Joe Powers

AVPN Pizza School in 2019 gave Joe Powers a formal base in traditional pizza making. That training set the terms for the work that followed: fundamentals handled with discipline, repetition treated as method, and technique kept close to the center of the plate. Rochester, MN is where that training was tested across different kinds of service and responsibility. As cook at Holiday Inn South in Rochester, MN, Powers worked in a setting where pace and consistency matter as much as execution.

As chef at Lebristro’s French Café in Rochester, MN, he took on a broader remit, with more room to shape the day-to-day output of the kitchen. He also served as Chief Operating Officer at Powers Ventures in Rochester, MN, adding operations to a career already grounded in the line. Ownership now frames the work from multiple angles. Powers is restaurant owner of Own restaurant (not named in source), owner and CEO of Powers Ventures, and owner and head pizzaiolo of Jay's Artisan Pizzeria. Those roles place him on both sides of the pass: in the business structure and at the bench, where dough, fire, timing, and finish still define the standard.

Ownership and pizzaiolo work sit side by side in Joe Powers’s current practice. As owner and CEO of Powers Ventures, he is working at the level of company direction; as owner and head pizzaiolo of Jay's Artisan Pizzeria, he remains tied to the physical demands of making pizza to order. The combination keeps the craft visible inside the business, rather than separated from it. The path from AVPN Pizza School in 2019 to these current roles shows a progression built in layers.

Training established the base, kitchen roles in Rochester, MN expanded range, and operations added another discipline. The result is a career that has moved from technique into ownership without leaving the original craft behind.

Joe's signature dishes include Pesto, Filetti, margherita, ramp and sausage, and ndjua. The list moves between the classic and the more assertive: margherita holds the standard line, while ramp and sausage and ndjua point to stronger, more seasonal or spicier accents. Pesto and Filetti widen the frame, showing a menu language that is not locked to one register.

Joe's honors include 50 Top Pizza USA 2025 – 4th place, Jay's Artisan Pizzeria and 50 Top Pizza World 2025 – 14th place, Jay's Artisan Pizzeria. For a career that started with formal training in 2019 and passed through kitchen and operations roles in Rochester, MN, the recognition reflects consistency, repetition, and a defined point of view.