Not long ago, consumers mostly shrugged their shoulders at the prospect of frozen pizza for dinner: “Oh, well, that’ll do in a pinch.” Now professional chefs have made it respectable—even a topic for academic discussion.
Case in point: a sold-out conference held at Drexel University on November 17 titled “Chef to Shelf: Diversifying Revenue with Packaged Foods for Consumers and Foodservice.” The event, part of the Philly Chef Conference 2025 series, focused on consumer packaged goods (CPG) and featured panelists including Chef Brad Daniels, co-founder of Pizza Freak Co., the acclaimed Philadelphia-based frozen pizza company that’s redefining how chefs expand beyond the restaurant kitchen.
Daniels, who is also a culinary instructor at Drexel University, joined a panel of nationally recognized culinary entrepreneurs, sharing insights on building CPGs from a chef’s perspective.
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The event, presented by Blank Rome and Edible Philly, highlighted how chef-led brands can diversify revenue streams, increase restaurant visibility, and reach consumers beyond traditional dining experiences. Daniels brought a unique industry viewpoint, representing a brand that collaborates with chefs nationwide and actively builds both retail and foodservice product channels.
At a reception following the panel discussion, Pizza Freak Co. served a lineup of restaurant-quality frozen pizzas, including a standout collaboration: the Huli Huli Chicken Pizza Freak, created with fellow panelist and Philadelphia food entrepreneur Chef Kiki Aranita of Poi Dog.
The pizza featured a tropical-inspired marinade and yogurt drizzle reflective of Aranita’s signature flavors, demonstrating how packaged foods can celebrate culinary originality without sacrificing convenience.
“Chefs have powerful stories to tell, and packaged foods give us a way to share those stories directly with people at home,” Daniels said. “Pizza Freak exists to bridge that gap—restaurant creativity, freezer convenience and real chef involvement.”
Daniels and Pizza Freak Co. co-founder Chef Brad Kilgore were nominated for the 2024 Best Pizza Chef Awards, presented annually in Milan, Italy. They founded the brand in 2023, emerging at the forefront of an industry-wide movement that has seen legendary pizzeria owners like Anthony Mangieri of Una Pizza Napoletana in New York branch out into the frozen pizza/CPG segment.
In addition to Mangieri, Katie Lee, owner of Katie’s in St. Louis and PMQ Pizza’s May 2025 cover subject, recently scored a deal to have her frozen pizzas featured in Target stores nationwide, following on the heels of Ann Kim of Pizzeria Lola fame in Minneapolis.
Pizza Freak Co. continues to expand throughout the Mid-Atlantic, working closely with independent retailers, chefs, foodservice operators and culinary educators to reimagine what frozen pizza can be.
