From Windstorms To Parties: Best Neapolitan Pizza Kalamazoo
If you’ve ever been to our open-air pizza kitchen set up, you know the scene: a canvas tent, a roaring oven,…
If you’ve ever been to our open-air pizza kitchen set up, you know the scene: a canvas tent, a roaring oven, and the smell of the best Neapolitan pizza Kalamazoo has to offer. It’s simple, it’s fun, and until recently, it worked perfectly.
Then fall happened.
Thirty-mile-per-hour wind gusts, a tent that tried to fly away (twice), a parking lot oil spill that soaked our gear, and even getting robbed. It’s been a comedy of bad luck with extra toppings.
So this winter, we’re changing our game plan. Instead of fighting the weather, we’re bringing the fire to private events where the wind can’t steal our pizzas and the dough gets to behave itself.
It’s not a pause; it’s progress. And here’s how it all came together.
Weathering the Storm
If there’s one thing Michigan will always keep you humble about, it’s the weather. Fall rolls in, and before you know it, you’re standing under a tent, holding onto a pizza peel with one hand and the sidewall with the other, just praying the next gust doesn’t take you for a ride.
This season, the weather didn’t just show up — it came swinging. Windy, rainy, snowy, sleety… it’s all in the forecast this time of year, and the wind has been relentless. The kind of wind that rattles your bones and makes you question every life choice that led you to stand outside under a 10×10 tent trying to toss pizza dough.
And while we’ve always been up for a challenge, this fall threw a few extra curveballs our way. We faced 30 mph gusts, battled flying tent panels, and just when we thought things couldn’t get more ridiculous, we got robbed. Then came the oil spill that soaked our setup like the punchline of a bad joke. If there’s ever been a season that tested our patience, this was it.
At some point, you have to step back, take a deep breath, and realize you’re not losing — you’re learning.
So, after a long talk and some prayerful consideration, we decided to stop chasing windstorms and start focusing on what we do best — great pizza, great people, and great experiences.
The Mission Behind the Shift
Before anyone assumes we’re throwing in the towel, let’s set the record straight: this isn’t a retreat. It’s a new strategy.
We’re using the winter months to reinforce our setup and focus on events where we can control the environment instead of battling it. That means heavy-duty commercial tents, stronger anchors, better weatherproofing, and a focus on the experiences that matter most — private parties, office events, and celebrations where pizza is part of the joy, not part of the forecast.
As a Marine Corps veteran, I tend to see things in missions and objectives. And this is just one more mission. You don’t quit when conditions get tough — you adapt, regroup, and come back stronger. We’re not losing the war on weather; we’re just changing the terrain.
Why a Tent and not a Food Truck
Every time someone hears we’re focusing on catering, the first question that comes up is, “Why not just get a food truck or trailer?”
It’s a fair question but we’re building Zazzano’s differently.
We’re funding this business on a shoestring and doing it without debt. No loans, no investors, no fancy equipment purchases that put us in the hole before we’ve even stretched the dough. The plan has always been to grow at a pace that feels right. One pizza, one customer, one reputation at a time.
The tent is what’s going to pay for the trailer someday. The trailer might lead to a truck. And who knows — maybe one day, a permanent spot right here in Kalamazoo. But when that happens, it’ll be because the business earned it.
That’s the kind of growth that lasts.
Lessons From a Tough Season
If this past season taught us anything, it’s that every challenge comes with a lesson baked in.
The wind taught us patience.
The theft taught us awareness.
The oil spill taught us humility — and the importance of always having extra cleaning towels.
It also taught us that resilience is the secret ingredient in any small business. You can’t control the conditions, but you can always control how you respond.
And through it all, the Kalamazoo community has been incredible. Every smile, every kind word, and every returning customer has reminded us why we started this in the first place — to share great pizza and good energy with good people.
The Heart of Zazzano’s Neapolitan pizza
Zazzano’s isn’t just about pizza. It’s about doing something honest and doing it well.
We started with nothing but a tent, an oven, and a belief that if we served great food with integrity, people would show up. And you did. That simple setup has turned into something bigger — a story, a movement, and a community that keeps growing one pie at a time.
We don’t take shortcuts. We don’t mass-produce. Every pizza is hand-stretched, fire-grilled, and made with the same care as the first one we ever sold. That’s who we are, and that’s who we’ll stay.
Moving Forward
While the colder months have pushed us to rethink our outdoor setup, they haven’t slowed us down. We’ve been using this time to reinforce our tents, upgrade equipment, and plan for a stronger season ahead.
We’re also keeping our ovens ready for private catering events throughout the winter. Whether it’s a holiday gathering, an office get-together, or a family celebration, we’re ready to bring the same fire-grilled flavor people love to you.
Behind the scenes, we’ve been fine-tuning how we handle our dough in cold weather. We’re not changing the recipe, we love it just the way it is, but we’re adjusting how we prepare and manage it when temperatures drop. Cold air makes the dough tighten up and resist stretching, so we’re testing new ways to keep it at the right temperature on site. We’ve been working with insulated storage, controlled proofing, and gentler handling to make sure every crust stays light, airy, and perfectly blistered no matter how chilly it gets outside.
All of these refinements are helping us create a setup that’s smarter, tougher, and better suited for Michigan’s unpredictable weather. When spring rolls around, we’ll be ready, stronger, steadier, and more efficient than ever.
Gratitude and Growth
To everyone who’s stopped by, shared a post, or sent an encouraging message… thank you. You’ve been part of every step of this journey.
This past year reminded us that a business isn’t built overnight; it’s built one challenge, one improvement, and one loyal customer at a time. And that’s exactly how we want it.
We might be trading open-air pizza battles for indoor celebrations this winter, but our passion hasn’t cooled one bit. In fact, it’s only getting stronger.
So whether you’re planning your next event or waiting for us to pop back up under the canvas come spring, just know this; we’re still here, still working, and still fired up about bringing Neapolitan pizza to Kalamazoo.
