PZ - September - October 2022

SEPT/OCT 2022

CANADIANPIZZAMAG.COM

Chef of the Year Luca Colasanti, Mordimi Bite of Italy, wins top honours at first Canadian Pizza Summit West!

Register for Pizza Summit East Oct. 24 – details inside!

P. 12 Managing food costs P. 14 Italian dessert trends

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Sept/Oct 2022 Vol. 28, No. 5

DEPARTMENTS 6

From the Editor There is power in sharing

8

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

9

Tools of the Trade

10

New products

12 The Pizza Chef Managing fluctuating food costs

16 Making Dough Four easy ideas to attract more customers

ONLINE

CONTENTS

PHOTOS: DAVID JUDD (8); CANNOLI KING (14); CANADIAN PIZZA (18)

Show & Tell: Canadian Pizza Innovation Partnering with the Baking Association of Canada, Canadian Pizza presents a webinar with three top pizza chefs across Canada to learn how they are innovating with crust and toppings. Learn techniques and styles, explore novel ingredients and gather ideas for your own pizzeria. You’ll find it under the “videos” tab at canadianpizzamag.com!

COVER STORY

10 Chef of the Year West Luca Colasanti of Mordimi Bite of Italy in Vancouver wins top honours at our first Pizza Summit West!

By Colleen Cross

12

CANADIAN PIZZA · September/October 2022

Looking to add Italian desserts to your pizzeria’s menu? Find out what is trending.

By Karen Barr

18 Canadian Pizza Summit East The Canadian Pizza Summit East and Chef of the Year Competition is back in full force. Here are the details!

By Colleen Cross

ON THE COVER Luca Colasanti, co-owner of Mordimi Bite of Italy in Vancouver, is our new – and first – Chef of the Year West! Learn more about Colasanti’s mission to bring good food to the masses, his unique business model.

See page 10.

Photo: David Judd

14 Trends in Italian desserts

22 Bust out of service fatigue

14

The what, where, why and how behind a decline in customer service excellence

By Laurie Guest

CanadianPizzaMag.com

3

FROM THE EDITOR

BY COLLEEN CROSS

September/October 2022, Vol. 28, No. 5

There is power in sharing skills, information and resources eople often ask me what’s going on in pizza. The number of styles of pizza often surprises them: regional or crustbased. Pizzeria operators, too, working hard day to day, often don’t have a chance to learn about different styles or consider putting them on the menu.

That’s why events like our recent webinar, Show and Tell: Canadian Pizza Innovation, presented by the Baking Association of Canada, are important. A one-hour program like this, tailored to pizzeria operators and their teams, is an efficient, fun and surprisingly intimate way to learn from and connect with your peers.

Chef Sarah Wallbank, owner of Camas Fine Foods Inc., Nanaimo, B.C., talked about drawing on the cultural influences of your community to create feature menu items, memorable dining experiences and a positive working environment. Wallbank, a Naples-trained pizza chef, showed us a handful of intriguing pizza shapes, including racket-shaped pizza to playfully evoke a tennis or badminton theme, boatshaped pide and other delightful forms of pizza she has served on catering jobs.

Chef Michael Angeloni of Amano Trattoria in Toronto talked about and demonstrated one of his specialities, the pillow-like pinsa, a Roman-style pizza not often seen at restaurants.

The exciting pizza style features a specialized, fermented dough that forms a surprisingly structured crust and rustic oval shape.

Chef Tracey Muzzolini joined us from in front of the forno at 90-year-old Christies Bakery in Saskatoon. Trust me, you could feel the heat through your computer screen. Muzzolini, an accomplished competitor with Team Canada for The Coupe Du Monde de la Boulangerie, demonstrated hand shaping techniques and showed how controlling the fire affects the

P

cooking of the pizza crust in the oven.

Our three chefs gave of their time, experience and expertise and put on quite a show.

We encourage you to watch and broaden your appreciation of what pizzaioli are doing across Canada. You can find this program at canadianpizzamag.com. Make it required viewing to get your new hires excited about the craft of pizza.

The Baking Association of Canada sponsored this webinar to introduce itself to you, the pizza world. Executive director Martin Barnett, himself a highly skilled baker and pizza maker, joined the webinar to tell us that the BAC recently created new categories of membership and one of these is pizza!

Pizza doesn’t have an association of its own and this group of hardworking, creative bakers is a great fit for us. For a nominal fee, they offer many benefits for small businesses – cellphone plans, insurance, membership and training through the Bread Bakers Guild of America and the American Baking Association, discounts for their annual Canadian Bakery Showcase, provincial chapters, social events and lots more.

Behind the scenes, the BAC is the voice of bakeries, pizzerias and other related groups to government and they make sure your needs are heard and met on many issues such as making it easier for businesses to sponsor and hire temporary foreign workers. You can learn more by visiting baking.ca.

Speaking of networking, we are looking forward to seeing you at our first in-person Canadian Pizza Summit (East) and Chef of the Year Competitions in Toronto in three years. We have a full roster of pizza chefs ready to show you what they can do. This is such a fun way to snoop out the latest trends as these folks always bring their best work and exciting ideas. See page 18 for details and see you there! | CP

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canadian_pizza_magazine September/October 2022 · CANADIAN PIZZA

PLAN TO ATTEND CANADA’S NATIONAL BAKING INDUSTRY EVENT! SAVE THE DATE!

May 14 - 15, 2023 I Vancouver Convention Centre Join Canada’s industry professionals from pizzerias and bakeries (retail, wholesale, commercial, in-store), grocery and food-service outlets at Canada’s ONLY Business-to-Business Baking event!

• •

Connect with suppliers and learn about the latest ingredients, bakery equipment and services for the baking industry!

Education sessions exploring such topics as baking techniques, improving your shop’s design and setup, making your bakery sustainable and more!

• • • •

Watch demonstrations by top bakers and pizza chefs!

