PMQ Pizza Magazine March 2017

THE WORLD'S AUTHORITY ON PIZZA | PMQ.COM

Lights!

Camera!

Pizza!

Why video marketing is the pizzeria owner’s new best friend PAGE 34

R

Fresh Mozzarella Slices Panin i Slice

rese p a C lice S d Sala z. slices

1 oz.

1.4 o

PLUS:

www.caputocheese.com

slices

Turn Over

Dreaming of a White Pizza PAGE 50

Keep on Truckin’ with Mobile Kitchens PAGE 58

March17PMQ-CoverTIP.indd 1

2/9/17 2:49 PM

Manufacturers and Processors of Fine Italian Cheese

Since 1978, the Caputo name has been known for the finest Italian cheeses. Caputo Grated, Shredded and Shaved Cheeses hold the quality flavor that only high standards and family pride can produce. Add our classic cheeses to your favorite family recipes - from pizza, pasta, soups and salads to sauces, stuffing and fish.

Melrose Park, IL 708-450-0074 CaputoCheese.com

March17PMQ-CoverTIP.indd 2

2/9/17 2:49 PM

PMQ PIZZA MAGAZINE | March 2017 | Volume 21, Issue 2

THE WORLD'S AUTHORITY ON PIZZA | PMQ.COM

Lights!

Camera!

Pizza!

Why video marketing is the pizzeria owner’s new best friend PAGE 34

PLUS: The Pizza Industry’s Business Monthly | PMQ.com

Dreaming of a White Pizza PAGE 50

Keep on Truckin’ with Mobile Kitchens PAGE 58

March17-COVER.indd 1

2/10/17 3:26 PM

©2017 AB Mauri Food Inc.

02-05 ADS March17.indd 2

2/9/17 2:58 PM

02-05 ADS March17.indd 3

2/9/17 2:58 PM

SFP_2pgAd_PMQ_ATP_2.pdf

3

7/20/16

1:09 PM

C

M

Y

CM

MY

CY

CMY

K

02-05 ADS March17.indd 4

2/9/17 2:58 PM

pizzamagazine.com

02-05 ADS March17.indd 5

00

2/9/17 2:58 PM

ONLINE AT PMQ.COM

FIND US!

Now On One-Minute Recipe Videos: The Salty Sweet Meat We’ve rolled out our new series of one-minute recipe videos with an easypeasy treat that can’t be beat: the Salty Sweet Meat. As the name suggests, it’s a tantalizing blend of palate-pleasing flavors made with sweet Italian sausage, pepperoni and orange and red peppers. Try out the recipe yourself, make some tweaks to fit your pizza style and menu, and let us know what you think. You can watch the video and get the full recipe in text format at PMQ.com/recipebank!

Exclusively On PMQ.com Trump-Inspired Pizza Sells for $10,000 Inspired by President Trump, a pizzeria owner with a heart of gold has created a pizza made of gold. Hakki Akdeniz, the owner of Champion Pizza in New York, has designed a pizza topped with edible 23-karat gold leaf that spells out TRUMP. The goal: to benefit the homeless shelter that kept him alive after he first immigrated to the U.S. Read about it at PMQ.com.

Can Smaller Pizza Companies Ever Compete with Domino’s?

Small chains and independents may have fallen too far behind to ever catch up to Domino’s ordering and delivery technologies. So says the company’s CEO, Patrick Doyle. As more customers rely on digital ordering, it can only play to Domino’s strength, Doyle told Investor’s Business Daily. Next comes voice ordering and self-driving delivery cars. Read more at PMQ.com.

6

8 Technologies That Could Change Pizza Forever A brave new world has dawned for pizza makers and consumers, but whether those changes will be for the better or worse is anyone’s guess. From 3-D printing to pizza vending machines, we take a look at an array of new, fast-evolving technologies that could change how we make, sell and deliver the world’s most popular food. Read more about it at PMQ.com.

The Dude Abides: 10 Wickedly Clever Pies at Two Boots Pizza Two Boots operates one of our favorite pizzeria websites, and that’s due in no small part to its delightful graphics and cleverly named specialty pizzas. Taking inspiration from sources like The Big Lebowski, Kanye West and The Dick Van Dyke Show, this chain has expanded from its first location in New York’s East Village to as far away as Nashville and Los Angeles.

Read more at PMQ.com.

PMQ Pizza Magazine The Pizza Industry’s Business Monthly

OnlineAtPMQ_March17.indd 6

2/9/17 3:11 PM

OnlineAtPMQ_March17.indd 7

2/9/17 3:11 PM

PMQ PIZZA MAGAZIN 2017 E | March | Volume 21, Issue 2

Contents

D'S AUTH

THE WORL

ORITY ON

PMQ.COM PIZZA |

!

Lights Came!ra!

Pizza eting Why video mark owner’s is the pizzeria d PAGE 34 new best frien

ON THE COVER Dreaming of White Pizza

’s Busines Industry

a

PAGE 50

s Monthly m | PMQ.co

Why Video is Pizza’s New Best Friend

The Pizza

34

PLUS:

in’ Keep on TruckKitchens with Mobile PAGE 58

Pizza’s the ultimate made-for-TV food, and video is becoming one of the dominant marketing tools of the social media age. PMQ offers an in-depth look at how to create video content that sells more pizza.

FEATURES O.G. PIZZA

50

50

Dreaming of a White Pizza White pies can incorporate everything from ranch dressing to Alfredo sauce and ricotta, making them temptingly versatile for operators and customers alike. By Tracy Morin

58

Keep On Truckin’ As the food-truck movement keeps rolling along, three successful operators explain how they turned their freewheeling pizzerias into steady moneymakers. By Tracy Morin

66 LOMBARDI PIZZA CO.

58

Seizing the Upside of a Downturn, Part 3 Never underestimate the power of “yes” in customer relations—it can give your pizzeria a big advantage over competitors in the battle for customers’ dollars. By Rick Drury

74

A Clean Slate Woodstock’s, a small chain in California, has made the switch to cleaner, healthier ingredients, but it hasn’t been easy—or cheap. Here’s how they did it. By Rick Hynum

82

Pint-Sized Powerhouses Operators with drive-thru pizza shops are finding success with the right combination of technology, staff training, marketing and streamlined service. By Tracy Morin

82 PRECINCT PIZZA

PMQ Pizza Magazine The Pizza Industry’s Business Monthly

TOC_March17.indd 8

PIZZA

8

MAD DASH

66

2/10/17 8:25 AM

TOC_March17.indd 9

2/9/17 3:11 PM

DEPARTMENTS

18

In Lehmann’s Terms: How to Make a More Durable Take-and-Bake Pizza If you’re planning to offer a take-and-bake option, creating a pizza that’s “consumer-proof ” will be your toughest challenge, says Tom “The Dough Doctor” Lehmann.

32 20

New York’s Finest: Housemade Pretzels Here’s a side item with a twist: Chef Bruno offers a profitable alternative to traditional garlic knots.

22

Accounting for Your Money: How to Better Organize Your Back Office If your back-of-the-house office is a disorganized mess, it could be costing you money. Here’s how to get it in tip-top shape—and keep it that way.

20

24

The Think Tank: The Advantages of a Takeaway Menu Many customers, including younger ones, still want a printed menu they can carry home with them, our Think Tank experts say.

30

Art of Marketing: 4 Deals to Ease the Pain of Tax Day This month, PMQ presents promos to perk up taxpayers, plus three ideas for honoring Earth Day and four ways to spoil Mom on Mother’s Day.

32

Recipe of the Month: Arugula and Spicy Sausage Cavatappi In this hearty dish from Escalon, corkscrew pasta nicely captures the small bits of hot Italian sausage and Spanish onion for maximum flavor.

114

98

Pizza Without Borders Moscow gets its first pizzeria named after a flour mix, while Seoul gets a New York-style pizza joint with authentic Brooklyn-based craft brews.

IN EVERY ISSUE 6

Online at PMQ.com

12

From the Editor

16

From the Inbox

26

Moneymakers

88

Where We’ve Been, Where We’re Going

94

Product Spotlight

SPONSORED CONTENT

100

The Pizza Exchange

92

Check out our digital and tablet editions for bonus video content, including more white pizza recipes and accompanying recipe videos. Visit PMQ. com/digital to view the digital edition, or download our tablet app at iTunes, Google Play and Amazon.com.

TOC_March17.indd 10

114

Pizza Hall of Fame: Martino’s Italian Villa From Italy to Kokomo, Frank and Angelo Martino made a life-changing move that spawned a pizza legend in Indiana.

Idea Zone: Hospitality Mint Giving your customers free mints along with your check can boost server tips and improve the overall guest experience.

93

Idea Zone: The Pizza Tong This one-of-a-kind utensil acts as both a spatula and a pair of tongs, letting employees serve up hot, fresh pizzas without having to touch them.

2/10/17 8:27 AM

THE SUCCESS OF OUR BUSINESS IS BASED ON THE SUCCESS OF YOURS

Visit us at booth N1964

24/7/365 TECHNICAL SUPPORT 888-443-2751 WWW.XLTOVENS.COM

TOC_March17.indd 11

2/9/17 3:11 PM

FROM THE EDITOR

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

A PUBLICATION OF PMQ, INC. | 662-234-5481 VOLUME 21, ISSUE 2 MARCH 2017

Born to Blog

PUBLISHER

Steve Green, sg@pmq.com ext. 123

I

’ve never been a blogger. Blogging calls for brevity, and I’m a long-winded son of a gun. I struggle every month to keep this column under 400 words, because I’m certain everything I write is brilliant and not to be whittled down or trifled with. Fortunately, I’ve managed to round up some folks who were born to blog about pizza marketing and the pizza world in general. If you haven’t read our current crop of bloggers at PMQ.com, including two brand-new ones, you’re missing out: 1. Andy Knef—PMQ’s associate editor writes the Pizza Perspective blog, and his perspective is, admittedly, a little skewed. Andy keeps things light and funny, commenting on everything from his travels with the U.S. Pizza Team to Kristen Stewart’s Totino’s-inspired makeout session with Vanessa Bayer on Saturday Night Live. Get a peek inside Andy’s mind at pizzaperspective.pmq.com.

2. Bruce Irving—The man behind the Smart Pizza Marketing podcast now produces a blog by the same name for us. Bruce has been knocking it out of the park on topics such as social media trends, handling negative reviews and email vs. direct mail marketing. When space allows, we’ll run some of Bruce’s content here in these very pages—it’s really good stuff. Start reading and learning at smartpizzamarketing.pmq.com.

3. Missy Green—Our international correspondent travels the globe in search of good pizza and even better pizza stories on the Pizza Without Borders blog. She recently judged a Swedish pizza competition in Stockholm and does a terrific job of reporting on overseas trends from Shanghai to Paris, all with her trademark wit and insider’s knowledge.

Read her insights at pizzawithoutborders.pmq.com.

4. Milvian Prieto—Milvian is one of the sharp, young minds behind the popular NJ Pizza Girls Instagram account. These pizza-savvy young ladies have become a familiar sight at pizzerias around the Garden State, snapping pics of their favorite pies and spreading goodwill everywhere they go. As of press time, Milvian has written only two blogs for us— including a mini-profile of Anthony Saporito, co-owner of Urban Fire in Madison, New Jersey—but that just means we’ve got a lot to look forward to! Start following her adventures at njpizzagirls.pmq.com.

In fact, I hope you’ll start following all of our talented bloggers. They’re working hard so I don’t have to, and God bless ‘em for that!

PMQ PIZZA MAGAZINE | March 2017 | Volume 21, Issue 2

THE WORLD'S AUTHORITY ON PIZZA | PMQ.COM

Lights!

Camera!

Pizza!

Why video marketing is the pizzeria owner’s new best friend PAGE 34

PLUS: The Pizza Industry’s Business Monthly | PMQ.com

Dreaming of a White Pizza PAGE 50

Keep on Truckin’ with Mobile Kitchens PAGE 58

12

Linda Green, linda.pmq@gmail com ext. 121 EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Rick Hynum, rick@pmq.com ext. 130 ASSOCIATE EDITOR

Andy Knef, andy@pmq.com ext. 136 EDITOR AT LARGE

Liz Barrett, liz@pmq.com SENIOR COPY EDITOR

Tracy Morin, tracy@pmq.com INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT

Missy Green, missy@pmq.com ART DIRECTOR

Eric Summers, eric@pmq.com ext. 134 CREATIVE DIRECTOR

Sarah Beth Wiley, sarahbeth@pmq.com ext. 135 SENIOR MEDIA PRODUCER

Daniel Lee Perea, dperea@pmq.com ext. 139 IT DIRECTOR

Aaron Harris, aaron@pmq.com ext. 137 CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER

Shawn Brown, shawn@pmq.com CIRCULATION MANAGER

Sherlyn Clark, sherlyn@pmq.com ext. 120 TEST CHEF/EVENT COORDINATOR

Brian Hernandez, brian@pmq.com ext. 129

ADVERTISING SALES DIRECTOR

Linda Green, linda@pmq.com ext. 121 SENIOR ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE

Clifton Moody, clifton@pmq.com ext. 138 ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE

Tom Boyles, tom@pmq.com ext. 122 MARKETING DIRECTOR

Anna Zemek, anna@pmq.com ext. 140 SALES ASSISTANT

Brandy Pinion, brandy@pmq.com ext. 127

PMQ INTERNATIONAL PMQ CHINA

Yvonne Liu, yvonne@pmq.com PMQ AUSTRALIA-NZ

Tom Boyles, tom@pmqaustralia.com PMQ RUSSIA

Vladimir Davydov, vladimir@pmq.com

PMQ PIZZA MAGAZINE

ON THE COVER: Pizza is the ultimate made-for-TV food, and video marketing was made for pizzerias. Learn how to use video to sell more pizza in our cover story, starting on page 34.

Photo illustration by Eric Summers

CO-PUBLISHER

605 Edison St. • Oxford, MS 38655 662.234.5481 • 662.234.0665 Fax

Rick Hynum Editor-in-Chief PMQ Pizza Magazine

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.

PMQ Pizza Magazine The Pizza Industry’s Business Monthly

editorsnote_March17.indd 12

2/10/17 8:27 AM

PizzaEx

DELIVERING AUTHENTIC ITALIAN

THE TRIP INCLUDES

Airfare, Hotel, Expo Ticket in the one-and-only Las Vegas!

To reg iste QR co r, scan the de or belli visit ssim o p iz give awa zaexpo y.co m for d your c etails and hance to win ! *T RIP VA LUED AT

$2,50 0.

Visit Bellissimo Booth #1543

PizzaExpoAd_PMQ.indd 1 editorsnote_March17.indd 13

2/1/17 11:00 AM 2/9/17 3:12 PM

DeChera Trollinger Shift Leader, Eureka Pizza

tysonspread-March17.indd 14

2/9/17 3:12 PM

What’s on the line for pizza pros today is all about more, more and more. More toppings, more choices and of course, more competition.

It’s about getting your proteins up to temp, accelerating deliveries, and handling the full-time demands of part-time labor. It’s protecting the consistency of your signature pie and knowing that delicious is in the details.

Our Tyson Restaurant Team invests time behind the counter and inside your ovens to understand the growing demands of your pizza game.

From fresh ingredients to fresh ideas.

From thin margins to deep dish pies.

From making dough to making more dough.

Talk to us about the challenges rising up in your kitchen and we’ll help you find new ways to win.

We’re listening. And we want to know, What’s on the line?™

Learn more: tysonfoodservice.com/restaurant

©2017 Tyson Foods, Inc.

tysonspread-March17.indd 15

2/9/17 3:12 PM

FROM THE INBOX

PCI PROBLEMS I love your magazine. It does a great job of conveying industry-relevant information to all operators in our business. I would love to see more articles on current or pending technology. The PCI compliance requirements for POS systems are changing quickly and constantly. Recently, we got caught off guard by a SHA2 upgrade required by MasterCard.

The expiration date was December 28, and our processor called the day before to notify us that we would be shut off of all processing capabilities until we were compliant. Becoming compliant again required us to purchase a new POS system. Ouch! Thankfully, our POS provider helped us through the situation. The new requirements are changing so fast, and they are extremely confusing. Our POS company said new requirements are coming out in May, requiring further changes and costs that we now have budgeted for. I would love to see your team address these issues and explain what’s required and when.

Bill Hutchinson President Pizaro’s Pizza Napoletana Houston, TX Thanks for bringing up this subject, Bill. We wrote about it last year (“Card Sharks,” May 2016), but the topic certainly merits further coverage. We will revisit it in a future issue.

FIND US ON SOCIAL MEDIA: 16

THE PIZZA BOX CHALLENGE As an avid reader of your magazine, I appreciate all that your company does to help the industry. I wanted to share with your readers something that has helped my business grow for free. I created the #pizzaboxchallenge on Facebook. I made a quick video in which I flipped a pizza box backwards onto a table behind me while looking straight into the camera. The box flipped several times and made a perfect landing. I asked my customers to share the video to receive a 10% discount on their next purchase. In just two days, the video had over 1,100 views and racked up 5,000 views in less than three weeks. It helped grow my sales by 11%! With your help, we can get this idea out there and, hopefully, help other businesses do the same!

Iggy Farina Antica Napoli Pizza Gettysburg, PA Great idea for a video, Iggy. Thanks for sharing!

E W F F U ST

, an established ught Mr. Pizza Slice bo a an let po Na ck Ni When ar, he knew , New Jersey, last ye nk Ba d Re in op sh a style. pizz cot in his own unique as m e th te ea cr re he needed to aracter ickly mustachioed ch th , lad -c irt sh Ta is The result ugh a series of dances his way thro d an s irk sm , ns ee who pr et’s low, but the video clips. The budg y of go y gl in in rta te r. Pizza en when a debonair M lly cia pe es , gh hi is “wacky value” “I’m Never of George Michael’s ne tu e th to e pi a Slice tops .”

Gonna Dance Again

PMQ Pizza Magazine The Pizza Industry’s Business Monthly

FromtheInboxMarch17.indd 16

2/9/17 3:12 PM

FromtheInboxMarch17.indd 17

2/9/17 3:13 PM

IN LEHMANN’S TERMS

How to Make a More Durable Take-and-Bake Pizza The Dough Doc details how to develop a pie that’s consumer-proof and able to withstand some serious abuse and neglect. By Tom Lehmann

Q A

We want to start offering a take-and-bake option on our menu. What should we keep in mind?

Your greatest challenge will be making a pizza that is “consumer-proof,” one that will perform at a satisfactory level even if the consumer doesn’t bake it for several days or bakes it at the wrong temperature. When the customer comes back to complain, you can, of course, remind him that he didn’t follow the directions printed plainly on the box, but what good will that do? If you want to keep the customer, you’ll still end up giving him another pizza, so let’s start out by providing a pizza that will take all but the most severe abuse and neglect.

The dough should be made using flour with at least 12.5% protein content, and the fermentation must be well-controlled and limited to no more than 24 hours in the cooler. After opening the dough into a pizza skin,

Tom Lehmann recently retired as the longtime director of bakery assistance for the American Institute of Baking (AIB). He is now an industry consultant dedicated to helping pizzeria operators make more money. Need more dough advice? Visit the Dough Information Center at PMQ.com/dough.

18

brush it with olive oil before dressing. Keep the sauce as thick as you can work with; adding too much water to the sauce will result in syneresis (water leaking out of the sauce upon standing), which can make a lasting (and negative) impression when the hungry patron picks up that first slice and sees water oozing from it. Too much water will also contribute to the development of a gum line in the finished pizza, making for a less-than-ideal eating experience.

My personal preference is to use a high-quality, coldpacked, full-tomato product. I then add a small amount of tomato paste to further thicken the sauce. If you’re planning to add onion and/or garlic to the sauce, be sure to boil them in a small amount of water or oil to deactivate the enzymes. Otherwise, these enzymes will catalyze the tomato pectin and cause it to gel, resulting in a sauce that ends up more like tomato jelly than pizza sauce.

Once you have the sauce applied, don’t get too heavy-handed with vegetable toppings, since they tend to water out during the baking process. This makes for what I affectionately call a “swamp pizza,” which is as bad as it sounds. If you can get your hands on some

PMQ Pizza Magazine The Pizza Industry’s Business Monthly

In Lehmann's Terms_March17.indd 18

2/9/17 3:13 PM

“The [take-and-bake] dough should be made using flour with at least 12.5% protein content, and the fermentation must be well-controlled and limited to no more than 24 hours in the cooler.” moisture-controlled vegetable toppings, that will solve the problem. These are the same toppings added to just about every frozen pizza at your local supermarket. Unlike fresh veggies, moisture-controlled vegetable toppings hold their shape, don’t water out, and retain their color as well as their flavor when they’re baked on the pie.

Once the pizza is topped and almost ready to be sent on its way, I like to place an ovenable/bakeable fiber tray under it, which facilitates handling of the pie for the customer. After that, wrap the pizza in stretch wrap to hold it together, and place a use-by date label on the wrapper.

Box the pizza just as you would any other pizza, which makes it easier for the consumer to carry it home. Be sure

to develop good baking directions for the consumer to follow, including instructions for using different types of ovens, and you’re all set!

