PMQ Pizza Magazine June/July 2014

JUNE/JULY 2014 | WWW.PMQ.COM

ECO-FRIENDLY STRATEGY

TURNS "GREEN" INTO GOLD Page 26

AT EARTH BREAD + BREWERY

Cashing In on the Flatbread Phenomenon Page 36

Craft Sodas Make Pizza Sales Go "Pop" Page 46

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PMQ Blogs

Recent Videos (pmq.com/video)

ThePizzaInsider.PMQ.com Liz Barrett, PMQ’s editor at large, brings you the inside scoop on the industry’s latest trends, marketing and technology.

Recently at The Pizza Insider: Liz shows how writing a book could boost your business; easy ways to be charitable; and seven ways you may be sabotaging your own business.

PizzaWithoutBorders.PMQ.com Reporting from Paris, Missy Green, PMQ’s international correspondent, reports on pizza events, trends and curiosities from around the world.

Pizza TV: The SEC Pizza Championship Representing Southeastern Conference schools such as Alabama, Florida, LSU, Mississippi State, Ole Miss and Vanderbilt, six pizzerias helped kick off the first SEC Pizza Championship in Oxford, Mississippi, in April.

Recently at Pizza Without Borders: Missy discusses Italian craft beers; attends a Brazilian pizza congress with PMQ publisher Steve Green; and takes you on a behind-the-scenes tour with the U.S. Pizza Team in Italy.

SliceofLife.PMQ.com PMQ’s social media director, Melanie Addington, brings you weekly posts on the latest trends and tips in social media.

Recently at Slice of Life: Melanie talks with international pizza champion Giuseppe Conte and the Dubai-based marketing manager of 800Pizza.

Top Social Media Posts

Pizza 360: Good Pizza vs. Great Pizza Peter Reinhart, chef, bread maker and author of American Pie: My Search for the Perfect Pizza, offers dough making tips and discusses the differences between pretty good pizza and great pizza. (Hint: It’s all in the crust.)

Highlights of some of the best social media posts we’ve seen recently: Pi Pizzeria: [With photo of a checkered napkin alongside a child’s handwritten apology for taking it from the pizzeria] We received this in the mail the other day. He’s from Memphis, and he’s five. Even our napkins are irresistible! All is forgiven, Ricky! (235 likes, 10 comments) Christianos Pizza: Since 1996, our founder has been making dough from SCRATCH at 5 a.m. to make YOUR MEAL as delicious as possible.

Like for a chance to win a FREE LARGE PIZZA. (764 likes, 36 comments, 11 shares) @SergiosPizzaa: As the weather turns to spring, and pizza for lunch your thing, remember to give us a ring, a fresh hot pie we will bring

This Week in Pizza (pmq.com/thisweekinpizza) PMQ’s weekly e-newsletter brings breaking industry news to your inbox every Wednesday. Receive it free by visiting pmq.com/subscribe.

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CONTENTS JUNE/JULY 2014

| June/July 2014 | Volume 18,

The Good Earth Pizzerias don’t get much greener than Philadelphia’s Earth Bread + Brewery, but it’s the gourmet flatbreads, craft brews and fun vibe that keep guests coming back.

By Rick Hynum

Business Monthly | PMQ.com

36

| WWW.PM Q.COM

THE GOOD EARTH

The Pizza Industry’s

FEATURES

JUNE/JU LY 2014

Issue 5

26

26

PMQ PIZZA MAGAZINE

ON THE COVER

ECO -FR IEN

DLY

TU RN S "G STRATEGY RE EN" IN TO GO LD Pag AT EARTH BRE AD

e 26 + BREWE RY

Cashing In on the Flatbread Phenomen on

Page 36

Craft Sodas Make Pizza Sales Go "Pop"

Page 46

The Flatbread Phenomenon Pizzerias are perfectly positioned to capitalize on the popularity of artisan flatbreads, which are spurring growth in pizza sales around the country.

By Tracy Morin

46

Top of the Pops Made with all-natural ingredients and in a wide range of flavors, craft sodas will add fizz to your beverage menu—and discerning, health-conscious customers will pay more for them.

By Tracy Morin

54

Catering to the Crowds To boost catering sales, pizzerias need to move beyond standard pizza fare and use existing ingredients to broaden their menus with new groupfriendly dishes.

By Liz Barrett

60

Slaying the Neighborhood Goliath— Part 1 In the first of a four-part series, Tom Feltenstein shares 15 outside-the-box strategies for taking on— and defeating—big national chains that try to muscle in to your market.

By Tom Feltenstein

66

The Brain Trust Take a tour of Philadelphia’s Pizza Brain, the world’s first museum/pizzeria hybrid that marries delicious pies with 50-plus years of American pizza pop culture.

By Liz Barrett

ALIX PASSAGE

8

PMQ Pizza Magazine

The Pizza Industry’s Business Monthly

CONTENTS JUNE/JULY 2014

36

THE FLATBREAD PHENOMENON

WOODSTOCK’S PIZZA

FULL OF LIFE FLATBREADS

GUSTO PIZZA COMPANY

46

TOP OF THE POPS

54

CATERING TO THE CROWDS

DEPARTMENTS 18

In Lehmann’s Terms: Tips for Using a Hot Press Tom “The Dough Doctor” Lehmann discusses how to determine the right heat settings for your top and bottom press plates.

20

New York’s Finest: Zucchini With Sundried Tomatoes This refreshing and healthy dish from Chef Santo Bruno makes a perfect side item for your summertime menu.

22

Marketing Maven: 7 Tips for Better Beverage Sales Help your guests cool off this summer with beverage promotions—from VIP tastings to happy hour combos—designed to boost your bottom line.

24 Accounting for Your Money: Tax Law Changes

Could Help Pizzerias Now under consideration in the Senate, the EXPIRE bill would extend tax breaks for restaurant improvements, new construction and charitable deductions.

44

Recipe of the Month: Mozza-Prov Chicken & Pesto This specialty pizza features a blend of real Wisconsin cheeses, chicken, pesto, and sautéed peppers and onions.

72

Meet the Tank: Tom Lehmann The Dough Doctor himself discusses why the Think Tank is the online place to be for pizza makers and pizzeria owners.

98 Time Capsule:

Savo’s Pizza & Family Restaurant

Coming Next Month Flour: Leading pizzaioli explain how different types of flour can influence the taste and texture of your pizza crusts.

Boosting Delivery Sales: From using custom pizza boxes to hiring brand ambassadors as drivers, experts discuss how to improve your delivery service and keep the phones ringing.

Deep Fryers: Learn how to choose the perfect deep fryer for your kitchen and use it to expand your menu and maximize your sales.

Celebrating 50 years in 2014, this “little pizzeria that could” weathered ups and downs to sustain its intensely loyal following.

66

THE BRAIN TRUST

Click here to view the Pizza TV video profile of Pizza Brain, the world’s first pizzeria/pizza museum in Philadelphia.

Click here to view PMQ Extra: Be a fly on the wall at a get-together of Think Tank members in Las Vegas.

10 PMQ Pizza Magazine The Pizza Industry’s Business Monthly

IN EVERY ISSUE 6

Online at PMQ.com

12

Editor’s Note

14

Letters to the Editor

16

Pizza Press

74

Product Spotlight

76

Idea Zone

85

Advertiser Index

86

Pizza Industry Resource Guide

uthentic A y t i C k r New Yo

Cut Right to the

Taste

ULTR A

1996

THIN

EST.

pizza shells flatbreads

ELLS & PIZZA SH DS FLATBREA

EST. 1996

THESE FLATBREADS AREN’T JUST ON TREND

ht. ig R e n o D , s THEY STARTED THE TREND t s u r C III

IV

Answer the demand for authentic New York–style pizzas and premium flatbreads. Available in a variety of shapes and sizes, these delicious pre-formed, par-baked crusts can be grilled or baked in minutes, making it easier than ever to create your next great signature dish.

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© 2014 UltraThin Pizza Shells & Flatbreads

EDITOR’S NOTE RICK HYNUM

Bliss in a Bottle

PMQ PIZZA MAGAZINE | June/July 2014 | Volume 18, Issue 5

JUNE/JULY 2014 | WWW.PMQ.COM

The Pizza Industry’s Business Monthly | PMQ.com

ECO-FRIENDLY STRATEGY

TURNS "GREEN" INTO GOLD Page 26

AT EARTH BREAD + BREWERY

Cashing In on the Flatbread Phenomenon Page 36

Craft Sodas Make Pizza Sales Go "Pop" Page 46

On the cover: With their unerring instinct for emerging trends and a knack for developing gourmet flatbreads from local ingredients, Tom Baker and Peggy Zwerver, co-owners of Earth Bread + Brewery, have created one of Philadelphia’s hippest hangouts.

Photo by Alix Passage

What do you call a carbonated beverage? Soda? Wrong. Pop? Sorry, wrong again. Soda pop? No offense, but that’s just extremely wrong. As a Mississippian born and raised, I know what to call a carbonated beverage. By God, you call it a Coke. Even if it’s not actually a Coke, it’s a Coke. I don’t care if it’s a Pepsi or a 7-Up or a Grape Nehi—it’s still a Coke.

OK, maybe that’s strictly a Southern thing. As a kid growing up in the 1970s, I can remember going on road trips with the family and making the inevitable rest stop at a gas station or convenience store. “Anybody want a Coke?” my father would say. “I do,” I’d pipe up. “What kind?” he’d ask. Because, although there was—and is—only one soft drink brand named Coca-Cola, we all knew there were many types and flavors of “Coke,” and I’m not talking about the low-calorie kind. Only as I got a little older and met kids who hailed from north of the Mason-Dixon line did I realize there were other words for that bubbly, burpy bliss in a bottle. (Even so, to this day, I still have zero tolerance for “soda pop.” It just bugs me, like pronouncing “pecan” as “PEE-can”—I’m looking at you, New England!)

To this day, I love a good Coke, preferably in the form of a Dr. Pepper. But I’m even crazier about the new craft sodas that are springing up in pizzerias around the country.

As described in Tracy Morin’s article, “Top of the Pops” (page 46), craft sodas have piggybacked the microbrew movement from the fizzy fringes into mainstream acceptance.

Well, sort of. Actually, the trend has only just begun, but already it’s showing a lot of promise. Craft sodas are breathing new life into beverage menus industry-wide; they enhance the dining experience and differentiate your pizzeria from your competitors.

In many cases, they leverage locally grown and seasonal ingredients—everything from pomegranate and strawberries to ginger and clove—to create dynamic flavor combinations with an organic edge. And they appeal to all ages: Younger customers see craft sodas as new, different and intriguing; older consumers fondly recall similar beverages from their long-ago youth and want to recapture that magic once more.

For pizzeria operators, summer is the perfect time to roll out a selection of these palatepleasing pops. Fortunately, Tracy’s article, in-depth and thorough as always, tells you pretty much everything you could ever want to know about incorporating craft sodas into your beverage menu. So check it out, make a few phone calls and start revolutionizing your beverage menu today.

But do me one favor: Don’t call them “soda pops.” Just don’t. I can live with “soda,” and I can tolerate “pop,” but I have to draw the line at putting those two words together.

I mean, that’s just nuttier than a PEE-can pie.

Rick Hynum Editor-in-chief PMQ Pizza Magazine SCAN TO SUBSCRIBE

Correction:

Subscribe to PMQ now!

Get your print, digital or mobile edition!

There was an error in the photo caption on page 28 of PMQ’s May 2014 issue.

The image of a Neapolitan pizza was incorrectly attributed to Don Antonio

by Starita. In fact, the photo was taken at A Mano in Ridgewood, New Jersey.

We apologize for the error.

12 PMQ Pizza Magazine The Pizza Industry’s Business Monthly

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR RICK HYNUM A Heartfelt Thanks

A P U B L I C AT I O N O F P M Q , I N C .

I’d like to offer a heartfelt thank-you to the staff at PMQ for caring enough to do a story on Smiling With Hope Bakery (“Walter’s Kids,” May 2014). You did a wonderful job, and my students and I want to thank you all from the bottom of our hearts. The kids all went home excited after seeing the story. It was a wonderful day.

Winner of 5 ASBPE Awards Winner of 4 GAMMA Awards ISSN 1937-5263

Walter Gloshinski Smiling With Hope Bakery Newark High School Newark, OH

EDITORIAL Editor-in-Chief Rick Hynum rick@pmq.com ext. 130

PMQ, INC. Publisher Steve Green sg@pmq.com ext. 123 Co-Publisher Linda Green linda@pmq.com ext. 121

FEATURE STORY SMILING WITH HOPE BAKERY

Editor at Large Liz Barrett liz@pmq.com

Walter’s Kids

We’re glad that you were able to share the story with your students before the end of the school year, Walter. We also hope our readers went away with a better understanding of the contributions that our special-needs population can make in the workplace, particularly in restaurants. We wish everyone at Smiling With Hope Bakery the best of luck. Stay in touch!

(Clockwise from top) Paige Mossman (front )has made a name for herself as a pizza fellow students Brandon making prodigy at Smiling Kruger and Jordan Gaiters With Hope Bakery, with help as well as instruction from one of Gloshinski’s students from special education teacher makes all the hard work worthwhile; Walter Gloshinski; a thank-you Jordan and Paige collaborate note from on a cheese pizza.

PMQ Pizza Magazine The Pizza Industry’s Business Monthly

72

A school-run bakery in Newark, Ohio, uses pizza, bagels and breads to showcase the abilities of an untapped labor force— youths with special needs.

By Rick Hynum

Photography by Seth Roy

S

miling With Hope Bakery, a small yet bustling delays, learning disabilities and emotional operation in Newark, Ohio, disturbances to learn isn’t exactly famous for entry-level job skills and find some success its speedy service or customer in their lives.” convenience. The pizza menu is limited—18” cheese or pepperoni pies only. It Doing It His Way doesn’t deliver, and good luck calling in a carryout order— Like many artists, Gloshinki has the shop doesn’t even have a always followed a solitary— phone line. some might say eccentric—path.

But, despite the lack of amenities, As a songwriter, he created you won’t regret plac- his own musical genre, called “sponto-beat,” ing an order with this one-of-a-kind making up and bakery/pizzeria. By all playing his blues-based songs strictly accounts, the food is good, on the spot and in the and the cause is even better. moment, without set chord progressions Located at Newark High School, or lyrics. “Ever since Smiling With Hope Bakery I was a child, I had these visions,” teaches real-world job skills—from he says. “I just see it all done. dishwashing and food prep It’s like I walk into the movie to bread baking and pizza making—to screen and become the movie. special needs students, Everything I do is spontaneously created.” qualifying them for entry-level restaurant and bakery jobs and His music took him to Austin helping them achieve self-sufficiency. and earned him some highprofile fans, he says. “A lot of The bakery is the brainchild famous musicians liked what of special education teacher I did. Bob Dylan, Joey Ramone Walter Gloshinski, a Newark, and members of the Rolling New Jersey, native with ItalStones were fans of my music ian roots on his mother’s side. and played in my band someIt’s the culmination of nearly times. They enjoyed the spontaneity two decades’ work that started of it all.” But record labels on a smaller scale in Austin, prefer a more structured and Texas, and later moved to Sonoma polished approach to the craft, County, California. The and Gloshinski refused to compromise. goal, Gloshinski explains, is to Instead, he switched “train students with cognitive gears, went to college and became a special education teacher.

May 2014

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Senior Copy Editor Tracy Morin tracy@pmq.com International Correspondent Missy Green missy@pmq.com DESIGN/PRODUCTION Art Director Kara Hoffman kara@pmq.com ext. 135 Designer Eric Summers eric@pmq.com Media Producer Daniel Lee Perea dperea@pmq.com ext.139 ADVERTISING Sales Director Linda Green linda@pmq.com ext. 121 Account Executive Clifton Moody clifton@pmq.com ext. 138

Going Paleo

Account Executive Tom Boyles tom@pmq.com ext. 122

I am curious to know whether any pizzeria operators offer paleo pizza. Is there a market for it? I would love to get some information on those pizzerias that already have paleo options on their menus. Thank you. steviemilano Via the Think Tank

Account Executive Anna Zemek anna@pmq.com ext 140

Good question, Stevie. As you know, the so-called paleo diet consists of anything you can hunt or forage for, such as meats, vegetables, nuts, seeds and greens. Paleo pizza refers to a pie made with a grain-free crust derived from alternatives such as cauliflower, zucchini or coconut flour. PMQ’s international correspondent, Missy Green, says she has seen “quite a few restaurants that have paleo options” in Denmark, but they seem to be scarce in the United States so far. Bergami’s (bergamispizza.com), opening soon in Washington, D.C., promises to offer a cauliflower crust option. Fia’s Ristorante & Pizzeria (fiasfl.com) in Melbourne, Florida, caters specifically to paleo dieters with nonpizza dishes such as mahi piccata with broccoli and mojo pork with roasted sweet potatoes. Many home cooks are posting recipes for grain-free pizza crusts on the Internet, but, all in all, we don’t see any signs of a serious paleo pizza trend developing in the pizzeria business at this time. To readers who are exploring this option, please drop us a line at editor@pmq.com.

