Mike Pitera, the owner of Pizza a Modo Mio in Charleston, is preparing to showcase his pizza-making skills at the World Pizza Champion Games in Rimini, Italy, from January 18-22. Pitera, who has built strong relationships with his community, is representing the United States as part of the U.S. Pizza Team, which promotes the pizza industry through competitions.
Pitera has participated in pizza competitions since 2023 and has already earned recognition, placing sixth in the world for best cheese pizza at a Las Vegas competition. However, this will be his first international competition.
In Italy, Pitera will compete in three categories: pan pizza, non-traditional pizza, and dessert pizza. Each competition has strict rules, including time limits and specific pizza sizes. Pitera is excited about the challenge and embraces the pressure, saying he enjoys every moment of making pizza.
Pitera’s journey in pizza-making began at 15 when he started working at his best friend’s father’s pizzeria in Long Island, N.Y. He continued working in pizzerias throughout high school and college before attending culinary school. Though he later worked in sales, Pitera found himself returning to pizza-making on the side.
When he moved to Charleston in 2021, he saw a gap in the market for New York-style pizza. After building a trailer with his father and fiancé, Pitera began selling pizza as a side business. The success of the venture led to the opening of his brick-and-mortar Pizza a Modo Mio in 2023, with a second location in Hollywood, S.C., in 2024.
Pitera’s restaurant offers a traditional New York-style menu, including 10 types of pizza by the slice, 12-inch heroes, garlic knots, and pinwheels. He prides himself on bringing a true taste of New York to Charleston.
As he prepares for the international competition, Pitera faces the challenge of sourcing fresh ingredients in Italy, as he cannot bring meat and cheese with him. He anticipates the flavors will differ due to the lack of preservatives in Italian ingredients and plans to taste test everything to ensure the flavors complement each other.
Pitera is eager to bring new flavors back to Charleston and share his experiences with his customers. “Now I’ll be able to bring to Charleston some real flavors of Italy,” he said.
While he’s uncertain about the competition’s outcome, Pitera is confident in the quality of his pizzas. Customers who have sampled his creations have given positive feedback. Regardless of the results, Pitera plans to feature his competition pizzas at Pizza a Modo Mio after his return. He will also livestream the competition on the restaurant’s Instagram.
The 46th edition of the World Pizza Champion Games will take place from January 18-22.
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