The Hot Slice

This week, we continue our Pizza Expo Interview Series from the show floor at Pizza Expo. Denise interviews three operators with pizzerias doing business in California. Check out these Golden State pizza pros: Zak Fishman from Prime Pizza. The pizza company has seven locations in Los Angeles, California. Zak shares how much the LA pizza scene has grown, details Prime’s authentic New York style pizza, why pizza, and growing from one to seven units in 10 years. Learn more about Prime Pizza at https://primepizza.la/ . Philip Adler from Freda’s Pizza. The artisan pizzeria has three locations: Camarillo, West Lake and Moorpark, California. Philip talks food truck beginnings, his background in the restaurant business and his Pizza Expo experience. Learn more about Freda’s at https://www.fredaspizza.com/. Steven Barrantes, is owner/operator at Slice of Homage in San Jose, California. The pizzeria serves up a New York-inspired and Detroit pizza. Steven lets us in on the pizza scene in San Jose, what brought him into the pizza business, and his thoughts competing in his first International Pizza Challenge. Learn more about Slice of Homage at https://www.sohpizza.com/ Stay tuned as we continue our interviews from Pizza Expo 2024. Check out more news from International Pizza Expo, including pizza competition results, show floor takeaways and happenings in our Pizza Expo News Hub.

This week, we continue our Pizza Expo Interview Series from the show floor at Pizza Expo. Denise interviews operators who are building their businesses and expanding their reach in the pizza industry. They are: Sofia Arango founded of Atlanta Pizza Truck a catering company in May 2020 in Atlanta, Georgia. She has also created a thriving pizza industry community, Latinos En Pizza. She shares how she started both ventures and her vision of sharing stories of Latinos in the pizza industry. Learn more about Atlanta Pizza Truck at https://www.theatlantapizzatruck.com/ and explore more on Latinos En Pizza at https://www.latinosenpizza.org/ Jonathan Fell and Zachary Black operate Jason’s New York Style Pizza in Bangor, Maine. The couple details the three-location’s model and its focus on carryout. Johnathan shares the story of his family business as a second-generation operator. Learn more about Jason’s at https://jasonsnypizza.com/. Enrico and Cira Aguila own Uncle Rico’s Pizza, an old-school mom and pop pizzeria in Fort Myers, Florida. We talk concept and pizza style. We also chat about getting national press for best pizza and what comes with that. Learn more about Uncle Rico’s at https://www.unclericospizza239.com/. Stay tuned as we continue our interviews from Pizza Expo 2024. Check out more news from International Pizza Expo, including pizza competition results, show floor takeaways and happenings in our Pizza Expo News Hub.

This week, we continue our Pizza Expo Interview Series from the show floor at Pizza Expo. Denise interviews experience multi-unit pizzeria operators: Zach Toth and Chris Brown of Blacksburg, Virginia-based Benny’s Pizza with 32 locations and Jonathan Schroeter from Il Primo Pizza & Wings with seven locations in Southwest Floriday Benny’s is home of the 28” Virginia Slice. Since the first location opened in Blacksburg, VA, in 2011, the pizza company has grown to 32 locations in Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wyoming. Each Benny’s has a unique name. The original is Benny Marzano. We talk about growing the business and what Zach and Chris look for in a new location. We also talk pizza industry and Pizza Expo. Learn more about Benny’s at https://www.bennysva.com/our-story/. Il Primo was founded by Paul Conti opened the first Il Primo in Arizona in 1983, growing to three locations. But when Conti relocated to Naples, Florida, he closed the Arizona stores and opened his concept in Southeast Florida in 1999. He grow Il Primo to six locations. Director of Operations Jonathan Schroeter continues that charge. Jonathan shares the growing pains of operating multiple restaurants during hurricanes. We talk about how the model has shift from large footprint dining to more carryout and delivery. We talk about Pizza Today’s visit to Il Primo in 2020 and Pizza Expo. Learn more about Il Primo at https://ilprimopizza.com/ Stay tuned as we continue our interviews from Pizza Expo 2024. Check out more news from International Pizza Expo, including pizza competition results, show floor takeaways and happenings in our Pizza Expo News Hub.

