PMQ Pizza Magazine March 2011 by PMQ Pizza Magazine

pizzamagazine.com

Online at PMQ.com March 2011 PIZZA TV: RECENT VIDEOS

Macy’s Day Parade

Meet the Team: Patrick Maggi

Watch the U.S. Pizza Team as they perform in the 2010 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York. This exclusive footage includes practices, parties and team members’ thoughts after the parade.

Meet the winner of PMQ’s first-ever Gluten-Free Pizza Competition, Patrick Maggi from Pasquale’s Deli in Demascus, Maryland.

THINK TANK 2.0 What’s the Buzz? Log on to find out the latest industry buzz at PMQ.com/tt. Could I get sued for this slogan? Could any of the corporate guys with money do anything about this? Should I open an indie Delco in Spain? I am having a hard time figuring out if I should go for it… How do you price your pizzas? Do you group pizzas with similar food costs under one price… Weather forced closings? How have you guys handled this in the past?

Thank You to Our PMQ Think Tank Moderators PMQ.com/tt Daddio: Member since June 2006 Tom Lehmann: Member since June 2006 Rockstar Pizza: Member since June 2006 ADpizzaguy: Member since January 2007

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

Ask the Experts

Gainor

Todd

Goldsmith

Debbie Gainor Hear how Debbie Gainor, co-owner of Pizza Zone in Spring, Texas, markets to schools and embraces “wacky” holidays for promotions at her independent operation.

Mark Todd Mark Todd, also known as “The Cheese Dude,” offers insight into the developing pizza industry in China.

Jonathan Goldsmith Jonathan Goldsmith, the owner of Spacca Napoli in Chicago, discusses how he imports authentic ingredients at his Neapolitanstyle pizzeria.

PMQ Pizza Magazine (ISSN #1937-5263) is published 10 times per year. U.S. subscriptions are $25 for one year. Published by PMQ, Inc., 605 Edison St., Oxford, MS 38655. Application to mail at periodicals postage prices is pending at Senatobia, MS, and additional mailing offices. Postmaster: Send address changes to: PMQ Pizza Magazine, PO Box 2015, Langhorne, PA 19047.

PMQ Pizza Magazine – The Pizza Industry’s Business Monthly

March 2011 ON THE COVER

MARCO’S PIZZA

Table of Contents 44 A Perfect Storm Learn how the quickly growing Marco’s Pizza plans to climb the ranks and become the fourth-largest pizza chain in the nation. By Andrew Abernathy

FEATURES 24 Stay Sharp These aren’t your grandpa’s pizza cutters! Discover new trends and techniques in pizza cutting. By Andrew Abernathy

32 Fashionable Marketing Why not let your customers advertise for you? Learn how to get the most bang for your buck from branded T-shirts. By Kristie Warino

50 Location, Location, Location! Discover easy methods that guarantee you always choose the right location for your pizzeria. By Frank Raeon

54 Working Your Website Learn the six simple steps that ensure a successful website. By Ron McArthur

56 Take It, for Pizza’s Sake! The deadline has been extended for the 2011 Pizza Industry Census. Respond and you’ll automatically be entered to win 100 pounds of cheese.

38 PIZ ZA ZON E

IN EVERY ISSUE 6

Online at PMQ.com

Publisher’s Letter

12 Letters to the Editor 14 Pizza Press 62

Product Spotlight

Advertiser Index

Industry Resource Guide

DEPARTMENTS 16 Zeak’s Tweaks: Changing of the Crust Jeff Zeak takes you through dozens of possible alternatives to traditional pizza dough.

20 New York’s Finest: Brooklyn Bagels Chef Santo Bruno whips up a favorite New York breakfast staple. e.

22 Accounting for Your Money: Budget Basics Michael Rasmussen explains the importance of setting up— and following—a budget.

Meet the Team: Emilio Martos del Arbol Meet a member of the U.S. Pizza Team each month in the pages of PMQ. This month, we feature a new member who earned a place ace on the team by winning the U.S. PIzza Team’s YouTube Freestyle Acrobatic Contest.

Marketing Marvels: In the Zone A two-unit independent in Spring, Texas, shows how a little creativity goes a long way toward bringing in customers.

Coming Next Month

42 Pizza of the Month: Dessert Pizza In this new monthly feature, we spotlight a favorite style of pizza and recognize those around the country who feature it on their menus.

Pizza of the Month: Pepperoni Gelato/Sorbet/Italian Ice: When hot weather is

On the Radio: The Cheese Dude

on the way, cold treats should be on the menu.

Pizza Radio host Andrew Abernathy talks with Mark Todd (aka “The Cheese Dude”) about pizza and cheese in China.

Texting/Mobile Marketing/Apps: Discover how to put sales in the palm of your hand by taking advantage of the newest mobile technology.

82 Time Capsule: De Lorenzo’s Tomato Pies Open for more than 60 years, this Trenton, New Jersey, favorite recently branched out and opened a second location.

First-Aid Equipment and Supplies: Keep staff

ROCKY MOUNTAIN FLATBREAD

safe with a handy safety checklist.

Buying vs. Leasing a Building: We’ll help you solve one of the most common operator dilemmas.

To hear any of the recorded interviews from this month’s issue, go to PizzaRadio.com and type “March 2011” in the search field. To view any of the videos accompanying this month’s issue, go to PizzaTV.com and type “March 2011” in the search field.

March 2011 • pmq.com

Publisher’s Letter Steve Green • Publisher, Founder

Taking Time Out to Network It’s been said that networking is an essential part of building wealth, and yet so many of us still don’t set aside ample time to dedicate to this important part of building our businesses.

Change Is Happening Fast Every week, we receive interesting calls and emails from inventors, operators and manufacturers with ideas on new ways of conducting business. They alert us to all of the ways they are personally witnessing change happening in our industry. During the last year, these changes seem to be happening more quickly than ever before. Considering the lagging economy, the threat of higher prices for wheat and cheese, and the postal rate increase, change is happening at a steady clip.

The Think Tank: The Industry’s Largest Source of 24/7 Pizza Wisdom Thankfully, you have a secret weapon to keep up with this rapidly changing industry, and that’s PMQ’s online Think Tank (PMQ.com/tt). By checking in with fellow owners and operators and pooling your collective industry knowledge, you’re taking part in an instant idea exchange. Have you been wondering what would happen if you tried a new marketing idea at your store or tested out a new delivery price or pizza topping? Chances are, there’s an operator in the Think Tank who has already tried it and is willing to share his experience with you. Many operators who meet in the Think Tank have gone on to become good friends and business collaborators, even visiting each others’ stores! While it’s not always practical to share business ideas with your competition down the street, you can feel safe exchanging ideas with those in other markets in the Think Tank.

Take Time Out for a Trade Show Speaking of networking, there are four big trade shows happening right now that you should be a part of if you want to stay abreast of what’s happening in the industry. Not only will you have the chance to keep your name and face familiar to your suppliers, but you can meet fellow pizzeria operators and possibly even enter some competitions while you’re at the show. The various locations of the shows make it likely that you’re in driving distance of at least one of them, if you can’t make it to them all: NAPICS (napics.com), Columbus, OH: February 20-21 International Restaurant & Foodservice Show of New York/New York Pizza Pavilion, New York, NY (internationalrestaurantny.com): February 27-March 1 Pizza Expo (pizzaexpo.com), Las Vegas, NV: March 1-3 Wisconsin Restaurant Expo and U.S. Pizza Team Trials (everythingfoodservice.com), Milwaukee, WI: March 21-23 Turn to page 60 to see which of your favorite vendors will be at each of these shows.

On the cover: As president and CEO of Marco’s Pizza, Jack Butorac sets his sights on growth. Photo by Thomas A. Ethington

PMQ Pizza Magazine – The Pizza Industry’s Business Monthly

Steve Green Publisher, PMQ Pizza Magazine CEO, PMQ, Inc.

Letters to the Editor Liz Barrett Coupon Advice

(PMQ.com/tt) for more advice from pizzeria

I’m opening a pizza restaurant in Riverside, California, and offering about six different styles of pizza, plus garlic bread, pasta, salad, and some desserts made out of pizza dough, on a buffet. Everything on the buffet is allyou-can-eat. There is no sit-down family-style pizzeria in the area, only delivery places. We will offer carryout as well. I was wondering, is it a good idea to distribute flyers/door hangers with a coupon? We are charging $5 for the buffet, but the coupon would be for $4.50. Or should we advertise a $4 coupon to get the customer in first? I’d greatly appreciate your input. Thanks, Bhu Singh Riverside, CA Via email

operators like yourself.

Bhu, You should use door hangers and flyers, but do not discount your price. The $5 strategy

— A Publication of PMQ, Inc. — Winner of 4 GAMMA Awards ISSN 1937-5263

Start-Up Research PMQ, Inc. Publisher Steve Green sg@pmq.com ext. 123

PMQ’s annual industry analysis offers a look at the current state of the industry and what’s to come. By Liz Barrett This year, I decided to take a look back at one of our very ¿rst Pizza Power Reports to see just how much the industry has grown over the past 10 years. In the summer 2000 report, we counted $28 billion in total U.S. pizza sales and 62,523 total pizzeria units. Since then, sales for the pizza industry have grown 22.84%, and unit counts are up by 2,428. Not too shabby, considering that these numbers take into account several economic ups and downs. In preparation for this year’s report, we’ve gathered statistics, survey data and trend reports from The NPD Group, Technomic, infoUSA, our annual Pizza Industry Census, Mintel, and the National Restaurant Association (NRA) in order to bring you the most comprehensive report available in the industry today. We’ve gathered national sales data through December 2009, as well as state-speci¿c data and store counts for the pizza segment as of spring 2010. In addition to numerical data, we provide a snapshot of major trends spotted in the restaurant industry, which often trickle down and affect your pizzeria and its pro¿ts. Use this report as a guide throughout the year when making sales projections, planning menus and considering franchising opportunities.

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

A Look at the Numbers To determine industry counts for this report, we garnered sales and store numbers from The NPD Group, received sales and unit information on the top 50 chains from Technomic, and received additional store count information from infoUSA. We also went to various industry sources for feedback on the state of the industry. A report released recently by The NPD Group reported that the total restaurant count for both quickservice and full-service restaurants has declined by 5,204 restaurants, or about 1%, with total visits to restaurants declining 3% and spending declining 1%. The NRA projects that total restaurant industry sales will grow 2.5% in 2010, but that restaurant sales on an inÀation-adjusted basis will decline, though by only 0.1%, an improvement over 2008 and 2009 declines. A survey conducted in June 2009 by the consumer research ¿rm Market Force Information found that 25% of

Editor-in-Chief Liz Barrett liz@pmq.com ext. 126

U.S. Pizza Sales $36,286,230,000

January 2009 - December 2009 Source: The NPD Group

Independents: 51.66% Pizza Hut: 13.78% Domino’s: 8.35% Papa John’s: 5.67% Little Caesars: 3.11% Other Top Chains: 17.43% 56

Independents own 58% of pizzerias and control 51.66% of the sales

Managing Editor Tracy Morin tracy@pmq.com ext. 140

Below are the definitions for QSR and CD used by The NPD Group. All pizza industry sales figures in this report are for QSR and CD pizza sales. QUICK SERVICE (QSR) • Perceived as fast food/takeout • Food specialty is ice cream, chicken, donuts, etc. CASUAL DINING/UPSCALE (CD) • Not perceived as fast food/ takeout • Reservations accepted • Credit cards accepted • Alcohol served

Associate Editor Andrew Abernathy andrew@pmq.com ext. 133

PMQ Pizza Magazine – The Pizza Industry’s Business Monthly

September 2010 • pmq.com

Editorial Intern Artesha Dunning artesha@pmq.com ext. 136

I find PMQ to be very helpful to someone like myself who is in the research phase of my startup pizza business. I’m writing to see if you have any other pizza industry facts that would be relevant to me, such as sales per household or sales per person/capita. Alex Rollins Via email Providence, RI

and the buffet format is your big news. Be

Editorial Intern Kristie Warino kristie@pmq.com ext. 137 DESIGN/PRODUCTION Creative Director Stefanie Goodwiller sgoodwiller@pmq.com ext. 124 Graphic Designer Ellen Kellum ellen@pmq.com ext. 135 Webmaster Mike Cockrell mike@pmq.com ext. 139 Assistant Web Designer Xiaobin Wu ben@pmq.com ADVERTISING

proud of your $5 price; your discount is al-

Alex,

Sales Director Linda Green linda@pmq.com ext. 121

ready built in. There’s a certain magic that

The best place to start is our last Pizza Power

Account Executive Clifton Moody clifton@pmq.com ext. 138

exists when you first open a restaurant, and

Report from September 2010, which can be

people will come if they know you are new, so

found in our online archives at PMQ.com.

market big! Spend your money letting people

You’ll find statistics about the big chains and

know that you are there, and then make them

independents, as well as trend information

Accounting Shawn Brown shawn@pmq.com

want to return by providing quality food and

and industry forecasts. Best of luck with your

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

stellar service. Visit the PMQ Think Tank

new business!

Think Tank Talk PMQ.com/tt “How do you handle Super Bowl preorders? Do you encourage it or discourage it?” –Crusher “We strongly encourage preorders. We have for years, and most of our customers know to do so by now. This makes it much easier because the phone is not ringing all the time, and we can focus on getting orders out.” –BCPizza

Account Executive Emeasha Mitchell emeasha@pmq.com ext. 127 ADMINISTRATION

U.S. Pizza Team Coordinator Holly Henning holly@uspizzateam.com ext. 129 Telemarketer Marie Johnson marie@pmq.com ext. 144 PMQ INTERNATIONAL PMQ China Yvonne Liu yvonne@pmq.com PMQ Australia-NZ Tom Boyles tom@pmqaustralia.com Pizza&Food Gabriele Ancona gabriele.ancona@pizzafood.it French Liaison Julien Panet jpanet@pizza.fr EDITORIAL ADVISORS

“Remember that you can also offer take-and-bake pizza for the Super Bowl.” –Tom Lehmann “I always tell people on holidays such as Super Bowl, Halloween, etc., to please allow us 15 minutes for delivery. We may be a little early or a little late, but we will be there. Never turn away customers.” –Pakula’s Pizza

We want to hear from you! Have a complaint, compliment or suggestion about something you’ve read in the pages of PMQ? Send your letter via email to editor@pmq.com with “Letter to the Editor” in the subject line, or mail to PMQ, ATTN: Letters to the Editor, 605 Edison St., Oxford, MS 38655. We look forward to hearing from you! Friend us on Facebook! Visit facebook.com/pmqpizzamagazine. Editor-in-chief Liz Barrett 12

PMQ Pizza Magazine – The Pizza Industry’s Business Monthly

Chef Santo Bruno Tom Lehmann Joey Todaro Ed Zimmerman CONTRIBUTORS Chef Santo Bruno Ron McArthur Frank Raeon Michael J. Rasmussen Jeff Zeak Volume 15, Issue 2 PMQ Pizza Magazine 605 Edison St. • Oxford, MS 38655 662.234.5481 • 662.234.0665 Fax • linda@pmq.com PMQ Pizza Magazine is published 10 times per year. Cost of U.S. subscription is $25 per year. International $35. 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. We want to hear from you! Email us at liz@pmq.com.

