Pleasanton Pizza-Making Couple Each Earn 3rd Place In State Competition

The owners of Much Ado About Pizza each took third place in a different division of the California Pizza Challenge.

By Michael Wittner, Patch Staff

Sep 24, 2026 3:36 PM PDT | Updated Sep 24, 2026 3:37 PM PDT

Mark won third place in the Non-Traditional category, while Kira won third and was the only female competitor in the Real 3-Cheese Competition. (Much Ado About Pizza)

PLEASANTON, CA — There continues to be "much ado" about Much Ado About Pizza, an award-winning, Shakespeare-themed pizzeria in Pleasanton. Owners Kira and Mark Zabrowski each earned third-place finishes at the California Pizza Challenge, held during the California Restaurant Show and Pizza Tomorrow Summit in Anaheim.

Kira finished third place in the Real California 3 Cheese Challenge, which required competitors to use exactly three California cheeses. She prepared Viola's Veggie, a vegetarian pizza inspired by Viola of Shakespeare's "Twelfth Night" that is featured on the Much Ado menu. Kira said that she was the only female competitor in the 3 Cheese Challenge.

Mark earned third place in the Non-Traditional Challenge with a Mediterranean-inspired pizza full of unusual ingredients and toppings.

Both Kira and Mark beat out roughly 17 other competitors from all over the nation. They both competed in all three divisions. Kira came in 6th in the Non-Traditional Challenge, and Mark came in 6th for the 3 Cheese Challenge.

"We are incredibly proud to have represented Pleasanton and the Tri-Valley on this stage," Kira said in a statement. "To compete alongside some of the best pizza makers in the nation and around the world—and to both come home with third-place finishes—is an incredible honor. We love what we do, and it means so much to share that passion with our community."

Both Kira and Mark are members of the United States Pizza Team, a group of pizza professionals competing nationally and internationally. They've won a number of recognitions, including other second and third place finishes at the California Pizza Challenge, the People's Choice Award for Best White Wine & Pizza Pairing at the Livermore Valley Wine and Pizza Festival, and finalist status in the Best of the Bay pizza rankings. Much Ado About Pizza was also named number 40 on Yelp's Top 100 Places to Eat in the U.S. in 2025, its second consecutive year on the list.

The talent runs in the family: in November, their daughter Zoe was named the 2025 Young Pizza Maker of the Year after winning first place at the Young Pizza Makers Competition in Orlando, Florida.