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On the latest episode of The Hot Slice podcast, we chat with Armando DiMeo, owner of Houston-based Coastline Pizzeria. In addition to 12-inch Neapolitan pies, Coastline specializes in grilled pizza. DiMeo explains that he “wanted to create another style of pizza that would … be the opposite of a Neapolitan pizza.”

He threw some dough on the grill, and the rest is history … almost. DiMeo tells The Hot Slice that it took him five years to perfect the pizza style, which uses high-gluten flour and a 24-hour ferment in oiled and seasoned sheet trays.

Coastline also is innovating when it comes to its rotating seasonal menu. DiMeo shares that anyone at the pizzeria is encouraged to suggest new additions to the craft cocktail, pizza or small plate menu. Not only do staff members get credit on the menu for dreaming up the seasonal dishes, they also earn $1 for each time their item is sold.

“It’s just about making the team happy – and the customers really see that,” DiMeo tells The Hot Slice, adding that a Cacio e Pepe-inspired Neapolitan pizza was one of the staff suggestions that proved popular with guests. The profit-sharing program has another incentive: building friendly competition among employees.

Listen in to this episode to learn more about grilled pizzas, employee-sourced seasonal menu items and more!

Podcast Notes

Coastline Pizzeria: https://www.coastlinepizzeriahtx.com/

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Recorded live at the National Restaurant Show in Chicago, this episode of Pizza Today puts Editor in Chief Denise Greer in conversation with two pizzeria pros shaping how modern pizza operations run.

Juan Robles, corporate chef for Triple Beam Pizza in Los Angeles, California, breaks down the commissary model powering their five-location Roman-style pizza program — covering conveyor oven customization, high-hydration dough at 96%, par-baking strategy, and why three locations is the sweet spot before launching a commissary.

Vitangelo Recchia of Bella Napoli Pizzeria and Restaurant in Port Charlotte, Florida, shares how one master dough drives every style on his menu — New York, Sicilian, Detroit, Grandma, and Roman — and why flour education, digestibility, and sourcing matter more than most operators realize.

Together, they explore pizza dough trends, the resurgence of Roman pizza in the U.S., fermented wheat germ, and where pizzeria innovation is headed next.

Essential listening for foodservice professionals, multi-unit operators, and serious pizza makers.

Follow and subscribe to stay current on the pizza industry conversations that matter.

Show Notes:

Learn more about Triple Beam Pizza.

Follow on Instagram @ triplebeampizza

Learn more about Bella Napoli.

Follow on Instagram @ bellanapolipcfl

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Gabriel Baldinucci, along with Salvatore and Patricia are second-generation owners at Baldinucci Pizza Romana in Austin, Texas, Gabriel’s family has built one of the most talked-about fast premium dining concepts in the country, anchored by Roman-style pizza that Austin foodies and transplants can't stop eating.

In this episode of The Hot Slice Podcast, Gabriel talks about what's driving the Roman-style pizza movement in the U.S., why he believes slices are having a long-overdue comeback, and how Baldinucci Pizza Romana is taking brand loyalty to a new level — literally — with a luxury culinary food tour to Italy.

In this episode, you'll hear about:

• Why Roman-style pizza is positioned as the next major pizza trend in America
• How Baldinucci Pizza Romana carved out the "fast premium" space between gourmet and casual dining
• The culinary tour to Emilia-Romagna and Piedmont — and why Gabriel's customers said yes immediately
• How content, brand equity, and customer trust all connect to one bold marketing move
• Lessons from launching a family-owned pizza brand in a high-growth market like Austin

If you work in the pizza industry and want to think differently about brand building, customer loyalty, and what your concept could stand for beyond the four walls of your restaurant, this episode is for you.

Subscribe to The Hot Slice Podcast and join the conversation on where pizza is headed next.

Show Notes:

Learn more about Baldinucci Pizza Romana.

Read more on Baldinucci’s Cultural Food Tours in Italy.