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From Engineering to Excellence: Inside Mattenga's Pizzeria's Rise to Pizza Today's 2025 Pizzeria of the Year

The latest episode of The Hot Slice Podcast with Pizza Today featured an inspiring conversation with Matthew and Hengam Stanfield, the engineering-minded power couple behind Mattenga's Pizzeria. Fresh off their monumental achievement of being named Pizza Today's 2025 Pizzeria of the Year, the Stanfields shared the strategic insights and systematic approaches that transformed their struggling single pizzeria into San Antonio's fastest-growing pizza business.

A Remarkable Month of Recognition

The timing couldn't have been more perfect for the Stanfields. In the same week they received the prestigious Pizzeria of the Year honor, Mattenga's also secured their third consecutive "Best of San Antonio" award – a testament to their consistent excellence and community impact. "It was in the exact same week," Hengam noted during the podcast. "Pretty awesome." This dual recognition represents more than just accolades; it demonstrates how the couple has successfully balanced operational excellence with deep community engagement throughout San Antonio.

The Power of Customer-Centric Marketing

One of the most striking aspects of Mattenga's success lies in how they leverage recognition and media coverage. Rather than making achievements about themselves, the Stanfields consistently redirect the spotlight to their customers and community. "We never want to make it about us," Hengam explained. "It takes a village with the team, but also we are here because we have a lot of great customers that continue to support us. So it's always making it about gratitude to our customers." This approach has contributed to their impressive 15-20% steady sales growth this year, with multiple high-profile moments including a Dave Portnoy visit creating sustained momentum rather than temporary spikes.

Engineering Excellence in Restaurant Operations

The Stanfields' engineering backgrounds shine through in their systematic approach to restaurant management. Their comprehensive meeting structure includes three distinct sessions:

• Texas Hospitality meetings focusing on reviews and above-and-beyond service stories
• Engineered meetings diving deep into 20+ key performance metrics
• Invest meetings centered on leadership development and team growth

"As restaurant owners, you have many problems, then you can think about the source of your problem," Hengam shared. "Whatever problem we have is a system problem... instead of pointing to people, a lot of times, I think in our industry, we look at people are the problem."

Innovative Commissary Operations

The podcast revealed fascinating insights into Mattenga's commissary implementation across all seven locations. By centralizing prep work and investing in specialized equipment like the "cheese hog" that shreds 48 pounds of cheese in seconds, they've achieved remarkable efficiency gains. Matthew noted they successfully reduced their labor target from 23% to 19% while improving consistency and freeing up front-line staff to focus on hospitality rather than prep work.

Vision for Explosive Growth

Looking toward the future, the Stanfields aren't thinking small. With plans to potentially reach 21 locations within three years – maintaining their current growth trajectory – they're actively preparing systems and leadership development for a 400-employee operation. "What has gotten us here will not get us there," Hengam reflected, emphasizing their commitment to continuous evolution and improvement. The couple also teased exciting developments they couldn't yet share on the podcast, hinting at franchise opportunities and other strategic initiatives that could accelerate their expansion beyond San Antonio.

A Formula for Sustained Success

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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 Kate 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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Pizza Expo and Pizza Today have done it again. We’re rolling into Columbus, Ohio, with a power-packed two days of connection with products, services and tech, gathering with pizzeria people, competing in world-class competitions and learning from more than 30 education seminars, demos and workshops. Just over 60 days aways from the Midwest show, we’re dedicating this episode to talking Pizza Expo Columbus. The Pizza Today team also chat about the industry, dough and pizza toppings. 

Learn more about Pizza Expo Columbus: https://pizzaexpocolumbus.pizzatoday.com/  

Go straight to REGISTION HERE!   

Show Notes: 

Be sure to make you voice heard in our 2025 Pizzeria Operator Survey. 
TAKE THE ALL OPERATOR SURVEY NOW! 

National Pizza Month in October is approaching fast. Go to the National Pizza Month Pizzeria Tool Kit: https://pizzatoday.com/nationalpizzamonth/   

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This week is a very special episode of The Hot Slice podcast as we announce the premiere of the John Arena episode of The Secret Ingredient, a pizza documentary series that takes an in depth look at the pizzeria industry through the eyes of its world-class pizza makers. Tommy Schneider, owner of Tommy’s Pizzeria in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, took his love for the pizza community to another level. We’ve been working with Tommy to share his passion project. 

