From Teacher to Pizzeria Connoisseur- Jay Kranchalk from Fat Daddy’s

“It’s not often you walk into a pizza shop and find your former teacher running the place, but at Fat Daddy’s the idea is not so far-fetched.”

It’s not often you walk into a pizza shop and find your former teacher running the place, but at Fat Daddy’s the idea is not so far-fetched. Jay Kranchalk retired after 22 years of teaching in New Hanover County to own and operate Fat Daddy’s Pizza in downtown Burgaw.

He was recruited by Richard Johnson at Burgaw Now to train in the pizza world and take over a new pizza place they were building in 2020. The team at Burgaw Now working hand-in-hand with Jay refurbished a historic downtown space in hopes to pull Burgaw back to its town center and away from the commercial fast-food corridor. 

From learning the business ropes to slinging pizza dough in the air, Jay trained relentlessly at Vito’s Pizza in Wilmington before cutting the ribbon at Fat Daddy’s. The result is not only fabulous pizza, but a place that quickly became a mainstay fixture in downtown Burgaw for family’s and visitors alike. 

Fat Daddy’s is a no-frills pizza joint where you can order a small or large pie, or pizza by the slice. Their list of toppings is big enough to suit everyone in your order, plus some stromboli options and parmigiani sandwiches. Sure you’ve heard of garlic knots and their dessert counterpart sugar knots – but what about blueberry knots? Fat Daddy’s has all three, and good luck finding blueberry knots anywhere else, that is a nod to hometown pride you can only experience in Burgaw. 

Visit Jay and his team at Fat Daddy’s Pizza for some delicious food and good people from 11am-8pm everyday except Sunday.