RICH ARONSON

Pizza Press News and Views

Pizza Train the pizza without get ting off Chicagoans can now get . zza epi ypi (m za Piz , My Pie train. Since July 2009 ditra the ond bey s nois, goe com) in Northbrook, Illi call as passengers can now g, rin ive del tional way of on nti me rs me sto Cu in transit. and order pizza while get are y the p sto in or the which train car they are e. tim ner din it’s n, doors ope ting off at, and when the who My Pie, says, “People of ner ow , Rich Aronson and ck sna a get can p or two are going to the nex t sto the s let n che kit the buzzer in eat it along the way.” A y the so ing com is in when a tra restaurant staff know in tra the en wh er the custom can deliver the order to ated zer ia is conveniently loc piz e Th n. car doors ope y for eas it g kin ma , rail tracks right beside the Metra anadv e tak to s ter go commu the pizzer ia and Chica vecon y ver ’s “It . angement tage of the unique arr 45 live o wh or e lin the train nient for people dow n says. minutes away,” Aronson

, Illinois, conveniently sits

My Pie Pizza in Northbrook

Sweets for Socks

RYAN TANNER

Z Pizzeria & Cafe (zpizzeria.com) in Salt Lake City traded warm buns for warm toes during the month of February. In an effort to gather socks for men, women and children in need, Z Pizzeria partnered with local nonprofit Stoked On Socks. From January 14 to February 11, customers brought in a pair of new socks and received one of the restaurant’s popular cinnamon buns for free. “Stoked On Socks does great things in our community, and we’ve had a blast partnering with them,” says Zach Barnard, owner of Z Pizzeria. “The founders have educated us that socks are the most-requested item by the families using the local homeless shelters, and we thought with this cold time of year, a ‘sock-raiser’ makes perfect sense. Rewarding those contributing socks with warm cinnamon buns is great for everyone.” Stoked On Socks is a nonprofit organization (started by former pro snowboarder Mitch Nelson and his wife, Katie) that provides new socks to the local homeless population and those in need.

Owner Zach Barnard (above) traded his popular cinnamon buns (right) for sock donations. 14

PMQ Pizza Magazine – The Pizza Industry’s Business Monthly

right by the train tracks.

box top WISDOM Chi-Town Pizza in Prescott, Arizona, is changing its box toppers to raise awareness about underage drinking. The Prescott Police Department partnered with 10 local restaurants and pizzerias to send out 5,000 pizza box toppers with messages to put a stop to underage drinking. “Anything that deals with the kids, we like to help out,” says Timothy Richline, Chi-Town’s general manager. Chi-Town helped police encourage parents to talk to their children about underage drinking. “Anytime you can get the word out there, it’s good,” Richline notes. “They bombard the kids with negative messages, so if you bombard them with good messages, it might help.” The Arizona town has run this campaign for more than three years to help teens understand that drinking can be harmful to health and is a criminal offense that will not be tolerated in the town. The box toppers were created and funded by the MATForce Underage Drinking Task Force.

EDITORS AT LARGE

As you might expect of two pizza magazine editors, when PMQ editor-in-chief Liz Barrett and managing editor Tracy Morin recently took a break from the magazine to visit New Jersey and New York, they found themselves coming back with 15 more pizzerias checked off their must-visit lists. While in New Jersey, the smell of grandma pies and sounds of slices being cut lead them to Original Presto’s (prestoswny. com) in West New York; Santillo’s Brick Oven Pizza in Elizabeth; Angelo’s Allendale Pizza (angelosallendalepizza.com) in Allendale; Pizza Fusion (pizzafusion.com/ridgewood) in Ridgewood; and De Lorenzo’s Tomato Pies (delorenzostomatopies.com) and Papa’s Tomato Pies (papastomatopies.com), both in Trenton. Once in New York, familiar faces greeted them in Manhattan at Kesté Pizza & Vino (kestepizzeria.com), John’s of Bleecker St. (johnsbrickovenpizza.com), Rev’d Up Pi (revduppi.com), Eataly La Pizza & Pasta (eatalyny.com), Pulino’s Bar & Pizzeria (pulinosny.com) and Sofia Wine Bar (sofiawinebar.com). Meanwhile, a trip across the bridge to Brooklyn produced visits to Roberta’s (robertaspizza.com), Motorino (motorinopizza.com) and J&V Pizza (jvpizza.com).

(Clockwise from top left) Tracy and Liz with Al Santillo at Santillo’s; Margherita pie from Eataly; Liz and pizza tour guide Scott Wiener at John’s; Vito Conigliaro and Vinnie Pasquale in the kitchen at J&V Pizza; outside Motorino in Brooklyn; Pizza Fusion owners Jeff and Nick Morin; Pulino’s on Thanksgiving; John Centrella with a grandma pie at Original Presto’s; Margherita pizza at Sofia Wine Bar; with Roberto Caporuscio at Kesté; tomato pie at De Lorenzo’s; with Cemal Ramusevic at Angelo’s; double pizza pleasure at Roberta’s; owners Mark Greenspan and Alex Melamedov at Rev’d Up Pi; Chip and Nick Azzaro in the kitchen at Papa’s.

March 2011 • pmq.com

Zeak’s Tweaks Jeff Zeak

Changing of the Crust

See Jeff Zeak in action on PizzaTV.com.

Dough scientist Jeff Zeak explores the world of alternative crusts. Pizza is an ancient food, born of the need to find a simple way of enriching bread to make it more substantial and tastier. Pizza dough and the resulting baked crust is a member of the flatbread family. However, the most interesting aspect of pizza is its variety. The universal success of pizza is contained within a fairly simple formulation and in the many transformations that are accomplished by simply adding or replacing one or more components. The number of variations is countless, considering the different toppings, sauces and dough/crust types that can be combined together. This article will focus on variations within the base of the pizza and the wide varieties of alternative dough/crusts that can be used to produce them. Think of the many different styles, shapes and procedures used to produce pizza crusts and associated pizza products: regional styles such as the St. Louis cracker, New York thin, Neapolitan thin, Sicilian thick, Chicago deep-dish; concepts including take-and-bake, ovenrising, gluten-free; and everything else in between. Spread ingredients over the top of dough and you have a pizza; gather ingredients in the center of that dough, fold it in half and you have a calzone; or spread ingredients over the dough, roll it up and you have a stromboli. Numerous ready-made flatbreads, such as naan, flour or corn tortillas, par-baked pizza crusts and English muffins can be topped like a pizza and baked. Pocket breads such as pita can be topped and baked like a pizza, or sliced vertically so that the pocket can be opened and filled with toppings. Ciabatta, focaccia and French bread can be sliced and topped like a pizza. Bruschetta (bread that has been sliced, coated with oil and toasted) can also be used as the base crust for a pizza. Pizza crusts can be made from a wide variety of milled and whole grains, fibers, seeds and nuts, including wheat, bulgur, spelt, durum, emmer, kamut, 16

amaranth, barley, buckwheat, rye, corn, oats, millet, sorghum, teff, triticale, rice, quinoa (pronounced keen-wha), and assorted seeds and nut meats. They can also be made with a variety of vegetable matter—cauliflower, zucchini and spinach, or tubers (starches) such as potatoes, cassava, taro, tapioca—and from assorted legumes such as fava beans, chickpeas, soybeans, lentils and many other varieties.

Change Is Good Some examples of ingredient additions or substitutions: Whole-wheat flour can be used to replace some or all of the regular flour in the formulation. If 100% of the white flour is replaced with whole-wheat flour, the resulting crust can be called “wholewheat.” If the texture or flavor is found to be undesirable at 100% replacement, try substituting only 25% (or higher) of the white flour in the formula (this could be called “wheat crust” or “made with whole-wheat flour” but should not be called “whole-wheat crust,” since only a portion of the dough is made with whole-wheat flour). Be aware that

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

there are red and white whole-wheat flour varieties available; if the product is referred to as “whole-wheat” flour, it’s likely milled from a red wheat variety. The big difference between red and white whole-wheat flour is the flavor that it adds to the crust. A whole-wheat flour milled from a red wheat variety used at 100% in the formulation will add a bitter, “off” flavor to the crust from the tannin that is present in the wholewheat flour (similar to tannin found in wine, coffee and tea); crust made with whole-wheat white flour has a more pleasant flavor with less bitterness due to the lower tannin content. Multigrain blends can also be used to replace a portion of the regular flour in the formulation, and there’s no standard of identity or rules about the amount that needs to be added to the dough when it comes to calling something “multigrain.” Multigrain blends can also be added to whole-wheat dough. When using multigrain blends and whole-wheat flour in dough, some sweetness in the fi nished crust may be preferred and will help to enhance the flavor of the crust. Honey, molasses,

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

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or white or brown sugar can be used at 3% to 4%, based on the amount of flour that is added to the dough, but adding sweeteners to pizza dough is a matter of personal preference and isn’t necessary in order to provide food for the yeast. The more sweetener that’s added to a dough system, the more that the resulting crust will brown/color during baking. If the crust browns too quickly or excessively during baking, the toppings may not be adequately baked/heated and the crust may have an “off” or bitter flavor associated with the greater amount of browning. Masa flour provides what is best described as a corn chip flavor and is especially well-suited for those occasions where a “Tex-Mex” crust flavor is desired. Replace 15% of the regular white flour in the batch with yellow, white or blue masa flour. Be sure to use masa flour and not cornmeal, which will not give the same flavor. However, cornmeal can also be used in dough as a partial replacement for flour; again, 15% of the total flour is a good starting point. This addition works well in thick and deep-dish crusts, like those used in Chicago-style pizzas. The cornmeal can give the crust an interesting color difference and offer a unique mouthfeel in the baked crust.

Substitute resistant starches for a portion of the regular flour in the dough formulation. This will add fiber without the undesirable taste and mouthfeel that some types of fibers can impart to the fi nished crust. Using an 80%-to20% flour-resistant starch blend will meet the U.S. NLEA requirements for a “good source of fiber” designation, and using a 67%-to-33% flour-resistant starch blend will allow a “high source of fiber” designation. All of the alternative flours and grain blends mentioned can also be used as dusting flours on the surface of the dough when stretching, sheeting or pressing to form the base of the pizza. This will impart different flavors, textures and appearances in the fi nished crust. Chemical leavening agents, such as baking powders (regular unencapsulated or special encapsulated versions), as well as combinations of baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) and various acid sources (lemon juice, vinegar, cream of tartar, sodium aluminum phosphate, sodium acid pyrophosphate, monocalcium phosphate, etc.), can be used as a solesource leavening system or in combination with yeast in a pizza dough. This dough can be used to make an ovenrising frozen pizza, or to produce a “never fail” type of take-and-bake crust.

Gluten-Free and High-Fiber

Add-ins and Stand-ins

In order to create a gluten-free pizza crust, tapioca (flour/starch), sorghum, rice, potato, soybean, fava bean, garbanzo bean and other varieties of flours can be used in combination to replace wheat flour. Be aware that this will typically mix out like a batter rather than dough and needs to be parbaked in or on a solid pan. Gluten-free crusts can then be frozen for use later.

Crusts can also be made by adding vegetables to the dough—as either a complete or partial replacement for the flour in the formula. It will be necessary to decrease the amount of added water to the formulation in order to compensate for the extra water that the vegetables will add to the dough. Cooked spinach can be added to pizza dough at a weight of 70% based on

Looking to add some crust variety to your menu? Start here: ADM Milling, 800-637-5843, adm.com Bay State Milling, 800-553-5687, baystatemilling.com ConAgra Mills, 800-851-9618, conagramilling.com DeIorio’s Frozen Dough Products, 800-649-7612, deiorios.com Domata Living Flour, 417-654-4010, domatalivingflour.com General Mills, 800-248-7310, genmills.com Le 5 Stagioni Molino Agugiaro, 800-780-2280, molinoagugiaro.it Omega 3 Chia Milled Flour, 561-909-7837, chiagrowers.com Tom Sawyer Gluten Free Products, 877-372-8800, glutenfreeflour.com 18

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

the amount of flour in the formulation (this would be added in addition to the flour, not as a replacement). Added water will need to be reduced to zero or very little. Mixtures of raw egg, spices and seasonings, shredded cheese, shredded raw zucchini, cooked cauliflower (riced/shredded) or cooked spinach can be combined and spread on a greased or oiled pan and baked as usual to form a crust. Once baked, add sauce and desired toppings to the “crust” and return to the oven or broiler for a few minutes until everything is hot and the cheese is melted. For a potato-based crust, weigh and combine twice the amount of mashed potatoes as compared to self-rising flour, add salt and butter to taste, and mix to form a soft dough. Spread the mixture onto a greased or oiled pan and bake as usual. Once baked, add sauce and desired toppings to the “crust” and return to the oven or broiler for a few minutes until everything is hot and the cheese is melted. Instant mashed potato flakes or potato flour can also be used as a 10% replacement for the regular flour in a typical pizza crust formulation. Be aware that an ingredient called “potato starch” functions completely different than potato flour or flakes in a dough system. Finally, the crust can be replaced altogether by using cheese to glue the toppings together. Using a piece of parchment baking paper on a pan or screen, arrange desired pizza toppings (i.e., meats and vegetables) evenly over the paper. Cover the toppings with shredded or diced cheese. Bake as usual until the desired color level and doneness is achieved. Slice and serve on parchment paper. A lot of variety can be added to a pizza just through the crust alone. So go ahead—be brave! Use some of these ideas or brainstorm some of your own and start experimenting with alternative crusts.

Jeff Zeak is the pilot plant manager for the American Institute of Baking (AIB).Visit the PMQ Dough Information Center (PMQ.com/ doughcenter09.php) to read an expanded version of this article that includes crust formulations.

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

New York’s Finest Chef Santo Bruno See cooking demos by Chef Bruno on PizzaTV.com.

Brooklyn Bagels Chef Bruno whips up a Big Apple breakfast staple. You may wonder why I decided to write about bagels this month. Well, here in New York, pizza shops are rapidly tapping into the breakfast market. Street vendors are starting to sell pizza at night, so why shouldn’t you offer breakfast? In these changing times, pizza sales sometimes need a boost. Especially for those of you with locations close to offices and schools, getting involved with breakfast could really make a difference. Coffee and bagels are big sellers in the morning as people make their daily commutes. Nowadays, everyone is looking to make a dollar. I say, if it makes you money, go for it!

Mangia!

You’ll Need: 4-5 c. all-purpose flour 1 pkg. active dry yeast 2 tsp. salt 1½ c. hot water (120-130°F) 2 tbsp. honey or sugar 1 egg white

Directions: Combine 1 c. flour, yeast and salt in a bowl. Stir in water and honey or sugar and beat until smooth (about 3 minutes). Stir in remaining flour until the dough is soft. Remove the dough mixture from the bowl and place on a flat, floured surface. Knead the dough until it is smooth and elastic (about 15 minutes). Place in a covered bowl for 15 minutes to allow the dough to rise. Take the dough out and divide it into 12 equal parts, shaping each one into a round, flattened ball. With your thumb, poke a hole in the center of each ball and stretch, rotating to enlarge the hole to about 1” to 2” wide. Cover and let rise for 20 minutes. Boil water in a large pan (the water should be 2” deep); reduce heat and simmer. Add a few bagels at a time and leave the dough in for about 7 minutes. Remove from the pan and drain on a towel for about 5 minutes. Place the boiled dough pieces on a baking sheet and brush them with an egg white wash. Bake at 375°F for 30 minutes, or until done.