Experience exciting student competitions!

Pick up trends at the Canadian Pizza Chef of the Year competitions!

And much more!

It’s a month’s worth of market research – all in one place over two days!

Sponsored by:

Learn more at bakeryshowcasecanada.ca

Presented by:

INDUSTRY NEWS

ON THE WEB Baker and mining executive team up to preserve Sudbury’s original pizzeria; First Michelin Guide selection in Canada shines spotlight on 74 Toronto restaurants; Skip The Dishes lays off 350 Winnipeg workers | FOR MORE PIZZA NEWS, check out our website, canadianpizzamag.com

that while retail pizza formats such as frozen pizza sold at grocery stores continue to be in demand, independent pizzerias can use customization and innovation to gain back sales from these competing formats.

Women in Pizza is a movement that empowers women in the pizza industry to share their stories, display their talents, inspire innovations, and connect with one another and the world. Their contribution to the pizza community has and will continue to be vital to the advancement of the pizza industry.

Started by Alexandra Mortati of Orlando Food Sales in 2018, the group’s vision is to grow a social movement that gives a voice to the under-represented female segment of pizzaioli: “We hope to inspire more women to follow their pizza passion and join the industry,” Mortati says.

Women in Pizza aims to provide a platform for women in the pizza industry to do many things: • Tell their stories and showcase their talent 8

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The group has held panels at the International Pizza Expo in Las Veagas, pop-up events and online one-on-one conversations, and is planning more events in future.

Follow the group on Facebook and Instagram @ womeninpizza To learn more or join the Women in Pizza movement, visit womeninpizza.com.

ABOVE PHOTO: WOMEN IN PIZZA

‘Women in Pizza’ group aims to showcase and connect women working in the pizza industry worldwide

• Promote the talent and innovations of female pizza makers by showcasing their achievements and influence • Strive to normalize the sight of women in the pizza industry • Create a network of women in pizza and connect them with each other, other industry figures and consumers • Support the food and beverage industries by highlighting key talent and encouraging female participation

ILLUSTRATION BY BRIAN FRAY

NETWORKING

Compared to 2020, the report says, two of the three retail pizza formats – frozen pizza from a grocery or other retail store, pizza prepared at home from ingredients, and take-andbake or refrigerated pizza from a restaurant, retail prepared-foods area or other food-service operation increased.

Separately, consumers increasingly call for more retail products that make it easier to prepare pizza at home. More

consumers likely turned to the retail channel due to dining restrictions during COVID-19.

According to Technomic, retail will continue to be a key source for pizza for its convenience and affordability.

As inflationary pressures drive up prices, some consumers may stick to take-and-bake or frozen pizza, which are largely considered more affordable alternatives to restaurants.

The report suggests pizzerias can compete with retailers through innovation and customization.

Creating new and unique pizza offerings and highlighting the ability to build your own pizza may help attract consumers to restaurants.

PIZZA SALES

Continued demand for retail pizza Technomic’s latest industry insights report suggests September/October 2022 · CANADIAN PIZZA

TOOLS OF THE TRADE

ON THE WEB 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

ACCOUNTING SOFTWARE

Xero accounting software helps you keep on top of cash flow

CONDIMENTS

Peace River Hot Honey adds zing to your pizzeria’s menu

SAUCE

Botticelli Foods range of tomato sauces certified ‘Whole 30’ Anita’s Botticelli Foods has a range of jarred tomato sauces that are certified Whole 30.

They work well in pasta, stews, cold served chicken sandwich, meatball sandwiches, dip for bread sticks or mozzarella sticks.

Currently run by the fourth generation of farmers and grocers from and in Sicily, the family-owned and New Yorkbased brand, from the Asaro family established in 2002, celebrates its 20th year of jarring and bottling Italian products from Italy.

The company offers a range of premium products grown, packed, and produced in Italy.

The line includes 20 plus sauces suitable for classic tomato-based recipes made from closely monitored tomato farms in Italy; alfredo, pesto and primavera; balsamic vinegars and jarred pantry goods such as pre-made antipasti.

Flavours include roasted garlic, marinara and spicy vodka.

Peace River Hot Honey, a new line by Honey Bunny Inc. of Guy, Alta., features sweet and savoury flavours to inspire pizza chefs.

The honeys come in three flavours – Peace River Hot Honey, Peace River Bourbon Hot Honey and Peace River Pineapple Jalapeno Honey – with an opportunity to create custom flavours.

They may be used on pizza, as a dip, or on chicken wings, breakfast sandwiches, cocktails, grilled vegetables and many other menu items.

Peace River Hot Honey was named 2022 Canadian Grand Prix New Product Awards Winner in the condiments and sauces category. It is sold in easy-touse squeeze bottles or in bulk.

Its parent company, Honey Bunny Inc., a 4,000-hive apiary and food processing facility, has been owned and operated by the Wolfe family since the 1980s.

The company has been certified organic since 1996. In 2016, it became the first apiary in Canada to be non-GMO project verified. It is also certified kosher, CFIA licensed and SQF audited. The honey products are gluten-free.

botticellifoods.com

peaceriverhoney.com

CANADIAN PIZZA · September/October 2022

Xero is a 15-year-old global tech company that provides cloudbased accounting software to small and medium-sized businesses and advisors across Canada.

Xero’s software can save business owners precious time and resources, as it helps automate processes and keep finances on track. It also allows them to have access to financial data anytime, anywhere, and on any device. The software includes a core accounting solution, workforce management, expenses and projects.

The platform helps restaurant operators handle continued economic disruptions and use technology to always have a full picture of cash flow. Not knowing cash flow is the primary driver of small business failure.

