PMQ Pizza Magazine March 2012

pizzamagazine.com

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Online at PMQ.com March 2012 PIZZA TV: RECENT VIDEOS

PIZZA RADIO Pizza Radio host Andrew Abernathy asks the questions and you get the answers during weekly interviews with industry experts.

Ask the Experts Scott Van Duzer Scott Van Duzer, owner of Big Apple Pizza & Pasta in Fort Pierce, Florida, and founder of the Van Duzer Foundation, talks about the results of the foundation’s third annual Be a Hero Blood Drive.

PMQ’s 15th Anniversary On the 15th anniversary of PMQ Pizza Magazine, copublishers Steve and Linda Green discuss the magazine’s start, how it has grown and what the future holds. To read more about the 15th anniversary, check out the January/ February 2012 issue of PMQ Pizza Magazine.

John Romans and Kirk Mauriello

Romans

PMQ’s TOP SOCIAL MEDIA PICKS

John Romans and Kirk Mauriello from Aurelio’s Pizza describe how this Chicago-style chain amassed 10,000 Facebook followers in one year.

Mauriello

Social media is more than just Web-based chatter— it’s a marketing revolution! Whether running a “Big Three” franchisee or a mom-and-pop operation, operators generate sales from steadfast Facebook and Twitter campaigns. PMQ editors monitor how industry professionals embrace social media and, in some ways, help write the rules for viral marketing. Here are some of our favorites this month:

Find PMQ at @pmqpizzamag.

Stone_Hearth Love is in the air, and Valentine’s Day is almost here! This year give your pizza lover the perfect gift—a heart-shaped pizza from SHP! Amore!

DenverPizzaCo Denver Pizza Company will be adding boneless hot wings to our menu.

Who likes wings with their pizzas?

Find PMQ at facebook.com/ pmqpizzamagazine.

CrushPizza Should Crush put calzones on the menu? If so, any suggestions?

Romo’s Pizzeria We are participating in PIZZA WARS! Come out and support us on Thursday at the Holiday Inn on Wolf Road! Just $5 to get in!

Pie in the Sky Pizza Midtown Want the chance to get a FREE gift card? Follow us on Twitter @pieNtheskypizza. We’ll be picking a follower this Friday to receive a gift card!

Pizza Patrón Today, Pizza Patrón is donating pizzas to help support the nationwide Univision and St. Jude radiothon “Promesa y Esperanza.” Your donation is very important and can help change the lives of many. Click the link for donation details and see how you can help make a difference.

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PMQ Pizza Magazine – The Pizza Industry’s Business Monthly

Table of Contents March 2012 ON THE COVER

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24 The Gluten-Free Game Operators grab a slice of the gluten-free pie and celebrate the rewards.

By Carol Kicinski

FEATURES 30 Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff Pizzeria operators discuss some of the smallest—but essential—pieces of equipment in their arsenal.

By Walter Webb

34 The Olivers’ Twist A small pizzeria in North Muskegon, Michigan, triumphed over adversity to win the hearts—and stomachs—of many.

By Patrick Riordan

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The Bluegrass Pizza Bake-Off Kentucky pizzeria owners test their culinary skills for a chance to win a trip to Italy with the U.S. Pizza Team.

By Lee Eric Smith

Marketing and PR professionals give their best advice about how to get noticed on a shoestring budget.

Compiled by Walter Webb

56 Managing Employee Theft These practical guidelines explain how to reduce employee theft and what to do when it happens.

By Molly McKean and Julie A. Moore

TERESA MCINTYRE PHOTOGRAPHY

48 Getting Free Publicity, Part 2

IN EVERY ISSUE 6 10

Online at PMQ.com Editor’s Note

12 Letters to the Editor

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Pizza Press

62

Product Spotlight

69

Advertiser Index

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Industry Resource Guide

81

Resource Guide Advertiser Index

GETTY IMAGES

DEPARTMENTS 16 Zeak’s Tweaks: Grit, Par-Baking and Bread Loaves Jeff Zeak answers some of your most common pizza making questions.

18 New York’s Finest: Zio’s Pizzeria and Grill Chef Bruno pays a visit to a favorite family-owned pizzeria.

20 Accounting for Your Money: QuickBooks and the IRS Mike Rasmussen discusses receipt tracking and the legalities surrounding the IRS and your QuickBooks files.

22 The Marketing Maven: Winning at the Sports Marketing Game

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Linda Duke shows how to target local athletic events to score points with kids and their parents.

38 Pizza of the Month: Vegan No meat? No problem. Pizzerias grab a loyal fan base by offering vegan pies to customers.

44 Marketing Marvels: Gusto Pizza Co. Smart social marketing and homegrown ingredients attract customers to this Iowa pizzeria.

Coming Next Month

54 The Pizza Pulse: Fried Pies

Pizza of the Month: Thai

PMQ takes a look at the latest pizza trends in this new column.

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Wings: Discover how one of America’s most

Time Capsule: Coletta’s

popular side items can raise ticket averages at your pizzeria.

This Memphis, Tennessee, pizzeria put barbecue pies on the map and was a favorite hangout for Elvis.

Cross-Promotions: Partner with neighboring businesses and watch sales soar.

Social Marketing: Learn how to best use Twitter, Facebook, Foursquare and more to boost profits and gain more customers.

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PIZZARTE

To view any of the videos accompanying this month’s issue, go to PizzaTV.com and type “March 2012” in the search field.

March 2012 • pmq.com

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Editor’s Note Liz Barrett

When Gluten Won’t Be Tolerated I used to say that I wouldn’t know what to do if I suddenly found out that I had celiac disease. My love for bread and pizza runs deep, and I’d never want to give it up or settle for a subpar replacement. However, over the years, as more consumers have discovered their intolerance for gluten, manufacturers have answered the call by creating products that are both safe and delicious. PMQ has even hosted two Gluten-Free Pizza Contests in Orlando, proving that gluten-free pizza can be just as good as its gluten-packed counterpart, and pizzerias across the nation have embraced the gluten-free revolution and seen their sales soar as celiacs and their friends come from miles around to savor a few slices of what they’ve been missing. This month’s article, “The Gluten-Free Game” on page 24, delves into the impact the gluten-free movement has had on the industry and how it can affect your bottom line. It feels great to know that there are manufacturers and pizzerias catering to those with a gluten intolerance. No one should ever have to go without pizza!

Five-Finger Discounts Owning a pizzeria is a labor of love, and discovering that one of your employees is stealing from you can feel like a personal attack. In “Managing Employee Theft” on page 56, you’ll learn why employees steal, some of the tactics that can be used to prevent theft, and what steps to take if you catch an employee stealing. Being more present in the business, keeping the lines of communication open and working to keep morale high at the store can all help to curb an employee’s urge to steal from you.

Finger On the Pulse PMQ has added a new department to the magazine called “The Pizza Pulse,” which you’ll see whenever we discover a new trend in the industry that we want to share with you. This month we’re featuring fried pies, or “pizze fritte,” on page 54, an Italian tradition which has recently hit New York City.

Gearing Up for Italy As the U.S. Pizza Team readies itself for competition in Salsomaggiore, Italy, a new competitor will be joining the team to help in the culinary battles. Greg Spaulding, who won the Bluegrass Bakeoff hosted by PizzaOvens.com, will compete alongside the U.S. Pizza Team in Italy in April. Read more about the Bakeoff on page 40, and check out the video from the event on PizzaTV.com.

Best Pizza Wishes,

Liz Barrett Editor-in-chief PMQ Pizza Magazine

On the cover: Michael Amheiser from Pizza Dock in Fredericktown, Ohio, completes his winning gluten-free pizza in Orlando.

Photo by Teresa McIntyre Photography

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PMQ Pizza Magazine – The Pizza Industry’s Business Monthly

Letters to the Editor Liz Barrett Enforcing Good Pizza

We definitely share your sentiment, Frank— there’s always something new to learn in the pizza industry, and we’re always happy to share the information we gather with those like yourself who are ready to use it to their advantage!

— A Publication of PMQ Inc. — Winner of 4 ASBPE Awards Winner of 4 GAMMA Awards ISSN 1937-5263 PMQ, Inc. Publisher Steve Green sg@pmq.com ext. 123

Co-Publisher Linda Green linda@pmq.com ext. 121 EDITORIAL

Happy Anniversary!

Just got our new company truck. Here’s the first picture of it. Hope you love it! We’ve been getting a lot of looks around town.

Rick Drury Precinct Pizza Tampa, FL Very cool, Rick! I like the Delivery Enforcement notice on the side.

Still Learning I really enjoy PMQ Pizza Magazine. Each issue provides me with interesting ideas. After being in the restaurant business for more than 25 years, I have concluded that there is always something new to learn. Looking forward to my next issue!

Frank Palazzolo Nonna Maria’s Ristorante & Pizzeria Oracle, AZ

I wanted to take a moment and thank Steve, Linda, Liz, Tom and all of the other supporting people that make PMQ and PMQ.com happen. They all help direct, encourage, teach, inform, sometimes correct, and always support the people of the pizza world.

Congrats on 15 years of success. Looking forward to another 15 and beyond. Thanks, once again, for doing what you love to do—pizza!

Qcfmike Via the PMQ Think Tank

Editor-in-Chief Liz Barrett liz@pmq.com ext. 126 Managing Editor Rick Hynum rick@pmq.com ext. 130 Senior Copy Editor Tracy Morin tracy@pmq.com ext. 140 Associate Editor Andrew Abernathy andrew@pmq.com ext. 133 Assistant Editor Walter Webb walter@pmq.com ext. 124 DESIGN/PRODUCTION Art Director Ellen Kellum ellen@pmq.com ext. 135 IT Director Bernard Rueschhoff IT@pmq.com ext. 139 Video and Web Editor Daniel Morrow daniel@pmq.com

I just hit my seventh anniversary and, without question, I would never have made it this far without PMQ and the Think Tank helping me with ideas and answers. Congratulations, Steve and staff.

Daddio Via the PMQ Think Tank

ADVERTISING

Wow! Thank you, everyone! We are so appreciative of your kind words and hope you know how much you all mean to us. We hope to be here for many more years to hear your stories and share in your successes!

Circulation Manager Sherlyn Clark sherlyn@pmq.com ext. 120

Sales Director Linda Green linda@pmq.com ext. 121 Account Executive Clifton Moody clifton@pmq.com ext. 138 Account Executive Emeasha Mitchell emeasha@pmq.com ext. 127 ADMINISTRATION Chief Financial Officer Shawn Brown shawn@pmq.com

Director of Operations/ Event Coordinator Brian Hernandez brian@pmq.com ext. 129 Telemarketer Marie Johnson marie@pmq.com ext. 144 PMQ INTERNATIONAL PMQ China Yvonne Liu yvonne@pmq.com

Think Tank 2.0

PMQ Australia-NZ Tom Boyles tom@pmqaustralia.com

What’s the buzz? Log on to find out the latest industry buzz at PMQ.com/tt.

Pizza&Food Gabriele Ancona gabriele.ancona@pizzafood.it

How often do you filter?

French Liaison Julien Panet jpanet@pizza.fr EDITORIAL ADVISORS

Buying an existing place…

Chef Santo Bruno Tom Lehmann Joey Todaro Ed Zimmerman

How do you safely store used wing sauce?

Most interesting/different topping?

CONTRIBUTORS

Will cheese go lower, or is this the bottom?

Thank You to Our PMQ Think Tank Moderators Daddio: Member since June 2006 Tom Lehmann: Member since June 2006

Rockstar Pizza: Member since June 2006 ADpizzaguy: Member since January 2007

We want to hear from you!

Have a complaint, compliment or suggestion about something you’ve read in the pages of PMQ? Send your letter via email to editor@pmq.com with “Letter to the Editor” in the subject line, or mail to PMQ, ATTN: Letters to the Editor, 605 Edison St., Oxford, MS 38655. We look forward to hearing from you!

Friend us on Facebook! Visit facebook.com/pmqpizzamagazine.

Editor-in-chief Liz Barrett 12

PMQ Pizza Magazine – The Pizza Industry’s Business Monthly

Sean Adams Chef Santo Bruno Linda Duke Carol Kicinski Molly McKean Julie A. Moore Mike Rasmussen Patrick Riordan Lee Smith Jeff Zeak Volume 16, Issue 2 PMQ Pizza Magazine 605 Edison St. • Oxford, MS 38655 662.234.5481 • 662.234.0665 Fax • linda@pmq.com PMQ Pizza Magazine (ISSN #1937-5263) is published 10 times per year. Cost of U.S. subscription is $25 per year. International $35. Periodical postage pricing paid at Oxford, MS. Additional mailing offices at Bolingbrook, IL. Postmaster: Send address changes to: PMQ Pizza Magazine, PO Box 2015, Langhorne, PA 19047.

Opinions expressed by the editors and contributing writers are strictly their own, and are not necessarily those of the advertisers. All rights reserved. No portion of PMQ may be reproduced in whole or part without written consent.

Pizza Press News and Views Touchable Technology

The Nick’s Comeback On the verge of bankruptcy last fall, six-year-old Nick’s Pizza & Pub (nickspizza pub.com) in Crystal Lake and Elgin, Illinois, has benefited from an outpouring of local support in recent months, most recently in the form of a $25,000 small business grant.

The pizzeria, known for raising money for community causes and charities, was awarded a “Love a Local Business” grant from Intuit on the strength of nominations from nearly 1,100 local citizens. Last September, owner Nick Sarillo sent an email to more than 16,000 frequent customers detailing the company’s financial woes and asked for community support to stay afloat. As a result, sales rose by 50% the following day and continue to hold strong. Sarillo says the community support and the grant helped to get the pizzeria out of trouble. “There seem to be more companies recognizing smaller businesses for doing the right thing,” he notes. “This encourages us to be a part of this community and to continue to give back to those in need.”

As fast-casual restaurants continue to grow in popularity, some pizzerias are putting new ordering technology directly into customers’ hands. For 12-unit chain Pizzeria Venti (pizzeriaventi.com), this means providing touchscreen tablets for every table at some of its restaurants. Since January, an opt-in program for franchisees permits owners to lease tablets equipped with software that allows customers to browse menu items, place orders, make payments and split checks. According to a release from Venti’s corporate office, the program’s charter store in Mountain View, California, saw a 10% sales increase by taking advantage of impulse orders, and dining times were reduced by an average of seven minutes. Atlanta franchisee Brian Lackey says his store adopted this technology to increase efficiency and make his fast-casual business more customerfriendly. “It’s a change for us,” Lackey says. “This has let us lean more toward full-service. It’s a way to provide better service and be more efficient.”

Teaching With Pizza More than one of America’s favorite foods, pizza can also be a teaching tool. In Lincoln, Nebraska, a Sam & Louie’s New York Pizzeria (samandlouiesnyp.com) location has agreed to sponsor the renovation of the Lincoln Children’s Museum’s pizzeria exhibit. “We’ve put together a program to mimic one of our restaurants,” says Joe Griffith, director of marketing and operations for Sam & Louie’s. “We’re taking an educational spin to use pizza to help kids learn about fractions and measurements. We want kids to learn the difference between a teaspoon and a tablespoon and the difference between half a pizza and a fourth.”

Located adjacent to the museum, the pizzeria will provide hands-on learning tools with a toy oven, pizza slice blocks, tables, booths and a cash register. The exhibit will also feature QR codes that’ll connect with educational resources on the Sam & Louie’s website. The exhibit is expected to open next fall, and Griffith hopes to attract both youngsters and adults. “We want to incorporate interactive elements to make it fun for the parents, too,” he says.

