What if everyone told you your pizzeria would fail because of its location — and you proved them wrong by selling 275 pizzas in just four hours?

In this episode of What’s Good Dough, we sit down inside Fired Pizza in Stockton, CA — a pizzeria that broke nearly every “rule” people swear by in the restaurant industry.

From being told their location would never work, to transitioning from a mobile pizza trailer to a full brick-and-mortar restaurant, this conversation goes deep on resilience, smart compromises, and building a business that customers choose to go out of their way for.

We talk pizza philosophy, Neapolitan vs expectations, pricing challenges, build-out realities, and what it actually takes to survive (and thrive) in today’s pizza landscape.

Highlights:

0:00 – Why this pizzeria “should’ve failed”

1:00 – Selling 200–275 pizzas in a single night

1:55 – From food truck muscle memory to restaurant survival

2:20 – Keeping the menu simple on purpose

3:25 – Oven temps, bake times, and “send it straight to hell”

3:55 – Educating customers on Neapolitan pizza

4:50 – Ranch on pizza (yes, proudly)

5:30 – Less cheese, more balance

6:30 – Why pizza was always the end goal

7:10 – Betting half their savings on a mobile pizza trailer

8:10 – The worst first catering event imaginable

9:00 – Why beer and wine drive ~30% of revenue

10:00 – Pricing reality: $18 pizzas and customer pushback

13:25 – Building out the restaurant themselves

14:30 – A full year to open the doors

15:05 – “What’s Good Dough?”

Follow Fired Pizza:

https://www.instagram.com/fired_pizza/?hl=en

Thank you to our show sponsors:

Bacio Cheese:

https://bit.ly/3FmQ3up

Corto:https://bit.ly/457DNII

Join my Instagram Community Channel: https://www.instagram.com/channel/AbbWnReTYIlCfO21/

Patreon Page: patreon.com/whatsgooddough

DM @whatsgooddoughhttps://www.instagram.com/whatsgooddough/

email me: claire@whatsgooddough.com

Topic:pizza podcast, pizzeria success story, opening a pizzeria, restaurant startup story, pizza business, Neapolitan pizza, wood fired pizza, pizza shop owner interview, food truck to restaurant, small business success, restaurant location myth, pizza entrepreneur, pizza industry, artisan pizza, independent pizzeria, California pizza, Stockton pizza, fired pizza, pizza oven cooking, pizza margins, restaurant pricing, pizza menu strategy, pizza education, craft beer and pizza, restaurant build out, DIY restaurant build, pizza trailer business, mobile pizza business, how to start a pizzeria, pizza business mistakes, pizza passion, pizza culture, food entrepreneurship

What if the reason this pizza won wasn’t a secret ingredient… but a decision most people wouldn’t make?

Slice on Broadway just took home Best Cheese Slice at the 2025 Las Vegas Pizza Expo and was named Best Pizzeria in the State—and today, we’re sitting down with owner-operator Rico Lunardi to find out why. From dough hydration and cheese blends to Pittsburgh pizza culture and consistency under pressure, this episode goes deep into what it actually takes to make great pizza… and keep it great.

0:26 – Why Slice on Broadway stands out (and the “secret cheese blend”)

1:41 – Dough hydration, consistency, and why small changes matter big

2:56 – The accidental sugar-in-the-dough story 🍩

4:11 – Flour choices, competitions, and learning from Italy

5:11 – The Pittsburgh 50/50 provolone–mozzarella cheese blend explained

6:01 – Sauce philosophy: tomatoes, freshness, and staying consistent

7:06 – Winning awards, pizza loyalty, and why pizza gets so personal

8:21 – Pittsburgh pizza cuts: slices vs “cuts”

9:21 – Staying authentic in competitions (and regretting one change)

10:41 – Cheese texture, shredding in-house, and operational realities

12:11 – What “good dough” really means: patience, time, and care

Thank you to our show sponsors:

Bacio Cheese:

https://bit.ly/3FmQ3up

Corto:https://bit.ly/457DNII

Ooni:https://www.awin1.com/cread.php?awinmid=77074&awinaffid=1800006

Join my Instagram Community Channel: https://www.instagram.com/channel/AbbWnReTYIlCfO21/

DM @whatsgooddoughhttps://www.instagram.com/whatsgooddough/email me: claire@whatsgooddough.com

Topic:

award-winning pizza, best cheese slice, Las Vegas Pizza Expo 2025, Slice on Broadway, Pittsburgh pizza, pizza podcast, What’s Good Dough podcast, pizza dough technique, pizza making process, New York style pizza, provolone mozzarella blend, pizza cheese blend, pizza dough hydration, professional pizza making, pizzeria owner interview, pizza industry podcast, artisan pizza, how award-winning pizza is made, secret behind great pizza dough, Pittsburgh style pizza cheese, pizza expo competition tips, staying consistent in pizza making, pizza dough fermentation process, what makes good pizza dough, Rico Lunardi, Slice on Broadway Pittsburgh, pizza podcast interviews, pizza behind the scenes, pizza shop story, pizza culture USA, pizza craftsmanship, small business food podcast

Highlights

What really happens when you cater a wedding for the first time—especially when it’s your cousin’s big day?

In this episode, I break down the behind-the-scenes reality of catering my first-ever wedding. From long-distance travel and unexpected costs to dough management disasters and learning the power of preparation, these lessons can help any pizza operator—whether you're established or just getting started. Let’s dive into the four biggest takeaways that shaped the entire experience.

Highlights:

0:54 – Setting the scene: my cousin’s wedding + the pressure to get it right

1:03 – Realizing the true cost of saying yes to family

1:21 – Lesson 1: Charge the right amount

1:25 – How pricing affects crew pay, food cost, travel, & mental load

2:50 – Lesson 2: Timing is everything, especially dough management

3:54 – Heat + travel = dough problems

4:58 – Lesson 3: The value of a dry run

5:17 – Venue challenges: steep hills, uneven ground, and access issues

5:34 – Lesson 4: Build a pro operation

7:26 – Why more reps = better service

8:05 – Experience grows, so should margins

8:32 – Shifting from side hustle to pro

Thank you to our show sponsors:

Bacio Cheese:

https://bit.ly/3FmQ3up

Corto:https://bit.ly/457DNII

Join my Instagram Community Channel: https://www.instagram.com/channel/AbbWnReTYIlCfO21/

Patreon Page: patreon.com/whatsgooddough

DM @whatsgooddoughhttps://www.instagram.com/whatsgooddough/email me: claire@whatsgooddough.com

first wedding catering, pizza catering lessons, pricing mistakes, travel costs, dough management, heat challenges, dry run importance, venue prep, building a pro crew, working with new staff, catering systems, professional mindset, Bacio cheese, mobile pizza business, wedding catering tips