31
Spring 2015 Issue
EVENTS
Will Shaw, PizzaBOGO in North Olmsted, Ohio, placed first in this year’s Pizza Pizzazz Gourmet competition. Anthony Farinacci,
Fanucce’s Italian Restaurant and Pizzeria in Willoughby, Ohio, placed second and third-place belonged to Nathan Sickmiller of
Bellefontaine, Ohio’s Six Hundred Downtown. Pictured here (left to right): Second-place winner Anthony Farinacci, first-place winner
Will Shaw and third-place winner Nathan Sickmiller.
Pictured at the ribbon-cutting ceremony for NAPICS ’15 is (left to right): ORA President & CEO Geoff Hetrick, NAPICS Chairwoman
Ann Reichle, John Harrison from Presto Foods and Show Organizer Peter Stern.
In the traditional competition, this
year’s winner was Brad Rocco, Bexley
Pizza Plus, located in Bexley, Ohio, with
his submission a sausage, portabella
mushroom, spicy pepperoni, bell pepper
and cheese pizza. Second was Lisa Early,
owner at Brenz Pizza Co. in Knoxville,
Tennessee who won with her ATM (All
the Meat) pizza. Third place went to
David Smith II, owner of Pizza Palace
Plus in Emporium, Pennsylvania, for his
Traditional Meateater pizza.
NAPICS also offered attendees the
opportunity to visit educational seminars
and to better hone their business
acumen. For the fifth time during
NAPICS, the Ohio Restaurant Association
(ORA) and its partners in safety –
CareWorks and RiskControl360° – held a
seminar in concert with the Ohio Bureau
of Workers’ Compensation (BWC) and
Kastner, Westman & Wilkins (KW&W)
that highlighted how targeted safety
management practices can strengthen
your company’s foundation.
This was just one of the valuable seminars
held during NAPICS. Other seminars
focused on creating handcrafted ice
cream treats; improving customer service;
marketing without a budget; turning
servers into sellers; tips for growing your
restaurant with financial success; standing
out in a crowded industry and practical
pizzeria management techniques.
Next year, NAPICS will be held Jan. 24-25, 2016
at the Greater Columbus Convention Center.
