Federal Hill Pizzeria Receives $60K Gift From Barstool Sports Head

BALTIMORE, MD — TinyBrickOven pizzeria in Baltimore's Federal Hill area was struggling to stay open. Then Dave Portnoy, head of Barstool Sports, stepped in with a $60,000 gift to the beloved restaurant.

The owner of TinyBrickOven, Will Fagg, said that Portnoy visited the restaurant at 1036 Light St. on Monday to help keep the pies coming for another year. (Watch a YouTube video of Portnoy's visit to the pizzeria at the bottom of this story.)

Fagg told WJZ the city won't give his shop an alcohol license, while a nearby market received the OK to sell alcohol, which hurt sales.

The owner planned to close the business on Christmas Day, after feeding people in need through its Pay-It-Forward Program.

"We couldn’t have done it without all of you. A huge thank you to everyone who was involved in making this happen — from preparing the pizzas to sharing smiles and delivering slices, you all made it possible," Fagg wrote on Facebook. "Your generosity and kindness have been truly heartwarming, proving once again that this community is unlike any other."

The restaurant's website urges supporters to contact State Sen. Bill Ferguson and Delegate Luke Clippinger and ask them to approve its liquor license.

“This is a thin, New York kind of style. I really like it,” Portnoy said in his video review of a slice. “There’s no way this place should be going out of business. None.”

In the video of Portnoy's visit to TinyBrockOven, he asks Fagg how much money he needs to stay in business for a year. Once Fagg says $60,000, Portnoy replies, "Done."

"Oh my God that's unbelievable," Fagg said.

Portnoy was traveling to Maryland for the Army-Navy football when he stopped at TinyBrickOven to wrap up a day of filming his One Bite Pizza Reviews, according to his producer Austin Jenkins, the New York Post reported.

Fagg is a Navy veteran, the Post said.

TinyBrickOven's hours are:

Monday – Closed
Tuesday – 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Wednesday – 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Thursday – 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Friday – 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.
Saturday – 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.
Sunday – 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.

The restaurant has a GoFundMe site set up to help with its charitable efforts in the community.