PZ - October 2024

OCTOBER 2024

CANADIANPIZZAMAG.COM

FACING RISING COSTS Smart strategies can help your pizzeria survive and thrive

Register for Pizza Summit East 2024 Toronto on Oct. 21 – details inside!

P. 16 Pizza Summit Show Guide P. 20 Seven ways to attract new customers and increase sales

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www.reiser.com Reiser Canada Burlington, ON • (905) 631-6611 Reiser Canton, MA • (781) 821-1290 2023

October 2024 Vol. 30, No. 5

DEPARTMENTS 6

From the Editor Pizza festivals

7

Industry News Movers, shakers, legislation and news you can use

9

The Pizza Chef

12

Self-care strategies for owner-operators, part 2

10 Tools of the Trade New products

20 Making Dough with Diane Seven easy ideas for attracting new customers and increasing sales

CONTENTS

ONLINE

COVER STORY

PHOTOS: NUTHAWUT SOMSU (COVER); MAIPAI (TOP); ILLUSTRATION: BRIAN FRAY (7); CANADIAN PIZZA (19)

Pizza-focused content and news Bookmark and check back often to canadianpizzamag. com and our Facebook and Instagram pages to keep up with pizza events across Canada including a proposed Toronto Pizza Festival!

12 Facing rising costs Smart strategies can help your pizzeria survive and thrive

By Andrew Hind

7

CANADIAN PIZZA · October 2024

La Bottega Nicastro in Ottawa’s Byward Market aims to preserve family traditions while strategical-ly diversifying

By Karen Barr

16 Summing up Canadian Pizza Summit East

ON THE COVER The rising cost of food across Canada over the last few years has been a cause of great concern for restaurateurs. Andrew Hind uncovers some smart strategies that can help your pizzeria not only survive but thrive. See page 12.

14 Family ties

Bring your team for a motivational pizza day and/or register to compete at Pizza Summit – a free event!

10

18 Conquering new challenges Meet Fabrizio Busso of To Live For Bakery in Vancouver, runner-up in the Chef of the Year West competition

By Colleen Cross

19 Surge in independents A conversation with industry expert Vince Sgabellone delves into the shifting restaurant landscape

By Canadian Pizza Staff

CanadianPizzaMag.com

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FROM THE EDITOR

BY COLLEEN CROSS

October 2024, Vol. 30, No. 5

Is a pizza festival right for your community?

T

oronto is organizing a pizza festival to help encourage customers to visit pizzerias – especially the independent family pizzerias. The city has a wealth of great pizza and we agree it’s high time the city celebrated its culinary excellence.

The city councillors have expressed their support of the festival. That support likely will not include funding and it’s the pizzerias and industry partners who will organize the event under the leadership of Deputy Mayor Mike Colle. Still, their support is key in establishing this as a sanctioned annual event. It will involve the creation of an app that customers can use to check in at pizzerias around the city and vote for their favourite signature pizzas and other fun initiatives meant to build excitement, promote pizza and get customers out of their homes and into pizzerias.

We think it’s a great idea and we are happy to spread the word. A few other cities have organized pizza festivals and events with different models.

Elsewhere in Ontario, Sault Ste. Marie, Sarnia and Vaughan have hosted festivals. Vaughan Pizza Fest, held in the summer outdoors in a park, included craft beer, concerts and pizza-eating contests to the mix and had the support of vendors.

Montreal Pizza Fest, held in October, sees customers get out to taste and vote for their favourite pizzas and pizzerias and culminates in a judging panel declaring a winner.

Similarly, Calgary YYC Pizza Fest will see the city’s pizzerias and restaurants enter a friendly competition to see who can win four new award categories: top rated pizza, most popular pizza, most innovative pizza and fan favourite crust.

The event, started in 2014 by food writer and recipe developer Wanda Baker, is now organized and hosted by Calgary Meals on Wheels with a charity twist: from every purchase, a slice of the proceeds goes to Calgary Meals on Wheels.

The Italian Chamber of Commerce Canada West promotes a day celebrating Italian culture and food

in June in Little Italy, Italian Day on the Drive.

In 2010, Ontario designated June as Italian Heritage Month, a cultural appreciation that has become so well established that it is now officially designated as such across Canada by the federal government.

We at Canadian Pizza celebrate pizzerias in our own way: their creativity, innovation, foundation of family, strong work ethic and role as hub for their local communities. It’s a huge part of why we exist. We provide information, ways to connect (through our Pizza Summit and Chef of the Year Competitions, for example) and take very seriously our role as cheerleader for the fresh pizza industry and, especially, as champion of the independent.

That is why in 2025 we are excited to announce we will expand our event to three locations: Montreal (April 14-15 as part of Bakery Showcase), Calgary (in June) and Toronto (in October). We can’t wait to get out to these thriving pizza centres and see what talented pizza chefs can bring to the competition. And we plan to keep expanding across Canada! Stay tuned for more on future summits.

We wish the organizers of the Toronto Pizza Festival every success and hope it will provide a blueprint for other cities and towns to promote their pizzerias, which play such an important role as community supporters, hubs and local employers.

Would you like to see a pizza festival in your community? Get in touch with your city or county councillors and share with them all the ways it could benefit the community and your ideas for how it could work.

Then be prepared to roll up your sleeves. Of course, hard work and getting things done are nothing new to Canadian pizzerias.

Deputy Mayor Colle plans to attend the Toronto Summit on Oct. 21 to talk with pizzeria operators and check out the pizza competition. It’s the perfect opportunity to learn more about his plans for a festival, share your ideas and get involved. See you there! | CP

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INDUSTRY NEWS

CUSTOMER-FACING EVENTS

City council considering hosting Toronto pizza festival Toronto will consider hosting an international pizza festival in 2025 to support small businesses and celebrate its pizza excellence.

Deputy Mayor Mike Colle in a motion seconded by Coun. Frances Nunziata, asked Toronto City Council to request that the economic and community development committee consider how Toronto can support a celebration of culinary excellence through the creation of a Toronto International Pizza Festival, to be held in 2025.

In the motion, Colle said: “In an effort to support our small businesses, Business Improvement Areas, and to encourage Torontonians in celebrating their favourite restaurants – the City should host the first ever Toronto International Pizza Festival.

“With thousands of pizzerias and related restaurants this festival provides a unique opportunity to encourage Torontonians to support small and local businesses, while CANADIAN PIZZA · October 2024

also giving residents the opportunity to promote the many traditional and unique styles of pizza that can be found across Toronto,” Colle said.

In a Sept. 9 letter to the economic and community development committee, Coun. Colle recommended a festival be planned for 2025 and be organized and executed by a committee of Toronto restaurateurs, large and small.

Pizzerias, their customers and any interested parties may contact Coun. Colle or the City to learn more about the proposal and voice their support or opinion.

On Sept. 18, the committee unanimously passed a motion to refer the pizza festival “for consideration and appropriate action in support of Councillors Colle and Nunziata, local restaurants and business improvement associations to organize a city-wide event.”

Councillor Colle told the committee that the festival would be organized through use of an app that would encourage diners to visit pizzerias in the city.

It may also include friendly competitions for best slice or different styles of pizza. “We want to have some fun with this,” Coun. Colle told Canadian Pizza.

