Sponsored by Univex Corporation.
There’s no hiding weak equipment in a pizza kitchen. If a mixer cannot handle dough day after day, operators find out quickly. If an oven cannot keep up during a Friday-night rush, tickets back up. If a key part is unavailable when something breaks, the problem moves from the back of house to the customer experience.
That reality has kept Univex relevant for 80 years, and it is shaping how the company is preparing for the next 80. From dough mixing and forming to oven performance and parts availability, Univex is investing in the systems and people behind them that help pizza operators stay consistent under pressure.
Pizza itself has evolved. Consumers expect more crust styles, more regional influences, and more customization than ever before. But Daniel Tsiakos, vice president of sales and marketing at Univex, says the core of the product has not changed.
“Even if you slap on the best toppings you can find, if the literal base of the pizza is bad, it’s usually not a great experience,” Tsiakos says. “From the flour, to mixing it and proofing it correctly, all the way through cooking it. The basics in consistency are still relatively the same.”
The challenge for operators today is managing consistency across an expanding range of dough styles. A shop producing high-hydration artisan pies has very different equipment needs than a chain pushing volume on thin crust. A Detroit-style concept, deep-dish operator, or multi-unit franchisee trying to standardize production across stores is solving a different problem.
“We have a more consistent and higher torque,” Tsiakos says. “I do not need horsepower for dough. I am not trying to spin the dough hook super fast—I am looking for torque to move through the dough and give consistency to that mixing ability.”
That translates to mixers capable of handling dense or variable dough without losing performance, helping teams stay consistent on mixing time, dough temperature, and final product quality. Labor pressures have made that consistency even more critical. Many pizzerias are trying to maintain product standards while working with smaller or less experienced teams.
Across the early stages of production—mixing, dividing, rounding, and forming—operators are looking for tools that reduce strain while improving repeatability. Smaller independents may benefit from ergonomic improvements like removable bowls, while larger operations often look to removable or overturnable spiral mixers and dough-forming systems to keep batches moving.
“There is always tension between technology and craft,” Tsiakos says. “But the idea is not to replace people. We are lowering the skill level so any operator who is trained on the equipment can make a consistent, comparable pizza.”
That philosophy carries into baking as well. Univex’s Rotante oven blends a traditional dome format with digital controls designed to help operators manage heat and timing during busy service.
Behind the scenes, Univex has also invested in manufacturing improvements such as cobots and laser cutting. Repeatable components can run for hours with robotic assistance while skilled machinists focus on precision work.
“Those machines can run eight, ten, twelve hours straight,” Tsiakos says. “It means higher accuracy, better tolerances, and more consistency in the parts we are producing.”
These investments show up in practical ways: reliable equipment, steadier parts availability, and faster service support when something needs attention. After eight decades in foodservice manufacturing, Univex’s focus remains straightforward: help operators mix, handle, and bake pizza with greater consistency and fewer interruptions when the rush hits.
Learn more at www.univexcorp.com.
