Bertello was formed in 2017 by Minnesota brothers Eric and Andy Bert. Eric, a former structural engineer, designed a compact pizza oven that could use multiple fuels, while Andy, a finance pro, set up the business plan. A low price point was key to compete with the popular Ooni 3 pizza oven, the portable pizza oven pioneer with a very similar design. Like the original Ooni, Bertello’s design is more functional than flashy with a black exterior consisting of insulated powder coated stainless steel fastened mostly with rivets. The unique selling point? The ability to cook with multiple fuels from gas to wood to charcoal and pellets, including gas and wood simultaneously. Sales were good, so the Bert bros took Bertello to ABC’s SharkTank, where they won an investment from Kevin O’Leary (AKA Mr. Wonderful). That was in 2020, and Bertello has been gaining ground ever since.
