Food Prep and Kitchen Signage

“Sign, sign, everywhere a sign. Blockin’ out the scenery, breakin’ my mind. Do this, don’t do that, can’t you read the sign?” – Five Man Electrical Band

It is hard enough for things to be done the way you want them done when you are in the restaurant, but it’s even harder to get things done to your satisfaction when you are not in the pizzeria. In addition to getting things done the way you want, the same can be said for culture. There may be a culture in your pizzeria when you are there and a completely different culture when you are not there. One of the ways I like to streamline both of these things is through branded signage on the walls at our pizzerias.

Nick Bogacz, founder and president of Caliente Pizza & Draft House in Pittsburgh

This may sound like a simple idea, but what you are really doing is spelling out to your team what the expectations are, and what is accepted and what is not. Picking up from last month’s Building Blocks, the first thing Caliente puts on our walls at all our pizzerias is how to make the food. In the beginning, this was a huge undertaking, but a very fulfilling one. We made charts and graphs of how the food was supposed to be constructed and documented the process step-by-step through pictures. Then, we measured spots on the walls and the makelines to hang all the signage. We made it so that every single menu item was hanging on the walls. We also have used the method of putting the same pictures into a book and creating a build guide for each section of our menu.

Once we broke down how to make everything on our menu, we did the same with the recipes and prep items. This involves hanging signs on all the processes of prepping your items. Once those two big facets of your operations are finished, you can start to focus on other procedures. For example, we have a sign that illustrates the acceptable and unacceptable uniform standards.

Now remember, these may all sound like simple ideas, but the purpose behind them is to set the standards for when you are there. And, more importantly, for when you are not there. I know that another hot topic in any pizzeria is the cleaning of the facility. Having the correct signage showing what is the standard and how to clean is paramount.

Lastly, as mentioned, culture building is very important. Having a positive and upbeat work culture is a key to success. Picture your favorite sports team (and, in particular, their locker room). Think of the signage they have hanging that is motivational and speaks to the team atmosphere and how to win.  There are many similarities between the sports world and your pizzeria. That is how I fell in love with the pizza business in the first place. I was always a sports fan, and I played sports growing up.  How you win in sports and how you win in your pizzeria are on the same wavelength, and that’s what we will discuss in next month’s Building Blocks.