PMQ Pizza Media - April 2023

Nutritionists and chefs debunk myths and explain why pizza is healthy for the body and for the soul.

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Feel-Good Food Feel-Good Food The The

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YOU DIDN’T GET INTO THIS BUSINESS TO BE AVERAGE. NEITHER DID WE.

PUBLISHER

Turkish Delights: A Land of Fairy Chimneys and Minced Meat Pides

Rudy Waldner discovers Cappadocia Pide House, a pizzeria in fantastical Göreme, Turkey, where the owner greets every guest outside the door. pmq.com/cappadocia-pide-house

Will 2023 Be the Year of the Pickle Pizza?

The latest Slice of the Union report from Slice predicts a proliferation of pickle-topped pizzas in 2023, while the Roman style looks red-hot, too. pmq.com/year-of-the-pickle-pizza

How Meghan Markle Found the “Holy Grail of Pizza” in NYC

Rubirosa’s pies were the stuff of the Duchess of Sussex’s dreams when she was an up-and-coming actress filming the pilot for her TV series, Suits pmq.com/meghan-markle-favoritepizzeria

Restaurant Robots Dominate 2023 Kitchen Innovation Awards

Robotic food technology features prominently in the annual awards, to be highlighted at the National Restaurant Association Show in May.

pmq.com/kitchen-innovation-awards-2023

How Marco’s Pizza Plans to Become the No. 4 Pizza Chain

After opening 90-plus stores, Marco’s surpassed $1 billion in annual systemwide sales in 2022, fulfilling its own projection from January of last year.

pmq.com/marcos-pizza-2023

Papa Johns Logged 26% SameStore Sales Growth in Three Years

Although sales slowed in the latest quarter, the three-year look shows just how far the chain has climbed since its pre-pandemic low point.

pmq.com/papa-johns-three-year-sales

662-234-5481

Volume 27, Issue 3 April 2023

ISSN 1937-5263

Steve Green, sg@pmq.com ext. 123

CO-PUBLISHER

Linda Green, linda.pmq@gmail.com ext. 121

EDITOR IN CHIEF

Rick Hynum, rick@pmq.com

ART DIRECTOR

Eric Summers, eric@pmq.com

SENIOR COPY EDITOR

Tracy Morin, tracy@pmq.com

DIRECTOR OF RESEARCH

Blake Harris, blake@pmq.com ext. 136

TEST CHEF/USPT COORDINATOR

Brian Hernandez, brian@pmq.com ext. 129

REPORTER

Chris Green, chris@pmq.com

FOOD PHOTOGRAPHER

David Fischer, david@pmq.com

CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER

Shawn Truss, shawn@pmq.com

ADVERTISING

SALES DIRECTOR

Linda Green, linda.pmq@gmail.com ext. 121

SENIOR ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE

Tom Boyles, tom@pmq.com ext. 122

SENIOR ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE

Jerry Moschella, jerry@pmq.com ext. 137

SALES ASSISTANT

Brandy Pinion, brandy@pmq.com ext. 127

INTERNATIONAL PIZZA MARKET

Italy: Enrico Fama Fama.Enrico@gmail.com

Russia: Vladimir Davydov Vladimir@pmq.com

China: Yvonne Liu Yvonne@pmq.com

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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.

PAPA JOHNS

RUDY WALDNER

EVENTS & PROMOTIONS

SPRING 2023

Industry Events

World Pizza Championship: April 18-20

Celebrating its 30th anniversary this year, the biggest event in the world of pizza takes place at the Palaverdi of the Parma Exhibition Center in Parma, Italy. Pizza makers and dough spinning acrobats, including the U.S. Pizza Team, will come from all over the world for three days of competitions, cooking shows and seminars.

Learn more at campionatomondialedellapizza.it

RMDA Conference: April 24-27

Restaurant delivery service companies from around the U.S., Mexico and Canada will descend on Salt Lake City for this event, hosted by the Restaurant Marketing Delivery Association. It’s your chance to learn about new opportunities and technologies that can increase efficiency, decrease costs, and improve your pizza delivery game.

Learn more at thermda.org

Food On Demand Conference: May 3-5

Taking place at The Mirage in Las Vegas, this event brings together key restaurant and foodservice players in mobile ordering, native and third-party delivery, ghost kitchens, virtual restaurants, catering, AI, robotics and restaurant technology. They’ll share strategies for increasing off-premise efficiency and adding incremental sales.

Learn more at foodondemand.com

National Restaurant Association Show: May 20-23

Join your peers from across the foodservice industry at McCormick Place in Chicago.

You’ll discover exciting new products and innovative new equipment, create business connections with key suppliers, access expert-led education sessions on today’s biggest topics, and make invaluable peer-to-peer networking connections.

Learn more at nationalrestaurantshow.com

Promote This!

Every Kid Healthy Week: April 24-28

Promote your healthiest kid-friendly menu items on social media. This week also affords an opportunity to host pizza making classes for local schools and to educate children on the nutritional value of pizza. Create a kids-eat-free promotion to help families shake off the winter doldrums at your pizzeria!

DON’T FORGET THESE NATIONAL FOOD AND BEVERAGE DAYS IN APRIL 2023!

National Deep Dish Pizza Day

Wednesday, April 5

New Beer’s Eve

Thursday, April 6

National Beer Day

Friday, April 7

Day of the Mushroom

Sunday, April 16

Earth Day

Saturday, April 22

Stop Food Waste Day / Arbor Day

Friday, April 28

LENNY’S LAST DANCE

Lenny’s Pizza, the Brooklyn, New York, pizza joint famously showcased in Saturday Night Fever, closed its doors after 70 years in business on February 19, and a horde of customers turned out for one last slice. “I made all my life in this place,” owner Frank Giordano, 77, told CBS New York. “I’ve been here 40 years, and now I wanna retire.” Josephine Giordano, Frank’s daughter, announced the closure on social media on February 17. “We thankfully have done very well and felt it was best to close once my dad was ready,” she wrote. “It’s time for him and I to enjoy our families.” For an old-school pizza store, Lenny’s never missed a step in the social media age. Josephine, a self-described “sarcastic storyteller from good ol’ Brooklyn,” became the face of the brand on Instagram, where she posted laugh-out-loud—and often profane—Reels in which she spouted off about whatever popped into her head, especially irritating customers. In one recent Reel, Josephine complained of a woman who wanted to pay for a gluten-free pizza with a jaunty tap dance. “So what did I do?” she said. “I just ignored the s--- out of her.” Giordano told PMQ she’s moving to Florida soon. “It’s not over for me,” she said. “I’m just getting started. I’ll be around complaining about someone on [Instagram].”

THE JOY OF DRINKING

Folks in Washington, D.C., don’t agree on much nowadays, but they can set aside their differences for a while when they grab a drink at Pizzeria Paradiso. Who feels like bickering when The Joy of Painting is playing on the bar TV? Bob Ross died in 1995, but he lives on at chef Ruth Gresser’s Spring Valley and Hyattsville stores. Customers can sit and watch him painting pretty trees and snow scenes day in and day out, courtesy of a YouTube channel that features the complete series. General manager Tony Hamilton said it started as a joke, but customers, including couples and kids, were entranced by the show’s serene vibe and started showing up just to watch it over pizza and beers. In late February, Hamilton introduced a new collaboration series, called “The Joy of Drinking,” which showcases craft beers from local brewers. The first promotion, called “The Happy Little Pale Ale,” spotlighted a beer from Right Proper Brewing Company. And on February 26, the Hyattsville store began hosting a “paint and sip” series with neighboring business Art Works Now on the last Sunday of each month. “The past many years now have been very stressful and exhausting,” Hamilton told DCist.com. “Having something that brings so much joy with zero baggage is just lovely.”

