PMQ Pizza Magazine May 2013

Three of a

Kind The Theo’s trio helps turn New Orleans into a pizza mecca.

Salads | Pg 36 Entertainment | Pg 44 Pay-At-Table | Pg 50

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May 2013 www.PMQ.com

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Don’t miss PMQ’s NRA Show Pizza Guide!

The Pizza Insider Recent Topics The Word-of-Mouth Myth Pizza Pairings Keeping Them Loyal

May 2013 Issue, Digital Edition Only Starting on Page 85

Recent Videos (pizzatv.com)

Liz Barrett brings you the inside scoop on the industry’s latest trends, marketing and technology.

Pizza Without Borders Recent Topics Swiss Pizza Spanish Pizza Championship Why the Big Chains Failed in Argentina

Pizza TV: Recent Videos Michael Testa, 8, and his brother, Nicholas, 6, of Jersey City, New Jersey, have earned national fame with their mad dough spinning skills. Check out their routine at PMQ.com.

Missy Green travels the world to deliver industry news and ideas from foreign lands.

This Week in Pizza Think Tank Hot Topics (thinktank.pmq.com) PMQ’s Think Tank is the only online forum for the pizza industry. With a membership of more than 2,000 and nearly 80,000 posts, you’re sure to find the answers you need. Some examples of recent posts: Negotiating with Vendors—A pizzeria operator asks about reducing food costs by dealing with food vendors on a cost plus percentage basis.

Designing an online ordering system for pizzerias—Two businessmen seek advice from Think Tank members about an online ordering system geared specifically toward pizzerias.

Interact with PMQ daily on Facebook and Twitter PMQ Pizza Magazine 6

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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 Daniel Perea.

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

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CONTENTS may 2013 On the cover

26

The Three Amigos Community-focused marketing and cross-promotions with fellow restaurateurs have helped the owners of Theo’s Neighborhood Pizza build their own pizza empire in New Orleans.

By Rick Hynum Photos by Kara Hoffman

features

36 Sensational Salads By going above and beyond the standard icebergand-tomato-wedge selections, operators are creating signature salads that set their pizzerias apart from the competition.

By Tracy Morin

44

The Game Changer Thanks to Wi-Fi, smartphones and tablets, digital entertainment options now run the gamut from kids’ games and remote-controlled jukeboxes to TV shows on customers’ Androids.

By Michelle McAnally

50

Check, Please!

As concerns mount over identity theft and fraud, new mobile technologies allow guests to pay for their meals without having to surrender their credit cards.

By Michelle McAnally

56

The Best of NAPICS PMQ staff members single out some of their favorite products featured at the 2013 North America Pizza and Ice Cream Show in Columbus, Ohio.

Coming Next Month Pizza of the Month: Barbecue Dressings: Cross-cultural influences and an endless array of fresh ingredients have resulted in dozens of dressings—both for salads and dipping—to suit nearly any palate.

Sports Marketing: From girls soccer and Little League to NFL football, nothing brings Americans together like sports—unless, of course, it’s pizza.

POS Innovations: Operators and experts explain how the new generations of point-ofsale systems are working smarter and harder for you—and for your customers.

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PMQ Pizza Magazine

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CONTENTS may 2013

34

44 C lass

26

yK ids

departments 18

Zeak’s Tweaks: To Cook or Not to Cook?

Jeff Zeak explores the controversy over cooked versus uncooked pizza sauces.

20

New York’s Finest: The 5 Keys to Failure Chef Bruno outlines the most common mistakes that pizzeria operators make—and how to prevent them.

22

Accounting for Your Money: Simplifying Home Office Deductions Mike Rasmussen explains the IRS’ new “safe-harbor” method for deducting home office expenses.

24 Marketing Maven: Cashing in

On Spring Fever Linda Duke offers tips and ideas for creating a warm-weather buzz with springtime promotions.

34 Pizza of the Month: Hawaiian Starting with just a few simple ingredients, anyone can create a unique pie that packs a true Hawaiian punch.

82

Time Capsule: Nicolosi’s Italian Restaurant Founded by Sicilian emigrant Salvatore Nicolosi, this San Diego institution has been serving Old-World family recipes since 1952.

10 PMQ Pizza Magazine The Pizza Industry’s Business Monthly

in every issue 6

Online at PMQ.com

12

Editor’s Note

14

Letters to the Editor

16

Pizza Press

58

Product Spotlight

59

Idea Zone

67

Advertiser Index

68

Pizza Industry Resource Guide

50

ziosk

“You gotta start with quality if you want to end with quality.

Joe Calcagno Owner, La Bella

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EDITOR’S NOTE rick hynum

PMQ’s On the Move!

On the cover: The owners of Theo’s Neighborhood Pizza—Greg Dietz, James Orintas and Ted Neikirk—overcame one of the worst natural disasters in American history to spark a pizza renaissance in New Orleans.

Photo by Kara Hoffman

As many of our readers have probably noticed, PMQ these days is a company that’s on the move. We launched our shiny, information-packed, new website in January, and our numbers have shot through the roof, with more unique visitors than ever before. Obviously, we’re proud of our site and its ever-growing popularity, but, as reluctant as we are to toot our own horns, that’s not all we’ve got to brag about in 2013.

For example, PMQ.com now features two outstanding blogs that will both entertain and enlighten pizza industry professionals. In “The Pizza Insider,” editor-at-large Liz Barrett unearths the latest tips, trends and technology in the pizza industry on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. Additionally, Missy Green, our international correspondent based in Paris, France, reports on pizza events, trends and curiosities from Europe and around the world in “Pizza Without Borders.” Both bloggers will will tap into our Blog Advisory Board, which consists of successful pizzeria operators and industry consultants from around the country, and her own years of experience covering the world of pizza.

That’s just for starters. You can now receive the digital issue of PMQ Pizza Magazine on your iPhone, iPad, Android and other mobile devices. The entire digital magazine is customized specifically for mobile viewing, so you can carry your own pocket-sized PMQ with you everywhere you go. Stuck in the waiting room at the doctor’s office or standing on line at the DMV? Why let all that valuable time go to waste? Moneymaking ideas and the latest news on industry products and services are just a couple of quick clicks away!

But that’s not all. The new PMQ app allows you to view our “This Week in Pizza” videos, browse the online newsroom for the latest industry headlines, and even swap ideas and seek advice from fellow operators and industry experts on our Think Tank forum—no mouse required!

That should have been enough, but, hey, we were already on a roll, so we just kept going. We have redesigned and repurposed our weekly newsletter, now also called “This Week in Pizza,” to be accessible both for regular email subscribers and on mobile devices. This sleeker, more dynamic and more concise version allows you to skim quickly for the information that matters most to you; when something catches your eye, just click on the link and read the full piece on our website. And, although we’ll still cover the industry’s most important breaking-news stories, the newsletter also now features tips and ideas for pizzeria marketing, promotions and management, all crafted to help you sell more and boost your bottom line.

Of course, if you’d rather play the Star Wars version of Angry Birds or pin recipes for zucchini casseroles on Pinterest, be my guest. But once you’ve downloaded the PMQ app or subscribed to the mobile version of our newsletter, I know you’ll be hooked, and you’ll wonder how you ever ran your business without it. So please check out these new offerings, then drop us a line and let us know what you think. After all, we’re doing all of this for you, and your feedback is more important than ever!

Rick Hynum Editor-in-chief PMQ Pizza Magazine

12 PMQ Pizza Magazine The Pizza Industry’s Business Monthly

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR rick hynum

A P u b l i c at i on of P M Q , In c .

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

Getting Started I’m in the early stages of researching information to possibly open a brickoven pizzeria in my hometown. I have been searching the Internet to better understand what it would take to do this. Tracy Morin’s article, “Equipping a Pizzeria” [January/February 2013], was a great overview, and I learned a lot from it. Can you recommend another resource that would go into more detail on all of these topics? I know that the PMQ forums are full of good information, but it is a little hard to navigate through all of the postings to get specific answers. I would appreciate any information or advice you can provide.

Jon Dollenmeyer dollenmeyer@fuse.net We’re so glad, Jon, that you learned so much from the article. It’s true that our Think Tank is massive, but you can get the specifics

that you want by starting your own thread.

It’s amazing how willing our experienced operators are to give you advice on these questions. There are also a number of expert consultants in this industry—such as Tom “The Dough Doctor” Lehmann and Chef Santo Bruno—who can help guide you in this process. Finally, you’ll find a great deal of information in the digital archives section of PMQ.com—we’ve got articles dating back to the founding of the magazine that cover everything from smallwares to ovens. We wish you the best of luck, and please keep us posted on your progress!

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

Clarification: In the Product Spotlight section of PMQ’s March 2013 issue, AFC Insurance was described as “an ‘A’rated carrier.” For the sake of clarity, this should have been written as “a carrier with an ‘A’ rating.”

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.

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Newbie hoping to open independent store soon...

New EDDM piece...

Unemployment appeal...

PH lawsuit...

Fresh basil...

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

14 PMQ Pizza Magazine The Pizza Industry’s Business Monthly

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 Michael J. Rasmussen Jeff Zeak Volume 17, Issue 4 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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Delivering Hope for a Missing Girl When a young girl went missing in Krum, Texas, Kevin Goodman, owner of Bobcat Planet Pizza (bobcatplanetpizza.com) was determined to help in the search, one pizza box at a time. Goodman has been placing fliers on all of his pizza boxes to raise awareness about Hailey Dunn, now 16, who disappeared after leaving her home to visit a friend in 2010. The flyers feature Dunn’s photo and advertise a $15,000 reward.

