PETERSBURG — Happy National Pizza Day! This must-read is about a 29-year-old restaurateur wannabe who lived in his car to save money for what he needed to execute his vision. West Mazah, owner of Furnace Pizza, is determined to make his dream a reality.
The 29-year-old previously known to some as the homeless chef or nomad chef was recruited to Petersburg by chef Ernie LaBrecque, co-owner of Oyster Society and co-owner of Beaunuts Buttermilk Donuts. LaBrecque witnessed Mazah’s potential and thought he would do great things in the city.
Mazah started Furnace Pizza when he was homeless. He sold pizzas from an oven on the back of his truck and also farmed oysters at the time. He has been making pies for a year and a half. Previously, he worked as a chef in fine and casual dining establishments in the Hampton Roads Region for 10 years. One day, while on duty at the historic Cavalier Hotel in Virginia Beach, he asked himself, “Am I making a difference?”
Wanting to help people through food, he turned in his notice and decided to go in the pizza biz. He drove to New York and ate at numerous pizza shops until he found the pizza he wanted to make. After he drove back to Williamsburg with it, he tried for days to replicate the Neapolitan-style pizza. He finally nailed the airy and highly hydrated crust with a thin base.