that actually means.

Check out the rest of the gang here - if you can get past all the weirdness and hype, that is.

Roses. Chocolate. Voodoo dolls. We get it.

This valentine’s, why not let pizza do the talking!?

Whether it be for a friend, lover, secret crush, enemy, or just yourself, Pizza Brain is getting all mushy with Philly this Valentine’s day by offering exclusive ‘heart shaped’ pizzas (broken or unbroken) to anyone who’s interested.

email: stephirwin@pizzabrain.org to place your order request and jump on the love train.

To make the deal even sweeter, we’re even offering personal messages/pizza puns inside your box to the recipient of your choice. Our dapper delivery specialists will deliver anywhere in the city. Feeling tingly yet?

fine print:

* pies available through pre-orders only. pre-orders will end by noon on valentine’s day, friday february 14th.

* ordering heart shaped pizzas may result in unadulterated make out seshes, crying fits, and/or awkward break ups.

* all menu items available.

* a small, sexy fee will be added to any and all heart shaped pizza orders – because it takes a lot of work to make them, and our cupids don’t work for free (add $3.00 for a heart shaped pizza, add $3.00 for a personal message).

* delivery charge will be added based on location.

We recently had the distinct pleasure of participating in a very memorable pizza party at AKA Music with none other than Wayne Coyne of the Flaming Lips.

It was an experience we won’t soon forget. Not in this lifetime, or in any lifetime henceforth.

Winter 2014: without question the most upstate New York, Michiganesque, Chicagoan winter Philly has seen in quite some time. Instead of fixating on the bitter frost and crippling seasonal depression, though, we’ve tried doing things that make us feel productive and hopeful.

Many good things are in the works, but perhaps the most obvious manifestation so far has been the creation of ‘BRAIN HANDS’, our recent collaboration with the prolific beer disciples over at Tired Hands Brewing Company.

What, pray tell, is does it taste like? As described by the Tired Hands menu: ”Brain Hands is a pizza-inspired Gose. 5.5%. This sour ale was brewed in collaboration with the weirdos from Pizza Brain. Brewed with Meyer lemons, sweet basil, Pizza Brain’s five-pepper blend, and sea salt that was smoked in-house over maple wood and polenta corn cobs from Tom Culton. This is a food beer. Notes of bright citrus, floral basil, earthy spice, tingly heat, and collaboration.”

We’re really pleased with how it turned out! It seems a good cross section of the beer-loving public feels the same way. Everybody’s happy.

It’s no wonder that worldwide beer enthusiasts Rate Beer just gave Tired Hands a bunch of really nice awards, one of which was the prestigious title of top 100 breweries in the world.

Needless to say, we’re ecstatic to have found such common ground between each other, and look forward to seeing this chemistry flourish in many more projects to come.

Stay cool, everybody. Spring will be here soon enough (we hope).

last night we had the distinct pleasure of delivering pizza to neutral milk hotel. albeit a brief encounter, and in and of itself not a thing of great consequence, it shall undoubtedly be something we cherish as a shop from now until pizzeternity. long may they run.

When it comes to pizza partying, we mean business. The Philadelphia Business Journal must have taken notice, because they recently named Michael Carter, one of Pizza Brain’s beloved owners, as 1 of the ‘23 Most Influential Business People in Philadelphia‘

Technology was the most widely represented industry on the list, with five executives in the field earning spots. Additionally, some Comcast execs and the heads of two major league universities were on there. And then there’s this pizza shop in Fishtown.

We predict a pizza brain corporate building in the Philadelphia skyline by no later than 2016. May the influential work of running the world’s first pizza museum continue.

Philadelphia is the 5th largest city in the United States. There’s close to two million people residing in it – all of them looking for a good place to hang out, eat well-made food and get boozed up in. With that in mind, we’re honored that Philadelphia Thrillist included us on their list of the 47 ‘Coolest Bars and Restaurants In Town‘.

Thrilled to be included on such a list, and continually grateful to call Philly our home. It’s a great place, with great neighborhoods, and even greater people. Cool points abound!

In a sudden, delightful, head-scratch-worthy turn of events, the Matador Network, arguably the largest online travel publication on earth, recently named our pizzeria 1 of 35 travel experience you can’t have in a huge tour group.