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PMQ Pizza Magazine – The Pizza Industry’s Business Monthly

From Armed Service to Foodservice The pizza business may become a second career for some U.S. Armed Forces veterans, thanks to a new partnership between Russo’s New York Pizzeria (nypizzeria.com) and the VetFran Program. Since last December, the pizzeria chain has offered qualified veterans a $10,000 credit toward opening their first Russo’s store. Supported by the International Franchise Association (IFA), the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, the Veterans Corporation and the U.S. Small Business Administration, VetFran is composed of more than 400 companies offering financial support and training for veterans interested in small business ownership. “In franchising, our mission is accomplished by a team,” says the chain’s founder, Anthony Russo.

“Military veterans have a thorough understanding of teamwork and strong leadership.”

According to a recent study by the IFA, one out of seven U.S. franchises are owned and operated by military veterans, totaling more than 66,000 businesses nationwide. These businesses provide more than 815,000 jobs and generate more than $41 billion in gross domestic product. “The program is a way to thank veterans for their courage and sacrifice and to provide them with the means to start a new career,” Russo says. “We are proud to have the opportunity.”

Officially Spooky Sam & Greg’s Pizzeria Gelateria (samandgregs.com) in Huntsville, Alabama, has gotten so popular, it’s scary— literally. The owners have proudly declared Sam & Greg’s to be “Alabama’s only haunted pizzeria.” Last January, the Alabama Paranormal Association (APA) visited the shop to certify the 19th-century building as a home for spooks. “I’m not sure exactly what they do to figure this stuff out, but they had a lot of equipment there and made it seem very scientific,” says owner Samantha Hathorn. “They heard something in the white noise that suggested there’s a paranormal presence in our shop.”

Representatives from the not-for-profit APA declared the building’s unrenovated upstairs haunted after analyzing its magnetic fields, temperature and white noise.

However, Hathorn says signs point to a perfectly nice ghost who occasionally causes bumps in the night and pinches employees on the elbow. “I’ve never felt a presence in our building, but my staff believes in our ghost,” she says. “I have a kitchen manager who won’t stay by herself to close up.” The ghost hunters rewarded Sam & Greg’s with a plaque to make their ruling official. With credentials like this, you can’t help but wonder about Sam & Greg’s marketing plans for next Halloween.

Samantha and Greg Hathorn display the official certificate of haunting by the Alabama Paranormal Association.

March 2012 • pmq.com

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Zeak’s Tweaks Jeff Zeak

Grit, Par-Baking and Bread Loaves

Hear more from Jeff Zeak on PizzaTV.com.

Jeff Zeak answers some common pizza making questions.

QUESTION: I use cornmeal to keep my dough from sticking to the peel, but some of my customers have complained about its grit. What other meal or flour could I use as a similar substitute?

ANSWER: The nice thing about cornmeal and other gritty dusting-flour mediums is their ability to act like a lot of little ball bearings, making the transfer of pizzas into the oven easier. In addition, the grittiness that cornmeal imparts to the product is often associated with crispiness in the finished crust.

Different particle sizes of cornmeal are available, so be sure to use a fine grind. As an alternative, consider using

corn flour, which is very finely ground cornmeal. Do not confuse corn flour with masa/maseca flour (alkalized corn flour), which also can be used as a dusting-flour substance and is finer than cornmeal.

In addition to the options mentioned above, the other dusting-flour mediums include: Durum flour—Milled from durum wheat, it has a light yellow color and is fairly fine in particle size (it’s less gritty than cornmeal).

Semolina—Semolina is the endosperm of milled durum wheat. It’s also light yellow in color and slightly grittier than durum flour but less gritty than cornmeal.

Rice flour—Milled from both brown and white rice, rice flour comes in a wide variety of particle sizes, ranging from extra-fine and fine to coarse.

Even coarse rice flour is less gritty than cornmeal.

Rye flour—Rye flour is milled from rye grain and comes in light, medium and dark varieties. It, too, has less grit than cornmeal.

Rye meal—Also milled from rye grain, this meal tends to be much grittier than cornmeal.

Wheat flour—Wheat flour is milled from wheat and available in white and whole-wheat flours. Whole-wheat flours come in designations of micro or extra-fine, fine, medium and coarse, all of which relate to the size of the bran particle. Typically, these flours are less gritty than cornmeal.

Blends—The various products mentioned above can be blended to create dusting flour with the characteristics you most desire.

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PMQ – The– Pizza Industry’s Business Monthly 00 Pizza PMQ’sMagazine Pizza Magazine The Pizza Industry’s Business Magazine

QUESTION: I par-bake my pizzas and then reheat them when an order is placed.

This sometimes results in the crust becoming harder than I’d like. Is there a solution for this?

ANSWER: Par-baking of pizzas and pizza dough crusts is a great way to quickly bake pizzas and generally ensure that they are crispy and completely baked. If par-baking is your preferred method for baking pizzas, you may need to adjust your dough formulation to reduce the likelihood that they will become too hard on the second bake.

Consideration should be given to the level of oil or shortening that’s added to the dough formulation. It may be necessary to increase the level of oil or shortening to impart more tenderness to the finished product.

QUESTION: We serve mini loaves of bread to our customers, but lately it has been more difficult to consistently bake them all the way through. Can you suggest a method for ensuring that they’re baked right every time?

ANSWER: One of the best ways to know if a loaf of bread is completely baked is to use a thermometer and measure the internal core (center of the loaf) temperature.

Bake loaves until they reach a core temperature of 200° to 202°F.

Jeff Zeak is the pilot plant manager for the American Institute of Baking (AIB). Need more dough advice?

Visit the Dough Information Center at PMQ.com/dough.

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PMQ’s Pizza Magazine – The Pizza Industry’s Business Magazine

New York’s Finest Chef Santo Bruno

Zio’s Pizzeria and Grill

See cooking demos by Chef Bruno on PizzaTV.com.

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Chef Bruno shows off a Zio’s pizza with Marcello Caccialino and his mother, Nancy Caccialino.

unmistakable to anyone who spends time with him. Many celebrities and famous people—including actor Steven Seagal and Hillary Clinton—have enjoyed meals prepared by Marcello. I have sampled most of the pizzas myself, and, after several visits, I knew I had to write a story about this pizzeria.

Like other members of the Caccialino family, Marcello is a fanatic about the quality of his dough and bread. He chooses only the finest ingredients for his pizzas and pasta dishes. Pizza toppings at Zio’s include penne, baked potato, taco, buffalo chicken and eggplant, to name a few. Popular pizzas include the Grandma, the Spinach and the Margherita, with prices between $16.55 and $20.25.

Food costs are out of control throughout the pizza industry. The costs of some items have soared by 40% to 45%. I called about 20 pizzerias recently, and all of them were having a tough time with these price increases. But Zio’s appears to thrive by keeping its quality high and its prices low. And, as the Syosset Patch

PMQ Pizza Magazine – The Pizza Industry’s Business Monthly

SLNY PRODUCTIONS

A dollar won’t buy you much in Manhattan, but a hungry diner on his lunch break can find a few pizzerias here and there selling slices for 99 cents. Usually, you can’t even buy a soda for that price!

Surprisingly, selling high-quality pizza at a low price can yield a profit, and Zio’s Pizzeria and Grill (ziospizzasyosset. com) in Syosset, New York, stands out as a perfect example of how it’s done.

Marcello Caccialino has never strayed too far from the family business of restaurant management, a tradition dating back at least 50 years to post-World War II Italy. According to the Syosset Patch website, Marcello’s grandfathers, Antonio Caccialino and Marsilio Pepe, launched their first restaurant in Naples before moving to the United States, where the family operated Terranova in Long Island for many years. Marcello was born in Glen Cove, Long Island, to a well-respected New York family. He rose through the industry’s ranks by toiling in kitchens for years, both in the United States and in Naples, and became an executive chef after training under Ralph Ammaccapane, the “Galloping Gourmet of Arizona.”

Recently, after 25 years in the pizza business, Marcello opened Zio’s in Syosset. This mom-and-pop pizzeria serves fine entrees, from chicken scarpariello and veal Parmigiana to grilled Tuscan steak and Zio’s Famous Tripe Terranova, prepared in the traditional Campagnola style, all for between $15.95 and $18.95. Caccialino also has been known to peddle slices of cheese pizza for 99 cents with a PennySaver coupon and offer a lunch special consisting of two regular slices and a medium drink for only $5.50.

At prices like that, I could not believe how well they’re doing. What’s their secret? High-quality food and plenty of it.

Caccialino’s personality is unbeatable, too—he’s always smiling. His passion and love of food, family and his customers are

SLNY PRODUCTIONS

Marcello Caccialino keeps quality high and prices low at his new Zio’s concept.

reported, Marcello hopes to turn Zio’s into a franchise concept. “Good food, hard work and a passion for what you do will overcome the economy,” he told the Patch. “I think [Zio’s] will prosper with the surrounding community and Syosset. Their response will allow us to grow and…open up more Zio’s.”

Chef Bruno is PMQ’s culinary advisor, with more than 40 years of international pizza experience.

He is the corporate chef for Marsal & Sons, and the culinary coach of the U.S. Pizza Team.

Accounting for Your Money Michael J. Rasmussen, CPA

QuickBooks and the IRS The government now accepts electronic accounting files for faster audits.

QUESTION: The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) requested my QuickBooks electronic accounting files for my restaurant, related to nonfiling of independent contractor payments.

Is that legal?

ANSWER: As of October 15, 2010, IRS agents began accepting taxpayer records in electronic format in addition to traditional paper-based books and records for tax audits. For some time, restaurant owners and tax professionals have been encouraging the IRS to do so. These wishes were specifically expressed in tax practitioner focus groups held at the 2008 Nationwide Tax Forums and by other stakeholders.

After considering the issue, the IRS recently decided to train approximately 1,100 revenue agents on QuickBooks Premier Accountant Edition 2010 software. The agents who have completed the training are being encouraged to accept taxpayers’ QuickBooks files as well as electronic records from Peachtree accounting software. The agency’s ability to conduct audits using these software options will increase as agents begin to work with the new software.

The IRS advises taxpayers who provide electronic records to use a CD, DVD or flash/jump drive to ensure the security of the files. Taxpayers should not use email to transmit the electronic records.

IRS officials believe that obtaining taxpayer accounting records in electronic format provides the following advantages: 1. It will reduce taxpayer burden because taxpayers won’t have to print records that are stored electronically.

2. It will provide a complete set of the taxpayer’s accounting records, thus decreasing the number of items included in the initial document request and follow-up requests.

3. It will increase the efficiency of the revenue agent’s analysis and testing of the books and records and will speed up the entire audit process.

Keep in mind that the requirements allow the IRS to receive unaltered electronic files from the taxpayer. For example, if a backup copy in QuickBooks is provided, it will normally include a history for all years the electronic file has been used outside of the audit period requested. Therefore, if the IRS agent, after reviewing the files, notices that several transactions have been deleted, he has the right to inquire and request explanations.

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Your electronic accounting files should serve as a roadmap to the information used to prepare your restaurant entity’s tax returns exclusively. All personal and nonbusiness transactions should be separate from your business-related electronic files.

QUESTION: Do I have to keep receipts for business-related entertainment expenses under a certain dollar amount for my restaurant?

ANSWER: A business-related travel or entertainment (T&E) expense generally is deductible only if it is substantiated by (1) a record of the time, place, amount, business purpose and, for gifts and entertainment, the business relationship of the recipient or persons entertained; and (2) documentary evidence of the expense, such as a receipt or paid bill. In general, employees can be reimbursed for T&E expenses under an accountable plan only if they submit a record carrying the necessary substantiation elements and documentary evidence. The IRS in 1995 said that, effective for expenses paid or incurred after September 30, 1995, documentary evidence was needed only for nonlodging T&E expenses of $75 or more. The change applies to both deductions and reimbursement arrangements.

If you can afford the storage, keep all of your receipts and organize them in case they’re needed for proof at a later date!

Have a question for Mike? Send it to editor@pmq.com.

Michael J. Rasmussen is the owner of Rasmussen Tax Group in Conway, Arkansas. Visit rasmussentaxgroup.com for additional insight into restaurant-specific tax strategies and technology programs.

The Marketing Maven Linda Duke

Winning at the Sports Marketing Game Score points with kids and families by targeting local athletic events.

Partnering with sports teams in your community is a great way to get your pizza brand in front of kids and families. Athletic events, particularly springtime sports, provide numerous opportunities for a pizzeria to serve as a gathering place for postgame parties, team meetings or end-of-the-season awards dinners. And whether the team enjoys a banner season or bottoms out in the rankings, your pizzeria will come out on top with substantially increased large-group sales.

The sports teams in your area may range from kids soccer, T-ball and baseball to high school tennis and adult softball leagues, to name a few possibilities. Earning their business— which can, in many cases, bring dozens of hungry (and thirsty) diners into your restaurant on a slow night—depends on your ability to create and maintain positive, mutually beneficial relationships with coaches, managers, team sponsors and sports players in your community. Here’s how to create and make the most of your partnerships: 1. List the types of sports teams in your community. You can obtain this information online, from local schools or from your city’s parks and recreation department. Sports may include afterschool kids teams (such as Little League Baseball or Pop Warner football); middle school or high school teams; minor league or semipro teams; adult leagues (such as adult women’s fastpitch softball); college intramural teams; collegiate sports teams; professional teams; and sports-related school clubs.

2. Make a list of the different categories of sports.

This list can include baseball, softball, lacrosse, football, basketball, volleyball, soccer, water polo, swimming, synchronized swimming, golf, tennis, rugby, hockey or others.

3. Develop necessary promotional materials and giveaways. These may include cards for a free slice, free beverage or free kids pizza along with giveaway caps, T-shirts and other items bearing your company logo.

4. Contact the team coaches or managers. Offer a promotional idea and develop a partnership. Create customized letters to multiple teams and follow up with them.

5. Develop a list of promotions centered on local sports.

Here are some great ideas to get you started: • Sponsor a local sports team—such as a girls soccer team or a Little League squad—and your restaurant’s name will be printed on jerseys and signs at the sports venue. This will generate valuable exposure and demonstrate that your restaurant is an active corporate citizen.

• Obtain permission to offer samples of your pizza at sporting events. Make sure to adequately brand yourself. You may 22

PMQ Pizza Magazine – The Pizza Industry’s Business Monthly

consider purchasing a tent with your logo on it from which to hand out samples.

• Many teams struggle to pay for uniforms, equipment and other expenses, so provide sports teams with fundraising opportunities at your restaurant. Give flyers to coaches and invite their teams to hold fundraisers on designated nights of the week. Donate a percentage of the proceeds when sports teams bring in their flyers on their fundraising night.

• Host a Uniform Day at your restaurant. Choose a day and time (Saturday is a good day) to give designated sports teams free food or drinks for wearing their uniforms into your restaurant.

• Sell food at sporting events. Use branded catering trucks, tents or a booth to serve easy-to-transport menu items. Boost your sales by donating a dollar to the team for every pizza sold.

• Work with coaches to give achievement awards to players at the end of the season. The awards can be given to each team member and include a free small pizza at your restaurant.

