Let's Make Award Winning Detroit Pizza with White Rabbit Gastro Pub

How do you build a successful pizzeria, empower your team, and still have a life outside the restaurant?In this episode, Eidref heads to White Rabbit Gastropub in Frederick, Maryland, home of the World Champion Detroit-style pizza and the team behind Rad Pies.The conversation goes way beyond pizza. From developing the famous Crust We Trust to building systems that allow the owner to step away from the day-to-day, this episode digs into restaurant growth, leadership, dough development, customer experience, and the reality of balancing business with family.The team also breaks down how they built their signature 100% hydration dough, experimented their way to better cheese and baking results, eliminated reservations to increase table utilization, and created a culture where employees are empowered to make mistakes and grow.Highlights:2:38 – Welcome to White Rabbit: World Champion Detroit Pizza3:48 – Why Cheese Pizza Is the Ultimate Test6:08 – The Evolution of the White Rabbit Smash Burger6:53 – The Mentor Who Changed Their Restaurant Strategy8:13 – Building Loyalty Through Happy Hour & Word of Mouth9:28 – Adding $1 Million in Sales Without Massive Volume10:08 – Why They Eliminated Reservations12:08 – Building a Bakery & Commissary Kitchen12:38 – The 100% Hydration Dough Behind Crust We Trust14:08 – Creating the Signature Pepperoni-Filled Crust15:38 – The Science Behind Their Cheese Experiments17:18 – Why 100% Hydration Dough Is So Difficult17:58 – Why They Refuse to Compromise on Their Process19:03 – 25-Year-Old Sourdough Starter & Long Fermentation21:18 – Building the Rad Pies Team21:48 – Empowering Managers to Run the Business23:18 – The Goal of an Owner-Absent Restaurant24:38 – Creating the Crispy Bottom on Detroit Pizza31:08 – The “Cheez-It” Theory Behind the Perfect Crust32:38 – Chasing Consistency Without Going Too Dark44:08 – How Small Markets Can Compete With Big Cities45:28 – What Is the “White Rabbit Attitude”?1:01:18 – Can Systems Give You More Freedom?1:01:58 – Is the Juice Worth the Squeeze?1:02:38 – Eidref’s Question: Is It Time to Open a Pizzeria?1:03:38 – Using a Restaurant as a Professional Proving Ground1:07:38 – Building a Business Without Losing Time With Family1:09:38 – The 60-Day Grind Behind Opening Rad Pies1:11:23 – Learning Every System by Doing It Yourself1:15:08 – Final Advice: Listen, Adapt & Don’t Be Afraid to Change1:16:38 – Why Pizza Brings People Together1:17:38 – The Power of Relationships in the Pizza IndustryFollow them:https://www.instagram.com/radpiesmd/?hl=enThank you to our show sponsors:Bacio Cheese:https://bit.ly/3FmQ3upCorto:https://bit.ly/457DNIIDM @whatsgooddoughhttps://www.instagram.com/whatsgooddough/email me: claire@whatsgooddough.comTopic:detroit style pizza, maryland pizza, rad pies md, best pizza in maryland, maryland food, pizza review, detroit style pizza maryland, rad pies, maryland hidden gems, award winning pizza, pizza vlogger, best pizza md