Famed NYC pizzeria cranks out hundreds of pies a day for cross-country flight delivery to Los Angeles pizza lovers

Patsy's Pizzeria is partnering with JetBlue for three days to send pizza to LA.

May 10, 2018, 4:37 PM

Some pizza lovers go to great lengths to have a New York City pie delivered -- and now even those in Los Angeles can get in on the action.

Patsy's Pizzeria, one of the most notable New York City pizza shops, is partnering with JetBlue Airways to deliver their signature pies across the country to hungry Los Angeles residents.

If you ask the shop's father-son co-owners Frank and Adam Brija, the offer to satisfy customers in a new neighborhood was a no-brainer. Especially when JetBlue found a way to transport 350 pies a day while still maintaining the hot-out-of-an-oven quality.

"I’ll fly [our pies] out to anybody who wants 'em. As long as I can ensure they’re going to get a quality product, I’ll do it, " co-owner Adam Brija told ABC News. "You've got to maintain your reputation so I watch every one of the pizzas get made and check them before we vacuum seal them up [for delivery.]"

"The pizza is made fresh at Patsy’s Pizzeria and baked in their coal fire oven. From there, it is packed for the flight. Upon arrival at LAX, the pizza is brought to a kitchen and prepped for final delivery so that it’s fresh and delicious upon delivery to your door," a representative for JetBlue confirmed.

"A designated pizzaiolo (a specially trained pizza chef) has overseen the logistics of the pizza’s journey to ensure quality is maintained throughout the process," they added.

The "Pies in the Sky" campaign is not the first time one of Patsy's pizzas has taken off on a Los Angeles-bound flight.

The 85-year-old East Harlem pizzeria has hosted some of the most notable names in New York, including Frank Sinatra, who Adam Brija said used to commission pie transportation on his private plane.

"It’s funny, back in the '70s, Frank Sinatra's favorite New York pizza was Patsy’s, and he used to do concerts out in L.A. So they used to fly hundreds of pizzas on his private plane," the Patsy's co-owner explained.

Residents in Los Angeles, including Chrissy Teigen, Lisa Rinna and Sofia Richie, are eating up the prospect of the first-of-its-kind coast-to-coast commercial flight pizza delivery.

"There were about 1,500 people that came to the site on Night 1, and when we went live the ordering went so fast we booked all 350 pies for day one in a matter of seconds," JetBlue said.

The eager customers shut down the site Wednesday when online ordering first opened.

"There was a delay on Night 1 ordering (originally slated for May 9 12 a.m. PT) due to an issue on [the] site and the team was resilient, working quickly, course correcting the issue and re-set the ordering for 9 a.m. PT that then worked when we went live," a JetBlue representative said in a statement.

PHOTO: Frank Brija at Patsys Pizzeria in East Harlem with hundreds of pizza ready for delivery to Los Angeles.
Frank Brija at Patsys Pizzeria in East Harlem with hundreds of pizza ready for delivery to Los Angeles.
Adam Brija

The final orders will be available on Friday at 12 a.m. PT, but JetBlue is offering additional promos and contests for anyone who wants to just come to New York and have a slice in person at Patsy's.

Adam Brija said he would partner with the airline again in the future and that he's already received requests for pizza in other major cities."

"The reception has been wonderful, we just hope it continues this way."

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