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Volume 17 Issue 8 December 2011

16 PEPI’S KEEPS COSTS IN CHECK

A Q&A with one independent on how they’re coping with rising food costs.

22 A SECOND STORE ALTERNATIVE

How a fresh pizza maker in Quebec faced his frozen competitors head on.

24 BRIDGING THE LABOUR GAP Navigating how Canada’s Temporary Foreign Worker program works.

26 AS RESILIENT AS

A RUBBER BAND Learn a great acronym for solving problems without losing your mind.

www.canadianpizzamag.com

DEPARTMENTS 6

editor’s desk

pizza bites

canadian pizza online

the pizza chef

making dough

marketing insights

pizza on fire

ON THE COVER: Rhonda Firmi, daughter of Pepi’s original founders, and her husband, John Guy.

DECEMBER 2011 pizza 3

“Packed from Fresh Tomatoes, Not from Concentrate”...

President Tom Cortopassi (kneeling) and “Coach” Dino Cortopassi (standing) in one of our

Since 1942, our Restaurateur customers’ success has depended on the superior taste of the food they serve and of our products. As a family-owned business, it feels good knowing that so many of our customers have relied on our “Packed From Fresh Tomato” products from generation to generation.

Whether your restaurant has a long family history, or whether you’re the founder, you can depend on our family making the best “Real Italian” tomato products...always Packed From Fresh Tomatoes, Never From Concentrate...generation after generation!

Tom Cortopassi President/Owner

Dino Cortopassi Coach/Owner

Generation after Generation.

tomato fields in Stanislaus County, California

THE

StaniSlauS E

O F

Q U

The “Real Italian” Tomato Company 1202 “D” Street

from the editor’s desk December 2011, Vol. 17, No. 8

Counterfeit food here there is opportunity there is illegality. Such is the conundrum of the human condition that it allows for a flourishing knock-off market. Unfortunately, counterfeit products are far from limited to fake Louis Vuitton purses and imitation Rolexes. These days, you can go so far as to buy a knock-off Porsche or “Fauxrari” from a garage in Bangkok. Or, you can be an unknowing victim of a can of San Marzano tomatoes that are actually remanufactured from Chinese tomato paste. Your extra-virgin olive oil could be mostly made of soybeans. You could be left with nothing but your ego’s special mix of anger and embarrassment that it reserves for when it has been duped, should you ever learn the truth. If food fraud isn’t on your radar, it ought to be. One ought to be spared the nasty spoil of fake taste left in the mouth. In 2010, the Italian news media covered a series of tomato scandals involving fraudulent “Made In Italy” labels, manipulated expiration dates (yuck), fake San Marzano DOP emblems and even labels falsely identifying products as organic. Some of these seizures turned up cans with copies of legitimate DOP registration numbers. Scary stuff. We’re heading into 2012 and I’d bet my bottom dollar the imitation tomato folks are still busy churning out cans of false providence. The demand for inexpensive food certainly isn’t waning. However, the marriage of cheap and high quality should alert even the most benign of skeptics. You get what you pay for (although there is a case to be made that with many luxury brands you are getting the bill for their big-bucks ad campaigns, as there is only so high the price of making a T-shirt could possibly go). Or, you get sold a lie, as with the infamous reports of tilapia being passed off as red snapper at sushi restaurants, a problem well documented here and in the United States.

6 pizza DECEMBER 2011

Food fraud is traditionally defined as adulterating a product for economic gain, lacking the intention of making anyone sick. However, lack of intent does not necessarily mean lack of consequence. Should your olive oil be adulterated in such a way that it is mixed with a nut oil, someone with a nut allergy could get seriously sick. It is sad that we cannot trust the food supply chain absolutely. But it is a fact. In 2007, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) published a report on counterfeit and piracy that noted a shift in counterfeit production from high-value luxury items to more common products. The variety of items being misrepresented was also growing. It is getting more difficult to be sure of our products as the illegal networks grow, fuelled in part by the proliferation of the ubiquitous Internet. We’ll look at this issue in more depth in 2012, along with other developments on the fraud frontier. In the meantime, it’s food for thought as we sign off on another year in pizza. We’ll be announcing our 2012 Chef of the Year and runner-up in mid-December. As well, you can find details on our third annual Pizza with Purpose Award sponsored by Saputo on page 14. We’ll have an online application for that award in 2012 to make participating in our celebration of pizza giving even easier. Best wishes for merriment this holiday season from all of us at Canadian Pizza. We’ll see you in the new year! •

Editor Laura Aiken laiken@annexweb.com 416-522-1595 Assistant Editor Brandi Cowen bcowen@annexweb.com 888-599-2228 ext.278 Publisher Christine Livingstone clivingstone@annexweb.com 519-429-5173 888-599-2228 ext. 239 Sales Assistant Pauline O’Neill poneill@annexweb.com 519-429-5183 888-599-2228 ext. 219 Production Artist Emily Sun Group Publisher Martin McAnulty mmcanulty@annexweb.com President Mike Fredericks mfredericks@annexweb.com Mailing Address P.O. Box 530, 105 Donly Dr. S., Simcoe, ON N3Y 4N5 PUBLICATION MAIL AGREEMENT #40065710 RETURN UNDELIVERABLE CANADIAN ADDRESS TO CIRCULATION DEPARTMENT, P.O. Box 530, Simcoe, ON N3Y 4N5 e-mail: cnowe@annexweb.com Published eight times per year (Jan/Feb, Mar, Apr/May, Jun, Jul/Aug, Sept/Oct, Nov, Dec), by Annex Publishing & Printing Inc. Printed in Canada ISSN 1203-6838 Circulation e-mail: cnowe@annexweb.com Tel: 866-790-6070 ext. 207 Fax: 877-624-1940 Mail: P.O. Box 530, Simcoe, ON N3Y 4N5 Subscription Rates Canada – 1 Year $ 19.26 (includes GST - #867172652RT0001) USA – 1 Year $ 40.00 Occasionally, Canadian Pizza Magazine will mail information on behalf of industry-related groups whose products and services we believe may be of interest to you. If you prefer not to receive this information, please contact our circulation department in any of the four ways listed above.. No part of the editorial content of this publication may be reprinted without the publisher’s written permission. ©2011 Annex Publishing and Printing Inc. All rights reserved. Opinions expressed in this magazine are not necessarily those of the editor or the publisher. No liability is assumed for errors or omissions. All advertising is subject to the publisher’s approval. Such approval does not imply any endorsement of the products or services advertised. Publisher reserves the right to refuse advertising that does not meet the standards of the publication. www.canadianpizzamag.com

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CRFA rallying consumers against rising dairy prices C

anadians believe they’re getting milked when it comes to the high cost of dairy in this country, with 73 per cent surveyed saying that the cost of this staple food is increasing. Nearly two-thirds of Canadians (58 per cent) would support a reduction in the price of milk, cheese and other dairy products, and 70 per cent agree keeping the cost of milk and dairy products down is important, according to a survey by Innovative Research Group, commissioned by the Canadian Restaurant and Foodservices Association (CRFA). Despite the fact that milk remains a nutritious option for families, Statistics Canada reports that Canadians are consuming 18 per cent less milk than they did 20 years ago. And according to the survey, 62 per cent of Canadians agree that having a system that charges higher prices than necessary for a basic healthy food such as milk isn’t fair.

