In this episode, Alex sits down with Mikey Bausch, a man of many talents in the pizza industry. As the owner of Andolini's Pizza in Tulsa, Oklahoma, Mike shares his journey from shoestringing his first restaurant to now managing multiple successful concepts. He discusses the importance of delegation, creating systems for growth, maintaining a strong company culture across a large team, the value of community involvement, and the joy of pursuing your dreams. This episode is packed with valuable l...
May 24, 2024•1 hr 11 min•Ep. 56
In this episode of PIE 2 PIE, Alex sits down with Mike DeNunzio, owner of Fine Folk Pizza in Fort Myers, Florida. With nearly a decade of experience running his own pizzeria and a lifetime in the industry, Mike shares his insights on building a strong team culture, implementing effective systems, and fostering personal growth. He emphasizes the importance of leading with integrity, involving team members in decision-making processes, and creating a supportive work environment. Mike and Alex disc...
May 21, 2024•1 hr 5 min•Ep. 55
In this episode of PIE 2 PIE, we sit down with Alex White and Justin Ford, two of the owners of Yukon Pizza in Las Vegas. They share the incredible journey of Yukon Pizza - from cooking 40-50 pies a night in Alex's backyard during the pandemic, to getting their start the first ever Vegas test kitchen, to partnering with a developer to build out their current brick and mortar location. We dive into the unique challenges and stressors of being a restaurant owner and entrepreneur. Justin opens up a...
May 17, 2024•1 hr 20 min•Ep. 54
In this episode of Pie 2 Pie, Alex Koons sits down with Audrey Kelly, owner of Audrey Jane's Pizza Garage located in Boulder, Colorado. Audrey discusses what it was like growing up in the family’s thriving bagel business, as well as her journey into pizza making when she began working for pizza legend Tony Gemignani in San Francisco. She opens up about her experience with baker's lung and how it has impacted her involvement in her pizzeria. Audrey also shares her stories about being featured on ...
May 14, 2024•59 min•Ep. 53
In this episode, Scott Sandler, a pizza industry veteran from St. Louis, joins the show. Scott has opened three successful pizza concepts over the years and ultimately sold two of them. He shares his insights on the importance of understanding restaurant finances and numbers, staffing properly, and when it might make sense to sell your business. Scott discusses the difficulties of the transition from his strictly vegetarian pizza places to now allowing meat options at his newest spot Pizza Via. ...
May 10, 2024•1 hr 30 min•Ep. 52
In this episode, Nick Sanford, owner of Toss & Fire Pizza in Syracuse, NY, shares his inspiring journey from working in corporate America to building a thriving, multi-unit pizza empire. Nick discusses the risks he took, the challenges he faced, and the critical decisions that led to Toss & Fire's rapid expansion. He emphasizes the importance of maintaining consistency and quality across multiple locations and shares strategies for managing operations effectively. Throughout the conversa...
May 07, 2024•53 min•Ep. 51
In this episode, meet Ben Stix, founder of The BeHive, a Nashville-based company making some of the best plant-based meats and cheese available on the market today. Ben shares his entrepreneurial journey building The BeHive from the ground up. We discuss the challenges of scaling a wholesale food manufacturing business, and what it actually takes to get your product into grocery stores and onto peoples' plates. We dive into the art and science of creating quality vegan pepperoni, the future of p...
May 03, 2024•57 min•Ep. 50
In this episode, Alex heads to Hesperia, in the High Desert of California to visit the meet the minds behind Slice Godz. Brothers Kyle and Jacob share their inspiring journey of turning a passion project into a thriving pizza haven in their community. Mixing dough by hand, getting savagely creative with their oven setup, these guys epitomize the "where there's a will, there's a way" mantra. Learn how they carved out their unique slice of the pizza scene through unbridled determination, a punk-ro...
Apr 26, 2024•1 hr 11 min•Ep. 49
In this episode, Alex Koons sits down for the second time with Chris Wallace, owner of Ozzy's Pizza, to discuss Chris's incredible journey over the past year. From essentially popping-up in an underground sports bar to opening on a patio in Glendale and receiving a stellar review form from Dave Portnoy, Chris's trajectory has been nothing short of meteoric. They delve into the challenges of scaling up rapidly, tripling his staff and acquiring a second oven within 72 hours to meet the overwhelmin...
Apr 19, 2024•1 hr 45 min•Ep. 48
In this episode, Alex sits down with Hunter of Detroit Pizza Depot in Los Angeles to discuss his journey from Michigan to Los Angeles and the art of crafting "authentic" Detroit-style pizza. Hunter shares his humble beginnings, from running a food truck in his hometown to opening a cloud kitchen near USC, and reveals his exciting plans for a new brick-and-mortar location in the heart of Hollywood. Dive deep into the world of Detroit-style pizza as Hunter and Alex explore what sets this square pi...