• For semiprofessional and professional athletic teams and events, develop creative public relations stunts. Partnering with your local pro or semipro team will allow your restaurant to capitalize on its good name without paying too much for advertising. One example: Host a Jersey Day for the home team during which any customer wearing the team’s jersey gets a free slice of pizza. Promote this event on Facebook and to your email club members, and be sure to send a press release about it to the local newspaper.

• Contact a local sports venue and ask to sponsor a section of the spectators’ seating area. Give members in your section complimentary hats or T-shirts and cards for free meals at your restaurant. In some cases, your brand may even get mentioned and promoted on live TV by fans wearing your logo.

• Host team dinners for celebrations and awards presentations.

Invite local teams to make reservations and offer a package deal for team parties. For pro or semipro teams, consider providing free catering for their team breakfasts or dinners throughout the season.

• Arrange an eating competition between rival teams. Get the cheerleaders involved and promote the event to the local

media. Accept donations for the event to raise funds for the winning team.

• Sponsor a walk, run or marathon in your community. Offer to donate gift bags and water bottles at the end of the race.

Feed the runners on the evening before the race or host a postevent celebration.

6. Follow through with your obligations for the promotions. A slipup here could prove costly, so make sure to fulfill your commitments regarding printing and gathering collateral materials, plus the booking and execution of events.

Sports marketing not only allows you to promote your brand and demonstrate good corporate citizenship; it also provides an opportunity to turn young players into ambassadors for your brand through logoed T-shirts, caps and giveaway cards that they can share with friends and family. Even if you can’t afford all of the promotions described above, you can choose at least one local kids team and focus your time and energy on it. You’ll be making a difference in your community and helping young people while attracting large groups of customers to your restaurant. It’s a win-win proposition.

Linda Duke is the CEO of Duke Marketing and author of Recipes for Restaurateurs (marketing-cookbook.com), a “cookbook” of marketing ideas for restaurant owners. She publishes a quarterly industry resource, Restaurant Marketing Magazine, and an educational program, LSM-U, Local Store Marketing University.

Find out more at dukemarketing.com.

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The Gluten-Free Game Pizza lovers with celiac disease form a fast-growing—and fiercely loyal—market.

CAROL KICINSKI

By Carol Kicinski

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W

hen most people think of pizza, “gluten-free” is not the first word that comes to mind. After all, pizza embodies what the gluten in flour can accomplish— combined with water, it turns into a stretchy, pliable dough that can be tossed and twirled in the air and still hold together.

But for many potential customers, gluten has its downside.

An estimated one in 133 people suffer from celiac disease, an intestinal disorder that prevents the nutrients in food from being absorbed by the digestive system. The body of a celiac patient attacks itself when gluten (a sticky protein molecule found in wheat, barley and rye) is consumed. Furthermore, current market research shows that 15% of the population in the United States adheres to a gluten-free diet. And the person with the most restrictive diet in the family or group usually determines where that family or group eats when dining out—for example, few parents will take their children to a restaurant where they can’t eat!

Of course, flour is usually prevalent in pizzerias, and gluten, a very sticky molecule that likes to hold on for dear life, can be found on the counters, pans, peels and ovens. Hence, offering gluten-free pizza alongside regular pizza in an establishment can seem quite daunting.

When my husband (who is not gluten-intolerant) and I go out to eat, we always go to an establishment where I know I can safely order something delicious but gluten-free to eat (and not just salad). One evening I was performing an Internet search with the words “gluten-free” when onto my computer screen popped the name of a restaurant—one that I’d never heard of— that sold gluten-free pizza. The place was located about five miles from us, and, within 20 minutes, we stopped what we

were doing, jumped into the car and hightailed it over there. It had been about 15 years since my husband and I had been able to enjoy a pizza together. Not only had that restaurant earned two new customers on the spot, I also texted my son, who is gluten-intolerant, within seconds of biting into my delicious, hot, gluten-free pizza and told him about the place. The text he sent in response read, “Woo hoo!” This tiny pizza place instantly expanded its customer base to include my husband and me, my son, his wife and their friends.

Making an Impact Those numbers may not be impressive enough to persuade you to offer gluten-free pizza options, but there’s more to consider. Kinnikinnick, a manufacturer of gluten-free food products, helped Boston Pizza (bostonpizza.com), a Canadian restaurant chain with 325 locations, implement gluten-free options for its clientele. Initially, Boston Pizza execs hoped to sell one glutenfree pizza per week per location. To their surprise, they actually sold four to five gluten-free pizzas per week at each location—a company-wide total of between 1,300 and 1,760 gluten-free pizzas per week.

But the story doesn’t stop there. People rarely order just a pizza; they usually order a beverage to go along with it, making the average ticket per person around $15. Even better, most people don’t eat out alone. And remember what I said about groups of diners selecting an establishment where the person with the most restrictive diet can dine safely? The bottom line is that the Boston Pizza chain logged $30,000,000 in incremental sales in 2011 by adding gluten-free pizza options to its menu. Those are some impressive numbers!

Gearing Up for Gluten-Free Ready to start exploring your gluten-free options?

Start here: ADM, 800-422-1688, adm.com Bay State Milling, 888-553-5687, baystatemilling.com Caesar’s Pasta, 888-432-2372, caesarspasta.com Celiac Sprue Association, 877-272-4272, csaceliacs.com Chebe, 800-217-9510, chebe.com Conte’s Pasta, 800-211-6607, contespasta.com Dakota Prairie, 701-324-4330, dakota-prairie.com DeIorio’s, 800-649-7612, deiorios.com Domata, 855-366-2821, domata.com Gluten-Free Creations Bakery, 602-522-0659, glutenfreecreations.com TERESA MCINTYRE PHOTOGRAPHY

Iamori, 408-972-8925, iamori.com Kinnikinnick Foods, 877-503-4466, kinnikinnick.com Le 5 Stagioni, 646-256-7845, le5stagioni.it Tom Sawyer, 877-372-8800, glutenfreeflour.com

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Keeping It Clean

Repeat Customers Research has shown that gluten-free consumers are very loyal consumers—they tend to buy the same brands over and over, and they tend to frequent familiar restaurants where they can safely enjoy their food. After all, if they eat gluten, they get sick.

I know this is true for myself—when I find something I like that doesn’t make me ill, I stick with it for life! There is no cure for celiac disease or gluten intolerance; the only solution is to avoid gluten, so not only are the gluten-intolerant a loyal bunch of consumers, they will be loyal for a very long time.

W.O.W.

Cross-contamination is always an issue with restaurants that serve both gluten-free and non-gluten-free food. Gluten is easily transferred from one surface to another, which explains why some establishments are reluctant to include gluten-free offerings. Of course, the safety of diners should be of utmost importance to any restaurateur. An establishment that serves food with gluten always poses a risk to patrons with celiac disease or gluten intolerance, but offering gluten-free menu items is all about risk management.

One of the wise decisions that Boston Pizza made: buy premade pizza crusts. The dough is produced in a dedicated glutenfree facility, and the crust is square. By using premade pizza crust, the chain limits the risk when preparing the dough, which has the highest chance of cross-contamination. And the fact that the gluten-free pizza crust is square while the non-gluten-free crust is round makes the gluten-free type obvious to both the staff and customer. Even during a dinner rush, the staff knows exactly which crust is gluten-free, and the customer knows that his pizza should be square.

Some may argue that freshly made pizza crust will taste better than premade, but offering a pizza crust that has been made in a dedicated gluten-free facility dramatically reduces the risk of cross-contamination. And as long as the pizza crust has a delicious flavor, it won’t matter to the consumer that the establishment didn’t make it in-house. It certainly behooves the pizzeria owner to purchase high-quality, great-tasting glutenfree products with the proper texture—customers who follow a gluten-free diet are accustomed to paying a little more for their food in restaurants.

Admittedly, preventing cross-contamination involves more than just buying or making gluten-free pizza crust. Extra care and precautions should be taken when preparing a gluten-free pizza. Preparers’ gloves must be changed, the toppings must be kept separate, and dedicated pans should be used when baking the pizza. And, of course, the pizza cannot be prepared on a surface on which ingredients containing gluten have recently been placed. Some operators solve this problem by using parchment paper. Personally, it gives me a great deal of satisfaction to know that extra care and attention goes into making my food when I dine out. Businesses that keep these rules in mind will find they’ll satisfy their gluten-free audience.

Additionally, naturally gluten-free sorghum can be substituted for wheat flour in dough recipes. Sorghum has a neutral flavor profile that won’t add an unfamiliar or distinctive taste to pizza crusts, according to agricultural processor Archer Daniels Midland Company. Competitively priced and more economical than specialty starches, sorghum flour is also available with whole grain for added nutritional benefits.

All employees at W.O.W. in Okemas, Michigan, have celiac disease or other food allergies and therefore put extra care into preparing their gluten-free pizzas.

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Thanks to increased interest in gluten-free items, Martino’s Pizzeria has an entire section of the menu called Gluten Freedom.

Going Gluten-Free Carol Kicinski is a professional recipe developer, TV chef, founder of SimplyGluten-Free.com and author of Simply…

Gluten-Free Desserts.

Want more info? See PMQ’s previous article about gluten-free pizza in the March 2010 issue.

Gluten-Free Items On the Rise As more pizza lovers say goodbye to gluten, restaurant operators have taken notice, according to a recent report from Technomic, a research and consulting firm that serves the food industry. In a survey of more than 1,200 leading chains, emerging concepts and independent restaurants, Technomic found that gluten-free menu items increased from 175 to 282 between 2010 and 2011, a rise of 61%.

Casual dining establishments led the way, with a total of 210 gluten-free items on their menus in the first half of 2011.

Technomic also surveyed 500 U.S. consumers to glean information on persons with restrictive diets, and 4% of the respondents identified gluten intolerance as a dietary restriction with which they or a household member had to cope. Despite this low incidence of gluten-related issues, nearly one in four consumers—regardless of their own dietary restrictions—said they believed gluten-free foods are healthier than foods that contain gluten.

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Thinking about taking the gluten-free plunge?

Check out what these pizzerias across the country are doing: Beau Jo’s Pizza (beaujos.com), with seven locations in Colorado, works with Gluten-Free Bistro’s Safe Dining Program to ensure safe gluten-free practices in its pizzerias. Each location has been given access to a training video, green-handled pizza cutters used only for glutenfree pizza, a laminated safe handling practices document, and ingredient cards for the waitstaff.

Thanks to increased interest and sales, Martino’s Pizzeria (martinos-pizzeria.com) in Lafayette, Colorado, recently expanded its gluten-free offerings. “We now feature our gluten-free options in their own section of the menu called Gluten Freedom,” says owner M.J. Vacco. “We offer a 14” and 10” gluten-free crust, a gluten-free hoagie for sandwiches, and gluten-free rigatoni.” Vacco says the company now attracts customers it wouldn’t have otherwise.

W.O.W. (wowglutenfreefood.com) in Okemos, Michigan, was the first gluten-free pizza restaurant certified through the National Foundation for Celiac Awareness for serving gluten-free pizzas in Michigan. Owner Steve Pollard, who competed in PMQ’s first Gluten-Free Pizza Competition in 2010, says all W.O.W. employees have celiac disease or other food allergies, further helping to ensure safe food handling.

Urban Crust (urbancrust.com), a wood-fired pizzeria in Plano, Texas, offers a vegan and gluten-free pizza that’s a Genoan-style chickpea pie (commonly referred to as a faina).

MARTINO’S PIZZERIA

Fortunately for pizzeria operators, the gluten-free community tends to be a chatty group of people when it comes to food. After all, our physical well-being depends largely on what we eat and don’t eat. When I find a restaurant that serves safe, delicious food, I tell others. I have found the same to be true with every gluten-intolerant person I have come in contact with, and I have been in contact with a lot of them.

As a group, those of us with celiac disease are conscientious about what we eat and where we dine. Thanks to celiac support groups around the world, websites, blogs and associations dedicated to raising awareness of gluten intolerance and celiac disease, information about safe products and dining facilities is broadly disseminated. When traveling, many celiac patients seek out restaurants with gluten-free menus, creating greater visibility for a pizzeria.

Is gluten-free pizza viable for pizzerias? Since offering glutenfree pizza will likely bring in new—and very loyal—customers who have never frequented your business before, and since the person with the most restrictive diet typically determines a group or family’s dining location, creating a gluten-free menu can definitely boost incremental sales. And who would refuse that?

Don’t Sweat the

SMALL STUFF Key small appliances net major savings by reducing labor and waste in the kitchen.

By Walter Webb Some pizzeria operators say they’re “old school” and don’t use small appliances for slicing, dicing and shredding during the pizza making process. They still prefer to do the work by hand. But most couldn’t manage without these key pieces of equipment—they save time, lower labor costs and reduce waste, thereby boosting the bottom line and profitability.

A wide variety of relatively small devices earn their keep in pizzeria kitchens nationwide, including slicers, cutters, grinders, shredders, scales and thermometers. Here we provide an overview of some commonly used types of small equipment and the advantages of each.

The Right Slice One of the most prominent countertop appliances found in pizza kitchens is the slicer, used to prepare basic items for pizza toppings, such as pepperoni, ham, onions, green peppers and other vegetables. Slicers come in hand-powered or electric models. For slicing small amounts, a hand-powered machine

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is suitable, though an electric machine may be more efficient.

“Because one purpose of the slicer is to save time and effort, the electric version is mainly found in pizzerias,” writes industry consultant John Correll in his extensive guide on pizzeria operations, Encyclopizza. “Generally speaking, a pizzeria that does more than 10 minutes of slicing per day should consider an automatic model.”

The variables of a slicer include knife size, motor size and slicing speed. A typical knife size ranges from 12” to 13”, whereas manual slicers have a 9” to 10” knife. Slicing dense foods such as pepperoni and cheese requires at least a ⅓-horsepower motor size. Most slicers come in two speeds: a low rate of 35 slices per minute and a high of 50 slices per minute.

The slicer’s advantage lies in its ability to produce neat, uniform slices with reduced bruising to soft vegetables. “The main drawback of the slicer is its cost,” notes Correll. “If all slicing can be done efficiently and to adequate quantity by a cheaper method—such as a vegetable cutter attachment on a mixer— there’s little point in buying a slicer.”

But Lisa Lynch-Frank, owner of Ermanno’s Legendary Pizza (ermannospizza.com) in North Canton, Ohio, praises the slicer as “one of the best labor-saving pieces of equipment” in her kitchen. “We were having issues with our slicer, and our employees had to start cutting by hand,” she recalls. “It was very time-consuming. We use the slicer for ham, cheese, green peppers and onions.”

Making the Cut Many pizzerias use a vegetable cutter for slicing and shredding vegetables and slicing firm meat such as pepperoni. These devices are divided into two categories: revolving disc cutters (sometimes called rotary cutters) and blade cutters. Handoperated cutting machines can process a wide variety of products or may be dedicated to specific tasks, such as tomato slicing, chicken slicing, onion slicing or chopping, cheese cutting (in cubes, slices or blocks) or lettuce shredding. To accommodate patrons’ appetite for French fries, hand-operated potato cutters come in a range of cut styles, including fine, ⅜”, spiral or wavy.

A disc-type cutter contains a disc with one or two knife blades for slicing and a disc with sharp-edged holes for shredding or grating. The blade cutter utilizes razor-sharp blades to create round or rectangular slices. A pizzeria that shreds only a small amount of cheese or vegetables could make good use of a manual cutter, particularly if a mixer with an attachment hub isn’t available. “The manual versions can be an economical and effective way to process certain vegetables,” writes Correll.