The Hot Slice with Pizza Today marks its 200th episode with a special episode. Listen as we look back some of our favorite episodes, talk about how the podcast has evolved and what to expect moving forward. Who is your wish list guest that you would like for us to have on the show? Let us know. If you would like to be a guest on The Hot Slice Podcast, reach out to Executive Editor Denise Greer dgreer@pizzatoday.com. Now let’s explore some of the episodes, Josh, Denise and Jeremy mentioned on the show: Meet the Pizza Today Podcast Team: Episode 1 S2E7 Pizza Champion Ali Haider gives the pizza tribe a much-needed pep talk S3E2 Jeff Smokevitch on Detroit-Style Pizza S3E10: Cup of Joe — Joe Fugere, Tutta Bella Neapolitan Pizzeria, Seattle, WA S4E7 Maggie Mieles: Growing Up in the Legendary Di Fara Pizza 72. Science of Pizza Dough and Positivity with Derek Sanchez 108. On Deck with Chris Decker 113. Tony Gemignani on Pizzeria of the Year 116. Pizza Today Mail Bag 118. The Creative and Entertaining John Gutekanst 129: A 3-Month Waitlist on Pizza Orders! How? 137. The Brilliant Sarah Minnick of Lovely’s Fifty Fifty 142. A Pizza Destination on Route 66 173. Catching Up with Pizza Man Dan Collier

This week, we continue our Pizza Expo Interview Series from the show floor at Pizza Expo. Denise spends some time with women who are in the mobile pizzeria business to get their perspective on business, mobile clientele, the pizza industry and Pizza Expo. Gina and Betsy Wolfe own the upstart Wolfe It Down Pizza in Princeton, Iowa. Gina is retiring this month, so the couple’s new pizza mobile unit will debut at an event in May. We learn all about how this mobile unit is getting off the ground. Colleen Constant and husband and Chef Isaiah Ruffin own Project Pizza in Seattle, Washington. The food truck relocated from Colorado. We talk with Colleen about business growth plans and learn more about their food literacy nonprofit organization. Explore more about Project Pizza at https://www.projectpizzaco.org/. Linda and Abby Ortegas, owners of Fired Up Fresh in Watsonville, California, give us an update on what’s happening with the business and the rebranding process they are currently going through. Learn more about Fired Up Fresh at https://www.firedupfresh.net/. Stay tuned as we continue our interviews from Pizza Expo 2024. Check out more news from International Pizza Expo, including pizza competition results, show floor takeaways and happenings in our Pizza Expo News Hub: https://pizzatoday.com/topics/industry-news/pizza-expo-2024-all-news-from-the-worlds-largest-pizza-show/

Belfast, Ireland Pizza Scene began with John Arena We’re back from Pizza Expo in Las Vegas with story after story from pizzeria operators. For the next several episodes of The Hot Slice, we will take you back to the Pizza Today booth to listen to interviews with pizzeria operators from around the country and the world. We kick off the first episode with a unique tie-in to Pizza Expo’s Opening Keynote Speaker John Arena. Denise sat down with Ciaran Kelly, owner of Pizza Guyz in Belfast, Ireland. He shares the story of how pizza first made its footprint in Belfast. John Arena played a major role in Belfast’s first pizzeria. Listen to Ciaran tell the story. With over 20 years in the pizza industry, Ciaran also share insights on pizza in Ireland and how operating a pizzeria on the front lines during turbulent times helped bring a divided community together Ciaran also made his debut in the International Pizza Challenge. He details that experience and what keeps him coming back to Pizza Expo. Learn more about Pizza Guyz at https://www.pizzaguyz.com/ and on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/pizzaguyzbelfast Check out more news from International Pizza Expo, including pizza competition results, show floor takeaways and happenings in our Pizza Expo News Hub: https://pizzatoday.com/topics/industry-news/pizza-expo-2024-all-news-from-the-worlds-largest-pizza-show/

Happy Pizza Expo Week — the best week of the year!!! We hope you are having an amazing show experience and if you’re not at Pizza Expo, you can stay connected with show updates at https://pizzatoday.com/topics/industry-news/pizza-expo-2024-all-news-from-the-worlds-largest-pizza-show/. While we’re in Las Vegas together, we’re sharing a favorite episode. Enjoy this Replay of Dough Talk with Peter Reinhart. Peter Reinhart is an instructor at Johnson & Wales University, founder of the Pizza Quest video and blog site, American baker, educator and author of numerous books, including “Bread Upon the Waters: A Pilgrimage Toward Self Discovery and Spiritual Truth”; “Crust and Crumb: Master Formulas for Serious Bread Bakers” and “American Pie: My Search for the Perfect Pizza.” Most notably, four of his books have been nominated for James Beard Awards, with three of them winning, including the “Book of the Year” in 2002 for The Bread Baker’s Apprentice.

