Darien Mitchell - Renaissance Graduate of the Month Daddy Boy's Pizza 4524 Third Street San Francisco, CA 94124 Phone: (415) 206-1488

Darien Mitchell (pictured to the right)

Darien Mitchell is a man with a dream of changing his community, one pizza at a time. Darien, the owner of Daddy Boy's Pizza, has been a resident of the Bayview all of his life and now lives in the house he inherited from his grandmother. Darien remembers growing up and having to take a bus or drive into the Mission district just to get a pizza, and home delivery to the Bayview/Hunter's Point area was out of the question. Now, all of that is changed thanks to Darien's new pizza restaurant, Daddy Boy's Pizza.

Daddy Boy's Pizza had its grand opening on September 18, 2006, and business has been growing since. Daddy Boy's Pizza offers medium and large pizzas, as well as pizza-by-the-slice at the bargain price of $2 (extra toppings $.50 each). Darien is particular about using quality, fresh ingredients in his pizzas, and is proud that all of his veggies are fresh daily. He features the usual combination pizzas, and a special shrimp and lobster pizza found only at Daddy Boy's Pizza. His prices are right, too; a medium combo pizza sells for $15.50 and a large is $17.00. Even the special shrimp and lobster pizza is only $18.00! Darien is also looking forward to learning more about his customers' tastes so he can offer additional special pizzas tailored to their preferences.

Darien sees himself as a role model for the black community in Bayview Hunter's Point. Previously, Darien worked as a real estate agent, and as a case manager at Gloria R. Davis Middle School. Since opening his business, Darien says, "this is something way bigger than pizza..I'm trying to sell something outside the box!" No, he doesn't mean the pizza box literally; rather, Darien wants to promote the idea of entrepreneurism within the black community. He takes pride in being a role model, and is convinced that strong businesses create strong communities. Daddy Boy's Pizza is a welcome addition to the current revitalization of the Third Street corridor, and Darien hopes that other entrepreneurs will open new businesses as well.

Darien uses the BBRC's Business Assistance Center ("BAC") for support and advice in designing and implementing a business promotion plan to further grow his business. "The BBRC not only helps me with my own business," says Darien, "but it also connects me with other business owners in the neighborhood." In December 2006, Renaissance's Bayview Business Resource Center ("BBRC") awarded Darien the Mother Brown Award for Business Creation which he used to bolster his working capital. Stop by Daddy Boy's Pizza for a slice and watch Darien change his community, one pizza at a time!


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