“When an onion is put sideways through a cutting grid, it comes out as a dice—just right for pizza topping.”

“A slicer and a tomato slicer would be at the top of my list of must-haves,” says Brad Randall, owner of Aver’s Gourmet Pizza (averspizza.com) in Bloomington, Indiana. “These are affordable and safe tools that greatly increase the speed at which an employee can produce heaps of fresh, consistently sliced veggies.”

Grinding and Grating Other small appliances used in processing meats, vegetables and cheese include grinders, cheese cutters and shredders.

A meat grinder is used in the pizzeria to drive chopped meat through small holes in the meat disc. It can be used for making Italian sausage and ground beef, as well as for grinding cheese, although the latter can be slow and laborious work.

Cutting cheese rapidly with a regular knife can be difficult, so many operators employ cheese cutters, which use a wire or thin blade to whittle down the block. Some large-volume shredders can accommodate a five-pound block of cheese, but these can be cost-prohibitive to smaller pizzeria operators.

“What’s made a big difference in our operation is a cheese grater,” says Randy Smith, owner of Mama Bosso, a frozen pizza manufacturer in Rock Island, Illinois. “We used to have to chop up three-pound loaves into thirds, but the cheese grater just zips through it.”

Handle With Care In his guide to pizzeria operations, Encyclopizza, John Correll offers a few recommendations for getting the best performance out of your small kitchen appliances: • Keep the blade sharp. A dull blade creates a ragged slice and overworks the slicer. Sharpen the blade weekly.

• Keep food cold. Hard products such as pepperoni and cheese slice more easily and neatly when they’re cold (33°F).

• Schedule production for easy cleaning. Plan the slicing sequence to minimize cleaning time. Slice the least messy foods first. The sooner a slicer is cleaned after usage, the easier it is to get the job done quickly and efficiently.

• Oil the platform. Before slicing cheese or other sticky foods, apply a thin coating of vegetable oil to the blade and slicing platform to make it glide more easily.

• Keep it clean. Clean and sanitize the slicer after each use. A dirty slicer spreads bacteria over each slice, causing product to spoil quickly.

Measuring Up While slicers and food processors are useful for preparing toppings for pizzas, other tools come in handy for measuring quantity, temperature, time, weight and volume to ensure consistent quality, increase efficiency and reduce waste. “My scale, which I use to weigh cheese portions on every pizza, is very important for efficiency and cost savings,” says Paul Gillespie from Five Star Pizza (gatorpizza.com) in Gainesville, Florida.

Scales, including mechanical, beam and electric varieties, are used for weighing dough balls and portioning cheese, sauce and toppings. Correll recommends using a scale with a 32-ounce capacity in ¼-ounce increments and a 9” square platform. “Most pizzerias would find that a good mechanical scale would do the job,” he writes.

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“The most useful equipment in my kitchen is my scale,” says Frank Palazzolo, owner of Nonna Maria’s Ristorante & Pizzeria (nonnamarias.com) in Oracle, Arizona. “The consistency of my menu items ensures that, when a customer places an order, he’ll receive the same portion every time. It also ensures that the dollar amount of the menu item does not fluctuate depending on who prepared the dish. The scale eliminates the amount of food that is wasted, thus saving time and money.”

A stem thermometer is useful for measuring the temperature of water and dough. It’s also used for measuring the temperature of frozen food, the internal temperature of baked pizza and bread and for checking grill and refrigeration temperatures. Thermometers come in mechanical or electric models.

Although mechanical thermometers are cheap and can do the job, they have a drawback: “It takes 20 seconds to get an accurate reading,” Correll writes. “While that isn’t a long time, it’s sometimes enough to deter a cook from using it.” An electronic thermometer with a needle tip works and can measure water and internal food temperature. High-tech infrared thermometers can read the surface temperature on a pizza, which is difficult to do with a stick thermometer.

Finally, Correll says a timer is a basic necessity in any pizzeria kitchen. “In making dough, time is critical,” he writes. “It’s also important when chopping cheese and other foods with a cutter-mixer. A kitchen should have an individual timer available to remind a cook when something should be done.”

For his part, Palazzolo says he’d add a blender to his wish list.

“With that, I would experiment more in expanding my menu

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to create additional soups and sauces. I love trying new flavor combinations. It would enable me to ‘play’ more often.”

Walter Webb is PMQ’s assistant editor.

Small Equipment Suppliers Anetsberger Brothers, 919-782-1000, anetsberger.com AutoFry/Motion Technology, 800-348-2976, autofry.com Cardinal Scale, 800-441-4237, cardinalscale.com Duchess Bakers Machinery Co., 800-777-4498, duchessbakers.com Escali Corp., 800-467-6408, escali.com Globe Food Equipment Co., 800-347-5423, globeslicers.com Henny Penny, 800-417-8518, hennypenny.com Hobart Corporation, 888-446-2278, hobartcorp.com Hoshizaki America, 800-438-6087, hoshizakiamerica.com Northern Pizza Equipment, 877-330-5319, northernpizzaequipment.com Peerless Ovens, 800-548-4514, peerlessovens.com

Industry Outlook: Sandwiches

BERNIE O’S

The Olivers’

Twist

By Patrick Riordan Photos by Kimberly Lesick

Bernie O’s fuses flavors, textures and temperatures to create innovative specialty pizzas.

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I

f you heard about a pizzeria that scored 80% of its sales in specialty pizzas with unusual ingredients— think ghost chili pepper infusions and cold fruit and vegetables as “finishing” toppings—you might assume it could only exist in a sprawling metropolis already overrun with standard pizza joints.

But in tiny North Muskegon, Michigan, Bernie O’s Pizza (bernieos.com), with its wildly creative and eclectic menu, doesn’t just exist—it thrives.

Best known for its award-winning The Twist pizza, described on the menu as “crispy and chewy, sweet and hot, tangy and savory, creamy and tart, cool and warm,” and for the searing-hot, Food Network-featured Firebird, Bernie O’s puts its unique spin on nearly every menu item. Customers can also order a standard pepperoni pie, of course, but only if they aren’t tempted by one of the many intriguing specialty options.

Founded by Addam and Heather Oliver in 2006, Bernie O’s has taken North Muskegon by storm, winning accolades for Best Pizza and Best Dish at the Taste of Muskegon festival two years in a row.

Although a quick glance at the menu confirms that Bernie O’s is an innovative, fun operation, its story, like that of many small businesses, is one of struggles and setbacks ultimately overcome by ingenuity and hard work.

Rising From the Ashes After taking the plunge and quitting their day jobs, the Olivers worked as caterers

for a while before taking over a small, underequipped bingo hall kitchen that caught fire and burned down while they were transitioning to a pizza operation.

Years before their pizzas would garner them national attention, however, the Olivers made a Phoenix-like rise from the ashes. They scraped together a little money, salvaged the equipment that survived the blaze and forged ahead with their goal to develop their own unique pizzas and become the state’s best pizzeria.

Another tragedy—the unexpected death of Heather’s father, Bernie Ockaski— inspired the Olivers’ restaurant’s name.

“Bernie’s tremendous work ethic and strong sense of integrity inspired us not

only to not give up, but to aspire to become the greatest pizzeria in Michigan,” Addam says. “To remind us every day of what we were doing and why, we named the pizzeria after him.

Half a decade later, Bernie O’s Pizza is a local treasure with growing national appeal. Despite being located in a small town with a population of about 4,000, the pizzeria has nearly 4,500 Facebook fans, has earned top billing on Urbanspoon and placed in the top three in a New Jersey pizza competition.

Cold Fusion Bernie O’s offers a dizzying selection of subs, strombolis, salads and pies, but

THE STATS: BERNIE O’S Website: bernieos.com Headquarters: North Muskegon, MI Owners: Heather and Addam Oliver Year started: 2006 Total units: 1 Annual sales: $500,000+ POS system: Menusoft Digital Dining Oven: Lincoln Impinger Dine-in, delivery, takeout Number of employees: 15

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its most audacious offering, The Twist— featuring a specialty sauce on a thin crust and topped with bacon, chicken and cheese, then baked and finished with pineapple, tomatoes, hot peppers and homemade ranch dressing—outsells all other pizzas on the menu by a three-to-one margin. The addition of cold toppings after baking “gives the pizzas wonderful contrasting flavors and textures, and it’s the contrast that just blows people away and keeps them coming back for more,” Addam notes.

The Olivers stay focused on their customers and their community. They pride themselves on offering a diverse

and evolving menu and encourage repeat business by keeping their customers happy. Addam’s philosophy is simple: “Treat every customer like he’s your only customer,” he says, “and act as if there’s a competitor right next door— because there is.” From a “no questions asked” return policy—which has helped patrons muster up the gumption to try new specialty pizzas—to a generous rewards program, Bernie O’s places a high premium on sending diners home with full bellies and happy hearts. The Olivers also make it a point to serve as a positive presence in the community, helping

out with school events, fundraisers and other occasions.

Keepers of the Flame Bernie O’s reputation has spread beyond the Michigan state line, thanks in part to its signature Firebird pizza, a 28” spicy concoction topped with breaded chicken, cheese, ranch, hot sauce, minced jalapeño peppers and ghost chili pepper (reportedly 300 times hotter than a jalapeño) powder. The pizzeria’s Firebird Challenge promotion—contestants must gobble down the eye-watering pie in one hour to win T-shirts, a spot on the restaurant’s Wall of Flame and gift certificates— was featured on the Food Network show Outrageous Food in early 2011.

Addam stresses the important role the Internet and social media outlets have played in promoting Bernie O’s. To establish a strong online presence, the Olivers hired a professional website designer and worked to make sure the site accurately reflected the Bernie O’s image. They also see great marketing value in their Facebook page, which allows them to directly communicate with their fans (users who click the Like button on their page) about news, specials and events. Meanwhile, the Olivers utilize directory sites, including Urbanspoon and Yelp, as marketing tools, eliciting positive feedback from existing patrons to generate interest from potential new customers.

Additionally, to stay focused on the pizzeria’s day-to-day operations, the Olivers use a third-party management system to maintain their database, email list and rewards program—a more efficient and cost-effective way to do a job that otherwise would take a full-time staff member on the Bernie O’s payroll.

From the Bruschetta and French Dip to the Memphis BBQ and the ever-popular Twist, lack of pie variety will never be a problem at Bernie O’s. But in the unlikely event that a customer tries and doesn’t care for an item on the menu, the Olivers are always happy to bring out another one. Fortunately, that’s rarely necessary, Addam says, but it’s the kind of guarantee that keeps customers satisfied—and hungry for more.

Patrick Riordan is a freelance writer based in Chicago.

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Ad

Pizza of the Month:

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Seafood

Vegan

PMQ Pizza Magazine – The Pizza Industry’s Business Monthly

Sponsored by Follow Your Heart

Vegan Variations Vegan and Delicious Recipe and photo provided by Follow Your Heart

Sauce: 1 tbsp. olive oil 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 tsp. thyme 1 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes Pinch tarragon Pinch marjoram Pinch black pepper ¼ c. red wine ⅓ c. chopped Kalamata olives 1 tbsp. capers, drained and rinsed 15-oz. can chopped plum tomatoes in juice Toppings: 4-5 whole basil leaves, plus extra for garnish Small bowl of olive oil 6 oz. vegan mozzarella cheese, shredded For the sauce: Heat the oil in a saucepan on medium heat. Add garlic and sauté until lightly browned, about 2 minutes. Add herbs, spices,olives and capers and sauté for 1 minute more. Add red wine and tomatoes and cover. Bring to a simmer and let cook uncovered, stirring occasionally, for 40 minutes, until thick and heavily reduced.

To top, preheat oven to 450°F and spread sauce over crust. Top generously with vegan mozzarella shreds. Dip basil leaves in olive oil and place on pizza. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, until cheese is bubbling and the crust is golden brown. Remove from the oven and garnish with extra basil to serve.

Meatless Marketing Going vegan at your shop? Try some of these tactics from vegan-friendly pizzerias: •

Celebrate Meatless Mondays and Vegan Pizza Day by offering specials on vegan items. To honor 2011’s first Vegan Pizza Day, some Pizza Fusion (pizzafusion.com) locations offered a 10% discount on vegan items.

•

Make it easier for customers to make the switch to vegan pies every day of the week. Amici’s East Coast Pizzeria (amicis.com), with a dozen locations in California, never charges extra for swapping out traditional mozzarella for vegan cheese on its pies.

PIZZA LUCÉ

1 12” par-baked pizza crust

According to a Vegetarian Times study, approximately 0.5% of the U.S. population, or 1 million people, are vegans. Vegans reject animal products, including meat, dairy and honey, but, judging by the surge of vegan pies in pizzerias around the country, they don’t want to give up pizza. In fact, January 29, 2011, was named the first Vegan Pizza Day (organizers will be moving it later in the year for 2012), and some pizzerias have decided to eschew the traditional altogether and offer only vegan pies to customers.

Though any pizza can be made vegan by removing the meat and cheese, these specialty pies have become even easier to create, thanks to a wide variety of vegan cheese options and alternatives to meats. These are also suitable for lactoseintolerant and vegetarian clients.

To get your vegan-friendly juices flowing, check out these examples of inspirational vegan pies: In 2011, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals awarded 3 Brothers Pizza Café (3brotherspizzacafe.com) in Rockville Centre, New York, with the coveted “best vegan pizza” award for its Seitan Bacon Ranch, topped with grilled seitan, tempeh bacon, tomatoes and mozzarella, then drizzled with ranch dressing. The pizzeria offers an entire vegan menu that utilizes ingredients such as cashew-tofu ricotta, housemade seitan sausage and nut Parmesan.

Peace O’ Pie Gourmet Vegan Pizza has received numerous awards and media mentions and even retails vegan cheese and marshmallows in-store. The EP pizza features smoked organic tempeh, sun-dried tomatoes, spinach and sautéed roasted garlic, and any of the dozen specialty pies can also be ordered as calzones.

At Pizza Lucé (pizzaluce.com), with six locations in Minnesota, many of the menu items are available in vegan form upon request, thanks to soy-free vegan cheeses and Rinotta, a homemade “uncheese” made from tofu and cashews. The Rustler pizza offers a piquant flavor combination: mock duck, pineapple, banana peppers, red onion, cheddar and mozzarella atop a barbecue/red sauce.

Purgatory Pizza (eatpurgatorypizza.com) in Los Angeles brings the heat with its Dave’s Junkie Special, topped with vegan sausage, jalapeños, mushrooms, green pepper and El Diablo sauce. The vegan menu also features the Vegan Pesto Chicken Sandwich and an array of vegetable toppings for customers to create their own pizza combinations.

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The Bluegrass

Pizza Bake-Off Kentucky pizzerias square off in two categories to win a trip to Italy.

By Lee Eric Smith

Chauncey Griffin from Johnny Brusco’s Pizza in Prospect, Kentucky, prepares his entry in the gourmet competition: a pizza featuring artichoke hearts, black olives, feta cheese, sun-dried tomatoes and spinach.

