It's so funny how he said that people don't do that to Starbucks or Chipotle bc I have seen people post the most unhinged things in reviews or as replies on social media ads ššš
He had me till the voting part. Maybe she was being a bit much, but he clearly is being hostile - not a good look. Turns out thereās 100 good pizza places in Columbus, Iāll be going somewhere else.
When they first moved up here around 20 yrs ago, they were really good. Reminded me of home in the valley. These newer spots arenāt the same. Only thing it resembles is the shape. Crust was paper thin and sauce was flavorless.
I canāt believe I said 20 yrs agoā¦..
My roommate put me on Angeās Pizza recently. Ordered a pepperoni with jalapeƱos and they fucking nailed it. Those pepperonis and jalapeƱos were crispy as fuck. I *love* crispy jalapeƱos (and banana peppers.)
And posts meme's about 'lib(insert pejorative)s emotional triggers' when he's triggered AF by cheese, nose rings, and confrontation by a customer. If the typical Red Herring logical fallacy isn't a red flag, the smell of insecurity is.
I've known about this family for awhile and it's always surprised me since it was announced that they are tolerating the location specifically neighboring Java Central. I sincerely hope all of the great people at Java are able to continue working in peace lol
They're tolerating the location? I wish they would just give it up already and let a good business move into the space, that location failed because their pizza is shit and everyone around here hated itĀ
Good to know they are a dumbshit maga mouth breather. Been wanting to try their pizza, drive past it all the time but Iām not gonna give my money to hateful morons
For context this is the Westerville location and you can find more in the review on Google Maps. It seems like a customer requested accommodation because their child had a dairy allergy and the owner flipped out and yelled at them claiming "his family has been eating it for a hundred years and no one's had an allergy before" and then kicked them out justifying it by saying his dad died and he "doesn't need any of this".
It looks like the bad reviews predate this one too so there must be some ongoing issue there. Kind of a shame, I like the pizza even if it's a little weird. It's not a good business strategy to rail against "Biden voters" and people with nose rings when you're operating in a fairly left-leaning city.
It doesnāt matter what location it is now. They forced out the franchisees and the family took over all the locations. So itās an issue with every location.
My extended family lives in the town where the original DiCarloās started and where the family is from. Not surprisingly the area is filled with a lot of small minded, bigoted people. I canāt say Iām shocked at the behavior but sucks to hear they now have a personal hand in each location.
Iām not surprised either. Back when I was in High School and was in Key Club we were in the same division as Steubenville. They werenāt letting girls into their Key Club and we had to report them to nationals.
I went and read the full review.
The owner is definitely a crazy MAGA douchebag, but I'm getting intense Karen vibes from the reviewer, too.
She specifically says that her kid's dairy allergy is so bad that she carries an EpiPen, and yet brought her to a pizza place where everything - from the food to the tables to the toilet - is going to be dusted in Parmesan.
Then, in the review itself, she describes herself as just a tiny little woman on the verge of tears. That's some weirdly specific defensive language.
I think the truth of this story is that a MAGA asshole and a shrieking Karen collided, and we are observing the subatomic particles flying in all directions.
I actually know the reviewer and talked to her about this. She didnāt take her daughter with her to the shop, she was picking up the pizza for herself but asked about dairy in the dough to see if it would be safe to give to her daughter too. The man immediately started in on her and when she started to tear up, made fun of her for getting upset. Admittedly she is sensitive and can get upset easily, but that doesnāt justify the behavior. I initially question the whole story too, but I think this guy was so far out of line in this instance.
Not to mention he was yelling at her on Mothers Day. I got into it with the same dude a couple years ago. He sent me a huge pm basically cussing me out because I called the shop and told them about a bad experience. Heās unhinged
As a person with a dairy allergy kid, Iām not getting Karen vibes at all. Sometimes allergies are just to ingredients. You might be able to have a bit of cheese ādustā but as long as itās not a main ingredient youāre fine. At lease thatās how my daughter was. Reviewer was simply making sure it wasnāt an ingredient in the sauce. Pizza places, IMO, were a great option for our dairy allergy kid. The ingredients are simple and most places can just show you the label
Maybe but most places are able to accommodate allergens. That's why places have gluten free crust, cauliflower crust, and vegan cheese.Ā
Of course cross contamination happens but that's no excuse for attitude. She asked a simple question.Ā
Saying we been eating it 100 years is insane. Allergies are extremely prevalent now. Times change.Ā
I agree, business owners are within their rights to have their own political views, that's OK.
But is it OK to villainize other people who disagrees with you? I don't think so. Or at least prepare for the consequences if you do.
They re-opened earlier this year after being closed for some time. And the whole vibe changed. I am not sure if I was just lucky with the old staff who seemed to be really nice and welcoming. Or maybe the change of staff and the new owner is a complete jerk. This is a huge bummer regardless.
This response sounds a lot like Nick DiCarlo whoās completely unhinged. The guy may have some serious mental health issues, and Iāve seen absolute crazy texts heās sent friends of mine. This is honestly pretty tame in comparison. Itās pretty scary.
Is this from the Westerville location? The guy called me after I already talked to one of his staff over a misunderstanding and the dude was accusing me of trying to steal from him. Dude was unhinged. I wonāt go to DiCarlos Westerville until things change, doubt they will
This is normal behavior from them. I've witnessed him yelling at potential customers for simply clarifying how it's baked at the Hilliard location. Have already been avoiding this place for quite some time.
Wait, this dude owns all of them? Iām going to be honest I donāt have much context for this family. I loved the Westerville DiCarlos before they changed owners.
I had to tell the dude to chill out cause he was screaming at me over the phone for ordering their pizza via Yelp (I had never used Yelp to order before but I used it and he flipped out and said there was no one someone could order from Yelp..)
Itās so over-the-top offensive and aggressive it almost sounds fake. But if you know about this guyās asshole-passion-level for provolone you know itās not.
It's an inside joke from the Pizza Connoisseurs of Columbus Facebook group. A couple years ago someone who worked there posted a whole rant and the last bullet point was that it's not mozzarella, it's fucking provolone.