Customers relax and bond at Pizzeria Paradiso while watching the late Bob Ross paint cozy scenes on the bar TV.

In June 2018, Saturday Night Fever star John Travolta returned to Lenny’s—clad in Tony Manero’s iconic white suit—to promote his new movie, Gotti

Chef Ruth Gresser opened the first Pizzeria Paradiso location in Washington, D.C., on November 8, 1991, and has turned it into a Beltway institution.

Father-and-daughter duo Frank and Josephine Giordano ran Lenny’s Pizza together with plenty of New York attitude and humor.

LENNY’S PIZZA

LESSONS LEARNED

Iopened Hot Tongue Pizza in Los Angeles in February 2022. The past year has been filled with highs and lows, each with its own valuable lesson to offer. Owning and operating a brandnew pizza shop is challenging, to say the least, but highly rewarding, especially if you have learned to love the struggle. Here are a few important lessons I learned in the past year:

1Keep your menu simple. I’m typically guilty of doing too much. I used to add things to my menus with very little thought, just because I could, but I discovered that it’s a recipe for disaster. Just because I can make something doesn’t mean every member of my team can be

BY ALEX KOONS

trained effortlessly to execute it the way I want. Two days before Hot Tongue opened, I cut the sandwiches and pastas out of the menu, leaving only the pizzas and a few apps. Looking back, it was the best decision I could have made. It removed the distractions of unnecessarily complicated training and allowed us to focus on what mattered most: the pizza. We finally introduced pastas six months later, and they have been a huge success. But without allowing ourselves that time to get our act together, I believe it would have been a disaster. In the past year, we’ve added only one pizza to the menu. By exercising restraint with the menu, we have been able to make small tweaks to improve on what we’re already killer at.

2Less is more when staffing. In the first few weeks after opening, people were crowding the restaurant to get in and try the food. We were super-busy, and I thought we were understaffed. We were constantly changing the schedule to fit the demand and trying to figure out how many employees we needed and how many hours we had available. Then, that initial hype wore off, and reality set in. The days slowed down, and orders decreased. It was scary, but it turned out to be a huge blessing, because we ended up with just enough hours to go around for our staff after the dust settled. Staffing a restaurant blindly was a pretty big hurdle that, luckily, we got over. In hindsight, I recommend hiring

Alex Koons shares five nuggets of operational wisdom gleaned in the first year of owning Hot Tongue Pizza.

fewer people than you anticipate needing in the beginning, just to ensure that, when the novelty wears off, no one’s hours are drastically reduced.

you and your staff treat every guest like a best friend. It’s the first impression people get and the most important factor that influences a guest before they even try that first slice. The food brings them in, but the service keeps them coming back.

3

Budget time and money for a marketing plan. We didn’t have a budget for PR, but we were lucky enough to wind up in a couple of prime publications around Los Angeles. These write-ups boosted our visibility, which helped sales and business, but the benefits always trickled away after a couple of days. To get people in the door, we take advantage of tools like Google Business, Yelp, Instagram, flyers and community outreach. But after a full year in business, many people still don’t know we exist. If I could go back, I would have found the money for some kind of PR launch.

4

Customer experience is the taste before the bite.

I spent the last seven years with my face in a pizza oven or glued to a screen or a book. I gave so much of myself to the food and the team that I forgot about the importance of connecting with the people eating the food and enjoying the restaurant. Since opening Hot Tongue, I’ve been forced to get in front of those customers who come from all over the city— and the globe. In the last year, I’ve made more friends than I’d made in the last two decades. I underestimated the power of the customer experience and highly recommend making sure

5 Your team is everything!

Without the insanely talented team at Hot Tongue, it just wouldn’t function—especially my two managers, Michael and Andrew. They create authentic customer experiences that shape the way the food tastes even before someone has taken a bite. It’s the energy that everyone who works here brings to every shift. Hiring the right people makes a lot of things feel easier. Take your time to hire people that you trust and know will kick butt.

I once thought I had a lot of the restaurant business figured out. Opening Hot Tongue from absolutely nothing has shown me, day after day, that I still have a lot to learn. Being openminded has helped me grow 10 times more than I would have. I will try anything once. No idea is stupid. Say yes, and take every meeting. That attitude has helped this restaurant evolve into what it is today. Don’t put up any walls. Don’t pretend to know it all. Stay open to everything. That’s one year down. Here’s to 20 more!

Alex Koons is an industry consultant and the owner of Hot Tongue Pizza, an all-vegan pizzeria, and Purgatory Pizza in Los Angeles.

Using

BY TRACY MORIN

Girmantas Urbonas, a Sarpino’s USA franchisee in the Chicago suburb of Downers Grove, Illinois, has prioritized sustainability in his local community by completing deliveries with electric vehicles. He believes this choice is a worthwhile investment that creates long-term savings and cost efficiency while helping reduce environmental impact over the long haul. But he’s also found other, less expected benefits—for example, these vehicles attract delivery drivers to his business, a crucial perk in today’s competitive labor market. Here, in his own words, Urbonas shares some of the keys to his electric success.

electric delivery vehicles helps Sarpino’s franchisee Girmantas Urbonas attract intrigued employees and customers while reducing costs, upkeep and environmental impact.

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Power Up

Having electric vehicles helps with employee recruitment. I don’t have any problem finding delivery drivers—maybe partly because we pay better than some other places, and because we’re busier than the typical place. We also put out ads when the pandemic started. But I think the cars by themselves work as a tool to advertise. So I have the opposite problem, where more people apply than we can employ. I suspended the ads we were running last November, and I still get people asking for applications, asking if they can drive for me! On the plus side, that means I can be more picky in choosing whom to hire.

With electric cars, we almost eliminate maintenance. We used to have hybrid Prius cars, and they needed an oil change once a month. Electric cars don’t need those, and we don’t need to change things like belts. We replace the battery every two years, but that’s it. There’s very little upkeep. Plus, with gas cars, there were always complaints among the employees— who’s going to put gas in the car? With electric, the drivers come in and have a “full tank,” as long as we do the electric charge overnight. That’s enough to last for the whole day, and the only thing we have to do at night is plug it in. In addition to no maintenance or gas fill-ups, they’re amazing to drive, so my guys love them!

We save a lot of money by using electric vehicles. We got our cars right at the beginning of the pandemic, in March 2020. At the time, we got a very good deal, paying about the same price as we would for a gas car. Nowadays, companies like GM have federal incentives, so they’re able to offer electric cars at a comparative price to gas models. Plus, when you think that you’ll put an average of 30,000 to 40,000 miles per year on your car, the gas savings are huge—it’s not like we’re doing the typical car mileage. The only problem is, with the now-$7,500 tax credit people can get, no dealers around here can keep the electric models in stock. They are asking $3,000 to $5,000 more than MSRP—and because they still have a wait list on them, they don’t mind charging that.

We’re reducing pollution—including noise pollution. On our Facebook page, I often post about how many tons of CO2 savings we achieve in one month because of the electric vehicles and how efficient they are. Plus, we’re using a 100% renewable energy provider; here in Illinois, we can choose to buy from a company other than the standard provider, and ours uses hydropower. And, because we deliver a lot in the late-night hours, it’s a bonus that these cars are so quiet—they really make no sound as we drive through neighborhoods, compared with a noisy muffler!

Beware of potential drawbacks. Adding electric vehicles has been very interesting—though most people love it, there are a few who hate it. They have a very strange perception that an electric vehicle is bad. We’ve had a person unplug [cars] from the charger at night, for example, so now we’ve installed cameras in front of the chargers to monitor them after closing. I don’t understand why anyone would get upset at the car—especially as everyone else here is really excited about them and wants to drive them. Also, in the winters here, our electric bill is a little more expensive, so we do take that into consideration. But in terms of setup, it’s easy; we just needed to install a charger in front of the store, which we hired an electrician for.