This week, we talk with co-executive chefs and partners Thomas McNaughton and Ryan Pollnow at San Francisco-based Flour + Water to get the skinny on the direction their taking their highly successful pizza concept. Check out more details provided by Flour + Water: Thomas McNaughton, Co-Executive Chef & Founding Partner, Flour + Water Hospitality Group (Flour + Water, Flour +Water Pizzeria, Penny Roma, Flour + Water Pasta Shop) Thomas McNaughton, founding partner, co-chef and CEO of Flour +Water Hospitality Group, grew up in Southern New Jersey. He graduated from the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York, then gained valuable experience working for Bay Area restaurants La Folie, Gary Danko and Quince. On his culinary journey, he also worked at a number of Michelin-rated restaurants in France, Germany and Italy, falling head over heels in love with the hand-rolled pastas of Bologna and the nonne that produce them. Thomas is relentlessly driven by the community of farmers, craftsmen and “creatives” that call the Bay Area home. Ryan Pollnow, Co-Executive Chef & Partner, Flour + WaterHospitality Group (Flour + Water, Flour + Water Pizzeria, Penny Roma, Flour + Water Pasta Shop) Ryan Pollnow, co-chef and vice president of the Flour + WaterHospitality Group, discovered a love for cooking and the micro seasons of the Bay Area while growing up in Northern California. Ryan completed culinary school in Sonoma County while working at restaurants and wineries to further develop his acumen in the field. He continued his education abroad at renowned restaurant Mugaritz in northern Spain before returning to the Bay Area. Traveling for culinary inspiration has always been an important part of his growth, and his time in Italy left a significant imprint on his love for seasonal cooking. Ryan led each FWHG kitchen individually as Chef de Cuisine before transitioning into his current role overseeing all culinary operations as co-executive chef. Flour + Water Pizzeria | Flour + Water Pizza Shop Flour + Water Pizzeria, 532 Columbus Ave, San Francisco, CA 94133 Flour + Water Pizza Shop, 1533 Stockton Street, San Francisco, CA 94133 Co-Chefs: Thomas McNaughton, Ryan Pollnow Beverage Director: Samuel Bogue Director of Operations: Amanda Flores General Manager: Paige McNeil Hours: 11:30am to 10pm, daily fwpizzeria.com | @flourandwaterpizzeria

This week on The Hot Slice Podcast Jeremy sits down for a one-on-one interview with pizza legend John Arena. The co-founder of Metro Pizza in Las Vegas will deliver the opening day keynote address at the 40th Pizza Expo later this month. During the discussion, John touches on his feelings about tinkering with dough formulas and pushing the industry forward through trial and error. He teases his keynote ("from Me to We," he says) and even talks about his favorite style of pizza to eat (hint, he grew up on it), as well as his favorite style of pizza to make. This year's Pizza Expo is set to shatter records, and you aren't going to want to miss Arena's keynote. Learn more about the 40th annual Expo at www.pizzaexpo.com. Read more about Metro pizza here https://pizzatoday.com/topics/people-pizzerias/pizza-today-on-the-road-metro-pizza-las-vegas-nv/.

