You know how everyone says their local pizza place is the best? Well, in one small Pennsylvania town, that actually turned out to be true. Properly true. Because Tony Cerimele, owner of New Columbus Pizza Co. in Nesquehoning, just won the best of the best title at the International Pizza Expo in Las Vegas — aka the biggest pizza competition on the planet.
And the wild part? His pizza shop is only open one day a week.
Image source: https://www.citizensvoice.com/2025/03/31/jenkins-twp-man-wins-title-at-international-pizza-expo-in-las-vegas/
The marketing guy who moonlights as a pizza champ
Tony’s not your typical full-time pizzaiolo (that’s a fancy word for pizza maker). He’s actually a marketing professional at Johnson & Johnson, working the 9-to-5 grind like the rest of us. But when the weekend hits, he trades PowerPoints for pizza peels to keep his family’s old-school business alive.
His grandparents started the pizzeria in the basement of their house, and Tony’s just been keeping the dough rolling ever since. No expansion plans, no franchise dreams — just a one-day-a-week shop serving up slices that literally beat the best in the world.
“We are only open one day a week. We are just trying to keep a family tradition going,” Tony said.
That’s kind of poetic, isn’t it?
A back-to-back win at the world’s biggest pizza showdown
Last year, Tony took home the title of “Pizza Maker of the Year” at the Pizza Expo — a huge deal in pizza land. That win earned him a ticket back this year to compete in the “Best of the Best” round, which is basically a playoff for past champions.
This time, it wasn’t just about making great pizza. Contestants had to use surprise ingredients (like pizza-themed MasterChef), but they could bring their own dough. Tony chose to whip up his signature Sicilian-style pizza — and it absolutely crushed it.
“I am happy to report that we came out on top to win with our Sicilian pizza, bringing another title back to NEPA,” Tony said.
That’s Northeastern Pennsylvania for the uninitiated.
His win came with a trophy and a tidy $2,500 cheque. Not bad for a guy running a one-day-a-week joint from a small town.
No more competitions — and he’s totally cool with it
There’s a quirky rule at the Pizza Expo: if you win the whole thing, you’re out. Like, forever. You can’t come back to compete.
“When you win the whole thing, you can’t compete in the regular competition anymore,” Tony said.
So now that he’s won twice, Tony’s officially retired from pizza showdowns. But he doesn’t seem too bothered.
“So now I’m officially retired, but I’m OK with that,” he laughed.
Honestly, it’s hard to top being called the best in the world. Twice.
A pizza story that’s about more than pizza
Here’s what makes this story hit a bit harder than your usual “local guy makes good” headline — it’s not just about pizza. It’s about doing what you love on your own terms. About keeping your roots, even when you’re holding a world title in one hand and a pizza paddle in the other.
Tony didn’t quit his job. He didn’t open ten locations. He just kept things exactly the same — a cosy one-day-a-week spot, still slinging pies with his family, still staying true to where it all started.
And maybe that’s the real win.
Quick bites 🍕
- Name: Tony Cerimele
- Hometown: Jenkins Township, Pennsylvania
- Pizzeria: New Columbus Pizza Co. in Nesquehoning
- Job: Works in marketing at Johnson & Johnson
- Pizza Style: Sicilian
- Education: Drexel University grad, Panther Valley High School Class of 1997
- Award: Best of the Best, International Pizza Expo, Las Vegas — March 2025
- Prize: Trophy + $2,500
One last slice of trivia
Tony trained under Tony Gemignani, a big name in the pizza world. He’s the kind of guy who’s written books about pizza and owns multiple restaurants. Not a bad mentor to have, right?
Tony earned his certification from the International School of Pizza in San Francisco, which is sort of like Hogwarts but with way more mozzarella.
That’s the story — small town guy, big win, even bigger heart. Makes you want a slice now, doesn’t it?
