Lee Kindell, founder of MOTO Pizza, won the top Detroit-style pizza award at the 2026 International Pizza Challenge in Las Vegas.

Kindell took first place in the Detroit-style pan pizza subdivision and second overall in the pan division at the annual Pizza Expo, according to the official results published by Pizza Today on March 31. He also earned what MyNorthwest described Wednesday, Sept. 9, as the 2026 Galbani Pan Champion title. The wins qualified him to compete in Italy.

MOTO already has a presence familiar to Bellevue shoppers. The chain operates a location on the first level of Bellevue Square, across from The North Face, according to a Bellevue Collection social media post. It also runs shops across Seattle and a frequently sold-out concession bar at T-Mobile Park.

Kindell told MyNorthwest he is planning several more locations across the greater Seattle area and potentially the Eastside. On April 8, he told Axios Seattle he aimed to have more than a dozen MOTO locations open by the end of 2026. Whether that pace held through the summer is unclear from public records. No specific Eastside addresses or lease signings have been announced.

The chain grew from a pandemic experiment in West Seattle five years ago to more than a half dozen stores as of April 8, Axios reported. Kindell makes dough for every location at a commissary kitchen in Renton.

At the center of that dough is a sourdough starter. He calls it "Betty." What began as a one-liter jar in his kitchen has grown to more than 500 pounds. Kindell has folded in starters from chef friends around the world over the years.

"Those global influences completely changed the way I think about food and ultimately inspired me to create MOTO Pizza," Kindell told MyNorthwest.

Kindell, who is Filipino, described his pizza style as drawing on high hydration from Roman pizza, the chew of Midwest pizza and the grit of New York slices. His Mr. Pig pizza features lechon kawali-style pork belly, spicy sausage, a calamansi chimichurri with mango and pineapple, and banana ketchup made with real bananas.

Kindell grew up as a military kid overseas, landed in Seattle at 17 and worked at restaurants including El Gaucho and the Schwartz Brothers Restaurant Group. He and his wife later ran a boutique hostel and hotel brand with three locations for more than 15 years, cooking with travelers along the way.

Kindell is also developing his own pizza-making robot, inspired by 3D printers, with a target of a working version by summer 2027, the BBC reported.

No timeline has been set for additional Eastside locations.