9/28/26 HFS Staff #Dining

Crust. Sauce. Cheese. Toppings.

At first glance, it may seem like pizza is made up of a short list of components. But the secret to a truly successful slice is the invisible hard work and consideration of dozens of people across thousands of hours. Starting this autumn quarter, the Husky community will be able to enjoy the outcome of these efforts: Dawg House Pizza, UW’s new pizza concept.

While September 28 was Dawg House Pizza’s official launch, work to create it began over a year ago. The project originates with the UW Dining department’s commitment to serving students. “Caring for the student population is providing them good, high-quality food that they can afford,” said UW Dining Director Robert L. Bickham, who spearheaded the pizza project.

UW Dining is self-sustaining, meaning that it receives no financial support from the University or the State of Washington, so it must generate enough income to fund itself. Unlike a private sector business, however, the department is not focused on making a profit. Instead, the aim is to maximize value for UW students, faculty and staff, while covering expenses. “Every decision we’re making,” Bickham emphasized, “has to balance two priorities: financial responsibility and satisfying our campus community.”

With over 25 years’ experience in dining management, seven of them at the University of Washington, this is a balance Bickham is adept at negotiating. Viewed through this lens, the decision to move to an in-house pizza concept was a double win. It allowed UW Dining to save the over-$200,000 annual cost of licensing with an outside company. These funds could then be invested back into the program to improve and customize it.

Bickham identified several opportunities for innovation. First, two of the three on-campus pizza locations (Local Point and the pizza shop in Oliver Hall) now have new conveyor-belt ovens that can pop out a fresh, hot pizza in less than five minutes: more than twice as quickly as the old ovens. This leads to shorter lines and makes it easier for students to order whole pies. Second, the University was able to leverage its connections to local businesses to source quality ingredients from King County providers, including fresh (rather than frozen) dough and pizza sauce from Seattle Commissary, delivered twice weekly by family-owned distributor Greco & Sons.

Developing a UW pizza line also meant the recipes could be tailored specifically to the Husky palate. That’s where UW Dining Assistant Campus Executive Chef Eliot Norris and Residential Dining Chef Thomas Dodd came in. The two were responsible for developing the recipes for the new pizza. Their paramount concern: students. “We wanted to make sure that they were very involved in each step of the process,” said Chef Eliot.

The chefs led a team of culinary professionals who designed recipes, and they engaged the student community in every phase. Dining coordinated multiple taste-testings to solicit feedback on crust, cheese, sauce and more. “We worked closely with Dining Dawgs (the UW Dining Student Advisory Board) and other RCSA members,” explained Chef Eliot. “We’d say, ‘This is our first idea, what do you think?’ and then based on their response, we’d develop our next iteration.”

It was a process that took time and effort. “We went through eight different cheese blends until we found the right one,” said Chef Thomas. The winner: a low-moisture mozzarella and parmesan blend. “You get the meltiness from the mozzarella and the nutty super-saltiness from the parmesan. And when that meets the sweetness of the sauce (because pizza sauce should be a little sweet), it’s harmonious in your mouth.”

“There's a lot of math involved,” he continued. “A lot of measuring ratios and timing to get all the nuances right so that the dough is crunchy on the outside but soft in the middle, and the sauce gets a little caramelly and the other ingredients cook. Plus, the cheese has to brown a certain way so that you get that nice first bite with that cheese pull everybody loves.”

Both Chef Eliot and Chef Thomas have decades of experience in the restaurant world prior to joining the UW Dining team, and much of their experience includes pizza-making. “What surprised me was that I hadn't forgotten how to form and toss dough, even though it had been several years since I last did it,” said Chef Thomas. “It’s sort of like riding a bike: it's muscle memory. And it’s been so much fun to rediscover those skills and to pass them along to the student employees who come and work for us.”

To complement the pizza offerings, Associate Director of Dining and Campus Executive Chef Tracey MacRae developed a menu of baked pasta, salads, garlic knots and desserts, including cannoli. She has also developed gluten-free and vegan pizza recipes. These will be available this fall for students to purchase as whole pies, baked to order, to avoid cross-contact with other ingredients.

The finishing touch for launching the new pizza line was finding the perfect name. Once again, UW Dining engaged with the campus community and called for ideas through a naming contest. Over 150 students and staff submitted suggestions, and of this group, seven individuals proposed the winner: “Dawg House Pizza.” With its new name and branding complete, Dawg House Pizza is available for purchase at the Husky Den, as well as Center Table and Local Point at the start of the new academic year. Students will also be able to order whole pizzas through the Dub Grub app.

A final benefit of bringing the pizza concept in-house is the freedom to continue to evolve the offerings. Chef Tracey has big plans for expanding the menu. “This is my 24th year on campus,” she said. “Nourishing students is not only a responsibility, but a privilege. It's an honor to be able to support our Husky community with high-quality food that powers their performance.”

“We’ll always have our core offerings of pepperoni and cheese pizza,” she continued, “but we’ll be exploring different toppings. We’ll also experiment with different styles, like Roman pizza, Chicago-style pizza, Detroit-style and deep-dish.”

When asked about what they find most gratifying about launching Dawg House Pizza, Bickham, Dodd, Eliot and MacRae all agree: the positive response they have received from the Husky community. “There’s been a wonderful synergy and excitement around this project,” said Chef Tracey. “The positive feedback we’ve received inspires us to do even more and even better in the future.”