Changing the Pizza Game

Slade, KY
Established 1984

What’s your story?
Our place has been evolving for 35 years. It started as a little hangout for rock climbers and now it’s an international rock-climbing destination. The recipes, the buildings and everything evolved when there was a need.

Advice
The assumption of success has never been there in our business. We’ve always provided for the needs of the business rather than getting too far ahead of ourselves.

Favorite Recipe
Cheese. That’s the best example if you’re making pizza well because there’s nothing blinding the flavor. If you can’t get the sauce, crust and cheese right, then you may as well just stop there.

Los Angeles, CA
Established 2007

What’s your story?
I started working for Purgatory while making music. Right away, I saw a lot of potential in the place. The owner let me make some big changes, starting with the recipes. Six months later, I doubled sales.

Advice
For me, it always comes back to respect and respecting people’s time. I’m always here and I love being here. And I want to make that the case for everybody else for the small amount of time when they’re working here.

Favorite Recipe
If you want to judge a slice of pizza, get a slice of cheese. It’s just simple. You can really taste the sauce, the dough and the cheese and that’s most important to me. So cheese would be my favorite slice.