The Oven – a local pizzeria known for its deep-dish creations – has been turning heads with its 6-pound pizza challenge. The competition has caught the attention of multiple professional eaters, who have ventured to Owensboro to try and devour the 14-inch, three-topping, deep-dish pizza within an hour.
The Oven owners James Harlen and Shelly Marshall said the challenge has gained traction, though no local has successfully completed the challenge.
“We’ve had three professional eaters come in, and all of them finished it,” Harlen said.
Among them was Randy Santel, a well-known competitive eater with millions of followers on social media. Santel set the record by completing the challenge in 16 minutes and 13 seconds earlier this month.
Two other professionals, Brandon “The Garbage Disposal” Clark and Eli Lessig, also succeeded — both finishing just under the original 30-minute time limit. Their visits sparked curiosity and competition, bringing amateur eaters into the fold.
This past Saturday, a Louisville native named Mac became the first non-professional to conquer the challenge, finishing in 52 minutes.
“He was hurting at the end but determined to finish,” Harlen said. “He follows these professional eaters online and wanted to see if he could do it himself.”
Participants who complete the challenge not only get the $50 pizza for free but also earn a $25 gift card, a commemorative T-shirt, and their photo on The Oven’s wall of fame.
The Oven has been serving up pizzas since 2018 at 1012 East Fourth Street. Marshall said the challenge, which launched 6 months ago, has brought increased attention to the pizzeria.
“People didn’t even know we had a deep-dish pizza before this,” she said. “Promoting it on Facebook has been huge for us, and it’s boosted sales.”
Harlen, a fan of competitive eating videos, said the idea for the challenge came from his interest in the sport. Now, he’s considering introducing other challenges, such as a speed-eating competition.
While the challenge has drawn plenty of adventurous eaters, none of the locals have managed to finish the 6-pound pizza.
“We’ve had about 10 or 12 people try it, but it’s no joke,” Harlen said. “Once your stomach is full, that’s it.”