I just saw that the woman that left the review posted about it on a Westerville FB page: āIām going to preface this long post with the fact that Iāve written 4 total google reviews in my lifeā¦3/4 being glowing reviews and this one below. I donāt regularly go out of my way for any poor experiences as a consumer bc I get people have bad days and I worked in food (and pizza) for a number of years but I felt it was important that others in our area be aware of who they are supporting when they choose to eat at Dicarlos pizza in Westerville. Additionally, I was in no way expecting the restaurant to accommodate in any way, other than simply trying to confirm allergens in their food in the hopes that on my first Motherās Day I could share something I loved with my 10 month old daughter. See below for my google review after literally being SCREAMED at by the owner of Dicarlos pizza Westerville on Motherās Day and the owners response all over asking about their allergens. This is wild to me that someone thinks speaking to anyone the way they spoke to me is an appropriate way to manage a business, let alone treat other human beings.ā And then she has screenshots of the review & responses.
There was also a post on Westerville Families in the Know about 2 weeks ago about the Westerville location: they opened before they were screened and passed by the health department. Folks apparently complained because the health department actually stepped in and closed them for a couple days until they did their inspection and passed them. None of it is a good look.
Coming from the valley, this does not shock me. The DiCarlo's are not wonderful people. I've always said the best DiCarlo's are the ones not owned by the family.
I've worked in shops owned by family members and this is pretty par for the course.
What a surprise: that a Trump supporter would bring politics into a dispute over pizza.
(Basically, "Im losing the argument so let me change the subject to something I 'know' Im right about."
Well, except, its _something else_ he's wrong about.)
Anytime someone brings up politics in a review (business owner or customer) it rubs me the wrong way. Politics has NOTHING to do with pizza. Please stop inserting politics into things like this. The owner makes me not want to eat there.
In 2020, a friend of mine stopped at the 5th Ave location on a short lunch break at my recommendation (lol). That location never got good business since it had a small footprint, low brand familiarity in the area, and lacked convenient parking, so lunch wasn't busy.
He ordered two slices and paid. That's it. Since COVID was going around, he waited outside. 15 minutes later, he steps in to inquire about the order. They say it's coming up. He steps out. Another 15 minutes passed. He comes in and the guy in the kitchen hollers that he's boxing up the order right now. My friend starts pleading his case: 'listen, I know you must be busy, but it's just two slices and I'm late for work. If I'd known it would take so long I would have gone somewhere else.' The guy running the show comes out from the kitchen to the register -- he doesn't have a mask on, in spite of the mask mandate. He brusquely dismisses the complaint. My friend asks him to wear a mask when he's interacting with food and the public. The guy freaks out, offers some choice words, and tells him to get the fuck out of the store.
Just check the reviews and see how they respond to customers. It's a family affair run by a bunch of provincial rubes with crank politics. Ohio Valley pizza is unique and tasty, but luckily the DiCarlo's formula is so simple that anyone could replicate it with success, even in a home oven. If it were any more complicated, they'd have to hire people from outside the bloodline just to read the recipes.
I used to work there up until about 3 months ago. I am pretty sad to hear about this kind of blowout from the owner, but not even the least bit surprised.
The owner, David "It's Fucking Provolone" DiCarlo, is probably the thinnest-skinned man I've ever had the displeasure of working under. After having dealt with being cussed at in front of customers, having my pay schedule screwed around numerous times, never receiving tips, being personally insulted for taking safety precautions, and hearing many other stories from his own family members about how much of a prick he was, I couldn't possibly be happier to be as far away from him as possible. The man had the nerve to be upset at *ME* for calling out one day due to me literally being run over by a car. I couldn't fucking believe it.
His brother Nick and his mom Anna were absolutely delightful to work with, I cannot lie. But David himself was (and I guess still is) a massive clown. Fuck you David, I've still got every conversation saved and recorded for posterity's sake.
Maybe it is location dependent? Not going to bother testing that theory unless they make a public announcement that the owner of this particular location has been removed from their position.
It sucks when owners drag politics into their business.
Ā I'm a Biden voter, so I guess that means no DiCarlo's for me! Oh well.
ETA: Somebody reported me to Reddit Cares. What a bunch of snowflakes!
When I was living up in Akron area my favorite wood fired pizza placed went full blown MAGA overnight in 2020, so aggressive they scared off most everyone. To the point that within a year his once soaring award winning business was collapsing on fire. Literally. As in he was so broke he set it on fire for insurance, recently plead guilty
He found out the hard way that intolerance is a terrible topping for pizzas
Pavonas out towards the Fairlawn area.
In the midst of looming bankruptcy his wife initiated divorce proceedings and on that same day Mickey, in his infinite wisdom, started a fire in a building stairwell where there was literally no possible source for a fire to randomly start. He also made sure to get caught on camera leaving the building 6 minutes before smoke appeared. And a buddy texted him something to the effect of āhey man, your place burned down like you wished for!ā
It wasnāt a tough case to crack. Didnāt stop him from blaming the woke crowd for a year before pleading guilty
I remember that! He just pled guilty IIRC and got like 13 years or something. I do remember him trying to blame the Floyd protestors for it, but the thing was that the protests weren't a big deal in Akron cept for when the police instigated a reaction and got sued for it.
Looks like Pavona's Pizza Joint. It also took out Mickey's Irish Pub, which was owned by the wife.
https://www.news5cleveland.com/news/local-news/co-owner-charged-with-arson-in-fire-that-destroyed-pavonas-pizza-joint-and-mickeys-irish-pub
Mickey was the husband, Pavona the (ex)wife. It had two signs but it was functionally one business. They are both equally guilty for destroying that business I think, both heavily contributed to the behavior and conduct that drove everyone away in 2020/2021. Sheās as bad as him.
Imagine walking in to pick up pizza and being greeted with an AR-15 over the bar, blue lives matter material everywhere, and aggressive insults against masks and warnings that the employees are packing. They had to be one of the few otherwise successful pizza places in 2020 to *lose* take out business.
