American Pie [OPEN]

[jimbo brian blishwick vi]

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February 19th, 2026

The soft-opening of the Happily Ever After Pizza Emporium had kicked off at noon the day before, and today was the first full day of operation as a proper pizza parlour. A few weeks prior, Jimbo had scouted the location of the restaurant, immediately putting in a bid and winning (probably because he made an offer above asking price in order to secure it), and work began instantly. Magic, like it offered for most things in life, had made the process extremely easy, and the several magical contractors that he had been speaking to had no problem with putting together what he had dreamed up in his head. Jimbo liked to think his restaurant was less gaudy than Madame Puddifoot’s, and despite the name, he did dial it back on the hearts and garnishes that he had initially planned out for the décor. He wanted all sorts of people to come here, students and adults alike, and turning into Puddifoot’s pizza branch wasn’t what he was looking for. If he wanted that, he would have just bought the old girl out and retrofitted the tea shop to the pizza parlour.

The upcoming Hogsmeade weekend was going to be the true testament of willpower and hard work though. Such a thing had never really existed at the matchmaking business, solely because the five previous Jimbos had streamlined the process and all he had to do was continue and expand on what had been done for generations. That sort of thing was easy and natural. Making a pizza was not. He had found a skilled chef and a few wait staff, with the promise of potential part-timers from students on Hogsmeade weekends, and the goal was to spend these first three days getting all the kinks out before it was full steam ahead over the weekend. Of course, being ten in the morning on a weekday in Hogsmeade wasn’t exactly primetime pizza ordering, so Jimbo was casually seated in one of the red and white diner-style booths, happily flipping through the laminated menus he had printed out a few days earlier, giggling to himself at the names of the pizzas. Notably The Unforgivable Cheeses – his version of a three-cheese pizza.

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February 19, 2026

Being from Georgia, Zeke might not have had much of a stake in the debates back home in the United States about which city's pizza reigned supreme, but he could still appreciate a good slice of pizza. From what he had encountered so far, there wasn't all that much in the way of pizza on the magical side of life in the United Kingdom, at least until a new business popped up. Called the "Happily Ever After Pizza Emporium", it definitely sounded cheesy in all the wrong ways, but there was definitely a market for it. That included Zeke himself, who was grateful to have a day off from his training during which he could check out if it was really worth the hype or if he would be better off ordering pizza from someplace back in Muggle London.

Anticipating a line—or a "queue", Zeke supposed—out the door and then some in Hogsmeade, he was pleased to find that ten o'clock in the morning was still far too early for most people to be craving pizza. It probably helped that the kids at Hogwarts didn't have the freedom to go into the village whenever they pleased, thought Zeke, or the place probably would have been packed. When he got there, there didn't seem to be any other customers, in fact, aside from one man seated at a booth.

Looking again, Zeke realized that it was Jimbo Blishwick, the man who ran the matchmaking service. He hadn't had tremendous success with it, even winding up on a date with his friend Eli, but he guessed that nothing was picture-perfect. Apparently, the pizza place was also a business venture of Blishwick's. Considering that he had made use of the matchmaking (not that he had ever been looking for anything in particular), it would have been hypocritical for him to shun the pizza parlor on that basis, but what did the matchmaker know about pizza? Did that also apply to matching ingredients?

Zeke wasn't sure, but he nodded in acknowledgment to Mr. Blishwick, who seemed to be amused about something or other as he looked at the menu. "Good morning," Zeke greeted him politely, looking around and wondering if he should seat himself.

jimbo brian blishwick vi

[jimbo brian blishwick vi]

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The jingle from the bell above the door notified Jimbo that someone was coming inside. There hadn’t been a customer yet today, though that was to be expected because it was still the morning. But a few people had come in just to check out the place, not being able to do so during the soft-opening due to the crowds. A young man had walked in, and Jimbo neatly folded up the menu he had been looking at, making sure to keep it with him in case this was a customer or someone interested in the menu, and stood up from his spot at the table. “Good morning!” he called cheerfully, loud enough so that his employees in the back would wake up and get ready just in case. That was a new thing for him, having employees. Family members had helped with the matchmaking business, but everything was one-hundred percent him there. Now he relied on actual cashiers and chefs. It was crazy! Everything they had done so far had worked out well, and he was proud of how hard they were working. Pretty soon here, once they were in the full swing of things, they were going to be working harder than ever before.

