PMQ Pizza Magazine April 2013

Child’s Play Page

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Tap into the kids market with fun-focused promotions— their parents will love you for it.

Frozen treats | Pg 36 refrigeration | Pg 44 Pizza in brazil | Pg 52

April 2013 www.PMQ.com

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THIS IS THE CROWD THAT QUALITY BUILT…

ONE PIZZA AT A TIME.

Tonight’s crowd is no coincidence. It’s our reward for focusing

on the details that make us the best pizzeria in town. Grande has helped us get there with premium Italian cheeses that distinguish our menu and the business experience that has helped build our business…every pizza, every customer, and every time.

W E S E E W H AT YOU S E E .®

©2012 Grande Cheese Company

For a new view on your business, visit www.grandecheese.com or call 1-800-8-GRANDE.

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DEPARTMENT online at pmq.com Pizza TV: Recent Videos

Our Top Social Media Picks Social media is more than just Web-based chatter—it’s a marketing revolution! Whether running a “Big Three” franchise or a mom-and-pop operation, operators generate sales from steadfast Facebook and Twitter campaigns. PMQ editors monitor how industry professionals embrace social media and, in some ways, help write the rules for viral marketing. Here are some of our favorites this month: thepizzakitchen $10 bottles of twisted wines all day and all night. Twisted Tuesday! Bring it!

U.S. Pizza Team: Ambassadors of the American Pie: After an exciting year of regional and national competitions in 2012, members of the U.S. Pizza Team have set their sights on the upcoming World Pizza Championship, the “Super Bowl of Pizza,” to be held this month in Parma, Italy.

This Week in Pizza

DimosWrigley The perfect snow storm defense: warm pizza, mixers for BYOB and board games with friends. We open at 4 p.m.

See you then!

MulberryStPizza Fill in the blank: The first order I ever placed at Mulberry Street Pizzeria was for ________.

Family Pizza and Restaurant You don’t know what you’re missing! It’s never too late to sign up and join our VIP Text Club! Our members have already enjoyed exclusive deals such as two cheese pies and wings for only $20.

Unbeatable! All you have to do is text FAMILY PIZZA to 72727, and you’re in!

Hurry up and join us before you miss the next incredible deal!

Catch up on the latest pizza industry news every Wednesday with Pizza TV’s weekly online broadcast, This Week in Pizza, with hosts Brian Hernandez and Michelle McAnally.

Find us on Twitter: @pmqpizzamag facebook.com/pmqpizzamagazine

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PMQ Pizza Magazine

The Pizza Industry’s Business Monthly

Urban Crust Like bourbon? Like Chef Salvatore’s food? You can’t go wrong attending our Bourbon Tasting tonight at 6:30 p.m.

Five spirits paired with five dishes at $39.90 per person. Call 972-509-1400 to join us!

Arris’ Pizza Tomorrow is Facebook Fan Appreciation Day at our Osage Beach location. After 4 p.m. you will receive 50% off the Homer Pizza, 50% off appetizers (excluding the Mezze) and an all-night happy hour. Join us for this great deal!

CONTENTS April 2013 On the cover

26 Child’s Play Kids frequently influence a family’s dining decisions, and they expect fun with their finger foods. PMQ outlines five crucial elements of a successful kids marketing program.

By Tracy Morin

features

36 Stayin’ Cool From soft-serve ice cream to fro-yo, gelato, smoothies and slushes, frozen treats create upsell opportunities—and can even spawn new moneymaking dayparts for your pizzeria.

By Michelle McAnally

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The Big Chill Switching to an eco-friendly refrigeration system isn’t only beneficial for the environment—it can also boost your bottom line.

By Michelle McAnally

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A Slice of São Paulo In the Brazilian city of São Paulo, pizza has evolved in its own unique fashion over the past century, creating a “Darwinian smorgasbord” with unusual ingredients and innovative business practices.

By Missy Green

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Battle in the Bluegrass State Pizza makers from 23 pizzerias across Kentucky competed for statewide bragging rights—and a coveted spot on the U.S. Pizza Team—in the 2012 Bluegrass Bakeoff.

By Daniel Perea

Coming Next Month Pizza of the Month: Hawaiian Salads: With enterprising operators going above and beyond the ordinary selections, salads at pizzerias can now be as sophisticated as those in upscale eateries.

Digital Entertainment: From old-school Pac-Man and poker to up-to-date videos and movie trailers, rapidly evolving technologies are creating opportunities to turn your pizzeria into a digital entertainment complex.

At-the-Table Credit Card Processing: As customers’ expectations of security and convenience get higher, many pizzerias have responded with services that allow guests to pay at the table without surrendering their credit cards.

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PMQ Pizza Magazine

The Pizza Industry’s Business Monthly

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CONTENTS april 2013

36

44 24

departments 18 In Lehmann’s Terms: Adding Milk to

Pizza Dough

24 Marketing Maven: A New

Marketing Strategy for Red Boy Pizza—Part 2

Tom “The Dough Doctor” Lehmann explains how to incorporate fluid or dry whole milk into your recipes.

20 New York’s Finest:

Making Your Own Pasta As Chef Bruno explains, making your own fresh pasta requires only a few basic ingredients and a little bit of time.

22 Accounting for Your

Money: Protect Yourself Against Wage Complaints Mike Rasmussen offers tips to prevent employee payment disputes from becoming major headaches.

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in every issue 6

Online at PMQ.com

12

Editor’s Note

In part two of a two-part case study, Linda Duke details her yearlong plan to help a San Francisco chain boost sales and improve franchise consistency.

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Letters to the Editor

16

Pizza Press

60

Product Spotlight

61

Idea Zone

Pizza of the Month: Meats

66

Advertiser Index

A meat-packed pizza comes loaded with flavors, textures and belly-filling thrills that can hardly be duplicated by veggie substitutes.

67

Industry Resource Guide

81

Resource Guide Advertiser Index

82 Time Capsule: Mario’s Restaurant & Pizzeria This family-run pizzeria in Flint, Michigan, celebrates 50 years in business this month.

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EDITOR’S NOTE rick hynum

The Kids Are Alright

On the cover: Brady Summers indulges in a vanilla milkshake at Holli’s Sweet Tooth in Oxford, Mississippi. Learn more about marketing to kids in our cover story, “Child’s Play,” on page 26, and explore the world of moneymaking frozen treats in “Stayin’ Cool” on page 36.

Photo by Michael Foster

Kids love pizza. And parents love to make their kids happy, which means eating a lot of pizza. Now, granted, I’m not a parent myself—I’m too impatient, too moody and just plain too selfish to be trusted with the long-term care and well-being of a child.

Even so, some of my best friends are kids. I’m an uncle, a great-uncle and a godfather to many awesome little people, and when I take them out to eat, it’s usually pizza that they crave. Oddly enough, though, none of the pizzerias that we frequent cater specifically to kids. And I can’t figure out why. When families go out for dinner, they typically go where the children want to go. But with so many competing pizzerias to choose from, why should they choose yours? Because your food is better? Sorry, but most kids’ palates aren’t that sophisticated. They just want to go where the fun is.

If you run a family-oriented pizzeria but business isn’t where you’d like it to be, our cover story, “Child’s Play” (page 26), by Tracy Morin, is a must-read. With input from kid-friendly pizzerias around the country, Tracy details the five key elements of a successful kids marketing program: menus, events, sports sponsorships, play areas and hiring the right staff. You’ll learn about designing place mat menus that kids will want to take home with them, creating arts and crafts contests that naturally appeal to children, and sponsoring youth sports. Linda Duke, PMQ’s Marketing Maven, even offers a great tip for “auditioning” potential staff members who can become kid magnets for your pizzeria.

Meanwhile, Michelle McAnally delves into kid-friendly frozen treats in “Stayin’ Cool” (page 36), spotlighting “destination desserts” ranging from Oreo “chipwiches” to smoothies and frozen fruit pops. And for something completely different (and fascinating), don’t miss “A Slice of São Paulo” (page 52), Missy Green’s account of the weird and wonderful world of pizza in São Paulo, Brazil, where toppings like tuna and hard-boiled eggs beat pepperoni every time and the cheese of choice is squeezed from a bag.

In short, our April features offer plenty of tips to get you started toward making more money at your pizzeria. Let us know if you start your own kids marketing program and how it works out. We’d love to hear from you!

Rick Hynum Editor-in-chief PMQ Pizza Magazine

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LETTERS TO THE EDITOR rick hynum

A P ublication of P M Q , I nc .

A Team Player I wanted to share my experience with the U.S. Pizza Team (USPT) with your readers. As an employee of Puccini’s Smiling Teeth (puccinissmilingteeth.com) in Lexington, Kentucky, I won the second annual Bluegrass Bakeoff in September 2011, and the grand prize was an opportunity to compete with the USPT in Italy. I also went to Sydney, Australia, and competed in the finals of the 2012 Global Pizza Challenge. I have since utilized the press releases generated by the USPT about my competitions in numerous ways to get media coverage for Puccini’s.

I appeared live on Channel 27’s TV news station, and the Lexington Herald-Leader ran an article about my trip to Italy, as did Chevy Chaser Magazine and Southsider Magazine. Puccini’s Smiling Teeth is proud of my accomplishments with its recipes and appreciates the sustained 5% bump in business from the press coverage and TV spots.

The USPT has been an incredible addition to my life. I have met so many people who share my passions and my career. I have enjoyed their company and learned a lot from them in both the culinary and business perspectives. Competing has helped me build a name for myself and for

Puccini’s Smiling Teeth on the national and international stage. I welcome the challenges and benefits that the USPT offers, and I know that the relationships I have gained worldwide, the experience I have accrued and the knowledge I have acquired will make me better in my profession and open many doors for me in the future. Thank you for accepting me with such open arms.

Greg Spaulding Puccini’s Smiling Teeth Lexington, KY

To the Moon Thank you so much for the big box of magazines and, most of all, for the amazing feature article on Blue Moon Pizza (“Blue Moon Rising,” March 2013). We appreciate you both considering and then choosing Blue Moon for your March cover. We feel truly honored!

Mandy and Kelvin Slater Blue Moon Pizza Atlanta, GA

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

PMQ, Inc. Publisher Steve Green sg@pmq.com ext. 123 Co-Publisher Linda Green linda@pmq.com ext. 121 editorial Editor-in-Chief Rick Hynum rick@pmq.com ext. 130 Editor at Large Liz Barrett liz@pmq.com Senior Copy Editor Tracy Morin tracy@pmq.com Food Editor Michelle McAnally michelle@pmq.com ext. 133 International Correspondent Missy Green missy@pmq.com Design/Production Art Director Kara Hoffman kara@pmq.com ext. 135 Designer Eric Summers eric@pmq.com ext. 140 Media Producer Daniel Lee Perea dperea@pmq.com ext.139 advertising Sales Director Linda Green linda@pmq.com ext. 121 Account Executive Clifton Moody clifton@pmq.com ext. 138 Account Executive Tom Boyles tom@pmq.com ext. 122 administration Chief Financial Officer Shawn Brown shawn@pmq.com Circulation Manager Sherlyn Clark sherlyn@pmq.com ext. 120 Director of Operations/ Event Coordinator Brian Hernandez brian@pmq.com ext. 129 PMQ International PMQ China Yvonne Liu yvonne@pmq.com PMQ Australia-NZ Tom Boyles tom@pmqaustralia.com Pizza&Food Gabriele Ancona gabriele.ancona@pizzafood.it France Pizza Julien Panet jpanet@francepizza.fr Pizza e Pasta Italiana Massimo Puggina redazione@pizzaepastaitaliana.it Spain—pizzanet.es Eduard Jiménez info@pizzanet.es

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.

Think Tank 2.0 What’s the buzz? Log on to find out the latest industry buzz at PMQ.com/tt.

• • • • •

Gearing up for the big tournament!

Negotiating with vendors...

Starting delivery...

Designing an online ordering system...

Insurance questions...

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

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

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Brazil—Pizzas & Massas Michel Wankenne wankenne@insumos.com.br editorial advisors Chef Santo Bruno Tom Lehmann Joey Todaro Ed Zimmerman contributors Chef Santo Bruno Linda Duke Tom Lehmann Michael J. Rasmussen Volume 17, Issue 3 PMQ Pizza Magazine 605 Edison St. • Oxford, MS 38655 662.234.5481 • 662.234.0665 Fax linda@pmq.com PMQ Pizza Magazine (ISSN #1937-5263) is published 10 times per year. Cost of U.S. subscription is $25 per year. International $35. Periodical postage pricing paid at Oxford, MS. Additional mailing offices at Bolingbrook, IL. Postmaster: Send address changes to: PMQ Pizza Magazine, PO Box 2015, Langhorne, PA 19047.

Opinions expressed by the editors and contributing writers are strictly their own, and are not necessarily those of the advertisers.

All rights reserved. No portion of PMQ may be reproduced in whole or part without written consent.

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pizza press news & views

A Dough Throwing Throwdown A $2,500 cash prize, a home entertainment center and the coveted Crystal Pizza Cutter Award were at stake in this year’s CiCi’s Pizza (cicispizza.com) Throwdown in Murphy, Texas, with Angel Roldan of the chain’s Garland, Texas, store claiming top honors.

Pizza makers from CiCi’s stores train year-round for the event—stretching, saucing and baking a full buffet of pizzas, desserts and garlic Parmesan knots.

Roldan prepared an entire buffet in just 24 minutes and nine seconds to win the third annual contest. “Our Throwdown inspires pizza artisans at all of our restaurants to perfect their skills throughout the year,” says Chris Patterson, the chain’s director of people development.

Roldan, who has been featured in CiCi’s training videos for his lightning speed and precision, already knows how he will spend his cash winnings. “I’m using it to purchase a breathing machine for my sister, who suffers from allergies,” he says.

Angel Roldan, winner of this year’s CiCi’s Throwdown, will use his $2,500 cash prize to buy a breathing machine for his allergy-prone sister.

Burning Love for The Elvis If you’re going to make a pizza for the Mecca of all bacon festivals, it had better be the king of all pizzas. And lawdy, Miss Clawdy, that’s exactly what Gusto Pizza Company (gustopizzaco.com) did when it invented “The Elvis” for the Blue Ribbon Bacon Festival in Des Moines, Iowa.

