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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!) alive while shaking up the menu with natural wines and elevated hospitality.

Ryan gets real about the pushback he faced when rebranding an existing business and why serving “good pizza” just isn’t enough to earn a Michelin Bib Gourmand. Ready for some serious restaurant ownership inspiration? Let’s dig in!

Show Notes:

Pizza Grace: https://www.pizzagrace.com/

Are you a Pizzeria to Watch?

We are looking for standout pizzerias to feature in our 2026 Pizzerias to Watch in our May issue of Pizza Today. If you would like to be considered, complete our questionnaire for inclusion.

https://pizzatoday.com/pizzerias-to-watch-questionnaire/

Countdown to Pizza Expo

As Pizza Expo approaches, we are preparing for the biggest and best Pizza Expo yet. A couple things of note. Competition spots are filling or are on waitlists, signed up now for remaining competition spots.

Register now for Pizza Expo 2026.

Send us a text

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 and mushroom pizza with blue cheese, hazelnut, and lemon zest.

Lars emphasized the importance of using high-quality ingredients and maintaining consistency. He also shared his approach to branding, focusing on seasonal offers and a strong brand identity.

Leveraging his expertise, Lars lets us in on his upcoming sessions at Pizza Expo on limited time offers and building a strong brand identity, aiming to help operators improve their business strategies and customer engagement.

Follow Lars on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/lboogiesmith/

Learn more about State of Mind at https://www.stateofmindslicehouse.com/ and on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/stateofmindslicehouse/ .

Show Notes:

Are you a Pizzeria to Watch?

We are looking for standout pizzerias to feature in our 2026 Pizzerias to Watch in our May issue of Pizza Today. If you would like to be considered, complete our questionnaire for inclusion.

https://pizzatoday.com/pizzerias-to-watch-questionnaire/

Countdown to Pizza Expo

As Pizza Expo approaches, we are preparing for the biggest and best Pizza Expo yet. A couple things of note. Competition spots are filling or are on waitlists, signed up now for remaining competition spots.

Register now for Pizza Expo 2026.

Send us a text

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 parents who were both chefs to creating a family-friendly community hub, Kinney’s journey is packed with actionable insights for every operator.

Show Notes:

R Town Pizza

https://www.rtownpizza.com/

Are you a Pizzeria to Watch?

We are looking for standout pizzerias to feature in our 2026 Pizzerias to Watch in our May issue of Pizza Today. If you would like to be considered, complete our questionnaire for inclusion.

https://pizzatoday.com/pizzerias-to-watch-questionnaire/

Webinar: 2026 Pizza Industry Trends Report: A Deep Dive — January 29th, 2026 @ 2 PM ET

oin Pizza Today editors Denise Greer and Kate Lavin as they slice into the most critical findings from the 2026 Pizza Industry Trends Report.

Sign up for the Webinar.

Countdown to Pizza Expo

As Pizza Expo approaches, we are preparing for the biggest and best Pizza Expo yet. A couple things of note. Competition spots are filling or are on waitlists, signed up now for remaining competition spots.

Register now for Pizza Expo 2026.

Send us a text

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 extensive hands-on experience across all aspects of restaurant operations, including site selection, startups, ongoing operations, training, concept development, consulting, procurement, and culinary innovation.

We dive into what has driven growth at Cosmo’s and the role its commissary has played. Robert talks slice business, location selection and logistics.

Fun fact: Robert has been coming to Pizza Expo for 36 years. He gave us a teaser on his Pizza Expo session Building Customer Loyalty Through Community Initiatives taking place Wednesday, March 25: 09:30 AM - 10:30 AM at the Las Vegas Convention Center. Don’t miss his session. He will share how he turned local schools into lifelong partners. From special education celebrations to fundraising dine-outs and creative contests, discover how community engagement can drive sales — like Cosmo’s 22.5% growth in 2022 — and create meaningful connections. Dive into proven strategies to make your pizzeria the heart of your neighborhood.

Show Notes:

Are you a Pizzeria to Watch?

We are looking for standout pizzerias to feature in our 2026 Pizzerias to Watch in our May issue of Pizza Today. If you would like to be considered, complete our questionnaire for inclusion.

https://pizzatoday.com/pizzerias-to-watch-questionnaire/

Countdown to Pizza Expo

As Pizza Expo approaches, we are preparing for the biggest and best Pizza Expo yet. A couple things of note. Competition spots are filling or are on waitlists, signed up now for remaining competition spots.

Register now for Pizza Expo 2026.

Send us a text

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 competitions. Featured on numerous TV shows and media outlets, he also authored Viva La Pizza! and holds a Guinness World Record for his pizza box collection.

We dive into what’s happening right now in the New York pizza scene. He shares how the New York slice is elevating its game.

Find out memorable pizzas Scott had last year and what he’s up to this year.

We talk in depth about judging at the International Pizza Challenge. He offers some advice as a longtime judge.

Show Notes:

Are you a Pizzeria to Watch?

We are looking for standout pizzerias to feature in our 2026 Pizzerias to Watch in our May issue of Pizza Today. If you would like to be considered, complete our questionnaire for inclusion.

https://pizzatoday.com/pizzerias-to-watch-questionnaire/

Countdown to Pizza Expo

As Pizza Expo approaches, we are preparing for the biggest and best Pizza Expo yet. A couple things of note. Competition spots are filling or are on waitlists, signed up now for remaining competition spots.

Register now for Pizza Expo 2026.

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!

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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/