The Mexican Pizza iat Greenville Avenue Pizza Company. Photography by Kathy Tran.
Sammy Mandell, the owner of local pizza chain Greenville Avenue Pizza Co., was part of the team that achieved a Guinness World Record for the largest pizza party.
Mandell joined World Pizza Champions in Tulsa on Jan. 21 to set the record, which included 3,357 party participants.
Participants were required to eat at least 25% of a 10-inch pizza and drink a small amount of water within a 15-minute time frame.
The event, part of the pregame festivities for the University of Tulsa-Tulane men’s basketball game, raised more than $42,000 for Make-A-Wish Oklahoma. (Tulsa’s Golden Hurricane defeated Tulane, 81-79.)
Jane Rohweder, the senior director of development for Make-A-Wish Oklahoma, said in a news release that funds raised from the pizza party will help grant wishes for some of the kids on the waitlist.
World Pizza Champions is a nonprofit organization. Members join by invitation only and engage in competition, educational outreach, public demonstrations and community service to promote pizza-making as a craft and career.
Mandell, a graduate of Bryan Adams High School, joined the team last year, the fourth Texan to receive the recognition.
He opened GAPCo 15 years ago on Greenville Avenue. Since then, the restaurant has expanded to another East Dallas location on Peavy Road, plus one in Richardson.
Greenville Avenue Pizza Co. founder Sammy Mandell with a Guinness World Record certificate. Photo courtesy of Greenville Avenue Pizza Co.
