Never Mind the Bollocks, Here's the '77 Club

Brittani & Dustin Boutilier working hard at 11th Hour Brewing.

Pittsburghers (you don't need me to tell you) take our food seriously. When it comes to wood-fired pizza, few if any pop-ups have captured the city's heart (and stomachs) like '77 Club. In just over a year, this pizza powerhouse has grown from a humble home setup in Beechview into a must-eat mobile experience that's serving up artisan pies with creativity, care, and community spirit. It's a story that starts with a spark (literally) and grows into something that's taken Pittsburgh by storm, all fueled by the passion of owners Brittani and Dustin Boutilier and the communities they love.

One Oven, Big Dreams

It's a journey that kicked off very close to home - in the front yard close, in fact. After the birth of their daughter, Dustin and Brittani began making pizzas at home using a much more compact solo stove. What started as a fun activity for themselves quickly became a big hit among friends and neighbors. From October 2023 to May 2024, they served their signature pies to a growing group of hungry fans.

Fast-forward to their first-ever brewery pop-up just over fourteen months ago. Today, they're clocking an unbelievable 200 event dates per year, hosting lines of loyal customers, collaborating with some of the city's most exciting and most loved small businesses.

The Pizza? Wood-Fired. The Vibes? Immaculate.

At the heart of '77 Club's appeal is its brand-new wood-fired oven, a gleaming show-stopper that looks more like a Smaug-inspired sculpture than a piece of equipment. It's earned comparisons to disco balls and dragons alike, and the pizza it turns out is just as legendary. Every week, Dustin invents and rolls out new pies, often inspired by seasonal ingredients or mere whimsy. One day it's lemon cream with roasted zucchini, garlic, and mint, a play on a classic Italian dish; the next it's "Salad Days," a fresh and funky pie that's both a pun and a palate pleaser.

Their pies are as inventive as they are delicious, and no two weeks are ever quite the same. Dustin, in fact, prides himself on constantly testing the boundaries of a what a pizza is, and what it can be.

To keep things interesting - and local - the team sources from vendors like Three Rivers Grown, ensuring their food is not just good, but good for Pittsburgh and its sustainability, too.

Music-Inspired Menus

As if we needed another reason to love '77 Club, nearly every pizza they serve is named after a song. "I Am Blue," "Super 8," and others don't just sound cool, they're Brittani and Dustin's way of turning dinner into something multisensory and memorable. And yes: part of the fun is hearing customers ordering a pizza sometimes without realizing they're quoting a mid-2000s indie band or a Sesame Street deep cut. It's that kind of lighthearted but meaningful detail that makes '77 Club a whole vibe. It's not just dinner, it's a cultural touchpoint in a box.

From Neighborhood to Neighborhood, Pittsburgh is Home

Dustin and Brittani aren't here to cash in on the food scene. They're actively building a network of collaborators, mentors, and real friends in every neighborhood they serve, from Allentown to Garfield, the North Side to Dormont. They've worked with everyone from local arts organizations like Bunker Projects to pop-ups, night markets, and breweries. The whole city is their neighborhood.

That's the mindset that's helped them become more than just a food business. They're a community fixture, one that supports local artists, attends neighborhood events, and makes room for everyone at the table.

Enter Invest PGH: Building with Intention

Of course, scaling a front-yard passion project into a full-time business takes more than just creativity and good vibes. It can take some capital, and some smart planning. That's where Invest PGH was able to step in. Through a loan that helped them grow sustainably, '77 Club was able to transition from casual pop-ups to a robust mobile operation with a brand-new pizza oven and a clear vision for the future. The process was thorough, requiring a detailed business plan and more than a little preparation, but it set them up for long-term success.

"It took a little time," Brittani said, "but it made us really ready. We knew what we were doing and why we were doing it. Once we had the funds, we could hit the ground running."

That confidence and clarity made all the difference. Invest PGH's approachable, community-minded model also gave '77 Club the breathing room they needed to stay creative while expanding, rather than pushing them into a rigid mold. They've since added staff, developed a catering model, and are laying the groundwork for long-term stability, without losing their originality or spark.

Community First. Always.

Above all, '77 Club has grown because Dustin and Brittani care. They care about their customers, their community, their ingredients, and each other. They're not just tossing dough, they're building something deeply rooted in culture, communication, and connection. Their story is proof that with the right mix of talent, hustle, and heart, front yard dreams can be come citywide sensations.