How do two pizza lovers turn a shared obsession into a thriving, award-winning pizzeria—during a pandemic?

We’re inside the dough room at Cowabunga to hear how Justin and Andy went from pizza snobs and Instagram mutuals to building one of Canada’s most talked-about slice shops. We break down their hybrid sourdough program, how they scaled without sacrificing quality, why pizza screens aren’t the enemy, and the wild story of winning World’s Best Cheese Slice in Vegas… after losing their dough in transit.

Highlights:

0:00 – Making dough for a 72-hour ferment & what makes their dough special

0:24 – Hybrid sourdough + instant yeast: flavor, reliability, and avoiding purist gatekeeping

1:31 – Why they call it a “hybrid,” not “sourdough pizza”

2:56 – Balancing craft & business: consistency over ego

4:18 – The Instagram DM that sparked their partnership

5:35 – Early plans, failed farmers market shop attempt, and finding their first location

9:50 – Signing the lease… then the pandemic hits

10:54 – Pivoting to IG-only ordering + hype-building during lockdown

12:58 – Scaling from 50 pizzas → 200/week in weeks

14:57 – “Pepperoni pays the bills” — product philosophy

17:48 – Blending culinary creativity with approachability

19:52 – The Cowabunga pizza: peanuts, pineapple, fried chicken — breaking the rules

20:53 – Dough ball sizes & why multiple formats matter for guests

22:19 – Flour blend + Pizza Master setup for hybrid baking

24:06 –Vegas story: losing the dough, flying a replacement overnight, still taking first place

27:12 – Press hits, hometown love, and sustaining momentum

30:30 – Awards = attention, but product = retention

32:04 – Why they document everything — impact on narrative + community

40:00 – Using the Equalizer for perfect slice cuts

42:06 – Pizza screens: scaling tool, not a shortcut

45:56 – Their cooked sauce profile + cheese approach

48:52 – Ingredient sourcing & adapting to import changes

57:05 – What’s next: dialing systems & global expansion

Check them out:https://www.cowabungapizzeria.ca/

https://www.instagram.com/cowabungapizzeria/?hl=en

Thank you to our show sponsors:

Bacio Cheese:

https://bit.ly/3FmQ3up

Corto:https://bit.ly/457DNII

Join my Instagram Community Channel: https://www.instagram.com/channel/AbbWnReTYIlCfO21/

Patreon Page: patreon.com/whatsgooddough

DM @whatsgooddoughhttps://www.instagram.com/whatsgooddough/email me: [email protected]

Edited By Valentine Phelippeau

Topic:Cowabunga Pizza, hybrid sourdough pizza, pizza dough recipe, 72 hour cold ferment, pizza master oven settings, pizza screens vs wooden peel, how to scale a pizzeria, starting a pizza business, pizza slice shop setup, Canadian pizzerias, pepperoni pizza recipe, cheese slice competition, world’s best cheese slice, pizza expo Vegas, restaurant branding, social media marketing for restaurants, pizza shop workflow, dough fermentation tips, pizza sauce recipe, mozzarella blends, Ardent Mills flour, brick and mortar startup story, pandemic restaurant success story, pizza shop equipment, food entrepreneurship, pizza Instagram marketing, behind the scenes pizza kitchen, pizza dough hydration, pizza toppings ideas, restaurant consistency systems, global pizza expansion, pizza business strategy