“When I first started, I was the only chef in the kitchen.” Now, The Slice Shop is rarely quiet. Run by Taipei American School (TAS) alumnus Eric Nam (‘09), this pizza hotspot in Tianmu has evolved into a local favorite for many, with another branch open in Da’an District. By creating individuality through its distinctive dough while embracing innovative and unique flavors, their pizza offers a bridge between classic pizza and the personalized style of The Slice Shop itself. 

Initially, “it was a one-man show,” Eric recalls. His journey began from a laundry room that he tore down to transform into a baking studio. “I came up with the recipe, the branding, the store layout, basically everything you can imagine.” Prior to The Slice Shop, he had worked in the Shanghai marketing industry, which was where he had gotten much of his inspiration for how to build a distinctive brand in the market. Returning to Taipei, he found that the city was missing “a very simple, direct slice brand, but with a superior crust that had the taste of overseas.” Recognizing this gap, he took action in 2022 by launching his own business to bring his flavors to the community. 

From the start, his journey was far from easy. “On the first day of opening, I was filled with fear and doubt,” he reflects. “In fact, it lasted for the first six months. Even now, the fear is always there.” For Eric, however, that fear has helped him push through the early stages of his struggles, helping him to channel his self-doubt and fear into motivation to move his business forward. “Overcoming these moments has given me this really strong internal confidence that I can overcome anything, and that I can never be beaten down by life. So you grow more, even further.” Immediately upon opening, he received a lot of positive customer feedback. Still, Eric is always working to improve his shop, internally reminding himself that there is always room for improvement. 

Eric mentions that integrity is one of the main values of his business; to produce high-quality food, every step of the process must be followed carefully, without compromising food safety or quality. Consequently, they make a lot of their ingredients from scratch instead of relying on pre-made shortcuts. While balancing his innovative ideas with customer needs, he makes sure that his shop focuses on their individuality: specifically, their pizza crust and making it more approachable for customers to try different flavors without committing to an entire pizza. “No one had done that yet in Taipei, where they just opened [to] only sell slices.” When The Slice Shop first launched, it offered just four simple flavors: cheese, pepperoni, mushroom and sausage. By using familiar toppings, he wanted customers to notice what truly set his pizza apart—the sourdough crust. Only then did he start experimenting with newer flavors. And luckily, almost every flavor—Guanciale Pineapple, Dill Pickles and other seasonal flavors—have been a big hit.  

As The Slice Shop continues to grow among local customers, Eric states that this year will be all about strengthening the shop’s reachability and preparing for expansion later in the year. Through a new series of investments and renovations, he hopes to connect with a broader audience without losing what defines the shop. 

For Eric, pizza may look simple, but it demands mastery of both fermentation and culinary crafts, from dough behavior, temperature to sauces, meats and balance. “You can’t fake either side,” he explains. This belief not only guides how he makes pizza, but also how he grows his business deliberately, without cutting corners. 

Beyond growth, he hopes to inspire other local entrepreneurs and bring a new light to Taipei, inviting more visitors to discover a community of like-minded entrepreneurs.