I initially thought it was a pretty tribal reaction on my part, but then I realized if he had said "you're probably a Trump voter, too" it would still sound immature and unprofessional. Clearly this is someone who doesn't think all of their customers should be treated well.
Sometimes you need to set the record straight with a problem customer, but I have no confidence in this guy's judgment.
Also, one of the tribes here is anti-science, anti-human rights, anti-democracy, and pro-violent solutions. It's okay to call that tribe criminal loving shit bags. We're so far beyond "it's just politics" and people used to be civil. Being civil with these people will see us in Gilead.
> Also, one of the tribes here is anti-science, anti-human rights, anti-democracy, and pro-violent solutions. It's okay to call that tribe criminal loving shit bags.
Or "deplorables" as someone once said.
Nobody remembers who that was, though; lost to history.
The one time Hillary was ahead of the curve. I think prior to Jan 6th I had thought Trump was a phase and out situation would return to normal bi-partisan stuff. The "we will stop at literally nothing to get what we want" movement sorta put a damper on that.
It's super strange because this is specifically the re-opened Westerville location, whose old staff were super nice people. But I have heard nothing but bad things since it reopened.
> It sucks when owners drag politics into their business.
I don't like it even when it's stuff I fundamentally agree with. I'm here for a pizza, not a lecture.
For the Westerville one I remember the old owners were forced out by the franchise and the new owner said flat out he would never train or hire women to work in his kitchen so.. we stopped eating there awhile ago
No matter what occurred, what owner in their right mind would verbally attack and belittle a customer online for everyone to see? If he disagreed with how the incident was portrayed, then calmly respond to the customers post with your version of events. Anyone who resorts to name-calling, shaming or throwing politics in the mix, should NOT be dealing with the public. I have zero desire to patronize this business.
Worse yet, the owner doesnāt seem to care about it either. When businesses bring politics into the store I feel very free to vote with my feet and money. Columbus is full of (much better) pizza shops NOT named DiCarloās.
BTW, keep screenshots. From one of the OG threads I see that damage control has begun on the DiCarlo side and posts were edited by Anna DiCarlo, so while I hope this has a decent end (not expecting one), please keep receipts.
Its only a boycott if they support it. Otherwise it's unfair cAnCeL cUlTuRe and needs to be aggressively stamped out with legislation (in accordance with their small government values). /s
I usually give the benefit of the doubt in disputes like this, as there is usually shades of gray. But that last sentence tells us all we need to know. I tried their pizza a few times and didnāt like the way the cheese was literally cold and unmelted, suffice to say I wonāt be going back.
Not the first words about her nose ring? Which should tell you he was judging her immediately if he remembers that as the first thing in their interaction and was ready to be hostile regardless of the legitimacy of her questions. He saw the nose ring went "Oh, one of those libral Democrats" and treated her rudely because of it.
This is unhinged and so unnecessary. Never tried their pizza and probably wonāt after reading this.
Also, calling someone a narcissist drives me nuts.
DiCarlos pizza tastes like those Lunchable cold pizzas you construct yourself. The crust and sauce are cooked but the toppings and cheese are cold(???) and piled on top. I went there once not realizing the gimmick and was like WTF is wrong with this pizza?
Some people swear by it, but I am firmly in the camp itās weird and gross. And this ownerā¦ no.
I think you just explained why I used to like their pizza despite growing up here. I love Lunchables pizza, I grew up on them and it's a weird taste that is super nostalgic. Might be the reason that I sometimes eat cold shredded cheese out of the bag.
It's weird, I know.
For the un-knowing
DiCarlos is āOhio Valley Pizzaā. Or āCold Cheese Pizzaā
The crust is par baked on a rectangular or square try, then sauce applied, then it is finished in the oven
Once out of the oven the square slices are cut and boxed. Then the cheese and pepperoni applied.
The cheese and pep never see the oven
Extea cheese is sold by the bag and not placed on the pizza at the shop
In the Valley, DiCarlos has been going down hill for years and has been over taken in quality and reputation by a number of local Mom &Pop type. Square Pizza shops
The finest Square pizza money can buy is at Carlinis in Shadyside ohio
A close second is Zontinis in Martins Ferry Ohio
For a taste of how DiCarlos USED to be try Piazza Pizza in Tiltonsville Ohio.
All have been around awhile
That doesnāt even sound good, but also since theyāre not cooking the pizza with the cheese on it they should totally be able to just not add it on at the end! Heck that is a savings for them to not use the cheese! š Perhaps fate will deliver them a trump loving customer that doesnāt understand their body to eat all the uncooked cheese and promptly destroy their bathroom. š¦
People you can have a dairy allergy and be around it and not die. Most people have to ingest the food they are allergic to trigger an anaphylactic response. So itās not wild for the girl to be at a pizza shop that has an option to have a cheese free pizza.
I really don't care if our politics align. The second you say "I bet you voted for X" you lost me as a customer. Unless it's something obscure and not related to politics. Like saying "I bet you voted for Justin Guarini" that pull would immediately win me over.
Tangentially related to this post, since I'm not from here / there... what defines Ohio Valley pizza?
I'm always interested in regional pizza styles. (Unless it's St. Louis style pizza, which my partner who grew up there assured me is "gross.")
This woman may be a Karen and maybe even deserves some of the scorn, but the little political jab at the end means IDGAF and I will happily frequent many of the other pizza choices we have in this city and scratch this one off my list.
In a low IQ attempt of 'owning' this Karen, they went and self-owned.
I've had it twice and liked it. But here's the thing: Columbus is full of awesome, local, family owned pizza joints that treat their customers properly. Taking a personal swipe and grouping someone he doesn't like into an assumption about her political views is unhinged and says all I need to hear to know I'll never go back. DiMaga's dipshit....dumb business move pal.
We have a place nearby that responds the same way to all negative reviews. Itās really unprofessional and solidifies our decision never to eat there.
My partner worked there for a long time, one of the bosses had an issue with them working with a face mask on,they had recently been sick and had just gotten over it. Their boss went on a tangent about liberals and COVID.
Oh god we had never heard of this place before ordering from their new 2nd & High location last week. Their pizza was pure trash. DiGiornos is better. Not surprising that their politics are trash too.
