Call it the Dave Portnoy effect. Pizzerias in the Des Moines metro are seeing an uptick in business since the founder of Barstool Sports, a sports and pop culture company, dropped by five Des Moines metro pizza shops for his “One Bite Pizza Reviews.”
Portnoy, who was in Iowa for the Iowa vs. Iowa State game in Ames on Sept. 6, stopped at The Tavern in Valley Junction, Centro in downtown Des Moines, Fong’s Pizza in the Market District, Taste of New York in West Des Moines, and Pepp’s Pizzeria in Urbandale.
Since his reviews dropped on social media, Centro saw a boost in pizza sales, “anywhere from +14% on Wednesday to +47% on Saturday, which has been a surprise; we’ve had to adjust our staffing and takeout systems to avoid getting overwhelmed,” said Adam Bartelt, the director of marketing for Orchestrate Hospitality, the parent company of Centro.
George Formaro, chef-founder of Centro and perhaps Des Moines’ leading authority on pizza, didn’t know Portnoy was visiting. “I didn’t even really know he was in town,” Formaro said. “I missed the news the night before, so I was going to see ‘Pieowa’ in Hollywood. I was flying out that day, and I’m in the airport, and they’re like, ‘Dave Portnoy was here.’ I’m like, wait, what? What’s he doing in town?”
During Portnoy’s video outside Centro, he said, “I’ve heard good things about this pizza. A nice place inside. Looks like a good, quality Italian restaurant.” In fact, if he could go by looks alone, he would have ranked Centro on top.
Despite opening nearly 23 years ago, new customers admitted they didn’t know Centro offered pizza, despite the massive brick oven built into the dining room.
More: How Centro became a Des Moines restaurant staple from celebrities to caucus power tables
Portnoy ordered a cheese pizza, his standard order for his “Two Bite Pizza Review.” Many customers ordered the “New Yorker” pizza, thinking that was what Portnoy ordered because he said something about “New York.” “(They) were then disappointed when the pizza came with toppings. To that point, we’ve begun instructing our servers to keep an eye out for first-timers or possible Portnoy fans so they can point them in the right direction,” Bartelt said.
Portnoy gave Centro a 7.6 on his 1 to 10 scale, a strong score by his standards, as he rarely gives out scores in the 8s or higher.
“Honestly, the review was about where I thought, if you would have said, with Dave Portnoy coming in, what are you expecting?” Formaro said.
Chef George Formaro makes a Rosa Grande pepperoni pizza at Centro on Thursday, March 6, 2025, in Des Moines.
If Formaro could have a do-over, he’d ask Portnoy to talk about Centro’s coal-fired oven or the unique history and style of their pizza, which is rooted in old New York traditions. The team felt this was a missed opportunity to educate viewers about what makes Centro’s pizza special.
“Listen, it brought lots of people in here. And hopefully that continues,” Formaro said.
Pepp’s Pizzeria makes T-shirts making light of Portnoy’s trick review
Pepp’s Pizzeria, which relocated from Grimes into a larger space in Urbandale in May, also saw a 10% spike in customers after Portnoy visited. Portnoy’s visit to Pepp’s was also a surprise; the team only realized he was coming when he tweeted about being in Iowa.
The review and the buzz around Portnoy’s visit led to a huge spike in business, with Pepp’s selling out of pizza early on several days and seeing a big increase in social media engagement, general manager Connor Bell said.
A cheese pizza at Pepp’s Pizzeria on Wednesday, Oct. 8, 2025, in Urbandale.
He ordered a cheese pizza and gave Pepp’s a 7.3, though he told the staff in person that he’d given them a 7.6. This led to some playful marketing from Pepp’s, including T-shirts referencing the “One Lie Everyone Knows the Rules” moment. Fans from Montana to West Virginia bought the $20 T-shirt.
Pepp’s is known for its unique upside-down pizza (cheese before sauce and toppings), a detail that Portnoy did not highlight in his review, which the team felt was important to their story.
Fong’s Pizza gets Portnoy to try its crab Rangoon pizza
Fong’s Pizza in the Market District also saw a 10% boost in sales after Portnoy reviewed not only a cheese pizza, but the famous crab Rangoon pizza.
“Having Dave Portnoy in was great for getting some buzz going for Fong’s. We’ve had lots of people in that are mentioning it, and we got so many messages from friends being excited about it,” said Steevo Andrews, marketing and media manager for Fong’s parent company, Full Court Press.
“We certainly had a blast with the exposure and having him in. We also appreciate the long video he released. It was fun for everyone,” she said.
Portnoy visited the restaurant based on a recommendation by former Iowa women’s basketball star Caitlin Clark, who he said included the Des Moines restaurant on her list of top spots in Iowa.
“We were excited it got a 7.6 and that he found some humor in what we are doing at Fong’s. It was especially fun to see him a little mind blown by the concept,” Andrews said.
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Susan Stapleton is the entertainment editor and dining reporter at The Des Moines Register. Follow her on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram, or drop her a line at sstapleton@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Barstool’s Dave Portnoy boosts pizza sales across Des Moines metro