Admittedly, we’re sincerely taken aback by such flattery. Honored, for certain. But even more so, flummoxed to be placed on a list of any kind with such global treasures as the Great Wall of China, Easter Island, the Anne Frank House, and Stonehenge.

A testament to the unfettered power of pizza, we suppose.

The internet. Go figure.

It’s true. Nearly 12 months have passed since our doors opened to the pizza loving public of earth. We’re pretty thrilled about that, so we’ve decided to roll up our sleeves, let down our hair, and throw a pizza party that’s sure to warm hearts, melt faces, blow minds, and moisten pants.

Over yonder on the facebooks is an invite to our pizza birthday bash. You should come.

Among a bevy of free, fun things like haircuts, face-painting, fire-breathing, and beer both Friday and Saturday nights, we’ve somehow managed to book Lisa A. Sturz (aka the puppeteer who operated ‘Splinter’ in the TMNT movie series) to come hang with us in our backyard on Saturday night.

Yes, Lisa A. Sturz, the talented puppeteer behind such magical films as Howard the Duck, Little Shop of Horrors, Robocop 2, and yes, the TMNT movie series, will be appearing live and in person to pizza party with us!

And to top it off, gear wizard Brittney Schneck will be parking her one-of-a-kind, custom built TMNT party van in front of our shop Friday night and Saturday afternoon, just in case you’d like to touch it for a second.

There’s never been a more appropriate time to say it, so we’re going to.

COWABUNGA!

XOXO, TEAM PIZZA BRAIN

Philadelphia Magazine’s ‘Best of Philly’ 2013 came out last week. In addition to being named ‘best pizza destination‘, we just found out the reader’s poll named us ‘best pizza‘ in the entire city.

The words ‘flummoxed’, ‘flattered’, ‘humbled’ and ‘elated’ come to mind. We’re grateful to have such an amazing city to pizza party with.

PIZZADELPHIA, ZA = HOME.

It would seem that the summer of 2013 has begun with a tremendous, triumphant bang. Like a scene straight out of any number of movies or TV shows where individualy awesome things combine forces to fight evil and carry the torch of greatness, we’re proud, elated and (insert positive adjective here) to officially announce our first-ever food collab crossover with none other than the magically delicious Federal Donuts!

After a good bit of tinkering, our collective food science energy gave birth to something we’re all very excited about. The plan is to unveil our new food baby during next week’s July First Friday event. Who knows, it might just change the face of pizza, donuts and chicken forever. You can read about some of the details over on Zagat Philly’s blog. Then, just wait patiently until next Friday where we’ll serve up hot slices of the new stuff until we run out.

The fact that two burgeoning food establishments in Philadelphia have decided to stretch their collective arms across the city and unite over something as awesome as a chicken/donut/pizza creation gives us hope for today, and strength for tomorrow’s food future. Who knows what unspeakable treasures it may hold…

XOXO, TEAM PIZZA BRAIN

Jason English, the editor-in-chief over at Mental Floss, recently stopped by the shop to chat about pizza philosophy, life, and aliens.

Here’s the full interview below:

We were titillated with delight by Jason’s probing questions. Mental Floss and Jason English = without question honorary pizza cousins for life. Thanks again, kind friends!

Pizza Brain was recently featured in an episode of the American Broadcasting Company’s  daytime television show ‘The Chew‘. Approximately 2.8 million grandmothers and stay-at-home moms watch it every week.

We’re honored to have been featured on such a show. Even more so, we’re flummoxed that so many new Pizza Brain fans have been made as a result. From what we gather, the series borrows heavily from another ABC show called ‘The View‘, except there’s considerably less Barbara Walters on it and the main topic of discussion is ‘food’ and ‘shoes’ instead of ‘Will Smith’ and ‘shoes’. Watch the full special below – and be sure to note that Mario Batali officially thinks our pizza would pair well with cold beer. Thanks, MB!

*Disclaimer: that unattractive, sad studio pizza at the end was in no way, shape or form made by us. We’ve got standards to uphold, people!

XOXO, TEAM PIZZA BRAIN

many thanks to john k  and ethan harper for facilitating such an endless pizza treasure!

Groundswell PA (a division of the Great Philadelphia Cultural Alliance) recently asked us to  share how art and culture have influenced our business and our neighborhood. We were honored to be a part of the discussion. If you happen to be walking by the Kimmel Center over the next month, look for this video projected on the big screen outside! Thanks, GPCA!

