Uploaded January 2024 | Updated September 2026, 56 minutes ago
Jeremy White and Denise Greer Welcome 2024 on The Hot Slice Podcast
We usher in a new year with a session where we talk shop on a variety of topics ranging from the Pizza Industry Excellence Awards to Pizza Expo 2024 competitions and more. We capped off 2023 by announcing the PIE Awards winners on PizzaToday.com. Here we give a quick shout out to the winners in 24 categories as well as look ahead to the 40th Anniversary of Pizza Expo.
First, the PIE Awards winners:
2023 PIE Awards Winners
• Young Entrepreneur of the Year — Laura Meyer, Pizzeria Da Laura
• Pizza Chain of the Year — Pizza My Heart, Santa Cruz, California
• Best Advertising Campaign — Mattenga’s Pizzeria, San Antonio, Texas
• Top Employee Initiatives — Caliente Pizza & Draft House, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
• Most Interesting Menu — Slice Pizza & Brew, Birmingham, Alabama
• Best Seasonal Menu — Crafters Pizza & Draft House, Carmel, Indiana
• Community Involvement Award — Punxsy Pizza, Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania
• Pizzeria Startup of the Year — Blue Square Pizza, Hopkinton, Massachusetts
• Mobile Pizza Business of the Year — Cut Stone Foods, Kenosha, Wisconsin
• Best Pizzeria Website — Rotolo’s Pizza, Baton Rouge, Louisiana
• Sustainability Champion — Catch-A-Fire Pizza, Blue Ash, Ohio
• Pizza Chain Executive of the Year — Nick Bogacz, Caliente Pizza & Draft House
• Best Branding — Caliente Pizza & Draft House, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
• Best Pizza Box Design — Varuni Napoli, Atlanta, Georgia
• Top Use of Technology — Blue Square Pizza, Hopkinton, Massachusetts
• Best Video Short — Mattenga’s Pizzeria, San Antonio, Texas
• Best Outdoor Dining Space — Parlour Pizza, Jeffersonville, Indiana
• Pizzeria Owner Mentorship Award — Tony Gemignani, Tony’s Pizza Napoletana
• Pizza Company of the Year by Region:
Northwest – Farrelli’s Pizza, Tacoma, Washington
Southwest — Mattenga’s Pizzeria, San Antonio, Texas
Southeast — Slice Pizza & Brew, Birmingham, Alabama
Midwest — Catch-A-Fire Pizza, Blue Ash, Ohio
Northeast — Emmett’s on Grove, New York, New York
Next, the competitions.
For those interested in competing at Pizza Expo 2024, here’s a detailed look at the International Pizza Challenge schedule:
Tuesday, March 19 (Preliminary Rounds)
Top 5 scores in each division will advance to Thursday finals
Division Time # of Participants
World’s Best Cheese Slice 8:00 AM – 4:00 PM 50
Pan 8:00 AM – 4:00 PM 50
Traditional 8:00 AM – 4:00 PM 80
CMAB – Professional Division Preliminaries 8:00 AM – 4:00 PM 20
Wednesday, March 20 (Preliminary Rounds)
Division Time # of Participants Thursday Finals?
Non-Traditional 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM 80 Yes
Neapolitan 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM 80 Yes
Ooni Traditional & Pan 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM 30 No
Daiya Vegan 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM 30 No
Thursday, March 21
8:00 AM – 10:00 AM – Finals for all divisions
Traditional, Non-Traditional, Neapolitan, Pan, & World’s Best Cheese Slice
Location: Comp Areas A & B
10:15 AM – 11:15 AM – CMAB Finals (Publicy Judged)
Location: Comp Area A
11:30 AM – 12:30 PM – Best of the Best (Publicly Judged)
Location: Comp Area A
12:45 PM – 1:45 PM – Pizza Maker of the Year (Publicly Judged)
Location: Comp Area A
1:45 PM – 2:00 PM – Mixer Giveaway, Awards, & WPC Donation
Location: Comp Area B
2:00 PM – 2:45 PM – Awards, Recognition, & More Giveaways
Location: Comp Area A
2:45 PM – 3:00 PM – $10k MEGA Bucks Winner
Location: Comp Area A
Now is the time to enter if you are looking to go head-to-head with your peers in Las Vegas. The 40th Annual Pizza Expo is scheduled for March 19-21, 2024. Register to attend here: registration.experientevent.com/ShowPZA241/?flow=attendee&_gl=1*wsr17q*_ga*NjIxNTQ4ODgxLjE3MDEwOTc2NTM.*_ga_30DENJ19E7*MTcwMzAwMjU2MC42LjAuMTcwMzAwMjU2MC4wLjAuMA..&_ga=2.27054773.929149912.1703002040-621548881.1701097653
Once you are registered to attend the show, visit the Pizza Expo competitions page to view the competition schedule, rules and enter to compete. You can find the competitions page here: pizzaexpo.pizzatoday.com/competitions
Jeremy White and Denise Greer Welcome 2024 on The Hot Slice Podcast
We usher in a new year with a session where we talk shop on a variety of topics ranging from the Pizza Industry Excellence Awards to Pizza Expo 2024 competitions and more. We capped off 2023 by announcing the PIE Awards winners on PizzaToday.com. Here we give a quick shout out to the winners in 24 categories as well as look ahead to the 40th Anniversary of Pizza Expo.