ON THE WEB Calgary Pizza Fest adds categories to charity-supporting competition; Arson suspected at Mozza Pizza in Oka, Que.; Poll details Canadians’ tipping habits and views | FOR MORE PIZZA NEWS, check out our website, canadianpizzamag.com

INDUSTRY EVENTS

AWARDS

Three Canadian Pizza Summits planned for 2025

NYC’s Una Pizza Napoletana tops international best pizzerias list

Canadian Pizza has exciting plans to expand our Canadian Pizza Summit and Chef of the Year Competition in 2025.

Montreal Pizza Summit is in the works as part of the larger Bakery Showcase April 14-15. Calgary Pizza Summit is being planned for a date to be decided in June. And Toronto Pizza Summit will take place in October.

Watch for details on these and future Summits as we expand across Canada.

New York City’s Una Pizza Napoletana by Anthony Mangieri has been named the Best Pizzeria in the world for 2024 by 50 Top Pizza, a widely followed international guide curated by Barbara Guerra, Luciano Pignataro and Albert Sapere.

The results was announced at the Teatro Mercadante in Naples during an awards ceremony.

Second place ended in a

CanadianPizzaMag.com

7

INDUSTRY NEWS

STAFFING

Changes to Temporary Foreign Worker program The federal government has announced changes to the Temporary Foreign Worker program it said are intended to weed out potential misuse, fraud and employers’ reliance on temporary foreign workers, including reductions in access to the program and strengthened compliance measures.

The government announced the following changes to be implemented, effective by Sept. 26: • The federal government will refuse to process Labour Market Impact Assessments (LMIAs) in the low-wage stream, applicable in census metropolitan areas with an unemployment rate of six per cent or higher. Exceptions will be granted for seasonal and non-seasonal jobs 8

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in food security sectors (primary agriculture, food processing and fish processing), as well as construction and health care.

• Employers will be allowed to hire no more than 10 per cent of their total workforce through the TFW Program. This maximum employment percentage will be applied to the low-wage stream and is a further reduction from the March 2024 reduction.

Exceptions will be granted for seasonal and non-seasonal jobs in food security sectors (primary agriculture, food processing and fish processing), as well as healthcare and construction.

• The maximum duration of employment for workers hired through the low-wage stream will be reduced to one year (from two years).

INGREDIENT TRENDS

Herbs, seeds and spices on the rise: Technomic reports Herbs, seeds and spices are on the rise across Canadian menus, adding bold, spicy and interesting flavours to a variety of dishes, Technomic shares in its latest Ignite Menu report.

In addition to livening up dishes, some of these ingredients are adding micronutrients as well, making them both flavourful and functional.

Watercress, an herb similar to arugula, is appearing in

salads and as a garnish on top of noodle dishes. Like watercress, sage is being added to a variety of Italian-inspired noodle entrees. In beverages, it is being paired with lemonade.

Global flavours in the herbs, seeds and spices category are also increasing. Japanese wasabi, Indian garam masala and Central American paprika are being seen on menus across Canada in a variety of mealparts.

Operators are both serving wasabi in non-traditional ways, including on pizza dishes.

Another international flavour showing growth on menus is paprika, often in Mexican-inspired build-your-own dishes, such as bowls, burritos, nachos and tacos.

PROMOTIONS

Pizza Nova launches Cup & Char Pepperoni and ‘Doppio’ pepperoni pizza To celebrate National Pepperoni Pizza Day on Sept.

20, Pizza Nova is launching its Cup & Char Pepperoni and a new Doppio Pepperoni Signature Pizza featuring a double helping of pepperoni.

The Cup & Char Pepperoni crisp up as they bake, curling into cups that provide a distinctive crunch. Pizza Nova is introducing the Doppio Pepperoni Signature Pizza, which gets its name from the Italian word for “double.” The pizza features both Cup & Char and classic pepperoni, mozzarella, and the brand’s signature sauce.

SUSTAINABILITY

Single-use bylaw enacted by Victoria includes opt-out options On Sept. 5, the City of Victoria adopted the SingleUse Items Reduction bylaw it hopes will significantly reduce the distribution of single-use items and make commonly used plates, cups and cutlery reusable in local restaurants The bylaw which will be phased in between this December and March 2026, doesn’t fully eliminate single-plastics use, reports Sidney Coles, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter for Capital Daily.

“A business may provide a single-use accessory to a customer only if one or more of the following is implemented: a. the customer is first asked whether they need a single-use accessory and the customer responds that they do, including responses given by telephone or using internet-based ordering platforms; b. a customer requests a single-use accessory, including requests made by telephone or using internet-based ordering platforms; or c. a customer obtains a single-use accessory from a self-serve station.”

The new bylaw was developed in collaboration with the BCRFA and was approved in July by the minister of environment and climate change strategy, George Heyman.

The BC Restaurant & Foodservices Association (BCRFA) offered its approval through Ian Tostenson, president.

October 2024 · CANADIAN PIZZA

ILLUSTRATION BY BRIAN FRAY

tie between Diego Vitagliano Pizzeria in Naples, and I Masanielli by Francesco Martucci in Caserta,; on the third step of the podium is The Pizza Bar on 38th, in Tokyo, managed by Daniele Cason; fourth position went to Confine in Milan,

by Francesco Capece and Mario Ventura; in fifth place is Napoli on the Road in London

by Michele Pascarella.

Pizza Culture in Calgary, owned and operated by Jeremy Hube, and Pizzeria Prima Strada in Vancouver, owned and operated by Cristen DeCarolis and Geoffrey Dallas, are recognized on the list.

THE PIZZA CHEF

BY DIANA CLINE

Diana Cline is an award-winning pizza chef, a partner with Diana’s Cucina & Lounge in Winnipeg. In addition to creating award-winning recipes, Diana is a consultant to other pizzeria owner/operators in menu development, creating operational systems and marketing to help operators grow their business strategically.

Contact her at diana@dianascucinaandlounge.com

Self-care strategies for owner-operators, part 2

C

ontinuing on my last column on self-care, it’s important that you, as the sole proprietor of your body, mind and soul, take necessary time and steps to care for your whole self. If you are operating at 55 per cent of your peak performance, everything is much more difficult. Challenges can seem insurmountable, patience and tempers can be short, possibly resulting in exchanges of some terse words, and misunderstandings with key team members, customers and also loved ones at home.

Here are more practices I’ve found to be exceptionally good for overall health:

Hydration Are you drinking enough water on a daily basis? Do you frequently get headaches, or migraines? It may surprise you to learn that headaches are the body’s first indications of dehydration, followed by dry mouth and difficulty concentrating. Your body is 85 per cent water, and every time you eat, walk, talk and think intensely, you are using up your body’s hydration.

In F. Batmanghelidj, MD’s book Your Body’s Many Cries for Water, he speaks of the importance of replenishing your cells’ water each day, and also, makes a good case for chronic dehydration being the root cause of many illnesses. And, by water he means water – not coffee, not juice and not pop or energy drinks.

How much water should you be drinking every day? He provides a formula: take your body’s weight, divide it by half, that’s the amount of water, in ounces, that you need every day. If you do drink coffee, tea, pop, alcohol, etc., then you need to drink more water to offset the dehydrating effects of caffeinated and alcoholic beverages. According to Dr. Batmanghelidj, there’s one more piece needed for proper hydration, and that is a high-quality sea salt. For every quart of water you drink, you need approximately ¼ teaspoon of good-quality sea salt.

CANADIAN PIZZA · October 2024

Body movement and fresh air

Some benefits of walking: • Boosts endorphins (easing stress, tension, anger, fatigue and confusion) • Burns more fat • Increases heart rate and circulation • Can reduce symptoms of depression • Protects the brain region associated with planning and memory

You are of little good to your business and to your loved ones if you’re constantly working yourself past reasonable limits and in poor health.

