Listen to Candy Yiu, The Turning Peel, Portland, Oregon on The Hot Slice Podcast

This week, we chat with Candy Yiu, who owns The Turning Peel in Portland, Oregon. She meticulously selected all the design elements that went into the pizzeria that resides in a house turned commercial space. The result is an enchanting and magical space with sourdough Neapolitan pizza at its core.  

We talk about how the business has developed and how the starter and pizza dough has evolved. She even shares what her sourdough is named.  

In an upcoming Conversation in Pizza Today Magazine, we asked Candy about the pizza style and dough. She said, “It is like a traditional Neapolitan pizza with paper thin crust with airy rim. But the difference is the crust is crunchy on the outside. Holding the edge of a slice should withstand weight of toppings. The sourdough gives you a tangy flavor you can’t resist. Crunchy yet chewy! We serve our sourdough Neapolitan pizza on a rack on a plate. We spent a long time to select this system to keep the pizza crust crunchy.” 

Learn more about The Turning Peel at https://www.theturningpeel.com/ and on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/theturningpeel/ 

Show Notes: 

Jeremy and Denise highlight Pizza Today’s Pizzeria of the Year, Camporosso in Ft. Mitchell, Kentucky. Read the full story.

Check your Email for the 2024 Pizzeria Operator Survey. Learn more about the survey get a link to the survey. 

Thank you to our sponsors

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Jillana Miller and Ahmad Butler, Owners & Chefs at Miller Butler in San Pedro, CA on The Hot Slice Podcast

This week, Executive Editor Denise Greer interviews Jillana Miller and Ahmad Butler, Owners & Chefs at Miller Butler in San Pedro, CA, They have quickly gained a reputation for amazing pizza in the LA pizza scene. 

What started out as a pandemic pasta-selling business as evolved into a mobile pizzeria in high demand for its popups and catering. While Jillana has had a long career in food, including as a personal chef, operating a pizza business wasn’t in the plan until the COVID-19 Shutdown. Ahmad fell in love with the dough process as the couple perfected their pizzas. He has continually modified the dough in search of that perfect crust. 

Find out how developed their dough recipe and started the business. Explore how Miller Butler has grown through crowdfunding and what’s next for the business. 

You can catch Q&A in our Rising Stars of the Pizzeria Industry feature: https://pizzatoday.com/topics/people-pizzerias/rising-stars-of-the-pizzeria-industry-2024/ 

Learn more about Miller Butler. And follow the business on Instagram @millerbutler_sp and Jillana @chefjillananadine and Ahmad @mrbutler_aka_doughboi. 

Thank you to our sponsors

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Listen to Thomas Ardito, co-owner of Brooklyn DOP in Brooklyn, New York on The Hot Slice Podcast

This week, Editor-in-Chief Jeremy White goes one-on-one with Thomas Ardito, co-owner of Brooklyn DOP in Brooklyn, New York.   

A fitness enthusiast and gym owner, Ardito grew up tinkering with pizza at home and first got involved in the industry by delivering pies on Long Island. But it wasn’t until the COVID pandemic — when many gyms across the nation were forced to close — that he began deeply exploring his interest in artisan bread making and dough development. 

After working with Andrew Scudera at the Goodfellas Pizza School of New York and informally consulting great dough mentors such as John Arena, Ardito was ready to begin his journey in earnest and dove head-first into pizzeria ownership with business partner Jason D’Amelio.  

Thomas recently was named a Rising Star in the Pizza Industry in Pizza Today Magazine. Check out Rising Stars of the Pizza Industry featuring Thomas at: https://pizzatoday.com/topics/people-pizzerias/rising-stars-of-the-pizzeria-industry-2024/ 

Learn more about Brooklyn DOP at https://www.brooklyndop.com/ and on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/brooklyndop/?hl=en 

Thank you to our sponsors

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Listen to Rising Star Marisol Doyle, Leña – Pizza + Bagels, Cleveland, Mississippi on The Hot Slice Podcast

Over the next few episodes of The Hot Slice Podcast, we’re excited to let you get to know pizza makers and owners who we named Rising Stars in the Pizza Industry. We’re so impressed by Marisol Doyle, Co-owner/Pizzaiola, Leña – Pizza + Bagels in Cleveland, Mississippi. 

Leña was recently named a top pizza spot in the U.S in the feature: https://www.nytimes.com/2024/06/25/dining/pizza-america.html. It’s been a whirlwind since the announcement and even before that. Marisol has quickly garnered a reputation for her pizza and bagels, and it continues to grow. We talk about how the business started and its evolutions. We also dive into the Mississippi Delta region and pizza.  

Marisol has a passion for flavor combinations. We go into some of her menu favorites. As part of our Rising Stars feature, we asked Marisol: Your menu changes weekly? What goes into your creativity? She said, “We introduce a unique pizza special every week, a veggie option that changes from time to time, and five pizzas that always stay on the menu. Additionally, we offer a couple of salads, appetizers and desserts. Our customers really appreciate that we offer something different every week and that we try to make everything in-house. We draw inspiration from our travels, ingredients we enjoy and creative ideas on social media. My Mexican heritage also plays a big role in the specials. I often like to incorporate traditional Mexican ingredients to our pizzas. It usually takes us a day or two to come up with the perfect combination of ingredients. We test out the flavor combos to ensure our customers will like variety — and of course, we always want the end product to taste and look delicious.” 

Check out the Rising Stars of the Pizza Industry featuring Marisol at: https://pizzatoday.com/topics/people-pizzerias/rising-stars-of-the-pizzeria-industry-2024/ 

Learn more about Leña – Pizza + Bagels.
and check out the pizzeria and Marisol on Instagram at @lenapizzabagels  and @marisoldo. 

Thank you to our sponsors

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Listen to Hillary Lake, co-owner of Hillary’s Chicago Pizza, in St. Augustine, Florida on The Hot Slice Podcast

This week, Executive Editor Denise Greer goes one-on-one with Hillary Lake, who co-owns Hillary’s Chicago Pizza, in St. Augustine, Florida.

She’s no stranger to restaurant business ownership, but she never thought she would enter the pizza industry. It was during the pandemic that she missed her hometown Chicago pizza and sought to make the perfect Deep Dish. That catapulted into creating a farmer’s market and brewery pop-up for extra income. Today, Her and her husband Bruce bought a turnkey craft house.

Hillary isn’t stopping there. She has a vision to take her social work degree she is currently pursuing and opening a unique take on a Pizza Farm. Listen to her share her future plans.

Earlier this summer, we did a quick Q&A for our Conversation feature. In that, she says “We had and have amazing support here in Northeast Florida, and buying a restaurant was not on our to-do list. We had a restaurant in Chicago and thought we were done with that journey. I applied to grad school during the pandemic and I worked at a school for special education and my husband worked in insurance. The pizza thing would not go away though. Things magically lined up over and over from pop ups to farmers markets to our funding for the brick and mortar. The location was very serendipitous. The people that told us about our first farmer’s market are the same people who told us about the available kitchen in St. Augustine.” Read her Conversation.

Learn more about Hillary’s Chicago Pizza at https://www.hillaryschicagopizza.com/ and on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/hillaryschicagopizza/ .

Thank you to our sponsors

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Listen to Giovanni Cesarano, Long Island, New York’s King Umberto on The Hot Slice Podcast

Giovanni Cesarano is part of the new generation behind the legendary King Umberto on Long Island, New York. We last caught up with Giovanni in 2021 on the podcast when we shared with him that he had been named a Rising Star in the Pizza Industry.  

A lot has happened with Giovanni and the business. We talk about how he’s able to keep King Umberto’s top of mind in a changing New York pizza scene. We learn more about how the business has elevated and talk pizza styles. Giovanni remains humble in his leadership. 

In his Rising Stars Q&A, he was asked, what is something uniquely you’ve brought to the pizza business? He replied, “It’s hard to be unique in a business where so much information is shared and seen on a day-to-day basis.  With that being said my mother was a seamstress growing up, so I watched her make beautiful dresses and that was always inspiring for me. We’ve introduced some cool King Umberto gear like hats, t-shirts, and jackets.” Check out that Rising Stars Q&A at https://pizzatoday.com/topics/people-pizzerias/rising-stars-of-the-pizza-industry/ . 

Listen to this one-on-one interview with Giovanni and Executive Editor Denise Greer. 

Learn more about King Umberto at https://www.kingumberto.com/ 

Follow King Umberto on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/kingumberto/ 

Follow Giovanni on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/giovanni_chez/ 

Listen to Giovanni’s previous The Hot Slice episode: https://pizzatoday.com/podcasts/the-hot-slice/s5e1-rising-star-john-cesarano-on-continuing-a-legacy/. 

Thank you to our sponsors

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Listen to Pizza Maker of the Year Tony Cerimele, owner of New Columbus Pizza Company, in Nesquehoning, Pennsylvania on The Hot Slice Podcast

It’s been a whirlwind kind of few months for Tony Cerimele, owner of New Columbus Pizza Company, in Nesquehoning, Pennsylvania. After capturing the first-place finish in the Pan Division, Tony went on to win the Finals to be named World Champion Pizza Maker of the Year at the International Pizza Challenge during Pizza Expo (March 19-21) in Las Vegas. 

We caught up with Tony to see learn more about his winning pizza, competing at an international level and see what’s happened since the big win.  

During a Q&A, we asked Tony: What does it mean for you to receive recognition as the Pizza Maker of the Year? He said, “I think the biggest thing for me is that fact that I accomplished something I set out to do a long time ago.  I first started competing in 2017.  Since the beginning it has been a rollercoaster.  Looking at it now I am most happy to bring these awards back to my hometown of Nesquehoning, PA, and all of Northeastern Pennsylvania.  We have some incredible pizza in our area and I am just happy to be a part of the community.  I think the most import thing for me after winning is the fact that my daughters witnessed firsthand that hard work and determination really do pay off in the end.  They saw all the reps, all the trials and tribulations with this pizza, and to get this outcome was the greatest example I could give them to keep pushing forward to achieve what you dream off.” 

Read his Q&A. 

Thank you to our sponsors

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I am thrilled to announce that the opening keynote speakers for the inaugural PizzaCon 2024 will be pizza luminaries Tony Gemignani and John Arena. This will be your only chance to hear these industry superstars and thought leaders who will have a lasting impact on the pizza industry throughout the world.

Tony Gemignani is a Master Pizzaioli, acclaimed chef, and owner of more than 30 restaurants and the fast-growing Slice House franchise. The 13-time World Pizza Champion has become a household name in the world of pizza, and he is considered by many as the Michael Jordan of our industry. He’s authored or co-authored three books — including his most recent book The Pizza Bible, which is a consumer guide to making pizza — covering nine different regional styles. His pizzeria, Tony’s Pizzeria Napoletana has been named America’s best pizzeria by USA Today, the Travel Channel and Forbes, and it was recently ranked number two in the United States and number 10 in the world by Italy’s “50 Top Pizzas”. Tony was the first American to win the title of World Champion Pizza Maker at the World Cup in Naples, Italy. He also holds two Guinness Book of World Records, one for creating the largest pizza and another for performing the most consecutive rolls of pizza dough across the back of his shoulders. If these weren’t enough accolades, the city of Naples named Tony as their official U.S. Ambassador for Neapolitan Pizza.

After 32 successful years, he’s now focusing most of his time and energy on growing his Slice House franchise. He’s had multi-units with Pizza Rock and concepts in North Beach, California, along with licenses in football and baseball stadiums, casinos and basketball arenas. Development, training, culture, philosophy and growing are going to be at the forefront of his next chapter in his life. His Slice House offers more than 20 pizza combinations that can come on any style of pizza, including Detroit, Grandma, New York, Sicilian and Gluten-free.

John Arena is a third-generation pizza chef that’s been pushing out pizza dough for more than 48 years, and is the co-owner and co-founder of Metro Pizza, along with his cousin Sam Facchini, with seven locations in Las Vegas. Metro Pizza has won countless local and national awards and acclaim, including being named one of the Top 10 pizzerias in the U.S. by Penny Pollack and Jeff Ruby in their book “Everybody Loves Pizza.” Metro Pizza has been featured on “Entertainment Tonight” and “Live with Regis and Kathy Lee,” and listed as one of the 10 best pizzerias in America by USA Today. John Arena has been called the Don of Dough, the Sultan of Sauce, and the Prince of Pizza by the Las Vegas Review Journal. He’s also a worldwide ambassador and elder statesman for the pizza industry.

John has traveled extensively throughout Italy and the world and has mastered many styles of pizza along the way. He also knows the history of pizza and has taught pizza making at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, as well as trained pizza makers throughout the United States and the world. John has a great saying that is a testament to who he is and what he stands for: collaborators, not competitors, enough said.

For more information on attending PizzaCon 2024, please visit PizzaCon.com.

It’s all pizza and it’s all for YOU!

Kind regards,

Bill Oakley

Group Show Director

The post Tony Gemignani and John Arena Are Coming to PizzaCon 2024! appeared first on Pizza Today.

Learn effective tools to navigate conflicts

Many pizzerias are owned in partnership. Whether it’s a multi-generational family operation, friends pursuing their pizza passion together, or a purely business relationship, having multiple owners has many advantages. It allows you to share the responsibility, workload and financial burden while expanding your business’s pool of expertise.

However, conflicts will eventually arise.

Richard Birke, a dispute resolution service provider and law professor, reminds us that it’s “very important for people to be mindful that not all conflict is bad.” Birke is senior vice president at JAMS Dispute Resolution and executive director at the JAMS Institute, the teaching division of JAMS. When disagreements “generate a lot of different ideas and people are defending their ideas, that’s good.” He observes these “thoughtful debates are going to create better options and it leads to better outcomes.”

If you want to your business to thrive, dealing productively with conflict is essential. It’s important to accept that clashes are inevitable and not an inherent problem. Plan ahead to avoid them and bring your best self to the negotiating table when addressing them.

PREVENTING BUSINESS OWNER CONFLICT

Here’s how to minimize conflict in the first place, and strategies to deal with it when it does come up.

Set Clear Expectations

Ideally, you made clear agreements on dividing responsibilities when launching your partnership. If you didn’t, do it ASAP. Consider each party’s experience, expertise and passion, and lay out individual responsibilities in detail. In addition to averting conflict, this should also help prevent important issues from falling through the cracks.

Put It in Writing

Put your agreements in writing. From a purely operational perspective, having everything written down improves clarity, avoids confusion and doesn’t rely on anyone’s imperfect memory. “Written communication is very effective,” says Dionne M. King, CEO and strategic consultant of DMK Consults, where she provides alternative dispute resolution, diversity and equity training and executive coaching. “It allows us to go back and refresh our memory – this is what we agreed on, this is why we agreed on it.”

From a legal perspective, having an attorney ensure that you’ve covered everything is a good idea. Even the smallest pizzeria is a huge financial undertaking, and setting up a legal partnership protects all partners and their families.

Respect Your Partners

You entered into partnership because you valued and respected the other person’s contributions. Show your respect by listening to their input and resist micromanaging them. The flip side: understand and respect their limitations. If their main skill is financial, don’t expect them to run the kitchen.

In addition, “people need to feel psychologically safe,” emphasizes Birke. “In order to prevent disputes, you need free-flowing conversations. If somebody feels like they can’t hear or bring up something negative or raise a new idea without it being shot down, that’s a problem.”

ADDRESSING CONFLICT WITH BUSINESS PARTNERS

Be Proactive

It’s important to be proactive and address conflict early. Don’t let a small problem grow into a big one by avoiding the discomfort of addressing it. According to King, common problems include “they don’t have the words, they don’t have the skill set, they may be fearful, they are avoiding conflict, and so they just don’t communicate.”

However, always take a cooling-down period if needed before starting a dialogue. Don’t “approach someone in anger and high emotions,” says King. “Take some time to calm down, think through your words, maybe write down what you want to say, and then meet in a neutral place.”

Communicate Effectively

Birke advises that “it helps to start with separating our productive disagreement from unproductive disagreement. I think about that as task conflict versus relationship conflict.” When you are deciding on concrete matters that have several different and legitimate perspectives, such as pricing or expanding, “and people are defending their ideas, that’s good.” However, “if people aren’t listening to each other well, are taking things personally, that’s an unproductive kind of conflict,” explains Birke.

King suggests these communication tips:

• Tone down your volume.
• Choose your words carefully.
• Repeat what you’ve heard to make sure you’ve got it and to reassure the other party.
• Listen actively.
• Consider cultural differences in how people express themselves.

Before you start the conversation, King says you should know what outcome you want. “It could be something like I really want to resolve this because I love working with you. I know we share the same desire for this to be successful. Let’s put our heads together and come up with something.”

Identify Everyone’s Motivation

When you’re communicating about disagreements, identify everyone’s motivation. If one partner is motivated by cost cutting and another by customer satisfaction, negotiate about that higher-level difference of opinion, not about the nuts-and-bolts of implementation. “Identify interests, yours and theirs,” says Birke. “Create options to meet those interests and compare them to the alternative if you don’t resolve the issue. Focus hard on the problem and be easy on the people.”

FORMAL CONFLICT RESOLUTION STRATEGIES

If you and your partners can’t discuss your way out of your conflict, you may need to take formal steps. According to Birke, there are four primary strategies: mediation, arbitration, litigation and dissolving your partnership.

Mediation:

In mediation, a neutral third party helps the quarreling partners communicate and come to an equitable solution on their own. A professional mediator has the skills to help people share their perspectives constructively and come to a mutually agreeable, non-binding agreement. In Birke’s experience, “most people wait until they’re in litigation and their lawyers or a judge recommends mediation. It’s often by that time become very expensive, so I say pursue mediation as early as possible.”

Arbitration:

Arbitration is the next level of formal negotiation. Arbitration involves a neutral third party serving as a judge who resolves the dispute by listening to both sides and rendering a binding decision. Arbitration can involve lawyers and evidence, as decided by the parties in dispute. Both parties enter into arbitration recognizing that the decision cannot be appealed. The resulting evidence, negotiations and agreement remain private.

Litigation:

Both mediation and arbitration are much more economical than the next option: litigation. Litigation entails lawyers and a courtroom, with a judge or a judge and jury. Lawyers argue on behalf of each party and the judge (and jury, if applicable) will make a ruling. This takes place in court and the trial is entered in the public record. On the one hand, Birke says that “lawsuits are often the only way to get people’s attention.” However, he also says that 99.4 percent of all lawsuits are resolved by negotiation, mediation or arbitration, so escalating to the legal system should be a very last resort.

Parting Ways:

If mediation, arbitration, and litigation leave you unsatisfied, it may be time to dissolve your partnership. Birke observes that sometimes litigation is “going to be so expensive relative to the cost of the dispute that walking away may be your best alternative. And that has costs as well.” This is an extreme response to an extreme situation, and it’s likely to still require some legal assistance. Ideally, your initial negotiations with your partner(s) included an exit strategy to help streamline this process.

While friction is inevitable between partners, you can help ensure the best possible outcome by anticipating conflict, communicating in the calmest and most skillful way you can, and enlisting an experienced mediator as soon as the need arises. Overcoming your disputes promptly and effectively will improve your business while also increasing peace of mind for all partners.

Annelise Kelly is a Portland, Oregon-based freelance writer.

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Chip Myles of Myles’ Pizza Pub in Greenville, South Carolina, on The Hot Slice Podcast

This week on The Hot Slice Podcast is Chip Myles. His passion for the pizza business and his customers radiates through this episode. 

Chip Myles opened Myles’ Pizza Pub in 1978 in Bowling Green, Ohio. The pizza pub’s family business hospitality, unique style of pizza, and late-night hours earned a loyal fanbase among the Bowling Green community and beyond in Ohio, leaving a lasting legacy behind when they closed in 2016. The Myles family moved to Greenville, SC, where they re-opened Myles’ Pizza Pub in 2019.  

Chip, now in his 70s, still mans the kitchen every day the pub is open and serves as keeper of the secret sauce. Though Chip shares restaurant owner responsibilities with his wife Bridget and daughter Meredith, he remains the sole keeper of the secret sauce. The new pub gets visitors from their Bowling Green era almost every day, and ships their pizzas nationwide for those who can’t make the trip. 

Listen to more on: 

• Closing the Bowling Green, OH restaurant 

• Opening in Greenville, SC, and the notable differences 

• Being a hands-on operator 

• Why retirement wasn’t for Chip 

• Handing over the reins to your daughter 

• What’s next? 

Learn more about Myles’ Pizza Pub. 

Thank you to our sponsors

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Corey Watson, founder of Pizza for Ukraine on The Hot Slice Podcast

This week, we talk with Corey Watson, founder of Pizza for Ukraine. Pizza for Ukraine’s mission is to Make Pizza, Not War. We make Neapolitan pizza is made for Ukrainians affected by the trauma of war. Whether they are displaced, orphaned, wounded, responding to emergencies, or fighting for freedom, hope is served one pizza at a time.

Corey joined us via Zoom from Kyiv, Ukraine to talk about his Pizza for Ukraine nonprofit and his push for pizza as a humanitarian food. In release from Pizza for Ukraine, Corey shares:

Pizza for Ukraine was founded by \Watson, who was born and raised in Portland, Oregon, where he studied Political Science at Portland State University, with a focus on National Security, Authoritarianism, and Democracy Promotion. After university he worked as a software engineer before pursuing his passion for pizza in Naples, Italy. There, he trained as a pizzaiolo at the Associazione Verace Pizza Napoletana (AVPN). Before Russia began its full-scale invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022, he planned to work at an AVPN pizzeria. Instead, he made his way to Poland on April 25th, 2022 to volunteer with World Central Kitchen on the Ukrainian border in Przemsyl, Poland. There he helped cook and serve hundreds of thousands of portions of food for Ukrainian refugees. Then on June 20th, 2022 he moved to Lviv, Ukraine to volunteer indefinitely and start Pizza for Ukraine. The broad mission of Pizza for Ukraine is to “Make Pizza, Not War”. While Ukrainian forces are fighting back against Russia, Pizza for Ukraine will support the cause by making Neapolitan pizza for Ukrainians who are displaced, orphaned, wounded, responding to emergencies, and fighting for freedom. Believing pizza to be humanity’s favorite food, it can provide a source of nourishment and hope, but also as a bridge to connect the world and act as a communal lens to discover support at an inspirational level beyond other forms of aid.

Now based in Kharkiv, Ukraine, a frontline city less than 20-miles from the Russian border that’s under constant attack, Pizza for Ukraine begins its new mission to open a pizza school in Kharkiv. Such a school will invest in the local economy by providing Ukrainians new professional skills to start new businesses, provide children an uplifting experience, youth a feeling of empowerment, soldiers to receive psychological therapy, and volunteers to take part in pizza deployments to villages along the frontlines. Pizzaiolos from around the world are invited to teach at this school in-person or remotely via a video-link. Its first masterclass will be on June 10th, in collaboration with the Swiss charity HEKS/EPER, to provide Ukrainian female youth empowerment and opportunities to become future pizzaiolas. On June 15th and 16th they’ll be welcomed to volunteer at the Vintage Buro Charity Market as Pizza for Ukraine makes and sells pizzas to fundraise for the Ukrainian military.

Pizza for Ukraine has been supported by the Associazione Verace Pizza Napoletana, the guardians of the Neapolitan pizza tradition based in Naples, Italy. Mobile pizza ovens donated by Ooni, pizza flour from Caputo, tomatoes from Ciao, dough mixer from Sunmix, pizza making tools from Gi Metal and Cambro, and donations from private individuals through its website: https://pizzaforukraine.org

Thank you to our sponsors

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Hengam Stanfield, co-owner of Mattenga’s Pizzeria in San Antonio, Texas on The Hot Slice Podcast

This week, Josh and Denise chat with Hengam Stanfield, co-owner of Mattenga’s Pizzeria in San Antonio, Texas. What started out as taking over a failing pizzeria in 2013 has grown into eight locations and expanding.  

Hengam and husband Matt met in college, both aspiring engineers but soon realized they wanted to be in business for themselves. They entered the restaurant world without any experience in dining. They learned on the job from day one. They were able to apply their engineering mindset to establishing the systems to help their business succeed. 

In 2020, after considering selling their two-unit operation, Hengam and Matt decided instead to take their business to the next level and grow. Even amidst the pandemic, Mattenga’s able to grow by 20 percent that year. Hengam shares their growth strategy and what she is looking for in potential restaurant spaces. 

Mattenga’s staff is key to the pizza company’s growth. Hengam talks leadership and how important communication and team development are.  

Hengam host the Making Dough Show on YouTube with over 500 episodes focused on restaurant business advice and tips. We get into a discussion about one of her episodes on Using AI in marketing.  Check out her Making Dough Show at https://www.youtube.com/@makingdoughshow/. 

Also on the  podcast episode:  

• Hengam’s drive to be a leader and educator in the pizza industry. 
• Mattenga’s priorities are in the next year. 
• Social media strategy. 

Learn more at https://mattengas.com/ and on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/mattengaspizza/ . 

Thank you to our sponsors

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Patrick Elston co-owner of Gus Franco’s Pizza in Lower Burrell, Pennsylvania, on The Hot Slice Podcast

This week on The Hot Slice Podcast, Denise and Jeremy chat with Patrick Elston, who with his wife Mandy operates Gus Franco’s Pizza in Lower Burrell, Pennsylvania.   

Originally started as a food truck, Gus Franco’s opened in 2017. He talks about the steady rise of the pizzeria. Family dynamics and raising kids in the family atmosphere pizzerias. The pizzeria named after their young sons, who Patrick hopes one will take over the business someday.  

The pizzeria has been named one of Pittsburgh’s Top 11 Pizzerias by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Patrick works to perfect Gus Franco’s wood-fired pizza. Some favorites are Cacio E Pepe (cash-ee-oh ee peppy, or just say Cheese and Pepper) with seasoned cream and mozz base, finished w/parmesan crema & cracked black pepper. Top seller is Hot Dad with sauce, mozz, parm, hot sopressata, Mike’s Hot Honey™. 

He is the personality behind the business, always appearing on social media posts like his Daily Dough Instagram series. He has become a regular guest on a local television news with a cooking demonstration. He is especially thankful for the layout of the carryout business where he can get face time with his guests as they pick up their pizzas.  

He talks Pizza Expo and Mandy’s reigning crown as Supremely Dressed Champion. Find out more in our Pizza Expo 2024 Hub.

Learn more about Gus Franco’s Pizza at https://gusfrancospizza.square.site/ and on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/gusfrancospizza/ . 

Thank you to our sponsor

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Shelby Hall, owner of Fox’s Pizza Den, Cheat Lake, Morgantown, West Virginia, on The Hot Slice Podcast

This week on The Hot Slice Podcast, we hear Shelby Hall’s story. She owns Fox’s Pizza Den Cheat Lake in Morgantown, West Virginia and started working at Fox’s Pizza Den as a teenager. While in college, she leaped into management. After graduation, she was presented with a franchise opportunity that she passed on. She waited for the right opportunity where the finances and location aligned.  

Shelby talks about the moving parts of business ownership and mentorships that helped her line up her franchise. She outlines the research that went into her decision.  

She highlights the adventures of being a new business owner and the elements she had to learn along the way.  

She talks about how she set the tone for a strong leadership environment in her restaurant.  

Shelby reflects on the new energy and ideas that she has brought to the business, like community outreach and introducing a mobile unit.  

She talks about chasing a rush from buying the business, adding catering and maybe adding another location. 

Learn more about Fox’s Pizza Den at https://www.foxspizza.com/. 

Thank you to our sponsors

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Jason Dascoli, Rock City Pies and Ice, Bloomfield, CO; Rick Herman, Log Home Wood Fired Pizza, McGregor, MN; Sam Boulis, Gabby’s Pizza, Winchendon, MA; and Salvatore Reina, Francesca Pizza/Squared, Elmwood Park, NJ on The Hot Slice Podcast

This week, we continue our Pizza Expo Interview Series from the show floor at Pizza Expo. Denise interviews four pizzeria operators who are defining their pizza businesses in their own ways.

Jason Dascoli, Rock City Pies and Ice, Bloomfield, Colorado, checks back in to give us an update on his pizzeria. He talks about his personal and business growth, being guided by mentors, improving his systems and changing up his marketing tactics. Learn more about Rock City Pies and Ice at https://www.rockcitypieandice.com/.

Rick Herman owns Log Home Wood Fired Pizza in McGregor, Minnesota with two mobile units and a brick-and-mortar pizzeria. He has optimized reduced store hours to reflect his small town. He talks history and business adjustments over time. Learn more about Log Home Wood Fired Pizza at https://northwoodspizza.com/.

Sam Boulis has owned Gabby’s Pizza, Winchendon, Massachusetts for 20 years. He shares what he has learned. He talks community outreach, his Greek pizza style, growing in business. Learn more about Gabby’s Pizza at https://www.gabbyspizza.com/.

Salvatore Reina owns Francesca Pizza and Squared in Elmwood Park, New Jersey. While Francesca is a traditional pizzeria, Squared is a ghost kitchen operating out of the Elmwood location. He talks about operating and marketing both businesses. Learn more about Francesca’s at https://elmwoodparkpizza.com/.

This is the last episode in our interviews from Pizza Expo 2024 series. Next week we are back to full-length episodes with individual pizzeria operators.

Check out more news from International Pizza Expo, including pizza competition results, show floor takeaways and happenings in our Pizza Expo News Hub.

Thank you to our sponsors

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Zak Fishman from Prime Pizza, Philip Adler from Freda’s Pizza and Steven Barrantes, from Slice of Homage on The Hot Slice Podcast

This week, we continue our Pizza Expo Interview Series from the show floor at Pizza Expo. Denise interviews three operators with pizzerias doing business in California. Check out these Golden State pizza pros:

Zak Fishman from Prime Pizza. The pizza company has seven locations in Los Angeles, California. Zak shares how much the LA pizza scene has grown, details Prime’s authentic New York style pizza, why pizza, and growing from one to seven units in 10 years. Learn more about Prime Pizza at https://primepizza.la/ .

Philip Adler from Freda’s Pizza. The artisan pizzeria has three locations: Camarillo, West Lake and Moorpark, California. Philip talks food truck beginnings, his background in the restaurant business and his Pizza Expo experience. Learn more about Freda’s at https://www.fredaspizza.com/.

Steven Barrantes, is owner/operator at Slice of Homage in San Jose, California. The pizzeria serves up a New York-inspired and Detroit pizza. Steven lets us in on the pizza scene in San Jose, what brought him into the pizza business, and his thoughts competing in his first International Pizza Challenge. Learn more about Slice of Homage at https://www.sohpizza.com/

Stay tuned as we continue our interviews from Pizza Expo 2024.

Check out more news from International Pizza Expo, including pizza competition results, show floor takeaways and happenings in our Pizza Expo News Hub.

Thank you to our sponsors

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The James Beard Foundation® has announced its 2024 Lifetime Achievement, Humanitarian of the Year, and Leadership Awards honorees, and Restaurant and Chef Awards nominees in advance of the James Beard Awards® ceremonies presented by Capital One. Mark your calendar for June 8-10 to cheer on fellow pizza pros who are honorees and finalists. According to an April release, the 33rd annual James Beard Restaurant and Chef Awards in Chicago will be livestreamed Monday, June 10 on Eater.com. The specific 2024 Awards ceremonies will be on the following dates:

• Saturday, June 8, 2024: Media Awards at Columbia College Chicago Student Center
• Sunday, June 9, 2024: Leadership Awards at The Dalcy
• Monday, June 10, 2024: Restaurant and Chef Awards at Lyric Opera of Chicago

Pizzerias are being recognized in several James Beard Award categories. The James Beard Awards are among the nation’s most prestigious honors recognizing leaders in the culinary and food media industries, and those in the broader food systems. Let’s take a look at who in the pizza industry are being showcased by the James Beard Foundation.

Muhammad Abdul-Hadi, Down North Pizza, Philadelphia, PA Photo by Amurri Lauren

Muhammad Abdul-Hadi, Down North Pizza, Philadelphia, PA, — Leadership Awards – Industry Culture and Practices, James Beard Awards

Muhammad Abdul-Hadi, Founder/Owner, Down North Pizza and Down North Foundation, Philadelphia, PA, will receive the Leadership Award for Industry Culture and Practices, which recognizes leaders who have made a significant impact and are acknowledged and recognized as setting industry standards, with a commitment to transforming the industry into one that is sustainable and equitable. These leaders have put in place systems and policies that prioritize the physical and mental health of employees and themselves and have proven to make for a sound financial model for staff and owners alike that foster longevity in the restaurant industry. They are modeling how to make independent restaurants more equitable both within and beyond one’s own businesses.. Abdul-Hadi will be celebrated at an invite-only ceremony in Chicago on Sunday, June 9 and recognized on stage at the Restaurant and Chef Awards ceremony on Monday, June 10 at the Lyric Opera of Chicago.

Abdul-Hadi is the founder of Down North Pizza, a mission-driven restaurant that exclusively hires previously incarcerated employees, the release details. As an entrepreneur in property management, retail, and real estate development, Abdul-Hadi focuses on creating business models that offer both employment and housing to formerly incarcerated individuals. In 2015, Abdul-Hadi bought property in the Strawberry Mansion neighborhood—a predominantly Black and historically underserved area of Philadelphia marked by high recidivism rates. Abdul-Hadi’s aim was to use the property to offer subsidized housing to individuals negatively impacted by the criminal justice system but has expanded the building’s use with the opening of Down North Pizza. Abdul-Hadi’s philosophy of meeting people where they are—recognizing and valuing their experiences and skills often overlooked in traditional hiring practices—has not only contributed to the success of Down North Pizza but has also set a precedent for future enterprises that seek to combine profit with purpose.

Down North Pizza has been featured in Destinations in Pizza Today Magazine.

Sarah Minnick, Lovely’s Fifty Fifty, Portland, OR Photo Courtesy of Lovely’s Fifty Fifty

Sarah Minnick, Lovely’s Fifty Fifty, Portland, OR — Outstanding Chef, James Beard Awards Finalist

Sarah Minnick, Lovely’s Fifty Fifty, Portland, OR, is a finalist for Outstanding Chef. The award recognizes a chef who sets high culinary standards and has served as a positive example for other food professionals, while contributing positively to their broader community.

Minnick’s approach to pizza, a farm-to-table menu and mastery of unconventional ingredients has earned her coveted culinary esteem and an entire episode of the Netflix’s hit Chef’s Table. You can listen to her on The Hot Slice Podcast with Pizza Today as she shares an operational shift, details of her sourdough and her ingredient philosophy.

Tony Conte, Inferno Pizzeria Napoletana, Darnestown, MD — Best Chef: Mid-Atlantic, James Beard Awards Finalist

Tony Conte, Inferno Pizzeria Napoletana, Darnestown, MD Photo Courtesy of Inferno Pizzeria Napoletana

Tony Conte, Inferno Pizzeria Napoletana, Darnestown, MD is a finalist for the award for Best Chef: Mid-Atlantic. Conte is the chef-owner of the 44-seat pizzeria that strays from strict Neapolitan pizza guidelines to serve a canotto style, “translates in Italian to ‘dinghy’ or ‘inflatable raft’ – alluding to the airy outer ring serving as crust”, Inferno’s site states.

You can read a quick Conversation with Tony Conte in Pizza Today.

Others Recognized as James Beard Awards Semi-finalists

In addition to those who advanced to the finals, congratulations also goes out to pizzerias and pizza professionals who made the Semi-final round for the James Beard Awards. They are:

Outstanding Wine and Other Beverages Program

Bufalina, Austin, TX

Best Chef by Region

California

Michael Procaccini and Stefano Procaccini, La Parolaccia, Long Beach, CA

Great Lakes

Salvador Fernandez, Bridges Craft Pizza & Wine Bar, Greencastle, IN

New York State

Scarr Pimentel, Scarr’s Pizza, New York, NY

For more information about the James Beard Awards, visit jamesbeard.org/awards.

>> Explore more pizzerias who are being recognized nationally and internationally in Pizza Today’s Guide to the 2024 Best Pizza Lists. <<

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Sofia Arango, Atlanta Pizza Truck / Latinos En Pizza; Jonathan Fell and Zachary Black, Jason’s New York Style Pizza; and Enrico and Cira Aguila, Uncle Rico’s Pizza on The Hot Slice Podcast

This week, we continue our Pizza Expo Interview Series from the show floor at Pizza Expo. Denise interviews operators who are building their businesses and expanding their reach in the pizza industry. They are:

Sofia Arango founded of Atlanta Pizza Truck a catering company in May 2020 in Atlanta, Georgia. She has also created a thriving pizza industry community, Latinos En Pizza. She shares how she started both ventures and her vision of sharing stories of Latinos in the pizza industry. Learn more about Atlanta Pizza Truck at https://www.theatlantapizzatruck.com/ and explore more on Latinos En Pizza at https://www.latinosenpizza.org/

Jonathan Fell and Zachary Black operate Jason’s New York Style Pizza in Bangor, Maine. The couple details the three-location’s model and its focus on carryout. Johnathan shares the story of his family business as a second-generation operator. Learn more about Jason’s at https://jasonsnypizza.com/.

Enrico and Cira Aguila own Uncle Rico’s Pizza, an old-school mom and pop pizzeria in Fort Myers, Florida. We talk concept and pizza style. We also chat about getting national press for best pizza and what comes with that. Learn more about Uncle Rico’s at https://www.unclericospizza239.com/.

Stay tuned as we continue our interviews from Pizza Expo 2024.

Check out more news from International Pizza Expo, including pizza competition results, show floor takeaways and happenings in our Pizza Expo News Hub.

Thank you to our sponsors

The post 202. Pizza Expo Interview Series, Part 4 — Growing the biz and pizza industry appeared first on Pizza Today.

Zach Toth and Chris Brown of Blacksburg, Virginia-based Benny’s Pizza and Jonathan Schroeter from Il Primo Pizza & Wings in Southwest Florida on The Hot Slice Podcast

This week, we continue our Pizza Expo Interview Series from the show floor at Pizza Expo. Denise interviews experience multi-unit pizzeria operators: Zach Toth and Chris Brown of Blacksburg, Virginia-based Benny’s Pizza with 32 locations and Jonathan Schroeter from Il Primo Pizza & Wings with seven locations in Southwest Florida.

Benny’s is home of the 28” Virginia Slice. Since the first location opened in Blacksburg, VA, in 2011, the pizza company has grown to 32 locations in Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wyoming. Each Benny’s has a unique name. The original is Benny Marzano. We talk about growing the business and what Zach and Chris look for in a new location. We also talk pizza industry and Pizza Expo. Learn more about Benny’s at https://www.bennysva.com/our-story/.

Il Primo was founded by Paul Conti opened the first Il Primo in Arizona in 1983, growing to three locations. But when Conti relocated to Naples, Florida, he closed the Arizona stores and opened his concept in Southeast Florida in 1999. He grow Il Primo to six locations. Director of Operations Jonathan Schroeter continues that charge. Jonathan shares the growing pains of operating multiple restaurants during hurricanes. We talk about how the model has shift from large footprint dining to more carryout and delivery. We talk about Pizza Today’s visit to Il Primo in 2020 and Pizza Expo. Learn more about Il Primo at https://ilprimopizza.com/

Stay tuned as we continue our interviews from Pizza Expo 2024.

Check out more news from International Pizza Expo, including pizza competition results, show floor takeaways and happenings in our Pizza Expo News Hub.

Thank you to our sponsors

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The Hot Slice Podcast celebrates 200 episodes with pizzeria owner highlights

The Hot Slice with Pizza Today marks its 200th episode with a special episode. Listen as we look back some of our favorite episodes, talk about how the podcast has evolved and what to expect moving forward.

Who is your wish list guest that you would like for us to have on the show? Let us know.

If you would like to be a guest on The Hot Slice Podcast, reach out to Executive Editor Denise Greer dgreer@pizzatoday.com.

Now let’s explore some of the episodes, Josh, Denise and Jeremy mentioned on the show:

Meet the Pizza Today Podcast Team: Episode 1

Kicking off Episode One, Editor-In-Chief Jeremy White, Creative Director Josh Keown, Executive Editor Denise Greer and Art Director Katie Wilson talk launching The Hot Slice Podcast and what you can expect to hear.

S2E7 Pizza Champion Ali Haider gives the pizza tribe a much-needed pep talk

Listen to Ali Haider on The Hot Slice Podcast Ali Haider, owner of 786 Degrees Wood Fired Pizza in Sun Valley and Pasadena, California, is here to bring some inspiration to the podcast this week.

S3E2 Jeff Smokevitch on Detroit-Style Pizza

Jeff Smokevitch on The Hot Slice Podcast Get the lowdown on Detroit-style pizza by none other than Motor City native Jeff Smokevitch, who leads a comprehensive demonstration on the style at International Pizza Expo in Las Vegas.

S3E10: Cup of Joe — Joe Fugere, Tutta Bella Neapolitan Pizzeria, Seattle, WA

Listen to Joe Fugere on The Hot Slice Podcast Jeremy White and Josh Keown talk shop with Joe Fugere, founder of Tutta Bella Neapolitan Pizzeria in Seattle. Joe shares his vision on the pizzeria of the future, discusses his innovative employee program

S4E7 Maggie Mieles: Growing Up in the Legendary Di Fara Pizza

Listen to Maggie Mieles, di Fara Pizza, on The Hot Slice Podcast Executive Editor Denise Greer sits down one-on-one with Maggie Mieles, daughter of Dom DeMarco who now operates the famed di Fara pizza in New York. Maggie shares stories of her father

72. Science of Pizza Dough and Positivity with Derek Sanchez

Pizza Champion Derek Sanchez brings a contagious positive energy to the pizza industry. He is also fascinated by the science of pizza dough. Sit back, listen and you’ll learn all about bacteria’s impact on pizza

108. On Deck with Chris Decker

Pizza master Chris Decker now has his own recipe column in Pizza Today. Chris is managing partner at Metro Pizza in Las Vegas. He’s one of the brightest minds in the business and we all drool over his @Everythingbutanchovies Instagram.

113. Tony Gemignani on Pizzeria of the Year

Tony’s Pizza Napoletana has been named Pizza Today’s Pizzeria of the Year. We talk to pizza legend and owner Tony Gemignani about the honor and some of his best moments at the pizzeria.

116. Pizza Today Mail Bag

This week, we’re answering Pizza Today readers’ burning questions. We talk National Pizza Month, busiest pizza sales days, oven choices for a first-time pizzeria owners, future growth and the next big pizza style trend to break.

118. The Creative and Entertaining John Gutekanst

John Gutekanst will be a keynote speaker at Pizza and Pasta Northeast in October. He owns Avalanche Pizza and Slice House in Athens, Ohio, a contributor with Pizza Today, Emcee at the International Pizza Challenge

129: A 3-Month Waitlist on Pizza Orders! How?

Moto in Seattle, Washington has a three-month waitlist on pizza orders. That’s right, 3 MONTHS! We talk to owner Lee Kindell on this phenomenon and how he set up the business with an order-ahead approach.

137. The Brilliant Sarah Minnick of Lovely’s Fifty Fifty

This week, we chat with the talented Sarah Minnick, chef/owner of Lovely’s Fifty Fifty in Portland, Oregon. Her approach to pizza, a farm-to-table menu and mastery of unconventional ingredients has earned her coveted culinary esteem

142. A Pizza Destination on Route 66

The funky and quirky Cross Eyed Cow Pizza sits on the iconic Route 66 in California. We talk to mother/daughter team Donna Grainger and Weather Preston about how the pizzeria balances tourist stop and community-engaged business.

173. Catching Up with Pizza Man Dan Collier

Pizza Man Dan Collier on The Hot Slice Podcast This week on The Hot Slice, we sit down with Dan Collier. Dan Collier is co-owner and President of PizzaMan Dan’s, a regional chain in Southern California with 8 locations founded in 2012.

Next week, we’ll continue our dispatches from the show floor at Pizza Expo.

Thank you to our sponsors

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The Hot Slice Podcast Continues Pizza Expo Pizzeria Operator Interviews

This week, we continue our Pizza Expo Interview Series from the show floor at Pizza Expo. Denise spends some time with women who are in the mobile pizzeria business to get their perspective on business, mobile clientele, the pizza industry and Pizza Expo.

Gina and Betsy Wolfe own the upstart Wolfe It Down Pizza in Princeton, Iowa. Gina is retiring this month, so the couple’s new pizza mobile unit will debut at an event in May. We learn all about how this mobile unit is getting for the ground.

Colleen Constant and husband and Chef Isaiah Ruffin own Project Pizza in Seattle, Washington. The food truck relocated from Colorado. We talk with Colleen about business growth plans and learn more about their food literacy nonprofit organization. Explore more about Project Pizza at https://www.projectpizzaco.org/.

Linda and Abby Ortegas, owners of Fired Up Fresh in Watsonville, California, give us an update on what’s happening with the business and the rebranding process they are currently going through. Learn more about Fired Up Fresh at https://www.firedupfresh.net/.

Stay tuned as we continue our interviews from Pizza Expo 2024.

Check out more news from International Pizza Expo, including pizza competition results, show floor takeaways and happenings in our Pizza Expo News Hub.

Thank you to our sponsors

The post 199. Pizza Expo Interview Series, Part 2 Women in the Mobile Pizza Biz appeared first on Pizza Today.

A Pizza Today Reader asks: I add old dough to new dough but have noticed it’s more acidic. When is it too much and what makes it ‘too much’? What does PH do to dough?

You asked so you shall receive! Let’s talk about pH or acidity in dough. Now, I don’t want you readers to think I know every little thing about the molecular chemistry that makes up fermentation. The one thing I am most certain about is that the more I learn about dough and fermentation the less I really know. That to me is the most fun part about learning in that it never stops.

This is meant to be more of an introduction to pH. As with anything dough related there are a bunch of factors that go into the change and evolution of flavor and performance and as soon as you change one thing you change everything. At the end of this you will find a few names and resources that I use when I find myself in a pickle. These are the people and places I go to when I am trying to figure out nuance as more brains with more experience are always better than one.

In my restaurant my dough uses instant or dry active yeast so pH and acidity is on my mind in relation to flavor, but I’m not as preoccupied with it is as when I am making sourdough. The techniques and manipulations I use to coax flavor out of my dough are the same but are even more necessary when it comes to controlling a sourdough and the final product.

What is pH and how do I know what my dough is doing?

PH is the acronym used to measure acidity. The acidity, especially in sourdough, is where the sour comes from. There is a scale or range that is used to determine how acidic something is or the opposite known as alkaline. You hear the word alkaline a lot nowadays in regards to bottled water. The pH scale runs from 0 — the most acidic to 14 — which is alkaline. Right smack in the middle at 7 is neutral. It might seem counterintuitive but the lower the number the more acidic something is. To test the pH of your dough or preferment you can purchase a meter easily on Amazon or other retail stores that look, and are, as compact as a kitchen thermometer. Just like your handy kitchen thermometer, pH meters need to be calibrated but there are usually instructions on how to do this and how to care for your meter inside the box when you purchase one. To use a pH meter, you’ll want to insert the probe end into your solution, dough or preferment, wait a few seconds and the meter will give you a reading. Usually, these readings contain decimals as pH is not measured in solid absolutes but can be measured to a decimal point. The sweet spot for sourdough I’ve found to be around a level of 4 to 5.

Where does acidity come from?

The flavors and aromas we are trying to achieve are actually byproducts of fermentation between yeast and bacteria within dough or preferments. With a sourdough starter this would just be from the flour, water and yeasts that naturally live in your environment. The main strain of yeast we care about most is called Saccharomyces Cerevisiae, and the bacteria we are most concerned with are Lactobacillus (a.k.a. Lactic Acid) and Acetobacter (a.k.a. Acetic acid). These two acids are crucial when learning at what time has your preferment or dough gone past the point of no return, becoming too acidic or not acidic enough for maximum flavor and performance.

Now, the growth of a sourdough in a general sense is like the growth and expansion of a city over the course of decades. The original settlers, yeast and bacteria, move in and fight for dominance and survival. Over the course of time and generations (feedings), new flour and new bacteria move in. They either blend with the older generations becoming something new and evolved or they don’t survive. This happens over the course of multiple feedings with a sourdough and what was created in the beginning is always a newer, slightly different version of itself after every feeding. Yeasts and lactic acid go hand in hand because they can survive each other’s defense mechanisms. Both eat simple sugars, but the byproduct they excrete are different. As lactobacillus eats, they give off acid. As yeast eats, it gives off ethanol. Lactobacillus has a high tolerance for alcohol, so they’re like two roomies cohabitating like peas in a pod. But, if you’ve ever made sourdough and forgotten about it then you’ve probably come in contact with a product that is overly sour or not sour enough. There is a balance that is needed.

Role of time, temperature and hydration in dough production

Time, temperature and hydration play into finding the balance of how much sour or pH content you are looking for. When it comes to feeding a starter, there is such a thing as too much. Over feeding of a starter will result in overwhelming it and it can either die or dilute it to a point where it doesn’t have much flavor. Over feeding lowers acidity but feeding less often will increase acidity.

Temperature plays into that as yeasts are more active in warm environments, so finding a warm but not too warm place is crucial. There are incubators available that can help regulate temperature that will fit on a counter or try and find that sweet spot in your kitchen. Too warm and you increase leavening because the yeasts are active, but acid production is low. The reverse is true when flipped. Colder temps slow down leavening but increase acid production.

What can you do if you’ve reached a point of too sour? Speed up the feeding schedule a bit by a few hours over the course of 1-2 feedings and see if that does the trick. Too much alcohol production results in forgetting about a feeding time or maybe going on vacation and forgetting to leave your starter in good hands. When this happens the other bacteria, Acetbacter, finds its time to shine. This bacterium moves in feeding on the surplus of alcohol giving off a different kind of acid which is more astringent like vinegar. This is normally when people find their sourdoughs to be too sour.

Hydration will change which acid takes charge. With higher hydration you tend to see lower quantities of lactic acid production, a more gentle sour flavor, but an increase in leavening power. Lowering the hydration, on the other hand, increases acetic acid production, giving off a stronger more vinegar like sour flavor but decreases the leavening power.

Dough Resources

These are just a few of the resources I use but don’t be afraid to ask or search where these expert go to learn too!

Audrey Sherman- Audrey Jane’s Pizza Garage, Boulder Colorado IG: audreyjanespizza

Will Grant- That’s a Some About Pizza, Sourdough Willy’s, Seattle and Bainbridge, Washington IG: sourdoughwillyspizzeria

John Gutekanst- Avalanche Pizza, Athens, Ohio IG:jgutekanst

Leo Spizziri- Chicago, Illinois IG:askchefleo

Karl De Smedt: IG: sourdough_librarian

Books by Modernist Cuisine: Modernist Bread

Bread Science by Emily Buehler

The Bread Bakers Guild of America- website: https://www.bbga.org/

Podcast: The sourdough podcast by Michael Hilburn

Laura Meyer is the owner of Pizzeria da Laura in Berkeley, CA.

The post Knead to Know: What Does pH Do to Pizza Dough? appeared first on Pizza Today.

Pizzerias are creating limited-edition pies to support local causes and generating buzz in the process

Bill Jacobs’s voice fills with energy as he discusses the 2024 Slice to Meet You campaign at Piece, his Chicago-based brewery and pizzeria.

Starting in January, Piece debuted a different monthly pizza crafted in collaboration with an acclaimed Chicago chef in support of PAWS Chicago, the Midwest’s largest no-kill animal shelter. For every $35 pizza sold over the three-month fundraising campaign, PAWS collected $50 – a $10 donation from Piece coupled with matching donations from four separate donors. After raising nearly $30,000 for PAWS last year, Jacobs hopes this year’s edition, which concludes April 9, surpasses $50,000.

“This has taken on a life of its own,” Jacobs says. “People are passionate about animals, celebrity chefs and pizza, so we hit the trifecta right there.”

Many pizzerias share Jacobs’s zeal for community-centered philanthropy, which can be good for the soul and for business by stimulating revenue, awareness and public goodwill.

“Find a cause that resonates with you and emulate what we’ve done,” Jacobs challenges his fellow pizzeria operators.

Creative campaigns

Pizzerias across the country continue creating clever LTOs to support worthy causes.

Last July, Milwaukee-based Pizza Man introduced a special burger pizza to support Ronald McDonald House Charities Eastern Wisconsin.

In Dallas, Sfuzzi’s month-long Influencer Pizza Challenge tasks local personalities to create limited-edition pies and compete head-to-head for charitable dollars. Efforts have supported a local homeless recovery center, a women’s shelter and the North Texas Food Bank.

In Audubon, New Jersey, Genova Pizza has embraced a different approach, using its pizza boxes, rather than its pies, to support admirable causes.

Last spring, the family-owned establishment created themed pizza boxes featuring an animated superhero caricature of Callen McDonnell, a local two-year-old battling Leukemia. Throughout April 2023, any purchase of a Grandma Pizza – Genova’s best-selling Sicilian-style pie – was placed in the special “Super Cal” box with proceeds directed to the family. The effort raised $1,500 for the McDonnells.

“This felt like an opportunity to do something that mattered,” says Genova Pizza co-owner Ali Doukali.

Genova followed up its Super Cal initiative with a second “local hero” pizza box in September highlighting former Genova employee and U.S. Marine Harrison Whitman. Proceeds from that campaign’s effort went to the Warrior Foundation in Whitman’s honor. Genova has since created a nomination process for community members to suggest future local heroes and beneficiaries.

“Amid a lot of negativity in the world, we want to give back and be a positive community partner,” Doukali says. “Since getting this off the ground, we see potential to do a lot of good for people around us.”

Optimizing results

As Piece, Pizza Man, Sfuzzi and Genova demonstrate, creative, philanthropic initiatives offer pizzerias a chance to show their community-minded ethos and capture attention.

“A lot that can be done to make this attractive to your market,” Jacobs reminds.

And a few well-executed steps can help pizzerias create fruitful campaigns:

#1: Make it special.

At Piece, Jacobs has leveraged the culinary talents – and ingredients – of his collaborators to create novel limited-time offerings. The Hot Smoque’n Pizza created by Barry Sorkin of Smoque BBQ and Doug Sohn of Hot Doug’s, for example, features Sorkin’s smoked chicken thighs and Sohn’s andouille sausage on a white pizza with smoked mozzarella, scallions and creole sauce.

Jacobs and his culinary team at Piece work with every chef collaborator to create, test and tweak the special pizza before its debut.

“You need an enticing and interesting product to draw orders,” Jacobs says.

#2: Time it right.

Pizzerias create urgency when they put an expiration date on cause-related initiatives. Time limits also give operators a focused period to build a story and spark interest without risking a stale initiative. For many, one month seems about right – enough time to let a campaign simmer and capture results, but not too long that the initiative fades into the background as routine business.

And while a pizzeria can roll out a special initiative at any point during the calendar year, a little strategy can maximize impact. Piece, for instance, rolls out its Slice to Meet You effort over the year’s opening three months, historically the year’s slowest quarter for Piece’s bottom line and PAWS’s fundraising.

#3: Spread the word.

When Callen McDonnell and his family visited Genova Pizza last spring to see the pizza boxes, the pizzeria shared photos of the family’s visit on social media, which elevated awareness of the effort.

“Without community support, this wouldn’t have taken off the way it did,” Doukali says.

It’s vital the restaurant (and its partner) actively promote the initiative. Invite local media and influencers to visit and post regularly on social channels to drum up interest.

“It’s important to provide concise and consistent communications throughout the campaign,” says Jacobs, who builds a library of ready-made social content by capturing photos and videos of the pizza-creation process with each celebrity chef.

#4: Plan ahead.

A half-baked effort will do little good for the pizzeria or its beneficiary, so get the necessities in hand before launch.

Ready print marketing collateral, including in-store signage and table tents, and any special ingredients required to make the LTO pies well in advance. Before Genova Pizza introduced its Super Cal pizza box, Doukali researched custom box vendors and secured a high-quality box for the 32-slice Grandma pizza.

In addition, Jacobs urges operators to run the numbers and charge an appropriate price for the special pizzas to ensure beneficial results.

“Be aware of your costs so you can make it work,” Jacobs advises.

#5: Amplify the impact.

A cause-related initiative does not have to stop at the pizza sale, as eateries can drive additional impact.

Genova’s effort to benefit the McDonnell family, for instance, included selling Super Cal t-shirts and sharing a link to the McDonnell’s GoFundMe page on every pizza box. Moving forward, Doukali sees an opportunity to improve messaging and propel impact, perhaps by including a QR code on boxes linking to a personal video or call to action.

“As we go through this process, we certainly see ways to refine it,” he says.

DANIEL P. SMITH Chicago-based writer has covered business issues and best practices for a variety of trade publications, newspapers, and magazines.

The post Backing Causes on the Menu appeared first on Pizza Today.

Listen to Thomas McNaughton and Ryan Pollnow of San Francisco-based Flour + Water on The Hot Slice Podcast

This week, we talk with co-executive chefs and partners Thomas McNaughton and Ryan Pollnow at San Francisco-based Flour + Water to get the skinny on the direction their taking their highly successful pizza concept. Check out more details provided by Flour + Water:

Thomas McNaughton, Co-Executive Chef & Founding Partner, Flour + Water Hospitality Group (Flour + Water, Flour +Water Pizzeria, Penny Roma, Flour + Water Pasta Shop)
Thomas McNaughton, founding partner, co-chef and CEO of Flour +Water Hospitality Group, grew up in Southern New Jersey. He graduated from the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York, then gained valuable experience working for Bay Area restaurants La Folie, Gary Danko and Quince. On his culinary journey, he also worked at a number of Michelin-rated restaurants in France, Germany and Italy, falling head over heels in love with the hand-rolled pastas of Bologna and the nonne that produce them. Thomas is relentlessly driven by the community of farmers, craftsmen and “creatives” that call the Bay Area home.

Ryan Pollnow, Co-Executive Chef & Partner, Flour + WaterHospitality Group (Flour + Water, Flour + Water Pizzeria, Penny Roma, Flour + Water Pasta Shop)
Ryan Pollnow, co-chef and vice president of the Flour + WaterHospitality Group, discovered a love for cooking and the micro seasons of the Bay Area while growing up in Northern California. Ryan completed culinary school in Sonoma County while working at restaurants and wineries to further develop his acumen in the field. He continued his education abroad at renowned restaurant Mugaritz in northern Spain before returning to the Bay Area. Traveling for culinary inspiration has always been an important part of his growth, and his time in Italy left a significant imprint on his love for seasonal cooking. Ryan led each FWHG kitchen individually as Chef de Cuisine before transitioning into his current role overseeing all culinary operations as co-executive chef.

Flour + Water Pizzeria | Flour + Water Pizza Shop

Flour + Water Pizzeria, 532 Columbus Ave, San Francisco, CA 94133

Flour + Water Pizza Shop, 1533 Stockton Street, San Francisco, CA 94133

Co-Chefs: Thomas McNaughton, Ryan Pollnow

Beverage Director: Samuel Bogue

Director of Operations: Amanda Flores

General Manager: Paige McNeil

Hours: 11:30am to 10pm, daily

fwpizzeria.com | @flourandwaterpizzeria

In June 2023, Flour + Water Hospitality Group introduced their new flagship Flour + Water Pizzeria and new Flour + Water Pizza Shop concept in San Francisco’s North Beach, a community long-recognized for its history of Italian cuisine. With its prime location adjacent to Washington Square Park, Flour + Water Pizzeria’s new home is a hub for all things pizza, expanding upon the foundation of the restaurant. The 4,000 square foot restaurant is divided into three distinct spaces: an expansive full-service dining room and bar; a glassed-in Dough Room; and the dedicated Pizza Shop for quick service, pick-up and delivery.

With the flagship, co-chefs Thomas McNaughton + Ryan Pollnow reveal a new chapter that reflects their love for the pizza experience. From the meticulous craftsmanship of the hot pies to the sly nods to iconic pizzeria culture, every element showcases their passion for pizza. Utilizing hand-selected, expertly milled grains from industry leader Central Milling, the co-chefs refined their signature dough recipe to be the ideal canvas for both classic and non-traditional toppings, while also considering portability for the to-go program. Pizzas, antipasti and salads are composed with ingredients that highlight the chefs’ long-standing relationships with Northern California producers and farmers. Guests can anticipate the return of fan favorite hand-rolled mozzarella sticks and Double8 Dairy buffalo gelato soft serve along with new additions such as head-on shrimp scampi, Hawaiian pizza with chili crisp, and dine-in exclusive bone marrow pie (a nod to Flour + Water).

As part of the Pizzeria’s evolution, Flour + Water Hospitality Group’s Beverage Director Samuel Bogue offers a comprehensive beverage program with wine, beer, cocktails and non-alcoholic options. A concise wine list features predominantly Italian producers, as well as domestic offerings that reflect Bogue’s mission to champion small production, organically farmed, family wineries. The list includes Flour+ Water’s Pasta Water and Pasta Sauce “house” wines, a collaboration with Subject to Change Wine Co. in Richmond, CA. Bogue worked alongside North Beach resident cocktail expert Elmer Mejicanos for the cocktail menu to curate a list that includes classics such as negronis and daiquiris, as well as crushable creations such as the aperitif-inspired Boozy Slushy. Wine and beer selections are also available to grab-and-go from the Pizza Shop for those picking up pizzas and provisions.

The team collaborated with Lundberg Design and project architect Gavin Knowles to bring the Pizzeria to life, while paying tribute to the legacy of the restaurant’s predecessor, Rose Pistola. A fixture in North Beach for 21 years, Rose Pistola is credited for its defining role in the community’s Italian culinary scene, while also influencing the trajectory of restaurants such as Flour + Water. Lundberg composed a palette around the restaurant’s original Italian-inspired mosaic tile floor, selecting bright, high-contrast materials to complement the black, white, gray, yellow, and orange tones of the pattern.

Design features were thoughtfully constructed to celebrate the evolution of the dough. A dough stretching counter greets guests entering the Pizzeria from Columbus Avenue, while the glassed-in Dough Room at the heart of the restaurant provides a window into the production process. By night, the space transforms into a private dining room for gatherings of 12-14 guests. From the Stockton Street Pizza Shop entrance, a wall of to-go pizza boxes is displayed in a custom steel rack crafted by Lundberg’s in-house fabrication studio. The removal of boxes throughout the day provides visibility into the active Dough Room from the 12-seat Shop. “The Big Slice”, a daily-changing giant slice exclusive to the Pizza Shop, and a fully restored vintage Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles arcade game provide further impetus for impromptu walk-ins. For locals picking up, a robust retail program of beverages and products rounds out the to-go experience.

Additional references to retro pizza culture are reflected throughout the 75-seat Pizzeria space with touches such as pendant lights made of corrugated cardboard. Two dedicated bars – a pizza bar overlooking the ovens, and anterior bar showcasing the restaurant’s new cocktail program – offer ample options for walk-ins. Custom banquettes, die-wall paneling, and Dough Room tables made with a recycled paper composite material called Richlite reveal Flour +Water’s commitment to sustainable practices.

Underscoring that ethos of environmental consciousness, the new Flour + Water Pizzeria location joins all Flour + Water Hospitality Group restaurants as a member of Zero Foodprint, an organization that funds grants for farmers switching to regenerative practices.

Flour + Water Pizzeria is open daily from 11:30am to 10pm. In the months to come, Flour + Water Hospitality Group will announce additional locations of the Flour + Water Pizza Shop concept, bringing their prized pizzas to communities throughout the Bay Area.

About Flour + Water Hospitality Group

Flour + Water Hospitality Group is a culture-driven San Francisco-based hospitality group dedicated to creating stand-out culinary experiences that reflect the leadership’s shared commitment to quality, community impact and transparency. Led by co-chefs Thomas McNaughton and Ryan Pollnow, and their partners Kara Bratcher, Dan Nestojko, Vanya Shekell, and David Steele, the team operates Flour + Water, Flour + Water Pasta Shop and Penny Roma in San Francisco’s Mission District, as well as the Flour + Water Pizzeria and Flour + Water Foods brands. McNaughton and Pollnow’s creativity and expertise is on display across the group’s concepts with offerings reflective of regional Italian traditions and Northern California inspirations with hand-crafted pasta and pizza at the center.

Since the opening of the original Flour + Water in 2009, the Group’s passion for cultivating community through genuine hospitality and memorable experiences has established the company as an industry leader.  Their approach has had an indelible impact on the Bay Area’s culinary landscape, the restaurant spaces often functioning as incubators, expanding Flour + Water’s influence beyond their hometown. Committed to sustainable sourcing and practices, Flour +Water Hospitality Group was a founding member of Zero Foodprint, a nonprofit mobilizing the food world around agricultural climate solutions.

Thank you to our sponsor

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How to meet people to make the most of Pizza Expo

Networking is a key component of attending International Pizza Expo. Whether you are an industry veteran or a new operator, networking will be highlight of Pizza Expo.

Knowing how to network at trade shows doesn’t come easy to some people. That’s why I wanted to break down networking tips to help you meet people at Pizza Expo. Explore ways to network at the world’s largest pizza show. Here are 10 networking tips for Pizza Expo:

1. Start before you go. If there is an attendee, speaker or exhibitor you want to meet. Start a dialog now and set something up. We’ve made that process easy with a Matchmaking program. With our new matchmaking platform, attendees and suppliers alike will be able to search for each other, send direct messages, and schedule meetings. Go to Pizza Expo Match now. 
2. Don’t wait until you hit the show floor to start conversations. Pizza Expo attendees and exhibitors will be everywhere — on your plane, at the airport and in your hotels. Engage with people outside of the convention center.
3. Monday provides the perfect opportunity to talk one-on-one with other attendees and speakers before the rush of the show floor opening Tuesday. Make the most of that time.
4. Go to the New Operator/Early Arriving Attendees Reception on Monday and Beer and Bull Idea Exchange Tuesday. Everyone there is ready to meet and mingle.
5. Get to the Keynotes early and sit by someone you have never met before and start a conversation. It may just be the best contact you make at the show.
6. Same goes for seminars and demonstrations. Strike up conversations with those around you.
7. Want to meet a speaker? Do it! Speakers often stick around after their talks to answer questions.
8. The competition areas are an optimal place for conversation to discuss everyone’s favorite topic, pizza. There will be a crowd of people to interact with.
9. Yes, hang out with your team or pizza people you’ve missed but don’t forget to venture out on your own and meet new people.
10. Finally, come to the Pizza Today booth #1007 and meet us! There will also be plenty of pizzeria pros there to be on The Hot Slice Podcast. That should be you, too.

We hope these networking tips for Pizza Expo will help you make the most of your show experience. Have a great show. We’ll see you in Las Vegas.

Stay updated on all PIZZA EXPO 2024 News. We’ve created a hub for news from the World’s Largest Pizza Show. Find all the updates and happenings at Pizza Expo 2024. Go to the Pizza Expo 2024 Hub.

The post 10 Networking Tips for Pizza Expo appeared first on Pizza Today.

Pizza Expo 2024 Keynote Speaker John Arena on The Hot Slice Podcast

This week on The Hot Slice Podcast Jeremy sits down for a one-on-one interview with pizza legend John Arena. The co-founder of Metro Pizza in Las Vegas will deliver the opening day keynote address at the 40th Pizza Expo later this month.

During the discussion, John touches on his feelings about tinkering with dough formulas and pushing the industry forward through trial and error. He teases his keynote (“from Me to We,” he says) and even talks about his favorite style of pizza to eat (hint, he grew up on it), as well as his favorite style of pizza to make.

This year’s Pizza Expo is set to shatter records, and you aren’t going to want to miss Arena’s keynote. Learn more about the 40th annual Expo at www.pizzaexpo.com. Read more about Metro pizza here https://pizzatoday.com/topics/people-pizzerias/pizza-today-on-the-road-metro-pizza-las-vegas-nv/.

Stay updated on all PIZZA EXPO 2024 News. We’ve created a hub for news from the World’s Largest Pizza Show. Find all the updates and happenings at Pizza Expo 2024. Go to the Pizza Expo 2024 Hub.

Thank you to our sponsor

The post 195. Pizza Legend John Arena, the One & Only appeared first on Pizza Today.

Pizza Today pulls together the hottest news coming out of the World’s Largest Pizza Show for pizzeria owners, operators and the pizza industry

To keep everyone up to date on all the news and conversation surrounding Pizza Expo 2024, Pizza Today has compiled this definitive hub for the topic. Pizza Expo 2024 has concluded as the biggest best show yet. We will continue to bring you coverage from the Las Vegas Convention Center during the pizza show with updates, pizza competition results and more.

Bookmark this page to stay connected with all the updates, happenings and competition results from Pizza Expo 2024. Thank you for an amazing show. See you at Pizza Expo 2025 on March 25-27, 2025.

Deborah St. Clair from Carota’s Pizza in Augusta, Ky. won a Hobart® Legacy+® HL662 pizza dough mixer at the International Pizza Expo. Photo Courtesy of Hobart

Deborah St. Clair, Carota’s Pizza in Augusta, Ky. wins a Hobart® Legacy+® HL662 pizza dough mixer at the International Pizza Expo

Hobart, the premium commercial food equipment manufacturer known for designing and building some of the most reliable, must-have equipment, has announced Deborah St. Clair from Carota’s Pizza in Augusta, Ky. as the winner of its annual custom-designed mixer giveaway. The giveaway was held at the International Pizza Expo in Las Vegas in March.

Go to the article.

Official International Pizza Challenge 2024 Best Pizza Winners are…

We have the official news pulled together in one post for all of the winners of the world’s best pizza in Pan, Non-Traditional, Traditional, Neapolitan, Cheese Slice and Partner Competitions at the International Pizza Challenge. Explore the pizzerias with this year’s winning pizza makers and links to learn more about them.

Go to the Official International Pizza Challenge 2024 Best Pizza Winners.

Tony Cerimele wins World Champion Pizza Maker of the Year at Pizza Expo’s International Pizza Challenge

Tony Cerimele, owner of New Columbus Pizza Company, in Nesquehoning, Pennsylvania, is the 2024 World Champion Pizza Maker of the Year at the International Pizza Challenge during Pizza Expo (March 19-21) in Las Vegas. After capturing the first-place finish in the Pan Division, Tony went on to win the Finals to be named World Champion Pizza Maker of the Year.

Find out more details and read a Q&A with Tony Cerimele.

Pizza Expo/Pizza Today Team host PizzaCon launch event at Pizza Expo

On Wednesday, the Pizza Expo/Pizza Today team donned PizzaCon shirts to showcase our next big event PizzaCon, taking place on November 7, 2024 at The Fillmore in Philadelphia. Attendees posed in The Fillmore PizzaCon set at the Pizza Today booth and scanned a QR code around the venue to sign up to receive updates and be included to win 2 free tickets to Pizza Expo 2025. A ribbon cutting event also took place at the entrance to the exhibit hall.

PizzaCon will allow you to experience hands-on curated experiences and demonstrations with suppliers in the top product categories for pizzerias like dough, sauce, cheese, technology and equipment. This is an exclusive event that we expect to be sold out. Registration will open in June.

Why attend? PizzaCon will be a very different experience to Pizza Expo; it’s hands-on, curated, and experiential and will be in a fun new environment. It’s ideal for pizzeria buyers in the Northeast region.

Learn more about PizzaCon.

International Pizza Challenge Finals Scoreboards are now up!

See the scoresheets for the Finals in the Traditional, Non-Traditional, Neapolitan/STG, Pan, World’s Best Cheese Slice, Pizza Maker of the Year and Best of the Best.

Go to our International Pizza Challenge 2024 — Daily Results page.

International Italian Sandwich Competition Results are in!

Congratulations to Fabio Cassela on winning the International Italian Sandwich Competition. Second Place goes to Deserai Satulc. The Third Place winner is Greg Bird.

Here is the full scoresheet:

Learn more about the International Italian Sandwich Competition.

