The Hot Slice

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This week on The Hot Slice Podcast, hosts Joelene and Joel Best shared an extraordinary discovery that has captivated their Hamburg, New York community and pizza lovers everywhere. What started as a routine renovation project at The Now Pizzeria transformed into an archaeological adventure when contractors uncovered a newspaper from 1881 hidden within the building's walls.

The discovery happened during exterior renovations at the historic pizzeria, located right on Main Street in the village of Hamburg. When contractors began removing three layers of siding to prepare for new exterior work...

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What does it take to transform a small pizzeria in Las Vegas' Chinatown into a nationally recognized restaurant? For Erica Bell, General Manager and Pizzaiola at ØØ Pie & Pub (Double Zero), the answer lies in obsessive attention to detail, authentic leadership, and an unwavering commitment to excellence. This week, we chat with Erica on the business.  

In just two years of operation, Double Zero has achieved what many restaurants spend decades pursuing: recognition as one of the top 50 pizzerias in the United States. But this success story goes far beyond awards—it's a mas...

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From Engineering to Excellence: Inside Mattenga's Pizzeria's Rise to Pizza Today's 2025 Pizzeria of the Year

The latest episode of The Hot Slice Podcast with Pizza Today featured an inspiring conversation with Matthew and Hengam Stanfield, the engineering-minded power couple behind Mattenga's Pizzeria. Fresh off their monumental achievement of being named Pizza Today's 2025 Pizzeria of the Year, the Stanfields shared the strategic insights and systematic approaches that transformed their struggling single pizzeria into San Antonio's fastest-growing pizza business.

A Remarkable Month of Recognition

The...

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This week, we’re bringing you a fun episode with the Pizza Today Team giving our “Hot Takes” on pizza. And we didn’t even talk about pineapple on pizza. We dive into pizza styles. Whether toppings go over or under the cheese, chicken’s place, charring on pizza, olives, best cheese on pizza, childhood pizzas and more.  

We’re also inviting you to send us your “Hot Takes”. We’re giving a fresh direction on the old-fashioned letters to the editor. We call it “Hot Take”. Do you have a “Hot Take” on a subject releva...

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Pizza Expo and Pizza Today have done it again. We’re rolling into Columbus, Ohio, with a power-packed two days of connection with products, services and tech, gathering with pizzeria people, competing in world-class competitions and learning from more than 30 education seminars, demos and workshops. Just over 60 days aways from the Midwest show, we’re dedicating this episode to talking Pizza Expo Columbus. The Pizza Today team also chat about the industry, dough and pizza toppings. 

Learn more about Pizza Expo Columbus: https://pizzaexpocolumbus.pizzatoday.com/  

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This week is a very special episode of The Hot Slice podcast as we announce the premiere of the John Arena episode of The Secret Ingredient, a pizza documentary series that takes an in depth look at the pizzeria industry through the eyes of its world-class pizza makers. Tommy Schneider, owner of Tommy’s Pizzeria in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, took his love for the pizza community to another level. We’ve been working with Tommy to share his passion project. 

Coming to PizzaToday.com August 20, 7:15 p.m. (Eastern Time), the World Premi...

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Darius Aram pulled into Slice Street Pizza in Dripping Springs, Texas, to find that his hop was completely cut off due to unexpected construction. In the face of huge sales dip and little information on the construction project, he decided to handle the obstacle with humor and humility.

Darius’ response to the closure helped mitigate some of the impact of a near shutdown. He had honest and direct conversations with his town officials to work through solutions to speed up the sidewalk project.

Social media has played a pivotal ro...

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This week on The Hot Slice Podcast with Pizza Today we have George Gilliam, owner of Uncle G’s Pizza in Birmingham, Alabama. George reached out to us to do a story on how he has doubled and tripled slow days at the restaurant. The conversion was so captivating that we wanted to share it on the podcast. 

Gilliam set a strategy into motion to turn his slowest days into high-volume sales days. He focused on increasing sales with daily specials one slow day at a time until he covered the ent...

