The Final Countdown: Mere Hours Left Before 2019's Beijing Pizza Champion is Crowned!

By 4pm tomorrow, we will have crowned the official winner of the 2019 Beijing Pizza Cup.

Until the very last moment, however, our two finalists – Q Mex Bar and Grill and Pizza Saporita – have to keep fighting it out, tempting voters to support them in the year's biggest democratic pizza event.

In many ways, our two remaining competitors couldn't be more different. Upon its opening in 2012, Pizza Saporita, or Pizza+ as it was then known, set itself apart by selling pizza by the slice (or "al taglio" as the Italians say). An all-Italian team oversaw the development of the menu, creating rustic options that truly do offer something for everyone. Since then, they've decided to share the love, selling imported Italian ingredients so that you can even make your own authentic pizza at home, should you have the desire and wherewithal.

That may sound like a winning formula, but Saporita, who placed 10th in last year's competition, has one more formidable opponent to beat before they can call themselves Pizza Cup Champions.

Unfortunately for Saporita, their adversary, Q Mex, has proven themselves adept in these competitions, building a strong following through excellent branding, promotion, and of course, a great product. In the five years that they've been making pizza, the past two have been particularly successful in our Pizza Cup, climbing from 17th place in 2017 to eighth last year. One of Q Mex's biggest draws has always been the kitchen's willingness to experiment with ingredients, favoring risk-taking in favor of traditional methods. It's a formula that has so far paid off, and seen the humble Courtyard 4 restaurant blossom into a chain with a growing number of venues across the city.

Don't sleep! Scan here to vote
in 2019's Pizza Cup Championship Round!

Together, these two make for one of the most exciting competitions we've witnessed in a long time, leaving many of the regular pizza darlings out in the cold. Without your vote, however, nothing is certain so take a minute to push your favorite slice through.

So what are you waiting for? Get voting before the whole competition ends on midday Tuesday!

Sherpa’s, the official sponsor of the 2019 Beijing Pizza Cup, are offering new users RMB 50 off (min. spend RMB 99) food delivery and RMB 10 off any movie ticket purchased through the Sherpa's App. Simply scan the QR below and follow the instructions.

Images: the Beijinger, Giphy, courtesy of the vendors