Send us a text

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 Pizza. Troiano has been in the game a long time and had some incredible insights about why this crispy, tavern-style pie is taking over.

While tourists line up for deep-dish, Troiano says locals are gathering for game days and family parties around a box of thin crust. “Ninety-five percent of the people in Chicago ... they’re eating a thin-crust pizza,” he says.

In fact, our own 2026 Pizza Industry Trends Report reveals that Chicago Thin is now the third most popular pizza style in the country! “I probably wouldn’t have competed with this particular pizza five years ago,” Troiano says. Now, he’s seeing it embraced on a national and even international level.

A key element to J.B. Alberto’s award-winning pies is the hand-pinched, house-made raw sausage. This might sound scary to some, but Tony insists it’s a game-changer. “The flavor difference is so much better,” he says. Pinching nickel-sized pieces ensures it cooks perfectly during a 12-minute bake, releasing just the right amount of flavor into the pie. And if you’re still worried? “Put it on top,” Tony advises. “That makes people feel better.”

To get the full story, listen to the complete Hot Slice episode with Tony Troiano.

Show Notes:

Download an expanded version of the 2026 Pizza Industry Trends Report!

Visit J.B. Alberto’s website, where a “secret menu” item is available only online!

Send us a text

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 as we share pizza styles that we are personally excited to perfect and styles we hope gain traction around the country.

Happy New Year, pizza fam!

Send us a text

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 and tripled slow days at the restaurant. The conversion was so captivating that we wanted to share it on the podcast.

Gilliam set a strategy into motion to turn his slowest days into high-volume sales days. He focused on increasing sales with daily specials one slow day at a time until he covered the entire week. “This kind of aggressive weekday programming has brought in the traffic and revenue we needed on nights that used to be dead,” he says. “I’ve built out a weekly schedule that gives people a clear reason to visit every single day.”

He approached each day with a new special and/or event and shares which days he started with. Uncle G’s promotes the days through its social accounts, e-mail and in store. It’s designed as weekly programming that Gilliam says people can build into their routines.

The conversation on social media led into a genuine talk on AI and advanced technology and their role in small independent pizzerias.

Read our article with George “Doubling to Tripling a Restaurant’s Slow Day Sales” at https://pizzatoday.com/topics/brand-marketing/doubling-to-tripling-a-restaurants-slow-day-sales/

Learn more about Uncle G’s Pizza at https://unclegspizza.com/ and on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/unclegspizza/

Send us a text

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 also share the secret sauce for staying relevant at a decades-old community restaurant. Spoiler alert: It involves a lot of love for the locals and a surprising amount of TikTok!

You’ll hear how Lentini uses viral videos to bring in fresh faces without spending a dime on ads. Plus, we discuss the power of lifting up other local businesses instead of competing with them. This episode is packed with actionable advice and infectious energy. Tune in to hear how passion, hard work, and a little bit of social media savvy can take a business to a whole new level

Show Notes:

Pino’s Italian Restaurant & Pizzeria: https://www.pinosfarmville.com/

Pino’s TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@www.pinosfarmville.com

Send us a text

The Hot Slice Podcast is back with one last episode from the Pizza Today booth at Pizza Expo Columbus in October with in-person conversations with pizzeria operators. We’re continuing our Pizza Expo Columbus episodes. You’ll hear riveting stories of entrepreneurship, growth, competition, struggles and ever a lesser-known pizza style.

Let’s end the special sessions with pizza pros who share how they’ve found their niche by either introducing an international pizza style, laser focusing on the brand and getting into the details of a pizzeria’s feel. Hear their stories of finding and sharing their uniqueness.

Nick McDonald and Braden Miller, Black Dog Pizzeria, Dublin, Ohio

We geek out about garlic knots and talk competition. We explored what Columbus-style pizza is. Nick shares how the restaurant has rebounded from a fire and what’s next for the business. Find out what’s behind Black Dog’s outstanding branding and marketing.

Fernando Grecco, OG Papa Fern, Queens, New York

What’s Argentinian pizza? Fernando shares what the style is, its heritage and history. He details how he is putting it on the map in the U.S.

Nick Robson, Ohio Pie Company, Brunswick, Rocky River, Parma, Ohio

Nick walks us through creating the Ohio Pie Co. brand and vibe that has now grown to three locations. He explains how once the comfort sets in with a location; it’s time to explore another location. We talk systems and ops with multiple units.

Thank you for being a part of this special series from the show floor at Pizza Expo Columbus.

Learn more about Pizza Expo Columbus. Find the latest news from this year’s show.

Send us a text

The Hot Slice Podcast is back at the Pizza Today booth at Pizza Expo Columbus in October with in-person conversations with pizzeria operators. We’re continuing our Pizza Expo Columbus episodes. You’ll hear riveting stories of entrepreneurship, growth, competition, struggles and ever a lesser-known pizza style.

Let’s continue the sessions with pizza pros who are growing in their own unique ways, from purchasing an existing pizzeria, expanding after a decade in the business or charting a new course and concept. Hear how each guest approaches the growth.

Leo Dicesaris, Cerrone’s Brick Oven, Columbus Georgia

Leo has studied pizza extensively to create his international award-winning pizza at Cerrone. As the pizzeria celebrates its 10-year anniversary, Leo shares how the shop os looking for new store growth or expansion. A veteran in the business, he offers advice on mentorship.