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In a state where hoops fans go gaga over college basketball, it makes sense that another type of tournament would get the locals excited: the 2011 Bluegrass Pizza Bake-Off. From Louisville to Lexington, Kentucky, and surrounding areas, 23 pizzerias sent their best pizza chefs to the competition held on September 13. Hosted by PizzaOvens.com and cosponsored by Presto Foods, regional bragging rights weren’t the only stakes— the overall winner would get to compete alongside the U.S. Pizza Team at the World Pizza Championships in Salsomaggiore, Italy, in spring 2012. “It’s escalated to be a nice social event for all of the local pizzerias around the area,” says Fash Asvadi, director of PizzaOvens. com, based in Nicholasville, Kentucky.

“Everyone’s having fun, and one lucky person gets to go to Italy with the U.S. Pizza Team.”

In a unique twist on the traditional culinary competition format, the Bluegrass Pizza Bake-Off pitted pizzaiolos against each other in a single-elimination tournament. There were two brackets: 23 competitors entered the traditional pizza bracket, and 21 competitors entered the gourmet/nontraditional pizza bracket.

Check out exclusive video coverage of the bake-off on PizzaTV.com.

Most pizza teams competed in both segments of the tournament.

Do the math: That’s 44 pizzas made in the first round alone, so there was no shortage of pizza. Add in dozens of pizza aficionados, a live band, cold beverages and a brisk September evening, and the event felt like the perfect pizza party. “We wanted to let the pizzerias get to know each other,” says Ken Roemer, a sales specialist at PizzaOvens. com. “They work hard, so we wanted to give them a night to kick back, have a little fun and show their stuff. But it also gives us a chance to let people know what products we have, and for them to get to know us a little better, too.”

Judging for taste and appearance, a panel of judges eventually whittled the massive field down to the Final Four: Two traditional pies, two gourmet pies. Each pizza came with its own interesting story: Sal’s Pizza & Pub from Louisville had been open for only two weeks going into the bake-off. Although members of Sal’s team were competing against previous employers, it was their capicola-andolive pie that got them to the Final Four.

Greg Spaulding from Puccini’s Smiling Teeth in Lexington, Kentucky, took home Best Traditional Pizza and Best Overall Pizza for his pepperoni pie. He will travel with the U.S. Pizza Team to compete in Italy in 2012.

Vic DiOrio from DiOrio’s Pizza in Louisville, Kentucky, won Best Gourmet Pizza with the Twice Bake & Steak Pizza, which featured baked potato, chives, sour cream and marinated steak.

PizzaOvens.com director Fash Asvadi soaks in the event with Chef Santo Bruno, one of the featured judges at the Bluegrass Pizza Bake-Off. March 2012 • pmq.com

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Chris Clark (right) from Doughboy’s Pizzeria in Owingsville, Kentucky, leads her team in making its two entries: pies with sausage and banana peppers (for the traditional category) and the Po’ Boys Steak Pizza, featuring fried bologna and honey mustard sauce (nontraditional).

The Puccini’s Smiling Teeth (puc cinissmilingteeth.com) location in Lexington whipped up its reliable pepperoni pizza in the traditional category. That’s right: In this basketball-crazed region, the competition featured Louisville and Lexington—Cardinals vs. Wildcats—with a championship on the line.

Snappy Tomato Pizza (snappytom ato.com), based in Florence, made it to the Final Four with its Sweet Chili Chicken Pizza, which was somewhat of an experiment (it isn’t on the menu—yet). “It’s been in development,” says Vito LaCorte, director of operations at Snappy Tomato. “For this pizza to do this well, it’s a good sign that we’ll be offering it in the restaurants.”

DiOrio’s Pizza & Pub in Louisville also made it to the Final Four with its experimental Twice Bake & Steak Pizza, a pie featuring baked potato and marinated beef tenderloin. “We figured we’d try something nontraditional,” says owner Vic DiOrio, “and this is pretty nontraditional.”

From here on, winners would be decided not by a panel of judges, but by a jury of peers—remaining attendees and participants would vote on which pies they liked the best. “We wanted to eliminate any perceived bias, so we allowed the 42

PMQ Pizza Magazine – The Pizza Industry’s Business Monthly

experts to decide the winners,” Asvadi explains. “Who knows pizza better than people who make pizza?”

Voters selected DiOrio’s Twice Bake & Steak for Best Gourmet Pizza. “I guess since we won, we’re going to have to put it on the menu,” DiOrio says. “As for the name, we thought about it on the way here. Twice Bake & Steak is the one that stuck. Now that we’ve won this, we’ll promote it, and hopefully people will come in and try it.”

And in a final, winner-take-all championship round, Greg Spaulding from Puccini’s took home the award for Best Traditional Pizza, plus the top prize: Best Overall Pizza and a chance to compete alongside the U.S. Pizza Team.

“This was my second year in this competition, and I was a runner-up last year; this year, I guess I had a little more experience, and it made the difference,” Spaulding says. “I’m really excited to be going to Italy in March. I’m going to be the student there; I hope to learn a lot from the other guys.”

Lee Eric Smith is a correspondent for PMQ Pizza Magazine and owner of Fluid Media Group (fluid mediagroup.com).

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Marketing Marvels Sean Adams

Gusto Pizza Co. Cutting-edge social media and homegrown ingredients reap a harvest of profits for this Iowa pizzeria.

Located on the edge of downtown Des Moines, Iowa, Gusto Pizza Company (gustopizzaco.com) opened in January 2011 when friends Tony Lemmo, Josh Holderness and Joe McConville banded together to realize a common goal: make delicious pies using local ingredients.

All three owners have a background in pizza: Lemmo previously owned a small 20-seat pizzeria and still maintains a separate upscale Italian restaurant, while Holderness and McConville had worked for other pizzerias, helping to open several operations. The trio labored together off and on and, with their combined years of experience, decided it was time to break away and do their own thing. The result was Gusto Pizza Co., an innovator in Des Moines pizza cuisine that helps keep local farmers in business.

Gusto’s sandwiches, salads and pastas have their own unique flair, but the pizzas are the real standouts on the menu. In addition to the classically themed Spartacus, which boasts Italian sausage, pepperoni, cremini mushrooms, banana peppers, mozzarella and red sauce, Gusto’s menu teems with mouthwatering specialty options, such as the #24, prepared with jalapeño creamed corn and beef brisket, and the Thai Kwon Dough, which features Thai peanut sauce, cilantro, chicken, bean sprouts and carrots. Gusto’s pizza chefs prepare every menu item from scratch daily using local ingredients.

Chef McConville provides some interesting insights on Gusto Pizza’s success and its approach to marketing and day-to-day operations.

How long did the three of you work on your business plan?

We worked on it for about a year.

Since we all had experience in opening restaurants for other people and Tony owned a few places of his own, we 44

The owners of Gusto Pizza Co.—including Tony Lemmo (bottom left)—set out to create a classic decor theme with a contemporary twist.

PMQ Pizza Magazine – The Pizza Industry’s Business Monthly

later. We sold more than 300 pizzas in a few short hours.

How do you currently use Facebook and Twitter to promote Gusto Pizza?

We post daily specials, goofy videos and our hours of operation, and we connect with the public by responding to questions and comments on something we call “Ask a Chef.” We also use it for other information we feel the public may need to know. It’s a form of entertainment that younger people can relate to.

Gusto’s bar offers an extensive list of affordable wines as well as a selection of beers from local microbreweries.

knew some things already. While doing our own research and testing out ideas, we figured it out.

What demographic or target market were you trying to reach?

Everyone. We didn’t want to exclude anyone. Since everyone eats pizza, that’s our market. Our place reaches people of all ages. You’ll see a wide range of diversity on any given night. College kids, families, older folks, customers of all races and ages seem to fill the place up. Our personality shows through our food, and we like taking classic flavors that would show up in regular meals, that most people recognize, and putting them on a pizza. Our guests relate to it, so there’s an instant connection.

What about vegetarians?

We cater to vegetarians and vegans. Also, not everyone likes meat all the time. We also have gluten-free crusts and vegan cheese made with rice milk. This sets us apart in the progressive food scene and helps us stay ahead of the race.

What strategies do you use in your marketing approach?

We wanted to use some of the social media networks such as Facebook, Twitter and YouTube because they’re free, so you’re not paying some radio personality to say how good your food is when they haven’t even tried it. A year before we opened, we set up accounts and started getting the word out. Our fans (more than 27,000) post real, honest opinions, and word-of-mouth is the best advertising. We also used YouTube to show videos of ourselves moving stuff in to the restaurant while we were under construction. We would

record goofy videos of ourselves moving ovens in, and they showed the progress we were making and created a buzz. As a result, we didn’t have a soft opening.

We opened a few days before we had planned to. We had everything prepped, then we all looked at each other and asked, “Want to open?” We said yes, posted a message on Facebook, and we had a line forming outside two hours

Has the green movement affected your marketing strategy in any way?

Yes, it has. We are a farming community. I come from a farming family, and I’m proud of that. So we wanted to showcase local ingredients from the community. They haven’t traveled thousands of miles or touched too many hands. We try to support our community, people we know and those who live within 15 minutes away from us. We also promote and are part of Buy Fresh, Buy Local, a local group that supports fresher, better products. We’re big on using farmers markets and Graziano’s, a local Italian grocery store that’s the last of its kind. We make our own pepperoni, and we use a local prosciutto from La Quercia that’s the best I’ve had. This ensures that we have a good product, and it promotes local businesses. When a local business provides us with its product, they’ll tell their friends, and then 20 people will come to try that specific product.

What kind of coupons or specials do you offer?

We offer Gusto Bucks for people who respond to our tweets. We also offer half-price slices from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.,

Gusto’s patio attracts customers during Des Moines’ warmer months.

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and we have grab-and-go Prontos, which are ready-made pizzas for pickup. We do specials that start on Thursday and run through the weekend if supplies last. We do a Chef Extra, which is a daily special that could feature a slice of pizza, sandwich, soup, salad or pasta. Sometimes we’ll do something crazy; I once made a pizza that had watermelon and prosciutto on it.

What are Gusto Bucks?

Gusto Bucks are gift cards. We issue them for Social Share Mondays. These

are for nonprofit companies or foundations that are worthwhile causes we support. It’s a way to give back a little to the community for something we believe in.

How else are you involved with community or school events in the area?

We are not currently involved in any school events, but we do participate in some community events. We have a mobile kitchen truck that is fully equipped with ovens, coolers, freezers, running water–everything you need to cater and travel with–and we bring this to events

around town, like music festivals or carnivals. We are unable to do this on a fulltime basis because the city doesn’t allow it. We also travel to other communities in the area and sometimes to towns a few hours away.

Do you involve staff or guests with creating menu items?

Yes. We did a March Madness bracket like the NCAA does. We had different pizzas face off in a competition, people voted for them, and the winner made it onto the menu. We also encourage our staff to come up with ideas. If it sounds good, we’ll try it. Some ideas make it to the menu, and some resurface as a special. Then we’ll throw a pizza party for that staff member and 20 of his or her friends. This approach showcases the employee. We have fun with it, and this creates a fun atmosphere for everyone.

Where do the humerous names of the dishes come from?

Our first five pizzas had been on the menu at Tony’s pizza place. We’ve kept some of them, and some have left. Some of the photos on our walls can explain that. There are photos and paintings that we’ve commissioned, called pizza tiles, like the Vincent Van Goat and the Duke, named after John Wayne, who was born 45 minutes away. There’s also a dish named after an old Heisman Trophy winner from the 1930s who was a World War II hero.

What’s your slogan?

Our T-shirt slogan is “Divine Pie.” This showcases our progressive thinking and our strategy to stay ahead of the race.

Does competing with the Big Three concern you at all?

No, because we’re doing our own thing that appeals to people. We have some classic dishes that other places offer, but we put our own spin on them.

Sean Adams is a freelance writer based in Oxford, Mississippi.

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Part 2

Compiled by Walter Webb

In part two of this three-part series, experts explain how to garner publicity without spending a bundle.

Corporate social responsibility (CSR) is a great way to build brand recognition. Restaurants have a specific advantage here in that they can donate food/beverages for a charity or nonprofit event. There are many reasons CSR is beneficial, the first being that nonprofit companies are savvy marketers and operate through all channels of social media with limited budgets; additionally, as a restaurant looking to build its presence or brand online, partnering with a nonprofit can be a major advantage.

Nonprofit supporters are very loyal and also very vocal within the communities they operate. There’s a good chance if your restaurant supports a nonprofit, the followers of the charity will support your business,as well.

Stephanie Dressler, senior associate Montieth & Company New York, NY

In order to get something for free, you have to give something for free! Donate your space for a local charity event that can be scheduled during your slower hours so you don’t lose regular business. Your venue’s name will be marketed so many times leading up to the event—on invitations, radio announcements, word of mouth—that even those who don’t attend the event will be hit with your branding. If you have a private party area, even better! Attendees will already have a private event space in mind when they plan their own parties.

Lauren Hand, owner Lil’ Miss Media New York, NY 48

PMQ Pizza Magazine – The Pizza Industry’s Business Monthly

The best way to get free publicity is to focus on what your company is doing that is truly newsworthy and timely, and share that story in a concise, fact-oriented way to media who reach your target audience. Announcing that your restaurant has partnered with local produce companies X, Y and Z to ensure that it is providing the freshest local ingredients, supporting local agriculture and reducing its environmental impact is something that both business and food media would be interested in. Companies do newsworthy things all the time; the trick is to identify what those activities are and make sure the right people hear about them at the right time and in the right way.

Bryony Fuller, public relations specialist/owner Bryony Hope Fort Collins, CO Mama Mia’s Restaurant was just opening a second location in a very competitive market. The owner, Frank Leamy, remarked one day that he just wished everyone in the neighborhood could walk through his door so he could prove himself—so he made his banquet room a polling place for the presidential election. On Election Day, 1,200 of his neighbors walked through the door.

We offered them a free appetizer or dessert coupon with a meal and had some tasty tidbits set out for them to try.

Plus, his restaurant’s name and address was printed on all of the voting material that was distributed throughout the area.

Darlene Tenes, public relations consultant Marketing Maniacs San Jose, CA

By sharing a trend, or a variety of trends, that have impacted your restaurant, you can promote your restaurant while positioning yourself as an industry leader who’s in the know.

News media appreciate learning about current, growing and upcoming trends in every industry, so when you educate them, they can thereby enlighten their readers, listeners and/or viewers. Highlight individual trends in the restaurant industry, including new/interesting ingredients, recipes, ways of visually presenting food, atypical serving styles, ways of engaging diners, interesting architecture, trends in staffing and human resources issues, etc. Follow up with each reporter to ensure he received your release and to encourage him to highlight your restaurant.

Anahid Lisa Derbabian APR Integrity Communications Ann Arbor, MI Install a pizza cam inside the kitchen of the restaurant.

Patrons can watch as their pizza is prepared, cooked and packaged. The live cam footage could be available on the website for delivery customers and televised within the restaurant for in-store patrons. For additional exposure, allow Web visitors to share the live footage on Facebook.

Dana Severson, founder IdeaHeroes.com Minneapolis, MN

One of the most powerful tools for free publicity for restaurants is TripAdvisor.com. As a former marketing manager at a hotel chain, and now owner of a small tour business, I’ve found that TripAdvisor has fueled genuine customer reviews and propelled my business. My marketing and advertising costs, aside from business cards, is $0. However, there is a warning: If a restaurant does not offer consistently good service and food, the site can equally hurt a restaurant due to bad online reviews.

