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This week, we continue our conversation with Peter Reinhart about everything bread and pizza dough. Peter Reinhart is an instructor at Johnson & Wales University, founder of the Pizza Quest video and blog site, American baker, educator and author of numerous books, including “Bread Upon the Waters: A Pilgrimage Toward Self Discovery and Spiritual Truth”; “Crust and Crumb: Master Formulas for Serious Bread Bakers” and “American Pie: My Search for the Perfect Pizza." Most notably, four of his books have been nominated for James Beard Awards, with three of them winning, including the “Book of the Year” in 2002 for The Bread Baker’s Apprentice.

Listen as Peter shares his wealth of knowledge on bread baking and pizza baking and just how much crossover exists. We talk sourdough and dough adaptions in the pizza making process.

Listen until the end when Peter shares his 2024 predictions.

Show Notes.

The 2024 PIZZA INDUSTRY TRENDS REPORT is here! We bring you this year’s hottest trends and pizza industry analysis, including independent operation stats, concept and sales stats, pizza and topping trends, marketing trends, labor trends and an industry outlook. Go to the report now: https://pizzatoday.com/topics/industry-news/2024-pizza-industry-trends-report/

Registration is open for Pizza Expo 2024 at the Las Vegas Convention Center, March 19-21. Register for Pizza Expo 2024. To learn more about Pizza Expo, visit https://pizzaexpo.pizzatoday.com/.

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This week, we talk everything bread and pizza dough with Peter Reinhart. Peter Reinhart is an instructor at Johnson & Wales University, founder of the Pizza Quest video and blog site, American baker, educator and author of numerous books, including “Bread Upon the Waters: A Pilgrimage Toward Self Discovery and Spiritual Truth”; “Crust and Crumb: Master Formulas for Serious Bread Bakers” and “American Pie: My Search for the Perfect Pizza." Most notably, four of his books have been nominated for James Beard Awards, with three of them winning, including the “Book of the Year” in 2002 for The Bread Baker’s Apprentice.

Listen as Peter shares his wealth of knowledge on bread baking and pizza baking and just how much crossover exists. We talk shifts and movements in the pizza making process.

Stay tuned for Part II when Peter shares his 2024 predictions.

Show Notes.

The 2024 PIZZA INDUSTRY TRENDS REPORT is here! We bring you this year’s hottest trends and pizza industry analysis, including independent operation stats, concept and sales stats, pizza and topping trends, marketing trends, labor trends and an industry outlook. Go to the report now: https://pizzatoday.com/topics/industry-news/2024-pizza-industry-trends-report/

Registration is open for Pizza Expo 2024 at the Las Vegas Convention Center, March 19-21. Register for Pizza Expo 2024. To learn more about Pizza Expo, visit https://pizzaexpo.pizzatoday.com/.

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This week on The Hot Slice Podcast, we’re exploring the story of a 50th anniversary and a love story and growth and change at Perry’s Pizza in Huntington Beach, California. We chat with owners Jess and Dawn Bingaman, and Lynette Swanson.

Perry’s Pizza started long before Jess and Dawn came in the picture. The original Perry’s opened in 1973. Jess was a manager at Perry’s in the 80s where he met and married Dawn, who was a frequent customer. In 1996, the owner was ready to sell and Jess and Dawn were ready to take on the adventure. It’s been a wild and amazing ride ever since. Listen to where they have taken the business.

On November 4, Perry’s Pizza celebrated its 50th anniversary with an event that included giveaways and fun. Momentum built after the anniversary celebration as local media including the Los Angeles Times shared their story.

Perry’s Pizza has grown and evolved in its five decades. The Bingamans moved the location from Newport Beach to Huntington Beach gaining more square-footage and to their surprise a huge influx in customers that they had to figure out how to manage the increased volume.

They recently expanded into the space next door to help give them even more space as the business went from counter service to sit-down casual dining.

Don’t miss the end when they share advice for other operators from their decades in the business.

Learn more about Perry’s Pizza at https://www.perryspizza.net/ and on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/perryspizza/

Read the LA Times story on Perry’s Pizza at https://www.latimes.com/socal/daily-pilot/news/story/2023-11-24/perrys-pizza-celebrates-50-years-in-orange-county

Show Notes 

Registration is open for Pizza Expo 2024 at the Las Vegas Convention Center, March 19-21. To register for Pizza Expo 2024, visit: https://registration.experientevent.com/ShowPZA241?flow=attendee&MarketingCode=WSPT24

To learn more about Pizza Expo, visit https://pizzaexpo.pizzatoday.com/.