One last piece of advice: Do not falsely compare your take-and-bake pizzas to your regular in-store baked pizzas.

They’re just not going to be the same. But you can still market the option as a way to enjoy your pizzas at home, any time. Even if you don’t normally sell take-and-bake pizzas, you might want to consider offering them during those periods of the year when many customers are glued to their TV screens, such as watching a major sporting event, and want to enjoy pizza with as little effort as possible. They can just pop your take-and-bake into a 425° oven and have a fresh, hot pie ready to eat by halftime!

FLATBREAD

PI Z ZA

CRUSTS! US COME SEE

po x e a z piz AT

www.smartflourfoods.com sales@smartflourfoods.com Austin, TX 888-660-6564

A N C I ENT G RA I N S = EXC ELLENT TA STE

TE X T URE!

you won’t believe your mouth!

March 2017 pmq.com

In Lehmann's Terms_March17.indd 19

19

2/9/17 3:13 PM

NEW YORK’S FINEST

Housemade Pretzels Instead of offering traditional garlic knots as a freebie to customers, add these authentic pretzels to your menu as an upsell item.

H

ello, my readers! Today I’m going to teach you how to make pretzels the right way. My family and I rang in the new year with these pretzels, and they were delicious. They’re very easy to prepare and will make a great signature side item that you can add to your menu. Pair these pretzels with a marinara, cheese or honey mustard sauce, and you’ve got a real winner. Pretzels are also a great alternative if you don’t want to offer traditional garlic knots.

Besides, garlic knots are often given out for free with pizzeria orders, but you can charge for these pretzels. A lot of pizza shops in New York are already doing it. It’s another opportunity to upsell customers and make more money!

Mangia!

Chef Bruno is PMQ’s culinary advisor, with more than 50 years of international pizza experience.

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

20

INGREDIENTS: 4 c. all-purpose flour 2½ c. whole-wheat flour 2 packets dry yeast 2 tsp. sugar 4 tsp. baking powder 1 tsp. salt 2 egg whites (save the yolk) 2 tbsp. coarse sea salt 1 c. water, hot DIRECTIONS: Mix the flours, yeast, sugar, egg whites, baking powder and salt in a bowl. Make a hole in the center of the mix and pour in the hot water. Form the mix into a dough and knead it until it’s smooth, about eight minutes. Now cover it and set it aside for about a half-hour to let it rise.

Preheat the oven to 450°. Once the dough is ready, knead it again and divide it into 20 equal pieces. Roll each piece out to about 15” long in a ropelike form. Start to fold the dough into a pretzel shape by making a U shape, then crossing the ends over each other and pressing them back onto the U shape. (Sprinkle the dough with a little water if it starts to get dry.) Once you’re done, place the pretzels on a nonstick baking sheet. Whisk the egg yolk and brush it onto the pretzels. Let rise for another 10 minutes. Sprinkle some sea salt on top and bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until golden-brown.

PMQ Pizza Magazine The Pizza Industry’s Business Monthly

NYFinest-March17.indd 20

*Monthly service f Harbortouch is a re

2/9/17 3:13 PM

Harbortouch's easy-to-use POS system offers the best platform to help grow your business.

No up-front costs We'll do all the programing Exceptional service

Mention this ad and receive FREE on-site installation!

CALL NOW! 866-286-8744 iharbortouch.com *Monthly service fee and merchant agreement are required.

Harbortouch is a registered ISO/MSP of First National Bank of Omaha, 1620 Dodge St., Omaha, NE - Member FDIC

NYFinest-March17.indd 21

2/9/17 3:13 PM

ACCOUNTING FOR YOUR MONEY

How to Better Organize Your Back Office There’s a direct correlation between an organized back-of-the-house system and a restaurant’s profitability.

By Michael J. Rasmussen

Q A

My back office is a mess. How do I get it organized?

As an accountant who works with restaurant owners nationwide, I often sit in their back-of-the-house offices. It’s typically a 4’-by-4’ space that also serves as a broom closet and a break room. It’s packed with security cameras, employee uniforms, filing cabinets, post-it boards and ethernet cables that hang around you like a nest of boa constrictors. It’s pitiful.

I urge my independent restaurant clients to mirror the national chains when setting up a back office. You need only an all-in-one printer, copier and scanner; a touchscreen computer; a shredder; and a sign that says “No Admittance.” In this day and age, you don’t need a filing cabinet or storage area for paper. Cables should be neatly encased in plastic tubing. Shift lockers for waitstaff should be located outside of the office. For communications, just set up a high-speed Internet connection and a Bluetooth headset with voice-over-IP for phone calls.

To prepare for a spring cleaning at your restaurant, start by creating a company-wide initiative to reduce clutter.

Assign maintenance of the house office to a staff member and pay that person to start the process. Here’s how to do it: 1. Get rid of all paper. Organize all paper items into marked storage boxes. Interview every manager, 22

employee and accountant to find out how each document got there, why it’s still there and who needs a copy of it. If it’s important, scan it and email the file to the appropriate person and throw the paper copy out.

2. Dispose of employees’ personal items. These should be placed temporarily in storage boxes, and employees must claim them and take them home— or lose them! If you have shift lockers, that’s where personal items should go, not in the back office. The back office is not a landfill—it’s a place of business that needs to be organized and spotless.

3. Create manuals for office equipment. Create a simple training manual explaining the function of each piece of equipment and who should use what, how to use it and where to store/send any processed information.

With this system in place, it’s up to shift managers to keep things orderly. There’s a direct correlation between an organized back-of-the-house system and restaurant profitability. Chew on that for a while!

Michael J. Rasmussen is the owner of Rasmussen Tax Group (rasmussentaxgroup.com) in Conway, Arkansas. He is also the co-owner of Eyenalyze (eyenalyze.com), a company that provides real-time profit analysis for restaurant owners.

PMQ Pizza Magazine The Pizza Industry’s Business Monthly

AccountingforMoney_March17.indd 22

2/9/17 3:03 PM

Take Our Cheese

Visit Galbani Booth #N743 at Pizza Expo World-Champion Pizza Acrobat Jamie Culliton See the best dough-spinner on the planet perform the fantastic feats that earned him a gold medal at the 2016 World Pizza Championship in Parma.

Sample Culinary Creations Executive Chef John Reed invites you to try a variety of on-trend pizzas and innovative dishes featuring Galbani cheese.

Live Cooking Demos

by John Arena Watch world-renowned pizzaiolo and owner of Metro Pizza prepare perfect pies before your eyes. See how John uses Galbani® cheese to elevate some of his favorite fare.

Galbani® Pro Challenge Team Cheer on some of the best in the business as they compete with gusto (and Galbani cheese) during the International Pizza Challenge.™

When it comes to authentic Italian taste and performance, you can’t do better than Italy’s favorite cheese brand. And when you’re at the International Pizza Expo, there’s no better place to experience it for yourself than the Galbani booth. Stop by to learn how our incredible selection of fine Italian cheese can add Old World gusto to your Italian fare. And don't miss these exciting events happening throughout the show!

For a schedule of appearances and events, visit the Galbani Booth #N743. ©2017 Lactalis American Group, Inc., Buffalo, NY 14220. Galbani is a ® of Egidio Galbani S.r.l.

AccountingforMoney_March17.indd 23

C U LI NARY

LactalisCulinary.com

2/9/17 3:03 PM

THE THINK TANK

The Advantages of a Takeaway Menu Even in the digital age, many customers, including younger ones, still want a printed menu to carry home with them.

C

R

oyster13: Do you guys have a printed version of your menu that customers can take home with them? d9phoenix: I try to keep printed menus around, even if they’re just old-school, double-sided menus that I print here at the store. But the majority of consumers grew up in the digital age and prefers everything to be found online and easily accessible via their smartphones. A lot of younger people don’t care for printed material at all.

Home Town Pizza: We keep them and go through quite a few of them. Most every place around here has a printed [take-home] menu, although with varying degrees of quality. I try to push our website and Facebook page with each one I give out, but people still refer mostly to the printed menu. Even our younger crowd seems hesitant to switch away from a paper menu.

Mikes3: I’ve always stapled a menu to every order. Don’t get me wrong: I’m only 33 years old, and I love the Internet. But sometimes it’s a pain to scroll on a tablet or a phone. I’ll walk into my kitchen and open a drawer to get a menu most of the time.

24

M

Brad Randall: We will stuff a full-color, trifold menu into the pizza box with every order that goes out the door.

That’s pretty much the only print marketing we’ve been doing for the last few years.

Y

CM

MY

CY

CMY

Wholly Stromboli: Our menu is a tabloid-size, newspaperstyle piece printed on real newsprint with an offset press.

We print around 7,000 at a time, which allows us to use the same menu for dine-in or carryout. If we’re doing an off-site catering event, we can take a stack there as well.

The old-fashioned newspaper style fits with our brand and our 103-year-old building.

K

Padrones Pizza East: I use Mspark for my menus. I pay $354.50 a month [for a shared-mailing program].

They mail out 5,000 menus a month, and I get 1,000 for in-house use. With this package, I can make changes to my menu every three months. I can tell you to within the hour when people receive and open their mail and see our menus—my sales almost double with just one mailing.

Get answers to your most perplexing problems and swap tips and ideas with the experts in PMQ’s Think Tank, the pizza industry’s oldest and most popular online forum. Register for free at thinktank.pmq.com. (Member posts have been edited here for clarity.)

PMQ Pizza Magazine The Pizza Industry’s Business Monthly

ThinkTank_March17.indd 24

2/9/17 3:04 PM

Mutti_ADV_pizza_USA_def.pdf

C

M

Y

CM

MY

CY

1

28/01/16

11.06

Make an authentic Italian pizza with the leading Italian brands.

MY

K

Extra Virgin Olive Oils

Canned Tomatoes

Pizza Flours

Discover our products at the

PIZZA EXPO

Las Vegas, March 28TH-30TH Booth # N127

SCAN THE CODE BELOW FOR A FREE PRODUCT DEMONSTRATION.

(Gold Coast Section)

For questions and info: Monini North America P: 203-513-2763 - e-: info@monini.us

ThinkTank_March17.indd 25

2/9/17 3:04 PM

MONEYMAKERS

Designing the Perfect Mutant Pizza

What happens when you cross Cleopatra Jones with the Kraken? Don’t ask us—we’re scared to try. But Two Boots Pizza, with locations in six states and a reputation for pizza-naming genius, knows a thing or two about creating oddball pizzas. And so do Two Boots customers, who were invited during Mash-Up Month to create their own mutant pizza hybrids derived from the chain’s existing menu, which includes specialty pies with names like the Larry Tate (in honor of a character on Bewitched), the Gilda Radner-inspired Emily Litella, and Meat the Mets, a tribute to fans of the New York baseball team. The winning entry earned $1,000 worth of free pizza.

Two Boots Pizza, perhaps the only pizzeria with a pie named after Buckminster Fuller, launched Mash-Up Month in January by creating three “mutant pizzas” from its menu, including the Tony Collective, a hybrid of the Tony Clifton and the Animal Collective.

Quick Tip 1: Marketing From A to B Take advantage of your email marketing software’s A/B testing function to craft more effective messages. It can be as easy as trying a different subject title, tweaking your copy or adding photos. Start by running an A/B test on a sample list of recipients and then evaluate the results.

Hit the Deck, Doggies!

Landini’s Pizzeria in San Diego kicked off the new year with a perfectly pawesome promo that raised cash for a local animal rescue center. Hosted by a pair of charming pooches named Miss Pickles and Teddy, Doggies On the Deck featured raffle prizes donated by local partners, including Trader Joe’s, Ristorante Illando, The Shack Bar and Grill, and a number of businesses specializing in animal care and pet food. Pooches and pups wolfed down complimentary doggie treats, while their humans enjoyed $2 slices with beer and wine. The event, which is held every month to support animal-related causes, raised $500 for Holly’s Garden Rescue.

Teddy the Teripoo and Miss Pickles kept their humans on a tight leash for Doggies On the Deck, a Landini’s Pizzeria fundraiser for a local animal rescue center. Raffle prizes were donated by companies ranging from Trader Joe’s to Three Dog Bakery.

26

PMQ Pizza Magazine The Pizza Industry’s Business Monthly

MoneyMakers_March17.indd 26

2/9/17 3:04 PM

Your Pizza. Our Box. Ingredients Matter.

Consumers are paying attention to the ingredients in the food you serve. At WestRock, we’re equally careful about the choices we make when manufacturing your pizza boxes. We deliver foodservice containers that meet the highest quality and food safety standards. Raw materials are sourced domestically and finished packaging meets FDA requirements for food contact. Our pizza and foodservice boxes are available throughout the United States and Canada.

Packaging matters. If you want to know more about safe, foodservice packaging, reach out to us at pizzaboxes@westrock.com or call us at 816.415.7359.

westrock.com/pizza

Visit us March 28-30 at Pizza Expo, Booth N627 Š2017 WestRock Company. All rights reserved. WESTROCK and the WestRock logo are trademarks of WestRock Company and its subsidiaries and affiliates.

MoneyMakers_March17.indd 27

2/9/17 3:04 PM

MONEYMAKERS

The Call of the Wild

Deer meat was on the menu in a three-day promo that brought together the local Rotary Club, a nonprofit that feeds the hungry, and Market Pizza in Stockton, New Jersey. Megan Jones-Holt, the pizzeria’s chef and owner, hit upon the idea of making venison pizza for a Rotarian-sponsored fundraiser tied in with Hunters Helping the Hungry, which provides the needy with wild deer meat.

According to Jones-Holt, the venison is cut with beef fat for a less gamy flavor.

“I didn’t want to do something so far out of left field that people would be Owner/chef Megan Jones-Holt crehesitant to try it,” she says. “The deer has been marinated in extra-virgin olive ates a true farm-to-table experience at Market Pizza in Stockton, New oil infused with basil, oregano, tarragon, thyme, salt and pepper—all good herbs Jersey, designing artisanal pizzas that one would put on ground beef. The meat was precooked before going on using locally grown ingredients like mushrooms, sausage, prosciutto, the pizza.” The pie also features fresh mozzarella, Parmesan, crushed tomatoes, eggs and vegetables. red onions, jalapeños and oregano. “The venison is crumbled on top, then finished off with birch-smoked salt from Iceland and fresh sweet basil,” Jones-Holt adds. A portion of proceeds for every venison pizza sold went to Hunters Helping the Hungry, raising enough money to serve 4,000 meals to the hungry, according to Jones-Holt. The artisan pizzeria continued to offer wild-game pizzas—including wild boar bacon, smoked duck and bison—for the next three weeks.

How to Stuff a Christmas Stocking

Move over, Santa Claus—Tim McCarthy really knows how to stuff a Christmas stocking. McCarthy, the manager of Pat’s Pizza in Ellsworth, Maine, oversaw the Ultimate Christmas Stocking contest, featuring more than $1,000 in gift cards and other goodies. To win, Facebook customers had to comment, like or share the post, and the response was like a holiday miracle, with a total of 10,752 reactions, 7,240 comments and 6,828 shares. Once the promotion hit the magic number of 6,000 reactions, McCarthy sweetened the deal by adding a second winner for a $200 gift card for Pat’s own pies.

Pat’s Pizza manager Tim McCarthy oversaw an Ultimate Christmas Stocking contest featuring goodies such as a $50 Walmart gift card; a $50 gift card for iTunes; a $25 gift card for Starbucks; an iPod worth $200; and goodies from local bakeries, jewelry stores, florists and spas.

Quick Tip 2: What Feels Good Doesn’t Always Look Good It’s hard to resist hitting back when a customer posts an unfair online review about his experience at your pizzeria. It feels good to tell him off and put him in his place. But it doesn’t look good to other customers—it looks like you’re thin-skinned and quick to dismiss complaints. Take the high road, and try to win that customer back instead.

28

PMQ Pizza Magazine The Pizza Industry’s Business Monthly

MoneyMakers_March17.indd 28

2/9/17 3:04 PM

marzettifoodservice.com

MoneyMakers_March17.indd 29

2/9/17 3:04 PM

THE ART OF MARKETING

4

to ease DEALS THE PAIN OF TAX DAY

3

No one likes Tax Day, except maybe Uncle Sam. April 15 falls on a Saturday this year, so turn it into a pizza party and offer special tax-day savings to help ease the sting of that extra bill.

1

Feature a special $10.40 promotional menu or bundle.

Create tax-themed menu items to celebrate the day, such as a “Breadstick It to the Man” appetizer or an “Uncle Sam Eats Pineapple Pizza” specialty pie.

3

2

4

Give a 15% discount to anyone decked out in their most patriotic colors.

Offer special deals or bundles to tax preparers and encourage them to bring their families in to celebrate the end of tax season.

HUG: EARTH DAY 2 1 3

THE PLANET

Ideas for Honoring

Arrange a cleanup event or tree planting at a local park and invite customers to join you and your staff, with a pizza party to follow.

April 22 is Earth Day, and it’s the perfect opportunity to show how you support a sustainable planet.

Invite a sustainability expert to come in and explain small changes you can make to help lower costs while also helping to reduce your carbon footprint.

Create a special Earth Day menu with locally sourced foods and beverages.

Blaze Pizza celebrated Earth Day in 2015 by offering a free reusable stainless-steel straw with drink purchases.

30



PMQ Pizza Magazine The Pizza Industry’s Business Monthly

artofmarketingMarch17.indd 30

2/9/17 3:06 PM

Looking for more marketing ideas and insights? PMQ has you covered! By Liz Barrett

Tips&Tricks 4 Ways to Spoil Moms on Mother’s Day

Mother’s Day is the biggest dining-out day of the year.

It’s also a time for families of all sizes to come together and celebrate Mom. There’s no better day to promote a visit to your pizzeria for the world’s most sharable meal.

But don’t just assume that Mom and the family will come to your pizzeria. You’ve got to make it a special day!

1.

Create (and heavily promote) a special menu with items mothers will love—a special salad, a mom-inspired pizza and a light dessert, such as strawberry shortcake.

2. Spoil Mom when she arrives by offering her a glass of bubbly or a flower. It’s her special day, and she’ll remember it all year if you make it a good one for her.

3. Try to customize the experience to your demographic. A 25-year-old new mom doesn’t celebrate Mother’s Day the same way a grandmother celebrates it. Educate your staff to know the difference and customize the experience to each.

4. Offer a bounce-back promotion to families who do come in—some for the first time. You’ll want them to return, so provide an incentive, such as a free $10 gift card for Mom to use within the next 30 days.

Quick Promo Tip: Seeking new customers? Place a coupon or ad on the back of your local grocer’s receipt. Everyone buys groceries, giving you a bigger chance of getting noticed by new customers not already on your radar.

March 2017 pmq.com

artofmarketingMarch17.indd 31

31

2/9/17 3:06 PM

RECIPE MONTH of the

Arugula and Spicy Sausage Cavatappi INGREDIENTS: ½ c. olive oil ¼ c. garlic, minced ¾ c. Spanish onion, diced ¼” 3 c. hot Italian sausage, cooked, crumbled 1 lb. arugula, torn into bite-size pieces 6 lb. cavatappi pasta, cooked al dente 2 qt. + 1 c. Tuscan herb and tomato pasta sauce 1 tsp. sea salt 1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper ¾ c. fresh basil, chiffonade ¾ c. Parmagiano-Reggiano, shredded

C

M

Sponsored

by Escalon

Y

CM

DIRECTIONS: 1. Heat 2 tsp. of olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add 1 tsp. garlic, 1 tbsp. onion and ¼ c. Italian sausage.

Sauté until garlic and onion are translucent.

MY

CY

CMY

K

2. Add 2 c. cavatappi pasta, 6 oz. pasta sauce, salt and pepper to taste. Heat through for 2 minutes, or until hot.

3. Add 1 c. arugula and sauté until lightly wilted.

4. Place finished pasta into a warm pasta bowl; garnish with 1 tbsp. basil and 1 tbsp. Parmagiano-Reggiano. Serve immediately.

CAPTIVATING CAVATAPPI The Italian word “cavatappi” literally means “tap extractor,” but most Americans just think of it as a corkscrew-shaped pasta. With its little nooks and crannies, cavatappi captures thick sauces nicely, especially chunky tomato-based sauces and pesto mixes. This pasta’s wide 32

grooves also hold small bits of meat, onion and other minced veggies for maximum flavor. It retains its texture and bite for long periods and is one of the most versatile pasta types available.

PMQ Pizza Magazine The Pizza Industry’s Business Monthly

recipeofthemonth-March17.indd 32

2/9/17 3:06 PM

ESC_PizzaExpo2017_PMQSnglPg_Pass+Bug_KL.pdf

2

1/31/17

11:29 AM

··· BOOTH

9 76 ···

#

and Visit us at Pizza Expo difference experience the Escalon for yourself.

I ’’s not just pizza.

It

I ’’s your passion.

It

C

M

Y

CM

MY

CY

CMY

K

A devotion to quality. To freshness. To craftsmanship. It’s what sets you apart. And what sets us apart too. Our uncompromising commitment means we fresh-pack the finest tomatoes using methods that eliminate the need for additives and preservatives. It’s a difference you’ve got to taste—because tasting is believing. Visit escalon.net for a free sample.

Visit escalon.net for a free sample.

