March 7, 2024 • 8 mins
Domenick was let go from his job in June 2023 and started his own pizza business, hear his inspiring story! Follow them @BuckysNJPizza on Instagram!
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:01):
Today's Daily Highlight from Elvis Duran in the morning show.
Speaker 2 (00:06):
I'm gonna tell you a story. It's kind of a
funny story. So the other day we were talking about
our favorite convenience store food. Yeah, Danielle was going on
about wah wah and I'm a quick check soup guy.
Then people were calling in from from Iowa Come and Go,
which is a great T shirt to wear it hit parties, BUCkies.
Speaker 1 (00:27):
They were talking about Bunkies.
Speaker 2 (00:28):
You to explain the com and go concept for people BUCkies.
We're talking about BUCkies, right right, frog Froggy. I love BUCkies. Yeah,
We'll say BUCkies is all up and down the East Coast.
I guess yeah. So we said, oh my god, you
know what we love it BUCkies When we stop in
for some gases their pizza and I said, oh my god,
we love Bucki's pizza. So then we heard from a
(00:51):
gentleman who lives in our area who says, oh, I
owned BUCkies Pizza. I went, well, what you owned a
chain of convenience store. No, no, no, it's just a pizza
pop up called Bucky. Oh not the same BUCkies. So
I went online and did my sleuth work. You know me,
and I found them on Instagram. I found Bucky's Pizza
on Instagram and you can see for the photos how
(01:15):
incredible it tastes. It's this crunchy crust.
Speaker 1 (01:20):
When you when you took a bite before, did you take.
Speaker 2 (01:26):
That's serious crust you can hear.
Speaker 1 (01:28):
And you know what, My favorite part of this morning
so far is poor Scary. He is so jealous standing
behind you because he's on that diet and he cannot
have a piece of pizza.
Speaker 2 (01:37):
As soon as I'm sounds so threatening, limits you to
Dominic and Catherine from BUCkies. Hold on, can you turn Catherine?
We're going to turn you on, Cantherer. So we heard
from you, Dominic, and now your story even though we
were even though we're talking about totally different BUCkies. I'm
so glad that we said the word BUCkies. That's all
(01:58):
it took. Tell everyone how you started doing this, because
this is motivational. I love it. It's gonna make me
quit my job here and go do something. Yeah.
Speaker 3 (02:06):
So I started BUCkies about seven months ago. In June.
I had gotten laid off from my job in Corporate America,
two weeks before my daughter was born, and I just
always kind of had the dream to start a pizza
business in some way, shape.
Speaker 2 (02:22):
Or form pizza in your life.
Speaker 3 (02:25):
I had like dabbled, you know, like I COVID hit
and you know, there was a sour dough renaissance and
I started making sourdough bread and then I was like,
you know, this would be really good on pizza. And
then it just kind of went from there and it
snowballed and here we are, like three and a half,
what is it, four years later? So yeah, just kind
of escalated without doubt. I mean, if you, if you
(02:49):
what is your official account on Instagram, It's BUCkies. It's
Bucky's NJ Pizza on Instagram.
Speaker 2 (02:55):
Okay, so you said, okay, I'm gonna buy an oven,
and I'm gonna buy a trailer and I'm just drive
around and just sell pizza. So how did you get
You mastered your pizza obviously, but how did you find
out where to go and how to sign people up
for your pizza?
Speaker 3 (03:10):
So last March, there was a brewery that opened down
the street from me, and I just kind of went
in there and I was like, hey, do you guys
mind if I sell pizza in your parking lot? And
they were like, you know, we serve beer and breweries
in New Jersey can't serve food, so it's kind of
like a nice compliment. And we just started doing that,
and then before we knew it, we started making relationships
(03:31):
with other businesses. We do pop ups at a local
coffee shop in New Jersey about once a month. We
go to other breweries, and we do a bunch of
private parties and it's just really kind of like snowballed.
Influencers started coming out and trying the pizza and then
they would post about it. So it's been a really
wild ride. It's been a ton of fun.
