We often focus on independent pizza makers here on Pizza Quest. But, only 50% of the pizzas sold in this country are made by the thousands of independent operators; the other 50% are sold by the many pizza franchise chains, and most of those are from the top five brands. Marco's Pizza has recently climbed into that top tier (along with Domino's, Pizza Hut, Papa John, and Little Caesar's) , as it now boasts more than 1,000 locations, with over 100 more coming this year alone.

Peter sits down with Tim Brown, Chief Operations Officer (as well as owner/operator of 15 Marco's locations), and Kathleen Kennedy, Director of Culinary Innovation (and former colleague of Peter's at The California Culinary Academy in SF, 30 years ago). They discuss how this brand started from one independent location in Toledo, Ohio, and has continued to expand ever since. They mention how Marco's has stayed true to the founder's original vision while meeting the challenges of delivering a consistent pizza experience at every location, while managing the staff training of thousands, new product development, and the supply chain needs necessary to survive and thrive in today's competitive market place. You'll learn more than you thought possible in this week's episode of Pizza Quest.

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Chef Michael Friedman grew up in a New York area Jewish American household (in Westfield, NJ, to be specific) and, like me, was nourished by lots of Chinese and Italian food. Also like me, he attended Boston University's School of Communications, so we share a kindred spirit connectivity. After paying his dues in fine dining restaurants around the world (including stints with Rich Melman's Lettuce Entertain You restaurant group, as well as with Chef Marc Vetri in Philadelphia, and also with Chef Jose Andres), Mike started his own restaurant group in the Washington DC area and, for the past ten years, has garnered awards and recognition of his own. All-Purpose (A-P) Pizza Shop, in its three locations, pays tribute to the east coast pizzas and slice shops of his youth, and joins Red Hen and Aventino Roman Cucina as part of his ever-growing restaurant empire. Hear all about Chef Mike's quest to bring the past into the present, and the culinary vision that drives him forward in this new episode of Pizza Quest with Peter Reinhart.

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Peter just spent a few days at the 2024 International Pizza Expo, where he sat down with the "Energizer Bunny of Pizza," and frequent guest, Scott Wiener, who seems to know everyone in the pizza mega-verse. Together, they cover everything from emerging trends (based on this year's pizza competition at the Expo, where Scott was a lead judge), the growing impact of Slice Out Hunger, the non-profit hunger relief program formed by Scott a number of years ago, the ever-popular pizza tours that first put Scott on the map 20 years ago, Scott's Guinness World Record Pizza Box collection, and most important, the upcoming three-day pizza intensive course that Peter and Scott will co-teach at Pizza University, May 13-15. Get all the details here, in this week's latest episode of Pizza Quest.

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Our guest this week is Inja Radman, co-founder of New Culture Food, a company with a mission to provide the world with animal-free cheese, beginning with mozzarella, that actually tastes and performs like the milk-based originals. Even those with lactose or dairy sensitivities have a love-hate relationship with the current options of faux cheese, usually made with nut and seed milks. New Culture's breakthrough came by breaking the bio-chemical code of milk cheeses and to zero in on casein as the key. Casein is what makes cheese perform like cheese, as Inja explains in this fascinating conversation. Where will it lead, and when will this breakthrough, game-changing product be available to the general public? Listen in as Inja explains it all.

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This week's episode features Jillana Miller and Ahmad Butler who, together, are the dynamic team known as MillerButler, a sizzling-hot mobile pizza and catering company, based in San Pedro, California. Ahmad competed against Peter and 10 other finalists at the Real California Pizza Contest in Napa back in August, where they first became friends. That's when Peter learned how MillerButler took on the ultra-competitive Los Angeles marketplace, survived the pandemic, and were soon cooking for the stars. You'll hear all about their inspiring journey on this week's all-new episode of Pizza Quest.

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Lloyd Pans has emerged as the leading supplier of pans for every style of pan pizza, and Paul Lackey is their Director of Operations. On this week's podcast, which was recorded at the Northeast Pizza and Pasta Expo in Atlantic City, Paul describes the manufacturing process that enables Lloyd Pans to respond to the ever-changing needs and trends in the pizza industry with durable but lightweight and affordable pans. As Peter notes, watching the sales charts of the various types and styles of pans is a great way to spot emerging trends across the country and to see what's the next big thing on the horizon. Join Peter and Paul in this enlightening conversation on this week's episode of Pizza Quest.

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Sometimes it just takes moxie. Shannon Mangini  is living proof of that. In just a few short years since graduating from U Penn's Wharton School with a degree in economics, entrepreneurship, and finance, Shannon has brought DiFara Pizza to the North Fork of Long Island. In addition, she has been serving as Senior Director of Brands and Partnerships for the OTG Management Group, which owns and operates food concessions in airports around the country. We discuss all of this, happened so quickly, and what's next for this dynamic rising star, on this week's episode of Pizza Quest with Peter Reinhart.

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Who would have thought that Glenmont, NY, near Albany, would be home to one of the reigning international pizza champions, but that's where Anthony Berghela, of Romo's Pizza, makes it happen. Hear all about how he honed his craft while working his way to the World Pizza Cup Championships in Naples, Italy, where he won first place last year in the American Pizza Division. This is not an overnight success story, but one of hard work, perseverance, and tenacious dedication to the craft. Anthony shares his journey in this conversation with Peter, recorded at the Northeast Pizza and Pasta Expo in Atlantic City, NJ.

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Anthony Mangieri is one of our favorite guests. Now that his NYC restaurant Una Pizza Napoletana was recently anointed by one poll as the "best pizzeria in the world," this is a timely return visit to the show. On this episode, Anthony tells us all about his new line of frozen pizzas under the name Genio Della Pizza, and how he managed to create and package a frozen wood-fired pizza, made in Italy, that he is now bringing it to selected outlets here in the States like Whole Foods Markets. A lot has happened since Anthony's last visit so we're playing catch-up. Hang on for the ride as we enjoy an inspiring conversation with the ever-growing pizza giant, Anthony Mangieri, here on Pizza Quest.

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Roman-style pizza is in a steady ascent across the country, due in no small part to the success of this week's guest, Rob Cervoni. Rob is a disciple of the acclaimed Massimiliano Saieva pizza tree, but is now forging his own glittering path. Many of you have seen him kick everyone's butt and become champion on Chopped in 2023, or saw him compete and showcase his work at various Pizza Expo's. Pizza Today named him a rising star in 2022, and now, it's all coming together for him at his Mineola (Long Island) pizzeria, Taglio. At Taglio, many patrons are experiencing the unique pleasures and joys of Roman-style pizza for the first time. Rob shares with us his journey of climbing to the top of the pizza mountain in this delightful conversation recorded at the Northeast Pizza and Pasta Expo in Atlantic City, NJ.

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