Overall, I’d recommend electric delivery vehicles to everyone. We have two electric delivery vehicles at the moment, and we’re thinking of getting more. I don’t really see any major issues associated with them—only a bunch of benefits! The cars themselves act as advertising and help attract people to our business. And, from a financial perspective, it’s a no-brainer. With the money and time they save, the cars pay for themselves. Even in my personal life, I now have electric vehicles, and I used to be a total petrol-head. Now, I’ve sold all of my other cars and stick with electric only.

Tracy Morin is PMQ’s senior copy editor and the editor of PizzaVegan.com.

“When you think that you’ll put an average of 30,000 to 40,000 miles per year on your car, the gas savings are huge.”

— Girmantas Urbonas, Sarpino’s, Downer’s Grove, IL

Feel Good Food The

Start spreading the news: Nutritionists and dietitians say pizza is healthy for the body and for the soul.

BY RICK HYNUM

For decades now, Americans have been told that pizza is an unhealthy food. Bread and cheese and meat, begone! Healthy eating means broccoli, beets and Brussels sprouts! Save the pizza for birthdays and Super Bowls, and you’ll live longer—or so the story goes. But you’ll be hard-pressed to find a nutritionist or dietitian who agrees. In fact, the opposite is true. And it’s time we started sharing the facts with our customers: They don’t have to feel bad about the food that makes them feel so good.

GETTY IMAGES

“When you use real food and cook from scratch, the health benefits are tremendous,” says Katie Collier, owner of Katie’s Pizza & Pasta Osteria in St. Louis. “This is the philosophy in Italy. This is what I learned while living there. It’s not about carbs or wheat; it’s about real food, no added sugar and beautiful, healthy oils. This is why you can go to Italy and eat a ton of pasta and not gain weight.”

Sean Ferraro, owner/chef of Madison Avenue Pizza in Dunedin, Florida, agrees. “I often remind my customers that, unlike most foods, the ingredients that go into our pizza have no preservatives or ingredients that you can’t pronounce, and they’re minimally processed,” Ferraro says. “Our dough, like most doughs, is made with flour, spring water, salt, sugar, olive oil and yeast. Our sauce is just whole ground tomatoes with a little sea salt and some

herbs. They are minimally processed and straightforward.”

So why do so many people think eating pizza will pack on the pounds? Maybe because it’s the go-to meal for a good time, Ferraro suggests. “I think pizza gets a bad rap because it can be the quintessential ‘binge’ food for people that are watching a football game, filling their stomachs after a night out drinking, or numerous other times when healthy eating isn’t a concern. But pizza isn’t just for binge eating, especially with the modern pizza movement that focuses on fresh, local and high-quality ingredients.”

The “All Foods Fit” Philosophy

Collier, who plans to open her third store this year, has gotten positive feedback about her food from customers with diabetes. “Our pizzas and pastas don’t spike their blood sugar, and it’s the same with gluten-intolerant customers,” she says. “They don’t have as many reactions.” That’s no surprise to Collier, who also grows herbs for her dishes—basil, oregano, mint, rosemary, tarragon, etc.—in patio gardens at every store. “When you use very fresh, organic ingredients and make food from scratch without processing, you eliminate a lot of the harm that we’re seeing from our

“When you use real food and cook from scratch, the health benefits are tremendous. This is the philosophy in Italy.”

— Katie Collier, Katie’s Pizza & Pasta Osteria

Katie Collier, owner of Katie’s Pizza & Pasta Osteria in St. Louis, says fresh, minimally processed ingredients are all you need to make healthy, nutritious pizzas.

Above: Katie’s Pizza & Pasta Osteria now offers a line of frozen pizzas using the same ingredients that made its brick-and-mortar stores a success.

KATIE’S PIZZA & PASTA OSTERIA

Beyond The Dough

Presented By

I met Lars Smith, owner of State Of Mind Public House & Pizzeria. He told me his story about opening his first location. The financial risk that his family took was amazing. I love the stories of pizza operators. The struggle to be successful is inspiring.

We see successful people, and we think, “Wow! They’re so lucky!”

People don’t see the risk.

People don’t see the struggle.

People don’t see the long days.

People don’t see the restless nights.

People don’t see the creativity.

People don’t see the faith.

People don’t see the desire.

People don’t see the emotional drain. I see you. I’m proud of you. Keep going. You got this.

Keep letting everyone think you’re lucky. We know.

To learn more about Perfect Crust’s pizza liners and other products, visit perfectcrust.com or email Eric Bam at Eric@perfectcrust.com

About Eric Bam:

Eric is the VP of Sales & Marketing for Perfect Crust Pizza Liners and Incrediblebags.com. Eric is a goal driven optimist that uses his positive attitude to lift up those around him. He’s a father to Nycholas, Alayna and Ruby. He’s a public speaker and show host. You can find him on all social media @TheEricBam.

overprocessed foods today. We don’t cook with any sugar. We use local, fresh-milled, organic semolina and durum flour. We use only extra-virgin olive oils. All of our produce is organic and local.”

Granted, not every pizzeria owner is that choosy about ingredients. For some, it’s all about cheap and fast. But, unlike a Big Mac, cheap and fast doesn’t necessarily signify “unhealthy” in pizza making. Most pizzas have some key ingredients in common. And, according to nutrition experts, those ingredients, eaten in moderation, are good for the body.

Just ask Lindsay Wengler, a registered dietitian at Olive Branch Nutrition in New York City. She specializes in nutrition therapy for clients seeking freedom from dieting or dealing with eating disorders—aiming to help clients “make peace with food,” according to her website. “I spend a lot of time with my clients discussing the nutrition philosophy of ‘all foods fit,’ and that there are no ‘good’ or ‘bad’ foods,” Wengler says.

“Some foods get a bad rap as being ‘unhealthy’ or ‘bad,’ yet we overlook the simple fact that each food provides some type of nutritional, cultural or social component that shouldn’t be ignored,” she adds. “When we start to break down pizza for what it really is—dough/bread, tomatoes, cheese and olive oil—we can see how it doesn’t deserve the stigma. When we analyze those ingredients even further, we can see the nutrition and health benefits that pizza actually provides.”

The Nutrition Proposition

So let’s take a closer look at the ingredients that make pizza so delicious and nutritious, starting with the crust.

“Pizza dough, crafted with an incredible combination of art and science, is fermented, which tends to make it easily digestible,” Wengler says. “The fermentation process digests some of the carbohydrates in the dough, which produces carbon dioxide—that’s how we get those beautiful air bubbles

in pizza crust. The complex carbohydrates found in pizza dough provide our cells with energy and, depending on the type of flour used, it can also contain important B vitamins: thiamine, niacin and riboflavin, which are key nutrients in energy production.”

Brittany Lubeck, a Fort Collins, Colorado-based registered dietitian and consultant for the Oh So Spotless website, adds that tomato sauce is also packed with nutrients. “One of these nutrients is lycopene, an antioxidant linked to prostate cancer prevention,” she says. “Interestingly, lycopene is found in higher amounts in tomato sauce and canned tomatoes than in fresh tomatoes, giving you all the more reason to enjoy a classic slice of pizza.”

According to the New York City-based Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center’s website, lycopene-rich diets are also “generally associated with a decreased risk” of both heart disease and macular degeneration, which can cause worsening of vision.

What about mozzarella? Wengler says it’s “an incredible source of protein, calcium, phosphorus and potassium, all of which contribute to bone health and strength.”

