Lee Kindell on His Journey from Hostel Operator to Building a Fast-Growing Robot-Powered Pizza Chain

Lee Kindell, founder of MOTO Pizza, Seattle’s fastest-growing restaurant chain, never intended to be a restaurateur. In fact, starting a small local pizza joint was more of a retirement plan for when he eventually retired from running a hostel, where he’d cultivated a community atmosphere by taking guests on foraging trips, introducing them to local food, and hosting communal dinners.

According to Kindell, it was during one of these gatherings that someone suggested making pizza, and before long, he became fascinated with the craft of dough preparation. Over time, he learned the nuances of sourdough and grew to love the tactile joy of working with dough, and he would talk to his wife, Nancy, about an eventual far-away plan to retire and run a small pizza restaurant.

But like millions of Americans, the COVID-19 pandemic pushed him into a pivot faster than he anticipated when his hostels closed, and his far-away plan soon became the next thing up. He poured his savings into a 500-square-foot space in Seattle’s West Seattle neighborhood—which they affectionately call “The Up House.” With less than $60,000, Kindell bought used equipment and salvaged furniture from the side of the road, and soon, he soft-launched his little pizza shop. But, in a shock to both Kindell and his wife, a soft launch quickly turned into a viral sensation as bored home-bound customers in the midst of a pandemic lined up around the block after learning about MOTO on social media and from an article in Seattle Eater.

“We went viral on day one,” Kindell said.

From there, MOTO’s reputation grew as Kindell dedicated himself to bettering his craft. He became a hands-on pizzaiolo, mixing dough by hand until an arm injury pushed him to adopt a mixer—a pivotal moment that reshaped his views on scaling. Kindell realized that the mixer didn’t compromise the dough’s quality, and soon, he began exploring other tools, such as conveyor ovens and robotics, to do what he called “scaling craft.”

Moto’s expansion soon took an unexpected turn, landing a coveted spot at the Seattle Mariners Stadium after one day talking to a customer who worked for the team. Kindell pitched his idea to make stadium-friendly, hand-held pizzas, and it wasn’t long MOTO was serving up to 1,400 pizzas per game. Success at T-Mobile Park led to additional opportunities, including the Paribas Tennis Open in Palm Springs, where MOTO served 3,000 pizzas a day during the tournament. “It’s a logistical nightmare,” Kindell said, but he is confident in scaling MOTO nationwide without losing the craft and authenticity that made it special.

Nowadays, MOTO continues to grow (they just opened their first mall location at Bellevue Square) and Kindell has plans to expand nationally and even overseas. There’s no shortage of investor interest, and Kindell and his team plan on taking on more investment next year as they expand their footprint and explore new technology options like drone delivery.

You can watch our full conversation below or listen to it on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.