DELEGATION AND THE GOVERNOR JUST TO MAKE SURE THAT NEW
HAVEN'S NEEDS GET MET WHILE 20,
20 AND NOW TWENTY TWENTY ONE
HAVE CERTAINLY PRESENTED A LOT
OF CHALLENGES FOR LOCAL
BUSINESSES.
BUSINESSES. >>
>>
>> BUT
>> BUT NOW THANKS TO FAMED
INTERNET CELEBRITY DAVID
PORTNOY, FOUNDER OF BARSTOOL
SPORTS, MORE OF THOSE LOCAL
BUSINESSES WILL BE ABLE TO KEEP
THEIR DOORS OPEN.
HE JOINS US NOW THIS MORNING
FOR AN EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW.
DAVE, GOOD MORNING.
THANKS FOR JOINING US HERE ON
THE 6:00 A.M. MORNING NEWS.
THANKS FOR HAVING ME.
FIRST THINGS FIRST BEFORE WE
GET INTO THE BASTABLE FUN, I
WOULD BE REMISS IF I DID NOT
ASK YOU THIS.
WE NEED TO ON THE RECORD YOU
TWEETED THAT NEW HAVEN,
CONNECTICUT HAD THE BEST PIZZA.
CAN YOU GIVE US THAT RECORD?
YEAH, I'VE BEEN ON RECORD WITH
THAT MULTIPLE TIMES.
>>
>>
>> NEW
>> NEW HAVEN'S THE PIZZA CAPITAL.
THE UNITED STATES NOT EVERYONE
LOVES HEARING IT BUT THAT'S
THAT'S LIKE A FACT LIKE IT'LL
GET DARK TONIGHT.
NEW HAVEN HAS THE BEST PIZZA.
OH.
OH.
OH. >>
>>
>> THANK
>> THANK YOU.
THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT.
ALL RIGHT. FROM THERE YOU KNOW WE KNOW WE
KNOW THE WHOLE SEGMENT YOU TRY
NOT ALL THE DIFFERENT PIZZERIAS
ONE BY EVERYBODY KNOWS
THE RULES.
THE RULES. SO IT'S CLEAR THAT YOU LOVE TO
VISIT LOCAL PLACES, FEATURE
LOCAL BUSINESSES AND HIGHLIGHT
LOCAL SHOPS ON A REGULAR BASIS
.
.
. BUT
. BUT NOW
. BUT NOW YOU REALLY RAISED
THE BAR WITH THIS FUND.
MORE THAN THIRTY FIVE MILLION
DOLLARS RAISED SO FAR.
WHAT SPARKED THIS IDEA FOR YOU?
SO I WAS IN NEW YORK AT
THE TIME AND THEY JUST SHUT
DOWN INDOOR DINING AGAIN AND IT
WAS YOU KNOW, I KIND OF RANT
AND RAVE WHICH I'M PRONE TO DO.
>>
>>
>> I
>> I JUST
>> I JUST DIDN'T KNOW HOW SO MANY
BUSINESSES WERE GOING TO
SURVIVE.
SURVIVE.
SURVIVE. IT WAS ALREADY KIND OF A GHOST
TOWN AND PEOPLE ARE ON THEIR
LAST LEGS.
LAST LEGS. IT'S THE MIDDLE OF WINTER.
SO I JUST DIDN'T KNOW WHAT
THE GOVERNMENT THOUGHT WOULD
HAPPEN.
HAPPEN.
HAPPEN. THEY WEREN'T GIVING THE MONEY
AND THEY WEREN'T LETTING THEM
REALLY RUN THEIR BUSINESS.
THERE'S ONLY ONE OUTCOME AND
THAT'S THEY GO OUT OF BUSINESS
SO I DID THAT RAN I GOT
CHALLENGED TO PUT MY MOUTH
WHERE MY MONEY WHERE MY MOUTH
IS WHICH I DID.
SO I PUT IN FIVE HUNDRED GRAND
MY OWN MONEY SOLICITED
DONATIONS FROM OUR READERS AND
THEN SAID IF YOU'RE A
STRUGGLING BUSINESS REACH OUT.
WE'LL HELP AS MANY SMALL
BUSINESSES, RESTAURANTS, BARS
AS WE CAN AND THAT'S PRETTY
MUCH HOW IT STARTED EARLY ON IN
SPEAKING WITH MANY OF
THE FAMILIES HERE IN
CONNECTICUT SPECIFICALLY THAT
YOU'VE HELPED.
YOU'VE HELPED. >>
>>
>> THEY
>> THEY ARE SO APPRECIATIVE.
