The Hot Slice

Pizza Today
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The Hot Slice brings you inspiring stories, strategies and lessons learned from successful pizzeria professionals and top experts. This podcast is hosted by the team at Pizza Today, the premier network for pizzeria professionals. We’re bringing our award-winning interviewing and 37 years as a trusted pizza restaurant partner to the airwaves with real, in-depth conversations with pizzeria owners, champion pizza makers, industry pros and others to help make your business better.

  1. 2d ago

    334. 3rd Generation & Upstart Pizzeria Perspectives | Pizza Expo Columbus Special, Part 2

    Send us Fan Mail The Hot Slice continues our conversations from high atop the show floor at Pizza Expo Columbus that took place earlier this month in Ohio. Hear stories of the pizza people who make this industry flourish. This week, we share two concepts, a continued generational pizzeria and a creative upstart. Listen to the following:  Anthony Scardino — Professor Pizza, Chicago, Illinois  Anthony shares the love and personality that he put into Professor Pizza. He outlines the challenges and advantages to offering multiple styles and pays tribute to the pizza community who helped him along the way.  Angelo Nicolosi and sister Celina — Nicolosi’s Pizza, Phillipsburg, New Jersey   Angelo shares how his grandfather started the legacy pizzeria. Celina details how Nicolosi’s Pizza has been able to leverage skit comedy on social media to promote the old-school pizzeria. They dive into the operational side of the business to continue the consistency of the decades-old pizza shop.  Join us for the Pizza Expo Columbus Special, Part 3 next week.

    334. 3rd Generation & Upstart Pizzeria Perspectives | Pizza Expo Columbus Special, Part 2

  2. Oct 22

    333. Building Lasting Pizza Businesses | Pizza Expo Columbus Special, Part 1

    Send us Fan Mail The Hot Slice Podcast was live at Pizza Expo Columbus. We had an amazing time with the pizza community at the show. For the next few weeks of The Hot Slice Podcast, we will bring you conversations with pizza people from high above the show floor.   Fresh off the stage of their keynote address, brothers Scott, Steve, Mark and Dave, along with some their team, joined us in the studio to talk about what has made Columbus, Ohio-based Flyers Pizza & Subs a legacy pizza company. As the 10-unit independent pizza business celebrates 50 years, the brothers spotlight their team. They also detail how their employee stock ownership plan (ESOP) will carry them into the future. Listen to the team talk about what their employment at Flyers means to them.   Brittany Saxton, owner of 600 Downtown in Bellefontaine, Ohio, shares how her pizzeria has grown by combining community-based marketing with multiple revenue streams. She explains how bold local campaigns help attract destination traffic and support the broader downtown economy, while the business has expanded beyond dine-in service into carryout, catering, and two event venues. She also highlights the importance of training, operational structure, and team culture in keeping quality consistent and sustaining growth.  Join us for the Pizza Expo Columbus Special, Part 2 next week.

    333. Building Lasting Pizza Businesses | Pizza Expo Columbus Special, Part 1

  3. Oct 15

    332. REPLAY: Confiscated Ingredients, Broken Ovens, One World Championship Pizza with Carmela Williams

    Send us Fan Mail Listen to 2026 Crowned World Pizza Champion Carmela Williams of Antonio’s Italian Ristorante in Elkhart, Indiana, on The Hot Slice Podcast with Pizza Today  How do you win a world pizza championship with a pie you’d never fully made before? On this episode of The Hot Slice, presented by Pizza Today, we sit down with Carmela Williams of Antonio’s Italian Ristorante in Elkhart, Indiana, fresh off her world champion title in the Americana division at the Caputo Cup in Naples, Italy.It was Carmela’s first time competing internationally, and almost nothing went according to plan. Airport officials confiscated her ingredients. Her hotel had no prep space or refrigeration. The competition ovens swung wildly from 320 to nearly 600 degrees. So, she improvised, blending mozzarella with scamorza she’d never worked with and leaning on instincts sharpened by her restaurant’s 70-year-old Blodgett ovens. Here’s what you’ll take away: How she built a winning pizza on the fly under real pressure  Dough and cheese decisions that held up when conditions didn’t  Why her family legacy (father Paul and sister Gemma are also world champions) shaped her competitive mindset  With 14 years in the industry, Carmela also breaks down the operational philosophy behind Antonio’s: open four days a week, no reservations, first-come, first-served. It’s a candid look at craft, grit, and running a pizzeria your way.Show Notes:  Check out a fun look at her competition attempt: https://www.instagram.com/p/DZx3TUiJQ4J/ Follow Antonio’s Italian Ristorante at  https://www.antoniositalian.com/ and on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/antoniositalianelkhart/

