Brady Sweet, who set the world record for the largest calzone in 2014, now aims to surpass his own record in St. Thomas this Sunday. Photo: VI Consortium

Chef Sweet set the record in Indiana a decade ago with a 23 feet 7 inches long calzone weighing 212 pounds. He moved to St. Thomas shortly afterwards to work as a chef in one of the island’s most prestigious hotels. Mr. Sweet later entered a partnership to purchase Cafe Amici, subsequently selling to pursue other ventures before repurchasing the business, this time as the sole owner. 

He told the Consortium, “I just find it so much joy in it,” while reflecting on his specialisation in pizzas, calzones and Italian fare. 

Breaking his own record after 10 years 

After waiting 10 years for someone to break the world record, Mr. Sweet decided to do it himself, in the processing bringing the Guinness World Record attempt to St. Thomas and the US Virgin Islands for the first time. 

“We pulled out all the stops and we actually have the Guinness World Record lady flying in the day before. She’ll be here on site the entire day,” he shared. 

The event is scheduled to begin around 8 a.m. on Sunday on Main Street, which will be cordoned off between Cardow Jewelers and Taphus Beer House. 

“We’re gonna have a huge party,” Mr. Sweet told Consortium journalists. In addition to the main event, there will be music, an MC and a “secret surprise” performance. 

A big production

The actual record-breaking attempt will be a big production. Creating the world’s largest calzone has several logistical challenges needed to be overcome. One rule of the Guinness World Record is that the calzone must be made as a contiguous whole. 

“It can’t just be a bunch of pieces pieced together,” Mr. Sweet said. 

The finished calzone is expected to be 35 feet long, requiring an enormous team effort. Mr. Sweet estimated that about 70 people will be needed for the task, and staff of several neighbouring businesses have agreed to help. 

According to the calzone and pizza specialist, Sunday’s biggest challenge will be “getting everybody to work as a team and pulling [it] through the ocean so we don’t break it”. 

Special equipment had to be produced as a 35-foot calzone is way too large to fit in even the most spacious oven in a restaurant. The Middleby Marshall Corporation stepped in to assist as they did a decade ago, sending a conveyor belt over down to St. Thomas to cook the pie. 

The calzone will be stuffed with tomato sauce, cheese and other fillings, and is expected to weigh roughly 375 pounds when it gets out of the oven around 2 p.m. on Sunday. 

Cafe Amici’s intention is to cut it up and sell $10 slices to patrons. 

“All the proceeds will go to the Humane Society,” Chef Sweet says, making the record-breaking spectacle a charity fundraising event as well.