HUNTINGTON STATION, NY – August 24, 2026
How high can you toss pizza dough? If you ask Jonny Dawson, owner of Jonny’s Pizza in Huntington Station, the answer is hopefully a little higher than 21½ feet.
Huntington Matters recently sat down with Dawson at his restaurant as he prepares to attempt to break the world record for the highest pizza dough toss. While breaking a world record is certainly enough to get people talking, Dawson decided to make the attempt about something much bigger. He is using it to raise money and meals for Family Service League, with other local businesses already joining the effort.
The challenge sounds simple enough: spin a 24-ounce ball of pizza dough, send it more than 21½ feet into the air and catch it. But there’s one very important catch – literally. The dough cannot break. Dawson explained that getting the dough high enough isn’t necessarily the hardest part. After traveling more than 20 feet into the air, it comes back down with considerable force, making the catch particularly tricky.
“You have to catch it gently,” Dawson explained. “You have to give with it a little bit.”
Fortunately, he’s had some practice – about 25 years of it. Dawson said tossing pizza dough is something he regularly does for the kids who come into the pizzeria. His world-record idea, however, came one night while scrolling online. He spotted the existing record and had a pretty simple reaction:
“That’s not that high. I think I could beat that.”
So, naturally, he went outside the next day and started practicing. Now the casual idea has turned into a community event in the making.
Turning a World Record Attempt Into Something More
When Huntington Matters interviewer June Margolin asked why Dawson chose Family Service League as the beneficiary, his answer came back to his connection with the Huntington community.
“They’re a great organization. They’re right here in Huntington, and we’re always doing things in the community to help out,” Dawson said. “It gives us joy to be able to help out people in need that are less fortunate.”
Dawson has pledged 100 meals for every inch he breaks the record by, and other businesses are getting involved. Shipwreck Diner in Northport and Pancho Villa’s Mexican Restaurant in Huntington have pledged $100 for every inch Dawson beats the record by, along with 10 meals for the homeless shelter. Dawson said additional organizations and businesses are also becoming involved, with the effort continuing to grow. Anyone interested in joining the fundraising effort can reach out to Dawson through social media, contact him at the pizzeria at 946 New York Avenue or call 631-385-4444 to make a pledge.
Waiting for the Perfect Pizza-Dough Weather
There isn’t an official date for the attempt just yet. Dawson has reached out to Guinness World Records and is waiting to learn what will be required to document an official attempt. Regardless, he says he’s going for it. The weather also has to cooperate. Cold temperatures can affect the dough, humidity can change how well it flies, and wind is definitely not something you want when you’re trying to send pizza dough more than 21 feet straight into the air.
When the day does arrive, Dawson plans to document the attempt from multiple camera angles, including from the roof and the ground. And he’s feeling pretty confident. “I’ve been practicing in my backyard and I know the height of my roof and I’m getting it past that,” he said. “I think we’ll be good.”
Actually, scratch think. “I’m going to break it.”
A Pay-It-Forward Tradition
During the interview, Margolin also noticed something inside the pizzeria that says a lot about why Dawson chose to connect his record attempt with helping others. A Pay It Forward board allows customers to purchase a slice and soda for someone who may not be able to afford a meal. Each plate displayed on the board represents a meal someone has already purchased for somebody else. If someone comes in hungry and doesn’t have money, the meal is waiting for them – and people use it regularly.
When the board becomes especially full, Dawson takes that generosity outside the pizzeria, donating several pizzas at a time to Tri-CYA for local kids. For Dawson, giving back is very much connected to home. He grew up in Greenlawn, graduated from Harborfields High School in 1999, lived in Huntington for about 15 years and has since moved back to Greenlawn.
Now people around town are beginning to recognize him for something else. “People come in and are excited about it,” Dawson said. “It’s something fun. And, you know, it’s for a good cause.”
And that may be our favorite part of this whole story. Yes, Huntington may soon have a world-record pizza dough tosser. But whether that dough reaches 22 feet, 23 feet or even higher, Johnny Dawson has already found a way to turn one very fun idea into something that can help his neighbors.
And when the big day comes, Huntington Matters will be rooting for that dough to fly. 🍕⬆️
Photography by Dana E. Richter. Videography by June Margolin.
