By Rick Hynum
Janet Zapata, owner of 550 Pizzeria in Laredo, Texas, is a basketball fan. NBA player Julian Champagnie is a pizza fan. Now they’re fans of each other, too, after Champagnie paid a visit to Zapata’s restaurant earlier this month—and learned how to make his own pie from scratch.
The owners of a local sports development complex brought the San Antonio Spurs superstar to Laredo, Zapata told PMQ Pizza. “The main goal was to inspire the community through his basketball journey—and it also gave us the chance to host a meet-and-greet at 550,” she said.
The timing was pretty good, too. 550 Pizzeria celebrated its fifth anniversary on June 20, just a couple of weeks after Champagnie’s visit. PMQ Pizza featured Zapata on the cover of the August 2022 issue. An outstanding marketer as well as a highly successful operator and Laredo’s biggest booster, she will also be a speaker at PMQ’s 2nd Annual Pizza Power Forum, taking place September 2 through 4 in Atlanta.
Related: Janet Zapata of 550 Pizzeria Took a Leap of Faith—and Soared
During his visit to 550 Pizzeria, Champagnie appeared in a social media video with Zapata, posed for photos and signed autographs for guests at the restaurant. He got his hands sticky, too.
“Julian mentioned he wanted to try making pizza and learn how we do it here in South Texas—since he’s originally from Brooklyn,” Zapata said. For the video, she taught him how to stretch the dough, top the pie and peel it into the oven. Meanwhile, they enjoyed a friendly chat, even after Zapata admitted that her basketball loyalty lies elsewhere.
“Is this a good time to tell you she’s a Mavericks fan?” someone off-camera asked. “Whaaat?” Champagnie said, reacting with mock dismay. “No, I’m good. That’s OK. I like the Mavericks, too.” Then, he added, with a smile, “Kinda. Not really.”
“I have to say, he’s not only talented but incredibly humble,” Zapata told PMQ Pizza. “I was honestly nervous at first, but the moment we got to talking, it felt like two regular people making pizza together at the pizza table in 550, learning from each other.”
“And, of course,” she added, “I couldn’t help but ask how he felt about the Luka Dončić trade.” (Mavericks fans were stunned when their team traded Dončić to the Lakers earlier this year.)
“As much as I root for Dallas and Luka, I have the utmost respect for anyone who plays my favorite sport at the professional level,” Zapata said. “The best moment, though? When Julian and his crew took a bite of my pizza and said, ‘It’s fire.’ That was a win for me and for my city!”
Related: Janet Zapata: Shooting Straight With Pizzeria Employees
For Zapata, her wins are always Laredo’s wins. Few pizza pros are prouder of their home town than her. And during her celebration of 550 Pizzeria’s fifth anniversary on Friday, she made sure the community felt the love. The pizzeria hosted its local vendors, gave away 250 goodie bags full of 550 merch and other prizes, and awarded free pizza for a year to five guests. Around noon, she dropped a bombshell: Large pizzas would be offered for just $5.50 starting at 5:50 p.m.
Zapata plans to use some of the day’s proceeds to throw a pizza party for Sacred Heart Children’s Home in Laredo. “The orphanage has always been in my heart to help, and what better way than to have a pizza party?” she said. “They love it! Also on July 7 my team and I will go serve pizza at the Bethany House, which is a local soup kitchen that feeds families and individuals in need.”
After reaching the five-year milestone, Zapata said she’s “still in awe. But all we can do is pay it forward and always be kind to one another. I’m grateful and thankful to God and my community because, without them, I wouldn’t be celebrating five years of 550 Pizzeria.”
She added, “I still go into 550 and sit in the silence—in gratitude.”
Rick Hynum is PMQ’s editor in chief.
