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On this episode, we took PIE 2 PIE all the way out to Mineola, Long Island to sit down at Taglio Pizza with Rob Cervoni - a force to be reckoned with in the pizza world who's doing things his own way. Rob's spot was recently ranked #3 slice shop in the world, but that's just scratching the surface of what makes this conversation special. From flipping houses to fund his pizzeria dream to pushing 90% hydration dough when others said it couldn't be done, Rob keeps it real about what it actually takes to build something different in this industry. What I love about Rob is his brutal honesty - he'll tell you straight up that being #3 in the world is both a blessing and a curse. He's got this incredible ability to market himself while staying authentic, whether it's his viral spatula interviews or his strategic approach to Food Network appearances. But don't let the social media presence fool you - this is someone who deeply understands both the science and business of pizza making.

Key Ingredients:

• Built a successful Roman-style pizzeria outside NYC against all odds
• Supplements restaurant income through strategic house flipping
• Plans to scale to seven locations before eventual exit
• Innovating with 90% hydration dough and unique flour blends
• Created viral social media presence without compromising authenticity
• Testing cutting-edge tech like AI phone systems
• Self-described "functionally lazy" - masters systems to work smarter
• Maintains quality while scaling through strategic planning

Chapters:

00:00 - Introduction & The Long Island Pizza Scene

03:51 - Real Talk: Industry Criticism & Standards

10:10 - The Double-Edged Sword of Success

25:45 - Equipment Wars & Industry Partnerships

35:20 - Breaking Tradition: The Roman Style Revolution

45:30 - Growth Strategy & Future Plans

55:15 - Social Media Game & Content Creation

1:05:00 - Technology & The Future of Pizza

1:15:20 - Overrated/Underrated & Closing Thoughts