Denise mentioned tips on how to keep your team from burnout during the holidays. Check out that article: https://pizzatoday.com/topics/employee-management/a-gameplan-to-avoid-team-burnout/

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On The Hot Slice podcast this week is veteran pizza maker/pizzeria owner Joe Carlucci. Joe owns Valentina’s Pizzeria & Wine Bar in Madison, Alabama. He followed up first-place win in the Traditional Division at last year’s International Pizza Expo with a Non-Traditional victory this year. He went on to win and be named Pizza Maker of the Year. This is the first time in challenge history that a competitor has won categories back-to-back and nabbed the Pizza Maker of the Year title.  See Joe’s reaction speech to being named Pizza Maker of the Year on Pizza Today’s Instagram Reel.

Born in the Bronx and raised in Carmel, New York, Joe studied under Tony Gemignani for 15 years and was a founding member of the World Pizza Champions. He is a six-time World Pizza Champion and three-time World Champion Pizza Acrobat. Joe is a Guinness World Record holder for largest pizza base spun in one minute measures 72 cm (28.35 in) and world’s highest pizza toss using 20 ounces of dough at 21 feet and 5 inches into the air. Carlucci has appeared several times on national TV shows – such as, The Today Show, Martha & Snoop, Master Chef Kids, Best In Dough

Joe transplanted to Alabama to open Joe’s World Famous Pizza in Madison. His latest pizzeria, Named after his daughter, Valentina’s Pizzeria & Wine Bar opened in 2020. Valentina’s is expanding into a new 4,000 square foot building in four months.

The Hot Slice Podcast host and Pizza Today Executive Editor Denise Greer has an in-depth conversation with Joe, focused on the following areas:

His International Pizza Challenge wins
Holding the title of Pizza Maker of the Year
Competing on an international stage
The winning pizzas
How the wins have impacted business
Managing sales volume increase
Career struggles and triumphs
Career mentors
Philosophies and motivations
Valentina’s staff
Growth and expansion into a new space
Advice for other pizza pros

About the International Pizza Challenge

The International Pizza Challenge is held annually in the spring at International Pizza Expo in Las Vegas. Competitors battled head-to-head to find out who makes the best pizza in the world. We had five best pizza divisions: Traditional, Non-Traditional, Pan, CMAB California Style and Neapolitan/STG which will be represented in the pizza bake-off that will showcase 200 of the world’s best pizza makers and thousands of dollars in cash prizes.

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Pizza Expo 2024 turns 40 and we’re going all out. While we’re not disclosing what we have planned, we’re marking the occasion in a major way. This week, Jeremy and Josh talk Pizza Expo. Attendee registration opened last week. This also means competitors can register for the show and sign up for the International Pizza Challenge and World Pizza Games.

For those not familiar with Pizza Expo, the show remains unchallenged as the industry’s leading event. Network with thousands of pizzeria professionals as they convene in Las Vegas, Nevada on March 19-21, 2024 for 3-days dedicated to all things pizza. Suppliers from across the globe, educational sessions taught by top industry professionals, and national competitions, this event is one you simply cannot afford to miss!

In this episode, we detail the second day of workshops that attendees can register for. Learn more at PizzaExpo.com

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Pizza Expo 2024 turns 40 and we’re going all out. While we’re not disclosing what we have planned, we’re marking the occasion in a major way. This week, Denise and Jeremy talk Pizza Expo. Attendee registration opened this week. This also means competitors can register for the show and sign up for the International Pizza Challenge and World Pizza Games.

For those not familiar with Pizza Expo, the show remains unchallenged as the industry’s leading event. Network with thousands of pizzeria professionals as they convene in Las Vegas, Nevada on March 19-21, 2024 for 3-days dedicated to all things pizza. Suppliers from across the globe, educational sessions taught by top industry professionals, and national competitions, this event is one you simply cannot afford to miss!

We detail workshops that attendees can also register for. Here’s a quick look at the Sunday workshop that Jeremy described:

Sunday, March 17

1:00 pm - 5:00 pm

W01 What to do BEFORE You Increase Menu Prices ($250)

David Scott Peters, Restaurant Business Expert, Workshop Presenter, DavidScottPeters.com

Type: Workshop | Track: Workshop

1:00 pm - 5:00 pm

W02 The Million Dollar Pizzeria ($250)

Dan Collier, Co-Owner and President, PizzaMan Dan's

Glenn Cybulski, Executive Chef | Consultant | Speaker, Glenn Cybulski Restaurant Consulting

Type: Workshop | Track: Workshop

1:00 pm - 5:00 pm

W03 Maximizing Your Carryout & Delivery Revenue and Operations ($250)

Tony Troiano, Owner-Operator, J.B.ALBERTO'S PIZZA

Scott Anthony, Owner-Operator, Punxsutawney Pizza

Type: Workshop | Track: Workshop

1:00 pm - 5:00 pm

W04 Crafting Your Brand and Marketing Strategy ($250)

Mike Bausch, Owner-Operator, Workshop Presenter, Andolini’s Pizzeria

Type: Workshop | Track: Workshop

To register for Pizza Expo 2024, visit: https://registration.experientevent.com/ShowPZA241?flow=attendee&MarketingCode=WSPT24

To learn more about Pizza Expo, visit https://pizzaexpo.pizzatoday.com/.

