There are endless surprises when opening your first brick-and-mortar pizzeria location. The second and third time, “You kind of know what to do,” says Nick Sanford, owner of Toss & Fire pizzeria in Syracuse, New York. In addition to a fleet of three food trucks, Sanford opened his third Toss & Fire location in January 2024.

Looking back on the experience, he points to a few things that made it go more smoothly. “Don’t jump until you’re ready to jump from one to two. One to two is the hardest for sure,” Sanford tells Pizza Today. “I went from one to two without all the systems I should have had in place, and I was playing catch up.”

To avoid this, he recommends operators have a system for everything – from schematics of what pizzas should look like when they go into the oven to where the mat in front of the dishwasher should be placed.

Colorado-based Simply Pizza owner and CEO Melinda Carbajal agrees, adding that handbooks should be ever-evolving. “I rewrite them all the time,” she says of the business that includes a food truck as well as two (soon to be three) standalone locations.

A lot of stress can be relieved by waiting until your business is financially ready to grow – even if that means eschewing loans in favor of building a nest egg, Sanford says. When equipment breaks or other problems occur during the build-out phase, you don’t want to be leveraged to the hilt.

Finally, don’t be afraid to start with a small menu and add more dishes gradually. You might find that keeping inventory tight improves profits and serving times. Keep reading to learn how four pizza operators grew into four very different locations – and what lessons they learned in the process.

Photo courtesy of Simply Pizza.

Company: Simply Pizza

Location: Denver Zoo — Denver, Colorado

Opened: May 2023

Simply Pizza is not monkeying around. After years of operating a food truck and catering business in the Denver metro area, the company is positioned to serve the Denver Zoo’s nearly 2 million annual visitors.

Simply Pizza’s owner and CEO, Melinda Carbajal, credits her partnership with SSA Group – the culinary architect for aquariums, museums, zoos and other U.S. attractions – for the opportunity.

“This relationship … led us to open doors at other facilities where they hold contracts – the Denver Zoo being one of those opportunities,” Carbajal tells Pizza Today.

Having started Simply Pizza out of a converted cargo truck, Carbajal says she felt confident they could operate out of a shipping container at the zoo. Still, she remembers using masking tape to create an outline of the space on the living room floor, imagining how staff would navigate cold and dry storage, a prep station, dough sheeter, wood-fired pizza oven and guest counter. Simply Pizza already operates from the outdoor patio at a neighborhood brewery, so the company has experience outfitting a shipping container to serve as a pizzeria.

“Tailoring our operation for each audience is something we exceed at in the zoo and at the brewery because of the truck,” Carbajal says. “The brewery is where we get to be creative and test out new items. … If we have an item that works, we come up with a scale-up plan and push it to the zoo.”

While Simply Pizza’s zoo location has a curtailed menu, the operation pivots during the holiday season to capitalize on Zoo Lights – a seasonal event where nighttime visitors see animal exhibits draped in Christmas lights. “In the month of December, we really become a giant, wood-fired cookie shop,” Carbajal says.

During the summer, the zoo kiosk offers strawberry-and-cream cups, which Carbajal says are simple to prepare and appeal to customers between mealtimes.

Other concerns specific to the zoo operation include lack of staff parking and at-will food deliveries in addition to zoo-specific training. (There is protocol for dealing with animals who have escaped their enclosures, for example.)

Since Simply Pizza’s contract is with SSA Group rather than the zoo, communication can be tricky, but Carbajal calls operating at the zoo “a dream.”

“This trifecta at the zoo is something I’m really proud of,” she says. “The little guy brings a different touch to the operation, and the big guy facilitates and nurtures that entity.”

Photo Courtesy of Mikey’s Late Night Slice.

Company: Mikey’s Late Night Slice

New Location: Ohio State University Main Campus — Columbus, Ohio

Opened: October 2024

During fourth-quarter 2024, Columbus, Ohio-based Mikey’s Late Night Slice opened a new storefront each month. One of those spots – located on The Ohio State University campus – was a ground-up build with prime access to the university’s 66,000 students.

“This just happened to be a new building right in the center of the Ohio State campus,” says Mikey Sorboro, who launched Mikey’s Late Night Slice from his apartment complex in 2009. “We were one of the last tenants in that development, so we essentially took the last good space.”

With nine locations currently operating and two underway, Sorboro and his team are well-versed in launching new pizzerias. Building at the university, however, came with new challenges. The university required specific materials, which used advanced technology and had commensurate price tags.

The number of people on campus during Christmas break, spring break and summer semester can be a blow to business at the university location, so management rotates workers to busier spots during slow times. Ahead of the fall 2025 semester, Sorboro expects the team to grow by 50 percent.

Unlike many pizzerias, where the kitchen closes at 9 p.m., all Late Night Slice locations are open until at least midnight, and the Ohio State campus location stays open until 3 a.m. to cater to student night owls.

Knowing that the dining area would be frequented by co-eds of questionable sobriety, Sorboro says, “We needed to make everything very durable.” Most of the high-tops are solid wood paired with steel barstools.

“The experience of going to one of our shops is very Instagramable. Everything is really meant to be eye candy in our restaurant,” Sorboro says, pointing to two long tables that have swings for seats.

The unprecedented growth of Mikey’s Late Night Slice in Q4 2024 was no accident. Now, the regional chain has plans to expand beyond the Columbus area – but not too far.

Customers who grew up going to Mikey’s Late Night Slice after a night out are now in the suburbs, Sorboro says, and some of their kids might even be patronizing the university location.

“Some of their parents grew up with us. Now, we meet them in college, and we’re going to follow them through our traditional locations in the business district and are now making a concentrated effort to look at the suburbs to follow our guest life cycle.”

Photo courtesy of Toss & Fire.

