Kate Lavin

1 week ago | pizzatoday.com | Kate Lavin

Pizza ice cream might have started as an April Fool’s gag, but it became the flavor of the week at A to Z Creamery, a luxury ice cream producer whose customers eagerly pre-order weekly ice cream drops and pick up pints from the creamery’s commercial kitchen in Hopkins, Minnesota. “We thought it would be pretty funny if we advertised that we’re gonna make pizza and then we made real pizza ice cream – kind of a flip-flop of what April Fool’s really is,” A to Z owner Zach Vraa tells Pizza Today.

1 week ago | pizzatoday.com | Kate Lavin

Long before he opened Una Pizza Napoletana – first in New Jersey and later in Manhattan – pizzeria owner and chef Anthony Mangieri grew up hearing about his grandfather’s chocolate and ice cream shop in Maplewood, New Jersey. Three-flavor Spumoni was a best seller at the shop that ran from 1924 until 1959, but Mangieri says he always gravitated toward the Cremolata – a vanilla gelato with toasted almonds – which often is paired with cherry and pistachio to create Spumoni.

1 week ago | pizzatoday.com | Kate Lavin

Anthony Valinoti spent years making the dough at Hot Springs, Arkansas-based DeLuca’s Pizza by hand – and his elbows were not happy about it. When James Beard Award-winning chef John Currence took an ownership stake in DeLuca’s, investing in a dough mixer was one of his first directives. “At some point, you can’t keep up with making dough by hand,” Currence tells Pizza Today. “You’ll blow out both your sockets.

3 weeks ago | pizzatoday.com | Kate Lavin

Is there any better combination than peer recognition and saving money? We thought not. Pizzerias have until May 30 to enter for The Pizza Industry Excellence (PIE) Awards at the early-bird rate of just $29 per entry. Now in its third year, The Pie Awards have tweaked the list of categories to include some new ones – Coolest Delivery Vehicle, anyone? – that appeal to an expanded number of pizzerias. The new and improved categories include:Open to pizzeria owners under age 30.

4 weeks ago | pizzatoday.com | Kate Lavin

Little Rock, Arkansas-based U.S. Pizza Co. has been acquired by investment firm FoxDen Capital, company sources confirm to Pizza Today. U.S. Pizza Co. operates eight locations in Arkansas and reports five franchise stores under the same name. FoxDen says its interest in U.S. Pizza Co. is a result of the company’s strong community roots and loyal customer base. The Little Rock, Arkansas-based investment firm prioritizes businesses with community connections and potential for growth.