The software lets you pay bills, claim expenses and connect with your bank and allows you to track your business on the go, and pull bills and receipts into Xero automatically using Hubdoc. xero.com

DIGITAL ORDERING

Paytronix and Yumpingo partner to give insights into digital customers Paytronix Systems and Yumpingo are integrating their platforms to help restaurants deploy Yumpingo’s proprietary one-minute reviews to guests when using Paytronix Order & Delivery.

The partnership provides restaurants with actionable customer satisfaction data at scale, tied to specific dishes ordered and

hospitality service provided. The systems is designed to deliver insights to help your team improve customer engagement.

The platform helps restaurants manage their digital-ordering process. It combines with Paytronix’s loyalty and CRM solution, providing brands with the technology they need to offer amazing guest experiences for millions of guests every day.

The service is available via the Paytronix Order & Delivery app and the Paytronix platform. info.yumpingo.com/paytronix

LOCKERS FOR PICKUP

OrderHQ exterior smart food lockers Apex Order Pickup Solutions is launching its OrderHQ Exterior Smart Food Locker designed to provide pickup in less than 10 seconds through the exterior wall of a restaurant, while employees load orders from inside.

The system was designed in response to restaurants continuing to see high demand for pickup orders and struggling with lobbies crowded with delivery service providers and customers awaiting their take-out orders.

This smart food locker also provides data insights that may be missing from third-party delivery orders, giving the operator a complete digital chain of custody for every order.

This streamlined process and technology makes the most of staff capacity. The OrderHQ Exterior Smart Food Locker is expected to be available in 2023. apexorderpickup.com

CanadianPizzaMag.com

9

COVER STORY

CHEF OF THE YEAR WEST

BY COLLEEN CROSS

L

uca Colasanti represents the best of the west.

The first Canadian Pizza Summit and Chef of the Year West Competitions drew an impressive group of pizza chefs who were overjoyed to showcase their fresh ingredients, terroir and hard-to-define – but definitely British Columbia – flavour.

Luca Colasanti emerged triumphant as the first Canadian Pizza Chef of the Year West. Colasanti, who coowns Mordimi Bite of Italy in Vancouver with his wife Silvia Mayela, brought a taste of summer via his winning Fighissima pizza with a crust featuring three organic flours from Italy, including double-zero and spelt flour.

The dough is made using a biga that is fermented for 48 hours. Colasanti said that the combination of different 10

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ELEMENTS OF FIGHISSIMA Three organic flours from Italy, including double-zero and spelt Red sauce base Fior di latte cheese Fresh figs Coppa piacentina DOP Shaved piave DOP Fresh arugula

flours helps make the crust light with a “fantastic crunchy effect.”

The pizza featured a red sauce base, fior di latte cheese topped with colourful purple fresh figs, coppa piacentina DOP (Protected Designation of Origin), shaved piave DOP cheese and fresh arugula.

Soon after the Pizza Summit, we visited Colasanti at his pizzeria. A short drive from downtown Vancouver to a thriving commercial and industrial neighbourhood – referred to by some as “Yeast Van” Brewery District – Mordimi Bite of Italy operates in partnership with Luppolo Brewing Company. Luppolo is a craft brewery offering lagers, ales, ciders and other local and Italian beverages. It is owned and operated by two couples: Eleanor Stewart and Ryan Parfitt, and Anique Ross and Federico (Fede) Stucchi.

Luca Colasanti, our first Chef of the Year West, co-owns Mordimi Bite of Italy in Vancouver with his wife, pastry chef Silvia Mayela.

Like many businesses, Mordimi has a COVID story. Colasanti and Mayela were forced to close their original location in the Hastings Sunrise neighbourhood when it became clear their space was too small to accommodate guests while maintaining social distancing and the catering side of their business was no longer viable.

Colasanti thought of Luppolo, whose co-owners he knew through friends of friends, and whose aim was similar to Mordimi’s – to share Italian culture with British Columbians.

It was a win-win situation. Mordimi had food but no beverages. Luppolo had the beverages but no food.

One advantage of co-locating at the brewery was Mordimi could avoid getting a separate liquor licence. He recalls the moment it happened: “I said, it’s now or never, let me talk to September/October 2022 · CANADIAN PIZZA

PHOTO: DAVID JUDD

Luca Colasanti of Mordimi Bite of Italy in Vancouver wins with a fig-forward pie!

COVER STORY

my partner. She agreed. I took all my appliances on Aug. 23, 2020, and I was moved in.

Being in an industrial area helped us because there were a lot of people working on site in industries.”

Mayela, a pastry chef, specializes in the sweet side of the business. Colasanti’s focuses on the pizza, his specialty a hybrid of Neapolitan and Roman style pizza – soft on the inside, with a light crunch on the outside. He does the accounting. Otherwise, in matters of business they work as a team. “We manage clients and otherwise do everything together,” Colasanti says.

To begin with, it was a pastry shop, offering pizza al taglio (a.k.a. pizza in teglia), one pasta at a time with one type of condiment, and catering service.

BEGINNINGS Born in Rome and raised in Rieti, about an hour’s drive away and the physical centre of Italy. Colasanti didn’t always dream of a culinary career. He studied in university to be a pharmacist. He switched courses and went into hospitality, managing front of house at a hotel and resort for three years. However, he found the country’s changing tax laws a challenge and decided to try his luck in Canada.

He was not formally trained as a chef, but grew up cooking, educated himself over the years and gained on-the-job experience.

He visited Canada, brought his tourist visa, found a sponsor – Glowbal Restaurant Group – worked with them beginning in 2013, then applied for permanent residency.

He found it a great opportunity to enter the workforce in Canada, but was keen to bring a taste of Italian food and culture to Vancouver.

He worked in Vancouver first at Glowbal’s three-level steakhouse Black + Blue while waiting for his permanent residency to come through. It’s where he met Mayela, who worked on another floor. One day they met and the relationship bloomed. He ran a coffee shop for seven months, hoping to purchase it when the owners sold, but it was not to be.

Colasanti finds the restaurant industry in Canada very different from that of Europe.