Chef Bruno is PMQ’s culinary advisor, with 40 years of international pizza experience. He is the corporate chef for Marsal & Sons, and the culinary coach of the U.S. Pizza Team. 20

PMQ Pizza Magazine – The Pizza Industry’s Business Monthly

Accounting for Your Money Michael J. Rasmussen, CPA

Hear more advice from Michael Rasmussen on PizzaRadio.com.

Budget Basics Keep profits on track with a plan for budgeting. You wouldn’t get on a plane if you weren’t comfortable that the pilot budgeted the correct amount of fuel needed for the trip. You wouldn’t enter into a long-term lease in a strip mall without budgeting your restaurant’s cash flow to ensure you pay the lease, since nonpayment may lead you to bankruptcy. You wouldn’t sign a contract with your food supplier without budgeting your profit margin, since excessive food costs could create a negative cash flow. Setting up a budget may be one of the few ways you can seize control of your business finances before matters drift toward disaster. Disaster can manifest itself in many forms, such as: • Not being able to take advantage when opportunity knocks— such as a piece of equipment that has been greatly reduced in price and that would double your sales. • Having your credit tarnished—or worse. • Seeing yourself forced to file for bankruptcy due to cash flow shortages.

What Is a Budget? A budget is simply an accounting of your income and expenses during a certain period of time, usually a month or a year. Creating a budget involves looking at how much money you expect to earn, and then determining what you can afford to spend. Having a budget does not prevent you from spending money, using credit cards, or taking out a loan for special purchases. Instead, a budget encourages you to be certain you can afford what you’re buying and guides you through what lifestyle changes, if any, you’ll have to make in order to pay for it. Having a budget does not prevent you from having fun! On the contrary—a budget gives you greater freedom to spend the money you earn. Trust this advice: It is far better to have control of your budget than to have your spending control you. Many times I have heard, “I don’t have time to sit down and work on my budget. I just wing it, and I have done just fine. I operate the restaurant by my gut.” Here’s the reality: Every employee, organization, vendor and customer who comes into contact with your restaurant is expecting the owner at the helm to ensure that sound business decisions are in place to not be hurt by doing some form of business with you and your restaurant. You are creating trust with each one of these parties. Frequently comparing your actual results to an established budget allows you to raise a white flag for help sooner rather than later, if necessary. Toss the ego aside and become accountable. First of all, a budget is the place where you tie all of the rest of your planning down to numbers and timing. For example, if you need to buy a piece of equipment, you need to know when you are going to order it so that you can have it on time for the business, and you also have to plan for the money necessary to buy 22

PMQ Pizza Magazine – The Pizza Industry’s Business Monthly

that equipment. So the budget becomes the place where you can tie all those things together. Beyond that, the budget provides the road map where you believe you want to go, so it helps you set goals in terms of what revenue you want to achieve, and helps track those goals. A budget provides a great tracking tool and, beyond that, disciplines you to do all of the homework necessary to go into business. Take this opportunity to look forward and ask: What do I need to buy? What do I need to have in place? Finally, it’s a way to measure your results against your expectations.

Getting Started First, simply start tracking your cash flow for the next 30 days. Start identifying monies in and monies out. If you have a POS system, you can start accumulating records of menu items that are moving and ones that are not. You can perform some basic food costing to ensure your profit margins are adequate to pay for your fixed expenses. Keep a diligent record of your cash in spreadsheet form. Balance your checkbook in its entirety. Don’t give this responsibility to your outside accountant; do it yourself first. This process of tracking your money monthly needs to continue until you start seeing a trend. Restaurants are affected by outside factors: holidays, schools, birthdays, weather, community events, etc. Therefore, when you have tracked each month based on the activity at your restaurant, you’ll have a road map of expected activity to help you budget and look forward to anticipated revenues and expenses for your restaurant. Finally, sit down with your accountant and compare your budget to actual results that have been reported on the entity tax returns in prior years to fine-tune the expected revenue and expenses you alone have identified. History has a way of repeating itself, and numbers don’t lie! Ask “why” about every revenue

and expense identified. If you are a new pizzeria owner, then you should accumulate data from the National Restaurant Association or some other reliable source. Many local cities have demographic information based on buying patterns of consumers at existing restaurants. The SBA (Small Business Administration) has agencies that can assist in free demographic studies, which can then be used in the creation of budgets for lending purposes. Create a culture at your restaurant that tracking numbers is important! Managers can make bonuses. Employees can make bonuses based on balanced cash drawers. It all starts from the top. If it’s important to you, it will be important to all employees in the restaurant. Think of budgeting as a tool that will provide a road map to one question all owners ask me: “Where’s my cash?” To ensure compliance with requirements imposed by the IRS, we inform you that any U.S. federal tax advice contained here is not intended or written to be used for the purpose of (i) avoiding penalties under the Internal Revenue Code or (ii) promoting, marketing or recommending to another party any transaction or matter addressed herein. You should seek advice based on your particular circumstances from an independent advisor.

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

March 2011 • pmq.com

GI.METAL

By Andrew Abernathy

There are many ways to cut a pizza, but each type of cutter has its own advantages.

Need New Knives? To get you started in your pizza cutter shopping, we’ve compiled a list of manufacturers to help you find the product that’s right for you. Allied Metal USA, 800-615-2266, alliedmetalusa.com American Metalcraft, 800-333-9133, amnow.com Cuisipro, 866-849-4715, cuisipro.com Culinary Institute of America, 800-245-4916, ciacook.com Dexter Russell, 800-343-6043, dexter-russell.com Frankie Flood, frankieflood@gmail.com, frankieflood.com GI.Metal, 800-952-8350, gimetalusa.com Lamson & Goodnow Mfg. 800-872-6564, lamsonsharp.com Lloyd Industries, 800-748-6251, pizzatools.com OXO, 800-545-4411, oxo.com P.A. Products, 734-421-1060, paprod.com/cutters Rosle, 302-326-4801, rosleusa.com Winco, 888-946-2682, wincous.com Zyliss USA, 888-704-7623, zylissusa.com 24

PMQ Pizza Magazine – The Pizza Industry’s Business Monthly

How do you slice your pizza? For most, the standard rolling cutter is affordable, effective and quick. Still others—especially peddlers of deep-dish and grandma-style pies—find a rocking knife superior and, in a way, much more exciting. No doubt there are plenty of schools of thought on the issue. For instance, in Rome, where slices are priced by weight and length, it’s not uncommon for operators to cut their pies with scissors. Neapolitan pizza makers, who serve 10’’ delicacies with a knife and fork, may shudder at the idea of cutting their pizzas entirely. Perhaps the only definitive factor in the debate is that, like pizza itself, there’s no universally correct way to go about it. After all, the end result is a fresh pie with comparable portions no matter what tools are utilized. Co-owner of Metro Pizza (metropizza.com) and pizza professor John Arena, who teaches the history and culture of pizza at the University of Nevada at Las Vegas, points out, the “traditional” method of cutting pizza often varies with geography. “Preferences seem to be regional and prone to rationalization based on familiarity rather than efficiency,” he explains. “On the East Coast, rollers are definitely the cutter of choice, while in the Midwest and West, the rocker is often employed. I suggest any serious pizza maker become familiar with all of the tools of the trade before settling on one type.” To help bring the debate into your pizzeria, PMQ tracked down manufacturers, operators and a custom designer to help you decide if 2011 is the time to familiarize yourself with a few new cutting tools.

Like No Other When you’ve got a unique product or just want to stand out, you might require a custom tool, like Frankie Flood’s chopper motorcycle-inspired cutters. These certainly aren’t your grandfather’s rolling cutters. Since 2001, this custom designer, an assistant professor of metalworking at the University of Wisconsin at Milwaukee, has made tools for some of the top-ranked pizza makers in the United States and Australia. All of FRANKIE FLOOD

his cutters are handmade, and every cutter he’s ever made has been sold to a collector or chef (generally for between $1,000 and $1,500). While these are great to place on your shelf as art, Flood points out they can serve a pizzeria, too. “I’ve used several of the cutters in my kitchen or in my studio; I like to use each cutter before I sell it,” he says. “This is important because I see them as functional. We’re just accustomed to our tools and utensils having very little character or uniqueness.” While Flood’s knives are collectible, usable and attractive, other custom jobs can be strictly utilitarian—and can be big money savers. Last year, Richard Ames, the owner of Daddio’s Pizzeria (daddios.ca) in Grand Prairie, Alberta, Canada, ordered a custom rocking knife—which resembles a machete more than a traditional two-handle rocker—that can keep an edge four times as long. “My staff and I have come to realize the real value of a good knife,” he points out. “With the knives I was using before, I was paying $40 every three weeks to have them sharpened. I paid $175 for this one, and I get free sharpening for life.” While Ames purchased from a small knife maker, larger manufacturers can also be solicited for customized work. Rob Crow, president of Lloyd Industries, a manufacturer in Spokane Valley, Washington, notes that some manufacturers frequently go the extra mile to meet a customer’s needs. “Often, for breadsticks, or for operators who want to cut dough in an unusual shape, you’ll need a special tool,” he points out. “There are ways to save time and money and prevent a potential accident by looking at alternatives.” Lloyd has custom-designed several breadstick cutters, often with multiple blades to ensure a quicker, more even cut; the company has even produced a rolling pin with blades!

Roll ’Em Out No customer likes being stuck with the undersized slice, and the roller is an LLOYD INDUSTRIES easy-to-master and affordable cutter that has a place in almost any pizza kitchen where the pie is cut into equally sized slices. In addition to its affordability, the roller is ideal for large (imagine trying to cut a 36’’ pie with a rocker), thin and more sparsely decorated pies. Even if you don’t serve your pies in slices, the rolling cutter is an easy tool to keep on hand just in case. Jonathan Goldsmith, the owner of Spacca Napoli (spaccanapolipizzeria.com) in Chicago, prides himself on authentic flavors and Neapolitan technique, including the traditional method of serving the pie with a knife and fork. However, if the occasional customer wants his pizza cut in quarters, servers are prepared. “It’s a service our waiters offer our customers,” he notes. Although rolling cutters are easy to use and carry, they do have some disadvantages. Rollers are harder to clean and sharpen, and, when they’re dull or have not been properly rinsed, they can mar your pie by snagging ingredients. “For years, we used the roller,” says Ron Mathews, operator of Rockstar Pizza (rockstarpizza.net) in Brownsburg, Indiana. “It was OK, but every now and then, you would get the dreadful drag. We switched to the rocker and never had that problem again.”

FRANKIE FLOOD

AMERICAN METAL CRAFT

PMQ Pizza Magazine – The Pizza Industry’s Business Monthly

RICHARD AMES

To prevent the “dreadful drag,” Rich Packer, vice president of American Metalcraft, a manufacturer in Melrose Park, Illinois, urges operators to regularly hand wash rolling cutters, especially those with wooden handles. Also, he points out, rolling cutters have been a great ally in the gluten-free trend, as colored handles help prevent cross-contamination.

Rock On While the rolling cutter may be a widely accepted standard, the rocker has long been a cherished tool of those who produce a thicker pie. If you serve pies with flat Italian meats such as salami, pepperoni and bacon, you may prefer the extra force that a sharp rocking knife provides. The style lends itself to thinner pizzas, too: Arena notes that it’s a quick solution for many Chicago thin-crust makers to divide their pie into squares. However, when your kitchen gets swamped with orders and every second counts, the rocker has another advantage. “Speed is essential,” says Marco D’Annibale, president of GI.Metal, a manufacturer with offices in Italy and Yorkville, Illinois. “The more pizzas you are able to cook and serve during the rush hours, the more money you make. You need skilled people at the oven, but the right equipment and tools can help more than you may think.” However, rockers aren’t always straight. There are other interesting takes on this tool that may be ideal for your operation. Lloyd Industries offers a circular rocking knife, the Equalizer, which was born out of demand from operators with school lunch programs. The rocker always cuts eight equal slices, ensuring pizza eaters are content with their portions. While rockers are beloved by many, they do tend to be more expensive—unlike

PMQ Pizza Magazine – The Pizza Industry’s Business Monthly

ERI

TA ME

rollers, which have a wide price range, you can expect to spend between $80 and $120 for a solid rocker—and, like with any kitchen knife, rockers can be dangerous when used recklessly. Arena points out that, when left unattended, a rocker can be knocked to the floor and potentially hit someone’s leg or foot. Although there’s no clear winner in the pizza slicing debate, both rockers and rollers have strengths and weaknesses, and there are new products being developed every year. If you’re known for producing a variety of crust types and styles, it may be time to bring in a few new tools and see if there’s a better solution for your operation. If you’re frustrated with your current tools breaking or going dull, or if you’re looking to find something unique, don’t be afraid to seek out a custom device from a knife maker or manufacturer. After all, any way you slice it, pizza is your craft and passion, and you deserve to have the right tools for the job. Andrew Abernathy is PMQ’s associate editor.

F TE

MEET THE TEAM:

EMILIO MARTOS DEL ARBOL

MEMBER SINCE: 2010 POSITION: Acrobat PIZZERIA: L’Albero, Málaga, Spain

To see Emilio Martos del Arbol in action, visit PizzaTV.com.

CATEGORY OF COMPETITION: Freestyle Acrobatics COMPETITION WON: PMQ’s YouTube Freestyle Acrobatic Contest (2010)

What was your reaction when you found out that you won the YouTube video contest and that you were going to represent the U.S. Pizza Team? I was really happy. There was a very high level of skill, and I didn’t know if I would win or not. It’s a great honor to represent the U.S. Pizza Team. Even though you’re from Spain? Yes—nationality really doesn’t matter when it comes to pizza spinning. What make a team are its members, whether they be American, Spanish, Mexican, Italian....What matters is that they want to do things well and in a fair way. Pizza is an art, and art is universal. How did you begin your career in pizza? It’s a long story, but currently my family has two pizzerias, and although I don’t work in the shop, I’m the one who does pizza spinning shows on the weekend. The pizzeria is called L’Albero, which comes from the translation of our last name, del Arbol, in Italian. It began as my brother Antonio’s dream of having his own pizzeria. At the time, he had been working in various restaurants and pizzerias, and he’d always wanted to have his own. Once he had enough experience, he rented out a small space that he later expanded. How did you learn to spin dough? At first, my brother taught me. Later, I continued training on my own. What I enjoy the most is practicing pizza spinning and teaching it to another acrobat. When someone says, “I wouldn’t have thought of that!” it’s great! How did you first hear about the team? I found out about the U.S. Pizza Team from videos that my brother recorded in Salsomaggiore, and I saw team members Chris Green and Juan Hermosillo perform when they were in Málaga. 30

PMQ Pizza Magazine – The Pizza Industry’s Business Monthly

Emilio’s Team Tip: “I pushed myself really hard to do my routine when I was trying out for the YouTube competition. Work hard and you will find success!”

USPIZZATEAM.COM

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

What’s your favorite type of pizza? Honestly, there are a lot that I like, but typically I prefer a lot of meat and barbecue sauce, white pizzas with cream, or an authentic Margherita. It depends on how I feel.

How has your membership affected your professional life? Being an international champion gives you a lot of credibility. Perhaps the biggest difference is that now I have pride that I was selected to represent the U.S. Pizza Team. I have a responsibility now to be the best I can. What are your future plans? Continue training, and welcome whatever comes. Pizza spinning is an art that still isn’t fully developed, and in the future, there will be a need for people to continue innovating in the sport to excite new generations, whether it be through videos, championships, trips, etc. Interview translated from Spanish by Missy Green.

