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We kick off Season 2 of The Hot Slice with a two-part thought-provoking conversation with owners of our 2020 Pizzeria of the Year Via 313 in Austin, Texas. Brandon and Zane Hunt are pizzeria industry powerhouse operators. This episode is hosted by Editor In Chief Jeremy White and Executive Editor Denise Greer.

In Part One, Brandon and Zane talk:

• Pizzeria of the Year Award
• Creating Via 313’s Detroit-style Pizza and the Dough
• COVID-19 Response and Impact
• 2021 Predictions
• New Venture in the Hunt Brothers’ Hometown

Read all about Brandon and Zane and Via 313:

https://www.pizzatoday.com/departments/features/2020-pizzeria-of-the-year-via-313-austin-texas/

Visit Via 313 at https://www.via313.com/

@via313 on Instagram--- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/the-hot-slice/message

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The Pizza Today team wrap up Season One of The Hot Slice by answer listener questions. We’re talking biggest mistakes pizzeria consistently make, supply-chain shortages, marketing and personal pizza experiences. Editor-In-Chief Jeremy White, Creative Director Josh Keown and Executive Editor Denise Greer share their decades of experience covering the pizzeria industry.

We talk:

Common Pizzeria Mistakes

Pepperoni Shortages

Best Marketing Options

Pizza Styles

First Pizza Experiences

Pizzeria Visits During the Pandemic

For more tips from Pizza Today, visit PizzaToday.com.

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Listen to Glenn Cybulski on The Hot Slice Podcast

Join us for a riveting conversation with award-winning chef, consultant and School of Pizzeria Management Instructor Glenn Cybulski. We’re diving into lessons Glenn has learned to help pizzeria operators. He also shares insights into his newest project in culinary cannabis products. This episode is hosted by Creative Director Josh Keown and Executive Editor Denise Greer.

Glenn talks:

• The numbers game
• Developing effective systems
• A chef’s life
• Taking his sauces into the cannabis world
• Losing a business partner
• Sharing knowledge with the pizzeria industry
• Realities of closing restaurants

Learn more about Glenn at http://www.glenncybulski.com

@glenncybulskiofficial on Instagram

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On this episode of The Hot Slice, we talk shop with Pittsburgh-based pizzeria owner Nick Bogacz. Listen in as Nick dishes on his business growth, the impact of COVID-19 and how he left an entire room teary-eyed at last year's Pizza & Pasta Northeast show in Atlantic City.

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Join us for an insightful conversation with Nicole Bean, who runs Pizaro’s Pizza Napoletana, with two locations in Houston, Texas. See what drives this driven young owner to excel in the pizzeria industry. This episode is hosted by Creative Director Josh Keown and Executive Editor Denise Greer.

Nicole talks:

• Pizaro’s Origin Story
• Running a Family Business
• Belonging to the Pizza Tribe
• Neapolitan Pizza
• Adding Multiple Pizza Styles
• Educating Pizaro’s Customers
• Mentoring Women in the Pizza Industry
• In-house Delivery/Third-party Dilemma

Read more about Nicole at Pizza Today:

Conversation: Nicole Bean, Pizaro’s Pizza, Houston https://www.pizzatoday.com/departments/features/conversation-nicole-bean-pizaros-pizza-houston/

Visit Pizaro’s Pizza Napoletana:

https://pizarospizza.com/about/

@pizaros_pizza_napoletana on Instagram

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Mike Bausch is one of the most sought-after speakers at Pizza Expo. We go one-on-one with Mike on sharing his vast experience with pizzeria operators on this week’s episode of The Hot Slice Podcast. Mike has built an impressive restaurant brand in Tulsa, Oklahoma that includes five brick-and-mortar locations, a fine-dining restaurant, two gelaterias, two food hall spots and a food truck. This episode is hosted by Editor In Chief Jeremy White and Executive Editor Denise Greer.  