XOXO, TEAM PIZZA BRAIN

“I’ve got a severe hype allergy. But Brian Dwyer and Joseph Hunter’s partly Kickstarter-funded brainchild—which shares space, and a cockeyed ethos, with Little Baby’s Ice Cream—had me on an EpiPen high…”

In Philadelphia Magazine’s April issue, writer Trey Popp gave us a wonderful 2 1/2 star review. In the Popp universe, that means ‘good to excellent’. We’ll take it! Thanks, Trey! XOXO, Team Pizza Brain

Based on user votes and check-ins, foursquare recently let us know we made their ‘best of’ list for 2012. We’re honored to have such a sticker displayed in our window! XOXO, TEAM PIZZA BRAIN

March has been very kind to us. First, we received a cool mention in Travel & Leisure Magazine’s March issue. Then, we found out Philadelphia Magazine nominated us as ‘Best Pizza of 2013′ (more on that later). Today, we’re celebrating the fact that Citysearch recently named us Philadelphia’s ‘Best New Restaurant of 2013‘!

How a 6 month old pizzeria with only 6 tables and 12 menu items pulled this off is nearly incomprehensible. We’re shocked. We’re emotional. We’re grateful.

We think it had something to do with all our wonderful, wonderful customers.

With the utmost sincerity - thank you, Pizzadelphia. Definitely one for the ol’ scrap book.

Pizza Brain has recently been nominated by Citysearch as the 2013 ‘Restaurant of the Year’! But it takes votes to win – so do your part and click this link to vote.

Voting ends in just three days, good pizza citizens!

It seems March has started off with a bang. Last night, CBS 3 came by the shop to ask us what we thought about our recent mention in this month’s issue of Travel & Leisure Magazine. Naturally, we were excited to talk to them and shove some free pizza down their throats.

Check out the full video here. Then stop by this month to check out our most recent pizza art installation ‘ALL HAIL THE PIZZA LORD‘ by pizza weirdo ‘GRIMGRIMGRIM’. Totally, totally sauce’some.

xoxo, team pizza brain

In the March 2013 issue of Travel & Leisure Magazine, Philadelphia was ranked 4th as ‘America’s best city for pizza’. In the article, two Philly pizza establishments are named. One of them happens to be our wonderful friends over at Nomad Pizza. The other is a place in Fishtown/East Kensington that opened 5 months ago – with 6 tables and a 12 pie menu…

Yes – a place called Pizza Brain!

As recently as 5 years ago, one would be hard pressed to see Philly anywhere on a list like this – let alone in the top 5. To be called out by name in one of the world’s best read travel magazines is astounding to us. Once our eyes stop hurting, we’ll definitely go out and celebrate.

Here’s to being a part of Philly’s ever-burgeoning food, art and pizza scene!

XOXO, TEAM PIZZA BRAIN

…and we’re getting huge whiffs of it. we’ve fielded tons of orders for heart-shaped pizzas today. thanks for being so lovesick, pizzadelphia!

xoxo, team pizza brain

Yes, it’s true. We’re now dabbling in the delivery game. Every day of operation from 11am – close. Northern Liberties, Port Richmond, Kensington, Fishtown and other select neighborhoods are in our range. Credit Cards accepted over the phone. Large orders also accepted and encouraged. Call the pizza brain hotline to inquire: 215-291-2965.

This week, Metro Philly included us on their ‘Best of 2012: Food & Drink’ list. The category? ‘Best Job Living Up To The Hype’.

“Considering the amount of buzz Pizza Brain’s “pizza museum” generated, the actual pies had a lot to live up to. But somehow, the inventive thin-crust slices are the actual stars at this charming Fishtown parlor whose phone greeting — “Congratulations! You’ve just called Pizza Brain!” — seems totally warranted.”

We’re flattered, honored and excited to be a part Philly’s food & drink conversation. To end 2012 in such a way is, needless to say, encouraging. Here’s to the adventurous new year that lies ahead!

XOXO, TEAM PIZZA BRAIN

In this December’s issue of Philadelphia Magazine, the cover story reads, ‘Why We Love Philly: The traditions, oddities, foods, sounds, landmarks and characters that make us deliriously happy to call this place our own.‘  The issue then proceeds to list the Philly 76.

We’re pleased to announce that we made it onto said list, right at no. 64.

