The Hot Slice

Pizza Champion Derek Sanchez brings a contagious positive energy to the pizza industry. He is also fascinated by the science of pizza dough. Sit back, listen and you’ll learn all about bacteria’s impact on pizza and how that helps him win pizza competitions. You’ll also get the scoop on his upcoming restaurant opening in San Antonio, TX.

It’s National Pizza Month so we have brought back our resident Pizza Master John Gutekanst to talk pizza toppings, latest pizza trends from the International Pizza Challenge and an update on what’s happening at Avalanche Pizza in Athens, Ohio.

Carrie and Anthony Lepoma opened Lepoma’s Pizza in Georgia in 2015. Passionate about pizza, growing the business was the couple’s unflinching mission. While the COVID-19 pandemic left many restaurants in trouble, it hit the Lepomas especially hard on a personal level in August of 2021. Carrie shares her touching story of loss as well as her uplifting drive to continue growing the business in Anthony’s honor.

We continue our interview from Pizza Expo with two pizza operations that opened during the COVID-19 pandemic. Janet Duran from 550 Pizzeria in Laredo, Texas, has found success and incredible community support since opening in 2020. Dani and Alex White brought their vision to a Las Vegas commercial kitchen to launch Yukon Pizza. Listen to these inspiring pizza business startups stories.

This week we continue sharing our mini session interviews from the exhibit hall at this year’s International Pizza Expo in Las Vegas. Guests are Que Wimberly of The Missing Brick in Indianapolis, Indiana and Neil and Richie Syal of RockFire Grill in Goleta, California. Both operations have created unique products that sell well in their markets.

Marc Schechter and Danny Stollers of Square Pie Guys in the San Francisco, California, rallied 15 West Coast pizzerias to celebrate National Pepperoni Pizza Day (September 20) by donating proceeds to a charity. On the chat is also Dennis Lee of Sunset Squares, Leah Scurto or PizzaLeah and Matt Lucas of Evolution Bake. We talk Bay Area pizza scene, collaboration, pepperoni pizza and advice on how to build a pizza community culture in your area.

This week, we pulled two pizza professionals from the International Pizza Challenge competition area to talk shop. First up, Andy Brown, who owns Andy’s Pizza with three Washington, D.C. locations. He was still abuzz from winning the non-traditional pizza category when we brought him up to the studio to learn more about his business and his winning pizza. Next, we chat with Hassi Sadri, who has been a key organizer with the challenge for many years. Hassi is the founder of Napoli Culinary Academy in Sacramento, California. He shares his expertise on employee management.

As we continue our coverage from Pizza Expo, we are talking to pizzeria professionals in person from the expo hall. This week, we chat with Sammy and Molly Mandell and Phil Bossart at Dallas, Texas-based Greenville Avenue Pizza Co and Ali Haider, owner of 786 Degree Wood Fired Pizza in Sun Valley, California. These pizzeria leaders bring a lot of energy to the pizza industry and have infused creativity and ingenuity into their operations. Get an update on GAPCo and 786.

It’s Pizza Expo week so we are bringing back one of our favorite episodes of 2021 with Giovanni (John) Cesarano, one of Long Island’s King Umberto’s youngest partners. We talk continuing the family business and infusing fresh perspective. John loves to bring new and innovative products to the menu. Don’t miss John reveal his biggest menu success and worst flop. This episode is hosted by Editor In Chief Jeremy White and Executive Editor Denise Greer.

Serhan Ayhan grew up in the pizza business at his family’s restaurant, Boston Pizza in Queens, New York. But what happens after the family retires? That’s what Creative Director Josh Keown and Executive Editor Denise Greer explore with Serhan on this week’s The Hot Slice Podcast.

Pizza Expo Update after Bill Oakley’s recording: In accordance with the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Guidelines, the state of Nevada has instituted the following face mask directive:

• Everyone, both vaccinated and unvaccinated, are required to wear face masks in ALL public, indoor spaces in the state of Nevada. Please note: these public, indoor spaces include exhibit halls, meeting rooms, and lobbies
  Masks will be made available at the event, if needed

We are three weeks from Pizza Expo 2021. Show Director Bill Oakley is on the podcast to give us an inside look at our upcoming Las Vegas show and conference. Bill lets us in on what’s new, what’s changed and some behind-the-scenes details. He shares our health and safety protocol and what to expect at the show. For more on Pizza Expo 2021, visit https://pizzaexpo.com.

