1 Bullet, 2 Brothers, 3-Day Dough: The Real Story Behind Frank’s Pizza & Pasta
How do you manage legacy and ambition? Here is the conversation with two brothers who have turn their family pizzeria into a growing brand while honoring a powerful legacy. Listen in on whether or not they can meet their goal of 20 locations in the next 5 years.In this episode, guest host Kenneth MacFawn sits down with Gerry and Dan Buontempo of Frank’s Pizza and Pasta in Baltimore. Raised in the business since childhood, the brothers share how they took over their father’s beloved neighborhood shop and transformed it through calculated growth, recipe innovation, and a deep respect for their family roots. From competing on the world pizza stage to navigating viral fame and cheesesteak obsession, this is a story of grit, legacy, and vision.Highlights:00:00 – Meet Jerry & Dan from Frank’s Pizza and Pasta, guest host intro00:47 – Growing up in the shop: cleaning tables at age 602:28 – Stretching dough & cheesesteak lessons from the flat top04:36 – The great remodel & moving to an old-school dough process08:00 – How a diesel-powered box truck solved their dough storage crisis09:15 – Planning for growth: multi-unit expansion strategy13:32 – Winning in Vegas: pizza competitions and camaraderie16:20 – A pizza rescue moment at the Expo with Lee from Moto Pizza25:06 – The tragic story behind the name “Frank’s”29:59 – Vision for the future: roles, systems, and stepping back33:12 – Marketing vs. product: what truly brings people back36:27 – Jerry’s obsession with perfecting pizza flavor and texture42:12 – What’s the next big pizza style? (Hint: tavern pizza dreams)43:49 – Dave Portnoy’s review and the resulting sales explosion46:56 – Balancing being a destination and serving their neighborhood48:46 – Cheesesteaks take the spotlight: learning from Angelo’s52:53 – Baltimore cheesesteaks vs. Philly style55:00 – Smashburger obsession and chasing flavor1:00:13 – Why they don’t serve wings—and why they never willCheck out Frank's Pizza and Pasta here:https://www.facebook.com/frankspizzaandpastahttps://frankspizzaandpasta.com/ https://www.instagram.com/frankspizzaandpasta Thank you to our show sponsors:Bacio Cheese:https://bit.ly/3FmQ3up DM [@whatsgooddough](https://www.instagram.com/whatsgooddough/#)https://www.instagram.com/whatsgooddough/email me: [claire@whatsgooddough.com](mailto:claire@whatsgooddough.com)Topics:family pizzeria success story, how to grow a pizza business, multi-unit restaurant growth, scaling a restaurant brand, pizza expo interview, Frank’s Pizza and Pasta Baltimore, restaurant legacy story, pizza competition insights, family-owned restaurant journey, pizza shop expansion strategy, artisan pizza dough techniques, cheesesteak business growth, old-school dough recipe, restaurant systems and operations, Dave Portnoy pizza review effect, pizza and cheesesteak restaurant, pizza shop marketing vs quality, East Coast pizzeria, Baltimore pizza scene, Frank’s Pizza Baltimore, Bontempo brothers, Maryland restaurant owners, Baltimore cheesesteaks