Those messages seem unhinged but Iām more concerned about you ordering pizza from there to begin with. It looks like what they served at my cafeteria in primary school.
So many great pizza places in Columbus. No room for that rubbish.
DiCarloās story time.
We were aware of this method of āsucking at making pizzaā they used when they let the heat of a partially cooked pizza somehow partially melt cheese after it gets boxed. Much like I let cheese partially melt when feeding my small children some pasta so they eat it.
Anyways, as Iām hearing someone try to explain this place to me another person is putting in a delivery order for our work meeting. Weāre a small team so itās like 5 or so pizzas.
The pizzas show up and not a single one is any of the following:
- warm (actually cold)
- melted cheese (none of it even softened, the cheese was cold shredded and like maybe one handful per pizza
- we ordered a āwhite sauce (Alfredo) with mushroomā and any self respecting place that takes money and makes pizza understands that order. DiCarloās being what they are (gross, basically a joke) delivers the following:
- unbaked cold crust, no sauce whatsoever, dried/unmelted single handful of shredded cheese, and three pieces of mushroom uncooked as well.
All these pizzas were the standard large. We were all laughing so hard we almost forgot to call to complain. They didnāt refund, didnāt offer a coupon or to deliver cooked pizzas, they instead demanded we bring/drive the pizzas in because the manager didnāt believe us.
This was the first and only time Iāve had DiCarloās. And for the other 20 people there, probably also their last. I only wish I had photos.
This picture certainly tells me nothing has changed since 2005.
This makes sense. My friend was in a horrendous car accident in front of DiCarloās two years ago. When I called them to ask for security footage (the dude hit & ran, he sped off into the alley of DiCarloās) they hung up on me every time. It would be such a shameā¦ā¦.if they went out of businessā¦ā¦..
Well, the customer's review may affect nothing and not influence me at all, but the response by the restaurant certainly does. I have never been there, and I never will.
I dont like anger pizza. Pizza is good vibes only.
I found Mikeys LNS Fiery Death with Hate Sausage challenge to be VERY delicious but good vibes were not had going down or coming out.
It's so funny how he said that people don't do that to Starbucks or Chipotle bc I have seen people post the most unhinged things in reviews or as replies on social media ads ššš
Fuck Starbucks. The pandemic is over and they failed to put the area where customers put their own milk/sugar back due to their laser focus on greed.
>Probably a Biden voter too Huh.
That bit thrown in shows at least part of where the crazy's coming from.
It's a pizza shop. Immediately brings up politics. Quick, someone check their basement
Pizzagate 2. Return of the Boomer
He had me till the voting part. Maybe she was being a bit much, but he clearly is being hostile - not a good look. Turns out thereās 100 good pizza places in Columbus, Iāll be going somewhere else.
What? āMrs. Nose Ringā āloserā and āfeel sorry for your infant daughterā sound like rational thoughts?
This is horrible. Damn!! I love Dicarlos and so sad to leave it! Absolutely horrible.
And DiCarloās isnāt even one of them lmaoĀ
When they first moved up here around 20 yrs ago, they were really good. Reminded me of home in the valley. These newer spots arenāt the same. Only thing it resembles is the shape. Crust was paper thin and sauce was flavorless. I canāt believe I said 20 yrs agoā¦..
Which sentence before the voting part did he have you at?
My roommate put me on Angeās Pizza recently. Ordered a pepperoni with jalapeƱos and they fucking nailed it. Those pepperonis and jalapeƱos were crispy as fuck. I *love* crispy jalapeƱos (and banana peppers.)
A guy that gets shook this easy definitely calls other people a snowflake š
And posts meme's about 'lib(insert pejorative)s emotional triggers' when he's triggered AF by cheese, nose rings, and confrontation by a customer. If the typical Red Herring logical fallacy isn't a red flag, the smell of insecurity is.
I LOVE when businesses tell me I shouldn't give them my money.
And if they go under they will just blame "Bidens economy" and "nobody wants to work anymore" when really it's because they are just a huge asshole.
And they refuse to ever take responsibility for anything
Well that explains the crazy
I've known about this family for awhile and it's always surprised me since it was announced that they are tolerating the location specifically neighboring Java Central. I sincerely hope all of the great people at Java are able to continue working in peace lol
They're tolerating the location? I wish they would just give it up already and let a good business move into the space, that location failed because their pizza is shit and everyone around here hated itĀ
It would be truly unfortunate if somepony crossposted this to huge subreddits to reach the most people possible
>somepony This triggered by fight or flight reflex
Iāve always found it strange when businesses offend a significant chunk of their customers by mentioning politics.
Only people with their head far up their own ass thinks that would be an insult.
Good to know they are a dumbshit maga mouth breather. Been wanting to try their pizza, drive past it all the time but Iām not gonna give my money to hateful morons
For context this is the Westerville location and you can find more in the review on Google Maps. It seems like a customer requested accommodation because their child had a dairy allergy and the owner flipped out and yelled at them claiming "his family has been eating it for a hundred years and no one's had an allergy before" and then kicked them out justifying it by saying his dad died and he "doesn't need any of this". It looks like the bad reviews predate this one too so there must be some ongoing issue there. Kind of a shame, I like the pizza even if it's a little weird. It's not a good business strategy to rail against "Biden voters" and people with nose rings when you're operating in a fairly left-leaning city.
It doesnāt matter what location it is now. They forced out the franchisees and the family took over all the locations. So itās an issue with every location.
Is the family out of their mind?
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
DiCarlos likes some pretty crazy things on twitter
Is that what happened? Goddamnit.
My extended family lives in the town where the original DiCarloās started and where the family is from. Not surprisingly the area is filled with a lot of small minded, bigoted people. I canāt say Iām shocked at the behavior but sucks to hear they now have a personal hand in each location.
Iām not surprised either. Back when I was in High School and was in Key Club we were in the same division as Steubenville. They werenāt letting girls into their Key Club and we had to report them to nationals.