“I believe that the take-home flier is effective because it makes a longer-lasting impression on the people that take it home versus the people that just see it for a few minutes while standing in my shop,” Goodman explains. “The customers see the fliers when they receive their orders, again when they sit down at home to eat, possibly again the next day when they eat leftovers, eventually again when they take out their trash, and so on.” The pizza box fliers have also helped spread the word about the missing girl by garnering coverage in local newspapers and on regional TV news broadcasts.

Romeo’s Scores With Meat-Lovers Treat

The Butcher Shop, a meat-heavy pie created

by Craig Jenkins from Romeo’s Pizza, captured the “Best of the Midwest” title in the Traditional category at NAPICS this year.

With a pie called The Butcher Shop, Craig Jenkins, a three-store franchise partner of Columbus, Ohio-based Romeo’s Pizza (romeospizza.com), claimed a $6,000 cash prize and the “Best of the Midwest” title in the Traditional Pizza category of the 2013 Pizza Pizzazz competition at the recent North American Pizza and Ice Cream Show.

Romeo’s Pizza won the coveted title for the third time in 10 years, in a contest that featured more than 60 top pizza makers from more than 17 states. The Butcher Shop is a meat lover’s delight, piled with pepperoni, sausage, ham, bacon and crumbled meatballs. “When I didn’t hear my name called for third or second place, I was thinking, ‘Oh, my gosh, it’s either a bomb, or I’m getting a trophy,’” Jenkins says. Thanks to a fourth-place finish in the Gourmet Pizza category, he adds, “Romeo’s Pizza was the only pizza place that placed in the finals both days, and that really says a lot about our pizzas.”

New Flavored Crusts a Must at Hungry Howie’s As the self-proclaimed “originator of the flavored crust pizza,” the Hungry Howie’s (hungryhowies.com) pizza chain is offering a new flavored crust every month in 2013.

“We want to celebrate our 40th birthday by providing fun new crust flavors for our loyal customers,” says Rob Elliott, the chain’s vice president of strategic marketing. Buttery Cajun was the crust flavor for January, followed by Cheese Puff in February, Cheesy Garlic in March, Buttery Sesame in April and Poppy in May. With more than 500 locations in 24 states, Hungry Howie’s, headquartered in Madison Heights, Michigan, opened 10 locations in 2012 and plans to open 25 new stores this year, targeting franchise opportunities in Ohio, Pennsylvania, Georgia, Texas and California for growth.

16 PMQ Pizza Magazine The Pizza Industry’s Business Monthly

Pizza Hunting?

There’s an App for That Wherever they may go in New York City, pizza lovers always have one question on their minds: “Who has the best pie in this neighborhood?” The Pie Nearby app, developed

by Carlo Caponi, has the answer. It helps tourists and locals alike sort through the myriad pizzeria choices and, using GPS, directs them to the closest shop serving highquality pizza in the Big Apple.

As a third-generation Italian-American from Akron, Ohio, Caponi, now an attorney, grew up in the pizza business, folding boxes and making pies every day after school, so he knows from pizza. Pie Nearby features reviews of more than 200 New York pizzerias and a search filter that allows the user to research pizza in various neighborhoods of the city. Caponi admits that ranking pizzerias is “not a perfect science,” but he tries to take a methodical approach. “The four components I look for at each new pizzeria are crust structure, quality of the cheese, quality of the tomatoes used in the sauce and overall ambience, friendliness and approachability of the pizza shop owners,” he explains. The Pie Nearby app is available at the Apple App Store for $1.99.

Aurelio’s Toots Windy City’s Horn Aurelio’s Pizza (aureliospizza.com), based in Homewood, Illinois, recently created the Chicago-Style Eat and Greet Sweepstakes for customers in Florida, Georgia and Nevada. The winner received airfare for two and four-star hotel accommodations for a two-night stay, plus tickets to a basketball or hockey game, a tour of the ESPN State Street Studio, a chance to hobnob with ESPN on-air personalities and dinner at Ditka’s Restaurant, including a meet-and-greet photo opportunity with former Chicago Bears coach Mike Ditka himself. Customers entered the contest by filling out an entry form at one of the five Aurelio’s Pizza locations in Atlanta; Las Vegas; Henderson, Nevada; and Fort Myers and Naples, Florida. The promotion ran from March 7 through April 3.

Restaurant Owners Driving Economic Recovery Restaurant owners should stand up and take a bow. Figures from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) suggest that the restaurant industry has been helping to drive the nation’s economic recovery, adding jobs at double the rate of the overall economy in 2012. Eating and drinking outlets added jobs at a robust 3.4% rate in 2012, which was the strongest increase in 17 years, according to an analysis of BLS numbers by the National Restaurant Association (NRA).

The NRA expects the trend to continue, projecting that restaurants will add jobs at a rate of 2.7% in 2013, a full percentage point above the projected 1.7% boost in total employment. The gains will come from growth in the number of locations and from existing restaurants hiring more employees to meet an improving business environment. The restaurant industry has been the third-largest private-sector job creator since the employment recovery began in March 2010, the NRA reports.

May 2013

pmq.com 17

Zeak’s Tweaks jeff zeak

To Cook or Not to Cook?

Jeff Zeak delves into the age-old debate of cold-mixing vs. slow-cooking a pizza sauce.

By Jeff Zeak

QUESTION: In your opinion, is it better to cold-mix or slow-cook a pizza sauce?

ANSWER: “To cook or not to cook? That is the question.” There seems to be a great deal of controversy over this subject; arguments can be made for and against producing a cooked and uncooked sauce.

Those pizza makers who prefer an uncooked sauce say their sauce has more “fresh tomato flavor.” This is true if you’re using tomato products that are labeled as “fresh pack.” These products have had minimum exposure to heat and tend to offer more fresh-from-the-garden tomato flavor. You will subject a coldmix pizza sauce to heating only once— on the pie as it bakes. If you precook your sauce, it gets cooked twice—once during its initial production and again when you bake the pie.

Getting garden-fresh tomato flavor depends on the type of tomato product that you choose—i.e., “fresh pack” vs. “remanufactured”—as well as its manufacturer and the method for producing the product. Generally, the thicker the tomato product is, the more it has been subjected to heating (in terms of time and/or temperature) during evaporation.

Manufacturers of tomato products can make numerous adjustments to yield different results in the finished product, with temperature and time being the most fundamental factors that will influence the finished product’s characteristics (such as consistency, color and

flavor). The seeds and skins in the tomato product will also have an impact on those characteristics.

Many successful pizzeria operators produce cooked pizza sauce by simmering it for hours to develop that deep, robust flavor and brownish-orange color that customers seem to enjoy. Cooking the sauce also produces a wonderful aroma, which adds to the restaurant’s ambience.

However, the volatilization of aromas and flavors during the initial cooking process isn’t the best thing for the finished pizza—once volatilized, the flavors and aromas become diminished/reduced.

In fact, many reactions take place during the cooking process. These include caramelization of the sugars contained in the tomato products; evaporation of moisture (if you’re cooking it in an open-top pot or kettle); and the release of volatile oils from seasonings and spices. By cooking the sauce prior

18 PMQ Pizza Magazine The Pizza Industry’s Business Monthly

to baking the pizza, you are exposing that sauce to increased heating time, which will give the sauce even more of a “cooked flavor.” Depending on the type and amount of toppings used in conjunction with the cooked sauce, one may experience a scorched or burnt flavor in the resulting pizza, particularly if toppings are kept to a minimum.

As I mentioned, arguments can be made for and against producing a cooked and uncooked sauce. Ultimately, it all comes down to a matter of preference.

Personally, I have enjoyed pizzas made with cooked and uncooked sauces over the years.

Jeff Zeak is the pilot plant manager for the American Institute of Baking (AIB). Need more dough advice?

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New York’s Finest Chef Bruno

The 5 Keys to Failure

Chef Bruno describes the common mistakes that put new pizzerias out of business.

By Chef Santo Bruno

I

t’s easy to find information on how to succeed in the pizzeria business, but most people never talk about why so many pizzerias fail and close down, often within less than a year of opening. Some of the reasons are obvious—a bad location, for example, or the owners’ lack of experience. But many of the most common mistakes can be easily prevented. Here’s a partial list of reasons why so many pizza shops fail: 1. They lack the capital they need to get through the first year. The early months will be lean ones, and revenues may not meet expectations. This is one of the biggest reasons that pizzerias fail. If you get off to a slow start, you need money in the bank to tide you over until your marketing strategy begins to pay off.

2. They put the wrong people at the counter. Your employees need to smile and greet the people with a friendly attitude. Good service counts for a lot in the pizza business. Bad service gets you bad word-of-mouth and negative reviews on websites like Yelp.

3. They don’t run a clean, hygienic operation. Nothing turns a customer off like a dirty bathroom. If you don’t bother to keep your bathrooms clean, can you be trusted to keep your kitchen clean and germ-free? Your staff should wear gloves and keep their work areas spotless at all times. When a customer leaves, the tables should be 20 PMQ Pizza Magazine The Pizza Industry’s Business Monthly

immediately wiped down for the next guest. Don’t make your next customer come in and sit at a dirty table.

4. Bad equipment and poor maintenance of equipment leads to bad food. You should always take good care of your equipment and follow maintenance recommendations so that the food will be properly prepared. After a certain number of years, you should also be prepared to invest in some new equipment and decor so that everything looks fresh and clean, not old and dirty.

5. There are a lot of big fish in this pond, and if you’re a small fish, they’ll eat you alive and shut you down. To stay ahead of the competition, you need to market and promote your business aggressively. Run some specials and offer coupons in your local newspaper every week.

Keep up with the latest technologies to develop and manage a customer loyalty program that brings your guests back for repeat visits. Create a strong social media presence on sites like Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest.

If you sit back and wait for your customers to find you on their own, it may never happen. You should go to them first and give them a reason to come to you!

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

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Accounting For your Money Michael J. Rasmussen, CPA

Simplifying Home Office Deductions

The “safe-harbor” method is an easy-as-pie formula to calculate deductible home office expenses.