Speaker 2 (03:52):
And one thing he said, by the way, Dominic said,
it's the most strenuous hard work I've ever done in
my life.
Speaker 3 (03:58):
Yeah, almost anything would be easier.
Speaker 2 (04:02):
You see what we're doing, Like what could be easier
than that? But I mean, but that doesn't matter you
to you obviously you're getting off on this and loving, Yeah,
what's going on with your lives.
Speaker 3 (04:11):
I'm like fully dedicated to it. It's like everybody thinks
that I'm nuts. They're like, you know, why wouldn't you
just go back to corporate America. You had a nice,
comfortable job but for me, like I for the first
time in my life, like I feel alive and I
just love it.
Speaker 2 (04:28):
Wow. So I'm just you know, it's telling you in
the hallway how many people are driving to work right now,
going Oh my god. Yes, I want that. I want
to feel alive again. So Catherine, what do you what
do you do with Dominican puckies?
Speaker 4 (04:38):
I help with the social and I come to some
pop ups and I help out there.
Speaker 2 (04:42):
Is it your photography that I see? Yes, so that's
the thing. If it's tell me about the account name again.
Speaker 3 (04:49):
Is Bucky's NJ Pizza? So b U c k y
s NJ Pizza.
Speaker 2 (04:53):
Look at it now, Catherine, She's I mean, I could
taste the pizza just by.
Speaker 3 (04:58):
Looking at it, but they don't let me put us
anything on the Instagram.
Speaker 2 (05:03):
Oh my gosh, I know that's what I'm saying. Wow,
I know what, Nate.
Speaker 5 (05:07):
I love that you have the reheating instructions and this sentence.
Should your piece be in need of a crunch restoration,
please follow the reheating instructions. Oh my god, that's awesome.
We all need a crunch restoration. Yeah, I know I do.
Speaker 2 (05:21):
So you went out and bought this oven, which is
probably a lot of money. You got this trailer, which
obviously costs money. So how did you get the money
to put this together?
Speaker 3 (05:30):
A relative of ours was very nice and I also
cashed in on my severance and I just made it happen.
So we're at a point now where we've pretty much
maximized what we're capable of doing with that setup. So
we're looking to get into a brick and mortar and
expand the business. Continue to do pop ups and such
as well, because I like the experience that you get
(05:52):
doing that, So that'll kind of be hopefully the way
that we continue.
Speaker 2 (05:56):
And keep in mind seven months ago is when you
started it, Yeah, last June, So years and years of
things have happened to you in seven months. Wow, And
with the help of Catherine of course, and other people
that you have working with you.
Speaker 3 (06:09):
I'd love to give a shout out to my wife
because I would not be able to do it without her.
She's amazing.
Speaker 2 (06:14):
Oh thank you, Jess, Good for you. Good for Jess.
Well how come she's what is she doing right now?
Speaker 3 (06:19):
She's at home with our baby.
Speaker 2 (06:23):
There you go. Really, what do you think of the
stories like this?
Speaker 4 (06:27):
I love a good pop up food anywhere, So I
think this is amazing. But I like it even more
that you you guys are feeling fulfilled leaving your corporate
job and doing something new because it's such a risk,
but it's paying off debatable, but I mean financially, yeah,
I think we'll sit there.
Speaker 1 (06:44):
I think you We were actually talking to Barbara Corkran
yesterday about this, and she said, you know, you've got
to give it a couple of years to get your
investment back. You know, the first year usually lose money.
Speaker 2 (06:53):
You know was here.
Speaker 3 (06:54):
Yeah, I know she'd be right.
Speaker 1 (06:56):
Well, actually she's always looking to invest.
Speaker 3 (06:57):
We should give her a little call.
Speaker 2 (06:59):
There you go, big man, think big.
Speaker 3 (07:01):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (07:01):
I mean, but I just love your story. I love
how we accidentally met and then you know, I went
online and you know I turned down the lights and
closed the blinds because this pizza is porn. Man, that's
a compliment.
Speaker 4 (07:13):
People are about to come see impeting down the hallway.
Now that we know, we better hurry up and we
get ours protective.