This week’s guest, Nicole Russell, just wrapped Season 1 of her hit series, Pizza Wars on First We Feast. On the show, Nicole competes with leading chefs, making some of the most trending pizzas today for a panel of celebrity judges. Nicole owns Last Dragon Pizza in Rockaway, Queens, New York. She dishes on the show, her business and what direction she wants to take it, pizza mentors, women in the pizza industry, traveling to Italy and Pizza Expo. This episode is hosted by Executive Editor Denise Greer and Creative Director Josh Keown.

The first year of running a pizza business is tough enough without throwing in a worldwide pandemic and a worker shortage. Hear the story of Bart Weidlich, who opened Kidder Street Deli in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, just four months before the COVID-19 shutdown. This episode is hosted by Pizza Today Editor In Chief Jeremy White and Executive Editor Denise Greer.

This week, we revisit a pizza-packed episode with a Pizza Today contributor and pizzeria owner, Audrey Kelly of Audrey Jane’s Pizza Garage in Boulder, Colorado. She’s an inspiration, making the leap from pizza maker to pizzeria owner. She dives into her dough process, her versions of Sicilian and Grandma pies and more. This episode is hosted by Editor In Chief Jeremy White and Executive Editor Denise Greer.

Audrey talks:

• Neapolitan Beginnings
• Offering Multiple Pizza Styles
• Competing on a World’s Stage
• Transitioning from Pizza Maker to Pizzeria Owner
• Dough-making Process
• Maintaining a Starter
• The Slice Business
• Audrey Jane’s Culture
• Third-party Delivery

Like many in the pizza business, Pete Tolman didn’t set out to do pizza. But, when he did, he dialed everything in, from the gorgeous Detroit-style pizza, business planning, marketing, and décor to create Iron Born, a hot spot pizza brand with two locations in the Steel City. On this episode, he dives into his business incubator beginning, developing the concept, the pizza and growing Iron Born.

Owner and pizzaiolo Vincent Rotolo shares some jewels about moving Good Pie into a bigger location, the unique business environment of Las Vegas, enlisting the help of pizza legends, building a strong employee culture and the pizza styles that connect Vincent to his heritage.

On this episode of the Hot Slice podcast, the Pizza Today editorial crew reads and discusses some "Letters to the Editor." We get tons of awesome e-mails and decided to share and discuss a few. We had so much fun we're already planning to do it again!

Tom Iannucci is a lifelong learner of pizza making and the pizza industry. He shares how Pizza Expo and Pizza Today took him from pizza enthusiast to owner. We talk various perspectives of what pizza is and how challenging tourism-rich Hawaii can be to meet global travelers’ expectations of pizza.

We sit down with Manny Karvelas of Karvelas Pizza Co. in Georgia to talk about retaining employees, leadership, logistics and priming a family owned business for growth.

King Umberto is a legendary Long Island, New York pizzeria. We sit down with one of its youngest partners, Giovanni (John) Cesarano. John is one of Pizza Today’s Rising Stars in the June edition of Pizza Today Magazine. We talk continuing the family business and infusing fresh perspective. John loves to bring new and innovative products to the menu. Don’t miss John reveal his biggest menu success and worst flop. This episode is hosted by Editor In Chief Jeremy White and Executive Editor Denise Greer.

This was such great episode that we brought it back for a replay. Listen to World Pizza Champion and Restaurateur Tony Gemignani and his right hand Laura Meyer, also a World Champion, together talk pizza business and the next big thing in the industry. This episode is hosted by Pizza Today Executive Editor Denise Greer and Editor In Chief Jeremy White.  

Tony and Laura talk: 

• How COVID-19 has changed the business -
• The pizza school 
• Pizza Styles 
• Next big trend in pizza 
• What they have planned for the Pizza Expo 365 platform 
• Pizza as a continual learning process

Listen to a rising star in the pizzeria industry Marcus Medina talk food truck beginnings and opening his carryout-only pizzeria, Hella Pie Pizza Co. in Tracy, California, in the midst of the pandemic. Marcus shares his story of finding pizza passion in this 30s, being self-taught and always striving to improve. He “sits down” with Editor In Chief Jeremy White and Executive Editor Denise Greer.

