A Portland Pizzeria Is Using Cardboard Cutouts of Fabio, the Dude and Dr. Fauci to Encourage Social Distancing

Pizza Schmizza realized that if folks weren’t inclined to social distance out of their own sense of self-preservation, maybe they'd listen to America’s most highly visible immunologist—or Marky Mark.

IMAGE: Karen Read.
By Scout Brobst

Danny DeVito stands 6 feet away from Mark Wahlberg. Six feet away from him is Dr. Anthony Fauci. And is that Fabio, adhering to proper social distancing while flouting the “no shirt, no service” rule?

It’s not an ill-advised Hollywood mixer, but the line inside Pizza Schmizza’s downtown location on Southwest Montgomery Street.

IMAGE: Karen Read.
IMAGE: Karen Read.

Reopening for Phase 1, the Portland pizza chain realized that if folks weren’t inclined to social distance out of their own sense of self-preservation, they might stand apart if they were signaled to by a lifesize cardboard cutout of a celebrity—whether it’s Jeff Bridges as the Dude or America’s most highly visible immunologist.

“It’s bringing some people in because they see it out of the corner of their eye and they’re like, ‘Wait, what was that?’” says store manager Christina George. “It’s nice. We have some current celebrities and some throwbacks. There’s a little bit of something for everybody.”

Related: A Portland Pizzeria Gives Out Free Toilet Paper With Deliveries.

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