PizzaBOGO claims The Best Gourmet Pizza in America award

PizzaBOGO franchisee Robert Kopis captured first place and the $7,500 top prize at the 2011 Pizza Pizzazz competition with his Tuscan Fiorentina pizza. The Cleveland Heights, Akron and Hudson pizzaBOGO operator beat 52 pizza makers, including members of the USA Pizza Team, in the contest’s gourmet category held during the North America Pizza & Ice Cream Show (NAPICS) at the Columbus Convention Center.

Kopis’s award is one of the largest in a growing number of international pizza baking competitions. Surrounded by other pizzaBOGO coworkers and franchisees, he celebrated the win with high fives and hugs.

“Finally, we got some eyeballs and taste buds to appreciate our innovation,” said Kopis, whose pizza used a spicy garlic sauce base and fresh basil, roasted red peppers, onion, mushroom, cheese, sirloin steak, fresh scallions and stripes of balsamic glaze. “This win is a boost to our confidence. And it’s a new paradigm for the pizza industry to embrace other cultures’ flavors and taste experiences on a flatbread!”

Issam Halawi, franchisor of the three-unit, Akron, Ohio-based company, called the win a valuable addition to the brand. He credits the victory to the judges' recognition of the creativity and innovation in pizzaBOGO’s diverse culinary style.

“With our pizzas, you can let your taste buds travel the world without a passport, to India, Thailand, the Mediterranean, you name it. We make a world worth eating,” Halawi said. “But I truly believe winning is a byproduct of consistently doing things right, which we strive to do every day.”

The two-day Pizza Pizzazz contest judged pizzas in two categories, gourmet and traditional. A panel of 30 judges evaluated as many as 60 pizzas for taste, presentation, crust quality and marketability. Six finalists were chosen to bake a pair of pizzas for a second round of judging.

NAPICS annually attracts 4,500 pizza and ice cream business owners, managers and operators, and provides a forum for them to meet a variety of food and equipment vendors.

While making his two final pizzas, Kopis smiled when asked if the event was stressful. “This is a labor of love for me. I waited all year to showcase our culinary talents in flavor and innovation,” he said, grinning and gesturing toward tiny pieces of cheese he was arranging carefully with the tines of a fork. “Excellence is shown through tasteful differentiation.”

PizzaBOGO is a growing franchise brand that has innovated FREE Unlimited Toppings and specializes in making high-quality, world gourmet pizzas sold at a "Buy One, Get One Free" value price. To promote community generosity, every Friday the company encourages patrons to “Buy One, Give One” to others who may be hungry or just haven’t experienced the Pizza BOGO taste. The company is based in Akron, Ohio. It's Cleveland Heights location is at 13434 Cedar Road in the Cedar Taylor district.