“A city is characterized by its people—its celebrities and politicians, its businessfolk and proletarian masses. And also by its weirdos: the freaks, the iconoclasts, those who rise above the daily clamor simply by the volume of their crazy…”

To be officially grouped into the weirdos, freaks, iconoclasts category by Philly’s no. 1 magazine is a huge honor – and to be ranked higher than ‘rowhomes’ and the ‘Broad Street Run’? Dang. Finally. Take that, rowhomes!

“…you’ve got the set for a sitcom that could only happen on the border where Kensington meets Fishtown.”

In a very exciting turn of events, our thee-month-old business just got a big write up from Philly food maharishi Craig Laban in last Sunday’s Philadelphia Inquirer. Craig awarded us a very positive ‘TWO BELLS – VERY GOOD‘, while also giving huge nods to our best buddies and neighbors Little Baby’s Ice Cream,

To receive this type of introduction to the Philadelphia food elite, and at such an early stage in the game, is humbling to say the least. The positive observations and constructive feedback are more than welcomed. Here’s to building off it and continuing to refine our process as we grow.

xoxo, team pizza brain.

To say that we’re honored, humbled and flabbergasted to know that Isaiah Zagar has begun leaving his magical finger prints in the courtyard of Pizza Brain and Little Baby’s  is the understatement of the year. It’s like something out of a dream.

But even so, we are very sincerely all of those things. Isaiah began work in the backyard after a simple proposition was put forth, and some pizza and ice cream was eaten. Within just a week or so, some beautiful things started to happen.

Since the very start of this project, we envisioned pizza brain to be a nexus for creative people from all over this beautiful city to grow, converse and create together. As we approach our third month of business, it’s wonderful to already see it happening in it’s own way.

According to visitphilly.com, you should visit us when visiting Philly. We recently made their list of top pizza in Philadelphia, in the ‘neighborhood favorites’ category. We’re honored, and will be keeping a watchful eye out for the busloads of camera-toters and fanny-packers inevitably headed our way. xoxo, team pizza brain

Every so often, a journalist comes along and writes an article that completely restores our faith in the medium of writing; like a bright ray of light through a cloudy sky – sort of light Mary Poppins. Recently, writer and art brain Steph Mantis wrote an article for the Museum of Art & Design blog in New York about our grand opening this past September. We highly suggest you read it, and take note of what it feels like to read an article by someone who is actually experiences something firsthand.

It’s rather refreshing to see, compared to the cut-and-paste writing that so many journalists phone-in these days. A shame, truly – but all the more refreshing when the opposite happens.

xoxo, team pizza brain

It’s October. That mean’s it’s national pizza month. That also means it’s time to party: pizza style. We’ve got a lot of fun things planned for first Friday tonight, like hosting our first ever pizza artist in residence Rob Corradetti from Killer Acid NYC!

He’ll be selling some new pizza designs & stickers, as well as posting up hard and putting out tasty pizza vibes to all you boys & girls. Get with it. And read more about his art here.

In addition to that, local illustration wizard maharishi Hawk Krall will be unveiling the ‘Philly Pizzalebrity Wall of Fame‘ tnight in our very own back courtyard! This is Hawk’s first mural. Wowzers! Hands-down the most impressive Philadelphia tribute you’re likely to see this side of the Schuylkill.

You can read about Hawk’s other awesome art projects and love for hot dogs here. Add some pizza and ice cream to the mix, plus the christening of our brand new parklet out front, and bam! you’ve got yourself an old fashioned mind fudge. Truly, too many kinds of awesome to fully comprehend. See you tnight Pizzadelphia! xoxo, team pizza brain

You’re now tuned into to Pizza Brain radio WPZA. Have a listen!

We’re honored to share that Thrillist Philly just announced us as their no.4 draft pick in September’s ‘Best of the Best’ category; sandwiched comfortably between The Mildred and Angry Birds: Eagles Edition no less. We are undoubtedly thrilled, to say the least.

In a shocking turn of events, jeopardy tweeted about us for their ‘question of the day’ on Wednesday. yep. jeopardy.

So just how many levels are we from the almighty Trebek? Who knows. Maybe like 1. Unless a monkey robot runs the jeopardy twitter account – then it’s about 3. Either way, we can now call it quits from the pizza museum/restaurant game and die happy. Yo trivial pursuit – where youse at?!

