Up + Adam with Adam Montiel

Up + Adam with Adam Montiel


Crust Funded: How Benny’s Pizza Rose from the Underground Up #SLORestaurantMonth

January 06, 2026

See all SLO Restaurant Month participants


What do you get when you mix Detroit-style deep dish, a scholar with an Oxford mind, and a passion for community? You get Ben Arona, owner of Benny’s Pizza Social Club in downtown San Luis Obispo. In this episode, Adam sits down with Ben to talk about how Benny’s evolved from a one-man underground kitchen hustle to one of the most beloved pizza joints on the Central Coast.

We dig into the vibe, the dough, and the deep love Ben has for the old-school soul of his space, formerly Pepe Delgado’s. He shares the genius behind his famous frozen lasagna (the ultimate gift hack), why sauce placement matters more than you think, and how he’s celebrating SLO Restaurant Month with a $49.99 dinner-for-two deal. Ben is not just serving pizza, he’s serving history, heart, and heaping portions of gratitude to the community that helped build him.

Check out Benny’s, and don’t miss the other restaurants participating in SLO Restaurant Month at the link below.

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Life Elements

City of SLO

WoodsHumaneSociety

Tin City Distillery



Original Music by Dan Curcio and Moonshiner Collective

Moonshiner on Spotify HERE



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