Christine Michaels, small business consultant Miami, FL

Barry Potekin in Chicago opened a restaurant with no money for marketing or PR. So on the first day of business, he walked outside the restaurant, hailed a cab, and drove around the block for five minutes. While in the cab, all he did was talk about his eatery to the cab driver. When he got back to the restaurant, he paid the fare and gave the cabbie a $5 tip.

Potekin did this every day for one year–he took a cab to nowhere. At the end of 365 days, the cabs were three-deep outside his restaurant, bringing him hungry customers, and making him a millionaire.

Debbi Karpowicz Kickham, president MaximaMarketing Westwood, MA

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Set a world record! Your attempt to set a record can combine a timely cause-marketing aspect and can be planned to hit the media outlets on a slow news day. By including area schools, you are guaranteed an audience and will increase your chances of publicity. Consider setting records such as: most pizzas delivered to a homeless shelter; world’s largest canned food drive in 12 hours; longest breadstick assembled by children; or longest pizza delivery by bike. It isn’t as important that you set the world’s record as it is that you attempt to set one. The PR benefits will accrue either way!

Sandra Gehring, writing and publicity consultant Breaking Your Own News Orlando, FL Getting good press is the foundation of any publicity campaign. To receive positive press with a great ripple effect, host a newsworthy event that combines food, fun and charitable fundraising. Be sure to invite popular food bloggers and members of the media, as well as local celebrity guests, such as athletes, city officials, etc. The coverage received will span across many relevant news categories and provide tremendous cross-promotion for your business.

Hunter Valmont, president Hunter Valmont Public Relations Ponte Vedra Beach, FL

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Send a full spread of food to a local newsroom at lunch hour right before the noon news—with some notice, of course.

After all, reporters and anchors eat, too. What follows are typically on-air comments about how delicious your food is, how thoughtful it was of you to feed them, and how they can’t wait to finish the news hour and go have some more— if there is any left! Be sure to include utensils and carryout menus. Just make sure that what you send is your very best!

Marcy Fleisher, principal Fleisher Communications Group Columbus, OH

If you own a small company, think about partnering with someone else who has more star power and greater visibility. These alliances can prove to be very impactful in getting you front and center to those who might want to write about you and the contribution you make to your community through your business. If you have writing skills, offer to write an article, newsletter, online publication, etc., for a local newspaper. If your story goes viral, so will your company name.

Donna Lubrano, marketing and corporate sales Edible Arrangements South Boston, MA

Allow customers to bring their own ingredients and make their own pizzas one night. Then, at the end of the night, judge the best pizza and offer it on your menu from then on. Name the pizza after the winner and you’ll continue to receive press way beyond the event day. Word of mouth is crucial: Be active on social media, offering timely promotions that reward engagement. For example, offer a sampling of your most popular dishes or a special discount to patrons who know a secret password that you’ve posted throughout your website and social media channels.

Ride the coattails of something that’s getting a lot of news exposure. Design a pizza to resemble a team’s star quarterback, or offer a pizza with the sports team’s logo. Send pictures to producers/editors, and invite them to stop by and see it in person. Send a sample to local newsrooms—they love free food!

Andrew Hayes, owner Andrew Hayes Public Relations Chicago, IL

Erica Nonni, account supervisor Colangelo Partners Public Relations New York, NY

Hold a pizza eating contest for the community. Who can eat the most slices of pizza in 10 minutes? Invite your local news stations to join in on the competition. Or research what current Guinness World Records exist regarding pizza, and break an existing record.

Crystal Matthews Jennings, media relations BodyBuilding.com Meridian, ID

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The best way to get free publicity for your restaurant is to make each and every customer who walks through your door a raving fan by engaging in two-way communication, whether through e-mail, phone or social media. Your customers are your biggest asset to get the word out.

Lauren Fiedler, director of marketing and promotions Scotty’s Brewhouse Indianapolis, IN

Walter Webb is PMQ’s assistant editor.

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Pizza Pulse Exploring the latest trends in the world of pizza.

Fried Pies New York City, ever on the cusp of the latest pizza innovations, has resurrected an old Italian favorite: fried pies. Two pizzerias, Forcella (forcellaeatery.com), with two locations in Brooklyn and Manhattan, and PizzArte (pizzarteny.com) in Manhattan, are offering a few options for those who want to go a step beyond the traditional bake. “Fried pizza is actually very new in New York City,” says Dario Cipollaro de L’ero, who owns Pizz-Arte with Bruno Cilio. “PizzArte serves Montanara pizza, which is first lightly fried for about a minute, then briefly baked in the wood-fired oven. The pizza is crispy with a soft interior—a different texture than pizza that’s only baked—and completely greaseless, so it can be eaten with one’s hands, just as they do in Naples.”

Cipollaro de L’ero explains that the Montanara comes from the poorest areas of Naples, where legend has it that the wives of pizzaioli would make the dish using leftover pizza dough made by their husbands. Not surprisingly, the Montanara continues the Naples tradition of simplicity; it’s topped with only tomato sauce, mozzarella, Parmesan and basil. PizzArte’s menu also features two deep-fried calzones—one with ricotta, mozzarella, San Marzano tomatoes and Neapolitan Salami, and another with escarole, pine nuts, anchovies and Gaeta olives. “The Montanara is a great seller; people are always curious about the fried items,” says Cipollaro de L’ero. “Americans love it because it’s really light. There’s no greasy effect—it’s just a bit crispier.”

At Forcella, award-winning Neapolitan pizzaiolo Giulio Adriani devotes a section of his menu to “Pizze Fritte,” which includes a Montanara and two fried calzones: Ripieno Classico, with tomato, sopressata, smoked mozzarella and ricotta, and Ripieno alla Scarola, with escarole, olives, capers and anchovies. “The dough doesn’t absorb the oil because I developed a special dough recipe for these pizzas, and the result is a taste like you would get with a zeppole,” says Adriani. “The Montanara is my best-selling pizza, so it’s been a great success.”

And along with customer satisfaction comes media coverage: The pizzerias’ fried pies have been mentioned in The New York Times, The Village Voice, New York magazine and The Wall Street Journal. We suspect that, with all of the attention, imitators will quickly sprout up—in the pizza capital of New York and perhaps eventually across the country. –Tracy Morin

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PIZZARTE

A Naples tradition comes to the American pizza capital.

Managing Employee Theft

Learn strategies and tips for handling theft in your pizzeria.

By Molly McKean and Julie A. Moore Employee theft is a common problem that plagues employers large and small and costs U.S. businesses tens of billions of dollars each year. Employee theft is not limited to taking money from the register; employees may also steal supplies and inventory, including food, paper products, alcoholic beverages, and office and kitchen equipment. They may even cut into the bottom line by granting discounts, refunds or free food to customers who are not entitled to them; by overcharging customers and pocketing the difference; or by claiming to have worked time they did not work.

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t According to a Reuters survey conducted in October 2010, 54% of executives at small companies expected to face employee theft of funds, equipment, inventory or merchandise in the coming year. This survey also reports that employee theft is viewed as the second most financially damaging event a company can face (behind employment practices lawsuits). Hence, all employers, regardless of the size of their businesses, need to take steps to prevent employee theft. Here, we answer some common questions about why theft happens and how to deal with it at your business.

Why Do Employees Steal?

Many employees steal simply because the opportunity presents itself: Inventory is left unchecked and unlocked; managers are nowhere to be seen; the business is a high-volume cash business, making it easy to skim a few dollars off the top during a shift.

Some employees steal because they feel undercompensated and view walking away with “extras” (such as foodstuffs, paper goods, glassware and other inexpensive items) as a deserved “perk” of the job. Finally, a few employees will steal for the challenge of doing so. These employees may take big-ticket items, such as full kegs of beer, cases of wine, laptop computers, kitchen equipment or cash.

What Can Be Done to Prevent Employee Theft?

It can seem an overwhelming task to try to prevent employee theft. Some employers jump to the conclusion that the only method that works is to install security cameras throughout the restaurant and constantly monitor employees. While this is helpful in some cases, there are other, less intrusive ways to build an environment in which employees work together to prevent theft.

Here are some simple changes employers can make to cut down on the opportunity for employees to steal items or cash:

1

Check references when hiring. Many employers skip checking references and believe that an employee would not have provided a name unless the person would give a good reference. That’s not true. Checking references can lead to important information, including how an employee behaved in a past job. Ask questions such as, “Would you trust this person to close the restaurant?” and “Do you consider the applicant to be honest and trustworthy?” Hire only those applicants who provide solid references. Ask the applicant to sign a release and waiver, authorizing prior employers to talk freely about or provide personnel records for the potential hire.

2

Keep morale high. Often, employees will steal because they feel entitled to more than they are getting paid. Consider offering free or discounted food to employees during their shifts. After all, an employee who loves your food will probably sell more of it!

Enact a profit-based bonus program that rewards employees for a good month or a good quarter or for keeping to a certain level of cash register accuracy. Some employers offer noncash prizes, such as movie tickets or gift certificates to local stores. Perhaps you could get creative and team up with another local business to swap reward items. Let your employees know their hard work is

appreciated by hosting an employee appreciation night or giving out Employee of the Month certificates or prizes.

3

Implement and follow clear policies. Provide all employees with an updated and accurate employee handbook.

Make sure employees know whom to turn to if there is a problem, and have an open-door policy for raising issues to management. If you offer discounts to employees or allow employees to have free meals, maintain written policies outlining the terms, and make sure all employees know them.

4

Talk to employees about theft and the cost to the business. In some cases, employees (especially younger employees, who may not have experience purchasing these items themselves) may not realize that taking “just a little bit” of food, a roll of paper towels or a case of soda is truly stealing. They may not understand that all of those items need to be bought and paid for, and that every dollar’s worth of supplies that is stolen is a dollar of profit that is lost.

5

Ensure that there is a manager that you trust present for every shift. And, on occasion, have that manager take some time off so that you can spot any irregularities in inventory or cash flow.

6

Enact safeguards. Safeguards can require only a few simple changes in procedure. For instance, have a second employee sign off on all refunds or POS changes. Have two employees take out trash and perform inventory checks, or alternate these duties. Provide each employee with dedicated sign-in info for cash registers, and have a manager ensure that registers balance at the beginning and end of each shift.

7

Audit time cards. Ensure that employees are punching in and out only for themselves and at the times indicated. This is especially important if you rely on employees’ written time sheets rather than a time clock to keep track of hours worked.

What Can I Do if I Catch an Employee Stealing?

What if the worst happens and you catch an employee stealing?

Your first instinct may be to fire the employee on the spot. You should stop and think, however, before doing this. Analyze each situation individually. Was the employee stealing cash or goods or offering improper discounts? Is the person an otherwise good employee that you would rather rehabilitate than fire? Are you planning to report the matter to the police?

Investigate suspected theft as you would any potential workplace misconduct, such as harassment, retaliation or other breach of policy. Be objective, fair and reasonable. Ask questions of the person suspected of wrongdoing; review available documents, emails or videotapes; and reach a fact-based conclusion.

Talk to employees who may have witnessed what you suspect may have occurred. Don’t make assumptions about what took place before finding out the facts. Document the entire process from start to finish.

Consider the impact on the workplace prior to taking action. If you opt to discipline or fire an employee, it should be done privately and out of earshot of other employees. It may March 2012 • pmq.com

57

be tempting to “make an example” of someone but, most of the time, doing that serves mainly to anger the person you’re making an example of and make other employees feel threatened.

Whatever disciplinary steps are taken should be documented in the employee’s personnel file. Whether to report the matter to the police is discretionary.

Finally, you might assume that you can deduct the cost of the stolen goods from the employee’s final paycheck but, in many states, this would be a violation of wage and hour laws. Before making any deduction in an employee’s pay (whether you are keeping him employed or not), be sure to consult with your local employment law attorney. Even if the employee agrees to pay back the amount stolen, there are limits on how much pay can be garnished each week. Generally speaking, though, the employer is obligated to pay all wages earned and due to the employee, even if the employee has been caught stealing. If the employee is going to pay back the employer, this should be done in a transaction that is separate from payroll.

Employee theft has been a problem as long as there have been employers and employees. By taking steps to improve the work environment and employee morale and by safeguarding cash, inventory and equipment, employers can reduce the impact of employee theft on their bottom line.

McKean

58

Molly McKean and Julie A. Moore are part of Employment Practices Group, a legal and human resources consulting firm in Massachusetts and New Hampshire. Visit employ Moore mentpg.com for more information.

PMQ – The– Pizza Industry’s Business Monthly 00 Pizza PMQ’sMagazine Pizza Magazine The Pizza Industry’s Business Magazine

PMQ Advertisers Head to Vegas!

Going to Pizza Expo? Visit the following booths: 20Fifteen Allied Metal Spinning AM Manufacturing Antimo Caputo Orlando Foods Arrow POS + POM Bag Solutions Bay State Milling Bellissimo Foods Burke Caputo Cheese/Wiscon Corporation Check Corporation Covertex Daiya Foods DeIorio’s Frozen Dough Domata Doughmate by Madan Plastics Dough Express EarthStone Ovens Escalon Premier Brands Fidelity Communications Fish Oven & Equipment Fontanini Meats Foodservice Warehouse Forever Lids GI.Metal USA Globe Food Equipment Granbury Restaurant Solutions Grande Cheese HTH iFranchise Group J&G Mills Equipment Kinnikinnick Foods La Nova Wings Lindsay Olives Lactalis Foodservice Le 5 Stagioni

1547 743 837 1275 1307 775 1269 747 1029 861 826 1042 1645 1361 1528 546 1335 1065 375 1531 1555 435 254 857 675 926 313 613 609 1512 1760 314 735 1548 1013 575

Leprino Foods Liguria Foods Mario Camacho Foods Marsal & Sons McClancy Seasoning Company Message On Hold Middleby Marshall Molded Fiberglass Tray Co. Moving Targets Musco Family Olive Co. Neil Jones Food Company Off the Wall Magnetics Ovenbelts.com Pacific Coast Producers Peerless Ovens Perfect Crust/Ultimate Pizza Bag Pizza Packet Pizzaovens.com Precision Mixers Red Gold Restaurant Depot Saputo Cheese USA Signature Systems Somerset Industries SpeedLine Solutions Stanislaus Food Star Pizza Box Sugar Creek Packing Co. Taradel Thermal Bags by Ingrid Thunderbird Food Machinery Tyson Foods Univex Wood Stone XLT

While you’re in Vegas, stop by the Nightclub & Bar Show at the Las Vegas Convention Center March 13-14

413 925 768 1045 1036 809 713 118,116 607 955 1223 261 1736 1549 1730 1857 248 851 765 1355 355 1213 247 629 1113 513 131 237 807 1514 823 1613 1019 1675 407

Tuesday, April 10, 2012 Don’t miss more than 100 vendors, informative seminars, Italian specialties and targeted savings!

Stick around for The Slice of the Northeast Pizza Contest: the winner will earn a spot on the U.S. Pizza Team and join the team to compete internationally.

Schedule of Events 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Vendor Showcase 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. Slice of the Northeast Pizza Competitions

After-the-Show Events!

5:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. Final round of competitions for Slice of the Northeast Pizza Competition 7:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. Box Folding and Dough Duels at the after-hours pool at Harrah’s

Contest registration is free and open to all US. Foods and Vesuvio Foods customers until March 8; show registration is also free and open until March 22.

Email TriStatePizza@usfoods.com for more information.

