Down on Light St. in Baltimore, a little pizzeria set to shutter by Christmas has received a huge helping hand—a Christmas miracle, one might say.
Each box of pie came with a note saying that unless Little Brick Over Pizzeria received a serious amount of business or donations, it would close on December 25th.
Enter Barstool Sports’ Dave Portnoy for one of his famous One Bite pizza reviews.
Giving it a “solid 7.9” and describing it as a kind of “thin New York style” his review and publicity means that now, the oven at Tiny Brick Oven is overflowing with pies to satisfy a line out of the door.
Owner Will Fagg, described by one part-time employee as her “guardian angel,” was a big fan and follower of Portnoy, who had followed his work during the COVID-19 lockdowns helping small hospitality businesses stay open.
When Portnoy asked how things were going at Little Brick Oven, he was shocked to hear the prognosis was grim. Owner Will would later tell WJZ 13 News that the problem is the money it costs to get a liquor license, something which the new market across the street has, and which is driving him out of business.
Getting his pie, Portnoy, who had by then heard the whole predicament, insisted on paying for it, joking “you can’t tell me you’ve got no money and then not ask me to pay for it.”
After his first bites, Portnoy shows the camera the appeal for financial assistance from Fagg, who’s also a veteran, on the box and says succinctly “there’s no way this place should be goin’ out of business.”
OTHER CROWNFUNDING KINGS: YouTuber ‘MrBeast’ Just Removed 17,000 Tons of Ocean Trash by Harnessing Social Media Influencers and Fans
Calling Fagg the nicest guy you could hope to meet, Portnoy goes back in to ask how much money Fagg would need to keep the place open for a year, to which the owner replies $60,000 for costs and the liquor license.
“Done” replies Portnoy.
The review went viral, wracking up 14 million views on X alone; and on Christmas Eve, Tiny Brick Oven had a line out the door and phones ringing non-stop.
“We’ve never had a line like this. We’ve never had a line like this,” Fagg told the KXII news cameras from behind his counter, where he stood in his red chef’s coat and hat rolling dough and splattering sauce.
YOU MAY ALSO LIKE: United Pilot Orders 30 Pizzas to Feed Passengers After Emergency Landing for Medical Care
The donations poured as Christmas Eve became Christmas Day.
“It’s an incredible feeling. I’ve always had a lot of community support. It’s overwhelming, and I really thank everybody so much,” Fagg said.
WATCH the story below from WJZ 13 News…
SHARE Portnoy’s Good Deed, This Good Slice, And A Man’s Livelihood Saved…