MARKETING Social Media Director Melanie Addington melanie@pmq.com ext. 133 ADMINISTRATION Chief Financial Officer Shawn Brown shawn@pmq.com Circulation Manager Sherlyn Clark sherlyn@pmq.com ext. 120 Director of Operations/ Event Coordinator Brian Hernandez brian@pmq.com ext. 129 PMQ INTERNATIONAL PMQ China Yvonne Liu yvonne@pmq.com PMQ Australia-NZ Tom Boyles tom@pmqaustralia.com France Pizza Julien Panet jpanet@francepizza.fr Pizza e Pasta Italiana Massimo Puggina redazione@pizzaepastaitaliana.it Spain—pizzanet.es Eduard Jiménez info@pizzanet.es Brazil—Pizzas & Massas Michel Wankenne wankenne@insumos.com.br EDITORIAL ADVISORS Chef Santo Bruno Tom Feltenstein Tom Lehmann Joey Todaro Ed Zimmerman

Share your passion!

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, 612 McLarty Rd., Oxford, MS 38655. We look forward to hearing from you!

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

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

Sales Assistant Brandy Pinion brandy@pmq.com ext. 127

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

14 PMQ Pizza Magazine The Pizza Industry’s Business Monthly

CONTRIBUTORS Chef Santo Bruno Linda Duke Tom Feltenstein Tom Lehmann Michael J. Rasmussen

Volume 18, Issue 5 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.

So many dishes.

So few ingredients.

Foothill Farms® makes it easy to create an endless variety of great-tasting dishes across the menu.

Stunningly delicious dressings, sauces, bases and more. We provide the tasty ingredients. You add the love and creativity (and a few back-of-house items). Just mix ‘em together to create a wide range of bold and unique flavors. Now you have a versatile partner in your kitchen that will make your life easier while delighting your customers and your bottom line.

Creamy Chicken Alfredo Simply mix Foothill Farms® Alfredo Sauce with water and combine with cooked pasta, chicken and mozzarella cheese for a classic favorite, or try it as a white pizza sauce.

PIZZA PRESS NEWS & VIEWS

LEONE'S SUB & PIZZA

Captain American Pie We’ve long known that when you’re busy defeating the forces of evil, pizza can provide the perfect fuel. Chris Evans, star of the Captain America movies, proved this theory on Good Morning America on March 31, when the show’s producers surprised him with some of his favorite delicacies from Leone’s Sub & Pizza (leonessubandpizza.com) in Somerville, Massachusetts.

Owner Vic Leone often serves the actor, who hails from a nearby town, and staff at the New York-based morning show ordered both subs and pizzas, with Leone himself making the delivery on-air. “They asked me to come down and even paid for me to close that Monday if I’d attend,” Leone recalls. “I figured, ‘This is nationwide—it couldn’t hurt!’”

Evans’ surprise and thrill upon seeing the Leone’s logo (plus constant mentions on the show) helped bolster nationwide recognition of the pizzeria—not a bad deal for a little comped food. “Chris Evans was ecstatic. I must have received 40 texts when it aired, and people were coming into the shop a week later mentioning it,” Leone says. “Some even asked, ‘Is this the pizza Captain America eats?’ So far, the clip has gotten more than 27,000 hits on YouTube, so it was definitely cheap advertising for us!”

LEONE'S SUB & PIZZA

(Left to right) Chris Evans stars in the latest Captain America movie; appears on talk shows to promote; and poses with Sossio del Prete, Vic Leone's godson.

Charlotte’s Favorite Pizza Some of Charlotte, North Carolina’s best-known pizzerias took part in the city’s third annual CBS Radio Pizza Wars, but it was newcomer Bisonte Pizza Co. (bisontepizzaco.com) that claimed the top prize. Barely a year old, Bisonte specializes in Buffalo-style pizza made from old family recipes. Owners Jim and Steve DaPolito have already made a name for themselves in the community by hosting fundraisers for schools, churches and other nonprofits. “It’s really a great honor to be recognized by the judges as Charlotte’s favorite pizza,” Steve DaPolito said.

“We’ve had a lot of support from our community, our friends and family.”

BISONTE PIZZA

BISONTE PIZZA

Jim DaPolito, co-owner of Bisonte Pizza, and longtime employee Katie Rath show off the championship trophy the pizzeria earned at this year's CBS Radio Pizza Wars in Charlotte, North Carolina.

16 PMQ Pizza Magazine The Pizza Industry’s Business Monthly

As Luck Wood Have It...

Edgar Martirosyan, the now-famous pizzeria owner who delivered pies at this year’s Oscars and received a $1,000 tip on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, decided to strike while the pizza oven was hot following his national TV appearances. In April, he hosted a soft opening of his new pizzeria, Wood (woodsilverlake.com), in the Silver Lake neighborhood of Los Angeles. Touting “local, organic and in-season ingredients” and “a warm, pleasant and trendy atmosphere,” the venture may very well be the ticket to roping in his many new celebrity fans.

An Underground Movement Last Dragon Pizza in Arverne, New York, isn’t your typical pizzeria: Owner Nicole Russell serves only two days each week, designed her menu around the kung fu cult classic The Last Dragon— and makes the pizzas from scratch in her house. Word of her skills spread through word-ofmouth and, of course, a Facebook page. “In the movie, they’re searching for the master, so I don’t really publicize myself—if you find the master, you get the pizza!” Russell laughs.

Her underground operation started accidentally. During recovery from Hurricane Sandy, she started making pizzas for neighbors and workers fixing local homes. Soon, they started paying for them—and raved that it was the best pizza they’d ever had. “That was my ‘aha’ moment,” Russell recalls. “Out here in the Rockaways, there isn’t much takeout, so people started flocking to me.”

Though Russell wants to eventually open a traditional storefront, she’s first developing a following for her specialty pies, including the Kiss Mi Converse, with Jamaican jerk chicken, and the Sukiyaki Hot Suki Sue, an Asian barbecue pie. “For now, it’s something I do from home,” she says. “I’m a normal person like anyone else and make great pizza. I make only 20 pizzas a day, twice a week, so I’m just having fun with it!”

LAST DRAGON PIZZA

(Clockwise from top) Nicole Russell cooks up Last Dragon Pizza's pies in her kitchen; happy customers take pies to go; pizzas include The Laura Charles, a classic Margherita.

LAST DRAGON PIZZA

LAST DRAGON PIZZA

Pizza and Poetry National Poetry Month may not often be celebrated in pizzerias, but in New Orleans this past April, pies and poems proved a perfect pairing. Literacy and tutoring center Big Class teamed with pizzerias, including Pizza Delicious (pizzadelicious.com), Mid-City Pizza and Reginelli’s Pizzeria (reginellis.com), to publish students’ poetry on pizza boxes. Dubbed the Pizza Poetry Project, the collaboration accepted submissions from students ages 6 to 18, who then saw their words spring to life on pizza boxes on April 18—with a portion of proceeds from the day supporting the center’s free writing programs. “It’s always a great feeling to give back, but if you can make it fun for kids to learn, then it’s a home run!” enthuses Darryl Reginelli, co-owner of Reginelli’s. “The excitement of watching these kids open a pizza with their poem on the box is priceless; their smiles come alive when it gets delivered.”

IMO'S PIZZA

St. Louis Style

Reginelli's pizzas are delivered with kids' poetry attached; Greg Augarten and Michael Friedman, owners of Pizza Delicious bring a little bit of New York to New Orleans.

REGINELLI'S PIZZERIA

DANIEL PEREA

Would St. Louis be the same without long-loved institution Imo’s Pizza (imospizza.com)? We think not. Accordingly, it deserved special recognition last April when it celebrated 50 years of business. Mayor Francis G. Slay and county executive Charley Dooley officially proclaimed April 8 Imo’s Day at the company’s franchisee meeting, and founders Ed and Margie Imo were in attendance to thank the officials—and show love to the city that has supported them for 50 years and helped grow the chain to 92 locations (including 80 in the St. Louis area). Happy birthday to a Mound City original—here’s to many more!

June/July 2014

pmq.com 17

IN LEHMANN’S TERMS TOM “THE DOUGH DOCTOR” LEHMANN

Tips for Using a Hot Press Tom “The Dough Doctor” Lehmann explains how to set the temperatures for the top and bottom plates in a hot press.

By Tom Lehmann without sticking together. That means you’ll want to increase the bottom plate’s temperature to around 200°F or slightly higher, with a dwell time of around five to seven seconds.

Since all doughs do not press the same, some experimenting may be needed to find the temperature that works best with your specific dough and application. Just keep in mind that hot pressing in any form does not constitute par-baking of the dough/crust. The yeast in the dough is still very much alive, and the pressed dough skins need to be refrigerated if they won’t be used immediately. If you’re planning to hold the skins for later use, place them on pizza screens in a wire tree rack in the cooler to allow them to thoroughly cool before stacking.

QUESTION: How can I salvage blown or over-fermented dough?

QUESTION: We use a hot press with a heated top and bottom to form our crusts/ pizza skins. What are the best top and bottom temperatures for pressing our dough?

ANSWER: The heat from the top and bottom press plates helps to relax the dough for improved pressing characteristics with somewhat reduced snap-back. It also imparts a thin skin to both the top and bottom surface of the dough piece. In cases where the dough skin will be pressed for immediate use, the bottom plate is normally heated to about 165°F, or just enough to warm the dough during the limited press/dwell time. The top die, meanwhile, should simply be adjusted to a temperature that allows for proper dough release—any higher top-die temperature serves little purpose. If the top die is too cold, the dough may stick to it when pressure is released, making it harder to remove the formed dough skin.

If the dough will be saved for later use, the top and bottom plate temperatures should be adjusted to provide enough skin development so the pressed dough pieces can be stacked 18 PMQ Pizza Magazine The Pizza Industry’s Business Monthly

ANSWER: As long as your blown or over-fermented dough hasn’t reached the consistency of maple syrup, you can salvage it by adding it back into fresh dough. I’m not sure how much blown or overfermented dough we’re talking about here, but, to be safe, you probably shouldn’t add it at a level of more than 15% of the weight of the new dough to which it’s being added.

There is no one best way to add the scrap dough into the fresh dough, but I’ve had success by tossing in pieces of the old stuff as the fresh dough is mixing, being careful to get all of the old dough into the mix no less than four minutes before the completion of mixing. This allows for good dispersion of the old dough while letting you monitor your mixer’s operation as it handles the additional burden of mixing the extra dough.

Be careful not to overload the mixer and trip out the thermal overload switch.

Tom Lehmann is the director of bakery assistance for the American Institute of Baking (AIB). Need more dough advice? Visit the Dough Information Center at PMQ.com/dough.

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Dano’s Pizzeria & Restaurant, Felts Mills, NY

NEW YORK’S FINEST CHEF BRUNO

Zucchini With Sundried Tomatoes Chef Bruno conjures up a flavor-packed and healthy side dish to serve as a summertime special.

By Chef Santo Bruno

H

ello, my readers! I’d like to introduce you to a simple dish called Zucchini With Sundried Tomatoes. Recently, I was thinking back about all of the different places to which I’ve traveled over the years. It seems that I found varieties of zucchini—in different shapes and colors—everywhere I went. In particular, the red ones have such a striking color and can be found around the world. Zucchini is also very healthy for you and can be prepared in so many ways. With zucchini on my mind, I went home and created this special seasonal recipe just for my PMQ readers.

With summer in full bloom, you can even grill zucchini on the home barbecue for a truly flavorful treat. You can also add zucchini to your pasta salads when you’re entertaining guests and, of course, feature this dish on your pizzeria’s seasonal menu. Remember, zucchini is fabulous hot or cold!

Mangia!

SLNY PRODUCTIONS

You’ll Need: 10 sundried tomatoes (preserved in olive oil) ¾ c. warm water 5 tbsp. olive oil 1 lg. onion, chopped 2 garlic cloves, chopped 2 lb. zucchini, cut into strips Salt and pepper to taste

SLNY PRODUCTIONS

Directions: Slice the tomatoes into thin strips and place in a bowl with the warm water. Let stand for 20 minutes. In a large frying pan, heat the oil and stir in the onion. Cook over low heat until the onion has softened without turning brown. Then stir in the garlic and zucchini and cook for about 5 minutes. Continue stirring and add the sundried tomatoes and water. Add some salt and pepper to taste.

Raise the heat slightly and cook until the zucchini is tender. Serve hot or cold.

Chef Bruno shares his latest culinary creation with Renata Fontana of Marsal and Sons.

20 PMQ Pizza Magazine The Pizza Industry’s Business Monthly

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.

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MARKETING MAVEN LINDA DUKE

7 Tips for Better Beverage Sales From VIP tastings to special summertime promos, Linda “The Marketing Maven” Duke explains how to boost your beverage profits.

By Linda Duke

M

an cannot live on pizza alone. At the very least, your customers need a tasty, refreshing beverage to go with it. But too many pizzeria operators treat their beverage programs as afterthoughts—if they think about them at all. Fortunately, there are some easy things you can do to increase your drink sales, particularly alcoholic beverages. Consider these seven tips for selling more suds, wines and cocktails at your pizzeria: 1. Work with your vendors. Many beer, wine and liquor vendors provide excellent resources to help restaurant operators drive beverage sales. Ask them to provide you with table tents, posters, coasters and other materials to promote their brands in-house. Focus on trendy brands that customers are looking for and take advantage of every opportunity vendors can provide to help build your sales.

2. Host VIP tastings. Again, your vendor may be able to help you out by providing experts to host VIP tasting events.

Red Boy Pizza (redboypizza.com), with eight units in the San Francisco Bay area, recently introduced new managers at their locations by inviting local movers and shakers to attend special VIP tastings. “By partnering with our wine vendor, we were able to secure someone to pour and educate our guests about the brands we serve,” says Joseph Radwan, president of Red Boy Pizza. “They also provided some additional bottles—without charging us—to help promote their brands.”

3. Make a suggestion. Your servers or cashiers should make beverage suggestions early in the ordering process and guide customers to popular (or high-margin) brands.

This approach can even boost ticket averages for carryout orders. “We keep half-bottles of wine by the cash register so our to-go customers see them while they are paying,” Radwan notes.

22 PMQ Pizza Magazine The Pizza Industry’s Business Monthly

4. Celebrate the season. Summer is a great time to promote your beverage program on social media. In last year’s CiCi’s Drink Up Summer promotion, CiCi’s Pizza (cicispizza. com), headquartered in Coppell, Texas, encouraged customers to shoot photos or videos of themselves holding CiCi’s logoed 32-ounce cups and upload them to Instagram using tags such as @CiCisPizza or #cicisdrinkupsummer.

Each week, a random winner was chosen to receive a $25 gift card from CiCi’s.

6. Create seasonal themes. Make a summertime splash with a Strawberry Martini or a gin-based Cucumber-Honeydew Freeze. Source fresh ingredients whenever possible. The Lala’s weekly Girls Night Out promo, held every Wednesday from 5 p.m. to midnight, features refreshing drinks such as Limoncello-tinis and Spring-tinis as well as the classic Cosmopolitan.

7. Offer happy hour combos. You can kick off a successful happy hour promotion simply by offering a slice and a brew for a special price. L’Asso (lassopizza.com), located in New York’s Little Italy district, offers $4 specials on beers and house wines plus a $7 beer-and-pie combo with two slices of Margherita pizza and any draft beer. Happy hour at Pizzeria Paradiso (eatyourpizza.com) in Washington, D.C., features half-price specials on draft beers, $5 appetizers and discounts on all pizzas—$12 for an 8” pie and $18 for a 12” pie.

5. Encourage wine sales. With some guidance from experts, you can offer delicious wine-and-pizza pairings or wine dinners that highlight your specialty pizzas. Lala’s Wine Bar + Pizzeria (lalaswinebar.com) in Denver sends advance notice about its wine tastings to members of its Text Messaging Club and offers exclusive special deals to its VIP Email Club members.

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, as well as The LSM Diet: Improve Your Bottom Line, Not Your Waistline (lsmdiet.com), a self-help guide to local store marketing. 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.

June/July 2014

pmq.com 23

ACCOUNTING FOR YOUR MONEY MICHAEL J. RASMUSSEN, CPA

SMALL TRIM

Tax Law Changes Could Help Pizzerias Senate EXPIRE Act aims to extend tax breaks for restaurant improvements, charitable deductions and more.

By Michael J. Rasmussen

QUESTION: I hear some changes to tax laws may be in the works. What’s the latest?

ANSWER: The Senate Finance Committee recently approved the Expiring Provisions Improvement Reform and Efficiency Act (EXPIRE), and it includes three key provisions for restaurant owners. First, the bill, which had bipartisan support, provides for a two-year, retroactive extension of the 15-year tax depreciation provision for retail improvements, leasehold improvements and restaurant improvements, including new construction.

Without this extension, most restaurant improvements would have to be depreciated over a 39-year life.

EXPIRE also extends the enhanced charitable deduction for restaurants that donate food to nonprofit organizations.

As you may recall, you can deduct twice the ingredients’ cost when you distribute food to a qualified charity. To capitalize on this opportunity, however, you should configure your POS system to accurately track your food costs, document the costs and hold on to letters or emails from the charity that acknowledge the donation.

Finally, the bill extends the Work Opportunity Tax Credit (WOTC), which is offered to employers who hire employees from certain disadvantaged groups. All of these provisions expired at the end of 2013 and would be extended for 2014 and 2015 under the legislation.

QUESTION: What’s the latest on the government’s menu labeling law?