Mike Distefano & Michael Distefano, Jr., Salvatore’s Pizza, Johnstown, Pennsylvania

The Distefanos took over Salvatore’s over the summer. The father/sons trio run the business. Mike shares what’s happened since buying the pizzeria. Michael, Jr. details how his competitive spirit helped him compete in the Great American Pizza Challenge.

Aaron Gehrman, Emilio Finatti Pizzeria, Vancouver, BC, Canada

With a strong foothold with multiple units in the Vancouver area, Aaron has his sights on opening a new concept, A Slice Above, in Southern California. He shares the process of opening the U.S. and how the two concepts differ.

Stay tuned for one more episode returning to the show floor at Pizza Expo Columbus.

Learn more about Pizza Expo Columbus. Find the latest news from this year’s show.

Send us a text

Happy Thanksgiving! Today we’re replaying one of our favorite 2025 episodes of The Hot Slice Podcast with Pizza Today. It features an inspiring conversation with Matthew and Hengam Stanfield, the engineering-minded power couple behind Mattenga’s Pizzeria. Fresh off their monumental achievement of being named Pizza Today’s 2025 Pizzeria of the Year, the Stanfields shared the strategic insights and systematic approaches that transformed their struggling single pizzeria into San Antonio’s fastest-growing pizza business.

A Remarkable Month of Recognition

The timing couldn’t have been more perfect for the Stanfields. In the same week they received the prestigious Pizzeria of the Year honor, Mattenga’s also secured their third consecutive “Best of San Antonio” award – a testament to their consistent excellence and community impact.

“It was in the exact same week,” Hengam noted during the podcast. “Pretty awesome.”

This dual recognition represents more than just accolades; it demonstrates how the couple has successfully balanced operational excellence with deep community engagement throughout San Antonio.

The Power of Customer-Centric Marketing

One of the most striking aspects of Mattenga’s success lies in how they leverage recognition and media coverage. Rather than making achievements about themselves, the Stanfields consistently redirect the spotlight to their customers and community.

“We never want to make it about us,” Hengam explained. “It takes a village with the team, but also we are here because we have a lot of great customers that continue to support us. So it’s always making it about gratitude to our customers.”

This approach has contributed to their impressive 15-20% steady sales growth this year, with multiple high-profile moments including a Dave Portnoy visit creating sustained momentum rather than temporary spikes.

Engineering Excellence in Restaurant Operations

The Stanfields’ engineering backgrounds shine through in their systematic approach to restaurant management. Their comprehensive meeting structure includes three distinct sessions:

• Texas Hospitality meetings focusing on reviews and above-and-beyond service stories
• Engineered meetings diving deep into 20+ key performance metrics
• Invest meetings centered on leadership development and team growth

“As restaurant owners, you have many problems, then you can think about the source of your problem,” Hengam shared. “Whatever problem we have is a system problem… instead of pointing to people, a lot of times, I think in our industry, we look at people are the problem.”

Innovative Commissary Operations

The podcast revealed fascinating insights into Mattenga’s commissary implementation across all seven locations. By centralizing prep work and investing in specialized equipment like the “cheese hog” that shreds 48 pounds of cheese in seconds, they’ve achieved remarkable efficiency gains.

Matthew noted they successfully reduced their labor target from 23% to 19% while improving consistency and freeing up front-line staff to focus on hospitality rather than prep work.

Vision for Explosive Growth

Looking toward the future, the Stanfields aren’t thinking small. With plans to potentially reach 21 locations within three years – maintaining their current growth trajectory – they’re actively preparing systems and leadership development for a 400-employee operation.

“What has gotten us here will not get us there,” Hengam reflected, emphasizing their commitment to continuous evolution and improvement.

The couple also teased exciting developments they couldn’t yet share on the podcast, hinting at franchise opportunities and other strategic initiatives

Send us a text

The fun continues this week, as we conduct quick interviews from the Pizza Today booth during the inaugural Pizza Expo Columbus. This episode of The Hot Slice features discussions with three mobile pizzeria operators at various stages of business development – starting with lessons from the first year in business through how to innovate during the 15th season of running a mobile pizza operation.

During this episode, we speak with:

Kaitlyn & Chris Corson, Timbertop Pizza, Waverly, Iowa

Pizza was a hobby for this Iowa teacher and her husband, but with help from the pizza industry, they took the “summer fun” activity to the next level this year. Along the way, they’ve learned about teamwork, dreamed about a “pizza farm” and used AI to help prepare for their second season.

Erica Sprenkel, Ramblin’ Dough Wood-fired Pizza, Evergreen, Colorado

This new mobile pizzeria owner jumped at the opportunity when her favorite operator was selling the business. Since then, she’s worked local festivals, developed a loyal following of customers and dialed in consistency one wood fire at a time.

Maaren Spears, A Wandering Fire, Saint Croix Falls, Wisconsin

This catering-only mobile pizzeria does more than 100 events between early May and mid-October each year – and has to turn down twice as many! Spears works with local farmers to create menus that highlight regional agriculture and reduce food waste. You won’t want to miss hearing about her plans for the future!

Stay tuned next week, as we return to the show floor at Pizza Expo Columbus!

Learn more about Pizza Expo Columbus. Find the latest news from this year’s show.