11-year-old entrepreneur's Matzah Pizza hits Long Island pizzerias in time for Passover
Kid entrepreneur’s ‘Yalla Matzah Pizza’ turns heads for Passover
As Passover approaches, one 11-year-old entrepreneur is making sure no one misses out on pizza — even without bread. FOX 5 NY’s Jodi Goldberg introduces us to Hudson Greenstein, the founder of Yalla Matzah Pizza, who’s bringing his holiday-friendly pies to local pizzerias.
As Jewish families prepare for Passover and the tradition of avoiding bread, one local middle schooler is making sure pizza doesn’t have to be off the menu. Hudson Greenstein, an 11-year-old entrepreneur, is the force behind Yalla Matzah Pizza, a unique holiday-friendly twist being served at two New York pizzerias.
What we know:
At Frankie’s Pizzeria in Merrick, and Nick’s Pizza in Armonk, customers can now order matzah pizza — a kosher-for-Passover option created by Hudson Greenstein. The idea came to him when he was just 8 years old and craving pizza during the eight-day holiday when leavened bread is prohibited.
"I think it's great you could walk into a pizza place and still be able to get pizza," said Hudson Greenstein, owner of Yalla Matzah Pizza.
Now 11, Hudson is balancing school and business. He ships matzah from Streit's to the participating restaurants, receives a commission for every pie sold, and donates a portion of the proceeds to charity.
"They’re selling it for $5 a slice and a whole pie for $20," said Hudson’s father, Josh Greenstein.
Matzah Pizza takes half the time to cook of a regular pizza — but they also come out with a signature crunch thanks to a special pizza screen.
What's next:
Hudson isn’t done yet. He’s working on expanding his matzah-based creations. Next up? A dessert item he’s calling the "matzoli" — fried matzah with powdered sugar, a Passover-friendly twist on zeppole.
And he hopes even more pizzerias will join the Yalla Matzah Pizza movement.
"People think it’s amazing," said Hudson. "They’re surprised I thought of the idea."