Barstool Sports Founder May Open East Village Pizza Shop

EAST VILLAGE, NY — The founder of Barstool Sports is getting into the pizza business.

David Portnoy of Barstool Sports, a website known for its notoriously misogynistic posts, is partnering with Brooklyn-based chef Nino Coniglio on a possible pizzeria, which could end up in the East Village.

Portnoy told Patch, "We've been in talks to open a bar concept for a long time."

"We plan on opening multiple concepts. Ideally one would be a pizza/bar concept," he said in an Instagram message.

"Any talk of the name, the degree of my involvement, the type of pizza is very premature," Portnoy said, dispelling rumors that the shop would be named Alright Frankie, a reference to Portnoy's pizza review videos, according to New York City pizza blog Pizza Cowboy, which first reported the news.

Portnoy, recently in hot water after he threatened to fire his employees if they try to unionize, said there's still a long way to go to determine the exact branding of the "bar concept."

"We'd need the perfect opportunity and we continue to evaluate whether this is the right one to attach our brand to," he said. "There is a long way to go still."

Portnoy is collaborating with Coniglio, the chef behind Williamsburg Pizza and Brooklyn Pizza Crew, a representative for Williamsburg Pizza confirmed to Eater. The rep emphasized that Williamsburg Pizza is not affiliated with the new venture "at all on ownership or marketing."

There's a possibility whatever "concept" the duo opens would be at 210 Ave. A near East 13th Street, which was formerly Percy's Tavern, Portnoy confirmed. But he emphasized he's not sure if that space would be the pizza shop or not.

"It is a long way from where we'd need it to put our name on it," he emphasized.

Coniglio's Brooklyn Pizza Crew did not immediately respond for comment.

This article has been updated with additional comments from David Portnoy.