Fresh-Packed California Tomatoes

©2017 Escalon Premier Brands

recipeofthemonth-March17.indd 33

2/9/17 3:06 PM



Marco D’Emidio is head chef at Saint Leo, a wood-fired pizza restaurant in Oxford, Miss.

WHY VIDEO IS PIZZA’S NEW BEST FRIEND 8 billion video views per day (Facebook)

72% now use online video share sites like YouTube and Vimeo (PEW 2013 research of adult internet users)

4x as many people prefer to watch video about a product than read about it (Animoto.com, May report)

SECTION CONTENTS PG. 7 | Why video is important for pizzeria owners PG. 10 | What we learned from the first My Pizza Video Contest PG. 12 | Video styles that sell more pizza PG. 16 | Enter PMQ’s 2017 My Pizza Video Contest — you could win $1,000!

PG. 18 | 12 ways to leverage your video

VideoStory4.indd 34

2/10/17 4:33 PM

 Clips of the first My Pizza Video Contest show the wide range of videos submitted.

Watch the videos at pizzatv.com/mypizzavideocontest1. Visit pizzatv.com/mypizzavideocontest2 to enter our next competition and you could win $1000!

Want to sell more pizza? Make a video and share it with your customers and social media fans.

P

izza may be the ultimate made-for-TV food. It’s as naturally photogenic as Emma Stone and always ready for its close-up. For viewers watching a football game on a Sunday afternoon, the classic “cheese pull”—that stylized, slow-motion shot of a steamy-hot slice oozing gooey strands of cheese as a hand lifts it slowly, seductively, from the pie—has become the culinary equivalent of a sex scene in a Game of Thrones episode. It’s visually arresting and evocative, teasing the imagination with the promise of sensual pleasures to come. It makes you stop and stare. And, unlike the HBO series, it’s family-friendly.

The cheese-pull shot reaches a part of the brain that’s nonverbal and primal, creating a visceral response that skirts the intellect and primes the body for action, which, hopefully, leads the viewer to reach for his phone and place an order on the spot. It’s a feat that video does better than any other medium—mere pretty words, even from the pen of the finest poet, cannot match the power of that one tantalizing, mouthwatering image (and that’s a truth we writers don’t like to admit).

For a pizzeria owner using the Internet to build brand awareness and drive traffic, video is the new secret weapon. Video will account for 69% of all consumer Internet traffic this year, and that number will rise to 82% in 2020, according to technology firm Contently. And if you’re looking to grab eyeballs on Facebook, video has to be part of your marketing strategy in 2017. Today’s Facebook users watch an average of 100 million hours of video on mobile devices every day, with daily views jumping from 1 billion to 8 billion in a single year, even as text posts keep declining. In fact, Facebook could very well become “all video” in the next five years, Nicola Mendelsohn, the social media giant’s vice president in Europe, the Middle East and Africa, said at Fortune’s Most Powerful Women International Summit in London last year. “If I was having a bet, it’d be video, video, video,” she said. She described video content as “the best way to tell stories in this world where so much information is coming at us. It [conveys] so much information in a much quicker period … and helps us digest more of the information in a quicker way.”

March 2017 pmq.com

VideoStory4.indd 35

35

2/10/17 4:33 PM

“Video is the best way to tell stories in this world where so much information is coming at us. It [conveys] so much information in a much quicker period … and helps us digest more of the information in a quicker way.”

—NICOLA MENDELSOHN, FAC E B O O K V I C E P R E S I D E N T I N E U RO P E , T H E M I D D L E E AST AND AFRICA

Video offers a “very immersive experience” and has become “a critical component to how online customers make decisions,” says Ilir Sela, founder and CEO of Slice, a New York-headquartered company that helps independent pizzerias accept and manage online orders. Paired with Facebook and other social media, video marketing also levels the playing field for pizzeria operators, especially the small chains and single-unit independents, Sela notes. “Consumers spend significant time perusing Facebook, so it’s the perfect place to consume video. If you are hungry and want food quickly, you can order through an app. But if you want to take your time to research restaurants, video is the ideal experience. It may be the difference between a customer ordering from an authentic local shop and a generic, big-box chain restaurant.”

And thanks to digital technology, creating quality video content is no longer an expensive proposition reserved for megabrands like Domino’s and Papa John’s. If you carry a decent smartphone in your pocket or purse, you can be a one-person camera crew, and every delicious-looking pizza that comes out of your oven has real star power.

Even professional video crews are more affordable than they used to be. In short, 2017 is the year to add to video to your marketing tool belt, and PMQ Pizza Magazine wants to help.

36

“Video has become a critical component to how online customers make decisions.”

—ILIR SELA, FOUNDER AND CEO OF SLICE ONLINE ORDERING

PMQ Pizza Magazine The Pizza Industry’s Business Monthly

VideoStory4.indd 36

2/10/17 4:33 PM

video, online ordering and social media Never before have pizzeria owners had so many affordable tools and venues with which to market their product to consumers.

growth rate

americans using internet / online ordering potential

1

percent of adult internet users who use video sharing sites

social media usage

3

100% 90%

86%

80%

76% 72%

70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10%

2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 1

Pew Research Center. (September 7, 2016). 13% of Americans don't use the internet. Who are they? 2 Pew Research Center. (October 10, 2013). Online Video 2013. 3 Pew Research Center. (July 1, 2016). Social Networking Use.

how they work together videos ...JUST WATCHED A VIDEO, I MUST GET THAT PIZZA...

...LET’S FIND OUT ABOUT THIS PLACE, SHOW ME A VIDEO...

online orders

social media

In today’s media-saturated age, digital video, social media and online ordering provide unprecedented reach. You can surprise and impress your customers with the combined use of these three marketing super powers—and sell more pizza!

...WOW, THAT PIZZA WAS AMAZING, GOTTA SHARE...

March 2017 pmq.com

VideoStory4.indd 37

37

2/10/17 4:33 PM

WHAT WE LEARNED FROM THE 2016 MY PIZZA VIDEO CONTEST If your company participated in PMQ’s My Pizza Video Contest last year, you’ve already got a leg up on creating content for your pizzeria. We received a total of 32 entries, with the grand prize of $1,000 going to single-unit operator Slice of the 80s in Westland, Michigan. Vibrant and fastpaced, the video captured the lively spirit of the ‘80s-themed pizzeria and the decade that it celebrates, complete with references to everything from hair bands and Ms. Pac-Man to Cyndi Lauper and Beetlejuice.

A panel of six PMQ staffers judged the 2016 contest and narrowed it down to 10 semifinalists from Ohio, Virginia, Texas, Florida, Oregon, California, Nevada, and Illinois.

The top 10 entries included low-budget, found-footage parodies—a man falls mysteriously unconscious in the parking lot of Jimbo’s Pizza in Lemont, Illinois, only to be revived by a slice of pie—and faux documentaries boasting relatively high production values, such as the story of IncrediBear, a break-dancing bear who competes to be the mascot for the John’s Incredible Pizza chain. “They ranged from amateurish to very professionally done,” notes PMQ publisher Steve Green, who personally watched and analyzed every video. “From a strong single message to a catalog of reasons a viewer should buy a pizza, these videos ran the gamut.”

In his analysis, Green concluded that the contest’s submissions could be categorized according to voice (who presented the message) and style/format (how the message was presented).

Commercial weighing scales for restaurants, catering, delis and other retail markets Digital, mechanical, solar and platform scales Portion control, batching, checkweighing & other functions available Pizza Scale with stainless steel platform Foot tare switch for hands free operation

See Us in Booth #1824 Pizza@YamatoCorp.com YamatoAmericas.com (262) 236-0000

38

VOICE: WHO PRESENTED THE MESSAGE? 1. The owner(s) 2. Actors 3. Animated characters 4. An off-camera narrator 5. Employees 6. Host personalities not affiliated with the pizzeria 7. Musical score instead of voices 8. No voice, just raw video footage STYLE: HOW WAS THE MESSAGE PRESENTED? 1. Traditional TV commercial 2. Demonstration (pizza making or dough-spinning) 3. Documentary 4. Employee testimonial 5. Music video 6. Restaurant profile 7. Short film 8. Movie trailer

PMQ Pizza Magazine The Pizza Industry’s Business Monthly

VideoStory4.indd 38

2/10/17 4:33 PM

VideoStory4.indd 39

2/10/17 4:33 PM

Consider This Story an Immersive Experience

Grab your smartphone, download a QR code reader app and immerse yourself in a true multimedia experience. Each QR code below takes you directly to a “best example” video on PizzaTV.com. Read the text, watch the videos and start brainstorming ideas for your next marketing video. Check out this wrap up video (left) about our first contest results or view all submissions at PizzaTV.com/mypizzavideocontest1.

VIDEO STYLES THAT SELL MORE PIZZA With the second annual My Pizza Video Contest ready to launch, Green hopes readers will have a better understanding of the medium’s almost limitless possibilities as they work on their submissions. “Seeing how last year’s contest videos were made will give our readers a starting point for creating their own video masterpieces this year,” Green says. “The first and most important consideration needs to be your message and the lasting impression that you want to leave with the viewer.” There are many ways to craft and present your message, and here are examples of some of the most effective selling strategies we identified with the help of our readers:

Apizza di Napoli

Stress authenticity. It seems like everyone’s trying to sell you something these days, so more and more consumers, especially millennials, prize authenticity. And pizzerias have authenticity in spades. Polished branding is always a good thing, but make sure your branding message reflects who you really are and why you do what you do. Stress your family’s and your pizzeria’s roots in the area and how you give back to your community. If you truly love making pizza and serving your community, make sure that love shines through in your videos—and viewers will respond.

Lasting impression: You’re not just selling a product. You’re sharing the food you love with your entire community.

575 Pizzeria

Emphasize quality and artisanship. The major chains have the advantage of omnipresent branding and market share, but many believe independents still make better pizza. Do you prepare your dough fresh in-house every day and work with local growers to find better ingredients? Do you use decades-old family recipes handed down from your great-grandmother? Do you constantly work on new recipes and create signature pizzas that the big chains can’t offer?

Does your pizzeria frequently win local “best of” awards and earn rave reviews on social media? If so, make all of these things part of your video story.

Lasting impression: You’re more than just a business owner—you’re a true artisan and pizzaiolo (or pizzaiola, as the case may be).

Go for the glamour. Nothing says “delicious” like that classic cheese-pull shot we described above. It can take some work to capture glamorous, mouthwatering images of food, but they will sell your pizza better than any talking head or blaring caption running across the screen. Don’t just point and shoot—think carefully about lighting, angles and color. Imagine the visual impact of a simple 30-second video, boosted to Facebook users in your market, depicting your most delicious pies fresh and steaming-hot from the oven!

Spris Pizzeria Lasting impression: Your pizzas and other menu items are a feast for the senses that must be experienced to be believed.

40

PMQ Pizza Magazine The Pizza Industry’s Business Monthly

VideoStory4.indd 40

2/10/17 4:33 PM

A Family Tradition

Legendary Cheesemaking • Optimum Flavor • Unparalleled Consistency

Saputo Cheese USA Inc., Lincolnshire, Illinois 60069 • (800) 824 -3373 • saputousafoodservice.com ©2017 Saputo Cheese USA Inc. All rights reserved. Saputo® is a registered trademark used by Saputo Cheese USA Inc.

VideoStory4.indd 41

2/10/17 4:33 PM

CONT’D.

Pizza Shuttle

Feature your customers (and your employees).

Enlist your regulars and longtime employees and give them starring roles in your videos.

Let your customers speak directly to the viewer and explain in their own words why they love eating your pies. And let your employees talk about why they love making and/or serving the pizzas those customers love to eat.

Figaro’s

Lasting impression: In addition to serving the best pizza in town, you provide a safe haven for your customers.

2016 winner!

Slice of the 80s

Capture the overall experience. Do you offer a family-friendly atmosphere where Mom and Dad can bring the kids and everyone will have a good time? Prove it with bright visuals of happy children chomping down on pies, kids’ birthday parties and smiling servers interacting with families at the table. Do you cater to a hipper crowd that’s looking for more adult fun?

Make sure to get visuals of bartenders pouring locally brewed craft beers and attractive people enjoying cocktails with their pies. (Make sure the lighting of these shots reflects the ambience of your restaurant.) Are you all about delivery and carryout for pizza lovers on a budget? Emphasize your bundle deals and establish value with plenty of mouthwatering food shots.

Lasting impression: Your potential customers will know exactly what kind of experience to expect at your pizzeria.

ADDITIONAL STYLES FROM OUR 2016 ENTRIES

Nick’s Pizza & Pub

Profiles in Pizza: One of the most popular and effective ways to endear your pizzeria to customers is to let them know more about the people behind the logo. Nick’s Pizza and Pub was our best example of this strategy.

John’s Incredible Pizza

It’s All About the Kids: If you can get the kids, the parents will follow. And that’s what Johns Incredible Pizza had in mind when they created this high-energy video about a mascot contest and a break-dancing bear.

The Corner Slice

Jimbo’s

The Demonstration: This is a tried and true way for your customer to visualize the experience that you offer. This simple video of a pizza being made at the Corner Slice captures the imagination and rouses the appetite of customers.

Get ‘Em Laughing: Many of our readers attempted humor through a funny story or ridiculous spoof.

The result was, at the very least, engaging, giving customers a chance to peek behind the scenes and bond with a pizza crew not afraid to show their silly side.

Pizzeria Memorial: Bippy’s Pizza provided a video which was unique among our contestants. The video can only be described as a memorial to a pizzeria from the past. It was a tribute to the neighborhood and the customers that supported Bippy’s for over a generation, and it will reside on PizzaTV.com as a special category. If you’d like to memorialize a pizzeria in this way, please submit your video and we’ll add it to PizzaTV.com.

42

PMQ Pizza Magazine The Pizza Industry’s Business Monthly

VideoStory4.indd 42

2/10/17 4:33 PM

Old School Pizza Toppings

Featuring our

Spicy Italian Sausage Topping The perfect size for your pie!

Item # P63326

12-14 pieces/oz.

Try our old school pizza toppings — same great recipe since 1978

Cook these pizza toppings under the cheese for best results

For samples, more information or to schedule a meeting with one of our specialists,

www.fontanini.com

VideoStory4.indd 43

call 1-800-331-MEAT.

Š2014 Capital Wholesale Meats

2/10/17 4:33 PM

ENTER PMQ’S SECOND MY PIZZA VIDEO CONTEST — YOU COULD WIN $1,000!

Want to see how other pizzeria owners are harnessing the power of video content marketing? Visit pizzatv.com/ mypizzavideocontest1 to view reader submissions from our first My Pizza Video Contest and get your creative juices flowing. Remember, there are no rules to creative expression. You’re always free to color outside the lines, as it were, to experiment and craft your own message.

The key is to start taking advantage of this powerful and accessible tool to build a stronger business. “Get your creative team together and ask yourselves, what makes your place special?” Green says. “What’s your secret?

When you think about it, maybe whatever your secret is shouldn’t be a secret anymore. Maybe you should shout it from the hilltops through video.”

Ready for your close-up? Enter PMQ’s My Pizza Video Contest 2 and start using the power of video to promote your pizzeria and boost your sales right away. You might even win the $1,000 prize for Best Pizza Video. PMQ’s panel of judges will make their selection based on one key criterion: Which video is most likely to help the pizzeria owner sell more pizza?

Visit PizzaTV.com/mypizzavideocontest2 to complete your entry form and find instructions on how to submit your video. Deadline for entry is May 31, 2017. Our contest winner will be announced in the August issue of PMQ Pizza Magazine.

Stone Hearth & Specialty Commercial Cooking Equipment

IN T E R N

A

PIZZA EXPT IO N A L Visit us at O 2017 booth

#2740

MARCH 2 8-30, L AS VEGA 2 0 1 7 CONVEN S TIO CENTER N

STONE HEARTH OVENS available in WOOD-FIRED, COAL-FIRED, GAS-FIRED or COMBINATION fuel

configurations. OVER 15,000 INSTALLATIONS in 80+ COUNTRIES worldwide. Made in the USA.

44

Changing the Way You Cook since 1990 800.988.8103 360.650.1111 woodstone-corp.com

PMQ Pizza Magazine The Pizza Industry’s Business Monthly

VideoStory4.indd 44

2/10/17 4:33 PM

VideoStory4.indd 45

2/10/17 4:33 PM

12 Ways to Sell More Pizza with Video You don’t need a Hollywood-size budget to make a video masterpiece. That iPhone in your pocket will do just fine, and there’s a slew of apps to help you edit the footage yourself. The real challenge is to leverage your video content for maximum exposure. Here’s a list of 12 ways to use video to sell more pizza:

1

2 Create a YouTube account and keep the content coming.

Upload your video directly to Facebook.

YouTube remains the go-to video-sharing platform. It can be integrated with everything from smartphones to gaming consoles and TVs. Develop a strong YouTube presence and regularly post content about your pizzeria, your food and your staff. Keep things light, funny, brief and entertaining.

3

YouTube’s a great place to start, but don’t stop there.

Unlike YouTube, a video uploaded directly to Facebook can be set to auto-play and gets better exposure on news feeds. A study by Search Engine Journal found native Facebook video earned seven times more engagement than embedded third-party videos from sites like YouTube.

4 Go live on Facebook whenever you can.

Don’t forget other social media channels.

Instagram has evolved into a marketing tool—complete with videos of up to one minute in length—for pizzeria owners. It’s the most popular platform with millenials, so tailor your message to that audience. Snapchat, another top app for the younger set, lets you shoot quick vids on your smartphone and upload them instantly.

Not only does Facebook favor native video over other types, it also favors live-streaming video. Use Facebook Live to present cooking demos, on-the-spot feeds at your fundraisers and promotions, Q&As with staff members, new menu items, and interviews with happy customers.

5

6 Use video to boost your email open rates.

The promise of video content leads more customers to open your e-newsletters and loyalty club mailings. Research shows open rates increase from 7% to 13% when the word “video” appears in the subject line. Another study found that emails with a direct, obvious video call-to-action have a 53% higher click-to-open rate on average.

46

Tell, don’t sell.

Avoid a hard-sell approach to your video content. Tell your pizzeria’s story and show off your food, service and atmosphere, but don’t aggressively push product to your viewers—it’s a turnoff, especially to millennials.

PMQ Pizza Magazine The Pizza Industry’s Business Monthly

VideoStory4.indd 46

2/10/17 4:33 PM

VideoStory4.indd 47

2/10/17 4:33 PM

7

8 Showcase your best-looking pizzas.

A fresh, delicious-looking pizza sells itself, so let images of your food do the talking. But keep in mind that not all pizzas look equally tasty on-camera, so choose your pies and set up each shot carefully—a lot depends on lighting and angles.

9

Use customer testimonials.

Your customers are your best ambassadors. Feature them in brief, snappy videos and let them explain, in their own words, why they love your pizza. You can shoot these videos spontaneously with your smartphone or plan them out in advance.

10

Optimize your video descriptions.

Keep it short.

Don’t tax your audience’s patience with too much detail or drawn-out, repetitive sales messages.

Thirty seconds is the preferred length, although you can go longer if the material is good enough.

11

Clever Headlines Get Clicks

Give your video a catchy, memorable title that will engage your viewers, and use relevant keywords and summaries that sell. Just as language matters in developing a strong menu, you can’t afford to be lazy in crafting the descriptive copy that will accompany your video.

Think like a copywriter!

12 Your Video!

Advertise in your local theaters.

You can show your videos in local movie theatres before the trailers start. Screen Vision Media and NCM are two companies that can get your video seen on the big screen for a demographic match made in heaven.

Don’t forget your local TV channels.

TV advertising is more affordable than you may think with local cable, DirecTV and the Dish Network. Companies like National Media Spots and Prime Media Productions offer options to buy a package of local ads to cover these outlets.

Claim your channel on PizzaTV PizzaTV offers another online venue for your marketing videos. Claim your channel at register.pizzatv. com and you can immediately post links to your YouTube videos and upload menu information, photos, coupons and more. It’s free for a limited time to pizzeria owners, so sign up TODAY!

48

PMQ Pizza Magazine The Pizza Industry’s Business Monthly

VideoStory4.indd 48

2/10/17 4:33 PM

VideoStory4.indd 49

2/10/17 4:33 PM

O.G. PIZZA

D 50

PMQ Pizza Magazine The Pizza Industry’s Business Monthly

whitepizza.indd 50

2/9/17 3:15 PM

Dreami n g White Pizza of a

W

ho says you can’t wear white after Labor Day? Smart pizzeria operators are embracing this blank-slate shade for their pies—offering customers a mouthwatering alternative to traditional red-sauce options and scoring blazing sales to boot. Even better, white pies can incorporate everything from ranch dressing and extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO) to Alfredo sauce and ricotta, making them temptingly versatile for operators and customers alike.

WHITE OUT At Dempsey’s Brewery, Pub & Restaurant in Watertown, South Dakota, white pies are prominently featured on the regular menu. But they’re also sold as limited-time specials and on its secret menu, which changes monthly and is featured on Dempsey’s social media and website. During Lent, owner/operator Sean Dempsey considered meat alternatives for pizzas and created for the secret menu the Five Oceans, with fresh mozzarella, basil,

ANTHONY’S PIZZA

Think outside the red-sauce box with versatile and tasty white pies that burst with eye appeal.

