The 1st Annual California Pizza Challenge, which took place August 25-27 in Los Angeles, was a resounding success. It featured eight winners overall and two grand prizes that sent a pair of superstar pizzaioli to compete in the April 2025 World Pizza Championship in Parma, Italy.

The event was held at the Pizza Tomorrow Summit and the California Restaurant Show. It was sponsored by Real California Milk and hosted by PMQ’s U.S. Pizza Team (USPT).

U.S. Pizza Team member Giovanni Labbate, owner of Tievoli Pizza Bar in Palatine, Illinois, emerged as a pizza-making powerhouse at the event. He claimed first place in the Non-Traditional category and the Three-Cheese Challenge and was named Grand Champion in the Secret Basket Face-Off.

In particular, Labbate’s Peach Perfect Pie floored the judges. In the video below, he talks about his experience in the competition, along with other high-performing contestants like George Taylor of Taylors’ Pizza House, Kira Zabrowski of Much Ado About Pizza and Tore Trupiano of Mangia e Bevi, all members of the USPT.

The next California Pizza Challenge takes place August 3-5, 2025, in Anaheim, California. Meanwhile, watch the video to learn more about these award-winning pizzas!

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