Knead for Speed

A native of the Philippines, Rene DeGuia had only been in the U.S. for three years in 1989 when the then-18-year-old got a job at a Domino's Pizza in California.

DeGuia was assigned to handle the cash register, man the phones and make a few deliveries at the store, in Palm Springs. But he really wanted to work in the kitchen. Says DeGuia: “I just preferred making pizzas.”

DeGuia followed his dream, and 25 years later he not only makes pizzas, he's one of the fastest at it in the worldwide Domino's network. He also followed another dream and now owns a Domino's Pizza store, in Sarasota.

Although DeGuia, 42, takes pride in his immigrant-entrepreneur success story, he is downright giddy about his fast-making pizza prowess. He won the chain's fastest pizza making competition in 2000 and 2005, and he made the final four at a competition in Las Vegas in early June. Plus, the Domino's contests give cash prizes. In 2000, DeGuia won $5,000 when he won the contest and set the world record. His boss at the Palm Springs store matched the $5,000, and DeGuia used the $10,000 for a down payment to buy the Sarasota Domino's location.

DeGuia also holds the world record for the time to make 14 pizzas, which he set at the competition in 2000: two minutes, 34 seconds — six seconds faster than the previous record. “That's a record,” says DeGuia, “that will never be broken.”

Here's a glance at DeGuia's career and the work that goes into being super-fast with pizza dough:

Saucy spirit: DeGuia has a lifelong competitive streak. That ranges from ping-pong with his kids and friends or even a time in high school when he was a club DJ. The thrill of doing it better or faster is what drives him. That's why he told his manager at the Domino's in Palm Springs he wanted to learn how to make pizzas. “It took a couple of weeks,” DeGuia says, “and then I was as fast as him.”

Internal clock: One key to DeGuia's speedy success is an internal motor always on overdrive. “You have to treat every pizza like you are 40 pizzas behind,” says DeGuia. “You have to have a sense of urgency.”

Get help: DeGuia reached out to past pizza contest winners to hear about their techniques, and he created a hybrid version of the best practices. That includes the way he flips and catches the dough. It also includes a modified sauce ladle he developed, which enables a faster and smoother spread.

Practice, practice: Another key to DeGuia's success, he says, is working on his craft. That gives him a sense of rhythm and concentration. Before a competition in 2005, for instance, DeGuia made 700 to 1,000 pizzas a day, three days a week for 14 weeks. He still practices today like his job depends on it. “Speed is tremendously important in our industry,” says DeGuia in a release promoting the latest Domino's competition. “I am in my store making pizzas every day and continually challenge myself by doing speed drills. In this competition you only get one chance to be the best.”

Spread the sauce: DeGuia shares his practice passion with employees at his Sarasota store. Sometimes on a Saturday he will hold contests with staff to see who can make the fastest pizza. Prizes range from $2 to $20. “Some people don't even do it for the money,” DeGuia says. “They just do it to do it.”

Champion preparation: Becoming a world record-setting speedy pizza maker — no joke — requires a high level of physical fitness and mental endurance. The manager at the Palm Springs store sent DeGuia to a sports psychologist for a few sessions, to work on his mental side before one competition. DeGuia works on the physical side on his own. He took CrossFit classes a few years ago and now does resistance training, boot camps and cycling classes at an LA Fitness. He also rides his bike about 100 miles a week.

Aim high: DeGuia attempts to maintain a diet of fruits and vegetables, including high-potassium items such as bananas. But the fruits of his labor sometimes interfere with that strategy. So he usually puts good stuff on his pizzas, such as chicken or spinach. “I try to eat healthy,” DeGuia says, “but that doesn't always work out.”

Hard worker: DeGuia's Sarasota Domino's, on Cattlemen Road, just west of Interstate 75, has 12 employees. He declines to disclose annual sales, but says the store is one of the best performers in the market. DeGuia hopes to buy more local franchise locations in the near future. Owning a store was a goal from his younger days in Palm Springs, when he went from entry level to manager. “I didn't manage to manage,” says DeGuia. “I managed to own my own store someday. I'm living the American Dream.”

Follow Mark Gordon on Twitter @markigordon