Marc “Lefty” Lefkowitz has dreamed of bringing authentic New York style pizza to Japan since the day he arrived 10 years ago and realized New York style pizza just wasn’t common in Japan.  “Lefty” is a Tokyo resident, originally from Boston, Massachusetts, where he grew up eating New York style pizza, introduced to him as a child by his father, who was from the heart of New York City. It has become his comfort food and that of millions of other Americans. Since he was unable to find authentic New York style pizza, he has been teaching himself to make it from videos on YouTube.   

And today, his dream will finally become a reality, right here  in Takahama, Fukui.  He one day hopes to bring authentic New York style pizza to all of Japan!

So what makes New York style pizza?   It’s a large, hand tossed, thin crust pizza that’s often sold in slices.  You’ll notice that it’s characteristically different from what you’ll commonly find in Japan, the Italian Neapolitan style pizza.  NY style pizza is slightly thicker, crispier, cheesier, and able to be eaten without a fork and knife.  Unlike Neapolitan pizza, it’s also still great to eat reheated the next day or cold right out of the fridge.

The pizza itself is made with high protein wheat flour and left to rise for several days in a refrigerator.  Common toppings include cheese, pepperoni, sausage, and veggies.  New York City currently has over 400 pizza restaurants, most of them serving New York style pizzas. 

“Lefty” currently works at YouTube (Google) where he serves as the Director of Partner Development covering the Asia Pacific region.  He has worked at YouTube (and Google) for the past 12 years, where he’s held various roles in partnerships and technology.  Marc received his Bachelor of Science in Computer Science from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst where he graduated magna cum laude and earned his MBA from the Haas School of Business at the University of California, Berkeley.