A formerly homeless NYC pizzeria owner is paying forward his success by giving back to the community. When Hakki Akdeniz immigrated to the US in 2001, he only had the clothes on his back and $250 to his name. “It was very hard for me,” the 42-year-old recalls. “I didn’t speak the language. I didn’t know anyone. I slept on the bench in the park.” But with help, Akdeniz overcame his situation and worked hard for years to realize his dream of opening his own pizza shop.
In 2009, Akdeniz opened Hakki’s Pizza in Lower Manhattan. It was a rough start and when he couldn’t afford rent on his apartment, he moved into the pizza shop. Then about a year later, he won an international pizza competition for his flaming pizza dough spinning acrobatics and his luck started to change. Over the next decade, Akdeniz expanded his pizza empire, opening several pizzerias across the boroughs.
The path he had to take to get where he is today has inspired Akdeniz to give back to the community. For the past eight years, he’s made a habit of donating pizzas to the shelter that housed him when he was homeless and he holds events where he gives out handouts of pizza, hot food, clothing, and medication to those in need. “When I was homeless, someone helped me to be who I am today, and it’s my time to give it back,” Akdeniz says. “You should never forget where you came from.”
Source: PIX 11