This week on The Hot Slice Podcast we are going behind the judges’ curtain at this year’s International Pizza Challenge at Pizza Expo in Las Vegas. Jeremy and Denise get the inside scoop on IPC judging from longtime judges Hassi Sadri, Scott Wiener and Scott Anthony. The International Pizza Challenge has long been the premier pizza competition and it’s getting even better. IPC has always held high standards and code of ethics for judging. This year, judging has become even more transparent. Our three esteemed guests outline new initiatives to aid in transparency and training the 50 judges who will evaluate entries to help them be on the same page and make sure that every pizza is judged fairly and consistently. Pizza Expo will host nearly 500 competitors. The International Pizza Challenge consists of 5 divisions: Traditional, Non-Traditional, Neapolitan/STG, Pan, & World’s Best Cheese Slice. The International Italian Sandwich Competition returns. Partner competitions include the California-Style Competition, hosted by the California Milk Advisory Board; Ooni Pizza Throwdown, hosted by Ooni; and Plant-Based Competition, hosted by Daiya. Special thanks to Michael LaMarca, Jeremy Galvin and the team at Master Pizza who runs IPC and show director Bill Oakley for their continued efforts and improvements to the competitions. Learn more about the International Pizza Challenge at https://pizzaexpo.pizzatoday.com/giveaway-rules-regulations/international-pizza-challenge/ Read more about the Rules and Regulations for Competitors at https://pizzaexpo.pizzatoday.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/2024-IPC-Rules-and-Regs_FINAL.pdf

The 40th Pizza Expo is less than one month away. Jeremy, Josh and Denise dedicate this episode to all things Pizza Expo. From the show floor, competitions and demos to seminars and special events, there’s so much to look forward to this year. Pizza Expo 2024, commencing at the Las Vegas Convention Center, March 19-21, is expected to be biggest and best Pizza Expo yet. Attendees and exhibitors can expect fanfare and celebration of our four decades. Listen as the team shares some highlights and favorite events happening at the Las Vegas show. Get a Preview of Pizza Expo 2024: https://pizzatoday.com/topics/industry-news/2024-pizza-expo-preview/. What’s Pizza Expo? The annual International Pizza Expo remains unchallenged as the industry’s largest event. Thousands of pizzeria professionals convene in Las Vegas, Nevada each year for 3 days dedicated to all things pizza. Suppliers from across the globe, networking and educational sessions led by top industry professionals, and national competitions round out this unrivaled event. Visit https://pizzaexpo.pizzatoday.com/ for more information.

This week, we chat with Odie O’Connor, owner of Boxcar Pizza in Portland, Oregon. Boxcar is a vegan Detroit style pizza shop. His first venture into the pizza biz was a wood-fired pizza cart. On the show, we got the skinny on Odie’s next pizza project, a New York-style pizzeria in his hometown of San Diego, California, offering New York sourdough pies, as well as Sicilian and Grandma. That’s five styles. Odie has a passion for pizza dough and learning. We talk about the process and the various styles. He shares how he decided to go into business with each style. Doing a vegan Detroit pizza is unique. He details what he wanted in a Detroit pizza and why it’s open to all pizza lovers. Yes, we even talked cheese, since it’s a signature of the style. In a Conversation in Pizza Today Magazine, Odie talked about the R&D of his Detroit. He said “When developing the vegan recipes I always consider taste, smell, allergens, and food cost. Our meats are typically made from either vital wheat gluten or textured vegetable protein. Once I decide what the base will be, I begin adding spices and liquids that I think will best represent umami flavors and also bake how I want them to on the pizzas. It really is just research, trial, error and then repeat.” Read his Conversation: https://pizzatoday.com/topics/people-pizzerias/conversation-odie-oconnor-boxcar-pizza-portland-oregon/ Check out Boxcar Pizza on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/boxcarpizza/ and his new project https://www.instagram.com/odiespizza/ .

On this week’s Hot Slice podcast, Editor-in-Chief Jeremy White and Executive Editor Denise Greer sit down with Scott Sandler. The Pizza Expo speaker formerly owned a pizzeria in St. Louis that drew acclaim for its vegan slices. After selling that business and taking some time off, Sandler is jumping back into the fray with plans to open a new sit-down pizzeria with a wood-burning oven. We catch up with Scott about selling a business, plans for the new pizzeria and why the new shop won’t be vegetarian or vegan but will offer meat products. Scott has a full slate at next month’s Pizza Expo in Las Vegas. Be sure to sit in on his two seminars and his food demonstration on vegan nut cheeses. His seminar topics include “How to Sell Your Pizzeria for Top Dollar” and “Increasing Your Profit Margin”. Check out his Pizza Expo bio page here: https://pizzaexpo.pizzatoday.com/speaker-bios/#scott-sandler To view the full educational lineup, check out www.pizzaexpo.com.

