Shimmy n' Glide
It's pizza and a party at Glide Pizza!
Picture this: you and your friends have just settled down on the couch and are ready to unwind and dive into some steaming hot pies from Glide Pizza. The only thing missing from this epic pizza party? Music to set the vibe. But don’t worry, Chef Rob Birdsong has got you covered.
With music always playing in the kitchen at Glide, and song recommendations bouncing back and forth between coworkers, Birdsong had the idea to bring his customers, and the Atlanta community, into the mix. Looking to share his love for music and to spark a sense of connection with his customers, Birdsong started reaching out to local chefs, asking them to create their own eight-song playlists that he features on Glide’s Spotify. “It’s a way to include our restaurant brothers and sisters. We call it the ‘8 Slice,’” he says.
Chef rob Birdsong of Glide Pizza
New-York Style Pepperoni Pizza with Pickled Serrano Peppers and Ranch Dressing
Homegrown Pizza: Pimento, Mozzarella, Mushroom, Scallion
With a limit of eight songs, Birdsong encourages the creators to have fun and structure their playlists however they want. He enlisted Chef Will Silbernagel of How Cripsy Express to be the first one to share his 8 Slice playlist. The theme? Space disco.
“I think most people do a lil’ shimmy when they are eating something they like, and I thought that I could help add a soundtrack to that,” says Silbernagel. “I love disco and I really love space disco! I wanted to start off with something sexy and groovy to get your neck moving, and then move into some stuff that was a little more challenging to get your booty movin', and then end with a banger to get your neck and booty on the same page.”
Next up was Chef Hugh Acheson of Five & Ten, who had range in mind when creating his playlist. “It’s a span of the vast genres of music that I like. There is an arc to it: mellow to frenetic to calm,” explains Acheson. “I adore music, so it was easy [to make it]. Making mixtapes back in the day was always so fun.”
To bring the music right to the customers, Birdsong had the idea of adding a QR code to his pizza boxes. All they have to do is scan and jam out to the curated tunes. “The pizza boxes are the main vehicle that transport our pies from town to town. They go into people’s houses and apartments. It’s a blank canvas and an opportunity to have this moment with the customers.”
The 8 Slice playlists aren’t limited to just chefs. Wanting to get more of the Atlanta community involved, Birdsong has featured local artist Pablo Rochat and DJ AirWolf, and has plans to involve more Atlanta creatives. “Pizza is that food that you and your friends can sit and share, there's this element of fellowship. For us, community development is really important.
