This article was inspired by content originally published on LAist
Introduction
What happens when L.A.’s most daring dough masters, cheese whisperers, and topping trailblazers converge at the heart of the city? You get Pizza City Fest Los Angeles a flavor-fueled, crust-crackling celebration curated by James Beard Award-winning journalist Steve Dolinsky. Hosted at L.A. Live, this year’s fest offered more than just slices it delivered inspiration, innovation, and invaluable insights for pizza lovers, suppliers, and shop owners alike.
This article was inspired by content originally published on LAist by Josh Heller, available here. This article also contains affiliate links, and Pizza Magazine may earn a commission from purchases made through them.
🔥 For Pizza Enthusiasts: A Slice of Everything
For fans of pizza in all its forms from New Haven to Neapolitan, vegan to taco-inspired Pizza City Fest was heaven on a hot steel platter.
Take Naughty Pie Nature, whose Neapolitan-style “Cosmo” wowed with crushed tomatoes, Italian sausage, broccolini, and a fiery Calabrian chili finish. Or Hot Tongue Pizza, where sourdough crusts met plant-based perfection in their “best plain slice in LA,” using Washington stone-milled flour and California-grown tomatoes.
Craving the experience at home? Invest in a high-quality home pizza oven like the Ooni Karu 16for restaurant-quality bakes, and don’t skip the Bertello pizza peel + stone kit (affiliate link) for that leopard-spotted finish.
Pro Pizza Tip: Want Hot Tongue’s crust? Try experimenting with a sourdough starter kit and blend in stone-milled or 00 flour for a lighter, airier base.
🧀 For Suppliers: Dough, Data & Direction
Pizza City Fest is more than an eat-fest—it’s an ingredient showcase and trend barometer.
- Flour-forward innovation was on full display: Sourdough starters, laminated doughs, and naturally fermented blends dominated.
- Cheese sourcing leaned toward low-moisture mozzarella and aged Parmesan for flavor layering.
- Toppings took risks, with examples like vegan prosciutto, smoked chili honey, and pineapple chutney making appearances.
If you’re in B2B supply, now is the time to offer curated ingredient kits—especially sourdough-ready flour blends, bulk vegan cheese options, and signature spice oils. Partnering with pizza shops to offer seasonal, ready-to-order ingredients could be a goldmine.
Affiliate opportunity: Suppliers may consider integrating with restaurant CRM platforms like MarketMan or ordering tech such as BlueCart (affiliate links) to streamline procurement and monitor inventory performance.
👨🍳 For Shop Owners: Lessons from the Pizza Frontlines
Pizza City Fest was a textbook case in experiential branding and L.A.’s top pizzaiolos are showing how it’s done.
1. Education Creates Loyalty
Panels like “The Dough Whisperers” and “Mastering Ovens: Gas, Wood, and Electric” weren’t just packed they sparked conversations that extended beyond the event. Shops can emulate this by offering monthly “Back of the Kitchen” classes or dough demos for customers.
→ Affiliate idea: Use POS platforms like Square + Eventbrite integration (affiliate link) to manage pizza classes and ticketed tasting nights.
2. Cross-Style Innovation Wins
From triple-fermented crusts to al pastor pizzas, blending cultural cuisines gave brands like MexiForno and Ozzy’s Apizza a creative edge. Don’t be afraid to fuse regional flavors or styles just be intentional.
→ Offer seasonal specials like “Sicilian x SoCal” pies or “Neapolitan x Thai chili” concepts and see what sticks.
3. Visual-First Marketing
Instagrammable slices like Triple Beam’s Tomato Confit and Miller-Butler’s bold bakes reminded shop owners: in 2025, your slice is your brand. Get a DSLR food photography kit (affiliate link) or partner with local creators for photo content that travels fast on social.
🍕 Big Picture: The Rise of the Pizza Festival Economy
Events like Pizza City Fest aren’t just fun—they’re strategic. They position pizza not as fast food, but as artisanal craft and community culture. For the pizza world, it signals a shift:
- From Competition to Collaboration: Chefs stood shoulder to shoulder, trading notes instead of secrets.
- From Commodity to Craft: Dough isn’t just dough it’s story, science, and sourdough.
- From Transaction to Experience: The festival format lets shops build relationships that outlast one-time orders.
Expect more cities to follow L.A.’s lead and more pizzaiolos to view festivals as brand accelerators, not just pop-up gigs.
🛒 Top Affiliate Picks from Pizza City Fest
| Product | Use Case | Link |
|---|---|---|
| 🍕 Ooni Karu 16 Pizza Oven | For Neapolitan-style baking at home | Affiliate Link |
| 🧀 Sourdough Starter + 00 Flour Combo | Recreate Hot Tongue’s crust | Affiliate Link |
| 🛠️ POS + Event Booking Software | For classes, tastings, and shop events | Affiliate Link |
| 📷 DSLR Food Photography Starter Kit | Take viral-quality slice photos | Affiliate Link |
The Final Slice
Pizza City Fest proved that the future of pizza is bold, collaborative, and full of crusty character. Whether you’re baking at home, supplying ingredients, or running a shop, this gathering offered something more valuable than a slice it offered vision.
So here’s your call to action: light your oven, flex your creativity, and maybe just maybe plan your own mini pizza fest this fall.
Because pizza doesn’t just feed people. It brings them together, crust first.
Affiliate Disclosure:This article contains affiliate links, and Pizza Magazine may earn a commission from purchases made through these links.
