Hakki Akdeniz, the owner of pizza chain Champion Pizza, which has 15 locations spread across New York City, Long Island, Texas and Florida, is the central character in a story that can be described as part rags to riches and part American dream.
Originally from a small village in Turkey, as one of 17 kids with little education, Akdeniz came to the U.S. in 2001 by way of Canada with little more than $240 in his pocket and a yearning to succeed.
“I stayed at a hotel in Times Square that was $30 per night…. I was looking for a job, but couldn’t find one,” Akdeniz says, recalling January of 2001, as “one of the coldest winters.”
He faced other challenges including homelessness and not knowing English.
But he found help and ended up staying at the Bowery Mission on Manhattan’s Lower East Side for several months. “The mission was like my second home…it gave me hope,” Akdeniz says.
From there, Akdeniz found a job at pizza place in Hoboken, New Jersey.
Akdeniz had experience working in pizza stores back in Turkey and when he lived in Canada for several years and worked in his brother’s pizza shop.
His boss in New Jersey, Cumali Kurt, let him stay with him for a while. “I remember my first paycheck was $300…I cried, it was so moving,” he recalls.
With hard work and dedication, Akdeniz was able to open his own pizza shop on Essex Street in Manhattan in 2010. He recalls buying the shop from an old-school Italian owner for $85,000. “He was the nicest person, a very sweet guy.”
He was supposed to pay the owner $5,000 each month, after his down payment of $40,000. But things got dicey when business slowed and Akdeniz wasn’t able to make the payments.
Things got so bad that Akdeniz had to choose between a place to sleep and holding on to his store. “I was sleeping in my shop on the floor next to the pizza oven just to stay warm,” he says.
Making matters worse, the landlord wasn’t happy about not getting his scheduled payments and told Akdeniz, “If you don’t pay me, I might have to put you in the oven!”
But help was on the way in the form of a pizza competition held at the Javits Center in Manhattan.
Steve Green, the owner of PMQ Pizza (a pizza industry publication) told him about the competition. Akdeniz won the championship in 2010 by spinning flaming dough, among other tricks.
PMQ Pizza proceeded to put Akdeniz on the cover of the magazine. “This magazine cover basically saved my life,” he recalls, adding that the company sent him about 200 copies of the magazine and Akdeniz put them on tables in his shop.
Kids came in and took the magazines and distributed them around the area. Soon, kids were asking Akdeniz for his autograph and that word-of-mouth marketing helped Akdeniz’s now-renamed Champion Pizza shop become the most famous shop in the area in about a month.
The shop got busier and busier, “I had lines out the door from this, fueled by the magazine story,” he says. Gaining popularity with numerous interviews and publicity propelling his success, he was soon opening multiple Champion Pizza shops across New York and eventually out of state for a total of 15 locations.
The menu at Champion Pizza features several varieties of his signature thin-crust pizza, from Buffalo chicken and Margherita to Philly cheesesteak, pesto chicken, Hawaiian and vegan/gluten-free. Other popular items include wings, salads, bowls, heroes, calzones and paninis. Akdeniz also sells his own branded frozen pizza, available at hundreds of retailers.
“Every day you learn more,” explains Akdeniz. “I create different pizza versions all the time.” He says their sauce is made from scratch using imported tomatoes from Italy plus honey and extra-virgin olive oil.
Commenting on the American dream, Akdeniz says, “It’s easy if you don’t give up.”
Scott Wiener, owner of Scott’s Pizza Tours in New York City, says Akdeniz is “100 percent authentic,” adding, “I know plenty of people who’ve owned pizza stores but none who went from zero to success, like he did.”
Moreover, Akdeniz’s experience isn’t just an American success story, he’s a celebrity and do-gooder who made good.
He boasts an Instagram following of 35 million, numbers most A-listers might envy. Many celebrities have met Akdeniz or stopped by one of his New York City shops, including NBA legend Carmelo Anthony, boxing champion Mike Tyson, and actors David Spade, Courteney Cox and Alec Baldwin.
In 2022, a documentary on Akdeniz debuted on Discovery+ detailing his life, from a homeless immigrant to American success story.
But Akdeniz, who never wants to forget his humble beginnings, has become a homelessness advocate who has donated his time, money and resources to help feed the homeless. He even delivered a Ted Talk at Rutgers University on his journey and the need to help the homeless.
He can “feel the pain that the homeless feel,” he explains,” adding, “Giving back is the biggest thing in my life.” Akdeniz focuses on several issues, especially helping the homeless, as he was affected personally.
He has donated more than 200,000 slices of pizza to those in need and gives back to the Bowery Mission, offering free pizza to the homeless every Wednesday near 34th Street in Manhattan.
Looking ahead, Akdeniz says that expansion is possible, but likely abroad in his homeland Turkey or Dubai.
Akdeniz says that he wants to have continued growth but that it isn’t just about materialism. “It’s not just about having a nice car or more money… I want to inspire kids to aim higher and never give up on their dreams.”
He continues, “I believe if you give back, you get back even more”
Champion Pizza is located at 247 Hempstead Tpke. in Elmont. They can be reached at 516-806-3315. Visit them at https://championpizzanyc.com/