8 pizza DECEMBER 2011

Under Canada’s complex dairy system, milk is priced differently depending on its end use. Since 1994, the price of milk used to make cheese and yogurt has climbed by 58.5 per cent, while the consumer price index has risen by only 34.2 per cent. Based on figures from the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), today Canadians pay roughly double the world average for milk and 63 per cent more than Americans. As a result, Canada’s dairy supply management system is costing Canadians approximately $2.4 billion every year. The CRFA launched www.FreeYourMilk.ca, a website aimed at giving Canadians a space to voice their concerns about the cost of dairy. Consumers can learn more about the issue and sign a petition asking the government to re-examine the 40-yearold policies that govern how milk is priced in Canada. Consumers can “like” the Free Your

Milk campaign on Facebook or tweet the #FreeYourMilk hashtag to join the conversation. Other key findings from the survey include: • Just 19 per cent of those surveyed were satisfied with the government’s performance on keeping the cost of living down. • Respondents in Quebec (46 per cent) and the Prairies (41 per cent) were most concerned with keeping the price of milk products down, citing it as “very important.” • Respondents from the lowerincome brackets were more likely to be concerned about the cost of milk and other dairy products. The online survey was done by Innovative Research Group through its Canada 20/20 research panel among a sample of 1,316 Canadians, 18 years of age or older.

pizzabites

Pizza Pizza menu items earn Health Check izza Pizza joins the Heart and Stroke Foundation’s Health Check program with five menu items, including new pizzas and salad, that meet the nutritional criteria of the program. Pizza Pizza is among the first national quick service restaurant chains to join the Health Check program, reports the company in a news release. The Heart and Stroke Foundation developed the Health Check program to help Canadians identify food products and menu items that meet nutritional criteria based on Canada’s Food Guide. The Foundation’s registered dietitians evaluate each product and menu item to determine eligibility for a Health Check symbol, based on a two-slice serving of pizza.

Pizza Pizza has worked to ensure that its Health Check menu items meet the strict requirements for nutrients including sodium, fat, sugar, protein and fibre, as well as portion size. Pizza Pizza’s Health Check menu items now include: • Chicken rustica on whole wheat multigrain dough, topped with chicken, roasted red peppers, grilled zucchini and red onion. • Grilled veggie and goat cheese pizza on whole wheat multigrain dough, with classic tomato sauce, grilled zucchini, fire roasted red peppers, red onion, goat cheese and mozzarella cheese. • Trio pommodoro pizza on whole

wheat multigrain dough, topped with Roma tomatoes, sun-dried tomatoes, roasted garlic, bruschetta sauce, parmesan and mozzarella cheese. • Garden veggie pizza on classic or whole wheat multigrain dough, topped with Roma tomatoes, fresh mushrooms, green peppers, classic tomato sauce and mozzarella cheese. • Garden salad featuring leafy greens and raspberry vinaigrette dressing. Health Check menu items are the newest addition to a line-up of healthconscious initiatives introduced by Pizza Pizza over the past few years, including gluten-free dough, whole wheat multigrain dough and removing industrially added trans fats from the entire menu.

Topper’s Pizza debuts new look in southern Ontario

InterVin 2011’s top-scoring wines record 47 wines struck gold at the 2011 InterVin International Wine Awards, an intensive three-day blind tasting competition at White Oaks Resort & Spa in Niagara-onthe-Lake, Ont. Distinguished sommeliers, wine writers and winemakers selected the top-scoring wines from a pool of nearly 1,100 wines from 15 countries. Judges included internationally acclaimed sommeliers Lindsay Groves and Zoltan Szabo, respected wine writers Linda Bramble and Daenna Van Mulligen and celebrated winemakers Darryl Brooker and Craig McDonald. “The gold medalists from the 2011 InterVin International Wine Awards share little in common. They are the product of six different countries, produced by wineries of varying size and represent a wide

array of styles and expressions,” explained Christopher Waters, editor of VINES Magazine and head judge of the InterVin International Wine Awards. ” The panel saved their highest scores for Castello di Gabbiano 2007 Chianti Classico Riserva (best red), Inniskillin Wines 2008 Riesling Icewine (best sweet wine) and Thirty Bench Wine Makers 2010 Small Lot Gewürztraminer (best white). That triumphant trio leads a list of 580 award winners, which include 47 gold, 123 silver and 410 bronze medallists. In addition, 33 top-scoring wines that retail for less than $15 also received a Judges’ Choice for Value citation. Mission Hill Family Estate of B.C. took top honours as winery of the year. For a complete list of winners, visit www.intervin.ca.

The Toppazzini family continues its tradition of delicious pizza with the grand opening of a second Topper’s Pizza store in Hamilton, Ont. The new store, which opened in October, is the first in southern Ontario to sport the Topper’s brand redesigned store interior. The new design is inspired by the legacy of the original Toppazzini Bakery near Sudbury, Ont., where the company got its start in 1904, delivering freshly baked bread to local residents each morning. “We’re returning to our roots with our new look,” said Keith Toppazzini, president of Topper’s Franchise Company Inc., owner of the Topper’s Pizza brand. “The design of our newest southern Ontario location is intended to reflect the warmth of a family-run business and emphasizes our commitment to delivering delicious food to the communities we serve, a tradition my great grandfather started more than 100 years ago.”

DECEMBER 2011 pizza 9

pizzabites

A Papa John’s sponsoring NFL in Canada apa John’s is the official pizza sponsor of the National Football League (NFL) in Canada. The multi-year deal, announced in October, expands Papa John’s official sponsorship of the NFL and the Super Bowl beyond the borders of the United States. In 2010, Papa John’s signed an agreement to be the official pizza sponsor of the NFL through the 2012 season, and of Super Bowls XLV, XLVI and XLVII. The official sponsorship with the NFL in Canada is effective immediately and includes providing Papa John’s category exclusivity and rights to use NFL and club logos and trademarks in marketing and advertising. Papa John’s currently franchises 53 restaurants throughout Canada.

READ THESE STORIES AND MORE AT WWW.CANADIANPIZZAMAG.COM

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS •

ONLINE HIJACKING HEATS UP OTTAWA PIZZA WAR

•

FOOD TRUCKS RIDE COOL FACTOR

•

PIZZA IN A CONE ARRIVES IN TORONTO

•

ARE DEAL SITES INFLATING PRICES TO MAKE DEALS LOOK BETTER?