THANKS TO OUR U.S. PIZZA TEAM GOLD SPONSORS:

THANKS TO OUR U.S. PIZZA TEAM SILVER SPONSORS:

THANKS TO OUR U.S. PIZZA TEAM BRONZE SPONSOR: Off The Wall Magnetics

Product Spotlight What’s On the Market HOLD THE GLUTEN The Gluten Free Bistro vegan pizza crust is a leading choice among chefs and critics thanks to its superior taste and ingredients.

The crust is made with all wholegrain flours and non-GMO natural ingredients. 720-329-3254, theglutenfreebistro.com

STOP THE SOGGY

SPACE SAVER The Peerless Maximizer C231, in both gas and electric models, offers plenty of cooking space in only 30” of floor space.

The gas C231 will hold up to 18” pizzas, or you can remove the shelves and cook two full-size turkeys. The electric model holds up to six 18” pizzas, and gas models are available for use with natural or propane gas. Electric models can be set up for singlephase or three-phase power.

419-625-4514, peerlessovens.com

There’s an answer for a soggy crust problem: The Perfect Crust Pizza Liner absorbs grease and moisture, allowing for a crispier crust every time. The liner eliminates any possible cardboard taste, prevents pizzas from sticking to the box and allows for cutting pizzas in or out of the box. Combined with the Ultimate Pizza Bag, with superior heat retention, pizzas can arrive hot, crispy and looking great. 888-254-9453, incrediblebag.com

OUT-OF-THE-OVEN HOT The CookTek Pizza Thermal Delivery System allows delivery of just-out-of-theoven-quality pizza with a rechargeable disc, an induction-charging base and a thermal delivery bag. The heating disc is made from a unique metal alloy that absorbs energy from the induction-charging base, then slowly releases the energy as heat.

VaporVent material controls moisture and keeps pizzas crispy.

888-266-5835, cooktek.com

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PMQ Pizza Magazine – The Pizza Industry’s Business Monthly

UP AND AWAY Max Balloons provides high-quality balloons in vibrant colors to advertise your message and grab attention. The highquality, 100% biodegradable latex balloons are custom-printed with an all-silk-screen process that provides stronger, sharper and bolder images and the balloons offer maximum flotation time.

800-541-5961, max-balloons.com

CHEESE, PLEASE Follow Your Heart Vegan Gourmet Mozzerella Cheese Alternative contains no casein or whey, no animal products and no allergens. The cheese melts in the oven, microwave or saucepan and on sandwiches. The dairyfree cheese is processed in a dedicated allergen-free line with dedicated allergen-free utensils. 888-394-3949, followyourheart.com

FREE POS SYSTEM Meridian Star offers a free POS system with no gimmicks. Included in a low-cost processing account, merchants can enjoy an all-in-one touch screen, a thermal printer, a kitchen printer, an electronic cash drawer and PC America restaurant management software, all at no cost.

855-853-6485, meridianstarms.com

DECK VERSATILITY The Multipurpose Pizza Deck Oven from Univex bakes a variety of products to exacting standards. The exclusive hearth stones and the body are assembled independently, allowing for easy maintenance while extending the life of the oven. The stackable, modular oven allows for increased efficiency and productivity. The easy-to-use control panel and dual adjustable thermostats allow accurate temperature control, and the insulation method optimizes the heat storage capacity of the units, helping eliminate temperature fluctuations. 800-258-6358, univexcorp.com

BUON APPETITO! WOW-WORTHY Middleby Marshall has introduced the exclusive Hearth Bake Belt, designed for use on the WOW! Oven. The belt features the energy- and time-saving features of the WOW! Oven, including patented Energy Eye technology and consistent baking properties. The belt is cool to the touch, safe for any kitchen, and comes pre-seasoned and ready to use with no screens required. 877-34-OVENS, wowoven.com

The De Nigris family has a century of experience in balsamic vinegar production and is breathing new life into the tradition of balsamic vinegar of Modena. De Nigris responds to consumer trends by offering organic vinegars, vinegar gift sets and a wide range of fruit and flavored wine vinegars and balsamic vinegars.

201-746-6037, denigrisusa.com

March 2012 • pmq.com

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PIZZA TRUCKS OF CANADA Custom Built Pizza Trailers With Your Logos and Corporate Colors

Financing Available

Turn-key - Fully Equipped - Decaled Conveyor or Deck Ovens

$39,900 Visit our website for further details

www.pizzatrucksofcanada.com

204-297-7667 March 2012 • pmq.com

65

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PMQ Pizza Magazine â&#x20AC;&#x201C; The Pizza Industryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Businesss Monthly

Conveyor & Deck Ovens All Major Brands Available

Leer Walkin Coolers and Freezers

New & Remanufactured!

Pizza Store Equipment and Supplies!

Your #1 Source for replacement parts for all major brands of equipment.

Just to name a few...Randell · Stephan · American Range · Imperial · Cold Tech · Middleby Marshall Lincoln Impinger · LEER · CTX · True

1-800-426-0323 www.northernpizzaequipment.com 8020 Grand Street · Dexter, Michigan 48130 Hobart Mixers

Randell Refrigeration Prep Units & Freezers

68

Northern Pizza Equipment, Inc.® www.northernpizzaequipment.com

PMQ Pizza Magazine – The Pizza Industry’s Businesss Monthly

Advertiser Index March 2012 Display Advertiser

Phone

Website

Page

AM Manufacturing ............................................. 708-841-0959 ............................................ ammfg.com ...................................... 23 Bay State Milling ................................................ 800-553-5687 ...................................... baystatemilling.com ................................. 17 Bellissimo .......................................................... 800-813-2974 ...................................... bellissimofoods.com ................................ 33 Best Choice Printing ........................................... 800-783-0990 ............................................... bcms.us.......................................... 65 Bonici ................................................................ 800-248-9766 ............................................. bonici.com ....................................... 19 Burke................................................................. 800-654-1152 ....................................... burkecorp.com/pm .......................... Cover 3 CrustSaver ......................................................... 877-437-4743 .......................................... crustsaver.net ..................................... 65 Daiya .................................................................................................................................daiyafoods.com .................................... 21 Domata ............................................................. 855-366-2821 ........................................ domataflour.com ................................... 52 DoughMate ........................................................ 800-501-2458 ........................................ doughmate.com .................................. 64 EZ Dine .............................................................. 877-853-1263 .......................................... ezdinepos.com ..................................... 36 Follow Your Heart ........................................................................................................... followyourheart.com................................ 64 Fontanini ........................................................... 708-485-4800 ........................................... fontanini.com ..................................... 27 Fluid Media Group ...............................................408-83RADIO ...................................... fluidmediagroup.com................................ 68 Grande...............................................................800-8-GRANDE ....................................... grandecheese.com ................................... 3 HTH ................................................................... 800-321-1850 ........................................... hthsigns.com ...................................... 68 Impact Worldwide.............................................. 800-653-8837 .................................... impactworldwide.com............................... 67 International Restaurant Show of New York ............................................................ internationalrestaurantny.com......................... 55 Kinnikinnick Foods ............................................. 877-503-4466 ........................................ kinnikinnick.com ................................... 41 La Nova.............................................................. 716-881-3355 ............................................. lanova.com ................................ Cover 4 Le 5 Stagioni ...................................................... 800-780-2280 ........................................... le5stagioni.it ...................................... 37 Liguria ............................................................... 800-765-1452 ......................................... liguriafood.com ................................... 29 Lillsun................................................................ 260-356-6514 ............................................. lillsun.com ...................................... 42 MF&B Restaurant Systems .................................. 888-480-EDGE ......................................... edgeovens.com .................................... 58 Marsal & Sons .................................................... 631-226-6688 ......................................... marsalsons.com ................................... 46 Microworks ........................................................ 800-787-2068 ......................................... microworks.com ................................... 11 Middleby Marshall ............................................. 877-34-OVENS .......................................... wowoven.com ...................................... 7 Moving Targets .................................................. 800-926-2451 ...................................... movingtargets.com ................................ 47 Nightclub & Bar Trade Show ................................................................................................. ncbshow.com ...................................... 53 Northern Pizza Equipment.................................. 800-426-0323 .............................. northernpizzaequipment.com ......................... 68 PanSaver ........................................................... 877-PAN-SAVR ........................................... pansaver.com...................................... 58 PDQ Signature Systems, Inc. ............................... 877-968-6430 ............................................ pdqpos.com ...................................... 51 Picard Ovens ...................................................... 800-668-1883 .........................................picardovens.com .................................... 49 Pizza Prints/The Lucks Company ......................... 800-806-2595 ......................................... pizzaprints.com ................................... 32 Pizza Trucks of Canada ........................................ 204-297-7667 .................................. pizzatrucksofcanada.com ............................. 65 Restaurant Depot ........................................................................................................... restaurantdepot.com ................................ 50 Stanislaus .......................................................... 800-327-7201 .......................................... stanislaus.com ...................................4, 5 System Filtration ............................................... 877-508-0777 ..................................... systemfiltration.com ................................ 66 Tasti-Grain ......................................................... 800-649-7612 ..................................... livewelleatpizza.com ................................ 43 The Menu Express............................................... 877-250-2819 ..................................... themenuexpress.com ................................ 66 Univex ............................................................... 800-258-6358 ......................................... univexcorp.com ................................... 66 US Foods ............................................................................................................................... usfoods.com ................................ Cover 2 XLT .................................................................... 888-443-2751 ........................................... xltovens.com ...................................... 13 PMQ provides this information as a courtesy to our readers and will not be held responsible for errors or omissions. To report an error, call 662-234-5481 x127.

March 2012 â&#x20AC;˘ pmq.com

69

Industry Resource Guide Grab a direct weblink to every advertiser in this guide at PMQ.com

ADVERTISING

CHEESE, CONT.

APPAREL

COMPUTER SYSTEMS: POINT OF SALE

BAKING SCHOOLS AMERICAN INSTITUTE OF BAKING .............................................Manhattan, KS 785-537-4750 ....................................................................Fax: 785-537-1493

CHEESE Technology choices for every taste. p p p

66 70

PMQ’sPizza PMQ PizzaMagazine Magazine– –The ThePizza PizzaIndustry’s Industry’sBusiness BusinessMonthly Magazine

p Loyalty Programs Point-of-Sale Online Ordering p Automated Marketing Smartphone Ordering

PMQ Industry Resource Guide COMPUTER SYSTEMS: POINT OF SALE, CONT.

CONSULTING

CRUSTS BAKER’S QUALITY PIZZA CRUSTS, INC. ..................................... Waukesha, WI Par-baked, Sheeted, Pressed and Self-Rising Crusts; Custom Crusts; All sizes. www.BakersQualityPizzaCrusts.com ......................................800-846-6153 MOUNTAIN HARVEST PIZZA CRUST CO.......................................... Billings, MT Contact: Eric LeCaptain ........... 800-342-6205.................... Fax: 406-248-7336 Sheeted Dough, Prebake Crusts, Dough Balls, Freezer to Oven, Self-Rising Crusts in Standard, Wheat and Nine Grain. ...eric@mountainharvestpizza.com

CUTTING BOARDS - EQUAL SLICE

DOUGH

WHY PAY FOR A POS SYSTEM? WHEN OURS IS

FREE! Call Now! 855.853.6485 (Toll Free)

www.MeridianStarMS.com March 2012 • pmq.com

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PMQ Industry Resource Guide DOUGH DIVIDERS/ROUNDERS

DOUGH TRAYS/PROOFING TRAYS DoughMate® by Madan Plastics Inc.

DoughMate

®

• Dough Trays – extremely durable and airtight!

• Dough Tray Covers – designed to fit!

The Leaders in • Plastic Dough Knives – two ergonomic designs!

Dough Handling Products • Dough Tray Dollies – heavy duty!

• Excellence in Customer service since 1955!

The preferred dough tray of the largest pizza companies in the world.

Buy direct from the manufacturer with over 20 years experience in dough trays.

Call 800-501-2458 ........... www.doughmate.com ......... fax: 908-276-9483

FLOUR, GLUTEN-FREE BAY STATE MILLING GLUTEN-FREE PIZZA MIX.............. baystatemilling.com Gluten-Free All-Purpose Flour, Custom-blends and Co-Packing Dedicated production area for exceptional purity.........................800-55-FLOUR DAKOTA PRAIRIE is a dedicated manufaturer of Gluten-Free flours, 37 pre-mixes, custom-mixes and many packaging options. By far the best grinds and the highest standard of purity ..............dakota-prarie.com............ .............701-324-4330

DOUGH PRESSES, ROLLERS

pmq.com/tt2/recipe 72

PMQ Pizza Magazine – The Pizza Industry’s Business Monthly

FLOUR

PMQ Industry Resource Guide FOOD DISTRIBUTORS

FRANCHISE Should You Franchise Your Restaurant?

Call today to receive your free DVD on â&#x20AC;&#x153;How to Franchise Your Businessâ&#x20AC;? and learn about one of the most dynamic methods of expanding your business in todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s marketplace.

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FRANCHISE CONSULTANTS

GLUTEN-FREE PRODUCTS

INSURANCE

March 2012 â&#x20AC;˘ pmq.com

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PMQ Industry Resource Guide MACHINERY/OVENS/EQUIPMENT, CONT.

MAILING SERVICES

MANAGEMENT

KEEP MORE OF YOUR HARD EARNED DOUGH! 3 MONEY SAVING PROGRAMS:

SCHEDULING • ATTENDANCE • DAILY LOG

FAST, PAINLESS SCHEDULING • MONITOR LABOR COSTS • REDUCE TURNOVER • NOTIFY EMPLOYEES • ELIMINATE BUDDY PUNCHING • IMPROVE COMMUNICATIONS • WEB-BASED

SAVE TIME AND INCREASE PROFITS!

MARKETING IDEAS

MAGNETS

JUMBO PIZZA SLICE MAGNETS 399-2966 WE DELIVER 977 Butternut Dr. Holland

www.magneticadconcepts.com

pmq.com/tt2/recipe 74

PMQ Pizza Magazine – The Pizza Industry’s Business Monthly

WWW.TIMEFORGE.COM 866.684.7191

PMQ Industry Resource Guide MARKETING, MOBILE

OLIVES, CONT.

Eighty-Six Slow Sales Mobilize your best customers with a free mobile website and low-cost texting.

...mobilize & connect

ruxter.com 800.763.1953

MEAT TOPPINGS BURKE CORPORATION .................................................. www.BurkeCorp.com Italian, Mexican-Style and Specialty Fully Cooked Meats Contact: Liz Hertz............ sales_info@burkecorp.com............. 800-654-1152 FONTANINI/CAPITOL WHOLESALE MEATS Contact: Gene Fontanini ......... www.fontanini.com ................. 800-331-MEAT Pizza toppings, Italian sausage, meatballs, sliced gyros and sliced beef

ON HOLD MARKETING

SUGAR CREEK PACKING CO., Private Label Precooked Meat Topping Specialists www.sugarcreek.com .................. 800-848-8205 ............ sales@sugarcreek.com

ONLINE ORDERING

MIXERS

PIZZA BOXES

MIXERS, USED USED HOBART 60 QT. MIXER FOR SALE AT US $4980.00 PLUS SHIPPING. Call Lynn at 214-552-3218........................................ or e-mail tbfm@tbfm.com

PIZZA BOX LINERS

MOISTURE ABSORBENT TOPPINGS CONDITIONER KRISP-IT LTD. .............................................800-KRISP-IT (800-574-7748) Keep it Crisp with Krisp-It! www.krisp-it.com........................................................nick@krisp-it.com

OLIVES

PIZZA SHAKER LIDS

pmq.com/tt2/recipe March 2012 â&#x20AC;¢ pmq.com

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PMQ Industry Resource Guide PIZZA DELIVERY THERMAL BAGS

76

PMQ Pizza Magazine – The Pizza Industry’s Business Monthly

PMQ Industry Resource Guide PIZZA DELIVERY THERMAL BAGS, CONT.

