The Hot Slice
The Hot Slice brings you inspiring stories, strategies and lessons learned from successful pizzeria professionals and top experts. This podcast is hosted by the team at Pizza Today, the premier network for pizzeria professionals. We’re bringing our award-winning interviewing and 37 years as a trusted pizza restaurant partner to the airwaves with real, in-depth conversations with pizzeria owners, champion pizza makers, industry pros and others to help make your business better.
331. Giving Pizza in Times of Crisis
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Listen to Brian Rock, Co-Founder and COO of Doughnate Pizza, on The Hot Slice Podcast with Pizza Today
When a powerful derecho tore through northwest Indiana on Aug. 12 and knocked out power to more than 600,000 people, Brian Rock didn't wait for the lights to come back on. He went 14 days without power himself. Still, the co-founder and COO of Doughnate Pizza, a 100% volunteer-driven nonprofit, rallied his network and hit the streets. Over 16 days, his team served more than 6,000 meals, and on their biggest day they served 1,000! In this episode...
330. Columbus-style Pizza, Commissary Dough and Coming Full Circle
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Sexton’s Pizza started in a trailer the size of a closet on Florida’s Gulf Coast a decade ago. Now, after building a multi-unit operation in Columbus, Ohio, the pizzeria is returning to where it all began.
In this episode, we sit down with co-founder Joey Sexton ahead of Pizza Expo Columbus to talk dough science, growth and what it means to come full circle. You’ll learn about:
Columbus-style Pizza: The square-cut, red-sauce, smoked-provolone tradition rooted in the city’s Flytown neighborhood.Dough Evolution: How a de...329. Creating a Thoughtful Beverage Program Without a Liquor License
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Sarah and Daniel Correa never planned on becoming beverage innovators. But when opening a full bar wasn’t the right fit for their community, they got creative instead.
In this episode, we sit down with the Correas, owners of Fired Pizza in Stockton, California. What started as a mobile catering rig in 2018 grew into a food truck, then blossomed into a brick-and-mortar restaurant built on Neapolitan wood-fired pizza and a genre-bending beverage program that won them the 2025 Pizza Industry Excellence (PIE) Award for Best Beverage Menu.
Here’s what Sara...
328. The Pizza Team Takes Over: A Special Hot Slice Episode
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The whole gang is back! In this special Pizza Team edition of The Hot Slice, host Denise Greer, editor in chief of Pizza Today, sits down with Kate Lavin, Jeremy White and Josh Cowan for a lively, insider look at what's shaping the pizza business right now. From big news about Pizza Expo's leadership to what's driving independent operators to the top, this one's packed with takeaways you can bring straight back to your shop!
The crew digs into the mindset behind one of the world's most acclaimed pizza makers, previews...
327. Ditching Bromate, Chasing Roman Pizza and Hiring for Heart
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New York lawmakers voted to ban potassium bromate, and Rob Cervoni has thoughts. As the self-described “no bleach, no bromate guy,” Cervoni has spent years encouraging fellow operators make the switch to unbromated flour. Now that it’s the law, he says it’s time to pivot, not panic.
In this podcast episode, Cervoni breaks down what happens to dough when you pull bromate out of the equation, why pre-ferments such as poolish and biga are the secret weapon for anyone short on walk-in cooler space, and how time itself is one ingr...
326. Pizza, Hotels and Disaster Recovery at Soprana Rooftop Cucina
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How do you keep serving your community when a hurricane devastates your town? In this episode of The Hot Slice podcast, we hear from Philip Bollhoeffer, vice president of food and beverage for Parks Hospitality Group. Bollhoeffer was the chef who opened the Soprana Rooftop Cucina concept in Asheville, North Carolina, in March 2024. Six months later, Hurricane Helene created deadly flooding in Asheville, and the pizzeria stepped up to help its community: serving as home to media briefings, feeding hungry neighbors and housing employees whose homes were damaged by flooding.
Soprana Rooftop...