There’s no denying mozzarella boasts its share of saturated fats, but not as much as many other cheeses. And some fats are our friends. So chalk one up for the olive oil in your pizza dough. “Olive oil is an incredible source of monounsaturated fats (MUFAs), which have been shown to improve heart health and stabilize blood glucose,” Wengler explains. “Olive oil is also rich in phenols and vitamin E, which have powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.”

Any healthy meal needs to be nutritionally balanced, Lubeck says, and pizza meets the criteria. “It contains the three macronutrients your body needs daily: carbohydrates, fat and protein. And when you add in veggies and other toppings, you also get essential micronutrients, including vitamins and

“I spend a lot of time with my clients discussing the nutrition philosophy of ‘all foods fit,’ and that there are no ‘good’ or ‘bad’ foods.”

— Lindsay Wengler, Olive Branch Nutrition

Nutritionist Lindsay Wengler of Olive Branch Nutrition enjoys authentic Italian pizza at Gino Sorbillo in Naples.

COURTESY LINDSAY WENGLER

minerals. Of course, there is a difference between an extrathick-crust, triple-cheese pepperoni pizza and a thin-crust veggie pizza, but that goes without saying.”

Making Pizza Even Healthier

True, if you pile on too many rich toppings, pizza becomes decidedly less healthful, says Mary Wirtz, a certified sports dietitian and consultant for the Mom Loves Best website. “Excessive amounts of cheese and processed meats—Canadian bacon, pepperoni and sausage—will not only drive up the saturated fat content of the dish but also the sodium. If some of these toppings are your absolute favorite, I encourage smaller (but flavorful) portions of these toppings.”

“On its own, pizza is a balanced meal, as it contains the three macronutrients your body needs daily: carbohydrates, fat and protein.”

— Brittany Lubeck, registered dietitian

Sean Ferraro of Madison Avenue Pizza reminds his customers that he doesn’t use any ingredients they can’t pronounce.

MADISON AVENUE PIZZA

Then, again, the human body needs protein, too, as Lubeck mentioned, and meat toppings provide that in spades. And since chicken has become an increasingly popular topping, health-conscious customers can still have their meat pizza and eat it, too.

Vegetarian and vegan pizzas are another hot menu item these days, and there’s no denying their health benefits. “Adding more fresh veggies to your pizza will increase satiety, making you feel satisfied with fewer slices,” notes Eva De Angelis, a dietitian/nutritionist in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and writer for the HealthCanal website. “Vegetables are also naturally low in calories and fat while being high in bioactive compounds with numerous health benefits.”

Gluten-sensitive customers and those with celiac disease also need not avoid pizza these days, thanks to the proliferation of gluten-free options. Additionally, Chuck Sillari, founder/chef of Mortadella Head in Somerville, Massachusetts, believes the right dough making process can help with gluten sensitivity.

“One of the keys to healthy pizza is long fermentation,” Sillari says. “It turns out that how you make the dough determines how you feel. Bread and pizza are known to make people feel a little bloated and full. For someone with a gluten allergy or sensitivity, it can be pretty bad. Studies have shown that a lot

of these gluten sensitivities are caused by the fast industrial baking processes being used. When flour gets mixed into dough and is baked off right away, it doesn’t have time to ferment properly, and the gluten proteins don’t have time to get broken down.”

Gliadin, a protein that makes up gluten when it’s mixed with water, is “usually the issue,” Sillari says. “For some reason, a lot of people have a hard time digesting the gliadin. That causes the immune system to attack the inner lining of the small intestine, which can cause bloating and discomfort, and the lining of the intestines become inflamed. This inflammation doesn’t let your body absorb nutrients from the food like it should, which can cause discomfort.”

A longer dough fermentation period breaks down the gluten proteins before they ever enter the body. “According to a study done at the University of Copenhagen in 2016, gluten degradation starts to occur at around 24 hours,” Sillari notes. “And the longer it ferments, the more the gluten breaks down. I make Roman pizza al taglio dough and let it ferment for 72 hours. A lot of gluten is being broken down during that time. This is going to be a relief to your stomach. A lot of my customers who normally have trouble eating pizza tell me that ours doesn’t bother them.”

“One of the keys to healthy pizza is long fermentation. It turns out that how you make the dough determines how you feel.”

— Chuck Sillari, Mortadella Head

Chuck Sillari of Mortadella Head says long dough fermentation is a key to healthy pizza in the Roman al taglio style.

Enjoyed in moderation, a pepperoni pizza, like this one served at Mortadella Head, is good for the body and the soul.

MORTADELLA HEAD

MORTADELLA HEAD

Soul Food

As a pizzeria owner, you know what your customers want, and you’re under no moral obligation to make them eat healthier. But you can still educate them on the nutritional value of pizza and help them choose healthier items if they so desire.

“We believe health is personal, and so is the definition of ‘healthy,’” says Lisa Dimson, chief marketing officer for Your Pie, headquartered in Atlanta. “We provide options that fit every diner’s unique needs. Whether someone is looking for glutenfree, high-protein, keto or low-fat ingredients, we want to make sure everyone is able to create and enjoy a pizza that fits their lifestyle.”

Your Pie’s website offers a nutrition calculator for every order, from calories and total fat to fiber, protein and sodium. “Our top priority is to provide a menu that caters to our customers’ specific needs, so we asked them for their feedback,” Dimson says. “We learned that sharing nutrition facts helps people make choices that best fit their unique lifestyles, which, in turn, helps us ensure that our guest experience is top-notch—and it doesn’t hurt our bottom line, either.”

Even if you don’t offer a nutrition calculator on your website, you can still position your pizza as a healthy food choice through social media marketing and your website. You can also highlight “good-for-you” pizzas on your menu, both online and on paper. Include information from this article—the cancer-fighting potential of lycopene, for example, or the body-fueling power of carbs—in your social posts and/or in a dedicated section of your website. Create YouTube videos or Reels about your dough fermentation process or the vitamins and fiber packed in your veggie pies.

And remind customers that pizza is good for the soul, too. According to Jessie Hulsey, a registered dietitian and consultant for Nutritious Lifestyles in Atlanta, pizza offers “mental health benefits that shouldn’t be discounted. Eating pizza can have a positive effect on your mental well-being by comforting the soul and providing feelings of satisfaction. It also stimulates dopamine production, which helps a person feel relaxed and at ease.”

Giving up pizza can have the opposite effect, Hulsey adds. “All in all,” she says, “while it’s important to watch your portion sizes when indulging in this delicious treat, there’s no doubt that having a slice or two of your favorite pie can do wonders for your mental health!”

Rick Hynum is PMQ’s editor in chief.

“Eating pizza can have a positive effect on your mental well-being by comforting the soul and providing feelings of satisfaction.”

— Jessie Hulsey, registered dietitian

Fresh, minimally processed ingredients make the pies at Madison Avenue Pizza a healthy choice.

MADISON AVENUE PIZZA

WageWar$

Finding it tough to attract employees in today’s tough labor market? Some operators are tackling the problem by offering sameday wage payouts to employees.

BY TRACY MORIN

Employee pay-on-demand, also known as earned wage access, is growing in popularity as restaurateurs scramble to attract and retain employees in a difficult labor landscape. These kinds of programs allow restaurant workers to get paid some of their wages a lot more quickly than on the usual weekly or two-week pay period—including getting paid at the end of each shift.

But, if you’re new to this service, you probably have some questions. How does it all work, and how can a pizzeria implement it for maximum success? What are its main benefits? And how can you use it as a recruiting tool to attract not only more employees, but more loyal ones? We checked in with experts from both the pizzeria and pay-ondemand industries to find out more.