Want to join the U.S. Pizza Team? Find out more information at USPizzaTeam.com.

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

Fashionable Marketing

By Kristie Warino

Branching Out Marketing materials such as box toppers, door hangers and fridge magnets are effective ways to advertise your business. But the owners of Rounders Pizza in Athens, Texas, find that T-shirts also do the trick. “Our shirts speak for themselves,” says Bryan Justice, general manager. “You have to find something that will get people’s attention.” Located in a small town with 12,000 residents, Rounders is a ’50s-themed pizzeria that attracts an older crowd, but the T-shirts are designed to win over the younger generations. “The goal was to come up with 32

On Display The owners of Lost Pizza Co. (lost pizza.com) have found a way to

PMQ Pizza Magazine – The Pizza Industry’s Business Monthly

C T IO OLLE PUS C

something people would want to wear,” Justice says. “We learned, after failing at several designs, that people wouldn’t buy a shirt advertising our brand unless it was cool. Not many people, let alone young adults, want to wear something that resembles a uniform.” Rounders sells shirts for $10 in-house and gives some away at special events; employees even throw them out to the crowd at local rodeos. The pizzeria’s catchy slogan, “The best piece in town,” has become a local hit— and led to greater exposure: The Athens Daily Review has named Rounders as the best pizza in town seven out of the last 10 years. “It’s absolutely the best marketing decision to date—we even have people calling to order shirts as Christmas gifts,” Justice enthuses. “If you want to be on top today, you’ve got to be creative with your marketing.”

CAM

As a pizzeria owner, you are always looking for new ways to market your brand and attract new customers. Although your marketing budget may be tight, T-shirts could be a worthwhile expenditure. Not only does it feel great to see people wearing your designs around town, T-shirts emblazoned with your logo help to get your name out there. We talked to operators and experts to find out how T-shirts can improve your business, and what factors you should consider before purchasing.

Use custom T-shirts to increase your pizzeria’s business and generate buzz.

T-shirts, Robinson’s advice to other operators: “Make sure they look good.” Lost Pizza Co. uses social media such as Facebook to publicize T-shirt promotions; operators post pictures of new designs and remind customers when they are coming in. They also sell T-shirts via the pizzeria website. Many pizzerias offer online storefronts that can help market your products to clients via the Internet, so if someone were to see a shirt that he likes at the pizzeria, yet doesn’t have the money to purchase it right away, he can buy it on the web at the pizzeria’s online store. When designing T-shirts, try to make them unique and appealing to many different age groups. “We started with our simple logo design, which was a huge

LOST PIZZA

display T-shirts that’s fun and keeps the customers coming back for more. The pizzeria, with two locations in Cleveland and Indianola, Mississippi, has sold T-shirts since opening day, and its operators keep finding new ways to market them. “We knew selling T-shirts would be a great way to advertise and get our name out,” says Preston Lott, partnered operator. Lott also looks for unique ways to display their shirts. One location has shirts hanging from the ceiling on a clothesline, while another has shirts displayed in an antique refrigerator. Lott notes that he doesn’t make much profit from T-shirt sales, but he marks them up just enough to cover printing and shipping costs; profits instead come from the increase in business that T-shirts encourage. The small-town pizzeria also gives shirts away to churches, schools and organizations for donation or auctions. “We aim to be very involved in our communities, so this is a small way we can help out,” Lott says. “We like to think our T-shirts reflect the atmosphere of our restaurants.” As Lott has realized, how you sell your T-shirts can be as important as what you’re selling. Frank Kingston Smith, vice president of Showline Promotional Products in Scottsdale, Arizona, says, “The point of purchase is a very powerful thing. The easiest way to get customers to buy the shirts is to have them folded in a case where the customers check out. The T-shirts can be displayed in as many colors as the operator likes.” Smith also suggests that operators have employees wear the shirts so that people can see the merchandise. “Seeing the T-shirt in use is the best encouragement for people to buy,” Smith notes.

At one of its locations, Lost Pizza displays T-shirts in an antique refrigerator.

Marketing and Design In Annapolis, Maryland, Ledo Pizza (ledopizza.com), known for its square pies since 1955, has been offering T-shirts on its website since 2001 in response to customer inquiries. “Our original intent was to produce a collectible for our loyal customers so they would be able to express their passion for our product,” says Will Robinson, vice president of marketing. Printed with designs unique to the brand, the shirts are sold on the Ledo website for $12.95, plus shipping and handling. Ledo markets this deal on box toppers and links on the website. When considering March 2011 • pmq.com

hit,” Lott says. “It was a simple, onecolor shirt, and we could not believe how well it went over. We immediately began thinking of new ideas.” Lost Pizza Co. also tries to incorporate the towns in which they are located, and markets to younger customers. “Our latest design is a glow-in-the-dark T-shirt for the kids,” Lott continues. “We had several customers asking for children’s shirts, and we wanted to think of something fun and different. These new shirts have been a huge hit with the kids and will soon be available in adult sizes as well.”

Fit to a Tee Need a place to start? We’ve got you covered. Campus Collection, 800-289-8744, campuscollection.net Color Vision Ltd., 800-543-6299, colorvisionltd.com The Ice Box, 866-917-4335, theiceboxonline.com National Sportwear, 866-468-8337, nationalsportswear.com The Shirt Printer, 800-501-8918, theshirtprinter.com Showline Promotional Products, 800-607-6932, yournameeverywhere.com Speedee Shirts, 866-694-9301, speedeeshirts.com T-Shirt Pros, 800-999-9544, tshirtpros.com Top Hat Printing, 877-9-TOPHAT, tophatprinting.com

T-Shirt Tips If you’re looking to create T-shirts, a manufacturer can take away some of the stress and help you with the design. “Making your own branded shirts isn’t that complicated,” says Joseph Grape, director of operations for Color Vision, a T-shirt manufacturer in Edgar, Wisconsin. “Any simple graphics program on your computer can work. Many embroidery and screen printing companies also have a graphics department that

PMQ Pizza Magazine – The Pizza Industry’s Business Monthly

You know the pizza business. We craft the finest Mozzarella cheese. Together we create the best pizza

For more information call your Saputo representative, (800) 824-3373 or visit www.saputousafoodservice.com

If you have a limited budget, teaming up with a supplier could save you money. Nick Ellis, partnered operator at Little Azio (littleazio.com) in Atlanta, teamed up with Barilla, which supplies his pasta, to cover the cost of T-shirts for employees. The Barilla logo is printed, along with the pizzeria’s logo, on the T-shirts, and Barilla covers the cost of producing the shirts. By teaming up with a supplier partner, Ellis can extend his marketing budget. “It certainly helps us out with the costs,” says Ellis. Little Azio partnered with Peroni four years ago, and had 500 T-shirts made with Little Azio printed on the front and Peroni printed on the back. A little more than a year ago, the pizzeria started partnering with Barilla. “It’s a pretty good advertisement for them, and it lets our customers know which pasta we use,” Ellis explains. Michele Malo, Barilla’s brand manager, points out that operators can get more information about this type of added-value program by speaking to their sales representative. “I wouldn’t call it a formal program, but they can instead work with their sales reps on how different marketing or culinary tools could be available to help, depending on partnership levels and the volume opportunity,” Malo explains. “Whenever we have an operator that is looking to increase awareness of our products, we’re always looking to help.”

PMQ Pizza Magazine – The Pizza Industry’s Business Monthly

LITTLE AZIO

Supplier Partnerships

can help create a design and branding for the pizzeria.” When pricing T-shirts, an operator should consider the costs and his marketing budget. “I would suggest selling Tshirts for at least 50% over cost,” Grape says. “You’re offering a specialty product that’s only available at your pizzeria.” You can also use T-shirts for promotions and giveaways. “There are not many cons in using apparel as a marketing tool,” Grape says. “It can be a costly campaign, but a shirt or hat will last for years. Let’s face it, we are what we eat, so why not wear it, too?” Also keep in mind your clients and what they’ll be buying when ordering T-shirts. “Be creative and let the shirts reflect your atmosphere and your food!” suggests Lott. “Start out with a small order. This will help you get an idea of how well the T-shirts will sell and what sizes will be your big sellers. It is important to get your size order down so you do not end up with too many of a size that doesn’t sell well.” If you’re ready to invest in T-shirts, remember to pick a design that will bring

the experience of your restaurant to everyone who sees it. Use your logo to draw people in and catch their attention when passing someone on the street. Once you have your shirts made, display them in your pizzeria where your customers can see the merchandise. If you have a website, make sure to offer them on the Web. Update the status on your Facebook page to let customers know you now have T-shirts, and include pictures that show the designs. Once your T-shirts are available, be ready to start selling!

Unlike traditional advertising, T-shirts are like walking billboards and have a long-term effect. Having your pizzeria name or logo on your apparel that’ll be seen by everyone relates people to your business. “Significance in branding your restaurant is about having a design or artwork that tells a story about the experience,” says Chet Goldstein, owner of Campus Collection in Northport, Alabama. “Investment in a material product becomes a conversation piece.” Kristie Warino is a PMQ editorial intern.

“SpeedLine was a godsend. When sales picked up by 40%, we were actually able to cut back on staff because we’re that much more efficient. It saved our business.” PAUL & KACI KNAYSI, PABLO’S PIZZA

GET A FREE DEMO:

www.speedlinedemo.com 888.400.9185

Come see us:

Feb 20-21, Booth 421

March 1-3, Booth 1127

March 2011 • pmq.com

Marketing Marvels Andrew Abernathy

In the Zone

Hear more from Debbie Gainor about Pizza Zone on PizzaRadio.com.

The owners of Pizza Zone in Spring, Texas, remind customers that marketing is about having fun. Photos provided by Pizza Zone Some operators dig deep for marketing ideas and run with them even if they’re a little unorthodox. If your promotions can make your customers laugh and you offer a superior product, they’ll keep coming back for more. After all, you don’t have to keep up with The Big Three—just compete in your neighborhood. Or at least that’s how Paul and Debbie Gainor, the owners of Pizza Zone (pizzazone.cc), a two-unit independent in Spring, Texas, feel about the pickup and delivery business today. In the suburbs of Houston, this husband-and-wife duo have spent the last decade marketing their product to area families who love quality ingredients and a little flair. With fundraising programs for local schools, online ordering, and a constant barrage of door hangers, flyers, box toppers and social media, this small chain’s marketing reminds people that pizza is about having fun. On some days, you might find Debbie dancing in an elementary school parking lot wearing a pizza slice costume. On Penguin Awareness Day, you might notice

(Above) Pizza Zone co-owner Debbie Gainor wears a pizza suit to market to schoolchildren on select pizza nights. (Right) Debbie and Paul Gainor pose in front of their store in Spring, Texas.

the entire staff is dressed in black and white. And for National Funny Hat Day, you can only imagine the getups on display. To dive deeper into Pizza Zone’s marketing approach, PMQ tracked down Debbie for a chat.

PMQ Pizza Magazine – The Pizza Industry’s Business Monthly

Tell us about your school programs. We designate certain nights of the month for local schools. We provide the school with flyers and stickers and encourage kids to order pizza that night. Then we donate 20% of the

sales back to the school. It’s a great fundraiser for them. The schools advertise this to the students? Some are more aggressive than others. Some schools take our signs and post them in the parking lot so the parents can also see them. A lot of schools will put it on the marquee, announcing our pizza nights. Last December, we got a pizza slice costume, and I started going to one of the elementary schools dressed as “the pizza lady.” I went during their lunch hour and waved a sign and asked them to tell their parents to order pizza on pizza night. Then I was out in the parking lot during pickup so the parents could see me when they come in the driveway. It was a big hit, and they instantly asked me to come back. How much do the school nights drive your sales up? It’s hard to say. One thing that I’ve discovered about marketing is that sometimes your target isn’t always where you get attention from. It’s like you put a vibe out into the universe and it tells everyone else to order pizza. Some school nights, we’ll be really busy, but then when we run the report, we’ll find out that most of our orders came from other places. We’ve also discovered that with our door hanging. We’ll put a lot out in a certain neighborhood, have a great night, then realize the orders weren’t coming from that neighborhood. It’s weird. Do you think those sales come indirectly? Yeah! Sometimes we just laugh and say, “Just do marketing, any marketing,” and we’ll tune in to some part of the universe and make them want to buy pizza tonight. It’s not scientific. What’s your target market? Both of our stores attract middle-class families. We don’t have a college here or a large population of young people. Our hours are cut due to our demographic area. We’re not open late at night, because it’s just that kind of neighborhood. What’s the advantage of your Pizza of the Month special? It brings a little variety. When we first started, it was slow. But now it’s so much fun because people will call or get

on Facebook to ask, “What’s the pizza of the month?” We’ve gotten some pretty cool toppings in here. We’ve put sauerkraut and mustard on pizza, we’ve put hummus on a pizza. It’s kind of like a taste-testing tool to see about adding new menu items. We did a baked potato pizza once, and it was so popular we decided to keep bringing it back a couple times a year. So many people wanted it, we recently decided to put it on our menu full-time. Tell us about your box toppers. For six years, we had a quarterly newsletter, but the postage costs got too high. So now what we do is an abbreviated letter that we put on our box toppers. It just made sense because social marketing has gotten so much bigger, and I kept running out of things to say in a newsletter because I was already saying them on Facebook or saying them in an email blast. There wasn’t enough information, and it was just cheaper to do it with social media. It’s also better for our wacky holiday specials. What are your wacky holiday specials? We started doing those last year for about three days a month. We’re

trying to make people aware of some of the nontraditional holidays and make those days special for pizza. For instance, last January we had Penguin Awareness Day, so we came up with a special where anyone who came in the store wearing white and black got to buy our pepperoni rolls for $1 when they bought three or more. On Book Lovers Day, we handed out free Pizza Zone bookmarks; on Comic Book Day, we handed out some comics; and on Chocolate Chip Cookie Day, we handed out free cookies with every order. March 2011 • pmq.com 39

How do your employees feel about these holidays?

What are the advantages of making your print materials in-house?

of the week, for example. We want them to say, “Wow, this is just for us.”

They get behind it 100%. We had a Crazy Hat Day and had a competition to see who could make the craziest hat. The winner got a prize, and we encouraged our customers to come in with their best hats, too. In this day and age, you really have to think outside the box to reach your customers.

I don’t know that we save money, but we’re not in the position to do volume. Also, we like to change up our specials, so we don’t want to commit to 10,000 pieces. It’s a safeguard against a bad offer, and allows us to customize our hangers and flyers to where we’re distributing them. We might pick out an apartment complex

Do you use coupons? You have menu prices for a reason. But we’re in a time when The Big Three want to make their pizzas $10, and it’s hard for the independents to compete. Sometimes the customer doesn’t understand. They think pizza is pizza. But we don’t get volume prices, and we’re also buying the best ingredients we can get. So we’ve discovered that we do have to coupon to keep people coming. But if you read our reviews online, people say we’re a little more expensive than other places, but we serve really good pizza. Do you have any words of wisdom for fellow operators? You have to keep marketing constantly and keep your name out there. Put out something every single day, even if it’s small, like a Facebook posting or an email blast. It’s hard to do, but it makes all the difference. Andrew Abernathy is PMQ’s associate editor.