325. Robots, Revenue and the Randazzo Award
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In just a few years, MOTO Pizza has gone from a two-person operation to the highest-grossing food operator at T-Mobile Park, home to the Seattle Mariners. Lee Kindell, co-founder of MOTO Pizza, is back on The Hot Slice podcast to share how MOTO Pizza went from a standalone house in Seattle to what will be a 13-unit operation by the end of 2026.
Kindell breaks down:
· The P&L discipline that unlocked his growth.
· Creating custom “iPhone” pans and a color-coded pizza box system that employees and customers appreciate.
<...324. Crushing the First 100 Days
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Mooney’s Pizza Tavern pulled in more than $1 million during its first 100 days in Long Beach, California, and owner Hal Mooney is sharing how he and his wife, Cindy, achieved this impressive feat. From a tailored menu and staff training to a bucket list beer program, Mooney is pulling back the curtain to share what goes into a well-executed opening.
Plus: Learn how the Mooneys opted to redesign a vintage diner during the renovation, how they handle offering a large number of beers and why they chose not to offer carry-out an...
323. Helping a Neighboring Pizzeria with Anthony Triolo, Chicago’s Triano's Pizza
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Anthony Triolo, second-generation owner of Triano's Pizza in Chicago's Garfield Ridge, joins The Hot Slice to talk community, consistency and what really makes Chicago thin crust great. In this episode, we cover:
How Triano's organized a dine-and-donate just two days after a fire closed neighboring Obbie's Pizza, raising more than $3,000 for displaced employeesWhy Anthony sees neighboring pizzerias as community, not competition, and how that mindset inspired other local shops to follow suitThe neighborhood events Triano's shows up for year-round, from summer festivals to little league concession standsWhat's kept Triano's going strong for 42...322. Slow Food and Sustainability
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Listen to Gerardo Moceri Jr., co-owner of Gerardo’s Pizzeria in Sedona, Arizona, on The Hot Slice Podcast with Pizza Today.
What does it look like when the second generation of a pizzeria learns about the Slow Food movement and brings sustainable practices back to the family business? In the case of Gerardo Moceri Jr., it means stone-milled flour made from ancient grains, house-made mozzarella and a Snail of Approval.
In this episode of The Hot Slice podcast, we sit down with Gerardo Jr., who earned a degree in su...
321. Great Pizza Isn’t Enough. Building a Business with Michael Androw
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In this episode of The Hot Slice Podcast, Michael Androw, owner of E&D Pizza Company, in Avon, Connecticut, gets honest about what it actually takes to open and survive in this industry. He shares the hard lessons that recipes and passion can't teach you, from the financial traps that can cost you your home to the relationships that can save your doors from closing. If you own a pizzeria or dream of opening one, this conversation delivers the "down and dirty" reality most people learn the hard way.
Here's what...
320. Timber Pizza Co., Building the Biz from Food Trucks to 10 Locations
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Twelve years ago, two guys in a baby blue 1967 Chevy truck were blasting 90s hip-hop at a D.C. farmers market and slinging wood-fired pizza to anyone who'd listen. Today, that operation is closing in on 10 locations and building a national franchise.
In this episode, we sit down with Chris Brady, co-founder and president of Timber Pizza Co. Chris and his partner Andrew Dana traded tech sales careers for a pizza oven in 2014, opened their first brick-and-mortar in D.C.'s Petworth neighborhood in 2016 and have since expanded across the Mid-Atlantic...
319. Improving the Employee Experience
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Like many family-owned businesses, Jasons NY Pizza had a moment of reflection during the COVID pandemic. If they wanted to continue to grow and expand, the leadership team would have to create more management positions and solidify a processes for employee pay structures and raises.
Chief Experience Officer Zachary Black joins The Hot Slice podcast to share how these changes have allowed Jasons to double the number of stores it operates in Maine and permitted the owners time to work on the business – not just in the business. The pizzeria now adh...
