The Hot Slice Pizza Today

It’s been a whirlwind kind of few months for Tony Cerimele, owner of New Columbus Pizza Company, in Nesquehoning, Pennsylvania. After capturing the first-place finish in the Pan Division, Tony went on to win the Finals to be named World Champion Pizza Maker of the Year at the International Pizza Challenge during Pizza Expo (March 19-21) in Las Vegas.We caught up with Tony to see learn more about his winning pizza, competing at an international level and see what’s happened since the big win.&...

This week on The Hot Slice Podcast is Chip Myles. His passion for the pizza business and his customers radiates through this episode.Chip Myles opened Myles’ Pizza Pub in 1978 in Bowling Green, Ohio. The pizza pub's family business hospitality, unique style of pizza, and late-night hours earned a loyal fanbase among the Bowling Green community and beyond in Ohio, leaving a lasting legacy behind when they closed in 2016. The Myles family moved to Greenville, SC, where they re-opened Myles’ Piz...

This week, we talk with Corey Watson, founder of Pizza for Ukraine. Pizza for Ukraine's mission is to Make Pizza, Not War. We make Neapolitan pizza is made for Ukrainians affected by the trauma of war. Whether they are displaced, orphaned, wounded, responding to emergencies, or fighting for freedom, hope is served one pizza at a time. Corey joined us via Zoom from Kyiv, Ukraine to talk about his Pizza for Ukraine nonprofit and his push for pizza as a humanitarian food. In release from Pi...

This week, Josh and Denise chat with Hengam Stanfield, co-owner of Mattenga’s Pizzeria in San Antonio, Texas. What started out as taking over a failing pizzeria in 2013 has grown into eight locations and expanding. Hengam and husband Matt met in college, both aspiring engineers but soon realized they wanted to be in business for themselves. They entered the restaurant world without any experience in dining. They learned on the job from day one. They were able to apply their engineering ...

This week on The Hot Slice Podcast, Denise and Jeremy chat with Patrick Elston, who with his wife Mandy operates Gus Franco’s Pizza in Lower Burrell, Pennsylvania. Originally started as a food truck, Gus Franco’s opened in 2017. He talks about the steady rise of the pizzeria. Family dynamics and raising kids in the family atmosphere pizzerias. The pizzeria named after their young sons, who Patrick hopes one will take over the business someday. The pizzeria has been named one of Pi...

This week on The Hot Slice Podcast, we hear Shelby Hall’s story. She owns Fox’s Pizza Den Cheat Lake in Morgantown, West Virginia and starting working at Fox’s Pizza Den as a teenager. While in college, she leaped into management. After graduation, she was presented with a franchise opportunity that she passed on. She waited for the right opportunity where the finances and location aligned. Shelby talks about the moving parts of business ownership and mentorships that helped her line up ...