A Warwick Pizza Shop Won a National Title Before It Even Turned 1
Most new restaurants spend their first year building a loyal customer base, but one Rhode Island pizza shop has already earned national recognition. Joe’s Pizza of Warwick opened less than a year ago, yet its owner recently defeated competitors in a national pizza competition. The winning entry was a meatball-topped specialty pizza that customers have been able to order since the restaurant first opened.
Located at 163 Kilvert Street in Warwick, the restaurant took first place in the non-traditional thin New Haven-style category at the Great American Pizza Challenge in Columbus, Ohio. Owner Joe Boisvert earned the honor during the October 11 and 12, 2026, competition, just weeks before the business’s first anniversary. The achievement gives the young restaurant a notable reason to celebrate before its first full year in business.
A National Victory Less Than a Year After Opening
Joe’s Pizza opened on Black Friday in November 2025, making the achievement especially remarkable. By October 2026, Boisvert competed against pizza makers from other states at Pizza Expo Columbus, an industry event with several competitive categories. His restaurant emerged as the highest-scoring entry in the non-traditional New Haven-style thin-crust category.
According to the official results published by Pizza Today on October 14, Boisvert earned 49.46 points. Anthony Berghela of Romo’s Pizza in Glenmont, New York, finished second with 49.13 points, leaving just 0.33 points between the two competitors. Craig Allenbaugh of Sauced Wood Fired Pizza in Ohio placed third with 43.45 points.
The narrow margin makes the victory even more interesting, especially considering the restaurant’s age. Boisvert did not win the overall non-traditional thin-crust division, which went to Philadelphia’s Davide Lubrano Lavadera of Dough Bros. He earned national recognition by winning the New Haven-style category, an important distinction that accurately reflects the competition results.
The Meatball Pizza That Took First Place
The winning pizza is called Polpette Rustica, a specialty pie that Joe’s Pizza has offered since opening day. Rather than developing something entirely new for the competition, Boisvert entered a pizza his customers already knew. Its combination of meatballs, cheese, sauce, and fresh basil earned the top score in its category.
The restaurant starts with a thin New Haven-style crust, topped with sauce and shredded mozzarella. Homemade meatballs are added before the pizza receives a finishing touch of pecorino cheese and fresh basil. The ingredients create a distinctive meatball pizza without relying on an unusually complicated list of toppings.
Speaking with NBC 10 WJAR, Boisvert explained the pizza’s ingredients and described it as a favorite from the restaurant’s beginning. “It’s been a winner here since day one,” he told the station. The statement now carries additional meaning because the same menu item has earned recognition beyond Rhode Island.
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The Owner Wasn’t Expecting First Place
Winning a national title was not what Boisvert initially expected when entering the competition. According to WJAR’s October 2026 reporting, the restaurant owner had hoped to place among the top 50 competitors. Finishing first in his category therefore exceeded the expectations he brought to Columbus.
Boisvert expressed his surprise during an interview with the television station. “It would be cool to get top 50, so to land that there is just crazy,” he said. His reaction reflects how unexpected the achievement is for a restaurant that hasn’t yet celebrated its first anniversary.
The win also brought attention to the established specialty pizza on his menu rather than an unfamiliar competition-only creation. Customers who want to taste the winning entry don’t need to request something made exclusively for the contest. The Polpette Rustica was already part of Joe’s Pizza’s regular offerings when Boisvert took it to Ohio.
A Second Award Made the Trip Even Better
The New Haven-style victory was not Boisvert’s only notable result at Pizza Expo Columbus. He also competed in America’s Best Pepperoni Slice, where judges evaluated entries across different regional divisions. In the Northeast category, the Warwick restaurant owner placed second.
Official results show that Boisvert received 44.83 points for his pepperoni entry. Alicia Reis of Slice on Broadway in Pittsburgh claimed first place in the Northeast with 45.00 points, just 0.17 points ahead. Nick Turco of Turco’s Pizza in Pennsylvania finished third with 43.03 points.
Although Boisvert didn’t win the pepperoni category, the runner-up finish added another achievement to the restaurant’s first year. It also showed that his competition success wasn’t limited to the meatball pizza that earned him first place. Both placements put Joe’s Pizza among recognized competitors at the October event.
What the National Recognition Means for Warwick
For Warwick diners, the award introduces a new reason to consider a restaurant that has been operating for less than 12 months. Joe’s Pizza earned recognition in a competition featuring established pizza businesses and individual makers from across the country. Its success also highlights a New Haven-style specialty being served outside Connecticut, the state most closely associated with that pizza tradition.
The restaurant’s story has already drawn television coverage, including appearances on NBC 10 WJAR and its Studio 10 program. The attention centers on an unusually quick milestone for a recently opened business. However, the competition results alone don’t show how many additional customers the award has attracted or whether restaurant sales have increased.
Where Customers Can Find the Winning Pizza
Anyone interested in trying the award-winning Polpette Rustica can find Joe’s Pizza at 163 Kilvert Street in Warwick, Rhode Island. The restaurant opened in November 2025 and is approaching its first anniversary with a national category title and a regional runner-up finish. Customers should confirm current operating hours directly before visiting, since those details were not established in the competition reporting.
For Boisvert, the October results provide two significant achievements before the restaurant turns one. For local pizza fans, the most interesting detail may be that the national-winning pie was available from the start. Joe’s Pizza now enters its second year with a specialty pizza that has already made a name for itself beyond Warwick.
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