'Incredible': New Lenox Shop Sells 700 Pizzas After Barstool Sports Owner's Visit

NEW LENOX, IL — Giovanni Oriente was in downtown Chicago for a catering job when he got the call that something big was happening for his "little" pizza shop out in New Lenox.

A 90-minute drive (with traffic and rain) away from a "One Bite" review that has already had a major impact on his business—and it hasn't even come out yet.

Oriente is the owner of Pizza di Farfalla, where Barstool Sports founder and social media mega-star Dave Portnoy stopped last week for "one bite, everybody knows the rules." Portnoy's popular "One Bite" Pizza Reviews are widely known, and many covet his pie praise on his Youtube channel with nearly 1.5 million followers. He boasts an Instagram following of 5.6 million and X following of nearly 4 million. He shares his reviews across all channels.

"Dave 'El Pres' Portnoy reviews one pizza place a day until he tries them all," the channel's description reads.

The spots he picks don't know when Portnoy's coming—he just rolls in, grabs his pie, samples and dishes out his review to his camera crew. He visits with staff, and while Oriente wasn't able to be there, his wife Kristin was. Portnoy spent time chatting with her, and shop manager Jake Benchak and team.

Oriente operates his New Lenox shop out of another in town—specialty coffee shop Gost Coffee. Both are housed inside a strip mall at 1333 S. Schoulhouse Rd. Gost owner Daniel Bednarz shared word of Portnoy's visit via the shop's social media last week.

"This just happened at the shop," Bednarz shared. "Dave Portnoy stopped to review @pizzadifarfalla, and what can I say? Gio will be a very, very busy guy for the next few weeks."

He wasn't wrong.

"Since Wednesday we’ve done 700 pizzas out of the shop," Oriente said.

"Incredible," Oriente said, of the support. "It’s just so awesome to just see the local support, and just the supporters we’ve had all along, even they’re coming out, because they’re excited and happy. They believed in something we were trying to build."

Portnoy samples an all-cheese pizza everywhere he goes. He leans toward hand-stretched and New York style. But he samples other styles along the way. At Pizza di Farfalla, staff served him a 14-inch hand-stretched cheese pizza. Portnoy steps outside each establishment to issue his decree to his crew. The video has not dropped yet — and they weren't given timing of when it will — but unofficially, Oriente believes his review was largely positive and that the pizza scored well. Fans say scores of 8 and above are typically given to East coast establishments, though several in Chicago have scored well. You can see his full rankings online.

The review videos aren't long—they seem to range from between 2–7 minutes, typically—but those minutes could mean a lot to a small business.

"We’ve got a lot of opportunity to gain some new customers," Oriente said. "It’s gonna be fun, for as long as we can keep it going."

Born in Blue Island but raised in Homer Glen, Oriente and his wife also lived in Lockport before finding their way to New Lenox, where his siblings live, he said.

"One day I strolled in to Gost Coffee, told Dan (Bednarz) that I had an idea of subleasing some space to do a part-time pizza kitchen," Oriente said of Pizza di Farfalla's beginnings. "I had been starting the pizza brand as a business of mine."

Pizza di Farfalla started in November 2022, as a part-time shop open on Saturdays only. He started branching out, popping out pizzas at pop-up and private events. Word began to spread, and he's become increasingly popular. He first was serving pizzas just at Gost, but then expanded to Hickory Creek Brewing in the same strip mall. When Gost expanded its space, Bednarz offered him space in the kitchen.

In April 2024, Oriente decided to leave his position as chief financial officer of a company and 18-year career in finance and accounting, to focus full-time on his own business. He credits his staff for the brand's success thus far, also applauding them for taking the huge influx in orders in stride.

"It’s been pretty wild and amazing," Oriente said. "We’ve been very flexible and fluid trying to figure it out. The power of him being here, and the social media buzz, is very real.

"It’s a lot of pizza, but our staff is up for it. It’s really hard to put into words how valuable my staff is, and how much they’ve really bought into it. I thought we had something special, and they believed it, because they see what goes into it."

Their kitchen space at Gost is snug — 250 square feet—and the "fun part" is in making the pizzas, Oriente said. But the staff sees and plays a part in every step along the way.

"You see every part of the process," Oriente said, of the staff. "Making the pizzas is the absolute best time, most fun time to be in that setting. The prep is where the hard work really comes in."

The team was already preparing for business to ramp up for catering season, Oriente said, so they're flexing like athletes that have been training for months.

"Thankfully, this comes with good timing," he said. "... These guys and gals have given me everything, as far as what they’ve put in. ... We’ve managed the kitchen, practiced the best protocols in the kitchen that make us capable of something like this. We’ve definitely had similar reps in the past. Just like a sport—the more situations and more reps you have, the better you’re going to get at it."

As they adapt, Oriente says he will manage quality and relationships with clients and customers.

"Now it’s a matter of setting expectations with customers and clients," he said. "Being honest with them, and assuring them the quality’s not falling by the wayside."

Oriente has aspired to grow his brand, and he's excited to see how this could help.

"... we’ve had plans to grow our brand," he said. "Having the increased traffic and sales, recognition in the area really helps. Obviously, it’s going to fuel any sort of future growth, whether through equipment, space, or other opportunities. This just accelerates everything, which is awesome."

While Oriente waits for the video, he's looking forward to a collaboration with another New Lenox business owner, Mike Bacon of Arrowhead Ales Brewing Company. The two, who worked together in the past on the Nonna's Basement Kitchen beer and Nonna Pan Pizza collab, will run another release on Thursday, June 26 at the brewery, 2101 Calistoga Dr., in New Lenox.

The two have paired up for Bacon's debut of Belgian-inspired white IPA "Thin Crust," coupled with Oriente introducing thin crust pizza to his menu.

"We were wanting to do this 'Thin Crust Thursday' for a while," Bacon said. "I found a roll of the red and white checked table cloth, and told him, 'we need to have a reason that I can use this up."

Oriente will cook the pizzas fresh that day, and Bacon's beer will available on tap and for sale in 12-oz. can four packs.

"Thin Crust is a beer that I’ve had an idea in the back of my mind that I wanted to try out," Bacon said. "It's kind of a tropical hazy beer, but has the aroma and some of the notes of a Belgian yeast.

"Hoppy, but a tropical thing going on. Bitterness that goes with the cheese and the sauces."

Bacon and Oriente have grown to be friends in the time they've worked together. Oriente's pizza is "different than anything else," Bacon told Patch previously, and Manhattan resident Bacon sees a lot of himself in Oriente. He's been happy to help out a local entrepreneur who's bringing something unique to customers' tables.

Dave Portnoy's spotlight falling on Oriente and his crew is well-deserved, Bacon said.

"It’s huge," Bacon said. "You can’t set that up. You can’t schedule that, or pay for it. It’s literally just your organic beginnings that draw the attention..."

He's thrilled to see the acclaim it's already bringing Oriente and his crew.

"I’ve always known he’s got a really great product," Bacon said. "Always been looking for ways to work with him. I like that he has all this momentum going for him right now, and I'm happy to be a part of it."

It all makes a difference for anyone navigating small business ownership, Bacon said.

"Everything can change, just from one thing," he said.

"It couldn’t have happened to better a guy."

Pizza di Farfalla is carry-out only. Service also available to Hickory Creek Brewing during operating hours. Hours are:

• Wednesday through Friday: 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m.
• Saturday: 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.
• Sunday: 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.
• CLOSED Mondays and Tuesdays