The Hot Slice

Pizza Today

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.

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#335
Thursday · 23 min
335. Location, Location, Location| Pizza Expo Columbus Special, Part 3
Send us Fan Mail The Hot Slice continues our conversations from high atop the show floor at Pizza Expo Columbus that took place earlier this month in Ohio. Hear stories of the pizza people who make this industry flourish. This week, we look at two different types of concepts and location types thriving in their markets. Listen to the following: Gena DiPaolo and Jesus "Chuy" Benitez — Geno D’s, Charlotte, North Carolina Gena DiPaolo shares what makes her father/daughter-owned business stand out in Charlotte’s pizza market. She compares the food hall model currently employed by Geno D’s, to her family’s previous brick-and-mortar restaurant in New Jersey. Meanwhile, Jesus “Chuy” Benitez shares the education he’s gotten while working at Geno D’s. David Sommers — Mad Mushroom — 6 Locations in Indiana and Kentucky David details buying an existing pizza business. Learn how David evaluates Mad Mushroom’s readiness to open new locations. He talks succeeding in two college locations. He outlines the pros and cons of second-generation spaces. Join us for the Pizza Expo Columbus Special, Part 4 next week.
#334
October 28 · 34 min
334. 3rd Generation & Upstart Pizzeria Perspectives | Pizza Expo Columbus Special, Part 2
Send us Fan Mail The Hot Slice continues our conversations from high atop the show floor at Pizza Expo Columbus that took place earlier this month in Ohio. Hear stories of the pizza people who make this industry flourish. This week, we share two concepts, a continued generational pizzeria and a creative upstart. Listen to the following: Anthony Scardino — Professor Pizza, Chicago, Illinois Anthony shares the love and personality that he put into Professor Pizza. He outlines the challenges and advantages to offering multiple styles and pays tribute to the pizza community who helped him along the way. Angelo Nicolosi and sister Celina — Nicolosi’s Pizza, Phillipsburg, New Jersey Angelo shares how his grandfather started the legacy pizzeria. Celina details how Nicolosi’s Pizza has been able to leverage skit comedy on social media to promote the old-school pizzeria. They dive into the operational side of the business to continue the consistency of the decades-old pizza shop. Join us for the Pizza Expo Columbus Special, Part 3 next week.
#333
October 22 · 19 min
333. Building Lasting Pizza Businesses | Pizza Expo Columbus Special, Part 1
Send us Fan Mail The Hot Slice Podcast was live at Pizza Expo Columbus. We had an amazing time with the pizza community at the show. For the next few weeks of The Hot Slice Podcast, we will bring you conversations with pizza people from high above the show floor. Fresh off the stage of their keynote address, brothers Scott, Steve, Mark and Dave, along with some their team, joined us in the studio to talk about what has made Columbus, Ohio-based Flyers Pizza & Subs a legacy pizza company. As the 10-unit independent pizza business celebrates 50 years, the brothers spotlight their team. They also detail how their employee stock ownership plan (ESOP) will carry them into the future. Listen to the team talk about what their employment at Flyers means to them. Brittany Saxton, owner of 600 Downtown in Bellefontaine, Ohio, shares how her pizzeria has grown by combining community-based marketing with multiple revenue streams. She explains how bold local campaigns help attract destination traffic and support the broader downtown economy, while the business has expanded beyond dine-in service into carryout, catering, and two event venues. She also highlights the importance of training, operational structure, and team culture in keeping quality consistent and sustaining growth. Join us for the Pizza Expo Columbus Special, Part 2 next week.
