There are people who make pizza, and then there are people who live it. In this episode, we are joined by the incredible Sarah Correa, the visionary co-founder of Fired Pizza in Stockton, CA.

Sarah isn't just a business owner; she’s a master of brand-building and a pioneer of the ”hard way.” Alongside her husband Daniel, she has transformed a ”fake it till you make it” mobile oven dream into a Central Valley institution that thrives on authenticity, grit, and world-class Neapolitan craft.

This isn’t your typical success story. It’s a raw, beautiful look at how Sarah embraced the struggle—from chopping their own oak wood to launching a brick-and-mortar during the peak of burnout—to create a space that Stockton didn't even know it was missing. Sarah’s honesty about the ”romance” of working with a spouse and her genius, ”rebel-style” marketing tactics make this one of our most inspiring interviews yet.

Episode Highlights 🎙️:

✅ The Stockton Pioneer: Erica introduces Sarah and the fascinating origin story of Fired Pizza.

✅ The ”Absolutely Not” Moment: Sarah shares her hilarious initial reaction to Daniel’s dream of owning a restaurant.

✅ From Salt Lake to Stockton: The journey of buying a used Mugnaini oven and learning to tow, light, and stretch dough on the fly.

✅ The COVID Catalyst: How the 2020 lockdown strengthened their community bonds and established their brand identity.

✅ Going All In: Choosing between a dream corporate job and a metal warehouse—and why they put every penny they had into the restaurant.

✅ Pizza as the ”Baby” of the Marriage: A candid look at the trials and triumphs of running a high-stakes business with your spouse.

✅ The Atlas Rebrand: The beautiful and accidental way Sarah’s ”secret baby name” became the face of the brand.

✅ Pizza the Hard Way: Why they choose to chop their own wood and why Neapolitan is the ”little black dress” of the pizza world.

✅ Scaling the Fire: The incredible logistics of cooking 1,200 wood-fired pizzas in a single day for Silicon Valley giants.

✅ The Monthly Rotating Menu: The marketing genius of seasonal ingredients and the ”hardest way” to keep customers coming back.

✅ The Pesto Potato Debate: Sarah reveals her favorite (and most controversial) pizza on the menu.

✅ The ”Least Favorite Pizza” Billboard: The epic story of how Sarah turned a media snub into a viral, ”punk rock” marketing win.

✅  Authenticity Over Algorithms: Sarah’s take on the ”clicky” pizza scene and why a line out the door matters more than Instagram followers.

Connect with Fired Pizza:

📍 Visit them: Stockton, California

📸 Instagram: @fired_pizza

🎙Like, follow, and subscribe to The Pizza Story Podcast meet the people behind your favorite pizzeria as Erica D’Arcangelo interviews some of the most gifted and talented people in pizza 👱🏼‍♀️.

🇮🇹 A Story About Pizza

Website: https://www.astoryaboutpizza.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/astoryaboutpizza/ 

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@storyaboutpizza 

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@AStoryAboutPizza

A Story About Pizza Book: https://www.amazon.com/Story-About-Pizza-Erica-DArcangelo/dp/1917116993

Pietro’s Pizza Children’s Book: https://www.amazon.com/Pietros-Pizza-Story-About/dp/B0DTYZ15WB/

Pietro’s Pizza Toppings Children’s Book: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FJM15W22/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0

Pietro’s Italian Christmas: https://www.amazon.com/Pietros-Italian-Christmas-Erica-DArcangelo/dp/B0G2GQX78W/ 

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