Brenda’s Pizzeria sits in the mountains of rural Maryland. Owner Brenda McDonnell shares the inner workings of the business, as well as how it has fared during the pandemic. See how she rewards her team with trips to Pizza Expo. This episode is hosted by Editor In Chief Jeremy White and Executive Editor Denise Greer.

In the face of a quickly shrinking labor pool, Pittsburgh-based pizzeria owner extraordinaire and Pizza Today contributor Nick Bogacz is springing into action with an aggressive hiring and employee retention plan. Editor-in-Chief Jeremy White and Executive Editor Denise Greer delve into the details with Nick in this can't-miss episode of the Hot Slice.

Bill Jacobs of Piece Pizzeria and Brewery in Chicago sits down with Jeremy White and Josh Keown on this episode of The Hot Slice podcast. As Piece nears its 20th anniversary, Jacobs discusses New Haven-style pizza, live music, beer and the hope of returning to normalcy soon as the effects of the pandemic begin to diminish.

Executive Editor Denise Greer sits down one-on-one with Maggie Mieles, daughter of Dom DeMarco who now operates the famed di Fara pizza in New York. Maggie shares stories of her father and growing up in the business. We talk about di Fara’s recent growth, continuing the legacy of the 56-year-old business and the new addition of a ghost kitchen.

Detroit-style pizza has exploded across the U.S. Creative Director Josh Keown and Executive Editor Denise Greer ‘sit down’ with the Chief Brand Office at Buddy’s Pizza Wes Pikula. Wes takes us through Buddy’s past, present and future.

Wes talks:

• The origins of the “Detroit Style”
• Detroit Style’s popularity explosion
• Big moments in Buddy’s Pizza history
• Buddy’s Focus and Principles
• Buddy’s people
• What’s next for Buddy’s

Jeremy White and Denise Greer sit down with Dave Dombrowski, owner of PizzaMia in New Lenox, Illinois, for this week's episode of the Hot Slice. An experienced operator, Dave will celebrate 30 years in the pizza business this July. He discusses the technological changes that have taken over since he opened his pizzeria, as well as how the pandemic has impacted PizzaMia.

In this episode, Creative Director Josh Keown and Executive Editor Denise Greer introduce a one-on-one marketing trends talk with Denise and Clayton Krueger, Director of Marketing and Communications at Tacoma, Washington-based Farrelli’s Pizza. We’re talking what’s hot, what’s not in marketing.

Clayton talks:

• Marketing Trends
• Third-party Delivery
• Local Advertising
• SMS Marketing
• Push Notifications
• Partnerships
• Marketing Technology.

Read the full feature -- 2021 Marketing Trends: A Look at What’s Hot in Marketing and Pizzerias
https://pizzatoday.com/departments/features/2021-marketing-trends/

This episode, we tap one of the most brilliant minds in the pizza business John Arena. John owns Metro Pizza in Las Vegas. He is not only a successful pizzapreneur, but also a dough expert and mentor to many in the field. The “sit down” is hosted by Editor In Chief Jeremy White and Executive Editor Denise Greer.

John talks:

• Common industry questions and his responses
• His pizza start and growth
• Business shifts
• Pizza dough
• Flour blends
• Learning, a key to success
• Motivation for pizzeria operators

To kick off Season, one of the pizzeria industry’s top pros Mike Bausch has taken over the podcast. He’s talking to Alfredo Herera, Mike’s right hand at Andolini’s before setting out on his own business in Colorado. Listen to this insightful conversation.

Mike is an industry leader whose restaurant, Andolini’s Pizzeria, is a top ten pizzeria in the US, as named by TripAdvisor, BuzzFeed, CNN, and USA Today. Andolini’s began in 2005 and has grown to five pizzerias, two gelaterias, two food hall concepts, a food truck, and a fine dining restaurant by 2019. Mike is a World Pizza Champion, a Guinness Book world record holder, and the author of “Unsliced: How to Stay Whole in the Pizzeria Industry.”

After a decade with Andolini’s, Alfredo moved to Walden, Colorado to open a pizzeria, Mansker Station, a cabin business, breakfast café and amphitheater on property.

Michael Androw made a huge decision with his pizzeria, E and D Pizza Company, Avon, Connecticut, to permanently switch to a DELCO model. Get insights on why and how Michael transitioned to DELCO. This episode is hosted by Editor In Chief Jeremy White and Executive Editor Denise Greer.

