PZ - June 2011

Volume 17 Issue 4 June 2011

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10 Elvis, famE and thE fortunatE

Moe’s World Famous Newport Restaurant in Ottawa is a lesson in building local landmarks.

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14 sEcrEts to staffing succEss

With a labour shortage looming, here are tips to help you keep your stars happy.

Eats for hot strEEts 16 cool Frozen treats offer great ways to boost business through the summer.

19 tips for markEting likE 16

a mastEr Here’s Canadian Pizza’s roundup of marketing tips from seminars we attended at this year’s International Pizza Expo.

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www.canadianpizzamag.com

DEPARTMENTS 6

editor’s desk

8

pizza bites

8

canadian pizza online

22

the pizza chef

23

marketing insights

24

making dough

28

pizza on fire

ON THE COVER: Find out how to keep your youthful employees smiling and sticking around.

JUNE 2011 pizza 3

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from the editor’s desk June 2011, vol. 17, no. 4

Ice cream dreams he fridge in my first apartment you may want to focus on which flavours was stocked with nothing but you offer and which maker you work Coke, OJ and ice cream. I was with as a way to distinguish yourself from 17 and working in a pizzeria, enjoying a your competitors.

Perhaps ask yourself, “What’s the perteenager’s dream diet of pizza, subs and the aforementioned contents of my in- sonality of my pizzeria, as well as my own character, as driver of the business?” augural fridge.

While the contents of my kitchen This kind of brainstorming may lead have expanded to reflect my hobby you to develop and present ice cream in of cooking, which I’ve grown to love, your store that is signature to you.

Canadians have a strong tradition of pizza and ice cream are still real staples.

I don’t know which I crave more, but making ice cream. Here are a couple of they remind me at once of being a kid interesting ice cream facts from an article written by H. Douglas and of having that first Goff, a professor of dairy taste of freedom. I’m sure ice cream, science and technology at I’m not alone in finding the University of Guelph. the power of these two like pizza, can There is a lot of folklore foods to be comforting unleash your about the invention of ice and nostalgic. This is cream, but he found these why, in my opinion, they imagination, as facts. Thomas Webb, a make a great pair! it’s malleable confectioner in Toronto, If you’re thinking ice was the first Canadian to cream might be a smart in its many start selling ice cream, way to lure more cuscombinations. which happened around tomers to your door in 1850. William Nielson the challenging summer made his first commercial months, when backyard barbecues become your rival, turn to batch of ice cream on Gladstone Avenue page 16 for our story featuring inter- in Toronto in 1893. Nielson’s company views with some operators who have al- produced ice cream at that location for ready added this delectable dairy to their nearly 100 years. No wonder ice cream lineup. What works well in one pizzeria prompts such wistfulness.

For more great ideas to boost sumwon’t work in another, so it’s important to treat your store as an individual mer sales, turn to Diana Coutu’s column when considering adding this treat to on page 22, where she shares a great scratch card promotion that helps her your menu.

Ice cream, like pizza, can unleash each year and Tom Stankiewicz’s back your imagination, as it’s malleable in its page discussion on deciding to become many combinations. And, also like the a food vendor at local summer festivals.

Happy reading! • pizza on your menu, you’ll probably want to look at offering some staples to appeal to everyone and some that fit the character of your store. Whether you tap a producer or make it homemade will depend on how you want to differentiate as well as cost and time, of course. But

t

6 pizza JUNE 2011

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 Sandy Mels smels@annexweb.com 519-429-5183 888-599-2228 ext. 219 production artist Gerry Wiebe 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 $ 18.90 (includes GSt - #867172652rt0001) $ 20.34 (includes QSt/HSt) 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 & 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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pizzabites Pizza Pizza has smartphone app izza Pizza has launched its first smartphone application for ordering and delivery.

The application allows users quick access to menu and specials information, promotional offers and complete customization, with countless individual topping and menu choices, all available at the swipe of a finger.

The app works for delivery or pickup and includes a variety of payment options, including student meal card programs. The app also allows users to program their favourite orders and locations to their profile, which must be created before using the app for the first time.

The Pizza Pizza app is available at no charge for all iPhone, iPod touch and iPad models.

p

Boston Pizza serving up new wing flavours oston Pizza International is now serving up bigger, tastier chicken wings across Canada.

The plump one-of-a-kind wings come in both flatties (the wingette) and drummies (the bulbous meaty end) and are available oven roasted, breaded or fried with 14 original sauces and rubs.

“We took our time developing the perfect sports bar chicken wing, and we believe we’ve achieved success,” says Matt Hoag, Boston Pizza’s corporate chef. “I’m confident that Boston Pizza’s new wing selection will please any palette, from hot and spicy to sweet and tangy.”

The cooking techniques, sauces and

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rEad thEsE storiEs and morE at WWW.canadianpizzamag.com

8 pizza JUNE 2011

flavours for the new wings are based on extensive feedback from guests and rigorous kitchen testing. The wings are supplied exclusively to Boston Pizza by Sunwest Poultry. The 14 sauces offer guests a variety of flavours that span the traditional range of chicken wing sauces and rubs (mild, medium, hot, barbecue), but also a variety of flavours inspired by different cultures and cuisines from around the world, including sesame ginger, pineapple mango, Asian five spice, Caribbean jerk, teriyaki, chipotle barbecue, honey garlic, salt and pepper, Thai chili, and naked.

Boston Pizza’s new wings are now available at all 340 locations across Canada.

NEW PRODUCT Goslyn Grease Recovery Devices recover 99.6 per cent of the fats, oils and grease that can clog the drains of commercial baking facilities. The recovered grease is recyclable and can be emptied daily, eliminating unpleasant odours. www.greasetrap.ca DiGiTAl MAGAziNE Visit www.canadianpizzamag.com to sign up for your free trial.

Canadian Pizza Chef of the Year Finalist, O Sole Mio Tom Stankiewicz, bondi’s Pizza, london, Ont. www.bondis.ca this pie bakes up a beautiful root vegetable menagerie.

iNGREDiENTS dough traditional white dough ball for 15-inch pizza • baby carrot sauce • baby carrots • onion • garlic

• salt • pepper • chili pepper • olive oil

• 35% cream • Dijon mustard (add to finished sauce)

sauce Directions: roast carrots in oil and seasonings until lightly caramelized. Add cream, then puree until smooth. cheeses • high-fat California mozzarella • Canadian goat cheese • Parmesan toppings • butternut squash • cipollini onion • spinach • beet • parsnip • fennel

• olive oil • salt • pepper • dried basil • dried oregano • Italian prosciutto

• extra virgin olive oil • fresh flat Italian parsley • corn flour

Budgets offer no help for restaurants t

he Canadian Restaurant and Foodservices Association (CRFA) has found little to celebrate in the Manitoba, Nova Scotia, and Newfoundland and Labrador provincial budgets.

