Behind the Scenes: How We Make Pizza on Curry Ford Road

If you've ever driven down Curry Ford Road in Orlando and caught a whiff of something incredible coming from our kitchen, you already know there's something special happening inside Mario's Pizza & Subs. We've been slinging pies in East Orlando since 1989, and the process hasn't changed much — because when something works, you don't mess with it.

It Starts With the Dough

Every great pizza begins with great dough, and ours is made fresh daily. We mix our dough in-house using a recipe that's been refined over decades. The key is patience — the dough needs time to proof properly, developing the flavor and texture that gives our crust that perfect chew. No shortcuts, no frozen dough balls shipped in from a warehouse.

Once it's ready, our team hand-stretches each crust to order. You won't find a rolling pin in our kitchen. Hand-stretching keeps the air pockets in the dough intact, which is what gives the crust that light, slightly crispy bite that Orlando pizza lovers keep coming back for.

The Sauce

Our tomato sauce is simple by design. We use quality crushed tomatoes seasoned with garlic, basil, and a blend of Italian herbs. We don't cook it down into something heavy — the oven does the work. A fresh, bright sauce lets the toppings shine without competing with them.

Toppings and Cheese

We layer generously. Whether you're building a classic pepperoni, loading up a Girlfriend Specialty Pizza, or going full Crown with a stuffed garlic knot crust, every topping is applied by hand. Our mozzarella is whole-milk, shredded fresh — not the pre-shredded bagged stuff that's coated in anti-caking agents.

For our vegan customers, we swap in Selfish Cow vegan cheese, which melts beautifully and delivers that satisfying pull you want from a good pizza. More on our vegan setup in a separate post.

Into the Oven

Our oven runs hot — the way a pizza oven should. High heat is what creates that golden-brown crust with the slight char on the bottom, the bubbling cheese, and the caramelized edges on the pepperoni. Every pizza gets a few minutes of intense heat that you simply can't replicate at home with a standard kitchen oven.

The Final Check

Before any pizza leaves our kitchen, it gets a look. Is the crust evenly baked? Is the cheese fully melted? Are the toppings distributed the way they should be? We've been doing this long enough that the standard is instinctive — but we still check every time.

Why It Matters

There are a lot of pizza options in Orlando. Chain restaurants, delivery-only operations, fast-casual spots. What we offer at Mario's on Curry Ford Road is something different: a neighborhood pizza place where the food is made by people who care about it. We know many of our customers by name. We know their orders. We know when someone's having a rough week and needs a Crown Pizza to turn it around.

That's not something you can automate or franchise into existence. It's built over years of showing up, making good food, and being part of the East Orlando community.

Come See for Yourself

We're open Tuesday through Sunday at 7213 Curry Ford Road. If you've never tried a Crown Pizza — our signature pie with a garlic knot-stuffed crust — that's the place to start. Or build your own from scratch. Either way, now you know a little more about what goes into every box that leaves our kitchen.