Where it all started

Scamps is a labor of love from a few friends with a dream of creating a place of our own. It began when Max, our head chef, and his wife Hannah moved to Germany in 2015. Struggling to find a job that’d hire a guy who spoke no German, Max started working with other ex-pats at a restaurant in Nuremberg. He developed a love for the industry, and taught himself how to bake naturally fermented loaves of sourdough and pizzas. All the while, he was trading tips with our other partner Jeff, who’d started doing some baking of his own.

After moving back to the states, Max spent a few years leading the bread team at Bakeri in Brooklyn, and later helped the co-owners open up Pizzeria Panina in Queens, where he developed their signature, naturally leavened dough recipe. Later, back at home in Philly, he enjoyed stints at some local favorites: Philly Style Bagels, eeva, Elma, Chestnut Hill Brewing, and Liberty Kitchen.

Scamps is currently functioning as a residency at Philly Style Bagels in Old City, where you’ll find us making pizzas Thursdays through Sundays from 4 to 9 pm. Come see us!