Calling the Manitoba budget “lackluster,” the CRFA found fault with the government’s plan to raise the minimum wage for the seventh time in six years.

“Last year’s 50 cent minimum wage hike, which took effect October 1, cost Manitoba’s restaurant operators an estimated $16 million – or $7,000 per restaurant – in increased labour cost,” the CRFA stated in a press release.

Meanwhile, in Nova Scotia, the CRFA criticized the province for not doing enough to help the industry grow and prosper.

Luc Erjavec, the Atlantic Canada vice-president for the CRFA. He noted that while a slight reduction in the small business tax rate and a one-time increase in the basic personal tax exemption are good steps, they are insufficient to counter the impact the HST increase, fee hikes, and increasing labour costs have had on the restaurant industry.

Erjavec also criticized the government of Newfoundland, calling the provincial budget there a “lost opportunity” due to the absence of any measures that would benefit the industry or drive down the province’s consistently high unemployment rate.

DiRECTiONS Coarsely chop veggies (not spinach) into similar size pieces and roast in oil and seasonings until lightly caramelized. to Build… evenly sprinkle corn flour on an oiled, well-seasoned pizza pan. roll dough onto pan and let aerate, allowing two minutes to rise on pan. Portion 6 oz. of sauce onto the shell. Add Dijon. Mix sauce with mustard, spreading evenly over shell. Spread mozzarella over sauce, leaving a thin edge exposed. evenly place spinach leaves over cheese, removing any large stems. evenly place fennel over spinach, followed by squash and then parsnip. Place beets over top, filling in between the spaces. Lay shaved prosciutto over the pizza, covering the whole top. unfold the meat as much as possible. Crumble goat cheese over prosciutto, being careful to leave it small and clumpy than rather broken into dust. Garnish with dried basil, oregano and cracked pepper, and drizzle with olive oil. Finger pinch the crust edges for added detail.

Cook pizza on pan in stone-bottomed oven at 263 C (505 F) until golden brown. Poke crust bubbles with a fork as they form. remove pizza from oven, garnish with parmesan cheese and fresh parsley.

Cut into eight pieces and serve!

RECOMMENDED SElliNG PRiCE: $34.85 PlUS TAx Look in our July/August edition for a pizza recipe from Canadian Pizza Chef of the Year finalist rick Nixon of Itza ristorante & Pizzeria.

JUNE 2011 pizza 9

feature

Elvis, fame and the fortunate

BY BruCe SACH

Moe Atallah, owner of Moe’s World Famous Newport Restaurant in Ottawa. Photo courtesy of Moe Atallah

T

he only word in the English language that Moe Atallah, owner of Moe’s World Famous Newport Restaurant in Ottawa, doesn’t know is the word “no.”

This quote, a local Ottawa joke, can be interpreted in different ways.

For one, Atallah’s background of being a near penniless immigrant arriving in Ottawa from civil war-torn Lebanon and working long, arduous hours for minimal wages pays homage to his inability to say “no” and just give up.

Instead, he has fashioned a local food empire, earning fierce loyalty from his employees, customers and the Westboro neighbourhood where he saw such great

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promise some 30 years ago.

Another equally justifiable interpretation of Atallah’s inability to say “no” is evidenced by his seeming inability to discourage local charities. The list of groups that Atallah supports is long, though it’s quite unknown to the general public.

He doesn’t expect notoriety in exchange for his goodwill and seems happy to remind reporters, “I love every second of the things I do because I feel so blessed for what this country has given me and my family.”

My interview with Ottawa’s bestknown and best-connected pizza entrepreneur got off to a rough start. I picked a time of year and a time of day when I was

sure the restaurant would be quiet for the interview. Boy, was I wrong.

Even in mid-afternoon, this place is rocking with locals and acquaintances continually coming by to say hello and slap Atallah on the back. Everyone wants a piece of this guy.

As the back-slapping and phone calls continued, I eventually asked Atallah if he had a quiet place or an office we could use. He deadpanned: “Are you kidding?”

HUMblE bEGiNNiNGS In a nutshell, hard work, caring about people, caring about his product and being personable have gone a long, long way in establishing Atallah – and his

feature restaurant – in the community. Longtime client Hallam Johnston puts it this way: “It’s a success because Moe’s always in the shop.”

Atallah, who learned the local pizza trade after his arrival from Lebanon in 1976, really began from the bottom up.

Working 80-hour weeks and willing to do any job in order to learn the industry, Atallah asked not to be paid for a week, in order to prove his mettle. Soon after, he settled on a weekly salary of $125, living in a tiny room with a cot for a bed, and sharing the bathroom with other boarders down the hall.

“I was so happy to have a job, that, for the same salary, I worked seven days a week instead of what I’d agreed to. I wanted to learn everything, from helping out in the kitchen, peeling potatoes, washing dishes, cooking,” Atallah says. “I felt then like I feel now – I can never, ever pay Canada back.”

After being tapped for a manager’s position, he began honing his skills as a people person. It was while working as a manager that Atallah met his wife Donna, a waitress whose application he turned down. Today, Atallah runs a second shop just down the road from the Newport Restaurant. This smaller eatery is named Donna’s. bUilDiNG lOYAlTY When Atallah bought the Newport Restaurant 25 years ago, the business was doing OK, but under his leadership, things have really taken off.

Loyalty is what his success is all about.

The guys who made the sauce and mixed the dough all those years ago are still in the kitchen. Most of the employees I spoke to have been with Atallah for at least a dozen years. Atallah is just as loyal to his staff as they are to him.

Nine years ago, that loyalty was on display for Canadians across the country to see. The restaurant made national news in 2002, when Heather Crowe, a longtime waitress at the restaurant, was diagnosed with lung cancer. Although Crowe had never smoked, she developed cancer from second-hand smoke. When Atallah learned of Crowe’s diagnosis, he immediately banned smoking at Newport.

12 pizza JUNE 2011

He also appeared in national television commercials explaining the dangers of second-hand smoke.

Customers too are loyal to the restaurant that has become a neighbourhood institution.