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Listen to Melina Piroso Felix, owner-operator of The Pizza Bandit in Denver on The Hot Slice Podcast with Pizza Today

Melina Piroso Felix had an established career in marketing and branding when the pandemic prompted her to rethink her goals in 2020. Prior to that point, she had graduated from being the night manager at her uncle’s restaurant in Miami’s South Beach district to undertake a successful career in graphic design. But Piroso Felix never left pizza entirely behind. She often made pizza for dinner guests, potlucks and to scratch an i...

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This month Davide Lubrano has been named a Rising Star of the Pizza Industry. We sat down with Davide and Vince Gallagher, co-owners of the two-unit Pizzata Pizzeria in Philadelphia. 

We talk about Davide’s recognition and his recent pizza competition winning streak at Pizza Expo and in Italy. They also share the other benefits of competing.

Pizzata is growing. They recently added a commissary. We talk logistics and equipment, as well as how it is helping the two Pizzata locations thrive, while also planning expansion.

He and...

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Listen to Jhy Coulter, restaurateur and creator of Orange by Devoured in Kansas City on The Hot Slice by Pizza Today

Jhy Coulter has always felt at home when working at restaurants. Even as her graphic design career grew, Coulter often kept a part-time job to stay close to the food industry. On Aug. 15, she will celebrate the one-year anniversary of her Kansas City-based pizzeria, Orange by Devoured.
In this episode of The Hot Slice, she shares how she started offering pizzas to family and friends through the fence during...

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This week, we catch up with the great Mike Bausch. He brings such knowledge, energy and leadership to the pizza community. Mike now has 12 restaurants in the Tulsa, Oklahoma area, including Andolini’s Pizzeria and a newer fine dining spot, Prossimo Ristorante. He’s an Oklahoma’s Small Business Entrepreneur of the Year, No. 1 Amazon best-selling author, Tulsa’s Restauranteur of the Year and a two-time Guinness World Record holder. You can find him each month in the pages of Pizza Today Magazine in his Column “Mike’s Monthly Tip”, where he shares advice and exp...

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Muhammad Abdul-Hadi just finished a national book tour for his first release, We the Pizza. Since opening Down North Pizza in North Philadelphia in 2021, he has been on a whirlwind of success, from creating Down North Foundation, winning a James Beard Leadership Award and publishing his book.
We chat with Muhammad about the book and how its stories and recipes that work to reduce recidivism rates. Down North Pizza was founded to offer killer pizza and employ formerly incarcerated individuals. Muhammad shares how Down North was built to foster opportunities and resources. 

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Jason Cipriani always dreamed of opening a pizzeria. Years into his career as a tech journalist, the rise of portable pizza ovens got him thinking more seriously about making the leap. After months of research, trials in the kitchen and purchasing equipment and supplies, Cipriani sold his first pizza this April. As he details in his new, weekly column at PizzaToday.com, Cipriani had to make dozens of decisions on the path from plan to pizzeria.

Find out why he decided to pursue a mobile pizza business rather than brick and...

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Charles Canaankamp spent 34 working at a local pizzeria in Ohio. Two years ago, he decided it was time to open his own pizzeria with his children. Pronto Pizza & Coffee in Manfield, Ohio, was born of Charles’ love and passion for pizza.

He shares what he has learned in the industry over the years that has been integral to his pizza startup.

Charles’ goal was to build a business with his 3 daughters and one son. Learn more about how the family has divvyed the roles and responsibilities of the business. 

...

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George Peyton and Casey Conner never could have imagined their first year of business at Good Pizza Company in Swannanoa, North Carolina would unfold as it did. The pizzeria opened on August 15 and a mere six weeks later, the town of Swannanoa would become one of the hardest hit natural disaster areas in the aftermath of the devastating Hurricane Helene. The former pizzeria that the two spend months remodeling took on 10 inches of water forcing the team to pull out floors, walls and equipment that was damaged in the flood. 

George a...