POV: The Pizzeria Chain

Rohan Shearer, SVP and chief administrative officer for Sbarro, based in Columbus, Ohio, with 670 restaurants worldwide, believes that the greatest selling point for his company’s pay-on-demand system is that it has been extremely easy for employees to use. “Through an app on their phone, an employee can review their daily earnings and then choose to withdraw some or all of those earnings at their convenience, without having to wait until the next pay cycle,” Shearer explains. “There are no preapprovals required or people they have

to contact. Once the app is set up, it ties automatically to Sbarro’s payroll, and how often they view their earned balances or choose to access their funds is completely up to them.”

Sbarro rolled out this option to all company-owned locations in April 2022. Execs at the company had heard from employees that they wanted earlier access to their earnings, and this was an easy, cost-effective way to provide this option for them. “From our view, having on-demand access to wages is now table-stakes,” Shearer says. “After doing extensive research into the many options available, we chose to partner

with DailyPay, one of the leading providers of this type of service.”

Shearer adds that the benefits have been excellent for Sbarro as an employer, since there is no cost other than the time it takes for the integration and ongoing maintenance. And the benefits for the employees have been just as impactful—they love that they have more control over accessing their wages, as well as an immediate and anytime look at how much they’ve earned. “While some may think that the earlier withdrawals are for core living expenses like rent or groceries, we’ve seen employees access their wages for

“Any operator looking to implement an earned wage access program should complete their due diligence before choosing a program to see what will work for them and their teams.”

— Nadeem Bajwa, Bajco Group (189 Papa Johns stores)

The Top Rated Pizzeria POS System for Over 35 Years

limited-time deals on concert tickets or vacations, daily coffee or other more discretionary items, so that they don’t have to use credit cards between paydays,” Shearer says.

When looking to implement such a system, Shearer believes there are two keys to creating a positive experience. First, ensure that the integration between the provider and the company’s payroll system is complete and tested prior to launch, in order to give employees a good experience from the beginning, without cumbersome tech-related issues. (He notes that not all providers have existing integrations with every payroll provider out there, so that’s something to research on the front end.) Second, ensure that communications with the employees are thorough and that they have a chance to ask questions. “The more effective the communications, the greater the adoption rate, especially when employees realize that they can access their funds as needed, with little or no cost to them,” Shearer says.

Many experts say this type of payment model is more desirable right now—and may reflect a shift in company culture as it becomes the model of what younger employees expect. “The numbers speak for themselves: Since rolling this program out, in the first nine months, 50% of our employees had downloaded the app, and most check their balances regularly,” Shearer reports. “And 50% of those employees are making regular transfers from their pay balance.”

POV: The Pay-On-Demand Provider

How is it possible that these companies can work inside a no-fee structure so that employers and employees take advantage of these services at no cost? We checked in with one of these providers to find out more.

First, note that there are various ways these companies can work. Tal Clark, CEO and director of the board for Instant Financial, based in Alpharetta, Georgia, explains that his company offers two ways to earn wages faster: loading tips earned (whether through table service or deliveries) to employees who are serving, via a prepaid VISA card; and by providing same-day access to wages at the end of a shift.

Either setup can help attract employees to the business. “We’ve found that potential employees are two times more likely to take a job when they’re offered same-day pay,” Clark notes. “Instant access will be increasingly expected by millennials and Gen-Zs. So it’s a recruiting tool, but it also works to reduce turnover—because employees are more likely

“In the first nine months, 50% of our employees had downloaded the app, and most check their balances regularly. And 50% are making regular transfers from their pay balance.”

— Rohan Shearer, Sbarro

Sbarro advertises its daily pay option to attract employees—and ensures its system is easy to use once they’re hired. SBARRO

to stay in these jobs and show up for them, and they’re even more likely to take on extra shifts.”

This service can also help stores reduce or eliminate the need for having a lot of cash on hand. Plus, Clark notes, with more Americans having difficulty making it from paycheck to paycheck, having access to their pay helps them take care of routine requirements that enable them to work, such as filling up the car with gas or paying for childcare.

If you’re looking to offer a pay-on-demand option at your pizzeria, Clark advises choosing a program that makes it seamless for the operator—creating no disruption to payroll flow. For example, his company simply needs to know the rate of pay and amount of time worked for the employee, and the service can be integrated with the business’ payroll time and attendance provider, or through a file transfer (whichever is easier for the operator). And employees are not obligated to use the service. “We make 50% of gross wages available to the employee, and they can choose to accept it or not,” Clark explains. “There’s no fee to the employee or employer, because we generate our revenue based on card interchange fees.”

Instant Financial started working with a large number of Papa Johns stores during the onset of COVID-19 in 2020, when going cashless offered the additional benefit of reducing virus transmission. Today, one of those users is Nadeem Bajwa, CEO of Bajco Group, which owns and manages 189 Papa Johns locations across 10 states in the United States. “It provides a platform for Bajco to pay our team members for their earned

wages—so, for employers, it helps with the elimination of cash payouts at the store,” Bajwa explains. “It is an exciting program that provides quicker access to earned wages, tips and other compensations. Instant Financial stood out to us because of the ease of implementation and their cost structure for both employers and employees. We have not seen any fees being charged to us.”

For a multilocation operation like his, Bajwa believes the most important step in success has been enabling the communication between the program team and the operator team, and having a clear understanding of the responsibilities on both sides. “Any operator looking to implement an earned wage access program should complete their due diligence before choosing a program to see what will work for them and their teams. But it’s helpful to build a great team, which has been one of the main reasons for Bajco Group’s continued growth.”

Ultimately, Clark believes that this payroll approach is the way of the future. “All operators need to be considering pay-on-demand; if you don’t offer it, you’ll put yourself at a disadvantage,” he opines. “As we move forward, it’s going to become one of those table-stakes benefits. Many people will expect daily access to their wages—and it’s not something that’s happening in the future. It’s here now.”

Tracy Morin is PMQ’s senior copy editor and the editor of PizzaVegan.com.

“Through an app on their phone, an employee can review their daily earnings and withdraw some or all of those earnings at their convenience, without having to wait until the next pay cycle.”

— Rohan Shearer, Sbarro

Tuesday-Wednesday, August 22-23, 10am to 4pm (Exhibits & Seminars)

Meats, cheeses and breads—ingredients already on hand at pizzerias—are key components of winning charcuterie plates.

and ensure maximum profits along the way.

BY TRACY MORIN

Althoughpizza restaurants are ideal spots for great charcuterie plates, too many of them aren’t yet tapping into this potentially lucrative menu category. “It’s very rare to see pizzerias include charcuterie boards as a menu item—in fact, according to a recent survey by Technomic Ignite, charcuterie is ranked No. 482 of nonpizza items on pizzeria menus,” notes Brie Buenning, director of marketing for La Brea Bakery, based in Los Angeles. “This points to charcuterie being largely underutilized in pizzerias, despite these kinds of restaurants likely having all of the components needed for a great board.”

Take advantage of your in-house items with these plates of mix-and-match magic—and don’t forget to market them smartly to reap maximum profits. Here are some ideas to get you started.

Selling Charcuterie

The Right Stuff. Buenning explains that pizzerias already have on hand a plethora of ingredients found on charcuterie boards, such as salami, prosciutto, pepperoni, other cured meats, vegetables and cheeses. By simply adding artisan baguettes and other breads (as well as various accompaniments like honey, nuts or dried fruit), you can easily create an attractive menu item.

Or, for extra credit, allow customers to craft their own! “Just as ordering a pizza offers endless combinations, enabling customers to order customized charcuterie boards will make the boards a natural extension of

your main menu item,” Buenning says. “A pizzeria could even offer charcuterie that emulates a grazing board—think mini pizzas, garlic bread, calzones, breadsticks, dippable items with pizza sauces, etc.”