Daily walks are fabulous for overall health. Sometimes we think we need to go to the gym to get a workout in, but walking for 30 minutes a day has even more benefits than the gym alone. Walking boosts endorphins, easing stress, tension, anger, fatigue and confusion in as little as 10 minutes.

In fact, walking burns more fat than jogging. Just 30 minutes a day can reduce symptoms of depression by 36 per cent. It also improves your balance, preventing falls. It improves heart health by increasing your heart rate and circulation. Thirty to 60 minutes of walking most days of the week drastically lowers your risk of heart disease. It improves blood pressure by five points and also engages your abdominal muscles. Studies suggest it reduces glaucoma risks and halves Alzheimer’s disease risk over five years. Just two hours of walking every week can reduce your risk of stroke by 30 per cent. Just 40 minutes of walking three times a week protects the brain region associated with planning and memory.

If you can go for your walk in a park, or in nature, the benefits are even greater. In Japan, doctors regularly prescribe forest bathing, where individuals go for a walk or hike deep into a natural area, and simply sit and be mindful, taking in the fresh air, and the sounds, smells and textures of nature. Walking can also be meditative, if you decide to be mindful on your walk, and focus on deep breathing, and light thoughts, such as happiness or joy, you can enjoy positive mental, physical and emotional effects.

Yoga and tai chi There are several kinds of yoga offered at most yoga studios. Do a little research and find one that resonates with you. If you’re feeling drained, I recommend a “rest and restorative” type of yoga class,

especially in the beginning. This will help your body reset and restore itself, providing that you are taking responsibility for all the levels of care you need during this time. Yoga is a great way to relax. Some people enjoy hot yoga, where the room is extra warm, and the movements are livelier and more intense, causing a great sweat. When you sweat, you release a lot of toxins from your skin (your largest organ), and many find a noticeable difference in how they feel in their body with regular intense sweats. Personally, I can see the attraction to this type of yoga practice. Again, try out a class (many yoga studios offer a free class) and find one that you enjoy, so that, rather than a chore, it becomes an anticipated activity.

Tai chi is a soft martial art that can also be a great way to de-stress. And both yoga and tai chi can also be meditative, which is important for your mind and your wellness of spirit. If you don’t have time or the funds to attend a class, look up some great videos on YouTube, roll out a towel or a mat at home and have at it. Make it fit within your schedule, if it’s 11 p.m. and it’s the only free time you have to devote to doing yoga or tai chi, so be it.

It would be a mistake to end this two-part column on self care without at least mentioning good nutrition and adequate sleep as equally important parts of your overall healthful habits. I could easily write another segment on creating good habits to support better sleep, and I have already written several columns on the healthful aspects of pizza, when made with top-quality ingredients.

Ultimately, caring for yourself, your whole self – mental, physical, emotional and spiritual – is your responsibility and should be a priority. You are of little good to your business and to your loved ones if you’re constantly working yourself past reasonable limits and in poor health.

Good health is true wealth. | CP CanadianPizzaMag.com

9

TOOLS OF THE TRADE

PANS

LloydPans bar pizza shovel helps speed up service LloydPans’ Bar Pizza Shovel is designed to allow pizza makers to gain convenience and speed by prepping multiple pizzas at the same time and baking them as orders come in.

Pizza makers can start pizza on the pan and finish it on the deck or stone. After baking, pizzas can quickly be depanned on the surface of the oven, allowing for a perfect finish to the crust.

The shovel is finished with a proprietary pre-seasoned Tuff Kote, features heavy 14-gauge aluminum and is metal utensil safe.

LloydPans, a U.S. manufacturer of commercial pizza pans and tools, bakeware, cookware and food-service equipment, is located in Spokane Valley, Wash. In addition to its line of standard products, LloydPans also offers custom solutions to meet pizzeria’s needs. lloydpans.com

BEVERAGES

Non-alcoholic ‘Anytime’ cider made with Ontario apple juice Pommies Beverage Co. has launched an alcohol-free alternative to beer, wine and hard cider. Pommies Anytime Cider 10

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delivers the sophistication and complexity of a hard cider, but without the alcohol.

Anytime is not just a carbonated apple juice, but rather a classic, dry cider featuring 100 per cent Ontario apple juice, the company says.

It is the only non-alcoholic cider offered by the Liquor Control Board of Ontario.

Lindsay and Nick Sutcliffe founded Pommies in 2011 with

When it comes to new ingredients, equipment and services, Canadian Pizza keeps you in the know. For more on new products for the pizza industry, check out our website, canadianpizzamag.com

CONDIMENTS

Maille launches dijon mayonnaise and relaunches mustards in squeeze bottles Montreal-based Maille is introducing a new Dijon Mayonnaise and relaunching its Traditional Dijon and Honey mustards in shatter-proof squeeze bottles with easy summer cooking in mind.

The company, which has been creating products for nearly 270 years, worked with some of Canada’s top chefs and food experts to develop 25 innovative recipes incorporating Maille Dijon mustards. Customers are invited to explore the recipes at unleashtheflavours.ca and enter for a chance to win prizes including a new barbecue from Weber and Maille’s pantry essentials. maille.com

DESSERTS

their classic Ontario cider.

“Fresh, crisp and bursting with flavour, like a traditional cider, it pairs perfectly with Thanksgiving meals and the harvest season,” said Nick Sutcliffe.

The beverage is sold at LCBO in 355-millilitre cans for $2.80. pommies.com

Read-to-bake cookie has seasonal appeal Otis Spunkmeyer has launched the Pumpkin Spice Chocolate Chip Cookie, a seasonal treat that is a fusion of warm pumpkin spice and rich chocolate chips.

The cookie is designed to have seasonal appeal and versatility

for bakery-cafés, pizzerias, supermarkets and restaurants looking to attract customers with a limited-time seasonal offering.

It is made with Otis Spunkmeyer brand premium ingredients.

The company suggests a few recipe applications:,Caramel-Stuffed Otis Spunkmeyer Pumpkin Spice Chocolate Chip Cookies, Cream Cheese Swirl Pumpkin Spice Chocolate Chip Cookies and Pecan Pumpkin Spice Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars.

Frozen cookie dough pucks are available in two sizes: Sweet Discovery, 1.33 ounce, 240 ct.; and Gourmet, 3 ounce, 140 ct. otisspunkmeyer.com

AI ORDERING

Voice-activated AI tech aims to streamline phone ordering and drive upselling ConverseNow and Adora POS are partnering to give Adora POS customers access to ConverseNow’s voice AI technology, designed to streamline phone ordering processes and drive consistent upsell strategies.

The voice AI technology allows restaurant guests to place orders and have their queries answered using natural human speech, making the ordering process more efficient and customer-friendly.

This integration caters to customers who prefer voice interactions over online orders, providing them with a seamless and intuitive experience while allowing restaurant employees to focus on delivering excellent instore customer service, improving overall efficiency and satisfaction. conversenow.ai October 2024 · CANADIAN PIZZA

Oct. 21 2024 Faema Culinary Academy 672 Dupont Street, Toronto, ON M6G 1Z6

SUMMIT

COME JOIN US! Where we crown the Pizza Chef of the Year East!

TAP INTO PIZZA TRENDS AND COMMUNITY! Bring your signature pizza to the Chef of the Year Competition, see how it stacks up and vie with other pizzerias to win a trip to compete at the Las Vegas Pizza Expo!

