Simply put, Escape From New York Pizza is owned by a group of friends who have become family. It was started in 1986 by, Paul Geffner and Rob Friedman, former San Francisco street artists, and Joe Goldmark, an itinerant musician. Paul grew up on Manhattan's Lower East Side and is the "New Yorker" in Escape From New York Pizza. Joe has gone on to be one of the founders of Amoeba Music and Rob moved to Portland.