The Cigar Syndicate

In a just world, this would be a New York Times feature story - the Dave Portnoy Effect. I randomly came across a Portnoy pizza review and just so happened to be close by. So I made the trip to Ah-Beetz in Delray Beach, Florida. He had given it an 8.4, which is (apparently) an excellent score.  I don't follow Dave Portnoy. I don't consume Barstool's content, or even relate to the demographic it cultivates. I don't eat much pizza, except with my kids. I don't bet on sports, and generally think adult men who devote excessive hours to watching professional sports are wasting their time. But, as someone who follows the zeitgeist, I can objectively say Portnoy seems like a very good person: -> Earned his success; the free market seldom lies -> Took Cancel Culture head-on and won -> Raised ~$40 million for small businesses during COVID -> Called out fake news outlets like Business Insider long before Ackman buried them -> Personally donated and raised millions for great causes - law enforcement, first responders, animal shelters, etc. - as opposed to having a building named after himself at Harvard. The pizza at Ah-Beetz is excellent. Very much worth the trip. But more interesting is the Dave Portnoy effect. I asked the owner about the influence he's had on their business.  When Portnoy's review aired, Ah-Beetz was a single, small shop in a less-than-desirable strip mall not far from I-95, really far from the beach or what is generally considered a nice part of Palm Beach County. Overnight, there was a two-hour wait, a pop that has never receded (because the food is also great). And now, in less than a year, there are soon-to-be 4 locations and 70+ employees, an expansion that they attribute almost entirely to Portnoy. Revenue has increased more than 10x, or millions of dollars that are also attributable to Portnoy, for which he has not received/sought any attention or credit.  Portnoy has completely changed their lives. And this has probably happened countless times all over the country.  (Also, they said he was exceptionally kind and humble, and 100% sincere.) This is America.