Can a brand-new pizzeria really survive on one of San Francisco’s toughest streets?
In this episode, we hang out with David Jacobson, the pizza maker behind Cheezy’s Artisan Pizza and a Real California Milk Cheese Champion. David’s worked in some of the Bay Area’s most respected kitchens, built pizza programs from scratch, and now he’s taking a big swing by opening his own shop right on Market Street — a place known for being unpredictable, challenging, and honestly, a little intimidating.
We walk through his kitchen, talk about his past jobs, learn how he built his team, and of course, we get into his award-winning Gold Rush pizza and his super unique Grandma pie.\
Highlights:
0:54 – Why opening a pizzeria on Market Street is a gamble
1:46 – Touring the inherited bakery space & long-fermentation setup
2:13 – David’s pizza journey: from Pizza My Heart (2005) to top Bay Area kitchens
4:12 – How he scored a great lease during Market Street’s downturn
5:36 – Building a dream team & freeing himself up to do CEO-level work
6:55 – Who actually comes to Cheezy’s: tourists, office workers, locals, and theater crowds
8:32 – The scary slow days & the reality of running a business in downtown SF
9:27 – His unique oven setup, steam function, and plans for a sandwich program
10:51 – The origin story of the Gold Rush pizza & how a rough day led to a championship
11:55 – Breaking down the award-winning Gold Rush build: potatoes, pancetta, Mount Tam, smoked sea salt
13:53 – Dough philosophy: blending West Coast fermentation with East Coast structure
17:03 – First bites of the Gold Rush & why this pizza represents the whole shop
17:52 – Building the Grandma pie: haloumi, lamb sausage, pickled Fresnos, walnuts, muhammara
20:03 – Pulling the Grandma from the oven — aroma, color, texture
21:41 – Tasting the Grandma & why it’s one of the shop’s most unique offerings
22:12 – “What’s good dough?” — David’s wholesome take on life and gratitude
Check them out:https://www.instagram.com/chefdavidjacobson/?hl=en
https://www.instagram.com/cheezysartisanpizza/?hl=en
https://cheezysartisanpizza.com/story
Thank you to our show sponsors:
Bacio Cheese:
Corto:https://bit.ly/457DNII
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Edited By Valentine Phelippeau
Topic:
pizza dough fermentation, long fermented dough, San Francisco pizza, Market Street restaurants, artisan pizza shop, pizza maker interview, real california milk champion, award winning pizza, gold rush pizza, grandma style pizza, sf food scene, pizza business tips, starting a pizzeria, restaurant challenges san francisco, pizza oven techniques, artisan dough recipe, pizza fermentation tips, chef story bay area, best pizza in san francisco, pizza shop tour, food entrepreneurship, how to open a pizza shop, behind the scenes pizzeria, bay area culinary stories, trending sf restaurants, pizza lovers content, food documentary style, culinary craftsmanship, pizza recipe inspiration, pizza techniques explained