After all, Buenning points out, if the recent “butter boards” trend (in which TikTok and Instagram were suddenly awash in fancied-up butters) proved anything, it showed you can make a charcuterie board however you want. Plus, plates that diners can split are already right at home in a pizzeria.

“Consumers have always loved pizza because it’s shareable,” Buenning says. “A charcuterie board elevates that experience by adding an interactive element to the meal.”

Pricing for Profit. When pricing your plates, take all factors into account to make sure they are worth your time. “For maximum profit, you have to consider the costs associated with procuring quality ingredients, plus the time, labor and resources that go into preparing the charcuterie,” advises Kyle

“By selecting [beers and wines] that are complementary—both in flavor and price— to the charcuterie offerings, you can add an extra layer of flavor and spark interest among customers.”

— Kyle Jones, Craft Wood Fired Catering

Kyle Jones at Craft Wood Fired Catering takes into account the cost of ingredients as well as labor and time considerations when pricing his plates.

The Print Magazine That Powers the Largest Digital Audience in the Pizza Industry.

Is it just a coincidence that the pizza magazine with the largest print circulation (by 10,000 copies) also has the largest digital audience in the pizza biz?

We think not.

When PMQ’s 40,000 monthly printed magazines are delivered into the mailboxes of our 40,000 readers, that’s not the end of the journey. Our readers tell us that they share their copy of PMQ’s print magazine with an average of 2.9 readers.

In turn, print readership drives traffic to PMQ.com. It all starts here—on the printed page.

PMQ: Print Proud and Digital Smart

Jones, head chef at Craft Wood Fired Catering in Santa Barbara, California. “You also want to look at the competition in the market and account for how much the customer is willing to pay for these kinds of offerings. By being mindful of these factors, you’ll establish a price that will maximize profit.”

For example, if you’re curing your own meats in-house, you might charge more for that time and labor expenditure—and customers will be willing to pay more, since it feels like a more artisanal item. But, if you’re using ingredients already on hand, you might keep prices lower. Buenning advocates a balance of value and profitability, but utilizing ingredients already found in your pizzeria will prevent you from having to bring in anything additional, which helps cut down on food waste and keeps costs low.

Pairing Pointers. When marketing charcuterie, Jones suggests, try to create a unique pairing that will draw customers in. “Charcuterie boards that include a mix of cured meats and other accompaniments are popular and can be tailored to include more interesting ingredients and flavors,” he explains. “Advertising your use of seasonal ingredients and locally sourced products can also be an effective way of enticing customers.”

Additionally, you might choose to boost profits further by pairing wines and beers with your charcuterie. “By selecting products that are complementary—both in flavor and price— to the charcuterie offerings, you can add an extra layer of

flavor and spark interest among customers,” Jones says. “Also, educational content that demystifies pairing selections can provide a further opportunity to engage with customers as well as increase profits through drink sales.”

Buenning agrees, noting that anytime you can guide a customer to pair a meal with wine, beer or a mocktail, the upsell will support an increased check average that is crucial in today’s challenging restaurant environment. “Waitstaff adding personal suggestions and education as to which beverages will enhance the flavor profiles of their foods not only helps the customer but also highlights the expertise of your team,” Buenning explains. “Including suggestions for beverages or selling charcuterie with a drink flight are other ways to support consumers in making the choice to purchase.” Through the right pairings, both the appetizer and beverages are sorted—consider it a one-two punch of profit before the main meal has even begun.

Making the Sale. Buenning notes that, in years past, many pizzerias started customers with free baskets of fresh breadsticks, French bread or garlic knots to feed them until the meal was served—but, with rising costs, many pizzerias have eliminated those complementary offerings. “Putting charcuterie on the menu is a great way to ‘keep bread on the table’ for customers, offering them a way to start their meals while at the same time making a profit,” Buenning says. “Whether your pizzeria has counter service or table service, have your staff offer the boards as a starter by asking customers, ‘Do you want to start off with a charcuterie board?’ It’s an easy way to let your customers know about them.”

Other tactics that Buenning advises: Place signage throughout the restaurant—at the counter, tabletops, etc.— and ensure savvy menu placement. “If a pizzeria opts to have more of a grazing board with multiple offerings, those are great to market for pizza-popular events and on any catering menus,” Buenning adds. “Many people may not think of a charcuterie offering at a pizzeria, so it’s important to find fun ways to communicate and market the menu addition appropriately, and to ensure that it is positioned as a natural extension of the menu.”

“Including suggestions for beverages or selling charcuterie with a drink flight [will] support consumers in making the choice to purchase.”

— Brie Buenning, La Brea Bakery

Because they're both shareable and customizable, charcuterie plates and pizza go hand in hand.

MOLTEN PIZZA DIP

Provided by La Brea Bakery

This savory dip can easily be a great starter for a charcuterie board. Just add breads on the side and customize toppings as desired!

Ingredients

• 1 demi French baguette

• ½ c. pepperoni slices

• 8-10 slices provolone cheese

• Fresh basil

• 1 tsp. garlic, minced

• 1 tbsp. butter, softened

• 1 tsp. hot honey

• 1 tsp. red pepper

Heat the oven to 350˚F. In a small cast iron skillet, layer the cheese and pepperoni slices, alternating until the skillet is full. Bake in the oven until the cheese is completely melted and starting to brown. Cut the demi French baguette in half lengthwise; spread butter evenly on both halves. Add

garlic and red pepper to each side and place in the oven to toast. Remove and cut crosswise into 1” pieces. Remove the pepperoni dip from the oven, drizzle with hot honey, garnish with fresh basil, and serve with toasted garlic bread.

Tracy Morin is PMQ’s senior copy editor and the editor of PizzaVegan.com.

LA BREA BAKERY

SEEKING A SLICE OF

Best of luck to the U.S. Pizza Team as they battle for gold at the World Pizza Championship on April 18 to 20!

A competing squad of 13 USPT members will journey to Parma, Italy, this month to face off against 800 pizzaioli from more than 30 countries in the home of Parmesan and prosciutto. USPT members will compete in over 25 categories, including Classica, Pizza in Teglia (pan), Pizza in Pala (pizza on the peel), Pizza Senza Glutine (gluten-free), and Pizza a Due, an event that sees two pizzaioli partner to build one masterpiece for the judges.

The USPT will also vie for gold in pizza acrobatics, with members competing in Largest Dough Stretch and the visually stunning Freestyle Acrobatics.

Stay tuned to the USPT Facebook page for live updates and posts throughout the week of April 17 and cheer on the U.S. Pizza Team. Use #PizzaGold and tag @USPizzaTeam and US_Pizza_Team when posting about your favorite team member and join the rest of the country in supporting the team that supports the industry.

To view a video roster of all competing members, visit www.uspizzateam.com/Parma23

Thank you, USPT sponsors, from the entire United States Pizza Team!

Largest Dough Stretch

Classica

Lars Smith, State of Mind Public House & Pizzeria, Los Altos, CA: Classica Pizza in Teglia Pizza in Pala

Cristina Aceves Smith, State of Mind Public House & Pizzeria, Los Altos, CA: Classica Pizza in Pala

Dominic Tedesco, Unique Eats, Las Vegas, NV: Classica Pizza in Pala

Drew French, Your Pie, Athens, GA: Classica

Dave Sommers, Mad Mushroom, West Lafayette, IN: Classica

Sean Dempsey, Dempsey’s Brewery Pub & Restaurant, Watertown, SD:

Pizza in Teglia

OF GLORY IN ITALY

For more information about the U.S. Pizza Team, its members and sponsors, visit uspizzateam.com.

