By Brian Hernandez
As a member of the U.S. Pizza Team (USPT) since 2012, David Sommers, owner of Mad Mushroom in West Lafayette, Indiana, has been spinning dough, winning awards, judging pizza competitions and building pizza dreams since 2005. What’s next? He’ll serve as a judge for the Pizza Champion Cup Norge in Norway this month. Here, Sommers chats about his journey, judging expertise, and transition from competing in to critiquing pizza contests.
Brian Hernandez: Tell us about Mad Mushroom and your USPT career.
David Sommers: I started in the pizza industry as my first job way back in the mid-1990s with one of the large chains—because they would hire me. I went on to college at Purdue to study restaurant management, started working for Mad Mushroom as a sophomore in ’94 and stayed with it through graduation. I ended up purchasing the company from the original owners in 2001. My partners and I have been running it since then. We’ve got six locations now—three in Indiana and three in Kentucky.
I got into competitions in ’05 or ’06. It was mostly on the athletic side at first—fastest pizza maker, largest dough stretch and a little freestyle. Traveling to Parma in 2013 or 2014 was the first time I entered the culinary side. From traveling with those [USPT] guys and going to all those places, I learned how to do that better. So I’ve been [competing in culinary] for a little over 10 years now.
Hernandez: When did you begin judging?
Sommers: My first event was in ’21 in Atlantic City. I still remember it as one of my least favorite judging moments. I was judging the calzone category and tried what was probably the third or fourth calzone that just wasn’t finished [baking], and it had shrimp in it. It’s the only time I’ve ever had to spit something out. It was a good lesson in making sure everything is tested before presenting it to judges. Since then, I’ve done numerous USPT-hosted events and local competitions in the Indy and Lafayette area as well as international ones in the last couple years. I also helped with the judging side of the athletics for the USPT long before that.
Hernandez: Is judging the athletics more pressure because it’s so transparent and “by the math”—meaning, if you mistake a number, it affects their chances?
Sommers: It’s a little easier, because [I’ve got] the dime to measure holes, the stopwatch and the tape measure. But it’s more about making sure each competitor meets the criteria of the event—for example, that the screen is completely covered and there are no large holes in the fastest pizza maker contest. Then you’re measuring the longest side, and then the perpendicular one in the largest dough stretch, so you have to make sure that call is the right one. Everyone is watching over your shoulder, and they will let you know. If I mess up in my own competition, the only person I’m hurting is myself. If I don’t do something well on the judging side, I’m affecting somebody else’s outcome. So I put a little more pressure on myself, making sure it’s right for the other person.
Hernandez: What are some standout moments from your judging experiences?
Sommers: Last year in Sweden, there was a category for hyperlocal pizzas. Competitors had to use ingredients sourced within five to 10 kilometers of their shop. I judged pizzas with moose heart, reindeer, foraged blueberries—it was incredible.
Hernandez: What about open judging versus blind judging? Which do you prefer?
Sommers: I prefer open judging, because it allows me to interact with the competitors. I like hearing their thought process and understanding why they made certain choices.
Hernandez: Do you think that interaction influences scores?
Sommers: It can, even subconsciously. Judges like to believe they’re impartial, but we’re human. However, open judging adds transparency, and competitors get direct feedback, which is invaluable.
Hernandez: What’s your advice for anyone looking to start competing in or judging pizza competitions?
Sommers: Learn as much as you can about the styles you’ll be judging. Read books like The Pizza Bible or The Flavor Bible. Be open-minded—you’ll eat things you might not like, but you still need to score them fairly. As for competing, it’s a great way to learn and grow. Even if you don’t win, you’ll gain knowledge, enjoy the camaraderie and have stories to share with your community.
