Michael LaMarca

Owner & CEO | Master Pizza Franchise Group

Michael LaMarca is the owner and CEO of Master Pizza Franchise Group, LLC in Mayfield, Ohio. Master Pizza has appeared several times in Pizza Today’s “Hot 100 Pizzerias in America,” placing as high as 69th, and LaMarca himself was featured on PMQ Pizza’s cover in September 2017. He also won “Best in the Midwest” on Hulu’s “Best in Dough” show in 2022. When he was 15, LaMarca started his pizza-making career at Gina’s Pizza in Strongsville, Ohio, and became a manager at 17. His family purchased Master Pizza in 2001, and LaMarca opened the second location in Chagrin Falls, Ohio, in 2012. In 2013, he started Master Pizza Franchise Group and has grown the company to 15 locations. He is a member of the U.S. Pizza Team and has won numerous pizza-making competitions around the country, including 1st place in the Best Non-Traditional Division at the 2013 International Pizza Challenge and 1st place in the U.S. Pizza Team’s Best Pizza in America competition in 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2017. Master Pizza was also honored for the best pizza in Cleveland Magazine’s “Best of the East” edition in 2013, 2014 and 2015.

All Sessions by Michael LaMarca

  • September 3, 2025


  • 11:15 AM  - 12:00 PM
    Burnt out? Can’t get a vacation to save your life? If your pizzeria can’t run without you there every single day, what happens if you get seriously injured or ill? Fortunately, replacing yourself—and getting back some much-needed personal time—might be easier than you realize. It’s a matter of training, empowering and trusting your managers and team members so that business keeps humming along. This panel takes a look at how you can start running your company as an owner rather than an owner/operator.

  • 1:00 PM  - 1:45 PM
    You want to scale your business, but you don’t want to be responsible for every single store. You know franchising is complicated, and frankly, you don’t know where to start. This session features franchisors with decades of experience as well as relative newcomers who can share the challenges they’re going through right now. Learn about franchise disclosure documents and franchise agreements, site selection, build-outs, franchisee recruitment and more.

  • 2:00 PM  - 2:45 PM
    Lights, camera, pizza! If you’ve watched Beat Bobby Flay or Best in Dough—or even non-cooking shows like Shark Tank—you’ve probably wondered: How did these chefs make the cast, what was the experience like, and how can I be next? In this session, our panelists will tell you how they earned national TV fame and success, from the casting process to prepping for and shooting their segments, plus what happens on the set when the cameras aren’t rolling!

  • September 4, 2025


  • 11:15 AM  - 12:00 PM
    So your first pizzeria is a success. Is it time to open a second store? Is that a challenge you’re ready for? Are you sure? Let’s get it all nailed down and make sure store No. 2 is for you. Michael LaMarca of Master Pizza has intimate knowledge of what really goes into opening a new location. This veteran operator and franchisor, who has grown Master Pizza to 15 locations, will walk you through every step, from knowing when, where—and just as importantly—why to launch a second location to creating must-have manuals, building a Lead Team and training the trainers.



The Pizza Power Forum is the only event that focuses solely on the needs of independent pizzerias and emerging pizza chains. At this unique event, attendees will hear and share perspectives on igniting growth in the pizza business.
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Michael LaMarca
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When
Sunday to Wednesday
December 23 to 26, 2022
Where
467 Davidson ave
Los Angeles CA 95716
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