Jeremy White
Editor-in-Chief
Pizza Today

Last year, Associate Editor Denise Greer came up with a great idea. She’d noticed the growing number of young pizzeria operators who were bringing unrivaled enthusiasm to the contests at International Pizza Expo in Las Vegas (registration for the 2019 show, by the way, is now open. The show runs March 4-7 … sign up at PizzaExpo.com). She saw that they were not only obsessed with quality and were embracing the artisan movement, but that they also were bringing a new level of marketing savvy to the pizza game. Her thought was that Pizza Today needed to recognize and honor these entrepreneurs in a big way.

Hence, the Young Entrepreneur of the Year was born. We asked operators under the age of 40 to send in a submission video as well as provide us with pertinent information via an easy online form. The submissions came rolling in and it wasn’t long before we were overwhelmed as we tried to whittle down the nominations to a trio of finalists. When all was said and done, Sammy Mandell of Green Avenue Pizza Company in Dallas emerged as our inaugural Young Entrepreneur of the Year after winning a crowd vote at Pizza Expo.

The event was so much fun, and such a success, that we simply have to do it again!

That’s where you come in. If you have a thriving business and meet the criteria (you must be under 40 and own an independent pizzeria in the United States), why not throw your hat into the ring? All you need to do is fill out the Young Entrepreneur of the Year form that can be found at PizzaToday.com and submit a video (four minutes or less) showing us your pizzeria and telling us why YOU should be our next honoree.

The clock is ticking. Submissions are due by Monday, December 3, so get on it now! Our three finalists will be announced in mid-January.

I can’t wait to see what you come up with. Last year’s submissions were inspiring beyond belief. My entire editorial crew looks forward to reviewing your videos and forms and learning about your operations.

You can access the form to get started today at pizzatoday.com/2019-pizza-today-young-entrepreneur-year-award/

Best,

Jeremy White
Editor In Chief