(NRA), the agency recently sent its proposed regulations to the Office of Management and Budget for review. This is the last step in the review process before the regulations are finalized.

However, you can expect a further delay of at least six months before full compliance is required.

Unfortunately, the FDA’s proposed final rules had not been publicly disclosed as of press time. But one thing’s for sure: Many pizzeria operators will be paying close attention to the outcome. The FDA’s rules have stirred controversy throughout the restaurant industry, and the potential effect on pizza restaurants has been particularly worrisome. The law requires chain restaurants with at least 20 U.S. locations to provide nutritional information for every menu item. Pizzeria operators have protested that this would be virtually impossible for them, since there are roughly 34 million possible combinations of toppings, cheeses and crusts! We’ll keep you posted about any new developments or changes related to the menu labeling regulations in future issues of PMQ.

ANSWER: As many of you know, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has been working to develop guidelines for nutritional labeling on restaurant menus as required by the Affordable Care Act, passed by Congress and signed into law by President Obama in 2010. According to the National Restaurant Association 24 PMQ Pizza Magazine The Pizza Industry’s Business Monthly

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.

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FEATURE STORY EARTH BREAD + BREWERY

26 PMQ Pizza Magazine The Pizza Industry’s Business Monthly

The Good

Earth With its green business model and trendsetting flatbreads and beers, Earth Bread + Brewery is one of Philadelphia’s hippest hangouts.

By Rick Hynum

I

Photography by Alix Passage

f you like Ping-Pong, weird science experiments and soothing French dance music, Earth Bread + Brewery (earthbreadbrewery.com) may be the restaurant for you. If you love flatbreads and craft brews, you’re really in luck. And if you also care passionately about the environment, this sprawling, two-story pizzeria/brewpub, located in Philadelphia’s Mount Airy neighborhood, may be your idea of paradise.

Founded by the husband-and-wife team of Peggy Zwerver and Tom Baker in 2008, Earth Bread + Brewery defied the odds from the start. Its co-founders had zero experience in restaurant operations, and the Great Recession was underway, shutting down eateries across the country. “We paid no mind to that,” Zwerver recalls with a laugh. “Having never owned a restaurant or even worked as servers or bartenders in a restaurant, we opened a restaurant. We’re crazy.”

“Crazy” may not be the word for it. With unerring instincts

for emerging trends and a knack for developing gourmet fare using mostly local ingredients, Zwerver and Baker were more like visionaries. And the Philly media quickly took notice, with rave reviews running in The Philadelphia Inquirer and Philadelphia Magazine and local bloggers praising the breads and brews with equal fervor.

Not bad for a pair of computer geeks who met and fell in love when they both worked as programmer analysts in New Jersey. “We were just ready to change professions,” Zwerver says. “We both wanted a business of our own and had a lot of ideas. We wanted to open a place where we’d like to hang out if we weren’t the owners. Philadelphia is a great beer town, so we focused on finding a space there. It was just a really good fit.”

The Green Thing To be fair, Zwerver and Baker weren’t complete novices. From 1999 to 2006, they owned and ran Heavyweight Brewing, a

June/July 2014

pmq.com 27

were sourced in flea markets and antique shops. Sturdy plastic containers and ingredient bags are repurposed, while spent grain from the microbrewery gets donated to a horse farm to be reused as feed. They even use corn-based cups, lids and straws, which are composted along with paper napkins, coffee grounds and food scraps at a local composting site.

Earth’s kitchen has three waste bins—for recycling, compost and trash—with signage explaining what goes where. “We’re proud of how much we compost,” Zwerver says. “Once a week, we put out only four family-sized trash cans of garbage. We’re serving maybe 700 flatbreads a week, so that tells you that nearly everything is getting recycled or composted.”

Sustainability has a big marketing advantage as well, Zwerver believes. “I think a lot of people care about it, and not just in our area,” she says. “We advertise in local publications that focus on sustainability, like Grid Magazine, and our commitment to the environment is described throughout our menu and our website. We make a point of telling everybody.”

The Green Gourmets

Earth's dome-shaped wood-burning oven, which co-owner Tom Baker built himself, takes center stage on the first floor of the popular Philly brewpub.

small microbrewery in Ocean, New Jersey. Their product went out to retailers, bars and brewpubs in six states, but peddling microbrews at the wholesale level wasn’t all that lucrative. “We decided we really needed to be on the retail end,” Zwerver says.

Mount Airy seemed like the ideal spot for the brewpub concept they had in mind: tucked away in northwest Philadelphia, it’s known for its progressive ideals and diverse population.

“The neighborhood needed a place like ours,” Zwerver says.

“There are a lot of young families here. At the time, there weren’t any brewpubs. Our business model was all about being environmentally minded and locally focused. Mount Airy is known for embracing people who have that philosophy. And prior to us, this space had been a nuisance bar, so the neighborhood was happy to have a family-friendly restaurant move in.

We were pretty busy right away.”

Zwerver and Baker pride themselves on leaving a small carbon footprint in their personal lives and aimed to do the same with Earth. “So many restaurants are known for being wasteful, so sustainability was really important to us,” Zwerver notes.

The restaurant’s chairs were bought at auctions, while the tables were made with salvaged farmhouse wood. The two bars—one on each level of the restaurant—were reclaimed from out-ofbusiness watering holes in the region. Furnishings and fixtures 28 PMQ Pizza Magazine The Pizza Industry’s Business Monthly

Zwerver and Baker are just as conscientious about their menu.

Whenever possible, the pizzeria features local or regional ingredients from nearby Weaver’s Way Co-Op and other area growers. “We’re exclusively using organic spelt from a familyrun farm that’s a couple of hours away,” Zwerver says. “They grow it, mill it and sell it. There’s no blending—it’s all their spelt. We’re really happy with it. And for Earth Day this year, our special of the week used all ingredients from a local farm: arugula, baby carrots, radishes, baby leeks, chives and sorrel.

Buying local can be more expensive, but people in this area really like to know where their food comes from.”

Despite having no experience as a professional chef, Baker developed most of Earth’s initial recipes, and executive chef Alexandra Fries arrived later to take over the kitchen while Baker mans the brewery. Zwerver says they showcased flatbreads from the start to differentiate Earth from the city’s many other

Located in a neighborhood known for its progressive ideals, Earth scores points with its emphasis on sustainability and warm, familyfriendly vibe.

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Earth's owners make every effort to source local or regional ingredients for their flatbreads; meanwhile, the bar features four house brews plus seven draft lines dedicated to other local brewers. This approach allows co-owner Tom Baker to create the beers he likes to make rather than worry constantly about what will sell.

pizza joints. Baked in a dome-shaped wood-fired oven that Baker built himself, the flatbreads were an instant hit. Writing for The Philadelphia Inquirer in early 2009, restaurant critic Craig LaBan said he was “particularly impressed” with Baker’s dough, “which has a perfectly delicate, crispy bottom, a lively, stretchy puff of a middle and a heat-blistered crust on top.”

A white pizza, called the White+Black, tops Earth’s bestseller list. Prepared with a roasted garlic sauce, it features bacon, figs, Asiago, Parmesan and arugula. A close second is the Seed, a sauce-free and appealingly crunchy number sprinkled with sesame seeds, pumpkin seeds and pine nuts, plus mozzarella, red pepper flakes and a lot of roasted garlic. Red pies include the Winter Ratatouille, with roasted onions, eggplant, diced potatoes, kale, tomatoes, mozzarella, Grana Padano, fresh basil, thyme and parsley, and the Meatatarian, which comes loaded with spicy turkey sausage, blackened chicken, pepperoni, bacon, Asiago and mozzarella.

Not surprisingly, the menu offers plenty for vegetarians and vegans, including the Pesto (purple basil pesto, sliced tomatoes, pine nuts, mozzarella, basil and balsamic reduction) and the Veggie Verde (green bell pepper sauce, peas, green beans, Brussels sprouts, kale, pepper Jack cheese and goat cheese).

But don’t be fooled by the gourmet flair; offered in large and small sizes, Earth’s flatbreads don’t come with high-end prices.

The large Meatatarian is the most expensive item on the menu at $22.

Meanwhile, Baker’s suds have developed a loyal following of their own. On the first floor, customers can stand at the railings and peer down at the brewery, where Baker brews unique, everchanging recipes in 230-gallon batches about once a week. He seldom makes the same beer twice, Zwerver notes. “Every time he does a beer, he changes it up somehow,” Zwerver says. “He comes up with these creative ideas and will just do whatever he wants. Right now, we have a rye beer with coriander and 30 PMQ Pizza Magazine The Pizza Industry’s Business Monthly

caraway seeds.”

Interestingly, Earth features only four house brews on tap.

“The other seven draft lines are dedicated to other local breweries, which is unusual for a brewpub—most serve only their own beer,” Zwerver says. “Because our brewery is so small, the capacity just isn’t there for us. This approach gives my husband the flexibility to be creative and brew anything he wants.

Most of our customers drink our beer, but should the styles not include one you really like, you can choose from all these other styles. You can order an IPA, a pale ale, a stout—the types that Tom maybe doesn’t feel like making,” she adds, laughing.

Creating Nights to Remember Zwerver and Baker may be earnest about the environment, but that doesn’t mean you have to check your sense of fun at the door. They use a wide range of promotions and events to draw

Earth's menu offers a wide assortment of vegetarian- and vegan-friendly flatbreads with ingredients sourced from area growers.

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The Craft Soda Bubble The craft beer movement was already well under way when Earth Bread + Brewery launched in 2008, but craft sodas were a different story. About a year after opening their doors, co-owners Tom Baker and Peggy Zwerver unveiled their selection of house-made specialty sodas—Sarsaparilla, Creamsicle, Ginger Ale and Lime Nojito (like a Mojito minus the alcohol)—and sent the mainstream soft drink brands packing. Now, thanks to the burgeoning natural foods movement, many restaurants are following suit.

Earth's beer tanks brew unique, ever-changing recipes in 230-gallon batches, and you will seldom see the same beer twice.

crowds, with live bands performing on Thursdays and Sundays and Quizzo trivia nights on Wednesdays. The trivia contests often spotlight local organizations and businesses, building goodwill in the community. “We’ll have one round dedicated to a specific group, such as an artists’ group or the local theater troupe,” Zwerver says. “They’ll come in and give out extra prizes or swag, such as two tickets to the next theater production.”

On Tuesday nights, Zwerver sets up a Ping-Pong table for guests, while wine dinners on Thursday nights bring in a different crowd. “Every couple of months, our wine rep and our chef get together, taste the wines, decide on a theme—such as French or Italian—and come up with small plates that complement the wines,” Zwerver explains. “We offer four to five courses for $45 per person. It’s a lot of work to put them together, so I limit them to 25 people.”

Zwerver also displays the works of local artists on Earth’s walls and throws receptions for new show openings. That means art lovers in the area—as well as the artists’ friends and family members—know Earth well. “The artists can post the prices and sell their art right there, and I don’t take a commission. You’ll often see guests walking around the restaurant, just looking at the walls.”

“It’s actually pretty easy to do,” Zwerver notes. “My husband makes the syrups, and one of our draft lines contains seltzer. The staff just puts a couple of squirts of the syrup into the glass, adds seltzer and stirs it up. The drinks are very popular.”

The craft soda line further illustrates Zwerver and Baker’s commitment to minimizing their impact on the environment. “Homemade products are not only cost-effective, but they help reduce waste and yield a greener, healthier product,” Baker says.

As if all of that doesn’t keep Zwerver and Baker busy enough, Earth’s brunch specials pack the shop on Saturdays and Sundays. Menu items include the Breakfast Flatbread (a tomato cream cheese base, eggs, cheddar cheese and bacon) and the Salmon Flatbread (a cream cheese base, house-cured salmon, red onion, slices of watermelon radish, capers, sour cream, arugula and sesame seeds). “We bring in Cabriole, a quartet of musicians that play this beautiful style called French dance music,” Zwerver says. “Customers love to sit and eat and listen to the music—it’s just beautiful.”

And then there’s Tabletop Science Night, a kid-friendly presentation held once a month by a local university science professor. “He brings in his students, and they do demonstrations showing the reactions of different chemicals,” Zwerver says.

Earth's flatbread menu features a selection of both red and white pies, all made with an artisan flair but sold at moderate prices.

32 PMQ Pizza Magazine The Pizza Industry’s Business Monthly

The Stats Under the sponsorship of the Philadelphia Mural Arts Program, local artist Brian Ames painted the eyecatching mural on the side of Earth's building.

“On Halloween, they put all these chemicals into a carved out pumpkin—called the puking pumpkin—and it spews out foam from the eyes and mouth. They’ll freeze a banana and use it as a hammer. The kids get to make gummy worms from scratch. They have so much fun, it’s hard to get the kids to go back to their tables and eat!”

A Heartfelt Commitment Their previous lack of experience notwithstanding, Zwerver and Baker have done a lot of things right with Earth Bread + Brewery. Zwerver maintains a light and lively tone on the shop’s Facebook page, which has more than 3,800 likes and keeps growing, thanks to regularly posted photographs of

The staff of Earth Bread + Brewery gather to pose for a photo on a chilly winter's day in the City of Brotherly Love.

Name: Earth Bread + Brewery Location: Philadelphia, PA Seating capacity: 160 Number of employees: 38 Dine-in, carryout for flatbreads only

menu items and updates on the latest brews from Baker’s tanks.

The company’s e-newsletter—which touts specials of the week, upcoming bands and new beers—goes out to 1,300 customers every Tuesday. “When people get their checks, there’s always a card in the billfold that lets you sign up for the newsletter,” Zwerver says. “That works pretty well.”

A vast, brightly colored mural on the building’s exterior— sponsored by the Philadelphia Mural Arts Program and painted by local artist Brian Ames—helps to draw attention to the store. Once inside the building, guests are struck by the warm tones and hip but accessible vibe. The company’s website isn’t fancy, but it’s kept up-to-date, and its events page offers a calendar describing every promotion, from Monday night growler fills to wine tastings spotlighting an array of Italian Piedmont wines.

But Zwerver credits Earth’s success largely to its emphasis on sustainability, which has garnered positive media coverage and word-of-mouth, and its heartfelt commitment to the community. Saving the planet from waste and self-destruction begins at the local level—and it can be great for business, too, as evidenced by the rising popularity of hybrid cars and organic farming. As Zwerver says, “The truth is, with Americans becoming increasingly aware of how to live more economical and sustainable lifestyles, not only will changes within your business benefit the environment, but your customer base may grow, knowing that you care about where your pizza comes from: the earth.”

Rick Hynum is PMQ’s editor in chief.

June/July 2014

pmq.com 33

FEATURE STORY FLATBREADS

Full of Life Flatbreads in Los Alamos, California, has been attracting fans with its seasonal ingredients and creative combinations since 2003.

FULL OF LIFE FLATBREADS

36 PMQ Pizza Magazine The Pizza Industry’s Business Monthly

THE

FLATBREAD PHENOMENON

Trendy and versatile, flatbreads give today’s customers what they demand—artisanal flair, a customizable format and the perception of healthier eating.

By Tracy Morin

T

here’s no denying it: Flatbreads have arrived. Of course, historians will say they’ve always been around, with ancient recipes circulating for thousands of years—naan and roti in India, lavash and pita in the Middle East, injera in Ethiopia. But their popularity soars today, with mega-chains from Taco Bell and Subway to Pizza Hut (pizzahut.com) and Chili’s offering their own takes on the phenomenon.

Pizzeria operators are already in a great position to offer flatbreads, which fulfill so many modern customer requirements: an artisan flair, a healthier perception and a customizable format. Using the same dough you make every day,

you can appeal to a wider range of consumers without adding anything in terms of inventory. We’d say the possibilities are flat-out endless.

Behind the Trend George Schenk, founder/owner of American Flatbread Company (americanflatbread.com), was a modern-day pioneer in the category, developing his operation in 1985 and growing to four current locations in Vermont and New York. “Flatbreads were originally developed as a solution to the problem of cooking grains and making their nutrition more available and more flavorful,” Schenk says. “Many cultures have mixed flour with a

June/July 2014

pmq.com 37

STONEFIRE AUTHENTIC FLATBREADS

Full of versatility, flatbreads can be topped with a variety of ingredients and served as appetizers or main meals.

“Most great pizzerias make a wonderful pie, but introducing a flatbread can increase the reasons a customer will want to order from that pizzeria. It doesn't take away from pizza sales; it provides additional items to be sold.” —Cherise Kramer, Ultra-Thin Crusts

fluid—water, milk, broth or even diluted seawater—then kneaded and rolled the dough and put it on a griddle to cook. Flatbreads are a union between nutrition and the joys of the palate.”

Thousands of years after their first iterations, flatbreads remain more popular than ever. According to data from research firm Technomic’s MenuMonitor database, the number of flatbreads offered at full-service restaurants increased 2.6% from the first quarter of 2013 to the first quarter of 2014. “The popularity of flatbreads appears to be mainly in the full-service sector,” says Lauren Hallow, associate editor at Chicago-based Technomic, Inc. “In the last two years, flatbreads have increased 6.7%, and in the last five years, flatbreads have increased 98.5%.”

Flatbreads are also helping to grow the pizzeria business specifically. According to GuestMetrics, based in Leesburg, Virginia, recent strong sales performances of pizza in table-service restaurants was driven largely by expanded flatbread offerings.

