From Underground Pizza to Local Staple | The Benny’s Pizza Story w/ Ben Arona | Up+Adam

Sponsored by The Mountain AirIn Part 1 of this conversation, Adam sits down with Ben Arona, the mind behind Benny’s Pizza Palace & Social Club, and gets into the version of the story most people never see. Before the packed patio, before the social club energy, before it became a go-to spot in San Luis Obispo, this was one guy making dough in the morning, selling pizzas through Facebook, and trying to figure out if the whole thing would even work.They talk about the underground days, building a business out of a former chain pizza space, and what it actually looks like to scale something from nothing. There is a raw honesty here about the grind. Early mornings, long days, doing everything yourself, and slowly building systems that can hold the weight of growth. Ben breaks down how he went from making a couple pizzas at a time to running a full operation, and why structure and process became just as important as the product itself.Why Detroit style pizza? How he developed the sauce over years without changing it once it clicked. There is a moment in this episode where the conversation shifts from passion to pressure. Break-ins, unexpected costs, and the real numbers behind running a restaurant. What it actually takes to keep the doors open, and why entrepreneurship is a lot less glamorous than it looks from the outside. It is honest, it is unfiltered, and it is something anyone thinking about starting a business needs to hear.This is Part 1 of a two-part conversation. Part 2 picks up with the space, the community, the vibe, and the human side of what Benny’s has become.• Website: https://bennysppsc.com/ • Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bennyspizzaslo/*********PORTABIDET: UP+ADAM IS AN OFFICIAL SPOKESPERSON FOR PORTABIDET - USE THIS LINK FOR UP+ADAM LISTENERS TO LEARN MORE AND GET YOURS!*Timbre Event with Cal Poly EIM Students Info HEREListen to Up+Adam with Adam Montiel:Official Website: adammontiel.comApple Podcasts: Up+Adam on Apple PodcastsSpotify: Up+Adam on SpotifyiHeartRadio: Up+Adam on iHeartRadioYouTube Music: Up+Adam on YouTube Music********CHECK OUT OUR WOODS HUMANE PET OF THE WEEK!********ADAM’S TEDX VIDEO IS HERE!********FOLLOW ADAM ON INSTAGRAM*********Sincere Thanks to the current supporters of Up + Adam. Please take a moment and visit them and thank them for supporting local broadcasting, and valuing what we do here. Thank you for supporting them!Life ElementsCity of SLOWoodsHumaneSocietyTin City DistilleryOriginal Music by Dan Curcio and Moonshiner CollectiveMoonshiner on Spotify HEREPlease Rate, Review, and Subscribe to the podcast, and learn more at AdamMontiel.com©2026 Up+Adam with Adam Montiel / LoBro Studios, All Rights Reserved.