Next stop:
PIZZA
Joining a food tour could put your pizzeria on the map
Volume 21 Issue 3 June 2015
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12 NEXT STOP: PIZZA
A growth in food tourism is offering pizzerias and restaurants a unique way to sell their stories
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14 THE EXPERIMENTER
COVER: Food tours are catching on and appealing to Canadians’ – especially millennials’ – sense of adventure. Could aligning your pizzeria with a tour put your pizzeria on the map? See page 12. Main photo courtesy Caffe Roma & Lounge
Canadian Pizza Chef of the Year runner-up Vito Dachille has gained a taste for competition
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editor’s desk pizza bites
the pizza chef
making dough
marketing insights guest column new products pizza on fire
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“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
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The “Real Italian” Tomato Company 1202 “D” Street
Modesto, CA 95354 Toll Free 1-800-327-7201 ©2010 Stanislaus Food Products
from the editor’s desk June 2015, Vol. 21, No. 3
Telling stories A
tale well told draws everyone in. The key to good storytelling is emotion, and in the world of food, emotion can be evoked by appealing to the senses. Describing your pizza – the crispness of your oven-baked crust, the scent of your fresh herbs or the tanginess of your cheese – is a great way to prime people’s senses and remind them why your pie is unique. When you combine that with the journey of the family recipe through generations, you have a powerful package. There are many ways to share the story behind your business or products: hang family photos on your pizzeria wall, include a biography on your menu and Facebook page, post a photo of your pizza of the week – or ingredient of the week – on your website and share through social media. The key is communication. Let customers know who you are and what you’re up to, and, ideally, do it in a creative way. And find out what they are up to. Customers – especially the under-40 crowd – love to share details of their lives and express their personalities. You can make the most of this trait by encouraging them to do just that, as Pizza Hut did with its tonguein-cheek campaign urging customers to leave their significant other for pizza on Valentine’s Day and share their break-up story online to win prizes. But you don’t need a high-profile ad agency to create buzz and attention for your pizzeria. Case in point: YYC Pizza Week. Last September more than 40 of Calgary’s pizza restaurants engaged in a 10-day pizza battle, putting up their best pizza in one of three categories: thin, thick or unique. Winners were determined by an online public vote announced at a wrap party – providing yet another opportunity to put pizza in the spotlight. Food tourism is starting to catch on in Canada and may be a good fit for your pizzeria. Our cover story, “Next stop: pizza,”
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Editor Laura Aiken laiken@annexweb.com 416-522-1595 Associate Editor Colleen Cross ccross@annexweb.com 519-428-3471 ext. 26
on page 12, shows how a nine-stop tour of Little Italy in Vancouver’s Gastown area uses complementary foods such as spaghetti, cannoli and gelato to provide visitors with an engaging experience on an Italian theme. “It’s all about the experience,” says Agatha Podgorski of the Ontario Culinary Tour Alliance, in Julie Fitz-Gerald’s story. If you can provide visitors with a glimpse into your business – a look at your ovens, a cheese tasting, a dough demo or something as simple as a chat with the chef – you’ve got the makings of a pizza destination Our columnists offer interesting perspectives on marketing. Michelle Brisebois explores how achieving and promoting a designation such as VPN can give your pizza a sense of place and your business a point of difference. Diana Cline describes her favourite direct-mail campaigns and Tom Stankiewicz gives tips on competing in contests and marketing your win. While we’re on that subject, the Canadian Pizza Chef of the Year competition provides a unique opportunity for pizzaiolos from across the country to showcase their skills. Our annual Canadian Pizza Show, set for Oct. 19, has added to the roster three exciting new competitions: Junior Chef of the Year, the Champion of Champions Challenge for past winners and the Great Pizza Box Fold-Off. You’ll find details about the show and competitions at our redesigned and mobile-friendly website, www.canadianpizzamag.com. Online entry opens June 15, and spots are limited, so don’t delay in throwing your chef’s hat into the ring. Sharing your recipes, skills and ideas with your Canadian pizza community is another great way to get your story out there. •
@CdnPizzaMag
Publisher Christine Livingstone clivingstone@annexweb.com 519-429-5173 888-599-2228 ext. 239 Account Coordinator Shannon Drumm sdrumm@annexweb.com 888-599-2228, ext. 219 Media Designer Alison Keba Group Publisher Martin McAnulty mmcanulty@annexweb.com Director of Soul/COO Sue Fredericks 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 email: subscribe@canadianpizzamag.com Published seven times per year (Jan/Feb, Apr/May, Jun, Jul/Aug, Sept/Oct, Nov, Dec), by Annex Publishing & Printing Inc. Printed in Canada ISSN 1203-6838 Circulation email: subscribe@canadianpizzamag.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 $ 19.00 (+ applicable tax) Best pricing (Can/USA/foreign) available online at www.canadianpizzamag.com 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. ©2015 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
pizzabites Pizza exec new Restaurants Canada chair aul Methot, senior vice-president of operations for Pizza Pizza, was elected chair of the board of Restaurants Canada for 201516 at the association’s annual meeting March 2. As chair, Methot, who has served on the Restaurants Canada board since 2004, will oversee the trade association. The association represents 30,000 businesses in Canada’s $68-billion restaurant industry. “We are the growth industry that never stops growing. People have to eat, they want to enjoy themselves and our industry provides those unique events, venues, and products for tomorrow’s generation,” said Methot in a news release. “We deserve greater recognition by all levels of government for the jobs we provide, the businesses and opportunities we create and for our unique contributions to feeding our great country. I look forward to delivering this message and I’m determined to achieve results to support our Canadian businesses.” Methot is in charge of Pizza Pizza’s restaurant operations, including call centre, food distribution and manufacturing. The Pizza Pizza network, including Pizza73, encompasses more than 700 restaurants across Canada with over 7,000 people working in their system. His favourite pizza? Hawaiian with bacon.
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Smaller portions, new flavours can offset rising beef, pork prices S
maller portions and “value” cuts prepared with unique seasonings, spices, sauces and condiments may help cut costs and create customer interest in these proteins, suggests a recent report by reserach firm Technomic. Most consumers who eat beef (91 per cent) and pork (66 per cent) do so as a centre-of-the-plate option at least once a week. However, a sharpened focus on healthful eating and rising commodity prices are impacting consumption. Health is the top consumption deterrent for both beef and pork. Further, more than a fifth of consumers who eat beef entrées say rising beef prices have caused them to dine out less often or order fewer beef entrées at restaurants than they did a year ago. How can operators and suppliers turn the tide? “Smaller portions and ‘value’ cuts prepared with unique seasonings, spices, sauces and condiments may help cut costs and spur consumer interest in these proteins,” said Kelly Weikel, Director, Consumer Insights at Technomic, in a news release. “Communicating nutritional content and
utilizing health-halo descriptors can help address negative health perceptions and may boost incremental sales, particularly among younger consumers.” “Center of The Plate: Beef and Pork Consumer Trend Report” highlights insights: • Flavourful spices, glazes, marinades, sauces and condiments can convey a premium aspect to beef and pork entrees that may justify higher price points to consumers. • Health-halo descriptors like “lean” and “organic” boost both health and taste perceptions for beef and pork. A majority of consumers (65 per cent) find items described as “natural” to be more healthful and 44 per cent find them to be tastier. Eighty-four per cent find items described as “lean” to be more healthful, while 43 per cent find lean to be tastier. • Social responsibility will become more important for beef and pork; many who eat beef and pork place high importance on humane animal treatment and country of origin labels.
