Peel: A PMQ Pizza Podcast

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.

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.

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.

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.

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)