From First Slice to Family Tradition – My Story
By Jesse, Founder of Festa Pizza Co.
Over a decade ago, I decided I wanted to learn how to make pizza at home. Back then, I imagined this meant building a permanent wood-fired oven in my backyard. Fortunately, my wife Brandi had the foresight to suggest starting smaller. For Father’s Day, she gave me a "beginner’s" pizza oven. As usual, she was right.
I quickly learned that making pizza wasn’t nearly as easy as eating it. My first attempt was a complete disaster—my dough folded like an accordion when I tried to put it in the oven and then the pizza burst into flames. Attempts two and three didn’t go much better. But unlike other hobbies I had given up on (like the guitar), I stuck with this one.
After six months of trial, error, and some smoke-filled evenings, I finally began producing pizzas my family approved of. My confidence grew, and I started making pizzas for friends and even teaching others how to do it themselves. Home-crafted pizza became a cherished tradition in our family—a weekend ritual and the go-to meal for celebrations.
One of my proudest pizza memories? Making over twenty pizzas for my son’s high school baseball team. I sent every one of those boys home completely stuffed—and did it all for under $100.
Ironically, I never moved on from my beginner oven. Over time, I realized that while I loved making pizza, I had no desire to spend hours prepping and cleaning an expensive, wood fired oven. My starter oven worked just fine—and people were just as impressed with the results as they would be with a fancier setup.
Still, I knew my starter oven had limitations. Through years of experience, I identified flaws and inefficiencies that could be improved. I began envisioning an oven that could eliminate these pain points—an oven that would allow anyone to make delicious pizza right out of the gate, with just a little guidance.
Encouraged by friends, driven by a deep belief that anyone can craft incredible homemade pizza for far less than what they’d pay at a restaurant, and inspired by a desire to take a real risk in life, I founded the Festa Pizza Co.
Why “Festa”?
I wanted a name that honored Italy—the birthplace of pizza.“Festa” means celebration or feast in Italian. Put the two meanings together, and it becomes a celebratory feast —and that’s exactly what this company is about. Festa is more than just an oven; it’s a symbol of what pizza can bring to our lives.
It’s about gathering. Sharing. Laughing. It’s about family traditions that span generations. It’s about bridging divides and finding joy in the simple, common love of great pizza.
Festa is also about value. In today’s world, we’re all trying to stretch our dollars. What the pizza industry doesn’t want you to know is this: you can conveniently make higher-quality pizza at home for a fraction of the price. That’s what we’re here to prove.
At Festa Pizza Co., we believe quality and affordability can go hand in hand. We’re offering more than just a product—we’re delivering a better experience, more meaningful meals, and a greater return on every dollar spent.
And that, in itself, is worthy of a Festa.