    332. REPLAY: Confiscated Ingredients, Broken Ovens, One World Championship Pizza with Carmela Williams

  4. Oct 8

    331. Giving Pizza in Times of Crisis

    Send us Fan Mail Listen to Brian Rock, Co-Founder and COO of Doughnate Pizza, on The Hot Slice Podcast with Pizza Today When a powerful derecho tore through northwest Indiana on Aug. 12 and knocked out power to more than 600,000 people, Brian Rock didn't wait for the lights to come back on. He went 14 days without power himself. Still, the co-founder and COO of Doughnate Pizza, a 100% volunteer-driven nonprofit, rallied his network and hit the streets. Over 16 days, his team served more than 6,000 meals, and on their biggest day they served 1,000! In this episode, we sit down with Brian to talk about how partnerships with Chicago staple Aurelio's Pizza and World Central Kitchen made it all possible, and why he sees pizza as one of the best tools around for doing good in your community. 🍕 Here's What Brian Gets Into: The storm that sparked it all: How the derecho left communities like Lake Station without power for weeks, and why Brian's first call went to the county's emergency management team to find out where help was needed mostHow to serve 1,000 meals in a day: Leaning on Aurelio's conveyor line to turn out 75 to 150 pizzas daily, packing 100 pies into a Subaru and serving two slices, a salad, a piece of fruit and a water from a simple tent setup, all coordinated by cell phoneThe Doughnate Pizza model: How the 100% volunteer-driven nonprofit has delivered more than 70,000 meals since 2022 by working out roughly 50% discounts with pizzerias instead of asking for free food, so every donated dollar goes straight to feeding peopleTeaming up with World Central Kitchen: How years of outreach finally paid off when WCK brought Doughnate Pizza on as a restaurant partner during this deploymentFrom military vet to pizza for good: Brian's journey from his first pizza job at 14 to the military, slinging slices for 8,000 to 9,000 festivalgoers a day, serving 350 meals after a 2020 derecho in Iowa and teaching pizza classes to fellow veteransAdvice for operators who want to help: Why Brian says you should spend the $500 or $1,000 on dough, cheese and sauce, show up for your neighbors and trust that your community will give it back tenfoldTune in to the full episode of The Hot Slice Podcast to hear it all!

    331. Giving Pizza in Times of Crisis

  5. Oct 1

    330. Columbus-style Pizza, Commissary Dough and Coming Full Circle

    Send us Fan Mail Sexton’s Pizza started in a trailer the size of a closet on Florida’s Gulf Coast a decade ago. Now, after building a multi-unit operation in Columbus, Ohio, the pizzeria is returning to where it all began. In this episode, we sit down with co-founder Joey Sexton ahead of Pizza Expo Columbus to talk dough science, growth and what it means to come full circle. You’ll learn about: Columbus-style Pizza: The square-cut, red-sauce, smoked-provolone tradition rooted in the city’s Flytown neighborhood.Dough Evolution: How a deep dive into long-fermented New York-style dough transformed Sexton’s signature product.Building a Commissary: Why centralizing dough production took three months to dial in but changed everything for consistency.The Portnoy Effect: What happened in the 12 hours after an 8.1 review and how Sexton’s kept up with demandSexton’s Burger Bar: Why a smash burger with a lace edge earned its own concept instead of a spot on the pizza menu.Return to Florida: Why opening a location in the state where Sexton’s started feels like closing the loop on a 10-year journey.Tune in to the full episode of The Hot Slice Podcast to hear it all!  Show Notes: Sexton’s Pizza: sextonspizza.com Pizza Expo Columbus: pizzaexpocolumbus.pizzatoday.com   Pizzeria Operator Survey: survey.alchemer.com/s3/8906788/Pizza-Today-s-Pizzeria-Operator-Survey-2026   Pizzeria Industry Excellence (PIE) Awards: pizzatoday.com/pie-awards

    330. Columbus-style Pizza, Commissary Dough and Coming Full Circle

  6. Sep 24

    329. Creating a Thoughtful Beverage Program Without a Liquor License

    Send us Fan Mail Sarah and Daniel Correa never planned on becoming beverage innovators. But when opening a full bar wasn’t the right fit for their community, they got creative instead. In this episode, we sit down with the Correas, owners of Fired Pizza in Stockton, California. What started as a mobile catering rig in 2018 grew into a food truck, then blossomed into a brick-and-mortar restaurant built on Neapolitan wood-fired pizza and a genre-bending beverage program that won them the 2025 Pizza Industry Excellence (PIE) Award for Best Beverage Menu. Here’s what Sarah and Daniel get into: Why they intentionally chose to operate on a beer and wine license instead of pursuing full liquor, and how that decision shaped their entire brand.Crafting cocktails with agave wine and infused syrups that rival traditional spirits, without a drop of vodka or whiskey in sight.How relationships forged with local breweries and wineries during COVID became the backbone of a rotating, story-driven beverage menu.The strategy behind an eight-tap draft system built around community loyalty, plus the sorbet seltzer customers refuse to let go.Pricing wine by the glass to build trust with guests and move volume instead of sitting on bottles.Standing out in a market full of New York-style legacy pizzerias by committing fully to something different.Show Notes:  Fired Pizza: fired-pizza.com Pizza Expo Columbus: pizzaexpocolumbus.pizzatoday.com   Pizzeria Operator Survey: survey.alchemer.com/s3/8906788/Pizza-Today-s-Pizzeria-Operator-Survey-2026   Pizzeria Industry Excellence (PIE) Awards: pizzatoday.com/pie-awards