•

CANADIANS DIGGING INTO ETHNIC CUISINE

READ THESE STORIES AND MORE AT WWW.CANADIANPIZZAMAG.COM

10 pizza DECEMBER 2011

NEW PRODUCT Chef Josh Henderson’s Skillet Street Food Bacon Jam, a condiment made with bacon, onions, balsamic vinegar and brown sugar, is now available in Canada. DIGITAL MAGAZINE Visit www.canadianpizzamag.com to sign up for your free trial of Canadian Pizza magazine – the digital version.

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the pizza chef

Summit on the Hill Diana Coutu he CRFA organized our first National Restaurant Industry Summit on Parliament Hill on Oct. 18. Fifty delegates representing top independent and chain restaurants from across Canada flew to Ottawa to meet with MPs and let them know how important our industry really is to Canada. Food and agriculture policy received a great deal of attention from politicians of all stripes during the recent federal election. Although the economic and employment contributions of restaurants exceed those of agriculture and all supplier groups, the restaurant industry is treated as secondary in food policy discussions. Similarly, although over 50 per cent of the jobs in the tourism industry exist in restaurants, which is by far the largest chunk of the tourism job pie, the restaurant industry is an afterthought in Canada’s tourism strategy. Canada’s restaurant and foodservice industry is one of the largest industries in the Canadian economy, with annual sales of $63 billion. More than one million Canadians are proudly employed by the restaurant industry, making it one of the largest private-sector employers. The industry’s workforce represents 6.4 per cent of the country’s employment, more people than agriculture, forestry, automotive manufacturing, mining and oil and gas extraction combined. An additional 210,000 Canadians are indirectly employed by the industry as suppliers, distributors and consultants. The industry is more than a huge contributor to the Canadian economy and a major job creator. It is at the heart of what Canada is about: food, youth, multiculturalism, agriculture, health and community. Our group of 50 delegates broke into smaller groups and met with several MPs throughout the day. We discussed some of the challenges we are facing on labour

12 pizza DECEMBER 2011

shortage, supply management, payroll I’m sure many of you owner/operators taxes, credit card fees on sales taxes and feel that talking to your member of Parliathe disparity between taxes applied on ment is a lost cause, but it may surprise you food at restaurants and those applied on to find that not all MPs will turn a deaf ear. food at grocery stores. I participated in I know you’re all very busy with the daytwo meetings and felt that we were far to-day operations of your pizzerias, but better received at the first meeting than you should be aware of how important our at the second. Minister Steven Fletcher industry is to Canada’s economy. And you was a gracious host as he listened to our should be reminding your MPs and memconcerns and even gave us suggestions bers of your provincial government about to further our cause. During the second this fact. I urge you to find a moment to meeting, however, a different minister was write a quick note or e-mail to your lodismissive and even downcal MP and/or member of right rude at one point, provincial government, inThe industry interrupting me mid-sentroducing yourselves and tence and stating that I was telling them a little about is more than whining about the twoyour restaurant. The best a huge contiered cheese price policy suggestion I can give is to where frozen pizza manukeep it short and simple. If tributor to facturers are given access to you want to bring up a chalthe Canadian dairy cheese at 30 per cent lenge, focus on one at a time. lower cost than what fresh Members of Parliament, like economy and pizza makers pay. Another us, are very busy individuals a major job independent restaurant and don’t have time to read owner at this meeting stata 12-page memo or letter. creator. ed that it was difficult not Break it down into two to to feel slighted when the three sentences to describe Ontario government handyour challenge, then two to ed a $7-million grant to a German frozen three sentences to present a solution. Finalpizza manufacturer because it was going ly, it never hurts to invite your MP to dine to create 150 new jobs and source local at your establishment. These are the people product, whereas this fellow already em- who influence and change policies, and ploys 300 people and has been sourcing staying in touch is the best way to make local ingredients for years. He brought up sure they remember us and recognize the the fact that all of his meals are taxed and importance of our industry. • remitted to the government, whereas the frozen pizza industry is exempt from taxes Diana Coutu is a two-time Canadian Pizza magazine of the year champion, internationally recognized on food and therefore do not contribute chef gourmet pizzaiolo, co-owner of Diana’s Gourmet Pizzeria on the same scale as we do. in Winnipeg, Man., and a board of director for the CRFA. In At the end of the day when our large addition to creating award-winning recipes, Diana is also a consultant to other pizzeria owner/operators in menu group gathered again to debrief each other development, creating systems to run a pizzeria on autopilot, on our day, what we heard again and again along with marketing and positioning to help operators grow business effectively and strategically. She is available was how each MP needs to hear from us their for consulting on a limited basis, for more information more than once a year. contact her at Diana@dianasgourmetpizzeria.ca.

sponsored by

NOMINATE your

THE 3RD ANNUAL PIZZA WITH PURPOSE AWARD How are you making a difference in your world? Nominate your pizzeria for the Pizza with Purpose Award sponsored by Saputo Foodservice and share the spirit of generosity with Canada’s pizza industry. We want to hear about your fundraising, sponsorship, participation in community events and creative contributions. Activities can be local or national in scope. The winner won’t be determined just on an amount of money raised, but on all the ways, big and small, that your pizzeria is touching lives. 2011 Winner

The contest is easy. Simply send us your contact Joe Leroux information as a nomination, then start keeping track of your charitable activities. Everything you do from Dec. 1, 2011 to Nov. 1, 2012 counts. Submit your notes telling us what you’ve been up to by Nov. 15, 2012. Your entry will be evaluated by a panel of industry experts. Saputo will award $2,500 to the winning pizzeria, which will also be featured on the cover of the January/February 2013 edition of Canadian Pizza magazine.