This place really is a second home for people, Atallah says. I thought he was referring to his incredibly loyal staff. But as client after client waltzed by and exchanged a few words (in English, French and Arabic), it dawned on me that he could also be referring to his customers.

As former Ottawa Citizen columnist Dave Brown wrote, “Sometimes it’s nice to go where everybody knows your name. The men who man the cash at the front are both walking Rolodexes. They know and greet everybody.”

Some clients come in six or seven times a week, with a few truly dedicated regulars who show up for three meals a day. Atallah never advertises and can count on five to six dozen regular orders every day. People drive in from all over the city and there’s often a lineup at the door. This crowd of regulars is a big part of the atmosphere that makes the restaurant a local landmark, but it’s not the only factor.

When you walk into the Newport Restaurant, you can’t help but notice the place is something of a shrine to Elvis Presley.

Movie posters and album covers featuring The King are on display throughout the restaurant, with good reason. Atallah is a founder of The Elvis Sighting Society, an outfit so popular that the lane behind the restaurant is officially known as Elvis Lives Lane.

The whole idea started off simply enough. Years ago, friends bought Atallah a seat at a local trade show. He was reluctant to put up the name of his own restaurant, so someone put up the name ‘Elvis’ as a joke. The name stuck. Today there’s even a painting of the two of them together on display inside the restaurant, painted after the King reportedly passed away!

The Elvis Sighting Society is really a front for two of Moe’s major annual charity endeavours: the Christmas Day meal and Beanfest. The Christmas Day meal offers hundreds of needy Ottawans free breakfast or lunch, and sends them home

with additional food and a present to boot. Beanfest is a tuxedo and jeans event that brings Ottawa’s well-heeled crowd together and asks them to open up their wallets for charity.

Atallah is extremely reticent to talk about his many charitable activities. Suffice it to say, they’ve earned him a reputation for being the ‘man unable to say no.’

His business acumen also has earned him quite the reputation. Atallah has won Restaurateur of the Year and the Ottawa Businessman of the Year honours, among others. When he was awarded the latter, despite stiff competition from the city’s high-tech gurus, he was so surprised that he had not even prepared an acceptance speech. When he received the top restaurateur honour, his first thought was that he had not done enough to underline the importance of his staff to the company’s success.

FOOD FOR THOUGHT Although some things have changed in the last 25 years, Newport still uses the same cheese, pepperoni, dough and sauce it did when the restaurant first opened its doors. But when Atallah discovered the advantages of whole wheat he expanded his menu and began offering his customers a whole-wheat dough. Although suppliers encourage him to purchase preshredded cheese and other time savers, Atallah doesn t buy into it.

He has always been proud of his salads, the dressings for which are made with specific Middle-Eastern spices. The original Popeye pizza, made with spinach, is another of the restaurant’s unique, specialty items.

He ventured into gourmet pizzas after discovering the joys of thin crust pizza.

This fits in nicely with the new wave of residents in his neighbourhood: up-andcoming urbanites who want healthy, light pizzas. Paninis and fresh salads are now staples. “We provide what people want to eat, not what we want them to eat.”

“We are really proud of what we do,” he explains. “Anybody can make pizza.

We have to excel in what we do and make people welcome. We want to somehow make a difference. If there is one complaint, it’s one complaint too many.” •

feature

Secrets to staffing success

BY JuLIe FItz-GerALD

C

anada’s food and beverage industry is facing a looming labour crisis stemming from retiring baby boomers and low fertility rates. Reports issued by the Canadian Restaurant and Foodservices Association (CRFA) in 2006 and by the Canadian Tourism Human Resource Council (CTHRC) in 2010 forecast huge labour shortages in Canada over the next 10 to 15 years. Like your pampered best regular customers, happy and engaged staff are more likely to loyally keep coming to work. With the number of available workers dwindling, employers must give higher priority to the retention of existing employees if their businesses are to survive.

The CTHRC predicts that by 2025, the food and beverage services industry will be hardest hit out of all tourism industries, projecting a labour shortfall of more than 142,000 full-year jobs. As you know, young Canadians make up a large portion of the labour force in the restaurant business. In fact, the CRFA report identifies the foodservice industry as the second-largest employer of youth in Canada, with 44 per cent of foodservice employees being under the age of 25.

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To ensure your business isn’t hard hit by a lack of staff over the coming years, you need to stay ahead of the curve by implementing strategies to better understand and engage your youthful employees. Ken Whiting, a human resources expert based in California, specializes in recruiting, motivating, educating and retaining teens and young adults of generation Y through his consulting business, WAVES for Success. Whiting says that the biggest obstacle he sees in the workplace is managers who feel that employee turnover is just part of the business.

“Indifference by some managers is probably the biggest single challenge that we see,” he says.

The reality is that a high rate of turnover among staff is costly. In reference to a study conducted by Coca-Cola Research Council that attributes a cost of more than $3,000 for every lost employee, Whiting explains that “the loss of money is due to a decrease in productivity and readiness.” The amount of revenue that a welltrained person will generate and the level of service will be much higher than with the untrained person: “They know how to suggestive sell, they’re quicker, line speeds will be faster and that can add up

A whopping 44 per cent of workers in the foodservi

in a hurry. That’s the big cost of turnover.”

Discover Tourism, a website developed by the CTHRC as an online interactive resource for job seekers, employees and employers, expands on the costs of employee turnover, highlighting replacement costs such as job postings, interviewing and administrative processing as added expenses. In fact, with so many costs associated with employee turnover, the small cost of investing in strategies to retain existing employees is clearly a better option.

One of the best ways to keep your staff content with their jobs is to celebrate their achievements.

“The number one thing that employers should remember is that recognition

Take-away tips • • •

ce industry are under the age of 25.

equals attention. You must celebrate success,” says Whiting. “If somebody in the workplace has achieved a workplace milestone such as an anniversary or has set a sales record, make a lot of noise about that. Have a program in place that really celebrates that.”

He goes on to note: “Prizes and incentives are excellent ways to do this. This is a “what’s in it for me” generation and there are a lot of win-win incentives that can be created to drive sales, but also give employees something out of it. It ought not to be viewed as an expense to the employer, but rather as an investment.”

Another great tip from Whiting is to offer flexible scheduling.

“Most employers who hire high school

Celebrate the achievements of your staff in a big way with prizes and incentives. use online scheduling systems to allow for easier shift flexibility.

