A recipe developed together, a busy week in the kitchen, and an outpouring of community support helped Pinocchio’s Deli earn the outside-the-box sales crown during Owensboro Times Pizza Week.
The restaurant, run by individuals with disabilities under the supervision of Opportunity Center staff, won the “Dough Maker” award with Pinocchio’s Chicken, Bacon and Cheese Please!
For Pinocchio’s crew member Steven Shively, learning the team had won brought a joyful reaction.
“I was excited. I was happy,” Shively said.
Fellow crew member Hunter Ross said the team approached the week with customers in mind.
“We made these Strombolis for everyone to enjoy,” Ross said.
Located at 1101 East Byers Avenue, Pinocchio’s entered seasoned chicken, crispy bacon, ranch, mozzarella, and cheddar piled into Italian bread, topped with a golden Parmesan crust, and baked until warm and crisp. It was served with ranch for dipping.
Tiffany Vinson, the Opportunity Center’s training and employment specialist who also runs Pinocchio’s Kitchen, said the creation grew out of a group discussion. The team wanted something different that would appeal to customers who preferred an option without spicy ingredients.
They settled on chicken, bacon, and ranch, then added plenty of cheese. Vinson said the crew spent about a week learning the recipe, including a couple of days perfecting the house-made ranch.
“It was a team effort. We all did it together,” Vinson said.
Shively said crew members and staff worked together to get the orders out. He also sampled the finished product.
“I had one, and it was delicious,” he said.
For crew member Danny Hofmann, being part of the kitchen has fulfilled a personal goal.
“It was my dream to be in the culinary class,” Hofmann said. “And Tiffany was an amazing teacher, and I don’t know what I would have done without her.”
Vinson said watching the team earn the award was especially meaningful after seeing the work that went into the week.
“I couldn’t be prouder of our culinary crew,” she said. “I watched them work incredibly hard all week, prepping, cooking, filling orders, and working together as a team. They put so much heart and pride into what they do, and winning the dough maker award is a reflection of that effort. They earned this, and I’m so proud of each and every one of them.”
Christy Chaney, co-owner of Owensboro Times and Pizza Week organizer, called it a huge win for Pinocchio’s.
“To finish first in outside-the-box sales is an accomplishment that every member of that kitchen should be proud of,” Chaney said. “Their team created something people wanted to try, put in the work to serve it, and earned that top spot. They deserve to be celebrated.”
Vinson said Pinocchio’s participated Monday through Friday, missing the event’s opening weekend. Crew members rotated through shifts of a couple of hours to keep up with demand without becoming overworked.
Despite the shorter schedule, the response exceeded the team’s expectations.
“The turnout and the support from the community have been absolutely amazing,” Vinson said.
That support has already extended beyond Pizza Week. Vinson said customers who discovered Pinocchio’s during the event have since reached out about catering.
Pinocchio’s does not currently operate as a daily restaurant, but the team offers catering, boxed lunches, and monthly pop-ups. Vinson said the culinary program has been operating for about two years and continues to grow.
In the traditional pizza category, Niko’s earned the Dough Maker award with its Saturday Night Special, adding a sales title to its second consecutive Pizza Week Judges Award.
For owners Matt and Jessica Weafer, the sales win was especially surprising because the bakery was only open at lunchtime.
“I’m blown away,” Matt said.
Located at 601 Emory Drive, Niko’s entered a pizza featuring a light, fluffy, crispy crust topped with sun-dried tomato pizza sauce, mozzarella, pepperoni, freshly cracked black pepper, fresh herbs, and Parmesan crema. The Saturday Night Special was inspired by the pizza the family makes at home every Saturday night.
Matt credited the bakery’s staff with making the successful week possible, describing Pizza Week and Burger Week as intense stretches that test the restaurant’s ability to keep orders moving.
“We definitely have to do a huge thank you to the staff,” he said.
Jessica agreed.
“Matt’s the brains behind the creation, but the staff gets it out,” she said.
The Dough Maker awards recognize the most creations sold in the traditional pizza and outside-the-box categories. Rounding out the standings were:
Traditional pizza
- Second: PeezO’s Pizza — Italian Stallion. Located at 2100 West 2nd Street, PeezO’s entered a pizza featuring pepperoni, ham, bacon, red onion, banana peppers, and pepperoncini with Italian dressing and special sauce.
- Third: Donatos — Alfredo Meats Tomato. With locations at 3415 New Hartford Road and 2601 West Parrish Avenue, Donatos entered a pizza featuring a house-blended sauce of marinara, creamy Alfredo, roasted garlic, and Romano, layered with provolone and fresh mozzarella. It was topped edge to edge with sausage, deli salami, and Italian-seasoned meatballs, and finished with a signature drizzle and served with fresh, crunchy pickles.
Outside the box
- Second: Becca Bakes — Want S’more’s Pizza? Located at 4026 Frederica Street, Becca Bakes entered a chocolate chip cookie crust baked with graham cracker crumble, chocolate chips, and mini marshmallows. It was finished with toasted marshmallows, chocolate chips, and a marshmallow glaze.
- Third: Cold Stone Creamery — Ultimate Waffle Explosion. Located at 5140 Frederica Street, Cold Stone entered a homemade waffle cone base topped with vanilla whipped icing, sprinkles, brownies, fudge, and cake batter ice cream.
“These awards reflect a lot of work in the kitchen and a lot of support from customers,” Chaney said. “We’re grateful to the teams who made these creations happen and to everyone who went out and gave them a try.”
By Ryan Richardson The Owensboro Times