One Dude’s Pizza finds a new home in Ogden
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- Alex Peterson of One Dude’s Pizza in Ogden.
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- The Mob Boss at One Dude’s Pizza in Ogden.
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- The El Queso Fuego at One Dude’s Pizza in Ogden.
One Dude’s Pizza Co. specializes in off-the-wall toppings.
Where else can you find Funeral Potatoes pizza — a crust covered in white sauce, french fries, green onions, a sour cream drizzle and fried onions? The Chicken & Waffles pizza features roasted pulled chicken, Creole spices, green onions, and drizzles of maple and spicy honey. The March limited-time special is a fried pickle pizza.
But you can also get classic-style pizzas, such as the Mob Boss –red sauce, mozzarella, pepperoni and sweet Italian sausage. Or the super cheesy Dad Joke — a three-cheese pizza.
These are the creations of “One Dude,” aka Alex Peterson, who opened his shop at 470 24th St. last September after several starts, setbacks and a roller coaster ride on social media.
“I have an eccentric mind, and this is a way to express myself,” Peterson said.
His personal favorite pizza is the El Queso Fuego — a ranch base, mozzarella, red pepper flakes, nacho drizzle and green onions.
Peterson was an executive chef at two reception centers, first the Chantilly Mansion in Layton and then Bellington Manor in Ogden.
“When the pandemic hit, there was no wedding catering, so I needed to find something else,” he said. “That’s when we opened the pizza shop in Layton in 2020.”
But the old building on Layton’s Main Street had electrical problems and was difficult for customers to access. Dealing with the COVID-19 regulations was another struggle.
Finally in January 2021, Peterson posted on Facebook that, with a heavy heart, the shop was closing and any unused gift cards would be refunded at the end of the month.
“We have loved bringing our pizza to happy mouths, but unfortunately the revenue has not been there for us to continue with daily operations.” he wrote.
That sparked a flurry of orders and gift card purchases from the community. At the end of the day, Peterson posted a tearful video thanking those who bought $1,300 in pizzas and almost $1,000 in gift cards, all in one day.
“After that, we were doing 250 pizzas a day, every day, and we would be booked out four days in advance,” Peterson said.
But he needed a better location. In order to keep the current customers, he tried to find somewhere less than 10 minutes away from the Layton shop.
He found a space on 24th Street in Ogden, next door to a karate studio.
“We were going to do a quick two-week changeover, moving from Layton to the Ogden shop,” he said. “But I was diagnosed with kidney failure.”
So he took a job at a car dealership for a year while he recovered his health. He continued to pay rent on the building and eventually renovated it into a retro-vibe pizza parlor. The countertops are made from repurposed doors, and an old Coke vending machine chills soft drinks. How old? Well, since the price of a Coke is posted as 15 cents, it’s likely from the 1970s.
The Ogden location opened in September 2022. But business was slow.
“In Layton, we were booked out four days in advance, but here in Ogden we were just doing 10-15 pizzas a day, and we weren’t going to make it,” Peterson said.
So in January, he once again turned to social media, posting that the shop needed more sales.
“And we got a burst of customers for about a week,” Peterson said.
When it looked like closure was imminent, he once again pled his case on social media. While it resulted in a groundswell of support, it also brought out bullies who accused him of trying to play on community sympathy.
Although stung by the attacks, he keeps things buzzing on social media with announcements of new menu items, including waffle crust, jalapeno-bacon doughnuts, loaded french fries, pressed sandwiches and a One Dude T-shirt logo contest.
He also posts sticky notes on a shop bulletin board, good for a free half-pizza. “Every time we sell four pizzas, we give a half-pizza for anyone who might be in need of a meal, no questions asked,” Peterson said. “My family was super poor growing up, and this is my way of giving back.”
He advises customers to order online to ensure getting a pizza.
“Right now, we only have storage for 200 pizzas per day,” he said. “So if you walk in at 8 p.m., we might have already sold out of dough for that night. If you order online, it guarantees your pizza for the night.”
IF YOU GO
One Dude’s Pizza
Location: 470 24th St.
Contact: Onedudespizzaco.com
Prices: $16 per 12-inch pizza; $10 half pizza