Champions have been crowned in International Pizza Challenge

Stay tuned for all the official International Pizza Challenge final details. Please be patient as we travel back to our homes. For now. let’s highlight the division winners. Congratulations to the following champions in the International Pizza Challenge:

• Traditional
  Sergio Balderas, Truly Pizza, Dana Point, California
• Non-Traditional
  Alex White, Yukon Pizza, Las Vegas, Nevada
• Neapolitan
  Vincent Santoro, Song e Napule, New York, New York
• Pan
  Tony Cerimele, New Columbus Pizza Co., Nesquehoning, Pennsylvania
• World’s Best Cheese Slice
  Tan Tuong (Andy) Huynh, Cowabunga+, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
• Best of the Best (Publicly Judged)
  Joe Carlucci, Valentino’s Pizzeria & Wine Bar, Madison,  Alabama
• Pizza Maker of the Year (Publicly Judged)
  Tony Cerimele, New Columbus Pizza Co., Nesquehoning, Pennsylvania

Final scoresheets are up on the International Pizza Challenge 2024 — Daily Results page. .

World Pizza Games 2024 Results are in!

Preliminary results are in for the World Pizza Games. The best pizzaiolo has been  crowned in each division of the five divisions – Freestyle Acrobatic Dough Tossing, Fastest Dough, Largest Dough Stretch, Fastest Pizza Box Folding, & Pizza Triathlon! Top 3 Finals winners in each division medal. First-place finishers receive $1,000. See who took home top honors.

Go to the World Pizza Games results.

Ooni Traditional Division Preliminary Results

Congratulations to everyone in the Ooni Traditional Division. Here are the Top 3:

1. Ryan Thompson
2. Jeff Taylor
3. Matt Hickey

Here are the full scoresheets:

Ooni Pan Division Preliminary Results

Congratulations to everyone in the Ooni Pan Division. Here are the Top 3:

1. Eidref Laxal
2. Ryan Ososky
3. Srdian Jelcic

Here are the full scoresheets:

Daiya Vegan Division Preliminary Results

Congratulations to everyone in the Daiya Vegan Division. Here are the Top 3:

1. Leonardo Zoppetti
2. Ali Afshar
3. Soyeon Chewning

Here are the full scoresheets:

Non-Traditional Division Preliminary Results

Congrats to Top 5 Competitors in the Non-Traditional Division who will advance to the Thursday Finals. They are:

1. Michael Vakneen
2. Alex White
3. Deserai Satullo
4. Andrew Scudera
5. Mckenzie Sanvido

Go to the full scoresheets.

Pizza Napoletana Division Preliminary Results

Congratulations to the Top 5 Competitors in the Pizza Napoletana Division who will advance to the Thursday Finals. They are:

1. Luca De Marinis
2. Vincenzo Capuano
3. James Terwilliger
4. Cesare Di lorio
5. Vincenzo Santoro

See full scoresheets for the Pizza Napoletana Division.

Pizza Expo Day 2 Recap

The Energy Continues

Day 2 at Pizza Expo kicked off with a moving Keynote Address “Collaboration and Long-Term Sustainability” with John Farrell Co-Founder and Jacque Farrell, Co-Founder and CEO at Farrelli’s Pizza in Tacoma, Washington. Let’s listen in:

 

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Optimizing the pizza business for success was paramount today with education sessions like Systems for Strategic Growth, Creating Multiple Revenue Streams, Increasing Your Profit Margins and Retaining Employees in Today’s Market.

The show floor was filled with eager pizzeria operators looking products, equipment, services and tech and building relationship with venders in thee exhibit hall.

Demos and workshops on the show floor brought the education to the Exhibition Hall. Making Dough & Pizza with Tony Gemignani, Chicago Tavern with Tony Gemignani and Tony Troiano, Hands-on Dough Session with Laura Meyer.

We had a first at the Pizza Today booth. Michael Sullivan proposed to Gabby Arevalo in the Pizza Today booth at the show. The couple worked together had their first kiss at a Pizza & Pasta Northeast Expo in Atlantic City over a year ago. The couple work at Spaceship Pizza  in Ronkonkoma, New York.

 

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International Pizza Challenge saw a huge number of competitors, over 260, vying for best pie in the Non-Traditional, Neapolitan, Ooni Traditional & Pan, and Daiya Vegan Divisions. Preliminary Results on the Top 5 competitors who will advance to Thursdays finals coming soon this evening. Check here for those results.

World Pizza Games Finals are happening now! A live stream is available. 

Traditional Division Regional Winners are in!

In addition to the Top 5, the Traditional Division also recognizes regional winners. Congrats to the following competitors who placed in their region:

Southwest

1. Sergio Balderas
2. Matt Hutchinson
3. Alastair Hannmann

Northwest

1. Bill Crawford
2. Josh Hillman
3. Drew Balstad

Midwest

1. Carmela Cataldo
2. Ali Afshar
3. Nino Del Greco

Southeast

1. Andy Brown
2. Dustin Finnegan
3. Teo Tomasi

Northeast

1. Anthony Berghela
2. Michael Testa
3. Perry Bogacz

International

1. Gianluca Piersanti
2. Alessio Cataldo
3. Fiodar Huminski

Check out more Preliminary Results.

CMAB Pro Division Preliminary Results

Top 5 Competitors in the CMAB Pro Preliminary Division will advance to the Thursday Finals. They are:

1. Chef Apisit Jitprasong
2. Chef Shi (Kevin) Zhao
3. Paramet Saisutth
4. Chef Sakamoto
5. Chef Nguyen Thi Huyen Trang

See the full CMAB Pro Preliminary Division scoresheet.

Pan Division Preliminary Results

Congrats to the Top 5 Competitors in the Pan Division who will advance to the Thursday Finals. They are:

1. Charlie Webb
2. Jeff Miner
3. Tony Cerimele
4. Craig Capano
5. Rov Bass

See the full Pan scoresheet. 

World’s Best Cheese Slice Division Preliminary Results

Top 5 Competitors in the World’s Best Cheese Slice Division will advance to the Thursday Finals. They are:

1. Rico Lunardi
2. Anthony DeSousa
3. Vicky Ixcot
4. Andy Huynh
5. Lorenzo Hernandez

Check out the full World’s Best Cheese Slice Scoresheet.

Traditional Division Preliminary Results are in!

We have preliminary results for the Traditional Division at the International Pizza Challenge. Congratulations to the Top 5 Competitors in the Traditional Divisions who will advance to the Thursday Finals. They are:

1. Sergio Balderas
2. Anthony Berghela
3. Gianluca Piersanti
4. Alessio Cataldo
5. Matt Hutchinson

Check out the Traditional Scoresheet. 

Pizza Expo Day 1 Recap — The Excitement was Electric!

We kicked off our 40th Pizza Expo with inspiration, joy and tears as Keynote Speaker John Arena uplifted and moved a filled hall pizzeria operators and pizza pros. He received a beautiful standing ovation as he took the stage. Let’s listen in on a touch of his address.

 

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After the keynote address, pizzeria operators and professionals took to the seminar hall for education sessions devoted to making their businesses better. Pizza People packed sessions on Pizza Crust Bootcamp, Building a Great Relationship with Vendors, Negotiating Basics, Pizza By the Slice 101, A Pizzeria’s Guide to Social Media, A Look at Futuristic Pizzeria Tech and more.

The anticipation and crowd gathered as the doors to the 40th Anniversary Pizza Expo opened and attendees filed into a sold out exhibit hall. Some key insights we found at Day 1 on the show floor: innovation, creative and new ingredients and an infusion of high-tech solutions attainable to the small business operator. Crowds of attendees also packed the demonstration area and competition areas with the World Pizza Games and the International Pizza Challenge.

We finished the day with camaraderie and cheers at our annual Beer & Bull Idea Exchange to one huge Day 1 at Pizza Expo.

International Pizza Challenge Preliminary Results on the Top 5 competitors who will advance to Thursdays finals coming soon this evening. Check here for those results. Regional Traditional Winners will be announced first thing in the morning.

Education Jumpstarts Pizza Expo 2024

Sunday and Monday at International Pizza Expo is devoted to education. Sunday afternoon is focused on deep-dive paid workshops with topics such as The Million-dollar Pizzeria, Your Brand and Marketing Strategy, and What to do Before You Raise Prices. Workshops continue Monday morning with Mastering Profitability, Launching and Thriving with a Mobile Pizzeria, Using Processes to Propel Your Pizzeria to New Heights. Find out more about workshops.

Pizzeria Operators will flock to the education halls Monday (starting at 12:30 p.m.) as the early arriving attendees and new operator sessions run all afternoon.

• 12:30 pm  State of the Slice: A Look at Slice Shop Trends with Scott Wiener, Founder, Speaker, Scott’s Pizza Tours & Slice Out Hunger
• 1:30 pm  Building Your Business Through Partnerships with Mark Lacz, Managing Partner, TyMark Restaurant Group, Tyler Carlson, Managing Partner, TyMark Restaurant Group
• 1:45 pm  How to Sell Your Pizzeria for Top Dollar with Scott Sandler, Owner-Operator, Speaker, Pizza Via
• 2:45 pm  How I Baked My Way Into the Pizza Industry with Andrew Butler, Speaker
• 3:00 pm  Panel Discussion: Growing Pains with Tony Gemignani, Slice House by Tony Gemignani, Jeff Smokevitch, Co-Founder & Co-Owner, Blue Pan Pizza, Lars Smith, Chef/Co-Owner, State of Mind
• 4:00 pm  Developing & Living Your Vision with Mike Bausch, Owner, Speaker, Andolini’s Pizzeria
• 4:15 pm  Exit Strategies for Retirement with Scott Anthony, Owner-Operator, Speaker, Punxsy Pizza

Monday events end with a New Operator Happy Hour at 5 pm giving operators a chance to meet and mingle with fellow pizza pros.

For a schedule of education, download the Pizza Expo Mobile App or visit PizzaExpo.com.

Last Minute Tips to Prepare You for Pizza Expo

The Pizza Expo and Pizza Today team has put this trusty checklist together to help you make sure that you’re prepared for Pizza Expo and ready to make the most of your time at the show:

• Double check your travel details including Show Registration including Workshop or Competitions; Hotel; Flights and Other Reservations you’ve made in Las Vegas
• Check the Las Vegas weather. Make packing easy by knowing what to expect.
• Download the official #PizzaExpo app to connect with other attendees and suppliers, better plan your time at the show and get access to excusive giveaway opportunities. Get it here. 
• Create your must-see list of exhibitors and education sessions you don’t want to miss.
• Have a mission. What do you want to get out of the show? What business needs to transpire? What areas do you need to learn?
• Dress to impress – wear your finest pizza-themed attire and enter the Supremely Dressed competition for a chance to win $500!
• Bring an empty water vessel – Outside food and beverages are not allowed on the show floor, but you can bring and empty water bottle and fill it up at the available water stations to help quench your thirst!
• Wear comfortable shoes – the show floor spans over 120,000 square feet (that’s more than 2 football fields) so make sure you to bring your walking shoes! In fact, wear comfortable clothes and layers if needed. With all the food tasting on the show floor, elastic or comfort waistbands are a good option.
• Plan your travel – There will be no shuttle service to the venue this year, so make a plan to walk, drive, or rideshare.
• Bring your confirmation email with you to the registration desk to print your badge. Insider Tip: Skip the line on day one by picking up your badge early during registration hours. 

Find more tips to a successful show.

The Hot Slice Podcast to interview Pizza Pros at Pizza Expo

We’re bringing The Hot Slice Podcast back to Pizza Expo. Go to the Pizza Today/40th Anniversary Lounge Booth #1007 and let us know you want to be on the podcast. Share your story with us. Interviews will take 5-10 minutes.

Listen to The Hot Slice Podcast.

Don’t Forget to Pack your Best Pizza Outfit

Dressed to impress at Pizza Expo 2024 means donning your best pizza outfit! Enter for a chance to win the title “Most Supremely Dressed” and $500! Plan your most supreme pizza-themed outfit – pizza shoes, suits, hats, backpacks, nails, everything is fair game! At the show, show off your style by taking a photo at one of the Pizza Expo branded installations! Post your selfie to Instagram or Facebook, tag @PizzaExpo, and use hashtag #SupremelyDressed.

Learn more about Supremely Dressed at Pizza Expo. 

Networking Tips for Pizza Expo

Networking is a key component of attending International Pizza Expo. Whether you are an industry veteran or a new operator, networking will be highlight of Pizza Expo. Explore ways to network at the world’s largest pizza show. Here are a few networking tips for Pizza Expo:

• Don’t wait until you hit the show floor to start conversations. Pizza Expo attendees and exhibitors will be everywhere — on your plane, at the airport and in your hotels. Engage with people outside of the convention center.
• Monday provides the perfect opportunity to talk one-on-one with other attendees and speakers before the rush of the show floor opening Tuesday. Make the most of that time.
• Go to the New Operator/Early Arriving Attendees Reception on Monday and Beer and Bull Idea Exchange Tuesday. Everyone there is ready to meet and mingle.
• Get to the Keynotes early and sit by someone you have never met before and start a conversation. It may just be the best contact you make at the show.

Get 10 Networking Tips for Pizza Expo. 

Listen to a Sneak Peek from Opening Keynote John Arena

This week on The Hot Slice Podcast Jeremy sits down for a one-on-one interview with pizza legend John Arena. The co-founder of Metro Pizza in Las Vegas will deliver the opening day keynote address at the 40th Pizza Expo later this month.

During the discussion, John touches on his feelings about tinkering with dough formulas and pushing the industry forward through trial and error. He teases his keynote (“from Me to We,” he says) and even talks about his favorite style of pizza to eat (hint, he grew up on it), as well as his favorite style of pizza to make.

Listen to Episode 195. Pizza Legend John Arena, the One & Only.

Just Announced: Block Party Live Stream

A highlight of Pizza Expo is The Pizza Games Finals & Block Party. Wednesday, March 20. And if you are not attending the show you can still tune in on our Live Stream, Wednesday, March 20, at 5:00 PM PT / 8:00 PM ET.

Pizza Expo throws its annual thank-you Block Party for the pizzeria industry. It is our annual celebration for all pizza industry attendees and exhibitors. The party features music, games and contests, food and beverage booths, and the ever-popular finals of the Freestyle Acrobatic Dough-Tossing event from the World Pizza Games.

Go to the Block Party Live Stream.

What goes into Judging the International Pizza Challenge at Pizza Expo?

We are going behind the judges’ curtain at this year’s International Pizza Challenge at Pizza Expo in Las Vegas. Jeremy and Denise get the inside scoop on IPC judging from longtime judges Hassi Sadri, Scott Wiener and Scott Anthony. Our three esteemed guests outline new initiatives to aid in transparency and training the 50 judges who will evaluate entries to help them be on the same page and make sure that every pizza is judged fairly and consistently. Find out what’s changed this year and get competition tips straight from the judges.

Listen to the episode.

Pizza Expo 2024 Preview — 40 Years of Community

The pizza industry is different than most. There is a strong bond, a sense of community and a helping spirit. It wasn’t always that way. What changed the industry was the first International Pizza Expo in 1984. Today, the pizza industry is a realization of the vision of the inaugural Pizza Expo.

Pizza Expo 2024, commencing at the Las Vegas Convention Center, March 19-21, is expected to be biggest and best Pizza Expo yet. Attendees and exhibitors can expect fanfare and celebration of our four decades.

Read our Pizza Expo 2024 Preview.

Get a Pizza Expo Preview on The Hot Slice Podcast

The 40th Pizza Expo is less than one month away. Jeremy, Josh and Denise dedicate this episode to all things Pizza Expo. From the show floor, competitions and demos to seminars and special events, there’s so much to look forward to this year.

Listen to the episode.

Pizza Expo 2024 Mobile App NOW AVAILABLE

The Official Pizza Expo show mobile app is available for download now. Take time now to browse and use some of Pizza Expo app’s exciting features: Search for Exhibitors, tag your favorites and map booth location; use the Floor Plan to locate your favorite booths on the show floor; get a complete schedule of Pizza Expo events; explore the Education Program, tag your favorites and more.

Download the App.

Check back to this Pizza Expo 2024 Hub often before, during and after Pizza Expo 2024 to get all the news surrounding the World’s Biggest Pizza Show. Don’t forget to bookmark this page.

The post Pizza Expo 2024: All News from the World’s Largest Pizza Show appeared first on Pizza Today.

Pizza Expo, Women’s Pizza Month, Pi Day, March Madness, Spring Break fill March with pizza focus

March is a big month for pizza, not just pizza sales but pizza community, too. With Pizza Expo, Womens Pizza Month, Pi Day, St. Paddy’s Day, the NCAA Basketball Tournaments and Spring Break, your pizza calendar will be full. Take advantage the following March events:

Pizza Expo to be the Event of the Year

The biggest event in pizza happens March 19-21 in Las Vegas, International Pizza Expo celebrates its 40^th year with a record-breaking show that brings the pizza industry together at the West Hall of the Las Vegas Convention Center. If you haven’t registered for Pizza Expo 2024, the clock is ticking. For those who have, come back to PizzaToday.com all month long as we prepare you for the show, give daily updates from Pizza Expo and announce all of the competition winners as they are announced.

To start, here are a few Pizza Expo news items to be away of:

• Pizza Expo Preview
• Download the Pizza Expo Mobile App
• Read on about our Day 1 Keynote John Arena
• Go behind the Judges’ Curtain at the International Pizza Challenge

March is Women’s Pizza Month

Women’s Pizza Month and Women’s History Month are in March. It is an opportunity to celebrate women in the male-dominated pizza industry. The Women in Pizza movement has empowered more women in the pizza industry to share their stories, talents and expertise. Go to Instagram’s #womenspizzamonth hashtag and find out how pizza makers and pizzerias are celebrating.

Big Pizza Sales Days to capture in March

Don’t forget to capitalize on some of the biggest pizza sales days all month. They are:

Pi Day – March 14

Pi Day is the Mathematical Celebration of Pizza. March 14th has become synonymous with marketing delicious round comfort foods for the mathematical turned food holiday known as Pi Day. On this day, pizzerias, bakeries and many other vendors of round baked goods offer deals to commemorate the mathematical constant: “pi” (?) or “pie”. Find out more.

Saint Patrick’s Day – March 17

St. Paddy’s Day may be an Irish holiday, which puts emphasis on Irish restaurants and pubs. That will not stop pizzerias from getting in on the action with Irish or green beer promotions and Irish cuisine-inspired pizza specials. Think corned beef, cabbage, potatoes, rye infused crusts, bangers and mash.

NCAA Basketball March Madness

Whether it’s men’s or women’s March Madness, the NCAA Basketball Tournament can turn into huge pizza sales days for dine-in as a destination to watch all of the college basketball action or carryout and delivery during the games. Don’t forget about promoting your catering and party-sized packages.

Men’s NCAA Basketball March Madness Schedule

• Selection Sunday: Sunday, March 17
• First Four: March 19-20
• First round: March 21-22
• Second round: March 23-24
• Sweet 16: March 28-29
• Elite Eight: March 30-31
• Final Four: Saturday, April 6 at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona.
• NCAA championship game: Monday, April 8 at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona.

Women’s NCAA Basketball March Madness Schedule:

• Selection Sunday: 8 p.m. ET Sunday, March 17 on ESPN
• First Four: March 20-21
• First round: March 22-23
• Second round: March 24-25
• Sweet 16: March 29-30
• Elite Eight: March 31-April 1
• Final Four: Friday, April 5 at 7:30 and 9 p.m. ET on ESPN, hosted at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in Cleveland, Ohio.
• NCAA championship game: Sunday, April 7 at 3 p.m. ET on ABC, hosted at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in Cleveland, Ohio.

Spring Break

Many schools and colleges take a spring break in March or April. Know when your area spring breaks are so you can gear spring break “Staycation” promotions to them. If you are a spring break destination, find out the high tourism spring break dates from your local tourism bureau and aim promotions at tourists.

The post March is a Celebration of Pizza People appeared first on Pizza Today.

International Pizza Challenge Judges on The Hot Slice Podcast

This week on The Hot Slice Podcast we are going behind the judges’ curtain at this year’s International Pizza Challenge at Pizza Expo in Las Vegas. Jeremy and Denise get the inside scoop on IPC judging from longtime judges Hassi Sadri, Scott Wiener and Scott Anthony.

The International Pizza Challenge has long been the premier pizza competition and it’s getting even better. IPC has always held high standards and code of ethics for judging. This year, judging has become even more transparent. Our three esteemed guests outline new initiatives to aid in transparency and training the 50 judges who will evaluate entries to help them be on the same page and make sure that every pizza is judged fairly and consistently.

Pizza Expo will host nearly 500 competitors. The International Pizza Challenge consists of 5 divisions: Traditional, Non-Traditional, Neapolitan/STG, Pan, & World’s Best Cheese Slice. The International Italian Sandwich Competition returns. Partner competitions include the California-Style Competition, hosted by the California Milk Advisory Board; Ooni Pizza Throwdown, hosted by Ooni; and Plant-Based Competition, hosted by Daiya.

Special thanks to Michael LaMarca, Jeremy Galvin and the team at Master Pizza who runs IPC and show director Bill Oakley for their continued efforts and improvements to the competitions.

Learn more about the International Pizza Challenge at https://pizzaexpo.pizzatoday.com/giveaway-rules-regulations/international-pizza-challenge/

Read more about the Rules and Regulations for Competitors at https://pizzaexpo.pizzatoday.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/2024-IPC-Rules-and-Regs_FINAL.pdf

Stay updated on all PIZZA EXPO 2024 News. We’ve created a hub for news from the World’s Largest Pizza Show. Find all the updates and happenings at Pizza Expo 2024. Go to the Pizza Expo 2024 Hub.

Thank you to our sponsor

The post 194. Behind the Judges’ Curtain at International Pizza Challenge appeared first on Pizza Today.

Listen to the Pizza Today team talk upcoming Pizza Expo on The Hot Slice Podcast

The 40th Pizza Expo is less than one month away. Jeremy, Josh and Denise dedicate this episode to all things Pizza Expo. From the show floor, competitions and demos to seminars and special events, there’s so much to look forward to this year.

Pizza Expo 2024, commencing at the Las Vegas Convention Center, March 19-21, is expected to be biggest and best Pizza Expo yet. Attendees and exhibitors can expect fanfare and celebration of our four decades.

Listen as the team shares some highlights and favorite events happening at the Las Vegas show.

Stay updated on all PIZZA EXPO 2024 News. We’ve created a hub for news from the World’s Largest Pizza Show. Find all the updates and happenings at Pizza Expo 2024. Go to the Pizza Expo 2024 Hub.

Get a Preview of Pizza Expo 2024.

What’s Pizza Expo?

The annual International Pizza Expo remains unchallenged as the industry’s largest event. Thousands of pizzeria professionals convene in Las Vegas, Nevada each year for 3 days dedicated to all things pizza. Suppliers from across the globe, networking and educational sessions led by top industry professionals, and national competitions round out this unrivaled event. Visit https://pizzaexpo.pizzatoday.com/ for more information.

Thank you to our sponsor

The post 193. Pizza Expo Preview Show appeared first on Pizza Today.

Odie O’Connor, owner of Boxcar Pizza in Portland, Oregon on The Hot Slice Podcast

his week, we chat with Odie O’Connor, owner of Boxcar Pizza in Portland, Oregon. Boxcar is a vegan Detroit style pizza shop. His first venture into the pizza biz was a wood-fired pizza cart. On the show, we got the skinny on Odie’s next pizza project, a New York-style pizzeria in his hometown of San Diego, California, offering New York sourdough pies, as well as Sicilian and Grandma.

That’s five styles. Odie has a passion for pizza dough and learning. We talk about the process and the various styles. He shares how he decided to go into business with each style.

Doing a vegan Detroit pizza is unique. He details what he wanted in a Detroit pizza and why it’s open to all pizza lovers. Yes, we even talked cheese, since it’s a signature of the style.

In a Conversation in Pizza Today Magazine, Odie talked about the R&D of his Detroit. He said “When developing the vegan recipes I always consider taste, smell, allergens, and food cost.  Our meats are typically made from either vital wheat gluten or textured vegetable protein.  Once I decide what the base will be, I begin adding spices and liquids that I think will best represent umami flavors and also bake how I want them to on the pizzas. It really is just research, trial, error and then repeat.” Read his Conversation: https://pizzatoday.com/topics/people-pizzerias/conversation-odie-oconnor-boxcar-pizza-portland-oregon/

Check out Boxcar Pizza on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/boxcarpizza/ and his new project https://www.instagram.com/odiespizza/ .

Thank you to our sponsor

The post 192. Five Dough Styles and Going with Odie O’Connor appeared first on Pizza Today.

Scott Sandler on The Hot Slice Podcast

On this week’s Hot Slice podcast, Editor-in-Chief Jeremy White and Executive Editor Denise Greer sit down with Scott Sandler. The Pizza Expo speaker formerly owned a pizzeria in St. Louis that drew acclaim for its vegan slices. After selling that business and taking some time off, Sandler is jumping back into the fray with plans to open a new sit-down pizzeria with a wood-burning oven.

We catch up with Scott about selling a business, plans for the new pizzeria and why the new shop won’t be vegetarian or vegan but will offer meat products.

Scott has a full slate at next month’s Pizza Expo in Las Vegas. Be sure to sit in on his two seminars and his food demonstration on vegan nut cheeses. His seminar topics include “How to Sell Your Pizzeria for Top Dollar” and “Increasing Your Profit Margin”. Check out his Pizza Expo bio page here: https://pizzaexpo.pizzatoday.com/speaker-bios/#scott-sandler

To view the full educational lineup, check out www.pizzaexpo.com.

Thank you to our sponsor

The post 191. Back into the Fray with Scott Sandler appeared first on Pizza Today.

Mobile Pizza Business Owner Siler Chapman on The Hot Slice Podcast

On this week’s Hot Slice podcast, Editor-in-Chief Jeremy White and Executive Editor Denise Greer sit down with mobile operator and Pizza Expo speaker Siler Chapman. A long-time member of the World Pizza Champions, Chapman has most recently found success in the “food truck” realm. From weddings to corporate events, his catering gigs have taken his business to the next level.

Chapman will lead a four-hour pre-show workshop on Monday, March 18 at Pizza Expo. “Launching and Thriving with a Mobile Pizzeria” will take place from 8 a.m. to Noon at the Las Vegas Convention Center. You can purchase tickets to the workshop at PizzaExpo.com.

For more from Chapman, check out this article he wrote for PizzaToday.com in 2021 on mobile pizzerias.

Thank you to our sponsor

The post 190. Going Mobile with Siler Chapman appeared first on Pizza Today.

Listen to Gabriella Ottaiano, Calabria Restaurant & Pizzeria, Livingston, New Jersey on The Hot Slice Podcast

Gabriella Ottaiano said receiving an 8.9 score from Dave Portnoy’s One Bite at Barstool was life-changing for Calabria Restaurant & Pizzeria in Livingston, New Jersey.

It was just what the pizzeria needed in the midst of the COVID-19 Pandemic. Since the review, Calabria’s has seen remarkable growth, a streamline operation and a marketing focus capitalizing on the review.

The pizza that received the score was the Calabria’s Crunchy Thin. After the review, people seeking the high-scoring pizza confused other Calabrias with the Livingston restaurant so Gabriella had the pizza trademarked. Listen to the process she went through to trademark their signature pizza.

She also made several changes in the kitchen to help accommodate the increase in volume and maintain food quality. Check out how she did it.

Calabria’s added nationwide shipping. See how they were able to incorporate the frozen line in the kitchen flow.

Calabria’s also participated in the inaugural One Bite Pizza Festival. Found out how the experience went.

For 40 years, Calabria’s has been family and Gabriella is part of the second generation to run the business.

Learn more about Calabria’s at https://calabrianj.com/ and on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/calabriarestaurant/

Watch Calabria’s One Bite Review. 

Read Pizza Today’s article, Pizza Festivals: Getting Involved with a Pizza Fest.

Other Show Notes:

35 Pizzerias to Watch in 2024

We received hundreds of outstanding submissions for our Pizzerias to Watch feature and have painstakingly whittled them down to this list of 35. Go to the feature.

Pizza Expo 2024 Registration is Open

Pizza Expo turns 40 in March. Register now to attend the industry’s premier event! Learn more.

Thank you to our sponsor

The post 188. What happens after an 8.9 review score? appeared first on Pizza Today.

IPC Coordinators Michael LaMarca, Jeremy Galvin with Master Pizza on The Hot Slice Podcast

Pizza Expo 2024 in Las Vegas in March is our 40th Anniversary. There are some huge updates to the International Pizza Challenge, so we have brought Michael LaMarca and Jeremy Galvin on the show to give us the skinny. Michael, Jeremy and their team at Master Pizza and beyond make IPC a success each year coordinating the largest pizza-making competition in the U.S.

What is International Pizza Challenge?

International Pizza Challenge has evolved and grown in stature and prize money to become the most prestigious pizza-making competition in North America, if not the world. This year, we’ll have 5 divisions: Traditional, Non-Traditional, Neapolitan/STG, Pan, & World’s Best Cheese Slice, which will be represented in the pizza bake-off that will showcase 240 of the world’s best pizza makers. Each competitor will have the opportunity to bake their signature pizza on the spot at Pizza Expo, which will then be presented to a renowned panel of accredited chefs. The bake-offs will take place Tuesday through Thursday in the International Pizza Challenge contest area. The winners of each division will face off against each other in a mystery-ingredient bake-off to determine who will be named the 2024 Pizza Maker of the Year.

Here is a look at the 2024 International Pizza Challenge Schedule:

Tuesday, March 19 (Preliminary Rounds)

Top 5 scores in each division will advance to Thursday finals

Division                                       Time                      # of Participants

World’s Best Cheese Slice       8:00 AM – 4:00 PM        50

Pan                                             8:00 AM – 4:00 PM        50

Traditional                                 8:00 AM – 4:00 PM      80

CMAB – Professional Division Preliminaries   8:00 AM – 4:00 PM        20

Wednesday, March 20 (Preliminary Rounds)

Division                                   Time                            # of Participants          Thursday Finals?

Non-Traditional                       8:00 AM – 5:00 PM     80                                Yes

Neapolitan                              8:00 AM – 5:00 PM     80                                Yes

Ooni Traditional & Pan            8:00 AM – 5:00 PM     30                                No

Daiya Vegan                            8:00 AM – 5:00 PM     30                                No

Thursday, March 21

8:00 AM – 10:00 AM – Finals for all divisions

Traditional, Non-Traditional, Neapolitan, Pan, & World’s Best Cheese Slice

Location: Comp Areas A & B

10:15 AM – 11:15 AM – CMAB Finals (Publicy Judged)

Location: Comp Area A

11:30 AM – 12:30 PM – Best of the Best (Publicly Judged)

Location: Comp Area A

12:45 PM – 1:45 PM – Pizza Maker of the Year (Publicly Judged)

Location: Comp Area A

1:45 PM – 2:00 PM – Mixer Giveaway, Awards, & WPC Donation

Location: Comp Area B

2:00 PM – 2:45 PM – Awards, Recognition, & More Giveaways

Location: Comp Area A

2:45 PM – 3:00 PM – $10k MEGA Bucks Winner

Location: Comp Area A

Learn more about International Pizza Challenge at https://pizzaexpo.pizzatoday.com/giveaway-rules-regulations/international-pizza-challenge/.

Thank you to our sponsor

The post 184: International Pizza Challenge Update appeared first on Pizza Today.

Part Two of Dough Expert Peter Reinhart on The Hot Slice Podcast

Peter Reinhart

This week, we continue our conversation with Peter Reinhart about everything bread and pizza dough. Peter Reinhart is an instructor at Johnson & Wales University, founder of the Pizza Quest video and blog site, American baker, educator and author of numerous books, including “Bread Upon the Waters: A Pilgrimage Toward Self Discovery and Spiritual Truth”; “Crust and Crumb: Master Formulas for Serious Bread Bakers” and “American Pie: My Search for the Perfect Pizza.” Most notably, four of his books have been nominated for James Beard Awards, with three of them winning, including the “Book of the Year” in 2002 for The Bread Baker’s Apprentice.

Listen as Peter shares his wealth of knowledge on bread baking and pizza baking and just how much crossover exists. We talk sourdough and dough adaptions in the pizza making process.

Listen until the end when Peter shares his 2024 predictions.

If you missed our Part One of our chat with Peter Reinhart, listen now.

Show Notes.

The 2024 PIZZA INDUSTRY TRENDS REPORT is here! We bring you this year’s hottest trends and pizza industry analysis, including independent operation stats, concept and sales stats, pizza and topping trends, marketing trends, labor trends and an industry outlook. Go to the report now: https://pizzatoday.com/topics/industry-news/2024-pizza-industry-trends-report/

Registration is open for Pizza Expo 2024 at the Las Vegas Convention Center, March 19-21. Register for Pizza Expo 2024. To learn more about Pizza Expo, visit https://pizzaexpo.pizzatoday.com/.

Thank you to our sponsor

The post 183. Dough Talk with Peter Reinhart, Part II appeared first on Pizza Today.

Bread and Pizza Dough Expert Peter Reinhart on The Hot Slice Podcast

Peter Reinhart

This week, we talk everything bread and pizza dough with Peter Reinhart. Peter Reinhart is an instructor at Johnson & Wales University, founder of the Pizza Quest video and blog site, American baker, educator and author of numerous books, including “Bread Upon the Waters: A Pilgrimage Toward Self Discovery and Spiritual Truth”; “Crust and Crumb: Master Formulas for Serious Bread Bakers” and “American Pie: My Search for the Perfect Pizza.” Most notably, four of his books have been nominated for James Beard Awards, with three of them winning, including the “Book of the Year” in 2002 for The Bread Baker’s Apprentice.

Listen as Peter shares his wealth of knowledge on bread baking and pizza baking and just how much crossover exists. We talk shifts and movements in the pizza making process.

Stay tuned for Part II when Peter shares his 2024 predictions.

Show Notes.

The 2024 PIZZA INDUSTRY TRENDS REPORT is here! We bring you this year’s hottest trends and pizza industry analysis, including independent operation stats, concept and sales stats, pizza and topping trends, marketing trends, labor trends and an industry outlook. Go to the report now!

Registration is open for Pizza Expo 2024 at the Las Vegas Convention Center, March 19-21. Register for Pizza Expo 2024. Learn more about Pizza Expo.

Thank you to our sponsor

The post 182. Dough Talk with Peter Reinhart, Part I appeared first on Pizza Today.

Listen to Jess and Dawn Bingaman, and Lynette Swanson of Perry’s Pizza, Huntington Beach, California, on The Hot Slice Podcast

This week on The Hot Slice Podcast, we’re exploring the story of a 50th anniversary and a love story and growth and change at Perry’s Pizza in Huntington Beach, California. We chat with owners Jess and Dawn Bingaman, and Lynette Swanson.

Perry’s Pizza started long before Jess and Dawn came in the picture. The original Perry’s opened in 1973. Jess was a manager at Perry’s in the 80s where he met and married Dawn, who was a frequent customer. In 1996, the owner was ready to sell and Jess and Dawn were ready to take on the adventure. It’s been a wild and amazing ride ever since. Listen to where they have taken the business.

On November 4, Perry’s Pizza celebrated its 50th anniversary with an event that included giveaways and fun. Momentum built after the anniversary celebration as local media including the Los Angeles Times shared their story.

Perry’s Pizza has grown and evolved in its five decades. The Bingamans moved the location from Newport Beach to Huntington Beach gaining more square-footage and to their surprise a huge influx in customers that they had to figure out how to manage the increased volume.

They recently expanded into the space next door to help give them even more space as the business went from counter service to sit-down casual dining.

Don’t miss the end when they share advice for other operators from their decades in the business.

Learn more about Perry’s Pizza at https://www.perryspizza.net/ and on Instagram @perryspizza

Read the LA Times story on Perry’s Pizza.

Show Notes:

Registration is open for Pizza Expo 2024 at the Las Vegas Convention Center, March 19-21. Register for Pizza Expo 2024.
To learn more about Pizza Expo, visit https://pizzaexpo.pizzatoday.com/.

Denise mentioned tips on how to keep your team from burnout during the holidays. Check out that article. 

Thank you to our sponsor

The post 181. Marking 50 Years with Perry’s Pizza appeared first on Pizza Today.

My Top Pizza Business Podcasts

Are you up on all the latest pizza podcasts? There are a ton to choose from and each scratches a different itch. Some are more about pizza making while others are devoted to the ins and outs of running a successful pizza business. These are my top  current pizza business podcasts, in no particular order.

1. Pie 2 Pie

Alex Coons of Hot Tongue Pizza in Los Angeles hosts this excellent longform interview show that focuses on the things that keep pizzeria operators up at night. In addition to the audio podcast, Alex also releases video versions of each episode on YouTube. I love his perspective as a frustrated operator who finds peace by talking shop. Alex leads conversations with a natural flow that cuts right to the chase.

2. Pizza City

Chicago-based food journalist Steve Dolinsky’s bi-weekly podcast interviews a different pizzeria operator on each episode. Steve travels to each location to talk to his subjects in person, so there’s an intimacy you don’t get from remote conversations. Since Steve isn’t a pizzeria operator, his questions come from the perspective of an educated observer. There’s valuable insight from his short episodes (usually under 30 minutes), which are easy to digest on short drives or while walking the dog.

3. What’s Good Dough?

As an extreme pizza enthusiast myself, I connect deeply with this podcast. Host Eidref Laxa is an aspiring pizzaiolo who interviews professionals about how they’ve gotten where they are. He’s perpetually toying with the idea of getting into the business himself, and this show documents that journey. What’s Good Dough is the most inspirational pizza podcast I’ve heard, so check it out if you’re interested in getting back to the basics of what got you into pizza making in the first place.

4. The Hot Slice

If you didn’t already know about Pizza Today’s audio companion podcast, now you do. Pizza Today’s editor-in-chief Jeremy White helms the show with colleagues Josh Keown and Denise Greer. The material they cover is a great supplement to the magazine’s content, with in-depth interviews and previews of upcoming pizza industry events. If you’ve ever wondered what information didn’t fit into this month’s issue or how Pizza Expo works behind the scenes, this show has your answers.

Honorable Mention

I wouldn’t be able to sleep at night if I didn’t mention two pizza podcasts that ignore the business side entirely. Pizza Pod Party is a fun interview show from radio personality Alfred Shulz and food writer Arthur Bovino. Each week they talk to a different media personality about their pizza experiences.

Leave it to Michigan Public Radio to launch the perfect limited series about the state’s significance in pizza history, called Dough Dynasty. Hosts April Baer and Laura Weber-Davis dive into the deep end of chain pizza history, super-trendy Detroit Style pizza, and even the significance of ranch dressing. This is an incredibly well-produced and fun show that uses interviews with industry experts to unroll Michigan’s storied pizza history.

SCOTT WIENER is the founder of Scott’s Pizza Tours in New York City and SliceOutHunger.org  Instagram: @scottspizzatours

The post Man on the Street: Pizza Podcasts appeared first on Pizza Today.

This week we talk Pizza Expo 2024 on The Hot Slice Podcast

Pizza Expo 2024 turns 40 and we’re going all out. While we’re not disclosing what we have planned, we’re marking the occasion in a major way. This week, Denise and Jeremy talk Pizza Expo. Attendee registration opened this week. This also means competitors can register for the show and sign up for the International Pizza Challenge and World Pizza Games.

For those not familiar with Pizza Expo, the show remains unchallenged as the industry’s leading event. Network with thousands of pizzeria professionals as they convene in Las Vegas, Nevada on March 19-21, 2024 for 3-days dedicated to all things pizza. Suppliers from across the globe, educational sessions taught by top industry professionals, and national competitions, this event is one you simply cannot afford to miss!

We detail workshops that attendees can also register for. Here’s a quick look at the Sunday workshops that Jeremy described:

Sunday, March 17

1:00 pm – 5:00 pm

W01 What to do BEFORE You Increase Menu Prices ($250)

David Scott Peters, Restaurant Business Expert, Workshop Presenter, DavidScottPeters.com

Type: Workshop | Track: Workshop

1:00 pm – 5:00 pm

W02 The Million Dollar Pizzeria ($250)

Dan Collier, Co-Owner and President, PizzaMan Dan’s

Glenn Cybulski, Executive Chef | Consultant | Speaker, Glenn Cybulski Restaurant Consulting

Type: Workshop | Track: Workshop

1:00 pm – 5:00 pm

W03 Maximizing Your Carryout & Delivery Revenue and Operations ($250)

Tony Troiano, Owner-Operator, J.B.ALBERTO’S PIZZA

Scott Anthony, Owner-Operator, Punxsutawney Pizza

Type: Workshop | Track: Workshop

1:00 pm – 5:00 pm

W04 Crafting Your Brand and Marketing Strategy ($250)

Mike Bausch, Owner-Operator, Workshop Presenter, Andolini’s Pizzeria

Type: Workshop | Track: Workshop

To register for Pizza Expo 2024, visit: https://registration.experientevent.com/ShowPZA241?flow=attendee&MarketingCode=WSPT24

To learn more about Pizza Expo, visit https://pizzaexpo.pizzatoday.com/.

Thank you to our sponsor

The post 178. Big News on Pizza Expo 2024 appeared first on Pizza Today.

Scott Rivera, Scottie’s Pizza Parlor in Portland, Oregon on The Hot Slice Podcast

This week on The Hot Slice Podcast, we catch up with Scott Rivera, owner of Scottie’s Pizza Parlor in Portland, Oregon. We last visited Scottie’s in 2018 to profile the hot Portland pizzeria as an On the Road Feature. In the feature, he shares, “I think a lot of New Yorkers and people from the East Coast can relate to not finding good pizza when they move away,” Rivera says, adding that people question the water, the flour, etc. “So I decided to learn how to make pizza myself the way that I thought was good. I very quickly learned that it was not as easy as I thought it would be, and (I) started to use cookbooks and whatever I had, whatever tools I had (like) cookie sheets and made some really, really bad pizza. I think because it turned out to be so hard, I kept wanting to get really good at it. I was like ‘How can this be so hard? It’s just a pizza. There are three things you have to get right. It’s just dough, sauce and cheese.’”

In the article, he also shared that slices were his shop’s bread and butter but that has changed. He spent much of the pandemic and after dialing in his pizza and operational systems. After much exploration, he decided to open a second pizzeria. We go in-depth into his process and what it took to make the new location happen happen.

If you are a pizza dough geek, this episode is for you. Scottie details his pizza dough exploration and talks sourdough.

Read the On the Road Feature in Pizza Today.

Learn more about Scottie’s Pizza Parlor at https://www.scottiespizzaparlor.com/ and on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/scottiespizzaparlor/

Show Notes:

Pizza Expo 2024 will be our 40th Anniversary. If you have show memorabilia, photos or memories, please share those with Jeremy at jwhite@pizzatoday.com and Denise at dgreer@pizzatoday.com

Submit your pizzeria for the 2024 Pizzerias to Watch List. Complete the form today.

Thank you to our sponsor

The post 177. Refocus to Grow with Scott Rivera appeared first on Pizza Today.

Letters to the Editor on The Hot Slice Podcast

Jeremy and Josh read and respond to some recent emails sent to Pizza Today by readers. They talk pizza tech, desserts and business in this episode. But the real gold is near the end when the 2024 Pizza Expo Opening Day Keynote speaker is announced. It takes a legendary person to get the 40th Anniversary of Pizza Expo call, and we know you won’t be disappointed. Be sure to watch this one all the way to the end to find out who it is!

Show Notes:

Pizza Expo 2024 will be our 40th Anniversary. If you have show memorabilia, photos or memories, please share those with Jeremy at jwhite@pizzatoday.com and Denise at dgreer@pizzatoday.com

Submit your pizzeria for the 2024 Pizzerias to Watch List. Complete the form today at https://pizzatoday.com/pizzerias-to-watch-questionnaire/

The post 176. Letters to the Editor appeared first on Pizza Today.

Pizza and Pasta Northeast Interviews on The Hot Slice Podcast

The Hot Slice was back on the pizza show floor interviewing pizzeria pros at Pizza and Pasta Northeast on October 1-2 at the Atlantic City Convention Center. This is Part I of a two-part series of short interviews. We get the pulse of the industry from the exhibit hall.

In this episode, Jeremy and Denise chat with:

Louise Joseph, owner of Dough Girls, Inc. in Greenwich, Connecticut

Angie Bogacz, co-owner of Caliente Pizza & Draft House in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Tyler Carlson & Mark Lacz, co-owners of Tymark Restaurant Group, in Westerly, Rhode Island

Show Notes:

PIZZA CON 2024! We teased our newest event that will take place at The Fillmore in Philadelphia on November 7, 2024. Sign up for updates from this one-of-a-kind event. https://pizzaexpo.pizzatoday.com/pizzacon-2024-attend/

Submit your pizzeria for the 2024 Pizzerias to Watch List. Complete the form today at https://pizzatoday.com/pizzerias-to-watch-questionnaire/

Happy National Pizza Month! We have ideas and marketing resources to help you. Visit: https://pizzatoday.com/national-pizza-month-october-2019-pizzeria-tool-kit/

Thank you to our sponsor

The post 174. Perspectives from Pizza & Pasta Northeast 2023, Part I appeared first on Pizza Today.

Pizza Man Dan Collier on The Hot Slice Podcast

This week on The Hot Slice, we sit down with Dan Collier. Dan Collier is co-owner and President of PizzaMan Dan’s, a regional chain in Southern California with 8 locations founded in 2012. Dan began his pizza career as a delivery driver in 1984. He served as President for a 20-store chain from 1987-2002 before becoming a Franchisee from 2002-2012.

Dan has been a speaker and educator at Pizza Expo, sharing his successes and, more importantly, his failures with fellow pizza operators and owners since 2002. Dan has also written articles for Pizza Today magazine.

We talk with Dan about his store growth and adding an additional unit. He shares concept direction, how the new store has performed and what has been key to that success.

Dan also surprises us with a new concept development that required him to change his perception of third-party delivery. Find out more about his new Los Angeles-based ghost kitchen concept.

Show Notes:

Submit your pizzeria for the 2024 Pizzerias to Watch List. Complete the form today at https://pizzatoday.com/pizzerias-to-watch-questionnaire/

Happy National Pizza Month! We have ideas and marketing resources to help you. Visit: https://pizzatoday.com/national-pizza-month-october-2019-pizzeria-tool-kit/

Thank you to our sponsor

The post 173. Catching Up with Pizza Man Dan Collier appeared first on Pizza Today.

Mya Anitai, Franny’s Pizzeria & Restaurant, Highlands, New Jersey, on The Hot Slice Podcast

Our guest this week is Mya Anitai. She owns Franny’s Pizzeria & Restaurant, Highlands, New Jersey. She took over a longstanding pizzeria Francesco’s Italian Restaurant in May 2019 and rebranding the business into Franny’s in February 2020.

Mya discussed the rebranding with us in a previous Conversation. She said, “Francesco’s had been in business for 40 years before I purchased the restaurant and took over. With great bones and a neighborhood of nostalgic support, I worked steadily to modernize the menu and increase ingredient quality across the board. The most popular dishes from Francesco’s stayed as well as specials directly from my Richmond, Virginia restaurant Dinamo (@dinamorichmond). I spent months monitoring sales and learning my customer’s dining desires before fully rebranding and becoming Franny’s.”

Mya also owns Dinamo in Richmond, Virginia. We explore each restaurant’s menu and what makes Franny’s different.

Franny’s has a full menu with pizza at its center. Franny’s serves three types of pizza: classic, New York style flour-tossed round, oil-pressed, square granny pie and deep-dish Sicilian. And we get into what makes those styles unique and what’s behind that oil-pressed grandma pie.  Other menu items include pastas, entrees, sandwiches, appetizers, salads and soups. We talk about Franny’s menu focus, as well as its new seasonal menu and what produce she will highlight.

Listen to more on this week’s The Hot Slice Podcast.

Explore more on Franny’s at https://frannyshighlands.com/  and on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/frannyshighlands

Read Mya’s Conversation in Pizza Today.

Show Notes:

Submit your pizzeria for the 2024 Pizzerias to Watch List. Complete the form today!

Learn more about Pizza and Pasta Northeast in Atlantic City on October 1-2.

Don’t forget October is National Pizza Month. We have ideas and marketing resources to help you. Go to the Toolkit!

Thank you to our sponsor

The post 172. Bringing Her Style to an Established Pizzeria appeared first on Pizza Today.

Every day we seek “Perfect.” The perfect dough, the perfect menu name, the perfect workflow, and sometimes we seek perfect before anything launches. Striving for perfection is commendable, but it can hinder progress. Today, I’d like to challenge us all to embrace a different mindset: that of the scientist.

A scientist thrives on curiosity, experimentation and continuous learning. They start an experiment before conditions are perfect. They form a hypothesis, test it, learn from the results and iterate. This approach is not about immediate perfection but about progress and evolution.

Mike Bausch, owner, Andolini’s Pizzeria

Think about your promos. What if you hypothesized that a loyalty program could boost repeat business by 15 percent? Or speculated that a fusion-themed pizza campaign could tap into a new customer group? The magic starts when you translate these hypotheses into actionable experiments. The fusion-themed campaign may have yet to hit the expected mark, but the feedback may pave the way for a successful future. That’s real progress. That’s because it will yield, even in failure, experience. And, every time, an experienced person is always more valuable than a solely opinionated one.

Perfectionism limits you to the past. The fear of a financial misstep or launching a pizza that doesn’t land with your audience can be debilitating. But you must remember, every great thing starts with an untested idea or a hypothesis, and very few great things don’t take any bumps or bruises on the way to being pretty.

Adopting the scientist’s mindset means giving yourself the leeway to venture, to stumble, and most crucially, to learn. Each experiment, whether in marketing or menu innovation, HR, etc., adds layers to your skillset.

Like a scientist, you need data. That means feedback on what works and what needs improving. That requires the hardest thing to do for many in our industry, listen and be humble to the findings.

Take the negatives of what didn’t work and view it as data towards greatness. What did it reveal, what did you learn, and how can you refine your hypothesis and try it all again?

Pizza is a very competitive industry. You are not competing against other independent pizzerias solely. You are competing against the thousands of choices at your customer’s fingertips—every other cafe, bistro, grille, to even gas stations serving meals. You can’t shoot blindly and expect to make every three-pointer and expect that customer to love each thing you do. It’s not possible. Sure, some things will land, but refining them makes them go from niche to evergreen popularity. You can grow stronger and faster when you seek knowledge with an awareness of failure.

Grant yourself the freedom to push boundaries by allowing yourself to mess up. The transition from seeking immediate perfection to becoming a scientist means you take a wild ride of discovery. In all of us is not only an entrepreneur, marketer and pizza maker; there is also a scientist eager to craft ideas as big as mountains, even if they start as hills.

Mike Bausch is the owner of Andolini’s Pizzeria in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Instagram: @mikeybausch

The post Mike’s Monthly Tip: Science over Perfection appeared first on Pizza Today.

One pizza maker’s journey into the business after “analysis paralysis”

I opened up a pretzel vending business in 2017 after finding a gourmet pretzel from San Diego Pretzel company. I acquired an old school pretzel cart from the guy who used to sell pretzels at the Pasadena Rose Parade. Not 100 percent sure what or where was next, my wife suggested, “Why don’t you sell pretzels at the Breweries?”  Genius!

We sold pretzels from San Diego to Sacramento and many breweries in between. As a big craft beer fan, it was a great gig. Beer and Pretzels are a perfect match. I also specialized in homemade mustard, flavored mustard blends and eventually several cheese sauces. It was going great, then Covid hit. The brewery business in California was closed for on-site consumption and events. I was out of business.

After re opening, I knew my model had to shift and grow. Selling “snacks” for $4-$6 dollars was fun, but not very lucrative or even profitable some days.  I decided making pizzas was next to get that average price up to $16-$20. Beer and Pizza are also a natural pairing, plus it’s a meal! 

I went all in on learning the pizza profession. I attended Pizza Expo in Las Vegas and nerded out, learning so much from the stars of the pizza world. I listened to almost 100 podcast episodes. I learned about different doughs, oven types, tomato manufacturers, cheese and so many stories about people rising in the pizza world. I already had a great game making home pizza, but I knew so little about the logistics of going pro for the public. In preparation to going back to the breweries, I followed a suggestion to donate pizzas to a local cause. I did a dozen pop-up events in front of my house to fundraise for my son’s high school football team.

I raised almost $2,500 for the program, got some great experience and received extremely good feedback on my pizza. Several neighbors suggested a local market had a pizza oven that no one was baking in. After talking to the owner of Jackson Market I started making pizza in their wood fired oven.

Some good deeds do go unpunished!

For the last several months now, I have operated Market Pizza by Drew Butler and it has been life changing. As a longtime excellent home cook, I never wanted to make my passion into a profession for fear of it turning into “work.” And I’m sure you all know the saying, “if you love what you do, you’ll never work a day in your life.” It’s absolutely true. I’m doing what I love, and my customers are loving my pizza. The plethora of positive feedback has filled my tank abundantly; more than anything else I’ve ever done. I now live for it, and it has made me very happy.

Of course, any business owner knows it is hard work with long hours that you wouldn’t trade for anything. I trained my son and he improved rapidly. To work beside him was a highlight of parenting. Truly. The pizza world has amazing people, community and consumers. It’s a fantastic industry that I’m blessed to part of.

In closing, may I suggest starting your dream, your passion today. It took me way too long to start while doing “homework” and investigating, etc. All of that is fine but can lead to analysis paralysis. In reality, dreams don’t start tomorrow; dreams begin right NOW!  Go for it. Today.

DREW BUTLER is owner-operator of Market Pizza.

The post Leveling Up Your Business appeared first on Pizza Today.

Frank Zabski explains New Haven-style Pizza on The Hot Slice Podcast

This week on The Hot Slice Podcast, we chat with Frank Zabski of New Haven, Connecticut. After a corporate career wore him thin, Frank got into the pizza business with a mobile unit he named “Fired Up Pizza Truck”. With the catering business, Frank aimed to “bring the party to you, not just the pizza.” The truck catered parties and events for 50-125 people and specialized in New Haven-style pizza.

Frank has since gone on to launch New Haven Pizza School (https://thepizzagavones.com/new-haven-pizza-school/). The school teaches home cooks/pizza enthusiasts how to make the iconic pizza style that remains a hidden secret from many consumers nationwide.

Read Franks’s bio at at https://thepizzagavones.com/frank-zabski-a-k-a-the-polish-pizzaiolo/.

Frank will be leading a hands-on demo on New Haven-style pizza at the upcoming Pizza & Pasta Northeast show in Atlantic City. The demonstration is slated for October 1 from 3-4 p.m. Check the PPNE show schedule and learn more at https://ppne.pizzatoday.com/.

Learn more about New Haven-style “apizza” here https://pizzatoday.com/topics/menu-development/apizza/. Then check out our Pizzeria of the Year feature on Modern Apizza, a New Haven staple, here. https://pizzatoday.com/topics/people-pizzerias/2023-pizzeria-of-the-year-modern-apizza-new-haven-connecticut/

Show Notes:

Don’t forget October is National Pizza Month. We have ideas and marketing resources to help you. Visit: https://pizzatoday.com/national-pizza-month-october-2019-pizzeria-tool-kit/

Thank you to our sponsor

The post 171. New Haven-style Pizza appeared first on Pizza Today.

Pizza Today Team on The Hot Slice Podcast Talking PPNE!

Jeremy, Denise and Josh hop in this week’s podcast give all the skinny for the upcoming Pizza & Pasta Northeast at the Atlantic City Convention Center on October 1-2.

Pizza & Pasta Northeast showcases top suppliers for pizzerias and Italian restaurants. The two-day show features a schedule of pizza and pasta demonstrations by top chefs, seminars and workshops given by industry leaders, and special presentations from featured keynote speakers.

Presented by International Pizza Expo, the annual trade show in Las Vegas for the pizzeria industry, this event gives the region of the U.S. the highest concentration of independent and small chain Italian-concept restaurants its very own focused gathering of buyers and sellers.

With a full line up of events, educational sessions, demonstrations and competitions, get the PPNE app to plan your trip.

For more info on Pizza and Pasta Northeast, visit https://ppne.pizzatoday.com/

Show Notes:

Pizza Expo 2024 will be our 40th Anniversary. If you have show memorabilia, photos or memories, please share those with Jeremy at jwhite@pizzatoday.com and Denise at dgreer@pizzatoday.com

Don’t forget October is National Pizza Month. We have ideas and marketing resources to help you. Visit: https://pizzatoday.com/national-pizza-month-october-2019-pizzeria-tool-kit/.

Thank you to our sponsor

The post 170. Pizza & Pasta Northeast Preview appeared first on Pizza Today.

A Look at Pizza Places around the U.S.

Collegeville Italian Bakery & Pizzeria Napoletana | Collegeville, Pennsylvania

Steven and Patrizia Carcarey have continued a family legacy that is more than a bakery. Patrizia says, “My family is from Nusco, Italy in la Campagnia (mountain region), south of Rome. In 1970, my parents, Giovanni and Caterine, moved to America. 24 years later they started Collegeville Italian Bakery and have been baking fresh bread from scratch ever since. My husband, Steve, and I are happy to run our retail store and carry on all of our family traditions.” Since then, the couple has added on a dining room, full menu, catering and a thriving packaged goods business. Collegeville has captured a cross-section of the town’s community. On a recent The Hot Slice podcast with Pizza Today, Steve shares the unique interior flow system that encourages diners to purchase its packaged goods such as donuts and desserts. The menu features a variety of dishes — including wood-fired wings. Collegeville serves up multiple styles like Neapolitan and Detroit. Wow pizzas include the Detroit MVP, Detroit Burrata and the Breakfast Pizza. We love that the Carcarey’s use their customizable signage to celebrate and honor its staff and community.

Halo Pizzeria | Frisco, Texas

This northern Dallas suburban pizzeria recently opened serving New York style pizza. Pizzas are available in 14-inch, 18-inch and slices. The pizzeria has a scratch approach to its dressings and desserts. Halo offers a handful of appetizers, including Fried Cheese Puffs & Half Moons, fried cheddar cheese puffs with fried half moon mozzarella served with Pomodoro marinara sauce. Salads include The Goat with Arugula and mixed greens, cinnamon sugar pecans, strawberries, goat cheese and a red wine vinaigrette. A creative dessert is the Cannoli Cream Dip, which is cannoli cream with chocolate chips, strawberries and blueberries, pizzelle Italian waffle cookies and Nutella. Pizzas include The Scott with garlic butter base, mozzarella, bacon, sauteed spinach, mushrooms and caramelized onions. The Fernando White Pie features an Alfredo cheese base, mozzarella and ricotta dollops.

Mucca Pizzeria | Portland, Oregon

A major player in Italian restaurants in Portland has opened a spin off pizzeria focused on a concise menu of appetizers and Neapolitan pizza. The appetizer menu highlights a unique bruschetta with a choice of house-made ricotta and Calabrian chili; honey meatball, burrata and confit or mushrooms. The pizza menu offers delicious flavor pairings like Spicy Calabrese with homemade meatballs, nduja Calabrese, roasted eggplant, tomato sauce, mozzarella and Parmigiano. The North and South is topped with Prosciutto di Parma, burrata, tomato sauce, rucola, mozzarella, shaved Parmigiano and balsamic flaky sea salt. There is also the Alpina with smoked speck ham, taleggio fondue and mozzarella.

The post Pizza Destinations: Collegeville Italian Bakery & Pizzeria Napoletana, PA; Halo Pizzeria, Frisco, TX; Muccca Pizzeria, Portland, OR appeared first on Pizza Today.

Drew Butler on The Hot Slice Podcast

This week on The Hot Slice Podcast, we chat with Drew Butler, who perhaps has been destined to be in the pizza industry. Things aligned for Drew when he was making pizzas out of his house as fundraisers for youth sports. He had been looking for a building to start his business when friends shared that a beloved local market had an unused pizza oven. Instead of undertaking a costly buildout on a new facility, Drew opted to set up shop, Market Pizza by Drew Butler, at the Jackson Market in Culver City, California.

We dive into what goes into making his neo-Neapolitan pizza including the use of a three-flour blend, sourdough and a long fermentation process.

Drew was named a Rising Star in the Pizza Industry in July. In his Q&A, Drew says, “I am striving for excellence in pizza and service experience for Market Pizza. My highest priority is the uniqueness of my dough and the special time my 67-hour process deserves. It all starts with the crust — the rest is just toppings! Gourmet toppings for sure, but we have a pretty level playing field for tomatoes, cheese, meats and veggies. The crust is my signature. It’s what defines my pizza from everyone else’s.  It’s got my name on it, so it’s got to be great!”

See how he’s adding to the momentum as he grows in the pizza business. Find out his ultimate goal.

Read Drew’s Rising Stars Q&A.

Follow Market Pizza by Drew Butler on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/marketpizzabdb/

Show Notes:

• Attention ALL PIZZERIA OWNERS AND OPERATORS: As a valued member of the pizzeria community, we would like to invite you to participate in an industry survey. Be counted in this annual gauge of vital pizzeria insights, issues and trends. Take the survey now.

• Last chance to submit your pizzeria for one of the 20 categories in the PIE Awards. Learn more.

• Celebrate National Pizza Month in October! Pizza Today has you covered this October with our National Pizza Month Pizzeria Tool Kit. We’ve pulled together resources to help you mark the occasion and promote your National Pizza Month campaigns in your store, in the community, virtually and on social networks.  Go to our Pizzeria Operator Toolkit.

Thank you to our sponsor

The post 169. Destined for Pizza appeared first on Pizza Today.

Will Grant, That’s A Some Pizza in Bainbridge Island and Sourdough Willy’s in Kingston, Washington on The Hot Slice Podcast

This week on The Hot Slice Podcast, we have our upcoming Pizza and Pasta Northeast Keynote Speaker Will Grant on the show. Will owns That’s A Some Pizza in Bainbridge Island, Washington and Sourdough Willy’s in Kingston, Washington.

Will Grant, owner of That’s a Some Pizza in Bainbridge Island, WA, and Sourdough Willy’s in Kingston, WA

One of four Master Pizzaiolo in the United States Will has been making pizzas for 39 years with his family pizzerias. He has opened 13 restaurants since 1984 and has won and placed in over 5 food competitions in the last 5 years. Currently Will teaches professional classes out of both his restaurants “That’s A Some Pizza” and “Sourdough Willy’s” which serve a combined five styles of pizza, all using a heirloom sourdough starter. As a World Pizza Champion team member, restaurant consultant and Master Pizzaiolo Will has the experience you need to help be successful in your restaurants.

We dive into how Will is able to motivate his team and create excellence in his product. He goes beyond his story walls to help consult and instruct pizzeria operators across the country. He is a frequent speaker and demonstration presenter at Pizza Expo in Las Vegas and Pizza and Pasta Northeast in Atlantic City. Listen to find out how Will is elevating the pizza industry.

Show Notes:

Attention ALL PIZZERIA OWNERS AND OPERATORS: As a valued member of the pizzeria community, we would like to invite you to participate in an industry survey. Be counted in this annual gauge of vital pizzeria insights, issues and trends. Take the survey now: https://pizzatoday.com/be-counted-pizzeria-operator-survey-portal/

Follow That’s a Some Pizza at https://www.thatsasome.com/ and on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/thatsasomepizza/

Follow Sourdough Willy’s at https://www.sourdoughwillys.com/ and on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/sourdoughwillyspizzeria/

Learn more about Pizza and Pasta Northeast in Atlantic City on October 1-2 at https://ppne.pizzatoday.com/

Thank you to our sponsor

The post 168. Will Grant on Elevating the Pizza Industry appeared first on Pizza Today.

Listen to Melissa Rickman, owner of Wholly Stromboli, on The Hot Slice Podcast

Melissa Rickman, owner of Wholly Stromboli in Fort Lupton, Colorado

This week on The Hot Slice Podcast, Jeremy and Denise sit down with Melissa Rickman, owner of Wholly Stromboli in Fort Lupton, Colorado. Rickman, a seasoned pizza business maven, regularly contributes to the educational lineup at Pizza Expo and Pizza & Pasta Northeast. She has written articles for Pizza Today and has led a variety of seminars and food demos at the two aforementioned shows.

Now, she’s prepping for her biggest stage yet — delivering a keynote address at PPNE 2023 in Atlantic City, New Jersey.

We talk with Melissa about the keynote as well as her online ordering platform, who she sees as some of her biggest inspirations and her future plans in the industry.

Read her article from earlier this year about why you should keep chicken wings on your menu: https://pizzatoday.com/topics/menu-development/keeping-chicken-wings-on-the-menu/.

Learn more about Wholly Stromboli at whollystromboli.com. And, finally, register to attend PPNE so you can hear Rickman’s keynote in person: https://ppne.pizzatoday.com/.

Podcast Show Notes:

Attention ALL PIZZERIA OWNERS AND OPERATORS: As a valued member of the pizzeria community, we would like to invite you to participate in an industry survey. Be counted in this annual gauge of vital pizzeria insights, issues and trends. Take the survey now: https://pizzatoday.com/be-counted-pizzeria-operator-survey-portal/

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Thank you to our sponsor

The post 167. Melissa Rickman – Pizza & Pasta Northeast Keynote & More appeared first on Pizza Today.

Approachable Artisan Bread

The definition of artisan is a worker who is in a skilled trade — especially one that involves making things by hand. My roles have changed over the years in my restaurants all the way from apprentice to owner. And along the way I have learned a few approachable breads.

My first job at the family business was hand rolling and baking breadsticks at eight years old. It wasn’t a hard job or a stressful job, but it did three main things. The first was to keep my wild eight-year-old self busy and out of the way while my parents and staff worked our busy restaurant. The second was to serve amazing skinny sticks of sourdough goodness to our customers. The third was that it was the first time ever my family let me be included in working at the family business.

Those breadsticks were the foundation of my baking career. I learned the nuances of cold/warm dough, how to proof dough in a small kitchen and that amazing chemistry of baking and how it affected my doughs.

Focaccia dough was my second. I learned how to shape at 12, working morning prep at our family restaurant while being home schooled for a year because even at 12, I was still pretty wild. That focaccia was amazing, easier to make and serve than breadsticks and also great for sandwiches.

My next adventure in non-pizza breads was with hoagie rolls at my first independent pizzeria outside of my family’s restaurants at 24 years old. I realized that with a little finesse I could basically take those same breadsticks and make these amazing rolls that have made some of my favorite sandwiches I’ve ever had in my life.

A decade later as my family retired, and my role increased at the family restaurants in my 30s, I’ve realized that bread bowls and bread loaves were easy to create after my millions of dough balls I had produced over the years.

In my 40s, I still love to learn and consider myself a perpetual student of dough. I love any chance to visit other pizzerias and learn their tricks and techniques of these breads. Garlic roll sliders were game changer after visiting John Arena at one of his Metro Pizza locations in Las Vegas.

So, join me in a fun filled, hands-on demo making all these different styles of bread out of a run of the mill NY pizza dough! Learn something new or share something new with us fellow artisans at the Pizza and Pasta NE show at the demo stage!

Will Grant owns That’s a Some Pizza in Bainbridge Island, WA.

Will Grant, owner of That’s a Some Pizza in Bainbridge Island, WA, and Sourdough Willy’s in Kingston, WA

Sunday, October 1
11:15 am to 12:15 pm
Demo Area

Approachable Artisan Breads

Will Grant, Owner, That’s A Some Pizza

You can make outstanding artisan breads in your pizza oven right there in your pizzeria. Will Grant will show you how! Learn more about the Education Schedule at Pizza and Pasta Northeast at the Atlantic City Convention Center on October 1-2. Visit ppne.pizzatoday.com.

Listen to Will Grant talk Pizza & Pasta Northeast on The Hot Slice Podcast.

The post Learn Easy-to-Make Breads from Pizza Dough appeared first on Pizza Today.

Gemma Cataldo, Antonio’s Italian Restaurant (Elkhart, Indiana) on The Hot Slice Podcast

This week on The Hot Slice Podcast, we are chatting with Gemma Cataldo, manager at Antonio’s Italian Restaurant in Elkhart, Indiana. We recently named Gemma a Rising Star in the Pizza Industry.

She competed in her first International Pizza Challenge at Pizza Expo this year and took home first place in the Traditional Division. Her only other competition showing was in the Young Pizza Maker of the Year at Pizza & Pasta Northeast in Atlantic City last year.

After also winning the Traditional Division in 2019, her father Paul set a legacy for competing and winning as both Gemma and her sister Carmela.

As Gemma heads to university soon she plans to continue to elevate the pizza industry. She has collaborated with Carmela to be a beacon for women in pizza. She is working with the Women in Pizza movement to help amplify the successes of women in the industry.

In a Q&A with Gemma for Rising Stars, says, “I recently graduated high school early in March and I will be attending Ferris State University in Big Rapids, Michigan, this fall. I plan on studying Dental Hygiene, though I have no intention of leaving the pizza industry behind. The pizza industry has always had a special place in my life, and going to college will not prohibit my desire to continuously improve and learn. My sister, Carmela, and I are already working on new pizzas and flavors for the 2024 IPC. In terms of more immediate action, I am becoming more involved with Women in Pizza to support and highlight the talents of women in the pizza industry, especially young women who are just starting.”

Hear more about Gemma big IPC win, the pie that won, her future plans and continuing her Women in Pizza charge.

Read Gemma’s Rising Stars Q&A.

Learn more about Antonio’s Italian Ristorante at https://antoniositalian.com/

Follow Gemma and Carmela’s Instagram: @thecataldosisters.

The post 166. Gemma Cataldo — Pizza Champion at 18 appeared first on Pizza Today.

Discover Detroit-Style Pizza

Detroit style pizza is a square, deep dish pizza that is known for its racing stripes sauce on top, cheese crust crown and light crust. Whether you call them red tops or square pizza, Detroit-style pizza is a unique pizza style that hast become one of the hottest pizza styles and one of the most popular pizzas in the U.S.Pizza Today has amassed a library of resources on Detroit pizza. In this guide, you’ll learn about Detroit style pizza’s characteristics, history, dough, recipes, best Detroit pizza and more.

Detroit Pizza Guide Table of Contents

1. What is Detroit Style Pizza?
2. What Makes Detroit-Style Pizza Different?
   1. The dough
   2. The proofing process
   3. The pans
   4. Toppings and cheeses
   5. Deck oven baking
3. What makes a Detroit Pizza a Detroit Pizza?
   1. Detroit Style Pizza Dough
   2. Detroit Style Pizza Pan
   3. The Detroit Cheese Crown Pizza
   4. What is Brick Cheese on Detroit pizza?
   5. Why is it called a Detroit Red Top?
4. Detroit Style Pizza Recipe
   1. 3 Detroit Pizza and Detroit Pizza Dough Recipes
5. Best Detroit Style Pizza
   1. Best Detroit Style Pizza in Detroit
   2. Detroit-Style Pizza went national
6. Detroit Pizza vs Chicago
   1. What is the difference between Detroit-Style and Chicago-Style Pizza?
7. What is the difference between Detroit and New York Pizza?
8. How To Reheat Detroit Style Pizza
9. Detroit Style Pizza gets a National Food Holiday

What is Detroit Style Pizza?

Detroit-style pizza has gone national and international. Until a decade ago, Motor City visitors would ask, “what is a Detroit style pizza?” Detroit natives just called it pizza. The Detroit style deep dish pizza is unique and unlike any other pizza style. Today, Detroit-style pizza can be found across the United State and around the world.

Detroit-style pizza originated at Buddy’s Pizza in Detroit, Michigan, in 1946.

The square pie can be traced back to who created Detroit style pizza. Buddy’s Rendevous Pizzeria. According to Buddy’s Pizza’s own history on its website, “The Detroit-style Pizza legacy began at Buddy’s Rendezvous Pizzeria on Six Mile and Conant Street on Detroit’s East Side when in 1946 Gus Guerra and team made their first square-shaped pizza. Baked in forged-steel pans borrowed from local automotive plants, they were able to produce a very light and crispy crust which is now known as Detroit-Style Pizza. This was the first known square pizza in the U.S.”

Listen to Buddy’s Pizza CBO Wes Pikula on The Hot Slice Podcast. Detroit-style pizza is trending across the country. This week, we talk to Chief Branding Officer Wes Pikula of Buddy’s Pizza, the original Detroit style. Discover more about Buddy’s, the development of the Detroit pizza and how the legendary pizza company is in full growth mode.