“Everybody needs to work but less than one per cent want deep knowledge of what they are doing,” he says. “It’s really difficult – here CANADIAN PIZZA · September/October 2022

many people just do their narrow duties. Everything is built to just do for the moment instead of building something for the future.”

Colasanti is a big believer in sourcing and eating local. “People here the first approach is how does it look. You close your eyes and generate memories of your grandmother, for example. My food comes from the garden,” he says, referring to his grandmother’s vegetable garden. The chef and business owner has a strong opinions about food and a vision of the future. “We should be paying a high luxury price to get food from out of country – 60-plus times more than we do (for local food).”

PROMOTING ITALIAN FOOD Colasanti learned pizza making from Italian celebrity chef Gabriele Bonci – sort of. Two of the B.C. chef’s best friends did a workshop with Bonci, who is widely known for making Roman pizza al taglio, or pizza with a structured crust sold by weight. Through these friends he connected with contemporary Italian chef, Mirko Rizzo, an expert in the style.

Colasanti took a month or two of in-depth lessons from the chef by video call until he mastered the style. “I would come home after working an afternoon shift (3 p.m. to midnight) and learn.”

They opened Mordimi early in 2019 and became known for the al taglio style as well as Mayela’s tempting pastries and desserts.

After teaming up with Lupolo, they were making Napoletana-style. Colasanti decided to enter a round pizza in the Chef of the Year competition because he felt it was easier to transport and make for the competition.

With TV shows highlighting culinary traditions and skills, people begin to think of themselves as chefs, he says. However, he says he still needs 15-20 years to bring Italian tradition to Canada’s west coast. “The public is not accepting of Italian food. Maybe we can accelerate it a little bit. I’d really like to try to educate people. There is an opportunity for people to do the right things and present Italian food as it should be.”

“I’d really like to promote that concept of the restaurant as a place you go every day where you get fresh food and different items every day. I want the (menu items) to be something everyone can afford.

Hybrid pizza “On the menu we call it My Hybrid Roman Napoletana pizza. Because I love bread, I love the crust and the edge of the pizza. Because I’m Roman, I like the really well done pizza that Napoletana doesn’t really deliver to you.”

“The (Roman) dough is still crunchy, a little spongy. You can hold the pizza with two fingers on the edge. The important thing is to stretch the dough in the trays when it reaches the right temperature. Dough needs to be completely mature to taste right. You have to handle it quite a bit. It’s worth the work. I’m pretty happy with the final recipe.”

Of switching from Roman to Napoletana style, he says: “I’m used to really high-hydration dough, so I wanted to not lose what I was learning. However, Roman-style had brought with it space issue: we couldn’t have another walk-in fridge. It wasn’t practical to make 20 kilograms of dough a day.”

In seven years he has gained valuable skills and experience. He got an offer to franchise his concept, but it has not yet felt right to hand over this passion project for money alone. He wants to keep the knowledge and culture alive.

“I am happy in what I’m doing. I would like to consolidate what I’m doing until I can afford to have the right amount of money. I work already more than 16 hours a day – it’s not sustainable.” Not surprisingly, finding skilled, motivated staff has been a challenge.

“It’s hard to train people and they leave after three months. We are really lacking in highly skilled workers. You have people at 23, 24, 25 years old with no experience wanting a high wage. I tell them, ‘As soon as you take off my shoulders 20 per cent of responsibility, I’ll pay you that. Show me your effort, show me I can rely on you, then I’m the first person to do everything for you.’ ” He is excited to report he has employees coming the first week of October – he is sponsoring them to come up from Mexico.

The pizzeria is hopping and it’s a challenge for Colasanti to keep up and to manage his staff. He would love to get back to skiing, a passion of his. Another passion is travelling, and last summer they visited family and friends in Italy.

“Change of perspective is good,” he says.

“If you’re always in your own garden, you don’t see what else is out there.” | CP CanadianPizzaMag.com

11

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.

Managing fluctuating food costs

R

ecently a fellow independent pizzeria operator reached out to me and asked, “What factor do you think is important for maintaining proper food cost for pizza? Measurements? Increase prices? Reduce portion amounts?”

That’s a great question. The most important thing for determining food cost is to know your numbers – all of them – and to pay close attention to them. It’s no secret that all of us food industry operators are struggling with input costs: between supply-chain issues and skyrocketing inflation, we’ve been dealing with an enormous amount of hardship the past two years. Last year, we saw our premium pepperoni rise from $50 per case to as high as $95 per case. And then there was a period where it just wasn’t available, due to supply issues. Many operators have increased prices at least once, some I know of have increased them twice and are seriously considered another increase.

I asked my friend, “When was the last time you did a food cost analysis on your pizzas?” It’s unfortunate, but the truth is many independent operators have never done one. To figure out your food cost you must know how much of each ingredient you use per pizza: dough, sauce, cheese, and then toppings. If you make the dough in your store, then you need to know how many dough balls you can make per batch of dough. The same thing goes if you make your pizza sauce from scratch: how many ounces of sauce does one batch yield? How many ounces of pizza sauce do you put on each pizza? If you’re not familiar with how to calculate food cost, please see my previous column, “How much should a

12

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Scan here to see January/February 2021 edition

pizza cost?” in the January/February 2021 edition.

The next question is how often do you verify your portion amounts? If your medium pizza is supposed to have six ounces of cheese but no one ever actually measures it out, your team members could be putting seven, eight ounces or more on that pizza. It may not seem like a lot, but cheese is typically 11 per cent of your pizza’s overall food cost, and if every pizza you’re making has an extra ounce or two, well, that adds up fast. How many pizzas do you make every week?