By Tracy Morin

Exclusively at PMQ.com:

White and Outta Sight!

Don’t miss our bonus online coverage featuring more white pizza recipes that are customer-tested and guaranteed to sell, plus recipe videos from the PMQ Pizza Test Kitchen. Check it out at PMQ.com!

March 2017 pmq.com

whitepizza.indd 51

51

2/9/17 3:15 PM

DEMPSEY’S BREWERY, PUB & RESTAURANT

White pies like the Chicken Spinach Alfredo make for crowd-pleasing LTO specials at Dempsey’s Brewery, Pub & Restaurant in Watertown, South Dakota.

“We want pizzas to look as sexy as they taste. You want it to be bright, vibrant and appealing so that when customers see it, they can already taste it. Then they have to order it!”

pizza”—is topped with olio, provolone, salami, capicola, pepperoni, ham, onions and banana peppers; after baking, chefs toss on a mix of fresh lettuce, marinated tomato and Italian dressing.

As these operators have learned, flavorful meats, veggies and cheeses are allowed to shine when added atop a white base. At Dempsey’s, the Blue Haven combines a housemade blue cheese dressing base, seared rib eye, peppers, bacon, tomatoes and blue cheese crumbles. “I haven’t seen many blue cheese pizzas out there,” Dempsey says. “People either love blue cheese or hate it, but it’s become one of our top-five sellers. And with more flavorful cheeses, you don’t need to add much to get that flavor profile.”

At Two Bro’s Pizza & Gourmet Pasta in Rootstown, Ohio, owner Anthony Scalia dishes up the Wampler, with an Alfredo sauce base, mushrooms, banana peppers, tomatoes and fresh spinach leaves.

TWO BRO’S PIZZA & GOURMET PASTA

green and black Kalamata olives, salmon and feta, all atop a garlic-EVOO base. “It took a while for people to try the salmon pizza, but it’s become very popular,” Dempsey notes. “We use Atlantic salmon, which is mild but still has that distinctive salmon taste, and the other ingredients really complement it.” Dempsey also created Crab Rangoon (with reduced heavy cream, crab, cream cheese and mozzarella, topped with wonton strips) and shrimp-based pies, but he sought an option for those (like himself ) who are allergic to shellfish—and the others ultimately turned out to be less successful than the salmon pizza.

“White sauce is versatile—you can put it on just about any pizza, from veggie to surf-and-turf,” says Anthony Scalia, owner of Two Bro’s Pizza & Gourmet Pasta in Rootstown, Ohio. “You can do anything, even make entrees, with it. It’s a great base.” Here, white pizzas feature olio (roasted garlic-infused oil with herbs and spices) or Alfredo.

The Godfather—described as “an Italian sandwich on a

— A N T H O N Y S C A L I A , T W O B RO ’ S P I Z Z A & G O U R M E T PA S TA 52

PMQ Pizza Magazine The Pizza Industry’s Business Monthly

whitepizza.indd 52

2/9/17 3:15 PM

whitepizza.indd 53

2/9/17 3:15 PM

“Using ingredients with contrasting colors, in the right amount, makes your pizza really stand out.”

— K E N M I D K I F F, ANTHONY ’S PIZZA

Five Oceans

TWO BRO’S PIZZA & GOURMET PASTA

Provided by Sean Dempsey, Dempsey’s Brewery, Pub & Restaurant

The Cajun Black & Blue Cheeseburger pizza at Two Bro’s features Black Angus beef, provolone, bacon, lettuce, tomato and a blue cheese drizzle.

A recent Scalia’s special, the Cajun Black & Blue Bacon Cheeseburger pizza, combines seasoned Angus beef (Scalia presses out patties and rips off chunks, rather than crumbling the ingredient), bacon and a cheddar-provolone mix.

After the pie is baked, Scalia’s pizza makers add tomato and lettuce, plus a dusting of Cajun seasoning and a drizzle of garlic aioli or blue cheese dressing, for extra flavor and texture. Or customers can switch it up with the Gyro pie, with gyro meat, tomato, onion and provolone, drizzled with tzatziki sauce. Of course, Two Bro’s also offers its olio and Alfredo bases for create-your-own pizzas.

WHITE-HOT Looks are important when crafting white pies, so colorful ingredients and sauces are key, operators say. Ken Midkiff, co-owner and fornaio at Anthony’s Pizza in Tupelo, Mississippi, notes that many customers are on the fence about trying white pies, but one recent addition is designed to stand out for both its bold flavors and colorful visuals: The Tuscany incorporates ricotta, oregano, Pecorino, basil, spinach, roasted red peppers, red onions, garlic, mozzarella and a sprinkling of cherry tomatoes; post-bake, a balsamic 54

dd 13 oz. dough ball dd 1 oz. garlic EVOO (marinate oil with 3-4 cloves of garlic in bottle of EVOO for 2-3 days prior) dd 2-4 oz. fresh mozzarella balls, pulled apart into smaller balls dd ½ oz. feta cheese, crumbled dd 1 oz. black olives dd 1 oz. green olives dd 2 oz. Roma tomatoes, quartered dd 6 oz. Atlantic salmon filet, cut into squares dd 5 fresh basil leaves, torn dd Sea salt to taste Shape the dough. Add EVOO on the crust, spreading evenly. Add salmon around the pizza, spacing evenly. Add olives and tomatoes, spacing evenly. Add basil, placing so every slice has a piece.

Sprinkle feta over the top. Bake at 550° in a brick oven, turning once 2.5 minutes into the bake, then putting pizza back in its original spot for the end of the bake. Once pizza is done (with a crisp bottom and golden crust), remove from the oven, add butter around the edges, and lightly salt with sea salt. Finish with a light sprinkle of oregano and slice into 8 pieces. Makes 1 12” pizza.

glaze drizzle amps up eye appeal. “Using ingredients with contrasting colors, in the right amount, makes your pizza really stand out,” Midkiff notes.

When Dempsey and his staff are playing around with new pizzas, they also seek great color combos—for example, fresh basil on the Five Oceans pops against the fresh mozzarella. “The Dirigible Mark IV appeals to vegetarians with a pesto base, fresh basil, pine nuts, light cheese,

PMQ Pizza Magazine The Pizza Industry’s Business Monthly

whitepizza.indd 54

2/9/17 3:15 PM

Imagine the shock of being assessed add -on fees for things like “credit card software updates...”

That’s just wrong!

With PDQ Signature Systems, there are no hidden fees or unexpected charges... just the best POS on the planet and an exper t suppor t team that actually answers the phone, every minute of ever y day. j

Learn about our top rated, multi-award winning PDQ POS:

877-968-6430 PDQpos.com VISIT US AT THE PIZZA EXPO: BOOTH 1921 whitepizza.indd 55

2/9/17 3:15 PM

“I haven’t seen many blue cheese pizzas out there.

People either love blue cheese or hate it, but it’s become one of our topfive sellers. And with more flavorful cheeses, you don’t need to add much to get that flavor profile.”

— S E A N D E M P S E Y, D E M P S E Y ’ S B R E W E RY, P U B & R E S TA U R A N T DEMPSEY’S BREWERY, PUB & RESTAURANT

portobella mushrooms, tomatoes, peppers and onions,” Dempsey says. “After baking, it’s finished with EVOO. On another one with an Alfredo base, we add peppers, sausage, bacon and jalapeños, then drizzle a funky sriracha design on half of it, so diners can choose their heat level.”

Meanwhile, Two Bro’s looks to customers for pie inspiration. The Wampler (named after the customer who ordered it twice weekly), with fresh spinach, marinated tomatoes, banana peppers, portobella mushrooms, pepperoni and extra cheese, eventually made the permanent menu—and is now one of the top-selling Alfredo pies.

But presentation remains a priority. “We want pizzas to look as sexy as they taste,” Scalia says. “I try to make sure every pizza that goes out looks like a competition pizza, with perfect topping placement and color symmetry. You want it to be bright, vibrant and appealing so that when customers see it, they can already taste it. Then they have to order it!”

For operators with their eyes (and taste buds) open, inspiration can come from anywhere. Dempsey, who often browses online for ideas, offers these suggestions: “Go to the kitchen and look at your ingredients, asking yourself what you have that you can put together,” he says.

“Also, what can you do differently? When we started to throw things together, we made a lot of great pizzas and a lot of god-awful pizzas, but you have to experiment.” For his part, Scalia gets inspired by whatever he’s craving on a particular week; if he’s sampling cheeseburgers or tries a fantastic salad, he thinks, “How can I put this on a pizza?”

Midkiff looks to his staff for new ideas; the Tuscany 56

was invented when he instructed staff members to simply create any pie that used red onion. “Tap the resources and creativity of your people; work with those on the inside,” he recommends. “We have a lot of young people working for us, and they can come up with great ideas!”

Finally, once your pies are in place (and rotating to accommodate frequent specials), ensure that you and your staff are promoting them wisely. In a small town, Dempsey admits he had to educate customers on some of his experimental white pies, ensuring that front-of-house staff was able to explain their differences—for example, that they’re lighter but can also be more complex than basic red-sauce options. Midkiff offers topping tastes to customers unfamiliar with gourmet ingredients like rapini, allowing them to try what goes onto the pie, and posts pics and ingredients on social media and in-store—even hooking customers with samples or small price breaks for new specialty pies.

Scalia also utilizes Facebook, including sponsored posts, to spread the word about specialty and limited-time white pies, often posting on the “pizza of the month” or the “Friday feature.” When recipes have come together a week or two in advance, staff will cook up a couple of the pies on a Friday night and dole out slices to pickup customers, helping build buzz. “In a small town like we’re in, word-of-mouth is huge, and things spread like wildfire,” Scalia laughs. “Though tomato sauce is a classic, olive oil is so much more versatile. I tend to lean more toward the white-sauce pizzas, myself!”

Tracy Morin is PMQ’s senior copy editor.

PMQ Pizza Magazine The Pizza Industry’s Business Monthly

whitepizza.indd 56

2/9/17 3:15 PM

Pizza Seatbelt SAY GOODBYE to Sloppy Pizzas! SAY HELLO to Happy Customers & Saving Money!

SEE OUR VIDEO AT

pizzaseatbelt.com

ED! INDUSTRY NE ted bag or not,

•

610.841.5666

JUST BUCKLE YOUR CAR’S SEATBELT TO INSTALL!

is in an insula “Whether the pizza t on a slanted car seat, so pu off that 90% of the time it’s ps and slides right sli t jus se straight all that chee (s) za piz atbelt keeps the all over g pizza. The Pizza Se din sli m fro gs its toppin and the pizza and za Seatbelt.” recommend the Piz hly hig I ! ce pla the ye 20 ars) Deliveryman for — Joe Castle (Pizza

“Don’t just deliver pizzas, safeguard them with the pizza seatbelt.”

— Giuseppe DiFiore, Inventor

CURRENT DISCOUNTS AVAILABLE

CALL TODAY!

pizza boxes stack on level surface!

“Hi, I am Giuseppe DiFiore, Inventor of the Pizza Seat Belt. I use Online Ordering Made Easy, the easiest & most powerful Online Ordering Marketing Suite. I use it for all my restaurants and you should too!” Check it out at OOMADEEASY.COM

1-888-400-9185

See what’s next in POS.

Drive delivery profit with visual dispatch: speedlinesolutions.com/LiveMaps PMQ_March2017_HalfPagePrintAd.indd 1

whitepizza.indd 57

Booth 421 2/3/2017 12:47:05 PM

2/9/17 3:15 PM

Using a renovated moving truck, Lombardi Pizza Co. focuses on special events to eliminate risk and minimize food waste.

pizzatrucks.indd 58

2/9/17 3:16 PM

Keep on Truckin’ Successful pizza truck operators dish about their secrets to success, their biggest challenges, and how they survive in the off season.

By Tracy Morin

F LOMBARDI PIZZA CO.

pizzatrucks.indd 59

ood trucks may have existed for decades, but they really exploded onto the scene in the 2000s, appealing to recession-weary operators looking to dive into the restaurant business with less risk than required for brick-and-mortar outlets. But mobile units were a decided departure from the “roach coaches” of earlier times; instead, these meals-on-wheels specialists churned out gourmet grilled cheeses, farm-to-table fare and, yes, wood-fired pizzas.

Granted, competition has stiffened, but the segment has enjoyed remarkable growth. According to mobile-cuisine.com, food trucks raked in $1.2 billion in 2015, a 12.4% revenue increase over the past five years. However, like in any restaurant business, success can prove elusive without the right game plan.

Here, three successful operators share how they turned their free-wheeling pizzerias into steady moneymakers.

2/9/17 3:16 PM

LOMBARDI PIZZA CO.

Some food truck operators, such as Lombardi Pizza Co., also establish a brick-and-mortar location to supplement business during off seasons.

“With an old truck, something is always in need of repair.

Always expect the unexpected to break.”

— P E T E R L O M B A R D I , L O M B A R D I P I Z Z A C O.

HYBRID VEHICLES Peter Lombardi, Chef and Owner Lombardi Pizza Co., Martinsville, NJ I started my business in 2011 when I found an old moving truck on eBay. I had it all customized, with pretty much an entire kitchen inside, including wood-fired oven, refrigerators, freezers, sinks—the whole nine yards. That took about five months. With an old truck, something is always in need of repair. I like to pick one big thing every couple months to take care of so that I’m not hit at once with a ton of repairs. One rule: Always expect the unexpected to break.

Our success is almost entirely driven by word-of-mouth.

I’m not really a fan of paying for ads, articles, etc. Anyone can buy page space that says, “We’re the Best.” Personally, those ads turn me off—I feel it cheapens your business. I also think customers are smart; they can smell when an ad was purchased vs. a legitimate good review. When someone tells me firsthand about how good a food truck or restaurant is, that holds a lot of weight. Although it may take longer to grow without paying for advertisement, I feel a better sense of accomplishment when customers 60

hear about us from other happy customers.

But food trucks are difficult for a couple reasons. A lot of laws are outdated when it comes to running a food truck. Permits can tend to be a big headache. You can’t just pull up on a corner and start selling food—I wish it were that easy! You need permits and inspections for everything, and those all cost money.

We’re not like most food trucks, in the sense that we don’t normally “street vend.” We focus primarily on private parties, weddings, birthdays, bat mitzvahs, business events, etc. This eliminates the risk for us. We’re paid to cater a party for a given number of people, so whether one or 100 people eat, we’re still paid for the agreed amount.

We also have a brick-and-mortar restaurant, which helps eliminate waste. If we have extra ingredients left over from a truck event, they’re put back into the restaurant.

Food trucks are also hard in New Jersey because you have a big off season. I often tell people that if they’re interested in getting a food truck, they should move to warmer weather, somewhere you can run the truck at full capacity year-round. Luckily, I have a restaurant that can float me through the colder months.

PMQ Pizza Magazine The Pizza Industry’s Business Monthly

pizzatrucks.indd 60

2/9/17 3:16 PM

1.888.480.EDGE WWW.EDGEOVENS.COM pizzatrucks.indd 61

2/9/17 3:16 PM

Vis

PIZZA CAPO

Pizza Capo, an icy-hot combo selling wood-fired pies and Italian ices, finds success by scouting ideal locations, accurately forecasting sales and focusing on quality.

FIRE AND ICE Sue Gochenaur, office manager; Anthony Rohrer, owner/pizzaiolo/operator; Lou Rohrer, research/ development/pizzaiolo; Aaron Rohrer, pizzaiolo Pizza Capo, Newark, DE We’re a small, family-operated company and got started in the mobile business in 2015 when we purchased a used, custom-made frozen dessert cart to serve hand-scooped Italian ice for public and private events. We quickly learned that we could be more versatile if we could offer food as well and knew right away that we wanted to serve pizza. We asked customers what they thought, with enthusiastic responses, and decided to offer wood-fired pizza. We had a custom-made concession trailer built with a wood-fired oven inside, and Rohrer’s Italian Ice became Pizza Capo. In our very first event serving pizza, we came in second place in the professional category for the Scrapple Cook Off Contest.

Family is essential to our success; this business couldn’t run as smoothly without each family member contributing to the operation. Another key is our commitment to serving only the best ingredients. Pizza is a very competitive business, and we want to stand apart from the rest. We also listen to customer feedback, always learning and adapting to suit our customers’ needs and wants and constantly innovating to come up with signature product offerings. Last but not least, it’s essential to be consistent.

One of the biggest mistakes we could have made: not talking to our health department prior to having our custom trailer built. Our state required preapproval to construct; they needed to review and approve the specs from top to bottom. Even our pizza had to go through a review to ensure it met food-grade requirements before we purchased the oven.

“One mistake we made in our first event was offering only pies, not slices. We’re learning that at certain events, slices are the big hit, while at other events, pies are the bestsellers.”

62

Pizza Capo listened to customers before deciding to add pizza to its lineup—and continues to do so when introducing new specialty pies.

PIZZA CAPO

— A N T H O N Y RO H R E R , PIZZA CAPO

$

PMQ Pizza Magazine The Pizza Industry’s Business Monthly

pizzatrucks.indd 62

2/9/17 3:16 PM

P

85

Vegas0

pizzatrucks_2.indd 63

2/10/17 3:37 PM

THE O.G. WOOD FIRE FOOD TRUCK

The O.G. Wood Fire Food Truck, offering both lunchtime and special-event service, spreads word-of-mouth by maintaining an active social media presence, snagging awards and staying in touch with local publications.

“We’ve had to change our dough recipe after looking at the weather forecast, so consistency is a challenge. It might be 120° in the truck in July, or 30° in the winter, so we adjust the hydration or yeast in the dough to make it work.”

— J AY L A N G F E L D E R , T H E O.G . W O O D F I R E F O O D T R U C K

Forecasting and location are also critical, and there’s not much room for error. If we overprepare for an event, product gets wasted. If we underprepare, we lose sales.

Location determines how successful an event will be. It’s difficult to figure out, but learning comes with experience.

One mistake we made in our first event was offering only pies, not slices. We’re learning that at certain events, slices are the big hit, while at other events, pies are the bestsellers. Even the types of pies/slices that are more popular can vary from event to event.

We’re now able to serve almost year-round, with the exception of bad weather days. In addition to public events and catering, we’ve found a location where we can set up daily. We plan ahead for the off season by paying bills ahead when we can and saving during busy months. We also use the slower months to get scheduled for public events for the upcoming season and test new signature offerings to add to the menu.

64

FAIR-WEATHER AFFAIRS Jay Langfelder, owner The O.G. (One Goal) Wood Fire Food Truck, Buffalo, NY I started in the foodservice industry working in mom-and pop pizzerias, then fine-dining restaurants, before I went to school and got a degree in hospitality management.

After working in corporate environments, I decided to sell the pizza I wanted to sell.

This is our second season as a food truck, but pizza has always been a hobby of mine; I’ve made probably almost a million pizzas in my day! I’ve experimented with many recipes, but we do a Neapolitan-based pizza, with “00” flour and imported tomatoes, baked in a wood-fired oven on the truck.

We do lunches Monday through Friday, plus nighttime special events. In the summer months, we’ll have 12 or 14 events per week vs. five or six in the winter. That’s

PMQ Pizza Magazine The Pizza Industry’s Business Monthly

pizzatrucks.indd 64

2/9/17 3:16 PM

one of the challenges—weather here doesn’t cooperate for a year-round business. It’s also about getting the dough right. We’ve had to change our dough recipe after looking at the weather forecast, so consistency is a challenge. It might be 120° in the truck in July, or 30° in the winter, so we adjust the hydration or yeast in the dough to make it work. Or we might do small parties of 30, then the next day have 200 walk-up customers. Doing a cold ferment three to five days ahead of time requires a lot of guesswork; sometimes we sell out.

Providing the best quality has made us successful in one of the most competitive pizza markets in the country. Offering something different, keeping up with trends in the industry, and staying on the forefront (like farm-to-table or unique combinations) have also been key. We did a pop-up recently where we created famous pizzas from around the United States and had a great turnout.

“We did a pop-up recently where we created famous pizzas from around the United States and had a great turnout.”

— J AY L A N G F E L D E R , T H E O.G . W O O D F I R E FOOD TRUCK

We hit Twitter, Facebook and Instagram, having fun with it, asking people what pizzas they want to see and highlighting our quality ingredients. We also have a great relationship with local writers, and they’ve helped promote us quite a bit. We go after awards, like winning “best food truck” in local publications, to help spread the word. And our schedule is rotational, so people know where to find us.

You have to prepare yourself for the seasonality of this business when weather’s a factor. I see a lot of new food trucks go under because they committed too much start-up capital. We keep our costs low and our quality high; I even built the truck myself with my father. We load ourselves up in the summer, staying as busy as we can; you might do back-to-back 100-hour weeks, then work 30-hour weeks in winter.

The most important thing is to maintain good relationships with the places you want to be. People think they can just drive all over and blast it out on Twitter, but that’s not the case. Office lunches and catering keep you going, at least until your name’s established. Once people know you, you can go somewhere and people will show up.

Tracy Morin is PMQ’s senior copy editor.

