Exploring Life & Business with Daniel Neugebauer of Culture Pizza Company

Today we’d like to introduce you to Daniel Neugebauer.

Hi Daniel, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I’m Dan, father of three boys with a little girl on the way and I’m the owner of Culture Pizza Company. It all started when I bought a small gas pizza oven from Home Depot. I fell down the rabbit hole hard… hours of videos, research, endless dough experiments, sauce tests and a whole lot of failures. Eventually, through trial and error, I dialed in what became my signature dough: a sourdough ‘artisan’ style pizza that sits somewhere between Neapolitan and New York.

I tested everything on my family and friends first and when they all kept asking for more, I knew I was onto something.

Life also pushed me. My wife got pregnant and had to leave her AV tech job, and I’m a full-time logistics consultant for a medical device startup in Costa Mesa so I needed to create another stream of income. That’s when I decided to turn this passion into a real brand.

Culture Pizza Co is built on SoCal culture. Skate, street, 90s influence, family and community.

For the last six months, I’ve been slowly getting all my permits as money came in, putting the business together piece by piece. Since August I’ve been doing pop ups around Orange County, hitting breweries, events, and I just got approved to start attending farmers markets too.

I use organic flour, naturally fermented sourdough, and I don’t cut corners the goal is to serve pizza that’s crafted, not rushed.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It’s definitely been far from smooth. I worked in restaurants before, including a pizza shop, but nothing prepares you for building your own brand from scratch. There’s very little guidance out there, and the permitting process is way more confusing than people realize. It took me months just to find a commissary kitchen that would even work for me. I was getting ghosted by breweries at first too, emailing, messaging, no replies until I literally showed up in person and kept going until I finally talked to the person who books vendors.

On top of that, the cost of permits alone is insane. Every step feels like another fee and you don’t really know the total until you’re already deep into it.

All of this has been happening while raising my family and preparing for a new baby. We even moved in with my parents and had to renovate their place because we couldn’t afford a bigger apartment yet. So this has been a grind, financially, mentally, emotionally.

But through all of it, I’ve stayed committed. Because I know exactly what I’m building.

Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Culture Pizza Company?
Culture Pizza Co specializes in sourdough artisan pizzas that sit somewhere between Neapolitan and New York style but with a SoCal identity. I only use organic flour and I ferment my dough slow and naturally, because I want every pizza to have flavor you can actually taste, not just texture. The dough is handcrafted from scratch and I use the finest ingredients for toppings I can find, no shortcuts. If it’s not something I’d proudly serve my own family, it doesn’t go out.

What sets us apart is the style of pizza and SoCal culture. I’m not trying to be a copy of New York or Italy, I’m making the style I enjoy artisan and naturally fermented.

I’m proud of the specialty pizzas we create, like our “Carnitas Pie” which has slow roasted pork shoulder, queso fresca, cotija, pickled red onions, drizzled with lime crema, and the “Bella Della” with mortadella, mozzarella, basil, chopped pistachios and burrata. They all have a story and they reflect creativity, not just toppings thrown together.

Beyond the pizza itself, I’m proud that this is all built from the ground up by a family man who’s grinding it out honestly. Culture Pizza Co isn’t mass produced. It’s personal, it’s local, and it’s crafted.

We all have a different way of looking at and defining success. How do you define success?
For me, success isn’t just about money, it’s about freedom and impact. Success is being able to support my family doing something I love, and showing my kids that you can build something real from scratch if you stay consistent.

If I can grow Culture Pizza Co into a full time living, build out my pizza trailer, and continue to serve honest artisan pizza to my community, that’s success to me. Not perfection, not going viral, just being able to wake up every day, provide for my family, and keep doing this at a high level.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.culturepizza.co
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/culturepizzaco
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61576765924613
• Yelp: https://yelp.com/biz/culture-pizza-company-huntington-beach