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Was Dave Portnoy Too Hard On Dragon Pizza In His Review?
- Yes
- No
Dragon Pizza posted on Facebook that they had to close on Tuesday, Sept. 5, because they were sold out of pizzas and needed time to restock and prepare for the next rush. In fact, the 233 Elm Street pizzeria has sold out nearly every day since the one bite heard around the world last week and had standing lines stretching outside the Davis Square building.
The rush of customers followed Portnoy's One Bite Pizza Review at the 233 Elm Street restaurant that he released last week. The caustic founder and CEO of Barstool Sports called Redd's pizza out for being too floppy and having a heavy parmesan flavor that he called an "acquired taste." Portnoy rated the pie a paltry 6.4.
But that wasn't what got Redd's goat. He doesn't like Dave Portnoy or his media empire, and it's many scandals.
Nearly a year ago, Redd called out Portnoy on Instagram for judging a business based on one bite. How can you sum up a restaurateur's life's work based on one bite? It's cruel, he said.
That's what sparked the now-viral argument they shared on the sidewalk outside of Dragon Pizza.
The video starts as your bog standard One Bite Pizza review where Portnoy grades the pizza on his harsh scale until Redd peeks out of his restaurant in a tucked-in, well-worn "Star Wars" shirt and blue jeans with his well-earned gray hair styled back.
"Enjoy your pizza as any customer, but I don't appreciate what you do, coming in and judging a business with just one bite," said Dragon Pizza's owner. "Enjoy your pizza, but I don't appreciate what you do to small businesses."
That's when the shouting started.
Despite the boost in business, it's been a struggle for Redd. He called the situation "unbelievable(y) ugly."
He told Boston.com that he's received death threats, and Yelp! had to temporarily suspend reviews for Dragon Pizza after trolls brigade the site to give them a bad grade.
Redd also got sick of everyone wanting to discuss the review. He hung a sign in the window that read: "We are not talking about it. Order only."
With the recent surge in business, it seems the community is doing just that. Redd just asks that they give him more than one bite.
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