Bastion Pizza – A New Face in Town
Bastion Pizza opened its doors in Nanaimo in 2024, taking over the location of a well-known local pizza joint that had moved to a bigger space. That might sound like a good thing, but it actually made things tougher. As owners Chris and Ty explained, it felt like the community saw them as a downgrade. More of a “guess we’re stuck with these new guys” kind of vibe. That perception made it hard to build momentum.
But Chris and Ty weren’t trying to replace the old spot — they were trying to build something of their own. And they knew that if they wanted to change the story, getting in front of people with content was the fastest way.
Strategy: Embracing the Bold
Pizza speaks for itself. It’s visual, emotional, and doesn’t need a lot of polish. We looked at what already works — channels like One Bite Reviews and Krispy Pizza — and knew the magic was in simply showing the process. So that’s what we did. We focused on Chris and Ty, their story and their bold and out-there take on pizza. And trust me when I say, it went far beyond the debate of whether pineapple should go on a pie or not.
There’s always a chance that doing things differently will backfire. But on social media, strong reactions drive engagement. So when we filmed Chris making a pizza called “Taste of Ukraine” topped with locally made Ukrainian perogies, it broke every pizza rule. And it also broke their Instagram, racking up 7,000 views overnight.
Results
In just two months, the account gained over 600 followers. But more importantly, orders went up — especially for the pizzas we featured, like the pepperoni ricotta and chicken enchilada. They’ve even started getting bulk orders from local offices (see screenshot below). Because let’s face it, once you see a hot, fresh pizza being made, it’s hard to not crave one.
Kenneth Lai
Founder Upsmash Media