This September we also saw a second dairy increase pushed through by the Canadian Dairy Commission, citing increased production costs. With that, it’s imperative that you verify your portion amounts. If you haven’t already, invest in a good-quality kitchen scale and weigh out the cheese on every pizza. Yes, I know it’s a huge pain,

but no more painful than discovering that you’ve been over-cheesing every pie. I wholeheartedly believe you should give your customers what they pay for. Some operators I know use portion cups for their cheese, which also works. The main thing is to have a mechanism in place for controlling the portioning of your most expensive ingredients.

The same process should be applied to your proteins. I don’t need to tell you how protein prices have increased a disproportionate amount in the last eight months.

An extra ounce or two of premium pepperoni or chicken or slow-roasted pulled pork adds up fast, so you need to verify that your team members are topping according to your predetermined portion chart.

The next question is how often do you do a manual inventory count? And by that I mean going through each item in your restaurant and weighing it, then plugging each total into a spreadsheet and September/October 2022 · CANADIAN PIZZA

because the cheaper alternative is definitely of lower factoring how much your last ending inventory was quality and my family doesn’t care for the breading. I plus your food purchases, minus your current week or still want to support this local restaurant, so we order month ending inventory, then dividing by the total sales a different menu item, but I can’t help but wonder if for the period. That gives you your actual food cost. one day, without notice, I’ll find myself disappointed Most operators need to increase their prices to that this other menu item has had its main ingredient keep up with the increase in costs. Or find cheaper You need to replaced with a cheaper version that I just don’t care alternatives for their ingredients. If you’re known for verify that for. If that were to happen, there’s not much else that your top-quality ingredients, then it’s not just a mat- your team would keep me going back. ter of sourcing cheaper alternatives. Your regulars will members So, to come back to answer my friend’s question; If notice the difference, and you’ll likely lose them to a are topping you’re portioning according to your food cost, and you competitor. according to do a regular manual inventory count, then you’ll know I recently stopped ordering a menu item from a fayour preif you need to increase your prices. If you’re not porvourite local restaurant because they went to a cheapdetermined tioning according to your pizza portion amounts, and er alternative and my boys immediately noticed the notCulture doing a regular difference. Being a veteran in the industry, I fully un- portion Brand Marketing & Promotionsinventory count, then you’ll never | Mississauga L5L 4E6 know yourOntario true| numbers, and any decisions made will derstand the challenges this independent operator is chart. 3365 Hargrove Road Cell: 416 930 0740 not necessarily be helpful. You could put less cheese handling, so I called her to ask her if she’d consider and fewer toppings on your pizzas and/or source cheapraising her prices so that she couldREVISION: stillFA carry the orig- DATE: JULY 18, 2022 DOCKET: RI22-003 CLIENT: Reuven International COLOUR: CMYK er ingredients, but your regulars will notice. Some of inal, top-quality breaded chicken breast.

She indicated PROJECT: Reuven Beef Pizza Ad TRIM SIZE: 7” x 5” your longtime regulars will say something. Others that she didn’t think anyone would DESCRIPTION: pay what she would BLEED SIZE: n/a Canadian Pizza 1/2 page horizontal ad - ENGLISH CONTACT: Alicia Bruyea LIVE AREA: won’t say.25 margins anything, but just won’t come back. | CP have to charge for the menu item.

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FEATURE

Karen Barr writes about arts, culture and cuisine. She is a graduate of George Brown College and is a Red Seal pastry chef.

TRENDS IN ITALIAN DESSERTS Looking to add Italian desserts to your pizzeria’s menu? Find out what is trending

BY KAREN BARR

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Pasticceria Gelateria Italiana, Ottawa Joe Calabro, pastry chef and co-owner at Pasticceria Gelateria Italiana (PGI), in Ottawa’s Little Italy, points to gelato, cookies, and a variety of cakes. In fact, he is known throughout the city for all three.

Gelato has been on the menu since the shop opened over 43 years ago.

“People love it not only because of all the different flavours, but because it tastes lighter, and it is healthier than ice cream,” Calabro says. “Our recipe has more milk than cream, no eggs, and only four to seven per cent butterfat. It has a smoother, silkier texture.

Ice cream is made of mostly cream, with up to 50 per cent butterfat.”

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Joe Calabro, pastry chef and co-owner at Pasticceria Gelateria Italiana in Ottawa’s Little Italy, displays an assortment of cookies.

PGI sells 200 litres of gelato per week. Pistachio is in high demand, followed by chocolate in its many creative combinations. There is chocolate mint chip, chocolate brownie, chocolate caramel and chocolate orange. Fruity flavoured gelatos range from berry delicious strawberry and blueberry, to tropical such as coconut, mango, or banana. Four other delightful flavours include almond, hazelnut, tiramisu and espresso.

This past summer Calabro introduced even more creative combinations, “Then there is a red velvet gelato, a Kinder Bueno gelato, and a biscotto gelato, with chunks of biscotti.” As for new sorbets, he says, “I designed Mojito sorbet, and a rhubarb and strawberry sorbet.” The pastry

Classic Italian desserts: Gelato Biscotti Amaretti Florentines Cannoli Cheesecakes Opera cakes Gianduja cake Tiramisu

chef notes four other crowd-pleasing sorbets including lemon, passionfruit, raspberry and blackberry.

Of course, an upsell with gelato and sorbet is always cookies. For top-selling biscotti, Calabro says, “Vanilla almond are really the most popular. They are a classic.” Other delectable varieties his customers crave include chocolate almond, chocolate Nutella, chocolate chili and cran berry pistachio.

As for amaretti Calabro says, “I bake the amaretti until crispy, not chewy, and then add an almond on top.”

Florentines are another cookie on the menu. These are anything but standard, with a thicker more generous bite. The batter is made from almonds, butter and milk. SomeSeptember/October 2022 · CANADIAN PIZZA

PHOTO: SULIMAN CHADIRJI

esserts leave a lasting impression.

These sweets are the final menu item a customer eats before leaving a restaurant. Whether you make your desserts in house, or purchase wholesale from a bakery, desserts are an important part of any meal.