Higher wages won’t necessarily retain more employees. Consider the socially conscious nature of many of today’s youth.

and college-age employees promise a lot of flexible schedules, but it’s not delivered very well.”

Employees of this age group have busy social lives, often being involved in extracurricular activities. Giving your staff the freedom to plan their work schedules around their other weekly activities can set your business apart from the rest. Whiting suggests using an online scheduling system where employees can access their hours and easily trade a shift with another employee if they have conflicting engagements. Approval by a manager completes the trade and the employee feels satisfied knowing they have some control over how their weeks will unfold.

With youth making up almost half of the workforce in the food and beverage industry, it’s important to remember they are new to the workplace and thus learning from their experiences.

Whiting says that allowing employees to learn from their mistakes will foster a strong working relationship between employers and their employees.

“Allow some failure. Let mistakes be educational moments. Instead of chewing somebody out [for a mistake], that’s an educational moment where what occurred that was, in fact, wrong can be discussed. Second chances are key.”

Whiting is quick to add that third and fourth chances do not need to be met with such patience. He emphasizes that ongoing communication, reviews, coaching and accountability must be a part of continued training in the workplace. This will help business owners

and managers identify problem employees who display negative attitudes in the workplace or who aren’t willing to be team players. If you have a problem employee who’s dragging down staff morale and causing chaos in the restaurant, the problem is best dealt with quickly.

“Hire slow and fire fast. If second and third chances aren’t possible based on the training that comes up, you need to move them on. Most teams are working right in front of the customers and if that employee’s not working for you, you need to get on it quick . . . . You need to pull the weeds and plant the seeds.”

One last thing to remember is that retaining employees doesn’t automatically mean that you need to fork out higher wages than your competitors. In Whiting’s experience, generation Y is a socially conscious group that puts great stock in businesses that are actively participating in global issues. For example, implementing environmentally friendly practices in the workplace may set you apart from the restaurant across the street and can be a deciding factor for many youth who are seeking employment.

Whiting’s recommendation for business owners looking to outpace their competitors is simple.

“Recruit the best, hire the best, retain the best and the rest will take care itself. You will become the employer of choice if you’re ahead of the curve on understanding today’s workforce and doing things to set your business apart from the rest.” •

JUNE 2011 pizza 15

feature

Compound flavours that mimic other desserts are gaining ground, introducing consumers to a whole new world of frozen treats.

Cool eats for hot streets Frozen treats offer great ways to boost business through the summer

BY BrANDI COWeN

I

f hot weather tends to have a chilling effect on your business, the months ahead may look more like tough times than sunny days. Bolstering your menu with cool treats is a great way to beat the heat and keep customers coming back all through the lazy, hazy days of summer.

Whether you’re thinking about introducing ice cream or pondering which frozen products will be hot this year, there are a lot of factors to consider.

TREND SPOTTiNG “I think from a flavour standpoint, we’re seeing flavours trending along the same lines as what’s popular in beverages,” explains Andrew Waddington, vice-president with fsSTRATEGY Inc., a foodservice consulting firm based in Toronto. Waddington notes that coffee and green tea flavours are really gaining ground, as are cappuccino, latte and mocha flavours.

Compound flavours – that is, several simple flavours combined to create a more complex flavour profile – are also

16 pizza JUNE 2011

growing in popularity. Strawberry cheesecake is one compound flavour that’s really starting to take off.

Karyn Johnson, an associate with the firm, also points to the trend of compound ice cream flavours that mimic other desserts, such as French toast, apple pie, caramel corn, and sticky toffee cheesecake. Johnson says this trend has been building momentum for some time, and there’s no end in sight.

In terms of other frozen treats, Waddington notes that both single and compound flavours are popular in frozen yogurt, while single flavours are popular for sorbets. Single, simple flavours are also big in terms of gelato.

Both Waddington and Johnson advise that the trend toward cleaner labels has hit the frozen dessert segment, bringing simple labels as well as simple flavours. Häagen-Dazs has a new line called five that contains just five ingredients, Johnson says.

Those certainly aren t compound flavours. They d be something like vanilla, but they d be focusing on the quality of the single flavour as opposed to the uniqueness of a new blend of flavours.

Other trends, such as the push for organic products, may rant’s overall focus on using quality, local ingredients as much as also be worth following, provided they’re in line with your res- possible. In late winter and early spring, the restaurant offers a maple gelato made with syrup from local productaurant’s brand. “If the rest of the brand isn’t focused on those core social aspects, then that one “in the summer ers. Throughout the summer months, strawberry, raspberry and strawberry-rhubarb sorbettos roproduct is going to stand out as a so-what?” Wadmonths, we’ve tate through the case, as the necessary local proddington says. “It’s nice to have that sort of thing, uct becomes available. but it won’t be meaningful to improving your actually done a Pomodori also offers year-round favourites, brand image.” few weddings. such as the organic cookies and cream gelato the staff whip up three times a week to meet the bUilDiNG THE bRAND We’ll do pans demand from a loyal crowd of local high school At Pomodori Artisan Pizza and Gelato in Rotheof gelato and students. say, N.B., making gelato in house is key to keepAccording to MacPherson, customers are ing with the restaurant’s brand, which emphasizes they’ll take that quick to make suggestions for their favourite flafood prepared from scratch, and from simple inand serve it as vours that may be missing from the display case. gredients. The restaurant keeps its gelato display But frequent requests may not always transform case stocked year-round. Throughout the winter, their dessert at into frequent sales. Although lemon sorbetto is a the quick-service eatery limits its offerings to five their wedding top customer request, the tart taste appeals to a flavours at a time. This minimizes wastage, since very particular segment of Pomodori’s clientele. the restaurant doesn’t keep its gelato past a week. reception.”

The gelato side of the business has opened up Come spring, the case is kept fully stocked with new opportunities for Pomodori, including desan ever-changing assortment of flavours.

“We’ve developed the recipes for about 25 flavours and that sert catering for weddings. “In the summer months, we’ve actujust constantly rotates in the case,” explains Janice MacPherson, ally done a few weddings. We’ll do pans of gelato and they’ll owner of Pomodori. Many of those flavours reflect the restau- take that and serve it as their dessert at their wedding reception,”

JUNE 2011 pizza 17

feature MacPherson says. The top flavour for these occasions is raspberry, “because it comes out in this beautiful pink colour.”

