Romeo's Pizza Taking on the World

Using only the freshest ingredients, Romeo’s Pizza is a hands-down winner. Even owner Sean Brauser is a gold medal pizza world champion.

By: Beth Newcomb
Date: 04/16/2008
It’s one thing to think you make the best pizza in the area. It’s entirely another to have other people think so, too.  

Fresh off a win as “Best Pizza in Cleveland”—courtesy of FOX 8’s Hotlist—Romeo’s Pizza founder Sean Brauser is gearing up to take another spin at the gold. He and his team of perfect pie makers will once again make the trip to Salsomaggiorre, Italy to compete in The World Pizza Championship.

Not bad for a guy who started off with a modest pizza shop in New Jersey back in 1996. Today his Romeo’s Pizza locations number in the double digits, and he recently added the Romeo’s Italian Kitchen in Medina to the mix, providing guests with an inviting atmosphere in which to partake of his award-winning pies.

“This is my sixth time in the competition. It’s a record for any American,” Sean describes proudly.  The first time he competed on his own, it was 2002.  He’d earned the trip after winning Best Pizza in the Midwest during a Columbus, Ohio competition. He brought home the same prize in 2004 and made a second trip to the Italian competition the same year.

Quite a coup, considering the Italian judges don’t actually care for American-style pizza. Over the years, Sean has modified his pizza recipe during competition to appease their varied pallets, but back here in Ohio, it’s still all about bringing us the same great Romeo’s pizza we’ve all come to love.

“In a world where operating costs have never been higher, we refuse to sacrifice quality,” he states.

“Ingredients like cheese and flour are at an all-time high right now, but unlike some of the other pizza shops out there, we won’t skimp on the very thing that makes our pies a cut above the rest.”  

And Sean insists that one thing that keeps his customers coming back again and again for more—is the sauce.
“It’s the secret,” he emphasizes. “We have a sweeter sauce and only use freshly packed tomatoes. In fact we were able to visit the fields in California where they’re grown and watch them go from the field to the pack in less than three hours. It’s more expensive, but it’s worth it.”

It’s just one of the reasons why Sean won Best Gourmet Pizza in America in 2004 with his Great Ranch and Potato pizza. On a creamy bed of ranch bacon sauce, spicy Italian sausage is layered on top of caramelized onions. It’s then topped with garlic potatoes and ranch-flavored almonds. You can find it under the Specialty Pizza section of the Romeo’s menu.

That’s where you’ll also find their hearty Ranch Lovers Buffalo Chicken Pizza. Marinated buffalo chicken is layered on top of a pile of Romano and mozzarella cheeses. The signature ranch bacon sauce finishes this combination.

And while it might be tough to decide on just one of Romeo’s specialty pizzas, Sean also recommends giving his gold medal Butcher Shop pizza a try. It includes pepperoni, ham, bacon, meatballs and sausage.  
All specialty pizzas start at just $10.50 for a six-cut and are also available as a full or half sheet.  

The Romeo’s Pizza menu includes other great Italian favorites, like Strombolis, Calzones, fresh garden salads, wings and a delicious assortment of appetizers. The convenience of pick-up or home delivery is available at all locations (see sidebar.) You can even “take and bake.”

In 2005, Sean and a group of five other pizzeria owners formed a team called the World Pizza Champions (check out www.worldpizzachampions.com to see the guys in action.)  Largely due to their national, and now international fame, corporate sponsors like Pepsi have lined up to help the WPCs make the trip over to Italy again this year.

It’s like acrobatics with pizza dough.  

Sean demonstrates by flinging the dough high in the air and then rolls the flattened piece across his back from the tips of one hand to another. It’s easy to see why the team reigns supreme.

“By competing as a team, we’re able to enter the Acrobatic portion of the competition as well,” he smiles. And while Sean will tell you that he’s nowhere near the best spinner on the squad, this guy knows how to throw the dough. The team won a gold medal for their team acrobatics, two years in a row.  They’re going for a third victory this year.  

Thirty countries will be represented at this year’s competition and Sean chuckles when describing how the pizzas at the event take on different forms, depending upon which country is making them. The Japanese and Italians, for example, will use a lot of fish on their pies.  

A win at this year’s World Pizza Championship will likely secure the 36-year-old entrepreneur a spot on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. But among the pie baking set, he’s the celebrity of the group. 

 At The Pizza Expo in Las Vegas, Sean gets the star treatment everywhere he goes. “It takes me an hour to get through the room because I am constantly being stopped by people in the business,” he smiles. He’s been tapped to be the “expert” speaker at the National Pizza Convention and now runs the industry’s largest pizza competition each year.

Following his widely viewed spot on the Food Network a few years ago, the cable giant turned to Sean for the launch of a new segment called “Glutton for Punishment.” One of the show’s hosts will assume the role of pizza chef and attempt to learn the ins and outs of how to throw the dough. 

When a pizza like Romeo’s is bestowed with so many awards and honors, it’s bound to be out of this world.
Why not judge for yourself?

Visit the Romeo’s Pizza website at www.romeospizza.com and check below for locations:

Avon Lake
428 Avon Belden Rd.
440-930-8575

Berea
412 Bagley Rd.
440-816-9400

Brookpark
13349 Snow Rd.
216-433-7373

Brunswick
1663 Pearl Rd.
330-558-0058

Elyria
354 Chestnut Cmns. Dr.
440-366-5452

Lima
2899 West Elm St.
419-999-2299

Medina
1100 N. Court St.
330-723-6111

Parma
7452 Ridge Rd.
440-663-1000

Twinsburg
9637 Ravenna Rd.
330-486-0616

Westlake
2064 Clague Rd.
440-331-1155


 

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