March 2017 pmq.com

pizzatrucks_2.indd 65

65

2/10/17 3:32 PM

Aperisquo estem qui con nosam iumquatium que eum aut offici voluptat eum quasperitiis rem erspeles volesec taspiti dolupienime volest que modit pos autest eum, quis mi, soluptia ea volupta eprate sum qui con

the of a P A R T

3

Saying yes to special requests and negotiating a broader deal with your main vendor can help bring success even in difficult economic times.

By Rick Drury | Photos provided by Precinct Pizza

W

hen the economy collapsed back in 2008, every business was affected, including the pizza industry. Some pizzerias continue to feel the effects of that catastrophe today. The question is, what can we do if it happens again?

Precinct Pizza, the pizzeria I founded with my wife in Tampa, Florida, was two years old in 2008. We had registered huge sales from nearly the day we opened, but we also built up a lot of debt from our build-out. When the economy tanked, we were receiving job applications by the dozens on a daily basis. Then our landlord defaulted on the loan for the building, so the court took over ownership of the mall in which Precinct Pizza is located. It was a scary time for everyone. My wife and I had to make some tough decisions about the future and figure out a way to keep our sales from slipping. In this article, I’m going to share with you some of the important things we learned from that experience and from our 10-plus years running one of the busiest pizzerias in the United States.

SAY YES TO SPECIAL REQUESTS In an earlier article in this series (“Seizing the Upside of a Downturn, Part 2,” JanuaryFebruary 2017), Jeff Mease, owner of Pizza X in Bloomington, Indiana, noted there are two types of customers: “deal customers” and “real customers.” Independently, after many long discussions, my wife and I reached a similar conclusion.

66

PMQ Pizza Magazine The Pizza Industry’s Business Monthly

downturn-pt3.indd 66

2/9/17 3:18 PM

An employee at Precinct Pizza takes a gift card from a customer

downturn-pt3.indd 67

March 2017 pmq.com

67

2/9/17 3:18 PM

“Deal customers” do not care about the quality of the food; they care more about the price, and they will order from the pizza place that offers the cheapest deal that week. These customers are not loyal to any one pizzeria.

Then there are the “real customers,” those who do not care so much about the price and want the highest quality pizza they can get. These customers are often picky, and they’re especially particular about how they want their food prepared and served. Special requests—such as light sauce, extra sauce, well-done, lightly done, extra sides of ranch—must be honored and fulfilled for them.

If a customer orders 10 wings, for example, and he wants five of one flavor and five of another flavor, do you honor his request, even though it causes your kitchen staff some inconvenience? If a customer orders a pizza and asks for sausage on just ¼ of it, do you give her what she wants?

At Precinct Pizza, we say yes to every special request.

These customers will prove to be very loyal to a pizzeria that takes their unique needs and desires to heart. And they are the customers that Precinct Pizza covets and has always coveted.

In short, during an economic downturn, the pizzeria that goes out of its way to take care of its customers will enjoy a distinct advantage over those that simply ring up the order and grab the cash. It really is the little things that keep a customer coming back.

68

Rick Drury, owner of Precinct Pizza, teaches local students to make their own pies. Drury believes that encouraging loyalty is the key to longevity in the pizza business, especially during challenging economic times.

“We say yes to every special request....customers will prove very loyal to a pizzeria that takes their unique needs and desires to heart.”

— R I C K D R U RY, P R E C I N C T P I Z Z A

PMQ Pizza Magazine The Pizza Industry’s Business Monthly

downturn-pt3.indd 68

2/9/17 3:18 PM

downturn-pt3.indd 69

2/9/17 3:22 PM

Drury personally delivers pizzas to a customer at a local hotel.

QUALITY ISN’T ALWAYS KING Of course, we are proud of the quality of our food at Precinct Pizza, but we have learned that you don’t have to serve the best pies in town to survive, even in a down market. You just need to take better care of your guests.

I recommend visiting as many pizzerias in your town as possible, so you’ll know which ones are doing things right and which ones do a poor job of serving their customers.

In your opinion, which pizzeria in your town serves the worst food? Most likely, if you visit that store, you’ll find that many people think it’s actually the best pizzeria in town. Otherwise, it would have no customers and would have already gone out of business!

Clearly, there’s more involved here than just the quality of the pizza. Simply serving the best pies will not save you in an economic downturn. Listening to your customers, paying close attention to their special requests and following through on those requests are just as important as offering quality pizza. Whether it’s remembering that

Precinct Pizza staffers take to the streets of Tampa to offer free samples to passersby.

extra side of marinara or double-cutting a pizza, whether it’s happily fetching extra plates or napkins or utensils, or anything else the customer requests, keep this in mind: Your customer is offering to let you make his experience awesome when he makes those special requests. If you honor those requests, you will build loyalty. If you do not honor those requests, they will find another pizzeria that will. Do everything you can to keep these “real customers” happy—they will be loyal to you long after those “deal customers” have left you high and dry.

NEGOTIATING WITH VENDORS Keeping costs down is important to every pizzeria’s bottom line. You can do several things to increase the bottom line, but it all starts with negotiating better pricing from your food vendor.

“You don’t have to serve the best pies in town to survive, even in a down market. You just need to take better care of your guests.”

— R I C K D R U RY, P R E C I N C T P I Z Z A 70

PMQ Pizza Magazine The Pizza Industry’s Business Monthly

downturn-pt3.indd 70

2/9/17 3:18 PM

DISPENSE SOLUTIONS FOR BEER, WINE & COCKTAILS

FRESHNESS is what’s on tap.

Customers want choice today. We understand the importance of delivering reliable, high-quality, yet cost-effective dispensing solutions for beer, wine, and cocktails. Micro Matic thinks long-term when providing solutions and support services to help grow your business. From a single kegerator, to 12 beers on tap, to 100 kegs in a remote location.

TAP INTO A BETTER EXPERIENCE!

866.327.4159 // micromatic.com

downturn-pt3.indd 71

2/9/17 3:18 PM

Rick Drury was an emergency responder in New York before moving south and founding his law enforcement-themed pizzeria.

At Precinct Pizza, we have a solid relationship with our food vendor. For many years, we purchased about 80% of our food from that one vendor, while still going to other vendors to get a better deal on this or that item.

We thought that approach saved us money, and it did, but placing orders with all of these different vendors also created more work; some of them didn’t offer delivery, so we had to go out and pick up those items ourselves.

Although we were saving money, it was time-consuming.

About a year ago, I decided this was not the way to run a pizzeria, especially with my goals for expansion. I went to my main food vendor with a list of all the items I was getting elsewhere and said, “If you want to continue to receive my business, you must get these items for me at nearly the same price I’m paying your competitors.” Because we were ordering about $15,000 to $20,000 a week from that vendor at the time, the company was willing to come to the table and work with me. It agreed to carry almost all of the items I needed, although some had to be specially ordered, and the vendor had to cultivate new relationships

with suppliers to get other items. Currently, my vendor carries about three dozen items that are proprietary to Precinct Pizza.

Once these items were in place, I made sure the pricing was reasonable for all parties. Remember that your food vendor is entitled to make a profit, and also keep in mind that smaller vendors will feel the pinch of a recession more than the larger food purveyors. Whatever you do, never go into negotiations and demand to be offered all items at cost.

Finally, I also negotiated a rebate on all purchases we made. So, even if I had to pay a little more for some items, the rebate percentage would more than cover it, essentially reducing the overall costs of my orders and saving me money in the end. Now, if there is another economic downturn, I know my relationship with my food vendor is stronger than ever and, hopefully, I’ve got the plans in place to keep my costs down!

Rick Drury is owner of Precinct Pizza in Tampa, Florida.

“Remember that your food vendor is entitled to make a profit, and keep in mind that smaller vendors will feel the pinch of a recession more than the larger food purveyors.”

— R I C K D R U RY, P R E C I N C T P I Z Z A 72

PMQ Pizza Magazine The Pizza Industry’s Business Monthly

downturn-pt3.indd 72

2/9/17 3:18 PM

Advertiser

Booth Number

AM Manufacturing ................................... N1237 AK Pizza Crust ............................................N2343 Ardent Mills .............................................. N2005 Bag Solutions ............................................... N777 Bellissimo Foods ........................................N1543 Caputo ............................................................ N546 Chowly ......................................................... N2538 Edge Ovens ...................................................N1155 Escalon ........................................................... N769 Fontanini .......................................................N1321 Lactalis ............................................................N743 Grande Cheese ........................................... N1221 Harbortouch .................................................N435 Hospitality Mints ......................................N2158 HTH...................................................................N816 Italforni .........................................................N948 La Nova .........................................................N1243 Lloyd Pans .....................................................N1213 MailShark .................................................... N1869 Main St. Hub ...............................................N1852 Manitowoc.................................................... N643 Marra Forni.................................................... N135 Marsal & Sons, Inc...................................... N1131 Marzetti....................................................... N2021 Micromatics ................................................N2317 Microworks ..................................................N1515 Middleby Marshall ................................... N1031 Monini .............................................................N127 Mr. Peel .......................................................... N957 Neil Jones Co................................................N1551 Nutella ......................................................... N1920 PDQ................................................................. N1921 Peerless Ovens ...........................................N1257 Perfect Crust ..............................................N2549 PizzaCloud ..................................................N2430 Pizza Solutions ...........................................N1356 Polly-O ........................................................... N764 Precision Mixers ........................................N1367 RedGold ........................................................ N2137 Saputo Cheese ............................................N1043 Slice ................................................................N2143 SmartFlour.................................................... N429 Somerset ..................................................... N1063 Speedline Solutions ...................................N421 Stanislaus ........................................... N637/N721 Stratus ...........................................................N1655 Thunderbird ................................................N1727 Tyson ................................................................ N521 Univex.............................................................N1143 Varimixer ..................................................... N2539 WestRock ...................................................... N627 Woodstone .................................................N2740 XLT ................................................................. N1964 Yamato ......................................................... N1824

Find these PMQ advertisers at the International Pizza Expo March 28-30 | Las Vegas This list is provided as a service to our readers and PMQ advertising partners.

PMQ Pizza Magazine does not accept liability for any errors, misprints, or confusion arising from these listings.

That perfect bake.

Every time.

We are innovating how pizza is made.

March 2017 pmq.com

downturn-pt3.indd 73

73

2/10/17 3:48 PM

Jeff and Laura Ambrose, co-owners of Woodstock’s Pizza in California, have rolled out a new menu with gluten-free, vegetarian and vegan options as well as “cleaner” ingredients.

74

PMQ Pizza Magazine The Pizza Industry’s Business Monthly

woodstock.indd 74

2/9/17 3:22 PM

A

Clean SLATE Woodstock’s Pizza has overhauled its menu with cleaner, healthier and locally sourced ingredients for 2017.

Here’s how they did it. By Rick Hynum

A

s customers set their minds on getting healthier in the new year, Woodstock’s Pizza, with locations all over California, wants to help. The company has made a big move toward cleaner, healthier ingredients so that pizza lovers “can still rejoice in eating pizza without the guilt.” That means switching to a nitrate-free pepperoni, organic vegetables, cheese and fruits, and organic sauces and dressings.

The company also eliminated high-fructose corn syrup from its ingredients list. So how’s it going so far? PMQ talked to Woodstock’s co-owner Laura Ambrose to get the skinny: PMQ: Tell us a little bit about Woodstock’s. What’s the history behind it? ​Ambrose: The company was founded by Chuck Woodstock in 1978 in Corvallis, Oregon. He expanded to California in 1980.

Unfortunately, he and his partner were killed in a private plane crash in 1985. Jeff Ambrose, who began as a delivery driver for the company, eventually became president and then bought out the other family members in 2001. He and his management team now own all eight California restaurants.​ March 2017 pmq.com

woodstock.indd 75

75

2/9/17 3:22 PM

As a vegetarian, Woodstock’s co-owner Laura Ambrose is sensitive to the health concerns of her customers.

PMQ: You’ve got some interesting menu items with great names, such as the Grateful Veg and the Sriracha-cha. Who develops these signature pies, and what are your top sellers? ​Ambrose: Our Grateful Veg has been around since the beginning and is definitely a top seller, especially with our signature wheat crust. Most of our new pizzas and sides come from our own employees, including the Sriracha-cha, the Kickin’ Carnitas, the Buffalo Bird, etc.

We have also run contests with our Facebook fans to encourage their submissions for new pizza ideas.​ PMQ: You recently updated your menu to include healthier ingredients. What was the motivation for that? Were you getting a lot of questions and special requests from your customers? ​Ambrose: We definitely listen to our customers, both in the store and via social media. To begin with, we have always had a policy that our customers could bring in any ingredient to add to their pizzas if we don’t have that ingre-

dient in stock. The only exception here is that we decided not to add marijuana to customer pizzas, even though it has been brought in and requested several times. It could create a contact high for everyone in the restaurant!

[As customers brought in their own favorite ingredients] we started to see that we needed to add Daiya cheese for our vegan guests. ​When we started getting requests for gluten-free pizza, we tried dozens of different crust options, most of which tasted terrible! Finally we found one (made off-site, since we make our flour dough on-site each day) that has earned hundreds of rave reviews.​ A little dough spinning adds to the high-energy atmosphere at Woodstock’s Pizza.

“Our costs have definitely gone up as we strive to offer higher-quality, premium ingredients, especially since we decided we would not change the amount of toppings on our pizzas in an effort to control costs.”

— L A U R A A M B RO S E , W O O D S TO C K P I Z Z A 76

PMQ Pizza Magazine The Pizza Industry’s Business Monthly

woodstock.indd 76

2/9/17 3:22 PM

woodstock.indd 77

2/9/17 3:23 PM

can. The new menus that we’re rolling out for 2017 have coding for gluten-free, vegan and vegetarian options. We have changed our pepperoni and sausage to nitrate-free.

By the way, no one seems to care about low-fat anymore.

Woodstock’s food prices went up after it switched to more nitrate-free and organic ingredients, but higher prices haven’t hurt its sales.

PMQ: Tell us about some of the healthier ingredients you’re using now. What’s in, and what’s out?

Ambrose: We believe pizza can be a healthy food option and actually covers all of the major nutrition elements.

We have always used premium whole-milk mozzarella on our pizzas (i.e., no fake cheese or fillers). And since the beginning we’ve emphasized fresh veggies and meats.

We have had low-fat and gluten-free options for at least 15 years. As a vegetarian myself, I’m sensitive to having options for vegans and organic vegetables whenever we

78

PMQ: How will using organic and nitrate-free ingredients affect your food costs? Will those costs go up?

Ambrose: Our costs have definitely gone up as we strive to offer higher-quality, premium ingredients, especially since we decided we would not change the amount of toppings on our pizzas in an effort to control costs. We are one of the highest-priced pizza restaurants in our towns, and that comes with some anxiety, but so far we’ve found that it hasn’t hurt our sales at all.

PMQ: Did you have any trouble sourcing these healthier ingredients?

Ambrose: Yes, it isn’t easy to find these ingredients. We’ve been fortunate to have a supplier (Saladino’s) that’s willing

PMQ Pizza Magazine The Pizza Industry’s Business Monthly

woodstock.indd 78

2/9/17 3:23 PM

to work with us ​to find what we need. With the volume we do in our eight restaurants, we’re able to convince them to add items. We often attend trade shows to find companies that produce the high-quality ingredients we’re looking for.

PMQ: As for the gluten-free offering, how challenging was it to develop a crust with the right taste, texture and baking qualities?

Ambrose: ​As I said, we work with an outside company to source our gluten-free crusts. Finding a crust we really liked, one that worked with lots of toppings and cooked well in our ovens, was very challenging. I’m really glad that the sales rep for our distributor was insistent that I try this one, because, honestly, I was done with tastetesting gluten-free that tasted like cardboard. Ours are really good, with a garlic infusion—they’re so good that we have customers who don’t need gluten-free say they prefer this crust.​

Finding a constant, reliable source of healthier ingredients in high quantities has posed a challenge for Woodstock’s.

March 2017 pmq.com

woodstock.indd 79

79

2/9/17 3:23 PM

L Woodstock’s has a “continuous pipeline of new pizza and side ideas,” thanks to its creative and engaged employees.

PMQ: With these new ingredients and crusts, will you be adding new signature pizzas to your menu? ​Ambrose: Yes! We have a continuous pipeline of new pizza and side ideas, thanks to our creative employees.

We have also employed a professional chef from time to time, especially to fine-tune some of our flavor profiles.

We especially like seasonal options, using fresh ingredients with a limited time frame. We’re fortunate that all of our restaurants are in California, where we have a continuous supply of locally sourced fresh ingredients.​We also hope to work more closely with some of the agriculture programs at nearby universities.​

PMQ: In our annual Pizza Power Report (December 2016), we recommended that our readers do exactly what you’re doing—look into healthier, cleaner, more organic ingredients. As someone who has gone through this process yourself, was it harder or easier than you expected it to be? What was the toughest challenge or obstacle to overcome? ​Ambrose: I won’t lie—it’s not easy. I’m actually amazed how often we still see MSG, nitrates, high-fructose corn syrup, etc. in topping options. We ask right away when we look at new sources. The other challenge is finding a consistent, reliable source that can produce the volume we need. That’s been the toughest part with identifying locally sourced ingredients at the community level. Many of the small farms are blown away when we tell them how much we need of a specific ingredient. Our Santa Barbara store actually does a farmer’s-market pizza each week, and I appreciate the lengths our manager there goes to in sourcing what he needs for that pizza. I’d like to see this implemented at all of our stores. But when we say we offer a specific product, we don’t want to add “while supplies last.​” That’s frustrating to customers. This is a constant challenge, and one that we will continue to pursue, since our goal has always been to offer truly amazing pizzas.

Rick Hynum is PMQ’s editor-in-chief.

80

PMQ Pizza Magazine The Pizza Industry’s Business Monthly

woodstock.indd 80

2/9/17 3:23 PM

Italy!

Let’s go

to

2017 World Pizza Championships Parma, Italy | May 5-12, 2017 Join the U.S. Pizza Team on their quest to bring home the Gold!

The U.S. Pizza Team will be returning to the World Pizza Championships in Parma, Italy, and we want you to join us! Pizzaiolos with both culinary and acrobatic skills are wanted to help the team bring home some gold from the food valley of Italy. All PMQ Subscribers and friends are invited to accompany us as well - everyone is welcome!

After team member Jamie Culliton won gold in Freestyle Acrobatics in 2016, the team is looking to add to our wall of fame.

Will you be the next gold medalist?

woodstock.indd 81

SILVER SPONSORS

GOLD SPONSORS

For more information on costs and travel arrangements, or about the World Pizza Championships and the U.S. Pizza Team, contact Brian Hernandez at 662-234-5481, or brian@pmq.com x129 Deadline for sign up is Wednesday, April 12th, 2017.

2/9/17 3:24 PM

DRIVETHRU.indd 82

2/9/17 3:24 PM

PINT-SIZE

POWER HOUSES Drive-thru pizza service has its share of logistical challenges, but it has proven a winning format for today’s on-the-go customers.

By Tracy Morin

W

hile pizzerias have relied on delivery for decades, they’re not often associated with drive-thru service, a market dominated by other types of fast-food fare. Market research company NPD Group reported in 2012 that 12.4 billion visits were made to drive-thrus in the previous year, but most pizzerias shun the option altogether due to the daunting logistics. However, operators with drivethru pizza shops are changing the game, one location at a time—and many are finding success with a combination of technology, staff training, smart marketing and streamlined service. We tapped their expert tips for how to be successful within this challenging foodservice format.

MAD DASH

EXPLOITING A NICHE Operators of successful drive-thru pizzerias have something in common: They noted a gaping hole in the industry. Aaron Souza, owner of Mad Dash Pizza in Chico, California, couldn’t find anything similar when he wrote his business plan nine years ago. “We thought drive-thru would be great for pizza,” he recalls. “In my mind, it wasn’t offered because of technology—drive-thru needs a fastserve product—and maybe even laziness. Pizza was also

DRIVETHRU.indd 83

March 2017 pmq.com

83

2/9/17 3:24 PM

SLICES

traditionally a group meal, so it dawned on me to do personal pizzas, since a one-size product helps with efficiency and quickness.”

Bob and Sharon Rybak, who run My Pizzetta in North Royalton, Ohio, with their son, Paul, were inspired by quick-cooking wood-fired pies during visits to Italy and had the idea of opening a drive-thru—but they found few pizza-based precedents. “We searched for another place that was strictly drive-thru and couldn’t really find one, so we spent a couple of years working out the logistics,” Paul Rybak says. “Opening with this brand-new concept was a big risk, but people love the product and the convenience.”

Dino Pavoni, owner of Simply Slices, with two locations in Crestwood and Burbank, Illinois, had been running a 99-cent slice business when he noticed long lines at a nearby McDonald’s in 1988, and inspiration struck. “I wanted to revolutionize the pizza and fast-food industries,

SIM PLY

With only 1,000 square feet of space, Dino Pavoni’s Simply Slices entices patrons with customizable slices and pies, value-driven combo deals and an eye-catching logo.

pioneering a new way for people to look at pizza in that market,” Pavoni recalls. “We decided to do drive-thru pizza by the slice with a small dining area.”