PizzaSEPOCT2011. indd 1

11-08-30 11:24 AM

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NEW! Look for our Pizza with Purpose award online application in 2012! Submit this form to Canadian Pizza magazine Pizza with Purpose Award MAIL Annex Business Media PO Box 530, 105 Donly Dr. South, Simcoe, Ontario, N3Y 4N5 FAX 1-888-404-1129 E-MAIL laiken@annexweb.com

The Pizza with Purpose award sponsored by

feature

Pepi’s keeps costs in check BY BRANDI COWEN

epi’s Pizza has been serving up slices since 1962. Founded by the Firmi family, the original restaurant is still located at 87 Water St. N. in Kitchener, Ont. Two other locations in the city opened in 1965 – one on Courtland Ave. E. and the other on King St. E., which moved a few blocks down the street to a larger space about four years back. In the early days, a Friday special offered hungry customers all the pizza they could eat for just one dollar. Times have certainly changed. Statistics Canada reports the Consumer Price Index for food increased 3.2 per cent between September 2010 and September 2011, the most recent data set available. In that time, vegetables and vegetable preparations have posted a 9.6 per cent price jump, while meat prices have climbed 5.2 per cent, fats and oils have jumped 5.5 per cent, and condiments, spices and vinegars have gone up five per cent. Rhonda Firmi, daughter of Pepi’s original founders, and her husband, John Guy, took over the restaurants about 10 years ago. Despite facing higher costs for key ingredients, they have continued the Pepi’s tradition of working with scratch dough and smothering each pie with sauce made from the original Firmi family recipe. Serving up “the best dressed pizza in town” has helped the Pepi’s brand nab numerous awards, including the 2010 Waterloo Region Record Readers’ Select Award for favourite pizza. Pepi’s was also named to local arts and entertainment tabloid

16 pizza DECEMBER 2011

Echo Weekly’s Best of Food 2010 list, taking gold in the independent pizza and sub categories, and silver in the “best after bar eats” category. There’s a delicate balance to delivering the quality people have come to expect and a price point that turns a profit without turning customers off. Canadian Pizza sat down with Guy to learn how this second-generation family business is coping with rising food costs. What impact have food prices had on business this year? We have definitely seen higher food costs this year and in turn we are running our business a lot tighter where possible. We’ve tried to partner up with a few suppliers rather than a bunch of little ones to get some volume discounts. In other cases we have had to go to two suppliers so that we can purchase more from the one who is offering the better price. We don’t want to change our major items – cheese, smoked bacon or our sauce components – but we do have to continually make sure we are getting the best price. We buy our bacon from local suppliers and have seen costs rise as much as 40 per cent over the last couple years. Since we use 1,000 pounds of bacon each week, it has a big impact overall. Cheese costs generally rise a few percentage points each and every year. It’s tough to absorb. We’ve tried to trim costs in other places, such as our marketing budget. We have had to minimize our spending in phone directories and tried to switch to less expensive Internet advertising.

Have you had to increase your prices? We have been able to negotiate some savings on some lower volume SKUs, which has helped. Our higher volumes have allowed us to spread the fixed costs and utilize our employees more effectively for savings. Do you have a formula that you use to calculate when it’s time to raise prices? We look at our financial statements monthly. Our food costs are always high – that’s just the way that we make our pizza. We make all of our crusts from scratch. We buy the best cheese, the best bacon, the best sauces. We know our food costs are going to be high, but we still have to keep an eye on it. We don’t want to cut back how much we put on the pizza either. Our sales have been going up, so that helps. We aim for about a five to 10 per cent slow increase every year and we’ve been hitting that. Raw material food costs are somewhere over 40 per cent for our business, which is high for the industry. We watch that and we try to keep it under that. Some of that is just constantly working on our different suppliers. If one thing goes up, hopefully we’re working on something else to get it down. Once that percentage of food costs goes up too high, it does force us to make a change. We’re getting close to that figure. Our main special is two large threetopping pizzas for $28.99. You just don’t want to hit that $30 barrier. We had to break it a few years ago with tax. That was a big decision when we had to break that price point, and for our customers too. Now they’re used to it, but once they get used to it, you don’t want to change it every year because then they think that all you do is raise your prices up all the time. Thinking back over the past couple of years, what has been the most effective strategy to keep your food costs down? I think being fair with our suppliers and trying to keep regular volumes. We try to drive our volumes higher to get the discounts. We try to pay fast so there’s never an issue where they’re worried about getting their money. Try to be fair with them. If it’s cheaper for them to do deliveries

once a week rather than twice, then we try to do that. We built new walk-in coolers to accommodate the shipments from our suppliers. Hopefully they’re not pressured to raise our prices because we’re trying to be fair with them. Do you get everything dropped off at one restaurant and then distribute it yourself? Sometimes we don’t have a big enough order for one store, so we allow the company just to drop it off here. Hopefully that helps with our pricing from the suppliers. We’re also using some of the wholesalers – Costco or Loblaws – and buying from there where it makes sense. We’re going to those wholesalers twice a week to keep our costs down. Has the change in food prices had any impact on your sales? I think our customers realize why. They put up some pressure right after we raise prices, but then they go to the grocery store. They realize that the prices of most things are higher now. Once they see it when they go shopping and then come here, they get it. Do you offer discounts or specials after a price increase to keep people coming in? We do some couponing to help with that. We put some coupons on the web, we’re in some of the books, and there are coupons in our Yellow Pages. That helps. We do volume discounts for some of the larger companies, but some of them are feeling the pinch as well. If you could give one piece of advice to other pizzerias that are trying to manage their costs, what would it be? I think it’s to be fair with your suppliers and to work with them to keep their costs down so that they don’t have to pass on big increases to you. I think that’s what’s helped us. If we can give a supplier more items, it helps them with their total costs – it helps them with their freight costs and the number of times they go out with their trucks. • Editor’s note: This interview was edited and condensed.

DECEMBER 2011 pizza 17

making dough with Diane

Diane Chiasson t’s that time of year again: New Years and all those pesky resolutions. However, they are a great way to cement your commitment to making more money. Here are eight ways to get your year off to a great start.

1. BUILD A MARKETING PLAN Sit down with your team and put together a solid and viable marketing plan that you can both afford, and have the time, to execute. Be reasonable with your ideas. You should be able to do everything you want, with success, and stay within your budget. 2. CREATE A SIX-MONTH EVENTS CALENDAR Your marketing plan should include at least one monthly event to mark an important holiday such as Valentine’s Day, St. Patrick’s Day, Easter, Mother’s Day and Father’s Day. If you want to do something out of the ordinary, go online and check out some more unusual holidays that your pizzeria can celebrate. For example, did you know that Feb. 9 is International Pizza Day? You could come up with several fun and creative promotional ideas for this day. 3. REACH OUT TO YOUR EXISTING CUSTOMERS Now that you have a plan and half a year’s worth of events to promote, you need to reach out to your existing customers. Bolstering your existing database or creating a new database must be a top priority for the New Year. Collect your customers’ email addresses and other info any way you can to maintain contact with them, with their permission of course. By having the ability to send your customers timely messages, news and offers, you can build a closer bond, and get them to come back over and over again.

18 pizza DECEMBER 2011

8 New Year’s resolutions 4. GIVE YOUR WEBSITE SOME TLC Your website is now one of your most important marketing tools for reaching out to new customers. Over 90 per cent of people research online to find information about where they will eat or shop, basing their decision simply on a visit to your website. Your website should attract customers with up-to-date and well-taken photos of your food, a menu, coupons, delivery offers and a price list, as well as contact information, hours and directions, daily, weekly or monthly specials, events and promotions.

said about your operation, and respond quickly to negative reviews or criticisms. Consider online reviews a free comment card service, and make the changes to keep your customers happy.