It wasn’t until a pizza maker Shawn Randazzo, who owned Detroit Pizza Company, won Pizza Maker of the Year and placed first in the Pan Division with a Detroit pizza at the 2012 International Pizza Challenge at Pizza Expo in Las Vegas. This was the first time a Detroit pizza took the top honor at the international pizza competition.

What Makes Detroit-Style Pizza Different?

There are several characteristics of the Detroit style pizza that separates it from any other style. The late Shawn Randazzo, who owned Detroit-Style Pizza Company in St. Clair Shores, Michigan, helped take the style national when he consulted with pizzerias across the country teaching the Detroit style. He said in “Do it Detroit style” kitchen feature: “One of the most unique aspects of Detroit-style pizza is its square shape due to the fact that it is prepared in square steel pans. Detroit was experiencing a boom in automotive manufacturing in the 1940s, and the pans used to bake the first Detroit-style pizzas were also used as small parts trays at auto plants. Square steel pans are still used to prepare authentic Detroit-style pizza today.”

Detroit pizza is distinctively unique down to how its dough is proofed, the baking process, ingredients used and how to apply toppings.

A brief look at what makes Detroit pizza different from Shawn Randazzo’s Do It Detroit Style feature:

• The dough.

Detroit-style pizza features a medium-thick crust that’s light and airy on the inside, yet crispy on the outside, a signature of authenticity that’s achieved by a high moisture content (between a 68- and 72-percent hydration level) and the proofing process. Preparing your Detroit-style pizza dough takes care and attention to detail.

• The proofing process.

There are two ways to proof Detroit-style pizza dough. For the first method, you refrigerate the dough for a 24-hour cold fermentation period, which can enhance taste and texture. After 24 hours, you can press the dough out into the pans, making sure it is consistently even throughout the entire pan. Once fully pressed out, let it rise to a thickness of between one inch and one and one-quarter inch. At this point, the dough is ready to bake.

• The pans.

As mentioned, Detroit-style pizza is baked in square steel pans. We season our pans through a multi-step process that protects the pans and makes pizza more flavorful with each bake. Over time, the oils from the pizzas you bake will lend a natural seasoning to your pans. Like an old friend once said, “Like fine wine, Detroit-style pizza pans improve with time.”

• Toppings & cheeses.

Traditionally, a layer of pepperoni lines Detroit-style pizza crust. Next, cheese is spread evenly across the entire pizza, edge to edge, covering the pepperoni. Brick and mozzarella cheese blends are the most authentic, and brick cheese can be blended with other cheeses as well. However, there are substitutes that can be used in areas where brick cheese is difficult to obtain or extremely pricey. After the cheese is applied, any additional toppings can be placed on top.

• The sauce.

Ladling red sauce on last is one of the signatures of Detroit-style pizza, which is why it has earned the nicknames “red top pizza” and “upside down pizza.” You can craft your own red sauce recipe, but it’s best to begin with ground tomatoes as the base. The sauce is simmered until it’s ready to use, and it’s traditionally applied to Detroit-style pizza after baking. Some pizzerias apply it before baking, which does not jeopardize authenticity — but it can affect the bake due to high moisture content.

• Deck oven baking.

Detroit-style pizza is baked in deck ovens, which admittedly take some time to master. Training your kitchen staff to properly use deck ovens is critical to consistent baking. Natural gas-fired deck ovens with stone or steel decks are fired from the bottom so they don’t dehydrate vegetables and other toppings like forced air conveyor pizza ovens tend to do.

Now’s let’s go deeper in Detroit Pizza characteristics.

A Detroit pizza being made at the International Pizza Challenge at Pizza Expo in Las Vegas.

So, what makes a Detroit Pizza a Detroit Pizza? 

According to Buddy’s site: “The style flips traditional pizza on its head by beginning with double proofed dough perfectly fit to a square pan – a process that allows the dough to rise and be stretched twice – followed by the backwards layering of toppings.”

There are several factors that makes a Detroit pizza a Detroit pizza, including its dough process, how the dough is proofed, oven baking and how ingredients are staged.

Detroit Style Pizza Dough

Dough Expert Laura Meyer has covered Detroit style pizza dough extensively. In her Knew to Know article, she explained, “In terms of dough process, I managed to speak with someone within the Buddy’s company; but unfortunately, I am not privy to specific proprietary information. What I could gather is that they, like a lot of pizzerias in Detroit, are doing it the same way they always have or as close to the same as possible. They are using fresh yeast, a mid- to low-range protein flour, and there is no browning agent and no fat or very little fat in the dough. For water I suspect a lower hydration not exceeding 60 percent. The dough is made same day and is proofed in the pan for a number of hours before being cooked. The representative from Buddy’s explained to me that it “should be light and crunchy”. During my eating tour of Detroit, I noticed the height of each pizza was only about one to 1.5 inches and had a crumb structure that was tighter with many small bubbles. There was a crunch on the bottom, but it was never super distinct. It was the type of crunch that you get from contact with the pan and length of cook time, but not the thicker and more sturdy crunch you get from higher hydration.”

Get a Detroit-style Pizza Dough Formula Recipe, including detailed dough process from Dough Expert Laura Meyer in Knead to Know: The Tenets of Detroit-style Pizza, Part II.

Detroit Style Pizza Pan

An example of the Detroit Style Pizza pan

Originally Detroit pizzas were made to readily available auto manufacturing’s small parts trays because they were available and found in abundance in the Motor City.. Those auto parts pans are hard to come by today. But pizza pan manufacturers have stepped in to provide pans that meet the expectations for operators to bake a Detroit-style pizza. LloydPans is featured in our Product Showcase with 8″×10″, and 10″×14″ inch Detroit-Style Pans. See more on LloydPans’ Detroit Style Pizza Pans.

The Detroit Cheese Crown Pizza

Cheese crown at Hunny’s Pizza, Saline, Michigan

It’s unclear whether the cheese crusted crown edging a Detroit pizza is an original trait. But today, it is a signature that pizzerias across the country have strived to outdo each other on the Instagramability of cheese crown on a Detroit-style pizza. Follow hashtags like #cheesecrown on Instagram.

To create the cheese crown, pile extra cheese along the edge of the well-seasoned and oiled pan. After the bake, use a metal spatula to carefully extract the pizza, keeping the crispy crown intact.

What is Brick Cheese on Detroit pizza?

A signature component that makes a Detroit pizza a Detroit pizza is Brick Cheese. What is Brick Cheese? Brick cheese is a Wisconsin semi-hard, cow’s milk cheese that gets its name from the bricks used to press out the moisture in the cheese. It’s a mild and buttery flavored cheese but can get more pungent and tangy as it ages. Pizza makers are experimenting with various ages of brick cheese on Detroit pizza. Brick cheese is often blended with mozzarella. In past, brick cheese was hard to find. Today, many main line distributors carry Brick cheese.

Why is it called a Detroit Red Top?

The reason why you hear Detroit pizzas being called Detroit Red Top is due to the red sauce that is applied to the top of the pizza.

In Motor City Pizza, Jeff Smokevitch says, “The sauce is usually applied before the final bake for par-baked pies. Although gaining recent popularity is the technique of applying pizza sauce after the final bake (raw bake or par bake). Most of the older operators in Detroit will apply their pizza sauce before a raw bake. If applying after the final bake, make sure your pizza sauce is in a hot holding container of 135 F or above. Sauce is a heavy ingredient for the pie. When you apply the sauce, it should be based on the strength of the dough.”

Detroit Style Pizza Recipe

How to make a Detroit style pizza by following one our recipes built by pizza masters and pizza dough experts. The Detroit Style Pizza Dough Recipe As many pizzeria recipe ingredients are proprietary, we have enlisted the best pizza makers in the U.S. to create Detroit Style Pizza Recipes for you to try in your kitchen. Our recipes provide detailed how to make and bake a Detroit style pizza.

Before we get into specific Detroit style pizza and dough recipes, watch as World Pizza Champion Jeff Smokevitch shares how to make detroit style pizza at home in this how-to video:

Detroit Style Pizza Recipes: Try 3 Detroit Pizza and Detroit Pizza Dough Recipes

Jeff Smokevitch instructs on how to make a Detroit style pizza during his demo at Pizza Expo in Las Vegas.

1. Smoke’s Detroit-Style Dough Recipe. Jeff Smokevitch is a World Pizza Champion who brought Detroit Style Pizza to Colorado — first to Telluride at Brown Dog Pizza, then to Denver and beyond with Blue Pan Pizza. Follow this Detroit pizza recipe. Jeff Smokevitch leads a demonstration at Pizza Expo to teach how to make a Detroit-style pizza. You can also watch him as he created a Detroit pizza in his home kitchen.
2. Detroit-Style Pizza Dough by John Arena. Co-owner of Metro Pizza in Las Vegas, John Arena is a go-to pizza dough expert. He shares his Detroit pizza recipe that includes a Poolish for Detroit-Style Pizza Dough. His recipe walks you through the dough process, dough fermentation and room temperature proof.
3. Tony’s Trending Recipe: Detroit Pizza. Tony Gemignani is a world-famous pizza master and restaurateur with over 30 restaurants, most notably Tony’s Pizza Napolentana in San Francisco. His recipe pays tribute to Shawn Randazzo. He says, “I remember having Shawn Randazzo in one of my seminars several years ago and telling the audience that this guy may win it all the next day … and he did. The following year Jeff Smokevitch won with his Detroit pizza. It was a style that was relatively new to the competition circuit, and it was a beginning of a renaissance. Here is a recipe of one of the most popular Detroit pizzas at my restaurants. I call it The Motorhead.”

>> Explore Pizza Dough Recipes for Top Trending Pizza Styles including Detroit, New York, Grandma, Sicilian, Chicago Thin and Deep Dish. <<

Best Detroit Style Pizza

Since Detroit style pizza went mainstream more than a decade ago. Pizzerias across the country are trying the match the Motor City pizzerias who made the style famous. Buddy’s Pizza, Cloverleaf Bar & Restaurant and Loui’s.

Detroit Red Top Pizza at Tony’s Pizza Napoletana in San Francisco

As Detroit style pizza grow across the country, pizzerias outside of the Motor City became famous for their Detroit pizza. Brown Dog Pizza in Telluride and Denver, Colorado-based Blue Pan have made national best pizza lists for their Detroit-style pizzas. Austin, Texas-based Via 313 was named Pizza Today’s Pizzeria of the Year in 2020 and received investment to take the Detroit style brand to more states.

There are a host of pizzerias throughout the country who are serving up “Detroit inspired” pizza and gaining national and international attention. One of the best rated Detroit-style pizza places actually reside in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina. Toni’s Detroit Pizza according to Yelp’s Top Pizza Spots.

At the International Pizza Challenge 2024 during Pizza Expo in Las Vegas Charlie Webb, (50.59) Hudson & Packard, Poughkeepsie, New York, placed Second in the over Pan Division and won the Shawn Randazzo Memorial Award with the top scoring Detroit style pizza. See how well Detroit style pizzas performed at the International Pizza Challenge.

Best Detroit Style Pizza in Detroit

Buddy’s Pizza

Who has the best Detroit Style Pizza in Detroit? Buddy’s Pizza has long held the title of starting the pizza style. The legendary pizzeria has also been named best pizza on national and international pizza lists. Other Detroit pizza places have also garnered attention for their Detroit Style Pizza including Cloverleaf Bar & Restaurant in Eastpoint was founded by Gus Guerra after selling Buddy’s. Detroit Style Pizza Company was founded by World Pizza Champion Shawn Randazzo who went on to help take Detroit Style pizza national before his passing in 2020.  Shield’s Other hot pizzerias that have garnered a reputation for having some of the best Detroit style pizza in Detroit include Green Lantern Pizza, Loui’s Pizza, Amar Pizza, Palazzo Di Pizza, Como’s Restaurant, Amico’s Pizza and others.

Plenty of articles have come out ranking the best Detroit Style Pizza in Detroit. Some of the more prominent rankings include:

16 Places Dishing Up Detroit-Style Pizza — Eater Detroit

The Absolute Best Pizza In Detroit, Ranked — Tasting Table

The Essential Places to Eat Pizza in Detroit — Food&Wine

Jet’s Pizza was one of the first Pizza Chains to introduce a Detroit pizza. The pizza company celebrates National Detroit Style Pizza Day with specials each year.

Detroit-Style Pizza went national

One indicator that a regional style has reached national status is when America’s largest pizza chains start offering the pizza style. Detroit-style pizza landed on the menu of the biggest pizza companies in the U.S. Sterling Heights, Michigan-based Jet’s Pizza is a growing national pizza chain may have been the first franchise to take Detroit style pizza national. Jet’s has been serving Detroit style pizza for over 40 years. Today, Jet’s Pizza has more than 400 locations in 21 states. Pizza Hut introduced a Detroit Style Pan Pizza limited time offer in 2021. Though founded in Detroit in 1959, Little Caesars debuted its Detroit-Style Deep Dish Pizza in 2022.

Listen to Jet’s Pizza Owners on The Hot Slice Podcast. This episode is dedicated to one of the COVID-19 Pizzeria Impact Stories that we’re featuring all month. Jet’s Pizza is one of America’s largest pizza companies with hundreds of locations in 19 states, helping move Detroit-style pizza mainstream. Listen to an engaging roundtable discussion with Jet’s Pizza leadership, including Jimmy Galloway, Vice President of Franchise Sales; John Jetts, President; and Jeff Galloway, Vice President of Store Operations. Learn what the pizza company experienced during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Frozen pizza brands are also getting in on the action. Costco has a Motor City Pizza frozen pizza line, now also available at Kroger and Target. Another frozen pizza brands offering a Detroit style is Digiorno.

Detroit Pizza vs Chicago

Detroit pizza is very different from it Great Lakes neighbor Chicago. Both have long histories of introducing their own regional pizza styles. Chicago deep dish went national long before Detroit. Both are considered deep dish pan pizzas but they look and taste very different.

What is the difference between Detroit-Style and Chicago-Style Pizza?

While both are deep dish pan pizzas, the similarities between Detroit pizza and Chicago deep  dish end there. Let’s look at what Chicago Deep Dish style pizza is. In Going Deep, Katie Ayoub outlines, “This unique pie stands out with a crisp, biscuit-like crust that comes up the sides of a three- inch pan. It’s thick with cheese and other ingredients, and then topped with a chunky tomato sauce and baked for 30 to 45 minutes.”

The crust is a lot different. In Deep Dish Pizza, Dough Doctor Tom Lehmann says “the thickness of the crust and the overall heft separate deep-dish from, say, thin-crust pizza. Another difference is that deep-dish pizza is formed and baked in a deep-sided (usually 2 inches high) pizza pan that has been seasoned to the point that it is black. Also, the size and amount of dough require that the pizza be baked longer that a thin-crust pizza (while some shortcuts involving parbaking the crust have been tried, this doesn’t work in favor of a well-made deep-dish pie). The fact is that the longer oven time tremendously enhances the flavor.”

Detroit has a much taller crust with crunch. Detroit Pizza crust is often describe as “looks like a brick, tastes like a feather”. In Tenets of Detroit Style Pizza, Laura Meyer notes, “I noticed the height of each pizza was only about one to 1.5 inches and had a crumb structure that was tighter with many small bubbles. There was a crunch on the bottom, but it was never super distinct. It was the type of crunch that you get from contact with the pan and length of cook time, but not the thicker and more sturdy crunch you get from higher hydration.”

What is the difference between Detroit and New York Pizza?

Short answer: everything! There could not be any two pizza crusts that any more different than New York Style Pizza and Detroit style pizza. Detroit is a thick, pan pizza while New York thin crust is applied directly to deck ovens. In a Q&A with John Arena, pizza champion Derek Sanchez says, “Our target is light, full of air, crispy yet tender, great structure, foldable and fermented to just the right flavor profile.”

The crust height is a huge difference. New York style pizza crust should be about 1/8-inch thick through the middle with a raised edge. Detroit can up up to 1.5 inches high with toppings and cheese to the edge.

Get a detail description and a New York Pizza Dough recipe in New York New York.

How To Reheat Detroit Style Pizza

Send customers home with pizza reheating instructions. Find out how to reheat Detroit Style Pizza now. The skillet seems to be the preferred method of reheating. We suggest if you have cast iron, it will give it that added crunch. Heat the pan to medium, add pizza and cover. Heat for 5 minutes.

Others good ways to reheat Detroit pizza is by using a toaster over or conventional oven. You can also reheat pizza in an air fryer.

Detroit Style Pizza gets a National Food Holiday

National Detroit Style Pizza Day is held annually on June 23. The origin of National Detroit Style Pizza Day can be traced back to the Motor City. Detroit May proclaimed June 23 Buddy’s Pizza Day in 2011. In honor of Buddy’s Pizza’s 75th Anniversary, the date was also made into the National Detroit Style Pizza Day in 2021. Check out the other nine Can’t Miss Pizza Holidays.

Detroit is a one of the hottest pizza trends in America

Each year, Pizza Today surveys pizzeria operators in U.S. to get a gauge on the hottest pizza trends in the U.S. Detroit Style Pizza was the biggest pizza trends in 2023. Learn more about how Detroit ranked in our 2024 Pizza Industry Trends Report. In a short decade, Detroit-style pizza has risen to the 7th in pizzas offered in American pizzerias. When we asked what style pizzeria operators intend to add in the next year, Detroit pizza was No. 1. We also sought to find out what the biggest trend was in the pizza industry today and Detroit was a top answer.

The post Detroit Style Pizza: A Guide to Detroit Pizza appeared first on Pizza Today.

Texas Pizzeria The Grove Wood Fired Pizza offers a unique pizza concept

Retired elementary school teachers turned pizza business owners Suzanne Francis, Ruth Matheny and Katie Agor created carved a retirement business that keeps the friends together. The Grove Fired Pizza in Granbury, Texas, was born. The

1.) What defines your restaurant and makes you stand out?

Our restaurant stands out because the pizza oven is outdoors where the customers can watch their pizzas being cooked. We have a covered pavilion for some of the seating, and the rest is all picnic style with tables and chairs scattered in the yard along with different outdoor games for them to play.

2.) Tell us about your pizza style(s).

Our pizza style would most likely be considered Neo-Neapolitan. We use poolish to make our dough and use 270 grams of dough to make our 12 inch pizzas. We fire them in our 800 degree oven that uses a combination of gas and wood. The pecan grove we are nestled in surely dictates that we use pecan firewood exclusively in our oven, so that’s exactly what we do.

3.) What pizza menu item do your fans go crazy over and describe it?

The menu item that our fans go crazy for is our pizza flight. We divide our regular dough ball into thirds so people can try 3 small sample pizzas instead of one regular size. We came up with this idea because if we personally went to a restaurant and were presented with options we weren’t necessarily used to, we would probably opt for a familiar pizza to be on the safe side instead of taking a risk on ordering an unfamiliar type that we might not be in love with. Our motto is “Try something new. Revisit what you love!” Sometimes people will order 2 or 3 flights so they can try different options and we love to hear them ranking and re-ranking their favorites because that’s what we do too. Our jalapeno popper pizza, with sausage, bacon, roasted jalapenos, cilantro, mozzarella and guacamole cream cheese salsa is usually the front runner for our Texas friends that love their spicy food. 

Listen to a Conversation with The Grove Owners

We met the three entrepreneurs at Pizza Expo 2023 and were luck to hear their story for our Pizza Expo Sessions on The Hot Slice Podcast. Listen to Suzanne Francis, Ruth Matheny and Katie Agor talk about how they started The Grove and its unique concept style. We also learn about those amazing pizza flights, a genius idea to let customers try three different pizzas at the same time. Listen now to Women Redefining Pizzerias.

The post Pizza Destination: The Grove Wood Fired Pizza, Granbury, Texas appeared first on Pizza Today.

This week on The Hot Slice Podcast are 2023 Rising Stars in the Pizza Industry Alex White, Dani Garcia-White, Cameron White, Justin Ford, co-owners of Yukon Pizza in Downtown Las Vegas, Nevada. Read their Rising Stars Q&A.

Yukon Pizza has grown from an outdoor oven at a commercial kitchen to a hot on the Las Vegas pizza scene brick-and-mortar pizzeria. Check out bio that Dani provided for each owner:

Alex White is a Las Vegas resident of 16 years, and the 5th generation heir of a family sourdough starter dating back to the Klondike Gold Rush in the Yukon Territory, over 125 years ago. He spent a decade working in the film and television industry, while also building his skills as a backyard pizza maker. When the pandemic happened Alex, his wife Dani, brother Cameron, and good friend Chef Justin Ford made the decision to jump from backyard pizza makers to a full on brick and mortar restaurant.

Dani Garcia-White was born in southern California and raised in Las Vegas. After spending 10 years in the film production and live event production industries, Dani began to form an interest in making pizza alongside her husband and founder of Yukon Pizza Alex White. Dani left her previous career in April of 2022 to pursue pizza-making and restaurant operations full time. She has found a passion for both pizza making and managing a restaurant and looks forward to Yukon’s continued success!

Cameron White started as a pizza cook and delivery driver during high school. While he pursued a career in advertising and video production in Northern Nevada, he was consistently amazed by his younger brother’s improving pizza-making skills. Both Cameron and Alex, who also worked in video production in Las Vegas, had dreams of turning Yukon Pizza into a family business, but they thought it was something for the distant future. However, Cameron’s dissatisfaction with advertising and a pandemic-induced layoff prompted him to seize the opportunity with Yukon Pizza immediately. In the summer of 2020, Cameron, along with his spouse, artist Jess White, moved to Las Vegas. Together, they started laying the foundation for the business, collaborating with talented individuals like Cameron’s sister-in-law Dani, chef Justin Ford, and the rest of the amazing staff at Yukon. Cameron has been humbled by the experience and the chance to work with such remarkable people.

Chef Justin Ford oversees back-line our menu and operations. He has nearly 20 years of fine dining and pizza restaurant experience, having worked in LA and Las Vegas with Nancy Silverton, Wolfgang Puck, David Chang, and others. Justin joined the Yukon Pizza team officially in 2020, when we started as a neighborhood popup during the pandemic. Since then, Justin has taken on the role of Chef head-on, allowing Yukon Pizza to expand its menu into new and exciting directions.

Learn more about Yukon Pizza and on Instagram @yukonpizza.

PODCAST SHOW NOTES:

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The post 164. The Rise of Yukon Pizza appeared first on Pizza Today.

Modern Apizza is Pizza Today’s 2023 Pizzeria of the Year

Modern Take

New Haven-style pizza has become synonymous as a best American pizza style. It’s not just pizza, it’s apizza pronounced “AH-BEETS”. One of New Haven, Connecticut’s ‘holy trinity” of the style resides away from the tourist capitol of Wooster Street, the birthplace of the apizza.

Sandwiched between the I-90 freeway and Yale University, Modern Apizza sits on State Street and has created its own cult following. The landmark pizzeria has been called the local’s favorite and the Boston Red Sox’ lucky charm.

Modern holds an intrinsic truth in pizza history. But it’s today’s Modern that has earned the famed restaurant Pizza Today’s coveted Pizzeria of the Year honor.

Pizza Today visited the acclaimed shop one weekday summer morning before the crowds lined its block. Greeted by a marquee awning displaying the Modern logo, it is flanked by “Traditional Brick Oven Apizza” and “Est. 1934”, it makes an impressive statement before you enter the restaurant. The long, dimly lit dining area is lined with booths leading to the counter at the end. A pass-through opening gives diners a peek into the original kitchen and original formerly cole-fueled oven. To the left is another dining area that features its historic menu board displaying prices from 1960. Photos and articles throughout the restaurant reveal key moments in its history.

Modern Apizza owner William “Billy” Pustari stretches dough.

Standing near the kitchen entrance is the man at the helm: William “Billy” Pustari, who took over the business in 1988. He ushered in a new era at Modern, right when New Haven apizza notoriety escalated. His mark will forever be ingrained into Modern’s history. With 45 years in the pizza business, Pustari says, “It was a labor of love. It’s all I know. It’s all I ever did. Never went to college. Restaurant U., that was it.”

Modern was founded in 1934 as Tony’s Apizza by Tony Tolli. The business changed hands to Louis Persano then to Nick Nuzzo, from whom Pustari purchased the pizzeria.

Pustari already owned a pizzeria in nearby Fairfield and was tipped off by his pizza box supplier that Nuzzo was ready to sell. After working in the business for 50 years and with the sudden loss of his son, Nuzzo was ready to pass the reins over to its next proprietor.

When asked if he had any reservations about taking over Modern, Pustari says, “No. Shoot from the hip.” He worked for Nuzzo, learning the ropes, during an eight-month transition, which brought in some much-needed consistency to the operation. As Pustari was being introduced to his new business, New Haven apizza saw a boom. Since Modern had already established itself as a major player in the style movement, Pustari was able to capitalize on the resurgence.

Modern Apizza Invests Back in the Business

In the early 1990s, Pustari set into motion renovations that would be a key driver to the volume Modern outputs today. First, he expanded the dining area to seat 130, added an additional oil-fired brick oven and makeline, as well as a prep kitchen. In the basement, he added a dough room that today outputs 250-pound batches of dough three times a day and converted an old wooden refrigerator into the store’s beer cooler.

Next, he tackled parking by purchasing and demolishing the neighboring fish market to create parking, a high commodity for a Northeaster urban restaurant.   

“We put everything back into this thing,” Pustari says. “We didn’t take the money and run. We threw every penny back into it. That whole side of the kitchen wasn’t there that we walked in on. The Back kitchen wasn’t there. The downstairs wasn’t there. We built all of that. We reinvested constantly.”

Pizza makers work together to make pizza at Modern Apizza in New Haven.

Streamlining Modern’s Systems

Pustari infused a laser focus on the restaurant’s systems. “What I brought was organization, just reorganizing it,” Pustari says. He created an assembly line process so efficient that he consulted with Sbarro to teach the chain how he does it. “I really enjoy that assembly line process of getting the product from here to there,” he says.

Modern sells up to 1,100 pizzas a day on the weekend, so the operation must be running at its most efficient.

Systems had to be dialed in. “It’s flowed as the business got busier because you have to gear up to what you are doing,” he says. “In the past when it wasn’t that busy, you could get away with all this stuff but you’re trying to do the volume that we do here it’s impossible. You must be well-oiled machine.”

The two-makeline setup consists of a dough opener, dresser, oven cook and cutter. You can even find pizza makers tag teaming a pizza to get it topped quickly. “Everyone knows what their job is,” he says. “You don’t have to be told. It just works. I try to explain this to people. They’ll look out there and see a line down the street and say ‘gosh, that’s got to be chaos.’ They come in my kitchen and it’s just like this (a quiet calm).”

The system is fluid and Pustari is always looking for ways to improve it. He insists, “It just happens naturally to me like people are naturally gifted at different things.”

The system depends on Modern’s 62 employees. He’s quick to credit the business’s success on his tight-knit crew. Many of the staffers have been at his restaurant for decades, a testament to the culture Pustari has created, a quiet and calm culture led by example. “If you make it here, if you start working and you’re one of us kind of, you fit in, you never leave,” he says.

There is no shouting or cursing in the kitchen, Pustari says. In fact, as the kitchen received phone orders for 27, 19 and 12 pies in a row, the crew was calm and focused on their tasks. It’s a family affair as his wife folds boxes with the team, while the father and son duo work the makeline and oven.

Modern Apizza’s Product Evolution

Modern still specializes in its charred, chewy yet crispy texture that it was founded on. The apizza was born from its meticulous dough, made from a natural mother starter and its 24-hour cold ferment.

Pustari says not much has changed on the menu since he’s taken over. Modern churns out traditional apizza from its oil-fueled brick oven. The Italian Bomb with bacon, sausage, pepperoni, mushroom, onion, pepper and garlic is still a favorite, as well as the Clams Casino with bacon and peppers.

The menu is streamlined, offering appetizers including salads and its famous garlic bread; apizza and calzones.

Where changes have been made are with the products. “Ingredients have changed from 35 years ago, just buying better products.” Pustari is proud of the  local sausage he sources, which is hand-pinched on every pie. “They bring it every day,” he says. “They call us early in the morning. We tell them how many pounds we want, and they grind it, make it and bring it over.” He would rather do business with products right down the street. Rather than dealing with the large soda companies, he opted to stock a local soda.

The beer menu also features local breweries. He even took it a step further and started collaborating with New England breweries as far back as the early 1990s to do limited edition beers only sold at the restaurant. “We did a Modern Lager, a classic Lager,” he says. “This past Monday, we made an Italian Pilsner with a brewery called Counter Weight. That is the first one I’ve done with them. So, we go down to the brewery and add in all the hops and add in all the grains and transfer it from tank to tank and spend the whole day so it’s a lot of fun. We sell them in 4-packs. This year, we’re doing a 4-pack with a t-shirt as a package. The last time we launched it, we sold 40 half barrels of the beer within two months.”

With the house beer and 10 taps combined with an assortment of wine, alcohol is six percent of its sales. “We go through beer like a bar does,” he says.

Modern Apizza Maintains its Community Reputation

While Modern has an ever increasing stream of tourists flocking to try the apizza, it’s known as the locals’ spot, something that Pustari strives to maintain. He puts his emphasis on the New Haven community. “We’ve done fundraisers for all the local cops,” he says. “Someone gets hurt, injured, you know, we jump on board on it. Fire department eat here every Friday from all the different houses in New Haven and if they need something, they have a tragedy, or something happened, we jump in on it.”

With a busy phone system, locals have also cracked the code to miss the tourist lines. “All the locals, all the people that know me, they all do that.”

Modern’s growth is only limited by time and space. The restaurant draws $5 million in annual sales without delivery or use of third-party services.

Even with all the renovations and systems in place, Pustari says they’ve reached maxed capacity. “Demand especially on the weekend is probably five times than what we do,” he says. “We could probably sell 5,000 pizzas a night if we had the capability of it.”

Pustari and his team focus on optimizing what they can with the set number of hours and 2,800 square feet.

“We’re really good at retaining our clientele. We are really, really good and there’s a big face on it. It’s my face on it all the time and that’s why I don’t try to bastardize it.”

Pustari is constantly asked about opening more locations and new ventures, but his resolve is strong. “It’s not my thing,” he says. “I’d rather just have it nice, mellow and easygoing; you know. I love the restaurant business. I’m a social person. I can’t do office work. I can’t sit down, I can’t write. I can’t spell but I can cook and that’s what I like to do.”

Denise Greer is Executive Editor at Pizza Today.

New Haven Apizza

Pizza Today overs coverage of common pizza styles in the U.S. New Haven apizza is a favorite American pizza style that has expanded beyond New Haven to cities across the country. Explore more on New Haven-style Pizza:

What is New Haven apizza?

Take a New Haven Pizza Tour with Pizza Today. 

Check out how New Haven style pizza has fared nationally in our Guide to the 2023 National “Best Pizzas” Lists

Learn more about Apizza in an in depth interview Frank Zabski on The Hot Slice Podcast. Frank operates the New Haven Pizza School.

Modern Apizza Pizzeria of the Year receives national media attention

Since we announced Modern Apizza as our Pizza Today 2023 Pizzeria of the year, the designation has received a number of national media stories. Check out a few of the media outlets spotlighting 2023 Pizzeria of the Year Modern Apizza:

Food & Wine: This Pizza Joint Was Just Named Pizzeria of the Year, and No, It’s Not in New York or Chicago

Patch: Pizza Today ‘Zine Names Modern Apizza Eatery Best Pizzeria For 2023

Eat This, Not That!: This Is America’s Pizzeria of the Year for 2023

Parade: The Pizzeria of the Year Was Just Named—And It’s Not What You Expect

The post 2023 Pizzeria of the Year: Modern Apizza, New Haven, Connecticut appeared first on Pizza Today.

Thiago Vasconcelos and Alissa Gibson, owners of Pedroso’s Pizza in Austin, Texas, on The Hot Slice Podcast

Thiago Vasconcelos and Alissa Gibson, owners of Pedroso’s Pizza in Austin, Texas, on The Hot Slice Podcast. Pedroso consists of a permanently placed trailer and a commissary kitchen.

The couple opened Pedroso’s in the middle of the pandemic in a much smaller food trailer than their current trailer.

Thiago spent a decade working as a pizza maker for Tony Gemignani in San Francisco. Thiago was recently named a Rising Star in the Pizza Industry by Pizza Today. Alissa spent her career in the front of the house. Thiago and Alissa’s backgrounds complement each other in their own venture. Their concept became the buzz of Austin and the little food trailer began making local pizza lists and garnering the attention of local influencers. That helped elevate the business and the couple looked to grow. They upgraded to an 8-foot by 20-foot trailer and increased its oven capacity.

The business was flourishing. Then the Texas heat wave struck, a troubling situation for a food trailer dependent on customers to stand in line in 110 F-plus temperatures. The couple set a policy to close the trailer when temperatures reach above 100 F. Instead, they run carryout and delivery out of their commissary kitchen. It’s a move that takes the stress off Thiago, Alissa, their team and their customers.

Listen to more of their story.

Follow Pedroso’s Pizza at https://www.pedrosospizza.com/ and on Instagram @pedrosospizza.

Thank you to our sponsor

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Anthony Petralia, owner of Tralia on The Hot Slice Podcast

This week on The Hot Slice Podcast, our guest is Anthony Petralia. We last caught up with Anthony over a year ago to talk ghost kitchens for a Pizza Today Magazine article Going Ghost: A Look at Ghost Kitchen Operations and Setup. His dad Don reached out to us to share that Anthony has grown his ghost kitchen into a brick-and-mortar restaurant, Tralia, in Sarasota, Florida.

Getting there has taken persistence and strategic expansion. Anthony, like many executive chefs, was furloughed during the pandemic. The COVID-19 pandemic birthed a new class of business owners, already battle tested.

As the ghost kitchen operation grew, Anthony looked for ways to expand into more. His current ghost kitchen location in Your Culinary Place, a shared commercial commissary kitchen (https://yourculinaryplace.com/ ), allowed him to gradually expand into a 20-seat restaurant in its facility. Anthony shares how the ghost op helped him transition into a full-service pizzeria.

With an extensive culinary background, Anthony likes the challenge of offering multiple styles. Find out his approach to doing an artisan pizza and a Detroit-style pizza without overwhelming the kitchen operations.

Now that Anthony has streamlined the business for dine-in and carryout, He’s focused on the pizzeria and even what’s next. Listen as Anthony shares his pizzeria story.

Show Notes:

Learn more about Tralia at https://www.traliasrq.com/

Follow Tralia on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/traliasrq/

Thank you to our sponsor

The post 162. Growing from a Ghost Kitchen appeared first on Pizza Today.

What happens to the business if something happens to you?

Estate planning is one of the easiest things for most folks to procrastinate, because, let’s face it, most of us don’t think we are going to die anytime soon. But, as business owners, we need to be prepared for what will happen in the event of a tragic event. We owe it to our families, partners and employees who rely on us to ensure that a crystal-clear plan is in place for business continuity.

The information provided in this article does not, and is not intended to, constitute legal advice and is for general information purposes only. Readers should contact an attorney in their jurisdiction for questions and advice regarding this topic.

General Estate Planning

Everyone should have a will that details how you would like your assets to be distributed upon death, as well as any final wishes like burial requests, funeral arrangements, etc. If someone dies without a will, referred to as dying intestate, a court will decide how to distribute assets based on your state’s intestate succession laws. It is important to note that whether you die with a will or die intestate, the assets and affairs of your estate are fully available to the public, unless you utilize a trust, which we will discuss below.

Next, each individual should have two powers of attorney: one for durable power of attorney, granting an individual the ability to manage your financial, legal and other personal affairs in the event of incapacity, as well as a separate power of attorney for healthcare decisions. The designated individuals, referred to as “attorney in fact”, can be the same person for both documents or two different individuals. You should also designate back-up attorneys in fact in the event that the person(s) you choose is unable to serve.

As a business owner, designating a person to be your power of attorney, particularly for financial matters, ensures that there is continuity for both your personal and business affairs to continue in the event that you are unable to make decisions for yourself. Your attorney in fact will have the ability to ensure that the day-to-day functions of your business and your personal life remain constant. These instruments should be reviewed or updated roughly every five years, or sooner if there is a material change to your financial, family or business situation.

What are trusts and what do they accomplish?

Protecting one’s assets through the use of a trust is an extremely useful tool and can help shield assets from public disclosure, as well as give one greater flexibility to dictate how one’s assets are managed and distributed.

A trust is a separate legal entity from an individual in which you place assets for the benefit of another person during their lifetime. There are three individuals involved in a trust: (1) the person creating the trust, creating the rules of the trust, and putting assets into the trust, called the trustor, (2) the person whom the trustor gives control of the trust, called the trustee, and (3) the person or persons who are intended to benefit from the assets placed into the trust, called the beneficiary or beneficiaries.

There are varying types of trusts that can become very complex, usually for purposes of minimizing estate tax burdens, but for most people, a simple revocable trust can shield your assets from probate court and allow your wishes for the disposition of the assets placed into the trust to be carried out immediately through the trust documents.

In practice, a revocable trust works like this: Tony is an unmarried man with two children, a pizzeria of which he is the sole owner, and a home. Tony, with the help of his attorney, creates a trust to place the business interest and the home into, for the benefit of his two children.

Tony designates himself to be the trustee of the trust during his lifetime, giving him control of the assets while he is alive. However, he designates his nephew to be the successor trustee after Tony’s death, meaning that his nephew is responsible for preserving the assets for the beneficiaries, Tony’s children, in the way in which Tony wanted the assets to be managed, as detailed in the trust agreement.

For example, Tony may have dictated in the trust agreement that the trustee may only pay income from the trust to beneficiaries for certain purposes, like for education or for purchasing a home. Or, he may have drafted the trust documents to be broad to help support his children’s lifestyle and general needs – trusts can be drafted as narrowly or broadly as the trustor desires.

Additionally, in the context of business ownership, the trustee of the trust is the person who will make business decisions in the same manner in which a shareholder of a corporation or member of an LLC would do so. The trustee can hire someone to be a business manager, or even sell the business if they believe it to be in the best interest of the beneficiaries, but the best practice would be to choose a person as the trustee who has business acumen.

While revocable trusts may seem complicated, the benefits are valuable. Trusts shield your assets from the probate court, which can be time consuming and expensive, while also keeping the details of your assets private. A trust also gives you a wider degree of latitude to direct how your assets are managed after your death with immediate effect, rather than waiting on the probate court to make decisions and distribute assets.

Corporate Entity Documents

Every business, but particularly those businesses which have multiple members or shareholders, should have sections in their shareholder agreement or operating agreement that dictate what happens in the event of the death of a shareholder or member.

For example, you may have a great relationship with your partner, but not so much with their spouse. If you have a buy/sell provision in your corporate documents that requires the company to purchase the interest of the deceased partner upon their death, you will save yourself from having to work with a spouse or other beneficiary of your partner’s estate. You can dictate in the entity documents how this process will work – whether or not they are paid out in a lump sum or over time, how the business interest is valued, etc.

Additionally, you may want to purchase “key-man” life insurance policies for yourself and your partners that pays the company in the event of a partner’s death, so that the company has enough liquid funds to buy out the deceased partner’s shares or membership interest. 

Estate planning is complex and requires a lot of diligent thought and contemplation of unpleasant scenarios. In the end, those of us who own businesses have a duty to our families and employees to ensure that our affairs are in order for when the unexpected happens. If you have never done estate planning or it’s been some time since you’ve looked at your estate planning documents, I highly recommend speaking to a qualified estate planning attorney in your state to make sure that your affairs are in order.

Thomas Reinhard is a Seattle-based business attorney and a co-owner of Cascadia Pizza Co.

The post Ins & Outs of Estate Planning appeared first on Pizza Today.

Neel and Palak Vaidya, Troy’s Italian Kitchen on The Hot Slice Podcast

On this week’s The Hot Slice Podcast, Executive Editor Denise Greer and Senior Creative Director Josh Keown chat with Neel and Palak Vaidya, co-owners of Troy’s Italian Kitchen in Arlington, Virginia. Neel was recently named a Rising Star of the Pizza Industry by Pizza Today.

Neel and Palak’s journey to pizza was a unique one. They capitalized on the sale of an existing pizzeria. Though they kept the name, Troy’s Italian Kitchen, the couple overhauled the business and its menu to create the successful business they have today. Learn about how their interest in pizza sparked the flourishing business.

Troy’s Italian Kitchen was never meant to be a vegan-focused pizzeria. But the couple developed plant-based pizzas that pulled a fusion of other cuisine such as Indian, Mexican and BBQ. The vegan pizzas became a hit amongst the local plant-based community and drove huge vegan pizza sales during the pandemic. That demand has persisted, and vegan pies make up 60 percent of Troy’s sales.

Neel and Palak also jumped on offering catering and expanded their pasta menu to diversify catering. They have three team members dedicated to private catering.

Listen on as Neel and Palak share the story of Troy’s Italian Kitchen and its fusion pizza menu.

Show Notes:

Read a Q&A with Neel.

Learn more about Troy’s Italian Kitchen.

Follow Troy’s Italian Kitchen on social.

Instagram @troysitaliankitchen

TikTok: @troysitaliankitchen

The post 161. Pizza Fusion with Neel and Palak Vaidya appeared first on Pizza Today.

Steve Carcarey, Collegeville Italian Bakery Pizzeria Napoletana, Collegeville, PA, on The Hot Slice Podcast

This week, we have Steve Carcarey co-owner of Collegeville Italian Bakery Pizzeria Napoletana in Collegeville, Pennsylvania. Collegeville first opened as a bakery. Steve and his wife Patrizia took over the business from her parents. Since then, the couple has added on a dining room, full menu, catering and a thriving packaged goods business.

According to its “About Us”, Patrizia says, “My family is from Nusco, Italy in la Campagnia (mountain region) south of Rome. In 1970, my parents, Giovanni and Caterine moved to America. 24 years later they started Collegeville Italian Bakery and have been baking fresh bread from scratch ever since. My husband, Steve, and I are happy to run our retail store and carry on all of our family traditions.

With its slogan “we’re more than just a bakery!”, the couple have worked to create a diversified business. In a previous Conversation with Pizza Today, Steve said, “When they hear, “bakery,” most people instinctively think sweets — cakes, pastries, cookies, etc. While we offer all of those items, there’s so much more to our business. We have such a rich history, authentic culture and unique offerings that we want people to know about, so it’s just getting past those initial assumptions to show customers what we’re all about.

Collegeville has captured a diverse market in its small college town. Steve shares the unique interior flow system that encourages diners to purchase its packaged goods such as donuts and desserts.

Listen as Executive Editor chats one-on-one with Steve on the following topics:

• The business’s rich history
• Maintaining a bakery and pizzeria operation
• Collegeville’s pizza style
• Focused catering
• Dining flow
• Grab-and-go goods
• Future growth

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Thank you to our sponsor

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Luke Tobias, Indianapolis-based pizzeria Futuro on The Hot Slice Podcast

This week, we hear the story of Futuro in Indianapolis, Indiana. Owners Luke Tobias’ and Sarah St. Aubin’s incomes halted during the COVID-19 Pandemic. With a newborn, the two looked for direction. With Luke restaurant experience and Sarah’s business and customer contact savvy, they started a popup pizzeria from their home. They specialized in multiple pizza styles and made up to 50 pies a day from a home oven through a preordering process.

Fast forward nearly three years, they have a growing brick-and-mortar pizzeria in the Holy Cross neighborhood of the Motor City. We talk to Luke about how the home popup evolved into the thriving restaurant it is today.

Learn more about Futuro on this week’s episode, including:

• The home popup start-up
• Transition to a brick-and-mortar restaurant
• Pizza styles
• Luke and Sarah’s backgrounds
• Financing and building out Futuro
• Operations
• Future Growth

Show Notes:

Explore more about Futura at https://futuroindy.com/ and on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/futuroindy

Pizza & Pasta Northeast Registration is NOW OPEN!

Registration for the 5th annual Pizza & Pasta Northeast is now open! Don’t miss out on one of the biggest pizza trade shows taking place on October 1-2, 2023 at the Atlantic City Convention Center. Register online now before prices increase! Special note to COMPETITORS: Sign up now before spots fill up. Learn more.

Thank you to our sponsor

The post 159. A Product of the Pandemic appeared first on Pizza Today.

When Tom Monaghan took over a struggling pizzeria in Ypsilanti, Michigan, called DomiNick’s in 1960, one of the biggest changes he made (besides changing the name to Domino’s) was to slim down the menu. He reduced the number of pizza sizes he offered and slashed the sandwiches off the menu. Simplicity was his key to success. Pizzerias across the country live by the mantra of simplicity, but I’ve noticed a trend over the past few years that challenges it. I’m not talking about diner style menus offering everything under the sun, which is usually a recipe for waste, high food cost, low quality food, or all three. The trend I’m seeing is pizzerias offering a single non-pizza specialty item as a way to stir things up and attract fresh business.

Back in 2015, a little Brooklyn pizzeria called Emily made a splash when they introduced a dry aged burger topped with aged cheddar, caramelized onions and house-made “Emmy sauce.” That’s the only burger on the menu. There’s no burger list with options and fixin’s; that’s the burger. Emily is primarily a pizza restaurant, but this burger gave them access to a completely new identity. They scored fresh press coverage from media outlets that had already written about their pizza. Burger fanatics traveled to this tiny pizzeria just to try their burger. It was, and continues to be, a huge hit. Emily and their sister brand Emmy Squared now have over a dozen locations across the country and they all serve a signature burger alongside their Detroit-inspired pizza.

Scott Wiener
Founder, Scott’s Pizza Tours and SliceOutHunger.org

Pizza is easily my favorite food, but my No. 2 is ice cream. When I find a place that combines the two, I’m in heaven. That’s why I’m such a huge fan of Lovely’s Fifty-Fifty in Portland, OR. Their menu consists of a few small plates, about a dozen seasonal pizzas, and house-made ice cream. That’s it. Like their pizza, the ice cream at Lovely’s Fifty-Fifty rotates with the seasons. They only offer six flavors at a time. In the mind of owner Sarah Minnick, ice cream and pizza are equally important to the restaurant. That’s why she named it Lovely’s Fifty-Fifty; 50 percent about the pizza, 50 percent about the ice cream. If you come to the restaurant for one, you’ll likely stay for the other.

Back to the East Coast, we have to swing by two cosmically good slice shops that have both found success with sandwiches. L’industrie in Williamsburg, Brooklyn and Mama’s Too in Manhattan’s Upper West Side both offer specialty sandwiches every Wednesday. These are slice shops, so they sell pizza to-go, and their only real seating comes courtesy of COVID-era parklets. Both pizzerias spend the week tinkering, then announce the Wednesday sandwich via an Instagram post. They are guaranteed to sell out. Someone who showed up Tuesday for a slice will be back Wednesday for the sandwich.

In the case of L’industrie and Mama’s Too, the limited time element is part of what makes Sandwich Wednesday special. They do it on Wednesday rather than on the weekend to boost an otherwise slow day. When Emily introduced their burger, they only made 25 of them per day. I remember calling the restaurant to find out how many were left as a means of tempering my expectations. The revolving flavor list at Lovely’s Fifty-Fifty gives a reason to keep coming back as the menu changes through the seasons.

Simplicity is extremely important for anyone who wants to maintain consistency, freshness and low food cost — but there’s still room for some excitement from a limited specialty item on your menu.

SCOTT WIENER is the founder of Scott’s Pizza Tours in New York City and SliceOutHunger.org  Instagram: @scottspizzatours

The post Man on the Street: Stir Up the Menu Mix appeared first on Pizza Today.

Pizza Today talk Letters to the Editor

This week on The Hot Slice Podcast Editor In Chief Jeremy White and Executive Editor Denise Greer talk Letters to the Editor. We touch on some big industry topics, including Pizza Expo, education, entering the pizza industry, pizzeria valuation, our pizzeria operator survey and more.

Here are some excerpts from a few of our Letters to the Editor:

Drew Butler, Market Pizza by Drew Butler:

For the last six months I have operated   Market Pizza by Drew Butler and it has been life changing. As a longtime excellent home cook, I never wanted to make my passion into a profession for fear of it turning into “work.” And Im sure we all know the saying, “if you love what you do you’ll never work a day in your life.” Its absolutely true. I’m doing what I love, and my customers are loving my pizza. The plethora of positive feedback has filled my tank abundantly, more than anything else I’ve ever done. I now live for it and it has made me very happy.

Of course any business owner knows, it is hard work with long hours that you wouldn’t trade for anything. I am now training my son and he is improving rapidly. To work beside him is a highlight of parenting, really my life. Truly. The pizza world has amazing people, community and consumers. It’s a fantastic industry that I’m blessed to part of.

Brenda’s Pizzeria:

There were so many great seminars but a few of the really good ones were on at the same time.  I think the seminars I attended were some of the best ones.  There was one day we almost didn’t get to finish seeing everything on the show floor, we were running out of time because of the seminars.

Tyler Carlson:

Our experience at the Pizza Expo was excellent; our team found both the expo floor and seminars very educational, well-organized and full of great networking/partnership building opportunities.

Show Notes:

We mentioned several topics, so we are taking time to share some of those article and recipe references:

Pizzeria Valuation:
https://pizzatoday.com/topics/employee-management/valuation-whats-pizzeria-worth/

First Steps to Selling a Pizzeria:

https://pizzatoday.com/topics/employee-management/first-steps-selling/

Deep Dive into Restaurant Lawsuits in the News with Thomas Reinhard

https://pizzatoday.com/podcasts/the-hot-slice/154-deep-dive-into-restaurant-lawsuits-in-the-news-with-thomas-reinhard/

John Gutekanst’s Dough Articles:

A Better Pizza Crumb Structure: The Guts

https://pizzatoday.com/topics/dough-production-development/a-better-pizza-crumb-structure-the-guts/

Knead to Know: Making Pizza with Sourdough — Beauty and the Yeast

https://pizzatoday.com/topics/dough-production-development/knead-to-know-making-pizza-with-sourdough/

The Rise of Italian Pizza in Teglia is Upon Us

https://pizzatoday.com/topics/dough-production-development/the-rise-of-italian-pizza-in-teglia-is-upon-us/

And finally recipes on the two Upside Down Pizzas we dream about:

Tony’s Trending Recipe: Upside Down Pizza

https://pizzatoday.com/recipes/pizzas/tonys-trending-recipe-upside-down-pizza/

Pineapple Upside-Down Pizza

https://pizzatoday.com/recipes/pizzas/pineapple-upside-pizza/

Thank you to our sponsor

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Peter Falzo, Vinnie’s Pan Pizza on The Hot Slice Podcast

On this week’s The Hot Slice Podcast, Executive Editor Denise Greer chats with Peter Falzo, owner of Vinnie’s Pan Pizza in Millburn, New Jersey. Peter created Vinnie’s to honor his uncle who owned a successful pizza restaurant for decades.

Peter shares his story of transforming his own Italian restaurant into a high-demand carryout pizzeria. He details how he created Vinnie’s Pan Pizza brand and vital tenants to allow it to thrive.

Vinnie’s has received high marks locally and nationally for its unique take on pan/bar pie. The pizza garnered such a reputation that Dave Portnoy gave it 8.3 score out of 10 on his Barstools Pizza Review. “This place is going to be electric after I’m done with it,” Portnoy says in the video review. This is great… Wow. I love it 8.3.” The review sparked an infusion of new interest in the pizzeria. Peter reveals what happened at the restaurant after the review and tips for other restaurants who receive a visit from Portnoy.

Learn more about Vinnie’s Pan Pizza, on Instagram and on TikTok.

Thanks to our sound engineer and designer Katie Wilson.

Thank you to our sponsor

The post 157. The Vinnie’s Pan Pizza Brand appeared first on Pizza Today.

Evan Eriksen, owner of Pie 95 Pizza in Jacksonville, Florida on The Hot Slice Podcast

This week, we hear the pizza journey of Evan Eriksen, who owns Pie 95 Pizza in Jacksonville, Florida, an artisan style, neighborhood pizzeria. His path to owning a pizza shop wasn’t a direct route and took him to some far-off places. After culinary school Evan worked with leading chefs in New York City, San Francisco and Sydney, Australia. But it was a pizza trailer that sparked his passion for pizza. Listen to Evan’s episode now.

Evan reached out to us on social wanting to share his journey to pizza. He sent us such a great story that we asked if we could share that with our followers. Here’s his story in his own words:

“As a young child I always was interested in food. Family gatherings and the group gatherings where everyone would partake in the dinner. So, this caused me to start cooking at a young age.”

Starting his Culinary Career

“After graduating high school, I had no idea what to do even though I worked in restaurants dish washing, bussing tables, and prepping. I thought of what was my childhood dream to be. I then recalled watching a series “Great Chefs” as a young boy and praised these chefs.

Evan Eriksen, owner of Pie 95 Pizza in Jacksonville, Florida

I decided to move to south Florida and go to culinary school. “Florida Culinary Institute” was the name at the time. All through college I paid rent, bills and tuition cooking around West Palm Beach. After graduating I realized to be great, I had to train with the best. Then moved to NYC. Sent my resume out to over 25 places and only heard back from 1. Gotham Bar and Grill. I set up an Interview and bought my plane ticket. Within 2 weeks I was working as veggie cook for an amazing 3-star New York time restaurant.

It was incredible for a 21 yr old. After many years of working in NYC for great chefs like Alfred Portale, Eric Ripert, Gabriel Kruenther and Ben Pollinger I had to go overseas. On a whim got my visa and was headed down under to Sydney, Australia. There I staged at Quay and briefly worked at Tetsuyas. While sitting in Manly work I had a pizza and beer. Realized life was about the simple things and not overly fancy food.”

The Light Bulb Moment Sparks Passion for Pizza

“After coming back to the States I headed west to good old San Francisco. Became Executive Sous at Ame restaurant in the St. Regis Hotel. Something was not right in my career. Some passion was gone I wanted to learn something. Then something happened. I saw this adorable concession trailer in Fishermans Wharf. Carmel Pizza Company. It was a 18ft concession trailer with a 120 Mugniani wood fired oven on the back. They were hiring! I said get the job and learn pizza in a few weeks then quit! Well, I got the “cook” position and absolutely fell in love. Knew that pizza was in my life forever.

After working there for almost 1.5 yrs I knew it was my moment. The moment I had to open my own pizzeria. Decided to come back east to Jacksonville Florida. The food truck scene was booming here. So built a concession trailer almost exactly like “Carmel” had across country sight unseen and spontaneously. Yeah, I know it was crazy.

Then hit the road with my trailer. I was taking every gig I could. Just wanted people to eat and try our pizza. It’s different, it’s unique, it’s artisan, it’s Pie95 Pizza! Food trucking come with a lot of great, but also hard scary times. From weather dangerous driving to blowouts on the trailer. The list can go on forever. Really wanted to showcase more of my skill then just what we served pizza and wings. Of course, for caterings we had more options, but showcase my passion “food”.”

Opening a Brick and Mortar Pizzeria

“After years of looking and saving all my money I found a quaint 950sqft juice bar in historic Riverside. Jacksonville, Florida. Signed the lease and started our build out. You only open your first restaurant once. So let’s enjoy this.

Our menu showcases of course wood fired pizza which we specialize in. It also has a lot of shared plates and starters. I’d like to give the patrons a dining experience in a new way. Not a traditional pizzeria, but more of an artisan style. Our building was built in 1927 and we want to celebrate that. In the food and in the decor. We run weekly specials and like to get creative with the menu. Seasonal roasted veggies, fun plays of Asian fusion, Italians twists. A fun global cuisine celebration. We look to grow the starters and some main courses of the menu in the future.”

Learn more about Pie 95 on the website https://pie95pizza.com/ and Instagram https://www.instagram.com/pie95pizza/.

This week’s The Hot Slice Podcast hosts are Senior Creative Director Josh Keown and Executive Editor Denise Greer.

Thanks to our sound engineer and designer Katie Wilson.

Thank you to our sponsor

The post 156. From Chef to Food Truck to Brick and Mortar Pizzeria appeared first on Pizza Today.

Anticipating pizza orders will be a game changer for pizza restaurants

We’ve seen a small movement of pizzerias and mobile pizza businesses offer preordering. It’s a move we see that may revolutionize pizzeria operations. Preordering pizza will be among next big pizza trends.

I’ve been monitoring and spotting pizza trends for over a decade. The pizza industry has seen several shifts and I’ve become attuned to anticipating what’s next in the pizza industry. Preordering will be in the next wave of big pizza trends.

Our Pizza Today team often jokes that I can see trends a few years before they become mainstream. So, I am calling it right now, a few years from now pre-ordering pizza will be mainstream. And early adapters will be ahead of the curve and capture those customers who would like to pre order pizza right now.

What is pizza pre-ordering?

Pre-ordering or advanced ordering allows customers to plan ahead and order from a pizzeria’s menu ahead of time through its online ordering platform or specific pre-ordering app. I believe we will see a potential pendulum shift with more customers seeking to order food in advance. This can be same-day ordering, or this could even be days or weeks in advance.

Preorders can be managed through an online ordering platform or other preordering specific platform. If you are looking into pre-ordering systems, be sure that the platform will integrate seamlessly into your online ordering, POS system and third-party delivery apps.

Why do people want to preorder food?

The short answer is convenience. It’s a tool that makes meal decision-making easier. Think about pizza Friday nights. I know families that order the exact same pizza order from their favorite pizzeria every Friday night. It’s a routine for them. So, let’s make it easy for them to put in their order for the next week or even the week after that.

Preorders are especially beneficial to new restaurants and foodies who love to try the new hot spot. Keeping the local foodies in the know when preordering is available will help guarantee that they get some of the first slices from a new pizzeria.

Say, you have an in-demand hot specialty pizza that sells out faster than your team can make it. Set it up for pre-orders only. When you release it to your loyalty club and socials, your pizza fans will not only be able to get the sought-after pizza first, but they will also know that you value their time and loyalty to your pizzeria by adding “exclusivity”.

How will preordering help pizzerias?

1. Sales projections. We see the operational benefit as the biggest enticement for pizzerias to offer preordering. Along with your past performance stats from your POS system, tapping into preordering can allow you to better plan for rushes and other busy times.
2. Guaranteed sales. The customers who choose to preorder pay in advance for their pizza order so you can depend on those sales on any given day.
3. Special events, large groups and promotions. Another area we see preordering as widely beneficial is during special events, large groups and promotions. Often events can be considered controlled chaos. You have an opportunity to harness preordering to create a controlled crowd of orders. This also is seen as a customer service benefit to not have to wait in long lines. You’ve seen this play out successfully in other industries, like amusement parks’ systems to reserve spots in line for popular rides and attractions.
4. Turning tables faster. Preordering can help in a dine-in setting, working similarly to a reservation system, except once a party enters the pizzeria and sits down, the wait time for food is diminished. Their order can arrive within minutes. I would recommend limiting dine-in preorders during predictive peaks and rushes. Or, managed effectively, you can designate a portion of your dine-in seating for preorders.
5. Minimize food waste. Depending on how well your customers adapt to pre-ordering, you can also see a significant reduction in food waste as you’re better able to predict product ordering.
6. Competing with third-party. Preordering can give you an advantage over third-party delivery providers. Being about to establish a predetermined pickup or delivery time can be an added convenience for customers. An additional benefit is that the former third-party customer is now in your system with more opportunities to market specifically to them.

But, like any new technology, there will be a transitional period of makeline and oven adjustments to accommodate the preorders. It will be similar to the shift when you added and ramped up online ordering. Introduce it in key ways like events, promotions and as a loyalty-specific benefit to test drive its application in your operation.

What are the cons of preordering?

There are a few pitfalls with preorders, as well. Addressing these two key areas will increase the success of your preordering initiative. They are:

Overpromising and under delivering. If you have not set up preordering correctly to limit the number of orders in a specific time slot, you can run into log jams in the kitchen which will slow everything down to a crawl for all orders. Not coordinating kitchen orders efficiently and effectively can cause the estimated times to be delayed. Customers may be less likely to use the service if their food is frequently delayed.

Lack of integration. If you go with a preorder system that does not integrate with your POS system, it is at your peril. Using two different systems for orders can lead to errors in reentering orders into the POS system, increase chances of missing an order and make analyzing sales more challenging.

Successful Preordering Examples

Now that I’ve outlined pros and cons of preordering, let’s look at it in application.

A Preorder-Only Pizzeria

Moto in Seattle, Washington has a three-month waitlist on pizza orders. To control the demand for pizza in his 500-square-foot pizza shop, owner Lee Kindell set up a preorder only operation. Moto receives up to 250 preorders on a given night. As he expands, Kindell will open to walk-ins and same-day ordering. The preorders have allowed the young business to grow in a controlled and predictive manner.

Read this quick Q&A with owner Lee Kindell.

Listen to Lee Kindell talk about the preordering phenomenon on the Hot Slice Podcast.

Mobile Pizza Business Preordering

A Slice of New Jersey in Byram, New Jersey focuses on public events and private catering. The output of this pizza food truck is limited. Owner Chris Hill devised a plan to better execute public events through preordering. He announces the dates and locations of his public events, giving his fans the opportunity to preorder pizza. The initiative is very effective.

Listen to owner Chris Hill detail his preordering approach to public events on The Hot Slice Podcast.

Investigate how preordering can work for your pizzeria. If you have a thriving preordering program, we want to hear about it. Reach out to me at dgreer@pizzatoday.com.

Denise Greer is Executive Editor at Pizza Today.

The post Preordering Pizza Will be Among Next Big Pizza Trends appeared first on Pizza Today.

John Gutekanst offers pizza dough tips on The Hot Slice Podcast

This week on The Hot Slice Podcast, we are chatting with creative pizza genius John Gutekanst about his and our favorite subject, pizza dough. John is a past keynote speaker at Pizza and Pasta Northeast. He owns Avalanche Pizza and Slice House in Athens, Ohio, is a contributor with Pizza Today, Emcee at the International Pizza Challenge and frequent demo and seminar presenter. He is an award-winning pizzaiolo, baker, teacher, speaker and author and has been featured in Gastronomica, Food Arts, National Geographic, Alimentum Food Journal, Food Network and Best Food Writing.

In the latest Knead to Know column, John goes in depth into building a better crumb structure in your pizza crust or what he calls the “guts”. Pizza makers and pizza enthusiasts are captivated by the interlocking web of gluten on sideview photos of pizza on Instagram. The gluten development isn’t magic. It takes continual experimentation. John talks about adjustments you can tweak during the dough-making process that will dramatically impact the pizza’s crumb structure. If you’ve never manipulated your dough formula, John provides where to start to experiment with various results in crumb structure.

In “Guts” John says, “One of the most important aspects of pizza is hidden inside the crust. All the work of selecting cheeses, sauce and toppings that bake perfectly on pizza are second to the rise, cell structure and texture of the interior of the crust. The internal affairs office of any given pizza reflects the relationship between flour, water, time and baking temperature in what will become the base. These factors all bring the specific elements of flavor and texture to the final product and is like a relay race where all the runners deliver a final win for the team. If one of them stumbles, the team suffers, but when everything goes perfectly it’s a glorious day in Pizzaville. Read John’s Knead to Know column now. 

Next Big Pizza Movement

We couldn’t help but ask John to share his insights on how pizza is evolving and what’s next. Roman has had a gradual rise and he sees the long pan-style pizza to continue. Learn about why and how it is growing across the U.S.

Another climber is the pizza slice business. We shares his own experience with the serving pizza slices and where it is headed. PizzaToday.com has a wealth of knowledge on the pizza slice business. Here are a few things that you must do in order to maximize your chances of success serving pizza slices:

• Quality. Use the best ingredients possible, from flour to tomato sauce to cheese. A high-quality, high-gluten flour and low moisture whole milk mozzarella work best for this type of operation. Cheaper mozzarellas do not hold or reheat well.
• Know your numbers. Yes, we always hear that pizza by the slice is very profitable, especially because you get more money per pie (ex. $20 for whole pie, but $3.5 per slice, 8 slices per pie $28) but if you are only selling two to three slice of the pie, you might be losing money. Know what every pizza costs you, know what every slice costs you. Also know how many pizzas you are selling, so you’re not over making them and left with a lot of waste.
• Have a killer display. People eat with their eyes, so make sure your pizzas look fantastic and are always on display. There is something to be said about slices. People want to see them, and they love to pick out their slice. Having signage or photos won’t be as effective as having them on display for your guests. You also want to make sure displays are always clean and well lit, so that your customers can get a good look at the slices. And have a nice selection. People don’t want to see only the usual boring cheese, sausage and pepperoni.

Get more slice business tips now. 

This week’s The Hot Slice Podcast hosts are Senior Creative Director Josh Keown and Executive Editor Denise Greer.

Thanks to our sound engineer and designer Katie Wilson.

Thank you to our sponsor

The post 155: Let’s talk Pizza Dough with John Gutekanst appeared first on Pizza Today.

Thomas Reinhard talks Wage Theft Lawsuits and Prevention, Importance of Estate Planning on The Hot Slice Podcast

The information provided on this podcast does not, and is not intended to, constitute legal advice and is for general information purposes only. Readers should contact an attorney in their jurisdiction for questions and advice regarding this topic.

Lawsuits impacting restaurants have been all over the news. Two dispute issues that we are seeing that you should be aware of are wage theft and estate and will lawsuits. We’ve tapped Thomas Reinhard, practicing attorney and co-owner of Cascadia Pizza Company in Seattle, Washington, to chat about these types of critical restaurant lawsuits in the news.

Wage theft lawsuits can come in the form of a few sources, including misappropriating employee tips and tip pooling issues. Thomas has recently addressed tips, tip pooling and service charges on PizzaToday.com in an article “What’s the difference between Restaurant Tips and Service Charges?” (https://pizzatoday.com/topics/employee-management/whats-the-difference-between-restaurant-tips-and-service-charges/). In the article, he clear classifies employee tips and who can receive tips. “A tip is a discretionary payment made by a customer independently, is calculated on their own, and is not dictated by restaurant policy,” he states.

Tip pooling is another area of contention. Thomas explained, “all tips collected are placed into a collective pool and then divided up among staff members. The pool can include anyone who is in the “chain of service”, including servers, dishwashers, bussers, cooks and other kitchen staff.” Read the article now. Though the Department of Labor allows mandatory tip pooling, not every state or municipality allows tip pooling. It’s important to check with your business attorney.

Restaurants are also making headlines for lawsuits over ownership. Estate Planning is vital for business owners. It’s important to have everything spelled out to alleviate conflicts after your death. Now is the right time to do estate planning restaurant business owners. Thomas shares how part of the process is pizzeria valuation. We’ve covered valuation extensively. TO learn more about business valuation, start with this article, “What’s My Pizzeria Worth?” (https://pizzatoday.com/topics/employee-management/valuation-whats-pizzeria-worth/).

Join us as week get into the weeds on wage theft and estate planning, two hot-button issues for toady’s restaurant owners.

Listen as we chat with Thomas in lively discussion of the two subjects.

This week’s The Hot Slice Podcast hosts are Senior Creative Director Josh Keown and Executive Editor Denise Greer.

Thanks to our sound engineer and designer Katie Wilson.

Thank you to our sponsor

The post 154: Deep Dive into Restaurant Lawsuits in the News with Thomas Reinhard appeared first on Pizza Today.

Chris Hill, A Slice of New Jersey Food Truck, talks mobile pizza business

This week on the Hot Slice Podcast we talk mobile pizza business with Chris Hill, owner of A Slice of New Jersey in Byram, New Jersey.

Before starting A Slice of New Jersey, Chris was a physical education/health teacher. After being laid off during the COVID-19 pandemic, Chris began his pizza odyssey with no background in the pizza or restaurant business. For 10 years though, he had always had a fascination with pizza, traveling the world to study pizza making. His pizza travels took him to Coalfire Pizza (Chicago, Illinois); The Dough Bros (Galway, Ireland); Joe’s Pizza (New York, NY), Zeneli Pizza (New Haven, Connecticut); No. 900 Pizzeria (Montreal, Canada); Sorbillo (Naples, Italy), Mission Pizza Napoletana (Winston-Salem, North Carolina); Metro Pizza (Las Vegas, Nevada); Settebello Pizzeria (Salt Lake City, Utah), Scottie’s Pizza Parlor (Portland, Oregon); Pizzeria Beddia (Philadelphia, PA); and Bonci (Rome, Italy).

The circumstances of the pandemic heightened that interest, and he began to pursue the perfect pizza and then scale it to sell pizzas at farmer’s markets. Those humble beginnings catapulted Chris into a thriving mobile pizza business. A Slice of New Jersey concentrates on prebooked public events and private catering. A big component of his public events is giving customers the opportunity to pre-order their pizza. It helps Chris manage the kitchen and operation side of the food truck.

The menu is grounded on a unique pizza crust made from dough that is fermented for 48 hours and uses a blend of artisan flours, including a local wheat sourced from Sussex County, New Jersey. Chris also sources seasonal produce from local farms.

A Slice of New Jersey’s Pizza Menu

The pizza menu has staple favorites like the margherita and pepperoni. There is also Drunken Pig with a house-made vodka sauce, fresh mozzarella, Italian sausage, parmigiano-reggiano, basil and extra virgin olive oil. The Cremini-Miny-Moe features roasted cremini mushrooms, ricotta, fresh mozzarella, garlic infused olive oil, Parmigiano-Reggiano, thyme and black pepper. The seasonal pies are getting more attention as his customers look for something different, like the Life is a Peach with peaches, prosciutto, mascarpone, toasted walnuts, basil, balsamic drizzle and The Autumn-ic Bomb with house-made butternut squash purée, pancetta, fontina, red onions, fried sage and house-made spicy maple syrup.

The Hot Slice Podcast Interview with Chris Hill

Now that you’ve had a bit of an overview on Chris Hill and A Slice of New Jersey, here’s what’s this week’s The Hot Slice Podcast with Pizza Today:

• Learning pizza making
• Getting the business started
• Creating pizza dough for scale
• Transitioning to a food truck
• Strategy of the mobile business
• Per-ordering for public events
• Catering focus
• The pizza menu favorites
• Work/Life balance

This week’s The Hot Slice Podcast hosts are Editor in Chief Jeremy White and Executive Editor Denise Greer.

Thanks to our sound engineer and designer Katie Wilson.

Thank you to our sponsor

The post 153. The Life of a Mobile Pizza Company – A Slice of New Jersey appeared first on Pizza Today.

Listen to our Pizza Maker of the Year Joe Carlucci on The Hot Slice Podcast

On The Hot Slice podcast this week is veteran pizza maker/pizzeria owner and recently named Pizza Maker of the Year Joe Carlucci. Joe owns Valentina’s Pizzeria & Wine Bar in Madison, Alabama. He followed up a first-place win in the Traditional Division at last year’s International Pizza Challenge with a Non-Traditional victory this year. He went on to win and be named Pizza Maker of the Year. This is the first time in challenge history that a competitor has won categories back-to-back and nabbed the Pizza Maker of the Year title.  See Joe’s reaction speech to being named Pizza Maker of the Year on Pizza Today’s Instagram Reel.

Pizza Maker of the Year Joe Carlucci, owner of Valentinas Pizza and Wine Bar in Madison, Alabama

Born in the Bronx and raised in Carmel, New York, Joe studied under Tony Gemignani for 15 years and was a founding member of the World Pizza Champions. He is a six-time World Pizza Champion and three-time World Champion Pizza Acrobat. Joe is a Guinness World Record holder for largest pizza base spun in one minute measures 72 cm (28.35 in) and world’s highest pizza toss using 20 ounces of dough at 21 feet and 5 inches into the air. Carlucci has appeared several times on national TV shows – such as, The Today Show, Martha & Snoop, Master Chef Kids and Best In Dough.

Joe transplanted to Alabama and opened Joe’s World Famous Pizza in Madison followed by a thriving food truck business. His latest pizzeria, Named after his daughter, Valentina’s Pizzeria & Wine Bar opened in 2020. Valentina’s is expanding into a new 4,000 square foot building in four months.