Apr 12, 2024•1 hr 4 min•Ep. 47
In this Pie to Pie episode, host Alex Koons interviews Vito DeCandia, owner of Angel City Pizza in Venice, CA. Vito shares his journey from growing up in Brooklyn and Long Island where pizza was the family business to opening his own West Coast pizzeria. They discuss the challenges of running a restaurant, navigating regulations, high costs, and workforce changes. Vito emphasizes the importance of quality ingredients, and embracing the imperfection. https://www.angelcityla.com/ / acpizza Thank y...
Apr 05, 2024•57 min•Ep. 46
In this episode of Pie 2 Pie, we sit down with Michael Fiorelli and Liz Gutierrez of Fiorelli Pizza, a wood-fired pizza venture based in a community garden in Venice, Los Angeles. Mike and Liz share their unique journey from working in fine dining to nearly opening a brick-and-mortar restaurant of their own to deciding to pursue a mobile pizza concept in an intimate, outdoor setting. They discuss the challenges and rewards of leaving their day jobs, the importance of staying true to their vision...
Mar 29, 2024•1 hr 19 min•Ep. 45
In this episode, meet Jean and Grace, the husband and wife duo behind Montreal's Brigade Pizza. The first Neapolitan pizza lineup concept in Canada, Brigade has been serving up beautiful Neapolitan pies and sparking conversations since 2014. They discuss the merits and pitfalls of VPN certification, the evolution of their dough recipe, and the struggle to balance creativity with customer expectations. The couple shares their entrepreneurial journey, from their frozen yogurt beginnings to the ups...
Mar 22, 2024•1 hr 18 min•Ep. 44
Alex sits down with the one and only Angelo Womack of Rad Times Pizza for a no-bullshit, hilarious pizza chat that’s equal parts sage advice and ruthless roasts. Shots are fired, tea is spilled, and no one is safe, but primarily this episode is about the importance of keeping pizza FUN. Angelo is someone who keeps it 100 all the time, dropping truth bombs and hot takes that'll either have you laughing or crying, or both. We cover the influence of Dave Portnoy and Barstool Sports over the pizza i...
Mar 15, 2024•1 hr 42 min•Ep. 43
In this episode, Alex sits down with Luca of The LA Food Podcast and The LA Countdown to talk about a new era of food critics and their influence over the restaurant scene and the individuals who own and operate restaurants. Luca shares his origin story, starting back in 2021 when he embarked on an epic quest to devour 100 slices of pizza across Los Angeles – a journey that ignited his passion to share his culinary experiences with the world. Alex and Luca dive deep into the evolving role of foo...
Mar 08, 2024•1 hr 31 min•Ep. 42
In this episode, meet Zack and Kara, the rad duo behind LA's Boy Blue. Blasting onto the scene last summer these two started popping up making incredible pizzas, but quickly began to expand their menu outside the realm of za, wondering, ‘what else can we cook in a Gozney Dome?’ Zack has worked at such reputable institutions as Roberta's, Prime Pizza, and Pizzeria Sei while Kara tapped into her culinary roots and past pop-up experience, and together they balance deliciousness and seasonal eclecti...
Mar 01, 2024•1 hr•Ep. 41
In this episode of Pie 2 Pie, host Alex Koons sits down with the Holt Family of Sunday Pizza Company - a family of 4 that makes Detroit-style square pizza together. John and Laura, Johra, and Kaiden started making pizza at home on Sundays as a family activity which eventually turned into a booming mobile pizza pop-up. We get insight into their journey switching from brewing beer at home to bread baking and pizza making, their unique approach to popping up at local farmers markets with a wood-fir...
Feb 23, 2024•1 hr 4 min•Ep. 40
In this episode, we’re getting all dressed up to sit down with Caitlin and Daniel, owners of the highly acclaimed, Ronan Los Angeles. Tucked away on bustling Melrose Avenue, Ronan has earned a reputation for creating an elevated dining experience that puts pizza at the forefront. A relationship forged in the fires of professional kitchens, we discuss the origins (and hidden meanings) of their logo, serving literally thousands of pizzas at the Coachella music festival, their Ode to Philippe's, th...
Feb 16, 2024•1 hr 16 min•Ep. 39
In this episode, Jose and Bronwen of Naughty Pie Nature join PIE 2 PIE to discuss their incredible journey going from starting their pizza pop-up to opening a brick-and-mortar shop in LESS THAN A YEAR. After years of working in big corporate restaurants and missing the creative control and hands-on experience of pizza, they quickly snowballed into the LA pizza scene. We talk about taking the leap to quit their jobs and go all-in on pizza, hustling to book pop-ups, streamlining operations, cookin...
Feb 09, 2024•1 hr 8 min•Ep. 38
Join us as we chat with Ryan Mondragon, owner of Sanctuary Pizza the mobile catering legend out of Turlock, California. Ryan takes us through his journey from learning wood-fired pizza basics while working at a local restaurant to launching his own catering operation and acquiring a pizza trailer during the pandemic. He shares how he built up his business through backyard pop-ups, honed his dough-making and social media skills, and found his pizza voice. Ryan also discusses competing at the Pizz...
