Patty Steen
Director of Marketing, Romeo’s Pizza
330-952-1493
http://www.romeospizza.com
Romeo’s Pizza wins Best Pizza in Midwest at
2013 Pizza Pizzazz competition
Craig Jenkins of Romeo’s in Brunswick, Ohio, bakes the Butcher Shop pizza and claims both the “Best Pizza of the Midwest” title and $6,000 cash prize
Medina, Ohio—Craig Jenkins, a three store franchise partner of Romeo’s Pizza, baked a perfect “Butcher Shop” Pizza to claim the “Best of the Midwest” title in the Traditional category of 2013 Pizza Pizzazz on February 18. Jenkins’ effort also netted him a $6,000 cash prize. This is the third time in 10 years that Romeo’s Pizza has won this highly coveted and nationally known title.
The contest, operated in conjunction with the annual North America Pizza and Ice Cream Show was held at the Columbus Convention Center on February 17-18. It featured over 60 of the best pizza makers from over 17 states. Jenkins was the Manager at the original Romeo’s Pizza when Sean Brauser, CEO & Founder, won the same award in 2002 and 2004 with the Butcher Shop Pizza.
The Butcher Shop is a meat lover’s delight that begins with Romeo’s famous sweet pizza sauce and 100% Wisconsin cheese, followed by toppings of pepperoni, sausage, ham, bacon and crumbled meatballs.
Romeo’s Pizza finished fourth in the Gourmet category the day before with the Great Ranch & Potato Pizza. That pizza has been previously named Best Gourmet Pizza in America.
“When I didn’t hear my name called for third or second place, I was thinking, ‘Oh, my gosh, it’s either a bomb or I’m getting a trophy,’” Jenkins said. “Romeo’s Pizza was the only pizza place that placed in the finals both days and that really says a lot about our award-winning gourmet pizzas.”
ABOUT ROMEO’S PIZZA: Romeo’s Pizza has won over 20 different awards for their pizzas including the Best Gourmet Pizza in America with the Great Ranch & Potato Pizza, the Best Pizza in the Midwest three times with the Butcher Shop Pizza and named the Best Pizza in Columbus for four years in a row—2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012 at the Slice of Columbus. Romeo’s Pizza has been featured on the Food Network and named as one of the Top 100 Pizza Companies in the Country by Pizza Today Magazine. Romeo’s Pizza has grown from a single store in Medina to 31 locations throughout Ohio. Visit www.romeospizza.com for the full menu and store locations.
ABOUT PIZZA PIZZAZZ: The two-day Pizza Pizzazz begins with the gourmet category on Sunday, followed by the traditional category on Monday. On each day, a panel of 40 judges evaluates more than 50 pizzas for taste, presentation, crust quality and marketability. Six finalists are chosen to bake a pair of pizzas that are judged again. First, second and third place finishers win $6,000, $1,000 and $500 respectively.
ABOUT NAPICS: NAPICS is the nation’s largest combined pizza and ice cream tradeshow. Held annually, it attracts 4,000 pizzeria and ice cream shop owners, managers and operators and provides a forum for them to meet a variety of food and equipment vendors. The event features 200 exhibitors with demonstrations of new products and equipment, and seminars and workshops covering tried and true “how to” procedures and innovative methodologies. It is owned and operated by the Ohio Restaurant Association (ORA). Founded in 1920, the ORA is the leading business trade association for the Ohio foodservice industry, the state’s third-largest private sector employer. The ORA represents the interests of the $16 billion restaurant industry, which is comprised of 27,000 locations and a workforce of more than 553,000 employees. The ORA provides its members with advocacy, information services and education, as well as many cost-saving benefits. For more information, visit the ORA website at www.ohiorestaurant.org.
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