Justin De Leon

Justin De Leon is the chef and founder behind Apollonia’s Pizzeria, one of Los Angeles’s defining pizza destinations. A lifelong Angeleno with deep family ties to the city, De Leon has built his career around the idea that great pizza should stay close to home.

Before opening Apollonia’s in 2012, De Leon worked in a variety of kitchens across Los Angeles, refining his craft through trial, error, and obsessive repetition. What emerged is a signature style that shifts from the crunch and caramelization of Detroit pizza to the simplicity and structure of New York slices.

For De Leon, pizza is both a craft and a form of neighborhood service. “I’ve always wanted to live and work in the same community,” he says. His expansion to Crenshaw—a few blocks from where his wife grew up—cements that philosophy.

Apollonia’s success has earned De Leon recognition from international pizza rankings, but he remains grounded in the details that first drew people in: long-fermented doughs, patient technique, and an unpretentious, local spirit that feels unmistakably Los Angeles.