November 15, 2021
Image source: YouTube screenshot
off-the-cuff middle finger at President Joe Biden into a hit
that may become a boon to the end-of-the-year bottom line.
What are the details?
Phil Solorzano — the outspoken founder and owner of
Solorzano's Pizzerias, which boast six locations in Sarasota
County — was at his wit's end with the supply chain
slowdown last month, Patch reported.
And Solorzano placed the blame on rising costs and item
unavailability squarely on Biden's shoulders, the outlet said.
"Pepperoni more than doubled. Most products have doubled,"
he told Patch. "Kenny [Palin, general manager and franchise
owner] has been telling me for months there are products you
can't find, that are out for two to three weeks. It's just a pain in the butt."
With that, Solorzano called up Palin and said, "Yo, Kenny, put 'FJB' —
'F*** Joe Biden' — on a pizza," the outlet said, adding that Solorzano
noted it was a "jab" at the president.
Palin — who worked with Solorzano's for seven years as general manager
before purchasing the Gulf Gate/Siesta Key and Longboat Key locations
Nov. 1 — told Patch the supply chain problems are right in his face, but
they do what they can for customers.
"It costs more to make, but we sell it at the same price," Palin added to
the outlet.
'It's taken on a life of its own'
During the first couple of days in the life of the 'FJB' pepperoni pizza,
Solorzano's sold only sold a handful of them, Patch said.
But last week, Suncoast News Network reported that 10 pies were sold
on Monday, then another 20 on Tuesday. And now they're flying out
the door.
The "FJB" has "really blown up," Palin told Patch. "It's taken on a life
of its own."
With all the attention they're getting, Solorzano's is rolling out "FJB"
T-shirts, which sold out before the first shipment arrived, according to
SNN. What's more they're adding "LGB" pizza Thursday — the infamous
initials for "Let's Go Brandon," the Patch reported.
How have folks reacted?
And the pizza joint has seen its share of positive and negative responses to
its "FJB" pizza.
"We're getting both reactions, obviously," Solorzano told Patch. "People
know who we are, and who I am on social media. I kind of show no mercy,
and people know my opinion. They agree with us, or if they don't agree
with us, they laugh at us and know we're joking around most of the time.
That's how I am."
Palin added to SNN that "business owners have also reached out to us
and said, 'Hey, listen, we wish we were in a position to where we could
be true to ourselves and say what we really want to say.'"
As far as dealing with angry comments from "some real haters," Solorzano
noted to Patch that most of them "live out of the state or even out of the
country. They've never been to Florida. They've never been to our restaurant.
They were never going to eat here in the first place."
But what about potential boycotts? "I love it," he told SNN. "Please,
please boycott us. That would be like the 500th boycott which does
nothing but bring us more business."
"I love ruffling those feathers. I love pressing those buttons. And you
know why? Because why not," Solorzano also told SNN.
He added to Patch: "I'm from Jersey, and the best way I explain it is real
Jersey pizza equals real Jersey people. We're honest people. This is how
I feel. Just because I own a business doesn't mean I signed away my
freedom of speech."
What about Trump?
Oh, and for those who think Solorzano's isn't an equal opportunity offender,
know that those who want their special toppings to spell out the same
profane message to former President Donald Trump are in luck.
"If you wanna walk in here and order an 'FDT' pizza, we'll make it now,
happily," Palin told SNN. "So it's just business. It's good fun. It's
lighthearted humor. It's politics. And it's not meant to be the end
all be all."
https://www.theblaze.com/news/f-joe-biden-pizza-florida
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