Pomodori charges a standard price for all of its gelato. The restaurant calculates the cost of its base custard, and carefully tracks the cost of any additions needed to produce each flavour. “Our average cost for adding all the other ingredients is pretty much steady across the board,” MacPherson explains. “We use a pure hazelnut paste for our hazelnut, and the cost of adding the hazelnut paste is just as expensive as it is to use our 70 per cent baking chocolate that we use for our dark chocolate gelato.”

To promote their gelato – and their restaurant – in the community, Pomodori teams up with a local children’s bookstore to offer young readers a free gelato on their birthday. The restaurant also incorporates gelato into its customer loyalty program. At the time of the interview, Pomodori was giving away vouchers to loyalty members, offering a free gelato with their next pie purchase.

The restaurant also promotes its new flavours on Facebook and Twitter, giving fans and followers tantalizing tips about which flavours are chilling in the display case.

GETTiNG STARTED Introducing a new product often brings unique challenges, and frozen desserts are no exception.

When Without Papers Pizza, a casual restaurant located in Calgary’s Inglewood neighbourhood, opened its doors in February, the weather outside was frightful. With temperatures frequently dipping below the -30 C mark, the restaurant’s clientele was preoccupied with staying warm, not keeping cool.

But despite its mid-winter opening, the pizzeria’s house-made ice cream was an instant hit.

The restaurant’s limited dessert menu features ice cream and floats. According to owner Jesse Johnson, this means that Without Papers Pizza sells “tons and tons” of ice cream.

For Johnson, the decision to make the ice cream in house, rather than

18 pizza JUNE 2011

source from a supplier, was an easy one. “We wanted to be able to ensure the quality and promote the fact that it’s made in house along with everything else that we do,” he says. The restaurant invested in an Italian Corema machine that can turn out five litres of ice cream in 15 minutes. The finished ice cream has a texture similar to soft-serve, and must be refrigerated to achieve and maintain the desired consistency. The ice cream is kept in one of two freezers: the front service unit is held at a slightly warmer temperature than the back storage unit, for easier scooping.

The decision to make ice cream inhouse may have been easy, but perfecting the process was anything but. “We had to tweak our recipe quite a bit because the machine that we got makes it in such large volumes that the first few batches that we were making just weren’t right.

They were either too granular or not sweet enough,” Johnson says. He sought advice from friends in the industry who operate the same machine, but even so, “it took us a good three or four weeks to actually nail it down.”

Storing the finished product properly is an ongoing challenge that keeps staff on their toes. “It’s not very exciting, but some nights you just look at the freezer and try to figure out why the ice cream’s not coming out perfect.

You turn the freezer one degree up, then one degree down,” Johnson says.

It’s not glamorous, but it is essential to maintaining the quality the restaurant strives for.

Without Papers Pizza offers four staple flavours – vanilla, chocolate, strawberry and pistachio – and two other options that vary from one day to the next. Servings are straightforward.

Three scoops of ice cream are served in a bowl, or, a single scoop is served on the side of the restaurant’s chocolate cake, as an up-sell.

With summer on its way, Johnson is already thinking about how to give both sit-down diners and walk-in traffic a quintessential summer experience: the ice cream cone. “I don’t think we’re ever going to sell the cone in house. We might actually crumble up the cone and

include it in the ice cream, just to get that texture,” Johnson explains. But, he adds, “We don’t want to do it in a cone in the restaurant just because I’m worried about a kid dropping it on the bench and ruining our fabric.”

He hasn’t decided yet if the restaurant will make ice cream cones in-house, but it’s a possibility he’s exploring.

Ice cream has sold well straight through a long, cold Prairie winter, leaving the restaurant little surplus supply to contend with. But now, with the arrival of summer, Johnson may find himself out of a job. “I’m the official get-rid-of-it person at night,” he admits, laughing.

SElliNG STRATEGiCAllY As with any other product, the folks at fsSTRATEGY stress that knowing your customers is key to deciding if frozen desserts are a good fit for your pizzeria.

“I think if you’re looking at it from a pizzeria’s standpoint, you’re looking less at novelties and more at offering a pint format or something that can be shared amongst the family, because that’s what pizzas are great for,” Waddington says. He adds that pizza and ice cream are both party-oriented foods, so offering a pie and pint package may be a way to market your cool treats.

For smaller, individual servings, Johnson suggests mimicking the packaging of larger servings of well-known brands. Take the traditional pint that Häagen-Dazs or Ben & Jerry’s comes in.

They re actually making a mini-version of that for individual servings, as opposed to those little sundae cups that we used to get, with a pop top and a little wooden spoon, she says.

Waddington adds that this is important because “people associate that pint with having a quality ice cream.”

Miniaturizing that perceived quality is key to capturing business from today’s cash-strapped consumers.

Beat a summer slowdown by offering customers the hottest flavours of all the cool treats they crave. When heat waves hit, your restaurant will be top of mind for all those backyard barbecuers who can’t bear to stand over a flaming grill on a sweltering summer night. •

feature

Tips for marketing like a master

BY BrANDI COWeN

A

nother Pizza Expo has come and gone. If you couldn’t make it down to Las Vegas this year, or if there was simply so much to see and do that you couldn’t attend every seminar, read on. Canadian Pizza magazine was there, and we’ve brought back lots of tips and tricks from masters of the trade.

Here are some great take-away tips to help market your pizzeria.

COMMUNiTY MARkETiNG During this 90-minute seminar, Scott Anthony, owner of Fox’s Pizza Den in Punxsutawney, Penn., opened up the floor, inviting a select group of operators to share their stories. Throughout the session, successes and struggles highlighted the importance of carefully planning a community marketing campaign. Here are a few highlights to help make your community initiative a success: • Be caught doing good. Promoting your good deeds can lead to a perception that you’re simply trying to gain media attention.

• Be sensitive to the challenges facing your community, and how they change over time. A fundraiser to benefit a local sports team may usually be a popular event, but in tough economic times, members of a struggling community may view the local food bank as a more worthy cause. You can’t please everyone all the time, but if you really listen to your community, you’ll find you can please most people most of the time.

• Develop a system for handling requests from groups that want to work with your pizzeria. Having a system in place can streamline how these requests are handled and empower staff to deal with requests that arise in your absence.

through the mail, would that envelope come back to you?

According to Ostrander, if you’ve got a good logo that people strongly associate with your brand, it just might.