Like Presley himself, Gusto owner Joe McConville and his team tend to go for a little less conversation and a little more action when coming up with new and unusual pizzas, such as the Allman Brothers (cinnamon butter, peaches and pecan crumble with a side of whipped cream) and the Big Lebowski (Kahlua cream sauce, coffee-rubbed beef, shiitake mushrooms and green onion—the sort of pizza that really ties a room together). But the Gusto team was playing for keeps with The Elvis, inspired by the iconic rocker’s favorite sandwich and featuring bacon, peanut butter, bananas and honey. “We were looking for something to fit the festival, and we think we nailed it,” McConville says.

Gusto likes to get its customers all shook up with innovative pizza styles. “We get ideas from everything—an ingredient, a current event, a song, leftovers,” McConville notes. “We fear that, if we ever stopped the creativity, we may not find it again.” Fortunately, Gusto’s fans can’t help falling in love with The Elvis, he adds. “It has a kind of a cult following. People approach it with caution, but once they do, they fall for it like the ladies fell for The King.”

A Birthday to Remember The Mellow Mushroom (mellowmushroom.com) chain may be known for its hippie-kitsch atmosphere, but employees of a Jacksonville, Florida, location revealed a heart of gold to boot when an overseas soldier recently needed some help with a birthday gift.

Army National Guard Major Shawn Fulker, who is deployed in Afghanistan, emailed the company’s website asking if a pizza and $50 gift card could be delivered to his wife, Josephine, for her birthday, offering to pay with his credit card. But local Mellow Mushroom manager J.P. Morgan and his employees threw in a few gift ideas of their own, Josephine says. “They brought a pizza, a big butterfly balloon and a vase of flowers with a gift card for $50, and they told me that it was from my husband,” she recalls. “I said, ‘Oh, my goodness!’ I was surprised and excited and overwhelmed and all of that. It was so nice.”

Morgan says his staff members “decided on their own to get the flowers and the balloon.

I think, just living in a military town, we are more sensitive to the families and what they go through with having relatives deployed.”

Meanwhile, Mellow Mushroom didn’t charge Fulker a penny—a gesture the soldier will never forget. “I am going to do something nice to pay back this unbelievably thoughtful act of kindness,” Fulker promises.

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Josephine Fulker got a little something extra for her birthday thanks to Mellow Mushroom.

Liz Barrett and Tracy Morin uncovered many culinary delights in Florida, including (clockwise) garlic-laden dinner rolls at Il Mulino; the buffalo mozzarella at Fratelli la Bufala; the Roka Cabana at Piola; and hand-pulled mozzarella at Da Campo Osteria.

Editors at Large PMQ editors Liz Barrett and Tracy Morin dropped in on a few Florida restaurants to search for fresh ideas to share.

Photos by Tracy Morin

W

hile scouring the Internet in search of a dinner spot, the words “Super Mozzarella” flashed across the screen. Remember the famous movie line, “You had me at hello”? Well, it works the same way with the words “Super Mozzarella,” especially when those words are accompanied by “fresh-pulled” and “prepared tableside.” Located inside the Il Lugano Hotel in Fort Lauderdale, Da Campo Osteria (dacamporestaurant.com) wows customers by rolling out a cart filled with items such as heirloom tomatoes, olive tapenade, roasted garlic, Peppadews and fig balsamic. As the menu promised, a tableside chef placed mozzarella cheese curds into hot water and hand-pulled the warm, soft cheese, then plated and presented it with a complete array of accompaniments.

Tucked inside a strip mall in Hallandale Beach is an outpost of Piola (piola.it), an eclectic pizzeria with more than 35 locations around the world, including in Brazil, Turkey, Ecuador and Mexico. Accordingly, food and beverage menus reflect an international influence, with drinks such as the Italian Caipiroska with lychee, mint and red pepper; the Roka Cabana, a layered salad of arugula, fior di latte, diced tomatoes, yellow bell peppers and pistachios; and a full

lineup of internationally inspired pizzas, including several that incorporate the popular Catupiry cheese from Brazil.

Through the Piola menu, Barrett and Morin took a trip around the world—and savored every bite.

At Il Mulino (ilmulinofl.com) in Fort Lauderdale, Barrett and Morin discovered that one of the most popular offerings isn’t even on the menu—it’s the complimentary dinner rolls that arrive at the table saturated in fresh garlic and olive oil.

Maybe not the best bet for those on a date, but a real winner for any garlic lover. After two plates of rolls and a uniquely delicious appetizer—wild mushroom and Fontina polenta with demi-glace—it was easy to see why this business has been thriving for more than 20 years.

With dozens of international locations in countries such as Italy, Spain and Belgium, the Miami Beach location of Fratelli la Bufala (fratellilabufala.eu) offers a similar European ambiance, with large family photos covering the walls and fresh Italian ingredients on the menu. Barrett and Morin wasted no time in exploring several of the restaurant’s offerings, including buffalo mozzarella served with cherry tomatoes, extra-virgin olive oil, salt and oregano; housemade ricotta gnocchi; and a Margherita DOP pizza.

April 2013

pmq.com 17

In Lehmann’s Terms Tom “the dough doctor” lehmann

Adding Milk to Pizza Dough Tom “The Dough Doctor” Lehmann provides a formula for incorporating fluid or dry whole milk into a dough recipe.

By Tom Lehmann

QUESTION: I recently learned about a pizza shop in Chicago that uses milk in its dough recipe.

What kind of a difference can milk make in the final pizza product, and how should it be used?

ANSWER: The function of milk in pizza, or in any other type of yeast-leavened dough, will depend largely upon the amount of milk used or added to the mix. At levels of less than 25% of the total flour weight, fluid whole milk is just a more expensive form of water. However, when you reach 5% or more of the total flour weight using dry whole-milk solids, you will begin to see added browning of the crust due to the lactose (milk sugar) in the dry whole milk. At the 8% to 10% level, you will get a flavor contribution in addition to the browning.

The calcium content of the milk, when used at levels above 4%, can act as a buffer to control acid development in the dough with long fermentation times.

Keep in mind, though, that if it’s not kept refrigerated, fluid whole milk can carry some food safety risks. Additionally, it should be scalded prior to using it in dough—this will prevent unwanted softening of the dough. Scalding is not necessary when using dry whole-milk solids, but you should use high-heat, bakerygrade dry whole-milk solids rather than

plain dry milk solids. You may able to find this type at the local supermarket, or you can purchase it from some restaurant or school suppliers.

One last point about milk and pizza dough: When you get up to that 5% level of dry whole milk, you might also see some strengthening of the dough due to the calcium ion effect upon the wheat gluten-forming proteins. When converting from liquid to dry milk, you should use approximately 1.5 ounces of dry whole-milk solids to replace one pound (16 ounces) of fluid whole milk, then add back 14.5 ounces of water (1.5 + 14.5 = 16 ounces).

What about milk bread? There is a standard of identity for milk bread that

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calls for all of the liquid added to the dough to be fluid milk. And, if you’re wondering, no, you can’t add fluid milk and water and still call it milk bread.

However, you can add at least (but no less than) 8.2% dry milk solids (based on the total flour weight) along with water to hydrate the dough and still call it milk bread.

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

New York’s Finest Chef Bruno

Making Your Own Pasta

Making pasta from scratch takes a little time, but the fresh flavor and texture is worth the extra trouble.

By Chef Santo Bruno Some people think pasta is hard to make.

They are wrong. In fact, it’s very easy to make your own pasta at home or at your restaurant. And you don’t need a pasta machine—you can do it by hand. All you need is a few basic ingredients and some time.

Pasta has existed since the days of the Roman empire and remains one of the most versatile ingredients in the kitchen. It can be combined with almost anything—from meat and fish to vegetables and fruits—to make a wide range of dishes. It is also delicious served with simple sauces and herbs. And it comes in all shapes and sizes, with such choices as tortellini, ravioli, cappelletti and more.

With a supply of pasta in your pantry, you can simply grab a few other stock items and create mouthwatering and nutritious meals within minutes.

Of course, you can always buy fresh pasta from your local Italian specialty food store. But making your own is well worth the time and effort that it takes. Store-bought dried pasta offers convenience, of course, but nothing is better than the delicate flavor and texture of your own fresh pasta. And, if you’d like, you can dry it yourself, or it can be stored in a freezer for a couple of months while maintaining freshness. Here’s a recipe to get you started.

SLNY PRODUCTIONS

Directions: Spread a little flour around your work surface. Add a pinch of salt to your flour and sift the flour into a mound. Make a well in the center of the mound and drop the eggs and oil into it.

Using a fork or your fingertip, gradually work in the mixture until all ingredients are fully combined. Knead vigorously for 10 to 15 minutes. Set the dough aside to rest for 25 minutes before rolling it out as thinly and evenly as possible.

To cook the pasta, boil water in a large pot. Add salt or a little oil so that the pasta doesn’t stick together. Boil the pasta in the water for about 15 minutes or until desired tenderness is reached.

You’ll Need: 1 lb., 4 oz. (550 g) durum wheat flour 4 eggs, lightly beaten 1 tsp. olive oil Pinch of salt

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

Accounting For your Money Michael J. Rasmussen, CPA

Protect Yourself Against Wage Complaints

A Department of Labor investigation can be expensive and time-consuming for employers who don’t maintain up-to-date records.

By Michael J. Rasmussen

QUESTION: Can a disgruntled employee challenge his or her wage compensation through legal channels?

ANSWER: Yes! I recently completed a Wage and Hour Division (WHD) investigation through the U.S. Department of Labor. In this case, a restaurant employee challenged the overtime calculations of an employer after he was fired for misconduct on the job. The employer provided credible testimony that the claimant had received multiple reprimands for being rude to customers and not completing assigned tasks. It was determined that the claimant’s repeated instances of poor attitude and his failure to complete assigned tasks—despite repeated reprimands—constituted sufficient proof of intentional poor performance. Thus, he was denied unemployment compensation. But he still qualified for back wages due to overtime for which he hadn’t been compensated.

This required some tricky calculations, but, to make a long story short, the employee eventually received an additional $85 in wages for back compensation. Meanwhile, however, the employer and his advisers had to commit an enormous amount of time and effort to this WHD investigation, from countless reports to employee interviews and documentation of all wages paid by the employer over a two-year period. We estimated that it cost the employer nearly 38 man-hours and $1,850 in adviser fees. And it could have been worse: If an attorney had not been brought into this case, many additional employee interviews would have been carried out at the restaurant itself, causing disruption of the owner’s business practices and possibly upsetting other employees.

So how can you protect yourself in these cases? Here’s what I recommend: • Keep current files—including frequent reviews—on all of your employees.

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• If you can justify the costs, use an outside payroll service that has the ability to offer human resource suggestions, such as tip calculations.

• Provide an employee handbook to every person on your staff and make sure each person reads it and signs a copy of it.

• Implement and enforce a “three strikes” rule for actions that qualify as misconduct in connection with an employee’s work performance.

• Go the extra mile to keep employees aware of all wage and hour labor laws.

• Provide a work environment that allows employees to voice their opinions, which could help alleviate problems that come up later.

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

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

Marketing Maven Linda Duke

A New Marketing Strategy for Red Boy Pizza—Part 2 Linda Duke shares her strategy for helping a California-based pizza chain increase its sales and improve franchisee consistency.

By Linda Duke

I

n last month’s column, I explained how my company, Duke Marketing, developed a brand-new marketing strategy for Red Boy Pizza (redboypizza.com), a small chain with eight locations in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Red Boy hired us in June 2011, and we spent more than a year helping the company create new moneymaking promotions, earn local media coverage, improve franchisee consistency and increase overall sales. The resulting case study led to my new book, The LSM Diet: Improve Your Bottom Line, Not Your Waistline, a “marketing diet” to help restaurant operators generate sales through the use of local store marketing (LSM) tactics in a 52-week program.

Previously we explored how my company applied the LSM “diet” to Red Boy Pizza during the last six months of 2011.

In this month’s column, we’ll look at the first half of 2012: January 2012. To kick off the new year, we celebrated National Spaghetti Day on January 4 with posters, fliers and other materials that raised awareness of the Spaghetti Red Boy dish.

Later that month, with the San Francisco 49ers playing in the NFC championship game, the time was ripe for a “Niner Deal” promotion. Using in-store posters and fliers, the website and social media, we advertised a game-day dine-in deal that included a 50% discount on all beer and appetizers and the “Slice & Soda for $4.25” special. Sales were up at the end of the month.

February 2012. A Super Bowl promotion offered two specials priced at $46: three extra-large, two-topping pizzas or two extra-large, two-topping pizzas, 10 wings and a large green salad. The promotion ran over the four days leading up to the game and on Super Bowl Sunday itself. Later, in honor of Valentine’s Day, we created the “Get a Heart, Give a Heart” 24 PMQ Pizza Magazine The Pizza Industry’s Business Monthly

A ribbon-cutting party at one Red Boy Pizza location drew local VIPs, including the mayor and City Council members.

promotion that ran for the first 14 days of the month. Each Red Boy location offered large, two-topping, heart-shaped pizzas for $18; the addition of a salad bumped the price up to $24, and then tacking on two glasses of wine (for dine-in only) made the price $28. For every heart-shaped pizza sold, each location donated a dollar to the North Bay and Oakland Heart Associations.

March 2012. The team introduced a new menu item—Pesto Parmesan Sourdough Twists—on March 20 with in-store posters and fliers and a press release. A coupon offered two

(Clockwise from top left) Red Boy Pizza’s “Tax Break” promotion targeted accountants during tax season, while a “Boot Drive” raised funds for firefighters. The Tomato Festival promo spotlighted the Pizza Margarita, and punch cards for a free slice encouraged return business.

deals: a complimentary twist sample (no purchase required) or a free full order of twists with a purchase of $25 or more.

Meanwhile, one Red Boy Pizza location celebrated new ownership by joining the local Chamber of Commerce and hosting a ribbon-cutting party. We designed food description cards to be placed in front of each dish, set up a welcome table and a raffle for gift certificates, and made sure every guest left with a gift bag that included a menu, a brochure about Red Boy Pizza’s Community Partners Program, a coupon for the new Pesto Parmesan Sourdough Twists and other items. Guests included the mayor and members of the City Council.

April 2012. In our “Tax Break” promotion, we delivered complimentary pizzas—along with fliers and coupons for $5 off any purchase of $25 or more—to local CPAs and accountants.

With tax season upon them, these accounting professionals were working under tremendous pressure and were thrilled to receive the free pizzas. The coupons were valid until April 30.

