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Lynn’s Chicago Pizza began with Lynn Humphrey and Brandon Bruner, Sr. trying to solve a problem. They couldn’t get pizza delivered to their Southside Chicago neighborhood so Brandon, a trained chef, began experimenting with making a Chicago Deep Dish pizza. Soon, they started making pizza for friends and family. The two started selling pizza at a nearby bar and the virtual pizzeria was born doing popups.  

They ventured into a brick-and-mortar restaurant partnership but soon realized that they wanted to create their own vision in their Woodlawn neighborhood that was in need of restaurant options. Landing the location that the two had their eye on came with an application process. After great strides, Lynn’s Chicago Pizza opened serving up deep dish and Chicago thin crust pizza.  

Lynn and Brandon opened more than a pizzeria. Lynn’s serves as a community hub with events and special nights for people to gather.  

Their efforts have drawn local and national attention. Brandon and Lynn share how they’ve built momentum for their young business. 

Learn more about Lynn’s Chicago Pizza at https://lynnschipizza.com/ and on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/lynnschicagopizza/   

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It’s Pizza Expo week! While we are meeting all of you in person in Las Vegas, we wanted to share a replay of a favorite episode. George Panagopoulos spent this week with us and even gave an amazing seminar on Innovative Pizzeria Technology.

It’s easy to see why we tapped George to lead the seminar when you hear how he has modernized a 50-year old pizzeria. George Panagopoulos owns of Dedham House of Pizza, in Dedham, Massachusetts. This tech-savvy operator has taken over an over 50-year-old pizzeria. He is driving the business into future by developing a custom AI chatbot. As he has stepped into the owner role, George has implemented self-ordering kiosks, mobile app, rewards program, online specials and third-party delivery companies. 

Listen as George shares what motivates him to advance his business technology and offers insights on how other operators can do the same. 

We talk about what the future of Dedham House of Pizza will look like and how he is helping educate his customers to get there.  

Here is a brief overview from Dedham House of Pizza: 

Dedham House of Pizza is a Greek family-owned pizzeria located in the heart of the historic Dedham Square, a suburb of Boston. Serving up an array of New England Greek pan-style pizza prepared with daily-made, in-house dough, calzones, subs, roll-ups, pastas, salads, beer, wine, desserts and more, DHOP has been providing fresh food to the local community for over 50 years. Through implementing recent innovations such as self-ordering kiosks, a mobile app, a rewards program, online specials, catering offerings, gluten-free pies and three third-party delivery companies, third-generation owner & operator George Panagopoulos has taken an individually-owned mom & pop pizza shop to a nationally-recognized pizzeria. 

The pizzeria’s patriarch, Andreas Panagopoulos, immigrated from a small Greek village called Eleochorio (Village of Olives) outside of Greece’s third largest city, Patras. Andreas and his siblings were farmers growing grapes and olives, and they made their humble living producing wine and olive oil. In search of the American Dream, Andreas arrived in the U.S. in his mid-20s, working a variety of jobs and falling in love with pizza. Andreas arrived in the U.S. in 1981 and by 1983 was working as an employee at the pizzeria. By 1991, he was managing it and by 1996, he and his wife Maria owned it, eventually enlisting their entire family to work as well including their son, George, who serves as the current owner and operator. 

Learn more about Dedham House of Pizza at www.dedhamhouseofpizza.com and on Instagram at www.instagram.com/dedhamhouseofpizza. 

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Pizza Expo starts soon. To get hyped up for the Las Vegas show, we’re chatting with Nick Bogacz, founder of Caliente Pizza & Draft House in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. His deep-dive, four-hour workshop is part of the 2025 School of Pizzeria Management Workshops that will kick off Pizza Expo week on Sunday, long before the show floor opens Tuesday. 

His session, “You Opened Your First Pizzeria! Now What???” gives insights into labor costs, food costs and guerilla marketing. We chat about the workshop and his two education sessions, “Managing Your Inventory” and “Purchasing an Existing Pizzeria”.

With more than 20 years of experience in the industry, he opened his first location in 2012 in Pittsburgh and has grown to four current locations. Caliente has won numerous awards in the industry, including 2016’s first place in the Pan Division of the International Pizza Challenge at Pizza Expo. We talk competition and how he predicts his team will do.

Nick is bringing 14 Caliente team members to Pizza Expo. We chat about how his team will make the most of the show. He shares the Impact Primer that he has his team complete before they go. I’ve included it in the show notes.

Learn more about Caliente Pizza & Draft House at https://worldsbestpizza.com/ and on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/caliente_pizza/

Safe travel to Las Vegas and we will see you at the show.