#332
October 15 · 39 min
332. REPLAY: Confiscated Ingredients, Broken Ovens, One World Championship Pizza with Carmela Williams
Send us Fan Mail Listen to 2026 Crowned World Pizza Champion Carmela Williams of Antonio’s Italian Ristorante in Elkhart, Indiana, on The Hot Slice Podcast with Pizza Today 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 nearly 600 degrees. So, she improvised, blending mozzarella with scamorza she’d never worked with and leaning on instincts sharpened by her restaurant’s 70-year-old Blodgett ovens. Here’s what you’ll take away: How she built a winning pizza on the fly under real pressure Dough and cheese decisions that held up when conditions didn’t Why her family legacy (father Paul and sister Gemma are also world champions) shaped her competitive mindset With 14 years in the industry, Carmela also breaks down the operational philosophy behind Antonio’s: open four days a week, no reservations, first-come, first-served. It’s a candid look at craft, grit, and running a pizzeria your way. Show Notes: Check out a fun look at her competition attempt: https://www.instagram.com/p/DZx3TUiJQ4J/ Follow Antonio’s Italian Ristorante at https://www.antoniositalian.com/ and on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/antoniositalianelkhart/
#331
October 8 · 29 min
331. Giving Pizza in Times of Crisis
Send us Fan Mail 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, we sit down with Brian to talk about how partnerships with Chicago staple Aurelio's Pizza and World Central Kitchen made it all possible, and why he sees pizza as one of the best tools around for doing good in your community. 🍕 Here's What Brian Gets Into: The storm that sparked it all: How the derecho left communities like Lake Station without power for weeks, and why Brian's first call went to the county's emergency management team to find out where help was needed most How to serve 1,000 meals in a day: Leaning on Aurelio's conveyor line to turn out 75 to 150 pizzas daily, packing 100 pies into a Subaru and serving two slices, a salad, a piece of fruit and a water from a simple tent setup, all coordinated by cell phone The Doughnate Pizza model: How the 100% volunteer-driven nonprofit has delivered more than 70,000 meals since 2022 by working out roughly 50% discounts with pizzerias instead of asking for free food, so every donated dollar goes straight to feeding people Teaming up with World Central Kitchen: How years of outreach finally paid off when WCK brought Doughnate Pizza on as a restaurant partner during this deployment From military vet to pizza for good: Brian's journey from his first pizza job at 14 to the military, slinging slices for 8,000 to 9,000 festivalgoers a day, serving 350 meals after a 2020 derecho in Iowa and teaching pizza classes to fellow veterans Advice for operators who want to help: Why Brian says you should spend the $500 or $1,000 on dough, cheese and sauce, show up for your neighbors and trust that your community will give it back tenfold Tune in to the full episode of The Hot Slice Podcast to hear it all!
#330
October 1 · 27 min
330. Columbus-style Pizza, Commissary Dough and Coming Full Circle
Send us Fan Mail 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 deep dive into long-fermented New York-style dough transformed Sexton’s signature product. Building a Commissary: Why centralizing dough production took three months to dial in but changed everything for consistency. The Portnoy Effect: What happened in the 12 hours after an 8.1 review and how Sexton’s kept up with demand Sexton’s Burger Bar: Why a smash burger with a lace edge earned its own concept instead of a spot on the pizza menu. Return to Florida: Why opening a location in the state where Sexton’s started feels like closing the loop on a 10-year journey. Tune in to the full episode of The Hot Slice Podcast to hear it all! Show Notes: Sexton’s Pizza: sextonspizza.com Pizza Expo Columbus: pizzaexpocolumbus.pizzatoday.com Pizzeria Operator Survey: survey.alchemer.com/s3/8906788/Pizza-Today-s-Pizzeria-Operator-Survey-2026 Pizzeria Industry Excellence (PIE) Awards: pizzatoday.com/pie-awards
#329
September 24 · 37 min
329. Creating a Thoughtful Beverage Program Without a Liquor License
Send us Fan Mail 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 Sarah and Daniel get into: Why they intentionally chose to operate on a beer and wine license instead of pursuing full liquor, and how that decision shaped their entire brand. Crafting cocktails with agave wine and infused syrups that rival traditional spirits, without a drop of vodka or whiskey in sight. How relationships forged with local breweries and wineries during COVID became the backbone of a rotating, story-driven beverage menu. The strategy behind an eight-tap draft system built around community loyalty, plus the sorbet seltzer customers refuse to let go. Pricing wine by the glass to build trust with guests and move volume instead of sitting on bottles. Standing out in a market full of New York-style legacy pizzerias by committing fully to something different. Show Notes: Fired Pizza: fired-pizza.com Pizza Expo Columbus: pizzaexpocolumbus.pizzatoday.com Pizzeria Operator Survey: survey.alchemer.com/s3/8906788/Pizza-Today-s-Pizzeria-Operator-Survey-2026 Pizzeria Industry Excellence (PIE) Awards: pizzatoday.com/pie-awards
#328
September 17 · 27 min
