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It was Carmela’s first time competing internationally, and almost nothing went according to plan. Airport officials confiscated her ingredients. Her hotel had no prep space or refrigeration. The competition ovens swung wildly from 320 to nearly 600 degrees. So, she improvised, blending mozzarella with scamorza she’d never worked with and leaning on instincts sharpened by her restaurant’s 70-year-old Blodgett ovens.

Here’s what you’ll take away:

• How she built a winning pizza on the fly under real pressure
• Dough and cheese decisions that held up when conditions didn’t
• Why her family legacy (father Paul and sister Gemma are also world champions) shaped her competitive mindset
• With 14 years in the industry, Carmela also breaks down the operational philosophy behind Antonio’s: open four days a week, no reservations, first-come, first-served. It’s a candid look at craft, grit, and running a pizzeria your way.

Show Notes:
Check out a fun look at her competition attempt: https://www.instagram.com/p/DZx3TUiJQ4J/

Follow Antonio’s Italian Ristorante at https://www.antoniositalian.com/ and on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/antoniositalianelkhart/

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Listen to Brian Rock, Co-Founder and COO of Doughnate Pizza, on The Hot Slice Podcast with Pizza Today

When a powerful derecho tore through northwest Indiana on Aug. 12 and knocked out power to more than 600,000 people, Brian Rock didn't wait for the lights to come back on. He went 14 days without power himself. Still, the co-founder and COO of Doughnate Pizza, a 100% volunteer-driven nonprofit, rallied his network and hit the streets. Over 16 days, his team served more than 6,000 meals, and on their biggest day they served 1,000! In this episode, we sit down with Brian to talk about how partnerships with Chicago staple Aurelio's Pizza and World Central Kitchen made it all possible, and why he sees pizza as one of the best tools around for doing good in your community. 🍕

Here's What Brian Gets Into:

• The storm that sparked it all: How the derecho left communities like Lake Station without power for weeks, and why Brian's first call went to the county's emergency management team to find out where help was needed most
• How to serve 1,000 meals in a day: Leaning on Aurelio's conveyor line to turn out 75 to 150 pizzas daily, packing 100 pies into a Subaru and serving two slices, a salad, a piece of fruit and a water from a simple tent setup, all coordinated by cell phone
• The Doughnate Pizza model: How the 100% volunteer-driven nonprofit has delivered more than 70,000 meals since 2022 by working out roughly 50% discounts with pizzerias instead of asking for free food, so every donated dollar goes straight to feeding people
• Teaming up with World Central Kitchen: How years of outreach finally paid off when WCK brought Doughnate Pizza on as a restaurant partner during this deployment
• From military vet to pizza for good: Brian's journey from his first pizza job at 14 to the military, slinging slices for 8,000 to 9,000 festivalgoers a day, serving 350 meals after a 2020 derecho in Iowa and teaching pizza classes to fellow veterans
• Advice for operators who want to help: Why Brian says you should spend the $500 or $1,000 on dough, cheese and sauce, show up for your neighbors and trust that your community will give it back tenfold

Tune in to the full episode of The Hot Slice Podcast to hear it all!

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Sexton’s Pizza started in a trailer the size of a closet on Florida’s Gulf Coast a decade ago. Now, after building a multi-unit operation in Columbus, Ohio, the pizzeria is returning to where it all began.

In this episode, we sit down with co-founder Joey Sexton ahead of Pizza Expo Columbus to talk dough science, growth and what it means to come full circle. You’ll learn about:

• Columbus-style Pizza: The square-cut, red-sauce, smoked-provolone tradition rooted in the city’s Flytown neighborhood.
• Dough Evolution: How a deep dive into long-fermented New York-style dough transformed Sexton’s signature product.
• Building a Commissary: Why centralizing dough production took three months to dial in but changed everything for consistency.
• The Portnoy Effect: What happened in the 12 hours after an 8.1 review and how Sexton’s kept up with demand
• Sexton’s Burger Bar: Why a smash burger with a lace edge earned its own concept instead of a spot on the pizza menu.
• Return to Florida: Why opening a location in the state where Sexton’s started feels like closing the loop on a 10-year journey.

Tune in to the full episode of The Hot Slice Podcast to hear it all!

Show Notes:

Sexton’s Pizza: sextonspizza.com

Pizza Expo Columbus: pizzaexpocolumbus.pizzatoday.com

Pizzeria Operator Survey: survey.alchemer.com/s3/8906788/Pizza-Today-s-Pizzeria-Operator-Survey-2026

Pizzeria Industry Excellence (PIE) Awards: pizzatoday.com/pie-awards