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In this episode, we dive into the creative process behind Hapa Pizza's fusion approach to pizza making, the challenges of recreating traditional dishes as pizza toppings, and why sometimes the best business ideas are the ones that feel like "no-brainers." From figuring out what works in high-heat ovens to perfecting the art of cultural fusion on dough, this is the story of turning passion into pizza.

Chapters:

00:00:00 - "Restaurant Build-Out Nightmare Stories"

00:02:07 - "Pizza Class with Ken Forkish"

00:06:42 - "Asian American Food Heritage"

00:08:25 - "Home Cooking vs Restaurant Life"

00:09:46 - "Ooni Pizza Oven Farmers Market Start"

00:11:09 - "Mental Health Therapist Turned Pizza Owner"

00:15:30 - "Restaurant Team Management Strategies"

00:18:28 - "Work-Life Balance with Kids"

00:22:00 - "Pizza Quality vs Team Development"

00:25:06 - "Hiring and Firing Restaurant Staff"

00:30:41 - "Asian Fusion Pizza Recipe Creation"

00:32:23 - "Vermicelli Bowl to Pizza Innovation"

00:35:50 - "Farmers Market to Brick and Mortar"

00:39:14 - "Accidental Food Truck Announcement"

00:42:35 - "Finding the Perfect Pizza Location"

00:44:45 - "Restaurant Construction Costs Reality"

00:50:18 - "New York Times Food Critic Visit"

00:52:47 - "Viral Pizza Recognition Moment"

00:54:08 - "Managing Overwhelming Customer Demand"

00:56:23 - "Overcoming Restaurant Imposter Syndrome"

01:03:01 - "Sustaining Business After Media Hype"

01:08:08 - "Caputo vs American Flour Testing"

01:09:46 - "Pizza Expo Competition Strategy"

01:14:20 - "Portland Pizza Scene Community"

01:15:23 - "Pizza Industry Hot Takes"

01:24:31 - "Collaborative Pop-Up Space Concept"