7. CREATE A FACEBOOK FAN PAGE Regardless of your personal feelings toward Facebook, it is a phenomenon that’s here to stay. Businesses should start embracing the tools it offers to help you expand your customer base. Creating a presence on Facebook makes it easier for people to recomConsider online mend your pizza place. It is also a quick and simple reviews a platform where you can enfree comment gage with your customers.

5. IMPROVE SEO RANKINGS Making your website easy to find in Google and other card service, search engines should be a 8. REGISTER ON and make the major part of your operaFOURSQUARE AND tion’s marketing strategy. GOOGLE PLACES changes to Review your keywords, The growth of mobile markeep customers keting will continue this page titles and meta descriptions, and increase year, and play an even happy. your reciprocal links to more important role in how your website. The more ofpeople find you. Using loten you update your webcation-based services such site, the higher you move as FourSquare and Google up in the rankings. Your SEO ranking Places will literally and figuratively put could help bring in a lot of extra business, your pizza operation on the map. Paired so it may even be worthwhile to hire an with good online reviews, these online SEO consultant if you don’t have the time services could bring you a lot of extra or the technological know-how to do it business. yourself. These tips will help you get your business off to a great start in 2012.• 6. STAY ON TOP OF ONLINE REVIEWS A scathing review could tarnish your Diane Chiasson, FCSI, president of Chiasson Consultants has been helping restaurant, foodservice, hospitality reputation for good, so make sure you Inc., and retail operators increase sales for over 25 years. Her stay on top of what the public is saying company provides innovative and revenue-increasing foodabout your pizza place online. More and service and retail merchandising programs, interior design, menu engineering, marketing and promotional more people are basing their decisions branding, campaigns, and much more. Contact her at 416-926-1338, about where to shop on online reviews, toll-free at 1-888-926-6655 or chiasson@chiassonconsulso it’s important to monitor what is being tants.com, or visit www.chiassonconsultants.com.

marketing insights

Super Bowl game plan Michelle Brisebois uick – what are the top five selling days for pizza? Halloween, the day before Thanksgiving (U.S.), New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day clock in at positions five through two but the grand daddy of them all remains Super Bowl Sunday, reports U.S.-based Pizza Today magazine. Pizza’s kinship with Super Bowl parties is easy to comprehend. Pizza is a party food that’s easy to share, inexpensive and popular with most people. On average, pizzerias will see a boost in sales of about 35 per cent when the NFC and AFC go head to head in 2012. The magic date for this battle is Feb. 5 at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indiana. This will be the first Super Bowl to be played in Indianapolis. With this date being such a fantastic opportunity for pizza sales, let’s have our own pre-game huddle to prepare to win our fair share of the revenue.

THE BUDGET Canadians love Super Bowl. In fact, in 2010, six million Canadians tuned in to watch America’s football pinnacle while only five million tuned in to watch the Grey Cup, reported CBC. According to NFL Canada, more than 100,000 Canadians attend NFL games in the border cities of Buffalo, Detroit, Minnesota and Seattle, and some 700,000 more watch on television every week. If you were a retailer, this would be your Christmas. If you were a florist, this would be your Mother’s Day. Make sure you devote some effort to developing and advertising special offers for Super Bowl Sunday. Of your yearly marketing spend; about 15 to 25 per cent should be earmarked for a Super Bowl promotion. Advertising Age reported that 69.5 per cent of watchers buy food and beverage for the game, so the opportunity

for our industry to make that food choice pizza is significant. THE OFFER The average Super Bowl party will include 18 people so make sure you have a bundled offer that will feed a crowd this size. Perhaps a signature football-shaped pizza will be a draw? You can shape the dough to the right form and use strips of cheese to make the laces in the ball. Wings, chips and soft drinks are also very popular additions to the menu, so bundling a variety of these items would be a big hit. Consider a special price for people who order a few days ahead of time. This will alleviate pressure on the big day and help you plan your strategy for delivery. Start your advertising mid-January to ensure you’re top of mind while people are planning their parties. Buy some space in the sports section of

Last year, six million Canadians tuned in to the Super Bowl.

20 pizza DECEMBER 2011

your local paper and consider a direct mail piece (football shaped, of course) to drop into mailboxes mid-January. You will also want to leverage any social media tools you have at your disposal, such as Twitter and Facebook, to promote your offer. THE LEGALITIES You must be careful with your advertising. The Super Bowl is the most profitable sporting event in the U.S., so all trademarks are defended fiercely. The terms and images that you may NOT use in your advertising include: Super Bowl, Super Sunday, the Super Bowl logo, NFL, AFC or NFC, The National Football League, American Football Conference, or National Football Conference. You may not use the name of any team or its nickname. You may, however, use the following terms without permission: The Big Game or The Professional Football Championship Game. You may also promote the date of the game and the names of the two competing cities, as long as the team names are not mentioned. Also, you may not make any statement mocking the fact that the NFL doesn’t allow the media to use any of the forbidden terms mentioned above. If you want to learn more about the legalities of the event, visit NFL Super Bowl Trademark Regulations eHow.com at http://www.ehow. com/list_6647869_nfl-super-bowl-trademark-regulations. html#ixzz1beQL5aDC.

YOUR TEAM Make sure you have boots on the ground to fill the orders. Many operators double their delivery team to ensure those pies arrive quickly. Once halftime arrives, you’ll notice the phones get much quieter, so make sure you front load your labour for earlier in the day to get everything to your customers pronto. Why not create some buzz by outfitting your team with jerseys to promote your business? Your delivery people will make quite a splash if they show up at a customer’s door in a jersey that sports your business name and a big #1 (heck, why not?). In fact, have your whole team decked out as well. The walk-in clientele will love it and the word of mouth will be invaluable. You can use the jerseys every Sunday to celebrate weekly football games, so it won’t be a one-day expense. The relationship between the playing of the Super Bowl and the consumption of pizza is undoubtedly a strong one for most consumers. An anthropologist would have a field day analyzing it. Maybe it’s a passion for the game or a need for a midwinter party that fuels our desire to gather together around a big screen TV on a snowy February Sunday? Whatever the reason, you’ve got to love any event that gives us the phrase “wardrobe malfunction.” • Michelle Brisebois is a marketing professional with experience in the food, pharmaceutical, financial services and wine industries. She specializes in retail brand strategies.

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DECEMBER 2011 pizza 21

feature

Alexandre Brunet made sure his pizzeria was running like clockwork before delving into the frozen market.

A second store alternative Fresh pizza maker Alexandre Brunet blazed a new path with an expansion that faced his frozen competitors head on BY MARTINE FRIGON

lexandre Brunet got his first summer job at age 14 as dishwasher in a pizza restaurant north of Montreal. However, scrubbing dishes wasn’t quite what captivated the future entrepreneur. “As soon as I finished my job, I stayed with the cook and watched how he made pizzas,” says Brunet. Young Brunet soon became a pizza maker in the restaurant, a job that he kept for the next eight years. During that time he did his schooling and went to college for mechanical engineering.

