Heritage & Legacy
Our History
From a Sicilian grandfather's kitchen to the World Pizza Championship — the story of Pizza Mike's.
The Foundation
Grandpa Joe's Sunday Kitchen
Pizza Mike's love for Italian cooking was born in his grandfather's kitchen. Guiseppe "Joe" Collura — a proud Sicilian — would spend every Sunday preparing Italian dinners for the whole family. The aromas of slow-simmered tomato sauce, hand-stretched dough, and fresh herbs filled the house from morning until evening. Young Mike watched every move, absorbing the techniques, the patience, and the passion that Grandpa Joe poured into every dish. Those Sunday dinners weren't just meals — they were the foundation of everything Pizza Mike's would become.
Michael's Pizza
Michael's Pizza on Maize Road
In 1995, Mike turned his lifelong passion into a business, opening Michael's Pizza on Maize Road in Columbus, Ohio. Using the authentic recipes passed down from Grandpa Joe, the restaurant quickly earned a loyal following. Customers came for the pizza and stayed for the experience — the same care, the same fresh ingredients, the same soul that Mike had learned watching his grandfather cook all those years ago.
World Pizza Championship
Best in the USA — Salsomaggiore, Italy
In 2001, Pizza Mike traveled to Salsomaggiore, Italy — the birthplace of pizza itself — to compete at the World Pizza Championship. Representing the United States against the world's finest pizzaiolos on their home turf, his Signature Pizza "Michael's Traditional" was awarded Best in the USA. Winning on Italian soil, with a recipe rooted in Sicilian family tradition, was the ultimate validation of everything Grandpa Joe had taught him.
Michael's Italian Kitchen
Expanding the Vision
Building on the success of Michael's Pizza, Mike opened Michael's Italian Kitchen in 2003 — a full-service Italian restaurant that brought the complete family recipe book to Columbus diners. From handmade pasta and stromboli to Italian beef and fresh salads, the menu was a love letter to Grandpa Joe's Sicilian heritage. The restaurant deepened Mike's reputation as one of Columbus's most authentic Italian chefs.
National Stage
The Great Food Truck Race — Season 3
Pizza Mike's competed on Food Network's hit show The Great Food Truck Race, Season 3, hosted by Tyler Florence. Pizza Mike and his team brought the heat, the heart, and the handmade dough all the way across America. The show introduced Pizza Mike's authentic Italian recipes to a national audience and put Columbus, Ohio on the food truck map.
The Food Truck
Bringing It All to Ohio
Today, Pizza Mike's Food Truck brings that same award-winning quality directly to events, parties, and gatherings across Ohio. The same recipes, the same fresh ingredients, the same passion — now on wheels and available for your next event. From backyard parties to corporate events to community festivals, one call does it all: 614-795-2030.
Be Part of the Story
Book Pizza Mike's Food Truck for your next event and taste the award-winning recipes that have been perfected over generations.