The Pizza Man Delivers: Providing Chicagoans Food and Comfort During the Pandemic
About this episode:
"You have to do your best to be optimistic, because we are going to get through this. And, we have to find fun, we have to do our best to make each other feel good at this very difficult and unprecedented time."

- Billy Jacobs, Owner of Piece Pizzeria and Brewery in Chicago
The pizza man delivers: Chicago food scene disruptor Billy Jacobs has an amazing story to tell.
In the early 1980s, he and his three brothers achieved phenomenal success when they introduced their fresh New York-style bagels to a city that had none. Then, years later, Billy founded the immensely successful Piece Pizzeria & Brewery, which serves authentic thin-crust New Haven style pizza and craft beers.

Billy and his team have scaled Piece to become the highest-grossing independent pizza restaurant in the United States.

However, this week, like every other restaurant in the United States, Piece is responding to the COVID-19 Coronavirus crisis. Billy’s popular sit-down restaurant is now closed to customers, but he and his team are working hard to bring the joy of Piece to hungry and thirsty social distancing customers by way of curbside pickup and delivery services.

Billy Jacobs lives his dreams doing meaningful work. And he inspires the team members that he employs. But, the COVID-19 crisis challenges him to keep his brand and business thriving and his people employed doing the meaningful work that he provides them.

About our guest:

Billy Jacobs received a Bachelor of Arts in History from Boston University. The New Haven, Connecticut native has called Chicago home since 1983.

EPISODE DATE: March 20, 2020

Social media:

Piece Website

Piece Instagram Feed

Past episodes:

Give Piece a Chance (Part 1)

Give Piece a Chance (Part 2)

Photo credits: Pizza Delivery Dude, Piece Pizzeria & Brewery; Billy Jacobs portrait, Billy Jacobs.