324. Crushing the First 100 Days

Send us Fan MailThe 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 

Send us Fan MailNew 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.comPizza Expo Columbus: pizzaexpocolumbus.pizzatoday.comPizzeria Operator Survey: survey.alchemer.com/s3/8906788/Pizza-Today-s-Pizzeria-Operator-Survey-2026Pizzeria Industry Excellence (PIE) Awards: pizzatoday.com/pie-awards

Send us Fan MailHow 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.

Send us Fan MailIn 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.

Send us Fan MailMooney’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.comPizza Expo Columbus: pizzaexpocolumbus.pizzatoday.comPizzeria Operator Survey: survey.alchemer.com

Send us Fan MailAnthony 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 years: scratch-made everything, monthly team meetings and a management-first cultureThe dough secrets behind Chicago thin crust, including a low-hydration formula, high oil content and 48-hour fermentation baked on straight metal stonesHow Triano's cross-utilizes its house-made Italian beef across sandwiches, beef rolls, beef bowls and specialty pizzasTune in to the full episode of The Hot Slice Podcast to hear it all!

Send us Fan MailListen 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.

Send us Fan MailIn 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 .

Send us Fan MailTwelve 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 rangeShow Notes:Timber Pizza Co.Pizza Expo Columbus July 2026 issue of Pizza Today magazine 

Send us Fan MailLike 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 NOTESJasons NY Pizza: jasonsnypizza.comEmployee Experience Edition of Pizza Today magazinePizza Expo ColumbusJuly 2026 issue of Pizza Today magazine