BUT I HAVE TO ASK I MEAN THIRTY
FIVE MILLION DOLLARS AND
COUNTING DID YOU REALLY THINK
THAT IT WOULD EVER BLOW UP THIS
BIG?
BIG?
BIG? >>
>>
>> YOU
>> YOU KNOW, I HAD NO IDEA.
YOU KNOW, I HAVE FAITH IN OUR
READERS AND BARSTOW'S READERS
AND WE'VE BEEN DOING THIS FOR A
LONG TIME AND WE'VE DONE
CHARITY MULTIPLE TIMES IN
BARKDULL JUST KEEPS GETTING
BIGGER AND BIGGER AS A COMPANY.
SO IT DIDN'T SHOCK ME BECAUSE
WE'VE RAISED LOTS OF MONEY
MILLIONS BEFORE BUT THIS CAUSE
WAS SO DEAR TO SO MANY PEOPLE
LIKE ONCE PEOPLE STARTED SEEING
THE VIDEO REACTIONS YOU CAN'T
HELP BUT BE MOVED.
SO I OBVIOUSLY DIDN'T KNOW
THIRTY FIVE MILLION BUT AT
THE SAME TIME I'M NOT STUNNED.
I MEAN IT CAUGHT FIRE PRETTY
QUICKLY.
QUICKLY.
QUICKLY. >>
>>
>> ABSOLUTELY.
ABSOLUTELY. >>
>>
>> AND
>> AND WE
>> AND WE KNOW THERE ARE CERTAIN
QUALIFICATIONS OBVIOUSLY IN
ORDER TO GET MONEY INTO AND TO
REALLY HAVE ACCESS TO THIS
FUND.
FUND.
FUND. CAN
FUND. CAN YOU SPECIFICALLY TELL US A
LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THOSE
QUALIFICATIONS THAT YOU SEE
THEM ON THE WEBSITE?
OBVIOUSLY.
OBVIOUSLY. BUT CAN YOU GO INTO A LITTLE
BIT MORE ELABORATION THERE ON
HOW YOU MAKE YOUR DECISIONS ON
WHO GETS PICKED?
YEAH, I MEAN IT'S REALLY TWO
THINGS WE LOOK FOR AND EVERY
CASE IS OBVIOUSLY DIFFERENT
BECAUSE OF PANDEMICS WE'RE
GOING ON SO LONG BUT WE LOOK
FOR BUSINESSES THAT HAVE A
PROVEN TRACK RECORD OF SUCCESS.
>>
>>
>> SO
>> SO IT'S NOT LIKE YOU JUST
STARTED YOU'VE BEEN IN BUSINESS
FIVE YEARS TEN YEARS A LOT OF
THESE GENERATIONS AND THE ONLY
THING THAT CHANGED IS
THE PANDEMIC.
THE PANDEMIC. SO THEY PROVED THAT THEY HAVE
THE SUCCESSFUL BUSINESS.
SO AND THEN THE SECOND ONE THAT
WE TRY TO LOOK FOR IS
THE COMPANY THE SMALL BUSINESS
DID OUR BEST TO KEEP THEIR
PAYROLL ON.
PAYROLL ON. NOW AS THIS THING DRAGS ON THAT
CAN GET A LITTLE HARDER BECAUSE
IF YOU HAVE NO MONEY, HOW DO
YOU PAY THESE PEOPLE?
BUT THERE'S SO MANY OWNERS WHO
TOOK SECOND MORTGAGES ON THEIR
HOUSES, TOOK LOANS, TOOK MONEY
FROM THEIR RETIREMENT TO PAY
THEIR EMPLOYEES.
THEIR EMPLOYEES. SO THOSE ARE THE TWO THINGS
THAT WE REALLY LOOK FOR
TRACKWORK SUCCESS AND TO
THE BEST OF THEIR ABILITY PUT
THEIR EMPLOYEES FIRST NOW YOU
KNOW, FIRST HAND WHAT IT IS
LIKE TO START YOUR OWN
ORGANIZATION.
ORGANIZATION. >>
>>
>> I
>> I MEAN
>> I MEAN YOU REALLY BUILD
BASTABLE FROM THE GROUND UP
WHEN IT CAME TO YOUR APARTMENT
IN MASSACHUSETTS.
IN MASSACHUSETTS. NOW HERE YOU ARE.
YOU ARE KNOWN INTERNATIONALLY.
YOU KNOW, TALK TO US A LITTLE
BIT ABOUT WHAT YOU EXPERIENCED
AS YOU WERE LAUNCHING YOUR OWN
BUSINESS AND WHAT YOU WOULD SAY
TO OTHERS WHO MAYBE DID JUST
START AS YOU JUST MENTIONED.