The Hot Slice Podcast Interview with Joe Carlucci

The Hot Slice Podcast host and Pizza Today Executive Editor Denise Greer has an in-depth conversation with Joe, focused on the following areas:

• His International Pizza Challenge wins
• Holding the title of Pizza Maker of the Year
• Competing on an international stage
• The winning pizzas
• How the wins have impacted business
• Managing sales volume increase
• Career struggles and triumphs
• Career mentors
• Philosophies and motivations
• Valentina’s staff
• Growth and expansion into a new space
• Advice for other pizza pros

About the International Pizza Challenge

The International Pizza Challenge is held annually in the spring at International Pizza Expo in Las Vegas. Competitors battled head-to-head to find out who makes the best pizza in the world. We had five best pizza divisions: Traditional, Non-Traditional, Pan, CMAB California Style and Neapolitan/STG which will be represented in the pizza bake-off that will showcase 200 of the world’s best pizza makers and thousands of dollars in cash prizes.

Thank you to our sponsor

The post 152. Pizza Maker of the Year Joe Carlucci Makes History at International Pizza Challenge appeared first on Pizza Today.

Village plans for immediate expansion throughout the Southeast

May 9, 2023 (COLUMBIA, SC) – After 32 years in business, Columbia’s beloved Village Idiot Pizza will now be available in communities across the southeast through franchise partnership opportunities. Village Idiot Pizza’s goal is to become a staple in college towns across the U.S. by uniting people through pizza and community. The emerging franchise is looking to begin expansion from Columbia’s surrounding areas and throughout the South Carolina region.

Owners Kelly and Brian Glynn, who purchased the original enterprise in 2003, have lasting ties to the restaurant and will be a driving force in supporting future franchisees. Together, they have expanded the Village Idiot Pizza brand to three locations, which have become a pillar in the Columbia community.

“It is our passion for giving guests great pizza and memorable experiences that have led us to the decision to expand Village Idiot Pizza beyond Columbia.  We are truly excited to see this brand, that we have nurtured and grown over the last 20 years, contribute in big ways to other communities across South Carolina”, said Kelly Glynn, Co-Owner of Village Idiot Pizza.

With a commitment to treating every franchisee as part of the Village Idiot Pizza family, the company is seeking dynamic business owners who share their values and passion for delivering an exceptional experience to customers. Village Idiot Pizza is committed to providing comprehensive training and ongoing support to its franchise partners.

“Kelly and I have been able to live the dream of operating our own business.  Not only has this given us a great deal of personal freedom, but it has allowed us to be able to positively impact our community in so many different ways”, says Co-Owner Brian Glynn.  “It is beyond thrilling for us to enter this next phase of our business – a phase in which we will bring more people into our VI Pizza family.  We will not only show them how to achieve these same goals, but we will walk with them through every step of the journey to ensure the same hard lessons we have learned over the years do not hinder their quest.”

For more information about franchise visit villageidiotpizza.com/franchise. For franchising opportunities, email vipfranchising@villageidiotpizza.com

About Village Idiot Pizza

Village Idiot Pizza is a family-run pizza franchise serving authentic, New-York-style pizza in a fun, family friendly, sports-bar atmosphere. The original pizza joint and pub was opened in Columbia, SC’s Five Points Village in 1990 by three college friends from New Jersey who lovingly referred to themselves as “the village idiots”. Village Idiot Pizza has been owned and operated by Brian & Kelly Glynn since 2003 and is one of the longest-standing businesses in the Columbia, SC area.  The Gylnn’s expanded the brand to three locations across Columbia and have built a community around good pizza and giving back.  Village Idiot Pizza is now offering franchise partnership opportunities across South Carolina.

Listen to Kelly and Brian Glynn on Episode 140: Taking Village Idiot Pizza to New Heights on The Hot Slice Podcast.

Kelly and Brian Glynn met while working at Village Idiot Pizza in Columbia, South Carolina in the 1990s. The couple purchased the business in 2003 and have spent 20 years growing the business to three locations, being the hot spot in Columbia and earning regional and national accolades along the way. Hear their pizzeria story and what’s next.

The post Village Idiot Pizza Announces Franchise Opportunities appeared first on Pizza Today.

The podcast for pizzeria business owners. Listen to Pizzeria Operators at Pizza Expo on The Hot Slice Podcast

This week, we bring you the last of our Pizza Expo Sessions on The Hot Slice Podcast from the show floor at Pizza Expo. On the podcast, we have Bill and Cheryl Crawford and Ian Foster of Righteous Slice in Rexburg, Idaho; Robert Wagner, co-owner of Need Pizza in Cedar Rapids, Iowa; and Jhonathan Naranjo, founder and CEO of JoJo’s NY Style Pizza in Hollywood, Florida. Be patient with the sound. It will be worth it to hear the enthusiasm and energy of pizzeria professionals at the show giving us updates on their pizzerias, the pizza business and Pizza Expo.

The Hot Slice Podcast Pizza Expo Sessions were conducted at the Pizza Today booth during the 2023 International Pizza Expo held at the Las Vegas Convention Center on March 28-30. Pizza Expo is the largest pizza show in the world. Suppliers from across the globe, networking and educational sessions led by top industry professionals, and national competitions round out this unrivaled event.

Thank you to our sponsor

The post 151: Pizza Expo Sessions 5 – Breakout Pizza Pros in the Business appeared first on Pizza Today.

Listen to Pizzeria Operators from the Show Floor at Pizza Expo

This week, we bring you more of Pizza Expo Sessions on The Hot Slice Podcast from the show floor at Pizza Expo. On the podcast, we have retired teachers/pizzeria owners Suzanne Francis, Ruth Matheny and Katie Agor of The Grove Wood Fired Pizza in Granbury, TX. We also have Phumzile Siboza who traveled from Johannesburg, South Africa representing the Debonairs Pizza chain. Be patient with the sound. It will be worth it to hear the enthusiasm and energy of pizzeria professionals at the show giving us updates on their pizzerias, the pizza business and Pizza Expo. Tune in next week for more Pizza Expo interviews.

Thank you to our sponsor

The post 150. Pizza Expo Sessions 4 — Women Redefining Pizzerias appeared first on Pizza Today.

The Today Show Features Women in the Pizza Industry

Women pizza pros are making a big splash nationally in a new streaming series “Head of the Table” on The Today Show with a look at how women are changing the male-dominated pizza industry.

Head of the Table host Elena Besser goes in-depth with two pizza chef/owners, who are also pizza champions.

The “Pizza Pioneers” episode highlights industry veteran Giorgia Caporuscio, who owns Don Antonio in New York City. Caporuscio became the youngest female competitor to win the Caputo Cup in Italy. She sits down with Besser to talk about the barriers that she has broken as a female pizzaiola and those who influenced her career most. Caporuscio showcases the Neapolitan pizza craft, as well as the Montanara, a fried pizza on the show.

Besser then highlights a star in the pizza industry Tara Hattan, who holds several World Pizza Games medals. She owns the two-unit Zasa’s Pizza & Wings in Tulsa, Oklahoma. In the show, Hattan shares how she prepares for the Dough Acrobatic Division at the World Pizza Games during Pizza Expo in Las Vegas. The show’s crew shadowed Hattan during Pizza Expo. She also shares a few of Zasa’s unique specialty pizzas.

Besser rounds out the show with a sit-down conversation with Women in Pizza founder Alexandra Mortati, Giorgia Caporuscio and Pizza Wars host and Last Dragon Pizza founder Nicole Russell to discuss challenges women face in the pizza industry.

Women In Pizza recently sponsored the Women Pizzeria Owners Panel discussion at Pizza Expo in Las Vegas in March. Women in Pizza is a movement that empowers women in the pizza industry to share their stories, display their talents, inspire innovations, and connect with one another and the world.

Elena Besser was tapped to host Head of the Table with her culinary acumen including founding The Lineup, a series highlighting the top cooks working at the best restaurants in America as well as Food Network Kitchen, the Cooking Channel’s “The Best Thing I Ever Ate”, Amazon’s “Today’s Deals Live”, and red carpet host for The James Beard Awards livestream on Twitter.

Check out the full episode “Elena Besser meets 2 chefs challenging stereotypes in the pizza world” on Head of the Table.

Explore more Women Pizzeria Owners elevating the pizza industry on The Hot Slice with Pizza Today podcast:

150. Pizza Expo Sessions 4 — Women Redefining Pizzerias with retired teachers/pizzeria owners Suzanne Francis, Ruth Matheny and Katie Agor of The Grove Wood Fired Pizza in Granbury, TX. We also have Phumzile Siboza who traveled from Johannesburg, South Africa representing the Debonairs Pizza chain.

143. A Conversation with Chef/Restaurateur Lisa Dahl. She owns Pisa Lisa with two locations in Sedona, Arizona, along with several other concepts.

137. The Brilliant Sarah Minnick of Lovely’s Fifty Fifty. Sarah Minnick is chef/owner of Lovely’s Fifty Fifty in Portland, Oregon.

The post Women Pizza Makers Take National Spotlight on The Today Show appeared first on Pizza Today.

Listen to Pizzeria operators at Pizza Expo on The Hot Slice Podcast

This week, we bring you more of Pizza Expo Sessions on The Hot Slice Podcast from the show floor at Pizza Expo. On the podcast, we have Jason Dascoli of Rock City Pie Ice, Superior, Colorado, and Bill Bartz and Emily Knudsen with Pleasant Grove Pizza Farm in Waseca, Minnesota. Be patient with the sound. It will be worth it to hear the enthusiasm and energy of pizzeria professionals at the show giving us updates on their pizzerias, the pizza business and Pizza Expo. Tune in next week for more Pizza Expo interviews.

Thank you to our sponsor

The post Pizza Expo Sessions Part 3 – Innovative Pizza Concepts appeared first on Pizza Today.

This week, we bring you more of Pizza Expo Sessions on The Hot Slice Podcast from the show floor at Pizza Expo. On the podcast, we have Jeremy Shirk of Conan’s Pizza in Austin, Texas; Stacey and Josh Kearney of  Society Pie in Beaverton, Oregon; and Joseph Ledwidge of Ranger Joe’s Pizza in Kalispell, Montana. Be patient with the sound. It will be worth it to hear the enthusiasm and energy of pizzeria professionals at the show giving us updates on their pizzerias, the pizza business and Pizza Expo. Tune in next week for more Pizza Expo interviews.

Thank you to our sponsor

The post 148. Pizza Expo Sessions, Part 2 – Experience and Education appeared first on Pizza Today.

This year, we took The Hot Slice Podcast to the show floor at Pizza Expo. Be patient with the sound. It will be worth it to hear the enthusiasm and energy of pizzeria professionals at the show giving us updates on their pizzerias, the pizza business and Pizza Expo. First up, we have Andrew and Ruel Gregory of Post Alley Pizza in Seattle, Washington, followed by Alex Funke, a franchisee of Chad’s Pizza in Cedar Falls Iowa. We end the podcast with Amanda and Patrick Elston of Gus Franco’s Pizza, Lower Burrell, Pennsylvania. Tune in next week for more Pizza Expo interviews.

Thank you to our sponsor

The post 147. Pizza Expo Sessions, Part 1 – Energize and Elevate appeared first on Pizza Today.

Stay tuned for daily updates from the world’s largest pizza show Pizza Expo in Las Vegas

Pizza Today brings you live updates from Pizza Expo. Keep up-to-date on the excitement and happenings at International Pizza Expo all week at the Las Vegas Convention Center. Thousands of pizzeria professionals convene in Las Vegas, Nevada for Pizza Expo, dedicated to all things pizza. Suppliers from across the globe, networking and educational sessions led by top industry professionals, and national competitions round out this unrivaled event. Learn more about Pizza Expo.

If you are attending, don’t forget to download the Pizza Expo Mobile App, watch the Pizza Expo Preview Show and listen to the Ready. Set. Pizza Expo episode of The Hot Slice Podcast.

Follow us @PizzaToday on Instagram!

Thursday

The last day of Pizza Expo brought more attendee-exhibitor connections throughout the exhibition hall. Competitions culminated with champions crowned.

Preliminary Results from the International Pizza Challenge

The Master Pizza Team has been crunching the numbers to present our preliminary results in today’s divisions in the International Pizza Challenge.

International Italian Sandwich Competition

The International Italian Sandwich Competition Top 3 are:

1st Place Michael Vakneen

2nd Place Annamaria Sapere

3rd Place Will Grant

Pizza Napoletana Division

The Pizza Napoletana Division Top 3 are:

1st Place Pasquale Yoann Mormile

2nd Place Michele Rubini

3rd Place Giuseppe Manco

Italian Tandem Division

The Italian Tandem Division Top 3 are:

1st Place Simone Fortunato – Fabrizia Ventura

2nd Place Davide Civitiello – Antonio Sorrentino

3rd Place Anna Crucitt & Nick Mercurio

American Tandem Division

The American Tandem Division Top 3 are:

1st Place John Garland & Dan Succone

2nd Place Juan Ponce & RC Gallegos

3rd Place Javier Murreta & Alma

Best of the Best Champion

Nick Banker

Pizza Maker of the Year

Joe Carlucci

Wednesday

The day kicked off with a look into the present and future of robotics and pizza with a keynote address from Benson Tsai, CEO & Co-Founder of Stellar Pizza and former SpaceX engineer. Attendees listened as Tsai took a scientific look at pizza with a robotics operation.

The exhibition hall was abuzz of attendees and exhibitors talking shop, sampling and demoing products. Food demos like Making Dough and Pizzas with Tony Gemignani, Sandwiches that Sell, Italian Beef Sandwiches, Roman Pizza and Vegan Cashew Cheese inspired attendees to test the menu items in their restaurants.

School was in session with our education program today with seminars devoted specific to the pizza business. From Tinkering with Dough, Menu Editing and Culture is Everything to Detroit Style Explained and Thriving in a Small Town. Seminars focused on key areas like cheese prices, profit margin strategies and food costs.

Competitions heated up with the International Pizza Challenge and World Pizza Games.

Preliminary Results from the International Pizza Challenge

The Master Pizza Team has been crunching the numbers to present our preliminary results in today’s divisions in the International Pizza Challenge.

Pan Division

Non-Traditional Division

Tuesday

The opening keynote address kicked off Tuesday at Pizza Expo with Tony Gemignani inspiring a packed hall. Tony outlined his modest pizza beginnings, long climb to ownership, how his concepts have evolved, what’s next and the people who have revolutionized the pizza industry.

Anticipation built as the show floor opened at 10 a.m. to a rush of attendees enter to browse exhibitor booths. The show floor was filled with food samples, technology, equipment and services.

Tuesday is all about the exhibit hall, seminars, demonstrations and competitions.

Preliminary Results from the International Pizza Challenge

The Master Pizza Team has been crunching the numbers to present our preliminary results in today’s divisions in the International Pizza Challenge.

CMAB California Style Division

Traditional Division

Sunday and Monday

Sunday and Monday are all about continuing education. Take a sneak peek at what’s happening in the School of Pizzeria Management, educational sessions and the first networking gathering – the New Operator/Early Arriving Attendee gathering.

Sunday and Monday kick off Pizza Expo week with intensive 4-hour School of Pizzeria Management workshops each day. These deep-dive sessions covering a myriad of vital pizzeria business topics from operating on shoestring budget, labor strategies and mobile pizzeria foundations to the Million-dollar Operation, business essentials and next level strategies.

From 12:30 p.m. to 5 p.m. all attendee seminars take over the session rooms exploring topics on the mind of today’s pizzeria operators, from technology, creative promotions, selling the business, profits from liquor sales to working with sourdough, diversifying a pizza concept and habits of successful pizzerias.

Competitors flocked to the International Pizza Challenge area for a pre-competition meeting.

The New Operator/Early Arriving Attendee Reception, our first major networking event commenced at 6 p.m. giving pizzeria professionals the chance to jumpstart meeting and mingling.

Just Announced: Watch the BLOCK PARTY LIVE STREAM

Block Party live stream will begin Wednesday at 5:30 PM PT / 8:30 PM EST.

Can’t make the Block Party? There’s still a chance for you to watch the Acrobatic Dough Tossing Championship!

Don’t miss out and tune into the live stream taking place Wednesday, March 29. Go to the Block Party Live Stream. 

The post Live Updates from Pizza Expo appeared first on Pizza Today.

Pizza Expo 2023 Keynote Speaker

Tony Gemignani on The Hot Slice Podcast

We sit down with Tony Gemignani to discuss his upcoming opening keynote address at Pizza Expo in Las Vegas. While we have him on the line we also dish on pizza styles, the ups and downs of pizzeria ownership and who has had the most influence on his career in pizza.

Thank you to our sponsor

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Welcome to the Pizza Expo Preview Show

Your guide to everything Pizza Expo 2023

Josh Keown and Denise Greer detail everything you need to know before you go to Pizza Expo 2023 — from events and competitions to seminars, demos, workshops and much more. See you in Las Vegas for Pizza Expo at the Las Vegas Convention Center, March 28-30!

This is a must watch before you go to the show. Josh and Denise have a combine 28 years of Pizza Expo Experience. They are here to get you ready for the show.

Here’s a quick reference to the Pizza Expo Preview highlights:

The Competitions. The International Pizza Challenge and California-Style International Pizza Competition (hosted by the California Milk Advisory Board) is your opportunity to see and try the best pizzas in the world. The World Pizza Games brings the athleticism and sport of pizza to the main stage. Sandwich makers will go head-to-head to claim The International Italian Sandwich Competition title.

The Show Floor. Take a peek at this year’s massive show floor and browse exhibiting companies. Don’t forget to stop by the Pizza Today booth #317 say hello, get merch and be on The Hot Slice Podcast.

The Events. There are several opportunities to gather with pizzeria professionals from around the world at the New Operator/Early Arriving Operators Reception, Beer and Bull Idea Exchange and the Block Party/World Pizza Games Finals.

The Education. This year’s Keynotes are must-attend. The School of Pizzeria Management Workshops, 50 Seminars and Demonstrations will cater to attendees eager to learn.

Get the App

The Pizza Expo 2023 Mobile App is your guide to the hottest event in pizza. Start planning your Pizza Expo 2023. Download the Mobile App now.

Explore Pizza Expo MATCH

Find out more on Pizza Expo MATCH, a specialist networking tool that will help you find & book meetings with business connections at International Pizza Expo. Go to Pizza Expo MATCH now!

See you at Pizza Expo 2023 in Las Vegas.

The post The 2023 Pizza Expo Preview Show appeared first on Pizza Today.

Listen to Chef Lisa Dahl on The Hot Slice Podcast

Lisa Dahl is one of the brightest minds in the pizza industry and culinary arts. She owns Pisa Lisa with two locations in Sedona, Arizona, along with several other concepts. We talk startup, business fluctuations, culinary creativity and pizza passion.

Thank you to our sponsor

The post 143. A Conversation with Chef/Restaurateur Lisa Dahl appeared first on Pizza Today.

Craft Your Ambience with Audio

When you operate a pizzeria, your product is much more than a delicious slice of pie. You’re selling an experience, a specific ambience. You can’t always rely on food alone to bring customers back, so cultivate the right atmosphere to captivate your preferred clientele. One critical way to establish your brand is with music.

We spoke with some experts in the commercial audio industry to find out what pizzeria operators need to know when they’re buying or upgrading their audio systems. Here’s how you can get the best bang for your buck while enlisting the power of music to appeal to your ideal customers.

Why Music Matters

The music is one of the first things a customer will notice when they set foot in your place, so it is a powerful tool for setting the tone.

Music establishes the mood, says Nathan Turner, assistant sales manager and senior engineer at Pro Acoustics, a Texas-based online audio equipment retailer for commercial spaces. “Are we entering a traditional Italian-influenced pizzeria? A high-end elegant, artisan pizzeria? A family-friendly, fun environment? A sports-bar-influenced party restaurant?” He suggests that the right music will “reinforce your pizzeria’s identity and communicate the desired message, which can help encourage your customers to stay longer and spend more.”

“When the music fits the target audience, it creates a connection between the consumer and the venue,” says Yaprak Unsalan, managing director of Jukeboxy Music for Business, “so we always recommend playing music that matches your clientele rather than your favorite tunes.” She says music even “significantly impacts how we perceive flavors. For example, high-pitched sounds are associated with sweetness, whereas low-pitched sounds bring out a bitter taste.”

What to Consider When Selecting an Audio System

Since music plays such an essential role in a pizzeria’s success, experts recommend investing in a quality sound system. They also advise you to consult with an audiovisual designer. You may be tempted to get the same sound system you love at home, but it won’t necessarily shine in a commercial setting.

Turner advises “use commercial-grade audio equipment. It may run ten to 16-plus hours per day, depending on your schedule, so it’s important to have audio components built with longevity in mind. Some commercial audio equipment may have one-year, two-year, five-year or ten-year warranties on certain components so that you can upgrade your system once and not have to worry about replacing hardware again and again.”

As Unsalan points out, “a pizzeria has a faster table turnover than a traditional restaurant with many in-and-out people. The sound system should cover the mixture of sounds, such as the clatter of plates, ringing phones, voices — without deafening people. This is best achieved with commercial sound systems.”

Most operators are aware that licensing agreements prevent restaurants from simply playing CDs or the radio, under commercial use restrictions. “It´s considered a public performance,” says Mark Lehman, vice president and general manager at CloudCover Media, a Pandora Media Co. “You’ve gotta have a legal source for the music.”

Clarify Your Goals

Think about what you want the music to achieve, in addition to contributing to your ambience. You can use music to keep people staying or leaving depending on your priorities. “A fast tempo and slightly louder music make people move faster, while slow-tempo music makes them stay longer,” says Unsalan. Or as Lehman puts it, “certain times of day you want butts in seats, and during rush you want just the opposite.” Music is your secret weapon to influence your pizzeria’s pace.

You can also use upbeat, poppy music to keep your employees motivated and energized, or quiet, clear background music to increase the elegance factor. Lastly, think about any future expansions. Do you plan to add TVs for sports? Is karaoke in your future? These options will impact your audiovisual design.

Consider Room Size and Layout

The general concept for commercial audio hasn’t changed much. “You need a source or storage device for music and an amplifier that’ll actually get the signal pushed out to your set of two or four speakers,” says Lehman, “and possibly a second amplifier and set of speakers for the back of the house, which is often overlooked.”

Consider whether you have special zones that will need to be addressed individually, such as a private dining room or an outdoor patio. “Zoning in different areas is also very popular now, sometimes with different music playing in certain areas or with different volumes,” says Turner.

What’s New in the Commercial Audio World

Bluetooth wireless technology is the biggest shift in commercial audio in recent years. “Many pizzerias like to incorporate wireless music streaming via Wi-Fi or Bluetooth from their personal device,” says Turner. “We can add this feature to any system, or they can easily plug in a media streaming box like an XM radio receiver or other wired source.”

He also notes that “many systems now offer smart phone control, where you can adjust volumes and sound levels without going back to the main rack while also allowing you to stream back to the primary system wirelessly.”

Unsalan observes that “wireless speakers are trending for sure, especially within small-size venues. They don’t require cabling and construction, which could be costly. There are great options with excellent sound distribution, but wireless speakers rely on a steady wireless network. If the network is unstable, these speakers will keep cutting off and even worse, stop working.”

Lehman suggests that a very small FOH with just a couple of tables might be adequately served with a simple Bluetooth speaker. With no wires and no amplifier, this is a simple and attractive option for some small spaces.

How Much You Should Expect to Spend

The budget range varies widely, according to Turner. “We have small, simple-to-use background music systems for small square footage that start at $500 or so. Or we have systems that can run north of five figures, depending on the size of the space, the level of technology we want to integrate, and how rocking of a package you would like to build.” For example, pizzerias with a sports bar or nightlife environment need “larger speakers with more amplifiers, which ultimately translates to more dollars.”

Lehman urges operators not to “cheap out.” Some buyers resist spending an extra $25-$30 per speaker, but “no one’s ever gonna remember that you saved 120 bucks. People will remember always that it doesn’t sound good in there. It’s an expense that only comes around every 15 or 20 years because this stuff is designed to last forever.”

Don’t forget to include installation costs in your budgeting process. “The labor of getting the sucker installed is equal to the cost of the hardware in many instances,” says Lehman, especially with increased fuel surcharges for installing outside of major metropolitan areas.

Finally, Lehman reminds buyers to get a manufacturer’s warranty and make certain their installer is licensed and insured.

People eat with all the senses, so be sure to appeal to their ears with the right music, along with your signature package of fabulous fragrance and tantalizing taste. The right audio system for your square footage, layout and budget will help you build customer loyalty and a successful business.

Annelise Kelly is a Portland, Oregon-based freelance writer.

The post What You Need to Know When Buying or Upgrading a Restaurant Audio System appeared first on Pizza Today.

MOTO

Seattle, Washington

Concept:

MOTO “OddPizza” is a combined expression of all my pizza making experience, mostly inspired by my travels to the night markets in Asia and Europe, where I found unique, quality food from fast, efficient operators with just a couple of people putting out hundreds of plates in a very tiny space. This is the magic that spurred the addition of our popular seafood line of pizza that was part of the night market inspiration and in building the MOTO concept within 500 square feet.

Pizza Style:

We craft a high hydration dough, made into a deep dish, in our odd style combo of Roman, Detroit and a lil NYC “grit” that I like to call an “ODDPIZZA”. The dough is a playful collection of several sourdough starters, some over a 120 years old, that I’ve received from different chefs, bakers and family cooks I have become friends with, some of it in trade. I love to barter, and I love to collect and experiment with “BETTY” my frankenstyle sourdough!

Your preorders are sold out for months. Why did you initially start the pre-ordering and what has it turned into?

Our wait times and demand were so high, right when we opened, so we went to preorders to organize better. It reached three months in advanced for up to 250 pre-orders a night. I’m hoping to pull away from that model after all the hype dies down, but it’s been well over a year now. Our new larger second location has just sold out for two months within a couple of hours, but I don’t think that pre-sale will trend much longer with more expansion growth and as the novelty wears off.

Tell us more about your growth mode.

Our third location looks to open at the end of February, and we are finally implementing our Pizza Robot from PICNICWORKS to showcase the future of robotics and its role in production, and we are using NWFarms indoor vertical hydroponically grown produce and showcasing their farm grow technology on site. I am going to do an L.A. pop up this summer!

We are also in current talks with the sports stadium and have also presented our pitch deck to Venture Capital with some serious interest in our growth model. We are also bringing on a wonderful partner that is in the famous Frank Pepe Pizzeria Napoletana family chain, that is investing and advising us. 2023 is gonna be an interesting year, to say the least. Buckle up!

What’s the biggest challenge you are facing in the business right now and how are you addressing it?

Our current challenge is handling this accelerated growth. We are addressing it with hiring slow, paying well and taking genuine care of our people and our customers. We anticipate mistakes, but find the key to overcoming these challenges is simply a positive uplifting attitude towards each other. We are also rebuilding and tightening our already well developed systems and processes for scale while being able to make quick decisions and keep the ability to pivot quickly as a small, tightknit, fun-loving productive team. I really believe MOTO is going to positively impact our industry in more ways than one!

MORE: Listen to Lee Kindell on The Hot Slice Podcast.

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Andolini’s Restaurant Group and World Pizza Champions Partner with The University of Tulsa and Attain a Guinness World Record for World’s Largest Pizza Party Benefiting Make-A-Wish Oklahoma

Tulsa, Oklahoma-based Andolini’s Pizzeria and the World Pizza Champions not only set the World’s Largest Pizza Party Record with 3,357 participants, confirmed by the Guinness World Records, they shattered the previous record of 1,046 in Rome in 2019.

Partnering with the University of Tulsa (TU), Andolini’s owner and president of the World Pizza Champions coordinated to pack Reynolds Center with pizza fans before TU men’s basketball game vs. Tulane on Saturday, January 21.

The successful event also raised $42,090 for Make-A-Wish Oklahoma, granting eight children’s wishes. “I am so proud of our community in how they came together all for a great cause,” Bausch says. “I never doubted the ability of our team nor the willingness of Tulsans to collaboratively step up and raise thousands of dollars for deserving kids and their families facing the unfathomable.”

Pulling off a Guinness World Record is incredible feat. Attempting to beat a record involving thousands of people, thousands of pizza slices and bottles of water require tenacious organization that Bausch was prepared for. “This attempt was a logistical maze,” Bausch says. It took hundreds to pull this off. We worked closely with leads from our own store managers, the University of Tulsa, Make-A-Wish Oklahoma, the entire World Pizza Champions team and an incredible list of sponsors who not only backed us up financially but who also checked in regularly to see if there was more they could do. It took months to prepare for this and together we were able to turn what seemed impossible into a well-oiled machine. Everyone pulled their weight and Tulsa showed up. We attribute everyone’s efforts to this incredible success.”

Congratulations to everyone who made the World’s Largest Pizza Party a reality. Stay tuned as Mike Bausch talks in depth on breaking the record on a upcoming episode of The Hot Slice Podcast.

In Other Pizza Record News…

Pizza Hut breaks World’s Largest Pizza Guinness World Record

Airrack; Pizza Hut Break GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS™ Title for World’s Largest Pizza

Airrack, a popular content creator and YouTube star, and Pizza Hut teamed up to break the GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS title for the World’s Largest Pizza on January 18 in Los Angeles, California.

The World’s Largest Pizza, which featured a Big New Yorker pizza recipe, had a surface area of nearly 14,000 square feet (13,990 to be exact). To break the record, the World’s Largest Pizza was made of approximately 13,653 pounds of dough, 4,948 pounds of sweet marinara sauce, over 8,800 pounds of cheese and roughly 630,496 regular and cupped pepperonis. The pizza was fully assembled, topped and then baked in pieces on-site at the Los Angeles Convention Center.

Following its creation, the pizza from the World’s Largest Pizza was donated to several charities in Los Angeles.

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The State of the Pizzeria Industry 2023

Given today’s restaurant business climate, it has never been more important to embark upon a comprehensive, deep-dive study of the pizzeria industry for the pizzeria industry. The goal of our analysis is to provide you, pizzeria operators and pizza professional, with a gauge of vital pizzeria insights, issues and trends. We surveyed 750 pizzeria owners from all 50 states to see what’s happening in America’s pizzerias. We combed through surveys, national reports and key industry indicators to bring you the State of the Pizzeria Industry.

In this feature, we’re providing you with an overview of what’s in the extensive report. Developed for you to apply to your business, use our findings to do the following:

• Get a barometer on how your pizzeria stacks up nationally.
• Explore pizza and menu trends.
• See how pizzerias are approaching operations, employees, marketing, etc.
• Discover the economic outlook for the pizzeria industry.
• Find leading pizza consumer insights.

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The Indie Pizzeria Market

The Independent Pizzeria Market is made up of single unit operations and multiple unit operations, with the single-unit operation dominating the market. Amongst independent operation respondents surveyed, 73 percent of the pizzerias were single unit, while the remaining 27 percent operated two to nine units.

Today’s pizzeria operators are younger than they were 10 years ago when the average age of a pizzeria owner was 56. Over half of pizzeria operators are under the age of 55 (56%), and 26 percent are under the age of 45.

The casual dining concepts have been at the forefront of the industry for a century. Since the first “fast-casual” pizzerias opened in the early 2010s, we’ve witnessed a skyrocket rise in the concept. Today, fast-casuals have gained ground and are a fixture in the pizza segment. The top three concept segments include Casual Dining (40.3%), Fast Casual/Build-to-Order (27.6%) and Carryout and Delivery Only – DELCO (15.7%), making up 84 percent of the independent pizzeria market.

Dive deeper into the profile of the American independent pizzeria, including state analysis in the full report.

Sales Forecasting

Let’s take a look at the knowledge we gained from an industry sales perspective. What are the numbers telling us?

When asked, “How do you anticipate your gross annual sales to perform in the next 12 months?”, the biggest answer was “flat”. 20.4 percent issued that response. 17.5 percent said they expect sales to increase 5-9 percent, however. Another 16.2 percent predict a 1-4 percent uptick in their shops. Meanwhile, 10.6 percent are eyeing a 10-15 percent boom.

That seems optimistic with the specter of a recession looming. The number of respondents that foresee a decrease in sales is in the vast minority — 22.2 percent think they’ll generate fewer sales in 2023 as compared to 2022. While that, again, seems quite positive, it doesn’t begin to paint the full picture. While gross sales may not lag once raising prices are taken into consideration (92.5 percent say they are increasing menu prices in order to offset higher costs of goods sold), that doesn’t mean profits will soar. In fact, there is less optimism on that front. In all, 41 percent of those surveyed said their profits will decrease in the next 12 months. Add to that number the 25.8 percent who project profits will be flat, and you have just one-third of respondents predicting an increase in profits.

Over the coming pages we’ll dive into many of the survey questions and answers that comprise the industry report, followed by analysis that will spill over onto PizzaToday.com and our Hot Slice podcast. You’ll want to follow all our channels closely in the month of December to get to the bottom of the data, our breakdown of it and our take on how we can use it, collectively, to better the industry in the future.

Help is on the Way … Or is It?

The refrain we’ve heard anecdotally for more than two years now: “No one wants to work. We can’t get help. We’ve tried everything, but we’re understaffed.” That rang through loudly in this survey as well.

When asked their top three priorities for 2023, 65 percent of respondents answered, “maintain current business.”  65 percent also answered “grow sales.” 38.7 percent included “add employees.” Aside from sales, the employee issue was the most top of mind.

Consider the following data on the topic:

37.9% have 10 or fewer employees. 22% have 11-12.

29.6%  have an average labor cost in the
23-28% range. Another 26.1% carry a labor cost between 29-35%.

When asked if they had to adjust their operating hours due to a shortage of workers, 49% answered “yes.”

In an effort to keep help, 83.2% of pizzeria operators have increased wages. 24.8% upped pay by 4-6% to help offset inflation. Meanwhile, a nearly identical number (24.6%) said they raised salaries by 7-11%.

We also asked about employee benefits. You’ll see that data in our full report.

Hot Menu Trends

To stay up to date on the latest pizzeria menu trends, we examined what’s hot on menus, what’s being added and what’s being removed. From pizza styles to other menu categories, operators shared what’s trending on menus across America.

Who’s Got Style?

Pizzeria operators and pizza fans are adamant about their favorite pizza styles. Over the past several years, we ‘ve seen a movement towards offering multiple varieties. How has the trend resonated across the country? According to the Industry Survey, roughly 64 percent of respondents menu more than one pizza style. Just over 21 percent offer four or more styles.

New York is No. 1.

New York-style pizza reigns supreme as the most popular pizza on pizzeria menus across the nation. New York-style pizza has long been the most popular pizza in America. The first licensed pizzeria to open in the U.S. was Lombari’s, which opened in New York City in 1905. The versatile New York slice is crispy, a bit chewy, foldable and light on the toppings.

A surprise in the Top 5 pizzas offered in American pizzerias is the Chicago thin. Also called tavern-style pizza, these pies typically feature a crispy crust. They’re also quite often cut into squares. We rank America’s Top 10 Pizza Styles on pizzeria menus. See the list in the full report.

Styles on the Rise

We asked operators which style they intend to bring on the menu. Detroit is the top style. The square style features a medium-thick crust that’s light and airy on the inside, yet crispy on the outside. Dough expert Laura Meyer dedicates this month’s Knead to Know to the Motor City style. Read her article on page 20.

Three of the Top Five Pizza Styles on the Move are:

1. Detroit
2. Deep Dish
3. Sicilian

We go in-depth into the pizza styles at pizzerias in the U.S., including a full ranking of the Top 10 pizza styles being offered, a look at up-and-coming pizza styles in our full State of the Pizzeria Industry Report.

Pizza Toppings Trends

We have seen almost every pizza topping imaginable listed on pizzeria menus. We sought to find out what’s hot in pizza toppings. The findings blend a mix of classic toppings and innovative and creative options.

The Top Five Pizza Toppings list has remained the same for the past several years. But this year, a new ingredient has entered the Top 5 — Bacon. The “everything is better with bacon” mantra has made its way to pizza. Don’t miss John Gutekanst’s bacon story, “Crispy Business”.

Yes, pineapple has found its way onto our Top 20 Pizza Toppings list. The controversial topping has won over consumers to become a permanent fixture on pizzeria offerings. See all 20 top toppings in the full report.

While not yet on the Top 20, plant-based meats and cheeses are one of the biggest hot trends in pizza toppings. Plant-based ingredients are becoming mainstream on pizza menus. Many other operators are researching and adding plant-based options to their topping offerings.

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Top Marketing Trends 2023

Today’s pizzerias are investing in marketing. Approximately 82 of pizzerias surveyed spend at least one percent of their annual sales on marketing, with 43 percent dedicating one to two percent and 26 percent budget three to four percent. Roughly 19 percent budget zero for marketing.

Social media remains the dominate marketing tool. When asked which social channel provides the best ROI, Facebook led at 57 percent and Instagram followed at 23 percent. See more on where pizzerias are spending their time and budgets on social and advertising in the full report.

We’ve scoured dozens and dozens of 2023 marketing trend predictions to give you a look at what’s hot and what’s relevant to pizzerias. Check out three of 10 marketing trends to watch in 2023:

Social presence will continue to be paramount with the following three areas leading the emphasis on major platforms: short-form video (Read the Video Shorts feature on page 38.), influencer campaigns and social commerce (buying directly from social accounts).

Marketing campaigns will be driven more than ever by analysis of market and demographics from first-party data with more precision.

Voice Search will require you to have tact-sharp search engine optimization (SEO) to be found when users prompt “Hey, Siri”, “Hey Alexa” or “Hey Google” with local pizza questions.

Find more marketing trends to watch in 2023 in our full report.

Consumer Insights

Our pizzeria industry survey is the most expansive and detailed research we’ve ever conducted. More than 750 respondents answered a series of questions designed to yield the most reliable data that paints the most accurate picture of exactly where the industry stands today and where it may be headed.

But what we did not do is poll the end user of your product — pizza consumers. That’s outside our wheelhouse and areas of expertise, so we turned to our friends from Technomic, Inc. for help on that lift through the 2022 Technomic Pizza Consumer Trend Report, Technomic Inc. Here’s a buckshot smattering of some important insights from the customer perspective that we think will be of interest to you:

• Consumers prefer the build your own pizza option 36% of the time.
• 33% prefer heavy cheese coverage.
• The five most preferred cheeses are, in order: mozzarella, Parmesan, provolone, cheddar, Monterrey Jack.
• Only 28% of consumers say they are likely to order dessert pizzas.
• Even fewer, 24%, are likely to order breakfast pizzas.
• 42% find an online ordering system where they can track their pizza order to be appealing.
• 38% want curbside pickup availability.
• 23% of American consumers would like to order pizza from their smart TV. That’s a 20% increase from 2020.
• Only 19% want to order pizza via QR codes.
• 28% of consumers say it’s important that the restaurants they order from have sustainable packaging.
• 21% are willing to pay more for pizza in eco-friendly sustainable packaging. That’s up 18% from 2020.
• 47% would like more restaurants to offer natural ingredients.
• 31% would like to see organic ingredients.
• 22% said they’d like restaurants to offer plant-based items.
• Only 23% said they would eat more pizza if healthier options were available.
• Meanwhile, 22% said they consider nutritional content when ordering pizza.
• 45% said the pizzeria they frequent most gets their business because it has the best overall taste.
• 65% said their pizza consumption will remain the same next year. 18% said it will increase slightly.
• 39% of consumers are ordering takeout or delivery more often than they were pre-pandemic.

Source: 2022 Technomic Pizza Consumer Trend Report, Technomic Inc.

Industry Outlook

The world pizza market is growing. The market is expected to increase by another $42.2 million by 2025, according to a Technavio release. North America is expected to see 44% of that growth. While industry indicators give a broad scope, we sought to take the pulse of the independent pizzeria operator. As we talk to pizzeria operators across the country, there is an uncertainty as they look forward to the coming year. Driven by volatility in inflation and cost of goods, operators are cautiously optimistic. Nearly 69 percent of operators remain optimistic about the pizzeria industry this year. Of that, 33.6 percent are very optimistic. Another 22 percent are neutral on the subject.

We asked operators to select their top business priority for the coming year. The top three include:

• Grow sales
• Maintain current business
• Add employees

Investing in technology has been a game changer. We asked operators to select all of the technology purchases they’ve made recently. Off-premise sales, projected to rise before the COVID-19 Pandemic, have sped up. Operators shifted and brought in new technology to help. POS systems and online orders are the most invested technology. Dive into more technology and sales and profit margin projections in the full report.

Sponsored by:

Access the full State of the Pizzeria Industry Report

The feature in the pages of Pizza Today is a snapshot of our complete findings in the State of the Pizzeria Industry Report. Go to our full report to get a deeper dive into what’s happening in pizzerias today. We provide in-depth analysis on operations, menus, sales, marketing, employees and an economic outlook. Access the full report now. 

The post A Deep Dive Look at Today’s Pizzerias appeared first on Pizza Today.

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A Deep Dive Look at Today’s Pizzerias and Pizza Industry Trends  

By Denise Greer and Jeremy White

Giving today’s restaurant business climate, it has never been more important to embark upon a comprehensive, deep dive study of the pizzeria industry for the pizzeria industry. The goal of our analysis is to provide you, pizzeria operators and pizza professional, with a gauge of vital pizzeria insights, issues and trends. We surveyed 750 pizzeria owners from all 50 states to see what’s happening in America’s pizzerias. We combed through surveys, national reports and key industry indicators to bring you the State of the Pizzeria Industry.

A Pizza Industry Overview – What We’ve Learned

Some over-arching themes from the pizza industry report data

As we pored over the data coming in for our Industry Report, there were some intermittent chuckles. Sometimes because our reaction was, “Of course. We totally expected that.” Other times we had a pleasant surprise. This is why you acquire and crunch data!

Two of the overarching themes that emerged from the data is something we already anecdotally knew: sales and employees are the “big ticket items” on the minds of pizzeria operators today.

When asked their top three priorities for 2023, 65% answered “maintain current business.”  65% also answered “grow sales.” 38.7 percent included “add employees.”

Food costs are no doubt rising, but our respondents have done a fairly nice job of pricing accordingly to keep them in check. It’s a sign that folks began listening to our mantra, several months back, when we repeated over and over again — raise prices! Still, 34.2 percent have a food cost between 29-35 percent. Obviously, we’d like to see that number drop a bit. 30.4 percent have a food cost between 23-28 percent, and that’s more in line with what we want to hear for your business health!

We recognize it can be difficult to price when you’re playing Russian Roulette with menu items. Supply chain disruptions have made it difficult for many to keep consistent stock. A whopping 81 percent experienced supply chain disruptions in the past 12 months, according to our survey data. Meats, pizza boxes and other packaging/paper products were the hardest hit. Those unexpected (or at least ill-timed and sporadic) inconsistencies make pricing difficult.

As we look over the various numbers the survey generated, here are some interesting tidbits and short analysis.

• Optimism exists. 44.3 percent of our 754 survey respondents say they anticipate a sales increase in 2023. That may seem optimistic considering a potential recession could be lurking around the corner. But there is reason for optimism. Show us a major foodservice segment that fares better than pizza in lean economic times. We’ll wait. This is likely why 36% said they are somewhat optimistic about their business outlook over the next 12 months, while 31% are “very” optimistic.
• Pay is rising. 83.2 percent of pizzeria owners increased employee wages in 2022. One-fourth of them upped pay by 7-11%. Let’s face it: it needed to happen. The landscape got ultra-competitive as the labor pool tightened and employees left the industry in droves during the “Great Resignation.” In order to keep good talent moving forward, operators are going to have to be leaders in their communities when it comes to pay, benefits, flexible scheduling, etc. Quality of life is at the forefront of Americans’ minds post-pandemic. Work to live vs. live to work, you know.
• The buffet is dead. Okay, that’s harsh. But, really, it’s not what it once was. Maybe COVID is to blame, or maybe consumer behaviors are just changing in the first place. But here’s the rub: only 7% of our respondents said they still offer a buffet at some point during the business day.
• Fine dining pizza still exists. But it’s even more dead than the buffet. A total of 2% of pizzeria owners responding to the industry report survey say their business falls into the fine dining category. No surprise there — pizza is commoner street food. We all know that. Even those who seek to elevate it do so without wishing to completely obliterate its heritage as a food of the people.
• Independents remain proud, strong, vibrant. 58.1 percent of our survey responses came from single-unit pizzeria owners. 22% own 2-9 units. It’s like we surveyed the Pizza Expo show floor or something. Independents remain the backbone of this industry!
• The industry is more affluent. 19.8 percent of respondents report doing $2 million or more in gross sales. We can remember the day when $1 million was rare. It was the dream benchmark. 38.3 percent now report $1 million or more in sales. The single almighty dollar ain’t what it used to be. With inflation driving up prices across the board, we’ll continue to see higher ticket averages in the future. The trick for operators will be to maintain profit margins.
• Butts in seats matter. But not like they used to since the pandemic. In fact, 21.3 percent on survey respondents say they don’t have any seating at all in their pizzerias. The most common seating capacity was 20 or fewer (21.3%). Second most was 21-50 (20.7%). It appears the days of large 100-seat showplaces are behind us. As consumer preference shifts to on-the-run options, pizzerias that offer dine-in can do so on a smaller scale moving forward, we think.
• Merch madness! People like to rock out your brand, assuming you have a good one. 22.8 percent of pizzeria owners say merchandise provides ancillary income to their business. It’s the fourth-most popular driver of additional revenue behind catering (54.1 percent), third-party delivery (35.8 percent) and beer/liquor to-go (23.1 percent). T-shirts, hoodies, hats and more with your logo are a no-brainer, really. If you can get fans to buy the opportunity to market your brand in public for you, why wouldn’t you?
• The industry remains slow to adapt to technology. 26.4 percent of pizzeria operators still do not offer online ordering. This, quite frankly, is alarming. Especially considering the higher check averages and fewer mistake orders that accompany online ordering.
• Insuring employees on the rise. 28.7% of pizzeria owners say they provide medical insurance. 19.3 percent offer dental insurance. This helps ease financial strain and stress on restaurant workers.
• Pizza remains king. Pizza as a percentage of food sales is 80% or higher in nearly half of pizzerias (48.6%), according to our survey data. Listen, yes, we already knew pizza was king. But it just feels nice to say it out loud, doesn’t it? The most-offered menu item next to pizza? 86.8% offer salads.
• Dough masters. 89.5 percent of pizzerias are making dough in house. That speaks volumes to the industry’s dedication to the craft, doesn’t it?

Now let’s dive into the specific topics addressed in the State of the Pizzeria Industry survey.

Sound Off!

Be sure to listen in to some upcoming episodes of the Hot Slice podcast where Jeremy and Denise will offer analysis, opinions and more on what we learned from the industry report survey. Explore podcast episodes.

The Independent Pizzeria Market Breakdown

Sponsored by:

The Independent Pizzeria Market is made up of single unit operations and multiple unit operations, with the single-unit operation dominating the market. Of the 754 operators surveyed, 479 were independent pizzeria operators with nine or fewer locations. Amongst independent operation respondents surveyed, 73 percent of the pizzerias were single unit, while the remaining 27 percent operated two to nine units.

Today’s pizzeria operators are younger than they were 10 years ago when the average age of a pizzeria owner was 56. Over half of pizzeria operators are under the age of 55 (56%), and 26 percent are under the age of 45.

During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, we surveyed the industry and found that the top three concept segments (in order of largest percentage) include Casual Dining, Fast Casual/Build-to-Order and Carryout and Delivery Only. The breakdown is holding strong in 2022 with those three market segments making up 89 percent of the independent pizzeria market. Casual Dining is the leading concept at 43 percent, followed by fast casual/build-to-order at 29.4 percent and Delivery & Carryout Only (DELCO) represents 16.5 percent.

Seating capacity varies by unit. Nearly 60 percent of pizzerias have 50 or fewer seats. In contrast, roughly 14 percent of pizzerias have 101 seats or more. Over 56 percent have outdoor seating.

 

Online Ordering has Become a Necessity

Nearly 75 percent of the pizzeria operators surveyed report sales from online ordering. Nearly half of the respondents say that at least 18 percent or more of total sales were driven from online ordering, while 16 percent reported online sales of more than 45 percent of total sales.

 

The Million-Dollar Operation in Reach for More Operators

The million-dollar pizzeria has been the goal for many operators and that bar is rising. Of the independent pizzerias we surveyed with nine or fewer locations, over 40 percent of our respondents have hit the million-dollar gross annual sales mark. A staggering 20 percent have surpassed $2 million.

 

Pizzerias are Diversifying their Revenue Streams

During the height of the COVID-19 Pandemic, pizzerias sought new revenue streams. In our COVID-19 Pizzeria Industry Report, we found that they opened drive-thru operations as well as sectioning off parking spaces and parking lots for dining and carryout operations. Some even set up either food trucks outside of the restaurants to aid during peak rushes or sent food trucks into surrounding neighborhoods. To add revenue, pizzerias even added alcohol delivery and bodega/grocery offerings. Common grocery items included flour, yeast, produce, meats and even sanitizing supplies.

That ingenuity has continued and will thrive in 2023 in an environment of continued rising costs and a stretched labor market. Operators will have to be even more creative as many municipalities have lifted or removed some of the COVID-19 waivers on expanded seating, packaged sales and off-premise alcohol sales. Catering proves to be the biggest driver of additional revenue for 52.8 percent of pizzerias.

Making the Right Investments to Capture Catering’s Promise

As the No. 1 additional revenue generator, we tapped one of our lead freelancers — Daniel P. Smith — to dive deep into catering programs to give you insights and advice on taking catering to the next level through advancements delivery, packaging and marketing. Go to the Catering Feature now. 

Third-party delivery is driving revenue for 37.2 percent. To expand: of the third-party sales, 31.9 percent of respondents said one to five percent of their total sales came from third-party and another 31.9 reaped 6-10 percent of total sales from third-party delivery. Over 40 percent saw third-party sales of over 11 percent of total sales.   

Merchandise (29%) and Beer/Liquor To Go (26.9%) has also helped pizzerias diversify their revenue streams. Other revenue streams that registered with at least 10 percent of operators included mobile units, retail house-made goods and room/facility rental.

While ghost kitchen operations have experienced a spike in recent years, only 3.8 percent of our survey respondents have incorporated the revenue generation method.

 

Delivery Fees are Here to Stay

Gone are the days of FREE delivery. It’s a service that operators can no longer gift to the costumer. Today’s operators are either building the delivery cost into their menus, offering special-priced delivery menus or charging delivery fees. Over half of the operators in our survey indicated they charge a fee for delivery. Average fees range from $3.75-$4.25.

Pizza Delivery: To Fee or Not to Fee? 

PizzaMan Dan Collier tackles the subject of delivery fees and outlines how to approach delivery fees in your pizzeria. Dan has maintained a successful delivery program for more than 30 years and he is an instructor at the International School of Pizza at Pizza Expo in Las Vegas. He offers do’s and don’ts to help guide you. Go to the Delivery Fees Feature now.

Sourcing Goods

Today’s independent pizzerias source their products from a variety of purveyors. We sought to find out where operators source goods. We found that many operations use multiple sources. The highest concentration of operators use regional distributors (62.8%) followed by national distributors (56.8%). Nearly 44 percent of pizzerias use a local wholesaler. Over 30 percent use a retail grocer or outlet and 25 percent source via a local grower or farm direct.

Food Costs Soar

With costs of goods rising, so are food costs. Maintaining a percent food cost under 22 percent in the current business climate is more challenging. Just over 25 percent of the operators we surveyed have been able to maintain food costs under 22 percent. Over 41 percent indicated a food cost of over 29 percent.

The Supply Chain Disruption Expected to Persist in 2023

Disruptions in the supply chain have reverberated across the restaurant industry. Over 80 percent of pizzerias have experienced a disruption in their supply chain since summer of 2021. Pizzerias have felt the pain in several key areas. Over 66 percent of pizzeria operators reported unavailable affected their business operation. Pizza boxes and paper products impacted more that 50 percent of the pizzerias surveyed. Other elevated supply concerns included other packaging (46.2%), cheese (39%) and flour (39.5%).

Pizza Industry Sales Forecasting and Pizza Industry Statistics

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What we learned about pizza sales from the industry survey we just completed

By Jeremy White

Sales are the name of the game. So, where are things headed? What did pizzeria owners from across the United States tell us in this survey on the topic?

When asked, “How do you anticipate your gross annual sales to perform in the next 12 months?”, the biggest answer was “flat”. 20.4% issued that response. 17.5% said they expect sales to increase 5-9%, however. Another 16.2% predict a 1-4% uptick in their shops. Meanwhile, 10.6% are eyeing a 10-15% boom.

That means the number of respondents that foresee a decrease in sales is in the vast minority — 22.2% think they’ll generate fewer sales in 2023 as compared to 2022. While gross sales may not lag once raising prices are taken into consideration (92.5% say they are increasing menu prices to offset higher costs of goods sold), that doesn’t mean profits will soar. In fact, there is less optimism on that front. In all, 41% of those surveyed said their profits will decrease in the next 12 months. Add to that number the 25.8% who project profits will be flat, and you have just one-third of respondents predicting an increase in profits unfortunately.

Here is some more sales-related data from the survey, which had 754 total respondents. These numbers tell us much about where we are today as an industry — and where we might be heading.

When we asked, “What was your approximate gross annual sales volume last year?”, here were the answers:

• Under $200K — 19.6 percent
• $200-300K — 7.9 percent
• $301-400K — 5.2 percent
• $401-500K — 6 percent
• $501-700K — 8 percent
• $701-850K — 5.2 percent
• $851K-1 million — 9.7 percent
• $1.01 million-1.25 million — 7.9 percent
• $1.26 million – 1.5 million — 6.2 percent
• $1.51 million-2 million — 4.4 percent
• Over $2 million — 19.8 percent

We think the overwhelming majority of the “Under $200K” answers came from mobile pizza truck operators and seasonal businesses. The numbers tell us that 10 percent of our respondents have pizza businesses that focus on mobile units, catering or pop-ups. Most answering the survey (36 percent) label themselves as “casual dining.” 27 percent fall into the fast casual category, while 17 percent are delivery and carryout only units.

When asked about additional revenue streams, the No. 1 answer was catering (54.1 percent). That was followed by third-party delivery (35.8 percent), beer and liquor to go (23.1 percent) merchandise (22.8 percent), mobile units in addition to the brick-and-mortar (19.1 percent), room/facility rental (14.9 percent) and retail items such as sauces, dressings, etc. (13.4 percent).

Because we know the third-party delivery component remains and hot topic, this data is of particular interest. We asked survey respondents to tell us what percentage of their sales are derived from third-party delivery. Here are the answers:

• None — 57.9 percent
• 1-5% — 12.5 percent
• 6-10% — 11.1 percent
• 11-15% — 7.2 percent
• 16-20% — 4.7 percent
• 21-25% — 2.8 percent
• 26% or more — 3.8 percent

While well over half the 754 respondents say they do not work with third-party delivery companies, 18.3 percent are seeing anywhere from 6-15 percent of their sales come via this avenue.

We asked the same question for the online ordering category. Here’s what we found:

• 65% or more — 5.1 percent
• 45-64% — 11.5 percent
• 28-44% — 16.1 percent
• 18-27% — 14.6 percent
• 10-17% — 12.3 percent
• 5-9% — 6.3 percent
• Less than 5% — 7.8 percent
• None — 26.4 percent

Aside from none (we were surprised the number was as high as it was; we had predicted 20% or less would give that response in 2022), the most prevalent answer was 28-44%. While that’s a wide range no doubt, it shows just how substantial online sales can be for a pizzeria.

Considering the labor issues pizzeria owners have dealt with since the pandemic (49 percent have had to reduce operating hours as a result), it stands to reason automating orders can help reduce labor costs in addition to driving higher check averages.

Labor costs aren’t the only ones rising, either. Inflation has made the cost of goods sold take an upward trajectory as well. We asked “which of the following steps have you taken to mitigate” this. Here were the answers:

• Raise menu prices — 92.5 percent
• Reduce menu offerings — 25 percent
• Reduce portion sizes — 13.5 percent
• Change ingredients — 11.7 percent
• Replace vendor — 17.5 percent

The vendor hunt is on, and that did not surprise us as we anecdotally received that response time and time again while walking the Pizza Expo show floor.

In-Depth Analysis on the Podcast

Be sure to listen in to upcoming episodes of the Hot Slice podcast where our Editor-in-Chief, Jeremy White, will dive into these numbers with Executive Editor Denise Greer. They’ll offer insights and analysis you won’t want to miss. Go to The Hot Slice Podcast now.

Pizza Restaurant Labor Pains

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Outlook is improving, but employees still a key topic

By Jeremy White

When we asked our survey respondents to “describe your overall outlook of the pizzeria industry in the next 12-18 months,” we weren’t sure what to expect. In the end, 36% were somewhat optimistic and 31% were very optimistic. We think those who had positive thoughts on the matter felt that way because their situation with employees is beginning to improve. After all, it’s difficult to grow if you don’t have the help.

When we asked, “what are your top three business priorities over the next 12 months?”, adding employees was the most common answer (38.7 percent) behind sales. And another 10.6 percent cited adding employee benefits.

Before we dive into benefits, let’s take a look at some overall trends on the subject of employees. Consider the following data we uncovered with our survey:

• 37.9% have 10 or fewer employees. 22% have 11-12.
• 29.6 percent have an average labor cost in the 23-28% range. Another 26.1% carry a labor cost between 29-35%.
• When asked if they had to adjust their operating hours due to a shortage of workers, 49% answered “yes.”
• In an effort to keep help, 83.2% of pizzeria operators have increased wages. 24.8% upped pay by 4-6% to help offset inflation. Meanwhile, a nearly identical number (24.6%) said they raised salaries by 7-11%.

Employee Benefits Matter

Recognizing that increasing pay alone isn’t enough, we then asked about benefits. Here is where things in the industry stand at the moment:

• 85.2 percent give employees free or discounted food.
• 48.2 percent offer paid time off.
• 30.3 percent provide paid sick leave.
• 28.7 percent say medical insurance is part of their benefits package.
• 19.3 percent offer dental insurance.
• 17.2 percent help with retirement planning.
• 14 percent pay or assist with advancing professional development.
• 12.1 percent take part in profit-sharing with employees.
• 7.7 percent include life insurance in their lineup of benefits.
• 3.5 percent provide education assistance.

On top of that, the majority of operators (84 percent) increased pay by some degree. In 2022, it appears this is truly the cost of doing restaurant business as pizzerias have had to compete with retail outlets such as Target or Best Buy like never before.

This may contribute to elevated labor costs short-term (26.1 percent cite a labor cost in the 29-35 percent range) as operators learn to balance this expense with proper menu pricing as inflation dominates headlines. It may also lead to operators taking on more part-time employees as a way of curtailing the expense of providing costly benefits.

 

Explore the Latest Pizzeria Menu Trends

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To stay up to date on the latest pizzeria menu trends, we examined what’s hot on menus, what’s being added and what’s being removed. From pizza styles to other menu categories, operators shared what’s trending on menus across America.

As many restaurant brands have cut menus, pizzerias have maintained their menu options (66% made no cuts to menus. Of those, 38 percent even expanded menu offerings).

5 Things to Know about Pizza Menus:

1. Buffets are out with only seven percent reporting still offering them.
2. The slice game in American pizzerias is strong. Forty-seven percent sell slices.
3. Gluten-free (gluten-friendly) crust is strong with nearly 63 percent of pizzerias offering the option.
4. Cauliflower crust is on the rise. A rarity on menus just a few years ago, cauliflower crusts are on 35.5 percent of pizzeria menus.

Who’s Got Style

Pizzeria operators and pizza fans are adamant about their favorite pizza styles. Over the past several years, we’ve seen a movement towards offering multiple pizza styles. How has the trend resonated across the country? According to our Industry Survey, roughly 64 percent of respondents menu more than one pizza style. Just over 21 percent offer four or more styles.

 

New York Style is No. 1.

Burrata & Hot Honey Pizza, L’Industrie, Brooklyn, NYC

New York-style pizza reigns supreme as the most popular pizza on pizzeria menus across America. New York-style pizza has long been the most popular pizza in America. The first licensed pizzeria to open in the U.S. was Lombari’s, which opened in New York City in 1905. The versatile New York slice is crispy, a bit chewy, foldable and light on the toppings.

A surprise in the Top 5 pizzas offered in American pizzerias is the Chicago thin. Also called tavern-style pizza, these pies typically feature a crispy crust. They’re also quite often cut into squares. We rank America’s Top 10 Pizza Styles on pizzeria menus. The Top Five include:

1. New York
2. Traditional American
3. Sicilian
4. Chicago Thin
5. Deep Dish

Rounding out the Top 10 are…

6. Neapolitan
7. Detroit
8. Grandma
9. California/American Artisan
10. Chicago Thick

As operators look to update and modify their menus, we sought to find out what pizza styles they intend to add. Nearly 54 percent indicated they do not intend to add a pizza style. Of those who will add a pizza style, Detroit was the top choice. The style features a medium-thick crust that’s light and airy on the inside, yet crispy on the outside. The Top Five include:

1. Detroit
2. Deep Dish
3. Sicilian
4. Grandma
5. Roman

The Detroit Style

Learn more about this distinctive style that originated from the Motor City in A Guide to Detroit Pizza. This is a comprehensive look at the style including history, characteristics, recipes and dough expert advice. 

Trending Pizza Toppings

We have seen almost every pizza topping imaginable listed on pizzeria menus. We sought to find out what’s hot in pizza toppings. The findings blend a mix of classic toppings and innovative and creative options.

The Top Five Pizza Toppings list has remained the same for the past several years. But this year, a new ingredient has entered the Top 5 — Bacon. The “everything is better with bacon” mantra has made its way to pizza.

The Top 5 Pizza Toppings list includes:

1. Pepperoni
2. Sausage
3. Mushroom
4. Extra Cheese
5. Bacon

 

BACON, Welcome to the Top 5 Pizza Toppings!

This fatty and salty delight can be used in many ways as a pizza topping. Don’t miss John Gutekanst’s bacon story, “Crispy Business”. He details bacon history and varieties with menu ideas and recipes.  Go to the Bacon Feature now. 

Rounding out the Top 10 includes:

6. Chicken
7. Onion
8. Green/Red Bell Peppers
9. Ham
10. Black Olives

It’s clear that meat is still king atop pizzas, making up five of the Top 10 Pizza Toppings. Chicken has risen as a popular pizza topping. Its ascent follows a global increase in poultry consumption, according to the USDA.

Yes, pineapple has found its way onto our Top 20 Pizza Toppings list. The controversial topping has won over consumers to become a permanent fixture on pizzeria offerings. Let’s dive even further into popular toppings:

11. Meatballs
12. Basil
13. Pineapple
14. Canadian Bacon
15. Jalapenos
16. Beef
17. Tomatoes
18. Banana Peppers
19. Fresh Garlic
20. Salami

The Plant-based Movement

While not yet on the Top 20, plant-based meats and cheeses are one of the biggest hot trends in pizza toppings. Plant-based ingredients are becoming mainstream on pizza menus. Plant-based meats and cheeses are the top new toppings pizzeria operators have introduced over the past year. According to our survey, plant-based options were also the most researched and tested new item over the past year.

Our findings track with national data. According to The Good Food Institute’s U.S. Retail Market Insights: Plant-based Foods, the plant-based foods market is worth $7.4 billion, up six percent from the previous year. Plant-based food sales grew three times faster than total food sales in 2021. The market is made up of not only vegan and vegetarians, as ominvores and flexitarians are also consuming plant-based foods. Amongst flexitarians, 98 percent of those consumers who buy plant-based meats also buy animal meat, according to the Plant Based Foods Association’s Consumer Insights.

What’s in Plant-based Pepperoni and Mozzarella?

Plant-based is the hottest trend in pizza. Many ask, ‘what’s in plant-based pepperoni and mozzarella?’ We put one of our top freelance writers on the topic. Check out what she found out in What’s in Plant-Based Pepperoni and Mozzarella? Pizzeria operators can incorporate these innovative ingredients to answer consumer demand. Go to the Plant-based Pepperoni & Cheese Feature.

Introducing….

As you look for the hottest new pizza toppings to add, seeing what’s trending on menus across the country can help you hone in on your selection. When we asked operators what pizza toppings they’ve added in the past year, we received everything from traditional to innovative and groundbreaking. We’re highlighting some of the standouts below:

Specialty & New Cheeses. From Burrata, Buffalo Mozzarella to herb-infused cheeses, pizzerias are introducing more than a standard mozzarella.

Pulled pork and brisket. Prepared various ways, pork and brisket have broken into many pizza topping lists.

Hot Honey. The spicy and sweet concoction has gone mainstream.

Pickles. Their salty and sour taste is proving to be a good pairing for other ingredients.

Chorizo. The Mexican spiced sausage is resonating with pizza lovers.

Mild and Hot Peppers. From mild banana and sweet picante to hot jalapenos, peppers are increasing their frequency on toppings lists.

Meatballs. This staple is still increasing in popularity as a pizza topping.

Cured Meats. From traditional salumi to the spreadable Njuda and pancetta, cured meats are being added to the pizza menu.

Arugula. The peppery green has become a favorite finishing pizza topping.

Other interesting additions to pizzeria toppings lists this year include hot chili oil, fried chicken, artichoke, caramelized onion, seafood (crab, lobster, shrimp, etc.) sweet mayonnaise chili sauce and berries.

 

What’s Off the List

While the majority of operators didn’t remove a pizza topping from their list over the past year, other removed items like anchovies, olives, potato, Canadian bacon, roasted peppers, spinach and ground beef.

Non-Pizza Menu Movements

Salads are the most popular non-pizza menu category. Nearly 88 percent of pizzerias surveyed menu salads, followed by appetizers (78.9%) and desserts (69.9%). Sandwiches are on the menu in 65.1 percent of pizzerias. Pastas appear on 50.1 percent of pizzeria menus. Soups and entrees are the least menued items at pizzerias.

 

 

Let’s drill down to individual non-pizza menu items. There is a clear top contender for the top-selling non-pizza item: wings. Chicken wings have had a rocky few years with supply shortages and price hikes but have remained the best-selling item aside from pizza. Garlic appetizers, whether bread, breadsticks or knots, also sell well. Pastas, such as lasagna and spaghetti, also remain hits. Subs and calzones were high-selling options as well.

 

Pizza Making Breakdown

Independent pizzerias overwhelmingly choose to make pizza dough in house (92%). But the way pizza makers form dough varies from shop to shop. With many pizzerias offering multiple pizza styles. Hand formed is the most popular, followed by hand tossed. Pressed/Sheeted and Rolled made up less than 20 percent, respectively.

While conveyors are the workhorse of the chains, independents favor deck ovens by more than 15 percent over conveyor and 13 percent over Stone/Brick Hearth. Rotary and Convection each represent five percent, while countertop has emerged for catering and off-site events.

Oven power has become a hot topic in 2023. With advances in oven technology, Electric has gained ground over the past few years. Gas remains the primary way to fuel American pizzeria ovens at 78.5 percent. While the first pizzeria ovens in the U.S. were coal-burning, coal and coal alternatives have plummeted to less than two percent.

Pizza Today Magazine 2023 Content Sneak Peek 

Over the next several months, the pages of Pizza Today Magazine and PizzaToday.com will dive deeper into individual menu trends to give you ideas and recipes. Here are some of the topics already in production: chicken wings, meatballs, extra cheese, pulled pork, Detroit Pizza, Deep Dish Pizza, garlic knots and chicken.

Marketing Matters in the Pizza Industry

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Marketing is an area that is vastly different based on location demographics and market. This is a collective look at how marketing is represented, in general, across all pizzeria operators we surveyed.

Word of mouth has long reigned the prevailing marketing method in pizzerias. But times are changing. Today’s pizzerias are investing in marketing. Approximately 82 percent of pizzerias surveyed spend at least one percent of their annual sales on marketing — with 43 percent dedicating one to two percent, and 26 percent of our survey respondents budgeting three to four percent. Still, roughly 19 percent budget zero for marketing.

2023 Restaurant Marketing Trends to Watch

We’ve scoured dozens and dozens of 2023 marketing trend predictions to give you a look at what’s hot and what’s relevant to pizzerias. Check out 10 marketing trends to watch in 2023:

1. Social presence will continue to be paramount with the following three areas leading the emphasis on major platforms: short-form video, influencer campaigns and social commerce (buying directly from social accounts).
2. Marketing campaigns will be driven more than ever by analysis of market and demographic from first-party data with more precision.
3. Voice Search will require pizzerias to have tact-sharp search engine optimization (SEO) to be found when users prompt “Hey, Siri”, “Hey Alexa” or “Hey Google” with local pizza questions.
4. Customers seek more hyper-personalized marketing specific to their lives and interests that operators acquire from POS systems and loyalty programs.
5. Cause marketing never goes out of style. Hone in on the organizations that are important to you and fit your overall brand.
6. If you are in the digital ad game, interactive ads are where it’s at.
7. Harness your partnerships for mutual marketing gain.
8. Text campaigns continue to gain traction, but only if you are very strategic about how and when you contact customers.
9. There is more prominence of owners or chefs being the face of a brand, including being the authority on what you do best.
10. Reputation management is vital to your business growth. Expand your strategies to cover your online presence.

Don’t sleep on the short-form social video trend

The social powerhouse TikTok started a revolution that has reverberated to every major social channel. Instagram uses Reels, and later Facebook adopted the feature. YouTube has added Video Shorts to its repertoire. Twitter is the latest to add a full screen video option. The sweet spot of video length for TikToks and Reels (Instagram & Facebook) is often suggested at seven to 15 seconds. Go to the full article on video shorts. Go to the Video Short Feature now.

Social Influence

Social media remains the dominant marketing tool. Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and TikTok are popular channels to promote pizza businesses. Roughly 88 percent of American pizzerias promote their businesses through Facebook, followed by Instagram (72.4%). Twitter (23%) and TikTok (14.8%). When asked which social channel provides the best ROI, Facebook led at 57 percent and Instagram followed at 23 percent.

Let’s look at some emerging social platforms that you should watch and test. Here are some of the social movers and shakers to watch in 2023:

• TikTok takeover has commenced. With billions of users worldwide, TikTok is predicted to be the social platform of 2023.
• YouTube has consumer influence. Get to know and understand how to grow your brand presence with this video social format.
• It’s time to expand your business network with LinkedIn. The networking platform is all business and pros in every industry are flocking to it make business connections. We’re there and you should be too.
• You’ve probably never heard of BeReal, but you will. If you are marketing to younger Gen Z and even Gen Alpha, its downloads reached over 50 million in October 2022. This photo-sharing app’s benchmark is authenticity and highlights its users in real-time.

Pizza Today Magazine Content Sneak Peek: May 2023

Getting social, America’s most successful pizzerias have been able to use Facebook, Instagram and other outlets to drive business. In the May 2023 issue, social media experts and successful pizzeria owners alike will weigh in with the current best practices for harnessing the power of social media.

Advertising Drive

When asked where pizzerias advertise, social media dominated at 76.8 percent of the pizzerias. In-store advertising remains the vital advertising tool at 52.4 percent of those surveyed. Nearly 17 percent do not advertise at all and just focus on word of mouth.

The Top 5 Marketing Channels operators are using to reach their audiences are:
1. Social Media
2. In Store
3. E-mail
4. Community/Sporting Events
5. Flyer

 

Advertising Channels to Watch

There is no shortage of avenues pizzeria operators can take to put their messages out to your markets. We’ve examined the advertising channels that are on the rise. They include:

• Text & Push Notification. Text registered on our survey at nearly 18 percent. As personalization and targeted campaigns increase, that number is expected to grow.
• Social Ads, specifically video ads. Be where your consumers are. Social ads drive high ROI and can be tailored to hyper-specific target markets.
• Connected TV Ads. These ads would appear on targeted streaming devices. A great advantage to this form of advertising is that they can be interactive.
• Digital Out-of-Home (DOOH) Advertising. Think next-level billboard advertising out in the general public, even restrooms and transportation stops. This can be video, animation and even real-time social activity. This channel is being powered by advertising technology that allows companies to use real-time data, geofencing and retargeting tactics.
• In-Game Advertising. While out of reach for many, this mode is continuing to gain steam, especially for those restaurants targeting Millennials, Gen Z and the emerging Generation Alpha.

