Peel: A PMQ Pizza Podcast

Hosted by PMQ Pizza

BusinessInterviews guests

Website RSS feed

Episodes

Latest episode

Jun 2026

Language

About the show

Every day, pizzeria operators grind to produce great pizza and customer-service experiences for their patrons. This podcast features free-flowing conversations with those operators regarding the trials and tribulations they face both inside and outside of work. The show also features pizza news and deep dives into things like unique pizza styles.

Listen to episodes

58 recent

June 5, 202640 min

Episode 57: Chef Boris Berard, Ora 1929 - Ancient Grains Sourdough using French Baking Techniques

French pizza maker Boris Berard of ORA 1929 Atelier Pizza in Nice, France, joins PEEL: A PMQ Pizza Podcast after earning a Top 25 finish in the Traditional American category at the International Pizza Challenge in Las Vegas. Competing against more than 700 pizza makers, Berard's fermentation-focused approach combines ancient Einkorn wheat, wild sourdough cultures and a multi-stage dough process inspired by French and Italian baking traditions. In this episode, Berard explains why he believes fermentation and digestibility are becoming increasingly important to consumers, how his background in analytics and business systems influences his approach to dough development, and what operators can learn from viewing pizza through the lens of process rather than equipment. He also discusses his plans to bring the ORA 1929 Atelier Pizza concept to the United States and create a hub dedicated to artisan sourdough and ancient-grain pizza production.

May 29, 202619 min

PEEL Ep. 56 - Brian Bailey, Domino's Team Bailey. mp3

Domino’s Largest U.S. Franchisee: Whether you’re a franchise operator or an independent pizzeria owner, there’s something fascinating about somebody who starts as a delivery driver and winds up operating 160 pizza stores across five states.

May 8, 202645 min

Episode 55: Jon Garland, Saccone's Pizza - Personal Growth in Pizza

Jon Garland of Saccone’s Pizza joins Peel: A PMQ Pizza Podcast to talk about his Tips From the Team feature from the May issue of PMQ Pizza Magazine and what a “year of growth” has meant for him as an operator, competitor, husband and father. Garland reflects on leadership, time management, community involvement and learning to work with greater intention, both in his personal life and at the pizzeria. Along the way, he shares insight into competition growth, improving communication, making tough business decisions and why getting better often starts with stepping outside your comfort zone.

April 22, 202634 min

Episode 54: Michael LaMarca of Master Pizza & PMQ's Beyond the Box

Michael LaMarca of Master Pizza joins Peel: A PMQ Pizza Podcast to talk about his May Beyond the Box segment for PMQ Pizza Magazine and the difference between having a marketing plan and simply planning to market. LaMarca breaks down the building blocks of effective pizza marketing, from branding and promotion to publicity, public relations and sales. Along the way, he shares insight into local store marketing, customer experience and why operators have to do more than wait for the register to ring.

April 3, 202653 min

Episode 53: Brian Weavel of Perfect Crust Pizza Liners

Brian Weavel of Perfect Crust Pizza Liners and Incredible Bags joins Peel: A PMQ Pizza Podcast to talk about his 40 years in the pizza business, from getting started young and running Anna’s Pizza & Pasta for 24 years to helping operators improve delivery quality today. Weavel shares lessons on community involvement, employee relationships and learning the hard way what it takes to build something that lasts. Along the way, he offers insight into the operator mindset, the realities of independent pizzeria life and why the details after the bake still matter. (Note, this episode was the last of technical issues. Resolved halfway through. Thank you for your listening patience)

March 20, 202649 min

Episode 52: Dave Dombrowski of Pizza Mia

Dave Dombrowski of Pizza Mia joins Peel: A PMQ Pizza Podcast to talk about his roots in the pizza business and the kind of grassroots, boots-on-the-ground marketing that helped him stand out. Dombrowski shares stories about creative promotional tactics, building buzz through unconventional ideas, and connecting with recognizable names before they became famous. Along the way, he offers insight into the hustle, instinct, and relationship-building that can turn local marketing into something memorable.

February 13, 202652 min

Episode 51: Dan Richer of Razza Pizza Artigianale

Dan Richer, owner and operator of Razza Pizza Artigianale in Jersey City, New Jersey, joins the show to talk about his origins as a pizza maker and the details he’s still obsessed with (4:21). Richer talks about his recent and burgeoning love of golf and how the game shares many similarities with pizza making. He later shares how Razza seeks to balance sourcing seasonal, local ingredients with giving guests something they can rely on and expect each time they visit the restaurant. Prior to that, Charlie shares an announcement about the future of the show (0:12).

February 2, 202653 min

Episode 50 : Giovanni Labbate of Tievoli Pizza Bar

Giovanni Labbate joins the show to talk about his journey from franchise operator to independent owner of Tievoli Pizza, his success on the international pizza competition stage and what it takes to build a standout concept (2:18). The conversation touches on family legacy, food trucks as a growth engine, and why simplicity—on the menu and in operations—can be a competitive advantage. Brian Hernandez joins the show after a new ‘Style Guide’ segment focusing on New England Beach Pizza—does the style have what it takes (28:29)? Story about New England Beach Pizza: https://www.pmq.com/new-england-beach-pizza/ Full U.S. Pizza Team recap: https://uspizzateam.com/carrots-take-the-cake-in-rimini/

January 15, 202659 min

Episode 49: Jon Bortles of Woody's Wood-Fired Pizza

Woody’s Wood-Fired Pizza owner Jon Bortles explains why he chose not to chase multi-unit expansion after watching what it took for his father to build and manage nine locations (3:50). Bortles breaks down how Woody’s has grown revenue in creative moves inside a single flagship from a high-volume buffet model to a food truck, takeout kitchen and—potentially—selective licensing (37:58). Later in the show, Brian Hernandez joins for a U.S. Pizza Team update. Charlie also asks Brian questions about visiting Italy prior to his first-ever trip to Italy. Woody’s history: https://www.pmq.com/how-this-iconic-high-volume-pizza-buffet-concept-keeps-things-fresh/

January 5, 202648 min

Episode 48: Sean Jefairjian of A Slice of New York

In his third appearance on the show, Sean Jefairjian—owner and operator of A Slice of New York in Murrysville, Pennsylvania—breaks down what his shop looks like a year after an 8.2 rating from Dave Portnoy (2:48). He tells all about his appearance at the One Bite Pizza Fest in September, and details a new sourdough ball venture he’s undertaken as he begins to grow as a pizzeria owner outside of his shop. And is Jefairjian one of the first-ever pizza shop owners to be involved in a bona fide medical study? Previous episodes featuring Jefairjian: https://www.pmq.com/what-happens-when-dave-portnoy-shows-up-at-your-pizzeria-we-asked-somebody-who-scored-an-8-2/ https://www.pmq.com/podcast/episode-1-cool-stuff-is-only-cool-until-you-show-your-friends-with-sean-jefairjian/