By Michael J. Rasmussen

QUESTION: Is there a simple method of deducting expenses for a home office?

ANSWER: There is a new simplified option for claiming the home office deduction. The IRS has provided the “safe-harbor” method that individuals can use to determine the amount of their deductible home office expenses, effective for tax years beginning on or after Jan. 1, 2013. Taxpayers who use this method can deduct an amount determined by multiplying the allowable square footage (up to 300 square feet) by $5 for a maximum of $1,500. This approach provides an alternative to the calculation, allocation and substantiation of actual expenses that would otherwise be required.

While taxpayers claiming a home office deduction under the safe harbor must still satisfy all of the requirements under Code Sec. 280A (i.e., the deduction can only be claimed for a part of the home used exclusively on a regular basis for business purposes), the safe harbor will substantially reduce the taxpayer’s record-keeping burden. A side benefit is that claiming a home office deduction will likely be less of an audit flag for taxpayers. With the issues that arise in calculating, allocating and substantiating deductible expenses being resolved by the safe harbor’s formula, there are fewer issues that might prompt an IRS examination.

This method doesn’t apply to an employee with a home office if he receives advances, allowances or reimbursements for expenses from his employer. The safe harbor is an alternative to deducting actual expenses. Accordingly, a taxpayer using the safe-harbor method for a tax year generally can’t deduct any actual expenses related to the business use of that home for that tax year, with the exception of otherwise allowable, nonbusiness, home-related deductions (such as deductions for qualified residence interest, property taxes and casualty losses).

22 PMQ Pizza Magazine The Pizza Industry’s Business Monthly

This new alternative provides a great option for restaurant owners who generate paperwork at home. To prove that you’ve got an area set aside for a home office, simply clear your desk, take a picture of the area, and hold on to it in case of a future audit!

QUESTION: Is there a new mileage rate for 2013?

ANSWER: The IRS has announced that the optional mileage allowance for owned or leased autos (including vans, pickups or panel trucks) will increase by one cent to 56.5 cents per mile for business travel after 2012. Employers also can use this rate to reimburse employees who, under an accountable plan, supply their own autos for business use, such as delivery drivers or general managers who use their own personal vehicles for errands.

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

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

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Marketing Maven Linda Duke

Cashing in On Spring Fever Create a warm-weather buzz by hosting outdoor events and offering lighter, healthier menu items.

By Linda Duke

A

s winter fades and the weather begins to heat up, it’s time once again to roll out spring-related promotions. Warmer temperatures mean that customers will be more willing to go out for pizza after work, maybe have a drink or two with friends and enjoy, whenever possible, the pleasant environment of an outdoor patio. If your pizzeria offers outdoor dining, here are some ways to spruce it up and create a sense of spring fever among your guests.

To get started, you’ll need the following: • New items to update and decorate your patio, such as umbrellas, table settings, tiki torches, outdoor plants and bulb lights for nighttime • New menu items that introduce the flavors of spring, including blended fruit smoothies, spring salads and healthier selections • A fun list of games, activities and fundraisers to get the community involved • Misters around the perimeter of the patio to cool down the area on really hot days • Updated menus, tablecloths and staff uniforms that reflect the new season and brighten up your restaurant Your patio has been idle during the winter months, but now it’s time to make use of the space, tables and chairs. Breathing new life into your patio will give your restaurant a brighter and more inviting feel that will help draw people to your restaurant.

You’ll want to dust off the tables and chairs, replace worn-out cushions and perhaps put a new stain on your wooden tables.

Bring in some outdoor plants suited for the weather in your area; smaller potted plants or flowers on the table will also create a festive atmosphere.

24 PMQ Pizza Magazine The Pizza Industry’s Business Monthly

Promotions centered on light, refreshing drinks, such as smoothies, can bring in new customers as springtime settles in around the country.

For nighttime hours, lighting the patio with tiki torches or small outdoor lights creates a romantic ambience and draws customers outside for dinner.

Even if you don’t have a patio, you can still create a buzz in the community by hosting springtime events and promotions.

Here are some ideas: • Organize and host a communitywide event with games and activities. Schedule it during a happy hour so adults and kids alike can get involved. Come up with games that relate to the spring months and pass out prizes— such as complimentary meal cards—to the winners.

• Create an outdoor fundraiser for a local charity and host it in your parking lot if space allows. Offer face painting and chalk drawing for kids and raffle prizes for adults.

• Support an outdoor run or walk for a good cause and arrange for the event to start and end at your pizzeria.

• Set up a booth at an outdoor event or festival in your

•

•

•

area, sell your food and donate part of the sales to a local charity.

Spice up your menu and offer springtime specials.

Refreshing blended concoctions that use warm-weather fruits—such as berries, melon, mango, pineapple and coconut—will be a guaranteed hit. Make both alcoholic and nonalcoholic versions and serve them in tall frosted glasses with paper umbrellas and bright straws. For kids, toss some colored ice cubes into their soda and juice to add to the fun.

With many customers wanting to lose weight for swimsuit season, it’s a great idea to promote lighter menu items, such as fresh salads, and healthier menu options, such as fish.

From table settings and menus to staff uniforms, go for a brighter look in your restaurant—you’ll see both your employees and customers react to the cheery atmosphere and, in turn, your sales will perk up, too!

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.

Serve fruit-based beverages in tall frosted glasses with garnishes for maximum promotional impact.

May 2013

pmq.com 25

feature story Theo’s Neighborhood Pizza

Theo’s co-owners Ted Neikirk, Greg Deitz and James Orintas have been buddies since their grade-school days in Little Rock, Arkansas.

26 PMQ Pizza Magazine The Pizza Industry’s Business Monthly

The

Three Amigos A marketing-savvy trio of lifelong buddies at Theo’s Neighborhood Pizza has made New Orleans a mini-mecca for pizza.

I

t’s not easy to stand out in a town like New Orleans. Every little hole-in-the-wall has a genius chef in the kitchen.

Culinary celebrities such as Paul Prudhomme and Emeril Lagasse call the city home, and even the average Cajun grandma in Metairie can whip up a pot of gumbo or jambalaya that’ll make you cry for joy.

So when James “Jammer” Orintas, Greg Dietz and Ted Neikirk—a trio of childhood buddies from Little Rock, Arkansas—quit their stuffy office jobs to open a pizza joint, called Theo’s Neighborhood Pizza (theospizza.com), in New Orleans’ Garden District in November 2004, some folks thought they’d lost their minds. And when Hurricane Katrina blew in just eight months later, the three partners began to suspect their critics were right.

“We knew there was a pizza void here, but we didn’t know the city that well,” Orintas recalls. “People said, ‘You’re moving to New Orleans? It’s the food mecca of the world. And you’re not even going to deliver? You’ll never make it.’ All of us had quit our jobs to do this. And then Katrina hit. At the time, it felt like the kiss of death.”

But even as the floodwaters roiled and the looters ran amok, business owners like the Theo’s trio knew they had little choice: They had to rebuild not just their stores and their livelihoods

Article by Rick Hynum Photos by Kara Hoffman

but do their part to help rebuild the great city itself.

Now, seven-and-a-half years later, Theo’s isn’t just thriving— it’s expanding. In addition to their original location on Magazine Street, the partners have added stores on Canal Street and in the suburb of Elmwood. And they’ve helped turn the Big Easy—once renowned chiefly for its Cajun and Creole fare— into a mini-mecca of pizza.

A “Harebrained Idea” Orintas, Dietz and Neikirk grew up together in Little Rock and developed a shared love of pizza, thanks to a little hometown shop that specialized in a thin, crispy, crackerlike crust. Neikirk and Orintas worked their way through college in a pizzeria, too, slinging dough and chopping onions in the kitchen. “We loved it,” Orintas says. “It was the best college job you could imagine. Then, after graduating, we all got stuck wearing coats and ties to work and hated it. We just didn’t want to work for somebody else. At the time, Greg’s wife was attending law school at Tulane University. They’d complain that there weren’t many pizza places in New Orleans and none that served the kind of pizza we used to get at that little joint back home. So we got this slightly harebrained idea that we’d open a pizzeria of our own. And we just got together and did it.”

May 2013

pmq.com 27

First, the partners conspired to reproduce the thin, crackery crust that they remembered so fondly. “It’s almost like the St. Louis style, minus the Provel cheese,” Orintas notes. “But we expanded on that a bit, eventually offering 40-plus different toppings and 20 specialty pizzas. If you look at most traditional pizzerias, there’s a sort of standard that they usually follow, but we didn’t do that. In all honesty, we just took everything that we liked and did it that way. And it worked.”

In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, though, the fledgling pizzeria’s future looked bleak. As rescue choppers buzzed overhead and soldiers patrolled the flood-ravaged streets, media pundits speculated that the city might never bounce back. But the Theo’s crew had little time for gloomy prognostications. “I think we were too dumb to know any different,” Orintas says.

“For us, we could either file for bankruptcy or open back up.

We had no other choice.”

Within 10 days after the hurricane, the three men were back at their restaurant, which had been spared the worst of the flooding due to its location. On the same day the city reopened for business, so did Theo’s, with a sign out front that said, “Rebuilding New Orleans, One Pizza at a Time.” Every morning they loaded Orintas’ Chevy Tahoe with food products from Sysco, drove into town and, using hundreds of gallons of bottled water trucked in from Arkansas, created a limited menu of pies with pepperoni and sausage, Budweiser and Coke. As word spread, bleary-eyed police officers and National Guardsmen with AR-15s lined up outside every day, and locals began to use Theo’s as a gathering place. “Everyone was coming into the restaurant and spotting their friends and neighbors that they hadn’t seen in a while, and they’d all be hugging each other,” Orintas remembers. “And it didn’t matter how much food we started out with; we ran out every night by 8:00 for months. It was crazy.”

