How U Doin Clubhouse Serves Up Hope to Struggling Teens

“How you doin?” 

The colloquial phrase from Friends, one of the most watched television shows from 1994-2004, is the signature flirting line of Joey Tribbiani, played by Matt LeBlanc. Eddie Fischer, the founder and creator of the How U Doin Foundation in Northlake, has found that this catchphrase played an extraordinary role in his own life.  

The 56-year-old is from the small working-class town of Sayreville, New Jersey, where community was built around family, faith, and local pizza joints. Eddie’s uncle Rocky owned Pizzarama in nearby Perth Amboy. As a teenager, he remembers how much people loved to gather inside pizza parlors and watch the New York Yankees. 

Eddie’s grandmother worked behind the counter, crafting pizzas, and played a pivotal role in keeping the business running. “My grandma is where I get a lot of my energy and outgoing personality from,” Eddie says. During the times of uncertainty in the United States, he found himself navigating personal struggles, and he had his first beer. 

“It was an experience that led me down a long and complicated journey with alcohol, one that I truly wish I had never taken. One of the hardest things that a person can do is to break away from their comfort zone, and I did it. More than once.” 

Eddie moved to Scottsdale, Arizona, where he worked as a personal mortgage banker for Wells Fargo and began to slowly figure out his place in life. More importantly, he met the love of his life, Michelle. Things were great, for a while. 

And then, they weren’t. 

This time, Eddie refused to let his struggles with sobriety steal the life he was creating with his wife. Eddie credits four things to his ability to maintain his sobriety of nearly 20 years — his faith, his wife, the ability to anchor himself within a community where he can help others, and the love for pizza. 

In fact, Eddie’s faith and community are what brought him to Texas in 2018 to work as a Chief Marketing Officer for the Casa Colina Treatment Center. There for over two years, he spent his time learning branding, communication, crisis intervention, marketing, and strategy. Eddie realized that he could combine his passions and utilize his skills to help others. Most importantly, he saw the struggles teens were facing and how they needed something that connected them to their community. 

“My own personal journey of sobriety and love for pizza is where it all began. I probably — no, I know — that I wouldn’t be where I am today if I didn’t find my faith, wife and anchor within the community,” Eddie said. 

But after a moment, he sighed and shifted the topic to something more uplifting. “So, all of this, it was like turning on a light switch. I realized that I wasn’t the only one that loved pizza, and I wasn’t the only teen from a small community that had struggles. As I began to make pizzas at the treatment center with these teens, I discovered the creation of the How U
Doin Foundation.” 

Eddie, with the approval of his wife Michelle, left his comfort zone yet again. He closed the door on stability. “I’m living proof for these teens in small communities that you can thrive in and out of your comfort zones. No matter what your struggle is. Whether it’s mental health, sobriety, or a mixture thereof. 

“The creation of the How U Doin Foundation is going to be amazing. I can’t wait. I’d love for it to be something like what Donnie and Mark Wahlburg did with the Wahlburgers. Except, instead of having eateries for hamburgers and cheeseburgers across the United States, we’re creating pizzas in clubhouses. Our headquarters in Northlake will be finished in 2026. I could not be more excited. I’ve been working with chefs and builders who will be helping us bring life to the clubhouse.”

Eddie couldn’t contain his excitement. “We’re going to bring in business leaders, chefs, musicians, and people from all walks of life to put on masterclasses, concerts, and more. It won’t be just baking a pizza and us asking how somebody is. 

“But that’s where it will begin. Just like it did for me. It will be us helping these teens find an escape from their traumas, jobs, and a way to overcome all their adversities in life by being a part of something positive in their community. Nothing would make me happier than to see every state have a fully staffed, functioning clubhouse.” 

If you know someone struggling with addictions or mental health, or if you would like to donate, volunteer, or assist Eddie and the How U Doin Foundation, contact: 

480.206.9888 | Info@HowUDoin.org | HowUDoin.org