22 pizza DECEMBER 2011

“Having been raised into an upper middle-class family in which my father was a lawyer and my mother a teacher, it was quite normal to me to embrace a liberal professional career, “ he says. However, his passion for the pizza making and restaurant industry stuck around. In 1996, at age 22, he made a huge decision that has changed his life. Brunet quit college and opened his own Montreal restaurant specializing in pizza, Le Stromboli. In 2004, Brunet was ripe for change and decided that it was time to expand.

“Since the restaurant ran easily, I had to choose between two options: starting a second restaurant or a food processing business specialized in frozen pizzas, this last alternative offering a huge potential.” With three other partners, his father among them, Brunet launched Aliments Cinq Sens. “We didn’t want to make the same pizza as the main food processors; we wanted to propose a pizza made with local products, and also with the same kind of dough used in restaurants.” Brunet proposed the first organic frozen

Above: Alexandre Brunet’s frozen pizza line. Left: The pizza maker’s book.

pizza in the province of Quebec, the Stromboli Pieux et raclette, made with bio pork sausage from a farmer located in Charlevoix and certified Ecocert, meaning that all of the ingredients come from organic agriculture. At present, five varieties are organic among the 13 frozen pizzas in his line. Today, with 12 other varieties made with local products, these pizzas are distributed to the major supermarkets in the province, proposing an unconventional option to main food producers in the field such as Dr. Oetker, Kraft and McCain. Being in competition with the big players like McCain meant is was not child’s play to get into the supermarkets. Brunet certainly had his work cut out for him, but the frozen pizza market has legs. An ACNielson Frozen Food Study done in 2001 showed that the most frequently purchased frozen food in that year was pizza. “We focused on the difference…the dough is left to rise for 36 to 48 hours before being stretched and the sauce is thickened with Parmesan cheese. I could say that our competitor is Dr. Oetker. This is pretty much the same kind of process but since that is imported, I think it could be great to promote local product harvested here instead.” Distributed by the broker Clark Drouin Lefebvre, Aliments Cinq Sens’ products are available in IGA, Loblaws, Provigo, Intermarché and Metro in Quebec, and also in several delicatessens and stores specialized in organic food. “We deliver about 20,000 pizzas per week,” says Brunet. In a 10,000–square-foot factory located on the fifth floor of an industrial building in the south downtown area of Montreal, about 30 workers prepare the frozen pizzas, from the dough to the final process. This has been possible with the help of the Business Development Bank of Canada, which financed an investment of $400,000.

“We are planning to build a new plant of 20,000 square feet in a landscape of 80,000 square feet, an investment between $4 and $6 million. We are expecting that this facility will be ready to run in August 2012.” This pizza lover is also multi-talented, completing a book last spring called Les mains dans la pâte, an idea that came to mind when he organized a party pizza for the birthday of one of his sons. The book proposes recipes using ingredients you can find in your fridge. “ I wanted to share my recipes with the public and especially let them know that everything is possible when making pizza! Just leave your imagination free!” And how about Brunet’s private life? The interminable hours haven’t disheartened him over the years. “The restaurant Stromboli is open 363 days a year and, when you add to that the frozen pizza plant, I am always busy!” Today, he is a happy man in a a happy relationship and the father of three young children who looks to the future with enthusiasm. • Martine Frigon has been a freelance photojournalist for 25 years and owner of Reditexte, a small company specialized in writing, photography, and translation. She has published articles in various magazines across Canada. She lives in the Quebec City area and can be reached at reditexte@yahoo.com.

DECEMBER 2011 pizza 23

feature

Bridging the labour gap BY JULIE FITZ-GERALD

anada’s foodservice industry dependent on the specifics of the job offer. is starting to feel the labour The first step is determining if you require crunch that industry leada Labour Market Opinion (LMO), which is ers have been warning provided by Service Canada to Citizenabout. Even with talk of a douship and Immigration Canada (CIC). ble-dip recession, employers The LMO assesses the expected imare seeing little to no response pact that hiring the foreign worker to job postings, leaving them may have on the Canadian labour short-staffed and eager for a market, resulting in either a posisolution. tive or negative opinion. The Canadian governIf you do require an LMO, ment’s Temporary Foreign which is usually the case, Worker (TFW) program is the second step is to comproving to be a valuable opplete the LMO application tion for business owners who and submit it to Service are unable to find Canadian Canada. If you receive workers to fill open positions. Gea positive LMO, you rard Curran, proprietor of the James can proceed to the Joyce Irish Pub in Calgary and past third step, which is chairman of the Canadian Restaurant advising the foreign and Foodservices Association (CRFA), worker to complete turned to the TFW program when resuand submit a work The Temporary Foreign Worker program is a valuable tool for més dried up. permit application business owners who are unable to find Canadian workers to fill “We were at the point where it was so open positions. to CIC. The fourth stressful with no workers in the kitchen, and final phase of so we had to jump into the program. It’s Garth Whyte, president and CEO of the process happens at a port of entry, been fantastic; the program has worked CRFA, says a good recruiter is integral where a Border Services officer issues the really well for us,” he says. to navigating the TFW program and en- work permit. Recruiting a temporary foreign worker suring compliance with the rules. “You The work permit is valid for one year; is an extensive process that can be difficult really do need some support and advice however, if the employer wishes to extend for employers to undertake on their own. to get through the labyrinth of problems. the foreign worker’s employment, they can Agencies specializing in the recruitment of Pay strict attention to the Labour Market either extend the original LMO or apply foreign workers can simplify the lengthy Opinion to ensure compliance, because if for a new opinion, depending on the ocprocedure, guiding both the employer and an employer is declared non-compliant, cupation. In either case, the paperwork the worker through the various stages. A their name is posted on the Citizenship should be done four months prior to the good recruiter will interview and screen and Immigration Canada website and they expiry of the original LMO. qualified foreign workers to find the best can be banned from the TFW program Once the foreign worker is in Canada, match possible for the specific job that you for a two-year period. If the recruiter you it’s important for the business owner to are seeking to fill, as well as assisting with have breaks a rule, the employer can also provide a strong support network to help the necessary paperwork. The CRFA has be deemed non-compliant and banned the worker integrate into their new surapproved two reputable foreign recruit- from the program, so you have to fol- roundings. Curran has recruited 15 workers, Diamond Global Recruitment Group low the rules. There’s no quick fix; this ers through the TFW program and says it’s and Mercan Recruit, to help its members is a long process that can take up to six vital to make their transition into Canadithrough the application process and be- months of planning just to get in through an society as smooth and easy as possible. yond. Further information can be obtained the process.” “We bought them a house and got them on CRFA’s website, along with a labour The TFW program is usually a four-step Internet, a phone and bus passes. Our shortage toolkit for CRFA members. process; the need to complete each step is foreign workers are from the Philippines