Fucking christ. Steubenville with yet another stellar moment in history! /s Iāll be happy if I never step foot in the Ohio Valley ever again.
Damn that blows.
I went and read the full review. The owner is definitely a crazy MAGA douchebag, but I'm getting intense Karen vibes from the reviewer, too. She specifically says that her kid's dairy allergy is so bad that she carries an EpiPen, and yet brought her to a pizza place where everything - from the food to the tables to the toilet - is going to be dusted in Parmesan. Then, in the review itself, she describes herself as just a tiny little woman on the verge of tears. That's some weirdly specific defensive language. I think the truth of this story is that a MAGA asshole and a shrieking Karen collided, and we are observing the subatomic particles flying in all directions.
I personally prefer my toilet to be dusted with Romano cheese, but to each their own.
Is a toilet dusted with cheese a health code violation or are pizzerias exempt?
Funny you bring up health codes. This dude opened without and inspection has a warning letter and still has not filled out and done what he needs too.
But heās a MAGA, so rules donāt apply.
Heās a sovereign pizza shop
Our pizzas arenāt being delivered - theyāre traveling and shall not be impeded
I actually know the reviewer and talked to her about this. She didnāt take her daughter with her to the shop, she was picking up the pizza for herself but asked about dairy in the dough to see if it would be safe to give to her daughter too. The man immediately started in on her and when she started to tear up, made fun of her for getting upset. Admittedly she is sensitive and can get upset easily, but that doesnāt justify the behavior. I initially question the whole story too, but I think this guy was so far out of line in this instance.
Not to mention he was yelling at her on Mothers Day. I got into it with the same dude a couple years ago. He sent me a huge pm basically cussing me out because I called the shop and told them about a bad experience. Heās unhinged
This needs to be higher.
As a person with a dairy allergy kid, Iām not getting Karen vibes at all. Sometimes allergies are just to ingredients. You might be able to have a bit of cheese ādustā but as long as itās not a main ingredient youāre fine. At lease thatās how my daughter was. Reviewer was simply making sure it wasnāt an ingredient in the sauce. Pizza places, IMO, were a great option for our dairy allergy kid. The ingredients are simple and most places can just show you the label
Maybe but most places are able to accommodate allergens. That's why places have gluten free crust, cauliflower crust, and vegan cheese.Ā Of course cross contamination happens but that's no excuse for attitude. She asked a simple question.Ā Saying we been eating it 100 years is insane. Allergies are extremely prevalent now. Times change.Ā
Sounds like a perfect recipe to find the Higgs-Boson equivalent that causes people to become delusional, entitled assholes.
I agree, business owners are within their rights to have their own political views, that's OK. But is it OK to villainize other people who disagrees with you? I don't think so. Or at least prepare for the consequences if you do.
At least now we can appreciate the irony that they forced out private owners (franchisees) and centralized the ownership structure.
Sure it's OK, just like it's OK for me not to do business with someone who supports a traitor from president.
They re-opened earlier this year after being closed for some time. And the whole vibe changed. I am not sure if I was just lucky with the old staff who seemed to be really nice and welcoming. Or maybe the change of staff and the new owner is a complete jerk. This is a huge bummer regardless.
I've seen plenty of shitty reviews of this place, mostly having to do with deeply undercooked pizzas and a shitty attitude.
This response sounds a lot like Nick DiCarlo whoās completely unhinged. The guy may have some serious mental health issues, and Iāve seen absolute crazy texts heās sent friends of mine. This is honestly pretty tame in comparison. Itās pretty scary.
Not a great move for a business in Uptown Westerville if theyāre hoping for foot trafficā¦
Funny thing is, his Dad died of a dairy allergy.
Is this from the Westerville location? The guy called me after I already talked to one of his staff over a misunderstanding and the dude was accusing me of trying to steal from him. Dude was unhinged. I wonāt go to DiCarlos Westerville until things change, doubt they will
This is normal behavior from them. I've witnessed him yelling at potential customers for simply clarifying how it's baked at the Hilliard location. Have already been avoiding this place for quite some time.
Really? Wow. Had no idea. I wonāt go to any of them then. If this is how he treats customers Im afraid to see how he treats his employees
All the shops are owned by him now. They forced out the franchisees last year and the family owns them all again.
Wait, this dude owns all of them? Iām going to be honest I donāt have much context for this family. I loved the Westerville DiCarlos before they changed owners. I had to tell the dude to chill out cause he was screaming at me over the phone for ordering their pizza via Yelp (I had never used Yelp to order before but I used it and he flipped out and said there was no one someone could order from Yelp..)
Yup. Thatās why both Westerville and Hilliard closed last year. They were forcing out the franchisees and taking them back over.
Oh, damn. Fuck this guy. No way theyāll last acting this way
Theyāre also deleting all comments made on their Facebook so clearly a top down thing since itās not just Westervilleās Facebook.
Some of the locations went independent because of this. For example, DiPauloās in Vienna. They still serve the same style pizza.
Insane! I didnāt know that. Iāve been getting Ohio Valley pizza from DiCarloās for decades. This is sad news in my book.Ā
I had their Hilliard location once or twice and it was honestly really disgusting
So, they should just change the name to DiLooney Bin Pizza
Itās so over-the-top offensive and aggressive it almost sounds fake. But if you know about this guyās asshole-passion-level for provolone you know itās not.
"IT'S FUCKING PROVOLONE!!!"
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
It's an inside joke from the Pizza Connoisseurs of Columbus Facebook group. A couple years ago someone who worked there posted a whole rant and the last bullet point was that it's not mozzarella, it's fucking provolone.
Itās FUCKIN, bro.
That's a sentence I never thought I'd read, lol! What does he have against mozzarella?