>>
>>
>> YEAH.
YEAH.
YEAH. SO
YEAH. SO I MEAN THAT'S PROBABLY WHY I
WAS SO PASSIONATE ABOUT THIS
BAR STOOL.
BAR STOOL. IT'S BEEN AROUND ALMOST TWENTY
YEARS, TWO DECADES AND I KNEW
THAT YOU KNOW, I PUT MY HEART
AND SOUL TO IT FOR LIKE TEN
YEARS.
YEARS.
YEARS. I
YEARS. I DIDN'T TAKE A DAY OFF.
I JUST WORKED TWENTY FOUR SEVEN
AND IF THE PANDEMIC HIT AROUND
YEAR 10 THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN
THE END OF LIFE.
WE NEVER WOULD HAVE MADE IT.
I WOULD HAVE LOST MY LIFE'S
WORK AND I COULDN'T FATHOM
THAT.
THAT.
THAT. SO
THAT. SO YOU KNOW, AN ENTREPRENEUR OR
SOMEBODY STARTS A SMALL
BUSINESS THEY'RE PROUD THEY
WORKED THEIR BUTTS OFF AND IT'S
JUST SOMETHING THAT'S VERY
UNIQUE AND WHY I'M PASSIONATE
ABOUT BECAUSE LIKE I KNOW I CAN
ALWAYS HANDLE IF I SCREW UP OR
IF I DO SOMETHING WRONG OR WHAT
I DO DOESN'T WORK.
BUT WHEN SOMETHING LIKE THIS
KORONA COVID HAPPENS AND IT'S
SO FAR OUT OF YOUR CONTROL AND
THE GOVERNMENT SEEMINGLY IN A
LOT OF THESE PLACES THERE'S NO
RIGHT ANSWERS BUT THEY'RE NOT
LETTING YOU OPERATE.
THEY'RE GIVING NO SOLUTION AND
NOT COMMUNICATING.
NOT COMMUNICATING. IT'S A TOUGH PILL TO SWALLOW.
SO THAT'S YOU KNOW, JUST DON'T
GIVE UP.
GIVE UP.
GIVE UP. I GUESS THAT'S WHY WE DID
THE FUN LIKE AT LEAST A
LIFELINE FOR SOME OF THESE
PEOPLE.
PEOPLE.
PEOPLE. >>
>>
>> YEAH,
>> YEAH, YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT NOT
GIVING UP GIVEN A HAND UP
INSTEAD OF A HAND DOWN.
WHAT WOULD YOU SAY TO
THE BUSINESSES WHO MAYBE
APPLIED AND DIDN'T GET PICKED?
YOU KNOW, THERE'S SO MANY OF
COURSE I KNOW WITH YOUR PASSION
RIGHT HERE WE CAN ALL WE CAN
ALREADY SEE THAT IF YOU COULD
HELP THEM ALL I'M SURE YOU
WOULD BUT SIMPLY THAT'S JUST
NOT POSSIBLE.
NOT POSSIBLE. SO WHAT WOULD YOU SAY TO THOSE
WHO WEREN'T ABLE TO BE PICKED?
YEAH, I WISH WE COULD HELP.
EVERYBODY WILL NEVER BE ABLE TO
HELP.
HELP.
HELP. EVERYBODY IS JUST TRYING TO
STAY AFLOAT ANY WAY YOU CAN.
I MEAN THE BIGGEST LESSON IN SO
MANY BUSINESSES HAVE SAID IT.
I THINK IS SOMETIMES
THE EVERYDAY PERSON DOESN'T
REALIZE THEIR LOCAL BUSINESS
MAY BE IN DIRE STRAITS LIKE
THE FIRST ONE WE DID FRANKIE
BORRELLI CORELLI'S WHO WORKS
FOR HIS DAD WASN'T EVEN TELLING
HIM HOW DIRE THE SITUATION IS.
SO THESE BUSINESSES, YOU KNOW,
THEY'RE PRIDEFUL PEOPLE BUT
SETTING UP A GO FUND ME AND
LETTING PEOPLE KNOW WE NEED
HELP THAT CAN GO A LONG WAY
BECAUSE THE LOCAL COMMUNITIES
AS WE'VE SEEN REALLY DO WANT TO
SUPPORT THESE PEOPLE.
AND NOW WE'VE YOU MENTIONED
YOU'VE HAD SEVERAL BRANDS THAT
YOU'VE GONE ON.
