"Adventure is not complete without pizza 🏔️🍕."
In this episode, I’m sitting down with Joe from Ranger Joe’s Pizza in Kalispell, Montana. Joe has one of the most interesting "second act" stories I’ve ever heard. After a career in law enforcement, he decided to return to the family craft he learned as an 11-year-old kid in the 80s, trading his badge for a pizza peel.
Joe isn't just making pizza; he’s a student of the game. We dig into how he took his Detroit roots and Florida training to the mountains of Montana—winning 2nd place in the Northwest at the International Pizza Expo in Vegas on his very first try. 🏆
We’re getting into the real details:
✅ The Law Enforcement Pivot: Why Joe decided to leave his career early to get back into the "dough room" 30 years later.
✅ The Science of the Slice: Joe explains why he slow-ferments his dough for 4 days and why hand-stretching is the only way to save the "crumb structure" from being destroyed by machines. 🧪
✅ Award-Winning Flavor: The breakdown of the Korean Barbecue Pork Belly Pizza that shocked the Vegas judges.
✅ The "Honey Bear" Legend: How Joe’s son helped create their #1 bestseller featuring a white sauce base and a heavy drizzle of Mike’s Hot Honey. 🍯🐻
✅ The "Slept On" Sicilian: Why their thick, crunchy-edged Sicilian with garlic-infused crust is Joe's personal go-to.
Whether you're curious about the grit it takes to be a hands-on operator or you just want to hear how a tool-and-die salesman’s handshake deal in 1982 led to a Montana pizza empire, this conversation is for you.
Find Ranger Joe’s Pizza:
🌐 Web: rangerjoespizza.com
📸 Social: @rangerjoespizza
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