May 2012. To raise funds for local fire departments, each store set up a “Boot Drive” donation box and encouraged guests to “fill the boot.” Additionally, every store gave 15% off each order for firefighters, police officers and members of the military during the last two weeks of May. We promoted the event with ads in local newspapers and earned media coverage through a press release sent to the papers along with free pizzas.

Meanwhile, the Larkspur location developed the Hawaiian Thursdays promotion, featuring Paradise Pizza slices during Thursday lunches. And Duke Marketing also created slice cards

as a loyalty promotion—guests had to purchase 10 slices and have their cards punched to earn a free slice.

July/August 2012. Just in time for summer, we created the Tomato Festival at all Red Boy Pizza locations, an event that ran from July 15 through August 15. Guests, loyalty club members, e-club members and Facebook fans signed up for a chance to win several prizes, such as gift cards for $200 and $100. Meanwhile, a monthlong Pizza Margarita special was offered at $8 for a small size, $12 for a medium, $16 for a large and $20 for an extra-large. Guests who purchased a gift card for $25 or more received a free small Pizza Margarita.

We even created a Kid’s Tomato Festival coloring sheet to educate kids about tomatoes and keep them entertained at the table. Finally, we worked with Oakland’s Chabot Space & Science Center to create an educational session on making sourdough as part of the museum’s Kitchen Chemistry series.

Red Boy Pizza president Joseph Radwan talked about the chain’s famous sourdough crust recipe, kids learned to prepare sourdough twists to be taken home and baked in their own ovens, and each child received a coupon for a free kids pizza at the Oakland location.

Linda Duke is the CEO of Duke Marketing and author of Recipes for Restaurateurs (marketing-cookbook.com), a “cookbook” of marketing ideas for restaurant owners, as well as The LSM Diet: Improve Your Bottom Line, Not Your Waistline (lsmdiet.com), a self-help guide to local store marketing. She publishes a quarterly industry resource, Restaurant Marketing Magazine, and an educational program, LSM-U, Local Store Marketing University. Find out more at dukemarketing.com.

April 2013

pmq.com 25

feature story kid promotions

By Tracy Morin

Cultivate a new generation of loyal customers by designing promotions and events for children— their parents will love you for it.

26 PMQ Pizza Magazine The Pizza Industry’s Business Monthly

“Sponsoring sports teams and hosting team events and fundraisers are the very best ways to get the next generation introduced to and excited about your pizza brand.”

—Linda Duke, CEO, Duke Marketing

michael foster

T

hink back to your childhood—where did you enjoy eating most? Chances are, you begged your parents to take you to a restaurant that offered a little something extra just for kids, from crayons and a dedicated fun-foods menu to engaging games and server interaction. When trying to draw families to your pizzeria, low-cost, easy solutions will attract parents, but kids are all about fun, says Joe Johnston, a Nashville-based creative consultant who supervised the invention of the McDonald’s Happy Meal. “Pizza has built-in kid appeal—they love the food, sharing and social circle that naturally goes with pizza,” he says. “But they also want fun served with their finger food.”

April 2013

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Davanni’s

Davanni’s Pizza & Hot Hoagies offers rooms specifically for children’s parties, and kids who host an event receive a “Future Pizza Maker at Davanni’s” apron.

PMQ tracked down pizzeria owners using stellar kids marketing tactics, as well as industry experts, to discuss five crucial elements of a successful kids marketing program: menus, events, sports sponsorships, play areas and a kid-approved staff.

1. Make Every Meal a Happy Meal When building a menu geared toward tykes, keep it simple and allow for flexibility. Clori Rose-Geiger, co-owner of Mia’s Pizza and Eats (miaspizzaandeats.com) in Cumming, Georgia, focuses on quality ingredients and less-processed and unprocessed foods. Her other requirement: items that don’t require extensive prep. “We make sure the kids menu items can be easily fixed in our kitchen, and, for the most part, parents order cheese pizza slices or spaghetti with sauce or butter for their kids,” says Rose-Geiger. “We also offer a kids cut on pizza slices, which is an added benefit for parents because they don’t have to cut up their toddlers’ slices with a knife and fork, making the kids menu parent-friendly as well.”

Don’t be afraid to take special requests to please both picky kids and their more health-conscious parents. For example, the Mia’s team happily steams broccoli and cuts up chicken or turkey slices for parents who request a cheeseless dish. Kids with food allergies or intolerances may also have special dietary needs.

“With an increase of celiac disease and other common allergies, pizzerias should have gluten- and dairy-free options,” says Ali Alami, general manager of Seattle-based KidScore, a Web and mobile service that rates restaurants on kid-friendliness. You might also offer healthy fare, she adds. “Veggie topping options with healthy sides, such as apple slices or carrots, are great, as well as having at least one healthy kids dessert option.”

At the 21-store Davanni’s Pizza & Hot Hoagies (davannis. com), based in Plymouth, Minnesota, a section on the menu board for kids meals is also a hit with adults, thanks to smaller 28 PMQ Pizza Magazine The Pizza Industry’s Business Monthly

portions, bundling and simplicity. Fuss-free options include a Solo Pizza or Penne Pasta, plus dessert and a drink. “Simple, uncomplicated items, like cheese pizzas and plain or red-sauce pasta, are best for kids, who want something of their own instead of sharing with Mom and Dad,” says Tim Huberty, marketing director for Davanni’s.

Some ideas have proven better than others, of course.

Davanni’s less successful trials have included a ham-and-cheese hoagie; healthy options (“We got burned twice by trying to offer fruit cups,” Huberty admits); and toys, which, surprisingly, generated no real interest.

When designing and presenting kids offerings, Linda Duke, CEO of Duke Marketing in San Rafael, California, recommends having dedicated children’s menus, coloring menus and menu place mats to encourage family dining and young diners. (With any luck, coloring or drawing materials bearing your company’s logo could end up on the customer’s fridge for weeks or months!) “Kids menus should be designed to engage, entertain and educate, which gets families to stay longer and encourages them to return more often,” Duke says. “Create a place mat menu that’s two-sided—one side featuring word searches, mazes, puzzles and counting games, and the other side could be a coloring sheet personalized with your menu and/or logo.”

Huberty, meanwhile, incorporates social media into his place mats. He advertises a promotion in which customers who send pictures of themselves with a Davanni’s pizza get a free pie; the company then posts the images on Facebook.

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2. Practice the Party Arts Anyone who’s ever had a kid (or been a kid) knows that children like getting crafty—and how proud parents are of their little ones’ creations. Encouraging kids’ creativity can be a huge hit for your pizzeria. Mia’s incorporates kids arts and crafts into events such as major food drives at the store, handing out baggies filled with pizzeria-themed art projects or having staff pull two tables together for an art table where kids make pizza collages (using paper plates with paper pieces, pompoms and gift-bag filler shreds purchased at the dollar store), pasta necklaces and pizza-themed coloring pages.

Mia’s also promotes an annual pizza box art contest with two age categories. The middle-/high-school winner earns one free pizza each month for a year, while an elementaryschool winner receives a pizza party (four pizzas and two two-liter sodas). Even holidays play into kids’ creative sides: On Halloween, the Trick or Pizza event at Mia’s offers a free slice of cheese pizza to kids dressed in costumes.

Meanwhile, Davanni’s has found great success with its Kiddy Kup Contest. Promoted online through social media and instore on LCD screens, the contest solicits children (ages 10 and under) to design the next kids cup for the pizzeria. The contest regularly receives a couple thousand entries and runs for six weeks. In-store, children pick up entry forms and crayons to create their designs, and each kid receives a cookie for an entry.

The entries are plastered on the walls in the pizzerias, and the top finalists are selected in-house; then online voters have a

week to choose an overall winner. The winning child receives a party for himself and 20 people (thus bringing family and friends into the pizzeria). “We get 40,000 to 50,000 hits for voting during this period,” says Huberty. “We’ve done this contest almost 10 times, and it creates a lot of buzz—even getting us coverage in the local paper.”

Farrelli’s Wood-Fired Pizza (farrellispizza.com), a chain with six stores in Washington, dedicates certain nights to kids of various age groups. Farrelli’s hosts “kids eat free” night on Mondays, with a free kids meal for every $10 spent by an adult. High school students get 10% off on Wednesdays, while Thursdays feature roving balloon artists. For everyday fun, children receive a ball of dough, plus a coloring sheet, to play with at the table, and each kid leaves with a balloon. Takeout orders can even be packaged with stickers and kids tattoos. Whatever events you choose, Alami recommends that they reflect community interests, are creative, consider all ages (i.e, toddlers vs. tweens) and offer variety.

Finally, don’t forget the importance of kids parties. Davanni’s offers pizza making parties, bringing out crusts in boxes and ingredients in bowls; between assembly and serving, kids play games or open presents. Most Davanni’s locations have party rooms so children can make noise and run around, and kids who book parties receive small aprons that say “Future Pizza Maker at Davanni’s” (these aprons aren’t for sale; kids must host a party to get them).

Duke says a kid-friendly pizza making promotion will set your pizzeria apart from competitors. “Not only does it create an emotional connection to the pizza brand, but kids spread the word and will choose their favorite pizza making place instead of the competition,” she notes. She suggests creating a party guide flier for parents that details cost per child; what your pizzeria will supply for different group sizes; reservation information; and contact details for guests.

Johnston agrees that becoming the go-to place for parties can be a surefire kid-magnet tactic. “Assign a host to handle parties, someone with a personality for it—a full-time staff member, spouse or intern from the local high school or college,” he advises. “Parents like to be able to simply show up and know the party is taken care of.”

Don’t be afraid to tap into the creativity of your littlest customers. Kid-friendly operators can hold art contests and have children draw menu covers, cup designs, T-shirts or window stickers.

30 PMQ Pizza Magazine The Pizza Industry’s Business Monthly

“A kids space should have fun games that keep their attention and be a place where kids can be seen by their parents, yet are kept out of the staff’s way.”

— Clori Rose-Geiger, co-owner, Mia’s Pizza and Eats

3. Get Into the Game Showing support for local sports teams helps attract hordes of youngsters (and their families) through the door. “Sponsoring teams and hosting team events and fundraisers are the very best ways to get the next generation introduced to and excited about your pizza brand,” Duke says. “Contact area youth sports groups and invite them to use your pizzeria as their ‘team headquarters’—a place for kids to sign up, receive their team uniforms and throw postgame parties.”

To get started, Huberty recommends meeting with the team coordinator to discuss potential opportunities and, whenever possible, working with the entire league rather than just one team. But don’t simply write a check and walk away, he adds— get involved and stay involved.

Davanni’s, for example, is very aggressive when it comes to sports—the company sponsored 60 youth teams last year.

It requires each team to wear the Davanni’s logo on jerseys (when possible), posts team pictures on in-store LCD screens and hosts team parties. Davanni’s also provides logoed water bottles to team members. Additionally, the pizzeria donates to leagues by having participants save their Davanni’s receipts and turn them in at the end of the season to receive a 10% rebate gift card for the team, thus helping the team earn its end-of-season party.

Hosting team fundraisers also helps increase your pizzeria’s visibility. Mia’s makes fundraising nights available (including one for a high school soccer team that featured a pizza eating contest) and supports a local high school’s drum line, which played in the parking lot of the store.

When working with sports teams or fundraisers, Johnston recommends the following: • Make sponsoring work for you by attending a few games when your schedule allows, meeting the parents, and giving out coupons and gift certificates.

• Donate gift certificates for charity events, sports teams and school events.

• Expand your network by working with local leagues, schools, PTA and mothers groups, churches, etc. One personal contact can extend your reach to many people.

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pmq.com 31

Be a Good Sport Linda Duke, CEO of Duke Marketing in San Rafael, California, offers some additional tips for pizzeria operators with an interest in marketing to kids sports teams: •

• •

Ask all groups to email their members with your message or special offer.

Collect email addresses and use social media as part of your ongoing outreach plan.

4. Create a Place to Play According to Alami, a small play area can be set up in less than 25 square feet with traditional elements such as rubber mats, toys (avoid choking hazards and keep the toys clean), bins and a gated area—ideally placed in the back or corner, away from the door and where parents can keep an eye on kids. If you have limited space, get creative: Rose-Geiger is considering adding a bin of pizza-themed books, plus chalkboard paint, on the wall directly behind its three video games in the rear of the restaurant. “A kids space should have fun games that keep their attention and should definitely be a place where kids can be seen by their parents, yet are kept out of the staff’s way,” she says.

Duke adds the following tips for play areas: • To minimize noise, place the kids area far enough away that other patrons won’t be bothered.

• Post a cleanup policy that instructs kids to put all toys, books and other items back in their proper place.

• Assign staff members to monitor the area for potential trouble and ensure cleanliness.

5. Hire Kid Magnets Alami notes that an owner should train staff and enforce standard procedures for dealing with kids. Employees should have a solid understanding of basic safety rules in handling hot food and beverages around children. They should engage children of all ages by looking them in the eye, talking to them and smiling, and know how to anticipate kids’ needs, such as extra napkins and plastic water cups with covers and straws for toddlers.

32 PMQ Pizza Magazine The Pizza Industry’s Business Monthly

•

•

•

•

Host a Uniform Day. Pick a slow day or night and offer free food and drinks to members of designated teams who wear their uniforms into your restaurant.

With permission from team, school or league officials, offer branded samples of your pizza or other menu items at local games, such as girls soccer or Little League baseball. You may even want to dispense the samples from a tent that bears your pizzeria’s logo.

Sponsor achievement awards—such as Most Improved Player or Defensive Player of the Year—given out at the end of the season.

Include a free pizza at your restaurant as part of the award.

Arrange an eating competition between rival teams and promote the event to the local media.

Don’t forget the school bands, cheerleader squads and pompom squads. These groups often need a corporate partner to help raise funds for uniforms, instruments, improvements to facilities or traveling to competitive events.

If your pizzeria serves a lot of kids and families, consider adding background checks and informal personality evaluations to your hiring process. At Mia’s, waitstaff is prescreened via a citywide policy that requires a server’s license to serve alcohol (any misdemeanor or felony eliminates the ability to get a license).

“We also hire waitstaff based on how they’ll interact with people, and we certainly group children in with that,” Rose-Geiger says. “Families are the people who make our business a success, so we want our waitstaff to work well with them.”

