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On this episode, we talk to Justin from Pretty Boy Pizza. He’d just opened his doors at Little Beast Brewing when we rolled through Portland, but already collecting hard-earned lessons. It’s always wild to hear how people stumble into the pizza biz, and Justin’s story involves living a hundred unfinished lives - military service, following love to San Diego, grinding at Blaze Pizza, learning under legends like Odie and Scott Rivera. From getting scammed with 100 pounds of literal trash instead of a mixer to walk-in coolers dying mid-service, Justin’s first three weeks have been beautifully chaotic. But one thing feels certain: his square pizzas are about to become a Portland staple. It’s a ride through living, laughing, loving, and learning.

Key ingredients: • Opening a pizza shop with minimal equipment and budget • Working in shared kitchen spaces and brewery partnerships • Scaling production from pop-ups to brick-and-mortar • Equipment failures and supply chain disasters (what to expect) • Staffing challenges and labor management in early days • Detroit vs. Sicilian vs. grandma style pizza debate • Working with convection ovens for square pies • Building systems and consistency from day one • Learning from pizza industry mentors and legends • Social media marketing and brand building for new restaurants • Managing sell-outs and customer expectations • Restaurant POS systems and financial tracking