Prince Street Pizza went from a single NYC slice shop to one of the most viral pizza brands in America. In this episode, Prince Street Pizza CEO & co-owner Lawrence Longo breaks down how the brand exploded through Instagram, celebrity co-signs, and its iconic Spicy Spring slice. He’s now leading the brand's expansion across the U.S. with a highly selective franchising strategy.
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00:00 Intro
01:11 How Sean Avery Introduced Lawrence to Prince Street Pizza
02:33 How Instagram Made Prince Street Go Viral
05:12 Why the Spicy Spring Slice Became Iconic
06:32 The 2018 LA Pop-Up That Changed Everything
08:03 The Crazy History of Original Ray’s Pizza
10:40 How Prince Street Created Its Signature Pizza
12:16 The Truth About New York Water & Pizza
14:28 The Story Behind Off The Menu
17:13 Secret Menu Items & Viral Food Marketing
21:55 Why In-N-Out Calls It Animal Style
24:55 Dave’s Hot Chicken & Secret Menu Innovation
25:50 How the Prince Street LA Pop-Up Went Viral
30:11 Convincing The Founders To Expand Nationally
32:01 Lessons From Opening Restaurants With No Experience
34:31 Opening Prince Street During COVID
37:22 Why Frank Shut Down A Store Over Pepsi
39:57 Todd Graves’ Advice About “Craveable” Food
41:13 Expanding Prince Street Across America
45:28 Scaling Premium Pizza Without Losing Quality
48:46 Training Pizza Makers & Maintaining Standards
51:22 The New “Naughty Slice” & Hot Honey Trend
54:04 Pizza Wars, Haters & Restaurant Competition
56:11 Why Prince Street Only Works With Elite Operators
58:42 The Dave’s Hot Chicken Partnership
01:03:27 What Prince Street Looks For In Franchise Partners
01:06:24 The Home Alone Marketing Collaboration
01:09:02 Why Pizza Chains Are Struggling Today
01:12:49 Choosing The Right Locations For Growth
01:16:30 The Future Of Prince Street Pizza
01:17:38 Lawrence’s Biggest Influence & Final Thoughts