Duke offers a unique idea for securing a kid-friendly staff: Bring in a group of kids during a slow time and have job candidates engage the children with games and pizza making activities.

This auditioning process will allow you to hire kid-tested and kid-approved crew members who can help create or implement your next kid-friendly marketing program or promotion!

Tracy Morin is PMQ’s senior copy editor.

feature story frozen treats

Stayin’ Cool

By Michelle McAnally

Create new dayparts, attract sweet-toothed customers and boost sales by adding signature frozen treats to your menu.

michael foster

36 PMQ Pizza Magazine The Pizza Industry’s Business Monthly

mia’s

Like Bogart and Bacall or Pitt and Jolie, pizza and a frozen treat make a beautiful couple.

Many pizzerias specialize in the combination, and a national trade show, the North America Pizza & Ice Cream Show (NAPICS), has served the market for more than 10 years. One Philadelphia business, Little Baby’s Ice Cream, even offers a pizza-flavored ice cream—a blend of fresh dairy cream, tomato paste, garlic, oregano leaves and tomato concentrate—in honor of its next-door neighbor, a pizzeria/museum called Pizza Brain. “To be honest, it’s pretty much a gag, but it consistently intrigues and delights people, so it’s more or less a staple on our rotating menu,” says Little Baby’s co-founder Pete Angevine.

“I would say that probably 60% of people who come into our shop for the first time try a small sample and then end up ordering a serving of something else—because it tastes a lot like pizza and, really, it’s pretty odd.”

OK, so maybe ice cream and a pepperoni pie are better off as just good friends. Regardless, they’ve got a chemistry that can’t be denied. “Both are craveable and shareable,” says Cathy Manzon, director of marketing for The Loop Pizza Grill (looppizzagrill.com), a Jacksonville, Florida-based chain. “Kids will come in after school or after a sporting event and order a shake and fries. Couples will stop in before or after a movie. It’s a perfect shareable snack.”

Jillian Hillard, marketing manager at PreGel America in Concord, North Carolina, notes that pizzerias typically serve gelato, frozen yogurt and soft-serve—but no matter what the

medium, frozen treats are moneymakers. “They can be upsells to any dish, and they can also create a daypart that the pizzeria didn’t previously have,” she says. “For example, frozen desserts on summer evenings can draw a whole new crowd.”

Cookies Take the Cake Many pizzeria operators create their own signature frozen desserts, while others opt for premade brands. At Ray’s Pizzeria & Ice Cream Shoppe (rayspizzaandicecream.com) in Lexington, South Carolina, owner Brian Clancy says frozen treats make up 24% of sales. “We offer Breyer’s Ice Cream, Hershey’s Ice Cream, Island Oasis Smoothies and Slushes, and Gino’s Italian Ices during the summer months,” he notes.

But the two most popular frozen dishes at Ray’s involve signature recipes made with cookies: Ray’s ChipWich, a homemade chocolate chip cookie ice cream sandwich, and the Cookies and Cream The “Chipwich,” a perennial favorite at Ray’s Pizzeria & Ice Cream Shoppe, is made with handmade chocolate chip cookies and ice cream rolled in sprinkles.

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Destination Desserts Ice cream is one of the most versatile frozen treats in the world, lending itself to all kinds of clever experimentation and, from a marketing specialist’s point of view, memorable product names.

If you make your own ice cream in-house, you’re limited only by your creativity and willingness to try new things.

When Elton Hyndman took over a former restaurant’s space to open Oscar’s Ice Cream and Pizza Joint (oscarspizzajoint. com) in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, he stumbled upon an ice cream maker left behind by his predecessor—a lucky break, since the machines can cost anywhere between a few hundred and several thousand dollars. “All of our ice cream flavors start out with our basic vanilla custard that we make in small batches daily,” Hyndman says. A typical day’s selection might include peanut butter fudge, Rocky Road and café au lait, as well as vanilla and chocolate.

Meanwhile, fresh ingredients and the changing seasons influence Oscar’s offerings. “We like to use local ingredients as much as we can,” Hyndman continues. “Our dairy and eggs are sourced locally, and they make a big difference. There are two strawberry seasons in Louisiana, so we’d better have a good strawberry ice cream!” The pizzeria also changes up flavors for holidays—such as candy apple or pumpkin pie ice cream for Halloween, or holiday flavors with food coloring for Christmas.

And, every now and then, Hyndman and his staff like to push the ice cream envelope. “You have a bunch of people 38 PMQ Pizza Magazine The Pizza Industry’s Business Monthly

mia’s

Supreme sundae, a Cookie Monster’s dream with three scoops of Cookies & Cream ice cream drenched in chocolate syrup and topped with Oreo cookie crumbs and whipped cream.

Ray’s offers a variety of palate-pleasing items for kids, who often drive a family’s decision on where to eat. “We created special ice cream treats for our younger customers,” Clancy says. The Mousey Mick features one scoop with Oreo cookie ears, candy eyes and a cherry nose. Children can even construct their own sundae with Ray’s “I’m the Builder,” a scoop of ice cream served with small cups of candies, sprinkles and chocolate syrup, and a single scoop of ice cream is included in every kids meal.

A cookie-based frozen concoction is also a top seller at Mia’s Pizza and Eats (miaspizzaandeats.com) in Cumming, Georgia.

Owner Clori Rose-Geiger offers an Oreo ice cream pie yearround. “Some people say it’s the best dessert they’ve ever had,” Rose-Geiger boasts. “It’s a simple recipe that we developed in-house. It’s easy to make, with very few ingredients, and people love it.”

The Loop Pizza Grill offers an old-fashioned dessert experience with hand-dipped shakes and malts, but, even here, cookies still take the cake. “Our Oreo milkshake has always been our top seller,” Manzon maintains. “Even when we introduce a new flavor, Oreo still comes out on top. I’m sure some of it has to do with the popular brand name, and cookies and milk go together so well.”

Strawberry Ice Pops Recipe courtesy of Mia’s Pizza and Eats Ingredients

4 c. fresh strawberries, preferably wild, hulled and cut into quarters ½ to ¾ c. sugar ½ c. water 2 tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice Directions

1. Combine the strawberries and sugar in a bowl.

Let sit until the strawberries start to release their juices (20 to 30 minutes).

2. Transfer the sugary strawberries and water to a saucepan and place over medium heat. Simmer until the berries are slightly softened (about 5 minutes). Let cool to room temperature.

3. Transfer the mixture to a blender or food processor, add the lemon juice and puree until the desired consistency (from smooth to somewhat chunky).

4. If using conventional molds, divide the mixture among the molds, snap on the lid, and freeze until solid (about 5 hours). If using glasses or other unconventional molds, freeze until the pops are beginning to set (1½ to 2 hours, depending on the size), then insert the sticks and freeze until solid (4 to 5 hours).

mia’s

Yogurt Ice Pops with Berries Recipe courtesy of Mia’s Pizza and Eats Ingredients

½ c. water ½ c. sugar 1 lemon, preferably organic 1½ c. plain unsweetened Greek-style yogurt 2 tbsp. honey 2 c. fresh blackberries or other berries of your choice

standing around thinking of silly ice cream flavors, and once in a while you try one out,” he says. One recent example: pancake-and-bacon ice cream. “I’d had some bacon infused into sweet desserts before and thought it was really good,” he recalls.

“We had some good maple syrup, so all we had to do was come up with a good pancake recipe. It was interesting—not for the faint of heart, that’s for sure!”

Soft-serve ice cream is another customer favorite. The only major difference between soft-serve and “hard” ice cream is that the former is served at a warmer temperature. “Softserve ice cream is very popular with pizza buffets,” says Jamie Schwartz, the product marketing manager at St. Louis, Missouri-based Kent Precision Foods. “With a marketing angle that encourages customers to ‘save room for dessert,’ operators can see the profitability of their buffet increase as customers indulge less on the more costly pizza offerings and more on soft-serve desserts.”

Self-service soft-serve machines enable customers, especially kids, to create their own treats. With customizable machines, you can serve multiple types of products at the same time with the push of a button, so your customers have a range of choices and can swirl flavors and types together. “The biggest advantage of the soft-serve machines over the traditional cases

Directions

40 PMQ Pizza Magazine The Pizza Industry’s Business Monthly

Always a crowd-pleaser, ice cream sundaes are value added treats that allow you to get creative and cater to your customer’s tastes.

michael foster

1. Combine the water and sugar in a small saucepan. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring, just until the mixture comes to a boil and the sugar has dissolved.

2. Rinse the lemon and slice off the zest, but not the underlying pith, in long strips. (Save the underlying lemon for a different use.) Add the strips of lemon zest to the pan, lower the heat to medium, and simmer for 5 minutes. Let the syrup cool to room temperature. Strain the syrup through a fine-mesh sieve, then refrigerate until chilled, at least 1 hour.

3. Add the yogurt and honey to the chilled syrup and stir until thoroughly combined.

Place some of the sweetened yogurt mixture into each of the molds, pouring to a height of about ¾”. Freeze until the mixture begins to set (about 40 minutes).

4. If the blackberries are big, cut them in half.

Divide the blackberries among the molds, then pour in the remaining yogurt mixture, dividing it evenly among the molds.

5. If using conventional molds, snap on the lid and freeze until solid (3 to 4 hours). If using glasses or other unconventional molds, freeze until the pops are beginning to set (45 minutes to 1 hour), then insert the sticks and freeze until solid (3 to 4 hours).

is the footprint,” says Dan Doromal, director of marketing at Donper America in Orlando, Florida. “One soft-serve machine can serve ice cream as well as frozen yogurt, custard, sorbet and gelato—all within a 2’-by-2’ area.”

“Soft serve—and ice cream in general—is a destination dessert,” Schwartz concludes. “Operators will very often see traffic increase throughout the day as consumers go out for a frozen treat.”

An Ice-Cold Smorgasbord Ice cream may be a pizzeria staple, but it’s just the beginning.

Pizzerias around the country serve a veritable smorgasbord of ice-cold treats. At Russillo’s Pizza and Gelato (russillospizza. net) in Yakima, Washington, customers often visit just for the handmade gelato. “We have six flavors that we always display: Oreo, pistachio, chocolate, cheesecake, strawberry and birthday cake,” says general manager Curry Cates. “During the spring and summer, we start to experiment a little. Some of the odd flavors that people like are maple bacon, chili chocolate, cinnamon basil, bourbon and balsamic strawberry.”

Ray’s has had success with smoothies and slushes, along with a signature frozen beverage called the Sherbet Spritzer, featuring orange sherbet and seltzer. “These items have been a nice

addition to our ice cream menu and have increased our sales,” Clancy observes. “They’re a good complement to the pizza we make, and they leave enough room to eat a lot of pizza.”

Smoothies in particular have become trendy in recent years, Schwartz notes, citing a Mintel study in July 2012 that showed 71% of respondents like to order smoothies as snacks. “This can bring traffic into an operator’s establishment throughout the day,” she says. “And, according to Mintel, the average smoothie price is $4.92. With just a blender, a smoothie base and some frozen fruit, operators can see more than a 50% gross margin.”

Frozen yogurt has its fans, too. “Both full-service and quickservice restaurants are now offering cannoli filled with various frozen yogurt flavors,” Doromal says. “These desserts have been a hit in Italy, and we are now starting to see it more and more in the United States. As far as flavors are concerned, we’ve seen shops lean toward more unique flavors such as sea salt caramel, pistachio, cappuccino and white chocolate truffle.”

At Mia’s, frozen fruit pops are just the ticket on a sultry Southern day. “We make them in the late spring and throughout the summer, when the fresh berries are at their best,” RoseGeiger says. “We make small batches, about 16 of each flavor at a time, and we don’t carry them for very long. If the fruit isn’t available locally, we won’t make the pops.”

April 2013

pmq.com 41

Mia’s top-selling fruit pop flavors include blueberry lime, strawberry, and blackberry or raspberry yogurt. “Ice pops are quite easy to make but require a bit of time and patience,” Rose-Geiger says. “The process takes a few steps: making the filling, freezing, and moving them from molds to baggies. But when people come in for pizza, the pops are a nice surprise, especially since we carry them as local specials rather than yearround. We always sell out of our batches.”

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42 PMQ Pizza Magazine The Pizza Industry’s Business Monthly

So what’s the key to selling frozen treats in a pizzeria setting?

“A picture says a thousand words,” Manzon notes. “We often display beautiful photos of our shakes on the wall, next to the order counter or right on the counter itself so that all the guest has to do is point to it. It’s a proven fact that whenever we display pictures of our milkshakes, we sell more.”

Clancy agrees with that approach. “The more our customers see, the better the ice cream sells,” he says. “We take pictures of our special frozen desserts.” Clancy uses two display cases to show off his 16-plus flavors of ice cream. Guests often can’t resist the temptation, even if they came in just for pizza, he says. And to bring customers through the door in the first place, Clancy offers ice cream specials and advertises with coupons and e-mails to current customers.

At Oscar’s, Hyndman occasionally offers coupons that feature ice cream, such as a free small dish with the purchase of a pizza. Sampling can pay off, too. “We give a taste spoon to anyone who will take one,” he says. “I offer it to all of the tables I wait on by saying, ‘Which one of our ice cream flavors would you like to try today?’”

“In new markets, the best way to market our shakes is to sample them,” Manzon agrees. “We pass out small samples of the different varieties for the guests to try. Once they try them, they’re hooked!”

The key is to develop frozen treats that make sense with your existing menu, Hillard concludes. “Make sure it fits in with the integrity of the brand and its offerings,” she adds. “If businesses pride themselves on high-quality pizza, the same should be said for their desserts. Well-thought-out additions should complement the existing lines.”

And who knows? Maybe you’ll hit on your own recipe for pizza ice cream like Little Baby’s. Angevine says his team developed the treat to honor neighbor Pizza Brain’s induction into the Guinness Book of World Records for its collection of pizza-related memorabilia. “Some folks think it’s funny, some think it’s gross, but some absolutely love it and come in once a week like clockwork to order a pizza milkshake,” he says.

“There are a brave few who order a ‘Frankford Avenue Taco,’ which is a slice of pepperoni pizza from Pizza Brain with two mini-scoops of pizza ice cream on top. It’s wild!”

Michelle McAnally is PMQ’s food editor.

PMQ’s Pizza village O c t O b e r

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OVER 50 BAkING & PIZZA INDuSTRY ExPERTS, INCLuDING...

Rock Their World!

