Geeking out over community spirit

By Dave Hunter

INDEPENDENT Edinburgh pizza group Pizza Geeks is in charitable form this year as it aims to give away more than 15,000 pizzas to homeless and disadvantaged people across the Scottish capital. 

The company’s ‘Pizza for the People’ initiative – which has given  away 39,000 pizzas since the company’s inception – will see each of Pizza Geeks’ three venues – in Haymarket, Easter Road and Leith, respectively – give away 100 pizzas every week in the course of the year. 

With the initiative well underway, SLTN caught up with Pizza Geeks founder, Patrick Ward, to find out more about the business and its Pizza for the People initiative.

How long has Pizza Geeks  been up and running, and when were each of the three units opened?

“Pizza Geeks happened by complete chance! I met Fin, the other co-founder, at a party in Edinburgh, where we got chatting after a couple of beers. 

I had been looking to do something in street food for a little while after having finished working offshore and when Fin and I got speaking we had a realisation that we both wanted to do something that would help benefit the local community. 

Then boom! Pizza Geeks was formed in 2016 where we started out in the vibrant Scottish street food scene, working at local markets, events, festivals across Scotland and basically anyone who wanted some pizzas served. 

We opened our first unit, the Mothership in Haymarket, in October 2018, our second, The Tardis on Commercial St, in Leith, in March 2021. 

Our most recent venue on Easter Road (still to be named) launched as a pop-up in December 2023 – but due to its success we now have big plans to renovate the space with private rooms for parties, events and gaming rooms.”

What was your background before Pizza Geeks?

“My career before Pizza Geeks was in an industry worlds apart… I actually worked offshore in drilling, like that film with Bruce Willis, in space. 

In fact, I would argue it was a bit more of a high-risk job working in the North Sea.”

What was the thinking behind Pizza for the People and how does it work?

“I guess it came from our desire to transcend the traditional corporate model and make a meaningful impact on people’s lives and give back to the communities we are in. 

It all began with that first meeting, where the seeds of the idea were sown, and from there, it has grown and evolved over the years. 

The concept is simple: every time you eat with us, you’re actively contributing to our initiative, directly giving back to those who need it most.

Pizza for the People is not only about the sustenance of the food – it’s highlighting the things some of us take for granted and like any good fellowship it’s about fostering kindness and understanding.”

How many pizzas have you given away from the three units so far this year? 

“We have given away around 2700 pizzas this year so far. The goal for this year is 15,000.”

How are you getting the word out to disadvantaged and, particularly, homeless people about the initiative?

“That is actually one of our biggest challenges – we do work with lots of great local social initiatives and charities who do great work, but we are always looking for new opportunities to reach people and to spread the word for people to reach out to us. 

So, if you know of or work with anyone that could benefit from this initiative please do get in touch.”

You’ve mentioned working with other charities and local enterprises. Is there anything more you can say on this at this point?

“We are still in talks with some national and local charities to see how we can assist them.

However, it’s not just the disadvantaged – we want to support those that have gone above and beyond for people in their local communities.”

How important do you think it is that hospitality operators such as yourself give back to their communities with initiatives such as Pizza for the People?

“I believe it is massively important – we want to share our success. 

Because of some of the current social issues we are facing in this country at the moment, I believe that any and all businesses should be giving back, if they have the means to do so.”