A Team of Rivals Sheer pluck and tenacity kept Theo’s plugging along through the post-Katrina trauma, but clever marketing, hard work and quality food have been the keys to its long-term success. Orintas, who handles most of the marketing duties, takes a communitycentered approach, teaming up with fellow restaurateurs and nonprofits alike to create mutually beneficial promotions.

Theo’s Pizza of the Month has been one of its most successful promos. Inspired by the fare at a nearby barbecue restaurant called The Joint, Orintas and his buddies developed a pie featuring The Joint’s pulled pork, and both restaurants touted each other on their websites and via shared email lists, in-house signage and social media outlets. “We did it for a month, and we went through something like 250 or 300 pounds of pulled pork,” Orintas says. “That was probably our biggest success.”

Theo’s has also partnered with Baton Rouge-based Louisiana Fish Fry to develop the Blackened Shrimp Pizza, an olive oilbased pie featuring shrimp, green onions, minced garlic, onions, green peppers and mozzarella cheese and topped with Louisiana 28

PMQ Pizza Magazine

The Pizza Industry’s Business Monthly

ZAC LEHR

Muffalettas, Cobblers and More Marketing, logoed merchandise and cross-promotions have been major factors in the success of Theo’s Neighborhood Pizza, but it’s the innovative pizzas that turn the merely curious into regulars. Coowners James Orintas, Ted Neikirk and Greg Dietz never rest on their dough-dusted laurels for long—they’re constantly developing new recipes for their Pizza of the Month special and adding the most popular ones to the regular menu. In addition to the combinations described in the main article, here are more examples: The Shroomie—olive oil, mozzarella, white onion and shitake, cremini and button mushrooms with a pesto drizzle The Sweet Cobbler—mascarpone cheese and sweet peaches topped with crumbled sugar cookie and drizzled with honey The Muffaletta—olive salad, mortadella and a mixture of mozzarella and provolone cheese topped with salami and ham Chorizo Jack—olive oil, pepper Jack and mozzarella cheeses, chorizo sausage, pineapple and Anaheim peppers Caprese—Marinara sauce, fresh mozzarella, fresh basil and a drizzle of olive oil The Andouille—olive oil, pepper Jack and mozzarella cheeses, purple onions, Anaheim peppers and andouille sausage

Among the many specialty pizzas on the menu, the Doc’s Margarita— named for a friend of the owners—is one of Theo’s most popular selections.

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they preferred the place with the Chicago-style pizza, but then they tried us, so now they go back and forth between the two.”

Reaching Out

(Clockwise, from left) Co-owner Greg Dietz still takes an active role in Theo’s day-to-day management; The Expert is a specialty pizza featuring crumbled bacon, spinach, tomatoes and purple onions; Mikey Arruebarrena readies a pie in one of Theo’s Bakers Pride ovens at the Elmwood location.

Fish Fry’s blackened seasoning mix. Teaming up with an organic farmer, Jack and Jake’s Organic Farms, led to a mushroombased pizza special, while Jacob’s World-Famous Andouille in LaPlace, Louisiana, lent its product to a sausage-centered pie.

Future plans call for a partnership with Toups Meatery, a MidCity Cajun restaurant famed for its charcuterie, and a taco pizza to be developed with a local Mexican restaurant.

Those aren’t the only examples of Theo’s “team of rivals” strategy. With styles ranging from authentic Neapolitan to New York and Chicago pies, pizzerias have begun to flourish in the city since Theo’s opened in 2004. With that in mind, Orintas decided last summer to launch a “pizza war,” a 10-week promotion that involved 10 pizzerias around the city and drew roughly 500 participants. “It turned out to be a phenomenal success,” Orintas says. “Every customer got a little passport, and they had to eat and get their passports stamped at all 10 restaurants to be entered for drawings for some great prizes.

The grand prize was two VIP passes for Jazz Fest, which was a huge deal. You could also win $50 gift certificates to all 10 restaurants. Everyone saw a good spike in business, and I think we all got new customers out of it. Someone may have had their favorite pizza place in town, but this gave them a reason to try everyone out and maybe form a different opinion. Maybe 30 PMQ Pizza Magazine The Pizza Industry’s Business Monthly

When Orintas, Neikirk and Dietz aren’t busy turning their competitors into compatriots, they’re raising money for causes close to their hearts. “From day one, that was really important to us,” Orintas reflects. “We promised ourselves that, if we could make this restaurant a success, we’d give back to the community. It means a lot to us, and it’s also great marketing.”

One beneficiary is a local Salvation Army post. Every month, Theo’s throws a birthday party for its clients. “Someone will always have a birthday that month, so we bring in balloons and a birthday cake and sing ‘Happy Birthday’ to them,” Orintas says. “We’ll feed 40 or 50 adults and children, and everybody gets pizza and soft drinks. To meet all these kids who have absolutely nothing and throw this party for them—I can’t describe what it feels like. It will almost bring you to tears.”

Theo’s also sponsors a monthly dinner at a local group home for at-risk youths called Boys Hope. Meanwhile, the city’s police department gets a lot of love from Theo’s, too—the Magazine Street shop is located right across from a police station and draws a regular crowd of New Orleans’ finest. “We always donate a ton of pizzas to NOPD during Mardi Gras, Jazz Fest and Blues Fest,” Orintas says. “They love us. They’re eating at our place once or twice a week. They support us, and we support them.”

In addition to garnering local media coverage, all of that community outreach gets plenty of Theo’s logoed pizza boxes into potential customers’ hands. “I’d rather spend money on that than on a print ad,” Orintas says. “They see our pizza boxes everywhere, and they know we’re supporting the community. I think that’s the best marketing you can do.”

The Social Strategy Pizza boxes aren’t the only Theo’s-logoed items making the rounds. “We don’t do radio or TV advertising, and we do only a minimal amount of print,” Orintas admits. “I’d rather spend that money on T-shirts, hats, Mardi Gras cups and Jazz Fest

“Less is more with social media. If you’re hammering and hammering them, it loses its effectiveness.”

—James Orintas, Theo’s Neighborhood Pizza

The Eccentric lives up to its name with toppings that include chicken, jalapeños, yellow squash, Anaheim peppers, spicy tomatoes and pepper Jack and feta cheeses.

and Blues Fest coozies. We’ll order a thousand of them and give them out to our customers, and then you’ll see them all over the city. We also partnered with Abita Brewing Company to create these pint mugs that were hugely successful for us.

We had our logo on one side and the Abita Amber logo on the other side. People loved them. If I’m going to spend money on something, I want to make it last.”

All of that heavy-duty marketing—and, of course, a tummytempting menu—has even helped Theo’s become the pizzeria of choice for the city’s beloved New Orleans Saints. The team calls in for weekly postpractice deliveries throughout the season, and Orintas never misses the opportunity to shoot a photo of the boxes bound for the locker room and post it on Theo’s Facebook page.

In fact, Facebook figures prominently in Orintas’ marketing strategy. The secret, he says, is not to overdo it. “There’s a fine

32 PMQ Pizza Magazine The Pizza Industry’s Business Monthly

line between getting out your message and bombarding people.

I will never post more than once or twice a week or even just once every other week. We have an email list of 1,000 people, but I’ll only send out an email, such as our newsletter, once every three or four weeks. When I post or email something, I want them to know that it’s worth reading. Less is more with social media. If you’re hammering and hammering them, it loses its effectiveness.”

When Orintas posts something, it’s usually a plug for Theo’s Pizza of the Month or, even better, a photo of customers enjoying a pizza, a cute kid at a table or employees at work and play. “It’s not about giving half off a pizza that day; it’s about engaging your customer base. And if you just post a picture of an amazing-looking pizza, I promise you, that draws people in, and they’ll order within the next hour after they see it.”

But one thing that will never draw customers through Theo’s doors is a coupon. Although the pizzeria promotes weekly beer and wine specials—such as $1.50 draft specials on Tuesday nights and half-off bottles of wine on Wednesdays—Orintas has never met a coupon deal that he liked. “When you start doing coupons,” he says, “I think people expect them every time, and I feel like it can cheapen your product a little bit.

I know a lot of people disagree with me on that, but I’d rather give away promotional items that have our logo, things that people can hold onto and use, than give out discounts.”

Friends for Life Whatever you may think of three guys from Arkansas who dare to open a pizza joint in Cajun country, their gamble certainly paid off.

Theo’s newest store—which opened last December—is projected to rake in about $1.6 million in its first year, while the Canal Street store earns about $1.5 million and the Magazine Street shop hauls in about $900,000 a year.

And the trio’s lifelong friendship hasn’t suffered a bit. They still take business and pleasure trips together—along with their wives and kids—and share a beach vacation once a year. Over time, each partner has found his own niche in the company: Neikirk deals with food orders and vendors, while Dietz focuses on accounting and payroll and Orintas handles the marketing and personnel. All three of them also continue to work daily managerial shifts. “We are definitely not absentee owners,” Orintas states.

“We’re three guys who grew up together and, even though we’re all different, it’s a good balance,” Orintas concludes. “When you deal every day with people you trust and who share the same end goals, it makes things a lot easier. In the nine years we’ve been in business, we’ve had one big fight, and that was over the paint color for a wall. If that’s the worst thing we’ve got to fight about, I’ll take that all day long.”

Theo’s Neighboorhood Pizza The Stats: Headquarters: New Orleans, LA Co-Owners: James Orintas, Ted Neikirk and Greg Dietz Year Founded: 2004 Number of Units: 3 Dine-in, carryout Number of Employees: 85 Ovens: Bakers Pride

Rick Hynum is PMQ’s editor-in-chief.