328. The Pizza Team Takes Over: A Special Hot Slice Episode
Send us Fan Mail 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 everything happening at Pizza Expo Columbus and celebrates a shift that puts mom-and-pop shops in the spotlight. Whether you own one location or a handful, there's plenty here to fire you up. Grab a slice and settle in! Key Talking Points: Big leadership news: Jeremy White announces he'll step in as the new Pizza Expo show director when longtime director Bill Oakley retires in about six months. Pizza Expo Columbus is bigger this year: The show moves to Hall B with an expanded show floor and more exhibitors. Seven competitions: The Great American Pizza Challenge returns with divisions from best dessert pizza to America's best pepperoni slice and Young Pizza Maker of the Year. Hot Slice goes live: The podcast will broadcast from a quiet suite overlooking the show floor, plus a freshly redesigned Pizza Today booth and a Sunday happy hour with wings and drinks! Independents are winning: Top distributors report independent pizzerias now outpacing chains at the top of their sales charts. Value-driven spending: With tighter wallets, customers are choosing local independents for experience, relationships and community connection. Make your voice heard: Complete the operator survey to help shape Pizza Today content and Pizza Expo education sessions! Show Notes: Pizza Expo Columbus: pizzaexpocolumbus.pizzatoday.com Pizzeria Operator Survey: survey.alchemer.com/s3/8906788/Pizza-Today-s-Pizzeria-Operator-Survey-2026 Pizzeria Industry Excellence (PIE) Awards: pizzatoday.com/pie-awards
#327
September 10 · 34 min
327. Ditching Bromate, Chasing Roman Pizza and Hiring for Heart
Send us Fan Mail 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 ingredient you can’t shortcut. He also digs into why Roman-style pizza struggled to catch on the first time around, what he did differently to make Taglio’s version stick and why he thinks the style is finally having its moment. Here’s what Cervoni shares on The Hot Slice podcast: Potassium bromate speeds up fermentation, but it’s possible to replicate that effect without the chemical. How is a poolish different from a biga, and when should you use each one to master your pizza style? Cervoni blends four flours for his New York-style dough. What does each add, and what is the benefit of malted dextrose? The first wave of Roman-style pizzerias failed in the U.S. because they sold pizza like they do in Europe. Find out how Cervoni adapted the practice for a New York crowd. Growing up in a pizzeria from age 15 shaped the way Cervoni interviews staff and what he looks for when hiring. Show Notes: Taglio Roman Style Pizza: taglioromanpizza.com Pizza Expo Columbus: pizzaexpocolumbus.pizzatoday.com Pizzeria Operator Survey: survey.alchemer.com/s3/8906788/Pizza-Today-s-Pizzeria-Operator-Survey-2026 Pizzeria Industry Excellence (PIE) Awards: pizzatoday.com/pie-awards
#326
September 3 · 41 min
326. Pizza, Hotels and Disaster Recovery at Soprana Rooftop Cucina
Send us Fan Mail 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 Cucina’s efforts to help the community during a disaster earned it the Community Impact Award from the Pizza Industry Excellence (PIE) Awards sponsored by Pizza Today. The business also took home the Pizzeria of the Year award for the Southeast region. On this episode, Bollhoeffer shares: •How masons painstakingly crafted a brick pizza oven on the eighth floor of a hotel. •Why local sourcing matters to the pizzeria’s menu and the mission. •How the operation saves money by utilizing shared services as part of a hospitality group. •How the team kept serving during disaster recovery – and what it meant to their community. •Why it’s important to build your merchandise program around products fans actually want. We cover all this and more on this episode of The Hot Slice podcast. Show Notes: Pizzeria Operator Survey: Be Counted! Pizza Today wants to hear how economic factors and consumer trends are impacting your business. Take our quick survey to ensure your responses will be part of our December 2026 cover story and special report. Pizza Expo Columbus: Celebrate National Pizza Month with your community Oct. 11-12 at the Greater Columbus Convention Center. We’ve got a trade show floor specific to pizzeria operators; seminars, demos and workshops led by successful pizzeria owners, The Great American Pizza Challenge and more. PIE Awards: We’ve raised the bar for the 2027 PIE Awards, and nominations are open now. Winners will appear in Pizza Today magazine, be honored during a live ceremony at Pizza Expo 2027 and get the chance to join a special episode of The Hot Slice. Don’t miss the early-bird entry price, available through Oct. 15.
#325
August 27 · 34 min
325. Robots, Revenue and the Randazzo Award
Send us Fan Mail 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. · How a chance meeting at the original MOTO location got him into a professional sporting stadium. · Why he launched his own robotics company and why robots and AI do not replace human connection. · Expanding from Washington state into California. · What it felt like to win the Shawn Randazzo Best Detroit-style Pizza Award at Pizza Expo and how he's preparing to come back even stronger. Learn about Kindell’s plans for an end-to-end pizza-making robot and how systems and efficiency are key to scaling your pizza business.