Just what is trending in Italian desserts?

Something on the Menu for Everyone!

Florentines have a thicker, more generous bite, and sometimes incorporate lemon peel, orange peel and cherries. They are always half dipped in dark chocolate.

times, the pastry chef will incorporate lemon peel, orange peel and cherries. For added flavour and design, the Florentine is always half dipped in dark chocolate.

Calabro describes the baking process: “I use four-inch tart shells that I prep with oil and butter. This is important, otherwise the cookies may crack. Then, I scoop the batter in. This way the Florentines always come out the same shape and size. I don’t have to cut them.”

Piped and garnished with sugar, dark chocolate, or white chocolate, butter cookies are always on the menu. The flavours vary from classic vanilla and chocolate to pistachio, hazelnut, and almond.

As for cakes, chocolate is everyone’s favourite and the cake assortment is deep. Try the Chocolate Almond Layer Cake, the Chocolate Grand Marnier, the Chocolate Pistachio or the Gianduja Cake.

The latter is made with the famous Italian chocolate. Invented during the Napoleonic Empire (1796-1814) in Turin, Italy, Gianduja is a blend of chocolate with 30 per cent hazelnut paste. The smooth blend is purchased in chocolate bars. Yet, it is softer than regular chocolate with an intense hazelnut taste.

Calabro also keeps cheesecake on the menu by customer demand. “Everyone loves cheesecake, because it’s rich and creamy. It is absolute comfort food.”

The seven-inch cheesecakes serve six to eight people, while a nine-inch cheesecake is suggested for larger groups up to 14. Baked cheesecakes are available in New York Style Vanilla, Chocolate Decadent, White Chocolate Grand Marnier, and Berry Cheesecake, in blueberry or raspberry. In season, Pumpkin Marble cheesecakes are available. Calabro also makes an unbaked cheesecake called the Tiramisu Cream Cheesecake.

PHOTO: SULIMAN CHADIRJI

Italia Bakery, Vancouver Italia Bakery, in Vancouver, opened in 1985. There, the top-selling item is cannoli. “We hand-roll and deep-fry our cannoli shells in house,” says owner Sam Pero. In fact, cannoli became so popular, it inspired another business venture: “I also started a food truck called Cannoli King Vancouver 10 years ago,” Pero says. “We wanted to go out into the community and bring the Sicilian culture, and what better way to do this than through a food truck. Now, we also have a brick-and-mortar location called Cannoli King.”

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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 food service and retail merchandising programs, interior design, branding, menu engineering, marketing and promotional campaigns. Contact her at 416-926-1338, or chiasson@chiassonconsultlants.com, or visit www.chiassonconsultants.com

Four easy ideas to attract new customers to your pizzeria

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Why should customers choose you with so many pizzerias offering the same product and experience? Find something unique and special about your restaurant and mention it in your marketing.

here are three crucial things you need to do to keep your business growing: attract new customers, retain existing customers and provide impeccable customer service. Here are four easy ways to attract customers to your pizzeria.

1. Pizzeria ambiance, presentation and design A big outdoor sign is one of the most important things for attracting new customers. You want to be seen.

Choose an exciting and colourful branded design for your outdoor sign, but make sure it’s distinguishing you completely from other similar operations. For example, try placing a colourful chalkboard panel in front of your door or patio. All of your signage should be consistent and complement your pizzeria’s image and brand. Don’t cover your windows with giant posters or loud graphic designs, as your visitors will not be able to see anything inside.

Great design and esthetics are things customers will first notice when they walk into your pizzeria. They will see the colours, lighting, food presentation, furniture arrangement, staff uniforms and cleanliness.

Whatever the size of your pizzeria, its design should provide customers with a comfortable and cozy place to sit end enjoy their food. Will you be updating your menu for fall? Are your tables and chairs comfortable? Is your restaurant an open concept, or is it cluttered or cramped? Are your shelving and displays neat and full of products? Do they invite customers to buy?

The ambiance should match the theme of your pizzeria. If your theme is of a modern European-style pizzeria, then all elements from the paintings on the wall to the server ware should be designed accordingly.

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2. Use smell to drive sales Perhaps it’s the right time to move one of your ovens near the front of your pizzeria so that the smell hits your customers when they walk in the door.

You constantly have to tempt potential customers, whose sense of smell connects directly to their brain’s memory and emotional centre. So start using the power of scent. For example, when I see a movie, I can barely resist the urge to buy a box of popcorn. This sense of smell is connected directly to my brain’s memory, and that’s why the smell of warm, buttery popcorn reminds me of my childhood. Scent marketing means using natural and artificial scents to draw in customers, enhance their experience and establish an ambiance. It’s the same thing when selling your home: you want the sale to close at the highest possible value.

Perhaps it’s the right time to move one of your ovens near the front of your pizzeria so that the smell hits your customers when they walk in the door.

Consider making your most flavourful pizzas and breads at a time of day to attract hungry customers. Consider heating sheets of mixed spices such as oregano, sundried tomato, paprika, and chili pepper to keep the spicy aroma in the air. Use small diffusers or install fans throughout your space. Finally, when time allows, leave your pizzeria’s door open to give off a wonderful smell that will draw in customers.

3. Give customers a reason to eat out – go the extra mile To keep customers coming to your pizzeria, provide an experience they enjoy. While excellent food is vital in attracting and retaining customers,

remember that their overall experience matters a lot. Making your customers feel welcome is essential to a positive customer experience.

Acknowledge customers as soon as they walk into your pizzeria. Getting to know your regulars personally will significantly benefit your business.

Great hospitality is about welcoming people into your restaurant as if it were your home and making them feel special. Greeting customers by name and with a smile or taking the time to chat with them will help establish more intimate relationships and keep them coming back.

Always try to go the extra mile when resolving your customers’ issues. Treat them like royalty. Ask your customers for their birthdays and anniversaries so that you can surprise them with one of their favourite pizzeria items.