Coming to PizzaToday.com August 20, 7:15 p.m. (Eastern Time), the World Premiere of The Secret Ingredient: John Arena (https://pizzatoday.com/topics/industry-news/world-premiere-of-pizza-documentary-series-the-secret-ingredient-john-arena/ )

The pizzeria owner turned filmmaker provides an intimate look at John Arena, pizza master and pizza community champion in his new series, The Secret Ingredient. John Arena is co-founder of Metro Pizza in Las Vegas and Truly Pizza in Dana Point, California. He’s a pizza industry icon, mentor and inspiration to many

Join the watch party and stick around after for a post-premiere panel with John Arena, Tommy Schneider and the Pizza Today team. 

https://pizzatoday.com/topics/industry-news/world-premiere-of-pizza-documentary-series-the-secret-ingredient-john-arena/ 

Show Notes:

CALLING ALL PIZZERIA OPERATORS: Please take 5-10 minutes to share what's happening in your pizzeria. Help us shape the conversation around critical industry trends, challenges, and opportunities. Take the survey: https://survey.alchemer.com/s3/8378390/Pizza-Today-s-Pizzeria-Operator-Survey-2025 

Register now for Pizza Expo Columbus in October. https://registration.pizzaexpocolumbus.com/event/2025/regProcessStep1:05c72c9c-538b-4a37-91a0-7d9d2bb840ae?RefID=WSRF07&utm_campaign=pizzatoday&utm_content=WSRF07&utm_medium=news&utm_source=website&rp=7f98670f-de89-448c-aab8-467850f964c7

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Darius Aram pulled into Slice Street Pizza in Dripping Springs, Texas, to find that his hop was completely cut off due to unexpected construction. In the face of huge sales dip and little information on the construction project, he decided to handle the obstacle with humor and humility.

Darius’ response to the closure helped mitigate some of the impact of a near shutdown. He had honest and direct conversations with his town officials to work through solutions to speed up the sidewalk project.

Social media has played a pivotal role in Slice Street Pizza ability to reach its customers with lighthearted viral posts in the construction site and at town hall. Darius jokingly says he’s become an internet meme.

Listen as Darius shares the tale of his construction woes and the unforeseen positive outcome from a negative situation.

Check out Slice Street Pizza’s Instagram at  https://www.instagram.com/slicestreetpizza/ . Learn more about the pizzeria at https://slicestreetpizza.com/ .

Show Notes:

Calling all Pizzeria Operators: Don’t forget to complete your Annual Pizzeria Industry & Trends Survey at https://pizzatoday.com/be-counted-pizzeria-operator-survey-portal/ .

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This week on The Hot Slice Podcast with Pizza Today we have George Gilliam, owner of Uncle G’s Pizza in Birmingham, Alabama. George reached out to us to do a story on how he has doubled and tripled slow days at the restaurant. The conversion was so captivating that we wanted to share it on the podcast. 

Gilliam set a strategy into motion to turn his slowest days into high-volume sales days. He focused on increasing sales with daily specials one slow day at a time until he covered the entire week. “This kind of aggressive weekday programming has brought in the traffic and revenue we needed on nights that used to be dead,” he says. “I’ve built out a weekly schedule that gives people a clear reason to visit every single day.”

He approached each day with a new special and/or event and shares which days he started with. Uncle G’s promotes the days through its social accounts, e-mail and in store. It’s designed as weekly programming that Gilliam says people can build into their routines.

The conversation on social media led into a genuine talk on AI and advanced technology and their role in small independent pizzerias.

Read our article with George “Doubling to Tripling a Restaurant’s Slow Day Sales” at https://pizzatoday.com/topics/brand-marketing/doubling-to-tripling-a-restaurants-slow-day-sales/

Learn more about Uncle G’s Pizza at https://unclegspizza.com/ and on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/unclegspizza/ 

Show Notes:

Find out who is this year’s Pizzeria of the Year at https://PizzaToday.com.

Be on the lookout in your inbox for our annual Pizzeria Operator Trends & Outlook Survey!

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Listen to Melina Piroso Felix, owner-operator of The Pizza Bandit in Denver on The Hot Slice Podcast with Pizza Today

Melina Piroso Felix had an established career in marketing and branding when the pandemic prompted her to rethink her goals in 2020. Prior to that point, she had graduated from being the night manager at her uncle’s restaurant in Miami’s South Beach district to undertake a successful career in graphic design. But Piroso Felix never left pizza entirely behind. She often made pizza for dinner guests, potlucks and to scratch an itch while designing restaurant menus.

Years into the pandemic experiment that became The Pizza Bandit food truck, Pirosso Felix found a home at a multiple-concept food hall in a bustling, youthful Denver neighborhood. Surrounded by a Thai concept on one side and healthful bowls on the other, The Pizza Bandit is known for its scratch-made sauces and high-quality ingredients. 

Since moving into the spot this spring, Piroso Felix has added sandwiches and ice cream floats to the menu, but she emphasizes that her vision is far from complete.