Pizza Today Magazine Content Sneak Peek: June 2023

What new trends have emerged in the world of digital advertising? In the June 2023 issue, we look at ROIs and follow strategies on e-mail database management practices, mobile SMS and notification marketing, and more.

As you plan upcoming marketing strategies, keep our findings for reference. And remember the No. 1 marketing concept that should lead your strategy is authenticity.

Technomic Pizza Consumer Trends

Sponsored by:

Our pizzeria industry survey is the most expansive and detailed research we’ve ever conducted. More than 750 respondents answered a series of questions designed to yield the most reliable data that paints the most accurate picture of exactly where the industry stands today and where it may be headed.

But what we did not do is poll the end user of your product — pizza consumers. That’s outside our wheelhouse and areas of expertise, so we turned to our friends from Technomic for help on that lift through the 2022 Technomic Pizza Consumer Trend Report, Technomic Inc. Here’s a buckshot smattering of some important insights from the customer perspective that we think will be of interest and use to you:

• Consumers prefer the build your own pizza option 36% of the time.
• 33% prefer heavy cheese coverage.
• The five most preferred cheeses are, in order: mozzarella, Parmesan, provolone, cheddar, Monterrey Jack.
• Only 28% of consumers say they are likely to order dessert pizzas.
• Even fewer, 24%, are likely to order breakfast pizzas.
• 42% find an online ordering system where they can track their pizza order to be appealing.
• 38% want curbside pickup availability.
• 23% of American consumers would like to order pizza from their smart TV. That’s a 20% increase from 2020.
• Only 19% want to order pizza via QR codes.
• 28% of consumers say it’s important that the restaurants they order from have sustainable packaging.
• 21% are willing to pay more for pizza in eco-friendly sustainable packaging. That’s up 18% from 2020.
• 47% would like more restaurants to offer natural ingredients.
• 31% would like to see organic ingredients.
• 22% said they’d like restaurants to offer plant-based items.
• Only 23% said they would eat more pizza if healthier options were available.
• Meanwhile, 22% said they consider nutritional content when ordering pizza.

Pizza Industry Outlook

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The world pizza market is growing. The market is expected to increase by $42.2 million by 2025, according to a Technavio release. North America is expected to see 44% of that growth. While industry indicators give a broad scope, we sought to take the pulse of the independent pizzeria operator. As we talk to pizzeria operators across the country, there is an uncertainty as they look forward to the coming year. Driven by volatility in inflation and cost of goods, operators are cautiously optimistic. Nearly 69 percent of operators remain optimistic about the pizzeria industry this year. Of that, 33.6 percent are very optimistic. Another 22 percent are neutral on the subject.

 

Business Priorities

We asked operators to select their top three business priorities for the coming year. The top three include:

1. Grow sales
2. Maintain current business
3. Add employees

Other business priorities that also drew attention were:

4. Sustainability
5. Grow new unit(s)
6. Add new revenue stream(s)

 

Cost of Goods

With rising costs of goods and inflation, pizzerias need to be agile. When asked how pizzeria operators have mitigate the rise, 93 percent raised their menu prices. Nearly 26 percent re-evaluated their menus and reduced offerings. Over 17 percent replaced vendors. Another 15 percent reduced portion sizes and 11 percent changed ingredients.

 

Technology Investment

Investing technology has been a game changer for many operations, from streamlining operations, saving on labor costs and increasing bottom-line sales. We asked operators to select all of the technology purchases they’ve made since summer 2021.

While off-premise sales were projected to rise long before the COVID-19 Pandemic, the event sped up the process. Operators shifted and brought in new technology to help. The shift hasn’t stopped. POS systems and online orders are the most invested technology. Loyalty systems and phone systems were also added or upgraded. A fraction of operators also investing tablets for servers. One-third of operators did not make any technology investments.

A Pizzeria Renaissance

From the show floor and competitions at International Pizza Expo and Pizza & Pasta Northeast to in-store operation and kitchen innovations, the pizza industry is experiencing a renaissance similar to invigoration of pizza chains in the 1980s. Nearly 44 percent of operators surveyed agree, while another 36 percent remained neutral.

Selling the Business

On the ground level, Pizza Today noticed a trend of establish operators retiring or leaving the business. We asked operators if they’ve considered selling the business in the past year. Roughly 34 percent answered yes. Nearly 14 percent of operators intend to sell their pizzeria in the next year. Whether currently considering selling, it’s important for an operator to plan their long-term exit strategy. We also asked operators what their exit strategy is. Over 42 percent plan to pass the business onto children or other family members. Another 27 percent will sell to an employee(s) or manager(s) followed by selling to a broker at 26.7 percent.

The post state of the pizzeria industry full report 2022 appeared first on Pizza Today.

We continue The Hot Slice Podcast straight from the Pizza & Pasta Northeast show floor at the Atlantic City Convention Center. We interview pizzeria pros who are working to make a name for themselves in the pizzeria industry. Listen to Shaun Porter of Lou Delgrego’s Italian Diner in Woodsville, New Hampshire and Megan Rakebrandt of Zoni’s Brooklyn Brick Pizzeria in Middletown, New Jersey.

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The post 127: PPNE 2022 Show Floor Sessions: IV – The Up and Comers appeared first on Pizza Today.

We continue The Hot Slice Podcast straight from the Pizza & Pasta Northeast show floor at the Atlantic City Convention Center. We interview pizzeria pros looking to advance their businesses and the industry. We chat with David Whiskers of B.C. Pizza headquartered in Boyne City, Michigan and George and Patti Taylor of Taylor’s Pizza House in Endicott, New York.

Thank you to our sponsor

The post 126: PPNE 2022 Show Floor Sessions: III – Advancing the Business appeared first on Pizza Today.

I just listened to the worst podcast ever. It was a disaster. I listen to this show all the time and it’s usually great, but this episode was a dud. Five years ago, we could go about our days blissfully ignorant of podcasts, but now they’re a fixture. With more podcasts in the mix than ever before, it’s likely that someone is going to ask YOU to be their guest. The reason this podcast episode tanked was because of the guest — and I want to make sure the same thing doesn’t ruin your interview experience.

Scott Wiener
Founder, Scott’s Pizza Tours and SliceOutHunger.org

Podcasts are an audio medium, so you can’t rely on visual elements to communicate your point. You need to express yourself with only your voice. That’s why it’s important not to speak in monotone. I tend to think about speech in musical terms. When I hear someone sing or speak in only one or two notes, I’m bored (unless it’s Morrissey). When I hear someone speak with multiple notes, it’s like a catchy melody. You’ll hook the listener with the melody of your speech pattern, just as songwriters do with hit singles. 

The same concept applies to how you answer questions. The boring guest will drone on without getting to the point. Start your answer by addressing the question directly before diving into the details. The show I just listened to was a struggle because the guest’s answers to simple questions would spin out of control into the abyss of irrelevant details. To make the matter worse, they spoke in endless run-on sentences, leaving the host no space to cut in. The best podcasts are conversations, not monologues. Don’t just sit and answer questions, feel free to toss in some questions of your own!

Once you’re booked, the podcast host will usually send an email with technical details about the recording process. If you’re recording from home, they’ll send you a link to whatever platform they prefer. Put that link in your calendar and download any necessary software immediately so you’re not scrambling five minutes before go-time. If you’re unfamiliar with the show, spend three minutes scanning through an episode to get an idea of what kinds of questions they like to ask. Of course, you should always Google the show and its host so you don’t end up on a platform you don’t support. 

Most podcasts these days are recorded remotely, not in a professional recording studio. To get the best sound at home, you’ll want to set yourself up in a quiet spot. Your restaurant’s office is going to be much better for audio than the middle of your dining room. To cut down on echo, sit close to a wall. Bonus points if that wall is covered in something soft to absorb reflections. A coat closet works great for this! You should use a headset/microphone combo for the best sound. Earbuds, Air Pods, or whatever you plug into your phone should work fine. 

Being an interview guest can be nerve wracking, especially if you’re not used to public speaking. Just remember that you’ve been invited onto the show because someone wants to share your story with their listeners. I promise it will be a great show if you just sit back, relax and have fun!

SCOTT WIENER is the founder of Scott’s Pizza Tours in New York City and SliceOutHunger.org  Instagram: @scottspizzatours

The post Man on the Street: So, You’re Going to Be on a Podcast appeared first on Pizza Today.

Famed pizzeria surpasses $1 million a month in sales

Approaching 1570 Stockton Street in the North Beach neighborhood of San Francisco at lunchtime, a line of eager diners stretches for a half  block. At the corner resides a thriving legend in pizza history, Tony’s Pizza Napoletana. Everyone on that block knew they were partaking in something special. 

Tony’s Pizza Napoletana is a melting pot of pizza styles. The pizzeria excels at an array of them, including Classic American, Classic Italian, Pizza Napoletana, California, Pizza Romano, New York, Grandma, Sicilian, Detroit, Coal-fired, St. Louis and gluten-free. With a full menu, Tony’s applies the same “respect the craft” approach to everything served, from the giant meatball app to house-made pastas, desserts and a comprehensive beverage program. 

“I always said I want to make it an institution,” says owner Tony Gemignani. “There is only one. I always felt like Tony’s could be the best pizza in the U.S. It could be the best pizzeria in the world. Tony’s is like what’s your favorite spot in Detroit and New Haven and New York and St. Louis and let’s all have it in one place.”

Tony’s has experienced a renaissance that has catapulted the famed pizzeria into uncharted territory: one-million-dollar net sales a month. It’s an unfathomable number for even the highest volume of pizzeria. 

Pizzeria of Year Proud Sponsors

The blockbuster sales and Tony’s unwavering reputation as one of the world’s best pizzerias have earned Tony’s Pizza Napoletana the coveted Pizzeria of the Year 2022 honor by Pizza Today.

To grasp the steps Tony took to reach unprecedented sales, especially amidst a volatile business environment, let’s look at Tony’s in its infancy.

Today, Tony Gemignani is at the pinnacle of his 31-year pizza career. He is the chef and owner of more than 30 restaurants and a school. The 13-time World Pizza Champion’s name has become synonymous with pizza making. He has taught some of the industry’s brightest operators and pizza makers. Today’s pizzeria community looks to him as an industry thought leader. It’s easy to forget that Tony’s ascension was gradual and filled with obstacles and those who doubted his vision. But he never did. “Tony’s is the first concept that had multiple ovens and styles,” Gemignani says. “Everybody said ‘why’? Everything has always been ‘what are you doing that for’? Nobody got it other than my wife.”

He spent several years traveling and researching the pizza styles, processes and ingredients that put Tony’s on the map globally. In the mid-90s, he couldn’t simply Google how to create so many styles. Traveling to pizza cities, he immersed himself into every facet of a given style. He also went city to city to experience Italian festivals and soak up every pizza industry-related event. “Before it was Google, before you could just YouTube it, you had to be out there and I always say, it’s the experience of going to Detroit and going to Buddy’s and going to Naples and trying Enzo’s. There is that feel or understanding of it.”

The industry was very different then. Operators held their secrets closer than they do today. Learning a new style was time-consuming. He spent a decade bringing the concept vision to fruition. “There was a lot of sourcing, not only importing ingredients, it was sourcing ingredients that were regional ingredients from America that nobody could get,” he says. “So, there was a lot into Tony’s that took a lot of research, time and being on the road all those years at the conventions and pizza and Italian festivals.”

Tony gained experience and acclaim at his brother’s pizzeria, Pyzano’s Pizzeria in Castro Valley. But Tony wanted to chart a course of his own making. He found partners and just after the economic recession of 2008, Tony found a quiet Bay Area neighborhood that had yet to be revitalized. Vacant storefronts were plentiful in North Beach. Honing in on the Little Italy neighborhood, Tony had his pick of buildings. But as he eyed the corner of Stockton and Union, even his broker warned him that it was a cursed corner. Tony instead followed his due diligence on the block’s history. “For 90 years it was like three places,” Tony says. “After that, it was three to four places in two and a half years.”

Tony’s Pizza Napoletana opened as a full-service pizzeria in 2009 with raving success. Right away Tony saw a void in convenience, pick-up and delivery in his fine-dining pizzeria and wanted to take over the neighboring storefront. Within eight months Tony’s Coal-Fired Pizza & Slice House opened under the same business license.

With the combination of fine dining and a counter-service slice house, Tony’s was designed to hit high sales figures and its rise began gradually.

“Celebrating the first $1 million, it took a lot and then to get to $1.2 and to do a $5,000 night, those were exciting times,” Gemignani says. “Before she was my wife, my girlfriend sitting on the counter and me writing out checks. I don’t want people to think that I was never there. Or you could be there, and it could be gone one day. You never know what could happen. 

“Then you say ‘wow, how can you do a million-dollar month?’  he says. “A million dollars a year you’re always trying to achieve that and then the $2 million restaurant. But with Tony’s the goal was $10 million a year honestly. As we started to go, I would always dream about ‘wow, I could do $10 million’ and now it’s like ‘can you actually do $12 million’ and during a really unstable and interesting time?”

Fast forward, it’s the end of 2019 and Tony’s Pizza Napoletana capped the year with $9.1 million in sales and he anticipated reaching that $10 million mark in 2020 for the first time in its history.

Tony was also eager to be a sole proprietor of his namesake business. He had already bought out one partner and in February 2020 Tony bought out the second partner. “I got the biggest SBA loan I’ve ever gotten, the biggest loan I’ve ever gotten,” he says. “I had never gotten an SBA loan. I had only gotten a home loan. I’ve been able to get private equity. Maybe two weeks after the documents were done and we signed everything, COVID hit.”

The bottom fell out. The COVID-19 Pandemic obliterated San Francisco’s once thriving restaurant industry. The initial blow to Tony’s was devastating, a 56-percent decline in business during that second quarter. 

Tony stepped into the forefront on Pizza Today’s The Hot Slice Podcast and Checking In With series offering other operators the realities of COVID-19 in one of the country’s largest metropolitan cities and the actions he was taking to rebound. Some of those steps triggered the immense growth Tony’s experienced in 2021 and 2022.

But survival was paramount at Tony’s in 2020. The team got creative and innovative to maintain during the grim time, instituting such initiatives as Wine for a Dime, frozen pizzas, take and bake pizza, family specials pizza kits, pizza valet, Easter egg coloring packages, cocktails to-go, and 10 percent customer loyalty pens.

They also took a hard look at the operations, making decisions to decrease menu options and offer better online ordering. They restructured the Slice House kitchen and streamlined to-go and the third-party/pick-up window directly on the sidewalk.

Tony’s had used parklet prior to COVID-19, so as soon as the city approved the outdoor seating, Tony went all in. “I invested in the parklets on both sides of the restaurant with lighting and heaters,” he says. “It was a big investment.” The parklets were completed in phases with roofing added for colder months. The parklets created an additional 100 seats for the busy restaurant. While indoor dining was closed, the parklets, carryout and delivery flourished. 

The initiatives helped stem the damage and triggered a comeback. The efficiencies and parklets sparked Tony and his team to think forward. “What happens when it comes back? During COVID, you didn’t have both open at the same time. So, I’m going to my GM Natale, ‘how are we going to handle it? We could barely handle it at $9.1 and we’re hoping we can get to $10. I remember when we hit $9 and I was like what happens when we hit $11? We don’t have enough refrigeration. We don’t have enough room.” 

As Tony staged a comeback, he was experiencing one of his toughest times personally with the loss of his mother, who always pushed him to do what makes him happy. He also faced his own mortality after serious illness and surgery, giving him new perspective on his living legacy. 

Tony took the gamble and reinvested in his concept and created a concrete strategy to handle the sheer volume that he anticipated for Tony’s. 

In 2019, Tony had started the process of opening a bakery that would also act as a commissary for dough production for Tony’s, as well as other brands. Delayed by COVID-19, Toscano Brothers opened around the corner from Tony’s in May 2021, moving all dough production (mixers and equipment) from Tony’s to the bakery. It doubled walk-in refrigeration and freezer capacity for dough and frozen pizzas — approximately 70 percent more dough for pizza. It also shifted 25 percent of the inventory from Tony’s to the bakery, which now housed flour, semolina, yeast, oil, malt and other dough-making supplies for Tony’s seven dough recipes. 

The bakery also provided revenue generation through breads such as sourdough baguettes, artisan batards and boulé then cross utilized them for menu items at Tony’s like garlic bread, bruschetta, crostini and sour cherry and chocolate caramel bread pudding. Bagels and pastries added extra income.

Using the bakery as a commissary helped free up much needed space at Tony’s. The sauté and fryer lines were expanded to double the space and new equipment was purchased. A double stack gas brick oven was replaced by a triple stack electric deck oven.

With dough being made at the bakery, the prep, refrigeration and storage areas at Tony’s were poised to tackle more products.  

The kitchen areas in Tony’s and the Slice House are compact, something you wouldn’t expect for a million-dollar-a-month business. However, “It’s tiny, right?” Tony says. “Everyone knows their stations. They are good at what they do. They’re great pizza makers.”   

Approximately 100 employees staff Tony’s and the Slice House. A seasoned and tested team has been vital to Tony’s success. “Robvell, JP, Stephanie, Mario, Juan, there are a lot that have been with us since the beginning.”

Retaining his team has been key in a tough labor market. “A big part of it is I try to lead by example,” Tony says. “So, I am in the kitchen still. I think that’s pretty important that employees see you working. I’m able to do that. Pay is important. Treat them right is important.”

Tony takes a sports team dynamic approach with his crew and hiring. “It’s a game every night. You have to be better at something. I’ve been pretty fortunate enough to keep some really great core employees. I think the core is important. The infrastructure is important. You can always get people to leave and come but it’s that GM, that chef, wine director, lead bartenders, lead servers.”

Another key factor in the concept is creative marketing, often unorthodox campaigns. While Tony’s currently does not use a marketing or PR agency, the pizzeria is able to drive traffic with fresh stories that keep Tony’s top of mind in the community and beyond. During Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, Tony put a special pizza on its menu for a month to help raise funds for two badminton players to advance in the sport. A teen badminton champ himself, Tony even challenged the rising stars to a friendly match and taught them how to make pizza. It garnered media attention and generated funds for the athletes. 

Cause marketing is close to Tony’s heart with three major charities: George Mark Children’s House, Family House, and SF Marin Food Bank, as well as regular pizza donations to St Vincent de Paul. 

To grab attention, Tony has collaborated with artists to create custom, limited-edition pizzas and boxes with Ed Hardy and renowned artist and North Beach neighbor Jeremy Fish.

Tony is all about creating buzzworthy marketing. He is currently collaborating with Fish on a creative project with a local cannabis dispensary. Tony has created an out-of-the-box slice/cannabis pairing. “We do millionaire’s bacon, it has basil and tomatoes,” Tony says. “I do it in the wood-fired oven.” The pizza goes into Fish’s custom-designed box. “You bring that box up to the dispensary, you have a Tony’s preroll called the ‘Pizza Joint,’” he says. “It has notes of the basil and the tomato and that earthiness and smokiness of course of that pizza. So, it’s kind of cannabis world, pizza world and artist.” 

Tony says when you’re up against pizza companies with million-dollar ad and marketing budgets you must find ways to stand out from the crowd. 

At the end of the day, it’s the personal connection. “When you have a personal connection with your restaurant and a personal connection to your customers and the food and what it’s like…those moments of purity are important to share,” he says. “Tony’s has always been about that. I have a story about every single pizza that lands on that table or the flour or the oven it came out of.”

DENISE GREER is Executive Editor at Pizza Today.

The post 2022 Pizzeria of the Year: Tony’s Pizzeria Napoletana, San Francisco, CA appeared first on Pizza Today.

Pizza master Chris Decker now has his own recipe column in Pizza Today. Chris is managing partner at Metro Pizza in Las Vegas. He’s one of the brightest minds in the business and we all drool over his @Everythingbutanchovies Instagram. This week on The Hot Slice Podcast, we talk recipe column, pizza creativity, anchovies (of course), pizza pairing tips and what’s next for Chris.

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The post 108. On Deck with Chris Decker appeared first on Pizza Today.

A Good Offense

Kitchen turnover can be devastating to your food quality, but in many cases it’s inevitable. People move on — and in this labor market, they are doing it in record numbers. But your prized, carefully crafted menu items do not have to suffer when you get an influx of new team members in the back of the house.

The best defense to combat food quality issues with new staffers is a good offense. 

Spell It Out

I’ve been in a lot of pizzerias over the years, and I love when an operator hands me their recipe binder or recipe cards. They are meticulous. Everyone approaches them differently. Some use directions in pictures or graphics. Others write it out emphasizing the most important factors in making the dish. 

I’ve also seen laminated chart posters above the various makeline stations with the most popular menu items outlined. Quick references like these can provide a visual reminder when that new staffer gets hit with a rush on their first few days on the line. 

Recipe binders are still the tried-and-true, go-to tool keeping the food quality consistent. “Every single item has a detailed recipe,” says Mike Androw, owner of E&D Pizza Company in Avon, Connecticut. “It’s an ‘old school’ method. I know. I don’t use it because I’m stubborn. I use it because it works. Laminated pages in a reinforced binder are within reach at any time. Consistency is huge with me. This tool ensures that every item is prepared to the exact same recipe every time. Nobody ever has to guess as to what a recipe was. If you’ve forgotten, no problem, the binder is right there with the answer.”

Think through how the recipe binder is organized and updated. Pete Tolman, chef/owner at Iron Born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania keeps a keen eye on his recipe binders. “We place our most used recipes at the front of our binders and our out of season recipes to the back,” he says. “We try to not let cooks remove the recipes from the binder and place them in the exact same place every day so the whole kitchen has access and knows where to find them. If you have cooks that aren’t organized or lose items often, buy the most neon-colored binders you can find and a different color for each station.”

When’s the last time you reviewed your recipe binder? Get it out now and take a hard look at it with objectivity. And answer this question: “If I have never made this menu item, could I successfully make it using this recipe and make consistently the same every time? You can even gain perspective from someone who doesn’t know your kitchen ops. See what questions they have if presented with the recipe as their only guide.

Set Them Up for Success

A new employee’s failures on the line are your failures. The sink or swim method does not work in a fast-paced pizzeria kitchen. Training is paramount. If you skimp on training because of time constraints or being short-staffed, your end-product will pay the price and you’ve placed retention at risk with that new cook. Set them up for success with proper training. 

Androw takes a stern stance on training the back of the house. “Training is imperative when it comes to maintaining food quality,” he says. “We utilize a hierarchy system of training for new employees. Regardless of what station someone is training in, they will work for two weeks with only the senior most employee on said station. This ensures that the person who knows that station better than anyone is training the new employee to prepare those items to our exact specifications.” 

Lean on Your Team

In addition to training, lean on your seasoned team to help guide the new staffer. Empower and encourage your crew to coach new teammates, taking the time to answer questions, provide demonstrations or shadow a preparation technique. Not everyone has a “team sports” mentality. Don’t expect that to be an automatic instinct. Incentivize your team to take on the role of team captain. 

“I depend on management and senior cooks to help train and teach new team members on how to set up, execute and flow through the kitchen,” Tolman says. “We try to cross-train everyone that is able on all stations so that in a tight situation, anyone of us can swap or help the other through the weeds. If every cook knew every station and could hold their own each night, it makes you so much more flexible as a company.”  

Make Their Job Easier

Look at your makeline stations from eyes of the new cook. Do you make the processes easier or do you stack the deck with constant hurdles that a new team member has to think through while performing their various tasks? 

One of the biggest hurdles is not having enough product on the makeline or not having it accessible during the rush. This is added stress for a new cook that is avoidable with proper preparation. Having the right amount of prepped ingredients in the right place is key. “We have pull/set-up diagrams inside our coolers laminated so that they can be cleaned and don’t move,” Tolman says. “The line cook knows exactly how many of each item they need every night. Example:  three quarts banana peppers, one quart marinated olives, three cases cheese, half case pepperoni. That gives us the ability to follow up on our cooks to ensure the kitchen is set for every shift.”

Make the time to re-evaluate your systems and processes to ensure that new kitchen crew members can make your products the same every time. It’s easy to get complacent with ops procedures until it bites you. Don’t let the labor crunch kill the quality of your end product.  

DENISE GREER is Executive Editor at Pizza Today.

The post Plan for Staff Turnover to Keep Your Food Quality Consistent appeared first on Pizza Today.

This week on The Hot Slice Podcast, we talk to the operator on the cover of our July issue of Pizza Today, Tara Hattan. She’s among a select group of pizzeria professionals that we’ve named “Rising Stars in the Pizzeria Industry”. Tara owns Zasa’s Pizza and Wings in Tulsa, Oklahoma and is World Pizza Games Champion. Hear all about her transition from maker to owner, opening a second location, pizza topping trends and dough acrobatics.

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The post 107. Rising Star Tara Hattan appeared first on Pizza Today.

Order Direct Converts

In conversations with pizzeria operators at Pizza Expo, on The Hot Slice podcast and visiting restaurants, the same question is frequently posed: How do I get the third-party delivery customer to become my customer? Getting customers to order directly from your pizzeria will require a strategy on your part. 

“Word of mouth” marketing may get you customers on a third-party delivery platform, but it will not win them over to ordering from you directly. 

What do we know about American consumers? Recent studies from Sense360 found that 63 percent of customers would rather order directly from a restaurant. A SevenRoom study found that 47 percent of customers think it’s cheaper to order directly from a restaurant.

So why do they order from third-party providers? It stems from customers’ buying behavior. And, as we all know, changing habits is a challenging task. We could devote hundreds of pages to changing consumer buying habits. Let’s focus on the task at hand: third-party conversion.

We enlisted the expertise of David “Rev” Ciancio, co-founder/CMO of Handcrafted Burgers and Brews and head of revenue marketing for Branded Strategic. Ciancio has guided restaurants to take back their deliveries from third party. We also tapped one of the best marketing minds in the pizzeria business: Clayton Krueger, director of marketing and communications at Tacoma, Washington-based Farrelli’s Pizza. 

Ciancio points to the root of issue as he sees it: third-party complacency. “(It) is that they go raise their prices on third party. And they are like, ‘oh well, I’m getting dinged and they have my guests’ data but at least I’m making my margin and that’s good enough.’ I think that is a terrible way to operate. Operators who just go in and raise the prices, it’s like ‘Ok, I would tell you to do that. That’s smart. But how are you getting them to stop using GrubHub and order from you directly?’”

Therein lies the quandary. “It’s not like third party is going anywhere, so you just have to figure out how to utilize it,” Krueger says of Farrelli’s approach. “Our opportunity with third party is really to think of it as a new customer acquisition strategy.” Acquiring customers can be an expensive way to drive sales but you have to gain new customers in the pizza business. 

Krueger continues: “In this day and age, third party is one of the best platforms to do that. These are people who want a product you sell that are on a marketplace where you most likely are and they are not brand loyal at this point. If anything, they are brand loyal to DoorDash or whomever and are willing to pay a premium. How do we a.) get our share of those customers and b.) what do we want to do with them once we got them? You kind of have to have a strategy around that right out of the gate, which is super high level. So, you have to have a benefit for them to come over to your side. Once you have that then you can communicate. That is really the strategy that we’ve tried to employ.” 

A manageable way for Farrelli’s to do that is to not partner with every third-party platform available, but instead to be exclusive to the one(s) that are most beneficial to the pizza company. That also allows Farrelli’s the ability to negotiate a better rate with its DoorDash partner. 

There are tactical approaches you can take to convert third-party customers to order from you directly. Ciancio warns that you must be willing to be proactive. “If you’ve decided you want to win this battle, all you have to do is mimic GrubHub,” he says, using GrubHub as an example of third-party providers. “Do what they do. Use them as a model. What do they do? They collect guest data, they e-mail their guest, they text message their guest and they make it easy to order. If you just do those four things, you’ll be more successful.” 

Ciancio dives into strategies further with three action items.

1. Make online ordering easy for the customer. “You got to have your own online ordering system and it has to be easy to use,” he says. “Remember GrubHub is easy to use. I can literally use a thumb to get hot wings. You have to have an online ordering system that is easy to use and intuitive.” You need to reduce the amount of clicks it takes to add a pizza into a checkout cart to as few as possible. 

2. Limit your menu on third party platforms. “I would only play my greatest hits on third party,” Ciancio says. “So if someone happens to really love your specialty this or that, they have to go to you to get it.” 

3. Raise your prices on third-party platforms. Ciancio says you do need to raise your prices on third party but, you also need to incentivize customers to come over to your ordering platform.

Furthermore, is your brand front and center with the third-party customer? If you use unbranded boxes, bags, cups and napkins, customers are not being exposed to your brand. Custom-branded items will help the third-party customer correlate your food with your brand. “You have to be memorable,” Ciancio says. 

Farrelli’s works to make ordering directly as seamless as possible. “The barrier to entry is friction,” Krueger says. “You have to make it as frictionless as possible for them to make the switch and you’ve also got to dangle a little carrot in front of their face and say, ‘Come over here.’

“In our case, the kinds of carrots we hang in front of those people’s face is we offer free delivery for any order that is over $50. That is well under our order average. We also offer discounts and deals.”

Farrelli’s targets third-party customers on every order. “They get a specific box-top sticker that targets them that says, ‘Hey, next time, place your order through our app and get $10 off on your first and get free delivery for orders over $50,’” Krueger says. The sticker also includes a bullet-pointed list of reasons to order from its app with a QR code.

Ciancio suggests going even further and instead of offering a discount for the next visit, ask for the customer’s feedback. “How was your pizza?” he asks. “Tap the QR code and tell me, then I’m going to capture your e-mail or phone number so I can market to you in a week. I’ll ping you in a week and ask you to order and I’ll send you the coupon then.” It creates a call-to-action. 

Since Farrelli’s does not have in-house delivery, the company also uses DoorDash exclusively for deliveries. Even so, Krueger says, they strive to convert customers from the DoorDash Marketplace into Farrelli’s online ordering and app systems. “We have never had delivery,” Krueger says. “So third-party really provided us a whole new stream that we’ve never been able to tap into prior because we didn’t have drivers.” The delivery program works through Farrelli’s internal online ordering system. “It’s our data,” he adds. “We are collecting data so it is in our best interest to convert those guests over so that we have that data so we can market to them and get them back through the door more frequently.”

DENISE GREER is Executive Editor at Pizza Today.

The post How to Approach Third Party as New Customer Acquisitions appeared first on Pizza Today.

Cindy and Kevin Hayward-Baryza, The Pizza Place on Noriega, on The Hot Slice Podcast

Going strong 15 years in the pizzeria business is a feat. The Pizza Place on Noriega has done just that in San Francisco. We talk succeeding in the Bay Area market and best business practices with owners Cindy and Kevin Hayward-Baryza.

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To commemorate our 100th episode, everyone’s favorite pizzeria ambassador Pete Lachapelle joins us on The Hot Slice Podcast. Pete has been the fixture at Pizza Expo and Pizza Today for over 20 years. Pete has so many stories to share. You won’t want to miss this special episode.

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We continue our mini sessions from above the Pizza Expo exhibit hall. Hear from Brian Hall, owner of Crafters Pizza & Drafthouse in Carmel, Indiana. We talk rebranding the concept, staffing, new products on the show floor and International Pizza Challenge. We chat with Linda Ortega, owner of Fired Up Fresh mobile catering company in Watsonville, California. Linda shares her startup story, catering and how vital sampling ingredients at Pizza Expo is for her business.

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The post 98. Pizza Expo Mini Sessions: Brian Hall and Linda Ortega appeared first on Pizza Today.

In March 17, 2022, we lost a true legend. Domenico DeMarco was the co-founder and head pizza maker of Di Fara Pizza in Brooklyn. Dom inspired a generation of pizza makers and elevated, maybe even saved, the New York slice.

Visiting Di Fara wasn’t just about the food, it was about the experience. I’ll never forget my first time. We made the hour-long trek from Hoboken, New Jersey, into the center of Brooklyn, where we found a small storefront on the corner of Ave. J and E. 15th Street. The windows dripped with condensation because it was so packed inside. We elbowed our way through the crowd and found the counter, behind which stood Dom DeMarco.

Everyone in the room watched him intently. Dom’s motions were thoughtfully slow, soaked with intention. He moved at his own pace, which seemed to sync with the Italian opera emanating from a small cassette player in the corner. His back turned to the audience, Dom appeared to ignore the crowd of hungry customers behind him so that he could focus on the pizza.

His inefficient process played into Dom’s performance. He sliced cheese directly onto the sauced dough. When he was using buffalo mozzarella, Dom would cut open the bag (imported from his native Caserta, of course) and let the brine slosh into a bucket before applying chunks of cheese onto the dough. When someone ordered a topping, he’d have one of his kids prep it in the back and bring it out on a small platter. Placing the pie into his oven required him to stand on a case of tomato cans. To turn or remove a pizza, he’d often stick his hand directly inside the oven.

After pulling a pie, Dom let it settle as he shuffled across the room to grate some Grana Padano cheese, which he’d cart all the way back to the bubbling pizza. Next was his most famous move, snipping fresh basil directly from a bouquet onto the pie. Finally, a swirl or two of olive oil. This final move triggered oooohs and aaaahs from the audience, inspiring him to add a bonus drizzle or two for good measure.

As all this happened, everyone in the room anxiously waited to find out whose hunger would be quenched. Just as Dom repositioned a stray snip of basil, he’d look up and make eye contact with the lucky recipient – the first real acknowledgement of the audience. All you could do was thank him, even after hours of torture. Dom changed ingredients and tweaked his methods constantly. Every other pizzeria in New York repeated their routine every day. They followed the procedures taught to them by their predecessors without question. They didn’t change anything unless it was to save a couple cents. That’s why so many slice shops fell into a trance and went out of business. In the late 2000s, pizzerias offering $1 slices knocked out the mediocre spots and threatened to take over the city. Dom’s pie evolved over time into the symphony it is today and essentially saved the New York slice.

For the first few decades after opening, Dom made typical New York-style pizza. It only became what we know and love today because Dom wasn’t interested in merely maintaining — he wanted to evolve. By doing so, he gave other pizza makers a license to do the same. He proved that there’s value in the details and that people will wait for quality. The man may be gone, but his memory will survive as long as there are pizza makers looking to improve. Every snip of basil, every handful of Grana Padano, and every swirl of post-bake olive oil will be a reminder of Domenico DeMarco.

SCOTT WIENER is the founder of Scott’s Pizza Tours in New York City and SliceOutHunger.org Instagram: @scottspizzatours

The post Man on the Street: In Memory of Dom Demarco appeared first on Pizza Today.

We continue our Pizza Expo Mini Series from above the show floor talking to pizzeria folks from two pizza companies killing it in their markets. First up, we chat with Christian Buck and Calvin Freatman, co-owners of Cascadia Pizza Company with two locations and food trucks in the Seattle area. We also talk to Jennifer Howell, director of marketing with Catch-a-Fire Pizza with two locations in Cincinnati, Ohio. See what they have say about expansion, marketing and Pizza Expo 2022.

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Thank you to our sponsor

 

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]]> https://pizzatoday.com/podcasts/the-hot-slice/96-pizza-expo-mini-sessions-nicole-bean-and-rocky-and-courtney-shanower/ Thu, 14 Apr 2022 20:31:02 +0000 https://pizzatoday.com/?post_type=podcasts&p=142872 We continue our Mini Sessions from Pizza Expo 2022 with Nicole Bean and Brad Bean at Pizaro’s Pizzeria in Houston, Texas and Rocky and Courtney Shanower, owners of Park Street Pizza in Sugar Creek, Ohio and Bahler Street Pizza mobile kitchen in Austin Texas. We talk shop and Pizza Expo with these leading pizzeria operators. Thank you to our sponsor

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We continue our Mini Sessions from Pizza Expo 2022 with Nicole Bean and Brad Bean at Pizaro’s Pizzeria in Houston, Texas and Rocky and Courtney Shanower, owners of Park Street Pizza in Sugar Creek, Ohio and Bahler Street Pizza mobile kitchen in Austin Texas. We talk shop and Pizza Expo with these leading pizzeria operators.

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Thank you to our sponsor

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]]> https://pizzatoday.com/topics/industry-news/commentary-pizza-panning/ Fri, 01 Apr 2022 04:01:00 +0000 https://pizzatoday.com/departments/commentary-pizza-panning/ Sometimes, the most random musings pop into my brain. Here’s a sample of the mostly pizza-related thoughts I’ve had lately. No rhyme or reason, no context, no explanation, no ragretz. • I like Las Vegas in March better than I like it in August. • Should I put money on Kentucky to win the NCAA […]

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Jeremy White
Editor-in-Chief
Pizza Today
jwhite@www.pizzatoday.com

Sometimes, the most random musings pop into my brain. Here’s a sample of the mostly pizza-related thoughts I’ve had lately. No rhyme or reason, no context, no explanation, no ragretz.

• I like Las Vegas in March better than I like it in August.

• Should I put money on Kentucky to win the NCAA Tournament? As objectively as I can be as a fan … they are So.Darn.Good this year. But this tournament is so wide open.

• Pretty sure the Pan Division is my new/current fav division of the International Pizza Challenge. I just see so much creativity and skill there right now.

• I wonder if pizzerias will start tossing dough again en masse for the showmanship, or if high-hydration doughs that require gentle handling are here to stay forever?

• Why doesn’t America use the metric system? Every time I have to convert grams to ounces I’m hopelessly lost.

• I need to ride my bike more again.

• After all these years, pepperoni, jalapeño, bacon and pineapple is still my go-to topping combination. I’ll take a spicy soppressata in place of the pep when I can get it, but either way I’m good.

• We’re planning a new season of the Hot Slice podcast. I really want to get some guests on to interview that I’ve NEVER previously spoken to or met. That’s always fun. Pizzeria owners, hit me up! (Holla at me or Denise).

• I wonder how many oversized NY slices I could have eaten in one sitting when I was 16? Watching my 16-year-old and 12-year-old make groceries disappear in minutes is impressive.

• I realize its function, but I’ve never been in love with cornmeal on the bottom of a pizza crust.

• I still get hella angry when I hear someone say pizza is fast food.

• St. Louis, raise your hand. I need you to explain this love of provel. I just don’t understand. No judgment.

• Years ago, I wrote a column — view it as my “strongly worded letter to the manager” — in which I took the stance that a cheeseburger doesn’t belong on a pizzeria menu. I heard from several who disagreed. Well … no matter how good that burger happens to be, I just want y’all to know I said what I said, and I still stand by that statement.

• Will the Cubs ever win another World Series? I sure am grateful for 2016!

• Pizza Today legit, straight-up produced a Swimsuit Issue back in 1987. Seriously. I don’t know why; I don’t know how. I was 12. But someone thought it was a good idea.

• I’ve had many great pizzas over the past two decades. I have my own private “Hall of Fame” of sorts in my head. I’m not saying it’s the best pizza I’ve ever eaten, but the first truly great pizza I ever had was at Grimaldi’s under the Brooklyn Bridge. It changed my life.

• Frozen pizza is a thing in Italy. It doesn’t feel like it should be, BUT it is. That disappoints me, to be honest.

• I wish tourists to Chicago knew how great the city’s thin-crust pies are as well.

• I generally don’t do “collabs.” But I made a pizza in the PT test kitchen one day with Katie Wilson (our design lead at PT). We put peaches on it. And balsamic. I still dream about that pizza.

• No, I don’t care if my pizza is cut into squares or triangles or if it’s even cut at all. 

• The best pizza T-shirt I’ve ever owned came from Pizzeria Lola in Minneapolis. I see some pretty siiiiiiick ones in Vegas every year at Pizza Expo. You’d think someone could drop one in the mail to me occasionally, right?

The post Commentary: Pizza Panning appeared first on Pizza Today.

]]> https://pizzatoday.com/topics/industry-news/ready-set-pizza-expo-2022/ Thu, 17 Mar 2022 08:03:45 +0000 https://pizzatoday.com/?post_type=news&p=142688 We preview the pizzeria industry’s hottest ticketed event all year As spring marches in, International Pizza Expo is back and this year, we’re pulling out all the stops to go big in 2022. Pizza professionals from across the country and around the world will convene in Las Vegas on March 22-24 for jam-packed days to […]

The post Ready. Set. Pizza Expo 2022 appeared first on Pizza Today.

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We preview the pizzeria industry’s hottest ticketed event all year

As spring marches in, International Pizza Expo is back and this year, we’re pulling out all the stops to go big in 2022. Pizza professionals from across the country and around the world will convene in Las Vegas on March 22-24 for jam-packed days to do business, network, learn and have fun. 

“As the world’s largest pizza show, we are committed to be the annual gathering place for the pizzeria and Italian restaurant communities to explore all the products and services available to the industry all under one roof,” says Show Director Bill Oakley. “We’re looking forward to bringing together the largest gathering of pizzeria professionals this year who will converge on the new West Hall of the Las Vegas Convention Center to collaborate with successful pizzeria owners and industry experts, forge new relationships and make once-a-year deals.”

That’s right. Pizza Expo will take place in the newly opened and state of the art West Hall of the convention center with a first of its kind transportation loop developed by Elon Musk. 

While 2020 and 2021 brought uncertainty, 2022 is the year to forge new paths. Renew your focus, drive and passion at Pizza Expo. What better way to recharge, find new products and solutions and share the camaraderie with friends and colleagues than the industry’s longest running event that is in its 37th year. 

Pizza Expo, a must attend event amidst industry challenges

The pizzeria industry has faced numerous unprecedented challenges in the past year. Arm yourself with the tools to face these issues with innovation and ingenuity at the show and conference. “As an attendee or buyer, one of your goals will be to maximize your return on investment, especially in light of the huge impact COVID has had on pizzerias, particularly labor and supply chain issues over the last couple of years,” Oakley says. “Exhibitors and attendees alike have made a substantial investment of time and money and we’re 100-percent committed to their success. We’re on track to deliver an exciting event experience filled with electricity that will reconnect the industry.”

Walking the show floor will lead you through some of the restaurant industry’s hottest trends and leading innovations. This is the marketplace where the next big industry idea will be born. 

What’s new, what’s hot

Competition areas will be red hot. In case you missed it last year, we introduced a new competition that had the 2021 show floor buzzing, the International Italian Sandwich Competition. It joins our exciting slate of competitions. Competitors will face off in the International Pizza Challenge in Traditional, Non-traditional, Pan and Napoletana Divisions to win cash prizes and bragging rights. They will be judged based on crust, sauce, overall taste and visual presentation. In the non-traditional and pan divisions, creativity points will also be awarded. The popular World Pizza Games is also back to dazzle and amaze spectators and makers compete for world titles in dough acrobatics, dough stretch, box folding and a new team pizza-making challenge.

There is so much more to experience with Pizza Expo 2022. “This year during Food Week attendees will have the opportunity to attend three food-related trade shows in the same exhibit hall, as well as have a special discounted rate to attend the Bar & Restaurant Show,” Oakley says. “Your badge will allow you entry into International Pizza Expo, SIAL America and International Artisan Bakery Expo.” SIAL America will make its debut as the most comprehensive B2B food and beverage event in the U.S., while International Artisan Bakery Expo returns for its 3rd year.

Knowledge is Power

Donatella Arpaia

This year’s keynote speakers will inspire and motivate you to take your business to the next level. “We’re going to have three keynote speakers this year to jumpstart each tradeshow day with an exciting and energizing address that will be headlined by restaurateur and television personality Donatella Arpaia,” Oakley says.  James Beard Award winning author and one of America’s most prolific minds in baking, Ken Forkish, will kick off day two. Restaurateur and Young Entrepreneur Award winner Rocky Shanower rounds out the keynote speaker lineup.” 

Keynote addresses are a prelude to the immense learning opportunities available at Pizza Expo, from intensive School of Pizzeria Management courses and show floor demonstrations to how-to sessions and panels all taught by leading industry pros.

“The educational program at Pizza Expo is designed to give pizzeria owners topical, relevant information they can immediately use to help run their businesses more efficiently and more profitably,” Content Director Jeremy White says. “As we continue navigating a prolonged and seemingly never-ending pandemic, it’s easy to get overwhelmed with the demands of running a restaurant. That was no easy task even in ‘normal’ times. It’s now more difficult than ever. The majority of speakers at Pizza Expo run pizzerias day to day themselves, and they’re hugely successful at it. There’s no better place to get the most up-to-date best practices from people who are actually in the trenches fighting the good fight with you.”

Pizzeria operators are dealing with several fronts at once right now. The education program addresses the biggest issues facing today’s operators. “We’ve really tried to hit the business from every angle here,” White says. “From in-depth, detailed financial workshops to hands-on food demonstrations, attendees will acquire far more than just a surface understanding on the issues pizzeria operators have to deal with on a daily basis. Then the seminar program, which is robust as ever, covers everything from marketing to hiring and employee relations … and everything in between. There’s truly something for everyone. Some attendees may be well versed in finance, but need help with their messaging to consumers. Others may be expert in menu development, but have struggled finding ways to offer a diverse and inclusive workplace. We offer sessions on all that and more at Pizza Expo 2022.”

Let’s Get you Ready for Pizza Expo 2022

Now is the time to make your plans to attend Pizza Expo 2022. “We feel attending Pizza Expo will be one of the best investments, if not the best, in time and money you’ll make this year that should pay dividends for years to come,” Oakley says. 

Get the latest updates on the show. The show’s mobile app is available. Get the Pizza Expo App. 

See you at the show!

The post Ready. Set. Pizza Expo 2022 appeared first on Pizza Today.

]]> https://pizzatoday.com/topics/industry-news/90-focus-on-the-business/ Fri, 04 Mar 2022 14:38:15 +0000 https://pizzatoday.com/?post_type=news&p=142717 This week, our guest is Eric Rickman of Wholly Stromboli in Fort Lupton, Colorado. We talk overcoming obstacles, husband and wife business roles, expansion plans and employee strategies. Eric will join us as a panelist on an Overcoming Obstacles session on Wednesday, March 23 at Pizza Expo. More details at pizzaexpo.com. Thank you to our […]

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This week, our guest is Eric Rickman of Wholly Stromboli in Fort Lupton, Colorado. We talk overcoming obstacles, husband and wife business roles, expansion plans and employee strategies. Eric will join us as a panelist on an Overcoming Obstacles session on Wednesday, March 23 at Pizza Expo. More details at pizzaexpo.com.

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Thank you to our sponsor

 

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]]> https://pizzatoday.com/topics/finance-growth/learn-how-to-navigate-local-state-and-national-regulations/ Tue, 01 Mar 2022 00:01:15 +0000 https://pizzatoday.com/?post_type=topics&p=142645 Red Tape Owning and operating a restaurant is a labor of love. Most pizza restaurant operators take the plunge into opening a restaurant because they have poured their time, effort and money into developing a delicious product that they want to share with their community. However, when a pizza entrepreneur is finally ready to open, […]

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Red Tape

Owning and operating a restaurant is a labor of love. Most pizza restaurant operators take the plunge into opening a restaurant because they have poured their time, effort and money into developing a delicious product that they want to share with their community. However, when a pizza entrepreneur is finally ready to open, they are often met with unexpected challenges that come from local, state and federal regulations. 

Navigating the waters of governmental regulations is often complex and time consuming. The reach of the government can seemingly have no end, from the time of opening a restaurant through continued operations. Here, we will discuss common issues operators can face and how to work through them with government officials. 

When opening a restaurant, permitting is the largest and most time-consuming hurdle. Each jurisdiction has its own building and permitting codes that can vary widely from city to city and state to state. It is important to hire the right contractor who is experienced with both restaurants and with the jurisdiction in which you want to operate.

Before committing to a lease or purchasing a building, an operator should schedule a pre-application meeting with the local jurisdiction, usually a city or county, to discuss the scope of the project and determine what the jurisdiction will require to issue permits. This preliminary step will ensure that the jurisdiction will allow you to operate a restaurant in the space and will give you and your contractor the full picture of the scope of work that will be required. This in turn allows your contractor to be able to put together an accurate bid for the project. 

At this stage, it is important to be able to “sell” the officials on the value of your restaurant and how it will contribute to the neighborhood and city overall by bringing jobs, additional tax revenue and attracting new residents and visitors, etc. Some jurisdictions want to attract new businesses; unfortunately, some others seem to not care all that much.

Oftentimes, the bureaucracy is slow-moving and can create high barriers to entry. If this is the case in your project, it can be helpful to hire a land-use attorney who can negotiate with officials to reduce some of the more arduous requirements and speed up the process. The attorney can even challenge the official’s interpretation of the code. 

For example, in my own restaurant, the code said that certain types of government reviews of the project were only required if there was a “change of use” in the building. As I was remodeling an existing restaurant, there was no change of use, however, a county official tried to say that a “change in cuisine” was considered a change of use. This misinterpretation would have cost my business hundreds of thousands of dollars and months if not years of delays. However, after hiring outside counsel and involving my local elected official to put pressure on the various county departments, they approved our plans and allowed us to open immediately. 

Like with contractors, hiring an attorney who has relationships with the city officials is important, as they will know how to work with them efficiently. Further, it can also be helpful to involve your elected official’s office if the jurisdiction is being difficult, as they can place political pressure on bureaucrats.  

Once an entrepreneur is finally able to obtain the appropriate permits and licenses, the two most common regulatory issues operators face are with their local health department and with state and federal employee laws. 

Once your plans are approved, you must submit these plans to the local health department to obtain a restaurant permit. Again, if your contractor and architect have designed restaurants previously, they will know the various requirements that your particular jurisdiction has. Like with the building department, it may be helpful to schedule a pre-application meeting with the health department to ensure your plans can meet their requirements. 

Even if you have the cleanest kitchen in town, just about every operator’s heart sinks when a health inspector walks into their restaurant. Health department regulations can vary widely and enforcement can seem to be subjective based on which inspector shows up at your restaurant. Getting to know your local inspector can be very helpful, because you then know what their points of emphasis are in their inspection and can train your employees accordingly. For example, at one of my restaurants, the inspector always wants our dishes to be stacked and stored a certain way, so we train our employees to do it that particular way. 

Employee labor and workplace safety laws are of vital importance in the restaurant industry. First, it is important to create an employee handbook that creates various policies and procedures, including, but not limited to, safety, anti-harassment, time-keeping, dress code, ownership of tips and drug and alcohol policies. This is the ultimate guidebook for employee standards of behavior and will be extremely valuable when a dispute arises with an employee. It is highly recommended to work with a labor attorney to create an employee handbook, as the handbook should be tailored to state and federal regulations that are updated frequently by various agencies. Your worker’s compensation insurance carrier may also have templates for workplace safety policies that you can use.  

Additionally, laws related to minimum wage, overtime and ownership of tips are extremely important with which to be familiar. Businesses are often fined hefty penalties for failing to pay their employees minimum wage or in accordance with a payroll schedule, improperly distributing credit card or cash tips, or simply failing to keep timecards and other employee records. Again, working with a competent labor attorney will help you craft policies that are compliant with state and federal laws.  

These are just a few of the regulatory issues that with which restaurants can be faced. Working with competent attorneys who are well versed in land use, labor and corporate governance is a worthy investment to help the business run efficiently, avoid costly audits and fines and ultimately give entrepreneurs the freedom to focus on operations and not regulation.

Thomas Reinhard is a Seattle-based business attorney and a co-owner of Cascadia Pizza Co.

The post Learn how to navigate local, state and national regulations appeared first on Pizza Today.

]]> https://pizzatoday.com/podcasts/the-hot-slice/88-juan-perez-a-pizza-social-icon/ Thu, 17 Feb 2022 21:37:14 +0000 https://pizzatoday.com/?post_type=podcasts&p=142502 This week we dive into Juan Perez’s passion for pizza making. Juan is executive chef at Posto in Boston. He has reached millions of viewers on TikTok and Instagram. Find out how he does it. Also learn how Juan manages and trains pizza makers at Posto and the pizza he grew up on in Columbia. […]

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This week we dive into Juan Perez’s passion for pizza making. Juan is executive chef at Posto in Boston. He has reached millions of viewers on TikTok and Instagram. Find out how he does it. Also learn how Juan manages and trains pizza makers at Posto and the pizza he grew up on in Columbia.

Check out his social:

https://www.instagram.com/juangpizza/

https://www.tiktok.com/@juangpizza

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Thank you to our sponsor

 

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]]> https://pizzatoday.com/topics/industry-news/pizza-expo-update-show-ep-1-lets-get-it-started/ Wed, 16 Feb 2022 15:19:33 +0000 https://pizzatoday.com/?post_type=topics&p=142681 Welcome back to another season of the Update Show, previewing International Pizza Expo at the Las Vegas Convention Center, March 22-24. We kick off the Pizza Expo Update Show Episode 1 by announcing that Pizza Expo will take part in Las Vegas Food & Beverage Industry Week. We also have a promo code SHOW22 that […]

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Welcome back to another season of the Update Show, previewing International Pizza Expo at the Las Vegas Convention Center, March 22-24. We kick off the Pizza Expo Update Show Episode 1 by announcing that Pizza Expo will take part in Las Vegas Food & Beverage Industry Week. We also have a promo code SHOW22 that will get you $50 off your registration. Go to PizzaExpo.com to sign up. The Hot Slice Podcast is returning to the show. See how you can be a guest. Look for upcoming episodes where we’ll highlight everything you need to know to get you ready for Pizza Expo 2022.

The post Pizza Expo Update Show, Ep. 1: Let’s Get it Started appeared first on Pizza Today.

]]> https://pizzatoday.com/podcasts/the-hot-slice/87-getting-real-on-labor-pricing-with-bruno-zacchini/ Thu, 10 Feb 2022 21:54:12 +0000 https://pizzatoday.com/?post_type=podcasts&p=142507 Bruno Zacchini, owner of Pizza Bruno in Orlando, Florida, is on the show this week. He shares the reality of labor and menu pricing and how it’s impacting his pizzeria. Big things are also ahead as he plans to add a second location. Check out: Conversation: Bruno Zacchini, III, Pizza Bruno, Orlando, FL   Thank […]

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Bruno Zacchini, owner of Pizza Bruno in Orlando, Florida, is on the show this week. He shares the reality of labor and menu pricing and how it’s impacting his pizzeria. Big things are also ahead as he plans to add a second location.

Check out: Conversation: Bruno Zacchini, III, Pizza Bruno, Orlando, FL

 

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Thank you to our sponsor

 

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]]> https://pizzatoday.com/podcasts/the-hot-slice/86-new-ideas-with-rocky-shanower/ Thu, 03 Feb 2022 16:22:49 +0000 https://pizzatoday.com/?post_type=podcasts&p=141730 Rocky Shanower on The Hot Slice Podcast Rocky Shanower is a visionary restaurateur and a keynote speaker at Pizza Expo 2022. We chat about new directions with his two concepts, Park Street Pizza and Bahler Street mobile catering. He’s devised some new strategies for retaining employees and they are working at his Sugar Creek, Ohio […]

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Rocky Shanower on The Hot Slice Podcast

Rocky Shanower is a visionary restaurateur and a keynote speaker at Pizza Expo 2022. We chat about new directions with his two concepts, Park Street Pizza and Bahler Street mobile catering. He’s devised some new strategies for retaining employees and they are working at his Sugar Creek, Ohio pizzeria.

Read more about Rocky:

Young Entrepreneur of the Year Rocky Shanower is Coming to Pizza Expo 2022!

2020 Young Entrepreneur of the Year: Rocky Shanower, Park Street Pizza, Sugarcreek, OH

Pizza Today On The Road: Park Street Pizza, Sugarcreek, OH

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Thank you to our sponsor

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]]> https://pizzatoday.com/topics/industry-news/ready-set-pizza-expo-2022/ Tue, 01 Feb 2022 22:12:26 +0000 https://pizzatoday.com/?post_type=news&p=141943 We preview the pizzeria industry’s hottest ticketed event all year As spring marches in, International Pizza Expo is back and this year, we’re pulling out all the stops to go big in 2022. Pizza professionals from across the country and around the world will convene in Las Vegas on March 22-24 for jam-packed days to do business, […]

The post Ready. Set. Pizza Expo 2022 appeared first on Pizza Today.

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We preview the pizzeria industry’s hottest ticketed event all year

As spring marches in, International Pizza Expo is back and this year, we’re pulling out all the stops to go big in 2022. Pizza professionals from across the country and around the world will convene in Las Vegas on March 22-24 for jam-packed days to do business, network, learn and have fun. 

“As the world’s largest pizza show, we are committed to be the annual gathering place for the pizzeria and Italian restaurant communities to explore all the products and services available to the industry all under one roof,” says Show Director Bill Oakley. “We’re looking forward to bringing together the largest gathering of pizzeria professionals this year who will converge on the new West Hall of the Las Vegas Convention Center to collaborate with successful pizzeria owners and industry experts, forge new relationships and make once-a-year deals.”

That’s right. Pizza Expo will take place in the newly opened and state of the art West Hall of the convention center with a first of its kind transportation loop developed by Elon Musk. 

While 2020 and 2021 brought uncertainty, 2022 is the year to forge new paths. Renew your focus, drive and passion at Pizza Expo. What better way to recharge, find new products and solutions and share the camaraderie with friends and colleagues than the industry’s longest running event that is in its 37th year. 

Pizza Expo, a must attend event amidst industry challenges

The pizzeria industry has faced numerous unprecedented challenges in the past year. Arm yourself with the tools to face these issues with innovation and ingenuity at the show and conference. “As an attendee or buyer, one of your goals will be to maximize your return on investment, especially in light of the huge impact COVID has had on pizzerias, particularly labor and supply chain issues over the last couple of years,” Oakley says. “Exhibitors and attendees alike have made a substantial investment of time and money and we’re 100-percent committed to their success. We’re on track to deliver an exciting event experience filled with electricity that will reconnect the industry.”

Walking the show floor will lead you through some of the restaurant industry’s hottest trends and leading innovations. This is the marketplace where the next big industry idea will be born. 

What’s new, what’s hot

Competition areas will be red hot. In case you missed it last year, we introduced a new competition that had the 2021 show floor buzzing, the International Italian Sandwich Competition. It joins our exciting slate of competitions. Competitors will face off in the International Pizza Challenge in Traditional, Non-traditional, Pan and Napoletana Divisions to win cash prizes and bragging rights. They will be judged based on crust, sauce, overall taste and visual presentation. In the non-traditional and pan divisions, creativity points will also be awarded. The popular World Pizza Games is also back to dazzle and amaze spectators and makers compete for world titles in dough acrobatics, dough stretch, box folding and a new team pizza-making challenge.

There is so much more to experience with Pizza Expo 2022. “This year during Food Week attendees will have the opportunity to attend three food-related trade shows in the same exhibit hall, as well as have a special discounted rate to attend the Bar & Restaurant Show,” Oakley says. “Your badge will allow you entry into International Pizza Expo, SIAL America and International Artisan Bakery Expo.” SIAL America will make its debut as the most comprehensive B2B food and beverage event in the U.S., while International Artisan Bakery Expo returns for its 3rd year.

Knowledge is Power

Donatella Arpaia

This year’s keynote speakers will inspire and motivate you to take your business to the next level. “We’re going to have three keynote speakers this year to jumpstart each tradeshow day with an exciting and energizing address that will be headlined by restaurateur and television personality Donatella Arpaia,” Oakley says.  James Beard Award winning author and one of America’s most prolific minds in baking, Ken Forkish, will kick off day two. Restaurateur and Young Entrepreneur Award winner Rocky Shanower rounds out the keynote speaker lineup.” 

Keynote addresses are a prelude to the immense learning opportunities available at Pizza Expo, from intensive School of Pizzeria Management courses and show floor demonstrations to how-to sessions and panels all taught by leading industry pros.

“The educational program at Pizza Expo is designed to give pizzeria owners topical, relevant information they can immediately use to help run their businesses more efficiently and more profitably,” Content Director Jeremy White says. “As we continue navigating a prolonged and seemingly never-ending pandemic, it’s easy to get overwhelmed with the demands of running a restaurant. That was no easy task even in ‘normal’ times. It’s now more difficult than ever. The majority of speakers at Pizza Expo run pizzerias day to day themselves, and they’re hugely successful at it. There’s no better place to get the most up-to-date best practices from people who are actually in the trenches fighting the good fight with you.”

Pizzeria operators are dealing with several fronts at once right now. The education program addresses the biggest issues facing today’s operators. “We’ve really tried to hit the business from every angle here,” White says. “From in-depth, detailed financial workshops to hands-on food demonstrations, attendees will acquire far more than just a surface understanding on the issues pizzeria operators have to deal with on a daily basis. Then the seminar program, which is robust as ever, covers everything from marketing to hiring and employee relations … and everything in between. There’s truly something for everyone. Some attendees may be well versed in finance, but need help with their messaging to consumers. Others may be expert in menu development, but have struggled finding ways to offer a diverse and inclusive workplace. We offer sessions on all that and more at Pizza Expo 2022.”

Let’s Get you Ready for Pizza Expo 2022

Now is the time to make your plans to attend Pizza Expo 2022. “We feel attending Pizza Expo will be one of the best investments, if not the best, in time and money you’ll make this year that should pay dividends for years to come,” Oakley says. 

Advance registration is still available at PizzaExpo.com. Save money by registering ahead. Discounts are also available for groups of more than 10.

Get the latest updates on the show. The show’s mobile app will be available in March. You can find it by searching “Pizza Expo App 2022″ on the Apple Store or Google Play. 

See you at the show!

The post Ready. Set. Pizza Expo 2022 appeared first on Pizza Today.

]]> https://pizzatoday.com/topics/people-pizzerias/on-the-road-enos-pizza-tavern-dallas-tx/ Tue, 01 Feb 2022 18:45:13 +0000 https://pizzatoday.com/?post_type=topics&p=141839 Thin Line It’s a story we’ve seen play out time and again in cities across the country: a fledgling pizzeria sets roots in a neighborhood in need of revitalization and subsequently helps forge a Renaissance. Before you know it the once-neglected area is thriving with coffee shops, retail boutiques and other restaurants. And the pizzeria […]

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Thin Line

It’s a story we’ve seen play out time and again in cities across the country: a fledgling pizzeria sets roots in a neighborhood in need of revitalization and subsequently helps forge a Renaissance. Before you know it the once-neglected area is thriving with coffee shops, retail boutiques and other restaurants. And the pizzeria at the heart of it all explodes.

That’s the condensed version of Eno’s Pizza Tavern, which set up shop in Dallas’ Bishop Arts District before it was the bustling destination it is today.

“We lived in North Dallas and used to come down here,” explains co-owner Donna Spillers. “There were a couple of spots down here, and coming here was a nice getaway from the big city traffic and almost felt like a mini-vacation.”

The area hadn’t yet come into its own, but Donna and her husband, Allen, saw the potential. When the building that now houses Eno’s was came on the market, the family knew it needed to move on it. It has previously housed a martini bar, but its vibe just didn’t fit with the neighborhood. Allen’s friend, a realtor, let him know the spot was available. 

“One of our sons, Matt, had just graduated culinary school and there just wasn’t much down here,” Donna explains. So the Spillers family (two of the three sons are actively involved in Eno’s, though Donna says they’ve all played a hand at some point) decided to take the plunge into restaurant ownership.

Mother and son team and co-owners Shane and Donna Spillers, Eno’s Pizza Tavern, Dallas, Texas

The timing proved to be a bit suspect at first. While the company is now on sound footing with three stores and new developments in the works, Eno’s opened in 2008 during some very difficult economic times.

“In 2008 there was a stock market crash, and we opened one week after that,” co-owner Donna Spillers says. “News people were down here interviewing us like ‘what do you think you’re going to do with a new restaurant right now?’”

There was hope, though. Literally a campaign full of hope made a mark on the Dallas neighborhood.

“In 2008 Barack Obama was running for the first time for President,” says Donna. “What really put this place on the map was there was a contingency of people that lived down here who decided this neighborhood was going to be the Democratic watch party for all of Dallas. 

“They closed down the streets and there were news crews from different countries set up right here in the alley. My son Matt, that went to culinary school, said ‘We have all these people out on the streets. Let’s set up some beer stations and set up with beer and pizza outside. At that time this area was dry, so someone who wanted any kind of alcohol had to have a membership. I’m telling you there were thousands of people here. Thousands. The tips alone that night in this building were thousands of dollars. People came here from all states and different countries. It was incredible. And that’s really how people started knowing about Bishop Arts.”

Slowly but surely word got out about Eno’s and the business enjoyed a steady rise.

“Our business started at a trickle. We only opened for dinner for the first maybe six months,” Donna says. “And then it felt like it would be okay to open for lunch. So maybe after about a year-and-a-half we started to be really busy. Other business started coming in and there was a slow and healthy build.”

When opening for lunch service, the Eno’s crew quickly learned the new daypart is an entirely different ballgame.

“We had to start doing personal size pizza,” explains Donna. “We call it the Lunch Special, and we grouped an 8- or 10-inch personal pizza with a soup or salad and a beverage. It took us a while to figure it out. At first, we were making our full-sized pizzas, and it was kind of a mobile lunch buffet. Instead of setting it out we would carry it around and let people have as much as they wanted when they were ready. It was crazy! It was a lot of labor and it created a lot of anxiety with the staff, so we had to do it a different way. And the lunch specials have worked out well.”

Before 2008, the Spillers were involved in restaurant interior design. 

“We started that in 1975 and did that until 2008,” Donna says. 

Allen was an interior designer for a high-end residential design firm and had designed a residence for a gentleman with whom he became friends. 

“He never alluded to what business he was in at first,” recalls Donna. “He just said he was in construction. He didn’t tell us he had a chain of restaurants.”

The client, Ken Selby, had turned Ken’s Pizza in Tulsa, Oklahoma, into the Mazzio’s Pizza brand. And it was growing very quickly. In fact, according to the Mazzio’s Pizza Web site, the concept ballooned to more than 150 stores in a dozen states.

“We started working on the design of his restaurants,” Donna recalls. “And he was building fast! We’d do three to four new Mazzio’s per month. We did all the furniture packages, the finishes … and we’d keep the cycle going.”

Eventually, some Mazzio’s franchisees who liked their work would ask the Spillers’ to take on other projects.

“Some of the franchisees had other brands they were franchisees for as well,” she says. “So, we were really, really busy. When we traveled, we home-schooled our kids and took them with us, so they were exposed to all of that.”

Walk into the 1920s-era building and a sense of “this just belongs here” immediately hits you. With its wood floors, New England-inspired tables and nooks and crannies from the design of that time, one can’t help but think “this place was meant to be a tavern.” The fact Eno’s specializes in tavern-style pizza makes it unique in Dallas.

 

The pizza is as cracker-thin as it can get. A throwback to the tavern pies many Chicagoans grew up on. In fact, the recipe mimics one from Chicago.

“We had a friend from Chicago. His son was one of my son’s football teammates in high school,” Donna says. “The dad would invite the whole team over and make pizza, and it was this exact recipe. He had worked in a pizzeria with some Sicilians in Chicago when he was younger. Now we live next door to that family. But the dad would even put cornmeal on the bottom so it doesn’t stick. That’s a really delicious element that’s added.”

The friend taught the Spillers how to make the pizza and assisted with scaling it for the masses.

“They worked on it a long time,” says Donna. “He would come into our restaurant before we opened and work with us to get it right. It took about a week of trial and error to get the recipe right.”

While the tavern pie is the star of the show, the Eno’s menu features a full array of offerings. Soups, salads, sandwiches, pasta dishes and a variety of appetizers complement the pizza. From truffle cheese bread to Chicken Cacciatore to Texas beef and boar meatballs, there’s something for everyone.

One of the largest challenges Eno’s faces, the tough labor market notwithstanding, is supplying its stores with that cracker-thin crust. In order to help with consistency, fuel future growth and loosen labor costs, the company is planning a commissary that will take the burden off its kitchens.

“It’s time,” Donna says. “We have some things down the road we want to do and having the commissary will help us achieve those things. And our crust is so thin that it’s quite a process to get it that thin. We don’t even cut it into slices because it’s so thin that you can’t manage it. So, we cut it into rectangles so that it won’t droop and be too flimsy when you pick it up. The commissary will make it much easier for everyone.”

 

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A Conversation with Shane Spillers

Eno’s has so much going on that we simply could not fit it all into one article! To that end, we present to you Episode 79 of our Hot Slice podcast, featuring Eno’s Pizza Tavern co-owner Shane Spillers. Shane talks concept, expansion, staffing and dishes on the coming commissary his mother mentions in the article. Check it out.

 

Jeremy White is Editor-in-Chief at Pizza Today.

The post On the Road: Eno’s Pizza Tavern, Dallas, TX appeared first on Pizza Today.

]]> https://pizzatoday.com/topics/industry-news/ready-set-pizza-expo-2022-2/ Tue, 01 Feb 2022 08:03:11 +0000 https://pizzatoday.com/?post_type=topics&p=142686 We preview the pizzeria industry’s hottest ticketed event all year As spring marches in, International Pizza Expo is back and this year, we’re pulling out all the stops to go big in 2022. Pizza professionals from across the country and around the world will convene in Las Vegas on March 22-24 for jam-packed days to […]

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We preview the pizzeria industry’s hottest ticketed event all year

As spring marches in, International Pizza Expo is back and this year, we’re pulling out all the stops to go big in 2022. Pizza professionals from across the country and around the world will convene in Las Vegas on March 22-24 for jam-packed days to do business, network, learn and have fun. 

“As the world’s largest pizza show, we are committed to be the annual gathering place for the pizzeria and Italian restaurant communities to explore all the products and services available to the industry all under one roof,” says Show Director Bill Oakley. “We’re looking forward to bringing together the largest gathering of pizzeria professionals this year who will converge on the new West Hall of the Las Vegas Convention Center to collaborate with successful pizzeria owners and industry experts, forge new relationships and make once-a-year deals.”

That’s right. Pizza Expo will take place in the newly opened and state of the art West Hall of the convention center with a first of its kind transportation loop developed by Elon Musk. 

While 2020 and 2021 brought uncertainty, 2022 is the year to forge new paths. Renew your focus, drive and passion at Pizza Expo. What better way to recharge, find new products and solutions and share the camaraderie with friends and colleagues than the industry’s longest running event that is in its 37th year. 

Pizza Expo, a must attend event amidst industry challenges

The pizzeria industry has faced numerous unprecedented challenges in the past year. Arm yourself with the tools to face these issues with innovation and ingenuity at the show and conference. “As an attendee or buyer, one of your goals will be to maximize your return on investment, especially in light of the huge impact COVID has had on pizzerias, particularly labor and supply chain issues over the last couple of years,” Oakley says. “Exhibitors and attendees alike have made a substantial investment of time and money and we’re 100-percent committed to their success. We’re on track to deliver an exciting event experience filled with electricity that will reconnect the industry.”

Walking the show floor will lead you through some of the restaurant industry’s hottest trends and leading innovations. This is the marketplace where the next big industry idea will be born. 

What’s new, what’s hot

Competition areas will be red hot. In case you missed it last year, we introduced a new competition that had the 2021 show floor buzzing, the International Italian Sandwich Competition. It joins our exciting slate of competitions. Competitors will face off in the International Pizza Challenge in Traditional, Non-traditional, Pan and Napoletana Divisions to win cash prizes and bragging rights. They will be judged based on crust, sauce, overall taste and visual presentation. In the non-traditional and pan divisions, creativity points will also be awarded. The popular World Pizza Games is also back to dazzle and amaze spectators and makers compete for world titles in dough acrobatics, dough stretch, box folding and a new team pizza-making challenge.

There is so much more to experience with Pizza Expo 2022. “This year during Food Week attendees will have the opportunity to attend three food-related trade shows in the same exhibit hall, as well as have a special discounted rate to attend the Bar & Restaurant Show,” Oakley says. “Your badge will allow you entry into International Pizza Expo, SIAL America and International Artisan Bakery Expo.” SIAL America will make its debut as the most comprehensive B2B food and beverage event in the U.S., while International Artisan Bakery Expo returns for its 3rd year.