Speaker 2 (07:18):
So everyone's asking you. It's BUCkies and Jay Pizza. Jay
is in New Jersey.
Speaker 1 (07:23):
Can people like find you and say, hey, we want
you for a party, we want you for a wedding,
stuff like that.
Speaker 3 (07:28):
Okay, that's cool.
Speaker 4 (07:28):
They just reach out through Instagram or they just you.
Speaker 3 (07:30):
Can DM us or email us. I think our emails
on our Instagram, but I think everyone just says Instagram.
Speaker 2 (07:36):
Hey Deanna, Well Diana put it up at Elvis Duran's
show on Instagram. Great story, fantastic pizza, beautiful photography. But
I just love how we met and the fact that
you woke up in the middle of the freaking night
and you, I mean, seriously, you have two days of
NonStop no sleep.
Speaker 3 (07:53):
Yeah, so I didn't sleep last night. I probably won't
sleep tonight as I get ready for a pop up tomorrow,
and then I have to do it again Saturday. Yeah,
just a little bit.
Speaker 2 (08:02):
I love your story so much. Thank you so much,
both Dominic and Catherine for coming in BUCkies n J Pizza.
What are looking alry? I'm sorry, sorry so late. We
obviously we have our own Catherine in the back working
on Emptiana is the best. I'm having this caccio pepe slice.
Have you tasted yet? It's so good? Back, Gandhi, You're
(08:24):
gonna love it. It has that that black Pepper.
Speaker 4 (08:28):
I've been waiting for this break to end so that
I can.
Speaker 3 (08:30):
Go get the pizza.
Speaker 2 (08:31):
I'm gonna go on and on, just you come on.
Speaker 1 (08:32):
Other people are gonna go take it.
Speaker 5 (08:34):
It's gonna get Pilford.
Speaker 2 (08:35):
Oh my god, they're all looking, they're all going online,
all right, perfect. Thank you guys for coming up here.
Speaker 3 (08:39):
Thank you so much.
Speaker 2 (08:39):
Oh my gosh, thanks for you. There you go. What
a dad,
Today's Daily Highlight from Elvis Duran in the morning show.
Speaker 2 (00:06):
I'm gonna tell you a story. It's kind of a
funny story. So the other day we were talking about
our favorite convenience store food. Yeah, Danielle was going on
about wah wah and I'm a quick check soup guy.
Then people were calling in from from Iowa Come and Go,
which is a great T shirt to wear it hit parties, BUCkies.
Speaker 1 (00:27):
They were talking about Bunkies.
Speaker 2 (00:28):
You to explain the com and go concept for people BUCkies.
We're talking about BUCkies, right right, frog Froggy. I love BUCkies. Yeah,
We'll say BUCkies is all up and down the East Coast.
I guess yeah. So we said, oh my god, you
know what we love it BUCkies When we stop in
for some gases their pizza and I said, oh my god,
we love Bucki's pizza. So then we heard from a
(00:51):
gentleman who lives in our area who says, oh, I
owned BUCkies Pizza. I went, well, what you owned a
chain of convenience store. No, no, no, it's just a pizza
pop up called Bucky. Oh not the same BUCkies. So
I went online and did my sleuth work. You know me,
and I found them on Instagram. I found Bucky's Pizza
on Instagram and you can see for the photos how
(01:15):
incredible it tastes. It's this crunchy crust.
Speaker 1 (01:20):
When you when you took a bite before, did you take.
Speaker 2 (01:26):
That's serious crust you can hear.
Speaker 1 (01:28):
And you know what, My favorite part of this morning
so far is poor Scary. He is so jealous standing
behind you because he's on that diet and he cannot
have a piece of pizza.
Speaker 2 (01:37):
As soon as I'm sounds so threatening, limits you to
Dominic and Catherine from BUCkies. Hold on, can you turn Catherine?
We're going to turn you on, Cantherer. So we heard
from you, Dominic, and now your story even though we
were even though we're talking about totally different BUCkies. I'm
so glad that we said the word BUCkies. That's all
(01:58):
it took. Tell everyone how you started doing this, because
this is motivational. I love it. It's gonna make me
quit my job here and go do something. Yeah.
