Peel: A PMQ Pizza Podcast

In this episode, Mellow Mushroom’s VP of Franchise Development Jamie Cecil joins the show to talk about how a 50-year-old “stealth franchise” is entering a new era of intentional growth. He shares why the brand’s uniquely local vibe, commissary-driven consistency, and full-service roots still resonate today—and how new formats, technology, and smarter economics are shaping its future. Jamie also opens up about his own restaurant journey, from busboy to franchise leader, and why he believes Mellow’s best chapters are still ahead.

Khanh Nguyen, founder and CEO of Zalat Pizza, joins the show as a special guest (2:55). Nguyen shares what it was like to leave a mansion in Vietnam to come live in a dorm room in the U.S. with his family of 11. He also discusses how he got into law, and then restaurants—and why his late-night Vietnamese restaurant unexpectedly became a service-industry hotspot. Nguyen outlines how Zalat came to be and its recent in-house motto: “Made with pride. Shared with joy. Built for a millennium.” Later in the show, Brian Hernandez joins to recap the 4th annual Galbani Professionale Pizza Cup (1:11:47). D Magazine on Nguyen family fleeing Vietnam: https://www.dmagazine.com/publications/d-ceo/2024/march/roots-zalat-pizza-ceo-khanh-nguyen/

Victoria “Tori” Tiso of Tori T’s Pizzeria (Malverne, NY) and 914 Pizza (Harrison, NY) joins the show as a special guest (2:46). Tiso discusses her early years as a standout softball player and college softball coach and how those experiences affected the way she runs her pizzeria. She also talks about growing up around her father and uncle’s famous shop, Louie & Ernie’s in The Bronx, and how she made her own mark on the shop prior to going off on her own professionally. Later in the show, Brian Hernandez joins for a Style Guide segment focused on Maryland-style pizza (49:00). Further reading on Ledo/Maryland-style pizza: https://www.pmq.com/ledo-pizza-maryland-style/

Mike Burns, CEO of &pizza, comes on the show to talk about exciting new franchising news for the 45-location brand (2:56). Burns lays out the brand’s growth strategy and why he says the brand can reach 300 locations by 2030. Burns also discusses his background in basketball coaching and how he climbed the ladder at Bojangles. Later in the show, Brian Hernandez returns to give a U.S. Pizza Team update—including a preview of the upcoming Galbani Cup at the Pizza Tomorrow Summit in Orlando, Nov. 11-13 (39:47). Galbani Professionale Pizza Cup Registration: https://uspizzateam.com/gppc25/

Salvatore Reina of Francesca Pizza & Pasta returns to discuss how a Long Island childhood and a formative first pizzeria job shaped his path, from opening in Elmwood Park and Glen Rock, New Jersey, to mentoring partner Adam Vuksanic and growing a tight-knit team (3:17). He breaks down their booming school-lunch program—now serving nearly 400 meals a day across 17 schools—and the scrappy marketing play of selling ad space on pizza boxes. Along the way: lessons on balance, culture and saying “yes” first and figuring it out later. Previous episodes with Sal: https://www.pmq.com/podcast/episode-30-salvatore-reina/ https://www.pmq.com/podcast/episode-18-salvatore-reina/ School lunch program story: https://www.pmq.com/francesca-school-lunch/