Brian SpanglerA Q&A with Brian Spangler, Co-owner and Founder of Apizza Scholls, Portland, Ore.
PizzaMaster electric deck ovens are manufactured in Sweden by BakePartner, who has been producing PizzaMaster brand pizza ovens for more than 25 years worldwide, with sales in 140 countries. With 85 different models and over 1,500 combinations, there is an oven to suit every individual’s need. PizzaMaster differentiates itself from other manufacturers based on high heat (932 degrees F), efficient baking capabilities, high-output capacity, superior recovery heat, speed and consistency. MPM Food Equipment Group is the exclusive distributor in the United States.
Brian Spangler, Master Pizzaiolo and Owner of Apizza Scholls, consistently one of the top-rated pizza restaurants in the country, explains why “buying the PizzaMaster oven was easily one of the best decisions I’ve ever made.”
Tell us about Apizza Scholls.
Brian Spangler: Apizza Scholls is our second location. Our first location, the Scholls Public House, was in a little township called Scholls. 
Apizza Scholls in Portland, Ore.When we moved to Portland in 2005, we changed the name to Apizza Scholls — a play on words for “a piece of Scholls.” We only had 30 seats at that point. In 2006, we took over the space next door and expanded to about 80 seats.
We only serve pizza, salads, and some calzones. Our pizza is an 18-inch, kind of classic New York style. A lot of us in the industry call it “neo-Neapolitan.” It’s an Americanized, New York-style slice.
Where did you get your recipes from?
BS: I’ve owned a pizzeria now for 20 years, but never worked in a pizzeria before this. When my wife and I had a bakery in Scholls, we taught ourselves how to do pizza. We just kept experimenting and tweaking and defining the formulas for everything. We’re kind of crazy – we make our own Canadian bacon, our own belly bacon, our own meatballs and sausage. All these things we created on our own, tweaked and formulated over the years.
You’ve seen many pizza ovens. Why did you choose PizzaMaster?
BS: I’d heard through the grapevine there was now this Swedish company making electric pizza ovens being imported into the U.S. I spent 
Classic New York-style pepperoni pie.about seven or eight months figuring out what model was perfect for me. I went for it and ever since then, these ovens have performed flawlessly. I’ve been making 200 pieces per day, seven days per week, nearly 365 days a year.
Is the PizzaMaster oven versatile?
BS: Extremely. Because of its infinite controls, I’ve made Detroit-style pizza, Chicago pan pizza, tavern-style pizza and New York-style pizza. Every deck has its own set of controls, so you can actually do multiple styles of pizza with one oven. We don’t have a range top, so we make everything in the PizzaMaster oven. We roast all our meatballs. I’ve roasted ribs, chicken and turkey in there.
Would you recommend PizzaMaster to other operators?
BS: Basically, there’s no other oven on the market that I would consider at this point. It’s a really well-made oven with a lot of flexibility.