Speaker 3 (02:06):
So I started BUCkies about seven months ago. In June.
I had gotten laid off from my job in Corporate America,
two weeks before my daughter was born, and I just
always kind of had the dream to start a pizza
business in some way, shape.
Speaker 2 (02:22):
Or form pizza in your life.
Speaker 3 (02:25):
I had like dabbled, you know, like I COVID hit
and you know, there was a sour dough renaissance and
I started making sourdough bread and then I was like,
you know, this would be really good on pizza. And
then it just kind of went from there and it
snowballed and here we are, like three and a half,
what is it, four years later? So yeah, just kind
of escalated without doubt. I mean, if you, if you
(02:49):
what is your official account on Instagram, It's BUCkies. It's
Bucky's NJ Pizza on Instagram.
Speaker 2 (02:55):
Okay, so you said, okay, I'm gonna buy an oven,
and I'm gonna buy a trailer and I'm just drive
around and just sell pizza. So how did you get
You mastered your pizza obviously, but how did you find
out where to go and how to sign people up
for your pizza?
Speaker 3 (03:10):
So last March, there was a brewery that opened down
the street from me, and I just kind of went
in there and I was like, hey, do you guys
mind if I sell pizza in your parking lot? And
they were like, you know, we serve beer and breweries
in New Jersey can't serve food, so it's kind of
like a nice compliment. And we just started doing that,
and then before we knew it, we started making relationships
(03:31):
with other businesses. We do pop ups at a local
coffee shop in New Jersey about once a month. We
go to other breweries, and we do a bunch of
private parties and it's just really kind of like snowballed.
Influencers started coming out and trying the pizza and then
they would post about it. So it's been a really
wild ride. It's been a ton of fun.
Speaker 2 (03:52):
And one thing he said, by the way, Dominic said,
it's the most strenuous hard work I've ever done in
my life.
Speaker 3 (03:58):
Yeah, almost anything would be easier.
Speaker 2 (04:02):
You see what we're doing, Like what could be easier
than that? But I mean, but that doesn't matter you
to you obviously you're getting off on this and loving, Yeah,
what's going on with your lives.
Speaker 3 (04:11):
I'm like fully dedicated to it. It's like everybody thinks
that I'm nuts. They're like, you know, why wouldn't you
just go back to corporate America. You had a nice,
comfortable job but for me, like I for the first
time in my life, like I feel alive and I
just love it.
Speaker 2 (04:28):
Wow. So I'm just you know, it's telling you in
the hallway how many people are driving to work right now,
going Oh my god. Yes, I want that. I want
to feel alive again. So Catherine, what do you what
do you do with Dominican puckies?
Speaker 4 (04:38):
I help with the social and I come to some
pop ups and I help out there.
Speaker 2 (04:42):
Is it your photography that I see? Yes, so that's
the thing. If it's tell me about the account name again.
Speaker 3 (04:49):
Is Bucky's NJ Pizza? So b U c k y
s NJ Pizza.
Speaker 2 (04:53):
Look at it now, Catherine, She's I mean, I could
taste the pizza just by.
Speaker 3 (04:58):
Looking at it, but they don't let me put us
anything on the Instagram.
Speaker 2 (05:03):
Oh my gosh, I know that's what I'm saying. Wow,
I know what, Nate.
Speaker 5 (05:07):
I love that you have the reheating instructions and this sentence.
Should your piece be in need of a crunch restoration,
please follow the reheating instructions. Oh my god, that's awesome.
We all need a crunch restoration. Yeah, I know I do.
Speaker 2 (05:21):
So you went out and bought this oven, which is
probably a lot of money. You got this trailer, which
obviously costs money. So how did you get the money
to put this together?
Speaker 3 (05:30):
A relative of ours was very nice and I also
cashed in on my severance and I just made it happen.
