Inside Righteous Slice's rise to world-class pizza

Andrew Crawford and Rivka Sears can hardly believe they're now among the top pizza-makers in the world.

The two employees of Righteous Slice in Rexburg just returned from the International Pizza Challenge in Las Vegas. Crawford took third place in the Traditional American Division out of 100 competitors. Sears took the top spot in the Best Neapolitan Pizza category out of 80 participants.

On this week's episode of "It's Worth Mentioning," Rett Nelson sits down with the duo to talk about the contest. They give their reaction to their performance and discuss what the tournament was like.

Crawford and Sears, both in their 20s, share their career aspirations. Crawford currently works as the general manager at Righteous Slice. His parents started making Neapolitan pizza when he was 9 years old and opened the restaurant at 175 West 2nd South, Ste. 100, eight years later. Making pizza is a skill he's honed over the years, and he shares whether more pizza is in his future.

Similarly, Sears -- a vocal performance major at Brigham Young University-Idaho -- talks about whether her participation in one of the most prestigious pizza contests has convinced her to change careers.

Then, Rett Nelson sits down with the owners of Righteous Slice, Bill and Cheryl Crawford, to talk about their pizza-making journey. Although they've operated the Rexburg store for eight years, Bill served in the U.S. Air Force for 13 years. He shares how he got interested in the pizza business and what led him to open a restaurant in Rexburg.

Bill and Cheryl also discuss how the concept of pizza was born, how World War II played a role in its popularization in America and its evolution as one of the nation's most popular fast-food choices.

They also discuss the restaurant's future and their plans for a new location.

If you're a foodie who enjoys pizza, this is a delicious, hot-and-ready episode you don't want to miss!

Watch previous episodes here. Check out the show on Facebook. If you have a tip or a guest idea, email [email protected].

RELATED LINKS: https://www.eastidahonews.com/2025/01/this-rexburg-restaurant-is-one-of-the-best-places-for-new-york-pizza-says-new-york-times/

https://www.eastidahonews.com/2018/08/he-flew-f-16s-and-stealth-bombers-but-found-his-true-calling-at-a-pizza-shop/

https://www.eastidahonews.com/2022/02/east-idaho-eats-at-righteous-slice-pizza-is-art-and-its-made-with-passion-and-love-for-customers/