This week in brainland: Pizzadelphia, ZA has officially made national televised news. The good people over at CBS This Morning hung out with us a few weeks ago in East Kensington. The result? This beautifully crafted 4 minute feature on our pizza shop/museum. Every channel 3 in the country aired it this past week, so we thought we’d give you a chance to watch it, too.

Next stop, the moon! xoxo, team pizza brain

The folks at Associated Press recently stopped by our shop. They profiled us in this article, and made a video to boot. Check it out – then check out our pizza and eat it!

xoxo, team pizza brain

Hey Pizzadelphia, ZA – Check us out on CBS3 morning news!

hey everybody, over 1,000 people have confirmed on our pizza party invitation! we’ve been really busy getting ready for what is sure to be the PIZZA PARTY OF THE CENTURY. Pretty soon we’ll be posting our menu and store hours so it’s available for online viewing. In the meantime, come on down to our shop at 2313 Frankford Ave, Pizzadelphia, ZA and check it out in person!

 The nation’s first pizza museum opens in just two days. Our facebook invite says almost 1,000 people might show up. Pizza party of the year – we’re calling it.

PIZZA LOVING CITIZENS OF EARTH! LET’S PARTY!

After a tedious, arduous but absolutely worthwhile journey, the nation’s first pizza museum is finally opening it’s doors to the public. It’s all happening at 5pm on Friday, September 7th, 2012. There will be lots of fun things going on (including a ribbon cutting ceremony just before the doors open), and a limited menu served that weekend (just pizza by the slice for the moment). Be sure to check out all the sauce’some details right here. Let’s make pizza history together!

xoxo, team pizza brain

The kind folks at the today show recently did an interview with us. Again, we can’t stress enough how funny it is that all this press is happening before we’ve opened. Perhaps it’s just a blatant testament to the simple fact that the entire universe loves pizza. We do too, oddly enough, and can’t wait to share that love with the world in just a few short weeks. See you then pizza heads!

Pizza Brain – the museum/restaurant that TIME magazine has deemed “not yet open!” Yes, today we are featured on TIME magazine’s newsfeed. Check out the full interview here, folks. After lots of attention, we feel this is one of the first articles that really taps into the group effort that this project has truly been. Aces!

Yesterday team pizza brain had the pleasure of doing a live interview via facetime with the nice folks of Good Morning Sacramento. Yes, you read right. We did a live interview on morning television right from the comfort of our friend’s basement. You can watch the whole interview in it’s entirety right here.

It’s strange to us that we live in a world where something like this is even possible. Welcome to the future of pizza tech everybody. See youse all real soon.

There are many things out there to consider. As of yesterday, National Public Radio found us worthy of considering. We’re flabbergasted and grateful for such things. Indeed, being featured on such a program is a proud, joyous moment for the pizza brain family. Now all we have to do is get the doors open! Which, by the by, we sincerely believe we’ll be doing by August. In the mean time, here’s the full radio spot from yesterday’s show for your listening pleasure. Enjoy!

PS – Our good buddies and nextdoor neighbors Little Baby’s Ice Cream will be opening their world headquarters on August 3rd! Act like you know.

Life is full of mysteries. Thankfully though, we were able to hire morgan freeman’s cousin to help explain what’s been going on.

To be sure, life in pizza brain land is rather wild at the moment. But a midst all the rigmarole that comes along with opening up one’s very first restaurant & museum, we’re happy to poke our heads out from behind the pizza curtain to share with you a fun little treat: this morning, WHYY-FM ran a story about us. You can listen it here, or go to WHYY’s website to read more and click through some photos.

See you all very soon!

Yep! We’ve finally jumped feet-first into the exciting internet wormhole that is, tumblr.

Continue Reading

To every single one of you who supported our kickstarter campaign - whether financially, morally and just by good ol’ fashioned word of mouth, thank you. Truly, thank you. We all did it, together. Team work rules!

Continue Reading

Less than 60 hours to go on our kickstarter. Yes, it’s true. We’re approaching the end of the road. But what a wondrous journey it’s been! The hundreds upon hundreds of individuals who gave money, re-posted, blogged, vlogged, tweeted and spread the word via mouth was staggering, touching and just flat-out heart-warming.

So what to do in the final hours?