Pavoni recreated the McDonald’s model with pizza, breadsticks and shaved ice and by 1998 had opened up the first drive-thru Simply Slices in Crestwood. “Where was pizza, the most popular food in the country, in the fast-food market?” he asks. “People can call in and pick up a pizza, but they can’t go to a drive-thru and customize a fresh order in minutes, with an attractive price point and high-quality product. I used to offer delivery, but now my customers are doing the driving!”

Besides customer convenience, drive-thrus offer additional benefits, including small footprints. Simply Slices spans 1,000 square feet, staffed by two to three employees.

Both Mad Dash and My Pizzetta, which are drive-thru only, take up a mere 600 square feet and, with low rent, have established themselves as pint-size powerhouses.

“Customers just didn’t trust us at first. They thought it couldn’t be quality because it’s quick and drive-thru. We had to prove them wrong.”

— A A RO N S O U Z A , M A D DA S H P I Z Z A 84

PMQ Pizza Magazine The Pizza Industry’s Business Monthly

DRIVETHRU.indd 84

2/9/17 3:24 PM

“I used to offer delivery, but now my customers are doing the driving.”

— D I N O PAV O N I , S I M P LY S L I C E S

UNIQUE CHALLENGES When the Rybaks opened My Pizzetta in December 2013, finding the right equipment proved a challenge, but the family painstakingly crafted the menu and the kitchen’s design for maximum efficiency. A gas-fired brick oven bakes made-to-order pies in 90 seconds for an overall service time of three to four minutes. “Opening a drivethru is a lot more challenging than you would think,” Paul Rybak notes. “It’s a great idea, and it can work, but it has to be fresh and on-point. And it’s something that people aren’t accustomed to, so you have to train both customers and staff.”

Souza designed his shop’s layout to maximize the customer experience and employee efficiency and tinkered with ovens to quickly bake fresh-dough pies. “Initially I purchased par-baked dough, because oven manufacturers told me I couldn’t cook raw dough that fast,” he recalls.

“It took a long time to work out the technology side, then figure out how to make the right dough—we had

nothing to copy at the time.” Souza believes drive-thru customers won’t wait more than 10 minutes, so he uses multiple ovens to cook pies to order in two minutes and has created a streamlined process, from order taking and pie assembly to processing payment. “We get the pizza made in 30 seconds and cook it in a couple of minutes while the other employees get drinks ready and cash out customers,” Souza says. “You have to make sure there are no bottlenecks.” With experience, Mad Dash has whittled average service time down to three to six minutes.

Pavoni says quick service is essential to reprogramming customers accustomed to sailing through a Burger King drive-thru on their lunch break. “It’s an education process that takes months of patience,” he admits. “It’s critical that your service times stay down and quality stays consistent.”

Fast-casual outlets are helping educate consumers, too, showing that they can get customized pizza, fast. “You have to convince the consumer that it can be done,” Souza says. “That was one of the biggest challenges, but it now has the potential to be less of a challenge as consumers get more comfortable with personalized pizzas.” But customers still need to learn that drive-thru fare doesn’t have to be low-quality and mass-produced. Souza says his customers “freaked out” over the high quality of his pizza.

“They already had a perception of what to expect from a drive-thru,” he notes. “They were used to a pizza taking

DRIVETHRU.indd 85

MY PIZZETTA

The family-run My Pizzetta enjoyed a significant business boost after a local news station covered its unique drive-thru concept.

March 2017 pmq.com

85

2/10/17 3:50 PM

20 minutes to cook or, if it was fast, they expected it’d be sitting under heat lamps. One thing I hear to this day is that customers just didn’t trust us at first. They thought it couldn’t be quality because it’s quick and drive-thru. We had to prove them wrong.”

86

MY PIZZETTA

SECRETS OF SUCCESS Great locations, jazzy logos and well-placed signage are all important for drive-thru locations. “Your signage is going to market you,” Pavoni says. “I did radio, print and direct mail, but nine out of 10 customers say they just saw our sign on the street. You need a logo that attracts people’s attention—then you need to have a quality product.”

A location on one of the highest-traffic corners in town, next to a popular coffee drive-thru, also helped increase visibility for Mad Dash. Its “California cool” vibe, with a colorful logo and design, helped attract early customers, from whom Souza solicited feedback for the first couple of years to perfect his concept. After opening, he focused on speed but soon realized customers were more interested in quality, which changed everything from marketing to

Streamlined assembly and a wood-fired oven help keep service times at a minimum for on-the-go drive-thru customers at My Pizzetta.

menu boards (for example, he decided to push premium pizzas). He keeps the menu simple, constantly evaluating the most popular orders to determine the images pictured on his menu board. “The entirety of the concept has to work, from location, branding and messaging to product quality, customer service and menu boards,” he says.

PMQ Pizza Magazine The Pizza Industry’s Business Monthly

DRIVETHRU.indd 86

2/9/17 3:25 PM

Mad Dash’s “California cool” design, premium personal pies and fast, convenient service have led to 20% to 30% year-overyear growth in a 600-square-foot space.

MAD DASH

Media coverage helped My Pizzetta take off, Rybak says. Within six months of opening, a local news station profiled the unique concept on TV, spurring visitors from up to 50 miles away. “We explain to customers what we do—make everything fresh in-store—and are very transparent about our product,” he says. “Our Facebook page explains what’s in our products, and they know we’re making everything to order. We even invite customers into the kitchen to show them the process.”

Menu simplicity is important for operational efficiency, but customers still demand variety. Simply Slices offers customizable full pies and slices (including a gluten-free crust), appetizers and combo deals, like two slices and a drink. My Pizzetta offers three crusts (including glutenfree), nine sauces and dozens of cheese, meat and veggie toppings—all arranged with a number system that allows regular customers to quickly call out their go-to faves.

And, with the kinks worked out, operators find that word-of-mouth has been crucial. Souza, after a tough first year, now enjoys 20% to 30% year-over-year growth.

Both Pavoni and Souza are fielding calls from interested franchisees and looking to expand further. My Pizzetta, meanwhile, stays involved with local schools and has

marketed on radio, in print, with Groupon and on local grocery store carts, but the best advertisement has come through face-to-face contact. “Being in a smaller place, you have to put yourself out there,” Rybak says. “We’d make small pizzas and take them to local businesses, which helped build our base. We ask first-time customers how they heard about us, and a lot of our new business comes from word-of-mouth.”

By all accounts, drive-thru formats are fraught with challenges, but inventive operators are cashing in on this calculated risk. “If someone’s going to do a drivethru, they have to commit and look at it with fresh eyes, because it’s such a different beast,” Souza concludes. “At McDonald’s or Burger King, customers know what they’re getting—but a pizza place with this concept has to prove itself every day.”

Tracy Morin is PMQ’s senior copy editor.

DRIVETHRU.indd 87

March 2017 pmq.com

87

2/9/17 3:25 PM

ON THE ROAD WITH PMQ

Where We've Been

PMQ’s Pizzamobile is alw ays on a mission to unco ver new moneymaking milestone events in the ideas and document pizza industry. If we ha ve n’t been to your town yet, time. Learn more abou it’s only a matter of t where the PMQ staff has been and look out for where we’re headed next.

Liz Barrett tested several menu items at Pizza Jerk in Portland.

The first three toppings are free when you build your own pizza at Vinny McGuire’s.

PIZZA JERK | PORTLAND, OR On a family tour down the West Coast, PMQ’s Liz Barrett made a pit stop at Pizza Jerk, which markets itself as a Connecticut-style pizzeria. Knowing this could be her only chance to try some of the menu favorites, Barrett ordered the pizza fries, a thin-style Supreme and a thick pepperoni cast-iron pie. Only later did she discover that Pizza Jerk, where customers order at the counter and hope there’s a table available, is co-owned by Tommy Habetz, who has worked with the likes of Bobby Flay, Mario Batali and Paola di Mauro, which may explain the pizzeria’s immense popularity and tasty food.

VINNY MCGUIRE’S PIZZA | DESTIN, FL Celebrating her birthday on the Gulf Coast, Barrett and her husband visited local favorite Vinny McGuire’s Pizza, which lets customers create their own pizza via a notepad with choices ranging from size to sauce to deliciously heavy-handed toppings. Entering the cozy, uber-kitschy Italian eatery, Barrett immediately noted thousands of guest-signed one-dollar bills hanging from the ceiling. Turns out the tradition started with nearby McGuire’s Irish Pub, where more than $1 million hangs from the ceiling and walls. Yes, thieves have tried to rob the joint, but it proved difficult to pass bills with writing all over them.

BREWCADIA | COLUMBUS, OH We sent our resident joystick junkie, Daniel Lee Perea, to talk with General Manager Jason Fabian about pixels, pints and pies at Brewcadia. After 25 years of serving the Short North neighborhood, Barley’s Brewing Company cleared out its second-story “junk room” to expand into a second concept last March, jumping into Columbus’ exploding arcade bar scene. Complementing the 40 craft beers on tap, Brewcadia features pizzas named after classic video games, such as the Moon Patrol Margherita and the DK Supreme (for those with a Donkey Kong-sized appetite). Perea will also spotlight Brewcadia on his own website, arcadebarscene.com.

Under GM Jason Fabian, Brewcadia is an upstairs offshoot of Barley’s Brewing Company in Columbus.

88

PMQ Pizza Magazine The Pizza Industry’s Business Monthly

wherewevebeen_March17.indd 88

2/9/17 3:26 PM

Where We're Going

THE NIGHTCLUB & BAR SHOW | LAS VEGAS PMQ will exhibit at one of the hospitality industry’s most exciting events, the Nightclub & Bar Show, to be held March 27 through 29 at the Las Vegas Convention Center (LVCC). Six hundred suppliers will fill the exhibit hall space, while keynote speakers include Neil Moffitt, CEO of the Hakkasan Group; Lee Cockerell, executive vice president of Walt Disney World Resort; and Thomas Maas, founder and master blender of Agave Loco. Check us out at Booth 163 and come join the fun!

HIDEAWAY PIZZA | OKLAHOMA Founded in Stillwater in 1957, Pizza Hall of Fame member Hideaway Pizza built a groovy rep with its fleet of hippie-fied Volkswagen Bug delivery vehicles in the mid-60s, a gimmick that lasted for nearly 30 years. Now with 18 locations, Hideaway will be a can’t-miss stop for the PMQ crew as we travel west in late March. We’ve heard good things about the Big Country, made with kielbasa sausage, beef, pepperoni and Canadian bacon, and the Boz, a signature pie inspired by Oklahoma football legend Brian Bosworth and featuring pepperoni, sausage, jalapeño, bacon and red bell peppers.

DION’S | ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. With 23 locations in three states, Dion’s has the second-highest average sales per unit of any pizza chain in America. So what are they doing right?

We’re going to find out during our westward journey this month. We do know Dion’s was named the state’s Most Admired Company by the New Mexico Private 100 in 2015. We also know the chain burns through more than 322,000 pounds of New Mexico green chiles a year. And we love its kooky, stylized website graphics and commitment to local causes, such as the Food Depot, Project Angel Heart and Meals on Wheels.

PMQ will exhibit at booth no. 163 at this year’s Nightclub & Bar Show in Las Vegas. During our trip out west, we’ll pay visits to Hideaway Pizza in Oklahoma and Dion’s in Albuquerque.

March 2017 pmq.com

wherewevebeen_March17.indd 89

89

2/14/17 8:16 AM

PIZZA WITHOUT BORDERS

Reporting international trends, events and cultural etiquette from around the world

By Missy Green

Moscow Scrocchiarella, a Pizza Restaurant Based On a Flour Mix, Opens in Russia Two Russian families opened a Moscow pizzeria last year that takes its name from a brand of flour mix called Scrocchiarella, which is derived from scrocchiare, the Italian word for “crunch.” Italmill developed the special combination of flour and dehydrated mother dough that’s said to let pizza makers produce a light, crunchy, Roman-style pan pizza in mere hours instead of days.

The Sidorov and Fedorov families opened Scrocchiarella in March 2016. “You can’t find pizza with this kind of quality in Moscow,” says Evgenia Fedorova, the company’s head of marketing. The product’s quality and uniqueness convinced the family to create a pizzeria around the Scrocchiarella product and to become a point-of-sale for the Italian flour company as well as a training space for pizza making.

Although using a mix saves time, producing the perfect Scrocchiarella pizza is no easy task. Tiziano Casillo, head of the pizza division at Italmill, says he requires those who purchase Scrocchiarella to undergo special training to use the product before Italmill will sell it to them. As a result, Casillo spends much of his time on the road, holding workshops at distributor locations and trade shows with his translator, Oxana Bokta.

This type of pizzeria is one-of-a-kind and a welcome change to Moscow, says Fedorova. “Family businesses are rare in Russia. [The government] demands a lot of taxes and documents to prove inheritance rights, but we’re very happy working together. My brother is the pastry chef, while my mom is the cook, and my dad, who is now a grandfather, stays at home and takes care of the children and dogs. So we all help out. We hope this project will thrive.”

90

PMQ Pizza Magazine The Pizza Industry’s Business Monthly

PizzaWithoutBorders_March17.indd 90

2/9/17 3:26 PM

Seoul, South Korea New York-Style Pizza Joint Makes a Big Splash in South Korea When Korean-American Eugene Kim moved to South Korea, he had no clue he was about to go into the pizza business. Born and raised in New York, Kim moved to South Korea to teach English, but he found himself longing for the authentic pizza he grew up on, yet couldn’t find in his new country. So he took on the challenge to learn everything he could about pizza and finally opened Gino’s New York Pizza in Itaewon, an increasingly affluent hotspot for Western cuisine.

Kim aimed to get as close to the New York-style pizza experience as possible. “I worked relentlessly on my dough recipe and food menu items until they were authentic and nostalgic of my childhood eating at restaurants in New York,” he says. “I import all my own flour and tomatoes from the States and use only imported cheese and pepperoni. I pushed a very strong New York concept and designed the interior as such, and we carry products that are local to New York, such as Snapple, Brooklyn Brewery and Sixpoint Brewery craft beers.”

The store, which opened in December 2014, is now booming with expats, hipsters and American military personnel stationed nearby, plus a huge Korean demographic. “I have not spent a single dollar on marketing and solely used the power of social media and cross-marketing collaborations with other expat restaurant owners,” Kim notes. Examples of crossmarketing include a promotion with Sixpoint Brewery and Jarritos Korea that gave free drinks for following Gino’s Instagram and Facebook page.

Gino’s has worked with local food and culture organizations to promote authentic Western flavors to South Koreans. The pizzeria has also collaborated and cross-marketed with other restaurants to create new signature pies, boosting each restaurant’s brand power. Recently, Gino’s was featured on a nationally famous TV show called Wednesday Food Talk (수요미식회). The very next day, hundreds of Koreans lined up for hours to grab a seat at Gino’s and taste the pizza. Kim also counts a recently opened slice concept among his successes.

Want to learn more? You can watch a three-part mini-documentary highlighting Kim’s visits to leading pizzerias in New York with Scott Wiener of Scott’s Pizza Tours. The documentary can be found on Gino’s Facebook page and on the Shooter Bright Facebook page.

March 2017 pmq.com

PizzaWithoutBorders_March17.indd 91

91

2/9/17 3:26 PM

IDEA ZONE HOSPITALITY MINTS

SPONSORED CONTENT

The Small Gesture that Makes a Huge Difference

A

re first impressions as important as last impressions?

In the restaurant business, a customer’s last impression will determine what kind of tip they give their server, what kind of review they will post online and what they will tell their friends and family about your restaurant.

Hospitality Mints has found people tend to respond favorably when given something and that a small gesture, such as giving free mints with the check, can go a long way. Studies have found that wait staff tips can rise up to 20% when guests are given a mint! In addition to benefiting the wait staff, mints boost the overall guest experience and loyalty. Sixty-nine percent of guests offered a branded mint think more highly of the restaurant, and 61% are more likely to return to the restaurant.

Custom-wrapped mints also provide an effective marketing vehicle. The wrapper enables restaurants to not only promote their brand but also communicate specific messaging to their customers, enticing them to sign up for an e-club, take advantage of special offers or get them to download an app. Hospitality Mints also estimates that 50% of customers take the mint off premise, which means extra impressions for your brand! Whether they enjoy the mint later or hand it to

a friend, customers are promoting your brand and delivering an implicit message that your pizzeria values its customers.

Custom mints are extremely versatile and easy to execute within your operation. The recommended best practice is to have your wait staff pass out the mints with the guest check.

Alternatively, drivers can hand the mints to the customers upon delivery. Other ways include putting them in a bowl at the host stand, stapling them to the delivery order receipt or placing them in a bag that includes silverware, spices and other items.

Ninety percent of customers notice a custom-wrapped mint and say it provides a positive and strong impression of the establishment, according to a Marriner Marketing Study. So what are you waiting for? Hospitality Mints has over 40 years of experience manufacturing a wide variety of high-quality mints and candies, including hard, soft, chocolate-coated, jelly-filled and more. All products are proudly made in the USA. Incorporating mints into your business is an easy way to enhance the guest experience, increase repeat business and promote your brand. To find out more, visit HospitalityMints.com or call 1-800-334-5181.

61% of consumers

PIZZA LOVERS MINTS

WILL VISIT A RESTAURANT MORE OFTEN when offered a wrapped mint.

Learn more benefits of custom mints at hospitalitymints.com

Mints make the Difference

See us at Pizza Expo #2158

92

PMQ Pizza Magazine The Pizza Industry’s Business Monthly

IdeaZoneMarch17.indd 92

2/10/17 4:13 PM

IDEA ZONE THE PIZZA TONG

SPONSORED CONTENT

The Pizza Tong: Hands Off That Pizza!

I

f you’re one of the thousands of pizzerias that sells pizza by the slice, the Pizza Tong may be the perfect addition to your store. This new pizza utensil helps your staff easily comply with health regulations while leaving a great impression on your customers. The Pizza Tong was created

by John Scavo, owner of Giovanni’s Pizza and Pasta in New Jersey. Scavo has over 45 years of experience in the pizza industry and created the Pizza Tong because he saw there was a need for it. “Everyone I demonstrated the Pizza Tong for in my area has already bought half a dozen,” says Scavo.

Impress Your Customers and the Board of Health “The road to the Pizza Tong began when we got a bad review on Yelp,” Scavo recalls. “An employee had touched a customer’s pizza slice with their hand on their way to warming it up. Now, even though it was a cold slice that afterwards went into a 500˚ oven, it gave the customer a negative experience, which reflected poorly on our brand. I have always been an advocate of avoiding direct contact with the pizza even when it’s cold, but after this incident I saw there was

real demand for a solution to this problem.”

The Pizza Tong is made of heavy-grade stainless steel and measures 12¾” long by 5¾” wide. What makes it unique is that it acts as both a spatula and a pair of tongs in one utensil. It’s ideal for taking hot pizzas out of the oven with its heat-resistant handle. The tong component allows you to grip the pizza firmly, avoiding slippage, while the spatula underneath acts as a support, providing a flawless serving experience each time.

Reducing Waste “I’ve been in a lot of places that had white plastic spatulas that get dirty, end up looking filthy and have to be thrown away,” says Scavo. “The Pizza Tong is dishwasher-safe, so you can use it over and over again.” With the Pizza Tong, your staff won’t have to worry about putting on or changing gloves. Reducing the use of gloves in your slice service can save time and money while still complying with health codes.

To find out more or to get your hands on this hands-free utensil, go to ThePizzaTong.com and order online today, or call John Scavo at 908-507-7557.

HANDS OFF MY PIZZA Never touch a slice of pizza again.

Safe, Sanitary and Easy to use.

Only $14.95 + $4.35 Shipping (NJ customers add 6.75% tax)

PizzaTong www.thepizzatong.com

THE

908-507-7557 sarmento81 @yahoo.com March 2017 pmq.com

IdeaZoneMarch17.indd 93

93

2/10/17 11:18 AM

PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT

The King of Kiwi The Smart Gluten-Free Solution Looking to offer a gluten-free crust but afraid of turning off customers with bad flavor? Need to upgrade your existing gluten-free offering but don’t know where to turn? Smart Flour Foods has the answer you need. All products are based on ancient grains, including sorghum, amaranth and teff, for amazing taste and texture.

512-706-1775, smartflourfoods.com

King of Kiwi, the kiwi fruit specialists from New Zealand, have crafted two kiwi-based “superfoods” in a bottle, delivering health benefits with a powerful prebiotic and without the dangerous sugar spike. King of Kiwi is made with 100% juice, loaded with vitamins, and contains active kiwi fiber and manuka honey, with no preservatives. +64 09 9750651, kingofkiwi.co.nz

Online Ordering Made Easier The Bellissimo Difference Bellissimo Breaded Mild & Spicy Chicken Wings are perfect for any restaurant application. Their fully cooked wing prepares in minutes, and the marinated, crunchy breading adds the taste and texture that customers expect from a wing. They make excellent appetizers, party plates or entree items—just don’t forget the blue cheese or ranch.

800-813-2974, bellissimofoods.com

A Cut Above Easy to use and clean, the Portion PadL is a pizza cutting board/pizza cutter designed to cut pizzas into equal slices. It’s custom-made for your pizza size and slice applications. Any employee will be able to cut equal slices. It’s ideal for FDA menu labeling rules, when cutting whole pizzas into equal slices for accurate nutritional reporting.

