Niko’s Bakery & Café rose to the top of the inaugural Owensboro Times Pizza Week, winning the premier “The Supreme” award with their bold and hearty Sicilian pizza. The prize was decided by a 15-person judging panel, and owner Matt Weafer said the recognition was both surprising and humbling.
“The Supreme” award is sponsored by CRS OneSource.
“We’re touched, blown away,” Weafer said. “There were a lot of really cool pizzas out there. This whole last week was just a whirlwind — pizzas flying everywhere — and I’m honored to win because there was so much creativity.”
The Sicilian was a deep-dish pie stacked with flavor. It featured a cheese-stuffed crust brushed in rosemary-garlic oil, topped with sun-dried tomato marinara, roasted fennel-spiced pork shoulder from Hill View Farms, pepperoni, mozzarella, house-pickled hot banana peppers, and Kalamata olives. At three and a half inches thick, it was designed to impress.
Weafer said his approach was simple: make a pizza he’d want to eat every day.
“I entered wanting to make a pizza that I would love, and I think the ingredients say a lot,” he said. “We’re really picky about fresh product, pickling our own peppers, using local farm products. At the end of the day, I was just trying to make a delicious, classic pizza.”
Niko’s has long balanced tradition with creativity, offering everything from artisan breads and pastries to hearty café meals. Winning during Pizza Week, Weafer said, reaffirmed their commitment to blending quality ingredients with a community-first approach.
Community support has been at the heart of Niko’s since Matt and his wife Jessica took over the bakery in 2020. Located at 601 Emory Drive, the café also showcases local products ranging from coffee to honey.
“If it wasn’t for the community, we wouldn’t be here,” Weafer said. “They’ve shaped us into who we are. They keep our doors open, they take care of our families, and they’re the reason we do what we do.”
Weafer added that Pizza Week also provided a real boost for small businesses across Owensboro.
“For a small business, $100 or $200 in a day can make a huge difference. So to throw 70 pizzas a day at it for a week, that’s a giant boost,” he said. “It was a gauntlet of work, but we loved it and we look forward to next year.”