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pizzabites
Sysco Canada to purchase Ottawa-based Tannis Trading ysco Canada will acquire Tannis Trading, a foodservice distributor in Ottawa. The distribution facility will remain in Ottawa, Sysco said in a news release. While financial terms of the proposed transaction were not disclosed, Tannis Trading had revenues of approximately $118 million Cdn in its most recent fiscal year. The transaction’s completion is subject to review by Canadian regulatory agencies. “Tannis has a 75-year history of
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providing quality service to customers in Ottawa, Canada’s fourth-largest metropolitan market, and the surrounding areas,” said Randy White, president of Sysco Canada, in the release. “This acquisition demonstrates Sysco’s commitment to better serve our customers, improve our service footprint, grow our business and achieve our goal of increasing sales in Canada.” Tannis’ distribution facility in Ottawa will remain in place along with the existing employees and management team.
Campaign highlights Italian products he Italian Trade Commission in Canada has launched a “Made in Italy” campaign designed to educate and inform Canadians about the difference between authentic Italian and imitation Italian-sounding food products. “This is the largest campaign in the Italian Trade Commission’s history, with the goal of providing consumers with the tools and information to differentiate between authentic Italian and Italian-sounding products,” said Italian Trade Commissioner to Canada Pasquale Bova in a news release. “These imitation products aren’t held to the same quality standards that make Italian-made products so special.” Consumer information highlighted throughout the national campaign may be found at www.Italianmade.com, a website that includes a blog and e-newsletter, photos, inspirational video, recipes and consumer tips. The video provides a clear message on the focus of the campaign and supports consumers on making informed decisions at the supermarket. This will be supplemented by digital advertising, a proprietary logo, public relations and a social media campaign using Facebook, YouTube, Pinterest and Twitter channels to share content and engage with Canadians to build a community of authentic Italian food lovers using #madeinitaly. Understanding the market’s appetite for Italian foods drove the development of the campaign and national research was commissioned to determine Canadian attitudes towards authentic Italian food. More than half of the respondents (58 per cent) agreed they would be willing to pay more for authentic Italian products, with 41 per cent believing that products made in Italy are superior to their Italian-sounding counterparts. Differentiating between the two is the primary objective of the campaign, with 79 per cent of respondents stating they would be encouraged to purchase Italian products if the products were identified as authentic.
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New pizzeria fires up the barbecue new gas-grill barbecue pizza concept has opened in Toronto. Za Pizzeria, which sells thin crust barbecued pizzas made in less than five minutes, has opened its doors on Bloor Street West, co-owners Jason and Lisa Costantini said in a news release. The Costantinis have developed their unconventional cooking method by altering the gas grills found in most restaurant kitchens and converting them using pizza stones to create custom pizza barbecues.
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The restaurant has been designed so that customers can watch their dough being stretched, tossed and dressed before being barbecued for two minutes. Za’s Feature pizzas will be changed on a regular basis and will include such combinations as the Duck & Grapes, which is topped with buffalo mozzarella, duck confit, roasted grapes and balsamic reduction, and the Blue Bison, which features wild blueberry sauce, blue cheese and bison.
Ricco expands to supply full-service restaurants icco Foodservice is expanding its operation to keep up with its growing inventory of product lines for full-service restaurants. The Ontario distributor added a sixth refrigerated delivery truck in 2014 and further expanded its warehouse by adding 13,000 square feet, 5,000 of which is freezer space. Almost 1,000 SKUs were recently added to the company’s product line. Ricco also recently complemented its sales staff with two territory managers: Todd Cordell was hired to handle the London and Sarnia areas, and Brian Campbell was hired to oversee sales efforts in areas north of Strathroy, including Listowel, as well as Chatham, Wallaceburg and other neighbouring regions. The 24-year-old food distribution business began life in an 1,800-square-foot warehouse in south London, Ont. “Deliveries were made using the company’s 12-foot cube van and Dodge extend-a-van,” the company said in a news release. In May 1998, following two expansions, they relocated to Strathroy to a new building covering more than 10,000 square feet, later adding a neighbouring 3,500-square-foot warehouse for excess inventory.
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In the spring of 2008, they broke ground on an 8,000-square-foot addition to the existing building for a total of more than 20,000 square feet. Cordell, who was with the company 22 years ago and recently returned, cited volume within the company’s existing clientele and the desire to fulfil a niche market as reasons for the physical growth of the operation. “We’ve always been a one-stop pizza shop supplier, but now we’re expanding to supply the full-service restaurant,” he told Canadian Pizza. They still provide “everything to do with pizza” but have branched out into baked and protein products with an eye toward providing a full range of products to other restaurant clients. A recent trend has been in items for the barbecue, he said, pointing to brisket, ribs and a new line of value-added chicken products as examples. “We are already looking forward to another expansion in the near future,” the release said.
Blaze FastFire’d Pizza to expand into Canada merican build-your-own pizza chain Blaze Fast-Fire’d Pizza has signed a franchise agreement with Five Star Blaze Holdings to develop Blaze Pizza restaurants in Canada. The deal includes plans to open a minimum of 60 franchise units in Ontario, Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba and Saskatchewan. The fast-casual pizza chain, known for its chef-driven recipes and casually hip restaurants, is targeting Toronto, Edmonton and Calgary for the first restaurants, the company said in a news release. Five Star Blaze Holdings, Inc. is a wholly owned subsidiary of Cypress Five Star and is led by Robert Baxter, Blair Walker and Darven Erickson. Cypress Five Star, LLC is the largest franchisee in the Five Guys Burgers & Fries chain with 41 franchise restaurants in Canada and, through an affiliate, two additional franchise restaurants in Wyoming. “The global trends behind the booming fast-casual restaurant segment – better quality, customization and premium environment – are also driving Blaze Pizza’s popularity and rapid expansion,” Baxter said. “We’ve already introduced fast-casual burgers to Canada and are excited to do the same with fast-casual pizza.” “Pizza is a huge category but, if you think about it, there really isn’t an option for a good fast pizza,” Walker said. “We think that Blaze Pizza’s assembly-line format will translate successfully into Canada as well as around the globe.” “We’re very pleased to be entering Canada with the experienced leaders at Cypress Five Star,” said Jim Mizes, president and COO of Blaze Pizza. “This is our first international deal, so we were very careful to select the right franchise partner. We feel that Cypress Five Star has the proven track record, financial capital and local Canadian market knowledge necessary to execute the Blaze Pizza brand to our high standards.”