Make sure to thank each customer at the end of a transaction and tell them how much you value their business.

Once in a while, consider giving some of your best customers a little extra by giving them a small treat like a free drink. These special gestures will also increase your chances of them sharing positive comments about your pizzeria with friends and family.

4. Communicate 24/7 with your customers It is crucial to make it easy for customers to find your pizzeria. Use both offline and online marketing tactics to reach them. If you don’t already know, figure out how to promote your pizzeria on Instagram.

Post colourful and interesting photos with a several hashtags, as well as your pizzeria name and location. Encourage your customers to share these posts.

Try to find influencers that would best match your pizzeria’s style and run periodic campaigns so that they come to your pizzeria and publish their experience on social media. Look up social media food reviewers in your area on Instagram and Facebook and ask them to review your pizzeria. | CP September/October 2022 · CANADIAN PIZZA

FEATURE

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 15 The varieties of cannoli are endless, and there is a customer for every kind. “If I could only eat one pastry for the rest of my life, it would be the Sicilian cannoli,” Pero says.

The Sicilian is made by filling the handcrafted shells with sweetened ricotta cheese, roasted almonds and chocolate chips. Other flavours include vanilla, chocolate, coffee, pistachio, tiramisu and Nutella.

The Nicosia is a tribute to the town in Sicily where Pero’s father was born. Filled with sweetened ricotta, one side has orange peel with a maraschino cherry, while the other has roasted pistachios. The Baci takes its flavour cues from the Italian chocolate brand of the same name. Here, it is reimagined into a cannoli garnished with chocolate shavings and hazelnuts.

In memory of his Nonna Margerita, Pero

has crafted the La Nonna cannoli. Filled with raspberry ricotta and topped with pink chocolate, the nostalgic cannoli reminds Pero of the ricotta and jam toast she used to make for him to eat.

“Recipes have been in the family from the very beginning,” he says. “We also tweak and add new recipes our pastry chef and I create, and they are always a hit.”

The bakery has a complete line of cookies to choose from. Biscotti is available in classic almond, lemon pistachio, black pepper raspberry or cranberry orange with pecan. Amaretti is available in multiple shapes. There are swirls, with a central almond, fingers, and pinched creations.

Then, there are cakes. Two opera cake sponges, brushed with coffee liquor make up the base of the Tiramisu slice, which is a top seller. These are layered with a light and delicious filling made from mascar-

pone, whipped cream and tiramisu. More whipped cream tops it off, with a sprinkling of rich cocoa powder.

Various cakes are on the menu. The Amaretto Crunch Cake starts with a base of almond dacquoise, brushed with chocolate.

It’s layered with amaretto mascarpone and chocolate-covered cannoli crumbs. Mangia Cake Vanilla, a vanilla sponge featuring a vanilla whipped custard, whipped cream, and white chocolate, is light and heavenly. The Mangia Cake Chocolate is a darker, richer version with a chocolate sponge base. It has the same filling as the Mangia Cake Vanilla, with dark chocolate shavings.

Adding or expanding the dessert menu at your pizzeria or Italian restaurant is sure to bring increased joy to the dining experience. Consider expanding your skills to make some of these delicacies or partnering with a business with a dessert focus. | CP

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EVENT

PIZZA SUMMIT EAST GUIDE The Canadian Pizza Summit and Chef of the Year Competition are back!

BY CANADIAN PIZZA STAFF

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Germano Fazzone of Toronto’s Gusto 101 competes at the 2018 Chef of the Year Competition at Faema Canada’s Culinary Academy in Toronto.

Schedule

3:00 p.m.-3:30 p.m.

Great Pizza Box Fold-Off

9:30 a.m. – Registration

4:45 p.m. – Winners announced!

10:00 a.m. – Show opens 10:00 a.m.-12:30 p.m.

Chef of the Year Competition, Flight 1 12:30 p.m.-1:00 p.m.

Lunch 12:45 p.m.-1:15 p.m.

Demo: Gluten-Free Pizza with Kirk Borchardt, Senior R&D Chef with Ardent Mills 1:15 p.m.-4:30 p.m.

Chef of the Year Competition, Flight 2

Why attend Pizza Summit East?: One-stop shop for trend research Ideas for your pizzeria Face time with key suppliers Relaxed setting to visit with other pizzerias

Meet the judges Diana Cline was twice Canadian Pizza chef of the year champion, threetime winner of “Canada’s Best Pizza Chef” at international pizza competitions and a judge for international pizza culinary competitions. Cline is known for her creative menus and award-winning Moosehead Beer pizza crust. She is partner with Diana’s Cucina & Lounge in Winnipeg and a consultant to other pizzeria owner/ operators.

September/October 2022 · CANADIAN PIZZA

PHOTO:CANADIAN PIZZA STAFF

his year we at Canadian Pizza are proud to bring you Pizza Summit East in Toronto, at Faema Canada’s Culinary Academy on Monday, Oct. 24!

Join us in person to see talented pizza chefs make the best, tastiest, most creative pizza, shine a light on their pizzeria and compete to win great prizes including a trip to compete at Vegas Pizza Expo in 2023!

You’ll have a chance to win a comprehensive Modernist Pizza threebook set delving into pizza trends and recipes!

One day in Toronto gets you: • A month’s worth of trend research all in one place!

• The chance to watch the competitors up close and see what toppings and techniques they use.

• Pizza-focused exhibitors to listen and help solve your challenges.

• The perfect place to compare notes with pizzerias just like yours.

• Engaging gluten-free pizza demo.

• Random drawing to win a Modernist Pizza book set – every attendee has a chance to win!

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Do you want SUPERIOR flexibility? You’ll love the range of packages that Reiser form/fill/seal machines can provide.

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You’ll love not worrying about leakers and returns.

