It was in the middle of lockdown in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic when Brian Cauti purchased a Detroit-style pizza pan. While he pressed his fingertips down into the dough to remove large air bubbles during those first few pies, Cauti never thought it would become a full-fledged business. A touring musician for nearly two decades, he had a job working as an audio engineer for MIT at the time. But after posting a few pictures of his new hobby on Instagram, a friend reached out and asked a simple question: “Hey, can I buy one?’’ That’s when things changed, and where “A Guy and His Pie’’ was born.
His soon-to-open 10-seat pizzeria, A Guy and His Pie, is located inside the old Lorraine Mills in Pawtucket. The restaurant is named for the same pop-up brand he’s used while collaborating with chefs and running a waitlist for Detroit-style pies for five years around the greater Providence area. No longer a one-man show, Cauti has three other employees who will help run the shop. They will officially open their doors on May 1.
“This past summer I was questioning if this is what I wanted to be doing,’’ said Cauti, citing “typical restaurant burnout’’ and rising food costs. “I snapped out of it, and when this space became available, I was basically like, ‘I’m going all in or it’s nothing.’’’
Cauti put all of his own money into the restaurant, designed it with his fiancée, and collaborated with his kitchen manager (who previously worked at The Chanler in Newport) on choosing a rotating selection of natural wine and New England-produced beer.
They’ll sell whole pies ($18 for a small and $25 for a large, which he said could easily feed four to eight people) and slices, salads, focaccia, desserts, and possibly a few other specials. For salads, he’ll have the staple Caesar, and then a rotating special salad that will be updated regularly. For desserts, think of chocolate chip cookies and olive oil cakes.
His pies are made from a mix of King Arthur flour and Maine Grains, a freshly-milled, organic, and heritage grain wholesaler in Skowhegan, Maine. He uses local produce, but ensures they don’t have additives.
“I’m really focused on the ingredients. It makes the final product so much better, even if I have to sacrifice a little out of my own pocket to make it happen,’’ he said.
A longtime drummer, Cauti also created a 40-hour playlist that’s a mix of artists like Neil Frances, Kowloon, Billy Bahama, Jungle, Born at Midnite, and sir Was. And he has plenty of other ideas built around music, including listening nights with special playlists he’ll create or a newly released album. He purchased large speakers on Facebook Marketplace, which are hoisted above the tables and counter stools, sitting along a collection of fresh greenery.
A Guy and His Pie is not exactly a slice shop, but he was inspired to create this space with New York’s legendary slice shops, like L’Industrie, in mind.
“People can come in for pizza, but they can also come and have some snacks, drink some really good wine, and listen to tunes,’’ said Cauti. “I never wanted this to look or feel like just a pizza shop.’’