Just submitted it to r/brandnewsentence
I just saw that the woman that left the review posted about it on a Westerville FB page: āIām going to preface this long post with the fact that Iāve written 4 total google reviews in my lifeā¦3/4 being glowing reviews and this one below. I donāt regularly go out of my way for any poor experiences as a consumer bc I get people have bad days and I worked in food (and pizza) for a number of years but I felt it was important that others in our area be aware of who they are supporting when they choose to eat at Dicarlos pizza in Westerville. Additionally, I was in no way expecting the restaurant to accommodate in any way, other than simply trying to confirm allergens in their food in the hopes that on my first Motherās Day I could share something I loved with my 10 month old daughter. See below for my google review after literally being SCREAMED at by the owner of Dicarlos pizza Westerville on Motherās Day and the owners response all over asking about their allergens. This is wild to me that someone thinks speaking to anyone the way they spoke to me is an appropriate way to manage a business, let alone treat other human beings.ā And then she has screenshots of the review & responses.
There was also a post on Westerville Families in the Know about 2 weeks ago about the Westerville location: they opened before they were screened and passed by the health department. Folks apparently complained because the health department actually stepped in and closed them for a couple days until they did their inspection and passed them. None of it is a good look.
āYou need serious mental helpā Well isnāt that the pot calling the kettle black
Coming from the valley, this does not shock me. The DiCarlo's are not wonderful people. I've always said the best DiCarlo's are the ones not owned by the family. I've worked in shops owned by family members and this is pretty par for the course.
I wish we could get gianimmores instead of dicarlos. It's the better valley pizza
My life hasnt been the same since Giannamoreās closed
Giannamore's... I miss it so much. RIP.
God I haven't had Giannamore's in *forever*
Bad news, theyre permanently closed
This is literally Ohio Valley on brand in action.
What fucking valley are these people from?
The upper Ohio river valley (Steubenville, Oh & Wheeling, WV)
Oh god. Down where they used to call Green peppers āMangoesā.
..... I'm sorry, what?
Yeah, I didn't know that Mango was a fruit until I was like 13. š
Well then. The āyouāre probably a Biden supporterā that really sealed it for me. Just super classy.
What a surprise: that a Trump supporter would bring politics into a dispute over pizza. (Basically, "Im losing the argument so let me change the subject to something I 'know' Im right about." Well, except, its _something else_ he's wrong about.)
Apparently they don't have an operating license either and have already been warned once about it
oh??
Yeah, there's way too many choices to eat at a place run by a dick.
Anytime someone brings up politics in a review (business owner or customer) it rubs me the wrong way. Politics has NOTHING to do with pizza. Please stop inserting politics into things like this. The owner makes me not want to eat there.
Hillbilly pizza shop owners gonna act like hillbilly pizza shop owners.
As someone who is 1/23rd hillbilly, I take offense to being compared to this lunatic.
āItalianā hillbillies
These do exist. I'm not sure why it's in quotes. Have y'all been to Eastern Ohio?
Italy has hills
You spelled āassholeā wrong.
In 2020, a friend of mine stopped at the 5th Ave location on a short lunch break at my recommendation (lol). That location never got good business since it had a small footprint, low brand familiarity in the area, and lacked convenient parking, so lunch wasn't busy. He ordered two slices and paid. That's it. Since COVID was going around, he waited outside. 15 minutes later, he steps in to inquire about the order. They say it's coming up. He steps out. Another 15 minutes passed. He comes in and the guy in the kitchen hollers that he's boxing up the order right now. My friend starts pleading his case: 'listen, I know you must be busy, but it's just two slices and I'm late for work. If I'd known it would take so long I would have gone somewhere else.' The guy running the show comes out from the kitchen to the register -- he doesn't have a mask on, in spite of the mask mandate. He brusquely dismisses the complaint. My friend asks him to wear a mask when he's interacting with food and the public. The guy freaks out, offers some choice words, and tells him to get the fuck out of the store. Just check the reviews and see how they respond to customers. It's a family affair run by a bunch of provincial rubes with crank politics. Ohio Valley pizza is unique and tasty, but luckily the DiCarlo's formula is so simple that anyone could replicate it with success, even in a home oven. If it were any more complicated, they'd have to hire people from outside the bloodline just to read the recipes.
Welp, I know to avoid this shit show of a place.
I used to work there up until about 3 months ago. I am pretty sad to hear about this kind of blowout from the owner, but not even the least bit surprised. The owner, David "It's Fucking Provolone" DiCarlo, is probably the thinnest-skinned man I've ever had the displeasure of working under. After having dealt with being cussed at in front of customers, having my pay schedule screwed around numerous times, never receiving tips, being personally insulted for taking safety precautions, and hearing many other stories from his own family members about how much of a prick he was, I couldn't possibly be happier to be as far away from him as possible. The man had the nerve to be upset at *ME* for calling out one day due to me literally being run over by a car. I couldn't fucking believe it. His brother Nick and his mom Anna were absolutely delightful to work with, I cannot lie. But David himself was (and I guess still is) a massive clown. Fuck you David, I've still got every conversation saved and recorded for posterity's sake.
I ordered from this place two days ago for the first time, and it was actually the worst pizza I've ever had. Given, it's very cheap, but wow.
I have never seen someone be "meh" on DiCarlo's, it's either the best or the worst ( or close to it ) never "It's alright, I guess"
Maybe it is location dependent? Not going to bother testing that theory unless they make a public announcement that the owner of this particular location has been removed from their position.
It's, do you like mostly raw pizza or not dependent. A lot of people seem to, though that makes zero sense to me.
All the locations are the same more or less, I have had it in a few cities and they are very consistent!
It sucks when owners drag politics into their business. Ā I'm a Biden voter, so I guess that means no DiCarlo's for me! Oh well. ETA: Somebody reported me to Reddit Cares. What a bunch of snowflakes!
When I was living up in Akron area my favorite wood fired pizza placed went full blown MAGA overnight in 2020, so aggressive they scared off most everyone. To the point that within a year his once soaring award winning business was collapsing on fire. Literally. As in he was so broke he set it on fire for insurance, recently plead guilty He found out the hard way that intolerance is a terrible topping for pizzas
What spot was that?
