David Dobrik Opens Up on ‘Good Guys’ About Why He’s Not Returning to His Old Way of Making Content (and Why Dave Portnoy Thinks His Pizza Sucks)

In the last few years, David Dobrik has opened up a pizza restaurant on the Sunset Strip, quit YouTube, put his podcast on hiatus, got really ripped, came back to YouTube, started recording his podcast again, and, as he shares on this week’s episode of Good Guys, spent that time thinking about what it means to exist without a camera in his hand.

The Vlog Squad leader—who once pumped out three vlogs a week and gave away Teslas like party favors—sat down with hosts Josh Peck and Ben Soffer to talk about hitting pause on the content grind that made him famous, plus everything from whether phones should be allowed in saunas to why he’s fine with disappointing Dave Portnoy.

The breakup with YouTube

After a tumultuous 2021 that saw Dobrik step back from his content empire amid controversies, fans speculated how Dobrik would move forward. On Good Guys, Dobrik addresses it obliquely—”there was a lot going on”—but focuses more on the creative burnout that made him realize he “couldn’t stare in” at his own life anymore.

“When you’re going and you’re making so many videos, you’re never on the outside of it, staring in,” he explains. Taking a break let him realize how warped his perception had become during those fast-paced years.

The real revelation? “I did not operate without a camera. I never hung out, I never did anything without a camera.” Today he’s “so addicted” to being present without filming that he “can’t ever go back” to the old way of doing things. Now, instead of constantly chasing viral moments, Dobrik films when he feels like it, even if it takes a full year to finish one video, and says, “I think that’s how I’m gonna go about making all future videos.”

The pizza business

Dobrik’s other main project is Doughbriks, his West Hollywood pizza spot. He was transparent about the fact that it’s not really profitable. “You can’t make money with one location,” he admits, but says he loves having a place to send friends when they visit LA. Plus, free pizza. (Though he clarified: “It’s not really free because I am paying a rent.”)

If you’re visiting, Dobrik insists that he knows the cheese pizza sucks and that he’s been trying to remove it from the menu since before they opened. Unfortunately for Dobrik, when Dave Portnoy came to review the restaurant, well, he only tried the cheese. “Our cheese is so fresh that it sits weirdly on the pizza,” Dobrik explains. “Our pepperoni and our vodka slices are incre—I love them. I stand by them all day, every day. I just don’t give a fuck about our cheese.” Noted.

Does David Dobrik have a girlfriend?

Like the rest of us, Dobrik is open to a relationship but has no idea where to meet people these days. The guys debate whether it is acceptable to approach women at grocery stores and whether farmer’s markets are a viable option.

But his biggest lesson from the past few years has been learning to communicate. He used to avoid confrontation entirely, but now understands that “a conversation between two people helps tremendously” instead of letting problems build up. He also acknowledges that his future relationship will likely be somewhat public and wants to make “a four-minute video about falling in love” when that happens.

What’s next for David Dobrik

It’s slightly unclear whether this version of Dobrik is more or less guarded than the one who built an empire off of rapid-fire vlogs and elaborate stunts. He’s figuring out how to live a relatively normal life after spending his early twenties as a content machine, and he’s not exactly rushing to return to his previous pace. Even though he’s jacked, he still says he’s too intimidated to be shirtless on camera, which is why he could never pursue serious acting like Peck (who says he would probably do anything for the right project).

So, will his fans ultimately accept this slower, more deliberate approach to content creation—or will the platform that made him famous move on without him? For now, it seems Dobrik is fine with either.

Listen to the full episode of Good Guys wherever you get your podcasts.

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