By Tracy Morin
After decades of building an international reputation in the pizza world, master pizzaiolo Will Grant recently stepped back into the classroom—not as a student, but as an instructor. In fact, Grant brought his hands-on pizza curriculum to the college campus where his own business journey began.
Grant made history in 2024 as the first American to receive the Premio Follie Lifetime Achievement Award at the Pizza World Cup in Rome. But when he returned to Olympic College in Bremerton, Washington, he was ready to give back, via a two-day pizza workshop for culinary students.
The visit marked a meaningful homecoming for Grant, who had attended the college himself while preparing for a future in the restaurant business.
Grant had earned his first college credits at Olympic College—then, a few years later, returned with a certain goal in mind. “I went through the Running Start program at Olympic College in 1997, which allowed me to get a jump on college credits while I was still in high school,” Grant says. “I came back in 2000 specifically to take accounting and business management classes—I knew I wanted to open a restaurant, and I wanted to do it right. Those classes gave me a real foundation.”
A Practical Approach to Pizza Education
As lead instructor at the Pacific Northwest School of Pizza and a master instructor for the Scuola Italiana Pizzaioli of Italy, Grant brought decades of experience into the classroom for students. Still, his goal for the Olympic College workshop was straightforward: Keep the lessons approachable. “I’ve been teaching pizza for years, so I had a framework to draw from,” Grant says. “For Olympic College, I wanted to keep it practical and accessible.”
The course followed a hands-on, two-day format. Day one focused on pizza fundamentals, while on day two, students learned the technical side of dough production.
“Day one was Pizza 101, getting students hands-on with dough from scratch so they could feel what properly developed gluten actually means,” Grant explains. “Day two, we went deeper into baker’s percentages and moved to commercial mixers, then baked off the dough they’d made the day before. There’s something really powerful about eating what you made with your own hands.”
The workshop drew nine students on the first day and 12 on the second, and Grant says the enthusiasm in the room reinforced why he continues to teach. “The energy in the room was great,” he says. “You could see the moment it clicked for people—when they understood why the dough feels the way it does, or why the percentages matter. That’s what I live for as an instructor.”
For students, the session offered a rare opportunity to learn directly from a pizza professional who has competed, coached and taught around the world. For Grant, the teaching engagement represented more than a guest lecture—it was a chance to give back to the place that helped shape his career path. “Pizza gave me everything—a career, a community, a way to connect with people across the world,” Grant says. “The least I can do is pass that on.”
Coming Full-Circle
Over the years, Grant has helped open 16 restaurants, coached teams to first-place finishes at the Pizza World Cup, and trained pizzaioli across the United States and internationally. Yet teaching at Olympic College carries an extra-special meaning—even tracing back into his family history.
Grant’s maternal grandfather, James Lawrence, taught engineering at Olympic College during World War II, specializing in tank engineering. And, as owner of Sourdough Willy’s Pizzeria in Kingston, Washington, and That’s A Some Pizza in Bainbridge Island, the family connection is strong in Grant’s pizzerias, too: The latter was founded by his parents in 1984.
Both restaurants are known for their distinctive crust, made with a 130-year-old Klondike Gold Rush sourdough starter, which has been in continuous use since the restaurant opened. The starter is recognized as #104 in the World Heritage Sourdough Library in Belgium, a distinction that points to its historical significance.
For Grant, sharing knowledge with aspiring pizza makers is part of the craft itself—and another way to keep the tradition alive for the next generation. “Coming back to Olympic College specifically felt full circle,” he notes. “That school helped me build the business foundation to pursue this craft professionally. If I can give even one student a spark the way this place gave me a spark, that’s a win.”
Tracy Morin is PMQ’s associate editor.
