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Listen to Melina Piroso Felix, owner-operator of The Pizza Bandit in Denver on The Hot Slice Podcast with Pizza Today

Melina Piroso Felix had an established career in marketing and branding when the pandemic prompted her to rethink her goals in 2020. Prior to that point, she had graduated from being the night manager at her uncle’s restaurant in Miami’s South Beach district to undertake a successful career in graphic design. But Piroso Felix never left pizza entirely behind. She often made pizza for dinner guests, potlucks and to scratch an itch while designing restaurant menus.

Years into the pandemic experiment that became The Pizza Bandit food truck, Pirosso Felix found a home at a multiple-concept food hall in a bustling, youthful Denver neighborhood. Surrounded by a Thai concept on one side and healthful bowls on the other, The Pizza Bandit is known for its scratch-made sauces and high-quality ingredients.

Since moving into the spot this spring, Piroso Felix has added sandwiches and ice cream floats to the menu, but she emphasizes that her vision is far from complete.

Show Notes:

Melina Piroso Felix is one of Pizza Today magazine’s 2025 Rising Stars. Learn more about her and the other five pizzaiolos selected for this honor in the July issue of Pizza Today.

Registration is now open for Pizza Expo Columbus in October. Competitors: Be sure to register early to reserve your spot in the Great American Pizza Challenge. More details at: https://pizzatoday.com/topics/industry-news/pizza-expo-columbus-registration-is-now-open/

If you have an interest in being a judge at the Great American Pizza Challenge, complete a Great American Pizza Challenge (GAPC) Volunteer Judging Application 2025.

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This month Davide Lubrano has been named a Rising Star of the Pizza Industry. We sat down with Davide and Vince Gallagher, co-owners of the two-unit Pizzata Pizzeria in Philadelphia.

We talk about Davide’s recognition and his recent pizza competition winning streak at Pizza Expo and in Italy. They also share the other benefits of competing.

Pizzata is growing. They recently added a commissary. We talk logistics and equipment, as well as how it is helping the two Pizzata locations thrive, while also planning expansion.

He and friend Vinny Gallagher – along with Davide’s brother, Ciro Lubrano – opened Pizzata Pizzeria as a New York-style slice shop in Philly’s Rittenhouse area in late 2020, at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Ready to grow, they embarked on Pizzata Pizzeria & Birreria in 2024 with a spacious footprint, indoor and outdoor seating, a full bar and a full, expanded menu.

Read Davide’s Rising Stars feature in Pizza Today: https://pizzatoday.com/topics/people-pizzerias/davide-lubrano-lavadera-pizzata-pizzeria-philadelphia-pennsylvania-rising-star/

Learn more about Pizzata Pizzeria at https://www.pizzatapizzeria.com/ and on Instagram at @Pizzata_pizzeria, @Pizzata_birreria, @Obsession_pizza

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This week, we catch up with the great Mike Bausch. He brings such knowledge, energy and leadership to the pizza community. Mike now has 12 restaurants in the Tulsa, Oklahoma area, including Andolini’s Pizzeria and a newer fine dining spot, Prossimo Ristorante. He’s an Oklahoma’s Small Business Entrepreneur of the Year, No. 1 Amazon best-selling author, Tulsa’s Restauranteur of the Year and a two-time Guinness World Record holder. You can find him each month in the pages of Pizza Today Magazine in his Column “Mike’s Monthly Tip”, where he shares advice and experiences with fellow pizzeria operators.

In a time of uncertainty for many restaurants, Andolini’s is having a banner year. We talk about why and how his restaurants are finding success.

Mike always shares candidly his failures and successes to help other restaurant owners. We talk about what restaurants are currently up against.

If you need a business pep talk, this is the episode for you. Mike drops a lot of wisdom in a short podcast.

Learn more about Andolini’s Pizzeria at https://andopizza.com/ and follow Mike Bausch on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/mikeybausch/

Check out his latest Mike’s Monthly Tip “Weather the Storm, Build the Bond” at https://pizzatoday.com/topics/operations/mikes-monthly-tip-weather-the-storm-build-the-bond/