Sam Fauser 60 minutes | Sunday, October 6th • Tackle how to make the most of the routine transactions memorable • Answer the question of how to accept the gift of a customer’s concern • Explore who should handle complaints • Examine the ROI of great customer service • Define customer service as a marketing tool

Pizza Art: Not Just for Fun, but Good Business Marketing Domenico Crolla 60 minutes | Monday, October 7th This demonstration will demonstrate why pizza lends itself well to marketing more than other dishes on the restaurant menu. It will describe why photographers love pizza and show step by step Domenico’s process for creating his pizza art.

Domenico will show the principles of distributing toppings on a pizza for maximum visual effect.

Trench Marketing: How to Grow Your Retail Business From Behind Your Own Counter Rudolf Waldner 60 minutes | Sunday, October 6th

Online Ordering How to Get Started and What it Can Mean for Your Bottom Line Edward Zimmerman 60 minutes | Tuesday, October 8th

This intense retail workshop will keep your attention as it hammers you with hundreds of low cost, extremely relevant, and proven growth methods for your retail shop. Documented successes will be shared, including record breaking return on investment, with graphs that prove out the program.

• • • • •

Driving Restaurant Sales in a Tough Economy Linda Duke 60 minutes | Monday, October 7th

Pizza and Bakeries: The Hidden Link to Profit John Arena 60 minutes | Wednesday, October 9th

Attendees will learn how to engage guests, partner with local area businesses to generate awareness and sales. How to get out of the four walls and generate sales within the 3-5 mile radius of their restaurant. Who to target, what to take and what to say will be discussed.

Veteran pizza maker John Arena will share 45 years of experience as he explores the history of these complimentary disciplines and demonstrates how pizza can add sales and profit to any bread baking operation. The session will focus on development of signature products and refinement of the techniques that will enable your bakery to distinguish itself from the competition.

Plusses & Minuses of Online Ordering.

Do’s and don’t’s of online ordering.

Management team integration.

What to look for in an online ordering platform. and much more!

workshops targeted directly for pizzeria operators & their bottom line.

Looking for trends, ideas and opportunities for your pizza business? It all comes together at the International Baking Industry Exposition (IBIE) this October.

Supported by PMQ Magazine and featuring the US Pizza Team, American Pizza Championships and the PMQ Pizza Industry Information Center, IBIE has everything you need to boost sales, increase ROI and stay ahead of changing consumer tastes. Shop advancements in automated dough and handling equipment, batch mixers, conveyor ovens, packaging, toppings and more.

Plus, attend targeted retail and food service educational sessions to get essential information to improve your business.

REGISTER TODAY & SAVE: www.IBIE2013.com

Find us:

feature story Refrigeration

By Michelle McAnally

Keep your cool and boost your bottom line with energy-efficient refrigeration equipment.

44 PMQ Pizza Magazine The Pizza Industry’s Business Monthly

Notes On the Fridge

Saving Energy Thanks to recent improvements in insulation and compressors, today’s refrigerators consume less energy than older models. The U.S. Department of Energy and the Environmental Protection Agency created the Energy Star program (energystar.gov) to rate the energy efficiency of appliances and help both individuals and businesses choose the right ones for their energy needs.

“The single most important factor when considering the purchase of commercial refrigeration is whether they are Energy Star-qualified,” advises Randy Augustine, senior product manager for reach-in refrigeration at Hoshizaki in South Peachtree City, Georgia. “Energy Star storage refrigeration is 15% to 30% more energy-efficient than standard refrigeration equipment. In a small facility, this could amount to hundreds of dollars annually.” He adds that many states offer rebates as incentives for the purchase of Energy Star-qualified equipment, and the cost of Energy Star equipment, on average, is comparable to standard models.

A typical refrigerator is comprised of a compressor and an insulated enclosure, notes Emily Hoffman, senior engineer at Altanova Energy+Sustainability in Long Island City, New York. “They’re not only the backbone of a refrigerator; they are also its major energy hogs,” she says. “Most refrigerators and

In the market for a new refrigeration unit? To determine the right type for your operation, Randy Augustine, senior product manager for reach-in refrigeration at Hoshizaki in South Peachtree City, Georgia, recommends that you first ask yourself the following 10 questions: •

What is your budget?

•

What will be stored in the refrigerator?

•

What’s the main purpose or function of the equipment—long-term storage for the back of the house or preparation of product for immediate consumption?

•

How many items will be required/offered per menu item? How much work area is required to assemble the product?

•

Are there special requirements for the equipment, such as dough proofing or retarding?

•

What refrigerator size is required (one, two or three sections)? How much available space do you have?

•

What general construction characteristics are required (such as stainless steel or anodized aluminum exterior and interior)? Are casters or legs required? Are doors or drawers desirable?

•

Are replacement parts readily available?

•

What is the warranty on the equipment? Does the warranty include parts and labor? If so, for how long?

•

Does the manufacturer offer a local network of authorized service agents?

HOSHIZAKI

F

rom refrigerators and prep tables to open-air merchandisers, going green while keeping your food cool isn’t only beneficial for the environment—it can boost your bottom line, too. Refrigeration burns a lot of juice; it’s responsible for nearly 20% of your power usage, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. By choosing energy-efficient appliances and maintaining your cooling systems properly, you’ll save money on electric bills, make your equipment last longer and ensure that food is stored safely.

Some pizzeria operators choose to have a walk-in refrigerator for bulk storage; a reach-in for daily or weekly supplies; an under-counter near the line for easy access; and a cold prep table. But you’ll want to weigh the amount of storage space you’ll need against the energy usage of multiple units, and, if possible, organize the coolers in gradually smaller units until you get to the hottest part of the kitchen, the production line.

The footprint for a walk-in starts at about 30 square feet— and that’s a lot of space to keep cold. If you have the room and you need a lot of storage, this luxury item may be one worth considering. Many pizzerias, however, can get away with one or more reach-ins instead. “Reach-ins are available in a wide variety of configurations and options. Some consider passthroughs, roll-ins, or even under-counters, as reach-ins,” says Lynn Burge, advertising and promotions manager for MasterBilt Products in New Albany, Mississippi. “Basic models include one-, two- and three-door sizes, and options include half-solid or half-glass doors, pan racks, extra shelving and leg kits in lieu of casters.”

“The single most important factor when considering the purchase of commercial refrigeration is whether they are Energy Star-qualified.”

- Randy Augustine, Hoshizaki April 2013

pmq.com 45

“Energy Star storage refrigeration is 15% to 30% more energy-efficient than standard refrigeration equipment.”

- Randy Augustine, Hoshizaki “LED lighting is a very popular option,” adds Burge. “Motion sensors that turn lights on as needed are also available.

Highly efficient compressors and generously sized condensers —as well as evaporators and EC evaporator motors—are other features that help in energy efficiency.”

MASTER-BILT

Beyond the Fridge

Night curtains are an energy-efficient addition to open-air coolers, which, although convenient for the customer, can guzzle electricity.

freezers today use a single-speed compressor—they’re kind of like a car that can only operate at either 0 mph or 100 mph.

When your thermostat rises a couple of degrees, a single-speed compressor will race at 100 mph to drop your temperature back down. But, because it’s compressing at such a high speed, it’s going to burn a lot of fuel to do that—like driving at 100 mph to cover 10 feet.”

A more efficient choice, Hoffman says, is a variable-speed compressor that can operate with less energy output but still ensure that your toppings don’t spoil. “It’s akin to an engine that can go not just 100 mph, but also 50 mph,” she continues. “When crossing smaller temperature differences, it may take slightly longer for a variable-speed compressor to reduce temperature, but it’s going to burn through way less energy in the process while still keeping your dough at safe temperatures.

And since a variable-speed compressor can still speed along at 100 mph when it needs to—for example, after plugging in your machine after a massive cleaning—you get all the benefits of a high-speed engine along with the benefits of a slow speed.”

This raises the question: Why is your refrigerator warming up anyway? According to Hoffman, leaving the door open or adding hot food are typical culprits, but the unit also heats up due to the lighting, fans and defrost systems. “By investing in refrigerators that contain LED lighting, high-efficiency fans and motors that give off less heat than standard lighting and motors, you’ll give your compressor fewer reasons to run, saving you energy—and money—in the long term,” says Hoffman.

46 PMQ Pizza Magazine The Pizza Industry’s Business Monthly

Refrigerated prep tables are another must in the pizzeria. They may come with handy features such as built-in portioning cups and scales; cutting boards; refrigerated cabinets for toppings and dough balls; and cooling rails around the tabletop. Some models also boast storage space in the rail. “This can be a great time-saver at the end of the day,” says Augustine. According to Augustine, health departments across the United States follow an industry standard—known as NSF 7—for the operation of refrigerated preparation tables developed by the National Sanitation Foundation. “By using a refrigerated prep table that meets NSF 7 standards and maintaining product in the safe food storage temperature zone, the operator ensures that the products served are free from harmful bacteria,” he says.

If you serve bottled drinks or premade to-go foods, selfservice is an easy way to streamline your operation, and openair merchandisers offer grab-and-go convenience that some operators prefer over glass-door models. Open-air merchandisers force a stream of air—called an air curtain—across the opening of the unit to keep cold air inside. If your restaurant has sufficient space for an open-air merchandiser, it offers the advantage of encouraging impulse purchases. These systems come in both horizontal and vertical models; if you have a lot of horizontal space and numerous products to showcase, a horizontal model may be right for you.

Refrigerated prep tables come with built-in features for storing food at safe temperatures while keeping ingredients handy for the assembly line or nighttime storage.

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“With open-air models, there’s no barrier between the customer and product,” Burge observes. “However, open-airs aren’t as energy-efficient. Night curtains in open-air models are used after-hours to hold in cold air and reduce energy usage at nonpeak times or while stores are closed. Store owners need to weigh the energy usage versus the convenience factor when deciding between the two types.”

Proper Maintenance Your refrigerator will run most efficiently and serve you well for years to come if you maintain it properly. Always make sure the door is closed and the refrigerator door gasket is clean and in good working order. “Check the door gasket every month for signs of wear, including tears, cracks or problems such as the gasket not sealing to the frame,” says Kevin Nakata, inside sales and technical support for Tundra Restaurant Supply in Boulder, Colorado. “Make sure to not overcrowd the unit or block air flow from the evaporator coils. This can cause the refrigerator to remain at incorrect temperatures, which can cause foodborne illnesses.

“It’s essential to keep all dust and debris out of the coils and away from the compressor,” Nakata continues. “I suggest blowing out the condensing coil at least once per month and installing a small piece of angel-hair filter material on the condensing unit to keep at least 80% of dust, dirt and other foreign objects out of the condenser coils.”

The acidity of produce can wreak havoc on a refrigerator’s evaporator, so evaporator coils need to be cleaned at least twice a year by a certified technician.

Nakata also advises that you check the evaporator coils once monthly to ensure they are clean and free of cardboard fibers or any other materials that may cause the evaporator to overwork.

And, depending on what types of items you store in a particular model, you may need to get professional help now and then.

“Produce is the No. 1 killer of evaporator units in refrigerators, because produce makes acid in the air, causing the evaporator to break down over time,” explains Nakata. “If the evaporator coils are cleaned at least twice per year by a certified technician, the unit should last a lifetime!”

Michelle McAnally is PMQ’s food editor.

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Arugula Sausage Beef Pizza Recipe courtesy of Burke (burkecorp.com) 1 14” pizza shell 1 tbsp. olive oil 8 oz. mozzarella cheese, shredded 1 medium tomato, sliced and roasted 4 oz. seasoned ground beef 4 oz. Spicy Italian Sausage 2 oz. Parmesan cheese ½ c. arugula, torn Brush olive oil evenly over pizza shell, up to ½” from the edge.

Evenly layer the pizza shell with mozzarella, tomatoes, beef and sausage. Place in preheated oven and bake at 450° for 12 to 18 minutes or until crust is golden and cheese is bubbly and beginning to brown. Remove from oven and top with Parmesan cheese and arugula.

50 PMQ Pizza Magazine The Pizza Industry’s Business Monthly

The Meat Market

From tofu and tempeh to seitan and texturized vegetable protein, alternatives to beef, chicken and pork abound, but to diehard carnivores, there really is no substitute for meat. A meat-packed pizza comes loaded with flavors, textures and belly-filling thrills that can’t be duplicated by even the heartiest blend of vegetables. Many of your guests might even feel that a pizza isn’t a pizza if it doesn’t come topped with pepperoni or ham. Of course, pizzerias should always offer a diverse menu with options for vegetarians and vegans, but meat lovers will likely always outnumber the herbivores in your pizzeria. So take a cue from the following pizzerias and sink your teeth into the profitable meat market: Pork lovers at Carbone’s Pizzeria (carbonespizza.net) in Cottage Grove, Minnesota, can pig out on the Meat Eaters Pizza, featuring pepperoni, Canadian bacon, salami, sausage and bacon bits.

Carnivores always feel welcome at North Attleboro, Massachusetts’ Big Red Pizzeria (bigredpizzeria.com), which offers, among its many meat-centric pies, the Cadillac Steak Cheese Pizza, made with steak, capicola, Genoa salami and pepperoni, along with onions, green peppers and mushrooms.

Mister Pizza (misterpizzaelmwood.com), located in Buffalo, New York, serves up the Mister Four-in-One, a single pie divided into four sections, each with a different meat—sausage, chicken, shrimp and steak—plus onions, sweet peppers, mushrooms and three cheeses.

If four meats aren’t enough for you, try the Meat Monster at G&P Pizzeria (gppizzeria.com) in Chester, New Hampshire.

It comes loaded with pepperoni, Italian sausage, ground beef, Virginia smoked ham, Genoa salami, Italian meatballs, capicola, mortadella and maple-smoked bacon.

feature story Brazil Recap

A Slice of São Paulo In the South American city of São Paulo, pizza making has evolved—and flourished—in its own unique and wildly inventive fashion.

By Missy Green

52 PMQ Pizza Magazine The Pizza Industry’s Business Monthly

I

Just as Ellis Island brought Italian pizza making culture to New York, São Paulo’s Porto de Santos was flooded with Italian immigrants at the beginning of the 20th century.

t’s a Friday night in São Paulo’s affluent Jardins district, and soft lights, elegant piano music and elaborate floral bouquets greet the guests at A Tal da Pizza (ataldapizza. com.br). Couples and families dressed to the nines file in, looking forward to an upscale Brazilian dining experience. But, despite the luxurious ambience, something is missing: There are no plates in this high-end restaurant. No forks or knives, either. Instead, guests eat directly from white paper napkins, nibbling on pizzas so crisp, light and delicate that picking up a slice is, well, as easy as pie.

