How do two pizza lovers turn a shared obsession into a thriving, award-winning pizzeria—during a pandemic?
We’re inside the dough room at Cowabunga to hear how Justin and Andy went from pizza snobs and Instagram mutuals to building one of Canada’s most talked-about slice shops. We break down their hybrid sourdough program, how they scaled without sacrificing quality, why pizza screens aren’t the enemy, and the wild story of winning World’s Best Cheese Slice in Vegas… after losing their dough in transit.
Highlights:
0:00 – Making dough for a 72-hour ferment & what makes their dough special
0:24 – Hybrid sourdough + instant yeast: flavor, reliability, and avoiding purist gatekeeping
1:31 – Why they call it a “hybrid,” not “sourdough pizza”
2:56 – Balancing craft & business: consistency over ego
4:18 – The Instagram DM that sparked their partnership
5:35 – Early plans, failed farmers market shop attempt, and finding their first location
9:50 – Signing the lease… then the pandemic hits
10:54 – Pivoting to IG-only ordering + hype-building during lockdown
12:58 – Scaling from 50 pizzas → 200/week in weeks
14:57 – “Pepperoni pays the bills” — product philosophy
17:48 – Blending culinary creativity with approachability
19:52 – The Cowabunga pizza: peanuts, pineapple, fried chicken — breaking the rules
20:53 – Dough ball sizes & why multiple formats matter for guests
22:19 – Flour blend + Pizza Master setup for hybrid baking
24:06 –Vegas story: losing the dough, flying a replacement overnight, still taking first place
27:12 – Press hits, hometown love, and sustaining momentum
30:30 – Awards = attention, but product = retention
32:04 – Why they document everything — impact on narrative + community
40:00 – Using the Equalizer for perfect slice cuts
42:06 – Pizza screens: scaling tool, not a shortcut
45:56 – Their cooked sauce profile + cheese approach
48:52 – Ingredient sourcing & adapting to import changes
57:05 – What’s next: dialing systems & global expansion
Check them out:https://www.cowabungapizzeria.ca/
https://www.instagram.com/cowabungapizzeria/?hl=en
Thank you to our show sponsors:
Bacio Cheese:
Corto:https://bit.ly/457DNII
Join my Instagram Community Channel: https://www.instagram.com/channel/AbbWnReTYIlCfO21/
Patreon Page: patreon.com/whatsgooddough
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Edited By Valentine Phelippeau
Topic:Cowabunga Pizza, hybrid sourdough pizza, pizza dough recipe, 72 hour cold ferment, pizza master oven settings, pizza screens vs wooden peel, how to scale a pizzeria, starting a pizza business, pizza slice shop setup, Canadian pizzerias, pepperoni pizza recipe, cheese slice competition, world’s best cheese slice, pizza expo Vegas, restaurant branding, social media marketing for restaurants, pizza shop workflow, dough fermentation tips, pizza sauce recipe, mozzarella blends, Ardent Mills flour, brick and mortar startup story, pandemic restaurant success story, pizza shop equipment, food entrepreneurship, pizza Instagram marketing, behind the scenes pizza kitchen, pizza dough hydration, pizza toppings ideas, restaurant consistency systems, global pizza expansion, pizza business strategy