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This week on The Hot Slice Podcast, we catch up with Scott Rivera, owner of Scottie’s Pizza Parlor in Portland, Oregon. We last visited Scottie’s in 2018 to profile the hot Portland pizzeria as an On the Road Feature. In the feature, he shares, “I think a lot of New Yorkers and people from the East Coast can relate to not finding good pizza when they move away,” Rivera says, adding that people question the water, the flour, etc. “So I decided to learn how to make pizza myself the way that I thought was good. I very quickly learned that it was not as easy as I thought it would be, and (I) started to use cookbooks and whatever I had, whatever tools I had (like) cookie sheets and made some really, really bad pizza. I think because it turned out to be so hard, I kept wanting to get really good at it. I was like ‘How can this be so hard? It’s just a pizza. There are three things you have to get right. It’s just dough, sauce and cheese.’”

In the article, he also shared that slices were his shop’s bread and butter but that has changed. He spent much of the pandemic and after dialing in his pizza and operational systems. After much exploration, he decided to open a second pizzeria. We go in-depth into his process and what it took to make the new location happen happen.

If you are a pizza dough geek, this episode is for you. Scottie details his pizza dough exploration and talks sourdough.

Read the On the Road Feature in Pizza Today at https://pizzatoday.com/topics/people-pizzerias/on-the-road-scotties-pizza-parlor-portland-or/

Learn more about Scottie’s Pizza Parlor at https://www.scottiespizzaparlor.com/ and on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/scottiespizzaparlor/

Show Notes:

Pizza Expo 2024 will be our 40th Anniversary. If you have show memorabilia, photos or memories, please share those with Jeremy at [email protected] and Denise at [email protected]

Submit your pizzeria for the 2024 Pizzerias to Watch List. Complete the form today at https://pizzatoday.com/pizzerias-to-watch-questionnaire/

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Jeremy and Josh read and respond to some recent emails sent to Pizza Today by readers. They talk pizza tech, desserts and business in this episode. But the real gold is near the end when the 2024 Pizza Expo Opening Day Keynote speaker is announced. It takes a legendary person to get the 40th Anniversary of Pizza Expo call, and we know you won't be disappointed. Be sure to watch this one all the way to the end to find out who it is!

Show Notes:

Pizza Expo 2024 will be our 40th Anniversary. If you have show memorabilia, photos or memories, please share those with Jeremy at [email protected] and Denise at [email protected]

Submit your pizzeria for the 2024 Pizzerias to Watch List. Complete the form today at https://pizzatoday.com/pizzerias-to-watch-questionnaire/

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The Hot Slice was back on the pizza show floor interviewing pizzeria pros at Pizza and Pasta Northeast on October 1-2 at the Atlantic City Convention Center. This is Part II of a two-part series of short interviews. We get the pulse of the industry from the exhibit hall.

In this episode, Jeremy and Denise chat with:

Melissa Rickman, Wholly Stromboli, Fort Lupton, Colorado

Othoniel Cruz, Tre Amici, Bayamon, Puerto Rico

Pasquale DiDiana, Bacci Pizzeria, Chicago, Illinois

Andrew Scudera, Goodfellas, Staten Island, New York

Show Notes:

Pizza Expo 2024 will be our 40th Anniversary. If you have show memorabilia, photos or memories, please share those with Jeremy at [email protected] and Denise at [email protected]

Submit your pizzeria for the 2024 Pizzerias to Watch List. Complete the form today at https://pizzatoday.com/pizzerias-to-watch-questionnaire/

Send us Fan Mail

The Hot Slice was back on the pizza show floor interviewing pizzeria pros at Pizza and Pasta Northeast on October 1-2 at the Atlantic City Convention Center. This is Part I of a two-part series of short interviews. We get the pulse of the industry from the exhibit hall.

In this episode, Jeremy and Denise chat with:

Louise Joseph, owner of Dough Girls, Inc. in Greenwich, Connecticut

Angie Bogacz, co-owner of Caliente Pizza in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Tyler Carlson & Mark Lacz, co-owners of Tymark Restaurant Group, in Westerly, Rhode Island

Show Notes:

PIZZA CON 2024! We teased our newest event that will take place at The Fillmore in Philadelphia on November 7, 2024. Sign up for updates from this one-of-a-kind event.

https://pizzaexpo.pizzatoday.com/pizzacon-2024-attend/

Submit your pizzeria for the 2024 Pizzerias to Watch List. Complete the form today at https://pizzatoday.com/pizzerias-to-watch-questionnaire/

Happy National Pizza Month! We have ideas and marketing resources to help you. Visit: https://pizzatoday.com/national-pizza-month-october-2019-pizzeria-tool-kit/