Show Notes: 

Melina Piroso Felix is one of Pizza Today magazine’s 2025 Rising Stars. Learn more about her and the other five pizzaiolos selected for this honor in the July issue of Pizza Today. 

Registration is now open for Pizza Expo Columbus in October. Competitors: Be sure to register early to reserve your spot in the Great American Pizza Challenge. More details at: https://pizzatoday.com/topics/industry-news/pizza-expo-columbus-registration-is-now-open/ 

If you have an interest in being a judge at the Great American Pizza Challenge, complete a Great American Pizza Challenge (GAPC) Volunteer Judging Application 2025. 

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Listen to Jhy Coulter, restaurateur and creator of Orange by Devoured in Kansas City on The Hot Slice by Pizza Today

Jhy Coulter has always felt at home when working at restaurants. Even as her graphic design career grew, Coulter often kept a part-time job to stay close to the food industry. On Aug. 15, she will celebrate the one-year anniversary of her Kansas City-based pizzeria, Orange by Devoured.
In this episode of The Hot Slice, she shares how she started offering pizzas to family and friends through the fence during the coronavirus pandemic – an operation that grew first to include pop-up events and, ultimately, her first brick-and-mortar restaurant.
Coulter also reveals how spending time in Spain changed the trajectory of her life and career forever. Today, she works to incorporate elements of Spanish cuisine into the menu at Orange while being mindful of what she can sell in a restaurant market on the brink of skyrocketing to the next level while accommodating events such as the 2026 FIFA World Cup. 

Show Notes:  
Jhy Coulter is one of Pizza Today magazine’s 2025 Rising Stars. Learn more about her and the other five pizzaiolos selected for this honor in the July issue of Pizza Today.  
 
Registration is now open for Pizza Expo Columbus in October. Competitors: Be sure to register early to reserve your spot in the Great American Pizza Challenge. More details at: https://pizzatoday.com/topics/industry-news/pizza-expo-columbus-registration-is-now-open/  
 
If you have an interest in being a judge at the Great American Pizza Challenge, complete a Great American Pizza Challenge (GAPC) Volunteer Judging Application 2025.  

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This month Davide Lubrano has been named a Rising Star of the Pizza Industry. We sat down with Davide and Vince Gallagher, co-owners of the two-unit Pizzata Pizzeria in Philadelphia. 

We talk about Davide’s recognition and his recent pizza competition winning streak at Pizza Expo and in Italy. They also share the other benefits of competing.

Pizzata is growing. They recently added a commissary. We talk logistics and equipment, as well as how it is helping the two Pizzata locations thrive, while also planning expansion.

He and friend Vinny Gallagher – along with Davide’s brother, Ciro Lubrano – opened Pizzata Pizzeria as a New York-style slice shop in Philly’s Rittenhouse area in late 2020, at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Ready to grow, they embarked on Pizzata Pizzeria & Birreria in 2024 with a spacious footprint, indoor and outdoor seating, a full bar and a full, expanded menu.

Read Davide’s Rising Stars feature in Pizza Today: https://pizzatoday.com/topics/people-pizzerias/davide-lubrano-lavadera-pizzata-pizzeria-philadelphia-pennsylvania-rising-star/

Learn more about Pizzata Pizzeria at https://www.pizzatapizzeria.com/ and on Instagram at @Pizzata_pizzeria, @Pizzata_birreria, @Obsession_pizza

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This week, we catch up with the great Mike Bausch. He brings such knowledge, energy and leadership to the pizza community. Mike now has 12 restaurants in the Tulsa, Oklahoma area, including Andolini’s Pizzeria and a newer fine dining spot, Prossimo Ristorante. He’s an Oklahoma’s Small Business Entrepreneur of the Year, No. 1 Amazon best-selling author, Tulsa’s Restauranteur of the Year and a two-time Guinness World Record holder. You can find him each month in the pages of Pizza Today Magazine in his Column “Mike’s Monthly Tip”, where he shares advice and experiences with fellow pizzeria operators.

In a time of uncertainty for many restaurants, Andolini’s is having a banner year. We talk about why and how his restaurants are finding success. 

Mike always shares candidly his failures and successes to help other restaurant owners. We talk about what restaurants are currently up against.  

If you need a business pep talk, this is the episode for you. Mike drops a lot of wisdom in a short podcast.

Learn more about Andolini’s Pizzeria at https://andopizza.com/ and follow Mike Bausch on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/mikeybausch/

Check out his latest Mike’s Monthly Tip “Weather the Storm, Build the Bond” at https://pizzatoday.com/topics/operations/mikes-monthly-tip-weather-the-storm-build-the-bond/