Barstool Sports Founder’s “One Bite” Pizza Festival Defies Critics and Bad Weather
Miami Beach, FL – Despite facing criticism from the Washington Post and battling severe weather conditions, Dave Portnoy, founder of Barstool Sports and small business sensation, successfully pulled off his first-of-its-kind “One Bite” pizza festival.
“It couldn’t have gone better. It’s our Woodstock moment with the rain. 5,000 people strong. Everyone had a great time. The vibes are actually probably higher because of the controversy surrounding it. So, yeah, it went great,” Portnoy exclaimed during his appearance on “Fox & Friends Weekend.”
The “One Bite” pizza festival was Portnoy’s brainchild, aiming to bring together America’s greatest pizzerias, according to his own scale. However, it faced intense scrutiny from the Washington Post, who described Portnoy as someone “no stranger to controversy.” The article highlighted his history of making sexist and insensitive comments, as well as allegations of sexual impropriety.
To add fuel to the fire, during a phone call with Portnoy, one of the Post reporters admitted to sending “negative” emails to the festival’s sponsors in an attempt to provoke a response, citing it as a common “reporting tactic” used by journalists.
Portnoy wasted no time firing back at the reporter’s actions, accusing her and the Washington Post of prioritizing clickbait headlines over the truth. He revealed that the festival’s sponsors remained steadfast, not succumbing to the pressure of the negative press.
“The thing about the hit piece is, what they try to do, whether it’s those or The Washington Post, if you can just get one sponsor to drop, one pizza place to drop, which none of them did…so I owe them a huge thank you. That becomes a story in itself,” Portnoy explained.
He also shed light on the efforts of J. Kenji López-Alt, a food writer allegedly attempting to dissuade people from participating in the festival. López-Alt went so far as to contact pizza places the night before the event, shaming them and attempting to convince them to back out.
However, Portnoy’s resilience and steadfast determination prevailed, ensuring the success of the “One Bite” pizza festival. Despite the controversy and unfavorable weather conditions, thousands of attendees enjoyed the event.
Neither the Washington Post nor the reporters who authored the critical piece about Portnoy have responded to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
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FOX News’ Gabriel Hays contributed to this report.