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He was too conservative to quit his stable job and pursue his dream of opening a pizzeria.
Let's just say Pizza Knight is officially open for business, and Stathopoulos is excited to show the city — and his friends — what he's made of.
"I always wanted to open a pizzeria," said Stathopoulos, who left his job working for the NY Department of Education in January. "The problem was that I didn't know how to make pizza."
During the pandemic, Stathopoulos and Khanian, a Paramus native, decided to learn.
Stathopoulos became a "nerd" figuring out how to get perfectly crispy dough (he uses a lot of water and lets the pie cool for about a minute before boxing it), and a chemist for flavor (especially when it comes to Buffalo chicken).
The couple made hundreds of pies in their New York City apartment, having friends and family taste test.
What they have now is an extensive menu of New York-style pizza.
"We still do trial and error," Stathopoulos said. "We're always finding ways to make it better."
Pizza Knight, 826 Main St., Hackensack
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