First, the PIE Awards winners:
2023 PIE Awards Winners
• Young Entrepreneur of the Year — Laura Meyer, Pizzeria Da Laura
• Pizza Chain of the Year — Pizza My Heart, Santa Cruz, California
• Best Advertising Campaign — Mattenga’s Pizzeria, San Antonio, Texas
• Top Employee Initiatives — Caliente Pizza & Draft House, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
• Most Interesting Menu — Slice Pizza & Brew, Birmingham, Alabama
• Best Seasonal Menu — Crafters Pizza & Draft House, Carmel, Indiana
• Community Involvement Award — Punxsy Pizza, Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania
• Pizzeria Startup of the Year — Blue Square Pizza, Hopkinton, Massachusetts
• Mobile Pizza Business of the Year — Cut Stone Foods, Kenosha, Wisconsin
• Best Pizzeria Website — Rotolo’s Pizza, Baton Rouge, Louisiana
• Sustainability Champion — Catch-A-Fire Pizza, Blue Ash, Ohio
• Pizza Chain Executive of the Year — Nick Bogacz, Caliente Pizza & Draft House
• Best Branding — Caliente Pizza & Draft House, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
• Best Pizza Box Design — Varuni Napoli, Atlanta, Georgia
• Top Use of Technology — Blue Square Pizza, Hopkinton, Massachusetts
• Best Video Short — Mattenga’s Pizzeria, San Antonio, Texas
• Best Outdoor Dining Space — Parlour Pizza, Jeffersonville, Indiana
• Pizzeria Owner Mentorship Award — Tony Gemignani, Tony’s Pizza Napoletana
• Pizza Company of the Year by Region:
Northwest – Farrelli’s Pizza, Tacoma, Washington
Southwest — Mattenga’s Pizzeria, San Antonio, Texas
Southeast — Slice Pizza & Brew, Birmingham, Alabama
Midwest — Catch-A-Fire Pizza, Blue Ash, Ohio
Northeast — Emmett’s on Grove, New York, New York
Next, the competitions.
For those interested in competing at Pizza Expo 2024, here’s a detailed look at the International Pizza Challenge schedule:
Tuesday, March 19 (Preliminary Rounds)
Top 5 scores in each division will advance to Thursday finals
Division Time # of Participants
World’s Best Cheese Slice 8:00 AM – 4:00 PM 50
Pan 8:00 AM – 4:00 PM 50
Traditional 8:00 AM – 4:00 PM 80
CMAB – Professional Division Preliminaries 8:00 AM – 4:00 PM 20
Wednesday, March 20 (Preliminary Rounds)
Division Time # of Participants Thursday Finals?
Non-Traditional 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM 80 Yes
Neapolitan 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM 80 Yes
Ooni Traditional & Pan 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM 30 No
Daiya Vegan 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM 30 No
Thursday, March 21
8:00 AM – 10:00 AM – Finals for all divisions
Traditional, Non-Traditional, Neapolitan, Pan, & World’s Best Cheese Slice
Location: Comp Areas A & B
10:15 AM – 11:15 AM – CMAB Finals (Publicy Judged)
Location: Comp Area A
11:30 AM – 12:30 PM – Best of the Best (Publicly Judged)
Location: Comp Area A
12:45 PM – 1:45 PM – Pizza Maker of the Year (Publicly Judged)
Location: Comp Area A
1:45 PM – 2:00 PM – Mixer Giveaway, Awards, & WPC Donation
Location: Comp Area B
2:00 PM – 2:45 PM – Awards, Recognition, & More Giveaways
Location: Comp Area A
2:45 PM – 3:00 PM – $10k MEGA Bucks Winner
Location: Comp Area A
Now is the time to enter if you are looking to go head-to-head with your peers in Las Vegas. The 40th Annual Pizza Expo is scheduled for March 19-21, 2024. Register to attend here: registration.experientevent.com/ShowPZA241/?flow=attendee&_gl=1*wsr17q*_ga*NjIxNTQ4ODgxLjE3MDEwOTc2NTM.*_ga_30DENJ19E7*MTcwMzAwMjU2MC42LjAuMTcwMzAwMjU2MC4wLjAuMA..&_ga=2.27054773.929149912.1703002040-621548881.1701097653
Once you are registered to attend the show, visit the Pizza Expo competitions page to view the competition schedule, rules and enter to compete. You can find the competitions page here: pizzaexpo.pizzatoday.com/competitions