Bring your team to compete in the Great Pizza Box Fold-Off for Cool Prizes!

IT’S FREE TO PIZZERIAS AND THEIR TEAMS!

Gold Sponsor:

Speaker Sponsor:

To sponsor or exhibit, contact: Stephanie Jewell, sjewell@annexbusinessmedia.com

CANADIAN PIZZA · October 2024

REGISTER NOW

AT CANADIANPIZZASHOW.CA!

CanadianPizzaMag.com

11

COVER STORY

Smart strategies can help your pizzeria survive and thrive

BY ANDREW HIND

T

he rising cost of food across Canada over the last few years has been a cause of great concern for many Canadians and restaurateurs.

Since 2020, price increases for food, measured on a year-over-year basis, have outpaced consumer inflation. Indeed, in 2022 price increases rose faster (11 per cent) than at any time since 1981.

Food price increases have come down somewhat since that high – around 4.5 per cent in 2024 – but remains elevated and continues an upward trend.

This represents a pain point for pizzerias and restaurants still recovering from the pandemic.

Industry experts point to a wide range of factors behind the rise in food prices: supply-chain disruptions, 12

@CdnPizzaMag

Engineer the menu to take advantage of less expensive food items and drive customers through features and front-of-house staff toward low-cost, hight-profit items.

COVID-19, labour shortages, the Russian invasion of Ukraine, extreme weather, inflation, carbon taxes and more.

Operating costs – production, transportation, wholesaling – have risen at every step of the industry chain even before food items reach the restaurant.

Higher prices are passed down to your pizzeria.

Craig Russell, owner of PIE Wood Fired Pizza in Barrie, Ont., mentally counts off his fingers as he runs down the food items that remain problematically pricy. “Olive oil higher than ever, proteins have seen a big increase, cheese is still high, flour for a while was really high, and as a pizzeria, we use flour more than anything . . . just about everything a pizzeria uses remains costly,” he says.

This trickle-down effect from farmer to wholesaler to restaurant continues through the path to consumer. Food prices are driving menu prices up.

“We’ve had to raise prices, but we haven’t been able to bring them up in line with what suppliers have, so profit margins get thinner,” Russell says. “We’re walking a tightrope of not wanting to sacrifice quality for the sake of keeping prices down but also making a reasonable profit.”

PIE isn’t alone in trying to strike this balance. The Touch Bistro State of Restaurants 2023 report indicates that most North American restaurants raised their prices by an average of 15 per cent and goes on to suggest this “appears to be the maximum increase most consumers are willing to absorb.”

“We have had to raise our prices as a result, but far more incrementally than the cost of food has risen – maybe five per cent in four years. Customers, their budgets already stretched, won’t accept more,” explains Kayle Burns, corporate October 2024 · CANADIAN PIZZA

ILLUSTRATION: NUTHAWUT SOMSUK

FACING RISING COSTS

COVER STORY

chef at UNA Pizzeria and Grill in Calgary. “So, we’ve made changes on our end to compensate.”

One step Burns has taken is to alter the menu.

“Our menu has evolved as a result of the high cost of food items,” he explains.

“Some of my favourite dishes included high-cost ingredients, so we’ve had to eliminate them in favour of items with higher profit margins. As a chef, you can’t be so stubbornly in love with your menu that you lose sight of business realities.”

“To survive without significantly raising our prices we’ve also had to find ways of keeping labour costs down,” he continues. “We’ve eliminated many heavy-prep menu items because, in light of the rising food prices, we could no longer justify the additional man hours that went into these dishes.”

supplies deliveries from eight to five. It saves a lot of money,” Burns says.

Quality ingredients and customer service

Practise flexible menu management Sound menu management is key, industry experts agree. When food prices were stable operators had the luxury of costing each menu item annually and then evaluating its performance. With prices fluctuating so wildly, that’s no longer sound business practice. Instead, one should evaluate menu items every couple of months, if not monthly, and make necessary changes. Being flexible is important.

Instead of looking at this as a problem, view it as an opportunity. Engineer the menu to take advantage of less expensive food items and drive customers through features and front-of-house staff toward low-cost, high-profit items.

Admittedly, this is somewhat harder to do in pizzerias than other restaurants, but it’s still possible.

Look to source lower-cost alternatives where options exist without sacrificing quality and save money by streamlining the ordering and inventory process. “Delivery fees are so expensive now due to gas prices and so on that we made the decision to reduce our CANADIAN PIZZA · October 2024

“We’re sticking to our guns of not sacrificing quality by making lower quality substitutions.”

–Craig Russell, PIE Wood Fired Pizza

Russell says PIE is taking a unique approach to the troubled restaurant landscape.

“We’re sticking to our guns of not sacrificing quality by making lower quality food item substitutions,” he explains.

“We can raise our prices a bit more than some pizzerias because we believe our customers want to eat something that is a wiser choice in terms of how things are made. People recognize that our quality is high – that we take a few extra steps in food preparation, that we pride ourselves on using fresh produce (we don’t even have walk-in freezers or microwaves), that we make everything fresh and use high-quality ingredients – and we’re betting that they are willing to pay a bit more for quality.”

As part of that focus on quality, Russell explains that PIE is putting extra focus on customer service to set them apart from competitors and add value to the experience.

“Since the pandemic people have become so used to grabbing and going that they don’t even question when there is no communication between customer

and server anymore. Everything has become impersonal and purely transactional,” he says. “That’s not what the restaurant dining experience used to be, nor how it should be. We’re doubling down on customer service. We believe in building relationships with customers, in giving exceptionally high service levels, in creating a feel-good atmosphere.

So, when a customer pays more for his meal at least they feel valued and that they spent their money well.”

Be ready to adapt While there is a perception out there that food prices are going to decrease at some point, restaurants shouldn’t hold on to hopes that this will occur anytime soon.

Even though food inflation appears to be easing (forecasts are for a three per cent rise in 2025), experts point out that the situation remains uneasy.

Various factors including the ongoing war in Ukraine, increased energy costs, crop loss and inflationary pressure due to escalating conflict in the Middle East could still cause food prices to spike.

Restaurants should anticipate and plan for the worst.

“High food prices are a fact of life for restaurants,” Russell says. “We all have to adapt and create sustainable business plans.” | CP CanadianPizzaMag.com

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PROFILE

FAMILY TIES La Bottega Nicastro in Ottawa’s Byward Market aims to preserve family traditions while strategically diversifying

BY KAREN BARR

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he Nicastro family in Ottawa, driven by their deep-rooted passion for Italian food, has built a multi-generational business with a significant focus on pizza.

THE HISTORY

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Rocco and Pat Nicastro in front of La Bottega Nicastro in Ottawa.

In 1995, Pat, along with his cousin and business partner Rocco Junior, embarked on a new venture by opening La Bottega Nicastro, an Italian market that stands out in the heart of Ottawa’s Byward Market.

“After I graduated from university, I saw a unique opportunity for an authentic Italian market in the downtown core. We aimed to preserve the market traditions of our family business while also introducing more take-home meal options, a café and a sandwich bar,” Pat explains. “My

inspiration came from the gourmet food stores and emporiums I had the pleasure of experiencing worldwide.”

THE CUSTOMERS Pat sums up La Bottega Nicastro customers by saying, “The store caters to gourmets, home cooks and nonnas from all over the city and beyond.