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the pizza chef
Focus on your best customers Diana Cline
’m often asked for advice on how to get more new customers. The truth is, it’s difficult, especially these days. Statistics show that a potential new customer needs to see your ad, menu or flyer seven to 10 times before they even consider doing business with your establishment. Knowing those odds, perhaps it’s best to focus more on your existing customers. Customer retention is a great marketing strategy. Yet many businesses take it for granted that just because you bought something there once, you will do so again and again. Think of all the businesses you visit regularly, and ask yourself what have they done to let you know they appreciate it? A lot of places are guilty of assuming you know how valuable you are to them, but a business that takes the time to show it will definitely stand apart from the crowd. There are several ways to let your customers know that their business is important to you. Here are a couple of my favourites. Red ticket, green ticket: this promotion is a direct-mail strategy that rewards your best customers and gives them a gift for their friend. Here’s how it works: buy two rolls of admission tickets – also known as beer or liquor tickets, one red and one green. Take your best customers and mail them a red ticket and a green ticket along with a letter explaining that you’d like to thank them for their business and give them a free large, two-topping pizza when they redeem their red ticket. In the letter, ask them to help grow your business by word-of-mouth advertising, tell them to give the green ticket to one of their friends who has never been to your pizzeria and you’ll give their friend a free
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medium, two-topping pizza. This promotion is a win-win. Your best customers will be grateful that you thought enough to mail them a gift and they’ll also feel extra special when they give their friend a free medium pizza – all because they already do business with you. This strategy rewards your best customers and enlists their help to grow your business and look like a superstar while they do it! You’ve no doubt heard the saying “birds of a feather flock together”? This strategy introduces you in a most positive way to another potential great customer. Remember to include a menu for their friend with the letter. This next strategy is also a lot of fun. I call it “Puzzling isn’t it?” Here’s how it works: buy two identical puzzles and assemble one of them. Remove 10 random pieces from the assembled puzzle and assign them each a value, for example, piece number 1 is worth a $10 gift certificate, piece number 2 is worth a $20 gift certificate, and so on. Next, glue the puzzle together without the missing pieces and mount it on a board. Glue the missing pieces to another board indicating each one’s number. Put both boards in a prominent location in your customer area. Mail the second puzzle out piece by piece to your customers with a letter explaining this promotion. Our letter usually begins with the headline “Why have we sent you a piece of a jigsaw puzzle? Puzzling isn’t it?” The letter we send out talks about how fortunate we are to have them as a regular customer. It explains how many other businesses aren’t thriving in this economy and that we think it’s because those businesses don’t have the same great customers that we have. That’s like
the missing pieces of the puzzle. The letter goes on to explain the value assigned to each missing piece and wishes them luck that their piece is one of them. We invite the customer to come in and check their puzzle piece against the missing pieces – and our drivers also carry a photocopy of the pieces to check at the door. Because we want everyone to have fun with this promotion, we say every puzzle piece is a winner. Puzzle pieces that don’t match up with the missing ones are redeemed for a voucher for free parmesan garlic sticks or a side salad with the customer’s next order. This promotion is a lot of fun: when the missing pieces are found both the customer and staff are thrilled, but even if their puzzle piece isn’t a big winner, the customer still gets a reward for playing along. The other benefit of this promotion is the puzzle being on display in your customer area. People can’t help but ask what the puzzle is for, and when we explain to them it’s a promotion for our best customers, they want to play too. Both campaigns are direct-mail promotions that reward your best customers and give them something positive to talk about with their friends and families. When you focus on your best customers, you won’t be able to stop the flow of great word-of-mouth advertising. • Diana Cline is a two-time Canadian Pizza Magazine chef of the year champion, internationally recognized gourmet pizzaiolo, owner of Diana’s Cucina & Lounge in Winnipeg, Man., and a director for the CRFA from 2009 to 2013. In addition to creating award-winning recipes, Diana is also a consultant to other pizzeria owner/operators in menu development, creating systems to run a pizzeria on autopilot, along with marketing and positioning to help operators grow their business effectively and strategically. She is available for consulting on a limited basis, for more information contact her at dianaslcline@gmail.com.
cover story
Next stop: pizza A growth in food tourism is offering pizzerias and restaurants a unique way to sell their stories BY JULIE FITZ-GERALD
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ecent growth in Canada’s tourism industry combined with the rising popularity of culinary travel presents a lucrative opportunity for Canadian pizzerias. Canada saw more than 17.1 million international tourists between January and December 2014. It’s an increase of more than three per cent, amounting to 537,000 more tourists than the previous year. As tourism grows in Canada, a global trend has emerged in the area of food tourism. The Ontario Culinary Tour Alliance (OCTA) is a non-profit organization that’s been consulting on food and beverage-themed tourism development for close to a decade. “We connect tastemakers all across the province, including chefs, restaurateurs, farmers, media and government. We try to tell those stories between the different organizations to make connections that create lasting products within the province. When we say ‘products,’ we don’t necessarily mean packages, it’s all about the experience,” explains Agatha Podgorski, community manager for OCTA. The organization teamed up with New
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York-based company, Skift – the largest industry intelligence and marketing platform in travel – to produce a report entitled, “The Rise of Culinary Tourism.” The in-depth report released earlier this year delves into food tourism, identifying the reasons for its growth, what culinary travellers want and how destination marketing organizations (DMOs) can capitalize on this growing segment of travel. The report cites several factors for the rising interest in food tourism, including food-focused media and social media, a farm-to-table movement among large travel brands, and high-profile events highlighting local food. Julia Gilmore, food tourism product developer with OCTA, says the report examines what the new food tourist looks like; and the findings may surprise you. “The idea of a food tourist was someone who was retired with an income and time to travel. But what we’re seeing is that it’s really taken hold with the millennial generation, so young people who are travelling for great food tourism experiences. Their expectations are getting higher. As food tourism grows and
expands, it’s not enough to say, ‘We try to use local when we can on a menu.’ They want to know who that producer is, if they can go and meet them and really make those connections,” Gilmore says. The immense purchasing power of the millennial generation is eye-opening. A 2014 Skift report, “The Rise of the Millennial Traveler,” highlights just how important this demographic will be to the economy in coming years. “The annual purchasing power of millennials is $170 billion and growing. The demographic is expected to account for half of all global travel spend by 2020,” the report says. Marketing to this generation is not done through traditional media streams, but organically through their social media networks. Skift’s “Rise in Culinary Tourism” report found that millennials placed great importance on happiness, passion, diversity, sharing and discovery, while also seeking out immersive travel experiences: “They want to live like a local,
Photo courtesy Scott’s Pizza Tours Food tourism has really taken hold with the millennial generation, and Scott’s Pizza Tours has made the most of this trend by providing tourists with access to some of New York City’s best pizza.
