PMQ Pizza Magazine

By Brian Hernandez After three days of culinary competition and pizza athletics, the 2026 REAL California Pizza Challenge wrapped up August 25 at the Pizza Tomorrow Summit & California Restaurant Show at the Anaheim Convention Center.

By Rick Hynum The Great New York State Fair, taking place this week in Syracuse, New York, will stretch over 13 days with live concerts featuring bands like the All-American Rejects and ZZ Top, plus a three-ring circus, the Great American Drone Show and—if you’re into that kind of thing—corgis racing about on their short little legs.

By Erica D’Arcangelo Every independent operator has a technical checklist to run a successful pizzeria: things like high-protein flour, fermentation times, high-quality tomatoes and cheese, and a reliable oven. But ask anyone who has stood in the heat during a Friday night rush, and they’ll tell you the hardest variable to control isn’t the dough temperature. It’s the inner game. The real secret ingredient to running a pizzeria isn’t what’s on the outside but the inside. You versus you.

By Shahpour Nejad Over the past 40 years, I’ve seen the restaurant industry work through recessions, inflation, labor shortages, supply chain disruptions, and changing consumer habits. Every challenge we’ve faced has forced operators to make difficult decisions, and today’s environment is no different. Costs remain high, customers are spending more carefully, and every restaurant is looking for ways to operate more efficiently.

By Tracy Morin There were a lot of learning moments in PMQ’s July 2026 webinar in conjunction with Women in Pizza, titled Pizza Women On the Rise: Claiming Your Space in the Pizza Community (now available via replay here). The event was co-hosted by me, Tracy Morin (associate editor of PMQ Pizza), and Alexandra “Azie” Mortati,founder of Women in Pizza and VP of marketing at Orlando Foods in Glen Rock, New Jersey.

Bradley Alvelo says he runs the smallest pizzeria in New York City—so small that he can take it anywhere. And wherever it goes, even the most jaded New Yorker has to stop and take note…and try the tasty pies. That’s because Pizza Pod NYC is no ordinary food truck. Alvelo tools around the city in a bright-green, pint-sized pizza-popping Smart car and serves pies out of the trunk.

By Tracy Morin Mike Dansak and Allen Dalton, owners of Palm Beach Mobile in Palm Beach, Florida, are going beyond mere mobile pizza catering—they’re looking to create memorable experiences for guests. “As we became more involved in the event industry, we realized that clients were looking for more than just food,” Dansak explains.

By Tracy Morin Rick Rosenfield wasn’t a seasoned restaurateur when he opened California Pizza Kitchen (CPK) with partner Larry Flax in 1985. But the pair nevertheless created a brand that helped change the American pizza scene—and later revolutionized the frozen food aisle. Before entering the restaurant biz, Rosenfield had a successful law career, working at the U.S. Department of Justice in Washington, D.C., handling cases before the U.S. Supreme Court and the U.S. Courts of Appeals.

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There’s “pride in every slice” at Protest Pizza & Bar in Washington, D.C. And even after a burglar smashed the front-door window and swiped money from the cash register last week, owners Randy Downs and Ricky Bennett stood proud and unbowed as the local community showed up to support them. Protest Pizza opened in November 2025 and was voted D.C.’s No. 2 pizzeria by readers of Washington City Paper this year.