318. Weight Loss Journey Sparks Top 50 Pizzerias with Arpan Patel, Lucky Dough Pizza, Pensacola, FL
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What does it take to go from a 120-pound weight loss journey to landing on the 50 Top Pizza list in your very first year of business? In this episode of The Hot Slice, hosts Kate Lavin and Denise Greer sit down with Arpan Patel, the owner behind Lucky Dough Pizza in Pensacola, Florida, for a conversation packed with hard-won lessons every operator can use.
Arpan's story starts with a personal transformation. After losing 120 pounds, he discovered that clean eating wasn't about cutting out the food you love. It was about obsessing...
317. Confiscated Ingredients, Broken Ovens, One World Championship Pizza with Carmela Williams
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How do you win a world pizza championship with a pie you'd never fully made before? On this episode of The Hot Slice, presented by Pizza Today, we sit down with Carmela Williams of Antonio's Italian Ristorante in Elkhart, Indiana, fresh off her world champion title in the Americana division at the Caputo Cup in Naples, Italy.
It was Carmela's first time competing internationally, and almost nothing went according to plan. Airport officials confiscated her ingredients. Her hotel had no prep space or refrigeration. The competition ovens swung wildly from 320 to...
316. Opening an Upscale Pizzeria in a Historic Building
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In this episode of The Hot Slice, we sit down with Mike Dew, the man behind one of the most intriguing pizza concepts in Northern Kentucky. Dew walks us through the realities of a longer-than-expected build-out, the quirks of a historic building and the creative ways he repurposed original wood flooring at Wayfarer Tavern in Dayton, Kentucky.
Beyond a pizzeria menu he likens to a steakhouse, Dew shares how a thoughtfully curated, value-driven wine list turned his spot into an unexpected wine destination. He also partners with neighbor New Riff Distilling...
315. Gen-Z Operator: How Joe Powers Took the Helm of an Award-Winning Pizzeria at Age 22
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What happens when a 19-year-old tastes life-changing pizza at a Buffalo Bills game? For Joe Powers, it sparks an obsession that transforms a college freshman into the owner of Jay’s Artisan Pizza by age 22. In this episode of The Hot Slice podcast, Powers shares his remarkable journey into the world of award-winning Neapolitan and Detroit-style pizza.
Powers currently operates one of the most celebrated pizzerias in the country: 50 Top Pizza recently named Jay’s the No. 7 pizzeria in the United States! Listeners will discover how Powers’ thirst for knowledge led to inno...
314. Grilled Pizza, Seasonal Menus & Profit Sharing
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On the latest episode of The Hot Slice podcast, we chat with Armando DiMeo, owner of Houston-based Coastline Pizzeria. In addition to 12-inch Neapolitan pies, Coastline specializes in grilled pizza. DiMeo explains that he “wanted to create another style of pizza that would … be the opposite of a Neapolitan pizza.”
He threw some dough on the grill, and the rest is history … almost. DiMeo tells The Hot Slice that it took him five years to perfect the pizza style, which uses high-gluten flour and a 24-hour ferment in oiled and seasoned sheet tra...
313. Dishing Dough Science with Pizza Chefs at National Restaurant Show
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Recorded live at the National Restaurant Show in Chicago, this episode of Pizza Today puts Editor in Chief Denise Greer in conversation with two pizzeria pros shaping how modern pizza operations run.
Juan Robles, corporate chef for Triple Beam Pizza in Los Angeles, California, breaks down the commissary model powering their five-location Roman-style pizza program — covering conveyor oven customization, high-hydration dough at 96%, par-baking strategy, and why three locations is the sweet spot before launching a commissary.
Vitangelo Recchia of Bella Napoli Pizzeria and Restaurant in Port Charlotte, Florida, shares ho...
312. Gabriel Baldinucci of Baldinucci Pizza Romana on Roman-Style Pizza, Culinary Travel to Italy
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Gabriel Baldinucci, along with Salvatore and Patricia are second-generation owners at Baldinucci Pizza Romana in Austin, Texas, Gabriel’s family has built one of the most talked-about fast premium dining concepts in the country, anchored by Roman-style pizza that Austin foodies and transplants can't stop eating.
