Outta Sight Pizza
“As a small business owner, I was thrilled to learn about the SBDC program. I was looking for affordable and accessible support, and the SBDC delivered. My advisor was knowledgeable and helpful, and provided me with the tools and resources I needed to succeed. I highly recommend the SBDC program to any small business owner who is looking for support to grow and thrive.”
Outta Sight Pizza was started in 2020 during the height of the pandemic. Buddies Eric Ehler and Peter Dorrance decided to start the business with a few core values in mind: always feeding people the best pizza ever, making sure the people who make the pizza are properly paid, working with a team of people that love, care and respect each other and last but not least, always doing the right thing through pizza.
Their pizza combines the love of crispy NY slices and the technique of Neapolitan pies. All pizzas are named after individuals that the Outta Sight staff admires. With pizza that’s truly “outta sight,” a rotating menu, and the use of seasonal ingredients, Outta Sight Pizza will always bring you a taste of SF with every slice.
The owners started the business as popups using kitchen space from restaurants and bars. Their pizza became so popular that they decided to open a brick-and-mortar store in 2022. When they heard about one-on-one business advising from the SBDC, they signed up immediately to get assistance.
SBDC advisor John DeGaetano helped the business explore funding opportunities, taught the owners about financial analysis and projections, and supported the strategic planning for the business. The owners now have monthly check-ins with John. “The support is very helpful,” said one of the owners. “It’s like a welfare checkup every month.”
Knowing that the owners had very limited capital to start with, John always notified them whenever grants were available. As a result, the business received the SF Shines grant to help with logo design and store construction. In the past two years, the business secured start-up funds from crowdfunding and private investors, invested over $150,000 on the buildout, grew its employee base from one to 20 and is on track to pay back its investors.
Outta Sight Pizza is a shining example of what can be achieved when the community comes together to support a business. The restaurant is thriving and, in return, is helping to make the neighborhood a better place.
The owners were first drawn to the Tenderloin neighborhood’s affordability and diversity. The owners say the Tenderloin is a popular spot for lunch, thanks to its proximity to the City Hall, courthouse, law school, the Asian Art Museum, and the Main Library. Nighttime business is growing as well as more businesses open and families move in. The neighborhood has been undergoing a transformation in recent years. “More and more families are coming to the Tenderloin,” said one of the owners. “That was very different from when we first opened, but the neighborhood is getting better, even though it still needs help.”
“As a small business owner, I was thrilled to learn about the SBDC program. I was looking for affordable and accessible support, and the SBDC delivered. My advisor was knowledgeable and helpful, and provided me with the tools and resources I needed to succeed. I highly recommend the SBDC program to any small business owner who is looking for support to grow and thrive.”
Peter Dorrance
Co founder Outta Sight pizz