Company: Toss & Fire

New Location: Harvey’s Garden – Syracuse, New York

OpenEd: January 2024

The owners of Harvey’s Garden – an indoor beer garden in Syracuse, New York – tried running their own concessions for about a year before approaching Toss & Fire pizzeria about taking over the space. Thirty days later, Toss & Fire opened its third standalone location – one fixed in place but designed to resemble a food truck.

“I like second-generation spaces so that I’m not building out restaurants from absolutely nothing, because that gets insanely expensive,” owner Nick Sanford tells Pizza Today. “We took over their existing kitchen, expanded it forward and put the food truck façade up front.”

Toss & Fire helps the beer garden by having a constant food option, while the beer hall aids the pizzeria by selling beverages. “We’re basically two separate businesses operating in one area,” Sanford says.

He admits the Harvey’s Garden location was easier to bring to fruition than the first and second Toss & Fire sites. “I knew the city required a fan on top of the chimney, so I already knew what the part was, where to get it and who could install it,” he says.

Due to frigid winter weather, Syracuse has a limited food truck season, which frees up Toss & Fire’s mobile staff for the Harvey’s Garden site. “We take a lot of our strong people to get everybody up to speed,” Sanford says.

A year and a half into the new business, the pizzeria can operate with three to six employees, depending on foot traffic. Since opening the Harvey’s Garden location, Toss & Fire has expanded its hours to meet demand.

Customers also can rent out the space for parties and corporate events, for which Toss & Fire provides catering.

“We have a commissary that’s three minutes from the Harvey’s Garden location. It has a full kitchen and storage,” he says.

Due to the small space, Sanford keeps inventory tight at Harvey’s Garden, and he says the small menu has proved to be such a boon to profits that he’s trimmed the menus at Toss & Fire’s other properties as well.

Sanford recommends other pizzerias considering such a partnership get systems in place before attempting to open a new location.

“We’ve been in business for 10 years now, but this past year, we finally put in place schematics of exactly what a pizza should look like when it comes out of the oven – step-by-steps, because it is so easy for things to get lost in translation,” he says.

Photo courtesy of Slice House.

Company: Slice House

New Location: Franklin, Tennessee

Opened: April 2025

For the first several years, Tony Gemignani’s Slice House sought franchisees to establish new stores near California and Nevada, where the pizzaiolo operates Capo’s, Pizza Rock and Tony’s Pizza Napoletana. This spring, a new franchisee opened the first location east of Salt Lake City.

Together with a franchisee, Slice House opened its doors in downtown Franklin, Tennessee, in April 2025, marking the first of 11 locations that eventually will serve the state.

Slice House works with Prime Site, a real estate platform that provides data-based suggestions about where businesses are most likely to find success based on demographic, geographic and psychographic data.

The pizza franchise selects new locations based on a mix of Prime Site’s quantitative data and franchisees’ qualitative insights about proposed areas.

The first Tennessee location is in downtown Franklin’s historic district, which means Slice House was restricted in modifications to the building exterior, including signage. “Other than that, the interior is all built to our stack,” Slice House Managing Member Trevor Hewitt tells Pizza Today. “In most cases, everything is standardized, but we allow for a little bit of regional variety, and we also try to be reasonable when it comes to cost-benefit analysis.”

When the first Slice House location opened in 2016, the 900-square-foot location was intended to be a one-off store. But over time, management concluded 1,800-2,500-square-foot locations perform best. “A larger front-of-house for seating – instead of it being just a counter – increases customer satisfaction, increases revenue,” Hewitt says.

First-time franchisees are required to have 250 hours of training – or 50 hours per week for five weeks. The required training drops by one week with each subsequent location until franchisees hit one week per store. By that point, Hewitt says, the franchisee is well-equipped to train new staff themselves.

“We spent a good part of 2023, 2024 and even now – into 2025 – building out our team to support multiple location openings at once, to be able to send our training team and our operations team to further locations outside the West,” Hewitt says.

When finalizing property, Slice House insists leases are at least as long as the franchise agreement. Ten-year leases with an option to renew for five years are preferred.

KATE LAVIN is Senior Editor at Pizza Today.

The post Growing Into a New Location appeared first on Pizza Today.

Each month in Destinations, we highlight an up-and-coming pizza spot in the U.S. In Pizza Destinations, we showcase a pizza place that may have just opened to rave reviews, hit best pizza lists or have exciting news. If you’re a pizzeria that would like to be featured, reach out to Executive Editor Denise Greer at dgreer@pizzatoday.com.

Ohio Pie Co. is in growth mode with its third location, which opened in May. Owner Nick Robson reflects on the concept, pizza style, unique branding and hot pizzas. “When we opened in 2019, I wanted to create my own, unique style of pizza: Ohio-style pizza,” he says.

“Combining a style of pizza you can’t get anywhere else with a heavy focus on branding, design, art and service are how we try to differentiate ourselves. Ohio-style pizza is a mid-thickness crust, round pie, square cut, with cheese and toppings running all the way to the edge and a sweet sauce spiral on top (no sauce under the cheese). We don’t make anything else – we just keep it nice and simple. Obviously, nothing will ever be more popular than a classic pepperoni, but the pizza people get the most excited about is our secret menu Pickle Pizza – party sauce base (our cream cheese-based white sauce), cheese blend, dill pickles and crushed pickle potato chips after the bake. Honorable mention: The Thanksgiving Pie, which we run every November, is easily our most popular special pie every year. Cheese blend, mashed potato, roasted white and dark meat turkey, stuffing, gravy and a side of cranberry sauce.

Pizza Expo is coming to Columbus, Ohio, in October! Get all the news about the inaugural event and register here!