PIZZA OVENS

BAG SOLUTIONS ................................................. Home of the Pizza Jacket EARTHSTONE OVENS, INC. .. 6717 San Fernando Rd....Glendale, CA 91201 800-840-4915 .........Fax: 818-553-1133 ...... www.earthstoneovens.com Deliver that pie HOT and DRY! 866-Bag-To-Go (866-224-8646) ........................ www.deliverybags.com All units UI listed.

FISH OVEN & EQUIPMENT CORP. 120 W. Kent Ave........Wauconda, IL 60084 TOLL Free 877-526-8720 ....... Fax: 847-526-7447 ...... www.fishoven.com MARSAL & SONS, INC. ....................The new standard in the Pizza Industry Brick Lined Deck Ovens • Standard Deck Ovens • Prep Table Refrigeration 631-226-6688 .............. marsalsons.com ........... rich@marsalsons.com ROTO-FLEX OVEN CO. ........................................Contact Richard Dunfield 135 East Cevallos, San Antonio, TX 78204 PH 800-386-2279 ...... www.rotoflexoven.com .......... Fax 210-222-9007

Thermal Bags by Ingrid Best Selection of Pizza Delivery Bags Keep Pizza HOT! 800-622-5560 or 847 836-4400, 24/7 ordering ..... www.ThermalBags.com

ELECTRIC HOTBAG

DELIVER GUARANTEED OVEN PIZZA • Heats and stays at 160-175° • Dry electric heat = no moisture • Removable heating elements • Made of rugged 1000 Denier nylon • Easily cleaned

• Buy one bag or make a system • Wired with AC power • Heats all bags simultaneously • Quick release connectors, no hassle

800-927-6787

Made in the USA

www.HOTBAG.com

pmq.com/tt2/recipe March 2012 • pmq.com

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PMQ Industry Resource Guide PIZZA PANS

PIZZA OVENS, CONT.

i feel preƩy.

oh, so preƩy!

Bakeware Specialists

Manufacturer & Distributor of Pizza Smallwares www.paprod.com 734-421-1060

PIZZA SUPPLIES

The Marsal MB Series is designed to fit your restaurant’s specific needs. Not only is it equipped with our exclusive burner system and 2” thick brick cooking surface to ensure the most evenly baked crust, but it looks great too. You can customize the exterior decor of your MB Series oven easily either with our prebuilt finishing kits or your own brick of tile design. Attract customers with a great looking oven and a great tasting pizza.

Seƫng the new standard. visit us online at www.marsalsons.com

(631) 226-6688 FAX (631) 226-6890

& sons, inc.

Pizza Ovens and Equipment

PLASTIC DOUGH CONTAINERS Non Stick • Easy to Clean • FDA Approved Plastic Heavy Weight • Last 10X longer than metal!

Replace your dented ones TODAY !

Manufacturers’ Direct Pricing For free* sample email us at:

SunsetPlastics@aol.com (*Does NOT include postage & handling)

Call Vito:

718-200-1013

PIZZA PEELS PRINTING

BEST CHOICE PRINT & MARKETING EXPERTS ...................... For over 25 Years Best Prices & Quality: ..........................Menus, Flyers, Door hangers, Post Cards Print & Mail, Menus or Postcards .............................. Includes postage 27.5 ea WWW.bcms.US ............................................................. or call 800-783-0990 COMMERCIAL PRINTING • MAIL FULFILLMENT SERVICES

8999

$ www.colorvisionprint.com • 800-543-6299

78

PMQ Pizza Magazine – The Pizza Industry’s Business Monthly

Per 1,000 Postcards, 5x7, 2-color

PMQ Industry Resource Guide PRINTING, CONT.

PRINTING, CONT.

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SPECIALTY FOODS CASTELLA IMPORTS, INC. ............................................... www.castella.com 60 Davids Drive, Hauppauge, NY 11788 ....................................... 866-Castella

March 2012 • pmq.com

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PMQ Industry Resource Guide SAFES

TOMATO PRODUCTS

SPICE FORMULATION, BLENDING & PACKAGING CALIFORNIA BLENDING, INC. ........ Confidential Custom Blending & Packaging.

Bill Mooreheart, Jr. ....................... Serving Industiral Spice needs since 1976.

2603 Seaman, El Monte, CA 91733.............................................626-448-1918 CASTELLA IMPORTS, INC. ............................................... www.castella.com 60 Davids Drive, Hauppauge, NY 11788 ....................................... 866-Castella MCCLANCY SEASONING ............................ One Spice Road, Fort Mill, SC29715 Contact: Chuck Wiley 800-843-1968 ................................................................... Fax: 803-396-7794

SAUCE ARMANINO FOODS ..............................................................Fine Italian Sauces 30588 San Antonio Street, Haywood, CA ..................................... 866-553-5611 Email: customerservice@armaninofoods.com ......... www.armaninofoods.com

TELEPHONE EQUIPMENT/SUPPLIES/SERVICE Specializing in voice and data communications service, repair, installation, sequencers and on-hold messaging.

GUARANTEED LOWEST INDUSTRY PRICE! www.fidelitycom.com.........................800-683-5600

VENTILATION

STICKY NOTES

TAKE AND BAKE TRAYS

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PMQ Pizza Magazine – The Pizza Industry’s Business Monthly

WINGS

Resource Guide Advertiser Index March 2012 Resource Advertiser

Phone

Page

411eat.com..........................................................213-622-4247 ............................. 76 AFC Insurance ......................................................800-411-4144 ............................. 73 Allied Metal Spinning ...........................................800-615-2266 ............................. 78 AM Manufacturing ..............................................800-342-6904 ............................. 78 American Institute of Baking ................................785-537-4910 ............................. 70 American Wholesale.............................................216-426-8882 ............................. 79 Armanino Foods ...................................................866-553-5611 ............................. 80 Arrow POS ............................................................888-378-3338 ............................. 70 Bacio ................................................................... 855-BACIO85 .............................. 70 Bag Solutions.......................................................866-224-8646 ........................76, 77 Baker’s Quality Pizza Crusts ..................................800-846-6153 ............................. 71 Bay State Milling ..................................................800-55-FLOUR ............................. 72 Belissimo .............................................................800-813-2974 ............................. 73 Best Choice Print & Marketing Experts ..................800-783-0990 ........................78, 79 Best Point of Sale .................................................866-285-7613 ............................. 71 Burke Corporation ................................................800-654-1152 ............................. 75 California Blending ..............................................626-448-1918 ............................. 80 Campus Collection ................................................800-289-8904 ............................. 70 Caputo .................................................................868-450-0090 ............................. 70 Castella Imports ...................................................866-CASTELLA ............................. 80 Chef a la Mode .....................................................888-804-3375 ............................. 70 Chef Santo Bruno .................................................813-230-8108 ............................. 71 Color Vision ..........................................................800-543-6299 ............................. 74 CoverTex ..............................................................800-968-2310 ........................76, 79 Crust Saver ...........................................................877-437-4903 ............................. 76 Dakota Prarie Flour ..............................................701-324-4330 ............................. 72 DeIorio’s...............................................................800-649-9212 ............................. 71 Domata Living Flour .............................................417-654-4010 ............................. 72 Dough Xpress .......................................................800-835-0606 ............................. 72 DoughMate ..........................................................800-501-2450 ............................. 72 Dutchess Bakers’ Machinery .................................800-777-4498 ............................. 72 Earthstone Ovens .................................................800-840-4915 ............................. 76 EDGE ....................................................................888-480-EDGE ............................. 76 Electric Hotbag.....................................................800-927-6787 ............................. 76 Escalon ................................................................ 888-ESCALON.............................. 80 Erica Record .........................................................973-614-8500 ............................. 72 Fidelity Communications ......................................800-683-5600 ............................. 80 Fish Oven & Equipment ........................................877-526-8720 ............................. 76 Fluid Media Group ................................................408-837-2346 ........................70, 72 Fontanini ............................................................ 800-331-MEAT ............................. 75 Forever Lids..........................................................815-494-1919 ............................. 76 FreePOSPlace.com ................................................800-856-5175 ............................. 71 GI. Metal ..............................................................630-553-9134 ............................. 76 Granbury Restaurant Solutions .............................800-910-3947 ............................. 70 Grande Cheese Company ..................................... 800-8-GRANDE ............................ 70 Hudson Refrigeration Manufacturing ...................800-924-8687 ............................ 74 iFranchise Group ..................................................708-957-2300 ............................. 73 Incredible Bags ....................................................888-254-9453 ............................. 77 J & G Mills ............................................................734-469-4504 ............................. 74 Krisp-It ................................................................800-590-7908 ............................. 75 Klondike Cheese ...................................................608-325-3021 ............................. 70 La Nova............................................................... 800-6-LANOVA............................. 80 Le 5 Stagioni ........................................................800-780-2280 ............................. 72 Liguria Foods .......................................................800-925-1452 ............................. 75 Lillsun..................................................................260-356-6514 ............................. 78 Lindsay ................................................................800-252-3557 ............................. 75 Lloyd Pans............................................................800-840-8683 ............................. 78

Resource Advertiser

Phone

Page

M.Press Packaging ...............................................541-548-9889 ............................. 80 Magnetic Ad Concepts ..........................................800-365-3351 ............................. 74 Mario Camacho Foods...........................................800-881-4534 ............................. 75 Marsal & Sons ......................................................631-226-6688 .................. 74, 76, 78 McClancy Seasoning .............................................800-843-1968 ............................. 80 Melissa Data ........................................................800-635-4772 ............................. 74 Menu Powerhouse ...............................................888-210-8189 ............................. 79 MenuPro ..............................................................800-907-3690 ............................. 71 Message On Hold..................................................800-392-4664 ............................. 76 MFG Tray ..............................................................800-458-6050 ............................. 72 Microworks POS Solutions.....................................800-787-2068 ............................. 71 Molino Caputo .....................................................201-368-9197 ............................. 72 Mountain Harvest Pizza Crust ...............................800-342-6205 ............................. 71 Moving Targets ............................................. 800-926-2451 ext. 356 ..................... 75 Mr. Peel ...............................................................888-994-4664 ............................. 78 Musco Family Olive ...............................................800-523-9828 ............................. 76 Neil Jones Food ....................................................800-291-3862 ............................. 80 NMI .....................................................................800-994-4664 ............................. 78 Northern Pizza Equipment....................................800-426-0323 ............................. 74 NoteAds ...............................................................800-309-9102 ............................. 80 Off the Wall Magnetics .........................................800-337-2637 ............................. 74 Pacific Coast Producers .........................................800-510-3706 ............................. 80 P.A. Products ........................................................884-421-1060 ............................. 78 PDQ Signature Systems ........................................877-968-6430 ............................. 71 Peel A Deal...........................................................877-563-5654 ............................. 75 Peerless Ovens .....................................................800-548-4514 ............................. 76 Picard ..................................................................800-668-1883 ............................. 76 Pizza Dough .........................................................718-951-3555 ............................. 71 Pizza Ovens.com...................................................877-367-6836 ............................. 76 POSnet ................................................................866-976-7638 ............................. 71 Portion Padl .........................................................330-608-5928 ............................. 71 Presto Foods ........................................................800-589-8604 ............................. 73 Proxprint .............................................................888-310-7769 ............................. 79 Red Gold ....................................................... 877-908-9798 ext. 163....................... 80 Redi Heat .............................................................888-556-2024 ............................. 76 Restaurant Depot .................................................................................................... 73 Ruxter .................................................................800-923-1953 ........................75, 76 Saputo .................................................................800-824-3388 ............................. 70 Somerset .............................................................800-772-4404 ............................. 72 SpeedLine ............................................................888-400-9185 ............................. 72 Stanislaus Food Products ......................................800-327-7201 ............................. 80 Star Pizza Box ......................................................800-626-0828 ............................. 76 Sugar Creek Packing .............................................800-848-8205 ............................. 75 Sunset Plastics .....................................................878-200-1013 ............................. 78 T&T Graphics .......................................................800-557-9914 ............................. 79 Tasti Grain............................................................315-624-2748 ............................. 73 Tasty Breads.........................................................888-352-7323 ............................. 71 The Pizza Maker ...................................................248-363-1887 ............................. 73 Thermal Bags by Ingrid.........................................800-622-5560 ............................. 76 Thunderbird .........................................................800-7-MIXERS ............................. 73 Timeforge ............................................................866-684-8791 ............................. 74 Univex .................................................................800-258-6358 ............................. 75 Ventilation Direct .................................................866-433-8335 ............................. 80 Vesuvio Foods ......................................................800-997-0887 ............................. 73 Wood Stone .........................................................800-988-8103 ............................. 76 World Wide Safe Brokers.......................................800-593-2893 ............................. 80 XLT.......................................................................888-443-3751 ............................. 78

March 2012 • pmq.com

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(

time capsule

)

Coletta’s Italian Restaurant This Memphis institution helped put pizza on the map in the Mid-South with a “smoking” innovation.

To see exclusive footage from Coletta’s visit PizzaTV.com.

In 1922, Emil Coletta opened the Suburban Ice Cream Company, selling ice cream and Italian dishes. But when his son Horest took over the business in the early 1950s, he decided to focus more on food and added pizza to the menu. Largely unfamiliar to Memphis residents, pizza didn’t sell so well—at first.

“To try to stimulate interest in pizza in general, he came up with the idea of barbecue pizza, which no one, even in Chicago or New York, had att the time,” recalls current owner Jerry Coletta, Horest’s son. “But in Mem-d phis everyone knew what barbecue was, and people liked the pizza and started coming back for more.” ’s ’s Though barbecue pizzas are on menus nationwide today, this Coletta’s ccee signature item is difficult to copy, thanks to a homemade barbecue sauce and pork that’s smoked in-house. The specialty pie helped make expansion possible: By the late 1950s, Horest had opened up a second location, which burned down in 1996; a new second location was opened in East Memphis in 1999 and is managed by a fourth generation of Colettas. And it doesn’t hurt to have a celebrity endorsement—Elvis Presley frequently dined at the original restaurant, so fans from around the world regularly pop in to sit at Elvis’ table and peruse the memorabilia on the walls.

To maintain consistency between locations, the restaurant makes its barbecue sauce, ravioli, meat sauce (300 gallons per week) and meatballs in a commissary, but the most important work takes place within the restaurants’ walls.

“We try to get to know our customers by name,” Jerry says. “It’s one area in which independents can excel when competing with chains. Get out front and get to know the people who come in. Make your customers your friends. That’s what makes the restaurant business an enjoyable experience.” –Tracy Morin

(Top and middle) Coletta’s began as an ice cream shop that also sold Italian food. (Bottom) By the 1950s, Coletta’s focused more on family dining. (Left) Elvis’ preferred table still attracts customers to Coletta’s.

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PMQ Pizza Magazine – The Pizza Industry’s Business Monthly

Has your pizzeria been in business for 50 or more years?

If so, contact us at tracy@pmq.com.