24 pizza DECEMBER 2011

and many of them are Catholic-based, so we got them into the Catholic Church and onto the choir,” he says. Curran explains that as these employees ease into their new roles, many will transition out of the house and into their own apartments, making room for new foreign workers who need the support when they first arrive in Canada. Comprehensive training is also a must when a foreign worker arrives. “You have to teach them how to understand what’s going on in your industry. You have to teach them about your menu and safety courses, because we have certain standards within the industry that have to be followed,” he notes. By having previously trained foreign workers act as mentors for new foreign workers entering the business, Curran finds that the training is more effective. “We have a six-week training session for all of our foreign workers. When you train them and treat them well, you get so much

back from them,” he says. Curran also encourages his foreign workers to return to their countries of origin for holidays and vacations to see their families. A trip home is a great way to boost employee morale, especially if they’re homesick. Communication between the employer, foreign workers and the other employees is vital as well. By communicating on a regular basis, employers can quickly sort out any issues that may arise, from employee disagreements to mistreatment by managers. Curran advises that you must have an open-door policy to ensure that everyone, including your Canadian employees, is aware of why the foreign workers are needed and the asset that they are providing to the business. Curran has seen the benefits of the TFW program first hand in both the frontof-the-house and the kitchen of his Calgary pub. With no resumés coming in, he is currently waiting for another LMO so

that he can recruit an additional foreign worker to his business. Meanwhile, CRFA is continuing to push the Canadian government for changes to the TFW program in an effort to decrease the red tape that is costing employers valuable time and money. The main objectives are increasing the foreign worker’s stay from one to two years, reinstating electronic LMO applications and allowing the foreign worker to become a permanent resident if the employer wishes to make their job long-term. The TFW program has already proven to be essential for some business owners in the foodservice industry and with the looming labour shortage now at our doorstep, many more employers will need to rely on this program in the near future to stave off staff shortages and maintain the high level of service that their customers expect. • Julie Fitz-Gerald is a freelance writer based in Uxbridge, Ont., and regular contributor to Bakers Journal and Canadian Pizza magazine.

DECEMBER 2011 pizza 25

feature

As resilient as a rubber band BY ELAINE DUMLER

ohn walked into work and problems came at him from all directions. Schedules for product lines had changed; there were messages from two angry customers, and a text from his daughter saying she needed the homework that was sitting on the kitchen table. The problems felt overwhelming and continued to ruin his day and his mood, which affected those around him, and his ability to do his job well. This led to a “behind closed doors” meeting with the boss. That same day, Sally arrived at the office faced with similar problems along with having to fill in for a co-worker who didn’t show up. But these challenges didn’t throw Sally off. One by one she handled the issues, which lightened the office mood for those around her, leading to a “closed door” meeting with the boss that resulted in a promotion! Fictional situation? Of course. But this scenario is played out in businesses every day. Seldom does anyone have a perfect day. So how does Sally breeze through the same problems as John, but come out on top in the end? Two words that our military service members depend on to help with creative problem solving: resiliency and sustainability. Both involve the realization that it’s not what happens to you, but rather how you handle it that matters when it counts. Resiliency is the ability to recognize, recover from and adjust to misfortune or change. Sustainability says that you’ve figured out how to get through a situation effectively and have come out the other end better for it. Resiliency and sustainability function together as you figure out how to identify stressors that work against you and begin to set the path that brings you through them. It’s just like a rubber band – a crisis stretches you to the limit and when you’ve solved it, you return to where you were before. With the application of four simple tools from the acronym BAND, you

26 pizza DECEMBER 2011

can solve problems as Sally does. B – BREATHE: As stressors appear, begin by stepping back (physically, mentally or both) and taking a deep breath. Just this action alone helps you to clear your head, which allows better processing of information that is about to come at you. Breathing helps relax your muscles and lets your mind begin to work on the situation at hand. This is also the time to try to defuse and remove emotions that might be present, especially if you’re dealing with angry people. Can you call on the help of others . . . even a neighbour or co-worker . . . to help you put things into perspective? A – ASSESS: Now that you have a clearer head, and hopefully have taken emotion out of the equation, start to prioritize what steps to take to make a solution as close to a win-win as possible. Ask yourself, “What’s the specific problem, who’s affected by these circumstances, what is the most critical piece to be handled first?” In this step, you are only identifying and prioritizing your steps, not acting on them. In the case of finding a customer design change request on your desk, you might assess that your first priority is to call the customer for more information. N – NAVIGATE: You know the problem and have designed solution steps. Now it’s time to act on your plan. Look ahead and determine exactly what you want to have happen when a good solution is reached. What will the “perfect solution” look like? Implement your plan based on this desired outcome. As you execute each step, occasionally pause to look at what’s happening. Are you on the way to your desired outcome? Make whatever adjustments are needed along the way. Are you positively involving the people who need to be included in the solution? Doing this helps them feel you are working with them and not against them. D – DETER: You did it! You dealt with your circumstances and came out on the

other end. Whew, one down, more to come. This is the time to put steps in play that can deter the situation from happening again. What did you learn from this to help you set up parameters to avoid future issues like the one you just experienced? Step 1: Think of a problem as a paper chain. Problem “links” can develop into hazardous situations. Identify the good and bad links (people, experiences, outside forces) in the chain. Sometimes removing a link can make the chain stronger when put back together. Step 2: In order to prevent problems from happening again, you need to truthfully determine the level of control you have over each circumstance and problem factor. Eliminate or adjust what you have control over, and “let go” of those areas beyond your immediate control. Step 3: Establish your safety net. Your safety net consists of your current contacts and any new ones you’ve built over the course of solving this problem. You learned things about yourself and those around you. Who stepped up when they were needed? Keep the information for those support personnel close at hand so it’s there when you need it . . . next time! Now before you think that going through this process will take too much time, remember that as you get comfortable with the steps, BAND can happen in a matter of seconds. It’s the idea that you are applying practical problem-solving skills quickly and instinctively to help you do a better job, get along better with your family, and finish a day feeling that you can, and did, excel in your ability to take care of things. • Elaine Dumler is an author, speaker and “separations expert” who helps military families transition through all phases of deployment. Using techniques and strategies she taught military families, Elaine helps businesspeople improve morale, profits and productivity. Her books, “I’m Already Home . . . Again” and “The Road Home” provide resources and connection strategies for maintaining life balance. For more information on books, training and sponsorship opportunities, call 303-430-0592 or visit www.ImAlreadyHome.com.

