By Brian Hernandez, PMQ Pizza Media & Director, U.S. Pizza Team
The dough was stretched, the cheese was melted, and the stakes were as high as the hydration levels. The 2025 California Pizza Challenge, sponsored by Real California Milk, wrapped up three days of fire-fueled competition at the Anaheim Convention Center, with new champions crowned, rising stars discovered, and one pizzaiolo earning a golden ticket to Italy.
Hosted in conjunction with the Pizza Tomorrow Summit and the California Restaurant Show, this dairy-driven gauntlet tested everything from speed and precision to balance and bravery. And when the flour finally settled, it was the pies that spoke loudest—and the champions who reminded us what passion, purpose, and pizza are all about.
Day 1: Craft, Control, Velocity
The opening round of the 2025 California Pizza Challenge included three key events: the Traditional Pizza Division, Largest Dough Stretch, and Fastest Box Folder. From classic pies to competitive precision, day one was all about honoring the craft—whether through flavor, finesse, or flat-out speed.
Traditional Pizza
1st – Griffin Baker, Secret Pizza LA
2nd – Rico Lunardi, Slice on Broadway
3rd – Chris Battiste, Mia Ava East Coast Pizza
Griffin Baker impressed judges with a stripped-down, New Jersey–style pie: sauce, cheese, and just enough pepperoni.
His not-so-secret weapon? “The secret is simplicity. Local tomatoes, a good dough, pepperoni, cheese. That’s it. That’s all you need,” Baker said.
Largest Dough Stretch
1st – Nicholas Harper, Peace of Pie on Hartwell
2nd – Roberto Ramirez, Yeah Buddy Pizza
3rd – Griffin Baker, Secret Pizza LA
Fastest Box Folder
1st – Roberto Ramirez, Yeah Buddy Pizza
2nd – Sean Dempsey, Dempsey’s Brewery Pub & Restaurant
3rd – Mike Pitera, Pizza a Modo Mio
Day 2: Heavy Metal, High Heat, and a Fast Lane to Glory
The competition kicked into overdrive in day 2 with Pizza in the Pan, Young Pizza Maker, and Fastest Pie Maker challenges. These events had it all—steel pans, flying dough, and youth pizza prodigies with more talent than nerves.
Pizza in the Pan
1st – Juan Robles, Triple Beam Pizza
2nd – Dominic Tedesco, Amore Taste of Chicago
3rd – Mike Tholen, Mangia e Bevi
Juan’s pizza stood tall—literally. With a beautifully fermented dough and a structure that echoed his fine-dining roots, he delivered a pan pie that felt more Roman than Motor City. Elegant, airy, and intentional from top to bottom, it was a sign of things to come. “Honestly, it’s all about the dough,” Juan said. “The Marra Forni ovens were excellent. I really got the height I was looking for in my pizza.”
Young Pizza Maker (Ages 14–17)
1st – Arabella Justice, Pizza a Modo Mio
2nd – Kieran Ronquillo, Mangia e Bevi
3rd – Quentin Burtner, Mangia e Bevi
Arabella stunned the judges with her poise, creativity, and sauce-forward pie. “This was my first plane ride, my first time on the West Coast—just an incredible experience,” she said. “Honestly, just go for it. You never know what could come out of it.”
Fastest Pie Maker
1st – Roberto Ramirez, Yeah Buddy Pizza
2nd – Mike Pitera, Pizza a Modo Mio
3rd – Nicholas Harper, Peace of Pie on Hartwell
With top finishes in two of three athletic events, Roberto Ramirez wasn’t just showing off speed—he was making history. He was officially inducted as the newest member of the U.S. Pizza Team Pizza Athletic Division after Day 1. And after consistently strong showings in Fastest Pie Maker, Fastest Box Folder, and Largest Dough Stretch, the team is confident in its decision.
