BROOKLYN — Pizza has been a staple of New York City for more than a century, with more than 500 pizza shops in Manhattan alone. But if you’re looking for the perfect slice, the one man to turn to is self-proclaimed ‘Pizza Enthusiast’ Scott Wiener.
Scott’s obsession with pizza began when he was growing up in suburban New Jersey. For him, the combination of cheese, sauce and dough became a weekly staple. He explored historic pizzerias throughout the city, and as his appetite grew, so did his hunger for knowledge about the history, science and culture of this delicious dish.
As Scott’s interest in pizza increased, it stirred up a curiosity among his family and friends. To appease them, Scott threw a pizza party for 26 of his closest pals — garnering plenty of positive feedback and praise.
Six months later, what was once just a hobby became a full-fledged career, and Scott’s Pizza Tours was born.
Scott also helped found “Slice Out Hunger,” an organization that hosts NYC’s biggest pizza party every year in October, with proceeds going to help fund local hunger relief organizations.
“Sometimes people think that they need to be doing well before they can start giving back,” Scott said, “But I don’t think that’s how to do it; you’ve got to build that into the way you do everything.”
As his business grew, so did his extensive collection of pizza boxes. Today, Scott holds a title in the Guinness Book of World Records for the largest pizza box collection in the world,with more than 1,500 different boxes from around the world.
