Pittsburgh's Caliente earns gold at International Pizza Expo

At the three-day International Pizza Expo in Las Vegas, Caliente Pizza & Draft House took home its fourth World Championship award plus several other award titles across various competition categories.

Matt Hickey, general manager of Caliente’s commissary location, earned the team’s gold medal World Championship title in the Expo’s triathlon category, which involves a series of box-folding and dough-tossing and -stretching challenges. Hickey also took home a silver medal for the largest dough stretch and a bronze for acrobatics.

Perry Bogacz, a 20-year-old pizza maker and son of Pine Township resident Nick Bogacz, Caliente owner and founder, also came away with a high-ranking award from his first-ever expo experience. He won a silver medal in the triathlon after stepping in to compete at the last minute when a team member became ill.

The Caliente team finished fifth overall in the tandem pizza-making category.

“We’re thrilled about our performance at the Expo this year and honored to be taking home our fourth World Championship,” Nick Bogacz said. “The awards are a testament to our talent and commitment to hard work and growth over the years, and I couldn’t be prouder of our team.”

Over the years, Caliente has won three World Championship titles, including “Best Pan Pizza in the World” for its unique Quack Attack duck pizza at the Expo in 2016. The chain also won “Best Pizza in America” in 2019 for its Mee-Maw pizza. Caliente aims to bring home more awards for its innovative creations this year.

The pizza chain has locations in Monroeville, Sewickley, Aspinwall, Mt. Lebanon, Bloomfield, Crafton and Hampton, where Nick met his future wife, Angie, when both were working in local restaurants. Caliente also is available in Acrisure Stadium, PPG Paints Arena and, starting with the Pittsburgh Pirates’ 2023 home opener, PNC Park.