BYU student turns love of pizza into profit

Starving Artist Pizza was created by Jacob Newman, an art major at Brigham Young University, who turned his passion for traditional Italian pizza into a business.

Last winter, Newman started selling pizzas from his kitchen at Heritage Halls, one of BYUs on-campus housing options. Now, his operation runs from a commercial kitchen in Springville, where he makes and sells Neapolitan pizzas for $12 to $15. The menu offers three pizzas: Margherita, diavola and a weekly specialty flavor, all made with fresh ingredients.

Newman said he has made pizzas since he was a kid, but it wasnt until he lived in Italy that the hobby became more serious.

My mom works for the state department, so every three years, we moved to a new country. So, I did my senior year of high school in Rome, Newman said. Wed go on road trips just for the pizza.

Newman explained that as his family traveled to new pizza spots, he started asking the chefs questions about their recipes.

I became obsessed with good Neapolitan pizza, Newman said.

After graduating from high school, he took a two-year break from pizza making to serve a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Arizona. When he returned, he went right back to experimenting in the kitchen.

I remember the day when I finally cracked the crust. I got (it) out really good, and I was like, 'Oh shoot, Im onto something here.' So, I figured, why not start a little business out of it? Newman said.

After his breakthrough with the crust, he started selling homemade Neapolitan pizzas out of his dorm, and the response was incredible. Newman recalled times when he made 50 pizzas a night out of his small apartment kitchen.

I remember people were like, shoulder to shoulder, out the door into the hall. It was crazy, Newman said.

Eventually, Newmans pizza nights were shut down by his RA, but he didnt let that stop him. He took on his roommate, Erik Petersen, as a business partner, and they started doing pizza pop-ups at parks around Provo.

It was going pretty well at first, but then around November, when it started getting really cold, people stopped showing up, Newman said.

Newman and Peterson went back to the drawing board, and thats when they found their current location: Lemon & Sage, a caf in Springville, from which they rent the kitchen to sell pizzas on Friday nights.

Another unique aspect of the business comes with Newmans love of art.

I put my artwork up on the wall in that first apartment. So, people would come in, Id be playing music, there would be art on the walls, and it was just this totally different experience, Newman said.

Now, his artwork hangs on the walls at Lemon & Sage.

Thats sort of where the name Starving Artist is from. We want to have a unique experience that involves the arts. It isnt just about, you know, getting your food and going, but really having a unique experience, Newman said.

Petersen explained that while art is their passion, their business is also about serving people and making connections.

One of my favorite things about it is just the connections that you make with people while youre here, Petersen said. If you dont want to come for the art, come for the people and come for the connection.

Tanner Sharp, one of Newmans former roommates, has watched the business grow.

Seeing him giving away free pizzas to anybody that would want some in a random BYU GroupMe chat, to having a business where hes able to sell it for profit is pretty cool, Sharp said.

Starving Artist Pizza is currently open only on designated pizza drop days, which are posted on Instagram. It also takes catering bookings for events like weddings through Instagram DMs.

Newman and Petersen are also working to expand the menu with items like Caesar salad and gluten-free pizza crust.

Honestly, Im really proud of the pizza. Ive been working on it for a super long time, and I think if more people knew about it, if more people tried it, theyd freak out over it, Newman said. When people try it, they keep coming back.

Starving Artist Pizza can be found at 151 S. Main St. in Springville. To see the pizzas of the week and when the next pizza drop is, check its Instagram page..