Here’s a thought: If you have any aunts, uncles, cousins, pep-peps, step-peppers, grandchildren, great uncles, grandparents, guidance counselors, friends, enemies, parole officers, and/or oil refinery tycoons out there who might want to help us build our museum…well now’s the perfect time to tell them about this project!

If they have any doubts, just show them the following video. There won’t be a dry eye in the house – maybe.

PLAY BALL! ~ team pizza brain

Good day everyone, and thanks again for your continued help and support! As of this post, 302 people have doughnated their hard-earned mulah to help us build our place.

We feel very loved.

Continue Reading

Our chefs Joe & Auston were are really pumped up by the fact that we met our $15,000 kickstarter goal an entire week ahead of schedule. So pumped, in fact, that they made a video discussing some of the details behind their creative process, the kind of pizza they’re making, and how they feel about being a part of the world’s first pizza museum & restaurant.

WATCH VIDEO HERE

With just 6 days left to go, we feel inspired to keep telling you our story. Hopefully it inspires you to keep spreading the word about our campaign! Friends sending friends sending friends this information is the best thing ever.

To all the curious folks who have asked if they can still donate to our kickstarter even though we’ve met out goal: you definitely still can! We’ve got 7 days to go! Whatever $$$ we raise from here on out will go toward funding a more complete list of items for the museum including: needed structural improvements to the space, farm-to-plate program development, content licensing and our full furnishings list. We’re speechless at your generosity to-date.

While we’ve many more unfunded items to fund, your continued support is heartening and makes us feel like like we just won something very significant.

We’re quite speechless today here at pizza brain HQ. As of this post, we’ve gone over our $15,000 goal – and we still have 7 days left! Thanks guys – your actions have made us feel like total winners.

Continue Reading

Philadelphia Neighborhoods and a super nice chap named Matt Wargo recently put together this piece on what we’ve been up to in our neighborhood.

Doesn’t Mike look exceptionally good-looking on camera? We happen to think so.

And in other Pizza news, we’re just under the two week mark for our kickstarter campaign! Time to kick things to the next level. In that spirit, we just released this in-depth explanation as to what, exactly, we plan to do with the $15,000 should we successfully raise it.

As of this post, 529 people have liked our kickstarter page. Only 209 have dough-nated. Help fill in the gaps, pizza family. If the remaining 320 people gave just $12 measly dollars, we’d be 100% funded! 

Dough the right thing er’body! Let’s bring it home.

We love our town.  We love our neighborhood. In fact, we love it so much we think of it more as a person than a place. It’s scrappy. It’s seen a whole lot of history. It’s constantly growing and changing for the better. We can relate.

From the industrial revolution through World War II, Philadelphia generated the lion’s share of the nation’s industrial output. At that time, greater Kensington was among the most important neighborhoods in America. It’s scores of factories employed thousands and its businesses were a veritable who’s who of American production.  This is the proud history of the neighborhood Pizza Brain calls home.

Continue Reading

caution: before reading the following post, we suggest grabbing the nearest tissue box or handkerchief – things are about to get emotional.

Earlier today, Pizza Brain’s youngest known philanthropist ‘Olivia’ gave $4 of her hard-earned allowance toward our kickstarter campaign.

So, yeah, we’re just going to go ahead and let our hearts explode out of our chests now. Ouch.

Thanks to her (and like-minded, pizza-supporting humans like her) we’ve raised an astounding $9415.00 as if this post. That’s 62% of our goal! And we’re only into day 12 of our campaign.

Not sure if you know about things being ‘totally bonkers’, but this is one of those things.

Can we reach $10,000 by Monday? Give what you can, tell your friends and enemies to do the same, and let’s find out.

Have a great weekend everybody!

Man, what a busy and beautiful time to be alive in the 19125. Hammers are hammering, Pressers are pressing, non-existent snow is melting, and every day this whole pizza museum & restaurant thing feels more like a living, breathing creature with discernible features and distinctive body odors.

Thanks to old man winter being a total wimp this year, productivity has been going at a wonderfully satisfactory rate. Needless to say, a lot has happened in the past few days (not to mention we’re 42% funded on kickstarter as of this blog post).

The entire pizza brain crew could really go for a good ol’ fashioned croosh slice crush sesh right about now. it’d be totes perf.

who’s buyin?!