“Pizza sales were up 8.2% in 2012 and picked up further steam during the first quarter of 2013, growing 8.8%, resulting in pizza gaining about 20 basis points of share in the overall food category in table-service restaurants,” says GuestMetrics CEO Bill Pecoriello.

GuestMetrics looked across more than 400 different types of pizzas sold and saw that flatbread pizza’s share of the overall 38 PMQ Pizza Magazine The Pizza Industry’s Business Monthly

pizza category grew from about 8% in 2011 to 14% in 2012, and for the first quarter of 2013 increased to around 17%, according to Peter Reidhead, vice president of strategy and insights at GuestMetrics. “To put the importance of this in perspective, while non-flatbread pizzas were 83% of total pizza sales in 2013’s first quarter, about 60% of the incremental growth for pizza was due to strength in flatbread pizzas,” Reidhead says.

Why are flatbreads heating up so quickly? Hallow believes versatility is one key factor. “Flatbreads can be served like pizzas, topped with a variety of ingredients, then baked; as sandwiches, folded and filled with ingredients; and even as salad bases,” she explains. “Consumers also tend to perceive flatbreads as healthier and of higher quality than pizzas. Operators commonly market flatbreads with terms like ‘artisan’ and ‘rustic’ and top them with upscale ingredients that you may not see often on pizzas, such as shrimp, prosciutto, and gourmet cheeses like Brie and Gouda.”

Schenk agrees that the word “flatbread” conjures images of an artisan touch. “The word has been used because of its poetry and to differentiate it from pizza, which in some cases is associated with mediocrity,” he notes. “A flatbread connotes something done with more thought and care. But another reason for flatbread’s success is simple: It’s an effective platform

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Rethinking the Sandwich While flatbreads gain in popularity, another longloved menu item—the trusty sandwich—remains a mainstay (with some notable upgrades, of course).

Fast, filling, customizable and portable, sandwiches can really let your pizzeria’s personality shine through, thanks to unique condiments, bread options or house-cured meats. “One of the most popular trends in the sandwich sector right now is nontraditional sandwiches, from waffle sandwiches to ethnic options to handhelds with eclectic ingredients,” explains Lauren Hallow, associate editor at Technomic, Inc., in Chicago. “Patrons are welcoming these new takes on sandwiches, as they offer a refreshing twist on one of Americans’ most popular food offerings.”

For your own inspiration, Hallow notes some of the following concepts from across the country that are specializing in nontraditional sandwiches: • Bruxie, a growing California chain, specializes in sandwiches served on folded crispy waffles.

Options range from savory (cheeseburger, prosciutto and Gruyère) to sweet (Nutella and banana with sweet cream).

MICHAEL'S PIZZERIA

At Michael's Pizzeria in southern California, flatbreads are used to create puccias, sandwich-like options that are especially popular with lunchtime crowds.

on which to feed—relatively inexpensive and infinitely flexible for meat-eaters, vegetarians, vegans and those with a glutenfree diet.”

Unlimited Creativity To offer flatbreads, start at the base—the flatbread itself—and then dream up the myriad ways in which to top it, stuff it or serve it. Schenk admits that flatbreads are highly influenced by pizza, since the latter is just a variant of the former. But for his own operation, he wanted to reach back in time, basing his recipes not in how much money he could make but in how well the flatbreads could be made—and he advises other operators to do the same. “Many master bread bakers still believe the best tastes are developed in earthen ovens, built with stone and clay and heated with fire,” notes Schenk. Of course, flatbreads can be cooked any way pizzas can—on a grill, over a wood or coal fire, or even on a simple deck or conveyor oven.

Regardless of your cooking method, think about how you’ll differentiate your flatbreads. Compared to pizza, they tend to be thinner (meaning less carbs for health-conscious customers), and flatbreads often boast high-quality, cleaner ingredients to offset the common perception that pizza is unhealthy. And 40 PMQ Pizza Magazine The Pizza Industry’s Business Monthly

• No. 7 Sub is a four-unit chain in New York offering a changing menu of chef-created subs featuring ingredient pairings typically not found at traditional sandwich shops, including the Broccoli Classic, with lychee muchim, ricotta salata and peanuts, and The Frito Kid, featuring cold balsamic chicken, black bean hummus, lettuce, tomatoes and Fritos.

• 100 Montaditos is a Spanish chain with a growing U.S. presence that offers 100 varieties of bite-size sandwiches called montaditos. Options range from traditional Spanish varieties with chorizo and Serrano ham to American-influenced varieties like barbecue pulled pork and Philly steak.

• Banh Mi & Co. is a Chicago chain specializing in authentic Vietnamese banh mi sandwiches.

• Verts Kebap is an Austin-based chain offering doner kebab sandwiches (a street food commonly found in Turkey and Germany).

don’t be afraid to tweak as you go: Schenk started his business by focusing on more eclectic and artisanal recipes, but when he saw how many kids were coming in, he added traditional pizzatype options. “We provide the whole range, from simple sauceand-cheese to nitrite-free pepperoni,” he says. “But we make our own sausage, sauce and dough in-house, and we maintain a natural, organic, local sensibility about our ingredients.”

Like pizzas, flatbreads can engender unlimited creativity.

Hallow has witnessed a slew of interesting examples, like Bar Louie’s Pear, Pig-N-Fig flatbread, which debuted in April and features pulled pork, grilled pears, fig jam, caramelized onions

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“Almost 1 in 3 flatbread dishes are menued as sandwiches, but don't let your imagination stop with basic sandwiches. In chicken sandwiches, flatbreads are being featured with creamy sauce additions such as cilantro lime mayo, Thousand Island dressings, red chili ranch and chipotle mayo.” —Bruce Engelmann, Tyson Foods

AMERICAN FLATBREAD COMPANY

and Brie; and Ruby Tuesday’s Black & Blue Steak Flatbread (which launched in February), with Cajun-seasoned barbecue steak, blue cheese, Parmesan sauce and a six-cheese blend.

Salads and Puccias But flatbreads needn’t be limited to pizza-like versions topped with a smattering of ingredients. With 10 locations in Louisiana and Texas, Reginelli’s Pizzeria (reginellis.com) uses flatbreads as bases for salads, such as the Ancona Caesar (with marinated chicken), the all-veggie Salad Number Three, and the ham-and-turkey-enhanced Deli Salad.

Meanwhile, Michael’s Pizzeria (michaelspizzeria.com), with

800-333-9133 www.amnow.com

42 PMQ Pizza Magazine The Pizza Industry’s Business Monthly

American Flatbread Company was a pioneer in flatbreads back in 1985 and has since grown to four locations.

three locations in Southern California, uses flatbreads to make puccias, sandwich-like creations that are similar to Italian piadinas. Crafted with a different flour than regular pizzas (0 flour instead of 00, for less gluten and elasticity), the dough is flattened, grilled and baked in an 800° oven for a crispy finish.

“For lunchtime in our downtown Long Beach location, our puccias are the most popular item,” says Massimo Aronne, general manager of the Michael’s Restaurant Group.

The pizzeria’s most popular combinations include confit artichoke, pesto and housemade mozzarella, as well as roasted and spiced pork belly with arugula, shaved Parmesan and garlic aioli. “We’re always inspired by the seasons—we work with

Great Ideas Looking to offer flatbreads? Check out some standout examples from some of America’s most well-known flatbread purveyors: • With four stores in Vermont and New York, American Flatbread Company (americanflatbread.com) offers the New Vermont Sausage, with housemade nitrate-free maple-fennel sausage (featuring pork from a local farm) baked with sundried tomatoes, caramelized onions, mushrooms, cheeses and fresh herbs.

• At its 12 locations from Maine to Hawaii, The Flatbread Company (flatbreadcompany.com) celebrates the universal appeal of flatbreads with selections like the mostly organic Coevolution, topped with imported Kalamata olives, fresh rosemary, red onions, local goat cheese, fire-roasted sweet red peppers and premium whole-milk mozzarella, baked with homemade garlic oil and its own blend of herbs.

• Flatbread Neapolitan Pizzeria (flatbreadpizza.com) hand-presses and wood-fires its flatbreads, which combine unique ingredients like smoked portobello, sausage, arugula and a fig drizzle.

• The Flatbread Pizza Co. (theflatbreadpizzaco.com) in Breckenridge, Colorado, features hand-rolled flatbreads, including the Isis, with an olive oilbrushed crust, sliced pears, mozzarella, Gorgonzola, red onions and toasted walnuts.

• The gluten-free options at Grey Block Pizza (greyblockpizza.com), with two locations in California, include the Sicilian Flatbread Pizza, a soyfree, rice-free, GMO-free and certified-organic blend made with amaranth, tapioca and millet.

what’s available and offer a rotating vegetable-based puccia,” Aronne says. “In each variation, we try to offer spicy or peppery ingredients, acidity—like the lemon juice in our garlic aioli— and fat, so there’s a balance of flavors and textures.”

Schenk has found that customers are seeking more fiber, plus lighter tastes in the form of vegetable toppings, so he advocates a balance between nutrient-dense ingredients and heavier components like dough and meats. “Flatbreads themselves are dense in nutrients, and vegetables add lightness; we’ve been adding microgreens or herbs after baking,” says Schenk. “Our chef also developed a basil honey for squirting on after baking.”

Adding a balsamic glaze, a housemade sauce or fresh greens just before serving your flatbread enhances the hand-crafted

STONEFIRE AUTHENTIC FLATBREADS

In-season, upscale and gourmet ingredients are often featured atop flatbreads to evoke a hand-crafted, artisan feel.

impact and adds visual and textural depth to your product while setting you apart from competitors.

Marketing Magic Once your flatbreads are on the menu, don’t forget to spread the word. When the Chili’s chain was promoting its new flatbreads, it offered giveaways for patrons who submitted e-mail addresses, dining preferences and other data—a great way to generate interest and capture customer info. Michael’s sent out e-blasts about its lunch menu, engaged in local advertising for its puccias, and trained staff to understand them and share that information with guests. And the flatbread sandwiches are still part of an ongoing lunch deal—a puccia with a choice of side salad (including seasonal options) for $10.

Schenk, in earlier years, attended local festivals to offer education and encourage trial of his creations; now they have a life of their own. But his menu still offers detailed descriptions of ingredients (and, in some cases, where they come from), which reinforces the artisanal angle. “Even through the art on our walls, we showcase our ingredients, and people get the message of our values through waitstaff,” Schenk explains. “I write a dedication every week—a story or poem—for our website, and I write in the local paper about issues in contemporary American food.” When customers come to rely on Schenk’s expertise, they become loyal—then offer priceless word-ofmouth. Accordingly, his advice is straightforward: Tell your story. “Build a constructive relationship with the community and local schools, and be a resource for good food and health,” he advises. “People attach ideas to the word ‘flatbread,’ but if you’re making pizza, you’re already making flatbread!”

Tracy Morin is PMQ’s senior copy editor.

June/July 2014

pmq.com 43

RECIPE OF THE MONTH MOZZ-PROV CHICKEN & PESTO

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Mozz-Prov Chicken & Pesto Recipe adapted from a Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board recipe Photo by Kara Hoffman Ingredients 1 12” prebaked pizza crust 2 tbsp. olive oil 2 boneless, skinless split chicken breasts, cut into strips 1 medium green bell pepper, diced 1 medium red or orange bell pepper, diced 1 medium onion, thinly sliced 1/3 c. prepared pesto 1½ c. mozzarella-provolone blend, shredded (Variation: Try using a shredded mozzarella/smoked provolone blend.)

Directions: Preheat the oven to 400°F. In a skillet, heat the olive oil at medium-high. Add chicken and sauté until browned, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the peppers and onions and continue to sauté until browned, 4 to 5 minutes. Stir in the pesto. Place pizza crust on a pizza pan or large baking sheet. Spoon the chicken mixture onto the crust and top with the cheese blend. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until cheese is bubbly.

44 PMQ Pizza Magazine The Pizza Industry’s Business Monthly

Pleased With Cheese

Call it a happy accident—Wisconsin’s cheese industry was born in the mid-19th century after depleted soil and insect infestations ruined the state’s wheat crops. Farmers turned to raising cows instead, and immigrants from countries like Germany and Switzerland quickly put cheese making methods from the Old Country to work. Today, pizzerias around the country pride themselves on offering high-quality Wisconsin cheese from “America’s Dairyland.” Here are a few of them: Buddy’s Restaurant & Pizzeria (buddyspizza.com), a Detroit mainstay, serves the Detroiter, made with Wisconsin brick cheese, pepperoni, and tomato-and-basil sauce, then finished off with shaved Parmesan and a Sicilian spice blend.

In last year’s “50 States, 50 Pizzas” list, Zagat.com singled out the Green and Gold Pizza at Wild Tomato Wood-Fired Pizza and Grille (wildtomatopizza.com) in Fish Creek, Wisconsin. It features roasted chicken, bacon, grilled broccoli, spinach and Wisconsin cheese curds.

At NYPD Pizza Delivery (nypdpizza.com), with three stores in Cincinnati, the Crimebuster is billed as “the mother of all pizzas.” It’s topped with pepperoni, Italian sausage, ground beef, ham, mushrooms, onions, green olives and green peppers, all smothered under a blanket of Wisconsin mozzarella and provolone.

The signature Polish Pizza at Mau’s Haus Pub & Grille (maushauspubandgrill.com), a single-unit operation located in Orangeville, Illinois, boasts Wisconsin cheese, cooked cabbage, sausage, onions and green peppers. According to the pizzeria’s website, the specialty pie is “worth the 60-minute wait!”

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FEATURE STORY CRAFT SODAS

46 PMQ Pizza Magazine The Pizza Industry’s Business Monthly

Top POPS of the

Trendy and upscale, craft sodas are exploding right now—and they’re a great fit for pizzerias looking to stand out from the pack.

By Tracy Morin

B

etween the foodie movement, the upscale-ization of everything from hot dogs to burgers, and the booming craft beer industry, there’s no denying that today’s customers are looking for new twists on national faves—and soda is no exception. International food and restaurant consultants Baum+Whiteman named craft sodas one of the biggest beverage trends for 2014, noting that some restaurants are even creating their own sodas (both bottled and on tap) using house-made fruit syrups and infusions. “The craft beer movement spawns craft sodas,” the company reports, adopting the “same mantra: local, natural, artisan.”

Experts agree that the explosion in craft sodas and craft beer are driven by many of the same forces. “Craft sodas are about authenticity, better quality, healthy ingredients and unique flavors—similar to the difference between mass-produced beer and craft beer,” says Jennifer A. Martin, chief soda officer at SIPsoda Co. in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. “These drinks appeal to discerning customers who care about quality, health and how the product is produced.”

Chris Taylor, senior vice president at New York-based Boylan Bottling Company, agrees. “Pizzeria owners are looking for the best possible products to offer customers, and if you can differentiate yourself by giving them high-quality beverages while increasing your margins, it’s a no-brainer. In pizza, there has been a real shift in the marketplace to incorporate different ingredients and toppings as well as fresher and more natural offerings. So why not do the same with sodas?”

Back to Nature Indeed, the health-conscious movement has led consumers to seek sodas with better, all-natural ingredients and no highfructose corn syrup, says Ed Doyle, president and founder of RealFood Consulting in Boston. “People want something different, with unique ingredient profiles—often sweetened with agave or cane sugar,” he explains. “There’s a move away from the long ingredient lists you see on many bigger soda brands.”

At Gusto Pizza Co. (gustopizzaco.com), with two locations in Des Moines and West Des Moines, Iowa, owner Josh

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pmq.com 47

GUSTO PIZZA CO.

Josh Holderness, owner of Gusto Pizza Co., says his pizzeria offers a wide selection of craft sodas to accommodate customers who prefer natural sweeteners, such as cane sugar, in their soft drinks.

"Craft sodas are made by artisans that care about the ingredients and know the farmers. The sodas taste better, and they're better for you and for the environment."

—Mark Seiler, Maine Root Handcrafted Beverages

Holderness has witnessed widespread rejection of synthetic ingredients. “Artificial sweeteners have received a lot of negative press, so anything with natural sweeteners like cane sugar stands out,” he notes. “People are also growing discontented with the abundance of high-fructose corn syrup in drinks.”

Craft sodas are made in smaller batches, with unique flavor combos and more detailed manufacturing processes, Martin says. They can bring in new customers who would not normally order a soda or convert water drinkers to drink buyers.

“They especially appeal to health-conscious and foodie consumers; it’s a totally different demographic than the average soda drinker,” she says.

Like many craft brewers, Boylan Bottling rolls out seasonal varieties throughout the year. “Last year we did Shirley Temple, Sparkling Lemonade and Orange Cream,” Taylor says. “This fall, we’ll do a Sparkling Cider. We’ve looked at what works for craft beers and are adopting those practices for our sodas.

Seasonal flavors get both retailers and customers excited.”

Steven Walker, co-founder of Minneapolis-based Boundary Waters Brands (creator of Joia All-Natural Soda), believes that the market for craft sodas has only begun to bloom. “I think we’ll see a lot more in the future, and a lot of them look toward the past, offering fresher colas, orange sodas, root beers 48 PMQ Pizza Magazine The Pizza Industry’s Business Monthly

and cream sodas,” he says. “People are looking for a healthier beverage, and they want variety.”