• Show your customers how much you appreciate them in unexpected ways that encourage them to spread the word. One night Big Dave’s gave customers their orders for free. Suppliers offered product samples timed to coincide with the special night and all staff worked exclusively for tips. The unadvertised event was a big hit. Surprised customers spread the word to friends and family, driving new customers to the restaurant and making Big Dave’s the talk of the town for years to come.

ViRAl MARkETiNG “Big Dave” Ostrander, owner of Big Dave’s Pizza and Subs in Oscoda, Mich., and author of several books about operating a restaurant, offered the following suggestions to run a successful viral marketing campaign.

• There are two types of viral marketing: word of mouth and face to face, and online. Like a successful online viral marketing campaign, a successful word-of-mouth campaign requires a unique selling proposition to anchor your marketing in a customer’s brain.

• A memorable logo is an important tool in viral marketing. If you were to send an envelope with your logo but no address

JUNE 2011 pizza 19

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iNTERNET AND SOCiAl MEDiA Joel Cohen, a restaurant marketing expert and founder of Cohen Restaurant Marketing Group, offered these tips to make the most of the online and social media tools in your marketing mix.

• Guests visiting your web page want to see your address, a map of your location, operating hours, an e-mail address to contact you, your phone number listed on every page of your site, and an up-to-date, downloadable PDF menu. Things they don’t want to see include Flash intros, stock images, hard-to-read fonts, clashing colours or site meters that track how many visitors have come before them. Guests also prefer websites that avoid looping audio.

• Many popular search engines look for geographical content when generating search results. Google Places returns a list of local search results before generating the actual search results. Bing and Yahoo! also use geographical information to generate hits. Help search engines find your site by including address information in your site’s title tag, giving directions to your pizzeria from major landmarks, and embedding a map

on your site that shows where your pizzeria is located. You can even use tools like the website www.geo-tag. de to insert a geographical metatag on every page of your site.

• A 2010 study by the marketing firm Hubspot found that morning is the best time to send e-mail. This is when people tend to be checking their messages, and click through rates are at their highest. The best day to send e-mail is Saturday; people are less pressured to get through the mail in their inboxes and more likely to actually read your messages and visit any links indicated. The worst days to send e-mail are Tuesdays and Wednesdays. On these days, message recipients are the most likely to unsubscribe from a mailing list.

• Develop a comprehensive social media marketing plan that will offer customers something of value. Establish a voice and personality for your brand, and then deploy it across your entire campaign. Link between your website, blog, Facebook, Twitter and YouTube pages to drive traffic to the various components of your online marketing campaign and build brand awareness in your community. •

the pizza chef

Diana Coutu

very summer is a challenge for pizzeria owners. The nice weather coupled with holidays typically finds our regular customers away from their usual habits. Barbecue season can wreak havoc on our sales as many enjoy being outdoors and cooking with fire. It’s important to have a promotion that will keep your customers interested in coming back. One of my favourite marketing campaigns that always bumps up sales is what we call our Charlie Roo Birthday Scratch & Win promotion.

My husband and I have a chocolate miniature pinscher named Charlie Roo, who is well known among our clientele because he makes a regular appearance in our monthly newsletter and also at our customer appreciation events. You could say he’s become our unofficial store mascot. Because he was born in August, every August we have a birthday scratch-and-win promotion in his honour. These cards are designed and printed by a scratch-off company and, at our request, have a picture of Charlie Roo wearing a Hawaiian shirt and sunglasses. The picture does a great job of grabbing attention. It’s not every day that you see a little dog wearing a Hawaiian shirt and sunglasses!

We give the customer a Charlie Roo Birthday Scratch & Win card with every order in July with specific instructions to bring it back unscratched beginning in August. This is when it’s important to have scripting for your staff. What I mean by scripting is that you should provide your staff with the words to say as they hand out the birthday scratch cards; otherwise, they’re likely to botch the explanation and confuse the cus-

E

22 pizza JUNE 2011

Beat the barbecue with a scratch and win tomer. “Every card is a winner,” my they know their good behaviour will staff say. “The catch is that it’s not valid be rewarded.

The exciting part begins in August before August 1 and that it must be presented unscratched to one of our deliv- when the cards become valid, provided ery drivers or in-store staff. Good luck they are presented unscratched to my staff. My customers have . . . and no scratching!” had one or more of these The cards list five birthday cards in their prizes that might be unWe have a homes or vehicles since derneath the silver butJuly and by this time ton. Our five prizes are small number they really want to know a free two-litre pop, a of qualifiers for what prize is underneath $5, $10 or $25 voucher towards their order, and the grand prize that silver button. Especially when they’ve been a grand prize of $200 because if we told that they’re holding in gift certificates to our a winning card. We’ve pizzeria. You can choose only had one been running this promoany prizes that you’d like winning card tion every year for four to give away for your years and it has consispizzeria, but keep in it would be a tently helped to increase mind that the majority shame if the our sales every August of our prizes are the $5 voucher, with a smaller winning birthday over the previous year.

Once you understand the percentage of the bigger card never dynamics of this promoprizes. We have a small tion, it’s easy to adapt number of qualifiers for came back. it to other similar slowthe grand prize because if season busters. Perhaps we only had one winning one of the biggest lessons card for the grand prize it would be a shame if the winning birth- to keep in mind is that it’s not up to your customers to remember your pizday card never came back.

Of course, there are always a few zeria, rather it’s up to you to make sure people who will scratch off the sil- that your customers do not forget ver button immediately after my staff your pizzeria.• member has explained the promotion and handed them the card. In those Diana Coutu is a two-time Canadian Pizza magazine chef of the year champion, an internationally recognized cases we tear up the scratched card, gourmet pizzaiolo, the co-owner of Diana’s Gourmet hand them another card and calmly Pizzeria in Winnipeg, Man., and a member of the board explain the promotion again, ask- of directors for the CRFA. In addition to creating awardwinning recipes, Diana is also a consultant to other ing them not to scratch this card and pizzeria owner/operators in menu development, creating to put it in a safe place until the fol- systems to run a pizzeria on autopilot, along with lowing month. Almost all my regulars marketing and positioning to help operators grow their businesses effectively and strategically. She is available enjoy this promotion and new custom- for consulting on a limited basis; for more information ers like to play along, especially when contact her at Diana@dianasgourmetpizzeria.ca.

marketing insights

Michelle Brisebois our wine list is an essential component of strategic planning. After all, a strong offering of vintages will increase cheque averages, complement your menu and provide a point of difference from your competition. Wine consumption increases year over year and the category is poised for incredible growth. A study conducted by British firm ISWR for Vinexpo (the international wine and spirits exhibition being held in Bordeaux June 19 to 23) confirms that Canada’s wine consumption is expanding. The study forecasts that wine sales by volume are expected to increase another 19 per cent by 2014, while average worldwide volume growth totals 3.18 per cent. In the span of 10 years, Canada’s wine consumption will have grown six times faster than the world average, says Xavier de Eizaguirre, president of Vinexpo. However, much like characters in a play, each kind of wine has a specific role and knowing how to cast it effectively on your menu can translate into great success and profitability for your restaurant. Here’s a look at the characters vying for stardom in your cellar.

