Drew Butler (53), Owner/ Operator
Market Pizza by Drew Butler, Culver City, CA 90232
Instagram Handle: @marketpizzabdb
Drew Butler, Owner/ Operator of Market Pizza by Drew Butler, Culver City, California, has been named a Rising Star of the Pizza Industry 2023 by Pizza Today. Read a quick Q&A with Drew.
How did you choose to get involved with pizza at a Farmer’s Market?
The market chose me! I was fundraising in the neighborhood for my son’s high school football team when several neighbors mentioned that Jackson Market had a pizza oven in the back no one was using. They had lost a couple chefs, and Covid happened, but we made a deal for me to start baking pizzas! The market is great. It’s original from 1925 and a real neighborhood fixture for food and drinks. They have a nice garden patio with fountains and fish ponds nestled under a vine covered arbor.
You began with a pretzel business. What lessons did that teach you before you got into pizza?
The most important lesson from the Pretzel biz was understanding my costs. And understanding the costs I didn’t understand yet, in other words didn’t know about. There was a factor of 4-5 times my equipment costs to have the capital I needed, the reserves and even back up contingencies. I feel like that ratio works in pizza too. Translation, count on spending 4-5 times as much as you originally think.
Where do you plan to take this dream next?
I am striving for excellence in pizza and service experience for Market Pizza. My highest priority is the uniqueness of my dough and the special time my 67-hour process deserves. It all starts with the crust — the rest is just toppings! Gourmet toppings for sure, but we have a pretty level playing field for tomatoes, cheese, meats and veggies. The crust is my signature. It’s what defines my pizza from everyone else’s. It’s got my name on it, so it’s got to be great!
