Homeboy Pizza Co: Meet the man behind much-loved Leeds business opening its first brick-and-mortar shop

And now, Homeboy Pizza Co is set to open its first brick-and-mortar shop on Friday, June 7.

It announced its takeover of Harpo’s Pizza in Burley earlier this month, with hopes to bring some of the finest New York-style pizzas to Leeds. 

Founder and owner Harry Pykett, 32, told the Yorkshire Evening Post: “We've been going for three years now and one of the biggest questions we get is, ‘where can we find you guys when you're not doing events?’ 

“To be able to say, we've got our own shop and to point them in one direction, it makes sense.

“It has all come at the right time. We've put many, many hours and years of grafting to now actually feel confident that we've got a good enough following and we've got a good enough product to open a shop.

“The highlight has been being able to look at my wife and say that all the hours and all the sacrifices, it’s all been worth it.” 

It all began in the first lockdown of 2020 for Homeboy Pizza Co. Time spent indoors led Harry to develop a liking to baking following his dad’s interest in it too. 

“I got to grips with it really easily and I just really enjoyed it from the get-go,” Harry said. 

Buying an outdoor pizza oven, Harry began selling pizzas made with his very own sourdough starter to his neighbours for nothing more than a fiver. 

Each sale helped him establish the business further, Harry said. 

He explained: “Every weekend that we did it, we could buy a gazebo, we could buy new tables, buy an extra room. 

“I was still working full time as well, so I didn't need the money from the pizzas to live off. I just reinvested that into my equipment.” 

It led the business to host pop-ups at major food festivals during the summer and even feature at some brewery tap rooms and bars in the city, before taking up residency at Blueberry Hill Studios, in Kirkstall Industrial Park. 

Following the studios closure, in 2022, the business has an opportunity to operate in Call Lane bar Roland’s. Harry thought it was the perfect place to experiment with the menu - now serving Detroit-style pizzas.

“What's the point of going to an event when you can just go to a shop and get exactly the same pieces?” Harry said. 

“There's no real pull. If you like the Neapolitan style, you can come and see us at an event. And then if we open up in a shop or as a residency to do different styles, there’s a point of difference or a reason to visit. And it’s a new project for me to work on.”

It was when this permanent residency was secure that Harry decided to quit his job at a spirits company to focus his all on the pizza company. 

“I just got a promotion for my old job. I was kind of reluctant to make the jump for a long time as well,” Harry said.

“I was working full-time and doing the pizza stuff for two and a half years, nearly three years, so it was quite relentless.” 

“It was scary - the cost of living crisis, coming out Covid-19, so many places closing. But I didn't really make a massive leap. It was just because the pizza thing was taking over work.

“It just felt like the right thing to do. I didn't really have to make a big leap or like, invest loads of money because the pizza business kind of paid for itself, it was self-sufficient from the start.” 

Now, Harry and his team are working hard to transform its new Burley site into a “New York-style pizza shop” that will serve thin and crispy pizzas in a couple of different sizes. Wings and fries are also on the menu alongside homemade mozzarella dippers. 

Harry hope to offer monthly specials at the restaurant while the pop-up business continues to thrive as its own entity.

He said: “The support is crazy. We started out from my house. The first people that came around to get the pizza were neighbours and friends and family. 

“It starts to get really real when people that aren't your friends and family start to come to your house, which is weird. 

“We've not really done any marketing apart from our Instagram. I think people really enjoy just some authenticity on social media. We try to show some behind the scenes and try to keep it fun and as light-hearted as possible. 

“Hopefully, people can understand exactly what we're like and what I'm like. So it feels more comfortable to either meet me or buy stuff from us. It just feels like there's already a connection.

“It's been humbling. It feels weird, but it's very, very nice.”