In the early days of the Covid-19 pandemic, when uncertainty reigned and many of us were dreaming up wild ideas from our couches, Rob Andreozzi and Jesse Hedberg did more than just talk. They acted. In December 2020, the longtime friends launched Pizza Marvin in Providence, Rhode Island, a neighborhood pizza parlor that quickly evolved into a culinary destination. Today, it boasts accolades ranging from a Dave Portnoy One-Bite Pizza Ranking to a James Beard Award nomination.

The concept? Take the familiar corner pizza joint and infuse it with culinary school precision (though Andreozzi resists the “chef” label), inventive cocktails by a bartending genius, 90s nostalgia, Grateful Dead vibes, and a community ready to embrace something new. The result is Pizza Marvin, a place that hums with energy from lunch through late night.

From noon to 2 p.m., the lunch crowd flocks in for slices and salads while the kitchen gears up for the evening rush. Between 3 and 5 p.m., families swing by for after-school bites, pizzas, apps, and Jesse’s beloved soft serve. Some parents sneak in a canned cocktail to-go, a cheeky nod to the bedtime hustle. By 6 p.m., the menu shifts into high gear: raw oysters, local clams, and elevated cocktails uplift the experience beyond what most expect from a pizza shop. After 8 p.m., the college crowd takes over. Brown University students stroll down the hill for late-night eats, keeping the buzz alive.

This rhythm and consistency have fueled expansion. Pizza Marvin has absorbed neighboring businesses to grow its indoor space, and its outdoor patio, dubbed “Marvin’s Garden,” has become a warm-weather hotspot. In 2025, Andreozzi and Hedberg launched their next venture: Club Frills, a cocktail bar and restaurant that gives Hedberg’s creativity room to roam. They brought in James Beard Best Emerging Chef finalist Nikhil Naiker to push the boundaries even further.

The Marvin story isn’t just about food, it’s also about friendship, reinvention, and golf. In 2020, Jesse confessed to Rob, a lifelong golfer, that he wanted to give golf a real shot. Like many during the pandemic, he was drawn to the outdoors and the safety of the fairway. With a tennis background and sharp hand-eye coordination, Jesse quickly became obsessed, playing over 50 rounds that summer.

That fall, while planning the cocktail menu, Rob joked, “We should throw Transfusions on the menu.” Jesse, unfamiliar with the golf staple, replied after hearing the ingredients, “Oh, so it’s like a sweet Moscow Mule! Sounds delicious.” The joke became reality. Today, the Transfusion, traditionally a mix of vodka, grape juice, ginger ale, and lime, is a Marvin mainstay and their top seller, served on tap and canned. Rhode Island’s Covid-era policy change allowing to-go canned cocktails opened a new avenue for creativity and revenue. Canned cocktails became a signature offering for Pizza Marvin, eventually inspiring a side venture: Pizza Wine, a canned wine crafted specifically to pair with pizza. It’s now available in select liquor stores across Rhode Island, Massachusetts, and Vermont, with expansion plans underway for Connecticut, Maine, and New York.

The Transfusion’s origins are murky, but it’s long been a golf course favorite, rumored to be a hangover cure and even linked, without proof, to President Dwight D. Eisenhower at Augusta National. Barstool Sports fans have embraced it, and Marvin’s version fits right in.

Then came the one-two punch of winter 2022 to 2023. On December 26, 2022, Barstool CEO Dave Portnoy rated Pizza Marvin an 8.2 out of 10, a score that catapulted the shop into elite territory. Demand surged. Marvin went from selling 100 pies a day to 180 almost overnight. Rob and Jesse scrambled for flour and extra hands, weathering the storm with grit.

Less than three months later, Andreozzi was nominated for Best Chef: Northeast by the James Beard Foundation. “I don’t love that it says Best Chef Northeast,” he admits. “We really see this as a team award. There’s this fascination with ‘chef,’ but if you want a successful restaurant, the chef is the smallest part of it.” That recognition turned a humble “chef” and his humble “pizza shop” into a culinary destination and provided the catalyst for Andreozzi and Hedberg to double down. 

Pizza Marvin is unapologetically Rhode Island. The menu features littleneck stuffies, Caesar salad with smoked bluefish, raw oysters and clams, and seasoned fries spiced like a New York System wiener. Their Chowdah Pie, topped with clams, potatoes, and bacon, is a standout, and the pizzas reflect Andreozzi’s take on New Haven-style.

Early on, they wanted to highlight other local restaurants and created “The 12 Pies of Christmas,” where each year they team up with chefs and restaurants from across the state to raise money for charity in the middle of December. Pizzas for each week go live on Fridays at 8 a.m. and quickly sell out.

From pandemic pivot to culinary powerhouse, Pizza Marvin is proof that bold ideas, when paired with talent and tenacity, can turn a neighborhood joint into a national name.

A “Definitely don’t try this at home” Recipe:

Pizza Marvin Transfusion:

• Concord Grape syrup made from concord grapes, tartaric acid and citric acid
• Pisco
• Ginger Beer
• Vodka

For a better version plug 468 Wickenden St, Providence, RI 02903 into your GPS.