US pizza museum serves up history

Travel

A customer eats a slice at Pizza Brain in Philadelphia. Hundreds of people turned out for the grand opening of the restaurant / museum this month in Philadelphia's Fishtown neighborhood.

Pizza Brain's Brian Dwyer serves up an order. Visitors to the restaurant can eat a slice or two of artisan pie while gawking at pizza-related photos, records, knickknacks and videos.

The owners of Pizza Brain -- Joseph Hunter, Michael Carter, Ryan Anderson and Brian Dwyer (left to right) -- work the storefront in Philadelphia. Though only a portion of the massive collection is on display, Dwyer says the items will be rotated so there's always something new to see.

Dwyer displays his tattoo during an interview. "We thought it was a funny idea, and we started doing some research," Dwyer says of Pizza Brain's beginnings. "And when we discovered that nowhere on earth was there a physical place, a monument built to pizza, we said, 'This is going to be huge.'"

Dwyer holds the Guinness World Record for largest collection of pizza memorabilia.

Joseph Hunter tosses a pizza in the air at Pizza Brain. The menu offers pies with an array of artisan ingredients and offbeat toppings including beef brisket, pulled pork and meatloaf.

Dwyer, 28, said he had some pizza mementos a couple of years ago when friends decided to create an art exhibit called "Give Pizza Chance." Reaction was so positive that he continued collecting, becoming the world-record holder with 561 items in July 2011.

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A customer eats a slice at Pizza Brain in Philadelphia. Hundreds of people turned out for the grand opening of the restaurant / museum this month in Philadelphia's Fishtown neighborhood.

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