“Here to eat or look around today?” Jimbo continued. He didn’t want to force the lad into ordering if he just wanted to see the place, though if he did, he would technically be the first official customer now that the restaurant was fully open. That was something to celebrate after all, like a free pizza! “Regardless,” he added without missing a beat, “Here is our menu. We have a wide variety of different styles of pizza, and allow custom orders as well. And within a month or two we’re planning on starting a delivery service as well, if coming out to Hogsmeade is too much of a trek.” He personally was the most proud about the names he had come up with for all of the pizzas. They all made sense based on their toppings and flavors, and the witches and wizards that knew muggle rock and roll would really have a great time with it.

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February 19, 2026

As he entered the pizza parlor, Zeke saw Mr. Blishwick stand up from where he had been seated. The man cheerfully wished him a good morning, and then he asked him if he was there to eat or to look around at the place.

Honestly? Zeke wasn't sure about his answer to that question. It was awfully early, and he didn't want to inconvenience anyone with the fact that he had just happened to walk in. At least back home, most places didn't really start serving lunch until about eleven o'clock, so he didn't want to be "that guy" on some people who were just getting their bearings with the whole pizza-making thing.

"Regardless," Mr. Blishwick told him before he even had time to reply to his previous question, reminding Zeke of a used car salesman. "Here is our menu. We have a wide variety of different styles of pizza, and allow custom orders as well." Zeke nodded. That was good to know, especially when ordering for a group. "And within a month or two," Mr. Blishwick went on, "we're planning on starting a delivery service as well, if coming out to Hogsmeade is too much of a trek."

That was even more convenient. He wasn't in Hogsmeade as much as he would have been if he were still a student, and being able to order a delivery pizza from a magical location meant that it probably wouldn't take even thirty minutes to arrive. It was the peak of instant gratification, Zeke supposed, not that he was incredibly impatient.

"That's great. Thank you," Zeke replied, taking a look at the menu. He was most surprised by the names of the pizzas. It wasn't uncommon for restaurants to come up with catchy ways of marketing their products, but the names were something else. They wouldn't have been out of place in the non-magical part of London, though Zeke knew that he was very much in Hogsmeade. "Whoa," he exclaimed, the realization dawning on him. "These are all No-Maj music references, right?" Zeke grinned, not having taken Mr. Blishwick to be someone with any interest in the No-Maj world whatsoever. This was way better than he had expected.

jimbo brian blishwick vi

[jimbo brian blishwick vi]

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The dopamine rush Jimbo was already getting from handing over the menu and watching the young man’s expressions as he gave the lowdown on the restaurant was unbelievable. He couldn’t quite equate it to the feeling that he got when two people were placed together inside his head, as that was more of a ticklish epiphany than a surge of pride. The matchmaking business was his by blood. The pizza parlor was his by hard work, a hefty bag of galleons, and a flourish of his favorite phoenix feather pen. Brainpower and an overflowing of creativity over the last several years had all led to this, and it was mainly thanks to the large amount of data he had gathered from his blind date roulette events. Now obviously he knew that students and young people alike enjoyed pizza, and the distinct lack of it in the magical world meant he had to fill in the gaps. Hogsmeade was dreadfully boring by the end of the year and there were only so many available seats at the Three Broomsticks. The addition of the Ilvermorny students the previous year had also helped in pushing him into this. While not a permanent fixture, he had heard and seen enough of the overcrowding that the wizarding town went through these past two years. So that was why he was here now. And it felt great!

The young man took the menu from him and Jimbo watched closely. There were a ton of options because he didn’t want to seem lazy and kids were always open to trying weird foods when there was a giant menu. He had been that way growing up. What he hadn’t been expecting was the reaction to the name of the pizzas. “Right you are!” Jimbo answered excitedly. “I like a good pun too, and it just so happens that pizza and muggle music coincide a lot more than one normally thinks.” And with a little help from some of his new employees, who were always trying new combinations and making a game out of coming up with accurate names. Jimbo was rather pleased by all of them. “I imagine it would be a good idea to play that sort of music in here too, wouldn’t it? I’ve visited muggle pizza parlors all over London to get a feel for it, but they’re all missing one or two things.” Meaning him and his business prowess. “Hopefully we can make up for that here.”