share their experiences across social media, and seek recommendations from peers or user-generated sites who have already experienced the local vibe of a place.” Being featured on a food tour is one way restaurateurs can reach food-obsessed travellers. Jewel Taylor, founder of Taste Vancouver Food Tours, has been hosting culinary tours in Vancouver’s Gastown since 2011. In 2013 she added the Little Italy tour to her roster. She says interest has been growing year over year, which she attributes to word of mouth and Trip Advisor reviews from her Canadian, American and international customers. The Little Italy walking tour takes two and a half hours and stops at nine locations along Vancouver’s Commercial Drive, where participants sample a variety of Italian delights including wine, pizza and cannoli. Taylor emphasizes the importance
of a good relationship between the tour and the businesses she partners with. Telling their stories is crucial and makes up a big part of the allure. It’s a history lesson as much as a culinary lesson. “Gastown is an old heritage area so I would say it’s probably 60 per cent tourists and 40 per cent locals. On the Little Italy tour, it’s 90 to 95 per cent locals and very few tourists. People want to be a tourist in their own town. They want to get to know their city better. I personally do the tour on Commercial Drive and people say I’ve taken them to places they’ve never gone to before. Now they know them and they’ve met the owners. They’ll go back to these places,” Taylor explains. To succeed, the model must benefit business owners, tour operators and tour participants. “I tell my restaurateurs to offer something great so people come back. It
has to be a win-win. Vancouver is packed full of restaurants, it’s a very competitive business, so if I can bring somebody in and they love the atmosphere and the food, they meet the owner, odds are some of them will come back,” she says. Engaging participants is paramount on a food tour. Offering an exclusive, behindthe-scenes look at an establishment gives the tour authenticity. In New York City, Scott Wiener, founder of Scott’s Pizza Tours, has been providing tourists with exclusive access to some of the best pizza in the iconic city since 2008. With over 33,000 guests and counting, he has witnessed the growing trend of food tourism first-hand. Wiener says pizzerias see numerous benefits from being on the tour, including a steady stream of customers who are aligned with the pizzeria for the simple fact that it’s on the tour. But perhaps the biggest benefit to the restaurant owner is an increased online presence. “Everybody loves taking pictures of their food and everybody loves to post them on social media. They always say on Facebook or Twitter or Instagram, ‘At such and such a pizzeria. Pizza is amazing. Check it out!’ People love to Internet brag so as long as you’re doing something good then people will talk about it.” Wiener suggests that restaurateurs get involved in the tour by offering extra benefits, helping participants cultivate a greater appreciation for the food being created. “We ask the pizzerias if they can do a cheese tasting, so people can understand that they use buffalo mozzarella, what that is, and what it tastes like. We may ask to do a tomato tasting or to see the oven up close. Can the pizziaolo come over and show us how to stretch dough? It has to be some kind of added benefit. It’s something that costs little to no money for the pizzeria, but ends up being so powerful.” Restaurant owners can also reach food tourists by participating in festivals and events that align with their brand and customer demographic. With growing throngs of food-savvy travellers seeking out local, authentic experiences, it’s up to your pizzeria to provide them. •
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feature
The experimenter Runner-up Chef of the Year Vito Dachille has gained a taste for competition BY COLLEEN CROSS
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ur 2015 Canadian Pizza Chef of the Year runner-up, Vito Dachille of Enoteca Mozza Pizzeria Moderna in Laval, Que., said he really enjoyed his first taste of competing in the International Pizza Challenge at Pizza Expo in March. From the seemingly permanent smile on his face, it’s not likely he was exaggerating. Before sitting down to chat with Canadian Pizza, Vito and his Enoteca team, Raffaele “Butch” Mercuri and Alfredo Pellechia enjoyed visiting with Chef of the Year Carlo Raillo and wife Kayla Wyntjes at our booth at the end of the first day of competition while waiting on tenterhooks for the results. Encouraged to compete for the Canadian title at the Canadian Pizza Show last October by his boss, Enoteca co-owner Raffaele Mercuri, Vito agreed to throw his chef hat into the ring. Mercuri, along with co-owners David Alter, Michael Gutfeld and François Pereira, owns the popular Quebec restaurant, which has two locations in Laval and on the West Island and plans to open a third location this spring in downtown Montreal. Because he competed in the Traditional category in Las Vegas, he changed up his pizza to The Calabrese, inspired by his boss’s home region of Calabria in Italy. The Calabria has a very thin crust, he said – thinner than that of most Neapolitan pizzas. He handled himself like a pro in the Traditional preliminaries of the challenge, creating a dreamy pizza that featured nduja, a Calabrian sausage, and caramelized Tropea onions, a variety well loved in the region. Although he did not
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Plenty of Canadians stopped by the Canadian Pizza booth to say hello and wave the flag. Among our visitors were Kayla Wyntjes, husband Chef of the Year Carlo Raillo, runner-up Vito Dachille and his team Raffaele “Butch” Mercuri and Alfredo Pellechia from Enoteca Mozza Pizzeria Moderna.
make the stiff cut to four pizzaiolos who advanced to the finals, he was happy with his pizza and smiling throughout the process. Vito, who has worked in the Laval location since April 2012, came to Canada from Bari, the capital city of the province of Bari and of the Apulia (in Italian, Puglia) region six years ago. He met his wife Rosa in Italy and the couple decided to return to Canada together, settling in Montreal. He started baking in 1998, but he credits a good friend from Montreal with jumpstarting his career by asking him to lend him a hand, and from there he kept learning,. “I really have to say thanks for that,” he said. When asked what is most important to him about making pizza, Vito said, quality is paramount, the smile disappearing temporarily for some serious pizza talk. You must use the best ingredients, he said. The restaurant produces 2,800 or so pizzas every week and employs three
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Pizza Cotto Here is the combination that made Vito Dachille runner-up for Canadian Pizza Chef of the Year. INGREDIENTS • traditional pizza dough • baby arugula • fiori di latte • prosciutto cotto • • •
Parmigiano reggiano balsamic reduction tomato sauce
people in the pizza area and 10 people in the main kitchen, Vito said. What’s it like working in such a busy restaurant? You have to just work away and not be distracted by the noise and activity going on around you, he said. “You can’t get scared,” he added. Co-ordination is important because you have to know which pizzas to make at which times. Also, the timing is important,
for example, when cooking filet mignon, which takes about 20 minutes Enoteca serves other foods, but is essentially a pizzeria, targets customers in all age groups. It offers a pizza of the day for lunch from 12 to 3 only and not on the regular menu. This allows Vito and the other chefs to flex their creativity. Always one to try new things, Vito said he often looks no further than the refrigerator to find inspiration. He likes to keep up on new techniques as well. Though nervous competing in his first contest in October he has since learned to embrace the fun aspects of competing. “You need a competition to prove yourself. It’s fun. You see other ideas from other people,” he said. Vito’s hobbies include spending time with his wife and son and taking walks. They live close to the restaurant in Laval. His advice for those looking at getting into his chosen career is “Don’t be afraid of work, don’t stress. “Take it with a smile, and just go!” •
he taste of
Tradition
SALERNO DAIRY
T. 905.544.6281 F. 905.549.1196 20 Morley Street, Hamilton, Ontario, L8H 3R7
www.salernodairy.com www.gaylea.com JUNE 2015 pizza 15
making dough
Six rules for keeping a clean kitchen Diane Chiasson
n no other type of business apart from hospitals is such a high value placed on cleanliness. All foodservice operations must place a very high priority on food safety and cleanliness. Even though each foodservice operation must pass a health and safety inspection, keeping your business clean is an endeavour that needs to be tended to every second of the day. Commercial kitchens are filled with contaminants – physical, chemical and biological. Whether it’s a rock from a bag of beans or a single hair from someone’s head, or even chemicals found in pesticides or cleaning products, it’s easy to have a small slip-up. In any pizza operation, there is handling of raw meats, produce, gluten and other products that can create unwanted contamination. Here are six tips to keep your bakery clean and healthy:
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1. WASH YOUR HANDS OFTEN One rule that needs to be reinforced over and over again at your operation is the importance of washing hands. If necessary, hold a staff meeting and training session on how to wash hands properly. In order to ensure that you kill all the pathogens on your hands, you must wash your hands with hot water and soap for at least 20 seconds. Then dry your hands with a paper towel, and use the paper towel to turn off the faucet. Be sure that your hand-washing stations are properly stocked with soap and paper towels and that there is hot water available at all times. All staff should be washing their hands as soon as they start their shift, and after using the restroom, sneezing or coughing, eating, or handling any raw products.
