Pizzaiolo, author, and entrepreneur, 13-time World Pizza Champion. In North Beach he built an ecosystem—Tony’s Pizza Napoletana, Capo’s, Slice House, Toscano Brothers, Giovanni’s—and a nationwide franchise format. Since 2024, he also signs the “Best Pizza at Sea” with Princess Cruises.
Raised in the Bay Area (Fremont), he learned to cook alongside his mother, shaping a taste for fresh, seasonal ingredients that still defines his menus. After high school he joined Pyzano’s and rapidly honed skill and range; in 2005 he founded the World Pizza Champions. In 2007 he claimed the World Champion Pizza Maker title in Naples—the first American and first non-Neapolitan to do so—and in Lecce he achieved the Triple Crown in the same competition.
In San Francisco he opened Tony’s Pizza Napoletana (North Beach) and other addresses across the city’s historic Italian district. With Slice House, he launched a franchise program in 2023–24 that quickly scaled across the United States: in 2024 the brand ranked #1 Overall in Pizza Marketplace’s Top 100 Movers & Shakers and surpassed 130–140 units open or in development. In 2025 Tony’s Pizza Napoletana placed #3 in the USA for 50 Top Pizza (Pizza Rock #33) and entered the global list as well.
His name is tied to records and accolades: 13 world titles, four entries in the Guinness World Records (including longest pizza, most people tossing pizza, and consecutive rolls across the shoulders), and the landmark 2016 win in Pizza in Pala at the World Pizza Championships in Parma—the first American to place first.
In 2024 he debuted a collaboration with Princess Cruises: five exclusive pies cemented the line’s positioning as the “Best Pizza at Sea.” In parallel, Gemignani energizes the North Beach community with the Pizza, Bagel & Beer Festival (third edition in 2025) and supports numerous nonprofits through fundraising events.
Presence across major sports venues and arenas is part of his multi-channel strategy: Slice House operates in sites such as Allegiant Stadium (Super Bowl LVIII: 8,200 slices served in one day) and in iconic hubs like the Sphere in Las Vegas. In 2025, Tony also returns to SFO with a location in Terminal 1.
Author of The Pizza Bible and other volumes (The Pursuit of Pizza, among others), Gemignani is a familiar face on TV (NBC, ABC, Food Network) and a case study in culinary entrepreneurship that blends craftsmanship, team building, and product scalability.