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February 19, 2026

Mr. Blishwick was taking a real risk by using so many non-magical references on his menu, Zeke felt. Though it all would probably go right over the heads of the people who cared enough about blood purity to throw a fit over something that mild, he had to applaud him for doing it. The fact that Blishwick was obviously so eager about having done it made Zeke feel more positive about his decision to go in. Having come from a non-magical family in the United States—where, historically, there were even fewer interactions between non-magical and magical people and continued distrust of No-Majes—it was refreshing.

Adding to the excitement with which Mr. Blishwick was approaching the idea, he considered aloud that perhaps he should play some non-magical music in the pizza parlor, too. Zeke grinned. That would be cool, and that would make people feel as though they had been transported into the No-Maj world, even if they weren't really. It would be a good selling point for people like him, especially, and he didn't doubt that other people would jump for the idea.

"I've visited Muggle pizza parlors all over London to get a feel for it, but they’re all missing one or two things," Blishwick went on. "Hopefully we can make up for that here."

"Yes, sir," Zeke nodded. "The music would be a nice touch." He was in agreement with Mr. Blishwick. "Plus, it would be pretty easy now, I'd bet. You could probably hook up a speaker system or something and play the music that way." In other words, he didn't think that it would be too much different from how it was in the non-magical world.

jimbo brian blishwick vi

[jimbo brian blishwick vi]

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A speaker system! Genius! Jimbo immediately reached for a table and stole a napkin from its holder, a pen appearing in his hand from one of his many hiding places on his person. Even while he was at the pizza parlor, he still had a few blank contracts stuffed into his suit, just in case a happy couple decided they wanted to be engaged then and there while competing in the ‘Hold On Loosely (To Your Pants!) Challenge’. Jimbo was especially proud of that one, as it sort of combined both of his businesses together. And who didn’t want to dig into a giant heart-shaped pizza with their significant other? There were very few things out there that he found more romantic than gorging on pizza with your one true love in under ten minutes. He assumed that there would be a lot of young lads out there who would want their names on the wall of the shop, as well as the free meal if they could complete the challenge. The possibility of free food brought young couples in. There were studies on that.

“That is an excellent idea!” Jimbo bellowed, remembering that the two of them were discussing the sound system. Funneling music throughout the restaurant would definitely work for the kids. Throw in some of the more popular magical artists and he felt like he’d have a surefire way to keep business thriving, especially on Hogsmeade weekends. The next step was petitioning the school to allow the students out on more weekends. With the recent changes in how the community viewed technology as a whole, it was only time for the children to be released more frequently. He was of the belief that time outside of education allowed for more well-rounded students as a whole. Which was exactly why he let Jameson spent a lot of her time focusing on the school paper and sending articles into the Daily Prophet. That sort of encouragement led to better marks. “I can’t believe I didn’t do that from the start,” he laughed, now realizing that it was painfully quiet when his own voice wasn’t echoing through the building. “Anything in particular stand out to you so far?” Jimbo asked, turning gears back towards the menu he had handed the young man. This was a business venture after all, and pizza was the name of the game now.

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February 19, 2026

Mr. Blishwick seemed to think that installing a speaker system was a novel idea, writing it on a napkin before he could forget. Zeke didn't think that it was particularly genius, but he had a tendency to forget just how much of the No-Maj world could make witches and wizards from more magical backgrounds look at him like he'd invented something off the top of his head. (He hadn't, for the record; speaker systems were incredibly commonplace in the non-magical world.) "I can't believe I didn't do that from the start," Blishwick added. He seemed like the kind of person who couldn't do anything halfway, and Zeke had to question if advising him to play music had been the right move. If he were to come in next time to a bunch of oldies blaring at the highest volume possible, then that would be his own fault.

"Anything in particular stand out to you so far?"

Some of the names were definitely a mouthful, and Zeke hoped that that wouldn't put people off ordering, especially if they weren't as used to eating pizza. If they didn't get the references sprinkled throughout, it would be annoying, he guessed. At least, Zeke couldn't see some of the more pretentious witches and wizards ordering half of these with a straight face… especially when "pants" in the United States and "pants" in their part of the world meant two very different things. It was even more of an innuendo for someone whose mind went to underpants and not, say, jeans, but that was also sort of the fun in it.