#324
August 20 · 37 min
324. Crushing the First 100 Days
Send us Fan Mail 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 and delivery while making a first impression on the community. Show Notes: Mooney’s Pizza Tavern: mooneyspizza.com Pizza Expo Columbus: pizzaexpocolumbus.pizzatoday.com Pizzeria Operator Survey: survey.alchemer.com
#323
August 13 · 31 min
323. Helping a Neighboring Pizzeria with Anthony Triolo, Chicago’s Triano's Pizza
Send us Fan Mail 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 employees Why Anthony sees neighboring pizzerias as community, not competition, and how that mindset inspired other local shops to follow suit The neighborhood events Triano's shows up for year-round, from summer festivals to little league concession stands What's kept Triano's going strong for 42 years: scratch-made everything, monthly team meetings and a management-first culture The dough secrets behind Chicago thin crust, including a low-hydration formula, high oil content and 48-hour fermentation baked on straight metal stones How Triano's cross-utilizes its house-made Italian beef across sandwiches, beef rolls, beef bowls and specialty pizzas Tune in to the full episode of The Hot Slice Podcast to hear it all!
#322
August 6 · 33 min
322. Slow Food and Sustainability
Send us Fan Mail 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 sustainability from Arizona State University and studied at Italy’s University of Gastronomic Sciences. He’s used the experience to improve the product and customer experience at the family-owned wood-fired pizzeria by deepening the commitment to regenerative agriculture and turning the restaurant into a working teaching kitchen for culinary interns. Here's what Gerardo Jr. discusses: The Snail of Approval: What the Slow Food movement’s recognition means for a pizzeria and how it shapes everyday sourcing decisions. Flour first: Why he blends a stone-milled desert heritage wheat with a regeneratively farmed flour and what it does for dough hydration and flavor. Making mozzarella in-house: The labor, the craft and why it creates more menu flexibility than buying it ready-made. Sustainability in practice: Composting programs, recycled packaging and how to build greener operations incrementally without tanking your margins. Working with local farmers: Balancing menu consistency with seasonal availability, and why flexibility is the key to avoiding food waste. The teaching kitchen: How paid culinary internships pass down skills and fight kitchen burnout. Second-generation ownership: Bringing new ideas to a family business and why his parents’ openness made all the difference. The long game: His vision of a morning-to-night destination serving pastries, focaccia sandwiches and wood-fired pizza in the heart of West Sedona.
#321
July 30 · 31 min
321. Great Pizza Isn’t Enough. Building a Business with Michael Androw
Send us Fan Mail 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 Michael covers: Relationships before you need them. Why building genuine, non-transactional ties with your building and health inspectors matters, and how those ties let him reopen the morning after disaster. Surviving disaster. The Thanksgiving a car crashed through his building, and what it takes to manage contractors, insurers and inspectors when everything falls apart. The brutal math of slow days. A Tuesday in February with $75 in total sales, and how to hold your nerve on labor, utilities and staff morale when the register goes quiet. Outsource the numbers. Why accounting and payroll should go to professionals, because you can't afford to get tax codes wrong on zero sleep. Learning to let go. How over-managing slows your team and hurts your labor metrics, and why delegation is the hardest skill for a perfectionist owner. Consistency and creativity. Following recipes to a T for customers who expect the same pizza every time, while giving staff room to build fun weekly slice specials. Lease and loan landmines. The commercial lease clauses and loan terms that carry personal liability, and how to tell good money from bad. The emotional cost. Seven days a week for two straight years, and the private toll of ownership no one warns you about. Michael brings this same candor to his workshop at Pizza Expo Columbus: W01, You Want to Open a Pizza Restaurant? on Sunday, October 11, from 8 a.m. to noon ($250). Workshop Description: Dreaming of opening your own pizzeria from scratch? Michael Androw has been there, done that, and lived to tell the tale. This workshop is your crash course in everything from site selection and lease negotiations to zoning laws and start-up marketing. But it’s not just about the nuts and bolts — it’s about the blood, sweat, and tears (and maybe a few sleepless nights) that come with building your dream. Michael’s insights could be the difference between success and heartbreak. If you’re ready to take the plunge, this session is a must. Register now for Pizza Expo Columbus .