Welcome to São Paulo, regarded by Brazilians as the “Pizza Capital of the World.” While that claim may be hard to justify, pizza really does mean a lot to Paulistas—much more than to the average Brazilian. They have their own unique and inventive ways of preparing and serving the dish. In fact, the quirky plate-free A Tal da Pizza is only one of many exotic pizzeria breeds that PMQ uncovered on a recent pizza safari in São Paulo. Just as Ellis Island brought Italian pizza making culture to New York, São Paulo’s Porto de Santos was flooded with Italian immigrants at the beginning of the 20th century. Today up to 30% of Paulistas claim Italian descent, and, like their distant kinfolk in New York, they are passionate about their pizza.

PMQ staff members visited four unique pizzerias in São Paulo: a quaint, family-run operation; a commercialized pizzeria founded on principles of efficiency and standardization; a delivery-only artisanal shop; and, of course, a certain finedining restaurant that eschews fine china but never skimps on the quality of the fare.

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Pizzaria do Angelo: A Family Affair Located in the heart of one of São Paulo’s Italian districts (known as Mooca), this modestly decorated family restaurant captures the essence of a Brazilian neighborhood pizzeria. The wood-fired oven sits proudly in the shop window. Framed newspaper clippings hang on high walls. Three generations of the Silveira family live here day in and day out—it’s the nexus of their lives.

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(Clockwise, from top right) A typical street in São Paulo’s Mooca district; Douglas Silveira from Pizzaria do Angelo bakes in a wood-fired oven; Daisy and Oriovaldo Silveira with their granddaughter, Maria Eduarda; and a Brazilian pizza made with pepperoni, calabresa, onions and four cheeses.

April 2013

pmq.com 53

MISSY GREEN MISSY GREEN

MISSY GREEN

MISSY GREEN

Octagonal pizza boxes keep slices from shifting around during motorcycle deliveries.

“I didn’t get married in a church,” says co-owner Douglas Silveira. “We did the religious ceremony here in the pizzeria. I was born here, met my wife here, proposed to my wife here and married her here. My father was born here. She was born here, too,” he adds, pointing at his shy little daughter hiding behind her mother’s legs. “This pizzeria is very important to us.”

The pizzeria opened several generations ago, founded

by Calabria-born Angelo Silveira. He passed it on to his son, Oriovaldo Silveira, and Oriovaldo’s wife, Daisy, in 1980; in 2005, they officially handed the reins to their children, Douglas, Dennys, Daniela and Debora. Now Douglas is raising his daughter to be a good pizzaiola to continue the tradition.

Pizzaria do Angelo is a perfect example of Brazilian pizza purism. Like many pizzerias in São Paulo, the Silveiras strive to preserve a rustic pizza making tradition. All dough is mixed and kneaded by hand. Douglas and his dad arrive early every morning to get the charcoals burning on the wood in their dome oven. Their recipe hasn’t changed since the pizzeria opened in 1975.

But make no mistake: These pizza traditionalists don’t look to Italy for inspiration. Their pizza menu is eclectic and extensive, divided into lists of poultry, fish, meats and cheese. The Paulista Pizza features chunks of tuna, olives and Parmesan cheese, while the Pizza Portuguesa (a type that’s ubiquitous in Brazil) comes with ham, boiled eggs, peas and onions. And like most Brazilians, the Silveiras also revel in the thick, creamy extravagance of the squeezable Catupiry cheese that gives Brazilian pizza its unique—and decadent—style (see the sidebar on page 55).

Oriovaldo Silveira admits he has never tried an Italian pizza, but he’s sure his pizza is better. “When my customers return from Italy, they all want to eat Brazilian pizza,” he boasts. “They come straight to my pizzeria.”

Toque de Sabor: A Plan for Growth (From top) Paulistas love Arabic mini-pizzas called esfihas; Ocimar Sanches and Rubens Prado from Toque de Sabor; a pizza maker at Pizza Bari; and motoboys suit up for a delivery run.

54 PMQ Pizza Magazine The Pizza Industry’s Business Monthly

The founders of this up-and-coming chain had growth in mind when they launched their first store, and the Toque de Sabor (pizzeriatoquedesabor.com.br) concept relies on rigorous rules

Pizza Bari: Pies On Wheels Owned by Carlos Zoppetti, president of Sao Paulo’s United Pizzeria Association, (Associacao Pizzerias Unidas) the delivery-only Pizza Bari (pizzabari. com.br) operates out of a small space configured into a successful production line. In the call center, women sit at computers, taking phone orders and handling the register. Each customer is asked how he will pay for the order and, if it’s with cash, with what kind of bill.

Using this method, the cashier makes

MISSY GREEN

and standards for commercial success.

Its creators, Rubens Prado and Ocimar Sanches, focus on easy-to-replicate techniques, such as a dough mix that requires only water and is ready to use in two hours. The first store opened in 2008 in Guarulhos, a town that has been virtually annexed into São Paulo.

In 2012, another store opened in the same city.

Toque de Sabor’s most unique feature is its standardization of portion control.

During prep time, toppings are carefully weighed and sealed in portioned bags for half-size and full-size pizzas.

For each pie, employees open a new bag of toppings. With 60 varieties of custom pizzas on the menu, the technique keeps the toppings fresher for longer and reduces overtopping. (Is this kind of portion control environmentally wasteful? Not really—the plastic bags are 100% recyclable.)

Toque de Sabor also distinguishes itself through unique side items. Immigrants from the Middle East, particularly Lebanon, introduced esfihas, a sort of Arabic pizza, to Brazil. Made from small circles of dough sprinkled with minced meat and finely chopped onions in the center, esfihas are sold either open-faced or closed and can be found practically everywhere in Brazil—from the beach to the gas station to the coffee shop. Toque de Sabor offers 40 varieties of these scrumptious pies, including dessert esfihas.

The restaurant also offers the Lebaneseinspired quibe (pronounced KEE-bee), finely ground meatballs mixed with bulgur wheat, onion and mint before being deep-fried to perfection.

A Darwinian Smorgasbord With a population consisting largely of descendants of immigrants, Brazil resembles America’s own melting pot in many ways. But the pizza profession has evolved in its own unique fashion. In fact, PMQ publisher Steve Green describes the pizza making tradition of Brazil as a “Darwinian smorgasbord” in which a collision of traditions and tastes has produced some of the world’s most interesting and unexpected pizzas. Brazilians have also taken an innovative approach to getting those pies into customers’ hands while keeping them fresh and piping-hot. Here are some examples: Plenty of Choices. It’s commonplace for a Brazilian pizzeria to offer 40 to 50 varieties of pizza. It’s also not unusual for a customer to request a pizza divided into thirds or even fourths, with different toppings for each section.

Offbeat Toppings. Brazilian toppings are, by American standards, eccentric, to say the least. Calabresa, a type of salami that may be considered the Brazilian equivalent of pepperoni, is the most popular option.

But other common toppings have little similarity to anything found on a standard American pie—think peas, hard-boiled eggs, tuna, hearts of palm, corn and shoestring potatoes.

Squeezy and Cheesy. Mozzarella is fine, but Brazilians love their requeijão, a creamy, squeezable and uniquely Brazilian cheese best known under the brand name Catupiry. A staple in any pizzeria kitchen, it’s an indulgently rich and velvety cheese squeezed out of a bag. It’s also used as a filling for savory Brazilian pastries.

Roving Motoboys. Pizza delivery by car is an oddity in São Paulo, a city notorious for its traffic jams. Instead, so-called “motoboys”—young men on motorcycles—use their narrow vehicles and raw courage to weave in and out of the slow-moving traffic. Reminiscent of the United States’ old Pony Express, motoboys risk life and limb in their appointed rounds—according to Brazzil Magazine, the emergency room at the University of São Paulo School of Medicine’s public hospital treats an average of 11 victims of motorcycle accidents every week.

The Octagonal Box. Most pizza boxes in São Paulo have eight sides, which fit snugly around all eight slices of a typical pie. When boxing up the pizza, a dough scraper or spatula is used to stab the pizza into slices.

This technique keeps the piled-high toppings in place, and the box shape keeps the slices in place during sharp turns on the road.

The Pizza Box Billboard. Many São Paulo businesses know the value of pizza box marketing. For example, Central Plaza Shopping gets thousands of pizza boxes manufactured with its ads on the front, then gives them away to neighborhood pizzerias. The pizzeria operator pays nothing for the boxes and even earns a commission based on the number he gets into customers’ hands.

Keeping the Heat On. To keep pizzas hot at the table, dine-in restaurants serve them in a container with a removable lid. Holes in the lid keep the steam moving out and the heat locked in for a repeatable “first-slice experience.”

April 2013

pmq.com 55

A Tal da Pizza, owned by Tiago Bueno (right), has been consistently honored by a prominent Brazilian restaurant guide for making São Paulo’s best pizza.

change for the delivery driver (one of the city’s famous motorcycle-riding “motoboys”) ahead of time, seals it in a tamperproof plastic bag and places it with the order. The ticket is passed to the pizzaiolo, who, with an artisan’s eye, cuts the right amount of dough from a mound of the stuff and passes it down the make line, which houses multitiered containers packed with dozens of toppings.

Why go to such painstaking lengths for a simple pizza delivery? Robbery and theft are huge concerns in São Paulo, and providing the delivery driver with correct change in a tamperproof envelope protects the security of the driver and reduces the number of employees handling cash. Another innovation at Pizza Bari is a simple rope with a logoed tag; the rope secures two-liter soda bottles to the motorcycle while it’s on the road.

A Tal da Pizza: A No-Plate Affair Tiago Bueno, owner of A Tal da Pizza, doesn’t believe in cutlery or plates because pizza, in his opinion, should be light enough to easily pick up with your hands. That’s not usually the case with Brazilian pizza—most of it is so heavy and dripping with toppings and cheese that you need a fork and knife to eat it.

“The pizza must have a real crunch,” Bueno says. “That is the true challenge of a pizza maker.”

Although Bueno serves his gourmet pizza with white napkins only, the unorthodox presentation hasn’t taken a toll on his business. For the 14th year in a row, 56 PMQ Pizza Magazine The Pizza Industry’s Business Monthly

MISSY GREEN

MISSY GREEN MISSY GREEN

You will never see a man making pizza here. Women have a dedication to decoration and details that men are not used to.

-Tiago Bueno, A Tal da Pizza

A Tal da Pizza employs an all-female pizza making staff that will often be called upon to divide a single pizza into thirds or fourths, each with different toppings.

the Guía 4 Rodas—the Michelin Guide of Brazil—recently honored A Tal da Pizza for having the best pizza in São Paulo.

Bueno credits his success to his late father-in-law, Luiz Freitas, who opened A Tal da Pizza after experiencing continuous disappointment with the pizza in São Paulo.

In his apprenticeship, Freitas visited Naples several times to learn from the great pizza masters of the world. Nevertheless, he soon abandoned the Neapolitan style for his own trademark crispy crust, and, although his pizzas are simple by Brazilian standards, a die-hard Neapolitan pizzaiolo would likely criticize the complexity of the pies. “We have a simple menu, with only 28 kinds of pizza,” Bueno says. “We don’t go for those 80 kinds of pizzas like most pizzerias do.”

Like his father-in-law before him, Bueno employs an all-female staff. “You will never see a man making pizza here,” Bueno emphasizes. “Women have a dedication to decoration and details that men are not used to.” And they’re not just any women, mind you; Freitas regarded women from the southern Brazilian state of Santa Catarina to be the most adept at making pizzas, so that’s where Bueno goes to find his pizza makers.

Appropriately, the restaurant offers a glass-window view of the kitchen, allowing guests to witness the immense care that these women apply to assembling every pizza. After all, as far as Brazilian pizza aficionados are concerned, pizza making is an art unto itself, an act of creativity, innovation and originality, and it deserves an appreciative audience.

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Missy Green is PMQ’s international correspondent.

April 2013

pmq.com 57

FEATURE BLUEGRASS BAKEOFF

Battle i n

t h e

Bluegrass State

More than 20 pizza making teams from across Kentucky vied for top honors—and a spot on the U.S. Pizza Team— in the Bluegrass Bakeoff. By Daniel Lee Perea

O

n a perfect day, under a clear blue sky stood the Fifth Third Pavilion, flanked on one side by a row of antiquated but beautifully preserved buildings and a stately courthouse on the other. Looming over it, in the heart of downtown Lexington, Kentucky, the modern Fifth Third Bank skyscraper juxtaposed the new with the old. Here, on historic Cheapside Avenue, pizza history had just been written at the 2012 Bluegrass Bakeoff.

Launched in 2010, the Bluegrass Bakeoff was created, according to Pizzaovens.com and event director Fash Asvadi, “to provide an opportunity for pizzerias all over Kentucky to join together and have some fun while showing off their pizza. It was such a success that we have continued each year since.”

One of three annual competitive events sanctioned by the U.S. Pizza Team, the 2012 Bluegrass Bakeoff took place on September 11. Twenty-three pizzerias competed for the title of Best Pizza in Central Kentucky and a spot on the U.S. Pizza Team to compete at the World Pizza Championship.

58 PMQ Pizza Magazine The Pizza Industry’s Business Monthly

It came down to five teams of talented pizza makers: FatKats Pizzeria & Restaurant (fatkatspizzeria.com) of Georgetown; Sal’s Pizza, Wings & Pub (salspub.com) of Louisville; and Lexington’s Goodfellas Pizzeria (goodfellaspizzeria.com), Shakespeare & Co. (shakespeareandco.us) and The Bridge Pizza (thebridgepizza.com). But when contest judges Chef SanOsman Cagil and Bayram Vatansever (pictured with Chef Santo Bruno) won the Bluegrass Bakeoff after being in business as co-owners of The Bridge Pizza for only two months.

to Bruno, food writer Sharon Thompson and local pizzaiolo Joe Bologna reached their verdict, one team reigned supreme: The Bridge was announced as the overall winner, with a pie that featured spinach, bacon, mushrooms and ricotta cheese.

Osman Cagil, co-owner of The Bridge, was elated. “This is a great feeling because we have been in business for only two months, and we won the big prize,” he exclaimed at the time.