Pizzerias on the Radar

Salvatore “Tore” Trupiano, owner of Mangia e Bevi in Oceanside, California, took home the top prize at the California Pizza Contest with his entry in The Big Cheese category. Edward Stalewski of Mercurio’s and Marcus Medina of Hella Pie Pizza Co. also claimed victories in the On the Menu and Innovative Wildcard categories.

Heights Pizza Man in Northwest Minneapolis has gone viral after posting to Facebook: “Recently, we’ve noticed a rapidly increasing volume of evidence of people eating out of our dumpster. Please do not eat out of our dumpster. Nobody deserves that.” In the post, he offers cheese pizza to those in need. A community initiative is born!

Stefano’s Brooklyn Pizza in Harlingen, Texas, donated half of its July 30-31 pizza sales to support the employees of a neighboring business, Johnny’s True Value, after it was destroyed by a fire.

Pizzeria Da Laura in Berkeley, California, hosted a special evening with several renowned chefs and pizza makers to benefit the John Arena Foundation supporting those living with Parkinson’s Disease.

The post Ohio Pie Co., Brunswick, Ohio | Destinations appeared first on Pizza Today.

Pizza Styles & Dough

At Genova Pizza in Audubon, New Jersey, our dough is where it all begins. It’s cold-proofed for 48 hours to lock in that rich flavor and give it the perfect chew – crispy on the bottom, airy on the inside. We lean into a New York-style base, but we’ve built our own lane with creations like the upside-down Sicilian and our famous vodka pie. It’s classic, but with a Genova edge. Every slice is made with intention.

What inspired you to honor your grandmother with a mural?

She was the soul of our family. Strong, nurturing and the original engine behind everything we do. When we took over Genova, we knew we had to honor her in a big way. The mural isn’t just art, it’s our “thank you.” Now, her face watches over the shop, and she’s part of every slice we serve.

What was the process of finding an artist and the logistics of having the mural painted?

We weren’t going to settle. We needed someone who got it – someone who could bring her spirit to life, not just her smile. After searching local artists, we found someone who understood the assignment. The process wasn’t easy – weather delays, tight windows and some last-minute ladder drama – but when that final brushstroke hit, it changed everything. It became a part of the neighborhood.

How else do you keep your family legacy going with your multi-generational pizzeria?

Legacy is everything here. My father spent years baking in Corsica, France. He learned the craft of breadmaking the hard way, by doing it every day. That knowledge got passed down to us, and it’s the backbone of our dough and our work ethic. We keep that same energy alive by treating our customers like family and making sure every plate that leaves the kitchen has heart behind it.

Your sandwiches also are stars. What makes them so special? Which is the most popular and why?

We don’t treat sandwiches like side items. They’re headliners. We build them fresh, hot and bold. The most talked-about? Our Chicken Vodka Cutlet. It’s a hand-breaded cutlet, house vodka sauce and melted mozzarella stacked high on a toasted roll. It’s messy, it’s comforting, and it’s uniquely Genova. Once people try it, it becomes their go-to.

The post Ali Doukali of Genova Pizza | Conversation appeared first on Pizza Today.

Chris Ostapenko Wins World’s Best Cheese Slice

If you’re like Kevin and think outsmarting Joe Pesci is cool, consider what it would be like to win a $5,000 big check for making the World’s Best Cheese Slice at the 2025 International Pizza Expo. In fact, Chris Ostapenko of Slice on Broadway makes a cheese slice so glorious, the city of Pittsburgh declared May 6, 2025, Slice on Broadway Day in his honor.

Ostapenko tells Pizza Today that he makes about 100 cheese pizzas on Friday nights at the shop, and he followed the same method in this year’s International Pizza Challenge. “The rules were simple: Make the best cheese pizza you can,” he says. “I made the pizza as I do every day in the pizza shop, and the results paid off.”

Chris Ostapenko of Slice on Broadway in Pittsburgh celebrates his World’s Best Cheese Slice Championship win with team mates at International Pizza Challenge at Pizza Expo in Las Vegas. Photo courtesy of Slice on Broadway.

Those looking to follow in Ostapenko’s footsteps should know he’s worked at Slice on Broadway for 15 years. If that doesn’t intimidate you, you might be ready to follow his steps:

• Cold ferment pizza dough for 48 hours
• Use house-made tomato sauce
• Liberally apply a house blend of cheeses

“I think this pizza stood out because of the balance of the flavors that we try to accomplish between the dough, sauce and cheese,” he says of winning over judges and claiming the division trophy.

Following Ostapenko’s win in Las Vegas, the Pittsburgh community showed up to support him by ordering his award-winning cheese pie. “I made more pizza that weekend than I have in a while,” he says. “People were coming to try the World’s Best Cheese Slice!”

World’s Best Cheese Slice History and Rules

The International Pizza Challenge debuted the World’s Best Cheese Slice division at Pizza Expo 2024. Unlike some other divisions, World’s Best Cheese Slice has strict guidelines for competitors:

• No par-baking.
• Must use red tomato sauce.
• Only grated cheese and dry spices are permitted
• Once the pizza is in the oven, no toppings or drizzles can be added aside from olive oil

Contestants select their best three slices, which are presented to judges blind.

Andy Huynh Wins Inaugural Prize

Andy Huynh, Cowabunga+, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, wins the World’s Best Cheese Slice Division at International Pizza Challenge 2024.

The first year the International Pizza Challenge opened its division devoted to World’s Best Cheese Slice, Andy Huynh brought home the trophy to Cowabunga+ in Hamilton, Ontario. As the owner of Cowabunga+, Huynh uses a sourdough starter and tops his cheese pizzas with marinara sauce, a Canadian mozzarella blend, Fior di Latte and oregano. Of course, only grated cheese is permitted during the competition.