“Roberto’s speed, consistency, and energy were undeniable across the events,” said David Sommers, owner of Mad Mushroom and USPT Athletic Coach. “We’re excited to welcome him to the squad—and maybe just a little scared to race him.”
Day 3: Cheese, Courage, and the Final Face-Off
Day three brought the big guns: the REAL California 3-Cheese Challenge, the Best Traditional Sauce showdown, and the Secret Basket Face-Off, where the winners of Traditional and Pan divisions went head-to-head using mystery ingredients.
3-Cheese Challenge
1st – Sean Dempsey, Dempsey’s Brewery Pub & Restaurant (Watertown, SD)
2nd – Giovanni Labbate, Tievoli Pizza Bar
3rd – Mark Zabrowski, Much Ado About Pizza
After years of podium finishes, Dempsey finally snagged the gold. “That elusive first has always been the one we’ve been chasing. It’s really cool to finally get this monkey off our shoulder.” What made the difference? “I had some advice from judges up in Napa (https://uspizzateam.com/thebigcheese/) to reorganize how we made the cheese shine… and here we go.”
Best Traditional Sauce
1st –Mike Pitera, Pizza a Modo Mio (Charleston, S.C.)
2nd – Sean Dempsey, Dempsey’s Brewery Pub & Restaurant
3rd – Rico Lunardi, Slice on Broadway
Pitera’s sauce was a revelation in balance and brightness. But for him, this one was personal. “This is my Sunday sauce,” he said. “It’s a sauce that I sell in the stores. It’s a sauce that everybody loves. And it just feels really, really good to see that everyone else was enjoying it.” What set it apart? “Simplicity. If you use really good fresh ingredients, and 
you cook it the right way—slow-cook it, don’t rush it—that’s what makes it special.”
Secret Basket Face-Off
In the final throwdown, Juan Robles (Pan Champion) faced off against Griffin Baker (Traditional Winner) using a basket of surprise ingredients: Point Reyes Fennel Blue, Cow Girl Hop Along Aged Cider Washed Cheese, pork belly, trio package of Italian meats, tomatillos, cactus pears, guava, kabob veggie pack and the wild card: TEXAS HOT HONEY from the USPT’s very own RC Gallegos of RC’S NYC Pizza & Pasta-The Woodlands.
California Pizza Challenge Grand Champion: Juan Robles, Triple Beam Pizza
Runner-Up: Griffin Baker, Secret Pizza LA
Juan’s chef instincts kicked into overdrive. Faced with a basket of unexpected ingredients, he took a fine-dining approach and made it work on a pizza. He braised the pork belly in guava for a sweet-savory foundation, built flavor around the Cowgirl Creamery’s Hop Along, and used the Texas hot honey to balance the richness.
“It was a nice prize at the end of the rainbow. A lot of hard work goes into getting to this level…Honestly, it’s all about the dough,” he said. His fine dining background gave him the edge. “I treated that pork belly like I would in a restaurant—braised in guava. It worked really, really well. I’m just stoked. I’ve never been to Italy before. I can’t wait to see how my pizza holds up on the world stage.”
And Griffin, calm and composed in his first-ever competition, proved why he’s one to watch. “I was not expecting to win. I just wanted to make a product I was proud of, and the judges enjoyed it as much as I do.”
A Note of Gratitude
Events like the CPC don’t just happen without support. Huge thanks to our event sponsors:
Real California Milk, Marra Forni, MFG, Grain Craft, Lloyd Pans, and Gi.Metal. Your commitment fuels not only great events—but great careers, great stories, and some truly unforgettable pies.
The 2025 California Pizza Challenge will be remembered as a week of big flavors, bold moves, and beautiful restraint. A celebration of tradition and innovation, of rising stars and seasoned vets, all united by cheese, crust, and the dream of culinary greatness. Congratulations to all who competed—and to those whose slices earned them gold, glory, and maybe a little passport action. See you at the next slice.
For more detailed competition recipes, pictures and info about the US Pizza Team, visit www.USPizzaTeam.com.