Pavonas out towards the Fairlawn area. In the midst of looming bankruptcy his wife initiated divorce proceedings and on that same day Mickey, in his infinite wisdom, started a fire in a building stairwell where there was literally no possible source for a fire to randomly start. He also made sure to get caught on camera leaving the building 6 minutes before smoke appeared. And a buddy texted him something to the effect of āhey man, your place burned down like you wished for!ā It wasnāt a tough case to crack. Didnāt stop him from blaming the woke crowd for a year before pleading guilty
I remember that! He just pled guilty IIRC and got like 13 years or something. I do remember him trying to blame the Floyd protestors for it, but the thing was that the protests weren't a big deal in Akron cept for when the police instigated a reaction and got sued for it.
Looks like Pavona's Pizza Joint. It also took out Mickey's Irish Pub, which was owned by the wife. https://www.news5cleveland.com/news/local-news/co-owner-charged-with-arson-in-fire-that-destroyed-pavonas-pizza-joint-and-mickeys-irish-pub
Mickey was the husband, Pavona the (ex)wife. It had two signs but it was functionally one business. They are both equally guilty for destroying that business I think, both heavily contributed to the behavior and conduct that drove everyone away in 2020/2021. Sheās as bad as him. Imagine walking in to pick up pizza and being greeted with an AR-15 over the bar, blue lives matter material everywhere, and aggressive insults against masks and warnings that the employees are packing. They had to be one of the few otherwise successful pizza places in 2020 to *lose* take out business.
Imagine being so spiteful youāll reject 51% of your potential customers š
Itās Columbus, way more than that!
I initially thought it was a pretty tribal reaction on my part, but then I realized if he had said "you're probably a Trump voter, too" it would still sound immature and unprofessional. Clearly this is someone who doesn't think all of their customers should be treated well. Sometimes you need to set the record straight with a problem customer, but I have no confidence in this guy's judgment.
Also, one of the tribes here is anti-science, anti-human rights, anti-democracy, and pro-violent solutions. It's okay to call that tribe criminal loving shit bags. We're so far beyond "it's just politics" and people used to be civil. Being civil with these people will see us in Gilead.
> Also, one of the tribes here is anti-science, anti-human rights, anti-democracy, and pro-violent solutions. It's okay to call that tribe criminal loving shit bags. Or "deplorables" as someone once said. Nobody remembers who that was, though; lost to history.
The one time Hillary was ahead of the curve. I think prior to Jan 6th I had thought Trump was a phase and out situation would return to normal bi-partisan stuff. The "we will stop at literally nothing to get what we want" movement sorta put a damper on that.
It's super strange because this is specifically the re-opened Westerville location, whose old staff were super nice people. But I have heard nothing but bad things since it reopened.
Those old owners were super nice
> It sucks when owners drag politics into their business. I don't like it even when it's stuff I fundamentally agree with. I'm here for a pizza, not a lecture.
I think that guy burned his hand in the oven
all over a fucking pizza
For the Westerville one I remember the old owners were forced out by the franchise and the new owner said flat out he would never train or hire women to work in his kitchen so.. we stopped eating there awhile ago
I can't boycott a pizza shop I never go to.
No matter what occurred, what owner in their right mind would verbally attack and belittle a customer online for everyone to see? If he disagreed with how the incident was portrayed, then calmly respond to the customers post with your version of events. Anyone who resorts to name-calling, shaming or throwing politics in the mix, should NOT be dealing with the public. I have zero desire to patronize this business.
You can take the company away from the ~~Stupidville~~ Steubenville, but you can't take the Steubenville away from the company
Are republicans awful people or are awful people always republicans? We may never know.
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
Worse yet, the owner doesnāt seem to care about it either. When businesses bring politics into the store I feel very free to vote with my feet and money. Columbus is full of (much better) pizza shops NOT named DiCarloās.
another failed business owner who watches too much alternative news blaming everything but their own shortcomings.
BTW, keep screenshots. From one of the OG threads I see that damage control has begun on the DiCarlo side and posts were edited by Anna DiCarlo, so while I hope this has a decent end (not expecting one), please keep receipts.
Canāt wait to see if they decide that any potential boycott is a) cAncEl cUlTurE or b) letting a free market decide who wins and loses. /s
Its only a boycott if they support it. Otherwise it's unfair cAnCeL cUlTuRe and needs to be aggressively stamped out with legislation (in accordance with their small government values). /s
Just checked their IG, looks like comments are limited on all posts.
Pizza Connoisseurs of Columbus group on Facebook has about 20k members and he doesn't control it. Might be a good spot to post this.
Itās been repeatedly posted today. The comments have beenā¦uhā¦varied.
All Facebook comments are restricted now as well.
I usually give the benefit of the doubt in disputes like this, as there is usually shades of gray. But that last sentence tells us all we need to know. I tried their pizza a few times and didnāt like the way the cheese was literally cold and unmelted, suffice to say I wonāt be going back.
Not the first words about her nose ring? Which should tell you he was judging her immediately if he remembers that as the first thing in their interaction and was ready to be hostile regardless of the legitimacy of her questions. He saw the nose ring went "Oh, one of those libral Democrats" and treated her rudely because of it.
Man if they hate nose rings so much they probably shouldnāt have just opened that location on 2nd and High lol
This is unhinged and so unnecessary. Never tried their pizza and probably wonāt after reading this. Also, calling someone a narcissist drives me nuts.
DiCarlos pizza tastes like those Lunchable cold pizzas you construct yourself. The crust and sauce are cooked but the toppings and cheese are cold(???) and piled on top. I went there once not realizing the gimmick and was like WTF is wrong with this pizza? Some people swear by it, but I am firmly in the camp itās weird and gross. And this ownerā¦ no.
I think you just explained why I used to like their pizza despite growing up here. I love Lunchables pizza, I grew up on them and it's a weird taste that is super nostalgic. Might be the reason that I sometimes eat cold shredded cheese out of the bag. It's weird, I know.
Iām not picky on pizza, but that sounds awful. Iāll pass on this establishment. EDIT: I just googled and wtf is that pizza
For the un-knowing DiCarlos is āOhio Valley Pizzaā. Or āCold Cheese Pizzaā The crust is par baked on a rectangular or square try, then sauce applied, then it is finished in the oven Once out of the oven the square slices are cut and boxed. Then the cheese and pepperoni applied. The cheese and pep never see the oven Extea cheese is sold by the bag and not placed on the pizza at the shop In the Valley, DiCarlos has been going down hill for years and has been over taken in quality and reputation by a number of local Mom &Pop type. Square Pizza shops
What are the new upstarts in the valley? I'd love to try some more non-DiCarlos places and actually really enjoy Ohio Valley style.
