One Dude’s Pizza Closes Shop

One Dude’s Pizza closed down just one day after my story about the pizza shop ran in the Standard-Examiner. “One Dude,” (a.k.a. Alex Peterson), announced the closure of his Ogden pizzeria on his social media accounts.

It was not an appeal for help.

“Don’t try to save the shop,” Peterson said in a Tik-Tok video announcing the closure. He already closed his website so that people couldn’t contribute any money, order T-shirts, etc. in support.

I was stunned and disappointed. Before writing this post, I waited a week, just in case One Dude’s would once again rise from the brink. There were a lot of people rooting for this pizzeria, which has had a lot of ups and downs since it opened in Layton in 2020.

Peterson’s Tik-Tok video explaining the closure has since disappeared; at least, I’m not able to find or view it anymore. But I took notes when I saw it, so I can share the gist of it.

Peterson said he was tired mentally and physically, from “an attack from a lot of fronts.” He said he trusted the construction crew he hired to remodel the building, but it turned out they hadn’t gotten required permits. He said a couple of times that “Ogden City was working with us on it.” But then he was “blindsided” and told he had to have everything taken care of by that Monday, and it was impossible.

He also said the Standard-Examiner article prompted some people to call and complain about him. Which surprised me, because the article was very positive. Who are these people, and what could they complain about? And who did they call?

Contrary to what a few accusers may claim, I don’t believe that Peterson was “scamming” anyone. Scammers don’t get rich working themselves into the ground at a pizza shop. He was sincere about his love for cooking and creating food for his customers. He was also trying to navigate a small business through the troubled waters of the Covid pandemic, rising food prices, his personal health crises, equipment breakdowns, and other challenges. He was trying to donate to good causes as well.

While operating on Main Street in Layton, he discovered the power of social media when he posted that the struggling shop was going to have to close. That sparked a flurry of pizza orders and gift card purchases, and fans of the shop kept him in business. He said he also was able to help a few other struggling local businesses.

But he needed a better location, and moved the shop to Ogden’s 24th Street, opening in October 2022. Sales in the new location were slow.

When it again looked like closure was imminent, he once again pled his case on social media and a GoFundMe campaign. While it resulted in a groundswell of support, it also brought out bullies who accused him of trying to play on community sympathy.

But Peterson isn’t the first restaurant to appeal for help. Earlier this year, the nationally acclaimed Hell’s Backbone Grill did a GoFundMe in order to stay in business, and raised over $400,000. Apparently there are people out there with a desire to save struggling restaurants. Some became loyal followers of One Dude’s Pizza.

Although stung by the attacks, Peterson kept the buzz going on social media — singing opera, touting his waffle crust, or demonstrating how to make a jalapeno bacon doughnut.

Writing about One Dude’s Pizza Co was like trying to hit a constantly moving target. I interviewed and photographed Peterson one February afternoon. Then I went on vacation for a week. When I got back, I checked his Facebook and TikTok accounts, and realized that much of the info he had given me had already changed.

Hours were changing. The crust had switched from a traditional dough to “Home of the Waffle Crust.” A new menu included create-your-own salads, loaded french fries and “Hothouse” doughnuts topped with jalapeno/bacon, chicken & waffles or pepperoni. Also, there was a One Dude’s t-shirt logo contest. And Peterson announced that he was hiring staffers to help make pizzas, as he would soon be working a second job.

I applaud Peterson’s efforts to mix things up and innovate. But it’s hard for customers to keep up with such rapid changes.

During our interview, Peterson told me how much he enjoyed running the shop.

“It’s one of those things, I woke up one morning and told my wife, I can do this every day for the rest of my life,” he said. “I am here every day, I make everything that comes out the door, so it’s consistent. It’s not turned over to someone else who might not have the passion to do it right.”

Sadly, that’s not going to happen anymore, at least for now. But there are so many restaurants out there who would love to hire an energetic chef in their kitchen. I have a feeling the food world hasn’t seen the last of One Dude.