Master Pizza, located at 14701 Detroit Ave. #103 in Lakewood, Ohio, offers dine-in, takeout and delivery services. The shop is known for its signature “Cleveland-style” pizzas. The Lakewood location also offers a thick-crust Detroit-style pan pizza, which customers often highlight for its satisfying texture. Gluten-free crust options are also offered. Although pizza is in their name, the menu goes far beyond pizzas. Master Pizza offers fresh, quality pizza in a variety of styles and toppings to suit everyone’s cravings. Opening in 2020, in the middle of COVID-19, this business found a way to serve people delicious, cheesy, mouthwatering pizza.

Master Pizza has been in business for over 60 years, winning numerous awards along the way. Owner Michael LaMarca even won a Hulu competition to make pizzas. The history of Master Pizza is what makes it so special—serving delicious pizza that everyone loves for more than six decades is no easy feat.

One factor that keeps people coming back to Master Pizza is the consistent customer service. Customer Keith Ripley said, “Three words that best describe Master Pizza would be reliable, nostalgic and consistent.” Offering a variety of styles and toppings while serving high-quality, delicious pizza every time they go in makes the shop unique.

The most unique thing about Master Pizza is that their dough is freshly handmade every day. Manager Nick Occhionero said, “We don’t freeze the dough or anything, and I feel like that goes a long way.”

Unlike other pizza shops, Master uses its daily-made dough to create many different types of pizza. Occhionero said, “There’s short style, Cleveland deep dish, Columbus style, and even more variety than that.”

For long-time customers like Ripley, Master Pizza serves up memories alongside a meal. Ripley said, “I remember eating there a lot when I was a kid back at their location in Elyria, where I grew up, and it has always been really good pizza, and we haven’t found anywhere else that tops it yet.” Good food is one thing, but being able to bring your customers a feeling of nostalgia when they eat your food is something else, and that is what Master Pizza can do.

Master Pizza believes that to make good pizza, you first have to make good people. The business focuses on helping its employees become the best versions of themselves, giving them the skills they need not only to make good pizza but to be good people as well.

Owner Michael LaMarca summarized the mission: “Master Pizza is a pizza company that believes that great people make great pizzas. We focus on each team member to help them become the best version of themselves and learn leadership skills that will help in any job, career, and in life. Our mission is to become your neighborhood’s best pizzeria by welcoming everyone to our table and making sure that there is a pizza for everyone.”

LaMarca’s dedication has brought many rewarding experiences, including the ability to travel all over the world, including to Italy, Spain, England, Sweden and China. LaMarca said, “The most rewarding experience I have experienced through my business is that I have had the opportunity to be a member and compete on the United States Pizza Team for the last 13 years.”

It is no surprise that Master Pizza has been able to stay in business at a high rate for as long as it has. At Master Pizza, they do everything the right way, from making their dough fresh every day to taking pride in training their employees beyond just making pizza. The success and numerous awards Master Pizza has brought home are well-earned, due to its ongoing dedication to the Master Pizza legacy year after year.