Fort Myers Pizza Chef Joins U.S. Pizza Team After State, National Success

Two Italian pizza experts have selected Fort Myers chef Enrico Aguila to join the United States Pizza Team. The owner of Uncle Rico's Pizza earned his spot through his exceptional work in the kitchen.

At the Galbani Professional Pizza Cup in Orlando, Aguila took first place with his classic cheese pizza. His talent is well-recognized - The Washington Post lists his shop as the third-best among Florida's New York-style pizzerias.

Pizza experts and dough-spinning performers make up the U.S. Pizza Team. These skilled professionals show off their abilities at competitions around the world, pushing the limits of pizza-making mastery.

While preparing for the International Pizza Challenge in Las Vegas, Aguila keeps to his core values. He told Fox 4 News that "time and patience" in dough-making makes his pizzas special.

His Cleveland Avenue restaurant makes between 150 and 200 pizzas each day. This huge demand led him to install two double-stack ovens and hire four new employees to keep up.

But the path wasn't always smooth. A serious car accident in January 2023 forced Aguila and his wife to close the shop temporarily.

Throughout it all, community support kept them going. Their recovery shows the strength of Southwest Florida's close-knit small business community.

Find Uncle Rico's at 2960 Cleveland Ave. in Fort Myers. Visit unclericospizza239.com or call (239) 362-0083 to order.