Additionally, Huynh had to travel to Las Vegas with his pizza dough, some of which was packed in luggage lost by the airline, along with other ingredients. This left him without sufficient dough to compete for the coveted Pizza Maker of the Year award, which is open to division champions on the final day of Pizza Expo. Rather than rush the dough that needed to be ready the next day, the pizza maker asked a Cowabunga+ staff member to fly the pizzeria’s signature 72-hour fermented dough down from Canada.

“Luckily for us, we had a lot of support from our suppliers on the floor of the Expo. When we explained what happened, they were happy to give us some sauce and cheese,” Huynh tells Canadian broadcast station The News Forum. The baggage “landed about midnight Wednesday night, and by Thursday at 7 a.m., we were back on the floor competing again.”

Cheese Pizza Recipes

For a Truly elevated cheese pizza (pun intended), consider Chris Decker’s four-part pie featuring burrata cream and fried basil.

If you have a hankering for cheese pizza but are feeling fancy, Scott Wiener has the steps to create a four-cheese pizza Margharita soufleé.

Finally, you can’t go wrong with a classic cheese pizza. Yes, all for you.

The Great American Pizza Challenge

If you think you have what it takes to win a pizza competition, The Great American Pizza Challenge is taking place Oct. 26-27 at the Greater Columbus Convention Center. Information about the categories is available here.

In the meantime, happy National Cheese Pizza Day! May your cheese pulls be long and you always have Gouda luck!

The post National Cheese Pizza Day 2025 Falls on America’s Pizza Night appeared first on Pizza Today.

Coming off the high of our successful private preview in October, I was certain we were ready to immediately open. But with winter looming, going through the licensing process and paying all the necessary fees just didn’t make sense. And so, we decided we’d officially open in the spring, a full six months later. So, we continued to learn and ideate while we waited.

I’ll never forget the very first order we took for Sips & Pies – not because it was a milestone I’d dreamt about my entire life, but because of how horribly wrong it went.

Everything started according to plan. We got to an empty lot next to my wife’s office with plenty of time to set up, get the fire roaring and have everything in place for a 4 p.m. opening. Our kids arrived shortly after school let out. The five of us were nervous but excited.

We were ready early, and with a line already forming, I took our first order around 3:45 p.m. My wife began stretching and topping each of the three pizzas. When the first one was ready, I slid it onto the launch peel, walked over to the oven and, as I began to slide it off onto the oven floor, a giant hole appeared. It stuck to the peel. First pizza ruined.

After getting rid of the mess, I turned around and put the second pizza on the peel, double-checked it wasn’t sticking, and went to launch it into the oven, when it happened again. Another giant tear, another ruined pizza.

It was now 4 p.m., we had a line of at least 15 people, already had five orders on the board, and the first two pizzas we sold were ruined. I couldn’t bring myself to turn around and tell my wife we needed to remake another pizza.

What the Heck Am I Doing?

I vividly remember resting my head on the oven’s shelf as my mind filled with self doubt about whether or not we could even do this. What was I thinking? Why did I think I could open a mobile pizzeria? Should I turn around and tell everyone we were just going to close for the day? Maybe I wasn’t cut out for this.

I took a deep breath and reminded myself that feeling frustrated is a sign that you’re learning, and it was time to learn.

I walked over to my wife, let her know we needed another remake, and strategized potential fixes with her.

By this point – probably 4:15-ish – the line was longer than I imagined it being on our opening day, we had a stack of tickets, and we hadn’t even finished the first order yet.

But the five of us regrouped and started to slowly and methodically work through our orders. Our ticket times were far too long, a problem compounded by a giant gust of wind blowing all our tickets off the prep station, mixing them up in the process, but we kept moving.

We must have apologized for the long wait and thanked customers for their patience at least 100 times that day.

By 7 p.m., we’d sold 76 pizzas, had $1,382 in sales and were as exhausted as we were relieved.

Did We Make Any Money?

The next day, after licking my wounds, I sat down and looked more closely at the numbers. I created yet another spreadsheet to track how much money we spent on that service, including supplies, commissary fees, paying our kids and our amortized insurance, and within that silo, we’d made $491 in profit. Not too shabby. (Granted, my wife and I are not paying ourselves yet. We’re investing as much as possible back into the business for now, so our profit percentage is going to be higher than normal.)

As proud as I was of my wife and kids after our private preview, I was even more proud of them after our first service. We got our butts kicked, but we kept working hard together, as a team, and got through it.

We learned a lot that night. I learned a lot. And that’s exactly what I’ll cover next week in the last installment (for now) in this series.

JASON CIPRIANI is the owner of Sips & Pies, a mobile wood-fired pizzeria serving Neapolitan-inspired pizza, in Colorado.

The post Launching a Mobile Pizzeria: Grand Opening (Part 15) appeared first on Pizza Today.

Hengam and Matthew Stanfield set out to work side-by-side to build a restaurant business and prioritize their family. A decade later, that business has grown tenfold into an impactful local restaurant chain in San Antonio, Texas. Mattenga’s Pizzeria – named by combining the couple’s first names – has taken many years of transformation and perseverance to fully encompass its vision.

Today, Mattenga’s Pizzeria comprises seven locations sprinkled throughout the San Antonio area, generating annual sales of over $7 million. Ranked one of San Antonio’s fastest growing businesses under $10 million by the San Antonio Business Journal, Mattenga’s Pizzeria also was a recipient of the 2024 Small Business of the Year honor by the San Antonio Chamber of Commerce.

The expanding pizza company has hit its stride with a vision, culture and growth strategy to become a national model for independent pizzerias. Mattenga’s Pizzeria is Pizza Today’s 2025 Pizzeria of the Year.

We traveled to San Antonio to experience the pizza company firsthand, dive deep into its innerworkings with Matthew and Hengam – and, of course, try the pizza.