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The Vulcan Restaurant Series of countertop griddles feature a thick, deep plate to increase production capacity and improve ticket times. An embedded snap-action thermostat provides more precision control than a surface-mounted thermostat. In addition, the griddle’s unique pilot safety valves protect users – if the supervised pilot extinguishes, the system completely shuts off all gas to the pilot and burners. For more information, visit www.vulcanequipment.com or www.hobart.ca. GAS FRYERS FROM GLOBE Globe Food Equipment rolled out a new line of gas fryers. The fryers feature stainless steel construction, high performance BTUs and are available in 15 pound and 30 pound capacities, in either natural gas or lp. The fryers also feature: snap action thermostats for fast recovery; heavy duty, nickel-plated fry baskets with cool-to-touch insulated handles; high limit thermostat protection; and adjustable four inch legs. For more, visit www.globeslicers.com.

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Name: ________________________________ Business: _____________________________ Address: ______________________________ City: __________________________________ Prov: _________________________________ P.Code:________________________________ Tel: __________________________________ Fax: __________________________________ e-mail: ________________________________ 1. NATure OF buSiNeSS: (Select only one): ❏ independent Pizzeria ❏ Pizza chain/Franchise ❏ italian restaurant/Full Service restaurant ❏ Other Non-Pizza restaurant ❏ Take & bake ❏ catering Service ❏ Government, library, school ❏ Distributor, Supplier, Manufacturer ❏ Other ______________________________ (Specify) 2. JOb TiTle: ❏ Owner ❏ restaurant Management ❏ Other – allied to the field ______________________________________ (Specify)

PAYMeNT: cheque - Payable to Annex Printing & Publishing inc. Visa Mc Account #: _________________________ expiry: _________________________ Signature: _________________________ Date: _________________________

TO SubScribe:

Tel: 866-790-6070 Fax: 877-624-1940 Mail: canadian Pizza Magazine c/o Annex business Media P.O. box 530, 105 Donly Dr. S., Simcoe, Ontario N3Y 4N5 e-mail: cnowe@annexweb.com

www.canadianpizzamag.com

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DECEMBER 2011 pizza 27

Advertisers’ Index Company .................................................................. Page #

Alfa Cappuccino Imports Inc. ................................................19 Annex BookStore ..................................................................28 Burke Corporation ....................................................... 31 (IBC) Crown Custom Metal Spinning Inc. .......................................13 International Pizza Expo........................................................11 Middleby Marshall .................................................................15 Ricco Food Distributor ...........................................................23 Salerno ..................................................................................21 Saputo ....................................................................... 32 (OBC) Solis .........................................................................................7 Springer’s Meats Inc. ............................................................21 Stanislaus ............................................................................4, 5 Thunderbird Food Machinery, Inc..........................................25 Viau Foods Inc. ............................................................. 2 (IFC) Use these advertiser contact numbers to find out more about a product advertised in this issue or to place an order. This index is provided as a service. Canadian Pizza Magazine is not liable for errors or omissions.

28 pizza DECEMBER 2011

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Tom Stankiewicz n many cases, it’s not the owner’s face that is being associated with the business but the faces of its staff. Our customers interact with our employees on a regular basis for different reasons. I wouldn’t be surprised to find out that each employee has favourite customers and, if he or she is working the front counter, also knows most of them by name. The opposite is true as well. Most customers have their favourite staff whom they would prefer to handle their pizza order. If an employee is absent they very often ask what happened. It’s a win-win situation for clients and your business to encourage and support this type of positive customer service interaction. During the hiring process, we look for certain individuals to fulfil specific roles in our pizza stores. That being said, we are also looking for different skills depending on the position we’re filling. For instance, you expect your front counter staff to provide superior face-to-face customer service, whereas your pizza delivery people need to be fast and excellent drivers. Over my many years in the pizza industry, I, along with other pizza owners, have identified this latter group of employees – delivery drivers – as one that all of us should pay extra attention to when hiring. It’s tempting and easy to hire the first person you interview in a pinch, but the real challenge is to pick the best driver who will stick around for a while. It’s a given that the person must have a reliable car to deliver pizzas. You’re looking at lower sales and potentially losing your clients if your driver calls you every week to tell you that he or she can’t make it to work because his or her car has broken down again. My first question to a potential driver is always what model year and car they drive. Over the years, I have had to tell some of them that their car wouldn’t

30 pizza DECEMBER 2011

What are you delivering? last long delivering pizza and I couldn’t rette in his mouth and greeted you with a hire them. Another important step that you few unpleasant words? My guess is that first should never overlook is getting a copy of you would call back to complain and then your candidate’s driver’s licence and car in- you would never order food from that pizza surance. The last thing you want is a driver business again. Although delivery drivers who is illegally on the road. don’t work at the front counter, it’s imporYou also need a driver you can trust. tant to remember that they have face-to-face Obviously, trusting someone you just met interactions with the higher percentage of isn’t easy to do. I’m sure all of us have had your customers. These encounters may last experiences with drivers who are always no longer than one minute, but during that short money at the end of the night or time frame you may lose a customer. I think somehow disappear with cash from a few it’s necessary to let your drivers know you pizza deliveries. It helps to expect them to be on their ask for referrals. Ask your best behaviour during work friends or family if they hours. They don’t need to My first know someone who would start up intimate conversaquestion to a be interested in this positions with customers but tion. From my own expepotential driver they should understand that rience, it’s usually better “please” and “thank you” are is always what if you hire someone who definitely welcomed. Many has been recommended by model year and experienced drivers will someone you know. If that tell you that being grumpy car they drive. avenue has been exhausted doesn’t have a great payoff already, then my rule of at the end of the night when thumb is to schedule a new they count their tips. driver for just two hours a As business owners, it is day at the beginning and observe how he or in our best interest to have a conversation she is doing. This is also a perfect opportu- with each of our employees and explain nity to evaluate how fast the person is with to them what great customer service is all deliveries, whether he or she can follow di- about. If you have a specific vision and you rections, and how comfortable the person expect them to use certain phrases, then is with the surrounding delivery area. If it it is your responsibility to let them know. takes 30 minutes to deliver a pizza that ev- This should be included in your training ery other driver does in 15 minutes, then package. Take time to explain to your emthat should be a serious concern. ployees that each of them is a representative As we have many customers who al- of your business, no matter how small that ways get their pizza delivered, the physical business may be. Therefore, it’s important appearance and behaviour of the delivery their behaviour be consistent with the great driver is also important. This is potentially quality of customer service your business the only person clients will see delivering has been providing over the years.• your product to their door. We all know that first impressions count and they aren’t easily Tom Stankiewicz has been in the pizza business for more than 15 years. He has been the proprietor of Bondi’s forgotten. How would you feel if your pizza Pizza in London, Ont., since 2000 and is president of the were delivered by someone who had a ciga- Canadian Pizza Team.

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