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Isaiah Ruffin and Colleen Constant began their pizza business journey in a renovated school bus in Colorado, always envisioning a brick-and-mortar restaurant. After evaluating that Fort Collins, Colorado, wasn’t where they would open a brick and mortar, the couple began traveling to cities, researching areas in Chicago, Washington, D.C., Austin and others. Seattle stood out and after several visits, they took the leap. Within six months of moving to Seattle and doing popups, they found their first brick-and-mortar spot, Pizza by Ruffin “Savor the Authentic Taste of the Black Diaspora via Pizz...

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This week, we continue our Pizza Expo Interview Series from the show floor at Pizza Expo 2025. In this special edition of The Hot Slice Podcast, we talk to passionate franchisees and a dedicated pizza enthusiast. They are:

Tyrell Reid and JR Lambert partners at Westshore Pizza in Brandon, Florida started out as employees of Westshore before becoming franchise owners. We talk Tampa’s competitive market, hurricane prep and response, and an eye towards tech solutions.

Shean Taylor with 31DaysofPizza.com wanted to stop by and chat on how National Pi...

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This week, we continue our Pizza Expo Interview Series from the show floor at Pizza Expo 2025. This special edition of The Hot Slice Podcast with operators who bring excitement and passion to the pizza business with their pizza ownership journeys. They are: 

Jimmy Casapizzaiolo from Casa Pizza in Western Massachusetts shares his passion for tinkering with pizza dough and making multiple pizza styles. We also talk about his fascination for a Montanara pizza. 

Brian Nittayo, owner of Rose City Pizza in Covina, California, road tripped to Pizza Expo with hi...

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This week, we continue our Pizza Expo Interview Series from the show floor at Pizza Expo 2025. This special edition of The Hot Slice Podcast with two operators who’s passion for the culinary experience surrounding a pizza business has catapulted their businesses to a well-defined dining experience. They are:

Julia Duncan-Roitman owns Joy Hill Pizza Club in Denver, Colorado. We talk vision, revitalizing the space and creating the right vibe. Joy Hill serves sourdough Neapolitan-style pizza with an emphasis on supporting local purveyors. We chat about incorporating local grains into the pi...

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This week, we start our Pizza Expo Interview Series from the show floor at Pizza Expo 2025. We kick off this special edition of The Hot Slice Podcast with two operators who were inspiring speakers at this year’s show. They are: 

Eric Redfield, co-owner of Camporosso in Fort Mitchell, Kentucky. We caught up with Eric a day before he gave a powerful keynote address on his Purpose-driven business that had the room in tears. Watch his entire keynote address. Camporosso was Pizza Today’s 2024 Pizzeria of the Year.  

Jonathan Fell a...

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Alaska native Beau Schooler has been on the James Beard Foundation’s radar for years. This spring, Schooler is nominated for Best Chef in the Northwest and Pacific region, and he’s cooking at the James Beard Award after party on June 16 in Chicago.

When he’s not rubbing elbows with a who’s who of the restaurant industry, Schooler is executive chef at Juneau, Alaska-based In Bocca Al Lupo, which serves Alaskan cuisine “through the lens of an Italian restaurant.” The dinner menu at In Bocca Al Lupo includes nine or 10 wood-f...

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In June, Frank Pepe Pizzeria Napoletana turns 100. The iconic New Haven pizzeria continues the legacy of Frank Pepe, who opened New Haven-style "abeetz" restaurant on the now famous Wooster Street in New Haven, Connecticut in 1925. On this week’s episode, we chat with Kevin Gagliard, Vice President of Operations for Frank Pepe Pizzeria Napoletana.

He shares how the family has maintained the culinary heritage and legacy of the century-old pizzeria, while strategically growing the business. Today Frank Pepe Pizzeria Napoletana has 17 locations in Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maryland, Virginia, and South Florida. See ho...

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Mark & Kira Zabrowski left the teaching profession to pursue their passion for pizza. They had a vision to open a mom-and-pop pizza business. That vision has been realized in Much Ado About Pizza in Pleasanton, California. They found more success than what they had dreamed of. They are creating systems to fine-tune the pizza operation.

But now Much Ado About Pizza has hit max capacity. They are at a crossroads of when and how to grow the business. We talk about the opportunities in front of them. We also chat about...