How Mattenga’s Pizzeria started | Humble Beginnings

College sweethearts, Matthew and Hengam married during their junior year at the New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology. After earning degrees in engineering, they both found themselves unsatisfied with their careers as their blossoming family grew. Hengam, born in Iran, and Matthew, a California native, yearned to find a place to work for themselves in hospitality and raise their family. Then came those infamous words, “Let’s go buy a restaurant,” Hengam says. “How hard could it be?”

After visiting several cities to potentially relocate, the couple packed up their home in New Mexico and moved to San Antonio to take over an existing pizzeria, not knowing it was deep in the red. Hengam reflects on their naiveté in understanding P&L and profitability. With no restaurant experience, the Stanfields faced the obstacles of rebounding a struggling business while learning the intricacies of a pizzeria operation.

“It helps to jump off a cliff and, you know, you either crash at the bottom or you build the plane,” Matthew says.

2025 Pizzeria of the Year Menu | Mattenga’s Pizzeria

Using Hengam’s father’s pizza dough recipe, Mattenga’s created a menu of New York-style pizza with a southwestern Texas twist. The light and thin pizzas are baked in conveyor ovens. Known for their creative specialty pizzas, the Honey Bexar (cup n’ char pepperoni, jalapeño peppers and a drizzle of hot honey), Big Matt (creamy beer cheese base, mozzarella cheese, tomatoes, onions, ground beef, bacon, pickle relish and topped with Thousand Island dressing), the Triple P (Bacon, Pickle Chips and pineapple) and the Santa Fe (pepperoni, bacon and Hatch green chile) have become local favorite pies.

Unique items include the 10-inch filled dough Texas Roll and house-made sauces, such as jalapeno-cilantro ranch. Appetizers, chicken wings, pastas, calzones and desserts round out the menu. They also are currently testing a lunch buffet at a location in a medical district.

During the first few years, the couple – along with Hengam’s parents, who have been vital to Mattenga’s – focused intently on improving the business. They capitalized on their engineering mindset of problem-solving and analytical thinking to set up the framework for Mattenga’s later success. Their efforts began to pay off at their flagship location in Schertz, on the far northeast side of San Antonio. The Stanfields self-funded the opening of a second location on nearby O’Connor Road in 2018 by taking over an existing 800-square-foot pizzeria. Retrofitting existing restaurants and self-funding are growth strategies that would continue as Mattenga’s opened more locations.

Mattenga’s Pizzeria Among Fastest Growing Small Businesses in San Antonio | ‘Thinking Bigger’

Mattenga’s experienced a seismic shift in 2020. Like many restaurant owners, Hengam and Matthew considered throwing in the towel. The couple even listed their two restaurants and received an offer of more than a half-million dollars for the modest pizza business. “We went through this identity shift of, ‘What do we do if we sell?’” Hengam says, admitting that they would probably open another restaurant. “We already have this, and we’ve always wanted to be in the food industry. We are doing this together, and we already have something going. Clearly someone wants to pay money for it. We made a ‘why not sell list’ of 10.”

Then came a moment of clarity for the couple, with Hengam saying, “We are not selling, period. So, let’s commit and make this work. From there, we put our heads down and got laser focused on handling all of our frustrations. Why is this causing stress? What are we going to do to solve this issue? We weren’t running profitably then. We have to babysit our numbers. We don’t babysit our people, we babysit numbers. We got really meticulous about our engineering and building, and we grew our sales by 20 percent. We added locations and just going all in … our identity as business owners to think bigger.”

Thinking bigger also meant expanding out of their comfort zone of what a restaurant is. Ghost kitchens were popping up around the country in the early 2020s, so the Stanfields decided to test that market and add a ghost kitchen in 2021. They learned quickly that the ghost kitchen model wasn’t for them. “We had this mindset of, ‘Hey, if the rent is cheap, it’s low commitment’,” Hengam says of the endeavor.

The Stanfields aren’t afraid to test the waters in new areas – even if they become a learning experience. In 2024, they experimented with doing a kitchen takeover at a local bar.

While expensive lessons, Matthew and Hengam say they consider such experiments an education. “You fund your own education,” Hengam says. “It’s going to be like this graph of up and down, up and down, up and down. If you step back. ‘Oh, wow. Look at that – over the last three years, we’ve grown 117 percent.’”

Between February and June 2022, Mattenga’s opened three locations – including its second-busiest location in New Braunfels, a mostly carryout and delivery location with two outdoor tables – stretching farther from the San Antonio city center. Mattenga’s Pizzeria near SeaWorld also opened that year. In June, a Mattenga’s Pizzeria opened near San Antonio’s medical center district. During Pizza Today’s visit to the location, Matthew says, “This is 1,800 square feet here at the Callahan location. This seems to be a more ideal size.”

Mattenga’s experienced another growth spurt in 2024 with the Alamo Ranch and Wilderness Oaks locations.

So, what is the overall growth goal? “We want to get to 50 locations,” Hengam says. “We want to be San Antonio’s favorite restaurant, favorite pizzeria here in the city. We love San Antonio. The culture is great, family environment. We love it here, and so we want to continue to serve the city for years to come.”

Achieving such massive expansion, Hengam says, requires “Looking at how are we going to grow in the next three years differently. What got us here will not get us there. We’ve been gradually growing and with dirt under our nails – scrappy, grinding like.”

Matthew adds, “And self-funding, adding gray hair (for Hengam). The current plan is to grow with corporate stores versus, say, a franchise. … At this time, we want to keep it our own, our own brand under control. … We’ve done the second-generation spaces. I think the future is going to be our own space that’s built uniquely for us and being creative with the concept, and that fits with who we are as a brand.”

Getting to that level requires “obsessing over the numbers, the recipes,” Hengam says. “I think that has to constantly be the priority of fundamentals, of the best basics, consistency, systems and in standards, training, advancement. Those are all the building blocks that we’re layering.”

