YouTuber David Dobrik Opens a Nostalgic Pizza Parlor on the Sunset Strip

Sandwiched between the Saddle Ranch Chop House and Carney’s Restaurant on Sunset Boulevard is newcomer Doughbrik’s Pizza. It’s the first restaurant from one of YouTube’s most popular content creators, David Dobrik, who has more than 19 million subscribers and 7.1 billion views on the platform, as well as 11 million followers on Instagram. Dobrik, a controversial figure in recent years, is the subject of a pending lawsuit stemming from injuries sustained during a June 2020 stunt filmed for his YouTube channel; a member of his “Vlog Squad” of content creators has also faced sexual assault allegations. (See below for full details.)

Dobrik partnered with the founders of fast-casual, Los Angeles-based chain Lemonade to bring the pizzeria to life. Doughbrik’s opens on Saturday, November 12 at 8363 Sunset Boulevard. Seeing as Doughbrik’s is the first restaurant for the online star, Lemonade founders Alan Jackson and Ian Olsen are on-hand to offer plenty of guidance. (Another partner in the venture is Dobrik’s friend and collaborator, entrepreneur Ilya Fedorovich.) The restaurant seems like an ideal fit for this busy West Hollywood stretch, especially given Doughbrik’s prominent next door neighbor: Thanks to influencers, the Saddle Ranch Chop House experienced a massive rise in popularity in 2020, while closing multiple locations throughout Southern California prior to the pandemic.

But back to Doughbrik’s. Both Fedorovich and Dobrik are Chicago natives, which means the menu leans towards Chicago-style pizza, with two types of crust available by the slice or whole pie. One is a cracker-thin, square-cut, Chicago tavern-style crust, while the other uses a focaccia-like base that the menu calls “doughy.” Pie toppings range from straight cheese and pepperoni to vegetarian and Hawaiian-style combinations. There’s a meat lovers pie, as well as one called the Chicagoan that features a three-cheese blend, Italian herbs, garlic, pepperoni, Italian sausage, and a hot giardiniera mix. For those seeking out extra flavors, a hot honey drizzle is on-hand. Slices are no more than $6.50, and whole pies vary from $28 to $38. Breadsticks with dipping sauces are available, too.

Drinks include sodas and slushies, and there’s ice cream, too. Doughbrik’s offers a hardcore Midwest flavor in the form of scoops of blue moon, as well as standards like chocolate and vanilla.

If the space looks familiar, that’s because Doughbrik’s resides in a former Starbucks, which still has dine-in patio seating. And in a move that’ll likely prove popular, Doughbrik’s will keep late weekend hours to service the club and bar crowds. A spokesperson says Dobrik and Fedorovich scattered Easter eggs/surprises throughout the restaurant, which will appeal to his social media followers.

Doughbrik’s Pizza will be open Sunday through Wednesday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., and Thursday to Saturday from 11 a.m. to 3 a.m.

On June 22, 2022, People reported that former Vlog Squad member Jeff Wittek has filed a lawsuit against Dobrik stemming from injuries sustained during a June 2020 stunt filmed for YouTube. Wittek “is asking for $10 million in damages from Dobrik, 25, for ‘general negligence and intentional tort,’ alleging that Dobrik’s actions caused him to miss out on work and sustain hospital bills due to the intense injuries, according to a lawsuit obtained by People.” According to the article, Wittek “previously said he suffered a broken skull, facial fractures and eye damage after being swung on a rope tied to an excavator while filming a video with Dobrik in Provo, Utah in June 2020. Dobrik had been operating the construction equipment at the time, and footage from the moment was later posted on YouTube in April 2021. (The clip has since been deleted.)”

In March 2021, Business Insider published an article in which a former Vlog Squad member, Dominykas “Durte Dom” Zeglaitis, was accused of sexual assault during a 2018 filming of a video posted to Dobrik’s YouTube channel. According to the Los Angeles Times, Dobrik issued an initial apology video, claiming that “consent is something that’s super, super important to me,” and then a second apology video that states, “I fully believe the woman who came out with allegations against Dom and said she was sexually assaulted [muted] and raped [muted] by him.” The Los Angeles Times reported in the same article that the allegations led to EA Sports and Dollar Shave Club parting ways with Dobrik, YouTube demonetizing his channels, and Dobrik stepping down from his position as a board member at the photography app Dispo.

On June 27, 2022, Vulture updated a list of all of the allegations against Dobrik.

Update, November 9, 1:08 p.m. PST: Eater LA editors have updated this story to mention a pending lawsuit against YouTube creator David Dobrik, for whom the establishment is named, and sexual assault allegations against a member of his Vlog Squad (a group of content creators with whom Dobrik films videos).