Pizza Brain facts for kids
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| Private | |
| Industry | Retail |
| Founded | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (2011) |
| Founder | Brian Dwyer Joseph Hunter Michael Carter Ryan Anderson |
| Headquarters | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States |
| Products | Pizza |
| Parent | Brian Dwyer, Michael Carter |
Pizza Brain is a super cool place in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It's both a pizzeria where you can grab a slice and a museum dedicated to all things pizza! Guess what? It holds the world record for the biggest collection of pizza stuff ever. You can find Pizza Brain in the Kensington neighborhood of Philadelphia.
Contents
How Pizza Brain Started
The idea for Pizza Brain began in May 2010. An artist named Brian Dwyer, along with Christopher Powell, put on an art show. It was called "Give Pizza Chance" and was all about pizza art!
Later that year, in October 2010, Brian Dwyer met Michael Carter. Brian loved collecting pizza-related items. Michael thought it would be awesome to show off these items like a museum.
By late 2010, Joe Hunter, a talented pizza chef, joined the team. In January 2011, Ryan Anderson, a master carpenter, helped find the perfect buildings. These buildings were in the Fishtown area of Philadelphia.
The team worked together to make Pizza Brain happen. Joe Hunter created amazing pizza recipes. Michael Carter helped organize Brian's huge collection. Ryan Anderson designed the space using cool recycled materials. Together, they built the world's largest collection of pizza items. This earned them a Guinness World Record by summer 2011!
Finally, on September 7, 2012, Pizza Brain opened its doors to everyone.
Breaking a World Record
Before Pizza Brain even opened, Michael Carter and Brian Dwyer showed their collection to Guinness World Records. On July 31, 2011, Guinness officially said their collection was the "world's largest collection of pizza-related items."
They counted 561 different items! These items came from all over the world. Brian had been collecting them since 2010. Both Pizza Brain and Brian Dwyer received certificates for this amazing achievement.
Pizza Brain in the News
Before Pizza Brain opened, many news outlets wrote about it. People were excited about this unique museum. Articles appeared in places like Zagat, The Huffington Post, and The Philadelphia Inquirer. Even Fox News and Food Network Magazine shared the story!
NPR's All Things Considered also talked about Pizza Brain. TV channels like NBC 10 and Good Morning Sacramento featured it too.
When Pizza Brain opened in September 2012, it got even more attention. The New York Times, Associated Press, USA Today, TIME, and the BBC all wrote about it. This helped Pizza Brain become famous around the world!
On September 26, 2012, CBS This Morning showed a national TV story about the museum and restaurant. This even led to Pizza Brain being talked about on Jeopardy!'s Twitter page!
Awards and Recognition
Pizza Brain started winning awards even before it opened! Brian Dwyer, one of the founders, was named "Phoodie of the Year" by Philebrity.com. This was because of the Guinness record and the excitement for the opening.
After opening, Pizza Brain became known for its delicious pizzas. Head chef Joe Hunter helped make it one of Philadelphia's best pizza places. It has won three "Best of Philly" Awards from Philadelphia Magazine. Pizza Brain has received praise from local, national, and international sources.
Some of the cool awards and mentions include:
- Three Philadelphia Magazine "Best of Philly" awards
- Business Insider's Best Pizza in Every State
- Zagat's 10 Killer Slices of Pizza in Philly
- Nylon Magazine's 15 Best Pizza Slices in America
- The Daily Meal's 10 Best Pepperoni Pizzas In America
- Food Network's 50 Top Pizza Deliveries from Coast to Coast
- The Daily Meal's 101 Best Pizzas in America for 2017, 2018, and 2019
- The Infatuation's The Best Pizza Places In Philadelphia
See also
