Isaiah Ruffin

Chef and co-Owner of Pizza By Ruffin

Seattle, Washington

Instagram: @pizzabyruffin

Isaiah Ruffin got his start cooking for generals in the U.S. Army. Today, he makes pizza for captains of industry. After years operating a food truck in Northern Colorado with his wife, Colleen Constant, the pair signed an agreement in 2024 to open Pizza by Ruffin in Seattle’s South Lake Union neighborhood. The area is a hub for retail giant Amazon, which mandated more than 30,000 of its employees return to the office this January. The lunch rush provides Ruffin with a more predictable schedule, time to explore the city and plan his next move.

Pizza Today (PT): What made you switch from a pizza truck in Colorado to a brick-and-mortar location in Seattle?

Isaiah Ruffin (IR): We wanted to move somewhere where we were close to an airport, more ethnic diversity and a better food scene. For a year, my wife and I visited a new city every month – Chicago, D.C., Austin – and Seattle had the best fit.

We did a pop-up in the space we’re in now on Pi Day 2024, and three months later, we opened. We are in an Amazon hub, and we’re only open Monday through Friday, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. So, when we thought about the best way to serve the most people, we wanted something quick, where we can still put a really good take on the flavors.

PT: Speaking of which, a lot of your pizzas incorporate flavors from the Black diaspora…

IR:My inspiration comes from the stories that food tells, like the saying, “Tell me what you eat, and I’ll tell you where you are.” You can trace how humans have moved from one place to another by knowing the etymology of certain fruits and vegetables. And (Seattle) being such an international city, people are very appreciative of it. So, it pushes me to really dive deep into different cultures and show their foods in a way that’s palatable on pizza. For example, this week I have three meat options:

One is a Carolina-style barbecue with pulled pork, pickled onions and jalapenos.

One is a West African pizza called Waakye, a beef stew that has shrimp and fish in it, lots of star anise, black pepper, habaneros – flavors of the max.

And then we have a lamb one from Somalia, and it has carrots, tomatoes, peppers, lots of chilies, coriander, cumin…

That’s just a taste, and we change our menu every week or every other week.

PT: Tell us about your nonprofit, the Food Lit Foundation.

IR: It supports food-literacy efforts and nonprofits. So, if a school has a learning garden, we give them grants, an outdoor pizza party, fun things like that. We’ve given grants to other organizations that help reduce recidivism with juveniles. We don’t take tips, and some people feel weird and still leave cash. So, that becomes the fuel for Food Lit. It’s registered in Washington and Colorado. By the end of this year, the plan is to fully convert a food truck to the financial arm of the nonprofit.

PT: What are some of your plans and goals for the next several years?

IR: One is another location. I really miss wood-fired cooking; I miss the evening rush. So, that is one of the things we hope to do in the next three to five years.

Get the food truck moved fully into the nonprofit, maybe expand that a little bit. I call that my retirement plan because, ideally, in 15-20 years, I would love that foundation to grow to where we’re supporting efforts in every level the food system.

Then, competitions: I go to Parma every year and Pizza Expo; I went to California last year. I would like to win one of those in the next three to 10 years. The competition’s really tough, but people have been very receptive to my pies.

Read the July 2025 Issue of Pizza Today Magazine

Who are this year’s Rising Stars in the Pizza Industry? We profile six up-and-comers who are making their mark on pizza. Discover why the Grandma style pizza is spreading across the country. See why your pizza could benefit from whole-grain flour. Brush up on inventory management best practices. Learn how to take your products to the retail market. Go to the July Issue.