The current press surrounding our pizza brain project has really thrown us for a loop. Yesterday we noticed that Yahoo! News Philippines picked up our story. And today, we wanted to inform you that The Malaysian Insider and Fastservice Entree Amsterdam has taken interest. We’re scratching our heads, too. But there it is, plain as pie.

Perhaps pizza brain will someday be a crazy tourist attraction. If so, we better start designing those custom-made postcards and fanny-packs we’ve been talking about.

In addition to that wildness, yesterday Brian was voted ‘the #3 redhead in Philadelphia‘ by Philebrity.com. His pale, white ginger cheeks have been blushing ever since.

The past few days sure have been exciting and fun, but when you get right down to it, the most enjoyable part is trying to open a community-minded pizzeria for the city we love so much. But the only way to do that is to raise the rest of our $15,000 goal on kickstarter.

So help us do it by continuing to spread the word – and by dough-nating, of course.

FACT: If every person who has ‘liked’ our kickstarter page so far (342 folks) decided today to give $30, we would be 100% funded.

So let’s do this. For pizza’s sake!

Wow. What an amazing start to this thing – and we owe it all to you! Our kickstarter campaign received an astonishing amount of love and support in its opening days. We’re so very pleased.

* being Friday’s lead food story in the Huffington Post

* receiving multiple follow-up articles in media outlets across the US from local NPR and Fox affiliates, to blogs like Uwishunu, Slice & ArtInfo

*ranking amongst the most popular new kickstarter campaigns

*attracting attention from donors around the country

Much was written about our efforts to create the world’s first pizza museum and restaurant. As of today, we’ve received pledges totaling just over 30% of our goal – and only 6 days into the campaign!

Over the next several days, we’ll update you on our progress.  We’re also going to share more about what we mean by being a community-driven, socially-minded pizzeria. As we enter into the critical phase of our fundraising efforts, after the initial attention abates, we’re going to need your help to tell others the full Pizza Brain story.  So stay tuned!

In the meantime, keep spreading the word on our campaign. If you have any money you’d like to dough-nate, we’ll graciously accept it.

We’d like to leave you with a quote from the comments section of the Huffington Post article left by a reader named Sighcology. He writes:

“This is not just about a collection of pizza memorabilia, but also about urban renewal and community. These creative entrepreneurs/artists understand the importance of form leading function. Much like Steve Jobs in his garage—-They are going to do more for the Fishtown community than any dominoes or chain could ever do.”

Thanks Sighcology, we feel the same – and are excited about the greater mission of Pizza Brain.  We’re sure as you learn more, you will be too.

Keep increasing the piece guys.

Love, us

Wow. About 15 minutes after today’s earlier post , a little news publication known as The Huffington Post ran a story about our project on the front page of their food section. Needless to say, our phones, facebooks, tweet decks, twitterpacks, reddits, courier pigeons and email inboxes have been filling up with interest and back-pats ever since.

To quoth the late great Ray Arnold…

All this love and support has astounded and confounded us.

Stay tuned, because all this attention has inspired us to tell you a bit more of our story – a story about who we are and what we’re really excited about accomplishing with this whole project (aside from the obvious ‘pizza museum’ aspect).

More details about us coming soon. In the meantime, google ‘pizza museum’ and have fun sorting through the mess!

This rules. Our kickstarter page is 23% funded and it’s only day 4! The pizza gods are very pleased by these offerings. Thank you to all who have donated, and all who plan to. Keep spreading the word about it!

And the icing on the cake for today’s post? Our kickstarter is getting a lot of super-posi support. We even made it onto the ‘popular this week’ category on kickstarter.com’s projects page.

Pizza is popular. Who knew?!

As you may or may not know, we’re currently up to our necks building the world’s very first pizza museum and restaurant, right here in Philadelphia, PA Pizzadelphia, ZA. 

Being closer than ever to opening our doors this coming spring/summer, we thought it’d be a good idea to ask you, the good and supportive pizza citizens of the world, to help us raise money to finish building the place. So without further ado, here’s how to get involved:

Enjoy the video, peruse the rewards (especially the one where we give you a group hug. or the one with free pizza for a year. or the one where we give you a locket containing locks of our hair), and show your support via physically manifesting digital dollars into our project and then spreading the word to every living soul you come in contact with.

You heart pizza. We heart you. Let’s heart pizza brain together.

Increase the Piece,

XOXO team pizza brain