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Along the way, Hakki has become a pizza celebrity, won international pizza-making competitions, and his Instagram account has 4.8 million followers. While building this small pizza empire, he never forgot his time among the homeless. He passed out free slices to street people who came around asking. Eventually, he started a weekly food and clothing handout on the sidewalk on West 34th Street. As of 2018, he has donated two hundred thousand slices. This activity, currently held every Wednesday, has now expanded to include groups such as homeless aid foundations PCNY Street and Bowery Mission, as well as a number of celebrities and millions of Instagram followers.
Also, Champion Pizza aids not only the less fortunate but also the hardest hit. In October 2012, when Hurricane Sandy inflicted a week-long power outage on New York City, Hakki served the neighborhood free pizza, courtesy of his gas ovens. In 2017, as Puerto Rico was reeling from Hurricane Maria, Champion Pizza organized relief efforts and shipped tons of food, water, and necessities to the island.
For his commitment to supporting those in need, Hakki received citations and commendations from the New York City Council, the New York House of Representatives, the L.E.S Hispanic council, the State of New York, State Senator Brian Kavanagh, and the offices of the Mayor and the Manhattan Borough Presidents, as well as the 2019 Beacon Award, which is given by the Ellis Island Honors Society and American Immigrant Society.
Hakki Akdeniz – Owner and executive chef Hakki is a world champion of acrobatic pizza performing competition. He has been featured numbers of domestic and international Tv shows, magazines and newspapers. In spring 2013, he brought the awardwinning pizzas to nolita Manhattan. Hakki and his successful story is currently the subject of a documentary film intended for submission to major film festivals.
Whatever you do, never give up.
This simple yet very strong motto is what pushed Hakki through the bad times to become a successful business owner and entrepreneur in New York.
Hakki Akdeniz was born in a small village in southeastern region of Turkey. As he grew up, he learned to sell and buy things on the street, to polish shoes to make a living for him and his family, which built his keen sense of business that affected a lot later in his life. The life in the village made him dream of bigger future achievement outside the village.
As a teenager, Hakki moved to Montreal, Canada and worked at his brother’s pizzeria, where he learned not only recipes of pizzas on the menu, but also how to run a business. Years later when he became 21, he made a decision to move to New York to achieve the big dream of his lifetime: to open his own business. despite anxiety of family and friends, he departed with just two hundred forty bucks in his pocket, no English word, and the spirit of never give up.
Hakki spent lots of time to create his signature Grandma pizza. With the crunchy thin crust, the tomato sauce that has a bit of sweetness, carefully picked parmigiano cheese, it is one of the best seller at Champion Pizza Soho.
Everyday Hakki spends some time in the kitchen to maintain the quality of pizza by himself. As a result the business receives great online reviews and achieves more and more fans. He often listens to customers voices as well for improvement always quick to say hi to his neighbors, and friendly to every customer, young and old, which explains why his pizza shops become busy spots very quickly and have loyal customers who visit the store to get a slice every week, if not everyday. “It is important to always remember where you came from, and to appreciate what you have now as well” he says.
Not only a pizzeria owner, Hakki is known as a wold champion of pizza acrobatics competition, in which competitors take turns spinning pizza dough to dazzle judges and audiences.
Hakki spent lots of time to create his signature Grandma pizza. With the crunchy thin crust, the tomato sauce that has a bit of sweetness, carefully picked parmigiano cheese, it is one of the best seller at Champion Pizza Soho.
Everyday Hakki spends some time in the kitchen to maintain the quality of pizza by himself. As a result the business receives great online reviews and achieves more and more fans. He often listens to customers voices as well for improvement always quick to say hi to his neighbors, and friendly to every customer, young and old, which explains why his pizza shops become busy spots very quickly and have loyal customers who visit the store to get a slice every week, if not everyday. “It is important to always remember where you came from, and to appreciate what you have now as well” he says.
Not only a pizzeria owner, Hakki is known as a wold champion of pizza acrobatics competition, in which competitors take turns spinning pizza dough to dazzle judges and audiences.