Knowledge is Power

Donatella Arpaia

This year’s keynote speakers will inspire and motivate you to take your business to the next level. “We’re going to have three keynote speakers this year to jumpstart each tradeshow day with an exciting and energizing address that will be headlined by restaurateur and television personality Donatella Arpaia,” Oakley says.  James Beard Award winning author and one of America’s most prolific minds in baking, Ken Forkish, will kick off day two. Restaurateur and Young Entrepreneur Award winner Rocky Shanower rounds out the keynote speaker lineup.” 

Keynote addresses are a prelude to the immense learning opportunities available at Pizza Expo, from intensive School of Pizzeria Management courses and show floor demonstrations to how-to sessions and panels all taught by leading industry pros.

“The educational program at Pizza Expo is designed to give pizzeria owners topical, relevant information they can immediately use to help run their businesses more efficiently and more profitably,” Content Director Jeremy White says. “As we continue navigating a prolonged and seemingly never-ending pandemic, it’s easy to get overwhelmed with the demands of running a restaurant. That was no easy task even in ‘normal’ times. It’s now more difficult than ever. The majority of speakers at Pizza Expo run pizzerias day to day themselves, and they’re hugely successful at it. There’s no better place to get the most up-to-date best practices from people who are actually in the trenches fighting the good fight with you.”

Pizzeria operators are dealing with several fronts at once right now. The education program addresses the biggest issues facing today’s operators. “We’ve really tried to hit the business from every angle here,” White says. “From in-depth, detailed financial workshops to hands-on food demonstrations, attendees will acquire far more than just a surface understanding on the issues pizzeria operators have to deal with on a daily basis. Then the seminar program, which is robust as ever, covers everything from marketing to hiring and employee relations … and everything in between. There’s truly something for everyone. Some attendees may be well versed in finance, but need help with their messaging to consumers. Others may be expert in menu development, but have struggled finding ways to offer a diverse and inclusive workplace. We offer sessions on all that and more at Pizza Expo 2022.”

Let’s Get you Ready for Pizza Expo 2022

Now is the time to make your plans to attend Pizza Expo 2022. “We feel attending Pizza Expo will be one of the best investments, if not the best, in time and money you’ll make this year that should pay dividends for years to come,” Oakley says. 

Advance registration is still available at PizzaExpo.com. Save money by registering ahead. Discounts are also available for groups of more than 10.

Get the latest updates on the show. The show’s mobile app will be available in March. You can find it by searching “Pizza Expo App 2022″ on the Apple Store or Google Play. 

See you at the show!

The post Ready. Set. Pizza Expo 2022 appeared first on Pizza Today.

]]> https://pizzatoday.com/podcasts/the-hot-slice/79-growth-mode-with-shane-spillers/ Thu, 16 Dec 2021 08:23:43 +0000 https://pizzatoday.com/?post_type=podcasts&p=140732 Eno’s Pizza Tavern in Dallas, Texas, is currently in strategic growth mode. We “sit down” with Shane Spillers to talk concept, pizza style, planned expansion, staffing and bringing a commissary online in this week’s The Hot Slice Podcast. Look for a full feature on Eno’s in the February issue of Pizza Today Magazine. Thank you […]

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Eno’s Pizza Tavern in Dallas, Texas, is currently in strategic growth mode. We “sit down” with Shane Spillers to talk concept, pizza style, planned expansion, staffing and bringing a commissary online in this week’s The Hot Slice Podcast. Look for a full feature on Eno’s in the February issue of Pizza Today Magazine.

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Thank you to our sponsor

The post 79. Growth Mode with Shane Spillers appeared first on Pizza Today.

]]> https://pizzatoday.com/topics/industry-news/guide-to-the-2021-national-best-pizzas-lists/ Mon, 13 Dec 2021 21:19:00 +0000 https://pizzatoday.com/?post_type=news&p=141884 Guide to the 2021 Best Pizza Lists Did your pizzeria make one of this year’s top pizza lists? Being thrust into the national spotlight can be a game changer for an independent pizzeria. We scoured the Internet in search of this year’s leading national best pizza lists. Check out who drew national attention for their […]

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Guide to the 2021 Best Pizza Lists

Did your pizzeria make one of this year’s top pizza lists?

Being thrust into the national spotlight can be a game changer for an independent pizzeria. We scoured the Internet in search of this year’s leading national best pizza lists. Check out who drew national attention for their pies. Each “best pizza” list is based on their own criteria using expert panels, audience votes, reviews or other factors. Here are the biggest pizza lists of 2021:

 

Food&Wine picks Best Pizza States and Best Pizza in Every State

New Jersey tops the nation for pizza. Pizza Today’s 2021 Pizzeria of the Year Razza was mentioned first and resides in Jersey City.

Second was Connecticut sighting New Haven hot spots, followed by New York in third. Illinois and Michigan, respectively, rounded out the top five pizza states.

See if your pizzeria made Food&Wine’s best pizza in your state.

 

Gayot ranked its Top 10 Pizza in America

Margherita, Ken’s Artisan

A few of its Top 10 include:

• Capo’s, San Francisco, CA
• Cart-Driver, Denver, CO
• Double Zero, Atlanta, GA
• Ken’s Artisan Pizza, Portland, OR
• Stella Barra Pizzeria, Santa Monica, CA
• Tavola, New York, NY

See the full listing.

 

Bloomberg declares the Best Pizza City in America

Bloomberg turned to Modernist Pizza authors Nathan Myhrvold and Francisco Migoya to chime in on which city is America’s best pizza city. Portland, Oregon, received the top honor. Check out how they came to that conclusion.

 

Thrillist identifies “28 American Pizza Shops You Need to Try

Good Pie

Thrillist takes a look at 28 pizzerias that are on fire right now. Topping list includes:

• Apizza Scholl’s, Portland, OR
• DiFara Pizza, New York, NY
• Eleventh Street Pizza, Miami, FL
• Emilia’s, Berkeley, CA
• Four + Water Pizzeria, San Francisco, CA
• Good Pie, Las Vegas, NV
• L’Industrie, Brooklyn, NY

Check out the rest of the list.

 

BigSeven Travel picks its Top 50 Pizzas

Pizza Delicious

The travel platform selects its annual list of 50 Best Pizzas in the United States. There are several newcomers and surprises on this list. The top five includes:

1. Tony’s Pizza Napoletana, San Francisco, CA
2. Ops, Brooklyn, NY
3. Pizza Delicious, New Orleans, LA
4. Bricco Coal Fired Pizza, Westmont, NJ
5. Pequod’s Pizza, Chicago, IL

Check out the full list.

 

Best Pizza in Every State, according to Yelp

Eat This, Not That! counts down Yelp’s best pizzas in every state. Yelp used an algorithm that sorted and filtered each state’s pizza offerings to declare a winner.

Let’s look at a few often-overlooked pizza states:

• Alabama: The Pepperoni Pizza at Joe’s Pizza & Pasta, Mobile
• Idaho: The Far East Pizza at Embers by the Lake, Hauser
• Minnesota: Flavor Explosion at Mama’s Pizza, St. Paul
• Oklahoma: Misunderstood Middle Sister Pie at Stone Sisters Pizza Bar, Oklahoma City
• Virginia: Diavolo Rosso at Pizzeria Bella Vista by Signorelli, Chesapeake

See if you made the list in your state.

 

Pizza Today names 2021 Pizzeria of the Year

Razza

We saved the best for last. Each year, Pizza Today Magazine selects one pizzeria in the U.S. that shines supreme. See why this year’s pizzeria industry honor goes to Razza in Jersey City, NJ.

Read the Razza feature.

Listen to owner Dan Richer on The Hot Slice Podcast.

The post Guide to the 2021 National “Best Pizzas” Lists appeared first on Pizza Today.

]]> https://pizzatoday.com/topics/industry-news/commentary-pizzeria-of-the-year/ Wed, 01 Dec 2021 05:01:00 +0000 https://pizzatoday.com/departments/commentary-pizzeria-of-the-year/ Our 2021 Pizzeria of the Year is Razza, a Jersey City-based operation that is super impressive. I enjoyed visiting owner Dan Richer for the interview and photo shoot in October. What I did not expect was to enjoy Jersey City as much as I did. It was my first time really being there. Usually, I […]

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Jeremy White
Editor-in-Chief
Pizza Today
jwhite@www.pizzatoday.com

Our 2021 Pizzeria of the Year is Razza, a Jersey City-based operation that is super impressive. I enjoyed visiting owner Dan Richer for the interview and photo shoot in October. What I did not expect was to enjoy Jersey City as much as I did. It was my first time really being there. Usually, I don’t venture out from NYC when in the region. (That will change.)

But a dozen years ago I did. I crossed over to Hoboken to sit with the legendary Patsy Grimaldi. He made me a pizza that I still crave to this day. While on that foray, I went through Jersey City to check it out. It didn’t impress me. I didn’t stay long. Hence my earlier statement about seeing it for the first time in October.

Let’s just say a lot has changed in Jersey City in the last decade. It has grown. It has turned into a world-class restaurant destination. Some New Yorkers may laugh at that, but I assure you they shouldn’t.

Anyway, back to Razza. It’s been a long, long time since I’ve had pizza so good that I wanted to cry. Hey, I’ve been locked away during a pandemic and therefore not able to visit all the great pizza establishments we’re accustomed to checking out through the course of a year!

Razza has set a very high bar, as a Pizzeria of the Year should.

Check out the cover story on Razza. And then read my feature and listen to our podcast interview with Richer. After that, head to PizzaExpo.com and register to attend Pizza Expo 2022 in Las Vegas, where you’ll get to learn from Richer in person!

Lastly, another year in pizza is coming to a close. Some good things happened in 2021, including a major vaccine rollout that is helping our nation crawl out from under the weight of the pandemic and that also helped us stage Pizza Expo against all odds. So, there are many reasons to think 2022 is going to be even better. And that makes me smile. Cheers to a new year!

Best,

Jeremy White
Editor In Chief
jwhite@pizzatoday.com

The post Commentary: Pizzeria of the Year appeared first on Pizza Today.

]]> https://pizzatoday.com/podcasts/the-hot-slice/74-the-legal-side-of-the-pizza-business/ Thu, 11 Nov 2021 13:09:00 +0000 https://pizzatoday.com/podcasts/74-the-legal-side-of-the-pizza-business/ Thomas Reinhard is both a co-owner of a successful pizza company and an attorney. He goes in-depth into applying his legal knowledge for the pizzeria, Cascadia Pizza Company, with brick-and-mortar locations and mobile units near Seattle, Washington. You won’t want to miss the essential legal pro tips as he shares the legal side of the […]

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Thomas Reinhard is both a co-owner of a successful pizza company and an attorney. He goes in-depth into applying his legal knowledge for the pizzeria, Cascadia Pizza Company, with brick-and-mortar locations and mobile units near Seattle, Washington. You won’t want to miss the essential legal pro tips as he shares the legal side of the pizza business.

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Thank you to our sponsor

 

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]]> https://pizzatoday.com/topics/industry-news/new-study-finds-restaurant-text-marketing-gains-high-marks-on-roi-frequency-and-check-averages/ Thu, 21 Oct 2021 17:51:00 +0000 https://pizzatoday.com/news/new-study-finds-restaurant-text-marketing-gains-high-marks-on-roi-frequency-and-check-averages/ 2021 Restaurant Text Marketing Benchmarks Report reveals 44 percent lift in restaurant visits Have you tried text marketing? Text marketing campaigns are paying off in a major way for restaurants says new research by Mobivity in its 2021 Restaurant Text Marketing Benchmarks Report. Mobivity studied its network data of 15 million subscribers and 500 million […]

The post New Study Finds Restaurant Text Marketing Gains High Marks on ROI, frequency and check averages appeared first on Pizza Today.

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2021 Restaurant Text Marketing Benchmarks Report reveals 44 percent lift in restaurant visits

Have you tried text marketing? Text marketing campaigns are paying off in a major way for restaurants says new research by Mobivity in its 2021 Restaurant Text Marketing Benchmarks Report. Mobivity studied its network data of 15 million subscribers and 500 million transactions from 2018 to 2021 and the findings are encouraging for restaurant text marketing campaigns.

According to the report, “Mobivity found that text message marketing subscribers visit stores 44% more frequently than non-subscribers. And once a consumer joins a restaurant’s text messaging program, the guest’s spend increases 23%. Measured over six months, a text subscriber can be valued at $12.15 on average in incremental revenue and Mobivity saw brands with incremental text subscriber revenue as high as $16.59.”

The study found that timing offers is important. “Mobivity’s benchmark data show that 60% of redemptions occur within the first 24 hours, and 39% of redemptions happen on the same day the subscriber receives them,” the report details. “Further highlighting the immediacy of text messages, more than 30% of redemptions occur within the first three hours after receipt, and nearly half of those are within the first.”

The report also gaged text marketing versus app and e-mail marketing. “An astounding 96% of subscribers remain in a text program after 90 days, and 90% are still in the program after two years, outpacing app and email subscriber retention by a factor of 2X and 3X respectively.”

Read the full press release on the 2021 Restaurant Text Messaging Benchmarks at https://ir.mobivity.com/press-releases/detail/658/mobivitys-2021-restaurant-text-marketing-benchmarks

 

Dive Deeper into Text Marketing

 We’ve seen an explosion in text marketing in the pizza industry. Text and push notifications campaigns continue to outpace email marketing. Pizza Today has provided tips and strategies to help pizzeria operators dive into text marketing. Here are a few resources to learn more about pizzerias and text campaigns:

A Step-by-Step Guide to SMS Marketing

In this article, we explore how pizzerias are using text marketing to reach and engage with their loyal customers.

Hot Marketing Trends with Clayton Krueger on the Hot Slice Podcast

We have an in-depth conversation with marketing veteran Clayton Krueger of Tacoma-based Farrelli’s Pizza on the role of text messaging and push notifications in pizzeria marketing.

Have you had success with text marketing campaigns? Reach out to us on social and share your experience with @PizzaToday.

The post New Study Finds Restaurant Text Marketing Gains High Marks on ROI, frequency and check averages appeared first on Pizza Today.

]]> https://pizzatoday.com/podcasts/the-hot-slice/69-day-by-day-at-lepomas-pizza-the-hot-slice-podcast/ Thu, 07 Oct 2021 17:49:00 +0000 https://pizzatoday.com/podcasts/69-day-by-day-at-lepomas-pizza-the-hot-slice-podcast/ Carrie and Anthony Lepoma opened Lepoma’s Pizza in Georgia in 2015. Passionate about pizza, growing the business was the couple’s unflinching mission. While the COVID-19 pandemic left many restaurants in trouble, it hit the Lepomas especially hard on a personal level in August of 2021. Carrie shares her touching story of loss as well as […]

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Carrie and Anthony Lepoma opened Lepoma’s Pizza in Georgia in 2015. Passionate about pizza, growing the business was the couple’s unflinching mission. While the COVID-19 pandemic left many restaurants in trouble, it hit the Lepomas especially hard on a personal level in August of 2021. Carrie shares her touching story of loss as well as her uplifting drive to continue growing the business in Anthony’s honor.

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Thank you to our sponsor

The post 69. Day by Day at Lepoma’s Pizza — The Hot Slice Podcast appeared first on Pizza Today.

]]> https://pizzatoday.com/podcasts-1/ Mon, 04 Oct 2021 21:08:14 +0000 https://pizzatoday.com/?page_id=125456 The post PODCASTS appeared first on Pizza Today.

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PODCASTS

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ABOUT US

• ABOUT US
• MEET THE STAFF
• AWARDS AND ACCOLADES

Pizza Today was launched in 1984 when a pizzeria owner in the tiny town of Santa Claus, Indiana, realized he needed help growing his business. “Surely,” he thought, “there must be a periodical or tradeshow that can give me the type of advice I need to be successful.” Well, he was wrong. So he started a magazine himself, Pizza Today, and brought in the industry’s top consultants and experts to provide the type of critical information you still find in our pages three decades later. In 2015, the magazine was acquired by Emerald Expositions in San Juan Capistrano, California. Today, Pizza Today and International Pizza Expo offices are located in Louisville, Kentucky. The magazine has undergone many changes through the years, from redesigns to moving its offices to Louisville. Our latest and most significant improvement is represented right here, on the PizzaToday.com site, complete with video, recipes, an enhanced vendor directory and the ability to open and read each new issue of the magazine on your desktop or mobile device.

 

 

Meet the Staff

 

Jeremy White

Editor in Chief

A graduate of Saint Joseph’s College in Rensselaer, Indiana, Jeremy has a degree in English/Creative Writing with a double minor in Journalism and Communications/Theater Arts Jeremy says his favorite thing about his job at Pizza Today is “visiting America’s most successful independent pizzerias and discovering what makes them stand out from the pack and then passing that information on to our readers so that they can improve their own businesses.” Jeremy lives in southern Indiana with his wife, Carri, and their two sons, Caiden and Camden. Outside of work, he coaches an elite-level travel baseball team and enjoys cycling, running, sports, literature and music. Jeremy’s favorite pizza is an artisan pie topped with spicy soppressata, bacon, jalepeño peppers and pineapple.

Email: jwhite@pizzatoday.com
Phone: (502) 901-2531

 

 

Denise Greer

Executive Editor

Denise joined Pizza Today in March 2011 as associate editor. “Sitting down with pizzeria owners in their restaurants to learn about successes is a huge highlight, as well as working with the great team we have in Louisville,” she says. A graduate of Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana, Denise has a bachelor’s degree in Journalism/Public Relations with a minor in Speech Communications. Prior to her time at Pizza Today, Denise spent eight years at the Ball State Alumnus magazine, working with every aspect of magazine production. Denise lives in Jeffersonville, Indiana. Outside of work, she loves spending time with her beagle, Kunu. She also enjoys playing in the forest — hiking or biking, walking about with her camera –– and taking in the arts or live music. She tinkers in her workshop with carpentry and art projects. One of her favorite pastimes is finding eclectic shops and restaurants. Favorite Pizza: Red Top Detroit at Pizza Rock in Las Vegas

Email: dgreer@pizzatoday.com
Phone: (502) 901-2523

 

 

Josh Keown

Creative Director

Josh joined Pizza Today in 2006. Prior to his time with Pizza Today, Josh worked as an Art Director for several newspapers across the state of Kentucky. A graduate of Western Kentucky University, Josh has a degree in advertising. He says his favorite things about his job at Pizza Today are “the amazing working environment and the great people he gets to come in and work with everyday and, of course, traveling to the best pizzerias in the nation and trying all of their great pies.” Josh lives in Louisville. Outside of work, Josh enjoys working out, watching his stories, coffee, wine, and spending time with this gang of pets, wife Tyann and son Henry. Favorite pizza? John’s Pizzeria on Bleecker St. in NYC.

Email: jkeown@pizzatoday.com
Phone: (502) 901-2533

 

 

Katie Wilson

Art Director

Katie is the newest member of the Pizza Today team, joining in June 2019. A graduate from Northern Kentucky University, Katie has a bachelors degree in Visual Communication Design with a minor in Marketing and specialized in Photography. Outside of work, she enjoys spending time with her husband, Zack, their dog Luna, and their cat Leia. She also enjoys trying many of the great restaurants here in Louisville and going to some of the local art shows and markets. Favorite pizza? “I have yet to meet one I didn’t like” she says.

Email: Kwilson@pizzatoday.com
Phone: (502) 901-2525

 

 

Bill Oakley

Show Director, Food Group

Bill joined Pizza Today and Pizza Expo in 1994 as a financial manager. He has also served in the following capacities: chief financial officer; senior vice president and general manager. Prior to his time with Pizza Today and Pizza Expo, Bill worked for United States Senator Mitch McConnell, the U.S. Department of Labor, Stifel Nicolaus & Company, Commonwealth Institutional Investments and Republic Bank. Bill is a graduate of the University of Kentucky and the University of Louisville, with degrees in Marketing and Accounting. Bill’s favorite thing about his job is producing the “World’s Largest Pizza Show,” as well as the opportunity to meet and work with all the great people in the pizza industry. Bill lives Simpsonville, Kentucky, with his wife, Ellen, and daughter, Cristin. Outside of work, he’s an avid golfer; sports fanatic and lifelong fan of University of Louisville football, basketball and baseball teams. He also is a car hobbyist, likes to read, listen to music and is an avid follower of thoroughbred horseracing. Favorite pizza? The classic Margherita, of course.

Email: boakley@pizzatoday.com
Phone: (502) 901-2534

 

Colleen Truman

Vice President — Food Group

Email: Colleen.Truman@EmeraldX.com
Phone: 502-681-4326

 

 

 

 

Robert Baker

Media Sales Executive

Email: Robert.Baker@emeraldx.com
Phone: (732) 429-2080

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Kirstie Adanick

Senior Sales Executive

Email: Kirstie.Adanick@emeraldX.com
Phone: (812) 946-1232

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Linda Keller

Senior Sales Executive

Email: linda.keller@emeraldx.com
Phone: (646) 668-3759

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Patty Crone

Applications Billing Coordinator, Tradeshows and Advertising

Email: pcrone@pizzatoday.com
Phone: (502) 901-2523

Awards

Pizza Today has won more TABBIE Awards than any other foodservice publication in the world!

Pizza Today! Pizza Today has won more TABBIE awards over the last several years than any other English speaking trade or business publication in the world from Trade, Association and Business Publication International (TABPI). The Annual TABBIE awards recognized excellence in business-to-business publications around the globe. This year’s competition included more than 500 publishing companies!

2020 (10 Awards)
Best Single Issue, Top 25

Feature Article, Top 25

Best B2B Website — GOLD

Best Use of Social Media — SILVER

Best e-Newsletter — GOLD

Best Editor’s Column — SILVER

Best Focus/Profile Article — HONORABLE MENTION

Best Feature Design — GOLD

Best Front Cover Photograph — GOLD

Best Opening Spread — BRONZE

2019 (9 Awards)

• Gold — Best Use of Social Media
• Gold — Best B2B Web site
• Gold — Opening Page or Spread
• Silver — Best E-Newsletter
• Bronze — Feature Design
• Honorable Mention — Regular Column
• Honorable Mention — Department
• Honorable Mention — Feature Article
• Honorable Mention — Editor’s Column

2018 (8 Awards)

• GOLD — Best Use of Social Media
• GOLD — Best B2B Website
• GOLD — E-Newsletter
• GOLD — Front Cover, Photograph
• GOLD — Front Cover, Special Issue
• SILVER — Focus/Profile Article
• HONORABLE MENTION — Special Section
• HONORABLE MENTION — Opening Page or Spread

2017 (10 Awards)

• Best Use of Social Media — Gold
• Best E-Newsletter — Silver
• Best Special Section — Silver
• Best Feature Article: Top 25 — 21st Place
• Best B2B Website — Honorable Mention
• Best Department — Honorable Mention
• Best Feature Design — Honorable Mention
• Best Front Cover, Photograph — Honorable Mention
• Best Front Cover, Special Issue — Honorable Mention
• Best Opening Page or Spread — Honorable Mention

2016 (7 Awards)

• Best Single Issue — Bronze
• Best Use of Social Media — Gold
• Best Front Cover Special Issue — Gold
• Best Opening Page or Spread — Bronze
• Best Front Cover Photograph — Bronze
• Best Special Section — Honorable Mention
• Best Feature Design — Honorable Mention

2015 (8 Awards)

• Best Use of Social Media – Gold Award
• Best Feature Design – Silver
• Best Regular Column – Silver
• Best Focus/Profile Article – Bronze
• Best Single Issue – 9th place
• Best Front Cover Photography – Honorable Mention
• Best Front Cover Special Issue – Honorable Mention
• Best Department – Honorable Mention

2014 (5 Awards)

• Best Use of Social Media – Silver Award
• Best Regular Column – Gold Award
• Best Opening Page or Spread – Honorable Mention
• Best Feature Article – Honorable Mention
• Best Department: Social Media – Honorable Mention

2013 (6 Awards)

• Best Single Issue – Top 25 Issues
• Best Use of Social Media – Gold Award
• Best Regular Column – Bronze Award
• Best Cover – Bronze Award
• Best Opening Page or Spread –Honorable Mention
• Best Feature design – Honorable Mention

2012 (3 Awards)

• Best Single Issue – Top 25 Issues
• Best Front Cover, Special Issue – Gold Award
• Best Focus/Profile Article – Bronze Award

2011 (4 Awards)

• Best Single Issue – Top 25 Issues
• Best Editors Column – Bronze Award
• Best Focus/Profile Article – Bronze Award
• Best Opening Page or Spread – Honorable Mention

2010 ( …our first!)

• Best Single Issue – Top 25 Issues

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]]> https://pizzatoday.com/topics/people-pizzerias/pizza-today-on-the-road-good-pie-las-vegas-nv/ Fri, 01 Oct 2021 12:01:00 +0000 https://pizzatoday.com/departments/pizza-today-on-the-road-good-pie-las-vegas-nv/ All Good Good Pie doing good things in Vegas Vincent Rotolo wanted to bring a slice of Brooklyn to Las Vegas. The city’s thriving food scene exposes locals and tourists alike to a variety of world-class cuisines, and there was no shortage of top-flight pizza in town when Rotolo started planning his venture. But instead […]

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All Good

Good Pie doing good things in Vegas

Vincent Rotolo wanted to bring a slice of Brooklyn to Las Vegas. The city’s thriving food scene exposes locals and tourists alike to a variety of world-class cuisines, and there was no shortage of top-flight pizza in town when Rotolo started planning his venture. But instead of seeing that as an obstacle, Rotolo viewed it as an opportunity.

Vincent Rotolo, owner, Good Pie, Las Vegas, Nevada

“There were great pizza makers here already, great pizza,” the Brooklyn born and raised Rotolo says. “You had John (Arena), Chris (Decker) … Tony (Gemignani) is right up the street. They were all welcoming. These are guys who set a standard and that all pizza makers can learn from. The bar is set high here. If you’re going to open a pizzeria here, you’ve really got to bring it. You can’t get away with making a bad product.”

In that regard, Vegas somewhat parallels New York. Which may be part of what attracted Rotolo to the idea of opening Good Pie in Sin City. The challenge of pursuing perfection makes for a good time.

“We take what we do very seriously,” Rotolo says. “We don’t cut corners. We’re meticulous about doing things the right way. From closely monitoring and logging not just the temperature — but also the humidity — in our dedicated dough room, down to everything else. We want to honor and uphold the standards we set for ourselves here.”

ood Pie has a New York look and feel that guests instantly notice, even before entering the restaurant. While a gorgeous Vegas-style sign lights the way, the place is all New York — beginning with the sidewalk out front.

“I had a New York manhole cover made and installed right at the front door on the sidewalk,” Rotolo says. “A lot of people actually think it’s a real sewer cover right here. I wanted something very New York that people would notice right away, before they even come in, that establishes that feel and sets that tone that this is New York.”

Upon entering, the bar looks and feels like an old New York rail car. The finishes and fixtures certainly transport guests from the glitz and glamor of Vegas to the glory and grit of the Big Apple. But then there’s a soft and heart-warming touch patrons immediately notice. A wall lined with booths across from the bar area features photographs of grandmothers. Not just Rotolo’s, but grandmothers of employees and friends as well. The touching tribute makes for a great conversation piece. As well as a nod to Good Pie’s “Grandma Pie.”

“A lot of people learned cooking from their grandmothers,” Rotolo explains. “That’s where their love of food began, where their dedication to quality and passion for making good food the right way started. Honoring grandmothers everywhere is what we’re doing with this wall. People love it. They talk about it all the time.

“A few months ago a young lady was here eating in one of the booths and just started crying. I went to check on her, asked her if everything was okay, and she told me: ‘That’s my grandmother on the wall right there.’”

It’s with that same level of compassion and dignity that Rotolo approaches pizza making. From the aforementioned Grandma Pie to NY street slices to Detroit-style, Good Pie is meticulous about upholding pizza’s best traditions.

“When we push the dough down, we are gentle with it. We don’t de-gas it. Sometimes we keep the dough room dark. The light has a different effect on the ferment I feel like. We do a bulk ferment, or a bench rest, and I started doing a clear plastic over it so the light could get through. And then I did a black plastic over it, and I noticed that it reacted differently. The dough was lighter and airier. I don’t know the science behind it, but then I started darkening the room too and noticed a difference.”

Rotolo keeps a daily dough log where temperature, humidity and other factors are monitored and noted.

“There were no other variables other than the difference in light that could have impacted it,” he says. “Every batch is logged, and we don’t change it that much. We don’t change the dough formula, because we make five styles out of the same dough.”

Of those styles, the Grandma tends to be the most popular.

“We do a lot of Grandma slices,” Rotolo says. “It’s our No. 1 selling slice. We have 75 Grandma doughs in the rack right now, and they’ll all be gone by the end of the night.” 

While Rotolo is proud of the pizza he produces and sells, he says it’s the nostalgia — the “old New York” vibe — that truly captures the essence of Good Pie. And he says the trajectory of the Vegas pizza scene is where the rubber meets the road for him personally.

“I’m proud of the pizza, yes,” he says. “But I’m proud of the culture that we’re building in this store and in this city. The pizza culture we’ve got going here in Las Vegas, it’s unparalleled in any city. Like, New York and Naples can claim the pizza theme, but no one has the culture that Vegas has right now in terms of pizza makers. No one has (John) Arena, Tony (Gemignani), Chris (Decker) all operating in their city. And we follow those guys, and those guys want us to follow. They lead us. And it’s great because now there are a bunch of other people coming up. The pizza in this city is just going to keep getting better and better. It’s just one of the things that I’m really excited about and proud of. That’s where the magic happens. There’s a whole community here. The camaraderie. Who else has that? What other community does this exist in? I worked in New York. There’s never been this amount of support and friendship in a community that is usually filled with unhealthy rivalries and competition. This is special here.”

Jeremy White is Editor n Chief at Pizza Today.

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]]> https://pizzatoday.com/topics/employee-management/building-blocks-crafting-a-vision-that-resonates/ Fri, 01 Oct 2021 04:01:00 +0000 https://pizzatoday.com/departments/building-blocks-crafting-a-vision-that-resonates/ Why now is the perfect time to build more stores Among Warren Buffet’s many famous sayings is “Be fearful when others are greedy and greedy when others are fearful.” Looking back through history, the best times to create wealth in other industries can be right after the biggest shocks to those industries. Take 1987, when […]

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Why now is the perfect time to build more stores

Among Warren Buffet’s many famous sayings is “Be fearful when others are greedy and greedy when others are fearful.” Looking back through history, the best times to create wealth in other industries can be right after the biggest shocks to those industries. Take 1987, when the stock market crashed and soared to new highs, or the housing crash of 2008, which preceded one of the strongest housing markets ever. I truly believe right now is that time in the restaurant and pizza industry — it’s time to expand.

The devastation wrought by the pandemic and the restaurant industry’s labor shortage are creating a perfect storm for fiscally sound operators. If you’ve been following along with this series, you know how much I love a good deal — and today, once-in-a-lifetime deals are within reach.

On top of the wealth you’re building for your family, more stores will help you grow your operation to create more career-based positions on your team. Adding the chance to hire more workers, pay your current employees better and offer them more benefits than other operators, expansion is not only good for the owner but also your core staff. But first, you must get them on board. 

A clear vision spells out to the staff what’s coming and what’s in it for them. Having a clear path of where you want to go — and communicating it — is crucial. For a while at Caliente, we were building stores without an end number in sight. Now, I have a number and a year: 12 stores by 2026. 

Next, spell out what that looks like for your team. Discuss pay increases, projected dates for new stores to open, the benefits that will be added when new stores open. Have a game plan of what new positions will need to be created as the business grows. Start at the end and work backwards. For me, I researched companies with about 12 stores and worked that timeline backward to today.

Once you have that vision, you want to speak it over and over — not just to your current employees, but in your interviews as well. You want people who want to grow with you. Every company is hiring right now, but having a clear vision of growth and being able to communicate that to current staff and new hires gives you a leg up. Never preach anything false — your word must mean something. Once you start talking about your vision, you must be committed to making that happen, so make sure your vision is achievable. 

When describing to your team the different positions you are going to create to meet your vision, you must have a clear idea of what roles are required. In the next building blocks, we’ll examine all the types of managers, supervisors and shift leaders any pizza shop needs on its team to succeed.

NICK BOGACZ is the founder and president of Caliente Pizza & Draft House in Pittsburgh.  Instagram: @caliente_pizza

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]]> https://pizzatoday.com/topics/industry-news/commentary-lasting-impact/ Wed, 01 Sep 2021 04:01:00 +0000 https://pizzatoday.com/departments/commentary-lasting-impact/ As the Delta variant surges and infection rates increase throughout the country, it has become painfully clear that COVID is not over. The light at the end of the tunnel remains visible thanks to the vaccine, but we’re still not living as freely as we did in September of 2019. We need look no further […]

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Jeremy White
Editor-in-Chief
Pizza Today
jwhite@www.pizzatoday.com

As the Delta variant surges and infection rates increase throughout the country, it has become painfully clear that COVID is not over. The light at the end of the tunnel remains visible thanks to the vaccine, but we’re still not living as freely as we did in September of 2019.

We need look no further than the pizza capital of the United States for hard evidence of this. Beginning this month (September 13), a new mandate in New York City will require employees and customers alike to show proof of vaccination in order to work in or patronize an indoor business. This affects not only movie theaters, other entertainment venues or gyms, of course, but squarely impacts restaurants as well. It’s a move New York City’s Mayor, Bill de Blasio, says will help vaccinated individuals enjoy all his great city has to offer and hopefully stave off another potential shutdown.

While we may be weary of the pandemic and the restrictions it has brought about, I think we can all agree another extended quarantine is not optimal. With that in mind, when thinking about the lasting impact of COVID on your pizzeria, what changes (if any) do you foresee making this fall and winter in order to conduct business and thrive? Are you bringing back any procedures you let lapse when infection rates were lower? Or do you feel like the precautions you implemented initially and have kept up are sufficient? What are your concerns as we head into winter and what steps are you taking to address them?

I’d love to hear what ongoing pain points you’re seeing in your pizza business and how you plan to move forward as we attempt to deal with new information and mandates. Drop me a line at the e-mail address on this page and let me know the steps you’re taking to continue tackling COVID. We just may feature your story on an upcoming Hot Slice podcast!

Best,

Jeremy white
Editor In Chief
jwhite@pizzatoday.com

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]]> https://pizzatoday.com/topics/brand-marketing/man-on-the-street-dont-go-chasing-waterfalls-shoot-for-attainable-online-reviews/ Wed, 01 Sep 2021 04:01:00 +0000 https://pizzatoday.com/departments/man-on-the-street-dont-go-chasing-waterfalls-shoot-for-attainable-online-reviews/ No pizzeria has ever earned a Michelin star. That’s right, the restaurant guide founded by a tire company just isn’t into pizza. A few years ago, I heard a rumor that a pizzeria in Naples was expected to receive the honor. They were so sure about it they even had a film crew follow the […]

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No pizzeria has ever earned a Michelin star. That’s right, the restaurant guide founded by a tire company just isn’t into pizza. A few years ago, I heard a rumor that a pizzeria in Naples was expected to receive the honor. They were so sure about it they even had a film crew follow the proprietor to document the lead-up to the announcement. Then the ratings hit — still no pizzeria. All that time and energy spent on expectation for nothing. 

Scott Wiener
Founder, Scott’s Pizza Tours and SliceOutHunger.org

I recently heard a pizza maker announce on a podcast that his goal is to be the first slice shop to earn a Michelin star. I love the energy, but it’s a tricky mission to control because nobody knows the Michelin Guide’s criteria for awarding stars. There’s no checklist. It’s not like a health inspection where someone hands over a list of violations and your score jumps when you fix them. An accolade like this is just too mysterious to spend time chasing. 

On the other end of the spectrum is Dave Portnoy. That’s the guy who posts a video of himself eating a different slice every day, assigning a score based on one bite (or often more). Every pizzeria in the country hopes he’ll walk through the door because his videos always boost sales. 

Unlike the Michelin army of surveyors, this is just one guy’s opinion, but I’ll argue that it’s a more manageable goal. Watch a handful of his videos and you’ll quickly get an idea of how he rates. Neapolitan doesn’t do it for him, and specialty slices are a waste because he sticks to plain cheese. I’ve heard about pizzerias tweaking their pizza or even creating alternate versions just to suit his taste. I’m not saying you should do that, but it’s a good example of a steady target. (Hopefully I don’t need to tell you how silly it is to tailor your product to one customer, no matter how large their online reach.) 

Online reviews may seem like an unwieldy mess, but I actually think they’re infinitely more manageable than any other “best of” list. These websites change their organizational structure and internal algorithms all the time, but consistently achieving good reviews will always yield positive results. Pick your review site of choice (Yelp, TripAdvisor, Google, etc.) and concentrate on it. Ask your loyal customers to give you a review. Place box toppers with QR codes offering a discount for any review, positive or negative, on your pizza boxes. The more action you can get on your review page, the better. 

This won’t help if your food and service are terrible, but your excellent pizzeria will only amplify its visibility thanks to the voices of your happy customers. Review sites usually list your business in multiple categories, and with persistence you’ll work your way up to one of their top spots. It may not come with the notoriety and bragging rights of a viral video, but it’s an achievable goal. 

Don’t let yourself get caught up in the chase for lists and rankings over which you have no control. Instead, focus on the things you can quantify and manage, and the rest is more likely to follow.

SCOTT WIENER is the founder of Scott’s Pizza Tours in New York City and SliceOutHunger.org  Instagram: @scottspizzatours

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]]> https://pizzatoday.com/podcasts/the-hot-slice/63-hot-trends-from-the-pizza-expo-show-floor/ Thu, 26 Aug 2021 13:50:00 +0000 https://pizzatoday.com/podcasts/63-hot-trends-from-the-pizza-expo-show-floor/ The Hot Slice Podcast Broadcasting from Pizza Expo We brought The Hot Slice Podcast to Pizza Expo in Las Vegas. Find out what hot pizza industry trends Editor in Chief Jeremy White and Executive Editor Denise Greer have found in the exhibit hall. There’s a big one that you couldn’t miss: plant-based options. See what […]

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The Hot Slice Podcast Broadcasting from Pizza Expo

We brought The Hot Slice Podcast to Pizza Expo in Las Vegas. Find out what hot pizza industry trends Editor in Chief Jeremy White and Executive Editor Denise Greer have found in the exhibit hall. There’s a big one that you couldn’t miss: plant-based options. See what else they discover in this episode. Find out more about International Pizza Expo at http://pizzaexpo.com.

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Thank you to our sponsor

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]]> https://pizzatoday.com/podcasts/the-hot-slice/62-replay-infusing-fresh-perspective-at-legendary-king-umberto/ Thu, 19 Aug 2021 12:00:00 +0000 https://pizzatoday.com/podcasts/62-replay-infusing-fresh-perspective-at-legendary-king-umberto/ Listen to John Cesarano on The Hot Slice Podcast It’s Pizza Expo week so we are bringing back one of our favorite episodes of 2021 with Giovanni (John) Cesarano, one of Long Island’s King Umberto’s youngest partners. We talk continuing the family business and infusing fresh perspective. John loves to bring new and innovative products […]

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Listen to John Cesarano on The Hot Slice Podcast

It’s Pizza Expo week so we are bringing back one of our favorite episodes of 2021 with Giovanni (John) Cesarano, one of Long Island’s King Umberto’s youngest partners. We talk continuing the family business and infusing fresh perspective. John loves to bring new and innovative products to the menu. Don’t miss John reveal his biggest menu success and worst flop. This episode is hosted by Editor In Chief Jeremy White and Executive Editor Denise Greer.

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Thank you to our sponsor

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]]> https://pizzatoday.com/podcasts/the-hot-slice/61-whats-next-after-the-family-pizza-business/ Thu, 12 Aug 2021 13:00:00 +0000 https://pizzatoday.com/podcasts/61-whats-next-after-the-family-pizza-business/ Listen to Serhan Ayhan on The Hot Slice Podcast Serhan Ayhan grew up in the pizza business at his family’s restaurant, Boston Pizza in Queens, New York. But what happens after the family retires? That’s what Creative Director Josh Keown and Executive Editor Denise Greer explore with Serhan on this week’s The Hot Slice Podcast. […]

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Listen to Serhan Ayhan on The Hot Slice Podcast

Serhan Ayhan grew up in the pizza business at his family’s restaurant, Boston Pizza in Queens, New York. But what happens after the family retires? That’s what Creative Director Josh Keown and Executive Editor Denise Greer explore with Serhan on this week’s The Hot Slice Podcast.

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Thank you to our sponsor

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]]> https://pizzatoday.com/podcasts/the-hot-slice/60-going-all-in-on-mobile-pizza-with-siler-chapman/ Thu, 05 Aug 2021 13:40:00 +0000 https://pizzatoday.com/podcasts/60-going-all-in-on-mobile-pizza-with-siler-chapman/ Listen to Siler Chapman on The Hot Slice Podcast This week, we get a primer on the mobile pizza business from Siler Chapman, mobile operator and vice president of PerfectingPizza.com. He shares who’s getting in the business, startup costs, challenges and profit opportunities with mobile pizza units. This episode is hosted by Editor In Chief […]

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Listen to Siler Chapman on The Hot Slice Podcast

This week, we get a primer on the mobile pizza business from Siler Chapman, mobile operator and vice president of PerfectingPizza.com. He shares who’s getting in the business, startup costs, challenges and profit opportunities with mobile pizza units. This episode is hosted by Editor In Chief Jeremy White and Executive Editor Denise Greer.

Want to go more in depth? Siler will be instructing a four-hour intensive workshop at Pizza Expo on August, August 15. More on the W02 Launching a Mobile Pizza Business Workshop.

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Thank you to our sponsor

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]]> https://pizzatoday.com/ Tue, 03 Aug 2021 13:21:27 +0000 https://pizzatoday.com/?page_id=121736 The post Home appeared first on Pizza Today.

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Navigating Owner Conflicts

Learn effective tools to navigate conflicts between owners and how to prevent them.

How to Correct Overproofed Pizza Dough

John Gutekansts looks at when a dough is overprooofed and how to fix it. 

 

Industry News

pizza stylestavern style pizza

Pizza Hut, Domino’s, Little Caesars All Offer Tavern Style Pizza

Tavern Style Pizza makes its way onto the menus of the largest pizza companies This summer, Pizza Hut rolled out its tavern-style pizza, marking several of the largest pizza companies to offer the style. We’ve noticed the rise of tavern style pizza for the last several years. Also known as Chicago Thin, tavern pizza continues […]

Mountain Mike’s Pizza Opens Fifth Oregon Location

Leading Family-Style Pizza Chain Grows Pacific Northwest Footprint   NEWPORT BEACH, Calif. (Aug. 7, 2024) – Mountain Mike’s Pizza, a leading family-style pizza chain for over 45 years, known for its legendary crispy, curly pepperonis, Mountain-sized pizzas, and dough made fresh daily, is excited to announce the opening of its second location in Medford, Oregon, […]

press releasePizza Operator Survey

Pizza Today launches 2024 Pizzeria Operator Survey

B2B Pizza Leader invites Pizzeria Operators to be counted in annual industry survey Pizza Today, the pizzeria industry’s most trusted and valuable educational B2B resource for more than four decades, has embarked on its third annual Pizzeria Operator Survey with a subsequent 2025 Pizza Industry Trends Report to be released in December. The comprehensive deep-dive […]

Featured

Revenue Streams for Your Pizzeria

Fun Math: Adding Dollars to Your Weekly Sales with Additional Revenue Streams When I began my journey in the pizza business, the phrase ‘revenue stream’ was not in my vocabulary. If asked, I imagine I would have described it as follows: “I make

Menu Development

Cheesy Appetizer Ideas: A Cheesy Start

Answer America’s Cheese Obsession on your Apps Menu People are obsessed — absolutely obsessed — with cheese! Make sure your appetizer menu answers America’s cheesy cravings. There is a reason you see so many cheese-based appetizers on restaurant menus. They are proven winners. You’ll find nachos, chips and queso, jalapeno poppers, pretzels and beer cheese, […]

Dough Production/Development

Troubleshooting Your Pizza Dough — A Guide to Making Pizza Better

Common pizza dough problems and how to fix them This extensive guide for troubleshooting your pizza dough and pizza crust answers common pizza dough problems to help you make a better pizza. Whether you are a professional pizza maker and pizzaiolo or an at home pizza maker and pizza chef, answers to common dough questions […]

People & Pizzerias

2024 Pizzeria of the Year: Camporosso Wood Fired Pizzeria, Ft. Mitchell, Kentucky

Camporosso Wood Fired Pizzeria is Pizza Today’s 2024 Pizzeria of the Year Spirit of Giving Our 2024 Pizzeria of the Year has impressive record of philanthropy Eric Redfield sat inside the dining room of his pizzeria as our staff buzzed around snapping photos and taking video. A bit emotional from the big news Pizza Today […]

People & Pizzerias

Pizza Destinations: Bflo Pizza Bistro, Buffalo, NY; Pizzeria Sei Los Angeles, CA; Oak Oven Harahan, LA

Hot Pizza Spots in the U.S.: Bflo Pizza Bistro, Buffalo, NY; Pizzeria Sei Los Angeles, CA; Oak Oven Harahan, LA This month we look at hot pizza places in New York, California and Louisiana. Each month in Destinations, we highlight great pizzerias that have hit our pizza radar. These pizza places may have just opened […]

Dough Production/Development

Overproofed Pizza Dough: Deflate Gate

When is a pizza dough overproofed and how do you fix it When you knead to rise above over-proofed dough. t has happened to all of us. You’re working in your busy pizzeria, the line in the lobby snakes to the door, all your ovens are full, increasing the internal temperature of your kitchen to […]

Finance & Growth

Building Blocks: Back to Basics, Part II — Growth and Expansion

“You’re either growing or you’re dying.”  — Anonymous Everyone always asks me if I envisioned as many locations as we have now. In fact, the answer is a yes and a no! I always wanted to go as far as possible in the pizza industry and I never do anything small. With that being said, […]

Employee Management

Mike’s Monthly Tip: Paired Employee Incentive

Seeking Paired Interests Everyone wants to be good at their job. Really, they do, but employees easily become complacent when they get used to their hourly wage and have no opportunity for growth. In their eyes, they’ve reached their ceiling. The days are the same no matter how hard they try or don’t. Rather than […]

People & Pizzerias

Pizza of the Week: East End Brewing Company, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Southern Style Tomato Pie from East End Brewing Company, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania is our pick for Pizza of the Week This week’s Pizza Today Featured Pizza of the Week goes out to East End Brewing Company in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and its Southern Style Tomato Pie. The gorgeous shot of this pizza caught our eye on Instagram […]

Menu Development

Lessons in Pizza Sauce

A Look at Pizza Sauce Differentiation My first job in the pizza business was when I was 12 years old. My family had just moved back from Italy and was going through rough times. As the eldest of five I wanted to help out and do my part. In 1998, my father opened his first […]

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Latest Recipes

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On Deck: Grillin’ and Chillin’ — Peach and Burrata Grilled Pizza

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On Deck: Summer’s Bounty Pizza

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On Deck: Summer Time Pizza

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Summer Squash Salad Pizza

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On Deck: Arrabbiata Calabrian Chili and Cup and Char Sausage Pizza

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On Deck: Caramelized Onion and Roasted Butternut Squash Pizza

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On Deck: Crescenza, Speck & Grilled Radicchio Pizza

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On Deck: Sunday Gravy Pizza

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Episode

218. Creating a Magical Vibe with Candy Yiu, The Turning Peel, Portland, Oregon

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217. Rising Stars Jillana Miller & Ahmad Butler

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216. Evolving Your Pizza Dough & Earning Employee Buy-In with Thomas Ardito 

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215. Rising Star Marisol Doyle, Leña – Pizza + Bagels, Cleveland, Mississippi

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214. Chicago Pizza with Hillary Lake

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212. Catching up with King Umberto’s Giovanni Cesarano

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211. World Champion Pizza Maker of the Year Tony Cerimele

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210. Not Ready for Retirement with Chip Myles

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209. Pizza For Ukraine with Corey Watson

Pizza Expo March 25-27, 2025

Now in it’s 41st year, International Pizza Expo remains unchallenged as the industry’s leading event. Join thousands of pizzeria professionals as they convene in Las Vegas for 3 days dedicated to all things pizza! With suppliers from across the globe, educational sessions taught by top industry professionals and national competitions, this event is one you simply cannot afford to miss.

Learn More

The Fillmore, Philadelphia November 7, 2024

Introducing PizzaCon, an exclusive and experiential event designed for pizzeria owners and operators who are serious about growing their business. Come experience a full day of curated programming, including activations developed to inspire and educate.

Learn More

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]]> https://pizzatoday.com/topics/finance-growth/how-to-launch-a-mobile-pizza-business/ Sun, 01 Aug 2021 04:01:00 +0000 https://pizzatoday.com/departments/how-to-launch-a-mobile-pizza-business/ As we all experienced a crazy year with the pandemic and restaurants only able to do takeout and delivery, some are shutting down, and no one knows what’s coming next. However, have you seen the increase in demand for food trucks and mobile units? Have you thought about adding a food truck or a mobile […]

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As we all experienced a crazy year with the pandemic and restaurants only able to do takeout and delivery, some are shutting down, and no one knows what’s coming next. However, have you seen the increase in demand for food trucks and mobile units? Have you thought about adding a food truck or a mobile unit to your operation because of this? Take these simple steps to see if mobile is for you.

 

Step 1: Find your unit

Determining which mobile unit or food truck is best for you can be a little tricky. The first thing you need to know is what style of concept you want to have. Are you going to focus on vending, catering or both? Do you want a gas or a wood-fired oven? If at any time you think you are going to vend you need to check with your local health department and see what requirements you will need to meet. This will help you determine what style of unit you may want to get, like an open wood-fired trailer or an enclosed trailer.

When choosing a mobile unit vs. a food truck write down the pros and cons and weigh your options. Two major pros and cons to consider are: do you have someone who can drive a trailer, and if the food truck did break down how do you get to an event?

Now comes the fun part, picking the company you want to spend your money with. There are a ton of companies out there building mobile units, but only a handful that do it phenomenally. When looking at units, look for quality of work and reputation. Do they specialize in the pizza industry? Do they have a training class for mobile? When looking at quality of the build, I’m a big fan of looking at the welds of a unit and the steel quality. Yes, that’s a thing! When driving something that is over 10,000 pounds down the road and things are shaking and moving constantly, I want to make sure a weld is going to holdup for the long haul.

Have you ever heard the saying, “don’t marry your oven?” Now that there are so many companies making ovens, don’t get caught up in “that’s a pretty oven so that’s the one for me.” Yes, aesthetics is important to your look, but can that oven handle the demand you are expecting to do? Does it have the right amount of insulation to retain the heat in the stones? Can this oven handle thousands of miles shaking and moving around constantly? Take your time in this process so you don’t waste money and regret your purchase later down the road.

 

Step 2: Knowing the Numbers

Adding a mobile unit or a food truck sounds simple, but the reality is some can cost more then just opening up another brick and mortar. Before you even think about signing on the dotted line, take your time and really know the numbers. I always start off with a simple P&L and fill in the blanks. What do you expect to do in sales for a week, then for a month, then for the year? What expenses will you have — startup costs, insurance, gas, labor, food cost etc? Now that you have all the numbers it will cost you to run your unit a month, determine the worst-case scenario in sales and plug those numbers into your P&L. Do you still make money? If not, are you willing to go any further? We all have a tendency of over projecting on sales and actually not being real with ourselves. So, don’t be scared to put the worst-case scenario down on paper. Factor in weather in your numbers. Do you live in an area where it rains and snows half the year? This can cost you a ton of sales, so planning for this helps determine your real numbers. Remember you can stay lean with your monthly expenses in the mobile business as you don’t have the overhead of a brick and mortar.

 

Step 3: Staffing

As we all know staffing can be the death of us and finding the perfect staff that can actually drive a mobile unit and have a clean driving record is even harder to find. Take your time hiring and training your team for your mobile operation. You need to be able to think of everything that can go wrong on the road and train them on how to fix it. Generator won’t start, a flat tire, truck won’t start are just a few things that can go wrong. Write procedures for each one of these things. I remember the first day my manager Chris started and he went to start the truck and the truck battery was dead. I told him I did that on purpose because he needed to know how to change a battery in a diesel truck (which has two batteries, not just one). I would try to have a dedicated staff for the trailer. And if you have a lead manager or even a shift leader, don’t hesitate to do a profit sharing or a ghost ownership program for them. Mobile can be more physical than running a brick and mortar, so understanding the demand you will need will help you plan the amount of staff you will need.

 

Step 4: Know your Market

Knowing your market is a key part of having a successful mobile operation. Think bigger than just your three-mile radius from your pizzeria. You are mobile now; it’s nothing to drive an hour away for a three-hour gig and make a thousand dollars. Does your market have office parks, breweries and businesses with 300-plus employees, and neighborhoods that have 200 plus homes in them? If the answer is yes then this is a great sign you will do well going mobile. Another key item I look at in the market is how many food trucks are already out there? Everyone is fighting for the same spots, so if the market is saturated you will have to work even harder to get into spots.

There were so many areas we had to concentrate on in order to grow and thrive when we first started out in the mobile business in 2018. And now, today, we have three units that are booked out six days a week for four months straight. Take your time planning and you will do great!

Siler Chapman  is vice president of the pizza resource website perfectingpizza.com.

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]]> https://pizzatoday.com/topics/finance-growth/frozen-pizza-nationwide-delivery-takes-on-new-resurgence/ Sun, 01 Aug 2021 04:01:00 +0000 https://pizzatoday.com/departments/frozen-pizza-nationwide-delivery-takes-on-new-resurgence/ The Deep Freeze Offering frozen pizza for carryout or nationwide shipment isn’t a new idea. The first frozen pizzas on the market can be traced back to the early 1950s. Favorite hometown pizzerias across America long ago installed freezer cases in their front of house for those out-of-towners who crave those pizzas to take the […]

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The Deep Freeze

Offering frozen pizza for carryout or nationwide shipment isn’t a new idea. The first frozen pizzas on the market can be traced back to the early 1950s.

Favorite hometown pizzerias across America long ago installed freezer cases in their front of house for those out-of-towners who crave those pizzas to take the treasured delicacies back to their localities.

Chains like Lou Malnati’s and Giordano’s have been shipping their signature pizzas for decades. Both have dedicated sites where their fans can order pizzas to be delivered nationwide. They have the ability to ship anywhere in the nation, thanks to a packaging wonder: dry ice. And with the help of companies like Goldbelly and its curated marketplace of purveys from across the country, independent pizzerias can get in the frozen pizza game.

Enter a worldwide stay-at-home order and nationwide shipping of restaurants’ favorite dishes exploded. The COVID-19 pandemic shutdown brought a new opportunity to bring restaurant-quality frozen pizza into homes. The influx of orders combined with increases in carryout and delivery pizzas overwhelmed some of the big nationwide pizza delivery players, forcing them to pause nationwide delivery while they focused on their local communities. Others balanced both businesses.

There are a few different revenue streams with a frozen product: wholesale and retail. Wholesale is an entirely different topic that we’ll dive into in the future. What we are focusing on is direct-to-consumer retail sales via in store, internet and mail order. Before venturing down this road, you must check USDA and FDA criteria and requirements.

Before you can even think about revenue, you must factor in the set up and operational costs. That involves the production, packaging and shipping that represents the quality of your pizzeria.

What about the pizza?

Your pizza will need to hold its quality through par-baking, shrink-wrapping and local distribution or nationwide shipment. This will require testing to be sure that the frozen product is representative of your pizzeria’s quality and reputation.

While some pizzerias are able use their dough formula unchanged, some adjustments to your dough may be required for your desired result.  The late, great Tom Lehmann addressed that very question in our Pizza Today archives. “That par-baked crust has actually been baked twice, once when it was par-baked, and the second time when it was baked as a pizza,” he said. “This double baking drives off many of the desirable volatile flavors and aromas, thus reducing the overall flavor profile of the finished crust. I can’t definitively say why your crust is chewy, but if you are using a typical, high protein content pizza flour, this might explain it. To reduce the toughness/chewiness in the crust, try going to a bread flour rather than a pizza flour. This should produce a more tender eating crust characteristic. If the crust is still too tough or chewy with the lower protein bread flour, I would suggest that you increase the fat/oil content of the dough to something in the 8 to 12 percent (flour basis) range. This is commonly done when making commercial frozen pizzas as the higher fat content provides tenderness to the finished crust. It also helps to increase flavor retention in the crust, making for a better tasting crust.”

So, what’s the investment? It all depends on how big of an operation that you are projecting. It may be as little as new or expanded freezer space, a shrink-wrap machine, product labels and shipping and packaging materials. Or it could be as extensive as a commissary operation to handle the volume and quality control of the frozen line.

We consulted two legendary pizzeria leaders who have added a frozen product for nationwide delivery recently to share their experiences.

Maggie Mieles operates di Fara Pizza in Brooklyn, New York. The famed pizzeria added its frozen line before the pandemic and opened a ghost kitchen and commissary to fulfill its growing demand.

“I believe pizza is one of the most popular and favorite meals whether it be fresh, frozen, hot, cold and when it is fresh and then frozen without any preservatives, flavor is protected and does not get compromised,” Mieles says. “The key is to have one of the best pizzas; and if it’s not the best, keep trying. Shipping perishable items overnight comes at a very high cost. I can only speak for our brand when stating I think the nationwide shipping will remain in our future. We have been in business since 1965 and many years people waited for the day to come when we start shipping. I wish we paid attention to what that would result in much sooner. It was our best decision of 2019 and remains so.

“The frozen line is the exact recipe you would find in all locations,” she continues. “The only challenge was we would have to downsize the pizza by making them 12-inch pies rather than 18 inches. We also ship the fresh basil separate instead of on the pizza. Once the customer receives and heats the pizza, they are instructed to snip the fresh basil just as we do here in N.Y. My advice to other operators is it never hurts to test your product as a frozen version and if you are confident in the results, go for it! In the beginning it will be challenging but during holiday and busy seasons, there is such a tremendous pride in knowing your pizza is being enjoyed nationwide.”

Detroit Style originator Buddy’s Pizza has also launched nationwide delivery. “We introduced our frozen pizza product right before Christmas last year,” says Buddy’s Pizza Chief Brand Officer Wes Pikula. “The holidays are a great time to share a Buddy’s Pizza with friends and loved ones nationwide; particularly those who couldn’t make it make to Michigan to enjoy a pie directly in our restaurants.

“The logistics challenges that had to be addressed included ensuring the highest quality of production, packaging, and shipping,” he continues. “We market the program via our website, social media and e-mail. We also partner with Goldbelly on their advertising efforts, including paid social and paid search. The best advice I have for operators considering offering a frozen product is to ensure that you can maintain the quality and integrity of the product and have a plan in place for production, packaging, order fulfillment and shipping.”

Frozen pizza on a small scale is doable for many operations. So, is it worth diving into the market? It’s up to you to evaluate if there’s enough of a market for you to justify the added operational expense, storage and labor.

DENISE GREER is Executive Editor at Pizza Today.

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]]> https://pizzatoday.com/podcasts/the-hot-slice/59-all-things-pizza-expo-2021/ Thu, 29 Jul 2021 15:03:00 +0000 https://pizzatoday.com/podcasts/59-all-things-pizza-expo-2021/ Pizza Expo Update after Bill Oakley’s recording: In accordance with the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Guidelines, the state of Nevada has instituted the following face mask directive: Everyone, both vaccinated and unvaccinated, are required to wear face masks in ALL public, indoor spaces in the state of Nevada. Please note: these public, […]

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Pizza Expo Update after Bill Oakley’s recording:

In accordance with the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Guidelines, the state of Nevada has instituted the following face mask directive:

• • Everyone, both vaccinated and unvaccinated, are required to wear face masks in ALL public, indoor spaces in the state of Nevada. Please note: these public, indoor spaces include exhibit halls, meeting rooms, and lobbies
  • Masks will be made available at the event, if needed

Listen to Pizza Expo Show Director Bill Oakley on The Hot Slice Podcast

We are three weeks from Pizza Expo 2021. Show Director Bill Oakley is on the podcast to give us an inside look at our upcoming Las Vegas show and conference. Bill lets us in on what’s new, what’s changed and some behind-the-scenes details. He shares our health and safety protocol and what to expect at the show. For more on Pizza Expo 2021, visit https://pizzaexpo.com.

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]]> https://pizzatoday.com/podcasts/the-hot-slice/58-pizza-family-pizza-wars-with-nicole-russell/ Thu, 22 Jul 2021 12:46:00 +0000 https://pizzatoday.com/podcasts/58-pizza-family-pizza-wars-with-nicole-russell/ Listen to Nicole Russell on The Hot Slice Podcast This week’s guest, Nicole Russell, just wrapped Season 1 of her hit series, Pizza Wars on First We Feast. On the show, Nicole competes with leading chefs, making some of the most trending pizzas today for a panel of celebrity judges. Nicole owns Last Dragon Pizza […]

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Listen to Nicole Russell on The Hot Slice Podcast

This week’s guest, Nicole Russell, just wrapped Season 1 of her hit series, Pizza Wars on First We Feast. On the show, Nicole competes with leading chefs, making some of the most trending pizzas today for a panel of celebrity judges. Nicole owns Last Dragon Pizza in Rockaway, Queens, New York. She dishes on the show, her business and what direction she wants to take it, pizza mentors, women in the pizza industry, traveling to Italy and Pizza Expo. This episode is hosted by Executive Editor Denise Greer and Creative Director Josh Keown.

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]]> https://pizzatoday.com/podcasts/the-hot-slice/57-its-survival-mode-for-one-new-owner/ Thu, 15 Jul 2021 13:30:00 +0000 https://pizzatoday.com/podcasts/57-its-survival-mode-for-one-new-owner/ Listen to Bart Weidlich on The Hot Slice Podcast The first year of running a pizza business is tough enough without throwing in a worldwide pandemic and a worker shortage. Hear the story of Bart Weidlich, who opened Kidder Street Deli in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, just four months before the COVID-19 shutdown. This episode is hosted […]

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Listen to Bart Weidlich on The Hot Slice Podcast

The first year of running a pizza business is tough enough without throwing in a worldwide pandemic and a worker shortage. Hear the story of Bart Weidlich, who opened Kidder Street Deli in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, just four months before the COVID-19 shutdown. This episode is hosted by Pizza Today Editor In Chief Jeremy White and Executive Editor Denise Greer.

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]]> https://pizzatoday.com/podcasts/the-hot-slice/55-killer-brand-pizza-dynamite-concept-with-pete-tolman/ Thu, 01 Jul 2021 12:18:00 +0000 https://pizzatoday.com/podcasts/55-killer-brand-pizza-dynamite-concept-with-pete-tolman/ Listen to Pete Tolman on The Hot Slice Podcast Like many in the pizza business, Pete Tolman didn’t set out to do pizza. But, when he did, he dialed everything in, from the gorgeous Detroit-style pizza, business planning, marketing, and décor to create Iron Born Pizza, a hot spot pizza brand with two locations in […]

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Listen to Pete Tolman on The Hot Slice Podcast

Like many in the pizza business, Pete Tolman didn’t set out to do pizza. But, when he did, he dialed everything in, from the gorgeous Detroit-style pizza, business planning, marketing, and décor to create Iron Born Pizza, a hot spot pizza brand with two locations in the Steel City. On this episode, he dives into his business incubator beginning, developing the concept, the pizza and growing Iron Born.

 

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]]> https://pizzatoday.com/topics/employee-management/mikes-monthly-tip-reap-sow-repeat/ Thu, 01 Jul 2021 04:01:00 +0000 https://pizzatoday.com/departments/mikes-monthly-tip-reap-sow-repeat/ Currently, the restaurant industry is in the most significant hiring crisis in modern history. Monetary and governmental issues aside, the way to rise above these pitfalls is through high morale and keying into staff’s direct motivators. What makes them excited to work for you instead of any alternative? Theoretically, the answer is obvious, money; but […]

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Currently, the restaurant industry is in the most significant hiring crisis in modern history. Monetary and governmental issues aside, the way to rise above these pitfalls is through high morale and keying into staff’s direct motivators. What makes them excited to work for you instead of any alternative? Theoretically, the answer is obvious, money; but as someone who has tried everything, new hire initiatives, signing bonuses, I can tell there is more to it than that. Staff needs to know you care. The staff needs to know that you care about them, the restaurant, the product and everyone’s well-being.

Mike Bausch, owner, Andolini’s Pizzeria

Now, I don’t doubt for a second that you, someone conscientious enough to read an article about employee management, cares for your staff. But are you outwardly and noticeably conveying that? Do you have a tangible reward system? Do you have something as simple as a “treasure chest,” i.e., some fun candy items or gift cards available to give out when an employee kills it? I say candy because it’s a lot easier to give fun and cheap rewards daily than giving gift cards daily. I believe in doing both and keeping morale and fun surprises around every corner. It’s not childish. It’s not unprofessional. It’s a mandate to have a staff who wants to work for you and wants their friends to work with them for you. Daily contests for pizza makers who get prep done on time are a win.

Additionally, server incentives for those whose average ticket price are higher, not only build sales, it builds esteem and healthy competition. Healthy competition makes the day go by faster, and a built-in reward structure makes that effort fun and worth it. If not candy, whatever affordable item you can have at the ready for your staff that they actually like.

Having a help-wanted sign does you no favors. It screams, “people don’t want to work here.” Even giving a startup bonus, I’ve found, doesn’t do much. To move the needle takes constant motivation and connecting with your staff. Moving the needle means that everyone feels part of something. Filming a fun or endearing video of your current staff and why they like working there will go further than any sign. Keep it under 45 seconds and post it as much as possible to get a leg up in the hiring fight.

When Covid was at its height, you probably backed off on hiring. You weren’t seeking to hire as many servers as possible, mainly because you didn’t know if you could guarantee work. That’s completely understandable but bear in mind, you reap what you sow. For not continually hiring and training, we all have less staff. Unemployment and individual extenuating circumstances for sure play a role, but continually hiring through new job posts and interviewing all candidates can never be put on the back burner.

The caveat to our current situation, with sales booming, is to back off on marketing. I am telling you now, 100 percent for a fact, this boom will end, and if you have no marketing seeds planted, you will be at square one when you least expect it. You might be hesitant to spend money on marketing when you can barely fulfill orders. But just like any harvest, even when it’s a fantastic harvest, you still need to plant seeds if you ever want to have another crop. You can’t back off on marketing now because you’re inundated, nor could you back off on training when you finally do staff up. You have to keep sowing, so you can keep reaping in all aspects of this business.

Staff morale, staff training, marketing, system investment, fiscal discipline, quality control, ambiance, system functionality, equipment maintenance, you MUST continually sow so you can constantly reap. Never take your eyes off the prize. And that is what perpetuates flowing success rather than simply spurts of it.

MIKE BAUSCH is the owner of Andolini’s Pizzeria in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Instagram: @mikeybausch

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]]> https://pizzatoday.com/podcasts/the-hot-slice/s5e5-striving-to-be-better-with-vincent-rotolo/ Thu, 24 Jun 2021 13:09:00 +0000 https://pizzatoday.com/podcasts/s5e5-striving-to-be-better-with-vincent-rotolo/ Listen to Vincent Rotolo on The Hot Slice Podcast Owner and pizzaiolo Vincent Rotolo shares some jewels about moving Good Pie into a bigger location, the unique business environment of Las Vegas, enlisting the help of pizza legends, building a strong employee culture and the pizza styles that connect Vincent to his heritage. Thank you […]

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Listen to Vincent Rotolo on The Hot Slice Podcast

Owner and pizzaiolo Vincent Rotolo shares some jewels about moving Good Pie into a bigger location, the unique business environment of Las Vegas, enlisting the help of pizza legends, building a strong employee culture and the pizza styles that connect Vincent to his heritage.

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]]> https://pizzatoday.com/podcasts/the-hot-slice/s5e4-the-pizza-today-mail-bag/ Tue, 22 Jun 2021 13:26:00 +0000 https://pizzatoday.com/podcasts/s5e4-the-pizza-today-mail-bag/ On this episode of the Hot Slice podcast, the Pizza Today editorial crew reads and discusses some “Letters to the Editor.” We get tons of awesome e-mails and decided to share and discuss a few. We had so much fun we’re already planning to do it again!   Thank you to our sponsor    

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On this episode of the Hot Slice podcast, the Pizza Today editorial crew reads and discusses some “Letters to the Editor.” We get tons of awesome e-mails and decided to share and discuss a few. We had so much fun we’re already planning to do it again!

 

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]]> https://pizzatoday.com/podcasts/the-hot-slice/s5e2-what-is-pizza/ Thu, 10 Jun 2021 14:01:00 +0000 https://pizzatoday.com/podcasts/s5e2-what-is-pizza/ Listen to Tom Iannucci on The Hot Slice Podcast Tom Iannucci is a lifelong learner of pizza making and the pizza industry and we talk ‘What is pizza?” He shares how Pizza Expo and Pizza Today took him from pizza enthusiast to owner. We talk various perspectives of what pizza is and how challenging tourism-rich […]

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Listen to Tom Iannucci on The Hot Slice Podcast

Tom Iannucci is a lifelong learner of pizza making and the pizza industry and we talk ‘What is pizza?” He shares how Pizza Expo and Pizza Today took him from pizza enthusiast to owner. We talk various perspectives of what pizza is and how challenging tourism-rich Hawaii can be to meet global travelers’ expectations of pizza.

 

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]]> https://pizzatoday.com/podcasts/the-hot-slice/s5e2-logistically-speaking/ Thu, 03 Jun 2021 21:00:00 +0000 https://pizzatoday.com/podcasts/s5e2-logistically-speaking/ Listen to Manny Karvelas on The Hot Slice Podcast We sit down with Manny Karvelas of Karvelas Pizza Co. in Georgia to talk about retaining employees, leadership, logistics and priming a family owned business for growth.   Thank you to our sponsor      

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Listen to Manny Karvelas on The Hot Slice Podcast

We sit down with Manny Karvelas of Karvelas Pizza Co. in Georgia to talk about retaining employees, leadership, logistics and priming a family owned business for growth.

 

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]]> https://pizzatoday.com/videos/checking-in-with-series-finale/ Tue, 01 Jun 2021 14:22:00 +0000 https://pizzatoday.com/news/checking-in-with-series-finale/ This week, we say farewell to the Checking In With video series with the Pizza Today team. We share our takeaways from the show and why it’s to wrap up the series. But we’re not done yet. We continue in depth conversations with pizza professionals on The Hot Slice Podcast. Be sure to subscribe and […]

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This week, we say farewell to the Checking In With video series with the Pizza Today team. We share our takeaways from the show and why it’s to wrap up the series. But we’re not done yet. We continue in depth conversations with pizza professionals on The Hot Slice Podcast. Be sure to subscribe and comment. Join us on PizzaExpo365.com, PizzaToday.com and social platforms. Reach out and share your story with us.

 

A lot has changed this past year, but one thing hasn’t: consumers still love their pizza. As you pivot to meet the new challenges of foodservice, Ardent Mills can work with you to tap into that love and help make your crust the best it can be. After all, we’re more than a leading source of trusted flour brands, mixes and custom solutions. We’re a resource for pizza operators like you. We’re ready to support you with high-performing pizza flours, blend and mixes, unparalleled technical expertise, R&D innovation, and long-term contract pricing. And today, as always, we’re here to help you grow and thrive. We invite you to check out The Pizza Hub to learn more and request a sample.

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]]> https://pizzatoday.com/topics/industry-news/commentary-share-your-success-story/ Tue, 01 Jun 2021 04:01:00 +0000 https://pizzatoday.com/departments/commentary-share-your-success-story/ What’s your labor situation like? I’m willing to bet it’s less than ideal. That seems to be the case for nearly every restaurant owner I’ve spoken to over the past year. From pizza to hot dog stands to fine dining, I hear the same story over and over and over: “No one wants to work” […]

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Jeremy White
Editor-in-Chief
Pizza Today
jwhite@www.pizzatoday.com

What’s your labor situation like? I’m willing to bet it’s less than ideal. That seems to be the case for nearly every restaurant owner I’ve spoken to over the past year. From pizza to hot dog stands to fine dining, I hear the same story over and over and over: “No one wants to work” or “I just can’t find help.”