At Gusto Pizza Co., Holderness has tapped into this craft craze by offering specialty sodas in bottles: citrus-based San Pellegrino sodas; Chicago’s original Green River; cream soda, black cherry soda and root beer from the local Millstream Brewing Co.; and Dr. Brown’s Black Cherry. “People are looking for something different with their sodas,” he notes. “There’s a sentimental value, too. When I was a kid, our local deli had Dr. Brown’s Black Cherry, so when I found it available, I jumped on it.” He believes that customers like the idea of drinking sodas brewed in a more traditional style. Doyle agrees, adding that many also increasingly seek “retro flavors,” such as birch and cream sodas, which offer an “old-timey,” nostalgic feel.

A Matter of Margins Some pizzeria owners may worry that pricier craft sodas could hurt their profit margins. It is difficult to beat the margins you’ll find on behemoth fountain brands, but offering craft sodas is about looking at the bigger picture—and, when positioned correctly, they can offer real benefits to your operation. “In a crowded marketplace, it’s all about differentiating yourself, and in the pizza industry in particular, there’s a lot of

BOYLAN SODA

replication,” Doyle notes. “But with artisan pizzerias or smaller operations, [offering craft soda] is one way to get the message across: ‘We’re not the other guys.’”

Doyle adds that few craft soda makers are offering fountain drinks; most package their beverages in a bottle or can. But a swap from a major brand to, say, Boylan’s (one of the few that offer fountain drinks), translates to about a 25% difference in cost. “When you consider that you’re paying 6 to 10 cents for a traditional cola, a 25% difference isn’t much,” he says.

“You have to look at this as a bigger menu strategy; it’s really about branding, messaging and carving out who you are as a company and a brand.”

Restaurants can make up for the difference by charging more for craft sodas, Taylor points out. “In both glass bottles and on fountain, the profit margins for our sodas are right in line with—and in some cases higher than—major soda brands, especially in a pizzeria or fast-casual setting because the restaurateur has the ability to command a higher price for a premium product.”

Walker, meanwhile, believes it’s a volume game; selling a lot of craft sodas will help hedge against thinner margins, he says.

“Our sodas are often priced from $2.25 to $3.50 in pizzerias, cafes and delis, so there’s a fair amount of room to mark up for convenience, originality and uniqueness. In areas where there are fewer craft soda options, you can mark up on the higher end of the scale.”

Craft sodas, such as those offered by Boylan Bottling Co., are free of high-fructose corn syrup, an increasingly controversial ingredient believed by many to contribute to America's obesity problem.

For his part, Holderness says he sacrifices a bit in profit margins with his craft sodas, but he believes these options work to uphold the Gusto Pizza Co. brand’s values. “We find that customers will pay a little more for premium craft soda, just as with our food we offer a premium menu that people pay a little more for,” he says. “It’s also part of our brand to support local producers and products as much as we can. Even if you

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pmq.com 49

"Craft sodas aren't as price-sensitive as massproduced products. The glass bottles and cane sugar sweetener move them into a perceived premium package that consumers are willing to pay more for." —Mike Bourgeois, Orca Beverage Inc. sacrifice a bit on margins, you have to look at the bigger picture in terms of what it relays about your brand. From offering allnatural food ingredients to craft beers and sodas, these choices convey a positive image to customers.”

“Selling craft beverages isn’t about matching margins,” Martin concludes. “It’s about differentiating yourself from your competitors by offering something special, something ‘homemade’ from a trusted producer. And, because they’re premium-priced, margins can still be reasonable.”

Proper Positioning Craft sodas, many agree, are a natural fit for pizzerias, particularly those who tout artisan or made-from-scratch menus that incorporate local or seasonal ingredients. Doyle notes that serving craft sodas in glass bottles conveys an upscale image, differentiating the product and helping customers justify spending a few bucks on a bottle. “You have to make sure you’re getting the message across and letting customers know you’re doing something different, or you might even find yourself getting a

50 PMQ Pizza Magazine The Pizza Industry’s Business Monthly

Serving craft sodas in glass bottles conveys an upscale image and helps customers justify spending a little extra on their beverage.

negative response,” Doyle notes. “Position the sodas not as an alternative choice, but as an extension of your menu—‘We use only artisan products’—so there’s a linear menu message and you get more bang for your buck.”

Once you have some unique sodas in place, don’t forget to advertise (through your website, e-blasts, newsletters and social

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media) the unique flavor combinations that your sodas offer.

While kids and adults alike still love classic flavors like root beer, cola and lemon-lime, younger customers and adventurous types might be attracted to experimental flavors, such as those that incorporate herbs, florals or spices. Tell the story behind the brand, whether it’s a small local company or a manufacturer that’s been bottling since the 1800s with old-fashioned recipes. And explain how the sodas are different—all-natural, organic, lower-calorie, or free of high-fructose corn syrup. To help spread the word, try sampling in the pizzeria or at local festivals or charity events. “Getting in front of people in a lowkey, no-pressure atmosphere can be very effective,” Walker says.

Craft sodas are also a perfect way to offer a more upscale experience. If you have sit-down service, consider serving the soda in a special glass or even a champagne flute. “When a customer isn’t having wine or beer, these types of sodas are a way to offer something with a little more flavor,” Walker says.

Additionally, craft soda flavors pair well with a variety of foods, so offer pairing suggestions on the menu, as you would with wine or beer. Walker points out that because craft soda companies are smaller, they’re often willing to work with chefs and restaurants to generate pairing ideas.

Finally, don’t overlook the myriad opportunities to enrich your bar program. Martin notes that craft sodas are popular as mixers because their lower sugar content doesn’t mask the taste of spirits, and ingredients found in craft sodas (like botanicals) are already popular ingredients in mixed drinks. Walker adds that craft sodas often mimic craft cocktails, so instead of your bartenders whipping up fancy drinks from scratch (impossible in many pizzerias), they can use craft sodas to create complex flavor profiles without all of the prep.

“On the cocktail side, there can be a real profit,” says Doyle.

“In bigger cities, there’s a huge craft cocktail movement, but that can be hard to tap into when you have a simple or smaller bar. With craft sodas, you can make unique drinks without requiring an amazing bartender. They’re a great way to extend your bar program.”

Making Your Own Some operators have even taken the craft soda process in-house. Hot Lips Pizza (hotlipspizza.com), with five locations in Portland, Oregon, details its from-scratch process on its website: Ripe fruit is picked and cooked in open kettles; seeds are filtered out (with the pulp left in); sparkling water, pure cane sugar and organic lemon juice are added; and the product is carbonated, put into bottles and pasteurized. The result, according to the website: “High percentages of real fruit.

No shortcuts, supplements, artificial flavors or trickery. And no corn syrup. Even the bottles are local, manufactured from 80% recycled glass right here in Portland.” The sodas, driven and overseen by chefs, are brewed throughout the year and bottled using refurbished 1960s-era equipment.

Most pizzerias can’t bottle their own sodas, but Doyle says you can offer the same experience on a smaller scale. “The key 52 PMQ Pizza Magazine The Pizza Industry’s Business Monthly

Five Marketing Takeaways For many customers, dining out isn’t a complete experience without a soft drink—and it’s usually the exact same soft drink every time. Craft sodas offer an opportunity to lure these diners away from the boringly familiar to something new and exciting.

But, first, you’ve got to get their attention. Here are some suggestions: 1. Show them the difference. Tell the story behind your craft soda’s brand. Emphasize the qualities and ingredients that make it unique.

2. Give away some freebies. Get customers hooked with a sample of Black Cherry or Coriander Orange.

3. Offer pairing suggestions. Train your waitstaff to assist customers in pairing the right soda with the right pizza or entree. Ask the supplier to help you come up with perfect pairings.

4. Create signature cocktails. Solicit mixeddrink recipes from the craft soda’s maker (or, if you’ve got a good bartender, develop your own) and market them as signature cocktails. Their complex flavor profiles and high-end ingredients will help differentiate your restaurant.

5. Spread the word. Make sure to promote your new craft soda flavors on your website, social media, newsletters, emails and in-store signage.

Use vividly descriptive terms such as “refreshing,” “ice-cold” and “all-natural.”

is to provide a differentiated product that your competition can’t replicate, and in-house craft soda guarantees that,” he says. “Chef-driven drinks, like hand-crafted sodas with fresh ginger or herbs, give you a lot of freedom, but you can also simply make a syrup, mix with soda water from the tap and hand-shake, which keeps costs low,” he adds. “Try two to three sodas per season, using seasonal ingredients, and make them to order. A fresh sparkling lemonade is really easy, but it gets a lot of attention!”

In fact, says Doyle, the process is part of the show—when customers see your staff hand-shaking sodas, they’re likely to order one. Or you can set up a system with your vendors to put house-made sodas on soda guns in the pizzeria, mixing beforehand and storing in five-gallon kegs. “Making your own sodas is a great way to drive not only profit, but menu discussions,” he explains. “It shows why you’re different and is the key to unlocking those same conversations around your pizza.”

You can even partner with a local microbrewery to make beverages like naturally fermented root beer, says Doyle, or source ingredients from local farms to make your sodas. Your partners will also help promote you to their own customers.

“It’s a matter of trial, so start testing to find out what works for you. Try one flavor and feature it. Once you go down that road, customers will respond—and drive social media.

It’s just another way to make your business stand out.”

ORCA BEVERAGE

Craft sodas appeal to health-conscious consumers and foodies who demand more natural ingredients in their food and drinks.

Tracy Morin is PMQ’s senior copy editor.

June/July 2014

pmq.com 53

FEATURE STORY CATERING

54 PMQ Pizza Magazine The Pizza Industry’s Business Monthly

trategy, s g in t e k r a nu and m e m t t could h a ig h r t e s h t ie it h n it u W ue opport n e v e r s r e nsform f f a r t d n a s d catering o slow perio h g u o r h t u carry yo ett

By Liz Barr . s s e in s your bu

June/July 2014

pmq.com 55

Woodstock’s Pizza

5 Pillars of Catering Success

C

atering can be a great way to bring in extra revenue, but it doesn’t come without its fair share of risk. When a catering order goes right, everyone is happy. But when it goes wrong, a lot of people will know, potentially threatening your pizzeria’s reputation and future catering orders.

Pizza is made for sharing, which is why catering, a service defined as providing food for large groups of people, seems like a perfect fit for pizzerias. But to truly excel at catering, pizzeria operators need to go beyond pizza and offer a truly memorable experience for any event, whether it be an important business meeting, wedding, funeral, or other occasion where pizza isn’t always the most appropriate choice. “There needs to be a major paradigm shift between a takeout menu and a catering menu,” says Erle Dardick, CEO of Vancouver, British Columbia-based MonkeyMedia Software and author of Get Catering and Grow Sales! “Pizzeria operators have all of the ingredients to do something dynamic with catering, but they need to focus on using the ingredients they have to create a new product specific to platter-based catering.”

Broaden Your Menu Try this exercise: Put your takeout/delivery menu next to your catering menu. How do they differ? If you were the customer, would you use your pizzeria for catering? Think back to the last catered party you attended. Was pizza on the menu?

“Our catering menu is broader than our regular menu,” says Lisa Towne, owner of MaMa Lisa’s Little Italy (mamaslittleitaly. com) in Castle Pines, Colorado. “We certainly offer our house favorites such as lasagna and pastas, but we can also provide burger bars, taco bars and breakfast. A broader menu allows you to gain more customers and be accommodating to budgets and dietary needs. We recently catered a group that wanted all gluten-free and vegan options. It was challenging, but they were impressed by our creativity.”

56 PMQ Pizza Magazine The Pizza Industry’s Business Monthly

Provided by Erle Dardick, author of Get Catering and Grow Sales!

If your catering orders are not at the level you’d like them to be, review this list of essential catering success guidelines: 1. Choose a leader. Someone must be in charge of the catering side of your business, such as a catering manager. This is the person who will handle sales and marketing, write contracts and deal with callers (some of whom may be in a delicate emotional state) looking to make catering arrangements for weddings, funerals, etc.

2. Canvass the neighborhood. Build sales by canvassing the neighborhood and developing relationships with fellow business operators, knocking on doors, giving out samples and converting customers. For catering, you are tapping into a different audience, which is more business-tobusiness than business-to-consumer. You’ll have a lot more options.

3. Centralize your services. Organize your phone systems to route catering calls directly to the catering manager, not the store. The catering manager should be trained to work directly with those placing large orders for special events.

4. Get organized. Execution of catering is completely different than advance notice on orders.

Ensure that your operations are in order to handle catering. Your execution needs to be flawless.

5. Offer world-class delivery. Pizzerias already know how to ace this, but now you’ll be delivering more than pizza. Make sure your crew always arrives on time with everything needed for that event—the right food, the right equipment and the right attitude!

WOODSTOCK’S PIZZA

Find out if your customer’s event will be a sit-down one or require standing. This will help you customize a menu that ensures food doesn’t end up on shirts and shoes.

Revenue On the Side It’s no secret that catering can bring in revenue on the side, with many restaurants aiming for about 20% of system sales, according to Dardick. “Catering is so profitable because you already have everything else [in terms of ingredients],” he adds.

“There are higher incremental sales because there are fewer

SARDO’S PIZZA

Dardick notes that pizzerias are positioned to win big at catering, but the greatest challenge comes in defining the program. “Pizzeria operators need to focus on a subset of products utilizing ingredients already on hand,” says Dardick. “If you are catering a business luncheon, pizza is at the bottom of the list, so tap into other opportunities.”

MaMa Lisa’s Italian-themed catering menu covers a lot of bases. In addition to a variety of pastas, it includes Lemon Chicken, Chicken Parmesan, Chicken Piccata, Pork Milanese, Pork With Balsamic Glaze, Chicken Enchiladas in Cream Sauce, and Eggplant Parmesan. The pasta entrees sell for $38 for a small pan (eight 7.5-ounce portions) and $75 for a large pan (20 7.5-ounce portions). Other entrees cost $50 for small pans (eight 4-ounce portions) and $100 for large pans (20 4-ounce portions).

Get creative with your catering offerings and showcase items not available on your regular menu.

transactions from fewer people, and the cost of production and distribution is much lower.”

Additionally, catering generates revenue during off-season months, slow days of the week, and even when the pizzeria is bustling—if you have enough staff on hand. “We can have a normal lunch crowd and deliver a catering order at the same

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pmq.com 57

Tips From an Expert MAMA LISA’S LITTLE ITALY

Looking for additional advice? Here are a few more tips for catering success, courtesy of Lisa Towne, owner of MaMa Lisa’s Little Italy (mamaslittleitaly.com) in Castle Pines, Colorado: 1. Leave a lasting impression. Towne has a suggestion for wowing your clients. “On your first dozen jobs, throw in an extra item on the house, something amazing that you want people to try, such as your housemade mini meatballs with homemade marinara as an appetizer, an antipasti tray, mini desserts—something that looks as amazing as it tastes. Make sure you put a business card or menu by that item. They’ll remember you!”

2. Connect with movers and shakers. “Offer a special price to local women’s fundraising organizations,” Towne suggests. “These are the decision makers in your town. Treat them special, and they will remember you when it’s time for a private event with a nicer budget. Also, contact the Chamber of Commerce, leads groups, Rotary clubs, athletic booster clubs and city councils.”

Not all occasions are pizza-appropriate. Offer a diverse catering menu that fits any type of event.

time,” says Santo Sardo, owner of Largo, Florida-based Sardo’s Pizza (sardospizza.com).

“Catering in Colorado can be a bit seasonal,” Towne notes.

“Typically, most catering occurs around summer events and holidays, which is a great time to get college help. Catering events can really boost sales in the off hours and off seasons.”

Catering offers additional marketing benefits, notes Kris Moriarty, director of business development for San Diego, California-based Woodstock’s Pizza (woodstocksca.com), with seven locations in California. “Catering introduces your product to people who would not otherwise know about you,” Moriarty points out.

Running the Risk In addition to putting your pizzeria’s reputation on the line, there are other difficulties and risks that go into starting a

“A broader menu [for catering] allows you to gain more customers and be accommodating to budgets and dietary needs. We recently catered a group that wanted all gluten-free and vegan options. It was challenging, but they were impressed by our creativity.”

—Lisa Towne, MaMa Lisa’s Little Italy 58 PMQ Pizza Magazine The Pizza Industry’s Business Monthly

3. Use existing staff. Adding catering doesn’t necessarily require adding staff, Towne notes.

“Don’t take on extra payroll until you need to.

Explain to the existing staff and new hires that this is an opportunity to make extra money. Post a sign-up list—you may be surprised who volunteers for the extra shifts.”

catering component. “I worry about how to keep food hot and fresh for customers,” says Sardo. “It’s difficult getting it there, keeping it hot, and keeping it looking nice.” To meet this challenge, your operation may require special equipment, depending on your menu—think chafing dishes and insulated pan carriers for hot foods, plus beverage carriers, ice caddies, induction cookers, hot plates, and serving trays and platters.

You’ll also have to figure out portion sizes and pricing and create a policy for handling cancellations.

“A deposit as well as a written confirmation or short contract from your customer is essential,” Towne says. “Understand that the event could be weather-dependent. Know the plan for bad weather and clarify all of these details in advance. Timing is essential. Create a timeline and product list two days ahead.

