Zack Calder and Jimmy Henry claimed top honors at the 2026 REAL California Pizza Contest. More than 200 recipe submissions from pizza makers across the country were narrowed to just eight finalists at the eighth annual REAL California Pizza Contest, where two category champions and one grand champion emerged after
The U.S. Pizza Team’s Pizza Expo 2026 performance produced trophies, milestones and serious momentum. The 2026 International Pizza Expo is over, and across three days in Las Vegas, the U.S. Pizza Team and its extended family delivered a strong showing on one of the pizza world’s biggest stages. From podium
In Italian Classica, Vittoria Trupiano of Mangia e Bevi qualified after placing 5th overall. Mike Tholen of Mangia e Bevi placed 9th overall; he is a friend of the U.S. Pizza Team who has toured with the group before and also represents Mangia e Bevi, the shop owned by team captain
From dough prep to podium moments, this gallery captures PMQ’s U.S. Pizza Team competing on the world stage in Rimini, Italy, alongside hundreds of international competitors. Scroll for highlights from the full crew, including Sean Dempsey’s Dessert gold, Giovanni Labbate’s Pizza & Beer pairing podium finish, and the behind-the-scenes moments
Sean Dempsey wins Dessert Gold as Giovanni Labbate Pizza & Beer Pairing lands Him on the podium Some trips are vacations. This one was more like the training montage from Rocky, except the soundtrack is oven fans, the stakes are international (like Rocky IV!), and the funky gym odors are replaced
