The Hot Slice
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.
Episodes
When it comes to meeting customers where they are at, this episode of The Hot Slice podcast has it all. And, we’re doing it from the show floor of Pizza Expo 2026 in Las Vegas.
Pizza Expo speaker Dana Hokin of Robert’s Pizza & Dough Co. shares how the pizzeria leverages its location on the ground floor of a large waterfront apartment building in downtown Chicago to cater to the recreational boating community and...
On this episode of The Hot Slice, we hear from Eric Sublett, co-owner of Firehouse Pizza in Kentucky. After his first pizzeria was damaged by a tornado, Eric and his wife used the opportunity to redefine their mission. They put their ideas into action at the Morgantown location and eventually replicated their vision in Bowling Green. The new menu included boozy shakes – a somewhat controversial choice in a town wher...
This week, The Hot Slice Podcast continues its Special Pizza Expo Series exploring what it takes to succeed with a mobile pizzeria. In the Pizza Today Village studio, Senior Editor Kate Lavin talks with two experienced mobile operators. They break down the daily realities, tough challenges, and big wins of working on the road.
Zephanie’s Pizza (Kahuku, Hawaii)
Zach and Stephanie Draper explain what it really takes to ...
This week, we continue to bring you interviews from The Hot Slice Podcast Studio in the Pizza Today Village at Pizza Expo. Senior Editor Kate Lavin had an engaging conversation with Philip De Andrade, founder of San Francisco-based Goat Hill Pizza that recently celebrated its 50th anniversary.
A piqued interest in restaurants initiated De Andrade’s journey into pizza, first in management then ownership.
He shares th...
We are just back from Pizza Expo, where the staff of Pizza Today welcomed the industry for the inaugural Pizza Today Village. We recorded episodes of The Hot Slice live on the show floor and will be rolling them out over the next several weeks.
Our first guest? None other than Wylie Dufresne, the keynote speaker at Pizza Expo. Dufresne made a name for himself in New York City’s fine dining scene by letting curiosity...
Happy Pizza Expo Week! We hope you are enjoying the best week in PIZZA happening at the Las Vegas Convention Center. While we are focused on connecting in person, and doing MORE podcast episodes from the show floor, we want to share one of our favorite episodes this year.
Listen to Tony Troiano of J.B. Alberto’s Pizza in Chicago, Illinois, on The Hot Slice Podcast with Pizza Today
When most people think of Chicago p...
In this episode of The Hot Slice Podcast with Pizza Today, we sit down with Odie O'Connor to explore the dynamic challenges of operating two distinct concepts 1,000 miles apart: Boxcar Pizza in Portland, OR, and Odie's Pizza Company in San Diego, CA.
Odie’s holds a special place for the owner as he returns to his hometown to carryout his pizza vision. Odie shares his deep industry experience and data-drive...
Ever wonder what it really takes to run a booming pizzeria without losing your mind?! Grab a slice and pull up a chair! This week on The Hot Slice with Pizza Today, we’re joined by Nkem and Kerrel Thompson, the visionary couple behind Bird Pizzeria in Charlotte, NC. Nkem and Kerrel have quickly become industry standouts for their commitment to craft, hospitality, and community—transforming Bird Pizzeria from a humbl...
To celebrate the milestone of 300 episodes of The Hot Slice podcast, we’re chatting with a true pioneer of the U.S. pizza industry: Anthony Mangieri of Una Pizza Napoletana.
For nearly 40 years, Mangieri has been obsessively chasing the perfect pizza, but his journey hasn’t been a straight line. In this special anniversary episode, he opens up about his evolution to embrace the transformative power of hospitality. We...
Get ready for the world's largest pizza show! In this special insider episode, the Pizza Today team pulls back the curtain on International Pizza Expo 2026 in Las Vegas, March 24–26. Hear directly from Jeremy White, Brand Director of Emerald Food Group, along with editors Denise Greer, Kate Lavin, and creative director Josh Keown as they share exclusive details about what makes this year's expo truly unfor...