PMQ Pizza Magazine – The Pizza Industry’s Business Monthly

Pizza of the Month:

Seafood

Dessert Pizza

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

There’s Always Room for Dessert! Many pizzerias satisfy customers’ sweet tooth post-meal with a selection of scrumptious desserts, and since they already have dough on hand, why not try a unique dessert pizza? These work in every type of setting, from delivery-only operations to dinein restaurants, and are often simple to make, without requiring many additional ingredients. However, they can also turn into signature items for your business with a little creativity. Get your juices flowing (and your mouth watering) with these examples from pizza slingers around the country: Aperitivo Bistro (aperitivobistro.com) in Schenectady, New York, complements its Italian fusion menu with the Nutella Chocolate Pizza, which has Nutella hazelnut spread, mini marshmallows, white chocolate chips and fresh raspberries. Dino’s Pizza (dinosburbank.com) in Burbank, California, calls it the “sweetza”: a cinnamon roll pizza, with a chewy, sweet cinnamon-sprinkled crust topped with oats, chocolate chips and vanilla icing.

Pineapple Cheesecake Pizza Recipe and photo provided by Dole Food Company

1 prepared 14” pizza crust 1 tbsp. butter or margarine, melted 6½ tsp. granulated sugar 1

⁄ 8 tsp. ground cinnamon

6 oz. cream cheese, softened

Deep-dish is the specialty at East of Chicago (eastof chicago.com), with more than 70 locations in four states, but one of its dessert pizzas brings out the kid in customers: The PB&J Pizza is loaded with creamy peanut butter and strawberry preserves. Golosi Artisan Pizza & Gelato (golosi.com), which has two locations in New York City, tops a base of sweet pizza dough with chilled pistachio cream (made with pistachio powder, sugar, milk and heavy cream) and fresh peach slices.

½ tsp. vanilla extract ½ c. pineapple tidbits, drained ½ c. macadamia nuts, toasted, chopped Brush pizza crust with melted butter. In a small bowl, combine cinnamon and 1½ tsp. sugar; sprinkle over crust. Bake at 400°F until ¾ done. Remove and cool. Beat together cream cheese, 5 tsp. sugar and vanilla until smooth. Spread over par-baked crust; top with pineapple tidbits and nuts. Bake at 400°F until cream cheese is thoroughly heated and turns light golden brown. Makes 1 14” pizza. Per serving: 232 calories, 10g fat (4g sat.), 110mg sodium, 31g carbohydrate, 5g protein

In a recent study, 70% of survey respondents said they eat dessert at least once per week. Source: Technomic For more recipes, visit PMQ’s Recipe Bank at PMQ.com/recipe.

At its three U.S. and dozens of international locations, Max Brenner (maxbrenner.com) has an emphasis on chocolate, right down to its dessert pizza: The Chocolate Chunks Pizza includes double chocolate melting chunks and the customer’s choice of crunchy hazelnut bits, bananas, peanut butter or roasted marshmallow (or “the works,” with all of the above). Paulie Gee’s (pauliegee.com) in Brooklyn, New York, offers four types of dessert pizza at his “Greenpoint pizza joint,” two of which combine dessert and after-dinner drink in one: Lemoncello Crème and Anisette Crème. The liqueurspiked cream is made in-house and drizzled on the crust, then topped with powdered sugar. The VPN-certified Pizzeria Pulcinella (pulcinellapizza. com) in Seattle describes its signature dessert, Il Segreto di Pulcinella, as a “secret combination of mascarpone, espresso and coffee liqueur spread on a pizza skin, then baked and topped lightly with a rich chocolate sauce and finished with whipped cream.” In Atlanta, Varasano’s Pizzeria (varasanos.com) provides a unique take on a sweet pie; it’s even listed on the “regular” pizza menu, thanks to its combo of sweet and savory elements. The Dolce combines Medjool dates and Fontina cheese, and is dressed with honey, walnuts and rosemary. March 2011 • pmq.com 43

a perfect

storm

On a mission to create the fourth-largest pizza chain in America, Marco’s Pizza executives buckle up for rapid growth. By Andrew Abernathy, Photos provided by Marco’s Pizza ®

In an age of $10 delivery, Marco’s Pizza (marcos.com) is one chain proving significant growth is still possible with a quality product, business savvy and, most importantly, franchisee incentive. Living up to this philosophy, the Toledo, Ohiobased chain—currently the 17th largest in the nation, according to the most recent ranking from Technomic—plans to open at least one new store every week in 2011. In fact, when PMQ spoke with Marco’s president and CEO Jack Butorac, he pointed out that the economic recession, and now the recovery, has turned out to be the “perfect storm for growth.” The chain didn’t always grow so quickly. In 2002, when Butorac met the chain’s founder, Pasquale “Pat” Giammarco, the 44

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Jack Butorac

executive—whose career was built at nt chains like Chi-Chi’s Mexican restaurant and Fuddruckers—knew he’d found an ad opportunity in the company, which had e. a little more than 100 units at the time. For Butorac, the timing was perfect. “I olf was retired and trying to improve my golf at game, but it quickly became clear that

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r menu price when any pizza at regula With a purchase of Pick-up only. b. Clu ail Em ’s you join the Marco

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Franchising, LLC

I’m not that good at golf,” he laughs. “A friend asked me to analyze the Marco’s brand potential, so I drove to Toledo, went to one of the shops and ordered five products—and I loved it. I went to three, four, five locations, and the product was consistently great.” In his review, Butorac asked Giammarco, an Italian immigrant, why he didn’t already have 1,000 locations. The short answer: He didn’t want to deal with franchises or sacrifice the quality of his food. Nonetheless, by 2004, after two years of cross-training and branding consultation, Giammarco sold Butorac a majority share of the company, making Butorac the new CEO and Giammarco the first franchisee and a major investor in the restructured business. Today, with more than 228 locations in 18 states and the Bahamas, what was once a small-tomedium delivery chain has more than doubled locations and now sets its sights on becoming the fourth-largest pizza chain in the nation. It’s an ambitious task, but the numbers show promise for exponential growth, with 34 new locations opened in 2010 and 64 confirmed for 2011. Although the delivery giants have slashed prices and reformulated recipes, Marco’s relies on product consistency, in-house financing, and finding franchisees who aren’t afraid to roll up their sleeves and learn the business.

Seasoned Leadership Marco’s corporate is actually a small company. The LLC owns the trademarks and franchise agreements, and offers internal financing, human resources and marketing support. They’ve sold off the regional development rights to 35 area representatives with more than 1,100 individual store rights among them. The corporate office manages 27 stores owned by an outside entity composed of private investors. But, with a career’s worth of connections and a promise of profit sharing, Butorac has spent the past six years gathering an impressive mix of marketing and growth VPs who’ve walked away from successful careers or come out of retirement to help grow the Marco’s brand. Upon purchasing the franchise rights, he recruited executives including Syl Sosnowski, creator of the Papa John’s “Better Ingredients, Better Pizza” slogan and Marco’s current brand positioning as “Ah!thentic Italian Pizza.” Later, he ’s Franchising, LLC

THE STATS: MARCO’S PIZZA Website: marcos.com Headquarters: Toledo, OH Owner: Jack Butorac Year started: 1978 Total units: 228 POS system: Pyrimont Profi-Touch Oven: Middleby Marshall WOW 360 Wide Body Dine-in (select locations), delivery, takeout Number of employees: 4,700 (37 corporate) Best marketing tool: Regional TV, print and online advertising

6888-1009

March 2011 • pmq.com

recruited Bryon Stephens and Cameron Cummins, formerly of YUM! Brands; Peter Wise, a private sector marketing and advertising executive; and Dave Black, formerly a major Domino’s franchisee. “I gave them the opportunity to buy into the company with a very attractive price,” Butorac explains. “I’ve been able to attract people by offering them a piece of the pie; if we are successful, which we will be, they will enjoy it financially. Most of these people don’t need to live paycheck to paycheck—they’re here because they believe in the product.”

Pizza Like Pat’s Before the Marco’s push to develop a national brand identity accelerated in 2004, the food was considered the chain’s best marketing tool, and today, it’s still what drives the chain’s management philosophy. “I want to be proud of what’s in every single box that comes out of each Marco’s,” Butorac points out. “More importantly, I want our franchisees to be proud, too.” The menu at Marco’s favors old-school favorites over newfangled trends. The pizzas, subs and salads incorporate the time-honored Italian flavors Giammarco brought to his first store in 1978. With only two crust types—classic and crispy thin—and seven specialty pizzas, the menu p p q y ingredients g places an emphasis on quality

(Above) The Big Square Deal was essential in increasing sales at Marco’s during the 2010 $10 pizza trend. (Right) In addition to pizza, Marco’s subs draw plenty of customer attention.

and classic combinations: The Deluxe Uno is topped with mozzarella, pepperoni, Italian sausage, mushrooms, green peppers and onions; the White Cheesy Pizza is covered with a four-cheese blend, bacon, onion and ga garlic; and the Garden Pizza fe features mushrooms, olives, o onions and tomatoes. With most large specialty p pies selling for $16.95, Marco’s p prices cost a few dollars more SaladsItalian than leading delivery chains. Chicken Ranch or As a result, when Pizza Hut sparked the $10 pizza trend in 2010, Marco’s same-store sales dropped. However, the stores rallied back to 10% positive growth with the Big Square Deal, a rectangular, 16-slice pie with the first Wings Chickeorn Bon s topping free for $6.99 to eles ular Reg $8.99. “The critical thing was to keep the messaging simple and on-brand,” says Peter Wise, Marco’s vice president of marketing. “In the pizza category, there’s a tendency to load things up with extra stuff. The name is a good example— it’s very straightforward.”

Look At Lunch Oven Baked Subs

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to change. Prices are subject may vary by location. by locations. Hours may vary and delivery area participation, tax hours 11 am - 4pm. Products, prices, delivery. Lunch may be added for Additional charges 7333(1)-510 Franchising, LLC ©2010 Marco’s

PMQ Pizza Magazine – The Pizza Industry’s Business Monthly

While the deal may not bring in huge profits, Butorac points out that it was most important to get the food into customers’ mouths. “We’ve done studies that show 72% of people who try our food have the intent to repurchase,” he notes. “No other chain has that.” However, as the chain gradually expanded out of the Midwest, it was important to make sure the quality and consistency of Marco’s ingredients was transferrable nationwide. “Pat identified specific ingredients that he wanted used; the key is getting them to the franchisees,” Butorac explains. “We struggled with the first distribution company, which, through no fault of its own, couldn’t deliver the right ingredients. So that’s why we created our own distribution company.” The Marco’s distribution company delivers to its Ohio, Indiana, Michigan and Kentucky locations. However, the group “married up” with Richmond, Virginiabased distributor Vista Roma in May 2010 to reach franchisees in other areas. “We have the understanding that they must deliver the right ingredients to our franchisees, or our distribution company will

We Believe

step in and replace them,” he points nts b.” out. “So far, they’ve done a great job.”

You

Franchisee Investment The Marco’s master franchise plan an rerelies on cultivating its 35 area repreow sentatives who’ve bought in to grow es the brand; they identify franchisees We with potential and train them. “We he work with our ARs on identifying the ac right sort of franchisees,” Butorac points out. “Preferably, it’s someonee who has foodservice experience, iss open to working with young peoplee — and knows how to follow the rules— military franchisees, for example.. But it all comes down to our ARs.” A chance of financial success through what Butorac describes as “sweat equity” depends on the individual franchisee, too, with an annual system sales average of $571,000 per unit. All new franchisees undergo an eightweek training period at a regional training store where they learn management— while experiencing every job in the store— and, most importantly, how to make a consistent product. If they demonstrate competency in the business, would-be franchisees get the option to buy in. However, Butorac stresses that they’re looking for people with passion and frequently invest in franchisees with promise. Although internal financing fell short of the 50 new locations executives intended to open in 2010, they’ve been able to secure financing for the 64 confirmed stores and increased regional marketing budgets for 2011.

Your great service deserv es great pizza. You make the customer right. You make this team The most important person stronger; it’s a decision. at Marco’s is with the custom er.

Customer

The reason. The answer is yes, I will make it happen. Their perception is our reality.

Product

Dough made daily the Marco’s way is our found Temperature of the dough is the foundation of the ation. foundation. Sauce Marco’s recipe and spices are a secret; only our founder knows. Precise Sauce Line on every pie is a key to happin ess, be happy. Repeat. Cheese Marco’s custom blend of three cheeses is fresh, never frozen, never. Some pizza companies freeze their chees Our cheese stands alone.e before shipping. Toppings Every item, on every bite, of every slice. Meats at Marco’s are and tastes that way. Ourhefty, substantial, thick, and big. It is bold meat Some other pizza compameat has no fillers and we don’t like preservative nies We like our customers so use fillers to cut costs and trick customers. s. they get the real thing, really good meat.

Service

Smile. If your customer can’t hear Your attitude makes the it, smile louder. Repeat. customer return. Two rings, absolutely. Two to three steps into the store “Welcome to Customer delight is about Marco’s.” exceeding expectation s, not merely satisfying Speed without quality them. is a waste of time.

Image

Clean. Integrity, it starts with amazing pizza – the rest Unite, unify, uniform – clean is up shirt, hat on straight. Unity to you. is plural. Smile, Grazie.

Since 1978 LLC 5974-508

Weathering the Storm It’s no secret that the recession made pizza’s price point more attractive to the consumer. But the mix of experienced executives, the ability to offer internal financing and, most importantly, a commitment to quality has made the current economic scene a vehicle for growth for Marco’s. And while the product has set the Marco’s growth story into motion, its success will depend on an easily reproduced business model and finding the right franchisees. Or at least that’s how Butorac sees it. “I’ll be a franchisee’s biggest champion if they follow the rules,” he says. Andrew Abernathy is PMQ’s associate editor.

March 2011 • pmq.com

On the Radio Andrew Abernathy

The Cheese Dude Mark Todd, aka “The Cheese Dude,” a pizza specialist and cheese consultant for the California Milk Advisory Board, met up with PMQ publisher Steve Green last November at the 14th annual FHC Show in Shanghai, China. In addition to demonstrating pizza making techniques, Todd did his part to help “spread the gospel of cheese” in a nation where pizza is proving to be key in helping this country—with no native cheeses—develop a love for the dairy staple. To learn more about pizza in the Chinese market, PMQ tracked down The Cheese Dude to find out his internationally informed perspective on cheese.

PMQ: What brought you to China? Todd: California is trying to work with emerging markets in Asia to get our foot in the door in the cheese market as the country develops a taste for it. We’ve been doing this program for about three years now, and pizza is obviously the first step in the long-term addition of cheese. About 25 years ago, Asia was first introduced to pizza in Korea and Japan, and now those markets are huge importers of cheese.

PMQ: What did you learn about the Chinese pizza scene?

Todd: Other than a few new words in Chinese, I learned that there’s an amazing amount of creativity in Chinese pizza makers. They’re creative with every possible aspect of pizza making that I could see, from the dough to the sauce to the way it’s

Todd: It’s definitely mozzarella. Mozzarella is always the driving cheese for any emerging market.

PMQ: Are there absolutely no cheeses native to China?

Todd: None. China does not make cheese, period. As a culture, they have traditionally not had a dairy industry. They now have some industry where they raise cows to make milk, but they don’t have much extra milk to make cheese; you need a lot of leftover milk for that. There are at least a couple of people living in China now making cheese, but there are no cheeses native to China.