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Lynn’s Chicago Pizza began with Lynn Humphrey and Brandon Bruner, Sr. trying to solve a problem. They couldn’t get pizza delivered to their Southside Chicago neighborhood so Brandon, a trained chef, began experimenting with making a Chicago Deep Dish pizza. Soon, they started making pizza for friends and family. The two started selling pizza at a nearby bar and the virtual pizzeria was born doing popups.  

They ventured into a brick-and-mortar restaurant partnership but soon realized that they wanted to create their own vision in their Woodlawn neighborhood that was i...

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It’s Pizza Expo week! While we are meeting all of you in person in Las Vegas, we wanted to share a replay of a favorite episode. George Panagopoulos spent this week with us and even gave an amazing seminar on Innovative Pizzeria Technology.

It’s easy to see why we tapped George to lead the seminar when you hear how he has modernized a 50-year old pizzeria. George Panagopoulos owns of Dedham House of Pizza, in Dedham, Massachusetts. This tech-savvy operator has taken over an over 50-year-old pizzeria. He is driv...

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Pizza Expo starts soon. To get hyped up for the Las Vegas show, we’re chatting with Nick Bogacz, founder of Caliente Pizza & Draft House in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. His deep-dive, four-hour workshop is part of the 2025 School of Pizzeria Management Workshops that will kick off Pizza Expo week on Sunday, long before the show floor opens Tuesday. 

His session, “You Opened Your First Pizzeria! Now What???” gives insights into labor costs, food costs and guerilla marketing. We chat about the workshop and his two education sessions, “Managing Your Inventory” and “Purchasing an Existing P...

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Tori Tiso grew up in her father’s pizzeria, the famous Louie and Ernie's Pizza in Bronx, New York. She could have easily continued the pizza dynasty at Louie and Ernie’s. Instead, she decided to strike out on her own in Long Island straying from the standard New York slice the acclaimed Bronx spot was known for to open Tori T’s Pizzeria. On this week’s The Hot Slice Podcast with Pizza Today, Josh and Denise have a great chat with Tori on her decision to go solo and what’s happened s...

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It is March, you know what that means… It is almost showtime. The team at Pizza Today gather to bring you the Pizza Expo Preview Show on The Hot Slice Podcast. We’re covering all the highlights of the pizza industry’s biggest event. 

In this episode, we’ll talk Show Overview, Keynote Addresses, Show Schedule, Education Sessions, Competitions, Networking Events and Announcements. 

In its 41st year, thousands of pizzeria professionals will gather at the Las Vegas Convention Center’s West Hall to experience three action-packed days of walking a show floor...

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Eleven B has been a pizza mainstay in the East Village for 18 years. But owner Vincent Sgarlato has been in the business since he was eight years old. Vincent reached out to us wanting to share his story with the pizza community. 

His early start began in his family’s pizzerias in Brooklyn. As the business grew, the family expanded into malls. Vincent shares how that time was pivotal for him to learn the business. Find out how that road led him to open his own pizzerias.

We talk abo...

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Melinda Carbajal, Managing Member and CEO of Simply Pizza, a unique woodfired, mobile, and hybrid restaurant business, is bringing her knowledge and experience to Pizza Expo. As a new Pizza Expo speaker, we wanted to learn more about Melinda and get a little sneak peek into her sessions at Pizza Expo. Her Pizza Expo sessions include: S30 Writing Your Food Truck Business Plan, S09 Growing Through Catering and S35 Strategically Giving to Grow Your Business.  

Josh and Denise chat with Melinda the food truck business, getting innovative with the business model, c...

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This week, we’re bringing you a fun episode with the Pizza Today Team giving our “Hot Takes” on pizza. And we didn’t even talk about pineapple on pizza. We dive into pizza styles. Whether toppings go over or under the cheese, chicken’s place, charring on pizza, olives, best cheese on pizza, childhood pizzas and more.

We’re also inviting you to send us your “Hot Takes”. We’re giving a fresh direction on the old-fashioned letters to the editor. We call it “Hot Take”. Do you have a “Hot Take” on a subject r...