"All the toppings sound good, Mr. Blishwick," Zeke shrugged. There wasn't anything totally outrageous, from what he could see—no pumpkin juice pizza or anything like that, anyway. "What would you recommend?"

jimbo brian blishwick vi

[jimbo brian blishwick vi]

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Did he have any recommendations? Jimbo laughed at the question, the noise erupting from somewhere deep within him. There were bound to be a lot of funny things like this as more customers came in. And to be honest, he didn’t even know what to recommend so far. From the tests he’d run with employees and random passersby, the classics like meat lovers (Pizza Haze) and the supreme (I Wanna Dance With Some-Pizza) were the clear front-runners. But is that what this lad wanted? Or was he looking for something a little more out there? “I’m sorry, that’s a great question,” he continued to chuckle. The real problem here was whether or not he could remember the names of every single one of his pizzas. As of right now, there were almost thirty different ones on the menu.

“Pie #49 is the standard pepperoni pizza, so you definitely can’t go wrong with that,” Jimbo reasoned. But was that his best pizza and the one he wanted people to know his restaurant for? Nope! “I’ve seen a few people be really surprised by Paradise Pizza City. They don’t really think about how chicken, bacon and ranch combines on a pizza, but it seems to be a favorite so far.” He personally liked the ham and pineapple one, only because watching the few hardcore fanatics freak out at the mere mention of combining the two ingredients was hilarious. The Americans were really particular about what went on their pizzas. Some were game for anything and others only got the New York style and swore off the rest of the menu. It was quite the enlightening experience whenever they stopped in. “Or you could make your own combination out of the listed ingredients at the bottom,” Jimbo pointed to the section for that. He hoped to see his customers come up with ideas so insane and wild that he could add it to the menu. They’d get to name it too, of course.

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February 19, 2026

In response to his question about what he would recommend, Mr. Blishwick laughed. Zeke wasn't sure if he was being laughed at, but he soon received an apology from the matchmaker-turned-restaurateur, who said that his question had been a good one, in fact.

Giving him his input, Mr. Blishwick explained that Pie #49 was a standard pepperoni pizza. That was a solid choice, Zeke considered. It was pretty hard to screw up a pepperoni pizza. There was also the Paradise Pizza City, which Mr. Blishwick said had surprised a few of his customers. That one was a chicken, bacon, ranch pizza, apparently, but Zeke could understand why that was something of a surprise to the pizzeria's customers. Ranch dressing was very much an American condiment, so there were probably a lot of people who hadn't tried it before. They were missing out, though; the stuff was pretty good.

"Or you could make your own combination out of the listed ingredients at the bottom," Mr. Blishwick pointed out.

Zeke nodded and looked at the list of ingredients that had just been mentioned to him. "And could I do the customized pizza as a personal-sized pizza? Or do y'all only do larger pizzas?"

jimbo brian blishwick vi

[jimbo brian blishwick vi]

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Every question was a great question, in Jimbo's opinion. Whether it was about his matchmaking business, pizza, or life in general. He liked to think that his dabbling in all sorts of things - and especially as a businessman - allowed for a vast knowledge in everything. While certainly a master of love and potentially pizza (an excellent combination and a great name for a new pie!), he knew that he couldn't grow as a person without accepting questions and criticisms. The matchmaking business had only survived this long with frequent changes made by either himself or his predecessors, and the pizza parlor needed the same if it were to have any kind of longevity. This was ground no Blishwick had ever gone before. Jimbo was game to take all of the knowledge his customers gave him in order to create the perfect restaurant. The lad sitting before him was merely the first of many to ask excellent, thought-provoking questions, and Jimbo knew there would be more like this over the next several months.

"I don't see why you couldn't have a smaller custom pizza. It certainly doesn't hinder the kitchen at all to throw the toppings on the smaller size..." The idea alone was already generating plans for personal-sized pizzas. A buy one, get the second half-off sort of deal. There were logistical things he would have to go over first, of course, to make sure it even made sense to do such a thing when there were other sized pizzas available for the same cost. Knowing the way people's brains worked though, having the concept of getting a deal would mean they'd go for it. "Realistically you could also order just a slice. Not custom, of course, but if you only wanted a pepperoni we always have those available." That was a trick he'd learned in his research. Muggles didn't always want a full pie, so having the more popular orders ready to serve a slice or two was perfect. Especially with a drink added to it. He was positive there would be students visiting in Hogsmeade trips that would only want to eat a little bit. It made no sense at all to force them to get a large or sheet pizza.

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