HILDALE — This three-time cancer survivor refused to let illness define him. Instead, he turned his passion for living into a thriving business venture with his very own wood-fired pizza truck.

Originally from the Short Creek community, Kendall Pipkin, owner and chef of Blazin Hearth Mobile Wood Fired Kitchen, was born and raised in the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. After leaving the church and everything he knew around age 22, he traveled the country working various jobs. In 2012, he returned to Southern Utah, and four years later, he obtained his family home.

A short time later, he moved back to Short Creek. That same year, he was diagnosed with stage four cancer.

“They pulled a 5-pound tumor out of my gut, and since then, it’s come back three times in my liver,” he said. “I’ve been cut open 17 times by doctors. It’s been a journey.”

Pipkin currently has cancer for the fourth time but said he is down to one tumor about 1 centimeter-by-1 1/2 centimeters in size. Prior chemotherapy treatments did not affect his cancer and instead took a toll on his mental and physical well-being, he said, adding that he still suffers from anxiety, neuropathy and bone loss.

When the cancer came back the fourth time, doctors again suggested chemotherapy, but he wanted to try something different. 

“I started doing the natural, herbal stuff and since then, like clockwork, every six months, that tumor was half as big as it was six months before,” he said. 

Doctors said the tumor must be gone for five years without a recurrence before they will say he’s in remission. 

After completing one of his treatments and feeling prepared to reenter the workforce, he said he prioritized his aspirations. His background primarily revolved around construction and heavy equipment, but he had also done barbecue catering on the side.

He said he jumped at the opportunity when he realized there was a market for wood-fired pizza as a food truck and catering service. He took out a home equity line of credit on his home to invest in his business. He then headed to Denver, Colorado, where he completed extensive training by Thomas “Tommy” Garnick, a multiple-restaurant owner who has won worldwide competitions for his pizza.

February 2022 marked the official grand opening of Blazin Hearth Wood Fired Kitchen, featuring a $20,000 state-of-the-art Italian-made wood-fired oven.

“Wood-fired pizza in a truck is something unique and something new,” he said. “I designed this truck and the guys that built it thought I was crazy. They said they’d never built one this big and this open.”

Pipkin said he’s served over 500 pizzas in one day. His business has taken off with events like the Huntsman Senior Games, the Vintage Market, the Kanab Train Show and the Off-Road Games. They have been listed as a preferred vendor for several venues across Southern Utah. One of the biggest venues he works with is AutoCamp Zion, home to large events including corporate retreats and weddings. 

“We’ve been pretty busy and it’s just getting better,” he said. “We are always looking for new places to bring our menu.”

While pizzas take center stage on the menu, Blazin Hearth Mobile Wood Fired Kitchen offers a variety of other options, including their signature “thrive-baked potatoes.” These hearty spuds undergo a unique process: first, they’re baked in the wood-fired oven, then cooled, sliced and returned to the oven. Finally, they’re smothered in garlic alfredo sauce, a five-cheese blend and crispy bacon before being baked one last time.

For catering events, he offers a diverse menu that includes lobster rolls, “Tomahawks” — large ribeye steaks – and appetizers such as wood-fired jalapeno poppers, stuffed mushrooms, chipotle barbecue, traditional barbecue wings and salads.

“Basically, we can customize about anything anyone wants cooked in a wood-fired oven,” he said. “It cooks at high temperatures perfectly with a smokey flavor.”

Pipkin is currently renovating an old Las Vegas fire truck into a wood-fired pizza truck. The back of the passenger cab will soon feature a wood-fired oven and an open-air concept will be implemented. He plans to use the lights and sirens during events. He is also working on opening his own commissary.

“We’ve had people from all over the world try out pizza,” Pipkin said. “We get compliments from people over in Asia and Europe and I can’t count how many times we’ve had people from Italy tell us that we got it right.”

Blazin Hearth offers unique pizza recipes created by Pipkin. Sink your teeth into the Bacon Paradise pizza, which features a combination of basil-mint pesto, a five-cheese blend, bosc pear slices, goat cheese crumbles and crispy bacon bits. After coming out of a wood-fired oven, it’s then drizzled with maple syrup and a crushed four-pepper blend.

Pipkin makes his own in-house Blazin Blackberry Bourbon Barbecue Sauce, in which their Smoked Brisket pizza is smothered. Large chunks of slow-smoked premium brisket and red onions are topped with additional barbecue drizzle and dollops of ricotta cheese.

For more information on Blazin Hearth Wood-Fired Kitchen including menu items and catering packages, visit their website. For up-to-date hours and locations, follow @blazinhearth_pizza on Instagram.

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