Hengam expands further: “That is the vision, and we’re going to figure out how the brand evolves, but we’re going to obsess over our customers. That will always be the basic and fundamentals for us: Texas hospitality; it’ll always be investing in our team. These will never change, at least. I feel these are just the fundamentals we’re continue to master and evolve as we go, and we’ll see where it goes.”

Mattenga’s formula for success is entrenched in the pages of its playbook and guides and affirmed through practice and training in the restaurants. “Our company values are Texas hospitality plus invest plus engineered equals 3x win,” Hengam says. “That is our math. We want to make sure 3x win is a customer wins, the team wins, company wins. All decisions need to be through that.”

Maattenga’s Pizzeria’s Values Center on Texas Hospitality

People are at the center of Mattenga’s Pizzeria. Even during Pizza Today’s interview with Matthew and Hengam, the couple and the team actively and warmly greeted every guest.

Customer engagement initiatives encapsulate Texas hospitality with a warm, welcoming presence and generosity. “I want to go deeper winning people’s hearts,” Hengam says. “You have to do that before you can win their wallets and some money. You have to win their hearts.”

Giving back and supporting the community is foundational at Mattenga’s as the company hosts fundraisers and Spirit Nights and donates hundreds of pizzas to local schools, nonprofits, churches, first responders and nurses. “Anytime we have a donation in town across the seven stores – it’s happening all the time – we share that. There’s a picture of it in the e-mail. You need to make your customers fall in love with you.”

Communication is key. “We send two texts and two e-mails a week,” Hengam says. That is a big contributor to our steady sales growth.” The consistent communication has several benefits. “Consistency builds trust, that we are a brand you can trust. We’re consistent, we’re there for you. Our ‘Feed the Family’, every Friday at 4 p.m. people will get a text.” Mattenga’s fans often comment that they can rely on their Friday text.

Even Mattenga’s rotating custom-designed pizza box bibs offer customers a fun and memorable interaction with the brand.

Investment in Employees at Forefront of Mattenga’s Pizzeria’s Company Values

Vital to Mattenga’s core values equation is expanding to a team of 100. Matthew and Hengam have created an employee culture and programs that encourage employee success and growth, while also giving them confidence in understanding the business.

Mattenga’s extensive playbook and guides set employees up for success, addressing scenarios they’ll face.

The Stanfields believe in the power of bringing the team together. They do so through three regular meetings. Engineered meetings drill down the numbers and operations. Invest meetings focus on the playbook one section at time, and managers then take the information back to their teams in duplication meetings with scripting and role playing.

Education is at the forefront at Mattenga’s. Managers also participate in a “Book of the Month” and present what they have learned. Some previous books include “Meetings Suck” and “The Toyota Way.” Initiatives like these help employees grow professionally outside of specific day-to-day Mattenga’s operations.

Mattenga’s Pizzeria Owners Apply Engineering to Pizza Business | Engineered

The Stanfields have applied Matthew’s civil engineering background and Hengam’s electrical engineering background to the restaurants. Business is math, Hengam says. Matthew controls the numbers, and the two have built transparency and a training vehicle to help their team grasp the numbers and how they impact each operation.

The pair has excelled at being a married couple as well as business partners. “I’ve got a fantastic wife, and we’ve got a clear vision for our family where we’re going,” Matthew says. “And so, because we have that direction, it’s easier when we have lost focus on the direction.” The two leverage their individual strengths to run the growing company. Hengam is drawn to marketing and customer relations, Matthew dives into budgets, building out new locations and he’s also known to fix equipment.

“Systems are freedom,” Hengam insists. With systems and talented and dedicated employees, Mattenga’s locations are well-oiled machines, enabling Matthew and Hengam to concentrate on growing the brand. With four children ranging from toddler to teenager, systems also have meant flexibility.

The Stanfields’ focus surrounds critical analysis. Each quarter, Matthew and Hengam evaluate areas of improvement with the team. “We’ve looked at strategic initiatives that are short term,” Hengam says. “Last quarter, we implemented a commissary at one of our locations. This next quarter, we’re focusing on adding, upgrading some of our tech. … Short term, it’s important to look at initiatives. We’re looking at AI stuff, some of our software.”

Roughly once a year, the Stanfields carve out specific time with no distractions to think about the business, just as they did during that pivotal moment in 2020. “It takes time to think deeply about your problems,” Hengam says. “Make that frustration list. How are we going to solve our issues? We have a lot of problems in our business, just like anybody else. How are we going to divide and conquer and move forward?”

Denise Greer is Executive Editor at Pizza Today.

Read the August 2025 Issue of Pizza Today Magazine

In this issue, we announce Pizza Today’s 2025 Pizzeria of the Year. Find out how the owners turned a failing pizzeria purchase into a fast-growing pizza business. Learn how to make a sourdough starter. It’s Green Season! Green Chile, that is. Explore menu ideas that add New Mexican flavors to your pizza. Find out which strip mall locations work best for pizzerias – and how to maximize traffic. Discover why pizzerias are going with custom mobile apps to capture sales and return visits. Tap into addictive bar menu options to increase check averages. Go to the August Issue.

The post 2025 Pizzeria of the Year: Mattenga’s Pizzeria in San Antonio, Texas appeared first on Pizza Today.

Inspired by classic mom-and-pop shops  portrayed on screen, Lover’s Deli was created to look like it’s always been there, says co-owner Eli Torres. He credits the whole team at Lover’s Deli for its success. “Starting at the top with Chef Daniel Alvarez – he’s the pizza sensei around these parts. He keeps the Lover’s Deli heart pumping for sure. As well as our our core crew, who’s been with us since the beginning. Daniel competed at the Pizza Expo in Las Vegas for the first time this past March, and we were all proud to see him place send in the Pan (Division).” One of only a few slice shops in the area, Lover’s serves up pan-style pizza.

