About Isabella’s Pizza

Our Mission

Intentionally sourced high-quality ingredients are foundational aspects of Isabella's mission to go beyond mindless eating and facilitate an experience that satisfies the soul by striking a balance between health and happiness in the simple comforts of great pizza.

Our Vision

Our vision is that Isabella's Craft NY Pizza & Bakery can be a place of comfort, a source of peace in a world filled with noise and chaos, a meaningful piece of the local community, and a creator and cultivator of great food.

My name is Isabella Fink, and my pizza is why you’re here.

I was inspired to start this business because of my Dad. We both spent our childhoods in upstate New York, so pizza holds a deep love and a passion that brings our family together. Whether we are all circling around the oven on a Friday night waiting to eat my Dad’s 20" New York pizzas or trying a new pizza place pretending we’re the world’s best pizza critics, pizza has our heart. The truth is we have struggled to find the perfect New York pie in Montana, so when I decided to embark on an entrepreneurship adventure, I looked no further than PIZZA! We could be the change we want to see, and while it’s taken time and commitment to find my footing, here we are satisfying the soul with the best pie under the Big Sky.

The story behind pizza is that it’s a ‘fast food’ or an ‘unhealthy meal.’ We’re here to change this story. I’ve always had a passion for delicious, high-quality wholefood nutrition and fundamentally believe that when pizza is made with quality ingredients and the dough has been fully fermented, we change the script. Our cheese is organic and locally sourced from cows in Livingston, MT; our tomatoes and flour are organically grown in neighboring states, and our yeast is homegrown. Our pizza marries the richness of quality ingredients with love in our hearts, delivering a New York thin-crust pizza with a twist in flavor on the crust, topping each pie with a garlic drizzle and sea salt flakes.

Perfecting the art of pizza has served as a blank canvas for my creative expression. The pizza is simple yet delivers an incredibly complex flavor. My dedication to this simple craft has allowed me to develop an intimate relationship with its process. It’s a gift to find presence while rolling dough around my hands or to observe the fermentation bubbles before pressing the pizza, remembering that the dough is alive. As the pizza bakes, our hearts beat in sync. We know this isn’t just food; it’s communion. The crust crisps, the cheese melds, and the tomatoes sing. I hope you savor the simplicity and enjoy slowly feeling the love and care that’s been crafted into each bite…

— Isabella Fink

How Isabella’s Pizza Came To Be

  • December 2023 - February 2024

    I took the leap into entrepreneurship, getting my first EIN and creating the original Ernesto's logo. While finishing my final semester of homeschooling in North Carolina, I invested in hundreds of pizza boxes and began laying the foundation for my dream.

  • February - April 2024

    The recipe development began in earnest. I worked with my family to perfect my pizza dough, tested cheese brands, found distributors, and built my first trailer with Gozney ovens. I immersed myself in pizza education, reading industry bibles and receiving mentorship in Anaconda.

  • May 2024

    Launch day arrived! I set an ambitious deadline to open at 406 Brewery on May 24th. After blanketing Manhattan with flyers, I sold out all 50 pizzas in just four hours, proving Montana was ready for authentic craft pizza.

  • June 2024

    Growth accelerated as I searched for a commercial kitchen to expand operations. An investor stepped forward to fund a new pizza trailer, and I celebrated my high school graduation with my entire family together for the first time in years.

  • August 2024

    My new California-built trailer arrived and debuted at the Potato Festival. After mixed financial results, I made the strategic decision to pause operations, upgrade licensing, develop new equipment, and rebrand completely while earning my high school diploma.

  • September 2024

    The transformation was complete. "Ernesto's" became "Isabella's Craft NY Pizza & Bakery." I conducted extensive menu testing, mastered the new trailer ovens, obtained commercial food licensing, and even experimented with croissant-making to expand my bakery offerings.

  • October 2024

    The grand reopening! I officially launched the first Friday of October 2024, bringing my refined recipes and elevated brand to eager Montana customers.

  • November 2024

    I expanded with Thursday operations in Cardwell, giving me experience in multiple venues. I took time to visit family in Brazil over Thanksgiving, bringing global inspiration back to my Montana kitchen.

  • December 2024

    The holiday season brought breakthrough success at the Manhattan and Three Forks Christmas Strolls, establishing my business as a beloved community fixture and proving my business model's strength.

  • May 2025

    One year anniversary celebration! I reflected on an incredible journey from high school student to successful entrepreneur, marking twelve months of bringing authentic New York pizza to Big Sky Country.

  • June 2025

    I reached a major milestone, catering my first wedding for 200 guests. This achievement showcased my ability to scale operations and deliver exceptional experiences for life's most important celebrations.