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2. WEAR LATEX GLOVES If frequent hand washing proves to be too much for your staff, consider making latex gloves available to your staff. Perhaps your staff does not want to wear gloves all the time, but gloves could be useful when handling raw materials, cleaning products or any other item that can cause harm.
5. HAVE A PLAN FOR WASTE Keeping your trash clean is an essential key to keeping away rats, mice and other unwanted rodents and insects. Change trashcan liners often, before they overflow. Have several garbage cans in your operation. It’s better to have too many than not enough. Tie your trash up carefully, and double-bag anything that feels 3. SANITIZE AND heavy or is leaking. Lock your dumpster DISINFECT PROPERLY out back to ensure that nothing goes into Be sure to sanitize and disinfect any sur- it unless it comes from your operation. faces that make contact Consider negotiating an with food. These can inextra pickup so that your clude prep tables, dishes, dumpster is emptied more If necessary, utensils, equipment, cutoften. hold a staff ting boards, refrigerators and storage shelving units. 6. USE CHECKLISTS meeting and Proper sanitization does There should be a checktraining session list that each staff member not mean wiping an area down with a wet cloth. on how to wash must follow at every shift Use disinfectants or hot, and position in your pizza soapy water that will elimhands properly. operation, as well as daily, inate micro-organisms, weekly and monthly cleanand have several clean ing schedules, to ensure cloths available. every square inch of your operation is cleaned on a 4. AVOID regular basis. Clean all areas of the restauCROSS-CONTAMINATION rant regularly, including your refrigerator, In order to safely avoid cross-contamina- walk-ins, ovens, hoods, walls, store-room tion, have specific pieces of equipment, shelves, freezer and lighting fixtures. utensils, bowls and cutting boards that These practices will help your busiare used exclusively for raw meat, nuts, ness maintain the highest priority on produce, etc. To make it easier on your food safety and cleanliness. • staff, consider using colour-coded cutting boards and knife handles so as not to Diane Chiasson, FCSI, president of Chiasson Consultants Inc., has been helping restaurant, foodservice, confuse everyone. Be sure to keep your hospitality and retail operators increase sales for dishwashing area organized. Always en- over 30 years. Her company provides innovative and sure that there is enough hot water to revenue-increasing foodservice and retail merchandising programs, interior design, branding, menu engineering, wash dishes properly, and run all your marketing and promotional campaigns, and much more. equipment, wares and utensils through a Contact her at 416-926-1338, toll-free at 1-888-9266655 or chiasson@chiassonconsultants.com, or visit professional-grade sanitizer. www.chiassonconsultants.com.
marketing insights
Origin stories Michelle Brisebois
ne hot food trend consistently popping up is “authenticity.” It’s a bit ambiguous – what exactly does authentic mean to you the operator, and more importantly, to the consumer? Referred to as a protected designation of origin (PDO) or protected geographical indication (PGI), these designations are about telling stories. These stories can be romantic or pragmatic but they are only good to your business if they helps increase sales. Obtaining the designation is a major undertaking involving time and money so … what’s in a name? There are many food and beverages bearing protected names of origin. Gorgonzola, Parmigiano-Reggiano, Cognac, Champagne, Italy’s DOC (Denominazione di origine controllata) and Ontario and B.C.’s VQA (Vintners Quality Alliance) are all designated terms developed to ensure only those products legitimately originating from a specific geographical area can be named after the area they were grown in. The wine industry term “terroir” refers to a sense of place: protected names are designed to communicate that sense of place. The purpose of the designation is to uphold and promote the reputation of the regional foods, highlight local agricultural activity, and of course command a premium price for this reputation. Protecting the designation legally helps to eliminate the proliferation of “knock-off” products that may mislead consumers and not be represenative of the standard in terms of quality or flavour experience. One of the most recognizable protected names is Champagne. Under an 1891 treaty, only sparkling wines made from grapes grown in the Champagne region of
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France may bear the name Champagne. Napoleon was famous for saying “Champagne, in victory one deserves it; in defeat one needs it.” Canadian wines (still and sparkling) are often marketed under the VQA designation. VQA is a protected quality standard used throughout Canada’s wine industry to ensure the wines are clearly made and labelled to represent the appellation they are grown in. In pizza’s instance, the designation is designed to protect how it’s made. Based in Naples, Italy, for several decades, the Associazione Verace Pizza Napoletana (VPN), a non-profit organization, strives to “promote and protect … true Neapolitan pizza.” The association doesn’t mandate that authentic pizza has to come from a specific locale. Rather, they say it can come from anywhere, as long as it is made according to the “traditional methods” upholding strict quality standards. In Canada, 14 restaurants hold the VPN certification (americas.pizzanapoletana.org). A VPN pizza boasts many regulated features including a crust made from very fine Tipo 00 flour, kneaded by hand then cooked directly on the deck of a wood-fired oven at a temperature of 900 F. The pizza is topped with tomatoes grown in the volcanic soils of Mount Vesuvius. It takes time, money and hard work to earn the designation, so it makes sense to ask … is it just bragging rights or is there a business opportunity in a formal designation? As consumers yearn for authentic, high-quality foods, the research suggests that this is a category worth pursuing. According to Mintel, specialty food sales grew by 18.4 per cent from 2011 to 2013 and eight per cent in 2013 alone. Between 2011 and 2013, sales of specialty
food jumped by 18.4 per cent, outpacing sales of all food, which grew by only 5.2 per cent. According to the Specialty Food Association with support from Mintel research, specialty foods owned 15 per cent share of the total food market in 2014. The association defines specialty food as “products of premium quality that may be made by small or local manufacturers, feature ethnic flavors or contain the best available ingredients.” Most of these sales were through retail stores with 22 per cent sold through food service. “Retail sales of specialty food grew 19 per cent from 2012 to 2014, well ahead of the two per cent increase for all food. Foodservice sales have grown nearly 31 per cent between 2012 and 2014, while retail sales rose nearly 20 per cent. The degree to which a protected designation commands a premium price seems to depend on how long the designation has been protected. According to www.communitytable.com, the average price in the United States for a VPN-certified pizza $13.21. The VPN designation has existed since 1984. A protected designation is like any other brand: it must be built, nurtured and defended against all erosion. The advantage in leveraging a designation like VPN is in the story it gives you access to. Describe the silky fineness of the flour, the gentle hand kneading, the luscious tomatoes grown on the volcanic mountain and the flavour of the charred crust. Give your menu a sense of place, your customers a sense of quality and flavour, and your pizzeria a point of difference.• Michelle Brisebois is a marketing professional with experience in the food, pharmaceutical and financial services industries. She specializes in brand strategies.
