Hungry Robot pizza feeds Bezdek's entrepreneurial spirit - Fairbanks Daily News-Miner

FAIRBANKS — It takes approximately 90 seconds for The Hungry Robot’s wood-fired oven to cook a pizza. On an average business day, The Hungry Robot will produce 80 to 120 pizzas, depending on customer demand.

The Hungry Robot has gained a loyal base of customers in Fairbanks’ burgeoning food truck scene.

But on its opening day in January 2016, The Hungry Robot only produced four pizzas as owner Randy Bezdek struggled against the elements during a beer festival at HooDoo Brewing.

“It was 35 below and that sucked because our dough kept freezing,” Bezdek said. “It was a bad idea thinking we could do it at 35 below. Every time I put a match in the stove, it would go out. It was like a freezer in there. I was very nervous I’d made a very bad decision. But I wanted to quit my day job and do my own thing.”

Bezdek persisted and he has mastered the art of cooking with a wood-fired stove.

“I have people from Canada calling me and asking ‘How do you cook in 40 below?’” he said. “It’s all about fire management.”

Bezdek, who previously worked in information technology, originally started a company called Sugar Monkey, selling treats such as ice cream popsicles and homemade marshmallows at the farmers market. Sugar Monkey was a means to an end.

“We started with the intention of getting into something else,” Bezdek said. “We looked at what was lacking, and it was high-quality pizza. Sugar Monkey was something we could afford out of pocket. We didn’t want to get loans.”

Bezdek operated Sugar Monkey for three years to save up for a wood-fired stove, which he imported from France. The stove has the capability to cook at a much higher temperature than most commercial ovens, which only reach 800 degrees. It’s the stove’s appearance that provided inspiration for the company name.

“I think it looks like a robot and we’re constantly pushing food in its mouth,” he said.

The cooking process is a large factor in the pizza’s taste, Bezdek said, but so are the ingredients.

“We make our own sauce. We use the highest-quality ingredients. We try to find the best stuff we can get. We make our dough with a two-day rise,” he said.

Justin Church recently tried Hungry Robot pizza and brought his wife in to try it Friday.

“It’s really unique pizza,” Church said. “It’s all about the taste. My favorite is the Murder by Meat pizza. It’s got a lot of meat.”

Bezdek said feedback has been almost entirely positive. He said he has had only one truly upset customer who tried the Single for Life breadsticks, which have an intense level of garlic in them. Bezdek said buyers should be warned the breadsticks are for garlic lovers.

The Hungry Robot has come full circle as it is now generating seed money to invest in Sugar Monkey.

Bezdek recently purchased a popsicle machine from Brazil capable of making ice cream pops in a matter of minutes.

Bezdek has no intention of slowing down. Not only does he plan to extend his hours of operation but he also wants to purchase two more wood-fired ovens.

The original he would keep at his kitchen located at 910 Old Steese Highway for a permanent location. A second oven would be mobile to reach different locations in Fairbanks. His hopes to use the third to open a site in the Anchorage-Wasilla, where relatives live.

Bezdek is glad he did not take out bank loans to get started.

“I would do it the same way if I could do it again,” Bezdek said.

The Hungry Robot is located at 910 Old Steese Highway and is open 12-8 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. On Thursdays, The Hungry Robot is at HooDoo Brewing from 3-8 p.m. The Hungry Robot occasionally sets up at Ursa Major Distilling.

Contact staff writer Kevin Baird at 459-7575. Follow him on Twitter: @FDNMcity.

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