One of the hardest parts of covering the pizza industry is keeping pace with how quickly it’s changing. Costs, technology and consumer behavior are moving targets.
At PMQ, we spend a lot of time talking with operators, listening to their stories and trying to understand what’s actually happening on the ground. But recently, we asked ourselves a simple question: How can we do a better job of listening? How can we ensure our finger is always on the pulse of this ever-evolving segment?
That question led to the creation of the PMQ Cover Stars Council—a small group of 12 operators and industry voices who will meet quarterly with our editorial team to talk candidly about what they’re seeing, what they’re struggling with and what they think matters most right now. The goal is to continue to develop the best content in the pizza industry by having a better idea of the actual challenges our readership faces day in and day out.
Why Now?
We’re at a moment when the pizza business feels both more sophisticated and more fragile than ever. Operators are balancing tighter margins with higher expectations, more technology with less certainty and more noise with fewer clear answers.
Rather than trying to guess which trends matter most, we wanted a direct line to people who are actively building, running, fixing and evolving pizza businesses every day—people who can tell us what’s real before it becomes obvious.
Why These People?
The name “Cover Stars Council” is intentionally a little tongue-in-cheek. We liked the way it sounded—but more importantly, it reflects the one thing everyone on the council has in common: Each of them has appeared on the cover of PMQ Pizza. And nobody ends up on our cover by accident.
Every person on this council has earned that space by doing something meaningful in this industry— building a brand, navigating adversity, pushing the craft forward, creating community impact or simply operating with uncommon thoughtfulness and care.
They represent different regions, business models, scales and philosophies. What they share is lived experience, credibility among peers and a willingness to talk openly about what’s working and what isn’t.
What Will They Do?
The council will meet quarterly for informal, guided conversations. We’ll ask questions. We’ll listen. We’ll let them challenge each other. We’ll try to understand patterns and contradictions, tensions and opportunities.
Their input won’t dictate coverage, but rather inform it. It will help us prioritize stories, sharpen our questions and avoid blind spots. Our hope is that this makes PMQ Pizza more useful to its readership.
Meet the PMQ Cover Stars Council
Michael LaMarca, Master Pizza
LaMarca is the owner and CEO of Master Pizza Franchise Group, LLC in Mayfield, Ohio. He also won “Best in the Midwest” on Hulu’s “Best in Dough” show in 2022. When he was 15, LaMarca started his pizza-making career at Gina’s Pizza in Strongsville, Ohio, and became a manager at 17. His family purchased Master Pizza in 2001, and LaMarca opened the second location in Chagrin Falls, Ohio, in 2012. In 2013, he started Master Pizza Franchise Group and has grown the company to 15 locations. He is a member of the U.S. Pizza Team and has won numerous pizza-making competitions around the country, including 1st place in the Best Non-Traditional Division at the 2013 International Pizza Challenge and 1st place in the U.S. Pizza Team’s Best Pizza in America competition in 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2017.
LaMarca appeared on the September 2017 cover of PMQ.
Brandon Hunt, Co-Founder, Via 313
Brandon Hunt is the co-founder and co-owner of Via 313, the Detroit-style pizza brand he and his brother Zane launched from a food truck in Austin in 2011. With three decades of experience in the restaurant industry, Brandon has helped grow Via 313 into a multi-state operation and one of the most recognizable names in Detroit-style pizza. His perspective reflects the challenges of scaling a brand while preserving product integrity, culture, and consistency.
Zane Hunt, Co-Founder, Via 313
A Detroit native, Zane Hunt helped popularize the term “Detroit-style pizza” long before it became a national trend. As co-founder of Via 313, he has played a key role in shaping both the brand and the broader category, blending deep product knowledge with an operator’s understanding of growth, branding, and consumer connection.
The Hunts were featured on the September 2021 cover of PMQ.
