Frank and Wenda Trunzo have owned a coffee shop, Krazy Kup, in Plant City, Florida, since 2018. Frank recently decided, in order to broaden the duo’s business portfolio, that he would go back to school—pizza school, that is.
Frank Trunzo attended Pizza University & Culinary Arts Center, located in Maryland, and obtained a first-rate education from pizzaiolos like Tony Gemignani. That immersive training helped him develop recipes that will serve as the bedrock for the Trunzos’ new pizzeria, Stage 201, which opened in downtown Plant City last week.
According to the Plant City Observer, Trunzo keeps his dough recipe a secret. That particular recipe is the one he fussed over the most, though, in the buildup to opening Stage 201. He did share with the Observer that the recipe uses some combination of Caputo 00 flour, milled in Italy, and unbleached flour.
Related: Why are firefighters delivering pizza in Rochester, New York?
“We wanted a recipe that created a light, fluffy, crunchy flavorful crust, and it didn’t come easy,” Trunzo said.
All the tinkering paid off. One of the first guests to dine at Stage 201, Jeremy Culver of Plant City, told the Observer that he was especially impressed with the dough. He and his wife ordered the Motown: fresh roma pomodoro sauce, ricotta cheese, 100% Corto EVOO, fresh basil, Parmigiano Reggiano, topped with white cheddar and and asiago cheese.
“The flavor profile was incredible,” Culver said. “There’s a sweetness to it but also a lightness. It didn’t feel heavy afterward.”
Culver shared the pie with his wife, who has a gluten intolerance and yet ate the pizza without issue. “I attributed it to the high-quality ingredients and the fermentation of the crust,” Culver said. “They certainly approach their food from an artisan perspective and deliver on that.”
Culver and others were also impressed with the pizzeria’s expansive interior. The shop inhabits a space that was once an archery store and events center but had fallen on hard times before the Trunzos bought it and spent a couple of years rehabbing it into the space it is today. The couple told the Observer that they had always envisioned the pizza place as another space for the public to gather and spend time with friends and family.
“We want people to feel as though this is one of the very best pizza restaurants they’ve ever been to,” Frank said. “We want to be recognized as being one of the best, not just in Tampa.”