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guest column
Understanding phantom space By Jeff Grandfield and Dale Willerton – The Lease Coach easure twice so you pay only once. Having represented commercial tenants on leasing matters since 1993, we have found that some landlords charge pizzeria tenants for more square footage than the tenant actually has. Are you paying too much? In the real estate industry, we refer to this phenomenon as “phantom space,” a situation where the tenant is paying more than is required. This is a common oversight in the commercial leasing game. Tenants frequently trust the reported square footage of their leased premises. However, whether this figure is accidently reported by the landlord or reported by a distant property owner who has never even seen the site, the amount of reported square footage can easily be wrong. Pizzeria tenants, therefore, needlessly pay an increased rent based on their incorrect square footage. Wouldn’t it be better to keep this money for yourself than pay it to your landlord? Even the smallest amount of phantom space can negatively affect tenants as rental rates and common area maintenance (CAM) charges increase over time. We once found a previous client had a discrepancy of only 27 square feet. While this doesn’t sound like much, this specific unit was located in a prime downtown shopping mall that charged high rent. By this time, it was seven years into the tenant’s lease term and the landlord had collected $20,000 more than was rightfully due. Fortunately, this came to a satisfactory conclusion with the tenant being reimbursed. Pizzeria tenants should also consider how phantom space can repeatedly affect them. Understand that every tenant pays two rents – the base rent (which is
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negotiable) as well as the CAM charges. as spacious, beautiful and comfortable. Common area maintenance costs cover When Dale asked her if she had ever vercharges on property upkeep, which bene- ified the square footage, she said “no.” fits all tenants, for example, trash removal, She wondered why this was necessary. property taxes and building maintenance. After all, this was the total area stated on They are charged proportionately. There- her lease agreement. It took Dale several fore, if a tenant occupies 1,800 square weeks to convince her to let him measure feet, then they are also responsible for the the space to determine if she was actualCAM charges on that area. If that tenant ly getting the 4,400 square feet that the has been wrongfully paying for phantom landlord was charging her for. space, they will also wrongfully pay too When we completed measuring the much for CAM charges. premises, the measured space was 800 Such square footage square feet short. This COO discrepancies are very comwas paying over $50,000 mon for business owners, more than she needed to Space specifically, those leasing for space she didn’t have. measurement retail space. In our experiThe Lease Coach corrected ence, many discrepancies the problem, both for the can provide are negligent, not necessarpast and for the future: the peace of mind ily fraudulent. This is small tenant was reimbursed for consolation to the tenant her previous overpayments and can save that remains overcharged. and continued to pay an When the landlord is readjusted rate. you thousands ceiving rent on 107 per cent Phantom space is a of dollars. of a building, it stands to simple concept and can be reason that the landlord easily avoided. No one can should have questioned ascertain the exact size of how they could get more an area by the naked eye than 100 per cent of rent from that building. alone. Nor should a tenant always trust It’s never too soon or too late to have what is stated on their lease agreement. your space professionally measured. Space measurement can provide peace of Nearly all lease agreements will state mind and can save you thousands of dolwhat measurement standard the landlord lars. As a pizzeria tenant, isn’t this worth has used to determine the area of your looking into? • premises. Please note that there are several different industry standards for mea- Dale Willerton and Jeff Grandfield – The Lease Coach are Commercial Lease Consultants who work exclusivesuring commercial space. ly for tenants. Dale and Jeff are professional speakers Dale remembers dining with the chief and co-authors of Negotiating Commercial Leases & operating officer of a large chain store Renewals For Dummies (Wiley, 2013). Got a leasing question? Need help with your new lease or renewal organization with more than 150 stores. or interested in a free leasing CD entitled Leasing Do’s She shared that her company had recent- & Don’ts for Pizzeria Tenants, e-mail, call 1-800-738ly moved into a new 4,400-square-foot 9202, e-mail DaleWillerton@TheLeaseCoach.com or visit www.TheLeaseCoach.com. office and described the new premises
2014 Winner The Kitchens of The Pizza Mill
Put Your
on our cover
The Pizza Mill Winners of the Foodservice Piz Saputo za With Purpose Award
ARE YOU MAKING A DIFFERENCE IN YOUR COMMUNITY? Nominate your pizzeria for the Pizza with Purpose Award sponsored by Saputo Foodservice and share the spirit of generosity with your fellow pizzaiolos.
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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.
The Pizza with Purpose award sponsored by
Enter online at www.canadianpizzamag.com or email: laiken@annexweb.com
2015 Entry Deadline: Dec. 31! Pizza_Purpose_Saputo june15.indd 1
2015-05-07 11:01 AM
HOW TO OPEN A FINANCIALLY SUCCESSFUL PIZZA & SUB RESTAURANT The explosive growth of pizza and sub shops across the country has been phenomenal. Take a look at these stats: Americans eat approximately 100 acres of pizza each day, or about 350 slices per second. Pizza is a $32+ billion per year industry. Pizza restaurant growth continues to outpace overall restaurant growth. Pizzerias represent 17 per cent of all restaurants. Pizza accounts for more that 10 per cent of all food service sales. Here is the manual you need to cash in on this highly profitable segment of the food service industry. This book is a comprehensive and detailed study of the business side of the restaurant. This superb manual should be studied by anyone investigating the opportunities of opening a pizza or sub restaurant. It will arm you with everything you need including sample business forms, leases, and contracts; worksheets and checklists for planning, opening, and running day-to-day operations; sample menus; inventory lists; plans and layouts; and dozens of other valuable, time-saving tools of the trade that no restaurant entrepreneur should be without.
JUNE 2015 pizza 19 pizza book june 15.indd 1
2015-05-04 1:18 PM
guest column
Four key qualities of a good franchisee Sebastian Fuschini
umans everywhere share a set of core traits. One of these is the quest for success and achievement. In today’s tough economy and business world, one way to become this successful person we all dream about is to become your very own boss as a franchisee. As glamorous as the ability to work for yourself may sound, however, one never should underestimate the hard work and sacrifice that goes into owning and operating a franchise. Becoming a successful franchisee is all about the time and effort you put into your company, or location. Is it going to be easy? Probably not. As John F. Kennedy once said, “We do these things not because they are easy, but because they are hard.” That saying encompasses just what it takes to be a franchisee: hard work. If being a successful franchisee were simple, it stands to reason that everyone would be doing it. As a franchise operator, you are going to have to challenge yourself on every level in order to grow and there will be many opportunities to make the most of your strengths while concurrently working on those areas that need improvement and growth. Identifying the precise traits required to be a successful franchise is no simple task. That said, a few stand out as critical. 1. The ability to achieve brand consistency: Every franchise has its own unique model. This model outlines the fundamentals of the organization, the business relationship and the culture. The model is a system that either works or doesn’t and, if, for some reason, you’re incompatible with it, you’ll likely risk hamstringing yourself and damaging the
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2.
