THANKSGIVING PIZZA: A VIRAL SENSATION FROM PINO’S PIZZA OF DEER PARK

In the heart of Deer Park, Pino’s Pizza has transformed the traditional Thanksgiving feast into a mouthwatering pizza that has customers flocking from across state lines. Their viral Thanksgiving pizza—featuring sliced roasted turkey breast, rich gravy, savory sausage, and apple cornbread stuffing, all crowned with a drizzle of tangy cranberry sauce—has become an unexpected holiday sensation. At $34.99 per pie, this culinary creation has already sold over 300 pizzas this November alone, with numbers still climbing as the holiday approaches. “People from Toms River, New Jersey came in to buy it,” says Joseph “Pino” Barbieri, the proud owner. The demand has grown so large that Barbieri frequently receives requests for shipping, a logistical challenge he hasn’t yet mastered but is working to solve. The pie’s popularity extends far beyond local boundaries, becoming a must-have seasonal treat for pizza enthusiasts willing to travel significant distances for a taste of this unique holiday fusion.

The Thanksgiving pizza phenomenon began in November of last year when Barbieri, documenting his creative process, posted a video showing the assembly of this unconventional pie. The footage captured him methodically spreading gravy over mozzarella-covered dough, carefully arranging sausage and turkey, and finishing with an artistic drizzle of cranberry sauce. What happened next surprised even Barbieri himself—within just 48 hours, the video exploded across social media, garnering 5 million views on Instagram and over 3 million on TikTok. The virtual sensation translated into real-world demand, with Pino’s selling approximately 500 pies following the video’s release. This unexpected viral moment catapulted the small pizzeria into national attention, proving that culinary innovation coupled with social media savvy could transform a local business’s fortunes virtually overnight.

Behind this creative culinary breakthrough lies a quintessentially entrepreneurial origin story born from a problem-solving mindset. Barbieri, originally from Calabria, Italy, accidentally stumbled upon the Thanksgiving pizza concept after an ordering mishap at one of his Italian market locations, Salpino. “Prior to Thanksgiving, I got a phone call from my son, and he said, ‘Dad, I think we screwed up, we oversold six meals and we don’t have the turkeys,'” Barbieri recalls. After securing additional turkeys from meat suppliers, he found himself at the pizzeria at 4 a.m., using its ovens to prepare the birds without disrupting operations at his market. The situation became even more chaotic when he received another call: “Dad you’re gonna kill me. I made a mistake. We didn’t oversell six, we have six more to go.” This turkey abundance coincided with his social media manager needing content for Thanksgiving, creating the perfect opportunity for inspiration to strike—transforming potential food waste into what would become a viral sensation.

The Thanksgiving pizza aligns perfectly with Pino’s established reputation for boundary-pushing pizza creations. Since opening in 2020, Barbieri’s pizzeria has distinguished itself with an inventive menu featuring specialty pies that reimagine comfort foods in pizza form. Customers who develop a taste for the unexpected can sample pizzas inspired by hot dogs, French onion soup, escarole and beans, and even mac and cheese. This creative approach to pizza-making has built a loyal customer base that eagerly anticipates what Barbieri might dream up next. The Thanksgiving pizza, rather than being an anomaly, represents a continuation of Pino’s culinary philosophy—transforming familiar flavors into innovative pizza expressions that honor the original dish while creating something entirely new and exciting. This consistent creativity keeps customers returning throughout the year, eager to experience the next seasonal specialty.

Building on the success of the Thanksgiving pizza, Barbieri has strategically expanded his holiday-themed menu to include variations on the popular flavor combination. Customers can now enjoy the same Thanksgiving ingredients wrapped in calzones, stuffed into strombolis, or encased in empanadas—providing multiple ways to experience these seasonal flavors. This diversification allows customers to enjoy their preferred format while maintaining the distinctive Thanksgiving taste profile that made the original pizza such a hit. By offering these variations, Pino’s accommodates different preferences while maximizing the potential of a proven flavor combination, demonstrating Barbieri’s business acumen alongside his culinary creativity. The expanded menu options also encourage customers to try multiple items during the limited seasonal availability, increasing both sales and customer satisfaction during the holiday rush.

Looking beyond Thanksgiving, Barbieri has established a year-round calendar of holiday-themed specialty pizzas that keep customers engaged and excited throughout the seasons. With successful creations for Memorial Day and Valentine’s Day already in his repertoire, he’s currently developing his Christmas pizza—a festive combination of whipped ricotta, sweet sliced ham, homemade pesto, and cranberry sauce. This strategic approach to seasonal offerings creates anticipation and gives customers reasons to return throughout the year, strengthening loyalty while providing ongoing opportunities for social media engagement and potential viral moments. The success of Pino’s holiday pizzas demonstrates how small businesses can leverage creativity, social media, and seasonal marketing to distinguish themselves in a competitive market. What began as a simple solution to having too many turkeys has evolved into a signature business strategy that transforms traditional holiday meals into innovative pizza experiences that customers quite literally go the extra mile to enjoy.