Maryville, Tenn. — A Maryville man was crowned America's Fastest and Most Accurate Pizza Maker.
On Tuesday, Oct. 2, the 10 finalists of Marco’s Pizza’s inaugural “Fast and Accurate Pizza Contest” traveled to Marco’s headquarters in Toledo to compete for a $1,000 cash prize and the title of America’s Fastest and Most Accurate Pizza Maker.
After a six-month nationwide search, Kevin Astling took first place, perfectly crafting a ‘Primo’ pizza in just 48 seconds.
Alex Yashchishin from Madison, Alabama came in a close second with a time of 53 seconds and Darren Ezzo from Huntsville, Alabama rounded out the top three with a time of 55 seconds.
“We really put emphasis on speed of service, sense of urgency and heightened time awareness; this contest really helps emphasize that in our stores," said Tim Brown, Area Rep and Franchise Owner for Marco's Pizza. "We hope this encourages everyone in the chain to work on their speed and sense of detail in delivering the ‘Primo’ product that our customers expect from us.”
Each contestant was asked to make a large pepperoni pizza that meets Marco’s high standards for quality and presentation.
The thorough judging criteria included: getting the border of sauce to crust accurate, stretching the dough to the right thickness and diameter throughout the pie, correct portioning of Marco’s proprietary three-cheese blend and getting the correct number and proper placement of pepperoni slices on the pizza.
All 10 finalists made perfect pizzas within 48 to 60 seconds. Each finalist took home a cash prize, a trophy and of course, the recognition and bragging rights that come with being one of the fastest and most accurate pizza makers in the country.
Company leaders say they hope to make the contest a staple, holding it at future national
conventions.
