Today we’d like to introduce you to Mike Carvajal
Mike, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
When I moved from New York to Ohio in 2012, I quickly realized I couldn’t find the kind of pizza I’d grown up with back home. What started as a craving turned into a full blown obsession! I went down a rabbit hole, experimenting with dough recipes, sauce blends, and baking techniques to recreate a New York style pizza that held up to my standards. My home kitchen became a pizza laboratory and after a few years of trial and error I was convinced I could produce a pie as good or better than anything else in town. Friends and family soon became enthusiastic taste testers. One of those friends was Ryan Miller, owner of Deli Ohio and a kindred spirit when it comes to pizza. Recognizing the potential, Ryan proposed a partnership and offered up his restaurant for us to hold a once a month pop-up. We bought a small commercial pizza oven that could handle two 16 inch pizzas at a time and we were off to the races. For almost 5 years Mike’s Pizza was open 1 night a month producing only 40, hand crafted, New York style pizzas. We quickly amassed a following of dedicated fans eagerly signing up for our monthly preorder and filling up the 40 available slots in a matter of minutes. As the Mike’s Pizza faithful competed for a coveted pie the question was always the same: “When are you opening a full time spot?” Finally, in March 2024 we pulled the trigger, setting up shop in the same place we’d always been, the Deli Ohio building. With a generous investment from our pizza loving community through HoneyComb crowd sourcing, we upgraded our equipment, trained a full time staff, and expanded our initial menu. Shortly after our opening we welcomed The Woodshop brewery (under the banner of the amazing Unhitched brewing out of Lousiville, OH) into the space. The fourth Street collective was born, housing all three businesses Deli Ohio, Mike’s Pizza, and The Woodshop under one roof operating in tandem to offer a unique dinning experience and some of the best craft beer and cocktails in the city. The response has been overwhelming, with loyal pop-up fans and plenty of new faces filling the shop every week. What started as a search for comfort food has become a cornerstone of the downtown Canton community – a place where every slice tells a story of perseverance, passion, and the continuing pursuit of the perfect pizza.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Sourcing the right ingredients to make an authentic New York style pizza was an initial hurdle, but with persistence and finding the right purveyors we’ve been able to hit just the right notes. Having never worked in a restaurant let alone owned one, there were several challenges to the initial full time startup that would have been daunting had I been doing it alone. Luckily my parter Ryan has over a decade of ownership experience and years of work experience in the restaurant space. Together we were able to rise to the challenge of getting the business off the ground and ready for prime time. Bringing on a full time chef in Chip Singer (former pop-up customer I might add) has made transitioning from a small pop-up to a full blown pizzeria that much easier. Chip’s incite, talent, and understanding of the brand we are trying to build has been invaluable to the success of Mike’s Pizza. Many of the monthly pizza specials that have garnered so much love from our regulars were conceived by Chip and would not be possible without his unique spin on what makes a great pie.
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Mike’s Pizza is the result of a life long love of crispy, foldable slices enjoyed primarily on the east coast and specifically in the tristate area. We aim to bring that love to our community here in Canton. Mike’s specializes in New York style pizza and small plates utilizing east coast methods, a slow dough fermentation process, and a high temperature electric deck oven. The pizza at our shop is unlike anything else you’ll find in Canton. Hard baked and well balanced pies with just the right amount of charring is the ideal at Mike’s. A black bubble on the crust? A little char speckled through the bottom of each slice? That’s completely on purpose. We make it a point to be attentive to all of the small details that make up an unforgettable pizza experience. It is not lost on us that the pizza landscape in our community, much like other parts of the country, is full of national and regional chains and franchises serving up pies ready to go at a moments notice. We understand that our patrons have chosen to spend their money supporting a small business, and the pizza obsessed team that work there, over the larger corporations. This fact is never taken for granted. It is only through the love and support of our community that we are able to continue to serve and grow and improve day after day.
Where we are in life is often partly because of others. Who/what else deserves credit for how your story turned out?
In the earliest days of conceptualizing Mike’s Pizza I was helped by many established pizza professionals including Bruno Zacchini of Pizza Bruno in Florida and Mike Lange of Noble Pie Pizza in Calgary Ontario. The Ohio pizza community have been nothing short of incredible as well including Alex Plattner of St. Francis Apizza, Adam DiLauro of Pizzeria DiLauro, Nick Robson of Ohio Pie Co, Brian Holleran of Il Rione, and Marc-Aurele Buholzer of Vero Pizzeria Napoletana to name a few. Without the guidance and goodwill of these business owners I would not be where I am today. Once the concept had been established my first, and still most important collaborator has been Ryan Miller. Ryan has been a wonderful parter and cheerleader since the very beginning and Mike’s Pizza would not exist without him. Finally I cannot say enough about the team wave put together at Mike’s. I count myself incredibly lucky to get to collaborate with our head chef Chip Singer, our dedicated dough/oven man Norm Hutchko, and all of the amazing and talented staff that make up the Mike’s Pizza crew.
Pricing:
- Mr. Mcallister (Plain Cheese) – $18
- Il Pepe’ (Pepperoni) – $20
- East Coast Garlic Knots – $10
- House Meatballs (Three) – $14
- House Caesar – $10
Contact Info:
- Website: https://mikespizzacanton.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mikespizzacanton/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MikesPizzaCanton/
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/mikes-pizza-canton
- Other: Order by phone: (330) 453-7777