“It’s hard to describe, but it’s great.”

Added his partner Bayram Vatansever: “We just came over here for fun, you know? We just love making pizzas. That’s all we do!”

As part of the winning prize, two representatives from The Bridge will join the U.S. Pizza Team to test their skills at the

World Pizza Championship later this month in Parma, Italy.

“The U.S. Pizza Team is a prestigious team,” Asvadi says. “We are so pleased we could be a part of this event.”

And as for the Bluegrass Bakeoff? “Overall, the vibe was a very positive one,” Asvadi says. “This year may have been slightly more competitive, as the public was included for the first time. It was such a success that we will hold 2013’s bakeoff at the same place. We hope that it will continue to grow each year. Maybe one day we’ll even go beyond the Bluegrass State to include neighboring states.”

Daniel Lee Perea is PMQ’s media producer.

April 2013

pmq.com 59

The pizza exchange product spotlight

Baking to Perfection Built for high-volume, high-quality pizza baking, Bakers Pride deck ovens are designed to provide superior recovery and consistent results. Unique heat controls allow for top and bottom heat adjustment, resulting in the perfect product every time, and each oven includes a two-year parts and labor warranty.

201-313-3334, NJREcorp.com

The Thai Trend Brakebush Brothers’ new Sriracha Chicken Bites offer a Thai chili-based flavor that delivers a slow, steady heat with slightly sweet overtones. The panko-coated chicken breasts, infused with ontrend Sriracha and dusted with toasted sesame seeds, are ready to deep-fry or bake for a main meal, appetizer or grab-and-go snack.

800-933-2121, brakebush.com

Delivering Insurance Solutions Founded by Jason Upton, PizzaInsurance.com is the only insurance agency dedicated to serving pizzeria owners exclusively. Covering large franchise operations and independent momand-pop shops in most states, PizzaInsurance. com delivers solutions to protect the assets of small business operators. The company will make a $100 donation to Pizza4Patriots for every pizzeria owner who requests a no-obligation quote. 800-251-7407, pizzainsurance.com

The Supreme Design Marsal & Sons Supreme Series Prep Tables have a raised, ergonomically designed refrigerated condiment rail, allowing a 30”-deep, solid-surface work area, plus a refrigerated sauce well built into the top to maintain the perfect temperature. Available in sizes from 48” to 96”, the Supreme Series features stainless steel interiors for greater durability. 631-226-6688, marsalsons.com 60 PMQ Pizza Magazine The Pizza Industry’s Business Monthly

Get Into Costume!

WaverCostumes.com provides marketing through costumes, making big, expressive characters—such as Pizza and Ice Cream—that represent popular products and food items. The creators of WaverCostumes. com have 20-plus years of professional design and manufacturing experience in the costuming industry.

856-939-9599, wavercostumes.com

idea zone impact worldwide

Impact Printing Delivers Superior Results from Menus and Mailings Do you want superior results from your menu and mailings? Impact Worldwide (impactworldwide.com) offers complete marketing solutions that will attract new customers, bring them back more frequently and increase their average purchase. Impact’s innovative marketing services include superior graphic design and consulting, “101 Menu Engineering Techniques,” carryout menus, weekly postcard and menu mailing programs, monthly new movers, birthday and lazy customer programs, innovative die-cut box toppers, door hangers, scratch-off cards and magnets. Impact’s team of experts can provide everything your pizzeria needs to grow.

Nothing tells your restaurant’s story better than a professionally crafted menu designed by an Impact Worldwide menu team. Impact’s trademarked “101 Menu Engineering Techniques” applies highlevel marketing theories to your menu that include award-winning graphic design, vivid food photography and professional copywriting. “To maximize engineering effectiveness, your menu needs to clearly emphasize your restaurant’s unique selling propositions and competitive advantages. These are your products and services that customers highly desire and that your competition does not offer—or that you do better,” says Impact Worldwide founder and CEO Adam Mrowka.

“We developed our ‘101 Menu Engineering Techniques’ specifically around the needs of carryout and delivery pizzerias.”

For example, Mrowka suggests offering appetizers, such as cheese sticks, in successively larger order sizes: 6, 12, 18, 50 and 100 pieces. “When this technique is done properly, we find that 15% to 30% of customers migrate to a larger size,” he says. A menu created by Impact, the nation’s premier pizzeria menu developer, can produce a $1 to $3 increase in average ticket sales, boost middle-market catering purchases by 20% to 30% and produce greater frequency and shorter time between deliveries, all while building a

stronger, more positive brand image.

Impact’s weekly mailing program is perfect for busy restaurateurs who want a highly effective rotating mailing program but lack the time or expertise to execute it by themselves. It uses “The Five Laws to Successful Direct Mail” as its base marketing strategy. Impact also offers a reverse analysis of your POS system database and performs a statistical analysis of that list to

target top mailing areas and push redemption to 8% to 12%.

Impact can coordinate your complete brand image and elevate your pizzeria to the top of consumers’ minds and to the tips of their tongues. Call 800-653-8837 today for a free 60-minute consultation and find out how Impact can increase your profits!

April 2013

pmq.com 61

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64 PMQ Pizza Magazine The Pizza Industry’s Business Monthly

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April 20132/28/13 pmq.com 12:23 65 PM

The advertiser Pizza exchange index April bulletin 2013 board Display Advertiser

Phone

Website

Page

AM Manufacturing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 708-841-0959 . . . . . . ammfg.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41 Avantec Ovens . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 800-322-4374 . . . . . . . avantecovens.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48 Bacio Cheese . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 855-222-4685 . . . . . . baciocheese.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34,35 Bellissimo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 800-813-2974 . . . . . . . bellissimofoods.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 Burke . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 800-654-1152 . . . . . . burkecorp.com/pmq . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51 Escalon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 800-ESCALON . . . . . escalon.net . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Cover 3 EZ Dine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 877-853-1263 . . . . . . ezdinepos.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62 Fired Up Ovens . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 914-733-2845 . . . . . . . firedupkitchens.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 Fontanini . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 708-485-4800 . . . . . . fontanini.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 Forno Bravo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 800-407-5119 . . . . . . . fornobravo.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65 Grande Cheese . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 800-8-GRANDE . . . . . grandecheese.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Hoodmart . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 800-715-1014 . . . . . . . hoodmart.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42 Hoshizaki . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 800-438-6087 . . . . . . hoshizakiamerica.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 HTH . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 800-321-1850 . . . . . . hthsigns.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64 IBIE Show . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ibie2013.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43 Impact Worldwide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 800-653-8837 . . . . . . impactworldwide.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61 La Nova . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 716-881-3355 . . . . . . lanova.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Cover 4 Le 5 Stagioni . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 800-780-2280 . . . . . . . le5stagioni.it . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Cover 2 Lillsun . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 260-356-6514 . . . . . . lillsun.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57 Liguria. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 800-765-1452 . . . . . . . liguriafood.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42 MF&B Restaurant Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 888-480-EDGE . . . . . edgeovens.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59 Marsal & Sons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 631-226-6688 . . . . . . marsalsons.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55 Meridian Star POS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 855-853-6485 . . . . . . meridianstarmerchantservices.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 Microworks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 800-787-2068 . . . . . . . microworks.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Middleby Marshall . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 877-34-OVENS . . . . . . wowoven.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Moving Targets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 800-926-2451 . . . . . . movingtargets.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 NJ Restaurant Equipment Corp . . . . . . . . . . . . 201-313-3334 . . . . . . njrecorp.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33 One Two 3 Print It . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 888-800-4455 . . . . . . 123printit.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64 Perfect Crust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 800-783-5343 . . . . . . . perfectcrust.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65 Petra Molino Quaglia Flour . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 631-804-1879 . . . . . . . farinapetra.it/Benvenuto/Eng_Petra.html . . . . . . . . . . . 63 Pizza Skool . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 517-395-4765 . . . . . . . traintogreatness.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49 Pregel America . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 704-707-0300 . . . . . . . pregelamerica.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 Restaurant Depot . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . restaurantdepot.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33 Stanislaus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 800-327-7201 . . . . . . . stanislaus.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4, 5 The Menu Express . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 856-216-7777 . . . . . . . themenuexpress.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63 XLT Ovens . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 888-443-2751 . . . . . . xltovens.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 PMQ provides this information as a courtesy to our readers and will not be held responsible for errors or omissions. To report an error, call 662-234-5481 x127.

66 PMQ Pizza Magazine The Pizza Industry’s Business Monthly

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

advertising

computer systems: point of sale bags

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

cheese

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pmq.com/Recipe-Bank/ April 2013

pmq.com 67

The pizza exchange Pizza Industry Resource Guide

FREE POS SYSTEM Meridian Star offers a free POS system with no gimmicks.

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As Seen in Product Spotlight!

consulting

855-853-6485, meridianstarms.com crusts Baker’s quality pizza crusts, inc.......................................................................Waukesha, WI Par-baked, Sheeted, Pressed and Self-Rising Crusts; Custom Crusts; All sizes. www.BakersQualityPizzaCrusts.com...........................................................................800-846-6153 Mountain harvest pizza crust co.......................................................................... Billings, MT Contact: Eric LeCaptain...........................800-342-6205......................................Fax: 406-248-7336 Sheeted Dough, Prebake Crusts, Dough Balls, Freezer to Oven, Self-Rising Crusts in Standard, Wheat and Nine Grain..................................................................... eric@mountainharvestpizza.com

cutting boards - equal slice

dough

68 PMQ Pizza Magazine The Pizza Industry’s Business Monthly

The pizza exchange Pizza Industry Resource Guide dough dividers/rounders

dough trays/proofing trays • Dough Trays – extremely durable and airtight!

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

• Plastic Dough Knives – two ergonomic designs!

• Dough Tray Dollies – heavy duty!

Excellence in Customer service since 1955!

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

Buy direct from the manufacturer with over 25 years manufacturing in dough trays.

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

When Dough Matters!

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

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

STACKABLE

AIRTIGHT

DURABLE

ORDER DIRECT

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

WWW.DOUGHTRAYS.COM

flour, Gluten-free Bay State MIlling Gluten-free Pizza mix............................................ baystatemilling.com 68285 1x3.5 Pizza Ad outlined.pdf Gluten-Free All-Purpose Flour, Custom-blends and Co-Packing 1 1/23/12 6:56 AM Dedicated production area for exceptional purity...........................................................800-55-FLOUR

dough presses, rollers

flour

pmq.com/Recipe-Bank/ April 2013

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THE PIZZA EXCHANGE PIZZA INDUSTRY RESOURCE GUIDE FLOUR CON

GELATO

True Artisan Gelato

(888) 316-1545 www.stefanosgelato.com

GLUTEN-FREE PRODUCTS

HYGIENE

FOOD DISTRIBUTORS

Hand-Wash Sinks

¡ Bathrooms

REDUCES CROSS-CONTAMINATION

Reduces the SprĞĂĚ ŽĨ 'ÄžĆŒĹľĆ? Íť Stops Drippy Faucets Replaces Aerator On Any Faucet Íť Conserves Water - Saves 65%

Call for more info

ϴϏϏͲϾϳώͲϴϯϰϴ Íť Ç Ç Ç Í˜Ĺ?ĹśĆ?ĆšÄ‚ĹśĆšÍ˛Ĺ˝ÄŤÍ˜Ä?Žž INSURANCE

1051 Amboy Avenue, Perth Amboy NJ

800-997-0887 or 732-346-0600 Fax:732-346-0882

Serving NY, NJ, PA, DE, CT

www.vesuviofoods.com

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

FRANCHISING Should You Franchise Your Restaurant?

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

t XXX JGSBODIJTFHSPVQ DPN 70

PMQ Pizza Magazine

ÂŽ

FRANCHISE CONSULTANTS

The Pizza Industry’s Business Monthly

The pizza exchange Pizza Industry Resource Guide machinery/ovens/equipment

April 2013

pmq.com 71

The pizza exchange Pizza Industry Resource Guide

magnets

meat toppings

mailing services BURKE CORPORATION....................................................................................... www.BurkeCorp.com Italian, Mexican-Style and Specialty Fully Cooked Meats Contact: Liz Hertz.............................. sales_info@burkecorp.com.............................800-654-1152 Sugar Creek Packing Co.,............................... Private Label Precooked Meat Topping Specialists www.sugarcreek.com.......................................800-848-8205............................sales@sugarcreek.com

management

keep more of your hard earned dough!

3 money saving programs:

sCheduLing • aTTendanCe • daiLy Log

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

save time and increase profits!

www.timeforge.com 866.684.7191

marketing ideas

menuboards

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

Visit LocalGiftCards.com to get started.

mixers used hobart 60 qt. mixer for sale at US $4980.00 plus shipping.

Call Lynn at 214-552-3218.............................................................................. or e-mail tbfm@tbfm.com

72 PMQ Pizza Magazine The Pizza Industry’s Business Monthly

The pizza exchange Pizza Industry Resource Guide mobile catering trucks/units

online ordering

moisture absorbent toppings conditioner

pizza boxes

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

olives

pizza box liners

on hold marketing

April 2013

pmq.com 73

The pizza exchange Pizza Industry Resource Guide pizza delivery thermal bags

74 PMQ Pizza Magazine The Pizza Industry’s Business Monthly

The pizza exchange Pizza Industry Resource Guide pizza delivery thermal bags

ELECTRIC HOTBAG

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

pizza ovens MARSAL & SONS, INC.................................................. The new standard in the Pizza Industry Brick Lined Deck Ovens • Standard Deck Ovens • Prep Table Refrigeration 631-226-6688.......................... marsalsons.com ......................... rich@marsalsons.com

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

800-927-6787

Made in the USA

www.HOTBAG.com

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 April 2013

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The pizza exchange Pizza Industry Resource Guide

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

Fish oven & equipment corp. ....120 W. Kent Ave..........................Wauconda, IL 60084 TOLL Free 877-526-8720...................Fax: 847-526-7447....................www.fishoven.com Wood Stone CorporatioN.......................................Stone Hearth & Specialty Commercial Cooking Equipment..................................... 1801 W. Bakerview Rd.............Bellingham, WA 98226 TOLL Free 800-988-8103......................Fax: 360-650-1166............woodstone-corp.com

i feel pretty.

oh, so pretty!

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.