Show Notes: 

Keep up with all things Pizza Expo News and Updates in the Pizza Expo News Hub at https://pizzatoday.com/topics/industry-news/pizza-expo-2025-all-news-from-the-worlds-largest-pizza-show/

As promised, Nick was kind enough to allow us to share the Impact Primer that he has his team complete before the show. Try this with your team:
 
 

IMPACT PRIMER 

“Before anything else, preparation is the key to success.”—Alexander Graham Bell 

EVENT:                                                                                             DATE: 

 | CHALLENGE Three biggest problems/challenges I am currently faced with.  |  
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 | OPPORTUNITY Three greatest growth areas I need new ideas and knowledge.   |  
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 | PEOPLE Three most important people I need to find right now (partners, vendors, employees, etc.)  |  
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 | RESOURCES Three most important resources I need right now.  |  
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 | IMPRESSION How do I want to “show up” at this event? How do I want to be described by those I meet.  |  
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 | IMPACT Three greatest contributions I can make to others at this event (ideas, connections, resources, etc.)  |  
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WHO, WHAT, HOW & WHY—clearly and simply describing what I do: We help _____________ do ______________ through ______________ so that _______________. 

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Tori Tiso grew up in her father’s pizzeria, the famous Louie and Ernie's Pizza in Bronx, New York. She could have easily continued the pizza dynasty at Louie and Ernie’s. Instead, she decided to strike out on her own in Long Island straying from the standard New York slice the acclaimed Bronx spot was known for to open Tori T’s Pizzeria. On this week’s The Hot Slice Podcast with Pizza Today, Josh and Denise have a great chat with Tori on her decision to go solo and what’s happened since the pizzeria opened almost a year ago.

While New York style pizza is still very much a part of Tori’s business, The No. 1 seller is Detroit-style pizza. She opened the pizzeria serving eight Detroit pizzas. Now, the pizzeria serves 15. Tori shares what sparked her love of Detroit style pizza and how it has captivated Long Island customers.

We also dive into being a women-owned business and what Tori forecasts a continued rise of women in the industry. She shares how just as she was mentored, she is focused on developing new pizza makers and pizzeria owners.

A mission for Tori early in her business’s inception was engraining the pizzeria and herself into the community. We cover the steps she has taken to make that happen.

Learn more about Tori T’s Pizzeria at https://toritspizzeria.com/ and on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tori_tspizzeria/ 

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It is March, you know what that means… It is almost showtime. The team at Pizza Today gather to bring you the Pizza Expo Preview Show on The Hot Slice Podcast. We’re covering all the highlights of the pizza industry’s biggest event. 

In this episode, we’ll talk Show Overview, Keynote Addresses, Show Schedule, Education Sessions, Competitions, Networking Events and Announcements. 

In its 41st year, thousands of pizzeria professionals will gather at the Las Vegas Convention Center’s West Hall to experience three action-packed days of walking a show floor the size of nine football fields, learning from the industry’s thought leaders, taking part in world-class pizza competitions and demos and networking with the pizza community.

Show Notes:

Learn all about Pizza Expo at https://pizzaexpo.com.

Read Kate Lavin’s Pizza Expo Preview: https://pizzatoday.com/topics/industry-news/pizza-expo-celebrates-industry-with-education-entertainment-competition/

Check out how to get the Pizza Expo app and its interactive features: https://pizzatoday.com/topics/industry-news/pizza-expo-2025-mobile-app-is-live/ 

For the latest news on Pizza Expo 2025, visit our Pizza Expo News Hub: https://pizzatoday.com/topics/industry-news/pizza-expo-2025-all-news-from-the-worlds-largest-pizza-show/

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Eleven B has been a pizza mainstay in the East Village for 18 years. But owner Vincent Sgarlato has been in the business since he was eight years old. Vincent reached out to us wanting to share his story with the pizza community. 

His early start began in his family’s pizzerias in Brooklyn. As the business grew, the family expanded into malls. Vincent shares how that time was pivotal for him to learn the business. Find out how that road led him to open his own pizzerias.

We talk about Eleven B’s success and Vincent’s approach to the business and his passion for the industry. Eleven B has both a full-serve restaurant and an express pizza shop. Vincent details how he looks to expand the express side of the business.

Learn more about Eleven B at https://www.elevenbnyc.com/ and on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/elevenbnyc/

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Melinda Carbajal, Managing Member and CEO of Simply Pizza, a unique woodfired, mobile, and hybrid restaurant business, is bringing her knowledge and experience to Pizza Expo. As a new Pizza Expo speaker, we wanted to learn more about Melinda and get a little sneak peek into her sessions at Pizza Expo. Her Pizza Expo sessions include: S30 Writing Your Food Truck Business Plan, S09 Growing Through Catering and S35 Strategically Giving to Grow Your Business.  

Josh and Denise chat with Melinda the food truck business, getting innovative with the business model, catering, and mentoring in the pizza industry. 