May 2013

pmq.com 33

pizza Of the month Hawaiian

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Pizza Month: of the

Hawaiian Recipe and photo provided by Dole Food Company 1 12” pizza crust 1 tbsp. olive oil 1 c. pizza sauce 1½ c. mozzarella cheese, shredded 1 c. pineapple tidbits, well-drained ¼ c. Canadian bacon, sliced, cut in quarters Brush the pizza crust with oil. Spoon the sauce over the crust. Sprinkle the cheese and pineapple tidbits and top with Canadian bacon. Bake at 450°F for 12 to 15 minutes or until the crust is golden-brown.

34 PMQ Pizza Magazine The Pizza Industry’s Business Monthly

A Slice of Paradise

From the United States to the South Pacific, pizza aficionados love Hawaiian pizza and its tantalizing combination of sweet and salty flavors. Even better, anyone can craft a great Hawaiian pie using only cheese, tomato sauce, ham and pineapple. But creative types such as Matt McClellan from Tour de Pizza (tourdepizza.com) in St. Petersburg, Florida, take it further, adding mandarin oranges to the mix, while the Buffalo, New York-based chain Just Pizza (justpizzausa.com) adds maraschino cherries and sliced almonds. Paco’s (pacoschicago. com), a Chicago eatery specializing in Mexican-American pizzas, turns up the tropical heat with a generous helping of jalapeño peppers. If you want to create a unique pie that packs a true Hawaiian punch, here are some additional ideas from innovators across the country: For a tangy twist on the Hawaiian classic, check out Elgin, Illinoisbased Geno Nottolini’s Pizza (elginpizza.com). Along with Canadian bacon and pineapple, this pizzeria tops off its interpretation with shrimp and barbecue sauce.

In North Salem, New York, Two Meatballs Pizza (twomeatballspizza. com) stirs up a little Maui Madness with caramelized Maui onions in a pink sauce, applewood-smoked bacon, barbecue chicken, pineapple chunks and a blend of mozzarella, Fontina, provolone, white cheddar, Muenster and Parmesan cheeses.

Spam is hugely popular in Hawaii, so the Greathouse of Pizza (greathouseofpizza.com) in Casey, Illinois, has created a “true Hawaiian pizza” topped with the famous canned ham, pineapple rings and green onions. Slated to run as a special later this year, it’s drizzled with teriyaki sauce and topped with mozzarella cheese and coconut flakes.

No one makes a Hawaiian pizza like a Hawaiian. Serino’s Pizza Waikiki (serinospizzawaikiki.com) in Honolulu starts with an Italian cheese blend and adds pulled kalua pork, red onions, tomatoes and bacon, topped off with a pineapple-mango-papaya chutney.

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feature story salads

36 PMQ Pizza Magazine The Pizza Industry’s Business Monthly

Pagliacci Pizza

Seattle-based Pagliacci Pizza offers only three salads on its menu, but they’re doozies, including the Pagliaccio, featuring garbanzo beans, diced red peppers, kasseri cheese, salami and red onions.

Sensational

Salads

Operators are thinking outside the bowl to create unique and sophisticated salad menus that set their pizzerias apart from the competition.

By Tracy Morin

“Salads provide a great opportunity to increase gross volume, and with profits similar to pizza, you want to get the word out about them.”

—Scott McGehee, ZAZA Fine Salad & Wood Oven Pizza Company

May 2013

pmq.com 37

ZAZA

The menu at ZAZA Fine Salads & Wood Oven Pizza Company boasts a dozen specialty salads, but customers can also create their own, using toppings such as black beans, chickpeas and capers.

T

hankfully, the perception of pizzeria salads—think wilting iceberg lettuce, canned black olives and a lone cold tomato wedge—is changing. Enterprising operators have endeavored to go above and beyond typical, uninspired selections, and salads at pizzerias can now be as sophisticated as those in upscale eateries. They can even garner major customer and media attention: New Orleansbased Reginelli’s Pizzeria (reginellis.com), with 10 locations in Louisiana and Texas, was selected by The Times-Picayune as the Big Easy’s best restaurant to get a salad, and the pizzeria has become known for them. “Our salads are mentioned in a lot of reviews and online postings,” says owner Darryl Reginelli. “It makes us more than just a pizzeria.”

If you’re looking to become known in your community as “more than just a pizzeria,” take these top tips from operators to jazz up your salad menu—and keep customers coming back for more.

Creating Signature Salads At Aurelio’s Pizza (aureliospizza.com), based in Homewood, Illinois, two salads account for more than 80% of the chain’s overall salad sales. Though the company has added more options to appeal to a wider range of customers, the Dinner Salad and the Aurelio’s Italian Antipasto Salad—both on the menu when the pizzeria opened in 1959—remain customer favorites. In two sizes for sharing (serving two and four people), the salads are a hit with dine-in guests. “It’s a group salad, just like pizza is a group food—people can order a pizza and salad and get a whole meal,” says Kirk Mauriello, director of franchising for Aurelio’s. “We stay traditional, but salads are definitely our second-biggest area of sales.”

Quality also trumps quantity at Seattle-based Pagliacci Pizza (pagliacci.com), which has more than 20 locations in Washington. Pagliacci offers only three salads on its menu, but they have caught on with customers—especially the Pagliaccio Salad, on the menu from day one and with a unique mix of ingredients (including kasseri cheese and garbanzo beans).

The Pesto Pasta Salad, meanwhile, gives customers an alternative to a traditional greens-based salad, and the Caesar Salad 38 PMQ Pizza Magazine The Pizza Industry’s Business Monthly

has proved very popular with guests for the past decade. The pizzeria also offers a daily salad—many of which have a loyal following. “People know us for our salads; we have big fans of them,” says Shelley McNulty, marketing director for Pagliacci.

“Customers know our daily salad schedule and come in on that day just to order them.”

Experimenting with Ingredients When you’re looking to go a step above with your salad menu, start with the basics: the greens. At ZAZA Fine Salad & Wood Oven Pizza Company (zazapizzaandsalad.com), with two locations in Conway and Little Rock, Arkansas, owner and chef Scott McGehee shuns iceberg altogether in favor of field greens, romaine and spinach. Carlos Harrington, executive chef at Bounce Sporting Club (bounceny.com) in New York, recommends experimenting with watercress, endive, baby gem, radicchio, and even herbs such as parsley, basil and marjoram.

To grab patrons’ interest, he also advises stocking different types of nuts (almonds, walnuts and pine nuts); both dried and fresh fruit (apples, mandarins, grapes, cranberries and raspberries); and cheeses such as feta, Gorgonzola, Parmesan, fresh mozzarella and cheddar. “Salads should include different textures, colors and flavors; a contrast of colors and textures really enhances all senses,” says Harrington. “And, of course, adding a special touch such as homemade croutons really makes a difference.”

Reginelli laments that many operators make the mistake of creating salads that are simply different versions of their pizzas.

“We try to mix it up so it’s not apparent we’re just using the same toppings we’d put on a pizza,” he explains. “Some items are used specifically on salads to make them more unique.” The company also thinks outside the bowl: Recently, Reginelli’s introduced a salad in which a crusty flatbread acts as a plate to hold the ingredients (added because so many customers asked for bread with their salads). He also forgoes iceberg, instead using romaine and mixed baby greens (including Swiss chard, baby arugula, frisée and bok choy). “These are softer lettuces, and we’re able to get consistent-quality product throughout the year,” says Reginelli, who also stresses fresh-made, unique dressings to make salads

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May 2013

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stand out (they’re not difficult to make and drastically improve the overall salad presentation and flavor).

McGehee agrees that homemade dressings and top-quality ingredients are a must. To get your creative juices flowing, he advocates experimenting with tried-and-true flavor combinations as well as ethnic approaches—for example, Latin- or Asian-inspired salads. Also, be sure to fight boredom among regulars: At ZAZA, along with 12 “predesigned” salads on the menu (which include dressing recommendations), customers can create their own salads—toppings include black beans, chickpeas, capers and mango, to name a few—or select the salad of the month.

Finally, offer variety on your salad menu—not just through ingredients, but with a good overall mix of salad types.

Though Aurelio’s finds great success with its two original sal-

ads, it has branched out to accommodate changing tastes, customer requests, and locations in states far-flung from its Illinois headquarters. For markets such as Florida, where customers enjoy lighter foods, the company added a citrus salad with candied pecans, dried cranberries and mandarin oranges; to meet demands for a heartier option, Aurelio’s offers a Cobb Salad with meats, cheeses and egg; and for those who like more intense flavors, the Buffalo Chicken Salad offers a kick with spicy chicken and pungent blue cheese dressing. “Look at your competition, but put your own twist on things,” Mauriello advises.

Going Local Local ingredients are a plus in any operation—and, in salads, they can also be a way to trim costs, says McGehee. Each

Raising the Bar

Learn how to make your salad bar profitable, safe and irresistible to customers.

ZAZA

S

alad bars are a significant investment, but they can pay off handsomely for your pizzeria. At Mazzio’s (mazzios.com), a 155-unit chain based in Tulsa, Oklahoma, franchise operators invest $15,000 for an 8’-long unit and another $1,000 for containers to hold product, plus the cost of serving utensils and a refrigerator/cooler for prepped items. Furthermore, Dave Poth, vice president of marketing for the chain, notes that salad bars have a higher food cost than most menu items. But they raise the bottom line as an add-on purchase, and Poth notes that you can boost their profitability by managing the cost of the items served (including replacing some higher-cost items with lower-cost items) and managing waste.

For a successful salad bar, Poth suggests stocking fresh vegetables, fresh fruits, two types of lettuce, a selection of specialty salads (broccoli raisin, potato salad, three-bean salad, etc.), and basic dressings, plus one or two specialty types (Asian or raspberry vinaigrette, for example).

“Seasonal fruits keep it interesting, and we use a specialty dressing strategy, changing one dressing every three months or so,” he says. “We also vary the specialty salads from time to time.”