On this week’s Hot Slice podcast, Editor-in-Chief Jeremy White and Executive Editor Denise Greer sit down with mobile operator and Pizza Expo speaker Siler Chapman. A long-time member of the World Pizza Champions, Chapman has most recently found success in the “food truck” realm. From weddings to corporate events, his catering gigs have taken his business to the next level. Chapman will lead a four-hour pre-show workshop on Monday, March 18 at Pizza Expo. “Launching and Thriving with a Mobile Pizzeria” will take place from 8 a.m. to Noon at the Las Vegas Convention Center. You can purchase tickets to the workshop at PizzaExpo.com. For more from Chapman, check out this article he wrote for PizzaToday.com in 2021 on mobile pizzerias: https://pizzatoday.com/topics/finance-growth/how-to-launch-a-mobile-pizza-business/

This week, we catch up with Audrey Kelly, co-owner of Audrey Jane’s Pizza Garage in Boulder, Colorado. Audrey is a World Pizza Champion, frequent speaker at International Pizza Expo and contributing writer for Pizza Today. Audrey is also an Ambassador for Women in Pizza. Since opening in October of 2015, the Pizza Garage has been featured in numerous publications and even on the Food Network. Find out what Audrey has been up to lately with the business. She details the ins and outs of having a pasta sauce line in the retail space. She also goes into balancing business ownership and parenthood. Learn more about Audrey Jane’s Pizza Garage at https://www.thepizzagarage.com/ and on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/audreyjanespizza/. Read Audrey’s most recent Pizza Today article: The versatile Pesto sauce can be used as topping, base, marinade, dressing https://pizzatoday.com/topics/menu-development/the-versatile-pesto-sauce-can-be-used-as-topping-base-marinade-dressing/ Check out Audrey’s Education Sessions at Pizza Expo: Wednesday, March 20 | 10:15 am to 11:15 am Room No: Show Floor Demo Area D05 Demo: How to Build a Better Pie Audrey Kelly Owner/Pizzaiola Audrey Jane's Pizza Session Description Speaking of elevating your pizza game, Colorado-based operator Audrey Sherman is here to demo methods and processes to make your pizza better. Tuesday, March 19 | 4:00 pm - 5:00 pm S23 Panel Discussion: Women-Owned Pizzerias Audrey Kelly, Owner/Pizzaiola, Audrey Jane's Pizza Leah Scurto, Owner-Operator, PizzaLeah Type: Seminar | Track: Seminar | Room No: W222-223 Learn more about Pizza Expo at https://pizzaexpo.pizzatoday.com/.

Gabriella Ottaiano said receiving an 8.9 score from Dave Portnoy’s One Bite at Barstool was life-changing for Calabria Restaurant & Pizzeria in Livingston, New Jersey. It was just what the pizzeria needed in the midst of the COVID-19 Pandemic. Since the review, Calabria’s has seen remarkable growth, a streamline operation and a marketing focus capitalizing on the review. The pizza that received the score was the Calabria’s Crunchy Thin. After the review, people seeking the high-scoring pizza confused other Calabrias with the Livingston restaurant so Gabriella had the pizza trademarked. Listen to the process she went through to trademark their signature pizza. She also made several changes in the kitchen to help accommodate the increase in volume and maintain food quality. Check out how she did it. Calabria’s added nationwide shipping. See how they were able to incorporate the frozen line in the kitchen flow. Calabria’s also participated in the inaugural One Bite Pizza Festival. Found out how the experience went. For 40 years, Calabria’s has been family and Gabriella is part of the second generation to run the business. Learn more about Calabria’s at https://calabrianj.com/ and on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/calabriarestaurant/ Watch Calabria’s One Bite Review: https://youtu.be/-HsElQR9drU?si=1E549VNOjICLIou Read Pizza Today’s article, Pizza Festivals: Getting Involved with a Pizza Fest -- https://pizzatoday.com/topics/brand-marketing/pizza-festivals-getting-involved-with-a-pizza-fest/ Other Show Notes: 35 Pizzerias to Watch in 2024 We received hundreds of outstanding submissions for our Pizzerias to Watch feature and have painstakingly whittled them down to this list of 35. https://pizzatoday.com/topics/people-pizzerias/35-pizzerias-to-watch-in-2024/ Pizza Expo 2024 Registration is Open Pizza Expo turns 40 in March. Register now to attend the industry’s premier event! https://pizzatoday.com/topics/industry-news/pizza-expo-2024-registration-now-open/