Chefs from the finest restaurants can always be found shopping here. Our sandwich line consists of students, families and people working in the area looking for a fresh, fast, delicious, October 2024 · CANADIAN PIZZA

PHOTO: LA BOTTEGA NICASTRO

Joe and Rocco Senior, two brothers, laid the foundation of their first Italian food store on Gladstone Avenue in Ottawa’s Little Italy in 1972. Their store became a shopping meeting place for the Italian immigrants in the city, offering a taste of home.

As time progressed, a second location opened on Merrivale Road as the Italian population in the city grew and expanded. Soon, customers from all over Ottawa were regular shoppers regardless of their heritage.

Today, Joe’s son, Pat Nicastro, looks back fondly at his memories of his early involvement in the family business.

“I started working at the age of 12 at the olive bar. I dedicated my free time after school and on weekends. It was really my chance to hang out with my dad and cousins. It was part of my life and never really felt like work. The business side always intrigued me,” he recalls.

custom-made Italian sandwich. The caf<1> sees many regulars who live and work in the area. People from all over come for the lunch café experience.”

THE MENU Popular take-home Italian meals that are ready to heat and eat include pizza, lasagna, eggplant and chicken parmesan, as well as meatballs.

At the sandwich bar, all sandwiches are made to order. Customers select bread as the base, such as soft panini, focaccia or baguette. This is stacked with a selection of meats such as pastrami, prosciutto, or Italian ham, followed by cheese like provolone, Swiss or mozzarella.

Toppings really differentiate the sandwich with a wide variety, including spicy eggplant, hot peppers or succulent olives.

The 24-seat café is open Tuesday through Saturday for lunch as well as Friday evenings. “It’s a busy spot, with tables turning over two to three times at lunch. We have a simple menu of antipasti, pizza and pasta. There are chef specials every day, with wine and cocktails available.”

Antipasti includes fresh bread with extra virgin olive oil, and salads made with fresh greens, vegetables, herbs and house dressing.

“We are so pleased to offer more seasonal plates of pasta. In the spring, we have amazing lemon and asparagus pasta,” says Pat before confiding that he consistently leans toward an old favourite. “ I love the Cacio e Pepe pasta.”

Then, of course, there is pizza. The margherita is simply adorned with crushed tomatoes, fresh mozzarella and basil. Quattro Formaggi has a tomato-based topping with mozzarella, gorgonzola, fontina, and parmigiano. The Diavola pizza heats up with fire-roasted tomatoes, salami, chilis, cracked fennel olives and mozzarella.

Pat says La Bottega Nicastro has had some amazing chefs and cooks over the years, each bringing their own style and recipes. They have recently hired local chef and Top Chef Canada winner Rene Rodriguez.

“Rene is our new head chef in charge of all kitchen operations, including the café, take-home food and hot catering.”

THE MARKETING Beyond the food, marketing and promotion is a big part of La Bottega Nicastro’s success, especially for big holidays like Easter and Christmas.

“We have a huge social media following on Instagram, Facebook and TikTok. Honestly, we feel there is no better way to market our business,” Pat says. “Our customers help to promote our business for us with posts and pictures too. We also utilize our email list. Then, we have a weekly flyer program that people love and expect to see.”

Special events are also part of La Bottega Nicastro’s appeal, with guest chef nights, cooking classes and wine events.

Today, with more than 60 staff members, La Bottega Nicastro still works as a family. Pat’s uncle, Giovanni Adamo, manages the cheese and deli departments. His daughter and nephews also work there.

Even his retired parents can’t stay away and are frequently seen helping out where needed.

The Nicastros have found a way to blend their work and family seamlessly through their love of Italian food. | CP Karen Barr is an Ottawa-based writer and licensed chef who travels the world to explore topics about food and culture.

THE SPACE The food is prepared in a tiny space. “The actual kitchen is less than 500 square feet. The team consists of two chefs, two cooks and a server,” Pat says. “The kitchen also handles all the take-home food and hot food catering needs, where we have an additional team of 10.”

The catering menu is vast, with breakfast and brunch platters and a wide variety of salads and canapés. There are also platters of La Bottega Nicastro’s famous sandwiches, along with delectable deli platters. The meal packages assemble some of the most popular items with names like Make Your Own Panino Buffet and The Lasagna Feast. Then, there are La Bottega Boxes of favourites individually packaged meals that are ready to go.

While the café only has one beloved Italian dessert listed on the menu, tiramisu, the dessert catering menu is more extensive. Think biscotti, cannoli, and sweet and fruit platters that combine assorted Italian cookies, chocolate and fresh fruit.

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PIZZA EVENT

SUMMING UP CANADIAN PIZZA SUMMIT EAST

Bring your team for a motivational pizza day and/or register to compete at Pizza Summit – a free event!

BY CANADIAN PIZZA STAFF

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he Canadian Pizza Summit East is open for registration!

Designed to help independent pizzerias network and grow their pizza business through ideas and innovations, the Summit and Chef of the Year Competitions will take place on Monday, Oct. 21, at our host and Platinum sponsor Faema Canada at 672 Dupont Street in Toronto.

WHAT TO EXPECT AT THE SUMMIT The Canadian Pizza Summit and Chef of the Year Competitions is a one-day event exclusively for pizzeria and restaurant owners and operators. It’s the only event in Canada dedicated to the art and business of making pizza, and it offers attendees: • Exciting competitions featuring signature pizzas from dozens of pizzerias!

• Ideas to take back to your pizzeria!

• Samples of delicious, cutting-edge pizza: the best Canada has to offer!

• A chance to learn innovative techniques from other pizza makers!

• A unique setting at a business dedicated to the pizza industry!

• Engaged sponsors and exhibitors specializing in and serving the pizza industry!

• Opportunities to network with other pizzerias!

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• Top-notch market research: learn what other pizzerias are doing – all in one place on one day!

WHO SHOULD ATTEND? Are you a pizzeria owner, operator or employee? Attend! Are you planning to open your own pizzeria or pizza franchise? Attend! Are you a food-service or catering owner or employee who has a focus on pizza? Attend!

WHAT’S AT STAKE? Naturally the winner and top placers win special bragging rights. But there are great prizes to be won as well. Our new Chef of the Year East will receive a free trip to compete in the International Pizza Challenge at Pizza Expo in March 2025, where they will meet a chance to meet and get pointers from innovative Chef of the Year West Selim Louis Dahmane of Gastronomy Gastown in Vancouver. Canadian Pizza magazine will feature you on the cover!

And of course, an award to display proudly in your pizzeria.

The second-place prize is $300 and an award to display proudly in your pizzeria.

The third-place prize is $200 and an award to display proudly in your pizzeria. All chefs will receive a certificate to recognize participation in Chef of the Year.

GREAT PIZZA BOX FOLD-OFF Want to show off your box-folding skills?

Enter! Owners: Looking for a way to set your pizzeria apart from the rest? Enter! Managers: Want to motivate your employees? Encourage them to enter! Want to be featured in Canadian Pizza magazine? Enter! Want to have fun and win cash in a pizza industry setting? Enter!

The Great Pizza Box Fold-Off is open to owners and employees of Canadian pizza operations aged 14 years and older. The winner gets coverage in Canadian Pizza magazine, a framed certificate to display and a $100 gift certificate for the Annex Pizza Bookstore.

The Great Pizza Box Fold-Off will be held in the afternoon at the Canadian Pizza Summit while the Chef competition results are tabulated. All awards will be presented following the Fold-Off.

