Dan Watts

Culinary Director

For Dan Watts, Culinary Director of Backlot Pizza + Kitchen, it’s all about creating a memorable experience that ‘wows’ customers and brings them back over and over again.  That means getting to the heart of what local customers want whether that’s a smashburger or a thick and chewy pizza. 

Dan makes this happen by overseeing all food aspects of the business, including staffing, planning menus, and staying on top of industry trends. 

Backlot Pizza + Kitchen prides itself on whipping up some of the best Detroit-style pizza on the planet (or at least outside Music City), as it’s made from scratch with locally sourced produce, cheese, and other top-notch ingredients. Other menu highlights include a stellar shrimp capellini, Bourbon BBQ chicken and a Detroit style custom cream puff sundae. 

Dan, a barbecue aficionado, appeared on the Food Network show “Eat, Sleep, BBQ” in its first season. He’s bringing that level of passion and creativity to the Backlot Kitchen + Pizza menu.  He also currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Omaha Restaurant Association and has been a ProStart culinary mentor for high schoolers.