PMQ: Can American operators learn anything from the Chinese market right now?

assembled and prepared. To be honest, because they haven’t

Todd: There are two things that really set the market

grown up with pizza, they don’t have any preconceptions about

apart. One is that because pizza is still relatively new, when delivery pizza first went over there, it fell on its face, because the Chinese wanted to go have the experience of seeing pizza. They wanted to be in the store, because it was an event for them. So that’s something I think American operators forget. Too many people get caught up in how many pizzas they can push out the door rather than how they can help the customers enjoy the experience. The customer who enjoys his experience is one that comes back. The other thing that we can learn from the Chinese is that they work hours that would make Americans blush. It’s not unusual for people not to have had a day off in recent memory. If you want to know why China is becoming so successful, it’s because they have the attitude toward work that Americans had in the 1880s; people were thrilled to get off the farms and into the cities and work, even if it meant 16 hours a day.

what the food should be, so they may actually be even more experimental than many American chefs. It’s hard to beat a New York-style, hand-tossed dough—you know, straight-up pizza—but some of the things these guys were making were pretty interesting.

PMQ: For example? Todd: One guy made a volcano pizza that was a takeoff on a stuffed crust, but the outside edges were molded and pulled over edges of cheese to make it look like a volcano top. He baked that, then put sauce in the middle to make it look like lava coming out. Another guy did a purple taro root-base dough and used a Szechuan-style sausage that he rolled into the crust, then snipped the crust at a 45° angle and stood each one alternately so they looked like flower petals. It was pretty amazing.

PMQ:

What is the most popular cheese in China right now?

PMQ Pizza Magazine – The Pizza Industry’s Business Monthly

Andrew Abernathy is the host of PMQ’s Pizza Radio. To hear the complete interview, go to PizzaRadio.com.

Location, Location, Location! Learn easy methods for picking the right location for your pizzeria— the first time and every time. TRACY MORIN

By Frank Raeon Selling pizza is a dream come true for many small business owners. However, while plenty of pizza businesses are thriving, others are not doing as well. Why the difference? One explanation is location. In today’s increasingly competitive and value-oriented marketplace, having great food and outstanding customer service is no longer good enough. In order to compete at the highest level, you also need to be an outstanding operator and have a “home run” location. But if you want to find a “home run” location, you need to commit to doing research and fieldwork, and you need to talk with a lot of people— especially local business owners. In other words, you need to do your homework.

Site Science While site selection is part art and part science, it’s important to understand that art plays only a minor role. As a result, you can’t afford to let gut feelings, emotion and urgency become major influences when deciding on your site selection. How many times have you heard the phrase “location, location, location”? In the complex but exciting world of site selection, these three words mean three different things. If you don’t already know this, don’t be shy about asking for help; contact a commercial realtor, a site selection consultant or a successful restaurant owner. Be careful, however, to work with and rely on someone who has a track record of consistently picking “home run” locations. Picture a bulls-eye consisting of three rings ranging in size from large to small when you think about “location, location, 50

PMQ Pizza Magazine – The Pizza Industry’s Business Monthly

The PASTA V Test As important as demographics and psychographics are in making smart site selection decisions, it’s absolutely essential that a prospective site pass what I term the PASTA V test. Here is what the acronym refers to: Parking. A lack of parking or inconveniently situated parking can turn out to be the kiss of death for the owner of a pizzeria. Whether located on-site or on the street, today’s customers demand that

LIZ BARRETT

parking be convenient. The more parking spaces that exist within 100 to 200 feet of your front door, the better. Access. Every pizzeria needs to be easily accessible to its customers. Sites that are hard to get into and out of not only negatively impact the opportunity to boost customer counts but can discourage repeat business.

Traffic. Every business needs traffic driving by its front door. When making site assessments, you need to evaluate the posted speed limit, proximity to nearby intersecting streets, proximity to one or more traffic signals, and physical barriers such as medians.

LISA LIEB

Signage. Signs play an influential role in creating business identity and help to build name recognition. Obviously, the closer a building sits to the street, the easier it is for customers to read storefront and building signs.

Activity. Land uses such as shopping centers, office buildings, post offices, motels/hotels, schools, libraries, churches, grocery stores, drugstores, bookstores, cinemas, hospitals, amusement parks, banks, convenience stores, gas stations and nearby restaurants, along with surrounding homes, create activity—and activity is what generates customer traffic and sales. Visibility. This needs very little explanation. No single site selection factor is more important than visibility. Your site selection will also depend partly on your business model. For pizzerias that do a lot of pickup business, sales can be increased by finding a location on the “going home” side of the street. Where delivery is a major influence on pizza sales, you need to pay close attention to finding a location that is not only surrounded by homes but is also situated close to nearby businesses. Pay attention to your competitors in the area. When comparing sites, you definitely need to identify who your competition is, where they are located, and whether their sites are superior or inferior to yours. Try learning what their sales volumes are. Customer surveys also need to be incorporated into your site selection system. Unless you know a lot of information about your customers, it makes no sense

TOM BECK, BECK PHOTOGRAPHY

PIZZA PATRÓN

location.” The large outer ring represents the general area surrounding a restaurant; the middle ring represents the site itself; and the small inner ring represents the actual space or building that your business occupies. While most people are capable of selecting a good area for their business, many don’t understand why it is even more important to select both an outstanding site and an outstanding space. Being able to consistently pick the best of all three is what separates the professionals from the amateurs. Obtaining detailed demographic information for the trade area surrounding a prospective site is very important. For convenience-oriented pickup and delivery pizza businesses, demographics for either a one- to two-mile radius or a three- to seven-minute drive time are recommended. For destination uses, such as table service pizza restaurants, demographics for the one-, two- and three-mile ring, or a three-, seven- and 10-minute drive time, are more appropriate. When looking at demographics, pay special attention to the people who live close to the site you are considering. Also focus on evaluating population counts, key age groups, employment categories, household incomes and educational attainment. Psychographics are another key influence in the site selection process; these offer fascinating insight into customer spending habits and consumer lifestyles. They can provide pizzeria owners with the opportunity to understand not only who their customers are, but where they shop and eat, what magazines they read, what kind of cars they own, what kinds of television programs they watch, where they go on vacation, etc.

March 2011 • pmq.com

to begin searching for one or more future locations. Too many pizzeria operators overlook the need to conduct customer surveys, which provide outstanding data mining opportunities and are a tremendous source of market intelligence. In particular, they provide the basis for creating something that is very important: customer profiles. You definitely need to create a customer spotting map. Not only will you gain a good understanding about which geographic areas you’re drawing customers from, but you will be able to accurately identify the extent of your primary customer trade area, as well as where concentrations of customers are located. Whether you’re contemplating buying or renting space, it’s essential that you develop a reliable mechanism for projecting future sales. Relying on sales guesstimates is a dangerous way to make a financial investment. One of the most important things you can do when evaluating individual sites: Create a Site Selection Scorecard. Start by looking at both positive and negative factors within the surrounding area, such as anchors and major traffic generators, critical mass, connectivity, land uses, image, traffic, competition, physical barriers and dynamics. For individual sites, you need to determine how the PASTA V factors—as well as store frontage, windows, setback, nighttime lighting, curb appeal, tenant mix and synergy—will influence sales. When filling out your Site Selection Scorecard, you should assign scores for each evaluation item. Because numbers don’t lie, this important exercise will help you determine the quality of both individual locations and sites, and you can begin to more easily and more accurately identify “home run” locations. If you want your business to grow and prosper, you need to follow the various steps outlined above. If you take a disciplined, scientific approach to site selection, you can take great satisfaction in knowing that you are well on your way to site selection success. Congratulations!

Frank Raeon is the author of The ABC’s of Site Selection: How to Pick Winners and Avoid Losers, and a commercial realtor and the principal of Location Decision Advisors (locationdecision advisors.com) in Cincinnati. He can be contacted at frank.raeon@gmail.com. 52

PMQ Pizza Magazine – The Pizza Industry’s Business Monthly

Learn six simple steps that help ensure your website is a winner. By Ron McArthur An engaging website with a clean design can build your business’ credibility and drive customers through the door. As a pizzeria operator, it’s important to set yourself apart from competitors and showcase your delicious food and services on the Internet. With more than 200 million people around the country using the Internet and social networking becoming more popular than ever, websites have become integral to a business’ success. So the next time you experience a slow day, hop online and freshen up your site with the following Internet marketing tips:

1. Don’t be afraid to brag. Creating a company blog is a great way to keep your customers in the loop and add a personal touch. On your blog, for example, you can promote various styles of cooking from different regions of Italy with recipes and tips. Keep in mind that a restaurant is a social gathering place; therefore, it’s a good idea to celebrate all holidays and notify customers of your holiday-related specials. And, instead of telling your customers how efficiently you can do your job, show them: Upload images or create multimedia components on your blog or website, such as a video with dialogue and music. Vesuvio Restaurant and Pizzeria (vesuviopizzeria.com) in Santa Clara, California, for example, includes customer testimonials on its site with a photo gallery of events that have taken place at the establishment. Shooting a video of your chef whipping up a delicious pizza is another great idea.

2. Optimize your search results. Include information in your website title that will get you indexed in Google and put you at the top of local searches. For instance, if you own an organic pizza chain, make sure to have keywords such as “organic” and “pizza” hidden in your title; you can hire an outside source to do this. But before hiring someone to create or revamp your site, be sure to understand your target market and what they want. Use words they can understand, and include information on your site they would want to know.

PMQ Pizza Magazine – The Pizza Industry’s Business Monthly

3. Stay image-conscious. Your website is a reflection of your business. Consider not only design but also the color scheme, and keep the site simple. Internet users are lazy, and they want their information to be easily accessible. Use the one-click rule: With no more than one click of the mouse, your potential customer should be able to venture off your home page and find exactly what he’s looking for.

4. Broadcast your services. Most importantly, the content on your website should be as fresh as the ingredients you use in your restaurant. This will be an essential part of driving traffic to your site. Post daily updates of happy hour specials and promotions—even include a calendar of events. Think about what sets you apart from your competition. Also, it’s a good idea to display unique pizza toppings or daily specials on your website and through social media outlets. Make sure you have a place on your website that takes reservations; Facebook is a great tool for this as well. Finally, if something significant is changing within your business, such as the location, broadcast this on your site! Big Joe’s Pizza & Deli (bigjoes kalamazoo.com) in Kalamazoo, Michigan, has done a great job of this; its new location is prominently placed on its home page in bold red letters.

5. Get social media-savvy. Although networking in person can certainly build relationships, online networking possibilities are endless. It takes work to bring traffic to your website, so link it to as many social networking sites as possible. You can promote yourself through LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter. Make your business a Facebook and Twitter profile where you can display company specifics and interact with local groups. Consider visiting relevant blogs such as Slice (slice.seriouseats.com), where you can comment on posts and engage with pizza aficionados. Also, make sure your website is compatible with mobile phones.

6. Stay up to speed! Google will penalize a website that takes longer than eight seconds to open. There is nothing wrong with an aesthetically pleasing design, but you don’t want to overdo it with flash. Make sure you have the proper technical support so readers aren’t waiting forever for pages and pictures to load. Frequently check external links and make sure they are actually linking the reader to the intended site. Bottom line: If you decide to hire outside help for your website, it’s important to find a company that has the industry knowledge and marketing background to not only drive traffic to your site but convert site visitors to customers. And once you’ve found the right fit, listen closely to that outside source. Make sure the company knows the end result you seek, but be adaptable and roll with the changes they might recommend.

Ron McArthur is the president of WSI, a leading provider of digital marketing solutions to small- and medium-size businesses. He can be reached at 888-678-7588 or via email at rmcarthur@wsicorporate.com.

March 2011 • pmq.com 55

Deadline Extended!

2011 Pizza Industry Census You have the power to affect change within the pizza industry through the simple act of answering the following 50 census survey questions. After compiling reader suggestions from last year’s survey, we’ve integrated fresh, reader-requested questions into the current census, helping to boost the value of this always insightful report. Please visit PMQ.com/ census11 to complete the survey online. You can also tear out or copy the form included here and mail your responses to PMQ, 612 McLarty Rd., Oxford, MS 38655, or fax it to 662-234-0665. All responses must be received no later 31, 2011. than March 31

In what city/state are you located? _______________________

2. Which of the following best describes your title?

Independent operator Franchise operator Chain operator Manufacturer Distributor Future pizza operator Consultant Association member Other: ___________________

3. What is your current position?

Owner/partner/CEO Manager Chef Marketing manager Industry/vendor Other: ___________________

4. What current trend do you feel will have the most impact on the industry in the next two to three years? _______________________ 5. Where do you go for industry advice?

Magazines 56

Take it, for pizza’s sake!

Web Consultant Books Other: ___________________

6. How often do you use your cell phone to access the Internet?

More than once daily Daily At least once per week At least once per month Less than once per month Never

7. Which of the following social networking sites do you use on a regular basis (check all that apply)?

Facebook Twitter LinkedIn YouTube FohBoh Google Buzz Other: ___________________

8. On which topics would you like to see more coverage by PMQ (choose your top three)?

Food Marketing Operations Management Equipment Pizzeria profiles Finance Trends Other: ___________________

9. Please rate the overall quality of content in PMQ Pizza Magazine:

Excellent Good Neither good or bad Poor Very poor No opinion What do you like/dislike most about PMQ’s content? _______ _______________________

10. On average, which of the following PMQ resources do you reference most frequently (choose top 3)?

PMQ Pizza Magazine PMQ.com Think Tank Pizza TV Pizza Radio PMQ News Room Pizza News Weekly Newsletter

NOTE: If you work in the restaurant industry but don’t operate a restaurant, please stop here.

11. What type of location do you own?

Stand-alone Inside a shopping center In a strip mall C-store Other: ___________________

You could WIN 100 pounds of Each fully completed survey qualifies you to enter a drawing to win 100 pounds of cheese from your favorite supplier. Completing the survey and including your email address guarantees your entry.

PMQ Pizza Magazine – The Pizza Industry’s Business Monthly

CHEESE!

12. How would you describe the population of the area surrounding your store?

Increasing Decreasing Same

Small town Medium-size town Large city

19. Approximately, what are your sales percentage breakdowns?

13. How long have you been in the pizza business?

Haven’t opened yet Less than 5 years 5-9 years 10-15 years More than 15 years More than 25 years

14. How many units do you own?

1 unit 2-3 units 4-10 units 11-20 units More than 20 units More than 50 units

15. How many direct competitors do you have within a 10-mile radius?

Less than 5 5-9 10-15 More than 15

16. During which daypart(s) is your operation open (check all that apply)?

Breakfast Lunch Dinner Late night 24/7 Other: ___________________

17. In what area have you seen the highest increase in sales at your pizzeria?

Gourmet toppings Healthy options Sandwiches Appetizers Salads Pasta Sodas Alcohol Other, please specify: ________ No increase

18. In general, are your sales increasing, decreasing or about the same compared to last year?

Dine-in ____% Takeout ____% Take and bake ____% Delivery ____% Catering ____% Buffet ____%

20. What is your ratio of food to labor costs?

Food ____% Labor ____% 21. Which segment of your sales, as reported above, has seen the most growth during the last year?

Dine-in Takeout Take and bake Delivery Catering Buffet None

22. Do you have a POS System?

Yes (If yes, which system do you use?) ___________________ No Planning to get one 23. What is your best-selling topping? _______________________ 24. What is your best-selling nonpizza menu item? _______________________ 25. What is your most popular crust style?