So we're at a point now where we've pretty much
maximized what we're capable of doing with that setup. So
we're looking to get into a brick and mortar and
expand the business. Continue to do pop ups and such
as well, because I like the experience that you get
(05:52):
doing that, So that'll kind of be hopefully the way
that we continue.
Speaker 2 (05:56):
And keep in mind seven months ago is when you
started it, Yeah, last June, So years and years of
things have happened to you in seven months. Wow, And
with the help of Catherine of course, and other people
that you have working with you.
Speaker 3 (06:09):
I'd love to give a shout out to my wife
because I would not be able to do it without her.
She's amazing.
Speaker 2 (06:14):
Oh thank you, Jess, Good for you. Good for Jess.
Well how come she's what is she doing right now?
Speaker 3 (06:19):
She's at home with our baby.
Speaker 2 (06:23):
There you go. Really, what do you think of the
stories like this?
Speaker 4 (06:27):
I love a good pop up food anywhere, So I
think this is amazing. But I like it even more
that you you guys are feeling fulfilled leaving your corporate
job and doing something new because it's such a risk,
but it's paying off debatable, but I mean financially, yeah,
I think we'll sit there.
Speaker 1 (06:44):
I think you We were actually talking to Barbara Corkran
yesterday about this, and she said, you know, you've got
to give it a couple of years to get your
investment back. You know, the first year usually lose money.
Speaker 2 (06:53):
You know was here.
Speaker 3 (06:54):
Yeah, I know she'd be right.
Speaker 1 (06:56):
Well, actually she's always looking to invest.
Speaker 3 (06:57):
We should give her a little call.
Speaker 2 (06:59):
There you go, big man, think big.
Speaker 3 (07:01):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (07:01):
I mean, but I just love your story. I love
how we accidentally met and then you know, I went
online and you know I turned down the lights and
closed the blinds because this pizza is porn. Man, that's
a compliment.
Speaker 4 (07:13):
People are about to come see impeting down the hallway.
Now that we know, we better hurry up and we
get ours protective.
Speaker 2 (07:18):
So everyone's asking you. It's BUCkies and Jay Pizza. Jay
is in New Jersey.
Speaker 1 (07:23):
Can people like find you and say, hey, we want
you for a party, we want you for a wedding,
stuff like that.
Speaker 3 (07:28):
Okay, that's cool.
Speaker 4 (07:28):
They just reach out through Instagram or they just you.
Speaker 3 (07:30):
Can DM us or email us. I think our emails
on our Instagram, but I think everyone just says Instagram.
Speaker 2 (07:36):
Hey Deanna, Well Diana put it up at Elvis Duran's
show on Instagram. Great story, fantastic pizza, beautiful photography. But
I just love how we met and the fact that
you woke up in the middle of the freaking night
and you, I mean, seriously, you have two days of
NonStop no sleep.
Speaker 3 (07:53):
Yeah, so I didn't sleep last night. I probably won't
sleep tonight as I get ready for a pop up tomorrow,
and then I have to do it again Saturday. Yeah,
just a little bit.
Speaker 2 (08:02):
I love your story so much. Thank you so much,
both Dominic and Catherine for coming in BUCkies n J Pizza.
What are looking alry? I'm sorry, sorry so late. We
obviously we have our own Catherine in the back working
on Emptiana is the best. I'm having this caccio pepe slice.
Have you tasted yet? It's so good? Back, Gandhi, You're
(08:24):
gonna love it. It has that that black Pepper.
Speaker 4 (08:28):
I've been waiting for this break to end so that
I can.
Speaker 3 (08:30):
Go get the pizza.
Speaker 2 (08:31):
I'm gonna go on and on, just you come on.
Speaker 1 (08:32):
Other people are gonna go take it.
Speaker 5 (08:34):
It's gonna get Pilford.
Speaker 2 (08:35):
Oh my god, they're all looking, they're all going online,
all right, perfect. Thank you guys for coming up here.
Speaker 3 (08:39):
Thank you so much.
Speaker 2 (08:39):
Oh my gosh, thanks for you. There you go. What
a dad,
Elvis Duran and the Morning Show ON DEMAND News
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