330-608-5928, portionpadl.com

94

PMQ Pizza Magazine The Pizza Industry’s Business Monthly

ProductSpotlightMarch17.indd 94

With 6,000-plus clients nationwide, Slice is the only digital platform focused exclusively on local pizzerias.

Slice’s website and app expand a pizzeria’s online reach, giving customers an easy way to purchase that increases average number of orders and order volume. Slice offers fair, flat pricing, no contracts, and 24/7 support to ensure orders are processed successfully and customers remain happy. 888-974-9928, slicelife.com

Pickle Perfection Rick’s Picks makes pickles for people who cherish the traditions of home canning and appreciate the innovative spirit of the food world today. Their pickles are distinguished by their exceptional quality, with an unusual array of varieties and flavor profiles. Rick’s Picks offers eight varieties of shelf-stable pickles that are hand-packed and all-natural, made in-season with local produce.

212-358-0428, rickspicks.com

2/9/17 3:59 PM

THE PIZZA EXCHANGE BULLETIN BOARD YOUR ONE-STOP BAG SHOP • UNBEATABLE BAGS AT UNBEATABLE PRICES CALL US TOLL FREE

1-844-HOT-BAGS

n o i t c a f s i t Saaranteed! gu

MON-SAT: 9am-5pm

Try our bags for 30 days and if you are not 100% satisfied return them and we will refund the purchase price of the bags.

$A1T R0ATE

FL ING SHIPP

LARGE PIZZA HOT BAG

(Holds Two 16” or Two 18” Pizzas)

MONSTER PIZZA HOT BAG

(Holds Four 16” or Three 18” Pizzas)

MONSTER PIZZA HOT BAG

(Holds Four 16” or Three 18” Pizzas)

PRICES AS LOW AS

$13.95 NO MINIMUM

AVAILABLE COLORS

24/7 SECURE ONLINE ORDERING

CATERING HOT BAG (Holds up to Two or Three Full Pans)

Order online at www.deliverybagsdepot.com

March 2017 pmq.com

BulletinBoard_March17.indd 95

95

2/9/17 3:28 PM

POWERING INNOVATION IN NIGHTLIFE

PASSES START AT

129

$

REGISTER NOW AT ADVANCE RATES!

GO TO NCBSHOW.COM EVENT SPONSORS

MARCH 27-29, 2017 | EXPO HALL: MARCH 28-29 LAS VEGAS CONVENTION CENTER NCBSHOW.COM BulletinBoard_March17.indd 96

2/9/17 3:28 PM

9

Introducing

PIZZA BUTLER!

THE

Uniquely stylish and uncommonly practical, The Pizza Butler makes an impact in more ways than one.

• Space-saving footprint - Compact design uses less table space than traditional stands • Easy storage - stackable • Versatile Function - serve pizza, appetizers, mini deserts and more • Sturdy Contruction - Dishwasher-safe, 18 gauge stainless steel • Customizable - Personalize with engraved logos

Before

After

Call Manny at 718-894-1212 ext. 218 Order online at www.thepizzabutler.com

YOU DON’T WANT TO MAKE THIS LADY ANGRY PMQ Pizza Magazine’s Circulation Manager Sherlyn Clark says: If you’ve already renewed your FREE subscription to the pizza industry’s business magazine,

Thank You

PMQ is a must-read for every pizza pro. Featuring the latest pizza marketing and culinary trends, PMQ costs you nothing.

So I’m asking you:

please renew!

Here’s the problem If you don’t take advantage of this can’t-miss offer once every three years, our auditors won’t let us do it for you. Ball’s in your court!

I’m Talking to you

yeah, you!

Renew your subscription now, or your No. 1 source for industryleading pizza products, technologies and services will simply stop coming one day…and you won’t know why…and you’ll miss us!

Don’t create PMQ Separation Syndrome. We love you and we want you to continue to be part of our PMQ family.

RENEW NOW: ONLINE (PMQ.COM/SUBSCRIBE) | TEXT (662.269.6193) | CALL (662.234.5481 EXT.120) | MAIL THE POSTAGE-PAID CARD IN TODAY!

March 2017 pmq.com

BulletinBoard_March17.indd 97

97

2/10/17 11:25 AM

THE PIZZA EXCHANGE BULLETIN BOARD

98

PMQ Pizza Magazine The Pizza Industry’s Business Monthly

BulletinBoard_March17.indd 98

2/9/17 3:29 PM

98

Now available, from the creator of the

Know a pizzeria that’s over 50 years old and a pillar of the community?

BEST PIZZA LINER in the World, our

Bakeable Trays & Delivery Bags!

IZ Z A IS W O R T H UR P I T! Liner O Y • Allows you to Pizza handle pizza with ease.

• Eliminates the cardboard taste.

• Absorbs grease and allows moisture to escape.

• Ensures a crisper crust every time.

• Keeps pizza 12-15 degrees warmer upon delivery.

Nominate them for inclusion into the Pizza Hall of Fame!

Visit

www.PizzaHallofFame.com for more information.

Pizza Bags Bakeable Tray • With Revolutionary ADVANCED BAKE TECHNOLOGY! • Prevents oven drips & spills.

• Patented bi-directional bumps allow for air flow & moisture release resulting in even baking.

• Eliminates “soggy crust” centers.

• Unsurpassed quality, durability, workmanship & performance!

• 3 wide Velcro strips for secure closure everytime.

• 600 denier heavy duty stain resistant imitation nylon.

• 210 PU coated lining ~ won’t crack or peel!

800.783.5343 • PerfectCrust.com 3.3x4.875_PMQ_Ad_QtPg_4.4.14.indd 1

BulletinBoard_March17.indd 99

March 2017 pmq.com

99

4/4/14 8:23 AM

2/10/17 11:26 AM

THE PIZZA EXCHANGE PIZZA INDUSTRY RESOURCE GUIDE ADVERTISING

BAKING SCHOOLS

CHEESE

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

BAKING STONES FIBRAMENT-D BAKING STONE.....................................................www.bakingstone.com 708-478-6032 ......................................NSF approved baking stone for all ovens by AWMCO

BEVERAGES ON TAP

BREAD SPECIALIZING IN HEARTH BAKED ITALIAN BREADS, HOAGIES, BUNS & ROLLS SINCE 1911.

Authentic Flavor for Modern Menus

CELLONES.COM • 800.334.8438

Contact - Mark Wutz • MWutz@cellones.com

CANDY/MINTS

Easy Way to Drive Traffic hospitalitymints.com

800 334 5181

• 61% of consumers say they would visit restaurants with mints more frequently • Customized with your Logo

CALL (800) 824-3373 OR VISIT SAPUTOUSAFOODSERVICE.COM Mozzarella I Provolone I Blue Cheese I Gorgonzola I Asiago I Romano

CHEESE

CHEESE SHAKERS Call 816-801-6792 to place your order.

100

www.dfamilk.com

PMQ Pizza Magazine The Pizza Industry’s Business Monthly

RG-March17.indd 100

2/9/17 3:45 PM

THE PIZZA EXCHANGE PIZZA INDUSTRY RESOURCE GUIDE COMPUTER SYSTEMS: POINT OF SALE

CHEESE SHAKER LIDS

CHICKEN

COMPUTER SYSTEMS: POINT OF SALE

1-888-400-9185 speedlinesolutions.com

The BEST Pizza POS OS OS The Fastest POS on the Planet The Easiest to Learn & Operate Online Ordering / Rewards & Loyalty Mobile Reporting/Enterprise Complete EMV & PCI Compliance

877-968-6430 PDQpos.com

CONSULTING

Pizza Technology that Delivers.

CUTTING BOARDS - EQUAL SLICE www.granburyrs.com

800.750.3947

March 2017 pmq.com

RG-March17.indd 101

101

2/9/17 3:45 PM

THE PIZZA EXCHANGE PIZZA INDUSTRY RESOURCE GUIDE DESSERTS

DOUGH DIVIDERS/ROUNDERS

Be Inspired. Be Creative. Be Original.

Red, White, and Blue Pizza with Nutella®

Breakfast Pizza with Nutella®

Fried Pizza Dough with Nutella®

For more exciting recipes and tips about Nutella®, visit www.ferrerofoodservice.com or call (800) 408-1505 for more information.

Now Offering Gelato & Tiramisu Cups DOUGH PRESSES, ROLLERS 908-241-9191 * Tasteitpresents.com Dessert is the last impression you’ll make on a customer

Make it count

800.835.0606 ext. 205 | www.doughxpress.com

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

DOUGH

DeIorio Foods

@DeIorios

blog.DeIorios.com

DeIorios.com

DOUGH TRAYS/PROOFING TRAYS

DELICIOUS MADE-TO-ORDER BREAD AND PIZZA DOUGH Old World Tradition with New World Convenience.

www.mamalarosafoods.com

To locate a distributor near you, call 734-946-7878.

www.pizzatv.com 102

PMQ Pizza Magazine The Pizza Industry’s Business Monthly

RG-March17.indd 102

2/9/17 3:45 PM

THE PIZZA EXCHANGE PIZZA INDUSTRY RESOURCE GUIDE DOUGH TRAYS/PROOFING TRAYS

FLOUR

Molino Pasini s.p.a. - Italy

When Dough Matters!

Full line flours for Pizza, Fresh Pasta, Ready Mix for gnocchi Phone: 1-973-454-8534 +39 0376 969015 www.molinopasini.com - info@molinopasini.com

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

Full line of Flour: Pizza, Pasta, Bread, Pastries, Gluten Free, & Whole Grains Imported Exclusively by: Manzo Food Sales, Inc. Tel. (305) 406-2747.........www.manzofood.com

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

WWW.DOUGHTRAYS.COM

• 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.

FOOD DISTRIBUTORS

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

FLOUR, GLUTEN-FREE Scan for Demo

Premium Flours Make Gluten-Free Tasty & Easy!

“Consistently Delicious!”

Tel: 310-366-7612 E-mail: sales@authenticfoods.com Web: www.authenticfoods.com

FOODSERVICE, PRIVATE LABEL AND RETAIL PRODUCTS

847-228-7070 • Elk Grove Village, IL • www.devancofoods.com

FLOUR

Exceptional pizza starts with exceptional flour.

Traditional Pizza Flours, Whole Grain Flours, Pizza Crust Mixes, Private Label Packaging, Proprietary Blending, Custom Development For more information call 1-800-553-5687 or visit www.baystatemilling.com

FRANCHISING

Should You Franchise Your Restaurant?

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

F R A N C H I S E C O N S U LTA N T S 708-957-2300 • www.ifranchisegroup.com • info@ifranchisegroup.com

SUB-CULTURE

FOR PIZZA OPERATORS Call Brian @

732-292-8272

www.kamut.com Kamut® is a trademark of Kamut International ltd.

pmq.com/Recipe-Bank/ March 2017 pmq.com

RG-March17.indd 103

103

2/9/17 3:45 PM

THE PIZZA EXCHANGE PIZZA INDUSTRY RESOURCE GUIDE FRYERS

GLUTEN-FREE W H PRODUCTS O L E S O M

BE THE

E

&

D E L I C I O U S ™ WHOLES

KING OF

OME & DELICIOUS

™

CHICKEN WINGS With AutoFry and MultiChef ventless technology you can serve hot delicious appetizers without the need for costly renovations.

Scan for Demo

Fully Automated • Convenient • Reliable • Safe • Affordable • Fully Enclosed For more information call 800-348-2976 or visit us online at MTIproducts.com • AutoFry.com • MultiChef.com Your Source for Ventless Kitchen Solutions for over 25 Years

FURNITURE/FIXTURES

Premium Flours Make Gluten-Free Tasty & Easy!

Tel: 310-366-7612 E-mail: sales@authenticfoods.com Web: www.authenticfoods.com

Heat your Restaurant with SUNPAK® Outdoor Patio Heaters Wall or ceiling mounted, nothing on the floor Natural Gas or Propane Models Made in the U.S.A.

www.infradyne.com

888.317.5255

MACHINERY/EQUIPMENT

104

PMQ Pizza Magazine The Pizza Industry’s Business Monthly

RG-March17.indd 104

2/9/17 3:45 PM

THE PIZZA EXCHANGE PIZZA INDUSTRY RESOURCE GUIDE HOTEL ROOM KEYS

MAGNETS

HOTEL ROOM KEY ADVERTISING DIAL #600 from your room for In-Room SPEED DIAL Papa John’s ROOM DELIVERY to Your Business

PIZZAROOMKEYS.COM • 866-912-3539 INSURANCE

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

MACHINERY/EQUIPMENT

1-800-426-0323

www.northernpizza.com

Ovens Mixers Prep Tables Walk-ins Parts Smallwares

MARKETING IDEAS A Gift For Your Customers

Or Retail Promotion

Custom Branded Bottle Openers

Reasonable Minimums

Set Your Pizzeria Apart From The Rest!

Made in the U.S.A.

www.cymba.com •978-652-9622•info@cymba.com

MANAGEMENT

keep more of your hard earned dough!

3 money saving programs:

sCheduLing • aTTendanCe • daiLy Log

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

save time and increase profits!

ALWAYS WITH YOU.

www.timeforge.com 866.684.7191

MEAT TOPPINGS

Come follow us, like us, and engage with us on these social media platforms!

March 2017 pmq.com

RG-March17.indd 105

105

2/9/17 3:45 PM

THE PIZZA EXCHANGE PIZZA INDUSTRY RESOURCE GUIDE OLIVES

MEAT TOPPINGS

THE WORLD`S LARGEST OLIVE AND OLIVE OIL PRODUCER ACORSA USA 2200 FLETCHER AVE. SUITE # 702, FORT LEE, NJ 07024 Tel. 201-944-0474 ...... Fax # 201-944-1279 enrique.escudero@dcoop.es ... www.dcoop.es We offer a full line of Green Olives, Ripe Olives and Olive Oil from Spain for private label or branded. OU Kosher and BRC Certified. Inventory stored at 11 warehouses throughout the U.S.

PRESTIGE FOODS ............................314-567-3648 ........................MEATTRADER@MSN.COM Low Closeout Pricing! Call for this week’s special. For Deals That Go To Your Bottom Line.

ON HOLD MARKETING

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

Precision HD-60 Pizza Mixer 7-Year Unconditional Parts Warranty on all gears and shafts in the planetary and transmission!

Holdsbowl! art 80-qundles a Ha . bag 50 lb our! of fl

ONLINE ORDERING

1000+ Restaurants Extensively Developed Fast. Secure. Easy.

www.pizzamixers.com • 1-877-R-MIXERS

Heavy Duty MIXeRS RS

2-Year Warranty

60 qt. Pizza Mixer handles 50 lb. bag of flour Direct gear drive transmission • Rigid cast iron construction

Globe Food Equipment Co. | www.globefoodequip.com

$99 Monthly 0% Commission Go Mobile Today!

pmq.com/Recipe-Bank/

imenutogo.com

718 676 7554

MIXERS

The Original Variable Speed Mixer

Varimixer Strong as a Bear.

800-222-1138

www.varimixer.com V6OP

mixer@varimixer.com • 14240 South Lakes Dr • Charlotte, NC

MOISTURE-ABSORBENT TOPPINGS CONDITIONER/SUPPLIES

106

PIZZA BOXES

PMQ Pizza Magazine The Pizza Industry’s Business Monthly

RG-March17.indd 106

2/9/17 3:45 PM

THE PIZZA EXCHANGE PIZZA INDUSTRY RESOURCE GUIDE PIZZA BOXES

PIZZA BOX LINERS

CUSTOMIZE YOUR PIZZA BOX Doing It The American Way! TAKE YOUR IMAGE TO THE NEXT LEVEL 7” to 36” Custom Boxes and Odd Sizes Available

UP TO 4-COLORS | NO PLATE FEES*

Rectangular Flat Bread Boxes Available

888.400.3455 ext.107 | wpackaging.net 2001 East Cooley Drive, Colton, CA 92324

PIZZA BOX LINERS

PIZZA DELIVERY THERMAL BAGS YOUR ONE-STOP BAG SHOP • UNBEATABLE BAGS AT UNBEATABLE PRICES PRICES AS LOW AS

$13.49

www.pizzatv.com

$10

ATE FLAT R ING SHIPP

1-844-HOT-BAGS

Satuisafaractniotened! g

www.deliverybagsdepot.com

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

March 2017 pmq.com

RG-March17.indd 107

107

2/9/17 3:46 PM

THE PIZZA EXCHANGE PIZZA INDUSTRY RESOURCE GUIDE PIZZA DELIVERY THERMAL BAGS

PIZZA DELIVERY THERMAL BAGS

PIZZA MARKETING

JUST BUCKLE YOUR CAR’S SEATBELT TO INSTALL!

Pizza Seatbelt “The Pizza Seatbelt keeps the pizza(s) straight and the pizza and its toppings from sliding all over the place! I highly recommend the Pizza Seatbelt.”

pizza boxes stack on level surface!

— Joe Castle (Deliveryman for 20 years) SEE OUR VIDEO ON OUR WEBSITE

•

CURRENT DISCOUNTS AVAILABLE , CALL TODAY !

pizzaseatbelt.com • 610-703-8744 pmq.com/Recipe-Bank/

MARCH SPECIALS

108

PMQ Pizza Magazine The Pizza Industry’s Business Monthly

RG-March17.indd 108

2/9/17 3:46 PM

THE PIZZA EXCHANGE PIZZA INDUSTRY RESOURCE GUIDE PIZZA OVENS

PIZZA OVENS

WOOD FIRED OVENS marraforni.com info@marraforni.com 888.239.0575

TRADITIONAL, FAST CASUAL, ARTISAN...

WE’VE GOT PIZZA COVERED VENTLESS IMPINGEMENT CONVEYORS, BATCH, AND ARTISAN BATCH OVENS 1-800-90TURBO | www.turbochef.com

Stone Deck, Pizza Dome, and Bakery EARTHSTONE OVENS, INC. ...............6717 San Fernando Rd...................Glendale, CA 91201 800-840-4915 .......................Fax: 818-553-1133.......................... www.earthstoneovens.com All units UI listed. www.univexcorp.com Tel. 800-258-6358 Fax. 603-893-1249

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

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 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

PIZZA PANS

AMERICAN MADE

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

P.A. PRODUCTS, Inc. BAKEWARE SPECIALISTS

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

THE

PIZZA BUTLER!

Space-saving footprintEasy storage | Versatile Function Sturdy Contruction | Customizable

Call Manny at 718-894-1212 ext. 218 Order online at www.thepizzabutler.com March 2017 pmq.com

RG-March17.indd 109

109

2/9/17 3:46 PM

THE PIZZA EXCHANGE PIZZA INDUSTRY RESOURCE GUIDE PIZZA PEELS

PIZZA SUPPLIES

• Pizza Preparation and Delivery Products •

National Marketing, Inc.

www.nminc.com 800-994-4664

734-266-2222

Fax: 734-266-2121

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

ALWAYS WITH YOU.

Come follow us, like us, and engage with us on these social media platforms!

Get the latest and greatest in pizza news, recipes, videos, marketing strategies and technologies at www.pmq.com!

110

PMQ Pizza Magazine The Pizza Industry’s Business Monthly

RG-March17.indd 110

2/9/17 3:46 PM

THE PIZZA EXCHANGE PIZZA INDUSTRY RESOURCE GUIDE PRINTING

DESIGN • PRINT • MAIL

888-915-8369

www.GetMailShark.com No Money Up Front On All Mailings Mail & Pay Weekly!

Menus This coupon is only valid at the Hanover location.

SANDWICHES

Chicken Fingers ....................................................5.50 Served with Apple Sauce, Cookie & Drink Served with Apple Sauce, Cookie & Drink

Ham, Roast Beef, Salami, Cheese, Lettuce, Tomatoes, Pickles & Mayo 4138 Hanover Street

(917) 633-2432

Postcards Dine-In • Carry Out • Delivery

KID’S MENU

All sandwiches are prepared hot or cold on fresh Italian bread and made with Provel® Cheese.

Cheese Steak ...............................................................................6.50

Roast Beef .................................................................................... 6.95

Kid’s Hot Dog ........................................................5.50

Roast Beef & Cheese *Au Jus add 0.40

Spaghetti ...............................................................5.50

Salsiccia ....................................................................................... 6.50

Served with Apple Sauce, Cookie & Drink

Italian Sausage Patty, Cheese & Pasta Sauce Meatballs, Cheese & Pasta Sauce

Buy One Large Pizza Get One

DAILY SPECIAL

Crispy Chicken ............................................................................. 6.50 Chicken Filet, Cheese, Lettuce, Tomato & Mayo

Buffalo Chicken ........................................................................... 6.50 Chicken Filet (Dipped in Hot Sauce), Bacon, Cheese & Lettuce

Ham & Cheese.............................................................................. 6.50 Turkey Club .................................................................................. 6.50

free

(Dine in or carryout only)

free

Buy One Medium Pizza Get One (Dine in or carryout only)

Poppa’s PIZZA SHOP 917-633-2432

Turkey, Bacon, Cheese, Lettuce Tomatoes & Mayo 4138 Hanover Street

(917) 633-2432

Italian Salami ............................................................................... 6.50

buffet bunDle

DAILY SPECIALS 8.00

Wings 50¢

1. 8” One Topping Pizza, 1/2 House Salad & a 16oz. Drink 2. Chef Salad, Garlic Cheese Bread & a 16oz. Drink 3. Any Sandwich, 1/2 House Salad & a 16oz. Drink

tHree Pizza Deal

24.99

(Dine in or carryout only)

Offer valid for a limited time at participating locations.