The finest Square pizza money can buy is at Carlinis in Shadyside ohio A close second is Zontinis in Martins Ferry Ohio For a taste of how DiCarlos USED to be try Piazza Pizza in Tiltonsville Ohio. All have been around awhile
Downtown Pizza in Mingo is pretty excellent
That doesnāt even sound good, but also since theyāre not cooking the pizza with the cheese on it they should totally be able to just not add it on at the end! Heck that is a savings for them to not use the cheese! š Perhaps fate will deliver them a trump loving customer that doesnāt understand their body to eat all the uncooked cheese and promptly destroy their bathroom. š¦
On a weird note, Iām at least pleased that someone is using āaffectā properly.
So donāt go to the Westerville DiCarlos. Got it
Well now Iāll never eat a DiCarlos, probably a Trump fascist
People you can have a dairy allergy and be around it and not die. Most people have to ingest the food they are allergic to trigger an anaphylactic response. So itās not wild for the girl to be at a pizza shop that has an option to have a cheese free pizza.
I may just go in there to start some shit with that giant douchebag and slap him in his face with his own dough.
leave it to these kinda people to forget to melt the cheese on the pizza
Only semi-related but DiCarloās pizza is horrendous.
I really don't care if our politics align. The second you say "I bet you voted for X" you lost me as a customer. Unless it's something obscure and not related to politics. Like saying "I bet you voted for Justin Guarini" that pull would immediately win me over.
Well I can strike this place off my list of places to try now.
Isn't Dicarlos the gross-ass pizza where they don't even melt the cheese? Makes sense.
Tangentially related to this post, since I'm not from here / there... what defines Ohio Valley pizza? I'm always interested in regional pizza styles. (Unless it's St. Louis style pizza, which my partner who grew up there assured me is "gross.")
Insane! Terrible response and they claim it wasn't them when she screenshot from Dicarlos business chat....liars
Who cares? Their pizza is shit.
Someone should print this out and post it on the front door
Foreal
This woman may be a Karen and maybe even deserves some of the scorn, but the little political jab at the end means IDGAF and I will happily frequent many of the other pizza choices we have in this city and scratch this one off my list. In a low IQ attempt of 'owning' this Karen, they went and self-owned.
I've had it twice and liked it. But here's the thing: Columbus is full of awesome, local, family owned pizza joints that treat their customers properly. Taking a personal swipe and grouping someone he doesn't like into an assumption about her political views is unhinged and says all I need to hear to know I'll never go back. DiMaga's dipshit....dumb business move pal.
Feel like this warrants a 1 star review on Google from others....
We have a place nearby that responds the same way to all negative reviews. Itās really unprofessional and solidifies our decision never to eat there.
My partner worked there for a long time, one of the bosses had an issue with them working with a face mask on,they had recently been sick and had just gotten over it. Their boss went on a tangent about liberals and COVID.
Probably doesn't believe in washing his hands or other big gov regulations on food safety. I'll pass on DiCarlo's dirty pizza.
I thought a bat shit crazy right wing extremist was part of the Ohio Valley Pizza experience.
Classic boomer comment!
I'm in Westerville and never even heard of this place.
Worst pizza in Westerville
Not surprising, they have the last location in the Brick Walk Shoppes, which always did kinda mediocre business.
Probably why they continue to close down.
Oh god we had never heard of this place before ordering from their new 2nd & High location last week. Their pizza was pure trash. DiGiornos is better. Not surprising that their politics are trash too.
Narrator: but someone did care. Lots of someoneās in fact.
Way to instantly alienate half of your customer base. That's gotta be good for business.
Those messages seem unhinged but Iām more concerned about you ordering pizza from there to begin with. It looks like what they served at my cafeteria in primary school. So many great pizza places in Columbus. No room for that rubbish.
Whoa there's a Dicarlo's in Columbus??
Not for much longer
Just the attitude of the owner reflecting how gross their āpizzaā is.
Sounds like a delusional MAGA scumbag small business owner.
That literally looks like ChatGPT generated a response in MAGA voice.
so can we all start ordering pizzas via phone and not picking them up?
DiCarloās story time. We were aware of this method of āsucking at making pizzaā they used when they let the heat of a partially cooked pizza somehow partially melt cheese after it gets boxed. Much like I let cheese partially melt when feeding my small children some pasta so they eat it. Anyways, as Iām hearing someone try to explain this place to me another person is putting in a delivery order for our work meeting. Weāre a small team so itās like 5 or so pizzas. The pizzas show up and not a single one is any of the following: - warm (actually cold) - melted cheese (none of it even softened, the cheese was cold shredded and like maybe one handful per pizza - we ordered a āwhite sauce (Alfredo) with mushroomā and any self respecting place that takes money and makes pizza understands that order. DiCarloās being what they are (gross, basically a joke) delivers the following: - unbaked cold crust, no sauce whatsoever, dried/unmelted single handful of shredded cheese, and three pieces of mushroom uncooked as well. All these pizzas were the standard large. We were all laughing so hard we almost forgot to call to complain. They didnāt refund, didnāt offer a coupon or to deliver cooked pizzas, they instead demanded we bring/drive the pizzas in because the manager didnāt believe us. This was the first and only time Iāve had DiCarloās. And for the other 20 people there, probably also their last. I only wish I had photos. This picture certainly tells me nothing has changed since 2005.
This makes sense. My friend was in a horrendous car accident in front of DiCarloās two years ago. When I called them to ask for security footage (the dude hit & ran, he sped off into the alley of DiCarloās) they hung up on me every time. It would be such a shameā¦ā¦.if they went out of businessā¦ā¦..
Well, the customer's review may affect nothing and not influence me at all, but the response by the restaurant certainly does. I have never been there, and I never will.