Hand-tossed Deep-dish Thin Other: ___________________

26. What alternative crusts do you offer?

Gluten-free Whole-wheat Low-carb Other: ___________________ Don’t offer

27. Do you offer pizza by the slice?

Yes No 28. What percentage of your menu items are obtained from local farmers/producers?

None 1%-10% 11%-20% 21%-30% 31%-40% More than 40%

29. What type of oven do you use?

Conveyor Deck Wood-fired Coal-fired Other: ___________________

30. What percentage of your business is delivery? 5%-10% 11%-20% 21%-30% 31%-40% More than 40% Don’t offer delivery 31. How much do you charge for delivery? _______________________

No charge Don’t offer delivery 32. How do you handle insurance for your delivery vehicles?

Company provides Require employee to show proof of insurance

Other: ___________________ Don’t offer delivery 33. How many employees do you have?

Less than 5 5-15 16-25 26-35 36-45 46-55 More than 55

34. What is your average hourly pay rate for the following positions:

Manager _________________ March 2011 • pmq.com

Assistant manager __________ Pizza maker ______________ Delivery driver _____________ Decline to answer

35. What was your busiest day in 2010? _______________________ 36. What was your busiest month in 2010?

January February March April May June

July August September October November December

37. Do you offer pasta on your menu?

Yes No Will offer in the next 6 months 38. About your dough:

Make our own Use preformed crusts Buy frozen dough Fresh dough balls are delivered to our store Subcontract Other: ___________________ 39. Which method do you use to form dough in your store(s)?

Formed by hand Sheeter Dough press Other: ___________________ Not applicable

40. How do you serve soda (check all that apply)?

Fountain Plastic bottles Glass bottles Cans Other: ___________________

41. Do you serve alcohol (check all that apply)?

Beer Wine Full-service bar None

42. What is your philosophy regarding the use of coupons?

Never use them Hooked on using coupons Use them once in a while 43. Do you use door hangers?

Never Occasionally Frequently 44. Do you use box toppers?

Never Occasionally Frequently 45. Do you use e-mail marketing?

Yes No Not now, but will in the next 6-12 months 46. In how many charity/fundraiser events did your pizzeria participate this past year?

1-5

6-10 More than 10 None 47. What percentage of your budget is spent on advertising?

Less than 2% 2%-5% 6%-7% 8%-10% More than 10% We don’t advertise

48. What marketing promotion in the past 12 months yielded the most dramatic results for you? __________________________ __________________________ __________________________ 49. What are the average yearly sales at each of your stores?

Less than $250,000 $250,000-$500,000 $500,000-$750,000 $750,000-$1 million $1 million-$2 million More than $2 million More than $5 million Decline to answer

50. Do you receive orders through the Internet?

Yes (What percentage of your sales comes from the Internet?) _____

No Not now, but will in the next 6-12 months If you have any questions you’d like to suggest for our next survey, please submit them here:

Thank you for participating in the PMQ 2011 Pizza Industry Census. To enter a drawing for 100 pounds of cheese from a supplier of your choosing, please complete the following information. A winner will be selected at random from all completed surveys.

___________________________

Name ________________________________________________

___________________________

Pizzeria _______________________________________________

___________________________

Phone ________________________________________________ Email ________________________________________________

___________________________ ___________________________

___________________________ ___________________________ ___________________________

Would you like to start/renew your free subscription to PMQ Pizza Magazine? Yes No

___________________________ ___________________________ __________________________

PMQ Pizza Magazine – The Pizza Industry’s Business Monthly

Now Appearing at a Pizza Show Near You! Are you attending a pizza industry trade show during February or March? Be sure to stop by the booths of your favorite vendors to see their latest offerings. NAPICS = North American Pizza & Ice Cream Show, Columbus, OH, February 20-21 (napics.com) IRFNY = International Restaurant & Foodservice Show of New York, New York, NY, February 27-March 1 (internationalrestaurantny.com) PE = Pizza Expo, Las Vegas, NV, March 1-3 (pizzaexpo.com) WRE = Wisconsin Restaurant Expo, Milwaukee, WI, March 21-23 (everythingfoodservice.com) Action Images, PE 1767 ADM, PE 429 Allied Metal Spinning, PE 765 AM Manufacturing, PE 837 Arrow POS, PE 1069, NAPICS 513-517 Avantec, PE 221, NAPICS 807, 808 Bacio, PE 913 Bag Solutions, PE 375, NAPICS 435-437 DoughPro, PE 823, NAPICS 634-636 Bay State Milling, PE 1369 Bellissimo, PE 747 Burke, PE 1025, NAPICS 442-446 California Milk Advisory Board, PE 1775 Cassel/AutoSox USA, PE 509 Check Corporation, PE 1348 Clipper Mill, PE 212 Covertex Corporation, PE 1237 DeIorios Frozen Dough, PE 1636 Dole, PE 1040 DoughMate by Madan Plastics Inc., PE 528 DoughXpress, PE 1235 Edge Ovens/MF&B Restaurant System, NAPICS 816-817 Escalon, PE 1275, 1108 Fidelity Communications Corp., PE 1529, NAPICS 307 Fish Oven & Equipment Corp., PE 1435 Fontanini, PE 535

Food Service Specialties, PE 571 Gordon Food Service, NAPICS 553-555, 652-654, WRE 720 Granbury Restaurant Solutions, PE 313, NAPICS 200-204 Grande, PE 413, NAPICS 434-436, WRE 740 HTH, PE 820 Hot Shot Delivery Systems, NAPICS 239-241 IDS Menu Systems, PE 1659, NAPICS 402 J & G Mills Equipment LLC, PE 925 La Nova, PE 735 Leprino Foods, PE 1263 Liguria, PE 912, NAPICS 509 Lindsay Olives, PE 1148 Lloyd Industries, Inc., PE 222 Mario Camacho Foods, PE 762 Marsal & Sons, PE 1045 McClancy Seasoning Company, PE 1337 Message On Hold, PE 809 Microworks, PE 926 Middleby Marshall, PE 621, NAPICS 561 Molded Fiber Glass Tray Co., PE 118 Mountain Harvest, PE 1455 Moving Targets, PE 606, NAPICS 400 MPP Marketing Group Inc., PE 1244 M-Press Packaging, Inc., PE 1613 Musco Family Olive Co., PE 955 National Marketing Inc., PE 851

PMQ Pizza Magazine – The Pizza Industry’s Business Monthly

National Menuboard, PE 1451 Northern Pizza Equipment, NAPICS 512518, WRE 549 Off The Wall Magnetics, PE 261, IRFNY 1366 Paradise Tomato Kitchens, Inc., PE 655 PDQ Signature Systems, PE 247, NAPICS 235 Peerless Oven, NAPICS 348 Pizza Blends Inc., PE 721 Pizza Marketing Machine, NAPICS 426 Pizza Packet, PE 150, NAPICS 461 Pizza Pop-Ins, PE 456 Pizza.com, PE 855 Pizzaovens.com, PE 447, WRE 355 Pizzaprints, PE 962 Polly-O Italian Cheese, PE 646 Precision Foods, NAPICS 219 Precision Mixers, PE 1657 Presto Foods, NAPICS 401-409, 500-508 Red Gold LLC, PE 1355 RediHeat Inc., PE 1065 Roger & Sons (Marsal & Sons), IRFNY 1931/1945 Roto-Flex Oven Company, PE 647 Saputo Cheese USA, PE 1313, IRFNY 1859 Sofo Foods, PE 1561, NAPICS 223-227, 322-326 Somerset Industries, PE 1445

SpeedLine, PE 1127, NAPICS 441-443 Stanislaus, PE 513 Star Pizza Box, PE 731, NAPICS 453 Sugar Creek Packing Co., PE 1551 SYS System Filtration, IRFNY 1131 T. Marzetti Co., PE 418, NAPICS 309 Taradel, PE 807 The Neil Jones Food Company, PE 1223 The Pizza Butler, PE 1036, NAPICS 600 Thermal Bags By Ingrid Inc., PE 819 Thunderbird Food Machinery, PE 1300, NAPICS 552 TNT Crust, PE 1161 Tom Sawyer Gluten-Free Products, PE 1548 Touch Pro, PE 138 Tyson Bonici, PE 613 Univex, PE 1255 Vision Marketing Inc. (Peel-A-Deal), PE 771 Wood Stone, PE 1675 WP Bakery Group, PE 1646 Wunder-Bar, PE 1536 XLT OVENS, PE 607

Visit PMQ at NAPICS, IRFNY and WRE!

Product Spotlight What’s On the Market

LIGHTNING FAST Picard Ovens’ newly designed Spitfire revolving oven maximizes usage in a minimal amount of space. The European design has a large-capacity rotating oven with thermal insulation and one of the smallest footprints available today. 800-668-1883, picardovens.com

NATURALLY DELICIOUS Liguria Foods’ family of meat products offers a distinctive blend of all-natural seasoning. All varieties are offered in link, diced and pieces, and contain no fillers or MSG. 800-765-1452, liguriafood.com

ALOHA! Dole’s Tropical Gold pineapple chunks deliver recipe inspiration for signature fruitbased pizzas and are just one of many fruit products available to your pizzeria. 800-723-9868, dolefoodservice.com

SAVVY POS SpeedLine’s OrderLink Gateway POS system supports new menu and live pricing updates for online ordering, giving users more choices, including delivery time estimates. 888-400-9185, speedlinesolutions.com

PMQ Pizza Magazine – The Pizza Industry’s Business Monthly

TOP THAT! Action Images offers a diverse lineup of licensed and unlicensed edible imagery that will wow your customers and enable you to generate profits with each sale of their full-color pizza toppers. 847-763-9700, actionimagesinc.biz

ORDERING MADE EASY CafeTech offers online ordering software with three features for easy service. The rewards system, referral system and automatic messaging to Facebook will let your customers do the marketing for you. 320-281-0711, cafetech.net

PURCHASING POWER The North American Bancard Phone Swipe can increase revenue and expand your customer base with the latest in smartphone credit card processing technology. The free app and credit card reader transforms your smartphone into a mobile point-of-sale terminal. 800-2262273, nabancard.com

GLUTEN-FREE GRAIN Omega 3 Chia offers gluten-free grain in whole seed and milled seed flour. This naturally grown and processed flour is highly nutritious and adds omega-3 fatty acids to your pizza dough. 561-909-7837, chiagrowers.com

TRIED AND TRUE Caputo Cheese offers high-quality cheeses, oils, vinegars, spices and pastas that will add artisan flavor to your menu. Started in 1978 as a family-run cheese shop, Caputo blends old-world flavors with top-notch customer service. 708-450-0074, caputocheese.com

DRIVE SALES Text Ripple offers simple, effective and affordable text message marketing solutions that make lasting connections with customers. Talk to your customers the way they communicate. Free demos are available when you text “pmq” to 411669. 248-854-7688, textripple.com

March 2011 • pmq.com

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

March 2011 â&#x20AC;¢ pmq.com

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

Test your culinary and acrobatic skills and you could win a spot on the U.S. Pizza Team and an all-expense-paid trip to the next international competition!

uspizzateam.com

March 21–23, 2011 Wisconsin Restaurant Expo Frontier Airlines Center Milwaukee, Wisconsin

The American Pizza Championship Bring your culinary skills and compete to earn a spot on the U.S. Pizza Team.¬The culinary entries will be judged on appearance, taste and viability. The winner earns a spot on the U.S. Pizza Team. Largest Dough Stretch You’ll have five minutes to stretch out a large dough ball as big as you can.¬Use your arms, legs and head, but no rolling pins! Fastest Pizza Maker This is a race to stretch out five dough balls as quickly as possible.¬ No sauce or cheese required. Box Folding Contestants race against the clock to fold five pizza boxes. Freestyle Acrobatics Perform a dough tossing routine to music, incorporating daring tricks over the shoulder, under the leg and behind the back.¬The winner earns a spot on the U.S. Pizza Team.

Visit USPizzaTeam.com for more information.¬

everythingfoodservice.com

Advertiser Index March 2011 Display Advertiser

Phone

Website

Page

Action Images .................................................... 847-763-9700 ...................................... actionimagesinc.biz ................................. 28 AM Manufacturing ............................................. 708-841-0959 ............................................ ammfg.com ....................................... 34 Bacio ................................................................. 855-BACIO85 .........................................baciocheese.com.................................... 17 Bay State Milling ................................................ 800-55-FLOUR ...................................... baystatemilling.com ................................. 21 Bellissimo .......................................................... 800-813-2974 ...................................... bellissimofoods.com ................................. 19 Burke................................................................. 800-654-1152 ....................................... burkecorp.com/pm ........................... Cover 3 Cassel ................................................................ 800-729-7769 ............................................ autosox.com ....................................... 47 Chia ................................................................... 561-909-7837 .........................................chiagrowers.com.................................... 65 CrustSaver ......................................................... 877-437-4743 ........................................... crustsaver.net ...................................... 66 Dole................................................................... 800-723-9868 ......................................dolefoodservice.com ................................... 2 DoughMate ........................................................ 800-501-2458 ......................................... doughmate.com .................................... 64 DoughXPress ...................................................... 800-835-0606 ........................................ doughxpress.com ................................... 47 Famous Famiglia Pizzeria ................................... 914-328-4444 ......................................famousfamiglia.com ................................. 61 Fish Oven & Equipment Corp. .............................. 877-526-8720 ............................................fishoven.com ...................................... 60 Fontanini ........................................................... 708-485-4800 ...........................................fontanini.com ...................................... 29 Granbury Restaurant Solutions ........................... 800-750-3947 ..........................................granburyrs.com .................................... 23 Grande...............................................................800-8-GRANDE ....................................... grandecheese.com ................................... 3 HTH ................................................................... 800-321-1850 ........................................... hthsigns.com ...................................... 64 La Nova.............................................................. 716-881-3355 .............................................lanova.com................................. Cover 4 Liguria ............................................................... 800-765-1452 ..........................................liguriafood.com .................................... 33 Lillsun................................................................ 260-356-6514 ............................................. lillsun.com ....................................... 40 MF&B Restaurant Systems .................................. 888-480-EDGE ..........................................edgeovens.com..................................... 37 Marsal & Sons .................................................... 631-226-6688 ......................................... marsalsons.com .................................... 40 Message On Hold ............................................... 800-392-4664 .................................messageonholdservice.com ........................... 47 Microworks ........................................................ 800-787-2068 ......................................... microworks.com .................................... 11 Middleby Marshall ............................................. 877-34-OVENS ...........................................wowoven.com ....................................... 7 Moving Targets .................................................. 800-926-2451 .......................................movingtargets.com.................................. 41 PDQ Signature Systems ...................................... 877-968-6430 ............................................ pdqpos.com ....................................... 31 PhoneSwipe....................................................... 866-695-5222 .........................................phoneswipe.com ................................... 65 Pizza Packet ....................................................... 866-281-5455 ......................................... pizzapacket.com .................................... 59 Pizza Prints/The Lucks Company ......................... 800-806-2595 ..........................................pizzaprints.com .................................... 53 Pizzaovens.com..................................................877-FOR-OVEN ..........................................pizzaovens.com .................................... 13 ProTeam ............................................................ 866-888-2168 ...........................................pro-team.com...................................... 36 Saputo Foodservice ............................................ 800-824-3373 ................................. saputousafoodservice.com ............................ 35 SpeedLine .......................................................... 888-400-9185 ...................................... speedlinedemo.com ................................. 37 Stanislaus .......................................................... 800-327-7201 .......................................... stanislaus.com ....................................4, 5 Star Pizza Box .................................................... 800-626-0828 ........................................ starpizzabox.com ................................... 29 SYS System Filtration.......................................... 908-995-4036 ......................................systemfiltration.com................................. 66 Text Ripple ..........................................................877-9-RIPPLE ........................................... textripple.com ..................................... 65 The Menu Company ............................................ 888-963-6826 ..................................... myprofitanalysis.com ................................ 66 The Menu Express............................................... 877-250-2819 ..................................... themenuexpress.com ................................ 64 Tyson Bonici ....................................................... 800-248-9766 ............................................. bonici.com ........................................ 25 USPT Trials/Wisconsin Restaurant Expo .......................................................................everythingfoodservice.com ............................ 67 Vin Di Vino ......................................................... 773-334-6700 ...........................................vindivino.com ...................................... 66 WP Bakery Group ............................................... 203-929-6530 ................................... wpbakerygroupusa.com .............................. 23

PMQ provides this information as a courtesy to our readers and will not be held responsible for errors or omissions. To report an error, call 662-234-5481 x127. March 2011 â&#x20AC;˘ pmq.com

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

APPAREL

COMPUTER SYSTEMS: POINT OF SALE

CAMPUS COLLECTION ...... campuscollection.net .................... 800-289-8744 CUSTOM T-SHIRT DESIGNS ................................. Free art with minimum order! Inventory Stock Program ............................ we warehoues your t-shirts for you.