MEET THE JUDGES MARTIN BARNETT is executive director of the Baking Association of Canada. Martin has a been involved in the Canadian baking industry since 1977. His wide experience includes running medium-size wholesale and retail bakeries in Victoria, working for the Fairmont Empress Hotel and teaching at Vancouver Island University. In 2018 Martin launched Seraphina’s Oven, a small artisan baking, training and consulting business. He has been involved with the Baking Association of Canada since 2005, as a director since 2012 and as the executive director since 2021. Get in touch with Martin through baking.ca.

October 2024 · CANADIAN PIZZA

Sponsor TD Insurance for supporting this key industry event that celebrates the art and science of professional pizza making in Canada. Join us to be part of Canada’s premier pizza competition and tabletop business event!! | CP

SCHEDULE

Eric Luo of Pizza Forno in Oakville, Ont., shows off his “Claypot” pizza at the 2023 Summit in Toronto.

DIANA CLINE is a two-time Canadian Pizza magazine chef of the year champion, three-time winner of “Canada’s Best Pizza Chef” at international pizza competitions and a judge for inter-national pizza culinary competitions in Las Vegas, Italy and France. Diana has grown her busi-ness in countless ways over the years, and she is known for her creative menus, event nights and for her award-winning Moosehead Beer pizza crust. She is partner with Diana’s Cucina & Lounge in Winnipeg and a consultant to other pizzeria owner/ operators. Follow Diana on Instagram @dianas_cucina_and_lounge RITA DEMONTIS is an award-winning journalist, editor and writer whose career has spanned decades. Rita rose through the ranks of the Toronto SUN Newspaper, covering diverse stories and, for the last 25 years, was senior National Lifestyle and Food Editor. She once hosted her own weekend radio show called Dishing with DeMontis on Sirius XM Canada Talks. She has appeared regularly on CITY-TV’S Breakfast Television, Global TV, CTV Canada AM, CityLine and Food Network Canada, has been interviewed on CNN and the BBC and once hosted her own national cooking show called CUCINAetc. In 2018, the Ontario Hostelry Institute awarded Rita the Gold as top food writer in Canada. Follow Rita on Instagram @rita.demontis.

CANADIAN PIZZA · October 2024

TOM STANKIEWICZ has owned and operated Bondi’s Pizza in London, Ont., for 23 years – since 1999. Tom was our 2009 Chef of the Year with his Pizza Calabria featuring Italian sausage, Canadian goat cheese, grilled portobello mushrooms and roasted red peppers.

For several years, Tom led the Canadian Pizza Team. In recent years, he tackled diverse topics related to pizza and pizzeria management in his “Pizza on Fire” column in Canadian Pizza.< Follow Tom on Instagram @pizzajudgecanada.

GIORGIO TAVERNITI owns Frank’s Pizza House in Toronto, which has been in his family since 1990. Frank’s has received numerous awards including Best Panzerotti in Toronto

by BlogTO and Best Pizza Delivery Toronto by BlogTO. A graduate of George Brown College’s culinary management and Italian culinary programs, Giorgio helped found a popular pizza-making workshop at the college. He is a fixture on the Toronto pizza scene and well loved for his drives to support the community.

Follow Giorgio on Instagram @torontopizzeria.

This free event is for independent pizzeria owners, operators, franchisees and their teams, and for food-service or catering businesses that focus on pizza. The Canadian Pizza Summit is designed specifically to help independent pizzerias grow their pizza business and be part of a pizza community by sharing ideas and innovations.

Thank you to our host and Platinum sponsor, Faema Canada; Gold sponsor Lactalis Canada Foodservice; and Speaker Session

9:00 a.m. – Registration opens 10:00 a.m. – Trade show floor opens 10:00 a.m.-12:30 p.m Chef of the Year Competition begins (Flight 1) 12:30-1:30 p.m Complementary lunch served 12:30-1:00 p.m – Featured Talk, sponsored by TD Insurance: Best practices to manage risk in your pizza business The Canadian Pizza Summit and Chef of the Year Competition will host an informative, interactive, and practical speaker session sponsored

by TD Insurance: Best practices to manage risk in your pizza business. Mo Thaver, Regional Business Development Manager Business Insurance, and Randy Almeida, Regional Relationship Manager Business Insurance, will share best practices for managing risk in your pizza business. In a chat with Canadian Pizza editor Colleen Cross, Mo and Randy will reveal top tips based on their experiences as well as what they have learned from business owners and also explore how insurance can help you financially protect your business.

1:15-4:00 p.m – Chef of the Year Competition (Flight 2) 4:00-4:15 p.m – Great Canadian Pizza Box Fold-Off 4:15-4:30 p.m – Faema pizza-eating contest 4:30 p.m – Winners announced 5:00 p.m – Trade show floor closes

Check out the gallery of past winners, competition rules, exhibitors and location details and register now.

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FEATURE

CONQUERING NEW CHALLENGES Meet Fabrizio Busso of To Live For Bakery in Vancouver, runner-up in the Chef of the Year West competition.

BY COLLEEN CROSS

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passionate about coffee and participated in seminars at Lavazza Torino, Illy Caffè and Cimbali Italia to improve his skills.

How did he know it was time to open his own business? “I was thinking I was really good at running other people’s places. I can do everything a business owner does, why not do it for myself. I had lots of connections. I was ready to do it.”

He sold the café to open a bakery and start a new adventure with his wife, Valentina. Di Pane in Pane (From Bread to Bread) was a successful and busy venture.

While a baker Busso learned different techniques and approaches to breads, pizza and pastry from Italian master bakers.

He estimates it took four years to bake bread to a high standard. “I discovered it is a really tough job. Checking the weather, the season, the temperature,” he says, sharing that baking panettone brought him to tears as he had to throw away his first efforts and start over. His efforts paid off as in 2012 the bakers’ association of Cuneo named him Young Innovator in the Traditional Art of Baking.

“It was a good job and I discovered how much I loved the baking business,” he says.

In 2014 the couple sold the bakery and

embarked on a “life-changing” journey to Canada. When landed in Canada Busso started to work for well-known gelato shop Bella Gelateria. Inspired by owner and world champion gelato master James Colerige, he returned to Italy to study at the Carpigiani Gelato University in Bologna and become a gelato master himself.

After years as lab manager at the gelateria, Busso started a consulting company.

Erin Ireland hired him to “veganize” her bakery, To Die For, then hired him as fulltime general manager of the rebranded To Live For. “When Erin hired me, we were just wholesale with six employees (2017) and now we are 42 with a café,” he says.

The Vancouver shop features a fully plant-based menu. “Vegan food needs no compromises. If it’s good, it’s good.”

Pizza is on the menu at TLF and he honed his pizza-making skills with the help of a pizzeria operator friend in Italy.

“I was making pizza al teglia and I was really into it. Pizza can be different every day.” Eventually he met Giuseppe Cortinovis, his partner in The Base Food Inc., which produces partially precooked pizza crusts with long shelf life. We look forward to seeing what Busso does next! | CP October 2024 · CANADIAN PIZZA

PHOTO: CANADIAN PIZZA

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abrizio Busso is a bit of a Renaissance man. Our runner-up in the Chef of the Year West competition has tried his hand at mixology, coffee, gelato, baking and pizza – and excelled in all.

Busso earned second place with “Connubio,” a pizza representing a marriage of contemporary Neapolitan pizza with a double-baked, maple-wood-smoked dough, and topped with mashed russet potatoes with mozzarella cream, sausage flavoured with balsamic vinegar from Modena and gorgonzola cream.