Janet Zapata, Owner, 550 Pizzeria
Janet Zapata is the founder of 550 Pizzeria in Laredo, Texas, which has earned national recognition including a spot on 50 Top Pizza’s Excellent Pizzerias list. After starting her career as a cashier and rising through the ranks, Zapata built her own restaurant rooted in quality, leadership, faith and community pride. Her story reflects persistence, hands-on learning and the realities of building an independent business from the ground up.
Zapata was featured on the August 2022 cover of PMQ.
Jim Mirabelli, Founder, NEPA Pizza Review, Co-Founder, Virtual Pizza Academy
Mirabelli created NEPA Pizza Review to tell the stories of small pizza businesses and make pizza more accessible to everyone. More recently, he founded Virtual Pizza Academy with his good friend Jim Henry to help school aspiring pizza makers. He brings a perspective rooted in education, positivity and advocacy for independents. Mirabelli was featured on the September 2023 cover of PMQ.
Hengam Stanfield, Co-Owner, Mattenga’s Pizzeria
Hengam Stanfield co-owns Mattenga’s Pizzeria in San Antonio, where she applies an engineering mindset to restaurant growth. Known for her systems-driven approach to marketing, training and operations, she focuses on turning creativity into measurable, repeatable success. Her leadership philosophy centers on aligning hospitality, discipline and investment in people to build sustainable businesses.
Matt Stanfield, Co-Owner, Mattenga’s Pizzeria
Matt Stanfield brings an analytical, process-oriented perspective to restaurant operations, treating a pizzeria as a network of interconnected systems. He is a vocal advocate for structure, measurement and proactive marketing, emphasizing that operators must shape their narrative rather than leave it to algorithms and reviews. His voice reflects the realities of scaling thoughtfully without losing control of quality or culture.
The Stanfields apply an engineering mindset to restaurant growth, building systems-driven operations and marketing strategies that have fueled Mattenga’s rapid, disciplined expansion.
The Stanfields were featured on the June 2024 cover of PMQ.
Jackie Mazza, Culinary Director, DHS Hospitality
Jackie Mazza is a culinary leader and mentor whose career spans pastry, baking, pizza and multi-concept restaurant management. As culinary director for DHS Hospitality, she oversees multiple brands while championing education, creativity and thoughtful leadership in the kitchen. Her work bridges craft and operations, with a strong focus on developing people alongside menus.
Mazza was featured on the March 2025 cover of PMQ.
Robert Garvey, Co-Owner, Robert’s Pizza and Dough Co.
Robert Garvey is the pizzaiolo and co-owner behind one of the world’s most acclaimed pizzerias. After spending years refining his dough and studying fermentation and pizza making technique, he built a restaurant defined by precision, patience and craft. His approach blends technical rigor with creative curiosity, emphasizing consistency, quality and continual refinement.
Dana Hokin, Co-Owner, Robert’s Pizza and Dough Co.
Dana Hokin brings a creative, experiential lens to hospitality, shaping Robert’s Pizza and Dough Co. as both a restaurant and a story-driven space. With a background in art, education and resort management, she focuses on guest experience, design and emotional connection. Her work reflects a belief that great restaurants are built on meaning, not just menus.
Hokin and Garvey were featured on the April 2025 cover of PMQ.
Juan Gabriel Perez, Executive Chef, Posto
Juan Gabriel Perez has spent over a decade helping establish Posto as one of the country’s leading Neapolitan pizzerias. Alongside his work in the kitchen, he uses social media to demystify pizza making and share behind-the-scenes insight into craft and process. His perspective bridges tradition and modern communication, showing how expertise and openness can coexist.
Perez was featured on the September 2025 cover of PMQ.
Salvatore Reina, Owner, Francesca Pizza & Pasta
Salvatore Reina built Francesca Pizza & Pasta through long-term team development, community engagement and steady operational discipline. He is known for retaining and empowering staff, giving back locally and growing in a way that keeps people— not just profits—at the center of the business.
Reina was featured on the cover of the January/February 2026 edition of PMQ.