“Our house style is a Grandma-style pan pizza,” he continues. “You’ll see that style in our slice case daily and is one of our favorites. When we first started out in early 2024, our main focus was definitely Sicilian style all the way. We were obsessed with the fluffed up jumbo slice and didn’t think there would ever be another style that could take our heart. Then, enter the Detroit style. We ran that style pizza as a fun special called Slim Shady (a Detroit-style vodka and pepperoni slice) – and it became such a local favorite that it is now a recurring slice style. This past month, we also started running personal-size French bread pizzas (Frenchies), which we are excited to continue to play around with and do some more specials for that style.”

“We really wanted to incorporate Hispanic flavors that we grew up with in the Central Valley into our food. Making sure to highlight ingredients like chorizo sausage, cotija cheese and cilantro – or, as we call it, ‘West Coast Basil’ – into our specials. The most notable example is our Cilantro Pesto that is featured on a few of our pizzas, as well as our most popular sandwich called the Cheech & Chong. We also use it to make our CPR sauce (Cilantro Pesto Ranch) that is always in high demand at the shop. All of our sandwiches and pizza creations are named and inspired by different aspects of pop-culture, movies, TV and music. It always makes it fun when we get to be creative with concepts and names for new menu items.”

Pizzerias On The Radar

Seattle-based Tutta Bella Neapolitan Pizzeria launches its stone-fired, ready-to-heat pizzas in Kroger deli cases nationwide.

Una Pizza Napoletana ranked No.1 on the recently released 50 Top Pizza USA 2025 list by 50 Top Pizza. L.A.-based Pizzeria Sei and Tony’s Pizzeria Napoletana in S.F. round out the Top 3 spots.

Milwaukee’s Transfer Pizzeria acquires a restored 1953 city bus to add to its patio vibe. The orange- and cream-colored vintage bus features seating inside.

Vito & Nick’s Pizzeria in Chicago, Illinois, celebrated its 105th anniversary this year with a party and “free pizza for a year” giveaway contest.

Read the August 2025 Issue of Pizza Today Magazine

In this issue, we announce Pizza Today’s 2025 Pizzeria of the Year. Find out how the owners turned a failing pizzeria purchase into a fast-growing pizza business. Learn how to make a sourdough starter. It’s Green Season! Green Chile, that is. Explore menu ideas that add New Mexican flavors to your pizza. Find out which strip mall locations work best for pizzerias – and how to maximize traffic. Discover why pizzerias are going with custom mobile apps to capture sales and return visits. Tap into addictive bar menu options to increase check averages. Go to the August Issue.

The post Lover’s Deli, Merced, California | Pizzeria Destinations appeared first on Pizza Today.

Pizza Concept

Mona Lisa Sharp: Our pizzas originate from Buffalo, New York, and include Buffalo, New York-style mingled with Italian flavors. Our pepperonis are the Old World pepperoni that curl up when baked, and each is sealed with amazing flavor. We offer real, fresh, quality ingredients with no processed or pre-made pizzas. Each pizza is handmade from scratch at the time of order; therefore, there is a wait time. People pay for quality and real, fresh ingredients.

Pizza Styles & Dough

Michael Sharp: People are driving miles to come try our jerk-oxtail and jerk-chicken pizzas. Being in the South, most people love the oxtail flavor, so we decided to add savory, smoked oxtail and chicken to our pizza — and it has been a success. We also offer a spicy shrimp pizza, a sirloin steak pizza layered on top of velvety Alfredo sauce, and other classic and unique pizzas with bold flavors. People can also customize a slice to their own personal likings.

Our dough is made fresh every morning or afternoon – sometimes twice daily – and is crafted with care. It is light, airy and full of rich flavor. It’s so delicious that people savor every bite even down to the last crumb.

What has happened since being recognized by TikTok sensation Keith Lee with the $50,000 check for your community outreach?

Mona Lisa: We were so excited to see Keith Lee walk through our doors. We were told by the Toast representatives that someone was coming to present us with a check. We knew we had won, we just didn’t expect Keith Lee to present us with the check. That was an amazing and wonderful experience.

Since being recognized for our community outreach, it has encouraged us to do even more in the community. We want to create more than just a place to eat – we want to build a space where people feel like they belong. We plan to host regular events like family game nights, entrepreneur networking events and more. We also plan to partner with nearby schools, churches and youth sports teams to offer fundraising opportunities and sponsor events. Our staff knows many of our regulars by name, and we make a point to support local causes – whether it’s donating pizzas to those less fortunate or offering discounts for first responders. The goal has always been to serve more than great pizza – we want to be the place where memories are made, stories are shared and the community grows stronger, one slice at a time.

 What is your focus with community service and how does it fit into your mission?

Mona Lisa: Our focus with community service is to uplift and support our customers and the people who support us. Whether it’s feeding local families in need, sponsoring school events, or partnering with nonprofits, we believe in using our resources to give back. Community is at the heart of everything we do. Serving others is a natural extension of our mission, which is to be more than a pizzeria, but a positive and dependable presence in the lives of those around us.

How have you turned your pizzeria into a community hub?

Michael: We’ve made our pizzeria a community hub by creating a space where everyone feels welcome and valued. From hosting neighborhood events, such as food tastings and local pop-ups, we’ve intentionally built an environment that celebrates the people around us. We also plan to do more collaborating with schools, churches and small businesses to support their efforts and share their stories. It’s not just about serving pizza – it’s about serving the community and creating a place where connections are made. and relationships grow.

Learn more about Sharpiros Pizzeria at sharpirospizza.com. Follow them on Instagram.