>>
>>
>> WE'VE
>> WE'VE SEEN THEM ON INSTAGRAM
AND SOCIAL MEDIA, THINGS LIKE
THAT AND YOU'VE BEEN ON SEVERAL
DIFFERENT NETWORKS AND REALLY
SPEAKING ABOUT YOUR CAUSE AND
YOUR ORGANIZATION.
YOUR ORGANIZATION. HAVE YOU BEEN MET WITH ANY
PUSHBACK FROM ANY OF THOSE
ORGANIZATIONS OR JUST PEOPLE IN
GENERAL ABOUT THIS FUND?
NO, NOT REALLY.
>>
>>
>> I
>> I MEAN
>> I MEAN YOU'D HAVE TO BE A REAL
TO HAVE PUSHED BACK AGAINST
THIS FUND.
THIS FUND. I MEAN LIKE ROOTING FOR
THE DEVIL.
THE DEVIL. I MEAN ALL WE'RE DOING IS
RAISING MONEY FOR SMALL
BUSINESS.
BUSINESS.
BUSINESS. SO IF YOU HAVE A PROBLEM WITH
THAT YOU GOT I DON'T KNOW
YOU'RE PRETTY AWFUL HUMAN JUST
SAID THAT YOU NEVER THERE ARE
PRETTY WEIRD PEOPLE OUT THERE
IN THE WORLD.
>>
>>
>> THEY
>> THEY THINK WE CAN ALL AGREE ON
THAT FOR YOU PERSONALLY
INTERESTED TO SEE IF
THE PANDEMIC HAS HAD ANY IMPACT
ON YOU AND YOUR BUSINESS YOU'VE
HAD TO ADAPT YOUR MODEL.
I MEAN I KNOW YOU GUYS ARE
ONLINE SO THAT'S HELPFUL.
BUT ANY ADAPTATIONS THAT YOU'VE
HAD TO DO HERE AMID
THE PANDEMIC YOURSELF?
YEAH, I MEAN WE'RE PRETTY GOOD
AT ADAPTING.
AT ADAPTING. >>
>>
>> LIKE
>> LIKE YOU SAID WE ARE ONLINE.
THANK GOD SO WE CAN AVOID THAT
LIKE LITTLE THINGS LIKE I WENT
FROM EATING PIZZA PLACES DOING
FROZEN PIZZA REVIEWS.
I STARTED DAY TRADING.
SO YOU KNOW, BASEL IS A PRETTY
GOOD EXAMPLE I THINK OF A
COMPANY THAT IS JUST QUICK TO
TAPPED AND I KNOW SO MANY SMALL
BUSINESSES DOING THE SAME GOING
FROM DOWN TO CARRY OUT OR
WHATEVER IT MAY BE.
WE JUST TRY TO ALWAYS FIGURE
OUT A WAY TO KEEP GOING AND
THAT IS SO, SO IMPORTANT FOR SO
MANY PEOPLE.
MANY PEOPLE. >>
>>
>> I
>> I HAVE
>> I HAVE TO THINK WITH BARSTOOL
SPORTS EXPANDING SO MUCH I MEAN
YOU HAVE SO MANY BREAKOFF
GROUPS AND DIFFERENT PODCASTS
AND DIFFERENT FIGURES.
DO YOU HAVE ANY OTHER GOALS?
WHAT ARE YOUR GOALS FOR
THE FUTURE?
THE FUTURE? I MEAN THIS TOOK OFF SO WHILE
YOU SAW HOW MUCH GOOD IT COULD
DO FOR SO MANY PEOPLE,
THE GREATER PUBLIC DO YOU HAVE
IS THIS MAYBE SPARK SOME IDEAS
FOR THE FUTURE?
>>
>>
>> NO.
NO.
NO. I
NO. I MEAN WE'RE ALWAYS TRYING TO
GET WORLD DOMINATION.
I WANT EVERYBODY IN PLACE.
IT'S GOT TO ALWAYS BE THE SAME
.
.
. >>
>>
>> WE
>> WE HAVE WORLD DOMINATION IF WE
HAVE THE BEST PIZZA HERE IN NEW
HAVEN, CONNECTICUT.
HAVEN, CONNECTICUT. >>
>>
>> YOU
>> YOU DO.
YOU DO.
YOU DO. YOU DO.
YOU DO.
YOU DO. ALL RIGHT.
ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING
US THIS MORNING AND AND REALLY
JUST SUCH A WONDERFUL JOB.
I CAN'T TELL YOU HOW I FELT
SPEAKING WITH THESE FAMILIES.
IT'S CERTAINLY MEANT A LOT TO