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brand along the way. If you are the type of person who wants to make your own rules and answer only to yourself then I can say with confidence that you are likely not meant to join an established franchisor. No franchise can bloom without brand consistency. You must work hard to ensure you follow the franchise model provided by the organization to help ensure your success as well as the success of all other members of the franchise. People skills: A franchisee needs to commit to developing people skills. This is an integral asset to any franchisee because having strong people skills allows you, the owner, to motivate and teach your employees. Motivated and well-taught employees are what makes a business flourish and without them prosperity is hard to achieve. Strong entrepreneurial spirit: A successful franchisee exhibits a strong entrepreneurial spirit that inspires innovation, creativity and a desire to get involved with the community. Getting involved in the communities we serve is very important because a franchisee needs to establish their franchise in their neighbourhood to help build relationships, a good reputation and trust. Stamina for hard work, hard work and more hard work: That is the key that unlocks success. Without hard work there would be no room to grow. As a franchisee you have to accept that even you have room for improvement. This requires certain
amount of humility. Always remember, you should be ready at all times to roll up your sleeves and work long hours, because without those long hours of work there would not be such thing as a successful company. 5. You do not become a franchisee because it is easy but rather because it can be a very stable, financially rewarding and enjoyable career and investment. Over the years, I have turned to this saying in times of success and struggle and it has always left me feeling more motivated and inspired to pick up my feet and get back to work. Not only does being a franchisee allow a person to reach their greatest financial potential, but it also allows them to grow on a personal level by having a direct hand in the success of their own business. • Sebastian Fuschini is senior vice-president of franchising at Pizza Pizza Limited. He has more than 30 years of experience in the company’s franchising department.
new products
CREAM SUBSTITUTE LACTOSE-, DAIRY- AND GLUTEN-FREE Bunge’s new lactose-free, non-dairy Creamy Cooking Sauce serves as a vegan-friendly cream replacement for sauces, soups and desserts. The cream replacement is perfect for use as a base for preparing delicious savoury or sweet menu items, Bunge representatives said at the Restaurants Canada show in March. It may be used as a dairy replacement for cream in your savoury soups and sauces, as a substitution in your recipes or as an inspiration to create new recipes. The sauce comes in one-litre tetra packaging and has a 12-month refrigerated shelf life. Its fat content is comparable to that of whipping cream, the representative said. It provides one-for-one replacement for cream in fettuccine alfredo, creamed soups and sauces, crème brulee, bread pudding among other dishes. Bunge Creamy Cooking Sauce is kosher pareve, halal, suitable for vegan diets and gluten free. www.bungenorthamerica.com PIZZA HOLDING CABINETS NIX HOT AND COLD SPOTS Food Warming Equipment offers a line of heated holding cabinets designed to eliminate cold and hot spots through circulation. Among them are the company’s Humi-Temp Pizza Cabinets, which are designed to eliminate hot and cold spots by circulating hot, moist air throughout the cabinet. The company sells display units, under-counter units and full size units, and provides custom graphics that wrap around cabinets and feature logos, photos and text. www.fwe.com
LAVENDER-SCENTED CLEANER SERVES MULTIPLE PURPOSES Betco Corporation has launched Spectaculoso, a lavender-fragranced ingredient used in the company’s Fastdraw line of multi-purpose cleaners. The product is a multi-purpose cleaner for use in the company’s Fastdraw line of multi-purpose cleaners. “Here at Betco Corporation, Cleaning Innovations That Matter is more than just a tagline; it is the way we develop new products. The new Spectaculoso Multi- Purpose Cleaner in Fastdraw expands the opportunity to leave a lasting impression of cleanliness.” said Ken Sensel, product manager, General Cleaning/CMS & Healthcare, in a press release. Betco engineers cleaning programs, products and equipment and also sells the products through distribution partners internationally. www.betco.com WINDOW ADVERTISING COVERED Shade Grafix reps had on display at Pizza Expo its eyecatching window covering signage. The company will custom-design a variety of pulldown shades to advertise facing inside or outside your restaurant window. Options include towers, outdoor wind sign, sidewalk sandwich boards, pop-up signs in standard 81.5 inches and tabletop version of 17.5 inches, tablecloths, banners and pre-opening signs. The company will provide a free mockup when you send a photograph of your pizzeria. The ValanceGrafix valance can be easily installed by removing a pre-installed standard valance cassette and inserting a new valance cassette. www.shadegrafix.com
BOOK EXPLORES REGIONAL QUALITIES OF PIZZA A new book focusing on pizza surveys more than 60 pizzerias in major cities to capture each region’s unique definition of the ideal pizza and provides tips, tricks, and more than 50 pizza recipes. Passion for Pizza: A Journey Through Thick and Thin to Find the Pizza Elite, travelogue-cookbook by Craig Whitson and Tore Gjesteland, celebrates one of the world’s favourite foods by tracing the cultural and culinary development of pizza as it spread across the globe. The book offers a behind-the-scenes look at more than 60 pizzerias. Interviews, profiles and colour photos evoke the personality of each pizzeria. It outlines every step of the process, providing practical tips for getting the most out of your ingredients, making a quality homemade sauce and preparing homemade toppings. Whitson is known as the “Grill King of Norway.” Gjesteland, owner of the Jonas B. Gunderson restaurants, has six Hospitality Service Management Association International marketing medals. www.agatepublishing.com GRANBURY POS SYSTEMS Granbury Restaurant Solutions is launching Thrive, a point-of-sale system that integrates credit card payment. The company worked with pizza industry people to design a system specifically for mom-andpop pizzerias, a representative said at the company’s booth at Pizza Expo. Compatible with both Android- and iPad-based platforms, the POS system is suitable for fast-casual, quick-serve or pizza delivery environments. The ordering system is able to support what they called “conversational ordering,” meaning that people taking orders don’t have to make customers repeat their order unnecessarily. Staff hear the order as it is spoken and can input its elements in whatever order they are given. www.granburyrs.com
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new products
CRUST HAS BAKEABLE, COMPOSTABLE TRAYS The folks from Perfect Crust exhibited a bakeable pizza tray at Pizza Expo in Las Vegas in March. The tray helps prevents oven drips and spills, features patented bidirectional bumps allow for air flow and moisture release for even baking, and helps eliminates “soggy crust” centres, representatives said. The company’s line also includes a compostable pizza liner and pizza bags. www.perfectcrust.com ALLIANCE SCALE MOISTURE ANALYZER A compact moisture analyzer that provides one-step operation for the precise quality control of all types of cereals, foods, fish, nuts, and seafood is available from Alliance Scale Inc. of Canton, Mass. The Alliance-Ohaus MB-Series Moisture Analyzer utilizes an infrared halogen heating element with a gold reflective housing that reaches 200 C within seconds to uniformly dry samples. Featuring four selectable automatic drying programs that allow easy operation