Her Pizza Expo speaker bio includes: With a background in government and education, Melinda has carved out a niche in the food industry, leveraging her extensive knowledge of systems, grants, and nonprofit management to drive her business forward in innovative ways.  

As a dedicated mother of five, Melinda balances her entrepreneurial endeavors with an active role in her community. She serves on five nonprofit boards and holds an elected position in her city, reflecting her commitment to community engagement and service.  

Melinda thrives on building programs, navigating complex systems, and making a positive impact. Her journey from the realms of government and education to the culinary world is a testament to her adaptability and passion for serving others." 

Learn more about Simply Pizza at https://www.simplypizzatruck.com/ and on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/simplypizzatruck/  

Check out the full Pizza Expo education schedule at https://pizzaexpo.pizzatoday.com/education/education-schedule/  

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This week, we’re bringing you a fun episode with the Pizza Today Team giving our “Hot Takes” on pizza. And we didn’t even talk about pineapple on pizza. We dive into pizza styles. Whether toppings go over or under the cheese, chicken’s place, charring on pizza, olives, best cheese on pizza, childhood pizzas and more.

We’re also inviting you to send us your “Hot Takes”. We’re giving a fresh direction on the old-fashioned letters to the editor. We call it “Hot Take”. Do you have a “Hot Take” on a subject relevant to pizzeria operators and the pizza business? This is a space for you, the pizza professional, to share your passionate and succinct opinion with fellow pizzeria operators. 

Hot Take is designed to allow you to share personal narratives and commentary, challenge industry norms, introduce big ideas or offer a new perspective. It’s an opportunity to focus on hot-button pizzeria topics, from operational concerns, trends, safety and community to workplace culture, technology and everything in between. 

Our "Hot Take" section is a dynamic and interactive way for Pizza Today and our readers to capture the pulse of what’s on the minds of pizzeria operators with urgency and personality. Hot Takes are short writings in an informal style, usually written in first person. 

If you have a Hot Take, we want to hear from you. 

To submit a Hot Take:

Email Denise at [email protected] or Jeremy at [email protected]

Format:
 
Subject: HOT TAKE with Pizza Today – (Topic Discussed)

Headline (Limit 65 characters)

Your Hot Take should be between 300-800 words in paragraph format. Be sure your Hot Take is concise, informative and remains on the subject matter. 

Your Name:

Pizzeria:

City and State:

<>

Email and Phone to verify identity and information.

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This week, Elizabeth (Liz) Badami joins the podcast with Executive Editor Denise Greer and Senior Editor Kate Lavin. Liz has overcome trials and tragedy to reopen her pizzeria, Mary Jane’s Stone Baked Pizza in Chester, West Virginia in December 2024. 

Liz and her husband Chris often told Liz’s mom Mary Jane that they would open a pizzeria and sell her signature treats. After Mary Jane was killed in a car crash in 2015, Chris started to make that idea a reality. The Badamis incrementally started acquiring everything they would need and opened the pizzeria in 2017. Liz began learning the pizza business and handled the ops side while Chris tackled the pizza. 

In 2018, Chris suffered a fatal heart attack. Liz was left to either close the pizzeria or figure out how to manage the entire business on her own with two children. She leaned into learning pizza making and continued on. 

Maneuvering through the COVID-19 Pandemic became another hurdle. Then she lost her location when the landlord sold the building. But Liz wasn’t giving up. She knew she wanted to reopen. But this time, she wanted to own the building. 

Listen to Liz share her powerful story of perseverance and grit to reopen in a new town.  

Read a great local newspaper article on Liz: https://www.reviewonline.com/news/local-news/2024/12/pizzeria-owner-makes-comeback-in-chester/ 

Learn more about Mary Jane’s Stone Baked Pizza at https://www.maryjanesstonebakedpizzeria.com/ and on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/mary_janes_stonebaked_pizzeria/  

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Don’t miss this back-and-forth conversation with a mentor and mentee in the pizza business. This week we chat with Pete Raskovic, owner of Bentley’s Log Cabin Pub and Grill in Hollandale, Wisconsin and his mentor, the pizza icon and visionary John Arena, who owns Metro Pizza in Las Vegas. 

Pete reached out to us wanting to share just how much John Arena helped him as he developed his pizza and pizza concept. Pete’s background is in IndyCar mechanic. He grew up in New York and wanted to bring New York-style pizza to his small town in Wisconsin. A friend suggested he reach out to John Arena for help getting started with pizza. Pete was surprised when John responded and offered so much of his time, talent and technique. Pete referred to as a “pizza boot camp”

We talk about asking for help, the culture of this amazing pizza industry to mentor new operators and the role industry veterans can play for incoming and new operators. Pete says that John answering his call changed his life. Whether you are new to the business or an industry veteran, this is a can’t-miss episode.