Poth adds that temperature control is key—cold items under 40°, and hot items over 140°—and stainless-steel

40 PMQ Pizza Magazine The Pizza Industry’s Business Monthly

serving ware is best for durability, appearance and conducting cold while adding a sleek, modern look. Finally, he says, ingredients such as eggs, meats and cheeses add to the quality perception of a salad bar. You can prevent spoilage of these more expensive items by ensuring correct temperature, not overprepping items and using proper rotation (i.e., discarding items that aren’t moving well or ensuring that oldest inventory is used first).

Jeff Riggs, president of Clark’s Fork (clarksfork.com) in Bozeman, Montana, installed a salad and soup bar with a refrigerated unit for less than $5,000. “It’s a huge hit,” he says. “Now people come regularly for the salad bar.”

Elements of his formula for success include a “salad bar ranger” in charge of chopping and prepping items before customers’ eyes, creating a perception of freshness; listing the foods’ nutritional value and highlighting local items; a rotation of items, many of which stemmed from customer requests via comment cards placed on both ends of the salad bar; and making the salad bar available for to-go orders. “We open our salad bar at 10 a.m. so that people can grab a salad for lunch later,” Riggs says. “Now, 35% or 40% of our salads are to-go orders, and people can be in and out in a few minutes.”

month, ZAZA features a salad made with produce from a local farmer, and he predicts that the local-ingredient trend will only grow. “Local is becoming so critically important as people become more health-conscious and engaged with what goes into their bodies,” he says. “Supporting smaller farms is really important to us, and you can get amazing local produce for less money. It may take a little effort, but when it comes to local ingredients, you can get on the bandwagon now or get left behind.”

Harrington notes that using local organic ingredients helps improve salads’ flavor while enhancing a restaurant’s uniqueness and sparking chef creativity. “Given the recent popularity of healthy eating, people are really gravitating toward the farm-to-table approach—and fresher, tastier ingredients lead to a better-tasting salad,” he explains. “Using local ingredients is very important. The less travel time for produce, the higher the product’s quality will be, and supporting local sustainable farms is a great way to steer away from mass-producing companies that use pesticides and chemicals, which ultimately creates a less nutritional product.”

Reaching the Masses McGehee uses a “full complement” of social media— including Twitter and Facebook—to spread the word about his salads, but he also goes the “old-fashioned” route by placing

a large chalkboard at the beginning of his salad line to show off a picture and the ingredients in one of his specialty salads.

A soup-and-salad combo for lunch is also a popular bundled option at his operation. “Salads provide a great opportunity to increase gross volume, and with profits similar to pizza, you want to get the word out about them,” McGehee says.

In Pagliacci’s pizzerias, a display of a freshly tossed salad in the front of the stores helps instigate sales, and in locations that have salad bars, customers are asked if they’d like a salad before their pizza when they’re greeted at the door. For delivery service, the company also offers the occasional upgrade, such as a large salad for the price of a small. “We encourage locations to show off salads during the lunch rush to increase sales, but the salad display must be kept fresh and appealing—no wilting lettuce!” McNulty notes. “We also encourage employee interaction, talking about and engaging customers about our salads.”

Mauriello suggests that operators make salads prominent on the menu and include pictures to entice customers to try them. Highlight salads that are considered a house specialty, and use social media and email marketing to remind current customers that you offer mouthwatering salads as well as pizza.

Bundling can also encourage people to sample: At its main location in Homewood, Aurelio’s offers a soup, salad and pizza or sandwich during weekday lunches. “It’s actually been a trend for people to skip pizza at lunch and just order a sandwich and

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Although well-stocked salad bars, such as the ones at Tulsa, Oklahomabased chain Mazzio’s, have a higher food cost than most menu items, they can boost your bottom line as an add-on purchase.

salad,” says Mauriello. “Sometimes we’ll do promotions—buy a pizza and get a salad free—but social media has been the biggest help; when you show customers a picture, you hit them right away.”

MAZZIO’S

Minding Your Food Costs Salads can be a higher-cost item due to the amount of fresh product needed and the fluctuation of the ingredients’ prices through natural events such as drought or frost. However, Mauriello tries to keep food costs at less than 25% for salads and is in the process of building recipes (with exact weights and measures for ingredients) into a new POS system to eliminate waste, keep food costs down and ensure consistency.

“Understanding what items are already in your restaurant, and how to use them, also helps with waste,” he notes.

Constant vigilance is a plus, too: When staff noticed that many salads were coming back to the kitchen with pepperoncini still on the plate, the restaurant cut back on portions of the relatively expensive ingredient.

Salad Success Finally, presentation is everything, so McGehee trains his ZAZA employees to constantly mind the salad ingredients, pick out any wilting or unattractive bits and keep everything

42 PMQ Pizza Magazine The Pizza Industry’s Business Monthly

pristine. “It takes only one salad with wilted greens to make that customer decide to never order another salad from you, so you have to pay attention to details,” McGehee says. “Practice aggressive training to build the habits of your staff.”

Ultimately, the success of salads, like any menu item, comes down to the right recipe: crafting a standout menu, listening to what your customers want and marketing accordingly. By rounding out your offerings with salads that soar, you’ll attract more business and add to your bottom line. “Pizza is one of the most popular food segments in the country, but for many it’s an indulgence,” McGehee says. “With a comprehensive and complementary selection, salads are a perfect addition—not only do they pair very well with pizza, but they’re great as an alternative entrée.”

Tracy Morin is PMQ’s senior copy editor.

feature story DIGITAL ENTERTAINMENT

The Game

Changer Revolutionary new digital entertainment options use smartphones, tablets, TVs and Wi-Fi to keep customers engaged and hungry for more.

By Michelle McAnally

F

rom Pong and Pac-Man to iPhone apps and touchscreen tablets, digital entertainment in the restaurant environment has evolved faster than you can say “Donkey Kong.” And now, thanks to the ubiquity of Wi-Fi, the options have expanded to include everything from e-books and video poker to remote-controlled jukeboxes and “American Idol” on your Android.

According to The NPD Group, a consumer research company, approximately 50% of home diners watch a TV show or video while eating dinner. So it’s no surprise that patrons often choose a restaurant because it offers convenient viewing of popular sporting events, and, increasingly, other programming geared toward families. But TV is just a part of the revolution in digital entertainment. Boredom-banishing content such as music videos and cartoon-playing kiosks give customers

44 PMQ Pizza Magazine The Pizza Industry’s Business Monthly

another reason to come back to your pizzeria for repeat visits.

And families with children especially appreciate the plethora of entertainment options, if only because a child who’s focused on a game or a TV show is a child who’s sitting still and staying out of trouble.

A Better Boob Tube Television in restaurants isn’t a new concept, of course, but pizzerias now market their TV programming more aggressively, thanks to services such as TV sports packages that carry every single pro football game being played on any given Sunday.

“Competing with sports bars on the Strip is difficult,” says Michael Jasilewicz, vice president of operations for Titan Brands, which owns Slice of Vegas Pizza (sliceofvegaspizza. com) in Las Vegas. Located in The Shoppes at Mandalay Place,

The SPUDnik tablet, offered to guests at Brother’s New York Style Pizza Ristorante in McKinney, Texas, entertains children with games, cartoons and art activities.

CLASSY KIDS PRODUCTS

May 2013

pmq.com 45

SLICE OF VEGAS PIZZA

RUDINO’S

Slice of Vegas Pizza draws in sports fans throughout the year with its DirecTV offerings; guests at Rudino’s of Holly Springs can play Texas Hold ’Em, blackjack and trivia on the pizzeria’s six big-screen TVs.

the casual but upscale pizzeria has 12 large flat-screen TVs and a massive projector screen. “Visitors frequently choose to watch sporting events here over other places because of the sheer number of televisions we offer, the opportunity to have a private space if requested and the visibility of numerous games in one spot,” Jasilewicz adds.

Slice of Vegas offers NFL specials throughout the fall as well as March Madness specials during college basketball season. “We have DirecTV on all televisions and the projection screen,” Jasilewicz says. “Customers can come and watch with their children or with a group of friends.”

Russell Edwards, the owner of Rudino’s of Holly Springs (rudinosofhollysprings.com) in Holly Springs, North Carolina, says his DirecTV packages also bring in sports-minded customers for the big games. “I always try to make my store a restaurant that acts like a sports bar,” Edwards says. “I have six big-screen TVs, and we offer DirecTV’s NFL Sunday Ticket on Sundays. So families can come in with the kids and not have to worry about loud noises and smokers like you’d find at sports bars.”

Rudino’s also provides tabletop units with old-school video games such as Pac-Man. “I rent them from an amusement company that takes care of the maintenance. My older patrons like these games,” Edwards says.

Of course, not every customer wants to watch—or play—a game while feasting on your pizza. Some apps allow pizzerias with multiple TVs to offer a variety of channels without creating a cacophony of noise. Sound from multiple TV channels is distributed via Wi-Fi and transmitted to each customer’s

“I have people who come in and want to sit here and play games until their food is ready.

So I’m hooked on it—I think it pays for itself.”

—Russell Edwards, Rudino’s of Holly Springs 46

PMQ Pizza Magazine

The Pizza Industry’s Business Monthly

smartphone or mobile device. Controls on the app’s screen allow guests to pick from among the TV channels being displayed by the host restaurant. That means Dad can tune into the Packers game, while Mom enjoys The Voice and the little ones watch The Disney Channel. “This might not be an ideal family setting, but it is better than being at home watching different TV programs in different rooms,” observes Joe Kirley, president of Shaws-Lawson Technologies. “It can also occupy multiple children, each of whom can watch a different channel while their parents enjoy a quiet meal.”

