It's a food and drink venture that turns over "a lot more" than initially expected but it is also a business with a big heart.
Pizza Geeks has given away tens of thousands of pizzas to people in need while steadily expanding in the Scottish capital.
Here, founder Patrick Ward tells how it all began and what's next:
Business name: Pizza Geeks
Location: Haymarket, Leith and latest opening in Easter Road, Edinburgh
Business Description: Independent Pizzeria, Pizza Geeks are well known throughout the city for their handmade Neapolitan inspired pizzas and their Pizza for the People initiative where they work closely with the local community to give back to them. With three locations across Edinburgh - Haymarket, Leith and their most recent opening on Easter Road. Their latest gaming and movie experience opened towards the end of last year and due its overwhelming success, Easter Road will now become a permanent fixture alongside their other two city centre locations, as they continue to grow. The latest venue features an arcade and gaming room for their pizza lovers throughout the city with further plans in the pipeline for expansion.
To whom do you sell?
Pizza Geeks aims to sell to everyone in the community. Everyone is welcome at Pizza Geeks, and we also work very closely with lots of organisations, charities, youth clubs and schools to ensure everyone has a chance to enjoy our pizza. As part of our Pizza for the People initiative, we have a great relationship with the local community and are grateful to have the opportunity to help those in need through our love of pizza.
How many employees?
Currently we have 55 employees throughout our three locations in the city. In our high season where we take part in street food festivals and the Edinburgh Festival throughout the summer months, we have around 80 employees.
What is the turnover? Without naming an exact figure, it has been a lot more than we ever expected it to be in eight years so far…
Why did you take the plunge?
Pizza Geeks happened by complete chance! I met Fin the other co-founder at a party my wife was throwing for her teacher colleagues, where we got chatting after a couple of beers. I had been looking to do something in street food for a little while after having finished working offshore and when Fin and I got speaking we had realisation that we both wanted to do something that would help benefit the local community.
Then boom! Pizza Geeks was formed in 2016 where we started out in the vibrant Scottish street food scene, working at local markets, events, festivals across Scotland and basically anyone who wanted some pizzas served. We opened our first unit the Mothership in Haymarket in October 2018, our second The Tardis on Commercial St in Leith in March 2021.
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Our most recent venue on Easter Road opened at the end of 2023 and this has been our largest venue to date, with a gaming and movie theme, complete with arcades, quiz nights, and movie evenings. We have further plans for expansion for this space too.
What were you doing before?
My career before Pizza Geeks was in an industry world apart…I actually worked offshore in drilling, like that film with Bruce Willis, in space. In fact, I would argue it was a bit more of a high-risk job working in the North Sea. It was hugely different to what I do now, however it taught me to have a great work ethic.
What do you least enjoy?
Probably having to be a boss. I can't see how anyone would enjoy having to make tough decisions that might negatively affect others’ lives. We try to ensure these are few and far between but inevitably these will pop up.
What are your ambitions for the firm?
Just like my stomach, Pizza geeks is always going to be in a state of growth. We as a company are always looking into new business opportunities as we grow and move forward. We are always looking to expand our ‘pizza for the People’ initiative. The more we can do for the restaurants, then the more we can do for Pizza for the People, and this is something that we feel really passionate about.
What single thing would most help?
A year without some kind of crisis. From the cost-of-living crisis, covid twice, energy crisis and inflation. One year without any kind of crisis would be great but on the other hand it has taught us a lot and we have learned to be better at what we do in any situation that is thrown at us. Whatever doesn't kill you makes you stronger kind on mantra.
What is the most valuable lesson you have learned?
I think to delegate more to other people that are specialists in that particular area. I need to learn to do this more as we grow the business. I'm always so pleasantly surprised (iIknow I shouldn't be) at the skill levels the Pizza Geeks team have.
What was your best moment?
It would have to be a cross between our very first opening ever as a restaurant and our May 4 event each year. Each year on May 4, we donate 1000 pizzas on this date to people in need through our incredible Pizza for the People initiative. May 4 is a celebration for legions of Star Wars fans across the globe and this is something we love to do every single year. The best part is putting smiles on everyone’s faces and seeing their joy throughout the entire day and across the community of Edinburgh as we give back to them on this special day.
What was your worst moment?
Rather than one moment specifically, I guess it was a moment of realisation that not everyone is going to be part of the Pizza Geeks journey until its completion. That's the problem with having great people, they will inevitably want to go on and do their own great things. I shall keep trying to enable them to do it here though.
How do you relax?
Where do I start! Tabletop gaming, Painting, Pc gaming, watching movies, reading books, paintball, hill walking, camping, hanging out with friends and having a beer. These are all things I would love to do if I had the time Haha but to be honest, I find myself at my most relaxed walking my dog Chewbacca with my wife Kate.
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