Why I'm Changing the Name
September 3, 2026 · Jay De Natale
A guy at my gym stopped me last week. Westside guy, lived here for years, knew Abbot's from back in the day. He'd heard we were rebranding to lilguy and wanted to know why. Why change the name of a 30-year institution? It's a fair question. Here's the honest answer.
The name wasn't working
When I walked in December 2025 Abbot's Pizza was weeks from closing. The name had thirty years of history attached to it, some of it great, a lot of it not. I stepped in to save it. Rebuilt what needed rebuilding, kept what was worth keeping, and turned it around.
But the name never felt right for where this is going. It carried weight that wasn't mine and a story I didn't write. At some point you have to ask, what exactly is the name protecting?
Why lilguy
lilguy is named after my pitbulls. Gino, who passed, and Bruno, who is currently on my couch. I called them both lilguy, not ironically, just affectionately. Hundred pound dogs with a name that made you feel like you could approach them. That's the energy I want on this corner. Confident, warm, not precious about itself. A name that makes you smile before you even walk in. It's also more true to what I'm building. One of the last independent local joints on Abbot Kinney in Venice. Small shop, big goals. The name should reflect that.
What's coming
The neon sign is on its way from Noble Signs in New York, these are the guys fighting to keep old NYC signage alive, restoring and making the signs that belong in real pizzerias. It's going to look exactly right on this corner.
The window is getting painted. The counter is opening up. September is when this corner starts to look like what it actually is.
The gym guy nodded when I finished explaining. Said he'd come in. That's the whole thing right there. Come see what we're building.
- Jay