Born and raised in Piedmont, Italy, Busso became fascinated with the art of mixology andstudied under Fabio Milani, owner and founder of the European Bartender School and multiple-time world champion. With Milani’s help, he competed in national events and won first place at the Bacardi Martini Legacy Competition, first place at the Pernod Ricard Cocktail Competition for two years under the whisky section and the first place again the following year under the gin section.

In 2003 at the age of 23 Fabrizio opened his first business, a busy and eclectic café and cocktail bar called “Malibù.” He became

Busso earned second place at the Summit in Port Coquitlam, B.C., with “Connubio.

FEATURE

SURGE IN INDEPENDENTS A conversation with industry expert Vince Sgabellone delves into the shifting restaurant landscape

BY CANADIAN PIZZA STAFF

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here has been a recent surge in independent restaurants in Canada, according to Circana’s CREST report for August 2024, which highlights restaurant and pizza industry trends.

Traffic among independents is advancing rapidly, contributing to a larger shift in market dynamics, the report indicates. For example, while chains represent 57 per cent of locations, their traffic growth is lagging behind that of independents, which is up nine per cent.

Canadian Pizza spoke with Vince Sgabellone, food industry analyst and director of client services for Circana, about this interesting trend.

Why are independents growing?

Sgabellone describes the current landscape: “Independents and small chains are growing at a much faster pace than overall QSRs. Thus, they are outpacing the large QSR chains (500 or more stores). While they dominate the landscape in terms of the number of locations they have, they haven’t been adding locations over the last few years, whereas the small and up-and-coming chains are and there is this growth in independents as well. So, part of it is access.

He adds, “There’s just a larger number of these smaller operators opening up units and I think the consumers are responding well to the proliferation of new pizza places and new quick-service operators.”

He offers possible reasons for this trend, the first based not on the report but his own observations: “There is a little bit of a holdover of the support local sentiment that started during the pandemic. People got used to supporting their local operators and they liked it. They realized they wanted to keep going back even though they don’t have to anymore. And so that is continuing, I think.”

CANADIAN PIZZA · October 2024

Another contributing factor are the third-party delivery channels, Sgabellone says: “When you’re walking up and down the street, you’re going to notice the big brands first. When you’re in your app, different things pop to the top and you might think, ‘Oh, look, there’s a new pizza place I’ve never seen before’ that you might miss driving down the street. Or if you get in your car to drive somewhere, you’re going to go to that same old place you’ve always been to. But when you open up your app, there’s a whole world of new places to try, and that really helps out the smaller chains in the independents.”

Sgabellone suggests customers may go to a newer place potentially because of a perceived higher quality and a differentiation. “People maybe can’t afford that premium full-service pizza anymore. They still want to go out. They think, ‘I’ll go to a smaller chain independent because again of that perceived higher quality perception, they’ll offer something a little bit more that the big chains might not. Sure, it’s going to cost me a bit more, but it’ll still be less than FSR and I’ll still be able to get that high quality, but at a lower maybe QSR-ish price point.’ ” Explosion of locations’ in small chains Sgabellone estimates there are just under 7,000 quick-service pizza stores in Canada and about one-third of those are independents. The big chains (500 or more stores) make up about 15 per cent of the total and the rest would be small chains (three to 500 stores) and that’s where we’re seeing the explosion of locations. The independents are doing well and they’re holding their own but the growth that we’re seeing is in those smaller chains (such as Salvatore Pizza and Red Swan).”

Advice for independents Sgabellone recommends that independent

pizzerias focus on differentiating themselves. “If you have the capacity, there’s always the opportunity to expand to other menu items. There are the obvious chicken wings and chicken nuggets and that sort of a thing. Desserts, though, that’s up and coming, and something that’s a great opportunity.

“Beverages are very important, becoming increasingly important across all channels, not just quick-service but full-service as well. People are looking for non-carbonated drinks, iced tea, energy drinks, cold coffee. I would think the little independent could be a little bit more nimble with their beverage portfolio. It’s so important if you’re serving slices to have something different and unique. Our beverage experts in the U.S., they call it the single-serve “for me for now” sizing.” He also highlights the opportunity for these independents to serve alcohol, something chains typically don’t get into.

For a new pizzeria opening up, Sgabellone thinks pizza has an advantage over other QSR sub-channels (such as burger, chicken and sandwich QSRs) that are typically dominated by two to three large players. “In the pizza space, the large chains have less than half of the volume.

The rest is those independents and smaller chains. That again reinforces the fact that people are looking for and will support the uniqueness and the differentiation in the pizza realm. It also means there’s lots of competition.”

Near-term outlook “I think the independents and the small chains are going to continue to flourish,” Sgabellone says. “This is my personal outlook – we do have a forecasting team but they don’t forecast at quite that granular level. We’ve seen this for about three years ever since the pandemic recovery began. And there’s no reason why it’s going to quiet down.” | CP CanadianPizzaMag.com

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MAKING DOUGH WITH DIANE

BY DIANE CHIASSON

Diane Chiasson, FCSI, president of Chiasson Consultants Inc., has been helping foodservice, hospitality, and retail operators increase sales for over 35 years by providing innovative and revenue-increasing foodservice and retail merchandising programs, interior design, branding, menu engineering, marketing and promotional campaigns.

Contact her at 416-926-1338, send her an email at chiasson@chiassonconsultlants.com or visit www.chiassonconsultants.com..

Seven easy ideas for bringing more customers to your pizzeria and increasing sales this autumn 2. Tempt customers to visit with festive fall decorations

Fall flavour sampler: Butternut squash Kale Fennel Cinnamon Apple Pumpkin spice Potato Beets Zucchini Cauliflower

1. Create a cozy, inviting atmosphere Fall is synonymous with comfort. To encourage your customers to stick around and enjoy a hot meal, consider replacing some of your tables and chairs with comfortable couches and armchairs. Create more of a cozy living room atmosphere in your pizzeria.

Put on some music and fill a bookshelf with magazines, books and board games. Consider placing an electric fireplace in the corner of your pizzeria in colder weather. Customers who are comfortable in your restaurant will stay longer and inevitably order more food.

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Try adding fall specials to your menu that you rotate daily, weekly or monthly.

Emphasize the warm colours of autumn in your pizzeria’s décor and product presentation. Use baskets, wooden trays or platters filled with autumn gourds and pumpkins of varying shapes, colours and sizes to decorate your counters and windows.

Make a centrepiece with a large bowl of seasonal vegetables, including root vegetables, plant beets, turnips, rutabaga and colourful corn husks. Dress up your tables with bouquets of fall foliage, berries and wheat. Use small and large squash and pumpkins, fall leaves, strings of fairy lights, and spooky Halloween decorations throughout October.

Embellish your baked goods by lining your bread baskets and trays with brown or parchment paper to give your products a more European and environmental feel. Use props around your displays, including mini menus or recipe cards, upcoming events, advertising or other relatable items.

3. Capture fall flavours with a new menu It’s time to introduce plenty of colourful and flavourful produce in the fall. Nothing says fall like a unique autumn pizzeria menu. Many of your customers are back to a busy schedule with a to-do list getting longer by the minute. Now is the ideal time to introduce them to your new and

favourite pizza items and give them an opportunity to enjoy this season’s bountiful harvest.

Design your fall menu around local, seasonal fall produce and vegetables. What about a creamy spiced lentil and butternut squash soup paired with yogurt mixed with coriander for lunch? Pumpkins and sweet potatoes are some fall favourites for soups, pizzas and desserts. Prepare some heartier salads and combine raw and cooked vegetables like cabbage, kale, fennel with apples, quinoa and other healthy grains.