by simply setting the temperature and time, it provides repeatability to 0.015 per cent using a 10-gram sample. Equipped with a sample capacity of 45 grams, with 0.001g readability, and a 0.01 to 100 per cent moisture range, the Alliance-Ohaus MB-Series Moisture Analyzer displays percent moisture, percent solids, weight, time, temperature, drying curve, and more. Measuring only 8.5 inches wide by 14.5 inches deep, it stores up to 50 drying procedures which can be uploaded via an included RS232 port. The Alliance-Ohaus MB-Series Moisture Analyzer is priced from $2,399.00 and includes a five-year manufacturer’s warranty. www.alliancescale.com FWE AIR SCREEN ADDS RETRACTABLE DOOR Now foodservice personnel can experience improved workflow even in confined spaces with FWE’s R-AS-10 mobile refrigerated air screen that features an optional sliding space-saver door. Workers can fully open the door without requiring a 270-degree swing radius that overlaps nesting equipment units. Just open the door at a 90-degree angle and simply tuck it into the side of the air screen where it virtually disappears. It’s suitable for foodservice kitchens that use a tray line configuration or pod-style assembly. Its multi-fan system provides fast cool-down times and maintains cabinet temperatures with the door open for up to 90 minutes. The air screen unit can also be used as a standard reach-in refrigerator when the tray line is closed. www.fwe.com HYDROSOL STABILIZER FOR FROZEN FOODS With Hydrosol’s new all-in compounds, pizzerias looking to enter the wholesale market can now include mayonnaise, remoulade and ketchup in frozen foods. These stabilizing systems enable problem-free frozen storage and transportation of mayonnaise and products made with it. They prevent the emulsion breaking that can otherwise be caused by temperature fluctuations during transportation. Hydrosol’s stabilizing systems work for mayonnaise with a fat content up to 75 per cent. Like freeze/bake-stable ketchup, it can be used as a filling in savoury frozen baked items, as a topping on frozen pizza. www.hydrosol.de
For more new products, visit www.canadianpizzamag.com
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Page #
Annex Bookstore ...................................... 19 Burke........................................................ 11 Canadian Pizza Show ..........................20-21 Middleby Marshall.................................... 27 Pizza with a Purpose ................................ 19 Ricco Food Distributor ............................. 24 Salerno..................................................... 15 Saputo ..................................................... 28 Springer’s Meats ...................................... 15 Stanislaus ........................................... 4 & 5 Viau Food ................................................... 2 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.
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pizza on fire
Winning ways Tom Stankiewicz
ately I’ve been approached and informed that my business has won an award by a few companies that are very popular on social media. For a small fee, they tell me, this information could be made public and I could proudly display my achievement. Indeed, one of them has a website that is visited by millions of people searching for information. This exchange prompted me to do some research and get a better understanding of different business awards available to small pizza business owners. It shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone that winning a business award in any category has many advantages. The extra publicity should offer a significant increase in your business visibility. It lets you stand out from your competition. It shows that your business strategy is effective and consequently rewarded by your peers. But for each of us the question remains: which award would best represent the essence of my business? There are two main ways to win an award. First, you could decide to simply enter a competition yourself. In this case, specific rules would have to be followed and they would be equally applicable to each contestant. This typically is a lengthy process that requires time to prepare as well as present, in our case, a tasty pizza to the judges. On the other hand, your business could be added to a voting list from which the best in each category is selected by large group of people. This is normally used to show, for example, top 10 pizzerias in your city. It’s often utilized to demonstrate good customer service and product quality across different categories. Very often, you will find out about
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this only if you make it to the top 10 list. make more sense to concentrate on comAsk yourself what type of award peting in local competitions. Is the extra would benefit your business the most. expense worth the time and travel costs? You should give serious consideration to It could be more beneficial to focus on what value a specific award would bring what’s available locally. to your business. By the time you’re Social media plays an important part ready to submit your application, you in today’s business advertising. If you acshould know what your strengths are in cept an award that was given to you by comparison to your competitors’. For ex- a virtual company, aside from the cost, it ample, if your customers rave about your is important to understand how this inoutstanding traditional pizza recipes, that formation will be advertised. You must should be the category you concentrate ask the presenter how long your business on. Winning an award for something name will be posted on their website. your customers already The nice thing about these appreciate would have a awards is that, if this inforgreater positive impact on mation could be linked to Winning a your business. your business website and Some fellow pizzaioit is automatbusiness award Facebook, los who have participated ically displayed to all of in various competitions your customers. lets you stand say that next time, knowIf it is a monthly rathout from your ing what they now know, er than annual award, they would be more likely then it is a good idea to competition. to enter in a category they review its cost. There is a are more familiar with in good chance many of your the future. While there customers won’t see it in is nothing wrong with trying something such a short time frame. A plaque that new, competing in a category you know could be displayed at the pizzeria would very well will help you avoid making basic allow you to advertise it for a much lonmistakes because you’ll already have had a ger time. It’s also good to find out how chance to eliminate them over time. As the visible the website offering the awards is. saying goes, practice makes perfect. Chances are that if you’re pretty Internet Another reason to carefully choose savvy and you’ve never heard of it, many each competition is the cost that is in- customers will not know about it either. volved. It is important to be aware and Your business has the potential to win keep track of the travel costs and entry many awards. fees. If after a while the business doesn’t However, it is wise to remember that see the benefits of competing and win- winning is not everything unless it lets ning, then your strategy must be re- your business grow. • viewed. Ideally, this additional publicity should cause your sales to increase and Tom Stankiewicz has been in the pizza business for more than 15 years. He has been the proprietor of Bongenerate extra profit. di’s Pizza in London, Ont., since 2000 and is president of To minimize costs, however, it might the Canadian Pizza Team.
Contact your local repesentative to arrange a demonstration British Columbia Castle Agencies North Vancouver, BC, Canada Tel/Cell: (604) 904-7681 Contact: David Terretta Email: king@castleagencies.ca
Alberta MAC Sales & Marketing Calgary, AB, Canada Phone: 403-281-8540 Contact: Steve MacKell Email: mackell@telusplanet.net
Manitoba/Saskatchewan Dennis Braun Agencies Winnipeg, MB Canada Tel: 204-663-8077 Cell: 204-229-4613 Email: denbraun@mts.net
Ontario Distex M.&M. Inc. Mississauga, Ont Tel: 905 565-5990 Toll Free: 1 888 645-7324 Email:info@distex.ca
www.wowoven.com
Quebec Distex M.&M. Inc. St-Laurent (Quebec) Tel.: (514) 382-3620 Toll free : 1-800-567-3620 Web: www.distex.ca
Atlantic Provinces/Maritimes Flanagan Agencies Inc Moncton, New Brunswick Tel: (506) 387-8757 Contact Mike Flanagan Email: mike@fai.ca