    329. Creating a Thoughtful Beverage Program Without a Liquor License

  7. Sep 17

    328. The Pizza Team Takes Over: A Special Hot Slice Episode

    Send us Fan Mail The whole gang is back! In this special Pizza Team edition of The Hot Slice, host Denise Greer, editor in chief of Pizza Today, sits down with Kate Lavin, Jeremy White and Josh Cowan for a lively, insider look at what's shaping the pizza business right now. From big news about Pizza Expo's leadership to what's driving independent operators to the top, this one's packed with takeaways you can bring straight back to your shop! The crew digs into the mindset behind one of the world's most acclaimed pizza makers, previews everything happening at Pizza Expo Columbus and celebrates a shift that puts mom-and-pop shops in the spotlight. Whether you own one location or a handful, there's plenty here to fire you up. Grab a slice and settle in! Key Talking Points: Big leadership news: Jeremy White announces he'll step in as the new Pizza Expo show director when longtime director Bill Oakley retires in about six months.Pizza Expo Columbus is bigger this year: The show moves to Hall B with an expanded show floor and more exhibitors.Seven competitions: The Great American Pizza Challenge returns with divisions from best dessert pizza to America's best pepperoni slice and Young Pizza Maker of the Year.Hot Slice goes live: The podcast will broadcast from a quiet suite overlooking the show floor, plus a freshly redesigned Pizza Today booth and a Sunday happy hour with wings and drinks!Independents are winning: Top distributors report independent pizzerias now outpacing chains at the top of their sales charts.Value-driven spending: With tighter wallets, customers are choosing local independents for experience, relationships and community connection.Make your voice heard: Complete the operator survey to help shape Pizza Today content and Pizza Expo education sessions!Show Notes: Pizza Expo Columbus: pizzaexpocolumbus.pizzatoday.com  Pizzeria Operator Survey: survey.alchemer.com/s3/8906788/Pizza-Today-s-Pizzeria-Operator-Survey-2026  Pizzeria Industry Excellence (PIE) Awards: pizzatoday.com/pie-awards

    328. The Pizza Team Takes Over: A Special Hot Slice Episode

  8. Sep 10

    327. Ditching Bromate, Chasing Roman Pizza and Hiring for Heart

    Send us Fan Mail New York lawmakers voted to ban potassium bromate, and Rob Cervoni has thoughts. As the self-described “no bleach, no bromate guy,” Cervoni has spent years encouraging fellow operators make the switch to unbromated flour. Now that it’s the law, he says it’s time to pivot, not panic. In this podcast episode, Cervoni breaks down what happens to dough when you pull bromate out of the equation, why pre-ferments such as poolish and biga are the secret weapon for anyone short on walk-in cooler space, and how time itself is one ingredient you can’t shortcut. He also digs into why Roman-style pizza struggled to catch on the first time around, what he did differently to make Taglio’s version stick and why he thinks the style is finally having its moment. Here’s what Cervoni shares on The Hot Slice podcast: Potassium bromate speeds up fermentation, but it’s possible to replicate that effect without the chemical. How is a poolish different from a biga, and when should you use each one to master your pizza style?Cervoni blends four flours for his New York-style dough. What does each add, and what is the benefit of malted dextrose?The first wave of Roman-style pizzerias failed in the U.S. because they sold pizza like they do in Europe. Find out how Cervoni adapted the practice for a New York crowd.Growing up in a pizzeria from age 15 shaped the way Cervoni interviews staff and what he looks for when hiring. Show Notes: Taglio Roman Style Pizza: taglioromanpizza.com Pizza Expo Columbus: pizzaexpocolumbus.pizzatoday.com Pizzeria Operator Survey: survey.alchemer.com/s3/8906788/Pizza-Today-s-Pizzeria-Operator-Survey-2026 Pizzeria Industry Excellence (PIE) Awards: pizzatoday.com/pie-awards

    327. Ditching Bromate, Chasing Roman Pizza and Hiring for Heart
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About

The Hot Slice brings you inspiring stories, strategies and lessons learned from successful pizzeria professionals and top experts. This podcast is hosted by the team at Pizza Today, the premier network for pizzeria professionals. We’re bringing our award-winning interviewing and 37 years as a trusted pizza restaurant partner to the airwaves with real, in-depth conversations with pizzeria owners, champion pizza makers, industry pros and others to help make your business better.

Information

  • Creator
    Pizza Today
  • Years Active
    2020 - 2026
  • Episodes
    334
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 The Hot Slice
  • Show Website
    The Hot Slice

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