Perfect pairings

Y

RiESliNG Think Katherine Hepburn: clear, classic and able to play a wide range of roles and accompany a variety of menu items.

Rieslings are great with fish, salads and Sushi. Riesling is a safe bet for servers stuck for a white wine pairing suggestion because it goes well with so many things.

Riesling may not be new news, but it’s certainly well established and popular.

The cool climates of Ontario and Germany produce some of the best Rieslings in the world, so if you want a solid Canadian wine on the menu, Riesling is a good choice.

With global wine sales poised to increase 19 per cent by 2014, a strong wine list can boost your bottom line.

SAUViGNON blANC It’s been reported that Sauvignon means “wild or savage grape.” It could very well be the Angelina Jolie of your wine list with the way its bold character stands up to strong dishes. Sauvignon Blanc whites are known for their tropical fruit, melon and grassy green notes. These wines are beautiful with asparagus or white pizza with green peppers and goat’s cheese. Any wines with lovely acidity like this pair well with salty cheeses in the same way a tequila/salt combination works.

ViOGNiER This is an up-and-coming, trendy white varietal that’s starting to appear in Canadian vineyards. Viognier is the Marilyn Munroe of the menu: luscious, full-bodied and able to go toe to toe with many flavours. Viognier is known for its floral nose (smell) but delivers some weight on the palate. As a result, Viognier pairs beautifully with risotto, cheese and Thai.

CHARDONNAY Always full bodied, sometimes buttery, with characteristic toasty notes that remind one of a bonfire, Chardonnay makes a vivid, rich character, like the beloved and recently deceased Elizabeth Taylor. Canada’s climate produces wonderful Chardonnays and there’s nothing better enjoyed with a warm piece of focaccia or fettuccine Alfredo.

CAbERNET FRANC Grown especially well in the Loire Valley of France and Ontario, Cabernet Franc has been touted by Vines magazine as a trendy wine with younger consumers. Cabernet Franc crossed with Sauvignon Blanc produced the Cabernet Sauvignon grape, which probably makes it the Brad Pitt of varietal wines. Cab Franc likes growing in a cooler climate and typically shows notes of blackberries with hints of green pepper. A most interesting wine, it pairs beautifully with pizza with green peppers and is awesome with lamb.

Continued on page 25 JUNE 2011 pizza 23

making dough with Diane

8 tips to revamp your restaurant Diane Chiasson he quality of service you offer can determine whether or not customers will visit your pizza operation again. Your employees are a vital part of your organization and training new hires well is essential to running a successful business. Some restaurant and foodservice operators think that if you show new employees how to ring in an order and operate the cash register their training is done. This is a big mistake.

Training an employee properly takes time and patience. It is a privilege and a huge responsibility. Taking the time to do a good job could mean the difference between bringing on board a valuable new team member who stays with your operation long term and hiring someone who quits after just a few months.

Here are nine ideas to help ensure your new hires are trained right, and ready to contribute to your pizzeria’s success.

t

PUT TOGETHER A TRAiNiNG MANUAl One of the most important tools for training new employees is a proper operational training manual. This manual is essential for maintaining consistency throughout your operation. Your customers expect to eat the exact same food and receive the exact same level of service each time they come into your operation, whether it’s employee A or employee B cooking or serving. The manual should contain information about uniforms, break times, setup, cleanup, the specific responsibilities of each job in the restaurant, how to handle difficult customers, coupons/ promotions, and any other information that an employee may need to refer to if a situation arises. If you are unsure how to assemble a proper training manual, look online for templates that you can purchase or hire a consultant to help you put one together.

24 pizza JUNE 2011

HOMEWORk FOR NEW HiRES Along with your training manual, you should provide your employees with paperwork they can study at home. This can include recipes, steps of service, or any other vital information that your employees need to know to do their jobs well. You can train your employees verbally, but often 90 per cent of what you tell them will go in one ear and right out the other. It can be quite overwhelming to start a new job, so giving your employees some homework can allow them to learn your operation on their own time.

GiVE A PROPER TOUR Never have the attitude that a new employee should just start working and will figure things out along the way. Make sure that each new employee is given a full tour of your entire operation, and explain how each area of your operation is set up and why.

ExPlAiN EqUiPMENT AND SAFETY Make sure that you review all the equipment in your operation, and the proper safety precautions for each piece. Show your employees how to operate each piece of equipment step by step, and allow them to practice while you watch.

You can tell a person how to do something over and over again, but the only way they will really learn is with handson practice.

GiVE A PROPER iNTRODUCTiON It can be quite intimidating to start a new job where all the other employees are friendly with each other. Make sure that you properly introduce your new hire to every single person in your operation, and that your staff welcomes your new hire.

GET TO kNOW YOUR NEW EMPlOYEE Sit down with your new employee for lunch or a drink, and talk to them in a more informal setting. Tell him or her about yourself and discuss the history of your operation.

Share any anecdotes you have about your restaurant. Tell your new employee about your Christmas parties or other staff events to show him or her that your pizzeria is a fun place to work. iNTRODUCE EMPlOYEES TO YOUR FOOD In order for your new employees to be able to sell your food and drinks, they must have an opinion about them. Make sure your new employee tries every single item on your menu. He should also study the menu inside and out, and learn all the add-ons, preparation, ingredients and prices of each item.

DON’T lEAVE THE jOb UP TO OTHERS Many owners and operators of a restaurant may leave training up to their best server.

It’s easy to just have your new employee shadow your top server, following him or her around for a few shifts to see how things work. While this is not a bad thing, it shouldn’t be the only training your new employee receives. Your top server may also be passing on bad habits and gossip, and could even be resentful of having a shadow, and fail to do a good job training. If you use the shadowing method, make sure that you keep a close eye on what is happening. Sit down with your new employee at the end of the shift to go over things.

