The California Restaurant Show and the Pizza Tomorrow Summit Pavilion will become the new home of the California Pizza Challenge (CPC) sponsored by REAL California Milk, August 25-27, at the Los Angeles Convention Center.

The event will be hosted by PMQ Pizza’s U.S. Pizza Team and celebrates California’s long history of producing some of the country’s finest cheese. It will feature four culinary events to showcase California cheese, as well as four Pizza Athletics categories demonstrating the dexterity and agility needed in the kitchen on a busy night. There will also be a grand prize to compete in an international pizza competition in 2025. For rules/registration visit https://uspizzateam.com/cpc25/

“We are thrilled to be partnering with the United States Pizza Team (USPT) to host the California Pizza Challenge at our newly launched pavilion in Los Angeles this August. This exciting series of events, with a grand prize to compete in an international event, is sure to be a highlight of the trade show,” said Glenn Celentano, partner/CEO of Restaurant Events, owners of the Pizza Tomorrow Summit. “Participants and attendees to the Pizza Tomorrow Summit Pavilion will have full access to an extensive range of products from hundreds of vendors, a robust conference program, plus entertaining and informative competitions and demonstrations which are all part of the overall California Restaurant Show.”

“The USPT has finally found a forever home,” says Brian Hernandez, coordinator of the U.S. Pizza Team. “After our events in Orlando the last couple years, we are super excited to bring the pizza shenanigans to the west coast. Our goal is to find the best pizza makers and dough spinners from this side of the USA and take them to that side of Italy.” 

Culinary categories for the California Pizza Challenge include:

Non-Traditional: Pies must be 14″, round, yield six pieces, not made in a pan, and feature at least one cheese produced in California (verification will be required). The winner of this category will receive a trip to compete in an international competition in 2025, courtesy of USPT Sponsor REAL California Milk. 

Pizza in the Pan: The pizza must yield at least six pieces and feature at least one cheese produced in California. Competitors will have 30 minutes from first touch to hands off.

Best Traditional Sauce: Competitors must make a traditional red sauce. Each competitor will be given an 18 oz. dough ball, REAL California shredded Mozzarella and an oven. Sauce must only contain traditional ingredients and be a spreadable, traditional pizza sauce. Small veggies, herbs, oils and cheeses are allowed in the sauce.  No meat is allowed in the sauce.

The REAL California Milk 3-Cheese Championship: Pizza must contain exactly three cheeses, and all cheeses must be produced in California. Any cheese included in any other part of your recipe counts towards the total. Event sponsor REAL California Milk will provide any assistance needed in locating or obtaining any cheese found on the REAL California Milk official website.

The CPC’s athletic pizza events will include:

Individual Freestyle Acrobatics: Spin it to win it! The victor of this event earns a trip to compete in an international pizza competition in 2025.

Largest Dough Stretch: Competitors will have five minutes to stretch out one 18 oz. dough ball as large as possible. No holes larger than a dimer will be permitted.

Fastest Pie Maker: Competitors will stretch out five 10 oz. dough balls as fast as possible to cover 10″ screens. Dough must cover the entire screen to be counted.

Fastest Box Folder: Competitors will fold five 14″ boxes as fast as possible. Best time wins.

Team Freestyle Acrobatics Challenge: A team of three spinners must perform a choreographed acrobatic dough-spinning routine of up to three minutes (no less than two) for a panel of judges. 

To qualify for the California Pizza Challenge, competitors must make and sell pizzas in a brick-and-mortar pizzeria, mobile unit or active pizza catering service. No more than three competitors per pizzeria brand may compete in the CPC, unless they are additionally selected to compete in the 3-Cheese Championship. Each competitor may only represent their pizzeria in one culinary category (and the 3-Cheese if selected).

Registration gets each competitor two passes into the California Restaurant Show and Pizza Tomorrow Summit Pavilion. Competitors and the grand prize winner may not be affiliated with any other competitive pizza group or team. There can be no more than one competitor per pizzeria brand, per culinary category (up to three competitors total).

In addition to the Pizza Tomorrow Summit Pavilion at the California Restaurant Show, the Pizza Tomorrow Summit, named one of Trade Show Executive’s Fastest 50 growing trade shows in net square feet and total attendance, as well as recognized as No. 1 in the number of companies growth category, will take place at Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Florida on November 6-7 and is co-located with the Florida Restaurant Show

Pizza Tomorrow Summit is owned by Restaurant Events, LLC, a trade show management company in the restaurant and foodservice industries. For information about exhibiting, sponsoring or attending any of the Restaurant Events upcoming events, visit New York Restaurant ShowCalifornia Restaurant ShowFlorida Restaurant Show; and Pizza Tomorrow Summit

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