Games for All Ages Engaging the entire family is also the goal at Rudino’s, which provides tablets from BuzzTime Entertainment that offer games—such as Texas Hold’Em, blackjack and trivia—for all ages. Rudino’s has featured the tablets for about three years; Edwards stores them in a caddy at his ordering counter, and his customers are encouraged to pick one up and play while they wait for their food. “You get the tablets in groups of five,” he says. “I previously had 20, but that was too many; 10 is just right for my shop’s size, which is about 2,700 square feet. Every night we put them back into their corral with the charger so they charge overnight, and, if one breaks, I just send it back, and Buzztime sends me a new one.”

The tablets interact with two of Rudino’s television sets as well, enabling guests to play poker and trivia on both media.

The pizzeria sometimes holds tournaments that are facilitated

by Buzztime. All in all, it’s quality, family-friendly entertainment, Edwards says. “Kids love playing the trivia games, while adults play Texas Hold’Em.” But the tablets offer more than just a good time for Mom, Dad and the kiddies. Operators can also program them to display advertisements that promote daily specials, desserts, wine-and-pizza pairings and future events. The ads appear on the screens whenever a guest finishes a game. “We put our own specials on it, but you could also charge for ads from other

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businesses,” Edwards says. “We are talking about putting up free ads for other businesses in the strip mall that we are located in, hoping to bring in more business to all of us.”

Because Rudino’s is a counter-order restaurant, Edwards says the ads for specials don’t necessarily translate into immediate upsells. “But it does put ideas in the customers’ minds for their next visit, and it also announces beer specials, upcoming music acts and events,” he says.

Other digital entertainment systems are designed specifically for children. At Brother’s New York Style Pizza Ristorante in McKinney, Texas, iPad-like tablets bearing the trademarked name SPUDnik come preloaded with a “kiddified” operating system and a wide variety of fun activities. Developed by Family Hospitality Group, the SPUDnik features classic ebooks, tutorials, art simulators, syndicated cartoon episodes and games. “I almost want to give it a bad review so my competitors will not use it,” jokes the pizzeria’s owner, Doc Vranici.

“Some of my competitors have ice cream to help draw in kids.

I have the table tablets, and the kids always gravitate toward it and love it. I noticed repeat customers, and they specifically said they came to my shop because the kids wanted to play on the tablets. It’s a great tool to draw in and keep customers.”

A Twist On the Classics UNO Chicago Grill (unos.com) in Wrentham, Massachusetts, uses the Ziosk system to offer both pay-at-the-table service and E-mail samplE@liguriafoods.com for a samplE of our products

1-800-765-1452 www.liguriafoods.com 48 PMQ Pizza Magazine The Pizza Industry’s Business Monthly

CLASSY KIDS PRODUCTS

Games on the SPUDnik tablet are customized for boys and girls.

digital entertainment, all in one device. Such tablet systems allow customers to view menu items and specials, order from the menu, play games, watch videos and movie trailers, engage with social media, give real-time feedback to the restaurant, and pay the check right at the table, all with a 7” touch-screen placed at each table. But the most popular feature of the tablet, oddly enough, may be the newspaper selection. “I constantly see people reading the paper, mostly The New York Times,” managing partner Chris Dull says. “It’s current to the day and a very popular app. We also have games, and we see families with young children playing them. It occupies the children and also takes the stress off the parents.”

Like online newspapers, the classic jukebox, long a staple of the local pizzeria, has also moved into the 21st century, especially at Slice of Vegas. The pizzeria’s customers download an app from TouchTunes onto their smartphones or other wireless devices, and the app connects wirelessly to the restaurant’s TouchTunes jukebox—a sleek, wall-mounted device with a touch-screen. “Once you have access to the service, you can download songs from TouchTunes and play them from a playlist, or you can play songs directly from the jukebox itself on your smartphone,” Jasilewicz says. Even better, customers who choose songs from the jukebox don’t have to suffer through their fellow guests’ selections, he adds. “For a small fee, you can jump over other people’s songs.”

TouchTunes also offers the PhotoBooth app, which allows guests to take pictures of themselves at the jukebox and share them on social media. The company even offers a karaoke app for singalong nights.

According to a 2012 article in BusinessWeek.com, the TouchTunes system generates an average weekly income of $320 for restaurant and bar operators, selling jukebox songs for 50 cents apiece and karaoke tunes for $1 each. “It’s a crowd-pleaser,” Jasilewicz says. “Kids enjoy the jukebox app and taking pictures using PhotoBooth, but adults enjoy it just as much. The weekends or evenings are when people seem to utilize it most.”

“Some of my competitors have ice cream to help draw in kids. I have the table tablets, and the kids always gravitate toward it and love it.

I noticed repeat customers, and they specifically said they came to my shop because the kids wanted to play on the tablets. It’s a great tool to draw in and keep customers.”

—Doc Vranici, Brother’s New York Style Pizza Ristorante

CLASSY KIDS PRODUCTS

Kid-friendly touch-screen tablets at Brother’s New York Style Pizza Ristorante bring in repeat business from families with children.

One of the most unique TouchTunes features is the ability for a guest to make a big entrance by programming the jukebox to play his preferred trademark tune as he strides into your restaurant. “Sexy and I Know It” by LMFAO, anyone?

Appealing as they may sound, most of these technologies aren’t cheap, and developing a digital entertainment program should be approached as a long-term investment. It may be a good idea to start out slowly with a few tablets and gauge customer response before taking a plunge into the deep waters.

But operators such as Edwards are sold on this new wave of

digital entertainment options. In fact, when he had to figure out how to cut costs at Rudino’s, he knew he didn’t want to give up his digital game system. “I have people who come in and want to sit here and play games until their food is ready,” he says. “I don’t know if they wouldn’t come in otherwise, but they like it. And other places nearby don’t have it. I’m just trying to give people a reason to come in here instead of going to the bars. So I’m hooked on it—I think it pays for itself.”

Michelle McAnally is PMQ’s food editor.

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feature story Pay at table

50 PMQ Pizza Magazine The Pizza Industry’s Business Monthly

Advanced pay-at-table systems protect guests from identity theft and fraud while speeding up the checkout process.

Check, Please!

By Michelle McAnally

T

here aren’t many places where a customer would hand over his credit card to a complete stranger and lose sight of it for several minutes, but this transaction is routine at restaurants. Most consumers don’t give it much thought, but as identity theft becomes more commonplace and more lives are ruined every day by scam artists with pilfered credit card numbers, some technology companies have begun offering alternatives that allow restaurant guests to pay for their meals without having to surrender their plastic to a stranger.

“We call it the security gap that exists between the table and the POS system—the gap during which the card is out of your sight,” says Tom Harpootlian, chief operating officer for TablePay of America, based in Flint, Michigan. For many credit card users as well as for the banks that issue the cards, this gap has become increasingly worrisome, creating opportunities for credit card fraud and ID theft at every turn. The New York Times reported in 2011 on a ring of seven waiters charged with stealing data from the credit cards of at least 50 diners at upscale restaurants like Capital Grille, Smith & Wollensky

May 2013

pmq.com 51

UNO Chicago Grill in Wrentham, Massachusetts, uses the Ziosk system for both mobile payments and digital entertainment.

ziosk

“This technology is not designed to replace servers altogether, but it could save servers a lot of time so they can serve more tables in a set time period.”

—Robert Seward, PayAnywhere and Wolfgang’s Steakhouse. Another alleged criminal ring of restaurant-based “skimmers” was uncovered in Orlando earlier this year, according to The Orlando Sentinel.

That’s why pay-at-table credit card processing—which has been used in Europe for the past decade—has recently begun to make inroads among U.S. eateries. “The biggest thing is security,” Harpootlian says. “Forty-four percent of all credit card fraud originates in the food and beverage industry. With pay-at-table options, customers appreciate the security of never handing their credit card over to a waitstaff person. It literally never leaves their hands, dramatically reducing the risk of credit card fraud.” Harpootlian adds that the waitstaff loves it because they can’t be accused of stealing someone’s card—and, from an image standpoint, it shows that the pizzeria is concerned about the security of its customers’ data and that it’s up-to-date with the latest technology.

Robert Seward, vice president of product management at PayAnywhere in Buffalo, New York, agrees. “The two biggest benefits to offering pay-at-table service are speed and security,” he says. “Speed is a big one since the quicker you can turn a table, the more customers you can fit into the day. Servers benefit from the time savings and get the opportunity to share a cutting-edge technology with their customers. It’s a win-win.”

Plug and Pay There are several types of hardware and software configurations for pay-at-table service on today’s market, most of which can be integrated into a restaurant’s existing POS system. One small device—a smart magnetic card reader that’s less than three 52 PMQ Pizza Magazine The Pizza Industry’s Business Monthly

square inches and ½” thick—clips onto the top of the bill portfolio. “The customer swipes the card on the reader, and it turns green to show you are done, letting the waiter know it’s ready to be processed,” Harpootlian says.

Such devices can be plugged into any standard POS system with a USB cable, and the system will sense the device as a card reader (or swiper). “I could walk into any restaurant with any POS station, plug one of these devices in and run a transaction in about 10 seconds,” Harpootlian adds. “There are no changes, no programming, and no cost to have the POS supplier update the system—just plug it in, and it works.

Nothing has to get changed in the POS system or credit card processing process.”

Once a customer has swiped his credit card to make a payment, the server takes the card reader to the POS station and places it within ½” of the docking station. Via wireless communication, all of the information from the transaction is automatically transferred from the card reader to the docking station. Immediately afterward, the credit card information gets automatically erased from the reader but remains stored in the POS system until it’s switched to credit card authorization mode. Once the payment has been processed, the server returns to the customer with printed receipts, and the customer adds the tip.