GiVE A PERFORMANCE REViEW A few weeks after your new employee has

Continued on page 26

marketing insights

pErfEct pairings Continued from page 23 MERlOT Meet the Frank Sinatra of varietals.

Smooth, silky, yet when crafted properly, incredibly powerful. Merlot seduces without taking over the experience of the meal. It’s especially food-friendly and complements tomato sauce on pizza without overpowering it, yet stands up to the meat and the vegetables. If the particular Merlot has some nice earthy notes, mushrooms are especially good to pair with it.

SHiRAz (SYRAH) Shiraz and Syrah are made from the same grape. The only difference is in the winemaking style, with Syrah being a bit more structured and food-friendly and Shiraz bolder with peppery notes. These grape siblings could be compared to Ben and

Casey Affleck. Shiraz (Ben) is more well – known, but Syrah (Casey) is well regarded too . . . if a little less famous. A Shiraz on your menu will get traction because it’s such a popular wine. Syrah may be the more food-friendly, but it won’t get the name recognition. This varietal is a great choice with pizza that boasts a nice layer of spicy meats. It can stand the heat.

MAlbEC Malbec is often described as the rustic version of Merlot. If Merlot is Frank Sinatra, then Malbec is Justin Timberlake. It’s like Merlot but a bit edgier, jammier and softer, but still with a backbone. It’s a great choice with tomato sauces, cheddar cheeses and lasagna. This Argentinian varietal is definitely trendy, so keep your eyes peeled for a good one. bUbblES People tend to think of sparkling wines

only at anniversaries or other celebrations, but chances are they’re celebrating these occasions at your restaurant anyway, so a bottle of sparkling will truly make it special. It’s a great way to cleanse the palate between courses and never fails to put everyone in a celebratory mood.

In a class by itself, sparkling is the chameleon of wines, pairing beautifully with any food it meets. If sparkling wine were a famous actress, it would most likely be Meryl Streep. Do carry a great sparkling wine and promote it on your menu for special occasions . . . like tonight.

A great wine selection can make the meal and your establishment more memorable. Keep this handy cast of characters in mind when planning your wine menu. • Michelle Brisebois is a marketing professional with experience in the food, pharmaceutical, financial services and wine industries. She specializes in retail brand strategies.

JUNE 2011 pizza 25

feature 8 tips to rEvamp Your rEstaurant Continued from page 24 been given the green light to work on her own, be sure to give a performance review.

If she is doing a good job, let her know in order to help build her confidence and attitude. If she is making mistakes, point them

out immediately so they do not happen again. In fact, it is important to give monthly or bimonthly performance reviews to all employees. You may lose control of your operation to your employees if you leave them too long to their own devices.

Use these nine aspects of training to ensure your training program is giving justice to your new hire and your pizzeria. •

Diane Chiasson, FCSI, president of Chiasson Consultants Inc., has been helping restaurant, foodservice, hospitality and retail operators increase sales for over 25 years. Her company provides innovative and revenue-increasing foodservice and retail merchandising programs, interior design, branding, menu engineering, marketing and promotional campaigns, and much more. Contact her at 416-926-1338, toll-free at 1-888-926-6655 or chiasson@chiassonconsultants.com, or visit www.chiassonconsultants.com.

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pizza on fire

Tom Stankiewicz he arrival of each spring always gets people eagerly anticipating those gorgeous summer weekends to spend outside with their families. It’s tough not to notice the many well-promoted and -attended local festivals organized by cities and towns. And, no matter the occasion, there are always vendors offering food. Don’t be surprised if your sales volume decreases a bit because some of your customers are eating at the festivals.

Whether to register as a vendor at one of these events or simply concentrate on what you’ve been doing for years is a big decision.

The answer is never a simple yes or no.

The first thing you need to analyze is the actual cost of entering the event. Normally you must pay a registration fee and obtain a permit in order to operate your business outdoors. You’ll need to invest money in purchasing such equipment as small gas pizza ovens and fryers. The equipment will largely depend on what you plan to offer.

Nonetheless, you’ll have to purchase some type of equipment: you won’t be able to borrow it from your existing pizza store, as you’ll need to have both locations open at the same time.

Events are great opportunities to introduce your product to new customers. However, it will be impossible to offer everything that’s on your menu. The goal is to have as many people try your pizza as possible, so it helps to keep the menu very simple. For example, pick no more than three pizza toppings and limit the combinations. To speed up the process and avoid long lineups, create no more than three special offers. With fewer choices, people are less likely to get distracted, and will be able to place their orders quickly. From a business perspective, keeping things simple is very efficient because it allows you to prepare the

Deciding to feed the party

t

28 pizza JUNE 2011

At a community event, the goal is to get as many people as possible to try your pizza.

slices ahead of time.

You will also need to decide on the actual structure of your venue. That is, will you operate your business from a specifically designed tent or from a movable vehicle such as a converted RV? The tent option would definitely cost less than the RV, but, on the other hand, the RV is probably more durable and will last longer. The decision will come down to how much you’re willing to spend and how often you plan to participate in such events. Size will matter as well. My understanding is that the RV is usually smaller and more congested. In a tent you have more freedom to arrange your table and equipment to suit your needs.

The cost of additional advertising will need to be taken into account as well. You will need some flyers or signs posted in your store to let your customers know that you will be there. It’s a very good idea to have discount coupons printed to give to every purchasing client at the event. This will encourage them to visit your pizza store and become a loyal customer. That being said, the money you put into advertising for the event should definitely pay off through the simple fact that hundreds of people will see your business logo. That is a

huge advertisement on its own.

The weather is one thing that you can’t control, but it is the most important factor in the success of the event. If it happens to be cold or rainy, then you might be looking at minimal sales due to lower crowds visiting. Unfortunately, there isn’t anything you can do to prevent bad weather. Unlike other risks that you can at least minimize, this one is all up to Mother Nature. It alone could affect your investment negatively.

There are some businesses that are always visible during those outdoor festivals. At first glance, you think that it must be profitable to be there if they are always there. One thing to remember is that some of those businesses are part of larger franchises that most likely have money set aside for such events. Small independent pizza businesses like ours need to carefully determine if the cost of participation outweighs the benefits of advertising of your business name. Sometimes it’s necessary to pay and lose some money in order to gain and increase your profit in the long run. • Tom Stankiewicz has been in the pizza business for more than 15 years. He has been the proprietor of Bondi’s Pizza in London, Ont., since 2000 and is president of the Canadian Pizza Team.

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