Today we’d like to introduce you to Laura Meyer.
Hi Laura, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I started making pizza in 2006 when I was a high school student. After graduating college, I moved over to San Francisco to work with my mentor, Tony Gemignani, at his restaurant. I worked alongside him till 2023, learning over 15 styles of pizza, becoming a teacher, writer, speaker, and so much more. I’ve won 3 world championships along the way, the first in 2013 in Parma, Italy, for pan-style pizza, the second for Non-Traditional pizza in Las Vegas, and the third in Naples, Italy, for best American-style pizza in 2019, which was the new category for that competition. I’ve been recognized by Zagat 30 Under 30, SF Chronicle Rising Star Chef, and Forbes magazine as well for their 30 Under 30 list. During the pandemic, I started a focaccia pop-up in San Francisco, and that was my first taste of entrepreneurship and the deciding factor for me opening my restaurant, Pizzeria da Laura, in Berkeley, CA. The pizzeria opened March of 2023, and it’s only the beginning
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?
It has definitely been an up-and-down battle, but nothing that any restaurant owner doesn’t face. During my time alongside my mentor, I didn’t know opening a restaurant was what I wanted to do. I just wanted to learn and have some fun along the way. I can’t tell you how many long days and nights of work there were, hours spent on planes and in cars, or hours of sleep lost, but it was worth every minute. I sacrificed a lot of my personal life for work. I have made some of my best and strongest friendships along the way, but I’ve missed out on a lot of things because of my work schedule. Now, with a restaurant and a staff, the stress level is a lot higher. I always want to present the best of me and my food to the world but it’s not that simple. I’m no longer responsible for just myself, but I am responsible for the needs of my entire staff, which includes their emotional struggles and the restaurant on top of my own needs. It’s a tough balance to keep and it is easy to lose yourself in the work. There’s no perfect answer or science to it. Every day changes, but it’s worth it to see people smile when they eat your food.
Thanks – so, what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
These days, I am most known for my pan styles of pizza. I am one of the only restaurants in my area making Grandma, Detroit, and Sicilian styles of pizza, and it really sets us apart from the rest. We offer a mix-and-match menu where you get to pick your crust style and then topping combination. Most restaurants that offer more than one style have specific pizzas created for that style, and that’s it. Our menu allows for 4 x the amount of variety which keep our customers coming back more often.
Alright, so to wrap up, is there anything else you’d like to share with us?
I am an ambassador for women in pizza which is a movement started by Orlando Foods and Alexandra Mortati. This movement helps shine a light on the many many women in this industry working hard every day that would normally get overlooked.
Contact Info:
- Website: pizzeriadalaura.com
- Instagram: @pizzeriadalaura
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100090451531867
