NJ pizza restaurant's new mural sparks controversy

A pizza place is generating buzz, but not for its pies

Instead, it has everything to do with a mural outside the restaurant. Fox Ice's Teresa Prielo slices into this controversy in Montclair, New Jersey

Jason Rosenthal is used to making pizza. What he's not used to is making controversy

nor being at the center of a viral TikTok uproar over, of all things, the mural on his building

It was the first thing that struck me was we have this awesome space on the side of the building that people see as they drive down Walnut Street and definitely

wanted to put some artwork up here. When he took over the space on Walnut Street in Montclair

he thought the building needed some pizzazz, so he connected with an artist who spray-painted this

two elderly women weathered and worn but alive. It wasn't ever an Instagram or tourist hotspot

but it did become a symbol of female empowerment. After five years, he decided it was time for a

change. We knew people liked it. We would always catch people taking pictures in front of it

But in the four years, like no one really ever told us how much it meant to them

Once he commissioned Jen Flom to paint, what else, pizzas, the Internet exploded

Her post has 24 million views Hi it pretty good Thank you Even videos responding to her video are going viral And while it isn hurting brick and dough just yet

people from around the country have hijacked his Google reviews and are trying to bury his business

I can appreciate and respect how much people miss it and loved it

but the intention behind changing it was nothing other than we just wanted to refresh our wall after almost five years

And while the negativity is coming from outside of town, he never anticipated it would cause this reaction

There's no comparison. I mean, one had a strong message and one is pizza

It has, however, spurred interest in his restaurant. Was it the mural that brought you in? Was it the controversy over the mural that

Honestly, a little bit. Yeah. But I mean, we were just in the area, so we figured might as well

I feel like it doesn't really matter because like the mural, it fits now because it's like a pizza place

Okay, there's one thing that we know for sure. The mural will change in the next couple of years

That's right? That's right. The pizza will not. At least I hope so

Never. Here goes nothing. In Montclair, New Jersey, Teresa Priolo, Box 5 News

That's so good