Ever wondered what it takes to juggle a soccer ball while spinning a pizza dough? Or how nerve-wracking it is to toss a dough skin blindfolded while a panel of judges watches your every move?
Welcome to “The Olympics of Pizza!” In this episode of The Hot Slice, we are joined by Justin Wadstein, owner of Sleight of Hand Pizza and champion of the World Pizza Games. He takes us behind the curtain in the competitive worl...
Ever wondered what it takes to turn a neighborhood pizza joint into a James Beard semifinalist in just one year? You’re about to find out.
Ryan O'Hara, the new owner/chef of Pizza Grace, joins us on The Hot Slice podcast to spill the sauce on his wild journey. O’Hara went from fine dining and ice cream making to pizzeria ownership. We chat about keeping the legendary 25-year-old starter (its name is Frank!) ali...
This week, we chat with champion pizza maker and industry leader Lars Smith. Lars co-owns State of Mind Pub and State of Mind Slice House in Palo Alto, California.
Fresh off his recent trip to Italy, Lars competed at the Sigep World in Rimini. His finishes include 2nd place in Pizza in Teglia, 11th place in Pizza alla Pala and 25th place in Pizza Classica. He highlighted his winning pizza, a seasonal winter squash a...
On this week’s episode, we’re chatting with Marvin Kinney, the owner of R Town Pizza, who set out to bring Detroit-style pies to Reno in 2022. Kinney isn’t just thoughtful about making pizzas, he’s hoping to reform restaurant culture into a place of growth and mutual respect.
We ask Kinney how he keeps food waste under 1% and why he believes in collaboration over competition. From growing up in a pizzeria with paren...
This week on The Hot Slice Podcast, we chat with Robert Marek. He is Director of Business Development at Cosmo’s Pizza, a growing independent Colorado-based pizza brand with six locations and a commissary. He’s also coming to Pizza Expo in March to share his expertise in our powerful, industry-led education program.
A seasoned restaurant industry professional with a degree in Restaurant Management, Robert has extens...
This week, we catch up with Scott Wiener to chat all things pizza. Scott started Scott’s Pizza Tours in New York City 17 years ago. And his pizza enthusiasm has only grown. As Josh says on the podcast, “no one knows probably more about the pizza business than Scott.”
Scott has been a frequent speaker at Pizza Expo and contributor to Pizza Today. He judges the International Pizza Challenge and other global pizza comp...
When most people think of Chicago pizza, they picture a deep-dish behemoth, a cheesy beast you need a fork and knife to conquer. But locals know the real MVP of the region is Chicago Thin – and it’s finally getting the love it deserves.
We sat down with Tony Troiano of J.B. Alberto’s Pizza, a 60-year-old Chicago institution and recent winner of the Great American Pizza Challenge for Best Traditional Thin Pi...
Join us for this special New Year’s Day edition of The Hot Slice Podcast. The new year is full of new opportunities. The Pizza Today team gathers to commemorate the New Year with 2026 thoughts and reflections.
We highlight goals we have to help the pizza community. Denise highlights priorities in her first full year as Editor in Chief. We look at pizza trends and share our forecasts for the upcoming year.
Don’t miss a...
Listen to George Gilliam, owner of Uncle G’s Pizza in Birmingham, Alabama on The Hot Slice Podcast with Pizza Today
Merry Christmas from all of us at Pizza Today and Pizza Expo. This week on The Hot Slice Podcast with Pizza Today, we are replaying one of the most popular episodes of 2025 with 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 ...
From handing out menus before she could even reach the tables to taking the reins as owner of Pino’s Italian Restaurant & Pizzeria in Farmville, Virginia, Marilena Lentini’s journey is inspiring at every turn.
In this episode, we talk about the terrifying yet rewarding transition from employee to boss. Lentini opens up about the importance of maintaining positivity, and how she earned the respect of her staff. We...
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