Nick Bogacz of Caliente Pizza & Draft House in Pittsburgh is one of the nation’s most successful operators. Recently he was the guest on an episode of our weekly podcast, The Hot Slice, where he confessed to being at wit’s end. Even he is struggling to find reliable employees. That’s extra frustrating when you’re in growth mode.

Understaffed, overworked and overstressed is the current status quo. Just like nearly everything else we’ve endured since early March of 2020, we’re deep in the weeds on this one. Your sales are up, yet your labor pool is nonexistent and you’re working 80 hours per week as a result.

Yet, as we emerge from the pandemic and resume something that resembles normalcy, adequate staffing levels are a necessity if we’re going to grow and continue offering the level of service for which this industry is known.

It’s time to take a hard look in the mirror and evaluate your pay scale, benefits, training and retention measures. Get to the heart of what makes your employees happy and fulfilled. I believe the best brand ambassadors are enthusiastic employees. If they publicly acknowledge how great it is to work for you, others in need of a good gig will take notice. And the best way to turn your workers into evangelists for your pizzeria is to make sure your work environment is second to none.

If you have figured this out in your market and are attracting workers while everyone else is hanging the “Help Wanted” sign in desperation, you’re in an enviable position. You also have an opportunity to help your peers nationwide. Shoot me an e-mail and let me know what’s working for you!

Best,

Jeremy White
Editor In Chief
jwhite@pizzatoday.com

The post Commentary: Share Your Success Story appeared first on Pizza Today.

]]> https://pizzatoday.com/topics/people-pizzerias/rising-stars-of-the-pizza-industry/ Tue, 01 Jun 2021 04:01:00 +0000 https://pizzatoday.com/departments/rising-stars-of-the-pizza-industry/ Seven Breakout Pizzeria Owners to keep an eye on in 2021   Que Wimberly The Missing Brick – Indianapolis, Indiana How did you begin working in the pizza industry? I began my career in the pizza industry by wanting to introduce my two sons to entrepreneurship. We as a family have always loved pizza and […]

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Seven Breakout Pizzeria Owners to keep an eye on in 2021

 

Que Wimberly

The Missing Brick – Indianapolis, Indiana

How did you begin working in the pizza industry?

I began my career in the pizza industry by wanting to introduce my two sons to entrepreneurship. We as a family have always loved pizza and believed that our city (Indy) was missing a black-owned pizza joint that serves uniquely crafted pizzas and celebrates our culture. My journey in this started two years ago with no formal training or experience. Just trade shows and trial and error  Not only are we self-built, we’re also self-taught.

What is something uniquely you that you have brought to the pizza industry?

Indy Style Pizza is the one thing that we brought to the pizza industry.  We created a pizza style that’s just as unique as Detroit, Chicago, New York and California style pizzas. Starting with our crust that’s shaped like the state of Indiana. Most of our ingredients that top our rectangular shaped pizzas are produced and manufactured right here in Indiana. Indy Style Pizza has become a household name here. Soon the world will taste what Indy has to offer.   

What’s been your biggest challenge in the pizza business? 

My biggest challenge in the pizza business is probably what just about every pizzeria is experiencing at the moment and that’s hiring good employees. I’m hoping to see a turnaround soon, especially with college students coming home for the summer.

What do you do to motivate your staff during these challenging times?

Food makes everyone happy. Normally when my team needs motivation I FEED THEM!!

What area do you feel like you currently need to improve upon to continue taking your pizza business to the next level?

I would say in order for TMB to get to the next level of business, it’s time for me to delegate and hire highly skilled professionals in the area of expertise that we need, like a PR/ Branding coach and marketing manager. I guess that means developing an expense budget for employees outside the restaurant and da-to-day operations.

 

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Joey Karvelas

Karvelas Pizza Co. – Newnan, Lagrange, Hogansville, Georgia

How did you begin working in the pizza industry?

The pizza industry found me before I could choose for myself! My parents owned a pizza restaurant where I started working the dish pit as soon as I got off the school bus. I have found that pizza has always found a way to be a part of major moments in my life; after my father sold the family pizza place, I worked in an Atlanta pizzeria where I came up to the pizza line. I then found myself in downtown Knoxville ,Tennessee, working for my now good friend Gavin Loyer at his small place on Gay St. While I was managing this restaurant, I met my wife who was a server. A few years after I moved back to Georgia, our old family pizza place came up for sale and I leaped at the opportunity; and in 2014 Karvelas Pizza Co. was born.

What is something uniquely you that you have brought to the pizza industry?

 I like to think everything I do is original, haha. But I know that our restaurants are a direct result of years of eating out and actively seeking the hidden gems on any vacation I took. I would tell my wife, “I like their playlist or I love how they displayed their sauces or that window over there looks awesome.”

So we took things we loved from all these different places we ate and put them together to create Karvelas Pizza Company. One thing though that we do that is unlike any other restaurant out there, is using the word “no”. Something I have been told my entire life is that the customer is always right and they should have it their way. But what I have come to learn is that it is alright to say “no”. I have created and developed these recipes and pizza combinations through years of trying and testing. I know they are perfect the way they are, and that is how I want other people to experience our pizza. So on our menu it is clearly stated that there is no adding, substituting or leaving off anything on our specialty pizzas. That is something uniquely Karvelas but I think it is something more people in the restaurant business, especially the pizza business, should feel comfortable saying. Not only because I know that our product is good the way it comes, but saying “no” has revolutionized the way our kitchen operates. On a busy Friday night our pizza line does not have to read a ticket and think what to leave off, what to add on, or half this and half that. They can simply see a works pizza, and know exactly how to top it, which in turn will get our customer their food quicker and cut down on the ticket time overall. Knowing our pizza as it comes cuts down on the amount of mistakes made and allows us to feed more people faster.

What’s been your biggest challenge in the pizza business? 

 It is hard to say there has been one big challenge in the pizza business. I think the biggest challenge is the little challenges and everyday challenges that come up constantly. The pizza business is not static, it is dynamic. Our business is always changing and always growing and there are always new challenges associated with our growth. Knowing what to do is hard; there is no playbook given to pizzeria owners about how to be successful. Making choices and trusting that you’re doing the right thing is a big challenge for an owner.

What do you do to motivate your staff during these challenging times? 

   Our staff’s motivation is just as high now as it has been anytime. How we treat our people has not changed from 2019 to 2020. We want anyone who chooses to work at Karvelas to enjoy themselves and always have fun at what they’re doing. The bright and funky artwork we have on our walls, the playlist that is full blast all day, and our consistent social media filming all help our staff to look forward to coming into work. That in turn makes for motivated people. We are a mom-and-pop place, but not the traditional version. Now we have to make sure our restaurants stay a place people want to work. Also, you can never underestimate the value of a southern smile! 

What area do you feel that you currently need to improve upon to take your pizza business to the next level?

    Trusting the systems and levels of management that we put into place in order to open up more restaurants is going to be key in growing our pizza business. I can overthink anything, but in order to maintain my sanity and a positive attitude I have to trust the policies and the systems that my team and I create together in order to operate smooth running stores. If I am constantly questioning and rethinking the ways that we’ve done things, then it is hard for us to grow and truly test the strength of what we built. I want to work on giving my team space to implement everything that we think up together. Beyond that, I want to trust that other people are going to operate the store with the same attention to detail and care that I had from day one.

 

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Marcus Medina

Hella Pie Pizza Company — Tracy, California

How did you begin working in the pizza industry?

It was around my 30th birthday when I felt that I wasn’t happy with doing construction my whole life. I decided that I wanted to start a
mobile wood-fired pizzeria after cooking in my backyard for friends and family. We were mobile for about 2.5 years. We did farmer’s markets, breweries, weddings and pretty much any type of party you’d want to get catered. Then the pandemic hit and all the parties stopped. An opportunity came to take over an existing bakery in our hometown and we jumped on it.

What’s been your biggest challenge in the pizza business?

My biggest challenge has been how to make sure that we’re achieving our most consistent product. Every day I feel like we are going to war with constant changes and obstacles. How we navigate ourselves as a unit to overcome them is truly the challenge. Overcoming those obstacles as a team is also one of the most rewarding things though — family, friends and staff. It takes us all so I’m very thankful for our support system. We couldn’t do this alone.

What is something uniquely you that you have brought to the pizza industry?

When I was a kid growing up in the 90s pizza was so cool and fun. Branding was on point. I’ve kind of brought that type of nostalgia back for both adults and children. We were all kids at some point and so making pizza is fun, but also simple and beautiful at the same time. That is what I think makes my business unique. Also our business name. We wanted to be something that resonated with locals. We felt like nothing says Northern California like Hella. You can pin the region where we are from just by that word. We are just locals cooking for locals and that authenticity brings us more support than you can imagine.

What do you do to motivate your staff during these challenging times?

I’m still not quite sure how to motivate people. I’m not sure if we can. I definitely have surrounded myself with a staff that motivates me to be better. Constantly trying to make our staff’s jobs easier, more efficient and comfortable. Also, being conscious of their time and time off. Hopefully that shows my team that I care and I’m thinking about them. If they see that, then I think they will buy into the work.

What is something you’ve learned at Pizza Expo that has helped guide your business?

I feel blessed to have started this career in my 30s. Starting a new career you have to swallow your pride or ego. Not that we should have one anyway. For a while I felt alone. I hadn’t grown up in the industry so I was very unsure about everything. I booked my first Pizza Expo in 2019. After that trip I didn’t feel so alone anymore. I felt like I was embraced with love and support. I started building on those relationships made in Las Vegas and eventually found that my pizza naturally got better from all of the knowledge shared through the conversations with mentors that I look up to.

What area do you feel like you currently need to improve upon to continue taking your pizza business to the next level?

Being a self-taught pizza maker/entrepreneur, I guess you could say that I’m Hella insecure. It’s a blessing and a curse. Everything that I do probably takes me a little longer because I want to figure it out. I definitely try and keep things simple but I feel like I need to get out of my comfort zone and get around people with more knowledge. I try to fill my time with podcasts, audio books or videos. I’m looking forward to taking some hands-on classes though so that I can start taking my chef skills to a higher level.

 

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Audrey Kelly

Audrey Jane’s Pizza Garage – Boulder, Colorado

How did you begin working the pizza industry?

My first job in the pizza industry was working at Tony’s Pizza Napoletana in North Beach, SF.  I had just returned from Italy and was obsessed with learning how to make pizza.  Tony (Gemignani) had just opened his restaurant and pizza school. I took one of his classes and somehow talked my way into working for him after the class ended. He became my greatest mentor and friend and has given me my foundation for pizza making.

What’s been your biggest challenge in the pizza business?

My biggest challenge has been to balance my own expectations. I am inherently a perfectionist and in the beginning of opening my own shop I wanted to do everything myself so that it would be done correctly. I was there from open to close the first three years and made almost every pizza. I have learned, and am still learning, that in order to succeed you have to not only be a great pizza maker and have a great product but even more importantly, be a great teacher and leader. At some point you have to let go and trust other people with your product. To do that, I really had to learn how to teach and manage my team. It is a skill I am constantly trying to improve on and one I think the best owners possess.

What is something uniquely you that you have brought to the pizza industry?

I believe that my business and pizza itself are unique. I took that fundamentals of the classic pizza making techniques and turned them into my own product. Since leaving Tony’s I have become more engrossed with sourdough starters and bread making and realized just how important that is to pizza making. We now do a 100 percent naturally leavened dough using some freshly milled flour.  While we definitely are not the only ones doing this, ours will never be the same as anyone else’s.  A lot of owners create a recipe and business model and continue to do the same thing for years, I am constantly trying to improve upon not only my product but business itself.  Someone can try to replicate my pizza and store but they will never be able to capture the energy and personality of it.  To me, that is the true beauty of small mom and pop shops, they all bring something different to the game, something that no one else can do or create.

What do you do to motivate your staff during these challenging times?

I think that the biggest motivator is to lead by example. While I have learned to delegate some tasks, I will never be the type of owner/operator that expects my team to do things I won’t. I am in there every day working just as hard, if not harder than everyone else.

What is something you’ve learned at Pizza Expo that has helped guide your business?

Every year I walk away from Expo with a wealth of new inspiration and knowledge. I learn from the demos, panels and keynote speakers, but also just from talking with everyone else in the industry.  Some years I go into Expo feeling a little burned out but consistently leave feeling invigorated and ready to take on the year. To me, more than anything else it is the connections and support that Expo offers that makes it invaluable. I truly believe that the pizza industry is unique in how open and willing everyone is to each other that makes it feel like a second family. The biggest thing that I have taken away from Expo is that it is okay to ask for help because everyone needs it at some point. Everyone has a different skill set and you can’t expect yourself to be good at every aspect of the business.

What area do you feel like you currently need to improve upon to continue taking your pizza business to the next level?

For me, the best way to take my business to the next level is to step back a little so that I can look at the bigger picture and expand upon it. I am usually so focused on the day to day and minute to minute action that I never have the time or energy to improve or fix the larger things.  It is something that I am truly trying to focus on and hope to make a few changes in the next year. As my uncle says, “Being on the counter can be counter productive.” Basically, I always want to be at my shop making pizzas and interacting with customers, but I need to learn when to step back and trust my team so I can focus on smoothing out the edges and expanding as well.

 

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Leah Scurto

PizzaLeah – Windsor, California

How did you begin working in the pizza industry?

I always say that the pizza industry found me. I was 18, in college and totally broke. I walked into the first restaurant I saw and asked if they were hiring. I was hired on the spot and the rest is history…

I’m no spring chicken to the pizza industry as I have been making pizza since 1997. I spent 21 years with Pizza My Heart and have recently started to make a name for myself with my own restaurant, Pizzaleah.

What is something uniquely you that you have brought to the pizza industry?

I feel like I’ve never wanted my style of pizza making to be defined by normal styles. I love to make hybrid styles and use a collaboration of techniques I’ve learned over the years.   

What’s been your biggest challenge in the pizza business? 

Right now my biggest challenge is probably the same as everyone…hiring.    

What do you do to motivate your staff during these challenging times?

I’m a big proponent of leading by example. If I work hard, they work hard but I also love to have fun. If my staff isn’t having fun while they are working then I’m not doing it right now. I also make sure that any accolades I receive I give credit to my employees and make sure that those accolades are theirs as well. I couldn’t do what I do without them.   

What area do you feel like you currently need to improve upon to continue taking your pizza business to the next level?

Currently I’m trying to improve on my role as the owner of a company.  I’ve always been in the mindset that I needed to actively work in the restaurant/kitchen day in day out.  While I think it’s very important that as the owner of the business I am hands-on and available to both my customers and employees, I sometimes let some of the more bureaucratic things I need to take care of as an owner slip through the cracks.   

What is something you’ve learned at Pizza Expo that has helped guide your business?

I’ve been attending pizza Expo since 1999. My biggest takeaway has always been networking. It’s a great place to meet other people in the industry and to share ideas.

 

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Nicholas Franchi

Upper Crust – Akron, Ohio   

How did you begin working in the pizza industry?

When I was 15 years old I was looking for a job and the first place that hired me was a small pizza shop named Pizza BoGo.

What is something uniquely you that you have brought to the pizza industry?

Something unique I have brought to the pizza industry is the “Super Crown.” I made a pizza at the 2019 Pizza Expo and I created a crown for it. We do a similar version of the pizza in our shops on a daily basis.

What’s been your biggest challenge in the pizza business?

The biggest challenge we have experienced is the current labor market. It is and has been extremely difficult to find good help this past year.

What do you do to motivate your staff during these challenging times?

We do everything we can to be extremely flexible with all of our employees schedules. Also we give bonuses to high performing individuals.

What area do you feel like you currently need to improve upon to continue taking your pizza business to the next level?

I know that I need to improve on hiring and training. Also I need to work on creating systems and implementing them successfully into our business.

What is something you’ve learned at Pizza Expo that has helped guide your business?

It didn’t so much help guide our business but at the 2018 and 2019 Pizza Expo I learned a lot about competing. From traveling with products or finding products on arrival to putting together a presentation for the judges. 

I learned that there are a few different moving parts that have to come together to compete with the best of the best!

 

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Giovanni Cesarano

King Umberto — Elmont, New York

How did you begin working in pizza?

I was 16 years old eating all the food in the fridge and my Mom said “if you’re going to eat like that you need to go to work” so my Dad, who at the time was co-owner of King Umberto, gave me my first job in pizza.

What’s been the biggest challenge in the pizza business? 

Finding staff has been difficult at times but it makes us as owners work harder, which I don’t mind. Working in the pizza business never bothered me so if I have to help service customers, answer phones, or help make pizza it’s what I signed up for so I don’t complain. It also makes me appreciate the workers who’ve been with us a long time even more.

What is something uniquely you’ve brought to the pizza business?

It’s hard to be unique in a business where so much information is shared and seen on a day-to-day basis.  With that being said my mother was a seamstress growing up, so I watched her make beautiful dresses and that was always inspiring for me. We’ve introduced some cool King Umberto gear like hats, t-shirts, and jackets.

What do you do to motivate your staff during these challenging times? 

I basically tell them we have an opportunity to make people happy right now in a world where not too many happy things are happening.  If our products and services bring joy to people’s lives with all that’s going on they should be proud of themselves.

What is something that you’ve learned at pizza expo that helped guide your business?

A LOT! I can’t point my finger to only one thing because there’s been so many, but every time I go to the Expo I come out a more informed and motivated pizza maker.

What area do you think you need to improve on to take your business to the next level? 

Since the pandemic we’ve had an increase in production in pizza sales, so keeping the oven hot has been challenging. Cranking up the oven during peak hours and rotating the pies properly so they get the right bake is something me and my staff are currently getting better at day by day.  We also ordered an additional pizza master so that should help us out a bit.

The post Rising Stars of the Pizza Industry appeared first on Pizza Today.

]]> https://pizzatoday.com/podcasts/the-hot-slice/s5e1-rising-star-john-cesarano-on-continuing-a-legacy/ Thu, 27 May 2021 12:25:00 +0000 https://pizzatoday.com/podcasts/s5e1-rising-star-john-cesarano-on-continuing-a-legacy/ Listen to John Cesarano on The Hot Slice Podcast King Umberto is a legendary Long Island, New York pizzeria. We sit down with one of its youngest partners, Giovanni (John) Cesarano. John is one of Pizza Today’s Rising Stars in the June edition of Pizza Today Magazine. We talk continuing the family business and infusing […]

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Listen to John Cesarano on The Hot Slice Podcast

King Umberto is a legendary Long Island, New York pizzeria. We sit down with one of its youngest partners, Giovanni (John) Cesarano. John is one of Pizza Today’s Rising Stars in the June edition of Pizza Today Magazine. We talk continuing the family business and infusing fresh perspective. John loves to bring new and innovative products to the menu. Don’t miss John reveal his biggest menu success and worst flop. This episode is hosted by Editor In Chief Jeremy White and Executive Editor Denise Greer.

 

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]]> https://pizzatoday.com/podcasts/the-hot-slice/s4e12-from-food-truck-to-brick-and-mortar-pizzeria/ Thu, 13 May 2021 17:15:00 +0000 https://pizzatoday.com/podcasts/s4e12-from-food-truck-to-brick-and-mortar-pizzeria/ Listen to Marcus Medina on The Hot Slice Podcast Listen to a rising star in the pizzeria industry Marcus Medina talk food truck beginnings and opening his carryout-only pizzeria, Hella Pie Pizza Co. in Tracy, California, in the midst of the pandemic. Marcus shares his story of finding pizza passion in this 30s, being self-taught […]

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Listen to Marcus Medina on The Hot Slice Podcast

Listen to a rising star in the pizzeria industry Marcus Medina talk food truck beginnings and opening his carryout-only pizzeria, Hella Pie Pizza Co. in Tracy, California, in the midst of the pandemic. Marcus shares his story of finding pizza passion in this 30s, being self-taught and always striving to improve. He “sits down” with Editor In Chief Jeremy White and Executive Editor Denise Greer.

 

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Thank you to our sponsor

 

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The post S4E12 From Food Truck to Brick-and-Mortar Pizzeria appeared first on Pizza Today.

]]> https://pizzatoday.com/podcasts/the-hot-slice/s4e11-the-pizza-today-team-talk-critical-industry-issues/ Thu, 06 May 2021 21:16:00 +0000 https://pizzatoday.com/podcasts/s4e11-the-pizza-today-team-talk-critical-industry-issues/ Listen to the Pizza Today Team on The Hot Slice Podcast The team at Pizza Today gather to discuss what’s happening right now in the pizzeria industry. We’re tackling the worker shortage, a big push to switch to the Delivery and Carryout Only model, online ordering and the state of industry as dine-in resumes. Get […]

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Listen to the Pizza Today Team on The Hot Slice Podcast

The team at Pizza Today gather to discuss what’s happening right now in the pizzeria industry. We’re tackling the worker shortage, a big push to switch to the Delivery and Carryout Only model, online ordering and the state of industry as dine-in resumes. Get the inside scoop on Pizza Expo 2021. See how you can get four free tickets to the show by winning our Pizza Expo 365 Pizza Box Challenge.

Show Notes: Here are links to some of the topics we discussed on the show that you should check out.

Pizza Expo 365 Pizza Box Challenge
https://pizzaexpo365.com/page/111062/join-the-challenge

 

The Restaurant Labor Shortage Survival Guide
https://pizzatoday.com/news/pizza-headlines/the-restaurant-labor-shortage-survival-guide/

 

Online Ordering with Melissa Rickman
https://pizzatoday.com/departments/back-office/growing-online-ordering-requires-planning-and-marketing/

 

One Pizzeria Operator’s Perspective on Permanently Going DELCO
https://pizzatoday.com/departments/features/one-pizzeria-operators-perspective-on-permanently-going-delco/

 

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The post S4E11 The Pizza Today Team Talk Critical Industry Issues appeared first on Pizza Today.

]]> https://pizzatoday.com/topics/industry-news/commentary-be-our-guest/ Sat, 01 May 2021 04:01:00 +0000 https://pizzatoday.com/departments/commentary-be-our-guest/ Have you ever been so busy that you wonder how your body even remembered to breathe? Of course you have, you’re a restaurant owner. For you, it’s simply called Friday night. Well, we typically get a little taste of “Friday night” every year at International Pizza Expo. And, most recently, we got another taste when […]

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Jeremy White
Editor-in-Chief
Pizza Today
jwhite@www.pizzatoday.com

Have you ever been so busy that you wonder how your body even remembered to breathe? Of course you have, you’re a restaurant owner. For you, it’s simply called Friday night.

Well, we typically get a little taste of “Friday night” every year at International Pizza Expo. And, most recently, we got another taste when we launched the Hot Slice podcast and the massive Pizza Expo 365 platform back-to-back. It’s a test of mental stamina, if not physical, to be sure.

Just like you pour your heart and soul into making the best pizza possible for your customer base, we do the same with each “menu item” we offer. We pride ourselves on turning over all the stones, but with an industry as large as ours we’re inevitably going to miss someone. Here’s the deal: the pizza industry is without a doubt, hands-down, unequivocally the undisputed and undefeated heavyweight champion of the world when it comes to foodservice! I know I can get an “amen” from the back on that one.

I’m also hoping I can get some e-mail introductions from some shining new faces. We’re starting to line up our next couple of seasons of Hot Slice podcast interviews, and that’s where you come in. Are you our next guest?

We know a lot of the pizza industry’s top dogs, no doubt. But we don’t know every single pizzeria owner in the land, and we don’t want to miss out on a great story like yours. If you have a memorable story and think you’d make for an entertaining guest on our weekly podcast, please send me an e-mail (the address is at the bottom of this page) and give me the downlow on what your pizzeria is all about. And after you do that, make PizzaExpo365.com your next stop to check out all the cool new features we’ve recently added for you.

Best,

Jeremy White
Editor In Chief
jwhite@pizzatoday.com

The post Commentary: Be Our Guest appeared first on Pizza Today.

]]> https://pizzatoday.com/topics/brand-marketing/growing-online-ordering-requires-planning-and-marketing/ Sat, 01 May 2021 04:01:00 +0000 https://pizzatoday.com/departments/growing-online-ordering-requires-planning-and-marketing/ All In To offer online ordering or not? This is a question that has come to the mind of many operators as a result of restrictions on in-house dining. Although the COVID 19 pandemic has presented the restaurant industry innumerous challenges, setbacks and painful losses, there is still an opportunity for growth should you decide […]

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All In

To offer online ordering or not? This is a question that has come to the mind of many operators as a result of restrictions on in-house dining. Although the COVID 19 pandemic has presented the restaurant industry innumerous challenges, setbacks and painful losses, there is still an opportunity for growth should you decide to take advantage of it.

Maybe online ordering is already part of your operation or maybe you are considering whether or not to utilize this technology. In either case, I am sure you have heard the good, bad and ugly about online ordering. Increased revenue, orders pouring into the kitchen out of control without taking into account order volume or production times or even the number of in-house guests, generic, often inaccurate, promise times. The fact is, online ordering is a tool, that, if managed properly, can make a significant difference in your bottom line, and the overall experience of your guests.

Prior to the indoor dining ban, phone orders only accounted for about 12 percent of our total sales. Wholly Stromboli was and still is a destination with our primary focus being an exceptional dine-in experience. Since takeout orders were only a small part of our business there really wasn’t much need for online ordering….until COVID! Knowing that no, or limited, dine-in service was in our immediate and foreseeable future, we implemented online ordering.

Despite implementing online ordering, we found ourselves still overwhelmed by the volume of phone calls. Once we re-opened indoor dining, the constant ringing of the phones was annoying to our guests and disrupted their experience. We HAD to convince our take-out guests to order online. After all, just because you build it, doesn’t mean that they will come.

Like many other aspects of your restaurant, you must market this new offering. Plus, we were paying for the service, we needed to use it to our advantage.

With restaurant marketing, it is important to understand the psychology behind the behavior of your guests. If you want to drive your guests to a particular behavior, you must make it convenient for them to do so, and conversely, make the undesired behavior less convenient. Of course, this must be done with the best guest experience in mind too.

Find out what matters most to your guests. For us, no more waiting on hold for guests to place their orders, improved order accuracy, ease of check out, and the ability to re-order their last meal with a few key presses were all key selling points. Additionally, busy restaurants are loud and difficult to hear on both ends of the phone, so not having to contend with the din of clanging plates and spirited conversation was a win-win!

The guest experience is half the battle though. Your teams’ experience with online ordering is just as important and you must market to them as well. If the platform is inconvenient, your team won’t embrace it nor promote it to your guests. You have to have buy in from your team if you are going to grow online sales. If your online order system doesn’t have direct integration with your POS and uses the swivel chair approach, to order entry — that is to swivel from the tablet(s) to the POS to manually enter orders. Have you really freed up your team to focus on the in-house guest? Have you made their job any easier? You lose the advantage of order accuracy and your teams’ experience with the process is much the same as a phone ringing off the hook. Without POS integration, you also run the risk that you will not hear the ding-ding or see the blinking light that indicates there’s an order to be keyed in.

Despite our best initial marketing efforts, our phones still rang uncontrollably. It was just too tempting for our customers to stay in the old habit of picking up the phone and letting our friendly team take their order. We had to find a way to better market the availability of our online order platform. We used box toppers, social media and digital signage. But, the real game changer was when we replaced our analog phone system with a new VOIP system with an auto-attendant. The message was simple, after thanking our guests for calling, we gave them instructions on how to place a takeout order — online of course! Additionally, our short, seven-character online ordering URL makes it easy for our guests to remember our online ordering site once they hang up.

Our customer base is diverse and the response to auto attendants and online ordering was mixed. Some of our guests absolutely refused to even try it and many loved it. We received many angry voicemails because they “just wanted to place their order!” Funny thing though, by the time we called these guests back, they had already placed their order online. Still, though, a friendly follow up with them about the need to change our business model and all was good.

Over time the number of complaints has subsided, and online orders have increased substantially. Since the introduction of our auto attendant and other marketing campaigns, online orders have grown from 27 percent of total takeout sales to 73 percent! Moreover our check average for online orders is 18 percent higher than phone takeout orders. We attribute that increase, in part, to the suggestive selling features available on the online ordering platform. The ability to suggestive sell over the phone can often be limited when our team is busy.

Many factors are affecting our industry in unprecedented ways, and times are changing. We need to constantly evaluate which of the latest technologies are a good fit for our restaurants. For Wholly Stromboli, technology is a clear path to success. A little bit of psychology and knowing how your guests think, together with creating a user-friendly experience for both your team and your guests is imperative to growing your online sales.

MELISSA RICKMAN  is co-founder of Wholly Stromboli in Fort Lupton, Colorado, and member of the World Pizza Champions.

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Don’t miss Melissa Rickman’s session “Growing Online Ordering” at Pizza Expo in August

When COVID shut down indoor dining, Melissa Rickman knew she needed to grow her online ordering capacity. Ideal for placing delivery and carryout orders, the online option also tends to yield higher check averages. So she went to work and did just that. A year later her online sales are robust, and now she’s going to give you a game plan to do the same in your pizzeria. Get more details.

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The post Growing Online Ordering Requires Planning and Marketing appeared first on Pizza Today.

]]> https://pizzatoday.com/topics/dough-production-development/growing-with-sourdough/ Sat, 01 May 2021 04:01:00 +0000 https://pizzatoday.com/departments/growing-with-sourdough/ See how Will Grant began with sourdough, invigorating a new generation of sourdough chefs Sourdough breads have taken our Covid Pandemic Lockdown World by storm. What better way is there to spend quarantine than by filling your home with the aroma of fresh baked sourdough bread? So many people have become Internet famous with their […]

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See how Will Grant began with sourdough, invigorating a new generation of sourdough chefs

Sourdough breads have taken our Covid Pandemic Lockdown World by storm. What better way is there to spend quarantine than by filling your home with the aroma of fresh baked sourdough bread? So many people have become Internet famous with their methods on baking with sourdough. As new as this is to the pandemic, sourdough has been in the United States since before the late 1800s, and it originated even further back. The first known written records of sourdough were written in hieroglyphs by the ancient Egyptians.

My family sourdough is like a sibling to me. With that sourdough I have helped open 13 different restaurants using it in every one, never refrigerating it, always leaving it at room temperature, feeding it once if not twice a day for over 37 years now. For 33 years we kept our use of this sourdough to ourselves, our secret ingredient that no one else could replicate! It wasn’t until I started taking over the pizzeria as a manager and started taking more management classes at the Pizza Expo and Tony Gemignani’s school did I realize that our secret recipe was really a secret weapon in differentiating ourselves from the competition.

I am very fortunate to have inherited an ancient sourdough that got its start in the Klondike Gold Rush. In the early 1980s my parents, Lee and Marti, started having backyard pizza competitions with close friends (the Hausmann family). They tried to make that amazing concoction that we all love so much! After a few months of trial and error they came up with a recipe using the Hausmann’s great-great grandfather’s sourdough starter, which at that time was already 90 years old. I remember my father taking his first bite of that sourdough pizza and looking at us all and saying in an Italian accent, “Now that’s a some pizza!” This pizza was way better than anything they had had before in the Pacific Northwest. And that’s how That’s A Some Pizza was born.

My first time really getting to know this ancient starter is when we first brought it to our first pizzeria for our opening week in 1984. We were using a giant plastic garbage can to mix and feed our starter and we had to transport it to the shop for opening day. It was the 80s and road laws have changed a bit since then, but it was my job as the smallest member of the That’s A Some crew to sit in the bed of the pickup truck to hold up the starter and make sure it didn’t tip over on the ride in. I was six years old and very proud to be helping out. I remember it well. It was a hot July day and we were about halfway to the shop on a bumpy dirt road and the weirdest thing happened. With a loud “POP” the top blew off of the garbage can and sourdough started streaming down the sides! I immediately went into panic mode and used my arms to scrape the starter up the sides of the can, trying to keep it off the floor of the truck. It didn’t take me long to become completely covered in that sourdough and realize A: there was no way to keep it contained, B: that the truck had stopped moving and C: that there was loud laughter coming from the cab of the truck. I was relieved that I wasn’t in trouble, but it wasn’t the last time I’d be covered in this sourdough starter.

So my life with sourdough starter started off with a bang. Being so young, it took me a few more years before really becoming passionate about cooking and pizza. It was in 1988 that my love for pizza really began. My parents took me with them to Europe for a two-month vacation to research Italian food before opening our first Italian dine-in restaurant. It was an amazing experience.  I refused to eat any food but pizza. So for 60 days in a row I ate a margherita pizza every day.  When we returned to the states, I had a whole new appreciation for pizza and Italian culture.

We hired a Sicilian Master Chef to help open our new restaurant and I started a cooking apprenticeship with him. For the next five years I slowly worked my way up each position in the back of the house, from dishwasher, to prep cook, to line cook, to sauté cook. I then left the kitchen and started working the front of the house. I continued the same process and worked from the bottom to the top spending a year in each position. By the end of this process, I had studied under five different chefs and some of the best front of the house managers in our county. But I was still hungry for more. I stepped away from the family business and started my own pizzeria. It did well, but I still wanted even more, so I sold my pizzeria and moved to the East Coast to work with a chain of Italian restaurants in New England called Bertucci’s. I spent a summer in the management training program helping run a restaurant in Peabody, Massachusetts. By the end of that summer, I was homesick for the Pacific Northwest and my family was having a hard time with one of our restaurants, so I came home to help.

Fast forward 15 years. My family retired, and it was my turn to take over. I wanted to make my family and community proud. Staying relevant in an over 30-year-old business can be challenging. So, I changed things up a bit; I decided to become a certified pizzaiolo. After a bunch of research, I decided the most qualified school in the United States was Tony’ Gemignani’s International School of Pizza. Going to Tony’s school was an amazing experience. It confirmed so much I already knew… but didn’t even have names for. Tony Gemignani and his right-hand woman, Laura Meyer, are amazing teachers and taught me a lot of things about different styles of pizza.

In 2017 my life changed forever.  After becoming a certified pizzaiolo with Tony Gemignani I followed Tony’s advice and started cooking competitively. I used my sourdough and the techniques Tony taught me to win the prestigious Caputo Cup Non-Traditional title in Atlantic City at the Pizza & Pasta Northeast show. This first-place win and a second-place win by my store manager in the Traditional competition made That’s A Some Pizza the top-rated pizzeria in the United States!

If you’re interested in sourdough, join me at my seminar “Working with Sourdough” at Pizza Expo this August. I will show you how to adapt your pizza recipes to add sourdough the way my parents did. I’ll teach you different techniques like poolish and biga to get different flavor profiles in different styles of pizza. I’ll also cover feeding schedules and recipes to implement your use of starter. Most importantly I will give you the confidence of using the science the way Tony taught me to tinker with your dough and make the best dough possible for you and your business!

Will Lawrence-Grant  owns and operates That’s a Some Pizza and Sourdough Willy’s, in Bainbridge Island and Kingston, Washington.

The post Growing with Sourdough appeared first on Pizza Today.

]]> https://pizzatoday.com/podcasts/the-hot-slice/s4e10-life-of-a-seasonal-maryland-pizzeria-with-brenda-mcdonnell/ Thu, 29 Apr 2021 18:00:00 +0000 https://pizzatoday.com/podcasts/s4e10-life-of-a-seasonal-maryland-pizzeria-with-brenda-mcdonnell/ Listen to Brenda McDonnell on The Hot Slice Podcast Brenda’s Pizzeria sits in the mountains of rural Maryland. Owner Brenda McDonnell shares the inner workings of the business, as well as how it has fared during the pandemic. See how she rewards her team with trips to Pizza Expo. This episode is hosted by Editor […]

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Listen to Brenda McDonnell on The Hot Slice Podcast

Brenda’s Pizzeria sits in the mountains of rural Maryland. Owner Brenda McDonnell shares the inner workings of the business, as well as how it has fared during the pandemic. See how she rewards her team with trips to Pizza Expo. This episode is hosted by Editor In Chief Jeremy White and Executive Editor Denise Greer.

 

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]]> https://pizzatoday.com/topics/industry-news/the-restaurant-labor-shortage-survival-guide/ Thu, 22 Apr 2021 14:50:00 +0000 https://pizzatoday.com/news/the-restaurant-labor-shortage-survival-guide/ Essential resources to help you find, hire and retain employees Just when restaurants are beginning to see an influx of indoor dining, a labor shortage strikes. Timing couldn’t be worse. Let’s look at the employment numbers, though. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports, “the unemployment rate edged down to 6.0 percent in March. The rate […]

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Essential resources to help you find, hire and retain employees

Just when restaurants are beginning to see an influx of indoor dining, a labor shortage strikes. Timing couldn’t be worse.

Let’s look at the employment numbers, though. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports, “the unemployment rate edged down to 6.0 percent in March. The rate is down considerably from its recent high in April 2020 but is 2.5 percentage points higher than its pre-pandemic level in February 2020. The number of unemployed persons, at 9.7 million, continued to trend down in March but is 4.0 million higher than in February 2020.”

The 9.7 million unemployed persons has not translated to hiring opportunities as the restaurant industry is experiencing a labor shortage. Whether it’s safety concerns, wages, a competing gig economy or other circumstances, the fact remains that restaurants are struggling to find workers.

There are a number of strategies and tactics that you can deploy to position your restaurant to keep fully-staffed. Let’s examine ways to survive a worker shortage. We are presenting strategies, advice and tips with links to feature articles, educational sessions and podcast episodes to give you a deep dive into hiring. The more you know, the more measures you can implement to have a strong workforce.

Let’s start by listening to a straightforward conversation on the labor shortage impacting pizzerias with Caliente Pizza & Draft House Founder Nick Bogacz, Editor In Chief Jeremy White and Executive Editor Denise Greer on The Hot Slice Podcast.

 

Retention should be a primary focus

One of the best strategies to combat a worker shortage is to hone in on your retention efforts. Keeping your team members will be paramount. Retain your employees with pay increases, incentives, a thriving team culture, and a safe and welcoming workplace.

Listen to a powerful Pizza Expo 365 educational session on employee retention. Ann Farrell of Farrelli’s Wood-Fire Pizza in Tacoma, Washington, will show you how she connects with employees daily to ensure she gets the most out of her staff. Log into Pizza Expo 365 and click the On Demand Library in the Education menu to listen to “Connecting with Employees with Ann Farrell.” (Not in the 365 community? Registration is free.)

Unfortunately, turnover is inevitable. As you read this, there’s a good chance that you, too, are in search of employees to fill your roster. Let’s look at some actionable ways to recruit new hires.

 

A hard look at your hiring strategy

First and foremost, evaluate your hiring process and view it from a potential hire’s position. Why would YOU want to work at your restaurant? What type of experience are you offering? People are looking for more than a paycheck. To compete for top talent, you must take the time upfront to analyze your employee structure, culture and benefits and lay out a clear plan for attracting talent. In Hiring Top Talent, consultant Roberta Chinsky Matuson asks, “Are you selling the right thing? You’re probably selling prospects on the fact that this is a job. Period. But that’s not what most people are looking for. They want an experience. Employees want to feel a connection to their employer, and more importantly, to their co-workers.”

 

Meet potential hires where they are

We keep hearing that for every 10 interviews scheduled, only one or two applicants are showing up. So, let’s speed up the process and meet the applicant where they are — online, whether that’s an Instagram video chat or texting them a link to a Zoom meeting. In The Current Job Market and Hiring Process, freelance writer Nora Caley explored the concept. “Video meetings enable Dewey’s Pizza to connect with an applicant sooner than in-person, and allow management to experience the candidate’s tone of voice, body language and eye contact. The next round of interviews takes place at one of the restaurants. ‘There are less people in the building but there is always a manager and a team member,’ says Joe Schlotman, director of organizational development. By having a team member participate in the assessment, the worker plays a role in hiring a coworker, and feels accountable during training.”

 

Tighten your messaging

You can’t just stick a “Help Wanted” sign in the window anymore. Every restaurant is vying for new hires. What will make you stick out uniquely in the community you serve? In Mike’s Monthly Tip, Mike Bausch suggests, “Make your interview process an exclusive call to action rather than a desperate cry for help. Don’t write, ‘now hiring’ or ‘help wanted’ ever. Instead, ‘Now accepting applications’ or ‘We’re in need of more great people because we’re in demand.’ The application and interview process must convey this is a team environment that pushes everyone. An environment that authentically makes real food, if you are into that, we have the home for you. Also, follow up on the promise.”

 

Tap all of your channels

In the midst of a shrinking labor pool, it’s important to use all of your resources to recruit talent. In The Current Job Market and Hiring, Caley discovered, “To find talent, Pizza Guys has turned to Facebook, Instagram, Nextdoor and Indeed. The brand also posts hiring messages on its digital menus and on its website. ‘In the past, we barely posted hiring ads on social media,’ Bui says. ‘Now, they are one of the main sources we use to let candidates know we are hiring.’ There are also box toppers, and current team members can earn bonuses for referring friends and family.”

You have a number of resources at your disposal, from community and youth organizations you support to daily interactions with the public.

Reach out to your loyalty club with a push notification or a special email promotion. They love your brand and may refer a dynamite potential employee. Don’t forget to reward them if you hire and keep their referral.

 

Look outside your hiring niche

If your operation is in jeopardy of maintaining function due to an employee shortage, it’s time to look outside of your conventional methods. Have you considered targeting the following demographics?

• Second-chance hires. In Second Chances, Freelance writer Susan Johnston Taylor found, ‘MOD Pizza in Seattle has a less formalized approach to hiring those who need a second chance, including the formerly incarcerated (another way to say this without worrying about PC is to say, including hiring those with a criminal record). As we were building the business, a couple of our team members hired people who fell into that category” needing another chance,’ says MOD Pizza co-founder and CEO Scott Svenson. ‘They took a chance with them and as it transpired, (the employees) ended up becoming really positive role models and impactful team members.’”
• Baby Boomers are working into retirement like no generation before them. They bring great skills and reliability to the workplace. Find out how they can enhance your workplace in Five Benefits to Reap from Older Workers.
• Teens. In recent years, many restaurants have steered away from targeting teens. But teens typically come with a blank slate and little employment history. In The Young & The Workplace, freelancer Pamela Mills-Sens dives into hiring teens. “With little or no work experience, hiring teens can present a bit of a puzzle. Carmelo LaMotta, owner of LaMotta’s Italian Restaurant & Pizzeria, asks applicants to bring in their report cards, inquires about their activities — he likes to see if they play sports, cheerlead, or are involved in drama etc., since these kids tend to be more outgoing. He also checks their Facebook page because if he does hire them, they need to “reflect well on his business.”

 

Consult the Experts

Check out this Pizza Expo 365 educational session that breaks down how to develop a team of top performers with restaurant consultant T.J. Schiers. Finding great people who do outstanding work is a huge challenge. This session focuses on the keys to building a team of top performers who stick around and help attract other top talent. Learn from T.J. Schier — a restaurant consultant who also operates more than a dozen Which Wich Superior Sandwich shops — about effective recruiting and hiring tactics, robust training for today’s employees, incentive programs to drive the top and bottom line, and methods for slowing turnover. Log into Pizza Expo 365 and click the On Demand Library in the Education menu to listen to “Developing a Team of Top Performers.” (Not in the 365 community, registration is free.)

 

Above all, GET CREATIVE!

The major restaurant brands are offering things like $50 for an interview, food incentives and more just to get applicants in the door.

Here are a few ways pizzerias have gotten creative with recruiting:

https://fb.watch/51fRRa9uOM/

 

https://www.facebook.com/calientepizzaanddrafthouse/posts/5931446436869140

https://www.instagram.com/p/CNdbbsLl4H7/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Woody’s Golden (@woodysgolden)

 

https://www.instagram.com/p/CNXqsv0lSxe/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Woody’s Golden (@woodysgolden)

 

https://www.instagram.com/p/CN0W_OcHVyg/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by GAPCo (@greenvilleavenuepizzacompany)

 

For a more in-depth look at hiring, read the following articles:

Current Job Market and Hiring Process
The pandemic changed the way operators attract and hire employees

https://pizzatoday.com/departments/back-office/current-job-market-and-hiring-process/

 

Mike’s Monthly Tip: The Few and the Proud Employees

https://pizzatoday.com/departments/back-office/mikes-monthly-tip-the-few-and-the-proud-employees/

 

Shine Bright
Learn some best practices for finding, developing and promoting your star employees

https://pizzatoday.com/departments/features/shine-bright/

 

Hiring Top Talent
Here’s how you can grab your slice of the talent pool

https://pizzatoday.com/departments/back-office/september-2012-hiring-top-talent/

 

Hiring: Second Chances
Those with less-than-ideal resumes can still bring much to the table

https://pizzatoday.com/departments/back-office/hiring-second-chances/

 

Five Benefits to Reap from Older Workers
The Baby Boomer Workforce

https://pizzatoday.com/departments/back-office/five-benefits-to-reap-from-older-workers/

 

 

The post The Restaurant Labor Shortage Survival Guide appeared first on Pizza Today.

]]> https://pizzatoday.com/podcasts/the-hot-slice/s4e8-piece-out-with-bill-jacobs-of-piece-pizzeria-and-brewery-chicago/ Thu, 15 Apr 2021 12:42:00 +0000 https://pizzatoday.com/podcasts/s4e8-piece-out-with-bill-jacobs-of-piece-pizzeria-and-brewery-chicago/ Listen to Bill Jacobs on The Hot Slice Podcast Bill Jacobs of Piece Pizzeria and Brewery in Chicago sits down with Jeremy White and Josh Keown on this episode of The Hot Slice podcast. As Piece nears its 20th anniversary, Jacobs discusses New Haven-style pizza, live music, beer and the hope of returning to normalcy […]

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Listen to Bill Jacobs on The Hot Slice Podcast

Bill Jacobs of Piece Pizzeria and Brewery in Chicago sits down with Jeremy White and Josh Keown on this episode of The Hot Slice podcast. As Piece nears its 20th anniversary, Jacobs discusses New Haven-style pizza, live music, beer and the hope of returning to normalcy soon as the effects of the pandemic begin to diminish.

 

 

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]]> https://pizzatoday.com/podcasts/the-hot-slice/s4e7-maggie-mieles-growing-up-in-the-legendary-di-fara-pizza/ Thu, 08 Apr 2021 12:43:00 +0000 https://pizzatoday.com/podcasts/s4e7-maggie-mieles-growing-up-in-the-legendary-di-fara-pizza/ Listen to Maggie Mieles, di Fara Pizza, on The Hot Slice Podcast Executive Editor Denise Greer sits down one-on-one with Maggie Mieles, daughter of Dom DeMarco who now operates the famed di Fara pizza in New York. Maggie shares stories of her father and growing up in the business. We talk about di Fara’s recent […]

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Listen to Maggie Mieles, di Fara Pizza, on The Hot Slice Podcast

Executive Editor Denise Greer sits down one-on-one with Maggie Mieles, daughter of Dom DeMarco who now operates the famed di Fara pizza in New York. Maggie shares stories of her father and growing up in the business. We talk about di Fara’s recent growth, continuing the legacy of the 56-year-old business and the new addition of a ghost kitchen.

 

The post S4E7 Maggie Mieles: Growing Up in the Legendary Di Fara Pizza appeared first on Pizza Today.

]]> https://pizzatoday.com/podcasts/the-hot-slice/s4e4-three-decades-of-success/ Thu, 18 Mar 2021 12:35:00 +0000 https://pizzatoday.com/podcasts/s4e4-three-decades-of-success/ Listen to Dave Dombrowski on The Hot Slice Podcast Jeremy White and Denise Greer sit down with Dave Dombrowski, owner of PizzaMia in New Lenox, Illinois, for this week’s episode of the Hot Slice. An experienced operator, Dave will celebrate 30 years in the pizza business this July. He discusses the technological changes that have […]

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Listen to Dave Dombrowski on The Hot Slice Podcast

Jeremy White and Denise Greer sit down with Dave Dombrowski, owner of PizzaMia in New Lenox, Illinois, for this week’s episode of the Hot Slice. An experienced operator, Dave will celebrate 30 years in the pizza business this July. He discusses the technological changes that have taken over since he opened his pizzeria, as well as how the pandemic has impacted PizzaMia.

 

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]]> https://pizzatoday.com/podcasts/the-hot-slice/s4e3-hot-marketing-trends-with-clayton-krueger/ Thu, 11 Mar 2021 15:00:00 +0000 https://pizzatoday.com/podcasts/s4e3-hot-marketing-trends-with-clayton-krueger/ Listen to Clayton Krueger on The Hot Slice Podcast In this episode, Creative Director Josh Keown and Executive Editor Denise Greer introduce a one-on-one marketing trends talk with Denise and Clayton Krueger, Director of Marketing and Communications at Tacoma, Washington-based Farrelli’s Pizza. We’re talking what’s hot, what’s not in marketing. Clayton talks: Marketing Trends Third-party […]

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Listen to Clayton Krueger on The Hot Slice Podcast

In this episode, Creative Director Josh Keown and Executive Editor Denise Greer introduce a one-on-one marketing trends talk with Denise and Clayton Krueger, Director of Marketing and Communications at Tacoma, Washington-based Farrelli’s Pizza. We’re talking what’s hot, what’s not in marketing.

Clayton talks:

• Marketing Trends
• Third-party Delivery
• Local Advertising
• SMS Marketing
• Push Notifications
• Partnerships
• Marketing Technology

Read the full feature — 2021 Marketing Trends: A Look at What’s Hot in Marketing and Pizzerias

 

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]]> https://pizzatoday.com/topics/industry-news/honoring-women-of-the-pizzeria-industry-happy-international-womens-day/ Mon, 08 Mar 2021 14:31:00 +0000 https://pizzatoday.com/news/honoring-women-of-the-pizzeria-industry-happy-international-womens-day/ Happy International Women’s Day. Today, we pay tribute to the women of the pizzeria industry, from owners and managers to pizza makers and servers. You are strong, inspiring and unstoppable. The women in this photo represent the hundreds of thousands of women impacting the pizzeria business. We want to take this moment to point you […]

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Happy International Women’s Day. Today, we pay tribute to the women of the pizzeria industry, from owners and managers to pizza makers and servers. You are strong, inspiring and unstoppable.

The women in this photo represent the hundreds of thousands of women impacting the pizzeria business. We want to take this moment to point you to the talent and leadership of the women in our industry.

Let’s begin with two women who have brought their talents, knowledge and voice to the pages of Pizza Today as contributors. Audrey Kelly and Laura Meyer. Audrey owns Audrey Jane’s Pizza Garage in Boulder, Colorado, and a member of the World Pizza Champions. Laura Meyer is an World Champion pizza maker, dough expert, Chef at Capo’s and Administrator and Teaching Assistant at the International School of Pizza in San Francisco.  Here are links to a few of their articles and video interviews:

Audrey Kelly:

Knead to Know: How to achieve a light and chewy finished crust

Pork: Making the Cut

Knead to Know: Mother Dough

 

Laura Meyer:

Knead to Know: Small Tweaks in the Pizza Dough Process

Competition Dough Q & A with Laura Meyer

 

Check out Pizza Today features of successful female pizzeria operators, including:

Rachel Hope — Owns our 2018 Independent Pizzeria of the Year
Oklahoma City-based Empire Slice House named Independent Pizzeria of the Year

Laura Ambrose — Co-owns the nation’s highest grossing Independent Pizzeria
Pizza Today On the Road: Woodstock’s Pizza, San Diego, CA

Ruth Gresser — Owns Pizzeria Paradiso in Washington, DC and has led Women Chefs & Restaurateurs
DC Trailblazer — Pizzeria Paradiso celebrates 25 years of staying relevant

 

In their own words

We invite pizzeria professionals to be featured in Conversations, Video Series and Podcasts. Check out these industry leaders in their own words:

 

Que Wimberly

 

Melissa Rickman

 

Nicole Bean

 

Nicole Russell

 

Piper Kapin

 

These examples of successful women in the pizzeria industry have barely scratched the surface of the incredible women throughout the profession who are leading pizza businesses. If you or someone else you know has impacting the pizzeria industry, we want to hear about it. Reach out to Executive Editor Denise Greer to share your story at dgreer@pizzatoday.com.

 

 

 

 

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]]> https://pizzatoday.com/podcasts/the-hot-slice/s4e2-a-sit-down-with-the-great-john-arena/ Thu, 04 Mar 2021 19:11:00 +0000 https://pizzatoday.com/podcasts/s4e2-a-sit-down-with-the-great-john-arena/ Listen to John Arena on The Hot Slice Podcast This episode, we tap one of the most brilliant minds in the pizza business John Arena. John owns Metro Pizza in Las Vegas. He is not only a successful pizzapreneur, but also a dough expert and mentor to many in the field. The “sit down” is […]

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Listen to John Arena on The Hot Slice Podcast

This episode, we tap one of the most brilliant minds in the pizza business John Arena. John owns Metro Pizza in Las Vegas. He is not only a successful pizzapreneur, but also a dough expert and mentor to many in the field. The “sit down” is hosted by Editor In Chief Jeremy White and Executive Editor Denise Greer.

John talks:

• Common industry questions and his responses
• His pizza start and growth
• Business shifts
• Pizza dough
• Flour blends
• Learning, a key to success
• Motivation for pizzeria operators

 

 

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]]> https://pizzatoday.com/topics/operations/man-on-the-street-keeping-the-doors-closed/ Mon, 01 Mar 2021 05:01:00 +0000 https://pizzatoday.com/departments/man-on-the-street-keeping-the-doors-closed/ When restaurants started closing their doors back last March, all anybody could talk about was when they could reopen. More than 11 months later, we’re finally starting to get optimistic with several vaccines in distribution and stronger  governmental focus on tackling the virus. Municipalities are even lifting restrictions, giving restaurants the opportunity to shift back […]

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Scott Wiener
Founder, Scott’s Pizza Tours and SliceOutHunger.org

When restaurants started closing their doors back last March, all anybody could talk about was when they could reopen. More than 11 months later, we’re finally starting to get optimistic with several vaccines in distribution and stronger  governmental focus on tackling the virus. Municipalities are even lifting restrictions, giving restaurants the opportunity to shift back to indoor seating. Sounds like we’re on our way back to normalcy except for one pesky issue — lots of pizzerias aren’t interested in going back.

I knew something was up when I saw an Instagram post by Derrick Tung of Paulie Gee’s Logan Square in Chicago. Having just heard the news that Chicago had lifted its ban on indoor dining, he made an official announcement that his pizzeria would remain takeout only. He detailed his reasoning in the post as a method of communicating to both customers and colleagues. Beyond the obvious health and safety concerns, Derrick also reasoned that opening with Chicago’s restrictions (25 percent capacity or 25 people, whichever is less) would actually cost more than it would profit.

That all sounded reasonable to me, but I needed to find out if others in the industry shared Derrick’s perspective. Within minutes of dropping a post in the “Pizza Assassins” Facebook group, I had a flurry of responses and every single one of them agreed that staying closed was the way to go. Michael Androw of E&D Pizza Company in Avon, Connecticut, even went so far as to remodel his entire dining room. He ripped out all his seating, shifted the counter 30 feet, and extended his kitchen. Although he’s still coming to terms with becoming a DELCO restaurant, the 40 percent increase has made that an easier pill to swallow.

Patti and Jim McGraw of Good Eats on 6 in Eastham, Massachusetts opened their shop just a few months before COVID hit, so they’ve been riding the rollercoaster even more than most. A health inspector saw how well they’re doing with curbside pickup and mentioned that most restaurants in their situation wouldn’t benefit by opening up for seating. The risk of having to shut down for two weeks in the event of an infection could crush an already precarious situation.

As frustrated as I may be that I can’t walk into a pizzeria and sit down, I actually have no current desire to do so. And I’m not alone. Kevin Houghton is open at 25-percent capacity at his Fox’s Pizza Den location in Wilmore, Pennsylvania, but very few people are dining in. Bill Carmine Cornell at Carmine’s Wood Fired Pizza in Joplin, Missouri, is open with 50 percent max capacity and says his dine-in has been extremely slow while takeout is up. Even in NYC, where going to restaurants is an important part of our culture, people choose to stay in. Paulie Gee’s in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, tried to open with 25-percent capacity but the public just wasn’t interested in dine-in at the moment.

There’s quite a bit of chatter about how this will change restaurant culture forever, but I still see people returning to pizzerias once we’re out of the woods. We’re ordering so much takeout because it’s the only option. Sure, it will take some time to get back to pre-pandemic behaviors like sitting elbow-to-elbow in a tiny pizzeria, but I do think we’ll get there. After all, the last pandemic was followed by the roaring ’20s!

SCOTT WIENER is the founder of Scott’s Pizza Tours in New York City and SliceOutHunger.org  Instagram: @scottspizzatours

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]]> https://pizzatoday.com/topics/brand-marketing/marketing-budget-basics/ Mon, 01 Mar 2021 05:01:00 +0000 https://pizzatoday.com/departments/marketing-budget-basics/ The fundamental steps of a sound marketing budget When Keniey Sonley first joined Colorado-based Parry’s Pizza as its director of marketing in 2011, scant residue of a marketing apparatus existed. “They pretty much did everything on their own and were decently successful with those modest efforts,” Sonley says of the then-four-year-old pizzeria. As Parry’s ownership […]

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The fundamental steps of a sound marketing budget

When Keniey Sonley first joined Colorado-based Parry’s Pizza as its director of marketing in 2011, scant residue of a marketing apparatus existed.

“They pretty much did everything on their own and were decently successful with those modest efforts,” Sonley says of the then-four-year-old pizzeria.

As Parry’s ownership introduced more locations – there are now more than a dozen across three states – and solidified its emphasis on craft beer, however, Sonley pushed for more calculated action, including a marketing budget tailored to support the brand’s ambitious prospects. A marketing budget would foster more organized outreach, Sonley reasoned, and that would enable Parry’s to heighten its most successful marketing initiatives.

With a marketing budget in hand, Sonley then teed up ad buys, planned promotions and assembled creative assets, coordinated work that contributed to Parry’s steady growth and overall performance.

“In marketing, you should always be in front of everything,” Sonley says, adding that a thoughtfully constructed, fiscally sound budget should serve as a compass for marketing efforts.

Taken one step further, Renegade Hospitality Group CEO Tim Kirkland calls a set marketing budget “a critical discipline” for business health.

“It helps you keep an eye on the steady, long-term health of your business,” Kirkland says.

 

The path to a marketing budget

Marketing remains an essential function for any restaurant, a necessary endeavor to attract new guests, retain existing customers and, ultimately, drive sales. It’s also a step toward more informed decisions.

“You want to know how much money you need, so you can anticipate and plan accordingly,” says Nick Makris, an associate professor in the College of Hospitality Management at Johnson & Wales University.

Still, many restaurants continue to overlook the importance of a marketing budget or struggle to account for its necessary components.

 

Step 1: Set a dollar figure

Quite often, restaurants brush aside a marketing budget as an unnecessary, burdensome effort. It need not be. To simplify things and determine a reasonable marketing budget, gather annual, quarterly and monthly sales figures. According to Makris, larger chain restaurants typically devote seven to 10 percent of total sales to marketing. In contrast, smaller, independent spots traditionally sit in the two to three percent range, though some might run as high as six percent.

“Those are good guideposts,” Makris says.

New restaurants will need to plan for more, however, as it is significantly more expensive to establish a brand than sustain it.

“Many new operators budget their funds just to get the physical plant open, then think the world will beat a path to them once the doors swing,” Kirkland says, contending that such passive efforts contribute to the high number of restaurants that close in their opening year of business.

 

Step 2: Account for experimentation

A marketing budget typically includes traditional forms of advertising such as direct mail and print as well as digital marketing efforts like Google Ads or paid social media advertisements. Marketing often requires experimentation, testing different avenues before investigating what resonates. While paid Facebook ads might work well to generate orders of a limited-time menu item, print coupons on a grocery store receipt might drive traffic for a weeknight special.

“No one formula works for everyone, so expect to experiment,” Makris says, reminding that any marketing budget should also factor in updating and maintaining a website stocked with modern functionalities like online ordering.

 

Step 3: Adopt a strategic approach

When constructing a restaurant’s marketing budget, Sonley says it’s imperative to identify specific promotional targets and to know the traditional peaks and valleys of a business’ year. Now running his own Colorado-based marketing agency called Woken Eye, Sonley does a deep dive with each client that includes identifying instances in a normal calendar year in which the restaurant wants to use promotion to drive traffic and sales. This includes holidays, new menu item launches, anniversary celebrations, summer parties and sporting events.

Having this information handy allows the marketing budget to flex accordingly. For instance, a pizzeria might invest more marketing dollars into pumping up spring and summer catering specials whereas it might not need to devote as much capital to a Super Bowl promotion.

In addition, Sonley says a useful marketing budget will also outline available funds for each quarter of the year while simultaneously calling attention to when and where paid advertisements fall to avoid overlapping promotions.

 

Step 4: Go forth, track and pivot

With a thoughtful marketing plan in action, operators can then reallocate funds from the budget accordingly as the year progresses, cutting a planned investment on unprofitable marketing endeavors and redirecting capital to efforts that impacted sales. This, Makris says, is the way pizzerias capture the most bang for their marketing buck.

“By tracking and evaluating your current marketing investment, you can see what needs to change and target the marketing that brings you the greatest ROI,” Makris says, adding that even slim marketing budgets can stimulate impressive results when dollars are deliberately and strategically invested.  

 

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Why you need to think of marketing like a water pump

Veteran hospitality consultant and author Tim Kirkland, CEO of Renegade Hospitality Group, urges restaurant operators to think of marketing like a water pump.

“Once the water is flowing, it takes relatively little effort to keep it going,” he says, “but if the pump is shut off or
allowed to run dry, it takes significant effort to get it primed and flowing again.”

That’s why Kirkland urges restaurants to avoid stop-and-go marketing and instead favor continuous investment.

Too often, Kirkland says, restaurants only turn to marketing when sales drop, using already scarce revenues to “jumpstart” the business. Such reactionary marketing, however, is frequently more expensive and less effective than a practice of steady messaging to customers.

“If you wait until business starts falling off to invest in marketing, it’s often too late,” Kirkland says.

Another common misstep: restaurants immediately slice their marketing budget when the business hits a downturn. Though a seemingly modest cut, it risks taking the restaurant off the consumer’s radar.

“Cuts to marketing will show up weeks and months later in the form of further reduced top-line sales,” Kirkland contends.

 

Daniel P. Smith  Chicago-based writer has covered business issues and best practices for a variety of trade publications, newspapers, and magazines.

 

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]]> https://pizzatoday.com/podcasts/the-hot-slice/s4e1-mike-bausch-takeover-with-alfredo-herera/ Thu, 25 Feb 2021 13:48:00 +0000 https://pizzatoday.com/podcasts/s4e1-mike-bausch-takeover-with-alfredo-herera/ To kick off Season 4, one of the pizzeria industry’s top pros Mike Bausch has taken over the podcast. He’s talking to Alfredo Herera, Mike’s right hand at Andolini’s before setting out on his own business in Colorado. Listen to this insightful conversation. Mike is an industry leader whose restaurant, Andolini’s Pizzeria, is a top […]

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To kick off Season 4, one of the pizzeria industry’s top pros Mike Bausch has taken over the podcast. He’s talking to Alfredo Herera, Mike’s right hand at Andolini’s before setting out on his own business in Colorado. Listen to this insightful conversation.

Mike is an industry leader whose restaurant, Andolini’s Pizzeria, is a top ten pizzeria in the US, as named by TripAdvisor, BuzzFeed, CNN, and USA Today. Andolini’s began in 2005 and has grown to five pizzerias, two gelaterias, two food hall concepts, a food truck, and a fine dining restaurant by 2019. Mike is a World Pizza Champion, a Guinness Book world record holder, and the author of “Unsliced: How to Stay Whole in the Pizzeria Industry.”

After a decade with Andolini’s, Alfredo moved to Walden, Colorado to open a pizzeria, Mansker Station, a cabin business, breakfast café and amphitheater on property.

 

 

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]]> https://pizzatoday.com/podcasts/the-hot-slice/s3e12-michael-androw-on-going-delco-deliver-and-carryout-only/ Fri, 19 Feb 2021 15:03:00 +0000 https://pizzatoday.com/podcasts/s3e12-michael-androw-on-going-delco-deliver-and-carryout-only/ Listen to Mike Androw on The Hot Slice Podcast Michael Androw made a huge decision with his pizzeria, E and D Pizza Company, Avon, Connecticut, to permanently switch to a DELCO model. Get insights on why and how Michael transitioned to DELCO. This episode is hosted by Editor In Chief Jeremy White and Executive Editor […]

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Listen to Mike Androw on The Hot Slice Podcast

Michael Androw made a huge decision with his pizzeria, E and D Pizza Company, Avon, Connecticut, to permanently switch to a DELCO model. Get insights on why and how Michael transitioned to DELCO. This episode is hosted by Editor In Chief Jeremy White and Executive Editor Denise Greer.

Michael talks:

• Community focus
• Family market
• Converting to a DELCO model
• Transitioning Staff
• Marketing
• 2021-22 Outlook
• Lessons learned working 30 years in the restaurant industry

 

 

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]]> https://pizzatoday.com/podcasts/the-hot-slice/s3e10-cup-of-joe-joe-fugere-tutta-bella-neapolitan-pizzeria-seattle-wa/ Thu, 04 Feb 2021 14:46:00 +0000 https://pizzatoday.com/podcasts/s3e10-cup-of-joe-joe-fugere-tutta-bella-neapolitan-pizzeria-seattle-wa/ Listen to Joe Fugere on The Hot Slice Podcast Jeremy White and Josh Keown talk shop with Joe Fugere, founder of Tutta Bella Neapolitan Pizzeria in Seattle. Joe shares his vision on the pizzeria of the future, discusses his innovative employee programs and details how the grocery business and a mobile unit helped Tutta Bella […]

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Listen to Joe Fugere on The Hot Slice Podcast

Jeremy White and Josh Keown talk shop with Joe Fugere, founder of Tutta Bella Neapolitan Pizzeria in Seattle. Joe shares his vision on the pizzeria of the future, discusses his innovative employee programs and details how the grocery business and a mobile unit helped Tutta Bella thrive during a pandemic.

 

 

The post S3E10: Cup of Joe — Joe Fugere, Tutta Bella Neapolitan Pizzeria, Seattle, WA appeared first on Pizza Today.

]]> https://pizzatoday.com/topics/brand-marketing/man-on-the-street-looking-for-ancillary-income-design-a-sweet-t/ Mon, 01 Feb 2021 05:01:00 +0000 https://pizzatoday.com/departments/man-on-the-street-looking-for-ancillary-income-design-a-sweet-t/ I made a huge mistake on January 1, 2019. That was the day I decided to reorganize my entire pizza t-shirt collection. I pulled out every single one of them and organized the whole lot by color, then posted a picture to Instagram. The next day, I had dozens of messages from pizzerias wanting to […]

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I made a huge mistake on January 1, 2019. That was the day I decided to reorganize my entire pizza t-shirt collection. I pulled out every single one of them and organized the whole lot by color, then posted a picture to Instagram. The next day, I had dozens of messages from pizzerias wanting to send shirts to add to my “collection.” Until recently, only the touristy pizzerias in New York offered t-shirts, yet clearly they’re a popular item at pizzerias everywhere else. At a time when small businesses are looking for alternative means of making ends meet, I truly think t-shirts are an incredible way to boost sales and amplify your brand without breaking the bank.

Scott Wiener
Founder, Scott’s Pizza Tours and SliceOutHunger.org

Original design t-shirt sales in the U.S. alone is a $516 million dollar industry (SOURCE: Ibisworld). Customers love shirts that express novelty, humor and support for important causes. That could mean anything from political statements to obscure jokes from a podcast.

Your customers want t-shirts. Families haven’t been able to make their annual pilgrimage to eat your pizza. They’d certainly fill the emotional blank with a t-shirt. College students miss their favorite campus pizzerias and would love to wear their support.

The old school way of selling shirts is to contract a printer, invest in a large order, warehouse the product and fulfill orders. Today it’s much easier to offer t-shirts thanks to Print On Demand technology. This is the business model of a bunch of Websites with the word “Print” in the name. You just upload a design, choose the t-shirt you want it printed on, price it, then sell through a link on your website and social media. Your POD partner handles the transaction, printing and shipment. You don’t have to do anything.

Most POD services are free to use since the company makes their money only when your product sells. Shirts are printed only when products are sold, so they use a Direct to Garment print method that doesn’t look as nice as screen printed shirts. One major benefit is that these companies usually offer more than just t-shirts, so you can put your logo on hats, cell phone cases, umbrellas, etc. for no additional cost.

The POD companies I just mentioned offer direct sales, which means you provide the sole portal for customers to discover your products. If you plan to offer shirts to a wider audience, perhaps with artwork that isn’t specific to your pizzeria, you can use a marketplace option like Tee Public or Tee Fury. Those sites are popular for esoteric novelty shirts, but they’re also used by podcasts to offer merch to their fans.

There is an option for a custom t-shirt that offers the ease of POD with the quality of screen printing. Sites like Custom Ink offer Group Printing, which means you pre-sell a product for a limited time, then they print and ship only what sells. The more you sell, the less you pay per piece. Shirts and prints are of the highest screen print quality but you don’t have to warehouse and fulfill. It’s the best of both worlds!

Shirts are a great way to offer your customers a way to support your business while wearing a piece of hometown pride. If you’ve been holding out because of the time, space and expense you can rest easy knowing that technology has caught up with your dreams. Now make some cool shirts so I can wear them!

SCOTT WIENER is the founder of Scott’s Pizza Tours in New York City and SliceOutHunger.org  Instagram: @scottspizzatours

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]]> https://pizzatoday.com/podcasts/the-hot-slice/s3e9-pizza-czar-anthony-falco-sits-down-with-pizza-today/ Thu, 28 Jan 2021 14:31:00 +0000 https://pizzatoday.com/podcasts/s3e9-pizza-czar-anthony-falco-sits-down-with-pizza-today/ Listen to Anthony Falco on The Hot Slice Podcast On this week’s Hot Slice podcast we sit down with Pizza Czar author, globetrotting consultant, Pizza Expo speaker and all-around pizza lover, Anthony Falco. From Texas to Seattle to Brooklyn, and beyond, Falco shares his tells from inside the pizza world with Jeremy White and Josh […]

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Listen to Anthony Falco on The Hot Slice Podcast

On this week’s Hot Slice podcast we sit down with Pizza Czar author, globetrotting consultant, Pizza Expo speaker and all-around pizza lover, Anthony Falco. From Texas to Seattle to Brooklyn, and beyond, Falco shares his tells from inside the pizza world with Jeremy White and Josh Keown. Don’t miss it!

Anthony Falco, International Pizza Consultant, first learned pizza making from his Sicilian grandmother. After starting his career as a web designer and internet entrepreneur in high school, he traveled the world, re-igniting his passion for food. At the age of 22, he opened his first restaurant in Seattle, a tiny pomme frite shop in the world famous music venue Neumos, on Capitol Hill. These two failures in entrepreneurship prompted him to move to New York where he met and worked with some bartenders who were about to open Roberta’s Pizza. He learned and perfected his pizza techniques there. He also cooked wood-fired Italian and American food under Nate Appleman (James Beard winner and Pulino’s chef) and Jean Adamson (Vinegar Hill House). Falco worked at Roberta’s for nine years and was involved in many aspects of the restaurant with a focus on all things pizza, as Pizza Czar. Since leaving Roberta’s in 2016, Falco has consulted in Sao Paulo, Bogota, Panama, Toronto, London, New York City, Chicago, Los Angeles, Seattle, Charleston, Iowa, Madrid and currently has projects in development in Belgium, Australia, Kuwait, India and Singapore.

