Dave Portnoy buys pizza oven for Columbus restaurant in need

Dave Portnoy might be a Michigan man. But the Barstool Sports founder has seemingly developed a soft spot for Columbus, Ohio.

As a part of Fox’s Big Noon Kickoff, Portnoy has found himself in Ohio’s capital city on a regular basis this fall. And that’s led to him familiarizing himself with the city’s underrated pizza scene via his famous “One Bite” reviews.

While such reviews are critical to Portnoy from a content standpoint, they also help promote what are typically small family-owned businesses. Only it wasn’t just the attention that Artisans Pizza Cafe received from the Boston native’s September review that benefited the Columbus restaurant.

Barstool Pizza Review – Artisan Pizza Cafe (Columbus, OH) pic.twitter.com/Uz10PHml5z

— Barstool Sports (@barstoolsports) September 8, 2025

Thanks primarily to Portnoy’s promotion, in which he bestowed a very strong 8.1 score upon the shop’s slice, Artisans Pizza Cafe received so much business that its pizza oven stopped working. But as news spread that owner Jasmin Ahmed had to close the pizza side of the restaurant, “El Presidente” reached out and gifted the restaurant with a brand new luxury oven.

“The oven [he bought] is like a Lamborghini,” she told 614Now. “It’s from Italy, from one of the largest, oldest companies. It’s a badass oven, and so expensive.”

According to Ahmed, Portnoy has even arranged to send specialists to the restaurant to show her how it works. Per 614Now, the new oven is expected to be up and running in time for a grand re-opening next month.

While Portnoy is obviously a polarizing figure in the sports media space, there’s no questioning his charitable efforts. Particularly when it comes to supporting small family-owned businesses, and especially the ones that happen to sell pizza.