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In this raw and inspiring episode, we sit down with Mike Fitzick, owner of Bakeria 1010, a beloved pizzeria and small batch bakery in Ocean City, on the Jersey Shore. This is a story of passion, and the relentless pursuit of pizza perfection. This episode showcases the gritty reality of running a high-quality pizza operation while maintaining work-life balance in a demanding seasonal market. It's a testament to how passion, persistence, and authentic storytelling can build a successful business from the ground up.
Featured Topics: • Detroit-style square pizza technique • Sourdough starter maintenance and fermentation • Seasonal restaurant operations • Instagram marketing for restaurants • Addiction recovery in the food industry • Italian pizza culture vs. American adaptation • Equipment: Gozney ovens, King Arthur flour blends • Shore town business dynamics
Chapters:
0:00 Introduction
3:20 75 days straight working - the seasonal grind
7:44 Early pizza career and addiction struggles
16:12 Mike’s recovery journey
20:24 Learning Neapolitan pizza and falling out with partners
24:09 One of the first Gozney influencers in North America
27:11 The pop-up era and building a following
35:15 Smuggling sourdough starter from Naples
42:17 The science of square pizza dough and hydration
58:00 Organic flour and the weevil problem
1:03:16 The neighbor pizzeria situation
1:17:02 Customer education and the Jersey Shore pizza scene