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

CHEESE

Technology choices for every taste. p p

Point-of-Sale Online Ordering

CHEESE, LOW FAT CASTLE CHEESE, INC. ......................... Rt. 19, Box 378, Portersville, PA 16051 A large variety of healthy alternatives castlecheese@adelphia.net ..................................................1-800-252-4373 66 70

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

www.pmq.com/tt2/recipe

p p

Loyalty Programs Automated mated Marketing

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

DOUGH DIVIDERS/ROUNDERS

CONSULTING

CRUSTS MOUNTAIN HARVEST PIZZA CRUST CO.......................................... Billings, MT Contact: Eric LeCaptain ........... 800-342-6205.................... Fax: 406-248-7336 Sheeted Dough, Self Rising Crusts, Prebake Crusts, Dough Balls, Filled Breadsticks. Specializing in Custom Formulations. eric@mountainharvestpizza.com T.N.T. CRUST . .................................................. Box 8926, Green Bay, WI 54308 Lisa Bartikofsky .................... 920-431-7240..................... Fax 920-431-7249 Large variety of prebaked crusts and Readi-Rise self-rising, live yeast crusts. Experts in customizing formulas.

DOUGH PRESSES/ROLLERS

BAKER’S QUALITY PIZZA CRUSTS, INC. ..................................... Waukesha, WI Par-baked, Sheeted, Pressed and Self-Rising Crusts; Custom Crusts; All sizes. www.BakersQualityPizzaCrusts.com ......................................800-846-6153

DOUGH

Don’t miss the U.S. PIzza Team Trials Go to uspizzateam.com for more information

Interviews, features and news from the world of pizza with host Andrew Abernathy

www.pizzaradio.com

March 21-23, 2011 everythingfoodservice.com March 2011 • pmq.com

up ! g eas n vi h Id

PMQ Industry Resource Guide DOUGH TRAYS/PROOFING TRAYS DoughMate® by Madan Plastics Inc.

FOOD DISTRIBUTORS

DoughMate

• Dough Trays – extremely durable and airtight! • Dough Tray Covers – designed to fit! The Leaders in • Plastic Dough Knives – two ergonomic designs! Dough Handling Products • Dough Tray Dollies – heavy duty! • Excellence in Customer service since 1955! The preferred dough tray of the largest pizza companies in the world. Buy direct from the manufacturer with over 20 years experience in dough trays.

Call 800-501-2450 ........... www.doughmate.com ......... fax: 908-276-9483

FLOUR

GLUTEN-FREE PRODUCTS

INSURANCE

Think Tank 2.0 www.pmq.com/tt2

FLOUR, GLUTEN-FREE

MACHINERY/OVENS/EQUIPMENT

BAY STATE MILLING GLUTEN-FREE PIZZA MIX...............baystatemilling.com Gluten-Free All-Purpose Flour, Custom-blends and Co-Packing Dedicated production area for exceptional purity.........................800-55-FLOUR

Interviews, features and news from the world of pizza 72

rum pizza fo The #1 e web! on th

www.pizzaradio.com

PMQ Pizza Magazine – The Pizza Industry’s Business Monthly

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

March 2011 â&#x20AC;¢ pmq.com

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

Conveyor & Deck Ovens All Major Brands Available

Leer Walkin Coolers and Freezers

MAILING SERVICES

New & Remanufactured! Pizza Store Equipment and Supplies! Your #1 Source for replacement parts for all major brands of equipment.

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

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

MAGNETS

JUMBO PIZZA SLICE MAGNETS 399-2966 WE DELIVER

www.magneticadconcepts.com

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!

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

Randell Refrigeration Prep Units & Freezers

MANAGEMENT

PMQ Pizza Magazine – The Pizza Industry’s Business Monthly

977 Butternut Dr. Holland

MARKETING IDEAS

WWW.TIMEFORGE.COM 866.684.7191

PMQ Industry Resource Guide MARKETING IDEAS, CONT.

MEAT TOPPINGS

Easy, Affordable, Powerful

REWARDS PROGRAM

BURKE CORPORATION ................................................... www.BurkeCorp.com Italian, Mexican-Style and Specialty Fully Cooked Meats Contact: Liz Hertz............ sales_info@burkecorp.com............. 800-654-1152 FONTANINI/CAPITOL WHOLESALE MEATS Contact: Gene Fontanini ..........www.fontanini.com .................. 800-331-MEAT Pizza toppings, Italian sausage, meatballs, sliced gyros and sliced beef SUGAR CREEK PACKING CO., Private Label Precooked Meat Topping Specialists www.sugarcreek.com .................. 800-848-8205 ............ sales@sugarcreek.com

Increase Sales With Our “Done 4U” System www.OurPizzaClub.com / 866-657-5426

REACH A NEW AUDIENCE EVERY MONTH! FREE 1ST MONTH MAILING with Exclusive Agreement Exclusivity: Lock Out Your Competition • Zip-Code Select: No Wasted Coverage 2nd Thank You Postcard Mailing • Tru Trak™: So you know its working PLUS Optional Demographically Targeted Postcard Mailings!

1-800-497-8360 x257

www.ourtownamerica.com

MIXERS

How to Sell More Pizza... and keep customers coming back for more! t )PX UP NBLF B MPU NPSF NPOFZ GSPN ZPVS 104 TZTUFN t )PX UP HFOFSBUF SFDPSE TFUUJOH QSPöUT GSPN QSFTFOU DVTUPNFST t )PX UP HSBC CVTJOFTT BXBZ GSPN ZPVS DPNQFUJUPST

901-767-2937

loyaltycoach.com

Need More Business

RIGHT NOW? Our Tested Neighborhood Pizza Mailings Get CRAZY Response!

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

OLIVES

Get Your FREE Local Prospect Count at:

MovingTargets.com/PMQ Call 800-926-2451, ext. 356 Say, “Send Me Your FREE Sample Kit!”

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

...mobilize & connect

ruxter.com 800.763.1953

MENU BOARDS NATIONAL MENUBOARD ...........................WWW.NATIONALMENUBOARD.COM MAGNETIC & LIGHTED MENUBOARDS, LED & NEON SIGNS Call us Today at 1-800-800-5237 .................Dave@nationalmenuboard.com

March 2011 • pmq.com

PMQ Industry Resource Guide ON HOLD MARKETING

PIZZA DELIVERY THERMAL BAGS, CONT. ELECTRIC

HOTBAG

DELIVER OVEN - HOT PIZZA, GUARANTEED! ONLINE ORDERING

THE BAG The Check Electric HOTBAG plugs into a cigarette lighter to heat and stay at 160-175°. It’s made of sturdy 1,000 Denier nylon with removable heating elements to make cleaning easy.

THE SYSTEM The rack holds 12 large Electric HOTBAGs heated simultainously by a power distribution unit (PDU). Pizzas are kept oven-hot in the bags until ready for delivery. Quick release connector snaps into the vehicle power cord.

PIZZA BOXES

Made in the USA

800-927-6787

www.HOTBAG.com

PIZZA DELIVERY - VEHICLES PIZZA BOX LINERS

PIZZA OVENS FISH OVEN & EQUIPMENT CORP. 120 W. Kent Ave........Wauconda, IL 60084 TOLL Free 877-526-8720 ....... Fax: 847-526-7447 ...... www.fishoven.com

PIZZA DELIVERY THERMAL BAGS LINCOLN FOODSERVICE PRODUCTS................................... 888-417-5462 BAG SOLUTIONS ................................................. Home of the Pizza Jacket 1111N. Hadley Rd. Fort Wayne, IN 46804 ..................... Fax 260-436-0735 Impinger Conveyor Ovens featuring FastBake and Quest EMS Deliver that pie HOT and DRY! 866-Bag-To-Go (866-224-8646) ........................ www.deliverybags.com Thermal Bags by Ingrid Best Selection of Pizza Delivery Bags Keep Pizza HOT! 800-622-5560 or 847 836-4400, 24/7 ordering ..... www.ThermalBags.com

MARSAL & SONS, INC. ....................The new standard in the Pizza Industry Brick Lined Deck Ovens • Standard Deck Ovens • Prep Table Refrigeration 631-226-6688 ......... www.marsalsons.com ........ rich@marsalsons.com PIZZAOVENS.COM Your complete source for buying and selling pizza equipment. www.pizzaovens.com or call toll free 1-877-FOR OVEN

PMQ Pizza Magazine – The Pizza Industry’s Business Monthly

PMQ Industry Resource Guide

March 2011 â&#x20AC;¢ pmq.com

PMQ Industry Resource Guide PIZZA OVENS, CONT. i feel preƩy.

PIZZA OVENS, CONT.

oh, so preƩy!

ROTO-FLEX OVEN CO. ........................................Contact Richard Dunfield 135 East Cevallos, San Antonio, TX 78204 PH 800-386-2279 .......www.rotoflexoven.com ........... Fax 210-222-9007

PIZZA PANS

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

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

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

& sons, inc. Pizza Ovens and Equipment

PIZZA SUPPLIES

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

Interviews, features and news from the world of pizza with host Andrew Abernathy

www.pizzaradio.com 78

PMQ Pizza Magazine – The Pizza Industry’s Business Monthly

PMQ Industry Resource Guide PIZZA SUPPLIES, CONT.

PRINTING, CONT.

PLASTIC DOUGH CONTAINERS

Non Stick • Easy to Clean • FDA Approved Plastic Heavy Weight • Last 10X longer than metal! Replace your dented ones TODAY ! Manufacturers’ Direct Pricing For free* sample email us at:

SunsetPlastics@aol.com

(*Does NOT include postage & handling)

Call Vito:

718-200-1013

PIZZA PEELS LILLSUN ........................................................PO Box 767, Huntington, IN 46750 Setting the Standard ............................................Made in the U.S.A. since 1951 Ph 260-356-6514 ............ www.lillsun.com .......................Fax 260-356-8337

REFRIGERATION

PRINTING COMMERCIAL PRINTING • MAIL FULFILLMENT SERVICES

8999

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

www.colorvisionprint.com • 800-543-6299

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

PRICE, QUALITY & SERVICE! M • Dooarketing List! PREMIUM ,000 PREMIU 10,000 r Han • g

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PRINTED COLORS

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O:239.352.2755 F:239.353.4255

Don’t miss the U.S. PIzza Team Trials Go to uspizzateam.com for more information

Food for thought... www.pmq.com/tt2/recipe

March 21-23, 2011 everythingfoodservice.com

March 2011 • pmq.com

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PMQ Industry Resource Guide PRINTING, CONT.

PMQ Pizza Magazine – The Pizza Industry’s Business Monthly

PMQ Industry Resource Guide SCALES

TAKE AND BAKE TRAYS

SPICE FORMULATION, BLENDING & PACKAGING

TOMATO PRODUCTS

CALIFORNIA BLENDING, INC. ........ Confidential Custom Blending & Packaging. Bill Mooreheart, Jr. ....................... Serving Industiral Spice needs since 1976. 2603 Seaman, El Monte, CA 91733.............................................626-448-1918 CASTELLA IMPORTS, INC. ................................................ www.castella.com 60 Davids Drive, Hauppauge, NY 11788 ....................................... 866-Castella MCCLANCY SEASONING ............................ One Spice Road, Fort Mill, SC29715 Contact: Chuck Wiley 800-843-1968 ................................................................... Fax: 803-396-7794

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

SUPER STICKY POST-IT® NOTES

WEBSITES

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

WINGS

Interviews, features and news from the world of pizza with host Andrew Abernathy

www.pizzaradio.com

uspizzateam.com

THANKS to our U.S. Pizza Team sponsors!

March 2011 • pmq.com

(

time capsule

De Lorenzo’s Tomato Pies After more than 60 years in business, this legendary pizzeria is finding added success with a second location. The De Lorenzo’s pizza lineage goes back four generations to Italian immigrants Pasquale and Maria De Lorenzo, who helped their four sons (Jimmy, Joe, Johnny and Alexander “Chick”) open a tomato pie restaurant in 1936. Eventually, Chick opened his own pizzeria in Trenton, New Jersey, in 1947, which still stands today: De Lorenzo’s Tomato Pies (delorenzostomatopies.com). Chick eventually passed along the business to his daughter Eileen and her husband Gary Amico, and their son Sam helped out from childhood—until Sam decided to strike out into the suburbs of Robbinsville, fa an nss.. New Jersey, to cater to a new generation of De Lorenzo’s pizzaa fans. “I was born into the business, starting as a dishwasher when I was a kid; later, I made pizza five nights a week,” he recalls. “It was a big risk to open a new place, and even though everything’s going well, I don’t take it for granted.” Of course, the core De Lorenzo’s recipe is at work at both locations, and the Amico family takes pride in the consistent quality of the product. The recipe uses California whole tomatoes that are hand crushed and blended with other tomatoes to make the most important component of the tomato pies. The thin, crispy crust has followed the same recipe for nearly 65 years, and the mozzarella (true to tomato pie fashion) goes on to b be e before the sauce. This recipe has le ed to dozens of awards for the led p pi wd ds pizzeria over the years, plus a loyal following that still crowds tthe th h original location. he Amico credits the pizzeria’s longevity to hard work and the w willingness to keep learning, adjusting and adapting. “In a ttrue family-run business, you know that people care about ut w n what they’re doing, that the people involved have passion a and really like what they do,” he says. “After 26 years in thee b u business, I’m still learning every day. Once you think you know everything, that’s when things go bad.” –Tracy Morin To see more historic photos from De Lorenzo’s Tomato Pies, visit PMQ.com/blog. Clockwise from top: Jimmy De Lorenzo stands in front of the shop in the late ’30s; Chick (right) serves pizza to the mayor in the ’50s; De Lorenzo’s sign advertises tomato pies; Joe De Lorenzo cooks a pizza in the late ’30s.

Has your pizzeria been in business for 50 or more years? If so, contact us at tracy@pmq.com. 82

PMQ Pizza Magazine – The Pizza Industry’s Business Monthly

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