#320
July 23 · 33 min
320. Timber Pizza Co., Building the Biz from Food Trucks to 10 Locations
Send us Fan Mail 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 and Southeast. Now he's focused on franchising the right way: slow, intentional and rooted in the same community-first values that started it all. Here's what Chris gets into: · The origin story: Why he and Andrew walked away from tech sales, and how a Charlottesville pizza truck sparked the whole thing · Timber's pizza style: Marrying New York-style crunch and hold with Neapolitan wood-fired chew, plus why provolone earns a spot in the cheese blend · The 85/15 model: Keeping 85% of every Timber consistent while leaving 15% for local flair like regional craft beer and neighborhood decor · The dough non-negotiable: Scratch-made recipe with a strict 48-hour proof at every single location, no exceptions · Vetting franchise partners: Why integrity, a real operational plan and the right market matter more than the check that clears · Building employee culture: Tip pooling across the house, wages above the tipped minimum and a "we've got your back" approach that's driven five to six year average tenure · Advice for growing operators: Pay the pros, delegate your weaknesses early and be honest about where you're not the A player · The road ahead: Staying committed to the Mid-Atlantic and Southeast, with a goal of five to six new stores in 2026 to reach the 15 to 16 unit range Show Notes: Timber Pizza Co. Pizza Expo Columbus July 2026 issue of Pizza Today magazine
#319
July 16 · 33 min
319. Improving the Employee Experience
Send us Fan Mail 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 adheres to a pay schedule, and workers know when they can expect raises – and how much. Such new systems have reduced turnover and freed up time to work on a new employee-training program. SHOW NOTES Jasons NY Pizza: jasonsnypizza.com Employee Experience Edition of Pizza Today magazine Pizza Expo Columbus July 2026 issue of Pizza Today magazine
#318
July 9 · 27 min
318. Weight Loss Journey Sparks Top 50 Pizzerias with Arpan Patel, Lucky Dough Pizza, Pensacola, FL
Send us Fan Mail 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 over ingredients. That obsession became the heartbeat of his pizzeria, where pizza and a health-conscious lifestyle live side by side! Here's what we dig into: The origin story that took Arpan from home cook to award-winning pizzaiolo Sourdough and natural leavening mastery — why he ditched commercial yeast after spotting a synthetic emulsifier on the label, and how he never makes the same dough recipe twice Time and temperature as the make-or-break variables, especially when you're baking in Florida's humidity with no climate-controlled dough room Landing on the 50 Top Pizza list in year one (and why he first thought the email was a scam!) Surviving a demand surge after local press hit, including how he limited online orders, capped takeout, and made tough calls to protect the guest experience His alfresco, wood-fired setup — running two wood-fire ovens and learning to love the craft over convenience A relentless focus on premium ingredients: grass-fed buffalo mozzarella with A2 protein, organic olive oil shipped straight from Puglia, and Mountain Valley spring water in every batch of dough Pricing for quality — from a $15 marinara to a $32 prosciutto di Parma, and why his customers say it's worth the price and worth the wait What's next as he works toward an indoor location and keeps perfecting his wood-fired craft Dough management, clean sourcing, and building a pizzeria that stands out in your market — Arpan's small-steps approach is a masterclass in patience, experimentation and staying true to your product. Tune in now and get inspired! 🍕
#318
July 2 · 42 min
317. Confiscated Ingredients, Broken Ovens, One World Championship Pizza with Carmela Williams
Send us Fan Mail 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 nearly 600 degrees. So, she improvised, blending mozzarella with scamorza she'd never worked with and leaning on instincts sharpened by her restaurant's 70-year-old Blodgett ovens. Here's what you'll take away: How she built a winning pizza on the fly under real pressure Dough and cheese decisions that held up when conditions didn't Why her family legacy (father Paul and sister Gemma are also world champions) shaped her competitive mindset With 14 years in the industry, Carmela also breaks down the operational philosophy behind Antonio's: open four days a week, no reservations, first-come, first-served. It's a candid look at craft, grit, and running a pizzeria your way. Show Notes: Check out a fun look at her competition attempt: https://www.instagram.com/p/DZx3TUiJQ4J/ Follow Antonio’s Italian Ristorante at https://www.antoniositalian.com/ and on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/antoniositalianelkhart/ Register for Pizza Expo Columbus, bringing every element of the pizza industry together under one roof in the Midwest at the Greater Columbus Convention Center on October 11-12, 2026. Learn. Network. Shop. Eat. And compete. Register now! Join Pizza Today for a “Future of Pizza Dough” panel discussion July 23rd, 2026 @ 2 PM ET. The webinar features hand-selected, award-winning pizzeria industry leaders, including Tony Gemignani, Laura Meyer and Will Grant. These experts are sitting down to share decades of hard-earned knowledge about the science behind the perfect crust. Register now.
#316
June 25 · 35 min
316. Opening an Upscale Pizzeria in a Historic Building
Send us Fan Mail 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 to create a single-barrel bourbon program. For the pizza itself: Dew fuses three regional styles: Midwestern tavern square cuts, East Coast thin crust and the irresistible Detroit-style frico. You'll learn why he skips the curing step and how crowd-favorite pies like the Korean Corn Cheese and the legendary Pickle Power made it onto the menu. EPISODE NOTES Wayfarer Tavern: wayfarertavern.com Pizza Expo Columbus: pizzaexpocolumbus.com

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