Listen to Sean Rowe, owner of St. Angelo’s Pizza in Atlanta, Georgia. Join this one-on-one conversation with Executive Editor Denise Greer and Sean Rowe, owner of St. Angelo’s Pizza in Atlanta, George. St Angelo’s is a pizza company with two locations with very high volume. Sean has a philosophy that he’s always only about 60% there which keeps him striving to improve his business. The company wasn’t always successful. Sean kept dialing in different areas. Hear how he fixed the product, streamline operations, dialed in delivery and most importantly enhanced his employee retention and employee culture. Denise visited St. Angelo’s in 2022. They talk about how the business was and how it has changed. In the article, he also shared St. Angelo’s origin story…. Very successful in the software business for six years, Rowe was ready for something new. His uncle approached him in 2002 to invest in a carryout and delivery pizzeria. “Well sure, how hard can that be as I’m strutting?” he says. “Big mistake.” But hindsight being 20/20, Rowe says, “The place is a disaster. The food is horrible.” His only recourse he felt was to open a new location and change everything. Wait, what? “The definition of an entrepreneur is to be able to pay for your mistakes,” he says. “But the ego will not let me let this go away. So, I find (a location next to the) Kroger. It’s $35 a square foot in 2003. But it’s not more than 1,000 square feet.” Rowe eventually bought out the business from his uncle. “I upgraded the cheese, pepperoni and sausage,” he says. “I didn’t change everything immediately, but the dough did change and slowly then the sauce. Everything was wrong,” he says. “The first day we opened over there we did like $850, and I thought it was made from Heaven,” he says of St. Angelo’s 2004 launch. “Then we started tweaking the menu and then I developed those garlic knots.” He tackled reformulating the pizza dough. “I must have made 300 to 400 batches of dough that I threw out in the course of a few months,” he says. “With enough of the expertise from the guys I had working for me, we sort of came into figuring out the dough. That took a good year or two.” Read the entire St’ Angelo’s entire On the Road feature: https://pizzatoday.com/topics/people-pizzerias/on-the-road-st-angelos-pizza-atlanta-ga/

Jeremy White and Denise Greer Welcome 2024 on The Hot Slice Podcast We usher in a new year with a session where we talk shop on a variety of topics ranging from the Pizza Industry Excellence Awards to Pizza Expo 2024 competitions and more. We capped off 2023 by announcing the PIE Awards winners on PizzaToday.com. Here we give a quick shout out to the winners in 24 categories as well as look ahead to the 40th Anniversary of Pizza Expo. First, the PIE Awards winners: 2023 PIE Awards Winners • Young Entrepreneur of the Year — Laura Meyer, Pizzeria Da Laura • Pizza Chain of the Year — Pizza My Heart, Santa Cruz, California • Best Advertising Campaign — Mattenga’s Pizzeria, San Antonio, Texas • Top Employee Initiatives — Caliente Pizza & Draft House, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania • Most Interesting Menu — Slice Pizza & Brew, Birmingham, Alabama • Best Seasonal Menu — Crafters Pizza & Draft House, Carmel, Indiana • Community Involvement Award — Punxsy Pizza, Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania • Pizzeria Startup of the Year — Blue Square Pizza, Hopkinton, Massachusetts • Mobile Pizza Business of the Year — Cut Stone Foods, Kenosha, Wisconsin • Best Pizzeria Website — Rotolo’s Pizza, Baton Rouge, Louisiana • Sustainability Champion — Catch-A-Fire Pizza, Blue Ash, Ohio • Pizza Chain Executive of the Year — Nick Bogacz, Caliente Pizza & Draft House • Best Branding — Caliente Pizza & Draft House, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania • Best Pizza Box Design — Varuni Napoli, Atlanta, Georgia • Top Use of Technology — Blue Square Pizza, Hopkinton, Massachusetts • Best Video Short — Mattenga’s Pizzeria, San Antonio, Texas • Best Outdoor Dining Space — Parlour Pizza, Jeffersonville, Indiana • Pizzeria Owner Mentorship Award — Tony Gemignani, Tony’s Pizza Napoletana • Pizza Company of the Year by Region: Northwest – Farrelli’s Pizza, Tacoma, Washington Southwest — Mattenga’s Pizzeria, San Antonio, Texas Southeast — Slice Pizza & Brew, Birmingham, Alabama Midwest — Catch-A-Fire Pizza, Blue Ash, Ohio Northeast — Emmett’s on Grove, New York, New York Now is the time to enter if you are looking to go head-to-head with your peers in Las Vegas. The 40th Annual Pizza Expo is scheduled for March 19-21, 2024. Register to attend here: https://registration.experientevent.com/ShowPZA241/?flow=attendee&_gl=1*wsr17q*_ga*NjIxNTQ4ODgxLjE3MDEwOTc2NTM.*_ga_30DENJ19E7*MTcwMzAwMjU2MC42LjAuMTcwMzAwMjU2MC4wLjAuMA..&_ga=2.27054773.929149912.1703002040-621548881.1701097653 Once you are registered to attend the show, visit the Pizza Expo competitions page to view the competition schedule, rules and enter to compete. You can find the competitions page here: https://pizzaexpo.pizzatoday.com/competitions/