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This week, Elizabeth (Liz) Badami joins the podcast with Executive Editor Denise Greer and Senior Editor Kate Lavin. Liz has overcome trials and tragedy to reopen her pizzeria, Mary Jane’s Stone Baked Pizza in Chester, West Virginia in December 2024. 

Liz and her husband Chris often told Liz’s mom Mary Jane that they would open a pizzeria and sell her signature treats. After Mary Jane was killed in a car crash in 2015, Chris started to make that idea a reality. The Badamis incrementally started acquiring everything they would need and opene...

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Don’t miss this back-and-forth conversation with a mentor and mentee in the pizza business. This week we chat with Pete Raskovic, owner of Bentley’s Log Cabin Pub and Grill in Hollandale, Wisconsin and his mentor, the pizza icon and visionary John Arena, who owns Metro Pizza in Las Vegas. 

Pete reached out to us wanting to share just how much John Arena helped him as he developed his pizza and pizza concept. Pete’s background is in IndyCar mechanic. He grew up in New York and wanted to bring New Yor...

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This week, Denise and Josh sit down with Joe Argento, co-owner of Mama’s Meatballs & Pizzeria in Pennsauken, New Jersey. Joe grew up in the pizza business and began working at his grandmother’s shop at age 8.  

Joe went on to own his own pizzeria, but was ready to switch directions. His wife, Katherine, wanted to be in the food truck business, but Joe still wanted a storefront of some kind. As luck would have it, an existing restaurant/food truck became available in Pennsauken. While, at first, the business functioned as a...

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This week, we chat with Chef Daniel Holzman, who owns Danny Boy’s Famous Original, a two-location operation in Los Angeles, California. 

We spoke with Daniel a few days before the catastrophic wildfires broke out in LA. So, our conversation with Daniel focused on his career, the growth of Danny Boy’s and what he has learned in the restaurant business. 

Danny Boy’s locations are currently safe. We would like to recognize Danny Boy’s, who has quickly provided sanctuary for those affected. Both pizzerias are feeding the community...

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Old Scratch Pizza in Dayton, Ohio, had a huge year in 2024. The Dayton pizza company opened its fourth location in a revitalized fire station. And in November, the pizzeria took home three Pizza Today PIE Awards: Pizzeria of the Year – Midwest Region, Most Interesting Menu and Most Unique Pizzeria Location. 

We sat down with owner and founder Eric Soller and Executive Chef Josh Swinford to find out more about the red-hot pizza company. We talk about the pizzeria’s employee-centric approach, it’s Midwest Neapolitan-ish pizza, logistics of its growth, what real es...

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Happy New Year, pizza fam! The Pizza Today Team of Jeremy White, Denise Greer and Josh Keown kick the year off with conversation. 

We talk 2025 goals, dream podcast guests, reminisce a little, share restaurant stories and changes the industry has experienced. 

We want to know who your dream guest would be? Tell us on social or reach out to Denise at dgreer@pizzatoday.com.

If you would like to be a guest on The Hot Slice Podcast, e-mail Denise and let her know a little about your st...

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As we wrap up 2024, The Hot Slice Podcast with Pizza Today has featured some incredible guests from top pizza makers and pizzeria owners as well as the pizza industry’s thought leaders. The most popular episode of 2024 features Audrey Kelly. She co-owns of Audrey Jane’s Pizza Garage in Boulder, Colorado. She 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.

Let’s revisit the No. 1 The Hot Slice episode. Find out what Audrey has be...

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The International Pizza Challenge at Pizza Expo 2025 is set to be the biggest and best pizza competition. Executive Editor Denise Greer went one-on-one with Jeremy Galvin, who along with Michael LaMarca oversee the competitions. 

Jeremy shares how the competition is changing in 2025 and steps the Master Pizza team is taking to improve the competitions and enhance the experience for competitors. We talk rules, expectations, adjusting to an increased number of competitors and tips.

More on competitions at Pizza Expo: https://pizzaexpo.pizzatoday.com/competitions/