Story by Rick Hynum | Photos by Bianca Calascibetta

Twitch might be best known for live streaming of esports, but Giuliana Calascibetta, the district manager for Cam’s Pizzeria in Rochester, New York, is playing a game that’s all her own: using her growing Twitch fan base to promote her family’s pizza chain and build it into a name brand that’s recognized far beyond the upstate region.

With her bright smile and sunny, winsome personality, Calascibetta, known as PizzaPrincessG on Twitch, has attracted a fast-growing and loyal audience of more than 110,000 followers. But she’s more than a charming spokesperson for the six-store brand. Tune in throughout the day—or well into the night—and you’ll find Calascibetta chatting up her customers, stretching dough, firing up pies and running them out to the front-of-house.

Watch her in action, and you’ll see a real pro in action, not just as a pizza maker but as a marketer. You might think she’d be paying more attention to her stream chat, which is always lively, than to her work. But you’d be wrong.

“That pepperoni [pizza] is coming out in a minute, OK?” she calls to an off-screen guest. “Have you written a review about us yet?” she asks another customer. “You haven’t? Would you do us the honor of writing a review for us?”

All the while, she’s busily cheesing and topping her pies, occasionally flashing a grin for the ever-present camera positioned at her work station, with the oven right behind her.

She’s also known on Instagram for her fun, high-energy reels and photos featuring Cam’s Crazy Slices, unique pies topped with everything from steak and eggs to Halloween candy and popcorn.

Calascibetta is living proof that younger millennials can outwork—and out-market—their elders. And she seems to love every minute of it. We asked her how she got started on Twitch and why it’s working for her as a pizzeria operator. Here’s what she told us:

Q: How and why did you start streaming live on Twitch from Cam’s Pizzeria?

Calascibetta: I started streaming on Twitch back in March 2020 when the pandemic hit. Being in the family business, I couldn’t just stay home. Many of my employees were worried about coming to work and catching the virus, so I had to step up to cover these hours.

I remember working long days all by myself, and as a textbook example of an extrovert, this really affected my mental health. I couldn’t even engage with customers the way I used to. I couldn’t talk with my employees. It was just me and pizza—which I’m sure sounds great to a lot of people [laughs].

After feeling down about the lack of human connection I was longing for, I decided I would find a way to connect with people online, and Twitch was the perfect platform for this. I didn’t really know how to use the platform and had never watched any streams before I downloaded the app. I literally just swung it and pressed “Go Live” and talked to whoever joined the stream—which wasn’t very many people.

From there, I started showing my chat how I make pizza, how I make dough, ranting about customers, and pretty much everything that involved a day in my life working at Cam’s Pizzeria. I realized that the more I streamed my work days, the more I became excited about what I did while I was there. Not only did I have people to talk to now, but I could entertain a live audience! I grew up dancing and performing in musical theatre so this was the perfect way for me to follow this passion of mine—right from the pizzeria!

I also learned that, by live-streaming at work, I became more aware of how I make my pizzas. For example, when there’s 500 people watching you, it makes you more aware of where you’re placing pepperoni or how much cheese you’re adding to a pie. I’ve become prouder of my craft and feel more fulfilled in what I do every day by having this online audience and perfecting [our pizza-making craft].

Overall, I truly love teaching people about the world of Za, and Twitch has made this so much easier for me to connect with others all around the world!

Q: So what are your goals for Twitch?

Calascibetta: My goals with Twitch are simple: teach my audience about the world of pizza and what it’s like growing up in the family business and all the struggles that come with being a district manager in the food industry.

I’m always 100% honest with my chat/audience; when I stream from other locations that I manage or oversee, I will share not only the positives, but also the neglected parts of that pizzeria—things that need cleaning, other issues of that nature.

When a franchisee gets lazy, I bring my stream to that location, and hundreds of people can witness this laziness. It makes the franchisee feel more on edge and more responsible, and [that person] doesn’t want to look foolish on my stream. I call these streams “pizzeria rescue episodes” for obvious reasons. However, since bringing my stream around regularly to all the locations that I oversee, struggling franchisees have found more excitement and are working harder as people get to see their progress from the last time I was at their location.

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Streaming has helped communication tremendously, and I allow all my employees to have access to watch these streams. I have nothing to hide. I encourage them to watch how I make pizza, manage my employees, and how to give A+ customer service.

Everything is out in the open, and I truly believe that’s what helped me grow so quickly on the platform. My content is real, raw, and authentic—something you don’t really see online anymore. I also pride myself on being “rated G” and family-friendly, as my streams are always clean and safe for any age group to watch. Even my Nonna comes in to chat and watch my streams, so everyone needs to be on their best behavior!

I aim to inspire young people to work hard and hopefully bring nostalgia to others that have worked in the food industry before. Or, in other words, connect with people through love! I’ve also been able to follow my passion as a performer and entertain others.

Q: How does Twitch fit into your marketing strategy for Cam’s Pizzeria? And is it working?

Calascibetta: At first, live streaming on Twitch was just something I did for fun. Since becoming partnered on the platform in a very short amount of time, I started taking it more seriously. Any time I work now, my stream is on. I’m at a point where, if I’m at the pizzeria working, I’m streaming it. It just doesn’t feel right when my chat isn’t there with me!

As I grew on Twitch, we made my streams available for viewing live right from the Cam’s Pizzeria’s website. Customers order their pizzas online and can tune in to my stream and watch them be made right after placing an order! It really is an excellent way to connect with customers. I’ve even had people venture to Rochester from all over the country just to meet me and try out our pizza!

Streaming from the pizzerias on Twitch has been very successful for business, and I plan on merging the Pizza Princess G brand and Cam’s Pizzeria together even more as time progresses. My dream is for both brands to grow together. I want to make my father proud of the legacy he built and take it to the next level. I want him to realize that it has created the perfect path for his daughter and her dreams as the Pizza Princess of Twitch and everything that has yet to come.

Rick Hynum is PMQ’s editor in chief.