Not valid with any other offers. Tax not included. Limit one coupon per transaction. Limited Time only. Coupon Code: 2

Wing Deal

Large 1 Topping Pizza, and a Large Soda

Chicken Parmesan ...................................................................... 6.50

3 Large $ One Topping Pizzas

Poppa’s PIZZA SHOP 917-633-2432

Offer valid for a limited time at participating locations.

Not valid with any other offers. Tax not included. Limit one coupon per transaction. Limited Time only. Coupon Code: 1

Add Extra Bacon 1.50 • Add Extra Meat 2.00

Italian Salami & Cheese

Crispy Chicken Strips Topped with Our Own Red Sauce, Parmesan & Provel Cheese This coupon is only valid at the Hanover location.

free MeDiuM Pizza

free large Pizza

Meatball ....................................................................................... 6.50 This coupon is only valid at the Hanover location.

Two Buffets $ Two Fountain Drinks

12.99

(Dine in or carryout only)

Poppa’s PIZZA SHOP 917-633-2432 Offer valid for a limited time at participating locations.

Not valid with any other offers. Tax not included. Limit one coupon per transaction. Limited Time only. Coupon Code: 3

Half Price

Drinks in Drive-Thru

1/2 Price

4138 Hanover Street New York, NY 10038

*Roast Beef, add Au Jus 0.40

4. Pasta, 1/2 House Salad & a 16oz. Drink

Poppa’s PIZZA SHOP 917-633-2432

*Spaghetti & Mostaccioli w/ Meat Sauce, All other pastas get Extra Charge.

Chocolate, Strawberry or Vanilla

BEVERAGES

4138 Hanover Street

(917) 633-2432

Beer on Tap

Small (16) ......................... 1.25 Large (32) ......................... 1.75 Soft Drinks

Budweiser & Bud Light Mug. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2.25 Fishbowl . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4.00 Pitcher . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7.00

Pepsi, Diet Pepsi, Cherry Pepsi, Sierra Mist, Mountain Dew, Root Beer, Dr. Pepper, Lemonade, Iced Tea

Bottle Beer

Bud, Bud Light, Miller Lite, Coors Light Bottle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3.00

Bottled Water ................... 1.25 2 Liter Soda ...................... 2.60 4138 Hanover Street

4138 Hanover Street New York, NY 10038

Wine

Pepsi, Diet Pepsi, Cherry Pepsi, Root Beer, Sierra Mist, Mountain Dew, Dr. Pepper, Diet Dr. Pepper

Chardonnay, Merlot, White Zinfandel, Chablis, Lambrusco Glass. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3.50 1/2 Litre . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9.95

(917) 633-2432

917-633-2432

Offer valid for a limited time at participating locations.

Not valid with any other offers. Tax not included. Limit one coupon per transaction. Limited Time only. Coupon Code: 5

4138 Hanover Street New York, NY 10038

917-633-2432

Poppa’s PIZZA SHOP 917-633-2432 Offer valid for a limited time at participating locations.

Not valid with any other offers. Tax not included. Limit one coupon per transaction. Limited Time only. Coupon Code:6

Double Deal

Pizza Deal

Any Large Pizza

©2015 Mail Shark® www.themailshark.com 1-888-457-4275

LET US CATER YOUR NEXT EVENT!

DESSERTS New York Style Cheesecake ......................................................... 2.95 Ice Cream..................................................................................... 2.95

This coupon is only valid at the Hanover location.

Poppa’s PIZZA SHOP 917-633-2432

Offer valid for a limited time at participating locations.

Not valid with any other offers. Tax not included. Limit one coupon per transaction. Limited Time only. Coupon Code: 4

5. Wings, 1/2 House Salad & a 16oz. Drink 6. 10” One Topping Pizza & a 32oz. Drink 7. Toasted Ravioli, 1/2 House Salad, 16oz. Drink

$9.99

2 Large Pizzas (Dine in or carryout only)

19.99

$

buffet Deal

Buffet and Drink (Limit Five per COupon)

6.99

$

(Dine in or carryout only)

Poppa’s PIZZA SHOP 917-633-2432

Poppa’s PIZZA SHOP 917-633-2432

Offer valid for a limited time at participating locations.

Not valid with any other offers. Tax not included. Limit one coupon per transaction. Limited Time only. Coupon Code: 7

Offer valid for a limited time at participating locations.

Not valid with any other offers. Tax not included. Limit one coupon per transaction. Limited Time only. Coupon Code: 8

Poppa’s PIZZA SHOP 917-633-2432 Offer valid for a limited time at participating locations.

Not valid with any other offers. Tax not included. Limit one coupon per transaction. Limited Time only. Coupon Code: 9

917-633-2432 www.PoppasPizza.com

Example 3.indd 2

8/18/15 11:28 AM

Original New York Style Pizza Order Online »

2216

4138 Hanover Street

(917) 633-2432 This coupon is only valid at the Hanover location.

www.PoppasPizza.com

Scratch-Off Postcards

Peel-A-Box Postcards

food!* Scratch to win fREEto reveal your prize!

Scratch Below

4138 Hanover Street New York, NY 10038

917-633-2432 Original New York Style Pizza 2216

©2014 Mail Shark® www.themailshark.com 1-888-457-4275

*May not be combined with any other offers. One redemption per household. Must present scratch off to redeem.

Good only at the Poppas located at 17287 Wildhorse Creek Road.

Order Online »

“The Best Pizza in New York!”

Magnets

Folded Magnets

PIZZA BUFFET • SALAD BAR • SANDWICHES

©2014 Mail Shark® www.themailshark.com 1-888-457-4275

5138 Hanover Street New York, NY 10038

917-633-2432 FREE LARGE PIZZA

FREE MEDIUM PIZZA

Buy One Large Pizza

Buy One Medium Pizza

Get One FREE

Get One FREE

(Dine in or carryout only)

(Dine in or carryout only)

917-633-2432

917-633-2432

Offer valid for a limited time at participating locations. Not valid with any other offers. Tax not included. Limit one coupon per transaction.

Limited Time only. Coupon Code: 1

Offer valid for a limited time at participating locations. Not valid with any other offers. Tax not included. Limit one coupon per transaction.

Limited Time only. Coupon Code: 2

THREE PIZZA DEAL

WING DEAL

3 Large One Topping Pizzas $

Wings 50 ¢

24.99

(Dine in or carryout only)

917-633-2432

2816

(Delivery or carryout) 917-633-2432

Offer valid for a limited time at participating locations. Not valid with any other offers. Tax not included. Limit one coupon per transaction.

Limited Time only. Coupon Code: 4

HALF PRICE Drinks in Drive-Thru

5138 Hanover Street New York, NY 10038

BUFFET BUNDLE

2 Buffets & 2 Fountain Drinks $

917-633-2432

Offer valid for a limited time at participating locations. Not valid with any other offers. Tax not included. Limit one coupon per transaction.

Limited Time only. Coupon Code: 3

1/2 PRICE

12.99

917-633-2432

917-633-2432

Offer valid for a limited time at participating locations. Not valid with any other offers. Tax not included. Limit one coupon per transaction.

Limited Time only. Coupon Code: 5

Offer valid for a limited time at participating locations. Not valid with any other offers. Tax not included. Limit one coupon per transaction.

Limited Time only. Coupon Code: 6

PIZZA DEAL

DOUBLE DEAL

Any Large Pizza $

2 Large Pizzas $

(Dine in or carryout only)

(Delivery or carryout)

19.99

9.99

917-633-2432

917-633-2432

Offer valid for a limited time at participating locations. Not valid with any other offers. Tax not included. Limit one coupon per transaction.

Limited Time only. Coupon Code: 7

Offer valid for a limited time at participating locations. Not valid with any other offers. Tax not included. Limit one coupon per transaction.

Limited Time only. Coupon Code: 8

Birthday Mailers

New Movers

Happy Birthday, John!

Celebrate Your Special Day with a FREE Entrée!

See Reverse Side For Your Special Offer.

1142 Victoria Court Fort Kent, ME 04743

FAMIGLIA

207-398-1269

Pizza

www.famigliapizza.com

Your Favorite Neighborhood Italian Cuisine!

Door Hangers

Box Toppers Gourmet Pizzas 9” Small 4-Cut 8.99

12” Medium 8-Cut 12.99

14” Large 10-Cut 15.99

Deluxe

Pepperoni, mushrooms, green peppers, onions, italian sausage and cheese on our traditional pizza sauce.

Meat SupreMe

Pepperoni, tender ham, fresh bacon, savory italian sausage, beef and our pizza cheese blend on our traditional pizza sauce.

®

SPECIALS

LUNCH

From Our Den to Your Den

6 PErSonAL PAn PizzA $ 49 7 SAndWiCH $ 49 8 8 WinGS $ 49

(626) 918-2892 1251 Hacienda Blvd • La Puente

ALL dEALS inCLUdE FriES or SALAd & FoUnTAin drinK

Veggie

Punxsutawney 814-618-5653

Mushrooms, crisp green peppers, fresh black olives, onions with pizza cheese blend on our traditional pizza sauce.

207 N. Hampton Ave

Hawaiian

Sweet pineapple, tender baked ham, our traditional pizza sauce and a generous portion of our pizza cheese blend.

OrdEr ONLiNE

www.FoxsPizzaPunxsy.com

Bacon DouBle cHeeSeBurger

dinE in or CArrYoUT

MonDaY-FRIDaY | 10 aM - 2 pM

Add 5 Breadsticks And A 2-Liter To Any order

$5.00 CodE: CL

One coupon per order. Prices and participation may vary.

Discount not applicable to tax, tip or delivery charge.

Cannot be combined with other offers or promotions.

Expires 12-3-16. Cash value 1/20¢.© 2016 Pizza Hut, LLC

MIX & MATCH 2 or More Medium Pizzas Any Toppings

$7.99 EACH CodE: Mo

liMited tiMe offer Must buy two to get the $7.99 each price. Not valid with limited time offers or other discounts. One coupon per order. Prices, participation and minimum purchase requirements for deliver may apply.

Cash value 1/20¢. © 2016 Pizza Hut, LLC

©2016 Mail Shark®

7722

Pizza Hut Socal DH B 08 16.indd 2

HAPPY HOUR

3-6PM & 9-11PM MondAY-FridAY 50% OFF APPETIZERS 75¢ WINGS $2.00 OFF PITCHERS $1.00 OFF PINTS

BreaD StickS

Home of the Big Daddy Pizza Special

Beer

Large 3-Topping Pizza

$11.99

PIZZA & WINGS

®

Please Mention coupon when ordering. Valid for limited time only.

From Our Den to Your Den

Large 1-Topping Pizza and 8 wings

$16.99

CodE: KY

®

Please Mention coupon when ordering. Valid for limited time only.

From Our Den to Your Den

Must be 21 or older. drink responsibly. beer, wine and cocktail selections May vary. see server for details.

Pizza Hut Socal DH B 08 16.indd 1

8/18/16 8:21 AM

Pizza & Sticks

Extra Large (12-Cut) 2-Topping Pizza & Order Of Breadsticks

$16.99

®

Please Mention coupon when ordering. Valid for limited time only.

From Our Den to Your Den

Double Deal

Two Medium (8-Cut) Pizzas W/1 Topping Each

$16.99

8/18/16 8:21 AM

4.99

16 Oven-Baked, Brushed With Our White Garlic Sauce And Sprinkled With Our Shaker Cheese Blend. Served With A Side Of Our Marinara Sauce.

SSaLaDS

One coupon per order. Dine in only. Prices and participation may vary. Cash value 1/20¢.© 2016 Pizza Hut, LLC

liMited tiMe offer One coupon per order. Additional charge for Stuffed Crust and extra toppings. Prices, participation and minimum purchase requirements for delivery may apply.

Cash value 1/20¢.© 2016 Pizza Hut, LLC

BarBecue cHicken

Grilled chicken, green peppers, onions, topped with cheddar cheese on a BBQ sauce base.

cHicken rancHer

Grilled chicken, ripe tomatoes topped with generous portions of pizza and cheddar cheese on a creamy ranch sauce.

Steak rancHer

Steak, ranch dressing, sweet peppers, onions, mushrooms and cheese.

Grilled chicken, creamy ranch dressing, topped with pizza and cheddar cheese on a buffalo sauce base.

Bread Sides

RestauRant & spoRts baR • Watch All Your Favorite Sports • Monday-Friday Happy Hour • Book Your Parties With US 3-6PM & 9-11PM • Arcade Games • Extended Menu

liMited tiMe offer. Must be 21 or older. drink responsibly. beer, wine and cocktail selection May vary. see server for details.

16” Champ Big Daddy 16-Cut 21-Cut 19.99 24.99

Zesty taco meat, crumbled nacho chips, cheddar cheese on our award winning pizza sauce, topped with fresh lettuce, ripe tomatoes after baking, served with taco sauce.

Buffalo cHicken

Fresh bacon, meaty beef loaded with our special pizza cheese blend and cheddar cheese on our traditional pizza sauce.

Pizza hut

oFFEr noT AVAiLABLE onLinE. AddiTionAL CHArGE For EXTrA CHEESE And EXTrA ToPPinGS. Pepsi substitutions may occur. Product availability, combinability of discounts and specials, prices, participation, delivery areas and charges, and minimum purchase requirements for delivery may vary. PEPSi and the pepsi Globe are registered trademarks of PepsiCo, inc. The Pizza Hut name, logos and related marks are trademarks of Pizza Hut, LLC. © 2016 Pizza Hut, LLC. dBPBTF3104 CP1190472-6/16

16” X-Large 12-Cut 18.99

taco

©2016 Mail Shark®

Foxs Pizza Punxsy 2SBT 02 16.indd 1

Fox’s 3-Course Meal Order Of Breadsticks, Large 1-Topping Pizza, & Cookie Or Brownie Pizza

cHeeSY BreaDStickS

5.99

16 Oven-Baked With Our White Garlic Sauce, Topped With Our 3 Cheese Blend And Sprinkled With Our Special Shaker Cheese Blend.

Served With A Side Of Marinara Sauce.

Munchi-Tizers Mozzarella StickS (6) 4.99 zuccHini SliceS (8oz) 4.99 weDge frieS (8oz) 2.49 Macaroni 4.99 & cHeeSe BiteS (8)

onion ringS (8oz) 4.99 Jalapeno popperS (6) 4.99 Bacon cHeDDar frieS 4.99 4 cHicken tenDerS 6.99

Served with Fries

Wings oVen roaSteD wingS 6.99 8 BreaDeD or traDitional: Plump, Juicy And Baked With Oven roasted Flavor.

cHooSe Your flaVor:

BoneleSS cHicken

6.99

Half Pound of our Lightly Breaded With Savory Herbs, Made With 100% Whole White Breast Meat. Customize With Your Choice Of Sauce.

Mild, Hot, Bbq, Garlic Parmesan & Sweet And Spicy.

$19.99

®

Please Mention coupon when ordering. Valid for limited time only.

From Our Den to Your Den

8417

3/2/16 10:09 AM

Foxs Pizza Punxsy 2SBT 02 16.indd 2

3/2/16 10:09 AM

www.GetMailShark.com March 2017 pmq.com

RG-March17.indd 111

111

2/10/17 3:28 PM

THE PIZZA EXCHANGE PIZZA INDUSTRY RESOURCE GUIDE PRINTING

REFRIGERATION

SAUCE

PRIVATE LABELING

SAUCE REFRIGERATION TOMATO PRODUCTS

with a real passion for fresh-packed product

Since 1915, the Neil Jones Food Company has been producing premium quality tomato and custom blend sauces. A family owned and operated corporation, we only pack from the freshest and finest vine-ripened California tomatoes. So whether you prefer classic #10 cans or new shelf-stable pouches, you will always get the very best in fresh packed tomato products from Neil Jones Food.

njfco.com | 800.291.3862

SCALES Commercial weighing scales for restaurants, catering, delis, and other retail markets.

Pizza@YamatoCorp.com 262-236-0000

SPICE FORMULATION, BLENDING & PACKAGING

see more at

www.marsalsons.com

(631) 226-6688

pmq.com/Recipe-Bank/

112

PMQ Pizza Magazine The Pizza Industry’s Business Monthly

RG-March17.indd 112

2/9/17 3:46 PM

THE PIZZA EXCHANGE PIZZA INDUSTRY RESOURCE GUIDE SUNSET DOUGH BOWLS

WINGS

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

GUARANTEED LOWEST INDUSTRY PRICE!

www.fidelitycom.com.........................800-683-5600

TOMATO PRODUCTS

Are you a pizza-making genius?

PROVE IT!

Share your best recipes with PMQ - and the entire pizza-loving world in the Recipe Bank.

Get the latest and greatest in pizza news, recipes, videos, marketing strategies and technologies at www.pmq.com!

• Pizzas • Appetizers • Entrees

• Wings • Flatbreads • Salads

• Desserts • and More!

Submit your recipes TODAY at PMQ.com/recipebank!

March 2017 pmq.com

RG-March17.indd 113

113

2/9/17 3:46 PM

PIZZA HALL OF FAME www.pizzahalloffame.com Husband-and-wife workaholics Frank Martino and Angela Martino, shown here in the late ’60s and early ’70s, were constant fixtures at Martino’s Italian Villa. At 81, Angela still works in the business daily, crafting old-fashioned Italian fare from scratch.

Martino’s Italian Villa Without a quarter to spare and turned away by the banks, a pair of Indiana lovebirds with six kids still managed to build a restaurant that would become an institution in Kokomo. By Tracy Morin

C

M

L

ittle did Angela Martino know that Frank, her neighbor and brother’s best friend in Italy, would become her husband years later, well after both had landed Stateside. Or that he’d whisk her from the East Coast to Kokomo, Indiana, where in April 1962 they’d start a small donut shop, shortorder restaurant and pizzeria with a $1,000 bank loan when they found it tough to pay the bills on a single salary. “We didn’t have an extra quarter for bus fare and got turned down by two or three banks,” recalls Angela, who owns Martino’s Italian Villa with her son, Michael. “We were young, and they didn’t think we’d make it.”

Still living paycheck to paycheck, Frank initially worked in the steel mills at night, while Angela handled bookkeeping and raised six kids, who all helped out in the restaurant.

By serving up food like Mama used to make—sausage, dough, meatballs,

bread and sauces made from scratch, hand-grated mozzarella—word-ofmouth soon spread about the little shop that served customers top-notch fare with a smile. “Our menu started off limited as we introduced people to different varieties of Italian food,” Angela notes. “We didn’t have any experience and started from square one, experimenting with our recipes.

We had to really prove ourselves.”

Their hard work paid off: The couple expanded to a restaurant and lounge, growing from 20 seats to 125, and finally nearly 300, in just 10 years, serving Italian specialties alongside American favorites. Frank passed away in the mid-2000s, but now Angela’s grandson, Anthony, helps out, handling modern technology like social media, while Angela, at 81 years old, remains in the business every day with Michael, who joined full-time after college, in 1982. “We all work together to make

sure it’s done right,” Angela says. “It’s a family affair, and our customers are part of the family, too.”

Over the years, the Martinos have racked up a slew of “best of” awards and even earned the key to the city for their community involvement (including sponsoring a local Little League team for the last 48 years), while Angela has been lauded as female trailblazer of the year. But overcoming challenges through sheer persistence has been the real key to their longevity. “It’s about determination, because we’ve had rough times—recessions, new competition, factories closing in our area—but we stuck it out and worked hard,” Angela says. “You have to face challenges, go on and never give up. If you want something, you have to work hard. I haven’t found any other way to do it.”

Y

CM

MY

CY

CMY

K

HAS YOUR PIZZERIA BEEN IN BUSINESS FOR 50 OR MORE YEARS? IF SO, CONTACT US AT TRACY@PMQ.COM. 114

PMQ Pizza Magazine The Pizza Industry’s Business Monthly

halloffameMarch17.indd 114

2/10/17 8:33 AM

Polly-O_MozzAd_7.875x10.875_+Bug.pdf

1

2/2/17

6:34 PM

Visit us at Pizza Expo to enter to win a pallet of product.

booth #

764

THE

MOZZ MEANS A LOT.

C

M

Y

CM

MY

CY

CMY

K

You’re passionate. Which means you’ve got standards when it comes to your ingredients. And cheese is no exception—it’s a big deal.

We get it. Cheese is a big deal to us too. We’ve built our history of award winning cheeses by using real New York dairy and traditional Italian methods. It has to be delicious, and it has to deliver taste, texture and performance because we know you can’t have it any other way. And neither can we.

For more information about Polly-O, please visit polly-ofoodservice.com

MOZZARELLA

halloffameMarch17.indd 115

·

RICOTTA

·

FRESH MOZZARELLA

·

CURD

2/9/17 3:47 PM

halloffameMarch17.indd 116

2/9/17 3:47 PM