Reiser’s packaging technology and expertise are the powerful combination you need to produce a SUPERIOR package.

Meet our Packaging Specialists at Booth S-2566

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EVENT

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 and grilled portobello mushrooms. For several years, Tom was involved with 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.

These are the judges confirmed so far. We thank them for giving us their valuable time and expertise and enthusiasm on this big day! Watch canadianpizzamag.com, our enewsletter and social media channels for information about judges.

Exhibitors Annex Bookstore annexbookstore.com Ardent Mills (Gold Sponsor) ardentmills.com FaemaCanada/Euro-Milan Distributing (Platinum Sponsor) faema.ca

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Handtmann handtmann.ca Honey Bunny honeybunny.ca Kis Paper (Delegate Bag Sponsor) kispaper.ca Lactalis Canada (Silver Sponsor) parmalat.ca Lallemand lallemand.com Prizes!

Chef of the Year: 1st place: Cover story, trip to Vegas Expo, Modernist Pizza book set 2nd place: $300 3rd place: $200 All attendees eligible for random draw for Modernist Pizza book set

Pizza Cloud pizzacloud.net Reiser (Bronze Sponsor) reiser.com

We can’t wait to connect with chefs, owners, operators and your staff at this one-of-a-kind Canadian industry event. The Summit takes place at Faema Culinary Academy, Faema Canada, 672 Dupont St., Toronto, Ont. M6G 1Z6. Register for the free event at canadianpizzashow.ca! | CP

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2022-09-26 3:12 PM

GUEST COLUMN

A Hall of Fame keynote speaker and author, Laurie Guest, CSP, CPAE, is an authority on customer service excellence.

Laurie blends real-life examples and proven action steps for improvement. She is the author of two books and is writing a third on the topic of service fatigue. To learn more or connect with Laurie, visit LaurieGuest.com.

BY LAURIE GUEST

Bust out of service fatigue

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at any time, and much of it is really nothing new. It’s short-tempered customers who escalate to anger quickly. It’s trying (and usually failing) to juggle multiple priorities at a time.

It’s navigating ever-changing business policies. It’s responsibilities that outnumber hours in the day. It’s one bad attitude draining a team’s morale.

Service fatigue can come from anywhere and knowing how to identify it is half the battle.

oes it feel like no matter how hard you try to please your customer, it isn’t enough?

Are you in charge of leading others and the faster you train teams and build energy, the quicker it seems to fade? Are you a business owner feeling hopeless about the never-ending needs of staff AND customers while trying to achieve a profitable bottom line? You’re exhausted, right?

This exhaustion is what’s called service fatigue, defined as that feeling that keeps you from delivering the excellent customer service your staff, customers and patrons have come to expect. Left unchecked, this weariness can impact your business in many negative ways, from short tempers to lost business.

Let’s unpack the what, where, why and how of service fatigue and get on the path to busting out of it.

Why does service fatigue matter?

The short answer: It matters because it impacts your bottom line. When service fatigue takes over at your pizzeria, everything is at risk. You can play a huge part in lessening that burden for your team and your customers. If it’s possible, make work a welcoming, encouraging environment for your staff so they can give your customers a reason to crow about the great experience they had. By recognizing service fatigue and equipping your team with the tools to bust out of its grip before it’s too late, you’ll ensure that everyone’s experience is that much better.

What does service fatigue look like?

You know what customer service delivery should look like. Attentive. Proactive. Genuine. Service fatigue is “less than,” and it presents in many forms.

It’s when your customer experience is less than you – or they – expect. It’s a lack of energy, elevated stress, constant ambivalence, difficulty concentrating, missed deadlines, frequent mistakes or safety compliance issues.

The trickiest kind of service fatigue to spot is the kind the team thinks they can hide from guests. It’s still there, lurking beneath the surface, threatening to bring everyone down in its undertow.

Where does service fatigue come from?

After a stressful few years, various challenges have caused service fatigue levels to skyrocket. But the truth is, service fatigue can strike

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When service fatigue takes over at your pizzeria, everything is at risk.

How do we mitigate the effects of service fatigue?

There are countless ways to bust out of service fatigue, and no two businesses will adopt exactly the same solution. Decades of experience in the customer service industry prove that there’s no silver bullet to finally overcoming exhaustion. Instead, it takes a combination of strategy, patience, and commitment to bolster your team and get them back on track to deliver the kind of remarkable customer service you and your customers expect.

To get you started, here are a few ways to start busting out of service fatigue as soon as today:

Build better boundaries Professional boundaries can be the single best tool to help bust out of service fatigue, whether you need to put them in place with your boss or you need to ensure your team knows that work/life separation is a good thing.

Unless it’s imperative to your industry, do you really need to reply to emails at 8 p.m.? Is that gap or hiccup in a process at work really yours to lose sleep over?

We all can and should go above and beyond to deliver customer service excellence. But when you’re doing far more than is expected, you may be bringing service fatigue on yourself. Be honest: Are you guilty of your own boundary breakdowns? Are there honest conversations you can have to get those boundaries — and your energy levels — back on track?

Re-evaluate your boundaries today and find where you can firm them up.

You’ll soon see what a difference they make in boosting your energy and positive attitude.

Grant yourself rest!

Who doesn’t love rest? While some have mastered the art of taking breaks, restaurant owners and operators tend to do things fast — and often multitasking. We like the concept of rest, but the demands on our time often get in the way of our ability to truly take a break.

There are as many as seven types of rest, from physical and emotional to creative and spiritual. The truth is, they’re all important, and giving ourselves the space to breathe when things get stressful is imperative. Rest can mean putting down your phone an hour early and reading a book instead, or using your shift break to do a brief silent meditation so you’re prepared to head back to work.

When we prioritize rest and start to see it as doing good for ourselves, we are more energized to deliver customer service excellence. | CP

September/October 2022 · CANADIAN PIZZA

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