Upstate Pizza Maker Wins Prestigious ‘World Championship’ in Italy

Congratulations to an Upstate NY Pizza Shop

A popular pizza maker is celebrating a big win for him - and his Glenmont pizza shop - after taking home first place in a prestigious competition held in the birthplace of pizza, Naples, Italy.

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Romo's Pizza, Glenmont

News 10 ABC reports that Anthony Berghela, owner of Romo’s Pizza in Glenmont, had competed in this event before, but had never won, but that changed with the news.

Berghela was selected by a panel of industry experts to compete in the Olympic-style pizza-making competition that included events such as Freestyle Acrobatic Dough Tossing, the Fastest Dough, Largest Dough Stretch, Fastest Pizza Box Folding, Pizza Triathlon, and the Freestyle Acrobatic Dough Tossing.

Organizers of the World Pizza Championship take this competition very seriously, as do the participants, and it was quite an honor for Berghela to even make the trip out to Italy.

"Each member has dedicated years of practice and entrepreneurial energy to the craft. The members offer unique perspectives and areas of specialization including culinary, operations, promotion, and entertainment skills. Working for the common good of the craft, the World Pizza Champions™ team is united by the shared goal of setting an industry-wide standard of excellence in all aspects of the pizza maker's art." - World Pizza Championships

$1,000 in cash and prizes

According to organizers, the first-place winners received $1,000 cash prizes, with medals going to the three top finishers, not to mention all the free publicity and marketing that goes along with winning a pizza competition held in Italy!

Romo’s Pizza was established in November 2009 by Anthony Berghela, a Bethlehem native who says it was always a lifelong dream to open up his own pizza place.