You need to know when to prep, what can sit for a day, when everything needs to be in the oven, what time you need to load the car, etc. The last hour is always mayhem, regardless, but it gets better with experience.”

Logistical challenges abound for newbies, Moriarty agrees, but the process gets easier over time. “The difficult thing about starting catering is working out zoning for deliveries and getting the staff used to ordering enough food to cover any popup orders. In the beginning, you’re not sure how many orders you will get in a week, so it’s a lot of guesswork. Once you

To build your catering business, create dishes and displays that leave a lasting impression on future customers.

establish regular clientele, it’s easier to order and schedule more accurately.”

Reaping the Rewards For those who take on the risks and succeed, there can be great rewards in the form of increased revenue and positive word-of-mouth advertising for your pizzeria. “During December, we could almost just rely on catering, putting more money in all of the employees’ pockets at the right time of year,” Towne observes. “It can be a fun and cohesive experience for employees and customers. It’s an opportunity to have more of a personal relationship with our customers as we help them plan family events.”

“The greatest rewards are the additional revenue stream, the marketing opportunities and being able to provide more

jobs for people,” Moriarty says. “Catering helps control both food and labor costs because you’re able to preplan and preorder.

Catering also helps bring in additional revenue without negatively impacting the store operations, and it’s a great way to market and MaMa Lisa’s introduce your brand to people who may not know your product.”

“Being a first-generation Italian, I enjoy feeding many people at once,” Sardo says. “Most rewarding to me is staying to watch the reaction. To me, it’s like when you watch your kids’ faces as they open presents on Christmas.”

Liz Barrett is PMQ’s editor at large.

June/July 2014

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FEATURE STORY TIPS FOR OUTMANEUVERING THE NATIONAL CHAINS

G N I Y A L S

the

D O O H R O B H IG

NE

H T A I L O G

PART

In part one of a four-part series, marketing genius Tom Feltenstein offers 15 tips for outmaneuvering the national chains.

By Tom Feltenstein

60 PMQ Pizza Magazine The Pizza Industry’s Business Monthly

1

I

t’s the nightmare shared by thousands of pizzeria operators everywhere: What will I do if a huge restaurant from a national chain opens nearby? In cities across the nation, restaurateurs have had to close their doors simply because they could not compete with the neighborhood Goliath. But, like David with his ordinary slingshot and immense courage, you can fight back and win.

In this month’s article—the first of a four-part series of features—I would like to share with you a number of outsidethe-box promotional tactics designed to allay the fears of any pizzeria operator who ever wondered, “How can I possibly compete with the major chains?” Smaller businesses like yours can succeed by continually outmaneuvering their larger competitors. Here’s how:

1.

2.

Diamonds Are a Guest’s Best Friend. With this promotion, your pizzeria can forge a powerful partnership with a nearby jewelry store that benefits both businesses. Ask the jewelry store to supply you with, say, five high-quality diamonds and 2,500 synthetic diamonds.

Place all of the diamonds in a big barrel in your pizzeria.

Every time a customer makes a purchase, allow him to reach into the barrel and take a stone. Regardless of the diamond’s value, it’s the customer’s to keep. However, to find out if it’s genuine, he will have to take it to the jewelry store partner to be validated. (To ensure that the customer chooses your partner over a competitor, the jewelry store should offer something like a 10% discount on any purchase.) You won’t believe how much excitement this promotion will generate. It will create invaluable word-of-mouth throughout the community and boost traffic to your pizzeria and the jewelry store.

By offering a free lunch to companies in the area and getting them hooked on your pizza, you can boost your business by 30% in just a few weeks.

3.

Employee Challenge. Create three gift certificates with special values and print them at the bottom of an 8”-by-11” copy of your pizzeria’s menu. Give 200 menus to each member of your staff and instruct them to write their names on the back of every gift certificate.

Then send your employees out into the community to hand out the gift-certificate menus to local businesses.

Depending on the value of the gift certificate, pay the employee a set finder’s fee for every customer who comes into the restaurant bearing a gift certificate with that staff member’s name on it. This promotion gets your employees heavily involved—and personally invested—as your marketing ambassadors. Instead of spending money on direct marketing or local print advertising, your staff will be your messengers, and they’ll be rewarded financially for their hard work.

4.

Destroy Your Competitor’s Grand Opening.

Here’s a dynamite idea for overstressing your new competitor while positioning yourself as a beacon of generosity. Let’s say your new neighbor plans a Wednesday grand opening a block away from your pizzeria. Using a full-page ad in the local newspaper, plus social media, direct mail and in-house signage, announce that you’ll be closing your doors that day out of respect for the new kid on the block. Invite all of your customers to attend that competitor’s grand opening instead. Sound crazy? Maybe not. With all the unexpected additional business, your competitor will be overstressed by the mad rush of customers and will be unable to serve them efficiently. Most likely, the chain restaurant will run out of product long before the end of the day. What a wonderful way to deflate Goliath’s oversized ego just when he’s all psyched up for the grand opening! I know of a restaurant that used this incredibly powerful tactic and ran its competitor right out of business shortly after its grand opening!

The Platter Program. This is a can’t-miss promotion. Make it a job requirement for your general manager to call on a different local business every weekday and offer a free lunch to that company’s employees.

The manager should take their orders and deliver the lunch to the office free of charge. One of my clients launched this program and reported a 30% increase in business in just a few weeks! Many of the company’s employees will become hooked on your pizzas and will seek you out for lunch or dinner in the future.

This is an astonishingly effective way to introduce the people who work in your neighborhood to your product and establish customer loyalty for years to come.

June/July 2014

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Offer half-priced meals for dining at the worst table in the house, and customers will line up around the block for the privilege of sitting there.

8.

9.

The MVP Reward promotion allows customers to enjoy a substantial discount and reward their favorite servers at the same time.

5.

6.

7.

The MVP Reward. Using direct mail, send $20 gift certificates to 300 households in your immediate neighborhood. The customers who redeem the certificates can apply $10 to purchases from your menu and $10 to the employee of their choice who provides the best service.

Your employees will bend over backwards to cater to these customers’ every whim, and you will generate incredible customer interest—not to mention additional sales and profits.

Half-Price to Repeat Customers. In this promotion, any customer who makes a purchase at your restaurant today and returns within 24 hours receives 50% off any item he or she orders on the second visit. Because this promotion is so powerful, I recommend that you only use it every six months for a two-week period.

Clients who have implemented this promotion have registered sales increases of up to 13%.

10.

Roll the Dice Discount. This is a sure bet for attracting lines of customers that will rival the queues to purchase Powerball tickets. Put out the word that your customers will get to roll dice to determine how much of a discount they’ll receive on your food. The only gamble involved is how much the customer will save! Designate a specific night for this promotion and tout it on Facebook, Twitter and other social media as well as on your website and in emails or newsletters.

The Tijuana Toss. Once a customer places an order from the menu, the server flips a coin and the guest calls heads or tails. The loser—either the customer or the restaurant—pays for the order. Every customer who walks through the door has a 50-50 shot at getting a free meal. Obviously, this promotion can get expensive for you, so you probably shouldn’t make this a weekly event, but it will definitely generate customer interest, especially if you hype it on your website and through social media.

The Worst Table in the Joint. Many pizzerias have a table that customers avoid like the plague. Perhaps it’s too close to the kitchen, the bathroom or the front door. With this creative promotion, you’ll have customers lined up around the block for the privilege of sitting there. Simply offer half-priced meals at the worst table in your restaurant. Customers who arrive too late to get that table will still want to eat at your pizzeria—they’re already there! As an ancillary sales spinoff, you can create T-shirts that read, “I sat at the worst table in the joint at [your restaurant’s name], and it was the best meal I ever had!”

Mystery Night. Set aside one specific hour on one day per week to offer free pizza. The catch is, no one but you and your staff will know which night and which hour it is. (You will have to swear your employees to absolute secrecy, of course.) Promote it on Facebook, Twitter and other social media to build up anticipation. You will be amazed at the long lines that will gather in anticipation of a possible free meal.

62 PMQ Pizza Magazine The Pizza Industry’s Business Monthly

Consider setting aside one hour on one day per week to offer free food, but don’t tell anyone except your staff when the discount will be offered. Spread the word and watch as customers show up in hopes of getting lucky.

Chicago-based Connie’s Pizza delivers pizzas in mass quantities to community events in its custom-designed trucks.

11.

New Resident Mailing Program. This is one of the simplest and least expensive—yet most effective—ways to attract new residents to your pizzeria. Using a wellcrafted direct mail piece, send out targeted mailings to welcome newcomers to the neighborhood and offer them a free meal or pizza. Make them feel at home, and your pizzeria will become their go-to choice in the future.

12.

Benefit Minithons. Work with local charities or student groups to help them raise money for their causes. Offer them 20% of your overall sales on a particular evening, and these groups will work overtime to make the night a smashing success. Ask them to pass out fliers for the event, with your pizzeria name and logo prominently featured, and to promote the event to their members, family and friends via social media, email and snail mail. It’s also a great way to get coverage from the local press!

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An idea born in a pizzeria, Now available to yours.

In one tried-and-true promotion, pizzeria operators can take the classic Bingo concept and turn it into a promotion highlighting key items on their menus.

13.

14.

15.

Bingo Cards. Even in this age of smartphones and social media, don’t underestimate the power of fun, old-school promotions. After all, everyone knows how to play Bingo. Create Bingo game cards that list different menu items in rows and columns of five, with a few “free” spaces sprinkled among them. Each time a customer buys an item on the bingo card, the corresponding space on the card is stamped or punched. When guests fill in a line across, up and down or diagonally, they qualify for a free item of their choice. (Put a time limit on this promotion—for example, you may want to require that a line be filled within 60 days to create a sense of urgency.)

Parking Tickets. You can’t be subtle if you want your coupons to get noticed—and everyone notices a parking ticket! Send employees out on “customer patrol” and have them place “tickets”—actually coupons for your pizzeria—on every car windshield in a given area. Instead of ordering customers to pay a fine, the tickets will tell the vehicle owners that they are “summoned to appear” at your restaurant to receive a half-price pizza or other lunch special.

Horoscope Ads. One of the best-read features in a daily newspaper is the horoscope. So it should come as no surprise that ads designed to look like horoscopes will attract readers’ attention. You can employ this little trick in newspaper display ads or even on your website or social media.

Simply craft a message for your brand’s fans in the guise of a horoscope prediction, such as: Scorpio (Oct. 23–Nov. 22): A charismatic leader will ask for your help organizing the group. Take the whole bunch for lunch at Luigi’s Pizzeria, where there’s something for everyone!

Sagittarius (Nov. 23–Dec. 22): What seemed like a flickering romance will become a passionate love affair with Luigi’s Pizzeria. Falling in love never tasted so good!

Tom Feltenstein is a restaurant marketing consultant and the CEO/founder of Tom Feltenstein’s Power Marketing Academy.

Learn more at PowerMarketingAcademy.com.

64 PMQ Pizza Magazine The Pizza Industry’s Business Monthly

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FEATURE STORY PIZZA BRAIN

The brains behind Pizza Brain: (left to right) Ryan Anderson, Joe Hunter, Michael Carter and Brian Dwyer.

66 PMQ Pizza Magazine The Pizza Industry’s Business Monthly

Check out Pizza TV's video profile of Pizza Brain, the world’s first pizzeria/ pizza museum in Philadelphia.

The

Brain Trust

Philadelphia-based Pizza Brain, the world’s first neighborhood pizzeria/pizza museum, celebrates the slice and its influence on American pop culture.

By Liz Barrett

F

Photography by Liz Barrett

or many, the words “pizza museum” conjure up visions of long, echoing hallways that open to a grand atrium filled with freeze-dried versions of the first Margherita pizza. But at Pizza Brain (pizzabrain.org), the world’s first pizza museum, patrons find a museum/pizzeria hybrid that marries delicious pies with more than 50 years of American pizza pop culture in a casual neighborhood pizza joint.

Located in a small neighborhood a couple of miles from the famous Rocky steps in Philadelphia, locals come to Pizza Brain for the award-winning pizza and stick around to peruse curated displays of an ever-changing collection featuring the zaniest pizza memorabilia this side of the Hudson River. “There are so many items that we’ve collected, we can’t display them all at once,” says co-owner Michael Carter. “We display only around 25% of the collection at any given time. And it’s not just collectibles. People really love pizza, and they make a lot

“Virtually everything that you can think of that can be made has been made with pizza in mind or in front of pizza or with pizza as the subject.

We’ve stumbled upon a wealth of collectibles.”

—Michael Carter, Pizza Brain of digital images incorporating it, too, which we showcase on our website and display on our walls.”

An Art Show Turned Pizzeria Pizza Brain’s story began with a bunch of friends putting together an art show celebrating America’s culture of pizza. A year later, co-founder Brian Dwyer had earned a spot in the Guinness Book of World Records for collecting 561 pizza items. He also teamed with three like-minded friends to create a pizzeria, which, in addition to serving an assortment of

June/July 2014

pmq.com 67

Pizza Brain's collection began with pizza-centric music; meanwhile, there's never a shortage of reading material, thanks to vintage pizza menus, ads and photos encased under the countertops.

red and white specialty pies, would celebrate all things pizzarelated. Now on the cusp of its two-year anniversary, Pizza Brain’s collection of memorabilia, and its customer base, continues to grow.

The concept of a pizza museum was what initially brought partners Brian Dwyer, Michael Carter, Ryan Anderson and Joe Hunter together, according to Dwyer. “It was the fascination of trying to create what we understood to be the only pizza shrine—or pizza culture museum—that exists,” Dwyer says.

“As far as we could tell, nothing brought all of these different items together and celebrated the American culture of pizza. It’s really a hybrid of the two now; it’s mainly a pizzeria that houses a pizza collection, but as we grow as a business, our vision will continue to grow.”

A Wealth of Collectibles While some may wonder how it’s possible to find enough pizza memorabilia to start a museum, Carter and Dwyer say pizza is everywhere in American culture. The partners add to the collection through online purchases; flea markets, thrift stores and garage sales; and even by way of gifts from fans of the pizzeria. “Virtually everything that you can think of that can be made has been made with pizza in mind, or in front of pizza or with pizza as the subject,” Carter says. “We’ve stumbled upon a wealth of collectibles.”

When you walk through the doors of Pizza Brain, it quickly becomes evident that pizza is, in fact, a major cultural touchstone. From the walls and ceilings to cutouts in the floors and drawers that hide surprises, pizza memorabilia fills the space, reminding all who visit how pervasive pizza is in our everyday lives. Through vintage print ads, toys, movie posters, television show references, albums, old photographs or neon signs, there’s pizza to see around every corner—even in the restrooms.

The covers of vinyl records adorn one wall, including the soundtrack to Mystic Pizza and a holiday music album from Domino’s. Flashing lights illuminate a large Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles arcade game called Pizza Drop, while toy Ghost68 PMQ Pizza Magazine The Pizza Industry’s Business Monthly

busters—still in their original packaging—devour pies and an illustrated Smurf enjoys a slice. Nancy Cartwright, the voice of Bart Simpson, signed a script of The Simpsons for Pizza Brain, while John Kricfalusi, creator of Ren & Stimpy, contributed an original signed drawing. One of the more unusual items on display is a toilet seat bearing the image of a rather menacinglooking pizza with eyes and a mouthful of teeth.

“We didn’t set out to be the world’s first pizza museum,” says Dwyer. “We just wanted to open a pizza shop that celebrated this culture. But when we kept unearthing more and more [pizza-related] ephemera, it really started to open our eyes to a culture that the world hasn’t paid much attention to. People are so familiar with pizza that they don’t really view it in the way that we’ve started to put it under a microscope. It’s easy to overlook the fact that it’s been a huge part of American culture over the past 60 years.”

“We’re not the first people to celebrate pizza culture. We just want to be one of the main facilitators of it,” Dwyer adds. “We want to celebrate it with artists and the community that loves pizza as well as everyone else who may not think of pizza the

So much pizza memorabilia can whet a person's appetite; thankfully, this museum strongly encourages eating in front of the artwork.

The open kitchen at Pizza Brain invites customers to watch every step of the pizza making process.

way that we do. We didn’t grow up imagining we’d open a pizza shop, and yet here we are. We saw a need and said, ‘Well, if no one has done it, let’s fill that need.’”

Museum-Worthy Pizza

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Opening a pizza museum came with a fair share of pressure, mainly because those who visit expect pizza that blows other pizzas out of the water. “We knew right out of the gate that if we were going to be a pizza museum and serve pizza, it had better be damn good,” Dwyer says.

“So a large part was figuring out how to make a pizza that was deserving of a pizza museum.”

“Our friends all told us, ‘You’ve gotta have great pizza with all the hype you have,’” Carter recalls. “We really worked hard to have great pizza, and there was a lot of pressure. After we opened and people tried the pizza, we received a lot of awards, and that also puts the pressure on, because you don’t want to slip.

So there’s pressure to live up to initial expectations, and then there’s also the pressure to keep making great pizza.”

Head chef Joe Hunter created and executes the Pizza Brain menu, which offers standouts such as the Charlie Mayfer, a white pie with mozzarella, sweet potato, Honeycrisp apple, honey goat cheese, brown sugar, pecans and pie spice; the Lucy Waggle, another white pie topped with mozzarella, Grana Padano, pine nuts, fresh thyme, sweet date, crisped prosciutto and arugula; and the Kira Tierston, a red pie with mozzarella, smoked bacon, a hint of brown sugar, red onion and oven-roasted Brussels sprouts.