Mike talks: 

-Operating in various municipalities with COVID restrictions 

-Straight talk advice for fellow operators  

-Educating and sharing industry information 

-Most common questions Mike receives from pizza people 

-Employee relations and retention 

-Hiring strategies 

-Handling negative online reviews 

-Using downtime to evaluate the business  

Check out more advice in Pizza Today Magazine: https://www.pizzatoday.com/our-experts/mike-bausch/  

Visit Andolini’s at: https://www.andopizza.com/  

@andopizza on Instagram (www.instagram.com/andopizza/ )

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Mr. @everythingbutanchovies himself, Chris Decker, from Metro Pizza in Las Vegas, featured this week on The Hot Slice Podcast. He shares what’s behind his famous Sicilian pizza and his creativity in the kitchen. This episode is hosted by Creative Director Josh Keown and Executive Editor Denise Greer.

Chris talks:

• Creating a New Pizza
• Pizza Creativity
• The Pizza Evolution
• Perfecting Sicilian Pizza
• Mentee becomes Mentor
• Navigating through the COVID-19 Pandemic
• Adapting Wood-fired Pizza for Carryout & Delivery

Read more about Chris and Metro Pizza:

Chris Decker: New Horizonshttps://www.pizzatoday.com/departments/features/chris-decker-new-horizons/

Pizza Today on the Road: Metro Pizza, Las Vegas, NV https://www.pizzatoday.com/departments/features/pizza-today-on-the-road-metro-pizza-las-vegas-nv/

http://metropizza.com/

@metropizzalv and @everythingbutanchovies on Instagram

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Listen to Pizza Today’s 2020 Young Entrepreneur of Year Rocky Shanower of Park Street Pizza in the small village of Sugarcreek, Ohio. Rocky shares how he and Courtney have focused on farming partners, community leadership and making their own path to grow their business. This episode is hosted by Creative Director Josh Keown and Executive Editor Denise Greer.

Rocky talks:

• Young Entrepreneur Award
• Finding His Own Way in Business
• Growing a Pizza Business
• Partnering with Local Farms
• Bahler Street Pizza Truck
• Philosophy of Pie
• Adding a Commissary Hub
• Managing Restaurant Systems
• Building a Strong Team
• Empowering Leaders
• COVID19 Response in a Small Town

Read more about Rocky in his own words at: https://www.pizzatoday.com/departments/features/2020-young-entrepreneur-of-the-year-rocky-shanower-park-street-pizza-sugarcreek-oh/

Visit Park Street Pizza at https://www.parkstreetpizza.com/

@parkstreetpizza on Instagram

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This week, we go in depth with Audrey Kelly, owner and pizzaiola at Audrey Jane’s Pizza Garage in Boulder, Colorado. She’s an inspiration, making the leap from pizza maker to pizzeria owner. She dives into her dough process, her versions of Sicilian and Grandma pies and more. This episode is hosted by Editor In Chief Jeremy White and Executive Editor Denise Greer.

Audrey talks:

• Neapolitan Beginnings
• Offering Multiple Pizza Styles
• Competing on a World’s Stage
• Transitioning from Pizza Maker to Pizzeria Owner
• Dough-making Process
• Maintaining a Starter
• The Slice Business
• Audrey Jane’s Culture
• Third-party Delivery

Check out more on Audrey’s take on Sicilian and Grandma pizza: https://www.pizzatoday.com/departments/in-the-kitchen/pizza-styles-sicilian-vs-grandma/

Visit Audrey Jane’s Pizza Garage at https://www.thepizzagarage.com/

@audreyjanespizzaon Instagram

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In this episode, we interview Tony Gemignani, one of America’s most influential pizza restaurateurs, based in San Francisco. Tony talks COVID-19 response at his 20 restaurants, including completely revamping the Capo pizza concept during the shutdown. He also shares his strategy for opening new restaurants. This episode is hosted by Editor In Chief Jeremy White and Executive Editor Denise Greer.