 

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]]> https://pizzatoday.com/podcasts/the-hot-slice/s3e8-melissa-rickman-menu-changes-showing-staff-love-and-common-startup-mistakes/ Fri, 22 Jan 2021 14:18:00 +0000 https://pizzatoday.com/podcasts/s3e8-melissa-rickman-menu-changes-showing-staff-love-and-common-startup-mistakes/ Listen to Melissa Rickman on The Hot Slice Podcast The energetic and savvy entrepreneur Melissa Rickman of Wholly Stromboli in Lupton, Colorado, drops great advice on menus, employee retention and startup mistakes. She’s also a frequent speaker at Pizza Expo. Melissa talks: COVID-19 impact and shifts Outdoor Dining Menu Changes Strategic and expansion planning Staff […]

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Listen to Melissa Rickman on The Hot Slice Podcast

The energetic and savvy entrepreneur Melissa Rickman of Wholly Stromboli in Lupton, Colorado, drops great advice on menus, employee retention and startup mistakes. She’s also a frequent speaker at Pizza Expo.

Melissa talks:

• COVID-19 impact and shifts
• Outdoor Dining
• Menu Changes
• Strategic and expansion planning
• Staff Programs
• Common business startup mistakes

 

Show Notes:

Catch Melissa’s Checking In With episode.

Go to PizzaExpo365.com to egister for Pizza Expo 365 to watch in-depth seminars led by Melissa in our On-demand Video Library.

 

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]]> https://pizzatoday.com/podcasts/the-hot-slice/s3e7-tony-gemignani-and-laura-meyer-new-realities-pizza-trends-and-evolution/ Thu, 14 Jan 2021 13:50:00 +0000 https://pizzatoday.com/podcasts/s3e7-tony-gemignani-and-laura-meyer-new-realities-pizza-trends-and-evolution/ We brought World Pizza Champion and Restaurateur Tony Gemignani and his right hand Laura Meyer, also a World Champion, together to talk pizza business and the next big thing in the industry. This episode is hosted by Pizza Today Executive Editor Denise Greer and Editor In Chief Jeremy White. Tony and Laura talk: How COVID-19 […]

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We brought World Pizza Champion and Restaurateur Tony Gemignani and his right hand Laura Meyer, also a World Champion, together to talk pizza business and the next big thing in the industry. This episode is hosted by Pizza Today Executive Editor Denise Greer and Editor In Chief Jeremy White.

Tony and Laura talk:

• How COVID-19 has changed the business
• The pizza school -Pizza Styles
• Next big trend in pizza
• What they have planned for the Pizza Expo 365 platform
• Pizza as a continual learning process

Show Notes: The Trending Recipe Tony and Knead to Know dough article written by Laura referred to in the episode will publish in the February issue of Pizza Today and can be found at https://pizzatoday.com then.

 

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]]> https://pizzatoday.com/topics/employee-management/mikes-monthly-tip-the-few-and-the-proud-employees/ Fri, 01 Jan 2021 05:01:00 +0000 https://pizzatoday.com/departments/mikes-monthly-tip-the-few-and-the-proud-employees/ Acquiring talent has never been more challenging than it is today. Developing solid, dependable employees is currently extremely hard. It’s not too dissimilar to how hard it was to recruit enlisted service members after the Vietnam War. After removing the draft, there weren’t many willing participants who wanted to sign up to enlist. The value […]

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Acquiring talent has never been more challenging than it is today. Developing solid, dependable employees is currently extremely hard. It’s not too dissimilar to how hard it was to recruit enlisted service members after the Vietnam War. After removing the draft, there weren’t many willing participants who wanted to sign up to enlist. The value proposition was seemingly non-existent, and recruiters were taking anyone they could get.

My dad, Art Bausch, ran into this issue as a Marine Recruiter. Art is a Retired Lieutenant Colonel Marine Corps Officer who fought in Vietnam and changed how recruiting was done. He ran New York Recruiting from 1977-1981. He was in charge of multiple sites, including the Times Square recruiting station. Side note: He’s the reason it’s still there today. It’s the building in the center of Times Square with the neon American Flag on the side of it. The city wanted to take it back from the military, and my dad, along with Mayor Ed Koch, agreed it was a symbol that should remain in the heart of NY. This is where my dad would bring potential recruits to.

The marketing tagline “The Few and the Proud” was born from Art’s overhaul approach to Marine Corps recruiting. Instead of trying to get as many people to enlist, he sought to get the best people who could graduate. He changed the success metric from how many bodies were recruited to how many Marines successfully graduated boot camp.

To do this, he went after high-minded kids who were looking for direction. Art wanted people who wanted something more out of life. He asked them goal-oriented questions about what they wanted to achieve. The right answers were to go to college, gain skills or prove their worth to their family. When a potential recruit said these things, Art showed how the Marine Corps would help on this path and provide them direction. Applying this mindset to acquiring talent relates a lot to our current situation of hiring. Applicants need to feel and know that working for you is the righteous path in their journey, not just a pit stop along the way.

That’s not easy to convey. It’s never been quicker for an applicant to apply to multiple restaurants with little to no thought. Now anyone can go online and apply as many times as they want to as many restaurants as possible in minutes.

So how do you stand out and get great talent? First and foremost, don’t beg for talent. Show off how your restaurant brings business skills and a sense of purpose in your description. Go after staff that is high minded, and make them feel like absolute gold, so they get their other like-minded friends to come work for you as well. Incentivize them with bonuses for staff members that last more than three months that they recruit themselves. Give graduating staff members a swag bag upon completion of training. Also give a Golden Ticket to eat for free at the restaurant one time with their family. Pour on the warm and fuzzy feeling of completing your training. Make your training all-encompassing so that it takes effort. Make it so that completion means they accomplished something.

Make your interview process an exclusive call to action rather than a desperate cry for help. Don’t write, “now hiring” or “help wanted” ever. Instead, “Now accepting applications” or “We’re in need of more great people because we’re in demand.” The application and interview process must convey this is a team environment that pushes everyone. An environment that authentically makes real food, if you are into that, we have the home for you. Also, follow up on the promise.

These calls to actions elicit a response from your ideal candidate. A few ideal candidates is preferable to many failed candidates. “The few and the proud” isn’t the type of perfect tagline that comes along every day, but it is what you want them to be. You want your staff to be proud of where they work. You want the best, so go after the best, and make the best feel like gold. Do this, and you will attain a staff you can be proud of.

MIKE BAUSCH is the owner of Andolini’s Pizzeria in Tulsa, Oklahoma.  Instagram: @andopizza

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]]> https://pizzatoday.com/podcasts/the-hot-slice/best-of-2020-on-the-hot-slice-podcast/ Thu, 31 Dec 2020 05:01:00 +0000 https://pizzatoday.com/podcasts/best-of-2020-on-the-hot-slice-podcast/ A Recap of Best Advice on The Hot Slice Podcast 2020 So long 2020! The team at Pizza Today wraps up this year with a compilation of the best stories and advice on The Hot Slice podcast. The pizzeria industry’s brightest minds dropping knowledge on one episode. It’s a can’t miss.   Thank you to […]

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A Recap of Best Advice on The Hot Slice Podcast 2020

So long 2020! The team at Pizza Today wraps up this year with a compilation of the best stories and advice on The Hot Slice podcast. The pizzeria industry’s brightest minds dropping knowledge on one episode. It’s a can’t miss.

 

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]]> https://pizzatoday.com/podcasts/the-hot-slice/s3e4-the-pizza-today-team-ringing-in-the-new-year-with-optimism/ Thu, 24 Dec 2020 05:01:00 +0000 https://pizzatoday.com/podcasts/s3e4-the-pizza-today-team-ringing-in-the-new-year-with-optimism/ Listen to the Pizza Today Team on The Hot Slice Podcast The editorial team at Pizza Today come together to share New Year’s resolutions. We pay tribute to our Dough Doctor Tom Lehmann. Editor-In-Chief Jeremy White, Creative Director Josh Keown, Executive Editor Denise Greer and Design Lead Katie Wilson share their experiences covering the pizzeria […]

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Listen to the Pizza Today Team on The Hot Slice Podcast

The editorial team at Pizza Today come together to share New Year’s resolutions. We pay tribute to our Dough Doctor Tom Lehmann. Editor-In-Chief Jeremy White, Creative Director Josh Keown, Executive Editor Denise Greer and Design Lead Katie Wilson share their experiences covering the pizzeria industry.

The team talks:

• The impact Tom Lehmann has had on American pizzerias
• 2020 Pizzeria Industry Outlook
• Each member’s individual resolution to pizzeria operators
• A sneak peek on the power of Pizza Expo 365 launching in January
• A debate on the legendary Pizza Today swimsuit issue

 

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]]> https://pizzatoday.com/podcasts/the-hot-slice/s3e3-lucifers-pizzas-adam-borich-on-a-second-wave-la-shutdown/ Thu, 17 Dec 2020 14:05:00 +0000 https://pizzatoday.com/podcasts/s3e3-lucifers-pizzas-adam-borich-on-a-second-wave-la-shutdown/ Listen to Adam Borich on The Hot Slice Podcast Adam Borich, owner of the five-unit Lucifers Pizza, gets real on the devastating second wave restaurant dining shutdowns in Los Angeles with Editor in Chief Jeremy White and Executive Editor Denise Greer. While times are tough, Lucifers has managed to thrive and grow amidst the pandemic. […]

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Listen to Adam Borich on The Hot Slice Podcast

Adam Borich, owner of the five-unit Lucifers Pizza, gets real on the devastating second wave restaurant dining shutdowns in Los Angeles with Editor in Chief Jeremy White and Executive Editor Denise Greer. While times are tough, Lucifers has managed to thrive and grow amidst the pandemic.

Adam talks:

• Latest Restaurant Dining Shutdown in Los Angeles
• How the Recent Shutdown Compares to March
• International Perspective as a New Zealand Native
• How Lucifers Has Transitioned
• Opening a New Location During the Pandemic
• Finding Employees Amidst a Worker Shortage
• Growing the Lucifer Brand
• Dealing with Reactions to the Brand Name

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]]> https://pizzatoday.com/podcasts/the-hot-slice/s3e2-jeff-smokevitch-on-detroit-style-pizza/ Thu, 10 Dec 2020 14:52:00 +0000 https://pizzatoday.com/podcasts/s3e2-jeff-smokevitch-on-detroit-style-pizza/ Jeff Smokevitch on The Hot Slice Podcast Get the lowdown on Detroit-style pizza by none other than Motor City native Jeff Smokevitch, who leads a comprehensive demonstration on the style at International Pizza Expo in Las Vegas. Jeff owns Brown Dog Pizza in Telluride, Colorado and Blue Pan Pizza in Denver. We also pay tribute […]

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Jeff Smokevitch on The Hot Slice Podcast

Get the lowdown on Detroit-style pizza by none other than Motor City native Jeff Smokevitch, who leads a comprehensive demonstration on the style at International Pizza Expo in Las Vegas. Jeff owns Brown Dog Pizza in Telluride, Colorado and Blue Pan Pizza in Denver. We also pay tribute to Shawn Randazzo, who was the catalyst for Detroit style’s rise across the country. This episode is hosted by Editor In Chief Jeremy White and Executive Editor Denise Greer.

Jeff talks:

• A Look at How the Style Started
• Characteristics of Detroit Style
• A personal Connection with Shawn Randazzo
• Creating the Dough Formula
• Introducing the Style to Coloradoan
• The Detroit Demo at Pizza Expo 2021
• Tips on How You Can Start Making Detroit Style Pizza

 

 

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]]> https://pizzatoday.com/podcasts/the-hot-slice/s2e12-replay-in-depth-talk-w-tony-gemignani-one-of-americas-most-influential-pizza-restaurateurs/ Thu, 26 Nov 2020 14:01:00 +0000 https://pizzatoday.com/podcasts/s2e12-replay-in-depth-talk-w-tony-gemignani-one-of-americas-most-influential-pizza-restaurateurs/ Listen to Tony Gemignani on The Hot Slice Podcast Happy Thanksgiving! Today, we revisit one of our favorite episodes, an interview World Pizza Champion and Restaurateur Tony Gemignani, based in San Francisco. Tony talks COVID-19 response at his 20 restaurants, including completely revamping the Capo pizza concept during the shutdown. He also shares his strategy […]

The post S2E12 REPLAY: In-depth Talk w/ Tony Gemignani, one of America’s most influential pizza restaurateurs appeared first on Pizza Today.

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Listen to Tony Gemignani on The Hot Slice Podcast

Happy Thanksgiving! Today, we revisit one of our favorite episodes, an interview World Pizza Champion and Restaurateur Tony Gemignani, based in San Francisco. Tony talks COVID-19 response at his 20 restaurants, including completely revamping the Capo pizza concept during the shutdown. He also shares his strategy for opening new restaurants. This episode is hosted by Editor In Chief Jeremy White and Executive Editor Denise Greer.

Tony talks:

• COVID-19 Response
• Revamping a Concept Entirely
• Employee Safety
• Business Strategic Planning
• Building Out a Concept
• Adapting Concepts to Neighborhood
• An understanding of Commercial Rent
• Tony’s Commitment to Help Other Operators

 

Check out trending recipes from Tony. 

Visit Tony’s restaurants at https://tonyspizzanapoletana.com/ and on Instagram @capopizza

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]]> https://pizzatoday.com/podcasts/the-hot-slice/s2e11-the-pizza-today-team-the-pizza-tribe/ Thu, 19 Nov 2020 14:14:00 +0000 https://pizzatoday.com/podcasts/s2e11-the-pizza-today-team-the-pizza-tribe/ This week the Pizza Today Team is on The Hot Slice Podcast Listen as the editorial team at Pizza Today come together to share what’s happening in the pizzeria industry. Get the inside scoop on Pizza Expo 2021 and the launch of Pizza Expo 365. Editor-In-Chief Jeremy White, Creative Director Josh Keown, Executive Editor Denise […]

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This week the Pizza Today Team is on The Hot Slice Podcast

Listen as the editorial team at Pizza Today come together to share what’s happening in the pizzeria industry. Get the inside scoop on Pizza Expo 2021 and the launch of Pizza Expo 365. Editor-In-Chief Jeremy White, Creative Director Josh Keown, Executive Editor Denise Greer and Design Lead Katie Wilson share their experiences covering the pizzeria industry.

We talk:

• Pizza Expo’s new June 2021 dates
• Pizza tradeshow’s history
• Our industry’s strength together
• COVID-19 coverage
• Tips to help with operator and staff limit burnout
• A preview of the Pizza Expo 365 launch

Subscribe to The Hot Slice Podcast.

Follow @PizzaToday on social.

Go to PizzaToday.com and PizzaExpo.com.

 

 

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]]> https://pizzatoday.com/podcasts/the-hot-slice/s2e10-the-marriage-of-pizza-beer-and-covid19-with-wesley-keegan-tailgate-brewery-nashville/ Thu, 12 Nov 2020 13:33:00 +0000 https://pizzatoday.com/podcasts/s2e10-the-marriage-of-pizza-beer-and-covid19-with-wesley-keegan-tailgate-brewery-nashville/ Listen to Wesley Keegan on The Hot Slice Podcast As part of our continuing coverage of COVID-19 Pizzeria Impact Stories, we have a unique Q&A provided by Tailgate Brewery with three locations in Nashville, Tennessee. Marketing Manager Liz Tarry sits down with Owner and Brewmaster Wesley Keegan to share their story. This episode is hosted […]

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Listen to Wesley Keegan on The Hot Slice Podcast

As part of our continuing coverage of COVID-19 Pizzeria Impact Stories, we have a unique Q&A provided by Tailgate Brewery with three locations in Nashville, Tennessee. Marketing Manager Liz Tarry sits down with Owner and Brewmaster Wesley Keegan to share their story. This episode is hosted by Editor In Chief Jeremy White and Executive Editor Denise Greer.

 

Wesley talks:

• The brewery as the foundation
• Adding and building a pizza concept
• The deep dive into pizza research
• Doing pizza right
• Expanding to new locations with scratch pizza kitchens
• Tailgate’s COVID-19 response
• Looking into 2021

Read more COVID-19 Pizzeria Impact Stories. 

Visit Tailgate Brewery at https://www.tailgatebeer.com/ and on Instagram @tailgatebrewery

 

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The post S2E10 The Marriage of Pizza, Beer and COVID19 with Wesley Keegan, Tailgate Brewery, Nashville appeared first on Pizza Today.

]]> https://pizzatoday.com/podcasts/the-hot-slice/s2e9-michigan-based-jets-pizza-covid-19-response-leadership-roundtable/ Thu, 05 Nov 2020 13:40:00 +0000 https://pizzatoday.com/podcasts/s2e9-michigan-based-jets-pizza-covid-19-response-leadership-roundtable/ Listen to Jet’s Pizza Owners on The Hot Slice Podcast This episode is dedicated to one of the COVID-19 Pizzeria Impact Stories that we’re featuring all month. Jet’s Pizza is one of America’s largest pizza companies with hundreds of locations in 19 states, helping move Detroit-style pizza mainstream. Listen to an engaging roundtable discussion with […]

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Listen to Jet’s Pizza Owners on The Hot Slice Podcast

This episode is dedicated to one of the COVID-19 Pizzeria Impact Stories that we’re featuring all month. Jet’s Pizza is one of America’s largest pizza companies with hundreds of locations in 19 states, helping move Detroit-style pizza mainstream. Listen to an engaging roundtable discussion with Jet’s Pizza leadership, including Jimmy Galloway, Vice President of Franchise Sales; John Jetts, President; and Jeff Galloway, Vice President of Store Operations. Learn what the pizza company experienced during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

DIVE DEEPER: Read Detroit Style Pizza: A Guide to Detroit Pizza

Jet’s leadership talk:

• Employee shortages
• Closing lobbies
• Safety protocol
• Franchisee operational support
• Promoting contactless
• Dealing with food shortages
• Digital ordering to capture new customers

 

Explore more COVID-19 pizzeria stories.  

Learn more about Jet’s Pizza at https://www.jetspizza.com/

@jetspizza on Instagram

 

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]]> https://pizzatoday.com/topics/people-pizzerias/covid-19-pizzeria-impact-stories-page-3/ Sun, 01 Nov 2020 04:01:00 +0000 https://pizzatoday.com/departments/covid-19-pizzeria-impact-stories-page-3/ Continued — More firsthand accounts of how pizzeria owners and leadership have handled the COVID-19 Pandemic (Page 3)   MORE COVID-19 STORIES:   Page 2 | Page 3 | Page 4 | Page 5 | Back to Main Page Ron’s Original Bar & Grille — Exton, Pennsylvania Adapt. Change. Overcome. That’s just what we did here at Ron’s when faced […]

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Continued — More firsthand accounts of how pizzeria owners and leadership have handled the COVID-19 Pandemic (Page 3)

 

MORE COVID-19 STORIES:   Page 2 | Page 3 | Page 4 | Page 5 | Back to Main Page

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Ron’s Original Bar & Grille — Exton, Pennsylvania

Adapt. Change. Overcome.

That’s just what we did here at Ron’s when faced with the COVID-19 pandemic. We adapted to the new rules and regulations handed down by the government. We made changes to our facilities, policies and procedures to better service our customers. And we are constantly overcoming this ever-changing situation, day by day.

When COVID-19 began to impact our area, restaurants were ordered to close their doors to dine-in customers. We quickly jumped into action and introduced our new Curbside Pickup service. Realizing we needed to do more, we turned to closing our doors completely, in order to regroup and come back better than ever. We cleared out our inventory by having an amazingly successful (and socially distant approved) sidewalk sale, then took to our brainstorming sessions for nearly 2 weeks to develop a plan that would meet and exceed our customer’s expectations. As quarantine progressed, we continued to follow through on every mandate and recommendation handed down to us from the CDC and Health Departments. From apps that track our restaurants cleanliness to patented floor to ceiling sanitizing systems; we have maintained impeccable cleaning and sanitization standards, provided safe social distancing protocols and have done our very best to ensure everyone in and around our establishment feels safe.

We adapted. We changed. And we are still overcoming. At Ron’s we believe in providing the best because our customers deserve the best and we will continue to provide the best and safest possible dining experiences.

 

 

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Sibie’s Pizza — Amherst, Pennsylvania

My name is Matt HD, I am an actor, filmmaker, and video producer, and a proud team member of my family owned Sibie’s Pizza. Our little pizzeria is located in Amherst, MA, a small, rural farming community rich in arts, history, and culture… and five colleges.

Our family opened Sibie’s in 2001, and with my dad, George Duranti, bringing his lifelong experience as a chef, we slowly carved out our niche as the locals pizza shop in the area. In the past couple of years, we had been focusing on two new revenue streams – sports catering & vegan pizza.

2020 was off to a great start for us- our vegan pizzas popularity was spreading faster than expected and in our prior year we had our highest catering sales to date. Momentum was moving in our favor and this year was going to be a solid year of expansion.

When the pandemic hit, this all changed. We were faced with new challenges and ultimately a new way of life.

We immediately changed up our procedures adapting to a contactless service for both pick-up and delivery and adopted new enhanced cleaning and sanitizing procedures. We were doing what we could to stay open, but things were increasingly risky for our team and ultimately we decided to close for three weeks and see how things with the virus would develop.

While we were closed we started brainstorming on things we could do differently because COVID-19 wasn’t going away anytime soon. There were no sports teams to cater to. No more meetings or parties that needed a supply of hot cheesy goodness. The former bustling college was unseasonably quiet. Our former business model was no longer viable and with the business closed we needed to find a way to stay connected with our community we had been serving for almost twenty years. We needed to try something new…

This is where I decided to combine my personal passion for filmmaking & storytelling with the family business to amplify our presence in the digital landscape. With a background in marketing and entertainment, I wanted to find a way to connect with those who were stuck inside with fears and unrest.

The idea I came up with for Sibie’s to continue to stay vocal in the community while closed was to create a DIY video series on making my family’s pizzas at home (Titled, “PIZZA TV”).

So I pulled together all the available production equipment I had, including a first-gen iPad, GoPro, and some old iPhones to create a 5 camera set up around my dinner table.

I shot four episodes with this make-shift, epically-indie setup, which I am now calling “Season 0.”

During filming, I connected with a well-known photography/media brand that was inspired by our story and what I was trying to accomplish and offered to support the PIZZA TV project.

This allowed me to upgrade the indie setup to a pro 6 camera, 4K shoot – which I used to produce an official 7 episode season 1 of “Pizza TV.”

This has been an amazing experience for me because it allowed me to work with my family figuring out new recipes and how to adapt these large commercial kitchen recipes to a small batch home kitchen & oven. Since we started putting out this new video content, we have been able to expand our reach and our voice in the community. We have been blown away by the responses we have been receiving and are feeling more connected than ever to our customers and our community.

Through these tough times, it’s important now more than ever to support one another as we are all truly in this together. We believe it’s important for small businesses to step up and become local leaders as we are the first line of support to our community. It’s important to have transparency, and compassion and be open to new practices as we all have new mindsets about what is needed to survive.

So currently, with Pizza TV, I am deep in post-production, editing future episodes to be released soon, but mainly just trying to take things one day at a time and being open and okay with all the change the comes.

We are proud to do what we do and stand among all the other pizzerias, restaurants, and family’s finding their way through these pandemic times.

Stay safe & Eat healthy.

— Matt HD, George Duranti and team Sibies.

 

 

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TailGate Brewery

Listen to the upcoming The Hot Slice Podcast for an in-depth conversation with Owner and Brewmaster Wesley Keegan and Marketing Manager Liz Tarry. 

Photo via Tailgate

We’re a craft brewery that launched a pizza kitchen about five years ago, and ever since we’ve gotten more and more recognition for putting out some of Nashville’s best pizza. Which is still crazy to us! We had absolutely no background in pizza when we first started – just a love of beer and a desire to see more quality pizza + beer in the city. From the beginning we agreed that we’d only commit to starting a restaurant component if we were equally as passionate about the product as we are about our beer. So from our love of pizza + beer came a combination craft brewery and pizzeria. It’s helped us differentiate ourselves, and brought pizza lovers in the door that may not have sought us out otherwise.

From the outset, we’ve never been structured like a traditional pizzeria. It’s always been about getting people into the taprooms to drink our beer, and to buy that beer at grocery stores and craft beer shops to expand our distribution footprint. So we’ve never operated – like a traditional pizzeria would – with things like takeout or delivery. We’ve only ever had one phone line! The bottom line is that COVID changed everything for everyone, but lots of pizzerias had the structure in place to pivot to a to-go model. We didn’t. But! That didn’t stop us from doing it anyways.

We changed everything on the fly, and never missed a day – never had to close our doors. We launched our own pizza and beer delivery the same day we got the shelter-in-place order, and brought back our 50+ person team the next to work takeout, curbside and delivery across our three Nashville locations. We changed POS companies to institute a better online ordering and menu management system. We launched pizza kits to appeal to guests looking for at-home entertainment. Liquor laws began changing, so we introduced frozen liquor slushies called Bushwackers that we mixed with one of our most popular beers. Paired with our pizzas, it was an instant hit. We prepared for dine-in re-opening and once it did, we continued offering all of our to-go options to accommodate all levels of guest comfort.

Owner and Brewmaster Wesley Keegan

Ultimately the key to success for us has been relying on that core pizza business. We continued our rotating Pizza of the Month specials – two of which have been the most successful ever, Jamaican Jerk Chicken Pizza and Thai Chicken Pizza. We run a half-price pizza Wednesday special that we adapted to our new to-go model rather than abandon a tradition that’s much-loved in our community. We were able to keep all of our people as takeout business grew, and today we have more employees than ever. Pizza and beer is ideally situated for takeout and delivery, and we love being able to occupy that space in our community.

Looking forward, we’re going to continue to run lean. We’re going to keep the team that we have on and continue to attract the best talent in the city. We’re working on a new menu because in our space, breweries that have never dabbled in food are adding kitchens, and pizza is a common entry for the beer category. We’re going to find new ways to elevate our current offerings and make our menu better. We’re going to make our guests feel even more appreciated. Delivering a genuine “Thank you for being here. We’re so glad to have you,” goes a long way. This year may have been rocky, but we’re going to continue to grow despite – and because of – the challenges, and we’re looking forward to a lot more pizza in 2021!

 

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Slingin’ Pizza — Laguna Park, Texas

I’ve been working in pizza since I was 16 years old and I very quickly fell in love with how people get pizza on there best day and their worst day and I’m honored to be apart of both and very quickly my dream became to have my own shop. In April 2019 we opened… in a lake town, where the lake happened to need to be closed to tourists that year because of flooding, that was pretty terrifying… but we pushed through and even grew.

Now that we’ve come to the end of our second summer in the middle of everything that’s going on…we are still growing.

Right before this all started, we were so excited for our “first summer with the lake open!”

It was a hard blow for our spirts when this all started right before, but with my amazing amazing crew, we just decided we were going to come out of the gates fighting and we did.

We make sure that along with our awesome food that were loving on every customer that we can.

Chatting with them, seeing how they’re doing, seeing if they need anything; and if they do and it is in our reasonable power to help them out, we do.

We decided we wanted to be a bright point in people’s day, so we blast music! We dance around like weirdos while we’re tossing out dough. It is so much fun and we see it daily put smiles on people’s faces!

I knew how much I was going to have to sacrifice to make my dreams a reality, my dreams of having a pizza shop that genuinely loves on every person that comes through our doors, but nothing could have possibly prepared me for what has been my first few years of owning my own shop.

We closed the lobby and started handing pizza out through our makeshift take out window that actually is just our front window.

We bought extra food to sell to try and help our customers not have to go into the chaos that had become a typical grocery store trip as often. Like chicken, beef, extra veggies. When bread started to become a hard thing to get, we started turning our pizza dough into bread…it actually became so popular that we now make our sandwich bread every morning!

Then my awesome quilter Aunt Jayne started making masks! She was using money my amazing Grandma Audrey left her, so she very generously donated them to us. We got the masks in right before the mask mandate came into effect in Texas. So because she blessed us with them in turn we got to bless our customers with them and when they ordered we gave them a free mask with each order. It just lit up my heart being able to give masks to people that were having trouble finding them or finding them at a huge mark up. It got to the point where I had to charge for additional masks to try and get them spread out to more families. Which honestly in turn help us pay some bill, so this project helped out everyone!

What I’ve personally learned through this time is that while yes, putting out a good product is of course important…what people are seeking is just people to be genuine with each other again.

Im in the process of creating “Sling’ it Forward” Basically im just hoping to give our customers a safe place to help each other out and fill needs.

— Owner Audrey Jayne

 

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Punxsy Pizza — Punxsutaney, Pennsylvania

Since the beginning of the pandemic we have gone form 15% down to 30%+ increase in sales.  Sounds terrific but it’s been a rough ride.  I only have 7 out of 17 of my staff left.  The increase in sales & the way business falls – all in one big rush every day has left my staff stressed or just not able to keep up.

To try to cope with this I have had to adjust scheduling, inventory (different items selling) and hours of operations.  Shortages in the food supply chain have affected us too, even the best manager can’t guess what suppliers will be out of next or speculate what the food cost will be.  The sheer volume we are doing is keeping us in the black as food cost has soared.  We raised prices once and plan doing so again.

The cost of doing business has been another area where we had to adapt and invest.  Our delivery has increased so we have put money into newer & better delivery equipment to deal with increased delivery times.  Customers demand contactless transactions so our Online Ordering platforms and apps needed to be updated.  Along with that credit card sales have tripled so more expenses to be dealt with.

Our biggest challenge through all of this and now is the lack of people willing to work, let alone work hard.  While a stimulus check & extra money from Unemployment have been a blessing to many, for a small business like mine it has devasted the job pool. I have empathy for my staff; It is miserable working in a hot kitchen, wearing a mask & cleaning more than ever before.  I try my best to a leader & not just a boss, I have never asked more of them then I ask of myself.  My hours spent working have doubled.  My last day off was to take my Father in for an outpatient procedure.

The SBA’s PPP loan was a big help in the beginning of the pandemic.  I have unsuccessfully applied for several grants to be able to give out some form of hazard pay to employees.  In the mean time I have given raises & bonuses to keep morale up.  The OT looks great on a check but my employees have certainly earned it.

We try to take one day at time and do our best.  There is much anxiety in the air but I feel that our business will endure.  I look forward to adapting to whatever the new normal is.

— Owner Scott Anthony

 

MORE COVID-19 STORIES:   Page 2 | Page 3 | Page 4 | Page 5 | Back to Main Page

 

The post COVID-19 Pizzeria Impact Stories – Page 3 appeared first on Pizza Today.

]]> https://pizzatoday.com/podcasts/the-hot-slice/s2e8-nick-strawhecker-on-dante-our-2019-pizzeria-of-year/ Thu, 29 Oct 2020 12:28:00 +0000 https://pizzatoday.com/podcasts/s2e8-nick-strawhecker-on-dante-our-2019-pizzeria-of-year/ Listen to Nick Strawhecker on The Hot Slice Podcast This week, Nick Strawhecker gives us an update on Dante in Omaha, Nebraska. Chef/Owner Nick shares how Dante has thrived while he has moved into a new role with the restaurant. This episode is hosted by Executive Editor Denise Greer and Creative Director Josh Keown. Nick […]

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Listen to Nick Strawhecker on The Hot Slice Podcast

This week, Nick Strawhecker gives us an update on Dante in Omaha, Nebraska. Chef/Owner Nick shares how Dante has thrived while he has moved into a new role with the restaurant. This episode is hosted by Executive Editor Denise Greer and Creative Director Josh Keown.

Nick talks:

• Dante thriving through the pandemic
• The reality of closing his second restaurant Work-life Balance
• Moving into a more financial and operational role
• Dante’s Concentrated Focus on Wine
• A Hyper-seasonal Menu
• Adding a Brunch Program
• A Personal Social Media Approach
• Developing Young Chefs

 

Read Dante’s Pizzeria of the Year feature.

Visit Dante at http://www.dantepizzeria.com/ and on Instagram @dante.omaha

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]]> https://pizzatoday.com/podcasts/the-hot-slice/s2e7-pizza-champion-ali-haider-gives-the-pizza-tribe-a-much-needed-pep-talk/ Thu, 22 Oct 2020 12:49:00 +0000 https://pizzatoday.com/podcasts/s2e7-pizza-champion-ali-haider-gives-the-pizza-tribe-a-much-needed-pep-talk/ Listen to Ali Haider on The Hot Slice Podcast Ali Haider, owner of 786 Degrees Wood Fired Pizza in Sun Valley and Pasadena, California, is here to bring some inspiration to the podcast this week. Ali is a super positive and passionate chef/owner with an International approach to his menus. This episode is hosted by […]

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Listen to Ali Haider on The Hot Slice Podcast

Ali Haider, owner of 786 Degrees Wood Fired Pizza in Sun Valley and Pasadena, California, is here to bring some inspiration to the podcast this week. Ali is a super positive and passionate chef/owner with an International approach to his menus. This episode is hosted by Creative Director Josh Keown and Executive Editor Denise Greer.

Ali talks:

• Opening a second location in a very different market
• The Survivor Mode to get through the pandemic
• Inspiring the Pizza Tribe
• Growing from a catering start
• Ready for new opportunities
• Pizza as a Canvas of Flavors
• Bringing an International Approach to pizza
• Serving certified Halal food
• Capitalizing on Online Review Sites
• Giving to the Community

Visit 786 Degree at https://786degrees.com/ and on Instagram @786degrees

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]]> https://pizzatoday.com/podcasts/the-hot-slice/s2e6-will-grant-and-his-120-year-old-sourdough-starter/ Thu, 15 Oct 2020 12:55:00 +0000 https://pizzatoday.com/podcasts/s2e6-will-grant-and-his-120-year-old-sourdough-starter/ Listen to Will Grant on The Hot Slice Podcast World Pizza Champion and self-proclaimed “dough nerd” Will Grant joins us on The Hot Slice podcast to talk sourdough. Will is hands on at the 37-year-old family pizzeria That’s a Some Pizza and the newly opened Sourdough Willy’s, in Bainbridge Island, Washington. This episode is hosted […]

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Listen to Will Grant on The Hot Slice Podcast

World Pizza Champion and self-proclaimed “dough nerd” Will Grant joins us on The Hot Slice podcast to talk sourdough. Will is hands on at the 37-year-old family pizzeria That’s a Some Pizza and the newly opened Sourdough Willy’s, in Bainbridge Island, Washington. This episode is hosted by Creative Director Josh Keown and Editor In Chief Jeremy White.

Will talks:

• The pizzeria’s 120-year-old sourdough starter
• Long fermentation process of his pizza dough
• Opening a second pizzeria in an uncertain time
• Adding multiple pizza styles -His vision of the Northwest School of Sourdough
• The hard blow of COVID-19
• Changes to the menu after winning the Caputo Cup
• Going Cashless

Visit That’s A Some Pizza at https://www.thatsasome.com/ and on Instagram @thatsasomepizza

Visit Sourdough Willy’s at https://www.sourdoughwillys.com/ and on Instagram @sourdoughwillyspizzeria

 

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]]> https://pizzatoday.com/podcasts/the-hot-slice/s2e4-lars-smith-on-local-california-focus-at-state-of-mind/ Thu, 01 Oct 2020 13:33:00 +0000 https://pizzatoday.com/podcasts/s2e4-lars-smith-on-local-california-focus-at-state-of-mind/ Listen to Lars Smith on The Hot Slice Podcast Champion pizza maker and pizzeria owner Lars Smith is on The Hot Slice podcast this week. Listen as Lars shares his passion and experience of opening State of Mind Public House and Pizzeria in Los Altos, California. Lars hits on some tips on business planning and […]

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Listen to Lars Smith on The Hot Slice Podcast

Champion pizza maker and pizzeria owner Lars Smith is on The Hot Slice podcast this week. Listen as Lars shares his passion and experience of opening State of Mind Public House and Pizzeria in Los Altos, California. Lars hits on some tips on business planning and pizza competitions. This episode is hosted by Creative Director Josh Keown and Executive Editor Denise Greer.

Lars talks:

• Family Business Dynamic
• Building Out Another Restaurant During the Pandemic
• Work/Life Balance
• Outdoor Dining
• California Seasonal Menu Focus
• Early Career at Pizza My Heart
• Pizza Competitions and Tips
• Rule-breaking Food Philosophy
• Menu Pricing Principles
• Business Planning Tips

Visit State of Mind Public House and Pizzeria at https://www.stateofmindpublichouse.com/

Follow @stateofmindpub on Instagram

 

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]]> https://pizzatoday.com/podcasts/the-hot-slice/s2e3-the-legendary-paul-giannone-on-opening-paulie-gees-in-nyc-being-the-industrys-biggest-pizza-ambassador/ Thu, 24 Sep 2020 12:46:00 +0000 https://pizzatoday.com/podcasts/s2e3-the-legendary-paul-giannone-on-opening-paulie-gees-in-nyc-being-the-industrys-biggest-pizza-ambassador/ Listen to Paulie Gee on The Hot Slice Podcast We are honored to have a pizza icon, Paul Giannone (Paulie Gee), on the show this week. He spent 30 years in the tech industry before opening what has become one of hottest pizzerias in America, Paulie Gee’s in Greenpoint, Brooklyn. He’s grown his business to […]

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Listen to Paulie Gee on The Hot Slice Podcast

We are honored to have a pizza icon, Paul Giannone (Paulie Gee), on the show this week. He spent 30 years in the tech industry before opening what has become one of hottest pizzerias in America, Paulie Gee’s in Greenpoint, Brooklyn. He’s grown his business to include a slice shop and multiple licensed locations. He’s a leader, mentor and enthusiast to our great pizzeria community. This episode is hosted by Editor In Chief Jeremy White and Executive Editor Denise Greer.

Paulie talks:

• Getting out of tech
• Opening his Brooklyn pizzeria
• The dining experience at Paulie Gee’s
• Doing what you love
• His passion for customer interactions
• Inspiring pizza people
• An ambassador for pizzerias

Read more about Paulie Gee’s in Pizza Today: https://pizzatoday.com/departments/features/pizza-today-road-paulie-gees-brooklyn-ny/

Mark October 3-4, 2021 on your calendar to attend Pizza & Pasta Northeast to hear Paulie Gee’s Keynote address. More details at: https://www.pizzaandpastaexpo.com/

Visit Paulie Gee’s at https://pauliegee.com/

@PaulieGee on Instagram

Check out Paulie’s pizza hat collection @pauliegeespizzahatproject on Instagram

Thanks for listening to Paulie Gee on The Hot Slice.

 

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]]> https://pizzatoday.com/podcasts/the-hot-slice/s-2-ep-1-brandon-zane-hunt-via-313-2020-pizzeria-of-the-year-part-1/ Thu, 10 Sep 2020 12:39:00 +0000 https://pizzatoday.com/podcasts/s-2-ep-1-brandon-zane-hunt-via-313-2020-pizzeria-of-the-year-part-1/ Listen to the Hunt Brothers from Via 313 on The Hot Slice Podcast We kick off Season 2 of The Hot Slice with a two-part thought-provoking conversation with owners of our 2020 Pizzeria of the Year Via 313 in Austin, Texas. Brandon and Zane Hunt are pizzeria industry powerhouse operators. This episode is hosted by […]

The post S. 2 Ep. 1. Brandon & Zane Hunt, Via 313 – 2020 Pizzeria of the Year (Part 1) appeared first on Pizza Today.

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Listen to the Hunt Brothers from Via 313 on The Hot Slice Podcast

We kick off Season 2 of The Hot Slice with a two-part thought-provoking conversation with owners of our 2020 Pizzeria of the Year Via 313 in Austin, Texas. Brandon and Zane Hunt are pizzeria industry powerhouse operators. This episode is hosted by Editor In Chief Jeremy White and Executive Editor Denise Greer.

In Part One, Brandon and Zane talk:

• Pizzeria of the Year Award
• Creating Via 313’s Detroit-style Pizza and the Dough
• COVID-19 Response and Impact
• 2021 Predictions
• New Venture in the Hunt Brothers’ Hometown

Read all about Brandon and Zane and Via 313:

https://pizzatoday.com/departments/features/2020-pizzeria-of-the-year-via-313-austin-texas/

Visit Via 313 at https://www.via313.com/

@via313 on Instagram

 

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]]> https://pizzatoday.com/topics/operations/customer-appreciation/ Tue, 01 Sep 2020 04:01:00 +0000 https://pizzatoday.com/departments/customer-appreciation/ Now, more than ever, is time to give thanks I’ve been thinking a lot about pizza consumers lately. Strange, I know. My job requires me to think about pizzeria owners 24/7. We have a Man on the Street,  Scott Wiener, whom we task with keeping the pulse of consumers so that he can translate what […]

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Now, more than ever, is time to give thanks

I’ve been thinking a lot about pizza consumers lately. Strange, I know. My job requires me to think about pizzeria owners 24/7. We have a Man on the Street,  Scott Wiener, whom we task with keeping the pulse of consumers so that he can translate what they want from pizzerias. But ever since this pandemic hit our nation, I’ve seen a big shift with the American consumer.

It started in my own household. Or at least my awareness of it did, I should say.

Not long after restaurants in my home city reopened, my wife asked me to place an order to a locally owned restaurant and instructed me to give the server a large tip. These people are the lifeblood of our community — the restaurant owners, managers, servers, bar staff, etc. So I called a spot we like to frequent. It’s a bar with some killer food, and I knew with no sit-down dining/drinking allowed at that time (this was around early April), it had to be hurting. I knew the bar staff and servers were mostly furloughed, and that those still working to take phone orders and run them curbside to my car probably weren’t getting tipped too well. So I ordered food for my family of four. The bill was around $70. I gave the server a $40 cash tip.

Just a few moments later, as I was driving home, my cell phone rang. It was the server. I could hear the tears in her voice as she thanked me. She said things had been very rough for her and that the tip my family “blessed her with” would go a very long way. It was only $40, but the impact on her situation was nonetheless large.

Just moments later my cell rang again. This time it was the owner. She told me she was very sorry that the server forgot to bring the drinks I had ordered to my car. She informed me they’d bring them to my house right away if I’d give them the address.

I live 15 minutes from the restaurant, and it was raining. I knew they forgot my drinks and didn’t care. I didn’t want her running them back out to me in the rain the first time, and I certainly wasn’t going to have her drive 30 minutes round-trip and miss more tips from other callers just to bring me beverages.

As my family talked about the phone calls I had received on the way home, it dawned on me that the pandemic had helped make me, personally, a more empathetic customer. Pre-COVID I would have been upset at the restaurant’s carelessness. I would have wondered, possibly aloud, how it was so difficult to double-check an order before taking it to the customer.

It wasn’t long before I was noticing small acts of kindness everywhere I looked. Friends and
co-workers were telling me stories of supporting this business or that restaurant because they knew things were tough and did not want to see these small businesses go under. The community, at least the one I live in, rallied to support its own. That was immensely refreshing.

Then the stories from pizzeria owners started pouring in. Yes, many were devastated by the effects of COVID-19 and the requisite down time. Yes, many closed up shop permanently. But, having said that, for every message we received along those lines, we received several more saying the opposite. The number of pizzeria owners telling us sales were actually up were eye-opening. How could this be?

We all knew pizza was ideally suited to carryout and delivery. So while other restaurant segments struggled to figure out how to survive without dine-in, the pizza industry already was accustomed to generating a large portion of its business from takeout or delivery. The pizza industry already had a product that travels well, already had packaging figured out, already had procedures figured out.

But, still. This was a new animal that was drastically changing the game in an instant. How did pizzerias fare so well?

I believe it’s partly because pizza people are “people people.” You understand hospitality. You know how to tell a good story about your product. You cultivate a family atmosphere. You’re collegial. You’re genuine. You give to your community. And, as a result, people want to support your business.

Just like my family started being more conscious of who we supported and how we supported them, it turns out the rest of the country’s consumers reacted in much the same way. Your success today is a direct reflection of your community involvement yesterday. I truly believe that.

So, with that said, let’s go back to the phone call I received on my way home that night when my family decided to step out from the fear and order food for the first time in a very long time. That call touched me. Why? Because the gratitude was sincere. They meant it when they said “thank you,” and I felt it. And it made me want to order from them again and again.

It’s quite possible that you’ve been twisting your brain into a thousand different knots lately in an attempt to figure out how to market or what menu items to offer during a pandemic. I get it. That’s important. But … have you paused to simply look your regular customers in the eye and deliver a sincere “thank you” to them? It might go much further than you think.

Jeremy White  is Editor-in-Chief at Pizza Today.

The post Customer Appreciation appeared first on Pizza Today.

]]> https://pizzatoday.com/podcasts/the-hot-slice/11-glenn-cybulski-pizza-biz-lessons-learned-and-an-introduction-to-culinary-cannabis/ Thu, 13 Aug 2020 12:34:00 +0000 https://pizzatoday.com/podcasts/11-glenn-cybulski-pizza-biz-lessons-learned-and-an-introduction-to-culinary-cannabis/ Listen to Glenn Cybulski on The Hot Slice Podcast Join us for a riveting conversation with award-winning chef, consultant and School of Pizzeria Management Instructor Glenn Cybulski. We’re diving into lessons Glenn has learned to help pizzeria operators. He also shares insights into his newest project in culinary cannabis products. This episode is hosted by […]

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Listen to Glenn Cybulski on The Hot Slice Podcast

Join us for a riveting conversation with award-winning chef, consultant and School of Pizzeria Management Instructor Glenn Cybulski. We’re diving into lessons Glenn has learned to help pizzeria operators. He also shares insights into his newest project in culinary cannabis products. This episode is hosted by Creative Director Josh Keown and Executive Editor Denise Greer.

Glenn talks:

• The numbers game
• Developing effective systems
• A chef’s life
• Taking his sauces into the cannabis world
• Losing a business partner
• Sharing knowledge with the pizzeria industry
• Realities of closing restaurants

Learn more about Glenn at http://www.glenncybulski.com

@glenncybulskiofficial on Instagram

Thanks for listening to Glenn Cybulski on The Hot Slice Podcast.

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]]> https://pizzatoday.com/podcasts/the-hot-slice/10-nick-bogacz-growth-and-survival-in-a-tough-business-environment/ Thu, 06 Aug 2020 12:44:00 +0000 https://pizzatoday.com/podcasts/10-nick-bogacz-growth-and-survival-in-a-tough-business-environment/ Listen to Nick Bogacz on The Hot Slice Podcast On this episode of The Hot Slice, we talk shop with Pittsburgh-based pizzeria owner Nick Bogacz. Listen in as Nick dishes on his business growth, the impact of COVID-19 and how he left an entire room teary-eyed at last year’s Pizza & Pasta Northeast show in […]

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Listen to Nick Bogacz on The Hot Slice Podcast

On this episode of The Hot Slice, we talk shop with Pittsburgh-based pizzeria owner Nick Bogacz. Listen in as Nick dishes on his business growth, the impact of COVID-19 and how he left an entire room teary-eyed at last year’s Pizza & Pasta Northeast show in Atlantic City.

Read Nick’s Column in Pizza Today: Building Blocks

Learn more about Caliente Pizza & Drafthouse at pizzadrafthouse.com/

@caliente_pizza on Instagram

 

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]]> https://pizzatoday.com/topics/industry-news/commentary-congratulations-via-313/ Sat, 01 Aug 2020 04:01:00 +0000 https://pizzatoday.com/departments/commentary-congratulations-via-313/ This year’s Pizzeria of the Year is Texas-based Via 313. Owned and operated by Brandon and Zane Hunt, this Austin establishment has skyrocketed in both stature and sales since the brothers first opened with a pizza trailer in 2011. Nine years, a brick-and-mortar restaurant and $12 million in annual sales later, the Hunt Brothers clearly […]

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Jeremy White
Editor-in-Chief
Pizza Today
jwhite@www.pizzatoday.com

This year’s Pizzeria of the Year is Texas-based Via 313. Owned and operated by Brandon and Zane Hunt, this Austin establishment has skyrocketed in both stature and sales since the brothers first opened with a pizza trailer in 2011.

Nine years, a brick-and-mortar restaurant and $12 million in annual sales later, the Hunt Brothers clearly are onto something. Without question, Via 313 is one of the hottest pizzerias in the country.

The aforementioned brothers have quite a story, and Executive Editor Denise Greer tells it well. Check it out and I’m sure you’ll see why we selected them for the honor.

Elsewhere in the issue you’ll read about ways to keep dough from sticking to the peel, how to monitor and improve ticket times, scratch dressings … all the things that make Pizza Today the magazine you know and trust.

After you finish with the magazine, pop on over to PizzaToday.com to check out our new podcast — The Hot Slice — as well as our new video series, “Checking In With…”

These items are gaining lots of traction, and I’m dying to know what you think after you give the podcast a listen. We’re getting in depth with operators across the country about the issues impacting you today. It’s good entertainment and useful insight that I think you’ll love.

Give a few episodes a listen and send me your feedback at the e-mail listed below my signature!

Best,

Jeremy white
Editor In Chief
jwhite@pizzatoday.com

The post Commentary: Congratulations Via 313 appeared first on Pizza Today.

]]> https://pizzatoday.com/topics/menu-development/menu-revamp-the-big-pivot/ Sat, 01 Aug 2020 04:01:00 +0000 https://pizzatoday.com/departments/menu-revamp-the-big-pivot/ How pizzerias are thriving in strange times When restaurants nationwide began trying to figure out how to sustain business during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, there were more questions than answers. And though it remains overwhelming and there still are so many questions, pizzerias have done a really excellent job of adapting to “the new normal.” […]

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How pizzerias are thriving in strange times

When restaurants nationwide began trying to figure out how to sustain business during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, there were more questions than answers. And though it remains overwhelming and there still are so many questions, pizzerias have done a really excellent job of adapting to “the new normal.” Perhaps it is because the industry is already well suited to handle carryout and delivery on a massive scale. But there just may be more to it.

Let’s start with being in the hospitality industry. I have personally visited probably 1,000+ pizzerias over the years now from coast to coast. And one thing I constantly encounter is this fact: pizzerias get it. You know how to be hospitable. You take care of your customers. You take care of your staff, who in turn perform admirably on behalf of your company.

Then there’s food quality … most of you get high marks there, too. You take pride in letting your ingredients shine. And, yes, you know how to produce a product that travels well. Most styles of pizza withstand the rigors of carryout and delivery (sometimes by a third party) far better than other types of food.

When we’ve spoken to pizzeria owners lately about how they’ve thrived in 2020, one thing that often comes up is this: a streamlined menu.

“We saw it as a must,” Tony Gemignani told us recently while recording an episode of The Hot Slice podcast. “We had to get lean and really think about what we could efficiently pull off in our kitchens and get to the customer who was picking it up or using a delivery option.”

Scott Sandler of Pizza Head in St. Louis did the same thing, but streamlined a bit differently than he thought he would.

“We have sold a lot of slices, historically,” he explains. “People like to come in, get a slice or two and a beer, hang out a minute and move on. But with the quarantine and without all the foot traffic, we’ve gone to whole pies. It just made sense for us as we were handling online or call-in orders vs. people stopping in.”

The result is that Pizza Head’s ticket average and revenue has increased, but Sandler nonetheless was left a bit conflicted.

“Sometimes it does bother me, because slices are how we had built our business,” he says. “But you have to change with the times and this was just a part of that. We wouldn’t survive on online slice orders, I don’t believe, but we are thriving and doing great with whole pie orders. So while slices have been our identity, we’ve had to completely change how we do things to focus on filling orders for whole pizzas.”

There may never have been a better time than now to perform a menu analysis. Go over each and every item on your menu and figure its cost (you should already have that info available) and contribution margin. How does each item play into your menu mix? Look at your historical records pre-COVID. Since the quarantine hit and new procedures took over, how have sales of that item changed. Is it more popular? Selling less? Is the effort to produce it still justified? Does it travel well?

You may inevitably find there are old favorites that need to be paused. You may be shocked to realize an item you previously undervalued is now more important than ever to your menu mix. If you aren’t diligently poring over the numbers, you’re probably missing out on something.

“When we made some changes to Capo’s after re-opening, they were pretty big changes,” Gemignani says. “We completely re-did the menu. A few people were caught off guard. They wanted to know where this dish went or where that item went and why it wasn’t still on the menu. You end up taking off someone’s favorite item and you hate that. But I would explain to them what we did and why we had to make the changes and people understand. They know we are in different times.”  

JEREMY WHITE  is Editor-in-Chief of Pizza Today.

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]]> https://pizzatoday.com/podcasts/the-hot-slice/9-nicole-bean-running-a-family-business-inspiring-women-pizza-makers-owners/ Thu, 30 Jul 2020 12:10:00 +0000 https://pizzatoday.com/podcasts/9-nicole-bean-running-a-family-business-inspiring-women-pizza-makers-owners/ Listen to Nicole Bean on The Hot Slice Podcast Join us for an insightful conversation with Nicole Bean, Pizaro’s Pizza Napoletana, with two locations in Houston, Texas. See what drives this young owner to excel in the pizzeria industry. This episode is hosted by Creative Director Josh Keown and Executive Editor Denise Greer. Nicole talks: […]

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Listen to Nicole Bean on The Hot Slice Podcast

Join us for an insightful conversation with Nicole Bean, Pizaro’s Pizza Napoletana, with two locations in Houston, Texas. See what drives this young owner to excel in the pizzeria industry. This episode is hosted by Creative Director Josh Keown and Executive Editor Denise Greer.

Nicole talks:

• Pizaro’s Origin Story
• Running a Family Business
• Belonging to the Pizza Tribe
• Neapolitan Pizza
• Adding Multiple Pizza Styles
• Educating Pizaro’s Customers
• Mentoring Women in the Pizza Industry
• In-house Delivery/Third-party Dilemma

Read more about Nicole at Pizza Today:

Conversation: Nicole Bean, Pizaro’s Pizza, Houston https://pizzatoday.com/departments/features/conversation-nicole-bean-pizaros-pizza-houston/

Visit Pizaro’s Pizza Napoletana:

https://pizarospizza.com/about/

@pizaros_pizza_napoletana on Instagram

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]]> https://pizzatoday.com/podcasts/the-hot-slice/8-mike-bausch-pizza-operation-insights-retaining-employees-and-straight-talk/ Thu, 23 Jul 2020 12:54:00 +0000 https://pizzatoday.com/podcasts/8-mike-bausch-pizza-operation-insights-retaining-employees-and-straight-talk/ Listen to Mike Bausch on The Hot Slice Podcast Mike Bausch is one of the most sought-after speakers at Pizza Expo. We go one-on-one with Mike on sharing his vast experience with pizzeria operators on this week’s episode of The Hot Slice Podcast. Mike has built an impressive restaurant brand in Tulsa, Oklahoma that includes […]

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Listen to Mike Bausch on The Hot Slice Podcast

Mike Bausch is one of the most sought-after speakers at Pizza Expo. We go one-on-one with Mike on sharing his vast experience with pizzeria operators on this week’s episode of The Hot Slice Podcast. Mike has built an impressive restaurant brand in Tulsa, Oklahoma that includes five brick-and-mortar locations, a fine-dining restaurant, two gelaterias, two food hall spots and a food truck. This episode is hosted by Editor In Chief Jeremy White and Executive Editor Denise Greer.

Mike talks:

• Operating in various municipalities with COVID restrictions
• Straight talk advice for fellow operators
• Educating and sharing industry information
• Most common questions Mike receives from pizza people
• Employee relations and retention
• Hiring strategies
• Handling negative online reviews
• Using downtime to evaluate the business

Check out more advice from Mike in Pizza Today Magazine: https://pizzatoday.com/our-experts/mike-bausch/

Visit Andolini’s at: https://www.andopizza.com/

@andopizza on Instagram (www.instagram.com/andopizza/ )

 

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]]> https://pizzatoday.com/podcasts/the-hot-slice/7-chris-decker-sicilian-pizza-secrets-pizza-creativity-and-adapting-dough/ Thu, 16 Jul 2020 13:09:00 +0000 https://pizzatoday.com/podcasts/7-chris-decker-sicilian-pizza-secrets-pizza-creativity-and-adapting-dough/ Listen to Chris Decker on The Hot Slice Podcast Mr. @everythingbutanchovies himself, Chris Decker, from Metro Pizza in Las Vegas, featured this week on The Hot Slice Podcast. He shares what’s behind his famous Sicilian pizza and his creativity in the kitchen. This episode is hosted by Creative Director Josh Keown and Executive Editor Denise […]

The post 7. Chris Decker: Sicilian Pizza Secrets, Pizza Creativity and Adapting Dough appeared first on Pizza Today.

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Listen to Chris Decker on The Hot Slice Podcast

Mr. @everythingbutanchovies himself, Chris Decker, from Metro Pizza in Las Vegas, featured this week on The Hot Slice Podcast. He shares what’s behind his famous Sicilian pizza and his creativity in the kitchen. This episode is hosted by Creative Director Josh Keown and Executive Editor Denise Greer.

Chris talks:

• Creating a New Pizza
• Pizza Creativity
• The Pizza Evolution
• Perfecting Sicilian Pizza
• Mentee becomes Mentor
• Navigating through the COVID-19 Pandemic
• Adapting Wood-fired Pizza for Carryout & Delivery

Read more about Chris and Metro Pizza:

Chris Decker: New Horizons

Pizza Today on the Road: Metro Pizza, Las Vegas, NV 

 

http://metropizza.com/

@metropizzalv and @everythingbutanchovies on Instagram

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]]> https://pizzatoday.com/podcasts/the-hot-slice/6-rocky-shanower-young-entrepreneur-award-big-picture-planning-small-town-focus/ Thu, 09 Jul 2020 13:20:00 +0000 https://pizzatoday.com/podcasts/6-rocky-shanower-young-entrepreneur-award-big-picture-planning-small-town-focus/ The Hot Slice Podcast features Rocky Shanower Listen to Pizza Today’s 2020 Young Entrepreneur of Year Rocky Shanower of Park Street Pizza in the small village of Sugarcreek, Ohio. Rocky shares how he and Courtney have focused on farming partners, community leadership and making their own path to grow their business. This episode is hosted […]

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The Hot Slice Podcast features Rocky Shanower

Rocky Shanower

Listen to Pizza Today’s 2020 Young Entrepreneur of Year Rocky Shanower of Park Street Pizza in the small village of Sugarcreek, Ohio. Rocky shares how he and Courtney have focused on farming partners, community leadership and making their own path to grow their business. This episode is hosted by Creative Director Josh Keown and Executive Editor Denise Greer.

Rocky talks:

• Young Entrepreneur Award
• Finding His Own Way in Business
• Growing a Pizza Business
• Partnering with Local Farms
• Bahler Street Pizza Truck
• Philosophy of Pie
• Adding a Commissary Hub
• Managing Restaurant Systems
• Building a Strong Team
• Empowering Leaders
• COVID19 Response in a Small Town

Let’s welcome Rocky Shanower on The Hot Slice Podcast.

Read more about Rocky in his own words at: https://pizzatoday.com/departments/features/2020-young-entrepreneur-of-the-year-rocky-shanower-park-street-pizza-sugarcreek-oh/

Visit Park Street Pizza at https://www.parkstreetpizza.com/

@parkstreetpizza on Instagram

 

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]]> https://pizzatoday.com/podcasts/the-hot-slice/5-dough-process-offering-multiple-pizza-styles-becoming-an-owner-with-audrey-kelly/ Thu, 02 Jul 2020 12:50:00 +0000 https://pizzatoday.com/podcasts/5-dough-process-offering-multiple-pizza-styles-becoming-an-owner-with-audrey-kelly/ Listen to Audrey Kelly, Audrey Jane’s Pizza Garage, on The Hot Slice Podcast This week, we go in depth with Audrey Kelly, owner and pizzaiola at Audrey Jane’s Pizza Garage in Boulder, Colorado. She’s an inspiration, making the leap from pizza maker to pizzeria owner. She dives into her dough process, her versions of Sicilian […]

The post 5. Dough Process, Offering Multiple Pizza Styles, Becoming an Owner with Audrey Kelly appeared first on Pizza Today.

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Listen to Audrey Kelly, Audrey Jane’s Pizza Garage, on The Hot Slice Podcast

This week, we go in depth with Audrey Kelly, owner and pizzaiola at Audrey Jane’s Pizza Garage in Boulder, Colorado. She’s an inspiration, making the leap from pizza maker to pizzeria owner. She dives into her dough process, her versions of Sicilian and Grandma pies and more. This episode is hosted by Editor In Chief Jeremy White and Executive Editor Denise Greer.

Audrey talks:

• Neapolitan Beginnings
• Offering Multiple Pizza Styles
• Competing on a World’s Stage
• Transitioning from Pizza Maker to Pizzeria Owner
• Dough-making Process
• Maintaining a Starter
• The Slice Business
• Audrey Jane’s Culture
• Third-party Delivery

 

Check out more on Audrey’s take on Sicilian and Grandma pizza.

Visit Audrey Jane’s Pizza Garage at https://www.thepizzagarage.com/

@audreyjanespizza on Instagram

 

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]]> https://pizzatoday.com/podcasts/the-hot-slice/meet-the-pizza-today-podcast-team-episode-1/ Thu, 04 Jun 2020 12:15:00 +0000 https://pizzatoday.com/podcasts/meet-the-pizza-today-podcast-team-episode-1/ Kicking off Episode One, Editor-In-Chief Jeremy White, Creative Director Josh Keown, Executive Editor Denise Greer and Art Director Katie Wilson talk launching The Hot Slice Podcast and what you can expect to hear. Get to know the award-winning editorial team as they give you a sneak peek at the upcoming season and insights on the […]

The post Meet the Pizza Today Podcast Team: Episode 1 appeared first on Pizza Today.

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Kicking off Episode One, Editor-In-Chief Jeremy White, Creative Director Josh Keown, Executive Editor Denise Greer and Art Director Katie Wilson talk launching The Hot Slice Podcast and what you can expect to hear. Get to know the award-winning editorial team as they give you a sneak peek at the upcoming season and insights on the first guests.

 

 

The post Meet the Pizza Today Podcast Team: Episode 1 appeared first on Pizza Today.

]]> https://pizzatoday.com/podcasts/the-hot-slice/coming-soon-the-hot-slice-podcast/ Wed, 27 May 2020 14:21:00 +0000 https://pizzatoday.com/podcasts/coming-soon-the-hot-slice-podcast/ Listen to Pizza Today’s new podcast trailer Introducing The Hot Slice Podcast. The Hot Slice brings you inspiring stories, strategies and lessons learned from successful pizzeria professionals and top experts. This podcast is hosted by the team at Pizza Today, the premier network for pizzeria professionals. We’re bringing our award-winning interviewing and 37 years as […]

The post COMING SOON: The Hot Slice Podcast appeared first on Pizza Today.

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Listen to Pizza Today’s new podcast trailer

Introducing The Hot Slice Podcast. The Hot Slice brings you inspiring stories, strategies and lessons learned from successful pizzeria professionals and top experts. This podcast is hosted by the team at Pizza Today, the premier network for pizzeria professionals. We’re bringing our award-winning interviewing and 37 years as a trusted pizza restaurant partner to the airwaves with real, in-depth conversations with pizzeria owners, champion pizza makers, industry pros and others to help make your business better.

 

 

 

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The post COMING SOON: The Hot Slice Podcast appeared first on Pizza Today.

]]> https://pizzatoday.com/topics/menu-development/pizza-styles-sicilian-vs-grandma/ Wed, 01 Apr 2020 11:43:00 +0000 https://pizzatoday.com/departments/pizza-styles-sicilian-vs-grandma/ Know the difference between the two square pizzas, Grandma pie and Sicilian Pizza In the first few months that we were open, someone wrote a scathing review on how terrible our deep-dish pizza was. They said, “while the bottom was crispy, it was mostly dough, and seriously lacking cheese and toppings,” along with some other […]

The post Pizza Styles: Sicilian vs. Grandma appeared first on Pizza Today.

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Know the difference between the two square pizzas, Grandma pie and Sicilian Pizza

In the first few months that we were open, someone wrote a scathing review on how terrible our deep-dish pizza was. They said, “while the bottom was crispy, it was mostly dough, and seriously lacking cheese and toppings,” along with some other choice descriptions of the pie. While I now know better than to even read Yelp, as I take every bad review to heart, this was not one of them. I can tell you that we didn’t make deep dish pizza then and we don’t make it now. It is not a style that I am very familiar with, nor will I claim to know very much about. What this person was describing is our Sicilian-style pizza. Yes, Sicilians are also baked in a pan, but structured totally different than Chicago deep dish pies. The whole experience was just my first taste of how important it is to constantly educate your customers on your product.

While, at least in my mind, Chicago deep dish and Sicilian are two very different pies, there are some styles that share similar characteristics and tend to blur the lines. We’re talking Grandmas and Sicilians — two of my absolute favorites. I’ve eaten quite a bit of each and it’s always interesting to see people’s different takes on them. We sell both at my pizzeria and it is interesting to observe how a lot of people strongly prefer one or the other. While they are both a style of pizza that is risen in an oiled pan with a crispy bottom, a lot of the similarities stop there. The obvious differences being the shape of pan used and height of the pie.

My version of a Grandma pie isn’t exactly a typical one. I call it Patty style after my mom, and it is the pizza she made me growing up. It’s a thin pan pie, with cheese spilling over the edges and sesame seeds lining the bottom. We don’t rise or par bake our Grandmas. Something that I believe is not technically correct, but I’ve tried both ways and this is what I prefer. The seeds and extra virgin olive oil create an almost buttery taste, which, combined with the caramelized cheese eludes to pure decadence. The dough rises enough in the oven to create air pockets, while still maintaining a denser crust. Our Sicilians on the other hand are quite the opposite. It is a style that I have worked tirelessly on over the years and finally asked the advice of someone whose Sicilians are legendary. The one and only Chris Decker, chef/partner at Metro Pizza in Las Vegas.

They are risen for hours and then par baked. The bottom should always be crispy, providing a nice crunch to contrast the pillowy, light middle. They are rectangular in shape as opposed to the traditional square shape of a Grandma. All of our pizza is naturally leavened, AKA sourdough. The Sicilian is where you can truly taste the beauty of this method. The long rise and fermentation really accentuates the flavor and strengthens the texture. I think of Sicilians as a cloud that carries a light amount of toppings. Some people might think that since the Sicilian is thicker in structure it can hold up to more toppings. This is a valid point. However, the beauty of this pie is to taste the phenomenal flavor and structure of the dough. As such, I believe whatever it is topped with should highlight and enhance it instead of covering it up.

My favorite is when it is made into an OTP or Original Tomato Pie. Sliced mozzarella on the bottom with sauce, garlic, extra virgin olive oil, Sicilian oregano and grated Parmesan on top. I cannot take credit for this. Everything I learned about OTP’s was from Tony Gemignani. As with most things pizza, he taught me the true beauty and simplicity of this pie. Tony is a pizzaiolo who sticks truly to the origins of a style of pizza. If you eat a pie at any of his places you know that it will not only be one of the best pizzas you ever have, but it will also be technically correct. I, on the other hand, like to have a base knowledge of a style and then veer off in my own interpretation of it. So, to give you a more concrete definition of what exactly the differences and similarities are of Sicilians and Grandma pizzas I thought I would ask a few people I consider to be experts.

Tony said that “the bottom on a Grandma tends to be crispier because more oil is used so it has an almost fried texture.” The perfect description of something I always try to create but never know how to put into words. Giovanni Cesarano, of King Umberto’s, agrees that it should have a crispy bottom, finishing the pie on the deck of the oven to achieve that quality. Cesarano also says that the sauce is an important characteristic of the Grandma, stating that the “traditional style toppings are an uncooked plum tomato sauce with plenty of flavor. You should be able to taste the garlic, and less cheese than a regular pie.” Gemignani also acknowledged this important fact, describing Grandmas as “more sauce centric.” As for Sicilians, Decker says that one of the most important qualities is “proof time.” This is what makes the Sicilian thicker and airier as opposed to the thinner, crunchier Grandma.

As with making any style of pizza, I believe that the fun and beauty in it is creating a product that reflects you and that you are happy with. Some people like their Sicilians with huge air pockets, others prefer them dense. I’ve had Grandmas that are soft and melt in your mouth and others as crunchy as a cracker. If you want to pile on the toppings, well that is up to you. The one characteristic of the two that any pizza maker I know will insist and judge it on is that it better have a good, crispy bottom.

In the wise words of Chris Decker, I leave you with this, “Both pizzas are fantastic when cooked with the most important ingredient of all time, love.”

Audrey Kelly is the owner and pizziola at Audrey Jane’s Pizza Garage in Boulder, CO.

>> Explore Pizza Dough Recipes for Top Trending Pizza Styles including Detroit, New York, Grandma, Sicilian, Chicago Thin and Deep Dish. <<

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]]> https://pizzatoday.com/recipes/pizzas/tonys-trending-recipe-upside-down-pizza/ Wed, 29 Aug 2018 19:58:13 +0000 https://pizzatoday.com/recipes/tonys-trending-recipe-upside-down-pizza/ Get the upside down pizza recipe from Pizza Master Tony Gemignani Restaurateur of over 30 concepts and Pizza Master Tony Gemignani shares how to make an upside down pizza. Based on a Sicilian pan pizza, Tony Gemignani of Tony’s Pizza Napoletana, walks you through how to make an upside down pizza that is topped with […]

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Get the upside down pizza recipe from Pizza Master Tony Gemignani

Restaurateur of over 30 concepts and Pizza Master Tony Gemignani shares how to make an upside down pizza. Based on a Sicilian pan pizza, Tony Gemignani of Tony’s Pizza Napoletana, walks you through how to make an upside down pizza that is topped with mozzarella, tomato sauce, garlic and Romano. Get the process in his own words below:

Atypical style creates instant fanbase

Tony Gemignani

One of my all-time favorite pizzas is an upside-down pizza. An upside-down pizza is a Sicilian pan pizza. Depending on where you are from it could also be called a Sicilian tomato pie with cheese. These Sicilian pizzas resemble a bakery pie as they are cooked in an oiled pan with sliced mozzarella added first and then topped with a robust sauce, olive oil and grated Romano or Parmesan. Other seasonings such as onions, onion powder, basil, garlic and oregano are commonly used. I recently had a delicious upside-down slice at an amazing pizzeria in New York called Suprema. It reminded me that I needed to write a recipe for our readers and here it is. Enjoy!

 

For the Dough Prep:

Print

Tony's Trending Recipe: Upside Down Pizza

Author: Pizza Today

 

Ingredients

• 28- to 36-ounce dough ball, depending on the thickness you prefer
• ¼ cup olive oil

Instructions

1. Let your dough ball sit at room temperature for 1 hour before use.
2. Pour a portion of your oil into a well-seasoned 12- by 18-inch steel pan.
3. Place your dough into the center of the pan and pour the rest of the oil over the top of your pizza.
4. Using the flat part of your fingers on both hands, press down the dough.
5. Stretch your dough to the corners as far as you can and let your dough sit covered with plastic wrap at room temperature for 45 minutes.
6. Once your dough has relaxed, continue the process and lightly press your dough to the corners of your pan. Try not to degrade this second push completely, so be light with your hands on your dough.
7. Let your dough sit for approximately 1½ hours covered with plastic wrap.
8. Carefully take your plastic wrap off and par bake your pizza for 6 to 8 minutes at 500 to 525 F. I prefer a par bake because I feel you have a stronger, crispier pizza.
9. Take your pizza out of the oven.

3.5.3229

 

For the Pizza:

Print

Tony's Trending Recipe: Upside Down Pizza

Author: Pizza Today

Recipe type: pizza

 

Ingredients

• 12 one-ounce slices of whole milk mozzarella or dry mozzarella
• 5 ounces tomato sauce
• EVOO
• Grated Romano
• Dry oregano
• 1 teaspoon chopped garlic (optional)

Instructions

1. Place your mozzarella over your pizza leaving a ¼-inch border.
2. Spoon on your sauce Romano, chopped garlic, olive oil and continue to bake until golden brown, or when the pizza looks finished.
3. Cut into desired slices, finish with oregano and oil and then serve.

3.5.3229

 

 

 

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