In this episode of The Hot Slice Podcast, Gabriel talks about what's driving the Roman-style pizza movement in the U.S., why he believes slices are having a long-overdue comeback, and how Baldinucci Pizza Romana is taking brand loyalty to a new level — literally — with a luxur...
311. Pizza Passion with Purpose | Special Pizza Expo Series
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This week, The Hot Slice Podcast continues its Special Pizza Expo Series exploring how pizza stretches beyond the pizzeria.
First up, we chat with Chef Dr. Junnie Lai, MBA, PhD (Natural Medicine), founder of Global Cuisine Consulting. Chef Junnie Lai is an internationally recognized Research & Development Chef and product innovation consultant. With more than two decades of experience leading culinary innovation for global brands and emerging startups, she is celebrated for her ability to bridge authentic international flavors with modern pizza and pasta applications. Chef Lai develops menus with marketing strategy a...
310. Slices of Maryland: Brick Ovens and Brews
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In this episode taped live during Pizza Expo, we explore the Maryland pizza scene – plus some of its craft brews. First, we sit down with Brett and Bailey Robison of Maryland-based Mosaic Pizza and Silver Branch Brewing Co. to answer a question for the ages: What is the best pizza and beer combo of all time???
We sit down with Will Fagg of Tiny Brick Oven to hear about how his pursuit to become an AirBnB superhost led to a career transition from nursing to pizzeria ownership. Will shares why he bui...
309. Introducing Your Audience to New Pizza Styles
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On this week’s episode of The Hot Slice podcast, we speak with Mario LaPosta and Dario Paone about what it’s like to introduce your pizzeria’s customers to pizza styles they might not have tasted before.
Mario LaPosta learned the craft of wood-fired Neapolitan pizzas in Italy before bringing the style to Da LaPosta in Newton, Massachusetts. He shares his journey developing a custom flour blend, which includes a nine-year-old sourdough starter.
LaPosta tells The Hot Slice about his experience opening a second restaurant – Mamma Luca in Portsmouth...
308. Secrets to Midwest Pizzeria Profitability
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When it comes to meeting customers where they are at, this episode of The Hot Slice podcast has it all. And, we’re doing it from the show floor of Pizza Expo 2026 in Las Vegas.
Pizza Expo speaker Dana Hokin of Robert’s Pizza & Dough Co. shares how the pizzeria leverages its location on the ground floor of a large waterfront apartment building in downtown Chicago to cater to the recreational boating community and the building’s tenants through dock delivery and a walk-up take-out window. The pizzeria also uses its locatio...
307. Catering to Customers | Special Pizza Expo Series
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On this episode of The Hot Slice, we hear from Eric Sublett, co-owner of Firehouse Pizza in Kentucky. After his first pizzeria was damaged by a tornado, Eric and his wife used the opportunity to redefine their mission. They put their ideas into action at the Morgantown location and eventually replicated their vision in Bowling Green. The new menu included boozy shakes – a somewhat controversial choice in a town where serving alcohol was illegal until recently. Today, the couple is opening their third location in Franklin, Kentucky.
Next up on the ser...
306. Succeeding with a Mobile Pizza Business | Special Pizza Expo Series
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This week, The Hot Slice Podcast continues its Special Pizza Expo Series exploring what it takes to succeed with a mobile pizzeria. In the Pizza Today Village studio, Senior Editor Kate Lavin talks with two experienced mobile operators. They break down the daily realities, tough challenges, and big wins of working on the road.
Zephanie’s Pizza (Kahuku, Hawaii)
Zach and Stephanie Draper explain what it really takes to run a mobile pizza business in Hawaii. A mobile operator works out of a pizza oven built into a...
