"Texans Take Top Honors" is the headline on Pizza Today's Cover after Mangia Pizza was awarded thier 2005 National Pizza Company of the Year.

Founded in 1988 by Jeff Sayers, who spent three years in Chicago pizza kitchens learning the business. "I had never had real pizza until I came to Chicago" said Sayers. It took several years to put his dream together before he opened the first Mangia Pizza in Austin. "Mangia means 'eat' in Italian" said Sayers.

Mangia has been a Austin landmark for many years. This award along with a feature role in the 2005 movie Man of the House and being a question on Jeopardy in October 2003 have given Mangia great national exposure.

Although Mangia does intend to grow in the next few years, it will not forget what makes it great. "We want to be a boutique company, and we want to grow it, but we don't want it to get huge" said John Kinnaird one of the three partners in this Austin based business. 

"We are honored to recieve this recognition" said Mark Negro, Head Coach and managing partner "It validates the years of hard work and committment to our product, our people and our community".