For the past year, American Pizza Manufacturing in La Jolla has been dealing with a unique version of harassment. It began with disparaging posts on review sites and social media about the eatery and its owner. Then, a Mercedes-Maybach GLS 600 SUV and a very limited Ford Raptor Shelby Baja edition, both covered with decals of various fonts reading "Take N Bake Pizza Sucks", began parking in the spaces directly in front of the take-and-bake pizzeria. The owner has also reported a plane flying over the area pulling a banner with messages like "Just Say No To Take N Bake Pizza" and "Carinos Pizza Is Better Than Take N Bake". The aforementioned Carino's restaurant sits directly next door to American Pizza MFG and has been in business since 1972. No reports have yet been filed with local law enforcement regarding the alleged instances of harassment.
"It started in October 2020, but has escalated over the past few months," explained American Pizza MFG Founder Andrew Melone. "Fake 1-star Google reviews (over 100), plane banners (first plane October 2020 and 2nd/3rd planes earlier this October), then wrapped cars (2) and multiple instances of libel (against our business and me personally). This person has a long history of poor/unchecked behavior - Ajay Thakore. We have pictures/evidence/date logs of all of it to build a legal case."
Andrew Melone opened American Pizza Manufacturing last summer amid the pandemic. The 1,700 square-foot eatery offers a menu centered around a variety of 12-14'' pizzas to be baked at home, as well as ready-to-eat pasta dishes, salads, and desserts. The location also houses a small market with a variety of grocery items and a selection of beer and wine for take away. Malone’s love for pizza led him to become an early investor in the now-defunct Chicago-based HomeMade Pizza Company, a similar bake-at-home concept which made Oprah’s list of the "50 Best Pizzas in America" and once operated more than 40 locations around the United States.
American Pizza MFG is located at 7402 La Jolla Boulevard in San Diego's La Jolla. For more information, visit americanpizzamfg.com.
