Who knows pizza better than a teenager? After all, it’s one of their favorite foods. It’s certainly true for 13-year-old North Augustan, Phinehas Esser, which is one of the reasons he is set to launch his own pizza business, PDog’s Pizzeria, on October 11.
“I started making pizzas last year, perfecting my recipe, and about a month ago started planning my business,” Phinehas explained.
The average age of most entrepreneurs is 42, according to the Harvard Business Review, but entrepreneurship is not new to him. At the age of 8, he started a YouTube cooking channel, and a few years later, he began making homemade dog biscuits. His love for cooking extends to making spice rubs and, “I can make a mean steak.”
Phinehas is homeschooled and his mom, Erin, also has an entrepreneurial spirit. Her son learned well.
“One of his favorite subjects is cooking and starting his business has honed his skills in math, for the ingredients he’ll need to buy, and marketing, which he’ll need to be successful,” Erin Esser said. “But I give him the time and space he needs to figure it all out.”
Phinehas makes his dough and is working on a special sauce recipe. His personal favorite is pepperoni, the most ordered pizza topping in America.
“Besides pepperoni, I’ll also have cheese pizza, turkey pepperoni, and vegan cheese,” he said. “They’ll be available in 10-inch sizes, for now.”
Aside from selling his pizzas, Phinehas has also designed his logo for PDogs Pizzeria, created his website, and will be producing videos of pizza production as orders begin to come in.
PDogs will feature local handmade pizza using mostly natural and organic ingredients. You can order online at PDogs Pizzeria or pdogspizzeria@gmail.com.
The pizza will be frozen – all you’ll have to do is take it home and bake it. Great timing for the middle of football season.
Three billion pizzas are consumed each year in this country. Who knows where tomorrow will lead? Maybe Phinehas will be the next Papa John’s.
Editor’s Note:
Mitzi Oxford is a veteran broadcaster and features writer who also worked at the same television station in Columbus, Georgia as Augusta’s Brad Means!
If you have a South Carolina story idea for Mitzi, please email her at mitzioxfordcreative@gmail.com.