AMERICAN MADE

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

P.A. PRODUCTS, Inc. BAKEWARE SPECIALISTS

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

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

& sons, inc.

Pizza Ovens and Equipment

76 PMQ Pizza Magazine The Pizza Industry’s Business Monthly

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

The pizza exchange Pizza Industry Resource Guide Pizza Skool

pizza peels

l o o k s a m o c z . piz

Extremely affordable

ONLINE TRAINING for Team Members

Visit TrainToGreatness.com to see how it works!

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

pizza supplies

• Pizza Preparation and Delivery Products •

National Marketing, Inc.

www.nminc.com 800-994-4664

734-266-2222

Fax: 734-266-2121

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

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

Replace your dented ones TODAY !

MADE IN THE USA Manufacturer’s Direct Pricing Free Sample Available - $15 del/hand REBATED on first order. email us at: bhausen@aol.com

Call Sid

516-546-7744

April 2013

pmq.com 77

The pizza exchange Pizza Industry Resource Guide printing Cont

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EDDM MAIL PIECES POST OFFICE READY

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up to 5 drops up to 10 drops up to 25 drops

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View the pizza industry’s best deals online at www.pizzacardpack.com!

78 PMQ Pizza Magazine The Pizza Industry’s Business Monthly

The pizza exchange Pizza Industry Resource Guide printing Cont

sauce

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$ave thousands over our competitors inflated prices for the same FREE PROGRAM !!!

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

We Design & Print & YOU Mail Your 11 x 17 Takeout Menu DESSERTS

PRSRT STD ECRWSS U.S. Postage PAID EDDM Retail

14 pcs. of Reg. Pizza 1 order of Cheesy Garlic Bread and 1 - 2 liter of pop ALL FOR ONLY

$ 16.00

FULL SERVICE CATERING SUNDAY IS TRAY DAY AT G’s Mama PIZZA

1 tray of Reg. Pizza (28 pieces) and 1 - 2 liter of pop ALL FOR ONLY

$ 19.95

(pick up only)

Full Service Catering Available

ECRWSS

Our selection of delicious Sara Lee Bistro Collection Desserts vary, please ask your server for selections. $2.75 each or 3 for $7.50

Local Postal Customer

INGREDIENTS...

$ 16.00

Mama G’s Catering is a full line caterer that will come to your home, your business or you can come to us at the Greek Church ( Hellinic Steubenville where we cater. Hall ) in downtown

All food is homemade, just like Mama used to make, and we specializing in roast beef, all kinds of chicken, pork, pasta, are a full line caterer superb salads, and fantastic desserts just to name a few delicious side dishes, We can prepare anything you of our more popular items. want.

Weddings? Graduations? Baptisms?

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Parties? No matter what the Christmas occasion, let Mama do the cooking for you. From 30 over 300 people we will provide to the best of the best in food service to you at a price that can’t be beat.

THIS GOOD

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Gray, no shading No shadow

877 - 25 - PRINT (77468)

Don’t Just Use Any Printer... Use A Restaurant Printer One Color Solid Shadow

Actual 3D Non-Vector

security

specialty foods refrigeration

Castella Imports, Inc. ................................................................................... www.castella.com 60 Davids Drive, Hauppauge, NY 11788.................................................................................866-Castella

spice formulation, blending & packaging Castella Imports, Inc. .................................................................................. www.castella.com 60 Davids Drive, Hauppauge, NY 11788.................................................................................866-Castella McClancy Seasoning............................................................One Spice Road, Fort Mill, SC 29707 Contact: Dominic Damore 800-843-1968..........................................................................................................info@mcclancy.com April 2013

pmq.com 79

The pizza exchange Pizza Industry Resource Guide sticky notes

ventilation

take & bake trays

telephone equipment/supplies/service Specializing in voice and data communications service, repair, installation, sequencers and on-hold messaging.

GUARANTEED LOWEST INDUSTRY PRICE!

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

tomato products

Vinyl Repair

Restaurant Upholstery Experts RepaiR Remodeling Custom Build

561.981.6200 Water

wings

80 PMQ Pizza Magazine The Pizza Industry’s Business Monthly

www.vinylrepairmaster.com

THE PIZZA EXCHANGE PIZZA INDUSTRY RESOURCE GUIDE ADVERTISER INDEX RESOURCE ADVERTISER 411eat.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

AFC Insurance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Allied Metal Spinning . . . . . . . . . . . . .

AM Manufacturing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

American Institute of Baking . . . . . . .

American Wholesale. . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Antimo Caputo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Armanino Foods . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Arrow POS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Bacio Cheese . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Bag Solutions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Baker’s Quality Pizza Crusts . . . . . . .

Bay State Milling. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Belissimo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Best Choice Print . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Best Point of Sale. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Breakaway Restaurant Solutions . . .

Burke Corporation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Caputo Cheese. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Castella Imports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Check Corporation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Chef Santo Bruno. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

CoverTex . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Creative Water . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Crown Custom Metal Spinning . . . . .

Custom Foods, Inc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Deiorio’s. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Delivery Bags USA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Domata Living Flour . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Dough Xpress . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

DoughMate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Dutchess Bakers’ Machinery . . . . . .

Earthstone Ovens . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

EDGE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Epic Insurance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Escalon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Erika Record Baking Equip . . . . . . . .

Fidelity Communications . . . . . . . . . .

Fish Oven & Equipment . . . . . . . . . .

Foremost Farms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Fontanini . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

GI. Metal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Granbury Restaurant Solutions . . . . .

Grande Cheese Company . . . . . . . . .

Hawkeye Security . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Hojiblanca . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Hoodmart . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Hudson Refrig. Manufacturing . . . . . iFranchise Group . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Impact Worldwide. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Imperial Bag & Paper Co. . . . . . . . . .

Incredible Bags. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Instant-Off . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

J & G Mills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Krisp-It . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

KY Manufacturing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

La Nova . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Le 5 Stagioni. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Liguria Foods. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Lillsun . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Lindsay Olives. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Lloyd Pans . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

LocalGiftCards.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

M.Press Packaging. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Magnetic Ad Concepts . . . . . . . . . . .

Mario Camacho Foods . . . . . . . . . . . .

Marsal & Sons. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Max Balloons. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

NUMBER

PAGE

213-622-4247 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73 800-411-4144 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70 800-615-2266 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76 800-342-6904 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69 785-537-4910 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67 216-426-8882 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79 201-368-9197 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70 866-553-5611 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79 888-378-3338 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67 855-BACIO85 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67 866-224-8646 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .74 800-846-6153 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68 800-55-FLOUR. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69 800-813-2974 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70 800-783-0990 . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77, 78 866-285-7613 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67 817-299-4500 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67 800-654-1152 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72 708-450-0074. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67 866-CASTELLA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79 800-927-6787. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75 813-230-8108 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68 800-968-2310 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75 352-567-2200 ext 236 . . . . . . . . . 80 800-750-1924 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77 913-585-1900 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68 800-649-9212 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68 888-501-BAGS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75 417-654-4010 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69 800-835-0606 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69 800-501-2450 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69 800-777-4498 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69 800-840-4915 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76 888-480-EDGE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76 925-244-7719 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70 888-ESCALON. . . . . . . . . . . . . 79, 80 973-614-8500 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69 800-683-5600 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80 877-526-8720. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76 608-355-8700 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67 800-331-MEAT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72 630-553-9134 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .74 800-910-3947 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67 800-8-GRANDE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67 877-420-2107. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79 201-384-3007 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73 800-715-1014 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80 800-924-8687 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71 708-957-2300 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70 800-653-8837 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77 800-794-7273 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67 888-254-9453 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .74 800-972-8348 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70 734-469-4504 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71 800-574-7748 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73 502-969-2305 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69 800-6-LANOVA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80 800-780-2280 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69 800-925-1452 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72 260-356-6514 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77 800-252-3557 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73 800-840-8683 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76 888-494-9760 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72 541-548-9889 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80 800-365-3351 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72 800-881-4534 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73 631-226-6688 . . . . . . . . . 72, 75, 76 800-541-5961 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72

RESOURCE ADVERTISER

NUMBER

PAGE

McClancy Seasoning . . . . . . . . . . . . . 800-843-1968 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79 Melissa Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 800-635-4772 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72 Meridian Star MS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 855-853-6485 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68 Message On Hold . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 800-392-4664 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73 MFG Tray. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 800-458-6050 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69 Microworks POS Solutions . . . . . . . . 800-787-2068. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68 Molino San Felice . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 201-368-9197 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70 Mountain Harvest Pizza Crust . . . . . . 800-342-6205 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68 Moving Targets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 800-926-2451 ext. 356 . . . . . . . . 67 Mr. Peel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 888-994-4664 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77 Musco Family Olive. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 800-523-9828 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73 Mvix . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 886-310-4923 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72 Neil Jones Food . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 800-291-3862 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79 NMI . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 800-994-4664 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77 Northern Pizza Equipment . . . . . . . . . 800-426-0323 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71 NoteAds. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 800-309-9102 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80 Off the Wall Magnetics . . . . . . . . . . . 800-337-2637 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72 One Click Diner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 877-328-8040 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73 Our Town America . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 800-497-8360 x 226 . . . . . . . . . . . 72 Pacific Coast Producers . . . . . . . . . . 800-510-3706 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80 P.A. Products. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 884-421-1060 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76 PDQ Signature Systems . . . . . . . . . . 877-968-6430 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68 Peel A Deal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 877-563-5654 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72 Peerless Ovens. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 800-548-4514 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76 Perfect Crust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 800-783-5343 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73 Picard Ovens. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 800-668-1883 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76 Pizza Blends . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 800-826-1200 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70 Pizza Equipment Warehouse . . . . . . . 888-749-9237. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76 Pizza Insurance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 800-251-7407. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70 Pizza Ovens.com. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 877-367-6836. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76 Pizzapro . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 717-214-7616. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70 Pizza Skool . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 517-395-4765. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77 Pizza Trailers of Canada . . . . . . . . . . . 204-297-7667. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73 PlasticPrinters.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 800-808-7472. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77 POSnet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 866-976-7638. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68 Portion Padl. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 330-608-5928 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68 Presto Foods. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 800-589-8604 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70 Proxprint. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 888-310-7769 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77 Raos Homemade Sauce . . . . . . . . . . 800-466-3623 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79 Real NY Pizza Dough . . . . . . . . . . . . . 718-951-3555 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68 Red Gold . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 877-908-9798 ext. 163 . . . . . . . . . 80 Redi Heat. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 888-556-2024 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75 Restaurant Depot . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70 RockTenn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 816-415-7359 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73 Roto-Flex Oven Co. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 800-386-2279 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75 Saputo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 800-824-3388 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67 Somerset . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 800-772-4404 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69 SpeedLine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 888-400-9185 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68 Stanislaus Food Products . . . . . . . . . 800-327-7201. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80 Star Pizza Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 800-626-0828 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73 Stefano’s Gelato . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 888-316-1545 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70 Sugar Creek Packing . . . . . . . . . . . . . 800-848-8205 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72 Super Dough Bowls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 516-546-7744. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77 Superior Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 800-464-2182 . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72, 77 Takeout Printing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 845-564-2609 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79 Taradel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 888-210-8189 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79 Tasti Grain . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 315-624-2748 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70 Thermal Bags by Ingrid . . . . . . . . . . . 800-622-5560 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75 Thunderbird . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 800-7-MIXERS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71 Timeforge. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 866-684-8791 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72 Toscana Cheese . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 201-617-1500 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67 Ubons Sauce . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 917-751-5194. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79 Ventilation Direct. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 866-433-8335 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80 Vesuvio Foods . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 800-997-0887 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70 Vinyl Repair Masters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 561-981-6200 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80 Wood Stone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 800-988-8103 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76 XLT Ovens . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 888-443-2751 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76

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.

April 2013

pmq.com

81

DEPARTMENT time capsule

Mario’s Restaurant & Pizzeria Known for its family-friendly vibe and personal touch, this Michigan institution celebrates 50 years in business this month.

I

n April 1963, Mario Simoni—an Italian immigrant who worked days at a General Motors plant and nights at a friend’s pizzeria—decided to strike out on his own and opened Mario’s Restaurant & Pizzeria in Flint, Michigan. He developed his own recipes and served fellow Italians in the area with a simple menu (pizza, pasta and sandwiches) and late-night hours for factory workers, opening from 4 p.m. to 4 a.m. each day. “It was a struggle at first, with 12-hour days,” recalls Frank Simoni, son of Mario and current co-owner with his brother Sergio. “My brother Jerry and I basically grew up in the business just to be able to spend time with Mom and Dad.”

In the ’70s, Jerry and Frank went to work for the family business— now with a full bar and an expanded building—after graduating high school and fully took over the business in 1981, while Sergio, Mario and Mario’s wife, Margherita, moved to California and eventually opened up a restaurant in Escondido. But the family returned to Flint in 1997, and Sergio got involved with the original business, while Jerry struck out on his own to start a new venture. However, regardless of changes over the years, the family-oriented environment at Mario’s hasn’t waned. “We’re very old-school, with a loyal clientele and a lot of involvement with local schools and sporting events,” says Frank. “My dad was always big into that, and we continue that tradition.”

From sponsoring local teams to dipping their toes into social media (Frank’s daughter has started a Facebook page for the restaurant), the restaurant maintains a balance of honoring the past while adjusting for customers’ changing demands. And, says Frank, part of the restaurant’s success has involved its dedicated staff and the constant presence of at least one family member, adding a personalized warmth that touches every customer. “The pizza business takes hard work and dedication—it’s not the work that’s hard, but the hours you put in,” muses Frank. “But, as I tell my staff, when people come in, we want them to feel like they’re coming to our house for dinner.” –Tracy Morin

82 PMQ Pizza Magazine The Pizza Industry’s Business Monthly

(Top to bottom) A vintage Mario’s menu touts toppings such as tuna and anchovies; Mario (left) greets a customer at the counter; Frank mans the pizza ovens in 1978.

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

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

“It’s the sauce that ties it all together.”

Martin Reyna Executive Chef, Vince’s on Harlem

When preparing signature dishes at Vince’s on Harlem, Chef Martin Reyna only trusts his menu to the very best—Escalon Premier Brands. Our canned tomatoes are packed fresh and steam peeled with no added citric acid to assure the BEST FLAVOR and CONSISTENT PERFORMANCE. To sample a better tomato today, call 1-888-ESCALON or visit www.Escalon.net.

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