Building a Pizza Empire: The Story Behind Square Pie Guys + Creative Force @Pizza | Ep 72

Every once in a while, you meet someone whose story reminds you that life’s biggest left turns usually lead exactly where you’re supposed to go. For me, as someone who grew up watching my grandfather turn a life in the coal mines into a family pizza business back in 1960, I’ve always known that pizza is so much more than just food. It’s legacy, it’s comfort, and sometimes, it's a lifeline ♥️.That is exactly what I felt talking to today’s guest, the brilliant mind behind Square Pie Guys and the creative curator of the Internet’s most iconic food page @pizza Marc Schechter 🍕.Long before Marc was feeding the West Coast or dictating viral food trends to millions of followers, he was just a kid from New York with a marketing degree and a completely blank roadmap. His path to the kitchen wasn't paved with culinary school or family recipes; it was forged in the fires of cold calling. Marc spent years in the brutal trenches of software sales, dialing the phone 100 times a day, weathering a relentless storm of "no." Little did he know, learning to navigate that constant rejection was the ultimate training camp for entrepreneurship. But the true spark didn't ignite until Marc moved to California. On a casual moving day, a close friend handed him a pizza cookbook, a stone, and a peel with a challenge: “You can’t make restaurant-quality pizza at home.” Those words unlocked an obsession. Soon, Marc was spending hours watching dough rise, throwing backyard pizza parties, and finding a deep sense of joy in feeding people. When his tech startup vanished overnight, Marc didn't look for another corporate desk. He chose the kitchen 👨🏻‍🍳.The empire we know today as Square Pie Guys actually started by complete accident. Armed with only three Detroit-style pans he was using to test recipes, Marc was put on the spot to feed a couple scouting a wedding venue. They fell so madly in love with the thick, crispy square pies that they hired him on the spot. That single quote paid for his first 30 pans, launched a wildly successful pop-up, and eventually led to opening his first brick-and-mortar shop in downtown San Francisco in July 2019.In this beautiful, candid conversation, Marc pulls back the curtain on the magic and the grit of his journey. We talk about how he literally slid into the DMs of a major media company to take over the @pizza brand, the "algorithmic luck" that allowed his business to survive and thrive through a global pandemic, and the deeply personal way pizza healed him after a painful life transition 🙌🏽.🔗 Connect:Follow Square Pie Guys on Instagram: @squarepieguysFollow the ultimate pizza community: @pizza 🍕🇮🇹 About the PodcastThis is where we dive deep into the world's greatest pizzerias and sit down with the passionate makers who turned their obsession into a lifestyle. From secret family recipes to the wild journeys of building a pizza empire, we share the authentic, messy, and delicious stories behind every perfect slice.🎧 Don't forget to like, subscribe, and hit the notification bell so you never miss an episode with the world's most passionate pizza makers ♥️!Website: https://www.astoryaboutpizza.com/ Substack: https://substack.com/@astoryaboutpizza Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/astoryaboutpizza/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@storyaboutpizza YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@AStoryAboutPizza A Story About Pizza Book: https://www.amazon.com/Story-About-Pizza-Erica-DArcangelo/dp/1917116993 Pietro’s Pizza Children’s Book: https://www.amazon.com/Pietros-Pizza-Story-About/dp/B0DTYZ15WB/ Pietro’s Pizza Toppings Children’s Book: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FJM15W22/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0Pietro’s Italian Christmas: https://www.amazon.com/Pietros-Italian-Christmas-Erica-DArcangelo/dp/B0G2GQX78W/ Subscribe to the channel for more incredible stories from founders who took their hobbies to the big leagues!#pizza #squarepieguys