What's Good Dough?

What are the best upgrades you can make to run smoother, faster, and more profitable pizza catering events?

In this episode, Eidref breaks down the seven biggest upgrades he's making to his pizza catering setup for 2026.

After five years of catering as a side hustle, a sudden influx of new bookings pushed him to rethink every part of his operation. From cooler systems and organization hacks to rotating pizza stones and workflow impro...

What does it really take to build a million-dollar pizza shop with no investors, no dining room, and only 900 square feet?

In this episode, Eidref sits down with Fred Santos of Square Pizza Co., a pizzeria quietly doing massive numbers out of a tiny shop in Pacific Beach.

Fred and his partner Bruno bootstrapped everything themselves, worked brutal hours for years, and built a cult following around square pizzas most people had never ...

How can a three-time world pizza champion still struggle to fill his own shop?

In this episode, Eidref sits down with Ryan Ososky, a three-time world pizza champion and Pizza Maker of the Year, to unpack one of the most interesting contradictions in pizza.

Ryan has the trophies, the technique, and one of the most dialed-in Detroit-style pies in West Hollywood—but the crowds haven’t always matched the accolades. From build...

How far would you go to become a world pizza champion?

In this episode, Eidref sits down with Wilhelm Rodriguez, a world pizza champion who spent years chasing one of the toughest titles in the industry.

From competing in pizza acrobatics to grinding through multiple losses in Las Vegas, Wilhelm shares what it really takes to win on the biggest stage. This is a story about obsession, resilience, and why even after reaching the top, t...

How does a Bay Area pizzeria quietly become a $2 million business?

In this episode, Idris sits down with Leah, owner of Pizza Leah, to break down how a small-town pizzeria quietly hit $2 million in annual sales.

From opening 20 locations to walking away for her health, Leah shares how she rebuilt her life—and built a highly efficient pizza operation rooted in systems, consistency, and intentional decisions.

Highlights:

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What does it really take to serve 58 pizzas in just 45 minutes… at a wedding where everything has to be perfect?

In this episode, we go behind the scenes with Linda and Abby of Fired Up Fresh, a mother-daughter duo specializing in high-pressure mobile pizza catering. From months of preparation to last-minute improvisation, they show how chaotic wedding events are transformed into a seamless, high-performance operation.

We brea...

What if the smartest way to start a pizza business isn’t opening a restaurant… but avoiding rent entirely?

In this episode of the What's Good Dough Podcast, we spend the day with Jeremy and Michelle, the team behind Gabacool Pizza, an award-winning pizza pop-up that built a powerful brand without the massive overhead of a traditional restaurant.

From prepping in a commissary kitchen to selling out at brewery pop-ups, the...

What if the smartest way to start a pizza business isn’t opening a restaurant… but avoiding rent altogether?

In this episode, we spend the day with Jeremy and Michelle of Gabacool, an award-winning pizza pop-up that built a powerful brand without the massive overhead of a traditional pizzeria. From prepping in a $235/month commissary kitchen to selling out every weekend at brewery pop-ups, they’ve created a system...

What happens when an engineer quits his job, goes all-in on pizza, and builds a slice shop obsessed with consistency?

In this episode of What’s Good Dough, Eidref is with Charlie Anderson, founder of Good Pizza Cleveland, to talk about the real work behind opening a modern slice shop. From menu minimalism and workflow design to dough fermentation, content creation, and long-term vision, this is a deep dive into what it actuall...

Most pizzerias have a huge menu, but this man, Charlie Anderson, only sells six pizzas. And this strategy is helping him in his quest to be the best pizzeria in the world. Highlights:0:00 – Why a Tight Menu Keeps Slices Fresh0:40 – Pros & Cons of Offering Fewer Pizzas1:20 – Meet Charlie Anderson of Good Pizza Cleveland2:00 – From First Pizza to Opening a Pizzeria2:45 – Designing a Modern Slice...

What happens when you open a slice shop during a pandemic, with no dining room and no walk-in traffic?

In this episode, we sit down with Lars Smith, Chef and Co-Owner of State of Mind Slice House and the mind behind State of Mind Slice House in Palo Alto. Lars shares how lessons from past failures, smart pricing, and intentional design helped him build a high-performing slice shop during and after the pandemic.

Highlights:

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What if everyone told you your pizzeria would fail because of its location — and you proved them wrong by selling 275 pizzas in just four hours?

In this episode of What’s Good Dough, we sit down inside Fired Pizza in Stockton, CA — a pizzeria that broke nearly every “rule” people swear by in the restaurant industry.

From being told their location would never work, to transitioning from a mobile pizza tra...

What if the reason this pizza won wasn’t a secret ingredient… but a decision most people wouldn’t make?

Slice on Broadway just took home Best Cheese Slice at the 2025 Las Vegas Pizza Expo and was named Best Pizzeria in the State—and today, we’re sitting down with owner-operator Rico Lunardi to find out why. From dough hydration and cheese blends to Pittsburgh pizza culture and consistency under pressur...

What really happens when you cater a wedding for the first time—especially when it’s your cousin’s big day?

In this episode, I break down the behind-the-scenes reality of catering my first-ever wedding. From long-distance travel and unexpected costs to dough management disasters and learning the power of preparation, these lessons can help any pizza operator—whether you're established or just getting started....

Can a brand-new pizzeria really survive on one of San Francisco’s toughest streets?

In this episode, we hang out with David Jacobson, the pizza maker behind Cheezy’s Artisan Pizza and a Real California Milk Cheese Champion. David’s worked in some of the Bay Area’s most respected kitchens, built pizza programs from scratch, and now he’s taking a big swing by opening his own shop right on Market Street &m...

How do two pizza lovers turn a shared obsession into a thriving, award-winning pizzeria—during a pandemic?

We’re inside the dough room at Cowabunga to hear how Justin and Andy went from pizza snobs and Instagram mutuals to building one of Canada’s most talked-about slice shops. We break down their hybrid sourdough program, how they scaled without sacrificing quality, why pizza screens aren’t the enemy, and th...

What happens when a lifelong pizza lover turns his obsession into a craft—and finds his happy place behind the oven?

In this episode of What’s Good Dough, Eidref sits down with Matt Lucas, the sourdough pizza mastermind behind Johnny Baguette. From demoing pizzas at Orchard Supply to perfecting naturally leavened doughs at SF Pizza Fest, Matt shares how his curiosity, creativity, and community shaped his pizza-making jou...

How do you balance running a mobile pizza trailer and a brick-and-mortar shop—without burning out or burning the pies?

In this episode, we visit Charlie’s Pizza to see how they keep their slice game strong while expanding to a full restaurant. From learning the rhythm of the oven to managing staff, events, and logistics, Charlie shares how he’s turning passion and hustle into a thriving business.

Highlights:

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What does it take to run one of Las Vegas’ most influential kitchens—and keep raising the bar while staying true to your craft?In this episode of What’s Good Dough, Eidref sits down with James and Dylan of Esther’s Kitchen, a restaurant that’s become a cornerstone of the Las Vegas dining scene. Known for pushing culinary boundaries with seasonality, fermentation, and relentless standards, the duo opens...