“We asked a lot of questions and did a lot of research when putting the pizzeria and museum together,” Carter says.

“Running a business has its challenges, but my hat’s off to Joe for the pizza and the menu.”

June/July 2014

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Dwyer says Pizza Brain gets visitors from all over the country, some claiming to hail from cities that have the “best pizza.”

“To say there’s a best pizza, I think, is a weird idea,” he says. “It’s like saying there’s only one mountain to climb. I think that’s the beautiful thing about pizza. It can take so many shapes. It can be $2 on a paper plate at a curb or $50 with a bottle of wine, and all those things in between are also pizza. We celebrate all of that. We’re not celebrating Pizza Brain here; we’re celebrating pizza.”

Customers and the media seem to appreciate their efforts.

Famous fans include the rock band Neutral Milk Hotel and Wayne Coyne, frontman for the Flaming Lips. Philadelphia’s Thrillist named Pizza Brain one of the “Coolest Bars and Restaurants in Town,” and a Philadelphia Magazine readers’ poll in 2013 declared Pizza Brain to have the best pizza in the city.

But, despite all of the media hype, Pizza Brain is still just the neighborhood pizza joint to local customers. “Community is a big part of why we love pizza,” says Dwyer, who lives above the pizza shop with the other three owners. “It’s a great way for us to express ourselves in this neighborhood and contribute with something as simple as pizza. It brings some positive gravity to a neighborhood that I think is really looking for it. We just want to be a neighborhood pizza shop for the neighborhood that we love and live in. We don’t try to think about it beyond that.”

Liz Barrett is PMQ’s editor at large.

70 PMQ Pizza Magazine The Pizza Industry’s Business Monthly

The patio behind Pizza Brain comes alive on warm weekend days and summer nights.

Pizza Brain Stats Opened: September 2012 Owners: Bryan Dwyer, marketing; Michael Carter, business strategist; Ryan Anderson, space designer; Joe Hunter, head chef First Item Collected: Fat Boys Pizza Party hip-hop album Most Desired Item: A piece of Pizza the Hut from the 1980s movie Spaceballs Number of Pizza Items in Collection: Nearly 1,000

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MEET THE TANK LIZ BARRETT

Meet the Tank: Tom Lehmann

PMQ’s Think Tank (thinktank.pmq.com) is the only pizza industry forum on the Web, with 2,500 members who meet online regularly to discuss the pizza business. In this column, we’ll introduce you to some of the Tank’s seasoned members who can show you the ropes and lend insights into how the forum has benefited their businesses.

I feel fortunate to have the ability to assist individuals in opening their first store or to help existing operators address their everyday dough problems. Knowing that I can help others and watch them grow and become successful is the true driving force that keeps bringing me back to the Think Tank.

What do you use the Think Tank for most?

Think Tank username: Tom Lehmann Real Name: Tom Lehmann (“The Dough Doctor”) Industry Affiliation: American Institute of Baking Date Joined: June 13, 2006 Number of Posts: 2,143 PMQ: Even though you don’t own a pizza shop, you are one of the industry’s best-known experts on pizza dough, baking and pizzeria operations. How long have you been working in this industry?

Tom Lehmann: I began working with the pizza industry in 1967.

The Think Tank provides me with the ability to learn more about the current problems and issues facing pizzeria operators worldwide, which allows me to develop instructional presentations and write meaningful articles addressing what is important to the Think Tankers. An example of this was when, a few years ago, there was a lot of interest in take-andbake pizza. Based on the number of questions being posted on the Think Tank on this subject, I was able to develop articles for my column as well as presentation materials and formulas for the PMQ Recipe Bank, all addressing the questions and concerns posed by fellow Think Tankers. I also direct new operators to the Think Tank for obtaining answers and dialogue on the vast number of issues they face in the everyday operation of their stores.

Do you remember why you joined the Think Tank?

It seemed to be the thing to do at the time. What a great way to share my knowledge while helping others!

Why have you continued to return to the Think Tank over the years?

The Think Tank is a great place for all of us to share knowledge and experiences. I have spent a lifetime studying all aspects of pizza production, encompassing everything from making pizza in the home kitchen to pizzerias, pizza chains, commissary operations and the largest wholesale manufacturers. These large entities were not created as such, but instead grew into what we see them as today, sometimes from a single pizzeria. While everyone does not have aspirations of becoming the next major pizza chain or manufacturer, they do want to be successful.

As a dough expert, have you ever picked up any tips from the Think Tank?

My favorite saying is, “Beware of the man who knows everything, for he knows not what he does not know!” —Tom Lehmann, 1970. There is always something to be learned by visiting and participating in the Think Tank.

What should a newbie know when first entering the Think Tank?

Don’t be afraid to ask a question, and don’t be afraid to start a dialogue or thread with someone trying to help you. The Think Tank is comprised of some of the best pizza folks in the industry. They are always respectful of others and helpful in answering just about any questions that might be posed.

Connect with fellow operators in the Think Tank. Visit thinktank.pmq.com today!

72 PMQ Pizza Magazine The Pizza Industry’s Business Monthly

Competition - Camaraderie - Success - Italy TEAM GOLD SPONSORS

TEAM SILVER SPONSORS

For more information on how to join the team contact Brian Hernandez at 662-234-5481 ext 129 or brian@pmq.com.

www.uspizzateam.com

2014

THE PIZZA EXCHANGE PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT

Keeping Box Ads Current

Ready to Upgrade?

Featuring WOW! 2 technology, Middleby Marshall’s new PS360G conveyor oven was designed for operators who want to replace their existing PS360/350 ovens with a similarly sized bake chamber and updated cooking technologies. The upgrade allows operators to cook 30% faster than standard conveyor ovens while saving 30% on energy costs.

847-741-3300, middleby.com

New Method Packaging’s new digital pizza-box print program allows pizzeria operators to interact with customers by advertising monthly promotions and upcoming specials on their boxes. To stay current, operators can change their box advertising anytime simply by sending a new file to New Method—without purchasing new print plates.

937-324-3838, newmethodpackaging.com

Planting Le Tree Crafted to Perfection Bianco D’oro mozzarella was developed after a 16-month process of crafting and perfecting flavor, texture and color.

After only six months on the market, Bianco D’oro mozzarella is already standing out from the crowd and solidifying itself as a top-quality mozzarella for the pizza industry.

908-272-4700, biancodoromozzarella@gmail.com

Le Tree is a unique, multi-purpose table that’s ideal for appetizer or buffet dining. Originally designed to present fondue, Le Tree gives your customers a friendly gathering point to enjoy appetizers or drinks. With its space-saving design, it’s a great tool for upselling and entertaining customers while they wait for their table. Available in a variety of colors, it’s limited only by your imagination! larbrea.com

Brick by Brick Staying On-Trend If it’s time to add some variety to your pizzeria menu, look no further than Bonici flatbreads.

Flatbreads offer a unique flavor and bite that adds another dimension to traditional menu items while allowing you to develop new and exciting menu concepts with on-trend products. Tyson provides excellent quality, price points and menu options—all from one trusted place. 800-248-9766, bonici.com 74 PMQ Pizza Magazine The Pizza Industry’s Business Monthly

The Univex Stone Hearth Pizza Dome Oven is constructed of hand-laid refractory bricks, multiple layers of insulation and a hand-cut refractory brick cooking deck. The seven layers of insulation prevent heat loss and provide excellent heat retention. All of this adds up to a costeffective, handmade oven that provides an incredibly good bake. 603-893-6191, univexcorp.com

If you’ve ever considered producing TRAINING PROGRAMS specific to your operations,

the time is now!

Over 25 years of experience in producing training programs specific to the pizza industry, at a cost 50% below our competitors.

pizzaskool .com

Pizzaskool.com hosts your content on-line.

Testable, trackable, reportable training for every member of your team.

Visit pizzaskool.com/demo or call 517.395.4765 Now you can have a learning management system specific to your company at a very affordable price.

IDEA ZONE NOTEADS

A D V E R T O R I A L

NoteAds Offers Promotions That Really Stick!

The use of sticky note ads keeps growing as pizzerias realize there is an adhesive strong enough to be used as a repositionable box topper or door hanger. Not only can sticky notes affordably and conveniently replace taped or spot-glued box toppers, they can also serve as door hangers, direct mail “on-serts” and windshield leaflets. And unlike other direct marketing products, a sticky note can be repositioned on the refrigerator, cupboard or wall as a reminder. Compared to magnets, they save even more money and have more versatility. With the proper adhesive, sticky note ads are the most versatile and affordable direct marketing tool available to the savvy pizza marketer!

“Windshielding” cars in a parking lot is one effective way to use sticky notes. You can hit a lot more cars than houses in the same amount of time, and, if they’re shopping at the neighborhood grocery store, they’re probably potential customers.

Of course, some people may get irritated with a note on their driver’s side window, but it’s far worse to get into your car and then discover a flyer tucked under the windshield wiper. To remain in good standing with the lot’s owners, we recommend having your canvassing crew stay around to pick up any notes dropped on the ground by unappreciative drivers. To avoid

76 PMQ Pizza Magazine The Pizza Industry’s Business Monthly

interaction with drivers altogether, try canvassing parking lots during a big event like a concert or football game. There will be many cars without much traffic for an hour or two, and, with the right offer, the notes can bring many people into your pizzeria that same night!

Finally, keep distribution costs in mind. The collateral piece is relatively inexpensive and generally comes in easy-to-dispense 25-sheet pads; the key is getting the ad in front of the right people for a reasonable price. Distribution methods vary from application on the front page of newspapers (at an average cost of five to 10 cents per home) to paying employees an hourly rate to place the ads on your box tops, neighborhood front doors or car windshields.

You can also share the print cost with a co-sponsor, such as a landscaper, realtor or ice cream shop. Split the ad space with them by placing a coupon for each business on the note with perforations or dotted lines separating the offers. You can even distribute their coupons to your customers via your pizza boxes!

For more moneymaking ideas, contact NoteAds Advertising at 800-309-7502 or visit noteads.com!

IDEA ZONE MESSAGE ON HOLD

A D V E R T O R I A L

How Much Money Do You Lose on the Phone Every Day? Looking to reduce hangups, upsell your customers and make your employees more productive? That’s what Message on Hold is all about. “One thing we ask every customer is, ‘How much money do you lose on the phone every day?’” says Mike Wick from Message On Hold, a Houston, Texas company that offers cutting-edge on-hold messaging services. “The most important thing in the world is the message. What are we saying to the people when they are on hold? Are they hearing a professionally produced upsell message?”

Message On Hold specializes in serving the pizza industry, with more than 3,500 pizzeria customers. Wick says the company’s goal is simple: to make it easier for customers to order from you. The average Message On Hold client sees its average sales go up by 50 cents an order, Wick notes. The return on investment is so great that Message On Hold will install the equipment in your pizzeria, write the scripts and let you use the system for 60 days—all for free. If you don’t like it, just send it back, Wick notes. After 60 days, the service’s cost starts at only $75 per month.

Using state-of-the-art digital equipment connected to your telephone system, Message On Hold, one of the pioneers of the industry, creates the perfect audio mix of licensed music and customized messages about your business. “Forget about the money,” Wick suggests. “When people call your store,

do you want them to feel good? Won’t they feel better with a nice upsell message that entertains them versus dead silence while on hold?” With its engaging and entertaining messages, Message On Hold allows you to project a professional image and decrease hangups while promoting your products and services and creating good will with your customers. On-hold messages can also be used to offer helpful menu suggestions, emphasize special promotions, sales or high-profit items, and announce events, business hours and locations.

It’s also useful for introducing new menu items and advertising for new employees, Wick notes. “There are a lot of ways to use Message On Hold that just make people feel better about calling your restaurant. It’s all about improving customer satisfaction.”

Message On Hold provides a turnkey service that includes copywriting, professional voice talents, digital equipment, installation support, a lifetime replacement warranty, fax or call reminders to update your messages, and many other services. Their No. 1 objective is to become a valued business partner, creating custom messages designed to give you your desired ROI. To learn more, visit messageonholdservice.com or call Mike Wick at 800-392-4664 ext. 1.

June/July 2014

pmq.com 77

WIN A TRIP TO ITALY WITH THE U.S. PIZZA TEAM! An Official US Pizza Team Sanctioned National Competition In conjunction with the Lafayette-Oxford-University Community Independence Day Celebration

July 4th | 10:30-3:30

Powerhouse Community Arts Center, 413 S. 14th St. Oxford, MS

Culinary competition grand prize winner receives a spot on the US Pizza Team and a trip to compete at the World Pizza Championship in April 2015 in Parma, Italy!

To sign up or learn more about competition rules,

contact Melanie Addington at melanie@pmq.com by June 15.

SLICE OF

Anyone affiliated with a pizzeria may enter the contest.

Visit www.uspizzateam.com 78 PMQ Pizza Magazine The Pizza Industry’s Business Monthly

THE PIZZA EXCHANGE BULLETIN BOARD

MARK IT DOWN...

ATTEND NAPICS

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www.NAPICS.com 80 PMQ Pizza Magazine The Pizza Industry’s Business Monthly

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pmq.com 81

THE PIZZA EXCHANGE BULLETIN BOARD

Reach 50,000 Customers PIZZA BUSINESS CARD PACK Get in on our Fall 2014 mailing!

Get your message into the hands of: • Every subscriber of PMQ Pizza Magazine (a BPA audited circulation) • Top officers of the 500 largest U.S. pizza chains • Pizza industry vendors and promoters View the pizza industry’s best deals online at www.pizzacardpack.com!

Book by June 20th to get the Early Bird Special!

SPACE IS LIMITED! CALL TO RESERVE YOUR CARD NOW! Tom Boyles tom@pmq.com 662-234-5481 x122

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82 PMQ Pizza Magazine The Pizza Industry’s Business Monthly

Clifton Moody clifton@pmq.com 662-234-5481 x138

Anna Zemek anna@pmq.com 662-234-5481 x140

June/July 2014

pmq.com 83

THE PIZZA EXCHANGE BULLETIN BOARD

Beauty

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The only pizza app that goes everywhere.

PMQ. ALWAYS WITH YOU. With PMQ Pizza Magazine’s mobile app, you’ll stay connected to fellow pizza operators and have access to the latest, most valuable marketing resources for the pizza industry. Available for iOS and Android devices, this revolutionary asset gives you access to a host of tips, tools and advice from other owners to boost your bottom line.

PMQ Pizza Magazine Digital Edition

The Think Tank Pizza Forum

PMQ’s Online Newsroom

84 PMQ Pizza Magazine The Pizza Industry’s Business Monthly

Recipe of the Week

ADVERTISER INDEX JUNE/JULY 2014 Advertiser

Phone Website

Page

American Metalcraft . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 800-333-9133 . . . . . . amnow.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42 AM Manufacturing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 708-841-0959 . . . . . . ammfg.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 Bacio Cheese . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 855-222-4685 . . . . . . baciocheese.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34, 35 Bella Outdoor Living . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 831-998-8598 . . . . . . bellaoutdoorliving.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80 Bellissimo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 800-813-2974 . . . . . . . bellissimofoods.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 Boylan Bottling Co . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 800-289-7978 . . . . . . boylanbottling.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57 Burke Corporation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 800-654-1152 . . . . . . burkecorp.com/pmq . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Cover 3 Delivery Bags USA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 888-501-2247 . . . . . . deliverybagsusa.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83 Doughmate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 800-501-2458 . . . . . . doughmate.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80 EZ Dine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 877-853-1263 . . . . . . ezdinepos.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79 Foothill Farms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . foothillfarms.com/alfredo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Fontanini . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 800-331-6370 . . . . . . . fontanini.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51 Foremost Farms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 800-362-9196 . . . . . . foremostfarms.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45 Forno Bravo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 800-407-5119 . . . . . . . fornobravo.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81 Fruit Fly Bar Pro . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 888-282-3079 . . . . . . fruitflybarpro.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50 Grande Cheese . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 800-8-GRANDE . . . . . grandecheese.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Hoodmart . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 800-715-1014 . . . . . . . hoodmart.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82 HTH . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 800-321-1850 . . . . . . hthsigns.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80 Ital Crust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 617-484-8212 . . . . . . italcrust.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65 La Nova . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 716-881-3366 . . . . . . lanova.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Cover 4 Liguria. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 800-765-1452 . . . . . . . liguriafoods.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 MF&B Restaurant Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 888-480-EDGE . . . . . edgeovens.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49 Message On Hold . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 800-392-4664 . . . . . . messageonholdservice.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77 Maine Root Handcrafted Beverages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . maineroot.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64 Maine Wood Heat Co. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 207-474-7465 . . . . . . . mainewoodheat.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84 Marsal & Sons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 631-226-6688 . . . . . . marsalsons.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69 Microworks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 800-787-2068 . . . . . . . microworks.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Middleby Marshall . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 877-34-OVENS . . . . . . wowoven.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Moving Targets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 800-926-2451 . . . . . . movingtargets.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 MPP Marketing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 866-889-8745 . . . . . . . mppmarketinggroup.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83 NAPICS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . napics.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80 NoteAds Advertising . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 800-309-7502 . . . . . . noteads.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76 Orca Beverage Bottling Co . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 425-349-5655 . . . . . . orcabeverage.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59 Our Town America . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 800-497-8360 . . . . . . ourtownamerica.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71 Peerless Ovens . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 800-548-4514 . . . . . . peerlessovens.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82 Perfect Crust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 800-783-5343 . . . . . . . perfectcrust.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81 Pizza Skool . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 517-395-4765 . . . . . . . traintogreatness.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75 Restaurant Depot . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . restaurantdepot.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53 Somerset Industries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 978-667-3355 . . . . . . . smrset.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70 Stanislaus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 800-327-7201 . . . . . . . stanislaus.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4, 5 Staples . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . staples.com/restaurant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Cover 2 State Farm . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . st8.com/bizinsurance.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 Sunray Printing Solutions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 320-492-3017 . . . . . . sunrayprinting.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63 Takeout Printing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 845-564-2609 . . . . . . takeoutprinting.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81 Todarini Foods . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 855-279-6977 . . . . . . . todarinifoods.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 Tyson Foods, Inc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 800-248-9766 . . . . . . . tysonfoodservice.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 Ultra Thin Pizza Shells & Flatbreads . . . . . . . 516-279-6655 . . . . . . . ultrathinpizza.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Univex . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 800-258-6358 . . . . . . univexcorp.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41 XLT Ovens . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 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.