Michael talks:

• Community focus
• Family market
• Converting to a DELCO model
• Transitioning Staff
• Marketing
• 2021-22 Outlook
• Lessons learned working 30 years in the restaurant industry

Jeremy White and Josh Keown talk shop with Joe Fugere, founder of Tutta Bella Neapolitan Pizzeria in Seattle. Joe shares his vision on the pizzeria of the future, discusses his innovative employee programs and details how the grocery business and a mobile unit helped Tutta Bella thrive during a pandemic.

On this week's Hot Slice podcast we sit down with Pizza Czar author, globetrotting consultant, Pizza Expo speaker and all-around pizza lover, Anthony Falco. From Texas to Seattle to Brooklyn, and beyond, Falco shares his tells from inside the pizza world with Jeremy White and Josh Keown. Don't miss it!

So long 2020! The team at Pizza Today wraps up this year with a compilation of the best stories and advice on The Hot Slice podcast. The pizzeria industry’s brightest minds dropping knowledge on one episode. It’s a can’t miss.

The editorial team at Pizza Today come together to share New Year’s resolutions. We pay tribute to our Dough Doctor Tom Lehmann. Editor-In-Chief Jeremy White, Creative Director Josh Keown, Executive Editor Denise Greer and Design Lead Katie Wilson share their experiences covering the pizzeria industry.

The team talks:

• The impact Tom Lehmann has had on American pizzerias
• 2020 Pizzeria Industry Outlook
• Each member’s individual resolution to pizzeria operators
• A sneak peek on the power of Pizza Expo 365 launching in January
• A debate on the legendary Pizza Today swimsuit issue

Adam Borich, owner of the five-unit Lucifers Pizza, gets real on the devastating second wave restaurant dining shutdowns in Los Angeles with Editor in Chief Jeremy White and Executive Editor Denise Greer. While times are tough, Lucifers has managed to thrive and grow amidst the pandemic.   

Adam talks:

• Latest Restaurant Dining Shutdown in Los Angeles 
• How the Recent Shutdown Compares to March 
• International Perspective as a New Zealand Native 
• How Lucifers Has Transitions -Opening a New Location During the Pandemic 
• Finding Employees Amidst a Worker Shortage 
• Growing the Lucifer Brand 
• Dealing with Reactions to the Brand Name

Get the lowdown on Detroit-style pizza by none other than Motor City native Jeff Smokevitch, who leads a comprehensive demonstration on the style at International Pizza Expo in Las Vegas. Jeff owns Brown Dog Pizza in Telluride, Colorado and Blue Pan Pizza in Denver. We also pay tribute to Shawn Randazzo, who was the catalyst for Detroit style’s rise across the country. This episode is hosted by Editor In Chief Jeremy White and Executive Editor Denise Greer.

Jeff talks:

• A Look at How the Style Started
• Characteristics of Detroit Style
• A personal Connection with Shawn Randazzo
• Creating the Dough Formula
• Introducing the Style to Coloradoan
• The Detroit Demo at Pizza Expo 2021
• Tips on How You Can Start Making Detroit Style Pizza

Jeremy White and Josh Keown sit down with pizzeria owner, speaker and newly minted author, Mike Bausch, to talk about Lou Diamond Phillips, Hall and Oates, Mary Poppins, The Wizard of Oz — and why Bausch only plays Billy Ocean songs in this restrooms. Seriously, it's what they talk about it. We can't make this stuff up. Fortunately, they also mention pizza and Mike's new book, Unsliced: How to Stay Whole in the Pizzeria Industry. Check it out if you dare.

Listen as the editorial team at Pizza Today come together to share what’s happening in the pizzeria industry. Get the inside scoop on Pizza Expo 2021 and the launch of Pizza Expo 365. Editor-In-Chief Jeremy White, Creative Director Josh Keown, Executive Editor Denise Greer and Design Lead Katie Wilson share their experiences covering the pizzeria industry.

We talk:

• Pizza Expo’s new June 2021 dates
• Pizza tradeshow’s history
• Our industry’s strength together
• COVID-19 coverage
• Tips to help with operator and staff limit burnout
• A preview of the Pizza Expo 365 launch

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