Lenny Rago, Panino’s Pizzeria, Chicago, IL: Classica

Pizza in Teglia

Pizza Senza Glutine

Pizza a Due (with LaMarca)

Classica

Pizza in Teglia Pizza a Due (with Rago)

Jose

Classica

Pizza a Due (with Rodriguez)

Pizza a Due (with Flores)

Classica

Freestyle Acrobatics

Pizza a Due (with Culliton)

Pizza in Teglia Freestyle Acrobatics

Pizza a Due (with Carney)

Classica Pizza in Teglia

The U.S. Pizza Team’s journey to glory is made possible by the generosity of its sponsors. With their understanding of the industry and their passion for pizza and the U.S. Pizza Team, they are integral in helping the USPT find the best culinary and acrobatic pizza talent to represent the team, its sponsors and the United States in international competition. Thank you, USPT sponsors, from the entire United States Pizza Team!

Wilhelm Rodriguez, Papa’s Pizza, Cabo Rojo, Puerto Rico

Flores, Crust Lover’s Pizza, Sanford, FL:

Michael LaMarca, Master Pizza, Cleveland, OH:

McKenna Carney, The Nona Slice House, Safety Harbor, FL:

Jamie Culliton, The Nona Slice House, Safety Harbor, FL:

Vitangelo Recchia, Bella Napoli Pizzeria & Restaurant, Port Charlotte, FL:

Boostly’s Text Marketing System Drives Thousands of Dollars in Extra Sales Each Month

Text marketing is the most effective way to drive extra business in today’s market and produces more than 800% returns on your marketing spend.

You work hard to run a successful restaurant. Your food is amazing, but there are others with inferior products that are attracting your customers with their big marketing budgets. Boostly enables you to get in front of your customers and drive extra revenue every month without breaking the bank! In just the last few years, Boostly has helped restaurants to generate tens of millions of dollars in extra revenue and increase the purchase frequency of their guests.

Why is text marketing effective? Every text message gets read (compare that to email, which has super-low open/clickthrough rates). People live on their phones, and most messages are read in just three minutes.

Which POS systems does Boostly work with? Boostly works seamlessly with every POS. You name it—Boostly works well with them!

Can it really all be automated? It sure can! Boostly is built to run on autopilot, but you can also send an on-demand text on a slow day, holiday or when you just have a message that you need to get out immediately.

Can I use Boostly to generate reviews and/or feedback?

Yes. Right when your customer is diving into their meal, Boostly asks the customer to rate their experience. Good experiences turn into 5-star reviews on Google. Negative experiences stay internal, give you insight on what happened, and then allow you to connect directly with the customer to resolve the issue.

How do I know if it’s working? Because of how Boostly works with your POS and online ordering, you are able to see exactly how much revenue is generated compared to what you spend. You should never be in the dark on how well Boostly is performing.

What if I don’t know what to do to effectively market to my customers? With Boostly, you get access to a dedicated marketing expert who helps you to navigate the maze of marketing and successfully drive thousands of dollars in extra revenue every month.

Is there a contract or setup fee? Nope! We align our success with yours. We know that if you’re not thrilled with the results, you won’t keep texting.

Where can I learn more? Schedule a 15-minute web demo with Boostly by calling 800-720-7738 or visiting boostly.com.

BoxTech’s Pizza Boxes: The No. 1 Marketing Tool for Independents

BoxTech, established in 2014, is an independently owned and operated foodservice packaging supplier servicing the pizza segment in the southwestern and southeastern United States. BoxTech’s niche in the segment is providing independent pizzerias their own customized pizza box, which is a critical marketing tool in a very competitive marketplace.

Offering a low minimum box run, BoxTech’s design team works to create a proprietary logoed pizza box for the independent operator looking to enhance their brand identity in their trade area. With all products and services proudly made in the USA, BoxTech is mindful of the importance of bringing both integrity and pride to their end users.

“With competition for consumer dollars at a premium, the custom box has proven to be a vehicle for independents to promote their business and fine products,” states Joe Petruzzella, founder and CEO of BoxTech. “Bringing your brand to the home, countertop and beyond allows increased visibility to the operator beyond their four walls.”

BoxTech started as a five-employee operation based in Arizona, but the company has built a staff of more than 35 team members as well as a second facility in Plant City, Florida, that opened in 2021. The Florida operation reunited Petruzzella with Paul Amaral, who is BoxTech’s managing partner in the Southeast. Amaral shares the customer-

driven spirit that has been a key contributor to the company’s success.

The Plant City facility has been in existence less than two years, but it’s blossoming very well in the Florida sunshine. In the past several years, BoxTech has grown from printing a few thousand boxes per month to more than two million per month in 2022. They feel their success is a testament to the strength of the pizza category as well as a “hands-on” approach taken with each distributor and end user they work with on a daily basis.

Being a small company itself, BoxTech understands the importance of striving to create separation from the competition. “We’ve built a culture based on integrity and respect, which translates effectively to our team in all aspects of the business,” Petruzzella noted. “We go to work energized every day, focused on providing all of our business partners with quality and consistency. Just as a pizza maker takes pride in their pie, our printers strive for perfection on each job they run.”

BoxTech has further plans to expand their footprint to other markets, and they feel their business model and habits will give them an opportunity to succeed in other regions.

To learn more about BoxTech, visit their website at BoxTech.com 602-800-6790 (Phoenix) or 813-707-0900 (Plant City).

Edesia Oil Company Offers Proprietary Blend of EVOO and Vegetable Oils With Higher Smoke Point for Frying

Joseph Calcagno, founder of the Edesia Oil Company in Manalapan, New Jersey, has worked in the restaurant business his entire life. As a food lover and a chef, he became frustrated with the many different types, quality and prices of cooking oils, along with the bad results they all delivered.

After experimenting for years in his restaurants, Calcagno developed his own product, one that balanced taste, price and performance in the kitchen. BelEvo is that product.

BelEvo, along with its 100% extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO) brand, Capizzi, became major hits in the New York City restaurant scene. Calcagno quickly outgrew producing his oils in his Hell’s Kitchen restaurant, and in 2015, along with his son, Anthony, he started the Edesia Oil Company.

BelEvo is Edesia’s proprietary blend of 100% extra-virgin olive oil and vegetable oils, made without any artificial flavors or colors. It has great olive oil taste, with a deep green color and thick, luxurious consistency.

When developing BelEvo, Calcagno discovered it was far superior to EVOO when frying chicken cutlets, meats, fish and seafood. Why? Firstly, because it has a higher smoke point, and, secondly, the flavor will never overpower the dish.

He also found it better than other brands for marinating. It is great for dipping bread, sprinkling on salads or use in any recipe. Every bottle of oil Calcagno and his family bottles pays homage to the idea that only the best will do.

To learn more about Edesia Oil Company and its products for the restaurant industry, visit the company’s website at EdesiaOil.com. You can also email them at EdesiaOilCompany@gmail.com or call them at 735851-7979

THE INDUSTRY’S MOST INFLUENTIAL EVENT

With thousands of operators and equipment dealers under one roof, the 2023 National Restaurant Association Show offers a competitive edge no other industry event can match.

Don’t miss this opportunity to develop or strengthen strategic partnerships while gaining an unrivaled perspective on the next generation of pizza products and hot trends to hit the marketplace.

If it’s next in foodservice, it’s here.

REGISTER NOW

nationalrestaurantshow.com

Maywood Furniture

Maywood Furniture’s Dry Erase Table is ideal for any pizzeria. It’s available in round, square and rectangle tops with a variety of leg options. By using a dry erase marker, the writing on the tabletop can easily be removed, creating a clean slate for future use. Guests can draw a picture or work out an idea while they eat, so it’s fun for kids and adults alike.

