Cheer on the USPT as they support one of their own in the Lowcountry.
In the pizza industry, competition often grabs the headlines—but behind the scenes, it’s teamwork that makes the dough rise. This September in Charleston, S.C., the inaugural Lowcountry Pizza Fest will debut at The Refinery, and while the pies will be hot, it’s the support among U.S. Pizza Team (USPT) members that truly brings the heat.
Showing Up for Each Other
For members George and Patti Taylor of Taylor’s Pizza House, the decision to make the trip was about far more than just good food and Southern hospitality. It was about standing shoulder-to-shoulder with a teammate.
“Patti and I are headed down to the Lowcountry Pizza Fest for a couple of reasons,” George explained. “First, I thought it would be great to help out a brother on the pizza team get greater publicity if more of us showed up to help. Secondly, we’ve wanted to go down and check out the Charleston area and see Mike’s pizza shops. And thirdly, it’s just fun to hang out with other people making pizzas to benefit a great cause.”
That “brother” is Mike Pitera, USPT member and the driving force behind the festival, as well as owner of Pizza A Modo Mio. Pitera is partnering with Lowcountry Eat Out to bring the event to life. For Pitera, creating the festival was about giving Charleston a stage for pizza and raising money for Slice Out Hunger. For Taylor and his wife Patti, it was about making sure a teammate’s vision had the spotlight it deserved.
Beyond Competitions and Contests
The U.S. Pizza Team is known for competing on some of the biggest culinary stages in the world, from Las Vegas to Parma. But as Taylor points out, the team’s real strength is not just in competition—it’s in showing up for each other and their communities.
“As far as doing things together, I think it helps promote a sense of being a team. It promotes the fact that we stand together and are interested in making our communities a better place. And it shows that we are more about helping each other than just showing up at a competition.”
That’s why the Lowcountry Pizza Fest won’t just feature Mike Pitera and George and Patti Taylor. They’ll be joined by Sean Dempsey of Dempsey’s Brewery Pub & Restaurant in Watertown, SD, and Nicholas Harper of Peace of Pie on Hartwell in Fair Play, SC—teammates stepping out of their own kitchens to help another pizzaiolo succeed.
Strength in Numbers
Events like this also give the USPT more visibility outside of competitions. For customers and communities, it’s a chance to learn that the team exists not just to chase trophies, but to elevate the pizza industry itself.
“Anything we can do where larger numbers of US Pizza Team participate lets the world know that we are out here,” Taylor said. “Many times our customers have no idea that there is such a thing as the U.S. Pizza Team. Doing events like this gets a lot of publicity and helps promote the fact that we are out there. The US Pizza Team is a group of fantastic people who want to not just grow their own businesses, but help the pizza community grow and thrive.”
The Bigger Picture
For the pizza industry, that’s a powerful message: competition sharpens skills, but collaboration sustains growth. By traveling to Charleston, George and Patti Taylor, Sean Dempsey, and Nicholas Harper aren’t just helping a friend—they’re reminding the world that when pizzaioli support each other, everyone wins.
The Lowcountry Pizza Fest is about pizza, yes—but more importantly, it’s about people. With the USPT showing up in force, it becomes a symbol of what happens when passion, purpose, and partnership are baked into the same pie. As George Taylor put it best, this isn’t about just “showing up.” It’s about standing together. And in Charleston this September, that unity is what will make the festival—and the industry—shine even brighter.
Come taste the teamwork at the first-ever Lowcountry Pizza Fest, Sunday, September 14 at The Refinery in Charleston, SC. Proceeds benefit Slice Out Hunger. Don’t miss your slice of history!