Happy New Year! While we take a little break, we’re replaying one of our favorite episodes of the year. Mya Anitai, Franny’s Pizzeria & Restaurant, Highlands, New Jersey, on The Hot Slice Podcast Our guest this week is Mya Anitai. She owns Franny’s Pizzeria & Restaurant, Highlands, New Jersey. She took over a longstanding pizzeria Francesco’s Italian Restaurant in May 2019 and rebranding the business into Franny’s in February 2020. Mya discussed the rebranding with us in a previous Conversation. She said, “Francesco’s had been in business for 40 years before I purchased the restaurant and took over. With great bones and a neighborhood of nostalgic support, I worked steadily to modernize the menu and increase ingredient quality across the board. The most popular dishes from Francesco’s stayed as well as specials directly from my Richmond, Virginia restaurant Dinamo (@dinamorichmond). I spent months monitoring sales and learning my customer’s dining desires before fully rebranding and becoming Franny’s.” Mya also owns Dinamo in Richmond, Virginia. We explore each restaurant’s menu and what makes Franny’s different. Franny’s has a full menu with pizza at its center. Franny’s serves three types of pizza: classic, New York style flour-tossed round, oil-pressed, square granny pie and deep-dish Sicilian. And we get into what makes those styles unique and what’s behind that oil-pressed grandma pie. Other menu items include pastas, entrees, sandwiches, appetizers, salads and soups. We talk about Franny’s menu focus, as well as its seasonal menus and what produce she will highlight. Listen to more on this week’s The Hot Slice Podcast. Explore more on Franny’s at https://frannyshighlands.com/ and on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/frannyshighlands Read Mya’s Conversation in Pizza Today.

IPC Coordinators Michael LaMarca, Jeremy Galvin with Master Pizza on The Hot Slice Podcast Pizza Expo 2024 in Las Vegas in March is our 40th Anniversary. There are some huge updates to the International Pizza Challenge, so we have brought Michael LaMarca and Jeremy Galvin on the show to give us the skinny. Michael, Jeremy and their team at Master Pizza and beyond make IPC a success each year coordinating the largest pizza-making competition in the U.S. What is International Pizza Challenge? International Pizza Challenge has evolved and grown in stature and prize money to become the most prestigious pizza-making competition in North America, if not the world. This year, we’ll have 5 divisions: Traditional, Non-Traditional, Neapolitan/STG, Pan, & World’s Best Cheese Slice, which will be represented in the pizza bake-off that will showcase 240 of the world’s best pizza makers. Each competitor will have the opportunity to bake their signature pizza on the spot at Pizza Expo, which will then be presented to a renowned panel of accredited chefs. The bake-offs will take place Tuesday through Thursday in the International Pizza Challenge contest area. The winners of each division will face off against each other in a mystery-ingredient bake-off to determine who will be named the 2024 Pizza Maker of the Year Learn more about International Pizza Challenge at https://pizzaexpo.pizzatoday.com/giveaway-rules-regulations/international-pizza-challenge/.