800-238-6797, maywood.com

RestaurantGeofencing.com

You can drive foot traffic and sales to your pizza restaurant with geofencing from RestaurantGeofencing.com. Their campaigns help generate new and return customers; show ads via streaming TV, mobile apps and browsers; and draw customers away from your competitors. It’s totally trackable, with measurable results at your fingertips and pricing packages for any budget. restaurantgeofencing.com

Grain Craft

Grain Craft’s Power Flour is a premium, high-gluten flour milled from northern hard red spring wheat. Designed to produce baked goods that require long fermentation and retardation periods, Power Flour is perfectly blended for pan and thickcrust pizza formulas. Grain Craft is the largest independent flour miller in the nation, with 12 milling locations spread coast to coast. graincraft.com

The Fog Tank

Hyginix’s FOG Tank keeps your equipment looking new when you soak it for a few hours in a non-caustic cleaning solution—no scrubbing required. It removes burnt-on carbon from sheet pans, hood filters, fryer parts, oven belts and more, saving money in cleaning chemicals and labor while keeping pans sparkling-clean and sanitized. It’s used in restaurants like Donatos, Red Robin, McDonald’s and KFC.

858-566-6212, fogtank.com

Promo Northwest

Promo Northwest has put together a program with 3M to offer Super Sticky Post-it Notes in full-bleed, full-color printing at affordable prices and low minimums. Super Sticky notes have proven effective on coated and rough surfaces, making them perfect for box-topper and door-hanger applications. You can buy 6,250 notes at 5 cents each with $50 art/ setup and shipping. Email john@ promonorthwest.com for free samples. promonorthwest.com

HTH Inc.

HTH Inc. has been making car-top signs in the USA for 30-plus years and is a leading manufacturer of signs for food delivery, ride-shares, home service companies and more. Their new signs feature a rechargeable battery and LED lights that turn on automatically when it gets dark outside. Signs are custom-printed and attach to vehicles using magnets. They also offer a window-mounted option for glass roofs and convertibles. carsigns.com

Metro

Entice customers, reduce labor costs and improve speed and efficiency with Metro2Go Hot Stations, an affordable, efficient solution to keep pizzas and other food hot and ready to go. Designed for pizzerias, each compartment of the Metro2Go PU8CD-HS1842 has a clear, sliding polycarbonate door to provide grab-and-go customers easy access to their prepaid orders. Metro also offers a pizza prep station with overhead heated shelves for storing pickup orders. metro.com

Watch the video at PMQ.com/metro.

Choice Equipment Company

Specializing in aluminum and stainlesssteel manufacturing, Choice Equipment Company offers a wide range of transport and storage products, from pan racks, oven racks, keg racks and other shelving systems to stainless steel worktables, carts and dollies, plus a large variety of material handling equipment. If your kitchen requires an extra level of engineering, Choice Equipment also has a custom design team that can help. choiceequipmentcompany.com

Watch the video at PMQ.com/choice-equipment.

American Eagle

American Eagle’s AE-3050 80-Quart

Spiral Mixer can handle up to 66 pounds of flour at 60% water. Choose between reliable mechanical controls or a convenient modernized digital control panel. With single-mold cast-iron construction and two powerful 3-phase motors, American Eagle spiral mixers offer industry-leading performance. They work great for all dough, from the heaviest pizza and bagel doughs to the lightest/hydrated dough like Pinsa. americaneaglemachine.com

Watch the video at PMQ.com/american-eagle.

The Montague Company

Founded in 1857, The Montague Company has endured because of one central business goal: making products that the operator wins with. Montague pizza ovens embody this mantra fully. Pioneering everyday features such as heavy stainless-steel construction, angle iron framing, fire brick insulation, ingenious door hinging and robust burner systems, the Montague portfolio includes the kind of equipment any pizza operator can build their success around. montaguecompany.com

Watch the video at PMQ.com/montague-company.

DOUGH

DOUGH DIVIDERS/ROUNDERS, PRESSES/ROLLERS

novamex.com

proof below and sign-off on the advertisement as shown or indicate changes in the column. Please return this signed proof to Stacie Dennison at either:

DOUGH TRAYS/PROOFING TRAYS

OPTIMAL DOUGH PROTECTION

» Outlasts plastic trays

» Won’t bend or dent

» Withstands temps -60 o to 250 o F

» Lids and dollies available

» Custom color matching

DOUGH TRAYS

PH 800 458.6050 • www.mfgtray.com

• Contact your preferred distributor

• Dough Trays Standard & Artisan Sizes – extremely durable and airtight. Outlasts all other Plastic & Fiberglass Dough Trays!

• Dough Tray Covers – designed to fit.

-- Standard & Artisan Sizes – extremely durable and airtight. engineered to fit.

• Dough Scrapers – two ergonomic designs.

• Dough Tray Dollies – heavy duty.

The preferred dough tray of pizza operators in the US and Abroad for over 30 years! Order by phone or online.

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Call 908-276-8484 www.doughmate.com

PLAZA PIZZA

BY TRACY MORIN

Brian Claggett was once just another fan of Plaza Pizza in Newark, Ohio, which founders Mike and Donna Brown began in 1971—he and his seven siblings ate there growing up, on weekends and after ball games. “Plaza Pizza was a staple in the community for a long time,” Brian recalls. “I’m active-duty military and was living in South Korea when my mom texted me, ‘Plaza Pizza’s for sale; you guys should think about buying it.’ I laughed, but then I looked at their financials, and we came to an agreement. We took over in January 2019 and found out quickly it was very profitable!”

The Claggett family owned construction businesses for four generations, so crafting successful operations was second nature. Brian immediately made modern-day updates, like installing a POS, accepting credit cards, adding online ordering and DoorDash delivery, and advertising with Facebook and Google. The recipes, of course, stayed exactly the same—including the pizza, done in a style that Brian calls a “crackery, buttery-flavored crust that’s very popular here in Ohio.” However, he adds, “We’re confident that ours is head and shoulders above the competition. One thing we haven’t touched is the recipes, but we feel like, with so much technology out there, we need to embrace it in order to be successful, especially as we franchise and face the stiff competition out there.”

Indeed, Brian has ambitious expansion plans and hired iFranchise Group to help create operations manuals, determine viability and

maximize efficiency. Early results are encouraging: A second location, in the adjacent town of Heath, took off after its 2020 opening. Brian now wants to franchise 50 stores in the next five years, in Ohio, Kentucky, Pennsylvania and West Virginia. Luckily, he has a solid support team of family members: Brother Ben manages both locations, overseeing everything from ordering to customer service; Ben’s wife, Kori, manages the Newark store; and Brian’s sister Olivia manages operations at Heath.

With a streamlined, pizza-centric menu, food costs are kept low, and by offering carryout only, no staff is needed for dine-in (instead, the Heath location features a pickup window, very popular in blustery Ohio winters). Supporting local schools and churches builds goodwill in the small communities, as does maintaining excellent customer service. But Brian believes that the success comes down to one factor. “I think it’s simple: The product is great,” he says. “With the amount of people who come in and tell us it’s the best pizza they’ve ever had, it’s special. All these years—through

A business-savvy family steps in to continue the legacy of an Ohio institution—and ambitious expansion plans via franchising are underway.

economic recessions, COVID, everything—sales didn’t go down. People just kept coming back.”

Tracy Morin is PMQ’s senior copy editor and the editor of PizzaVegan.com.

(Top middle) The Claggett clan includes (back row, left to right) Nathan, Olivia, Tim, Ben, David (holding Henry), Rosalynne and Brian; and (front row, left to right) Becky, Sophia, Kori (holding Jackson) and Annie. (Bottom right) Siblings Ben, Olivia and Brian Claggett have grown Plaza Pizza to two locations, with many more planned.

Come

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Turn Ordinary Pizza into Extraordinary!

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