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THE PIZZA EXCHANGE PIZZA INDUSTRY RESOURCE GUIDE Grab a direct weblink to every advertiser in this guide at PMQ.com

ADVERTISING

CHEESE CONT.

Redshift Backpage Ad (Draft 1).pdf

1

8/2/13

2:59 PM

APPS

Mobile Voice Recognition For Hands Free Ordering www.redshiftcompany.com (720) 884-6853 BAKING SCHOOLS AMERICAN INSTITUTE OF BAKING..........................................................Manhattan, KS 785-537-4750.................................................................................Fax: 785-537-1493

COMPUTER SYSTEMS: POINT OF SALE

BAKING STONES CALIFORNIA PIZZA STONES............................................. www.californiapizzastones.com Virtually indestructible and impervious to thermal shock. 100% Guarantee against cracking.

(707) 545-6528.......................................................... support@CaliforniaPizzaStones.com FIBRAMENT-D BAKING STONE.....................................................www.bakingstone.com 708-478-6032.......................................NSF approved baking stone for all ovens by AWMCO

CARD PROCESSING

All The Tech Your Pizzeria Needs Tablet and Traditional Point-of-Sale • Integrated online & smartphone ordering •

• •

CALL FOR A DEMO TODAY!

86 PMQ Pizza Magazine The Pizza Industry’s Business Monthly

Self Serve Kiosk ordering Automated customer loyalty marketing

800.750.3947 www.granburyrs.com

THE PIZZA EXCHANGE PIZZA INDUSTRY RESOURCE GUIDE CONSULTING

COMPUTER SYSTEMS: POINT OF SALE

WE’RE IN TOUCH WITH YOUR POS NEEDS. ■ ■ ■ ■ ■

Integrated Inventory Management Marketing Systems Result Mapping Online Ordering System and much more!

CRUSTS

817.299.4500 sales@BreakawayPOS.com www.BreakawayPOS.com

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

DeIorio Foods

@DeIorios

blog.DeIorios.com

DeIorios.com

pmq.com/Recipe-Bank/

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THE PIZZA EXCHANGE PIZZA INDUSTRY RESOURCE GUIDE DOUGH CONT.

DOUGH TRAYS/PROOFING TRAYS • Dough Trays – extremely durable and airtight!

Outlasts All Other Dough Trays • Dough Tray Covers – designed to fit!

• Plastic Dough Knives – two ergonomic designs!

• 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 25 years manufacturing in dough trays.

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

DOUGH DIVIDERS/ROUNDERS

When Dough Matters!

Eliminate racks, lids and tins with our stackable, airtight and cost effective Dough Trays.

1-502-969-2305 www.DoughTrays.com COST EFFECTIVE

STACKABLE

AIRTIGHT

DURABLE

ORDER DIRECT

4601 COMMERCE CROSSINGS DR., STE 300, LOUISVILLE, KY 40229 | p: 502-969-2305 | f: 502-810-0907

WWW.DOUGHTRAYS.COM

FLOUR, GLUTEN-FREE

DOUGH PRESSES, ROLLERS

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

FLOUR

800.835.0606 ext. 205 | www.doughxpress.com

dough presses, dough dividers/divider rounders, dough dockers, carts and accessories

88 PMQ Pizza Magazine The Pizza Industry’s Business Monthly

THE PIZZA EXCHANGE PIZZA INDUSTRY RESOURCE GUIDE GELATO

FLOUR CONT.

FOOD DISTRIBUTORS

True Artisan Gelato

(888) 316-1545 www.stefanosgelato.com

GLUTEN-FREE PRODUCTS W H O L E S O

M E

&

D E L I C I O U S ™ WHOLES

OME & DELICIOUS

™

HYGIENE

1500 WEST 4TH STREET, SUITE R, MANSFIELD, OHIO 44906 PHONE: 419-525-1010 . FAX: 419-525-0595 WWW.CYCLOMOP.COM | SALES@CYCLOMOP.COM

A FLY KILLER Kills all flies, cockroaches & spiders Guaranteed elimination

1051 Amboy Avenue, Perth Amboy NJ

800-997-0887 or 732-346-0600

888-282-3079, or 631-237-1414 www.fruitflybarpro.com

Fax:732-346-0882

Serving NY, NJ, PA, DE, CT

www.vesuviofoods.com INDUSTRY STATISTICS

RESTAURANTDATA.COM

FRANCHISING

Easy Access ■ Flexible Searches ■ Smart Results

Should You Franchise Your Restaurant?

1 Bridge St • PO Box 285 • Irvington NY 10533 • 914-591-4297

Call today to receive your free DVD on “How to Franchise Your Business” and learn about one of the most dynamic methods of expanding your business in today’s marketplace.

708-957-2300 • www.ifranchisegroup.com

®

FRANCHISE CONSULTANTS

INSURANCE PIZZAPRO..............................................................Low cost pizza delivery insurance program Contact Julie Evans (717) 214-7616..............................................................www.pizzapro.amwins.com

FROZEN YOGURT

Frozen Yogurt = $ Add frozen yogurt as a profit center.

1-800-788-0808 www.nancis.com/pizza

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THE PIZZA EXCHANGE PIZZA INDUSTRY RESOURCE GUIDE MACHINERY/OVENS/EQUIPMENT

MIDDLEBY MARSHALL

OVENS MIXERS

RANDELL

PREP TABLES

AMERICAN RANGE

WALK-INS

SOMERSET

PARTS SMALLWARES

90 PMQ Pizza Magazine The Pizza Industry’s Business Monthly

1-800-426-0323

www.northernpizza.com

IMPERIAL

THE PIZZA EXCHANGE PIZZA INDUSTRY RESOURCE GUIDE MACHINERY/OVENS/EQUIPMENT CONT.

MARKETING IDEAS LOCALGIFTCARDS.COM...........888-494-9760.....Your pizzas are mobile – why not try mobile gift cards? Sell e-gift cards and m-gift cards on your website. No upfront costs. Simple set up.

Visit LocalGiftCards.com to get started.

MAGNETS

MEAT TOPPINGS

MAGNETS 7.9¢ ea.

BURKE CORPORATION....................................................................................... www.BurkeCorp.com Italian, Mexican-Style and Specialty Fully Cooked Meats Contact: Liz Hertz.............................. sales_info@burkecorp.com.............................800-654-1152

• Business Card Magnet • Pizza Slice Magnet

Dine In•Carryout•Catering

• Free Design Work

2503B N. Harrison St. 6 Arlington, VA 22207-161

• 2,000 minimum

703-237-0200 www.pie-tanza.com

800-521-4773

www.magneticattracations.com/BCM MAILING SERVICES

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

TODARINI FOODS.......................Featuring Italian ChickenTM & Sicilian ChickenTM Pizza Toppings www.todarinifoods.com......................................................................................... 855-279-6977

MIXERS 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

60 Quart, Heavy Duty Pizza Mixer

MANAGEMENT

Handles 50 lb. bag of flour • Direct gear drive transmission Rigid cast iron construction • Best warranty in its class

www.globemixers.com • 800-347-5423 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!

www.timeforge.com 866.684.7191

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THE PIZZA EXCHANGE PIZZA INDUSTRY RESOURCE GUIDE MIXERS CONT.

ONLINE ORDERING

Mixing, Dividing, Rounding, and Spinning www.univexcorp.com Tel. 800-258-6358 Fax. 603-893-1249

MOBILE CATERING TRUCKS/UNITS

PIZZA BOXES MOISTURE-ABSORBENT TOPPINGS CONDITIONER

OLIVES PIZZA BOX LINERS

PIZZA TRAINING

ON HOLD MARKETING

pmq.com/Recipe-Bank/ 92 PMQ Pizza Magazine The Pizza Industry’s Business Monthly

THE PIZZA EXCHANGE PIZZA INDUSTRY RESOURCE GUIDE PIZZA DELIVERY THERMAL BAGS

Metal is the right choice.

Aluminum is lighter and longer lasting that wooden peels.

Introducing the ultimate perforated pizza peel to easily sift away excess flour.

Tailored to your preferred length, shape and functionality.

100% made in Italy and available in America, close to you with the service you need.

Pro fe & r ssion est au al too ran ts, ls for sin piz ce z 19 erias 86 .

GI.METAL USA, INC Phone (630) 553 9134 www. gimetalusa.com info@gimetalusa.com

Be Smart.

Wood is over.

MADE IN ITALY

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THE PIZZA EXCHANGE PIZZA INDUSTRY RESOURCE GUIDE PIZZA DELIVERY THERMAL BAGS

PIZZA OVENS CONT.

CUSTOMERS CARE

HOW THEIR FOOD IS DELIVERED The Electric HOTBAG™ Heated Delivery System Heats and stays at 160-175F Dry electric heat = No Moisture 1000 Denier Nylon Construction Two Heating Elements Easy to clean

Any quantity or mix of bags AC to DC power supplies Heat all bags simultaneously Quick release power connectors

www.hotbag.com 800-927-6787 Made in the USA

www.PigIronPizza.com 575-590-7769 UL2162 & NFS-4 Certiied

NO MORE COLD & SOGGY FOOD, NO MORE UNHAPPY CUSTOMERS!

PIZZA OVENS EARTHSTONE OVENS, INC. ................6717 San Fernando Rd....................Glendale, CA 91201 800-840-4915........................Fax: 818-553-1133........................... www.earthstoneovens.com All units UI listed.

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 WOOD STONE CORPORATION.......................................Stone Hearth & Specialty Commercial Cooking Equipment..................................... 1801 W. Bakerview Rd.............Bellingham, WA 98226 TOLL Free 800-988-8103......................Fax: 360-650-1166............woodstone-corp.com 94 PMQ Pizza Magazine The Pizza Industry’s Business Monthly

Stone Deck, Pizza Dome, and Bakery

www.univexcorp.com Tel. 800-258-6358 Fax. 603-893-1249

Patent Pending

THE PIZZA EXCHANGE PIZZA INDUSTRY RESOURCE GUIDE PIZZA PANS CONT.

PIZZA OVENS CONT.

AMERICAN MADE

WWW.XLTOVENS.COM

Pizza Screens • The Ultimate in Bake Disks Pizza Pans... Round, Square, & Rectangular Sauce/Cheese Rings • Pan Covers Pizza Cutters/Knives

TO ORDER CALL (316) 943-2751 | TOLL-FREE: (888) 443-2751 | FAX: (316) 943-2769

P.A. PRODUCTS, Inc. BAKEWARE SPECIALISTS

33709 Schoolcraft • Livonia, Michigan 48150 (734) 421-1060 • FAX: (734) 421-1208 www.paprod.com PIZZA PEELS

PIZZA SUPPLIES

• Pizza Preparation and Delivery Products •

National Marketing, Inc.

www.nminc.com 800-994-4664

734-266-2222

PIZZA PANS

Fax: 734-266-2121

Manufacturers’ Direct Pricing • Call or order online • We export

Inventor of

The Quik-Disk™

The best screen replacement since 1989.

LLOYD INDU STR IES ®

100’s OF SMART PIZZA PRODUCTS ONLINE!

Buy Direct and Save $$ • www.lloydpans.com • 1-800-748-6251

pmq.com/Recipe-Bank/

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THE PIZZA EXCHANGE PIZZA INDUSTRY RESOURCE GUIDE PIZZA SUPPLIES CONT.

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

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 Starburst Die-Cut H om e of T h e B I G O N E !

555-555-555

10,000 Menus/Flyers 10,000 Boxtoppers/Flyers Full Color / 8.5 x 11 / 2- Sided / 60# Gloss Text Full Color / 8.5 x 5.5 / 2- Sided / 60# Gloss Text

$295.00 MENU ON BACK

$199.00

MENU ON BACK

Shipping not included

We Pride Ourselves on Quality!

HOT SUBS • COLD SUBS • ITALIAN HOAGIES GRILLED CHICKEN BREAST • SALAD PLATTERS PHILLY CHEESESTEAKS • CATERING

$1.00 Off Any Medium or Large

Valid only with coupon Not valid with any other offer Valid only at the Newnan Location

KONG’S CLUB

with purchase of a 22 oz. drink

1/2 Off

Valid only with coupon Not valid with any other offer Valid only at the Newnan Location

purchase any Large Sub get 1/2 off another Large Sub of equal or lessor value

FREE

22 oz. Drink

Valid only with coupon Not valid with any other offer Valid only at the Newnan Location

with purchase of a Medium or Large Sub

555-555-555 770-253-4711

1111 Bullsboro Dr., Ste. 9 • Newnan, GA 30265 W e're in the Newnan Promenade Shopping Plaze near Wal-mart

10,000 Doorhangers only $299.00

100# Gloss Text, Full Color, 4.25 x 11, 2 Sided Below Wholesale Prices Always

678-886-3664

SECURITY

www.doorhangersRus.com

SOCIAL MEDIA !

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96 PMQ Pizza Magazine The Pizza Industry’s Business Monthly

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June/July 2014

pmq.com 97

DEPARTMENT TIME CAPSULE

Savo’s Pizza & Family Restaurant This Pennsylvania-based “little pizzeria that could” overcame hardships through innovation and sheer will to succeed.

At 19 and 22 years old, brothers Ray and Michael Savokinas were ready to take the plunge into pizza when a local pizzeria owner who was leaving town promised it’d cost only $800 to set up shop. The year was 1964, and the tab ended up being closer to $8,000—not to mention opening week was tinged with hostility when a competitor schemed to outright put them out of business. Luckily, Savo’s Pizza & Family Restaurant (savospizza.com) in downtown Pittston, Pennsylvania, was an instant success, winning hordes of fans for its slow-cooked sauce and now-iconic rectangular pies. “We’d developed all of the recipes with my mom and other family members, and we were successful right off the bat,” recalls Ray. “From day one, we’d offer anyone who wasn’t satisfied their money back, no questions asked. Fifty years ago, you didn’t see that, even in major retailers.”

In 1971, Savo’s moved to a shopping mall, and a second location opened in nearby Wyoming, Pennsylvania, in 1973. But Michael’s sons point out that innovation continued: Art Savonikas remembers the pizzeria as a take-and-bake pioneer (the first in the area to offer par-baked pies for customers to cook at home), while Michael Jr. recalls introducing little-known Buffalo wings way back in 1985. And getting attention never seemed to be a problem—one newspaper ad initiated a frenzy when it proclaimed, “Don’t Buy Savo’s Pizza,” then stated in fine print at the bottom, “Unless you want the very best.”

Of course, bumps in the road were inevitable. When Ray and Michael started work on a nightclub, their bank loans fell through mid-construction. “We even had to go to loan sharks for money, but we still ended up opening it in 1975,” Ray says. “Then, in 1977, a fire destroyed a good part of the shopping center, so we had to close the pizzeria for six months.”

Even through ups and downs, the Savo’s mall location remains, now cemented as a well-loved Pittston institution by generations of locals. The interior of the pizzeria is designed as an exact replica of its original downtown location, and records from 1964—its opening year—decorate the walls. Unfortunately, the marketing and design mind behind the business, Michael, passed away late last year, just before the golden anniversary he’d long looked forward to. But his wife, Georgia, keeps the business thriving with their two sons, who work to attract the next generation of customers through online ordering, an app and the pizzeria’s firstever round pie, which rolled out last May. Meanwhile, original co-founder Ray still pitches in to offer guidance as the business continues to charge ahead. “My brother and I did a lot of hard work to be successful,” he says. “We had a lot of hurdles, but we always kept looking forward, not back.”

—Tracy Morin

98 PMQ Pizza Magazine The Pizza Industry’s Business Monthly

(Top to bottom) Michael and Ray Savokinas wield their pizza peels; the current Savo’s replicates its original downtown location, shown here in the ’60s; Ray and Michael’s mother, Madeline Savokinas (and her husband, Joseph) helped develop recipes before opening.

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

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

Links to Extra Content

Featured Video: Pizza TV profiles Pizza Brain, the world’s first pizzeria/pizza museum in Philadelphia.

Featured Video: PMQ Extra: Be a fly on the wall at a get-together of Think Tank members in Las Vegas.