Little Lady Foods
On vacation in Boyne Mountain, Michigan, maestro pizzaiolo Leo Spizzirri, resident dough specialist at Little Lady Foods in Elk Grove Village, Illinois, teaches his daughter, Giada, age 3, to push out dough for a pizza crust.
Pizza Pro of Marion, Marion, AR
Seven-year-old Caleb Martin is already learning to toss dough—and offer service with a friendly smile—at the pizza shop owned by his mom and dad, Thomas and Sherry Martin.
Harborside Pizza, Cordova, AL
Now three years old, Rowan Wildrick, son of Harborside Pizza owner Brian Wildrick, has been helping his daddy in the pizza shop since he was less than a month old.
Cassano’s Pizzeria, Naperville and Downers Grove, IL
Nick and Maria Cassano know the perfect pizzeria poster child when they see one. They have posed newborn Anthony for photo shoots as a newborn and at six months old and one year old. “We have his photos hanging on the walls in our pizzeria and all over our house, of course,” Maria says. “What better way to incorporate him into our business and share our growing family with our customers than with adorable photos of our future little pizza maker?”
Two Bro’s Pizza & Gourmet Pasta, Rootstown, Ohio
Anthony Scalia describes his two sons, Salvatore, 5, and Dominick 3, as “future U.S. Pizza Team hopefuls.
Brooklyn’s Pizzeria, Ellensburg, WA
The adorable Brooklyn gets ready to take a bite from a huge slice at the pizza shop owned by her father, Jim Rowe.
Cardinal’s Pizza, North Lewisburg, OH
Destinee Collier, the 12-year-old niece of Cardinal’s general manager Rissa Collier, slices a pie for the Champaign County Fair in Urbana, Illinois. “She started helping in the pizzeria at the age of three, sorting banana peppers and tubbing bacon,” Collier recalls.
Cardinal’s Pizza, North Lewisburg, OH
Shown here intently saucing a pizza, eight-year-old Chris Weber is the grandson of Cardinal’s Pizza owner Donald Van Zant.
Cardinal’s Pizza, North Lewisburg, OH
Ben Weber, the five-year-old grandson of Donald Van Zant, works on a ball of dough at his grandfather’s pizzeria.
CJ’s Pizza, West Point and Columbus, MS
Cara Teague helps her mom, Courtney Teague, owner of CJ’s Pizza, make 20 large pizzas for a school event. Courtney’s father founded the family-owned CJ’s 26 years ago, making Cara a third-generation pizzaiola.
Elevation Pizza Company, Fraser, CO
Two-year-old Wilamina Hershfelt flashes a big smile for her dad, Elevation Pizza owner Adam Herschfelt, as he teaches her to make her first pizza.
Daddio’s Pizzeria, Grande Prairie, Alberta, Canada
Jayda Mathias, 10, has been working for her grandfather, Richard “Daddio” Ames, at his shop for two years. She started out oiling pans and now works the cash register and greets and serves customers.
Daddio’s Pizzeria, Grande Prairie, Alberta, Canada
Like his sister (previous), nine-year-old Chevy Mathias, Ames’ grandson, carries his weight at Daddio’s. He stocks and organizes the cooler, keeps the sidewalks clean and recently started running the cash register.
Mad Mushroom, Richmond, KY
Braiden Henderson, four-year-old son of Mad Mushroom co-owner Kinsey Henderson, shows off his cool company T-shirt during a visit to his dad’s store.
Pesci’s Pizza & Wings, Clarence, NY
Hunter Dickey (right) and his buddy, Ryan, take a break after working the fryers for lunch at Pesci’s Pizza & Wings, owned by Hunter’s dad, Jim Dickey.
Norma’s Pizza, Manheim, PA
Now seven years old, Ashanti was five when this picture was taken by her great-grandmother, Norma Knepp. Knepp says Ashanti still loves to play with pizza dough.
Fredi’s Pizza, Melvindale, MI
After helping to get a pie ready at Fredi’s Pizza, two-year-old Adriana Bello waits patiently for her dad, Fredi “The Pizzaman” Bello, to clean off her hands. Bello has been making pizza for 35 years—first with his dad and now with his own shop. Adriana is next in line for the family business.
Precinct Pizza, Tampa, FL
Rick Drury, owner of Precinct Pizza, snapped this photo of Jason, five years old at the time, helping his mom, Jessica Drury, make lasagna. Jason is now 10.
PMQ Inc., Oxford, MS
Fresh out of the oven is Lynley Grace, daughter of Chris Green and Erin Toffler and granddaughter of PMQ Pizza Magazine publishers Steve and Linda Green.
Primo’s Pizza, Allen Park, MI
This four-year-old pizzaiola-to-be flashes her awesome dimples as she helps her dad, Primo’s Pizza owner Tim Estheimer, top a loaded pie.
RonDavoo Fried Chicken and Pizza Pies, Burlington, IA
RonDavoo owner Ron Litchfield says his grandson Dillon, shown here at three years old, is his “retirement plan,” adding, “I’ve been training him since he started walking. He’s excited about working here some day—I hope the excitement sticks around when the time comes!”
Romo’s Pizza and Restaurant, Glenmont, NY
Gracelyn Ruede, the five-year-old daughter of Romo’s owner Brittany Ruede, takes a dainty bite out of a Gracie Pie, a signature Sicilian pizza with sauce on top of the mozzarella.
Romo’s Pizza and Restaurant, Glenmont, NY
Meanwhile, Gracelyn’s little sister, two-year-old Antonia, chomps down on her own namesake appetizer, the oversized Toni Marie meatball.
St. George Pizza, Huntington Beach, CA
Owner George Contakos often teaches local children how to make their own pizzas, but it’s safe to say his teenage daughter Georgie, a familiar face at St. George, is his favorite.
Toss ‘N’ Fire Wood-Fired Pizza, Syracuse, NY
Nick Sanford’s beautiful baby girl, Cora, is the perfect spokesmodel for his mobile wood-fired pizza business that serves central New York.
That’s A Some Pizza, Bainbridge Island, WA
A love for pizza comes naturally to Angie, the daughter of That’s A Some Pizza owner Will Grant and a third-generation pizzaiola. “We have been open for 32 years, and we use a 100-year-old sourdough starter from the Klondike gold rush to make our dough,” notes Grant, who was recently featured on Forbes.com.
Greathouse of Pizza, Casey, IL
Zella Groothuis, daughter of Trent Groothuis, recently turned five, but she has been helping her dad out at Greathouse of Pizza ever since she could grip a pizza paddle.
Greathouse of Pizza, Casey, IL
Greathouse of Pizza owner Trent Groothuis thinks of Landon, his girlfriend’s son, as his own second child. Here, Landon helps Groothuis make dough for a deep-dish pie.
Vito’s Pizza and Beer, York, PA
Six-year-old Noah Spagnola, son of Vito’s owner Lennie Spagnola, already knows how to prep a pie for baking at Vito’s
