It smells like a pizza shop, but it’s coming from the trunk of a Smart car.
At 54th Street and 10th Avenue, Pizza Pod NYC is turning heads and stopping pedestrians with fresh, stone-fired pizza made out of a two-seater vehicle. The mobile micropizzeria is run by owner Bradley Alvelo, who said the idea started simply.
“I just happened to have this smart car so I just kind of hooked it up so it worked. And here we are,” Alvelo said.
Inside the trunk, Alvelo keeps olive oil, sauce and cheese in place of typical roadside gear. A portable generator powers mini ovens, letting him make pizza on whatever street corner he chooses.
Alvelo said that mobility is deliberate.
“Before jumping into a storefront that’s charging anywhere from 8,000 to 20,000 dollars a month, I want to make sure people are enjoying the product,” he said.
Customers often stop midstride when they realize fresh, hot pizza is being made from the back of the small car. Alvelo said those reactions are now a regular part of the business.
“This is New York City so people have seen it all but I’ve noticed everyone has to stop. From truck drivers to kids coming out of school doesn’t matter they’re like hold on let me take a second and see what’s happening over here,” he said.
Alvelo calls Pizza Pod NYC “New York City’s smallest pizzeria.”
He said the compact setup has also made the business a popular pick for events.
“In off broadway theaters, we’ve been on rooftops, kids birthday parties,” he said.
Social media has helped drive demand for Alvelo’s nine 30-centimetre stone-fired pies. He said his inspiration goes back to growing up in the Bronx and 20 years of professional cooking experience, much of it in corporate dining.
“I grew up eating pizza. Pizza is number one comfort food. And when you’re a broke kid pizza will save your life,” Alvelo said.
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