Steve Salis is an American entrepreneur, co-founder of &pizza, and the founder of Sizzle Acquisition and Salis Holdings.

Early life

Steve Salis was born in 1983 to a working-class family in New Hampshire.[1] His father ran a gas station and his mother did different small jobs. As a child, he was good at basketball and got a scholarship to the University of New Hampshire. Salis studied economics and business administration in college but dropped out and moved to New York City upon receiving modeling opportunities there.[2]

Career

Salis began his career as a fashion model in New York City but soon started working at nightclubs. Later, he started giving advice to restaurants and bars on how to run their business better.[2]

In 2012, Steve Salis co-founded &pizza with Michael Lastoria while in his mid-20s. To select the location for their inaugural &pizza outlet, they explored numerous places over three weeks, eventually choosing Washington, D.C.[3] Salis served as the CEO from its inception until 2015.[4][5] In 2017, &pizza advocated a cause in Congress, a $15 minimum wage by 2023.[6][7][8] Salis remained the major shareholder in the company until 2019, when he divested his holdings for an undisclosed sum.[9]

Steve Salis founded Salis Holdings in 2015.[10] Under Salis Holdings, Steve Salis has acquired and currently owns several notable brands including Ted's Bulletin, Kramers Bookstore,[11] Federalist Pig, and Honeymoon Chicken,[12] expanding his business in the hospitality and food industry.[13][14]

Steve Salis is also the CEO of Sizzle Acquisition Corp, a NASDAQ listed blank-check company with a focus on acquiring businesses in the retail and consumer sectors. In 2021 it has raised $155 million with an initial public offering. He has a growing real estate holdings portfolio and in 2022 announced a nearly billion-dollar lithium battery merger in the public market space through Sizzle Acquisition Corp.[15][16]

References

  1. ↑ Carman, Tim (2021-10-23). "&pizza co-founder Steve Salis has big plans for Ted's Bulletin, Kramerbooks and life in D.C." Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 2023-10-03.
  2. 1 2 "How a Nightclub Doorman/Model Became a DC Restaurateur, Real Estate Player, and Bookstore Owner - Washingtonian". 2018-01-19. Retrieved 2023-10-03.
  3. ↑ Metcalf, Andrew (2014-05-12). "&pizza Opens on Old Georgetown Road". MoCo360. Retrieved 2023-09-30.
  4. ↑ Metcalf, Andrew (2015-05-29). "&pizza Founder Out as CEO". MoCo360. Retrieved 2023-10-03.
  5. ↑ "Co-founder of hip D.C.-based pizza chain out as CEO". www.bizjournals.com. Retrieved 2023-10-03.
  6. ↑ ""We Want To Be The Best Neighbors": &pizza Reinvents The Pizza Parlor". Fast Company. 2017-10-31.
  7. ↑ Borchardt, Debra. "&pizza Heads To NYC With A Slice Of Social Consciousness". Forbes. Retrieved 2023-10-01.
  8. ↑ Taylor, Kate. "Meet the CEO of an up-and-coming pizza chain who is actually fighting to raise the minimum wage". Business Insider. Retrieved 2023-10-02.
  9. ↑ "&pizza makes leadership changes as it looks to double in size". www.bizjournals.com. Retrieved 2023-10-03.
  10. ↑ Kelso, Alicia. "Why Salis Holdings Is Leveraging The Restaurant Acquisitions Market". Forbes. Retrieved 2023-10-03.
  11. ↑ "How a Nightclub Doorman/Model Became a DC Restaurateur, Real Estate Player, and Bookstore Owner - Washingtonian". 2018-01-19. Retrieved 2023-10-02.
  12. ↑ Carman, Tim (2022-07-05). "Review | Honeymoon Chicken aims high — and hits its mark". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 2023-10-02.
  13. ↑ "Steve Salis is bullish on growth in the Washington, D.C. area under platform company Catalogue". Nation's Restaurant News. 2022-04-18. Retrieved 2023-09-30.
  14. ↑ "Honeymoon Chicken, from a DC pitmaster, comes to Petworth". WTOP News. 2022-01-11. Retrieved 2023-09-30.
  15. ↑ Ramkumar, Amrith (2022-10-24). "Upstart European Lithium Is Valued at $970 Million in Deal for U.S. Listing". Wall Street Journal. ISSN 0099-9660. Retrieved 2023-10-01.
  16. ↑ "European Lithium to merge with Sizzle Acquisition to form exploration firm". Reuters. 2022-10-26. Retrieved 2023-10-01.
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