Read the August 2025 Issue of Pizza Today Magazine

In this issue, we announce Pizza Today’s 2025 Pizzeria of the Year. Find out how the owners turned a failing pizzeria purchase into a fast-growing pizza business. Learn how to make a sourdough starter. It’s Green Season! Green Chile, that is. Explore menu ideas that add New Mexican flavors to your pizza. Find out which strip mall locations work best for pizzerias – and how to maximize traffic. Discover why pizzerias are going with custom mobile apps to capture sales and return visits. Tap into addictive bar menu options to increase check averages. Go to the August Issue.

The post Mona Lisa and Michael Sharp of Sharpiros Pizzeria | Conversation appeared first on Pizza Today.

Meet the Rising Stars of the Pizza Industry in 2025

To select the 2025 Rising Stars of the Pizza Industry, the editorial staff of Pizza Today reached out to some of the country’s most well-known and well-respected pizzaiolos to learn whose careers they are watching develop and unfold. We received dozens of nominations for business owners around the country, with nominees including those who recently moved into new establishments, chefs who have been honored this year for their award-winning pizzas and those breaking the mold in dozens of other ways.

Six pizzeria owners recognized as Rising Stars by Pizza Today

Learn more about this year’s Rising Stars of the Pizza Industry by clicking on their names below:

Jhy Coulter, Orange by Devoured, Kansas City, Missouri

Davide Lubrano Lavadera, Pizzata Pizzeria, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Melina Piroso Felix, The Pizza Bandit, Denver, Colorado

Isaiah Ruffin, Pizza by Ruffin, Seattle, Washington

Victoria Tiso, Tori T’s Pizzeria, Malverne, New York

Miriam Weiskind, Yums of PDX, Portland, Oregon

Read the July 2025 Issue of Pizza Today Magazine

Who are this year’s Rising Stars in the Pizza Industry? We profile six up-and-comers who are making their mark on pizza. Discover why the Grandma style pizza is spreading across the country. See why your pizza could benefit from whole-grain flour. Brush up on inventory management best practices. Learn how to take your products to the retail market. Go to the July Issue.

The post Rising Stars of Pizza: Who to Watch in 2025 appeared first on Pizza Today.

Restaurateur/Creator at Orange By Devoured

Kansas City, Missouri

Instagram:  @orangebydevoured, @devoured.pizza

Jhy Coulter has never been one to let the grass grow beneath her feet – until now. After graduating with an art degree from the University of Missouri, Kansas City, Coulter says she always kept a second job in a restaurant while working in graphic design. “I loved the industry culture and how you could really be yourself,” she tells Pizza Today. Coulter also lived overseas teaching English to non-native speakers, and she says the way restaurants in Spain began feeding the public during the COVID-19 pandemic inspired her to start making pizza for the masses. The passion project put down roots in 2024, when Coulter opened Orange by Devoured, a brick-and-mortar pizzeria at Martini Corner in Kansas City.

Pizza Today (PT): How did your professional experiences influence the process of launching your own pizzeria?

Jhy Coulter (JC): My experience living and working abroad really transformed me. Being around another culture, different food, language and customs really tapped into my curiosity. I was obsessed with going to the grocery store to explore new foods, and I was eating lots of tapas out and cooking a bunch in.

When my partner and I decided to come back home, I felt very open and inspired by what I had seen and eaten. I was collecting restaurant/bar menus and business cards all throughout my travels, and I wanted to create something. I really didn’t know what that was until I won Gozney’s pizza oven giveaway on Instagram.

PT: Your menu is really elevated compared to more traditional pizzerias. What kind of experience do you want to create for your customers?

JC: I always respect and love the simplicity of traditional pies. However, the ingredients we offer are pretty outside the scope of the more traditional pizzerias. We still have the classics on the menu – pepperoni, cheese and Italian sausage.

If you’ve never been to Orange By Devoured and you want to start exploring the menu, “The Newbie” is a perfect start. It’s Italian sausage, roasted garlic, caramelized shallots, red sauce, mozzarella, hot honey and basil. We always finish our pies off with Pecorino and Parmesan. I want people to try things they wouldn’t normally order, something they can’t get anywhere else and make a memory. Our menu has something for everyone: vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free or even for the carnivore. I want guests to be able to share a unique experience with their loved ones.

When we first opened, we offered customers a complementary tapa, our Portuguese-inspired carrot salad. There’s a lot of spices in the recipe. I was trying to get people to try something that was vegetable heavy but not too in their face. It’s been a hit with our pizza. I’m proud to see people eating it and asking questions about the dish.

PT: Your pizzeria has really vibrant colors and fun artwork. How did you go about finding your design style when building out Orange by Devoured?

JC: Being part of the design world and traveling helped me with these elements. I had been collecting artwork and inspiration for the shop long before I even had a space, but I always had a vision. Once I secured the space, I knew what I wanted to do with it. The budget was my only struggle, but I think it made me more resourceful.

My partner and I would find special pieces to add to the space, and it really started to come to life. I wanted the space to be original. It had to be inviting, fresh and new. I think that was my favorite part of my first restaurateur opening journey: designing it from scratch and adding those eclectic touches to each part of the space.

PT: What are some of your goals for the next several years?

JC: My goal is to reach a point in my life where my business can run efficiently, and I can begin to be free with my creativity again: traveling, cooking, eating and meeting awesome people along the way.

Return to the list of all six 2025 Rising Stars.

Read the July 2025 Issue of Pizza Today Magazine

Who are this year’s Rising Stars in the Pizza Industry? We profile six up-and-comers who are making their mark on pizza. Discover why the Grandma style pizza is spreading across the country. See why your pizza could benefit from whole-grain flour. Brush up on inventory management best practices. Learn how to take your products to the retail market. Go to the July Issue.

The post Jhy Coulter, Orange By Devoured, Kansas City, Missouri – Rising Star appeared first on Pizza Today.