305. 50 years of Goat Hill Pizza | Special Pizza Expo Series
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This week, we continue to bring you interviews from The Hot Slice Podcast Studio in the Pizza Today Village at Pizza Expo. Senior Editor Kate Lavin had an engaging conversation with Philip De Andrade, founder of San Francisco-based Goat Hill Pizza that recently celebrated its 50th anniversary.
A piqued interest in restaurants initiated De Andrade’s journey into pizza, first in management then ownership.
He shares the origin of the region and naming and history of the longstanding pizzeria. He chronicles how the business grew to three locations and the...
304. Wylie Dufresne -- Creative Crust: Guide Your Menu With Curiosity | Special Pizza Expo Series
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We are just back from Pizza Expo, where the staff of Pizza Today welcomed the industry for the inaugural Pizza Today Village. We recorded episodes of The Hot Slice live on the show floor and will be rolling them out over the next several weeks.
Our first guest? None other than Wylie Dufresne, the keynote speaker at Pizza Expo. Dufresne made a name for himself in New York City’s fine dining scene by letting curiosity take the wheel. Whether it was a deconstructed eggs benedict or smoke salmon bagel with cre...
303. REPLAY: Chicago Thin Pizza: An Underdog No More
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Happy Pizza Expo Week! We hope you are enjoying the best week in PIZZA happening at the Las Vegas Convention Center. While we are focused on connecting in person, and doing MORE podcast episodes from the show floor, we want to share one of our favorite episodes this year.
Listen to Tony Troiano of J.B. Alberto’s Pizza in Chicago, Illinois, on The Hot Slice Podcast with Pizza Today
When most people think of Chicago pizza, they picture a deep-dish behemoth, a cheesy beast you need a fork and...
302. Returning Home with a New Concept
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In this episode of The Hot Slice Podcast with Pizza Today, we sit down with Odie O'Connor to explore the dynamic challenges of operating two distinct concepts 1,000 miles apart: Boxcar Pizza in Portland, OR, and Odie's Pizza Company in San Diego, CA.
Odie’s holds a special place for the owner as he returns to his hometown to carryout his pizza vision. Odie shares his deep industry experience and data-driven insights on scaling a business. He breaks down the realities of running a highly systemized vegan Detroit-style shop in the Pacific Nor...
301. Becoming a “Bucket List” Pizzeria with Bird Pizzeria’s Nkem & Kerrel Thompson
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Ever wonder what it really takes to run a booming pizzeria without losing your mind?! Grab a slice and pull up a chair! This week on The Hot Slice with Pizza Today, we’re joined by Nkem and Kerrel Thompson, the visionary couple behind Bird Pizzeria in Charlotte, NC. Nkem and Kerrel have quickly become industry standouts for their commitment to craft, hospitality, and community—transforming Bird Pizzeria from a humble start into one of Charlotte’s most celebrated pizza destinations. Their creative approach and bold flavors have captured the attention of pizza enthus...
300. Celebrating 300 Episodes with Anthony Mangieri
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To celebrate the milestone of 300 episodes of The Hot Slice podcast, we’re chatting with a true pioneer of the U.S. pizza industry: Anthony Mangieri of Una Pizza Napoletana.
For nearly 40 years, Mangieri has been obsessively chasing the perfect pizza, but his journey hasn’t been a straight line. In this special anniversary episode, he opens up about his evolution to embrace the transformative power of hospitality. We dive deep into his daily experiments – from tweaking firewood blends to pushing dough hydration to the absolute limit – and why, even after four dec...
299. Pizza Expo Insiders’ Scoop from the Pizza Team
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Get ready for the world's largest pizza show! In this special insider episode, the Pizza Today team pulls back the curtain on International Pizza Expo 2026 in Las Vegas, March 24–26. Hear directly from Jeremy White, Brand Director of Emerald Food Group, along with editors Denise Greer, Kate Lavin, and creative director Josh Keown as they share exclusive details about what makes this year's expo truly unforgettable.
