After its inaugural year proved to be such a resounding success, Pizza Wars has returned to Niverville for another round. From May 1 to May 8, restaurants around the community are facing off to provide their cheesiest, most original and unique versions of everybody’s favourite pie.

The winners will be determined by the public in a popular vote. Diners everywhere are encouraged to support as many of the participating restaurants as they can during the coming week and vote online for their favourite pizzas.

Posting pizza photos on social media using the hashtag #NivervillePizzaWars and tagging the Niverville Chamber of Commerce means these pizza lovers will automatically be entered into a draw for great prizes.

One lucky diner will be the recipient of a $125 local restaurant gift card.

Pizza Wars 2025 has an impressive lineup, with seven restaurants participating this year. Many have crafted in-house specialty pizzas for the event that may or may not be on the menu after the week is through.

To kick off Pizza Wars, The Citizen joined members of the Niverville Chamber of Commerce to sample these original creations. They didn’t disappoint.

Who’s in the Battle?

Peppie’s Pizza is entering for the first time this year with a special feature pizza they call Smokin’, Eh! Reminiscent of a Montreal deli sandwich, the crust is brushed with garlic-infused olive oil and loaded with two kinds of cheese, Montreal smoked meat, sweet red onion, and zesty pickles before being drizzled with smoky barbecue sauce.

Also new to the competition this year is Niakwa Pizza and Pho Real Niverville. Since this restaurant has broadened its offerings to include Vietnamese fare in recent months, they have two pizzas in this year’s competition.

The first is a long-time favourite on the menu, The Niverville, which incorporates pepperoni, salami, mushrooms, green peppers, bacon, and onions for a classic flavour.

In keeping with the Vietnamese theme, Niakwa is also premiering the Pho-tastic Pizza. Imagine a bowl of steaming pho on a crust.

“I literally just came up with it this morning,” says Niakwa owner Jeremy Ritchot. “It’s pretty much our deluxe pho but on a pizza. I changed the sauce and put on our signature peanut sauce that we have made up in-house.”

 The sauce isn’t the only ingredient that surprises you on this pizza. They’ve topped it with rice noodles, flank steak, bean sprouts and onions, as well as a little jalapeno if you like it spicy.

Dean Delorme of Santa Lucia Pizza says one of his staff members was responsible for dreaming up their 2025 creation: The Mennonite. Experiencing one of these pizzas is like eating Sunday dinner at Oma’s house.

The pizza base is covered in a rich layer of schmaundt fat (cream gravy). From there, it’s piled high with Manitoba farmer sausage, mini cheese perogies smothered in caramelized onions, and finished with crumbled bacon and sour cream.

Hespeler’s Cookhouse and Tavern is returning to the battle this year with another very original creation, the Pizza Mac.

“We’ve got so many pizza places in Niverville and everybody does such a great job that I was thinking, ‘How do I fight that?’” says Chef Ron. “I do know that everyone loves our homestyle mac and cheese, so I thought, ‘Let’s play with that idea.’”

And play he did. This crustless creation incorporates all the traditional flavours of pizza by loading up the baked macaroni with pizza sauce, pepperoni, onion, peppers, bacon, and three kinds of cheese including a homemade béchamel. It’s served with a side of garlic toast.

Pizza Pizza is another returning entry to this year’s showdown. Here diners will experience a traditional pepperoni pizza that comes with a delectable twist: cheese-stuffed crust. But it’s not just any stuffed crust. Customers can choose between a crust stuffed with dill pickle and mozzarella or a spicy habanero cheese.

In a similar vein, the final two restaurants are focusing on traditional classics and time-tested favourites. Everyone already loves them!

Domino’s Pizza is putting forward their Canadian Parmesan Stuffed Crust pizza. Starting with a thin, crispy base, it’s topped with pepperoni, mushrooms, smoky bacon, and garlic and smothered in Saputo mozzarella and parmesan.

And finally, the newest kid in town, Pizza Hut, is shining a light on their classic: the Supreme Pan Pizza.

“It’s the most favourite of our customers,” says owner Dawal Patel. “Everyone orders the Supreme!”

This thick pan crust, which tastes like freshly baked rolls, makes the perfect base for pepperoni, beef, pork, green pepper, onion, and mushrooms.

Showing Support

According to Bre-Ann Boulet, executive director of the Niverville Chamber of Commerce, the idea for Pizza Wars began to take shape after the COVID-19 years as local restaurants struggled to stay alive. It was one way the Chamber could encourage the community to help these entrepreneurs get back on their feet.

“It’s important now for the public to do their part,” says Boulet. “If they want to keep these restaurants here, this is where we need to step up.”

Pizza Wars doesn’t just benefit diners and local restaurants, though. Boulet says it’s also great for Niverville’s tourism industry. It is no accident that Pizza Wars aligns itself with Niverville’s town-wide garage sale weekend, which draws in hundreds of out-of-towners.

“We encourage everyone who’s out and about this weekend, whether you’re garage-saling, doing yardwork, or visiting friends and family, to stop by any of these pizza locations,” Boulet says.

To vote for your favourite pizza entries, scan the Pizza Wars QR code available at each restaurant location as well as on the Niverville Chamber of Commerce website.

In the meantime, Boulet says the Chamber is already actively working on new and exciting ideas to incorporate into next year’s Pizza Wars faceoff.