What if the smartest way to start a pizza business isn’t opening a restaurant… but avoiding rent altogether?
In this episode, we spend the day with Jeremy and Michelle of **Gabacool**, an award-winning pizza pop-up that built a powerful brand without the massive overhead of a traditional pizzeria. From prepping in a $235/month commissary kitchen to selling out every weekend at brewery pop-ups, they’ve created a system that prioritizes flexibility, strong branding, and high-quality ingredients.
We break down how their pop-up model works, why they refuse to pay venues to operate, the importance of creating a memorable brand presence, and how thoughtful dough fermentation and ingredient sourcing elevate their pizza. It’s a blueprint for anyone who wants to start a food business without the risk of a full restaurant lease.
Highlights:
00:00 – The cost most pizza businesses can’t avoid
00:11 – Why Gabacool refuses to pay venues to sell pizza
00:15 – Introducing Jeremy & Michelle from Gabacool
00:34 – Touring their Petaluma commissary kitchen
00:49 – Health regulations and why commissary kitchens matter
01:07 – Storing ingredients for hundreds of pizzas
01:27 – Managing weekly prep for high-volume pop-ups
01:45 – Why commissary kitchens give pop-ups flexibility
02:07 – Packing up for a brewery pizza pop-up
02:34 – Transporting equipment and ingredients
03:05 – How they designed their pop-up setup
03:36 – The equipment required for a mobile pizza kitchen
04:06 – Arriving and setting up the brewery tent
04:28 – The Gabacool tent and brand identity
04:52 – Pizza service setup: ovens, propane, and workflow
05:24 – Why visibility and branding matter at pop-ups
05:55 – Getting the kitchen ready for service
06:20 – The low-risk model of brewery pop-ups
06:47 – Preparing for the dinner rush
07:25 – Running a pizza service outside a restaurant
08:10 – The behind-the-scenes work of a pop-up kitchen
08:45 – Non-food tasks every pop-up operator must handle
09:10 – Lessons learned from running Gabacool
09:40 – Winning a scholarship to Pizza University
Follow them:
https://www.gabacoolprovisions.com/
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61557383763722
https://www.instagram.com/gabacool_provisions?igshid=NzZlODBkYWE4Ng%3D%3D&utm_source=qr
Thank you to our show sponsors:
Bacio Cheese:
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Topic:
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