What You'll Discover:
Record-Breaking Numbers: Why this will be the largest Pizza Expo in historyBeer & Bull 2.0: The revamped ne...298. The Olympics of Pizza With Justin Wadstein
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Ever wondered what it takes to juggle a soccer ball while spinning a pizza dough? Or how nerve-wracking it is to toss a dough skin blindfolded while a panel of judges watches your every move?
Welcome to “The Olympics of Pizza!” In this episode of The Hot Slice, we are joined by Justin Wadstein, owner of Sleight of Hand Pizza and champion of the World Pizza Games. He takes us behind the curtain in the competitive world of dough acrobatics, sharing exactly what goes into a winning routine.
Tune...
297. The Art of Award-Winning Pizza with Ryan O'Hara
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Ever wondered what it takes to turn a neighborhood pizza joint into a James Beard semifinalist in just one year? You’re about to find out.
Ryan O'Hara, the new owner/chef of Pizza Grace, joins us on The Hot Slice podcast to spill the sauce on his wild journey. O’Hara went from fine dining and ice cream making to pizzeria ownership. We chat about keeping the legendary 25-year-old starter (its name is Frank!) alive while shaking up the menu with natural wines and elevated hospitality.
Ryan gets real...
296. Lars Smith on Competing, Branding, and Pizza Excellence
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This week, we chat with champion pizza maker and industry leader Lars Smith. Lars co-owns State of Mind Pub and State of Mind Slice House in Palo Alto, California.
Fresh off his recent trip to Italy, Lars competed at the Sigep World in Rimini. His finishes include 2nd place in Pizza in Teglia, 11th place in Pizza alla Pala and 25th place in Pizza Classica. He highlighted his winning pizza, a seasonal winter squash and mushroom pizza with blue cheese, hazelnut, and lemon zest.
Lars emphasized the importance of us...
295. Rethinking Restaurant Culture & Operations With Marvin Kinney
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On this week’s episode, we’re chatting with Marvin Kinney, the owner of R Town Pizza, who set out to bring Detroit-style pies to Reno in 2022. Kinney isn’t just thoughtful about making pizzas, he’s hoping to reform restaurant culture into a place of growth and mutual respect.
We ask Kinney how he keeps food waste under 1% and why he believes in collaboration over competition. From growing up in a pizzeria with parents who were both chefs to creating a family-friendly community hub, Kinney’s journey is packed with actionable...
294. Loyalty & Growth at Cosmo’s Pizza with Robert Marek
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This week on The Hot Slice Podcast, we chat with Robert Marek. He is Director of Business Development at Cosmo’s Pizza, a growing independent Colorado-based pizza brand with six locations and a commissary. He’s also coming to Pizza Expo in March to share his expertise in our powerful, industry-led education program.
A seasoned restaurant industry professional with a degree in Restaurant Management, Robert has extensive hands-on experience across all aspects of restaurant operations, including site selection, startups, ongoing operations, training, concept development, consulting, procurement, and culinary innovation.
W...
293. Pizza Talk with Scott Wiener
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This week, we catch up with Scott Wiener to chat all things pizza. Scott started Scott’s Pizza Tours in New York City 17 years ago. And his pizza enthusiasm has only grown. As Josh says on the podcast, “no one knows probably more about the pizza business than Scott.”
Scott has been a frequent speaker at Pizza Expo and contributor to Pizza Today. He judges the International Pizza Challenge and other global pizza competitions. Featured on numerous TV shows and media outlets, he also authored Viva La Pizza! and holds a...
292. Chicago Thin Pizza: An Underdog No More
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When most people think of Chicago pizza, they picture a deep-dish behemoth, a cheesy beast you need a fork and knife to conquer. But locals know the real MVP of the region is Chicago Thin – and it’s finally getting the love it deserves.
We sat down with Tony Troiano of J.B. Alberto’s Pizza, a 60-year-old Chicago institution and recent winner of the Great American Pizza Challenge for Best Traditional Thin Pizza. Troiano has been in the game a long time and had some incredible insights about why this crispy...
