Meet Andre Patron | Union Ironworker & CEO at Sun Coast Pizza

We had the good fortune of connecting with Andre Patron and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Andre, we’d love to hear about how you approach risk and risk-taking.
Taking risks is a very important role in both work and life. Starting my pizza business it was all about taking risks and getting out of the comfort zone. I noticed that when i took risks the result was always a win win for me. I could’ve either had a successful outcome or failed but learned a very valuable lesson that would prevent me from repeating that mistake in the future, either outcome is a win to me ! If I never took risks I might have still been dreaming and wondering if my pizza business would ever be a reality.

What should our readers know about your business?
We are Sun Coast Pizza , and we specialize in craft wood fired pizza ! We strive to give everyone an unforgettable pizza experience by using nothing but love and passion into our recipes. We want to give quality pizza without taking any shortcuts. Our pizza dough is an old Italian method that takes days of preparation for it to be ready. So days before the actual pizza is made and fired in the oven , it has already been in the works for 2-3 days. We do this to properly ferment the dough and create a good gluten structure. The fermentation gives the dough an amazing taste and also makes it easily digestible. The last thing we want is for someone to eat our pizza and they feel bloated , sick to their stomach , or have digestion issues. Nobody should have to drink an alka seltzer along with a nap after eating pizza. We take pride in our food for we see it as a form of art that has so Many options , characteristics and many factors in all aspects. Glad to say we also take health into consideration. Healthy pizza ? Let’s do it ! We do not use any seed oils which has been proven to be bad for our health ! We also cut our own cheese by hand , never buying pre shredded cheese. We made that decision because some of those shredded cheeses have micro-plastics or chemicals to prevent the cheese from clumping together ! WE DO NOT WANT THAT ! We went with wood fired because it just cooks everything better in my opinion. The fire gives everything a bit of a char and gives the vegetables a fire roasted taste ! Wood fired techniques go back hundreds of years and it is amazing how it never fails now matter how much time passes by. Wood , fire , and an oven and you can cook or bake anything ! We don’t use any fancy ovens with digital thermometers or adjustable temperatures. All we have is an oven , flame , and some awesome pizzaiolos that know how to read an oven by experience , technique , and knowledge !

We have been in business for about a year and half and it’s been quite the roller coaster ! I started off making pizzas in a driveway and would have friends and family come try them out and give feedback. They motivated me to make the leap and go public but fear was always in the back of my mind. I used up most of my construction earned savings to buy an oven and all of the supplies I would need to start selling pizzas. It was quite the risk and I was definitely scared. About a month after buying my oven I was offered a spot at a summer market here in San Diego, I said yes but man was I nervous. I didn’t think I was ready but I knew I had to take the leap. I still remember the morning of the event talking to my father on the phone and telling him I wanted to cancel and pull out of the event because I didn’t want to fail. He motivated me to stop being scared and do it ! well , the event was a success and we sold out our first ever event , selling about 60 pizzas in 4 hours. A domino effect rippled and we got invites left and right for public and private events and have not stopped since ! We now have a set location where we operate 4 days a week and also do private events.

Getting to this point has not been easy. Lots of times thinking that quitting would be the better option. Not to mention I was still working my construction job 40-45 hours a week. I worked lots of double shifts and plenty of sleepless nights. Working construction , then going pizza supply shopping , and jumping right into food preparation all in the same day. When I had events I would go to work at 6am then run home to pick up everything to for the event , go to the event and be there until 9 pm or however late the event went to. After that go back home and unload and wash everything. Being tired was an understatement . I didn’t know what I had just got myself into , but I was neck deep in it and I knew I had to give it my all and the outcome would well worth it! Many , many , challenging times where I had to push myself to both mental and physical exhaustion. I would say having a good support team to keep pushing me definitely helped a lot. When it came to business stuff such as permits and licensing I was glad to have came across the Small Business Development Center. I was amazed by the mount of help and resources they offer to anyone with a small business or even just the idea of starting one.

One of the things that kept me going was the satisfaction id get from customers telling me how great the pizza was and their smiles and reactions. That makes everything worth it . Doing something I love and knowing others are loving it , that’s the best feeling.

Along this journey I have learned so much. Some of the lessons were learned the hard way , but that’s okay , it’s still a lesson learned. I have learned that taking risks is very important in both life and business. You can learn so much and come across greater opportunities when you get out of the comfort zone and take big leaps. I would not be where I’m at now if I didn’t take risks. No risk , no reward. I stand by that 100%. Don’t be afraid to fail !

Don’t think you can do it all. When I first started I thought I could do everything on my own. I was wrong . I thought I could work construction , supply shop , food prep , load/unload , consult myself , be my own attorney , do my own bookkeeping , attend workshops , be at every family gathering.. You can’t. I learned that it’s okay to ask for help. It doesn’t make you less or make you seem like you don’t know what you’re doing. We’re only human and we can only do so much and that’s okay! ask for help. Ask someone to help you cut onions or get a mentor and ask for business advice , get an attorney for legal advice . Go to business workshops and learn that aspect of business. There is always someone better than you , which is okay , ask them for help or advice !

Starting a business is not easy. If it’s something you’re passionate about and you can do it for the rest of your life , you should give it your all. ALWAYS give it your all , and even when you think you’re maxed out , that’s when you should give even more !

Don’t be afraid to start small. Everyone thinks you need millions of dollars to start a business , but you don’t ! Anyone can start a small business ! I had to drop out of community college months into my first semester because my father had gotten deported. I took the construction job out of necessity . My father was gone and I had to help my mother pay the bills. One day to another I became the man of the house and had to figure stuff out 4 months out of high school. I don’t have a degree , I am a construction worker that had a dream and a passion for pizza and used up the money from my savings account to fund it. I started with an oven I made out of a BBQ grill , then it went to a small propane pizza oven , then I sold that and got a 3 pizza oven on wheels , and now have that and a large stationary 5 pizza oven. Starting small is good. Start small and grow with your business.

We want to be the begging of the pizza wave in San Diego. There are so many amazing pizzerias in San Diego but I don’t think we get the recognition we deserve. Pizza has always been an east coast thing which I agree. Why can’t San Diego be a pizza staple ? We want San Diego to get the pizza recognition it deserves , because there is also great pizza on this coast , the Sun Coast.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I would have to take a stop in Barrio Logan. Not only is it a historical landmark but it is filled with amazing food , drinks , culture , and history. Fill them in on some of the history and chicano/latino culture that is portrayed through murals.

I would take my friend over to The Soap Factory in Logan. There we can chat with Chris and Karen and we can hear all about their business Earl Girl Creations where they use garden grown ingredients to create soaps , balms , and other great self care items. We can check out their products as well as get a quick garden lesson from them as they are the master gardeners. Also in the Soap Factory we can grab some cocktails or beverages inside the lounge. On the premises are also multiple food options. We can grab some grass fed Halal beef birria tacos from Eat Wet Tacos !

Lots of amazing food trucks that we can track down , Chef Buddha Blasian soul food , Fuego Marino seafood truck.

We can hit some of my favorite pizza places in San Diego such as Hillcrust pizza , Tribute pizza , Regents pizzeria , and Pizza Casette.

Grab a coffee at Coffee Drop would want to go to the beach during the day and soak in the sun because well , that’s what san Diegos all about !

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I’d like to thank family , friends , and anyone who loves to support small , local , family owned businesses ! Without that continuous support , starting a small business can be very intimidating and nerve wrecking.

Website: https://suncoastpizzasd.com

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