Nothing says fall until you incorporate fall flavours in your menu.

Consider the following ingredients: cinnamon, apple, cranberries, pumpkin, ginger, maple, pecans, and hearty fall vegetables like potato, beets, squash, zucchini and cauliflower.

If you don’t want to change your entire menu for fall, simply add fall specials to your menu that you rotate daily, weekly or monthly.

4. Introduce an enticing fall drinks menu Consider creating a fall drinks menu to complement your autumn menu. It could include a mix of alcoholic and non-alcoholic options (mocktails) like hot apple cider, apple sangria, pecan pie martini, pumpkin spice latte, hot apple cider mimosa, mulled wine, lemongrass jasmine iced tea, mulled apple juice, spiced Mexican hot chocolate and blueberry mojito.

Winter spices in beverages are also October 2024 · CANADIAN PIZZA

PHOTO: VOLOSHIN311 / ADOBE STOCK

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all flavours provide a significant sales opportunity for pizzeria operations. Fall flavours are the highlight of this autumn season: butternut squash, broccoli, kale, fennel, cinnamon, nutmeg, apple, nuts and pumpkin spice.

With a few smart ingredient tweaks, you can transform your pizzeria into a unique, authentic, welcoming autumn-season pizzeria.

With the right mix of autumn recipes and strategies to improve team efficiency, this autumn season can be the perfect time to increase sales and improve operations. Never stop including these wonderful flavours on your menu to bring that autumn feel to your customers.

Here are seven easy ideas for bringing more customers to your pizzeria and increasing sales this autumn.

popular on autumn restaurant menus. Flavours include fragrant chai, cloves, anise and cardamom.

Don’t forget to tell a story about your fall food and drink menus. Share your inspiration behind each pizza or drink and tell your customers where the ingredients are sourced, particularly if they are from a local farmer or supplier.

5. Use your storefront displays effectively When it comes to attracting customers, your store windows are one of your most powerful tools. I don’t know anyone who wouldn’t stop in their tracks to look at a window filled with pumpkins, fall décor fresh pizza slices, panzerotties and beautifully decorated cookies.

Make your storefront display products highly visible from every possible angle.

Creating displays with different heights and depths is a crucial merchandising point.

Use various colours, contrasts and textures.

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The need for a fresh appearance is critical, as “fresh” and “clean” are synonymous with good eating. Use wooden boxes, rattan baskets, jute bags, metal cans, multi-tiered display plates and/or risers to give your products in your window height, depth, and proper lighting to enhance and show off the details in your freshly prepared items.

Make sure you change your displays regularly and rotate your products to keep things fresh and exciting. Check that your storefront window displays are visually appealing and full. A half-empty storefront window conveys a depressing image of a half-empty store.

6. Keep your front store clutter-free and your windows clean Keep your entryway inviting and free of clutter, and try to leave your door open so that the aroma of freshly baked pizza wafts out onto the street. Another tip is to direct

your exhaust fan from your kitchen to the front of your store, either inside or outside.

Cleanliness is a critical point of any food operation. In today’s society, many people are fanatical about hygiene and keeping germs away; you need to let potential customers know that your operation is sanitary and clean. Make sure that your doors and windows are free of fingerprints, dust, smudges and smears and that everything sparkles.

7. Train your team members What people love about special holidays is that they are fun. All your staff members must be involved to create the right ambience and atmosphere in your pizzeria. Get your staff to dress up, crank up the music and boost enthusiasm around the area. If your staff is having a good time, it will rub off on your customers. And if your customers are having a good time, they will likely return for more. | CP

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CANADIAN PIZZA · October 2024

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CUSTOMER SERVICE

Customer service strategist and professional speaker Jeff Mowatt is an authority on The Art of Client Service. nfluence with Ease. For Jeff’s other tips, self-study resources, and training services, visit jeffmowatt.com.

Customer service motivation Five tips for staying up when customers wear you down

BY JEFF MOWATT Open as a trouble-shooter Imagine you’re about to talk with a customer who is obviously unhappy. Starting the conversation by asking, “How are you?” invites the customer to start a rant, which sends the conversation in a downward spiral. By the same token, if it’s evident the customer is unhappy, asking them how they are indicates that we must be blind to the obvious. That doesn’t exactly build trust. So, when you suspect a customer may be frustrated, instead of asking, “How are you?” instead ask, “What can I do to make your day a little easier?” That opening shows that you’re aware there is a problem and positions you as problem solver. Chances are you’ll have a better interaction.

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omeone once said that life would be easy if it wasn’t for other people. Making a living, however, usually involves interacting with humans.

Your job may be fine when customers are pleasant and everything goes well.

Sooner or later though, unavoidable delays, foul-ups and interruptions can make even good jobs turn into, well… work. To help you have more up days than down – even when things go wrong – here are several strategies for making your job easier and your mood better. The bonus is your boss and your customers will love you for them.

Watch your language

Fix rather than foist No matter what your job description, if you view internal and external customers as interruptions, you’re going to be frustrated and angry a lot. We all know that without those customers we wouldn’t have jobs.

Ultimately, the purpose of everyone’s job is to serve customers and co-workers. That means when customers ask for something that’s not technically in your job description, instead of focusing on what you can’t do, focus on what you can.

Contrast saying to a customer, “You need to call another department,” versus, “I’ll call that department and see what I can find out for you.” With the second approach, customers will be easier to deal with and you’ll have a better day. Ironically, trying to avoid customer requests or foist them on to others makes your day harder and more draining that just finding a way to solve the problem.

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@CdnPizzaMag

Speaking of words that improve outcomes, try my Phrases that Pay with your customers and co-workers…

Be a troubleshooter: Good: “How are you?”

Better: “What can I do to make your day a little easier?”

Instead of: I’ll deal with it. Say: I’ll take care of it.

Instead of: You’re welcome. Say: My pleasure.

Instead of: Bear with me. Say: I appreciate your patience.

Instead of: It won’t be here until Tuesday.

Say: It will be here as soon as Tuesday.

Did you notice how just changing a few words changes the whole tone? When I speak at conferences, participants who’ve used these tips report afterward that they’re amazed at how much easier customers are to deal with once service providers become more thoughtful with their word choices.

Realize that not everyone loves you Chances are, you may have several

co-workers or customers with whom you have absolutely nothing in common. They may come from a vastly different culture, upbringing or value system than you. That means if you try to win them over as friends, you’ll likely be disappointed. I suggest that instead of trying to become buddies, you position yourself more as a trusted advisor.

Think of the relationship between a medical specialist and a patient. As a patient, we don’t expect the cardiologist to phone us at home to talk about movies. We may only interact with them once or twice a then never see them again. Yet we feel a strong bond because we see them as a trusted advisor. At work, your day will be easier if you expend less energy trying to be liked and focusing more on satisfying customer needs as a trusted advisor.

Get moving You know that great feeling you have after you work-out? It’s more than a temporary endorphin high; it’s also the sense of well being and self-esteem you generate by doing something that you know is good for you. So if your job involves a lot of stress and potential conflicts, then I encourage you to exercise before you go to work. Yes, it may mean getting-up earlier. Fine, get up earlier and go to bed earlier. Being kind to customers and coworkers starts with being kind to yourself. You’ll not only have better outlook, you’ll also have the energy to face life’s daily challenges.

Bottom line – you may not have control over every foul-up or frustration that happens when you deal with customers and co-workers. Fortunately, you do have several tools to make work more pleasant for everyone. | CP October 2024 · CANADIAN PIZZA

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