Feb 02, 2024•1 hr 10 min•Ep. 37
In this episode, we sat down with Damien Moore of Jackknife Brewing in British Columbia, Canada to chat about his metal inspired brewery and pizzeria.
Jan 26, 2024•58 min•Ep. 36
Meet the genius behind Fire and Wood Catering, Thomas DeSantis! Thomas gives us an inside look at what it takes to operate a mobile wood-fired pizza and event catering operation at the highest level. Get an inside look at Thomas' journey from starting in New York to launching his own business in Los Angeles. We discuss how to grow a mobile operation from the ground up, the day-to-day operations and logistics of running a mobile pizza business, and how to be resourceful when something inevitably ...
Jan 19, 2024•1 hr 38 min•Ep. 35
In this episode, we talk with Chris Laramie, owner of Fat Lip Pizza about his journey from starting a pizza pop-up out of a retired mail truck during the pandemic to opening his brick-and-mortar restaurant in Corona, CA. Chris shares about his culinary career and departure from fine dining to finding a unicorn second-gen brick-and-mortar pizza shop while developing his brand and community outreach. Chris lays out his Keep it Simple Stupid (K.I.S.S.) philosophy of keeping the menu simple and the ...
Jan 12, 2024•1 hr 15 min•Ep. 34
In this special year-end wrap-up episode, Alex takes us through some of the highlights and unforgettable moments from the 33 episodes of Pie2Pie in 2023. As we look back, we want to give a massive thanks to everyone who has been a guest on our humble podcast and to all the listeners out there for your support. It’s always been about the community. We are all here to learn and grow together and we can’t wait to bring so many more inspiring stories and valuable insights from pizza makers from all ...
Dec 29, 2023•35 min•Ep. 33
Join us as we chat with 2 of the finest pizza makers out of San Diego, the dynamic duo behind TNT Pizza - Kevin Gist and Joseph Ghafouri Wehrly. After 18 years in the pizza industry, hear how these two friends joined forces to open their very own pizza joint. We dig into how they got their space up and running for much less money than you would think by looking at their incredible shop and their f**king cool branding. We talk about the challenges of partnership and compromise, their array of ‘th...
Dec 22, 2023•1 hr 19 min•Ep. 32
On this episode we sit down with Matt Lyons, owner of Tribute Pizza in San Diego, to discuss his journey. From getting his start delivering pizzas on his skateboard as a teen to traveling to Kenya to consult on a new pizzeria and soon after opening his critically acclaimed restaurant. Matt gives an insightful look at his passion for the craft. We talk about the interior design of Tribute Pizza and the care put into every detail. We dip into the work/life balance when to step away from your shop,...
Dec 15, 2023•1 hr 19 min•Ep. 31
On this episode of PIE 2 PIE, Marc Schechter from Square Pie Guys joins the podcast to dish about his journey going from working in sales and doing comedy to putting Detroit-style pizza on the map in San Francisco. We follow along as he rises from humble pizza pop-up beginnings, catapulted by a fateful wedding catering gig into a pizza empire taking over the West Coast and stretching into new markets. Marc shares his experience in business, his viral collab with Jeremy Lin, building ghost kitche...
Dec 08, 2023•1 hr 44 min•Ep. 30
In this solo episode, host Alex Koons reflects on his motivations for starting the Pie 2 Pie podcast. An endeavor to build community and connections in the pizza industry, as well as to gain inspiration and knowledge by having candid conversations with other owners. If you're enjoying this podcast, please go on Apple Podcasts and leave us a quick review. This helps put us in front of more people who might benefit from the podcast. https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/pie-2-pie-a-pizza-makers-po...
Nov 17, 2023•7 min•Ep. 29
In this episode of Pie 2 Pie features brothers James and Thom Elliott, founders of the popular London-based pizza chain, Pizza Pilgrims. The Elliott brothers recount how they fell in love with Neapolitan pizza on a trip to Italy, leading them to start their business in London in 2011. They share the origin story of buying a tuk-tuk in Sicily to put a pizza oven on the back of it and drive all the way back to London. James and Thom discuss growing Pizza Pilgrims from a single food truck to 25+ br...
Nov 10, 2023•1 hr 33 min•Ep. 28
In this episode, another round table discussion, this time we find out what it takes to go from popping up to growing into a brick-and-mortar pizzeria. Meet Chris of Ozzy’s Apizza, Sean of Secret Pizza LA, and Tommy of LaSorted’s. These passionate pizzaiolos recount their journey from hobbyists perfecting pies at home to opening their own beloved pizzerias in 2020 and winding up on the LA Times best pizza in Los Angeles list in 2023. They manifested brick-and-mortar locations through hard work, ...
Nov 03, 2023•1 hr 7 min•Ep. 27