Basic pay-at-table systems don’t calculate tips, but one reader will store up to four credit card numbers for those customers who want to split the tab. Alternatively, the server can bring multiple card readers to the table, allowing each party to

swipe his credit card and get a separate receipt. A basic system of this type may cost about $1,500 for five card readers, with volume discounts available and no monthly fees. Experts recommend about five card readers for each POS, and the readers can be stacked on a charging station, five at a time. Each charge is good for about 150 transactions, but storing the readers on the charging station between uses keeps them juiced up, clean and organized.

“The biggest thing is security. Forty-four percent of all credit card fraud originates in the food and beverage industry.”

—Tom Harpootlian, Table Pay of America feeling rushed. They check out at their own pace, and no one is left waiting.”

If a restaurant already uses iPads or iPhones, the initial investment for this type of system could be zero. Some companies offer the app and the card reader

for free and use a pay-as-you-go pricing model with a transaction fee, generally in the range of 2% to 3% per swipe, instead of a monthly fee. “If you don’t already own a tablet or smartphone, you can purchase one from a local retailer,”

Easy as a Phone Call Another mobile payment system works with the customer’s mobile device, such as an iPhone, iPad, Android phone, tablet or Blackberry. This system can be used strictly to process credit card payments, or it can also be customized to display menu information, Seward notes.

In this case, the credit card reader can be plugged directly into the customer’s mobile device, and, once the app has been downloaded, guests can handle their own payments, Seward notes. “The app allows customers to check out simply and securely by swiping their credit or debit card through the reader and signing their names with their fingers directly on the device. An electronic receipt is generated and can be emailed to the customer, or the restaurant can pair the payment solution with a mobile receipt printer and deliver a paper receipt to customers on the spot.”

Prevention of fraud and identity theft is only one advantage provided by these technologies, Seward notes. “With the ability to pay at the table, you eliminate the often arduous process of having the server leave the bill at the table, circle back in a few minutes to collect the payment source, go back to the POS device and punch in the payment info, generate a paper receipt, and then bring the paper receipt back to the table, wait for it to be signed, and finally enter a tip in later if appropriate,” he says. “With pay-at-table, checkout is streamlined and put into the hands of the customer. Faster customer service is realized without customers

May 2013

pmq.com 53

“Pay-at-table is a tool to help us give the best service possible.

It helps improve our image as a whole.”

—Min Lee, UNO Chicago Grill Seward says. “Pricing for an off-the-shelf tablet varies depending on the features selected, but it can start as low as $100. Then you can be off and running, offering pay-at-table checkout.”

A Win-Win Solution Some systems offer more than just a convenient and secure payment option. UNO Chicago Grill (unos.com) in Wrentham, Massachusetts, uses the Ziosk system for both mobile payment service and digital entertainment. Placed at each table in the restaurant, the 7” touchscreen system lets guests order menu items, play games, watch videos and engage with social media. But UNO takes it even further than that, allowing patrons to access nutritional information about the restaurant’s menu items through the system. “Basically, it’s a tool to help us give the best service possible,” says manager Min Lee. “Guests can interact, refill drinks, order appetizers and desserts and even read the newspaper for free.”

The system is PCI-compliant, comes with a tip calculator and check splitter, and allows customers to receive receipts by email or print. Lee says the system helps with upselling and speeds up customer service. “Our food quality and service is one of the highest out there, but the Ziosk takes it to the next level,” he says. “It helps improve our image as a whole.”

Multimedia pay-at-table systems are beginning to catch on in the restaurant industry, says Shawn Gentry, COO and president of Dallas-based TableTop Media, the maker of Ziosk. “Despite the current economic environment, national chains are exploring this technology across all category segments,” he says.

Pay-at-table solutions can help turn tables more quickly, thereby potentially increasing profits, but could they also reduce or even eliminate the need for waitstaff in the future? Seward doesn’t think so—at least not yet. “This technology, as it stands today, is not designed to replace servers altogether, but it could save servers a whole lot of time so that they can serve more tables in a set time period,” he notes. “Tablet solutions can also improve the ordering process to add or delete condiments, side orders and toppings.” In other words, most of these technologies are designed to make servers’ jobs easier rather than eliminate them.

As the technology evolves, pay-at-table systems will continue to enhance and improve the guest experience, Seward predicts. “Consider a server with a handheld tablet being able to explain the ingredients and calories for a menu item to the healthconscious guest or a fine-dining restaurant being able to pair its wine inventory to the meal chosen,” he says.

Above all, though, mobile payment helps protect customers’ credit card information, which, for today’s high-tech crooks, is as good as gold. “Not only is ID theft and credit card fraud a negative for customers; it’s also bad for restaurant owners,” says Rich Scarcella, president of PizzaSalePOS in Boca Raton, Florida. “A data breach can have a drastic effect, destroying the credibility of the establishment and potentially costing you loyal patrons.”

“The fact is, pay-at-table systems go way beyond security and convenience for guests,” Gentry concludes. “They add dollars to the pockets of restaurateurs and their employees. It’s a win-win.”

Michelle McAnally is PMQ’s food editor.

54 PMQ Pizza Magazine The Pizza Industry’s Business Monthly

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NAPICS PMQ staff members review top moneymaking products from the 2013 North America Pizza and Ice Cream Show.

For video coverage of the 2013 NAPICS show, visit www.PMQ.com/Video

Moneymaking products abounded at the 2013 North America Pizza and Ice Cream Show (NAPICS), recently held on February 17-18 in Columbus, Ohio. With 175 exhibitors, the show—which also featured the annual Pizza Pizzazz pizza making competition—offered everything from POS systems to ovens, refrigeration and cleaning equipment. Members of the PMQ staff reviewed some of their favorite products from this year’s show, and here’s what they had to say:

My Picks The Fizz Linda Green Co-Publisher

This is a twist-on float cup that screws onto any plastic soda bottle and lets you make the perfect root beer or Coke float.

It actually keeps the ingredients separate, so that you can mix your favorite flavors of drink and ice cream to your tastes and get exactly the flavor balance that you like best. You can even choose to just eat the ice cream or just drink the soda. It also keeps the ice cream colder for longer, and the soda holds on to its fizz longer, too. 310-721-0998, icecreamfizz.com

My Picks K and K POS Tom Boyles Account Manager

What I liked about the K and K POS systems was that they have created a low-cost way to convert a regular monitor into a touch-screen. This allows cost-effective conversion and replacements. In addition, K and K POS interfaces with iPad and Android tablets through high-speed wireless data connections and interfaces the POS with security camera systems so that each order leaves a time, date and ticket stamp in the DVR for review if there’s a problem. 734-945-1385, kandkpos.com

56 PMQ Pizza Magazine The Pizza Industry’s Business Monthly

TV

My Picks Perka Mobile Loyalty App Tom Boyles Account Manager

Perka is a great mobile loyalty solution. Customers check into their local restaurant with a smartphone app to earn rewards. Each restaurant can create a completely customizable loyalty program with either a punch-card or a loyaltypoints system. You can also promote special offers on Facebook and Twitter, and customer feedback is sent privately to store managers. 503-427-1377, getperka.com

Arvco Containers The main product from this company that caught my attention was the new lunch/steam pan box option. This allows restaurants to box to-go orders to prevent customers from holding hot trays while eliminating the “wobble” or bend factor. They can also be custom printed, just like Arvco’s slice, pizza and new lunch box options.

The lunch box containers offer an optional divider to provide two separate compartments for multiple items, such as drinks.

800-968-9128, arvco.com

May 2013

pmq.com 57

The pizza exchange product spotlight

Bombs Away!

Cool Tools PizzaSkool is a fully hosted e-learning solution for all of your employee training needs. The video-based program provides training, testing and certification for driver, order taker, pizza maker and manager-in-training positions. Courses cover customer service in the store and at the door, upselling and all aspects of pizza making and delivery. You can train everyone in your pizzeria for less than a dollar a day! 517-395-4765, traintogreatness.com

The Minibombero is a small aerosol can that produces a cutting-edge extinguishing foam capable of putting out oil fires quickly and safely. It can also be used to extinguish solid fires (such as cardboard, fabric, wood and plastic) and fires caused by hydrocarbons and polar solvents. Prevent an accident from becoming a disaster and keep your customers, employees, property and equipment safe with the Minibombero. akron@akronjmc.com, minibombero.com/en/

Magnetic Marketing Magnets from Off the Wall Magnetics let you create an advertising message that really sticks with your customers.

Promote your pizzeria’s name, menu items, delivery and carryout services by putting your phone number and key messages on every family’s billboard—the kitchen refrigerator.

The company also offers direct mail magnet postcards, magnetic vehicle signage and more. 800-337-2637, 4thefridge.com

Filling the Security Gap Brewing a Healthier Lifestyle The RealBeanz iced coffee beverage not only satisfies customers’ taste buds—it helps them get through the day and enhances their lifestyles without harmful chemicals and unhealthy ingredients. Big in flavor, high in quality and perfect for healthconscious customers, RealBeanz utilizes a blend of 100% natural ingredients, providing a flavorful coffee blend that helps brew the lifestyle your customers desire! 718-514-6699, realbeanz.com 58 PMQ Pizza Magazine The Pizza Industry’s Business Monthly

Provide your customers with the security of paying right at the table with their credit cards. TablePay of America’s innovative, PCI-secure and costeffective equipment provides seamless plug-and-play integration for any POS system and increases your table turns. TablePay of America helps you take your business to the next level, and there’s no need to change your bank or merchant service provider.

888-980-8762, tablepayofamerica.com

idea zone Box Top Advertising

a d v e r t o r i a l

Box Top Advertising Turns Pizza Boxes Into Marketing Opportunities Just over four years ago, Paul Emm started Box Top Advertising Inc. (BTA), a unique advertising company that creates pizza box toppers that provide free advertising for pizzerias of all sizes. With 18 years of direct sales experience, Emm rolled out a system that partners small, medium and large companies with qualified pizzerias through his direct sales strategy. He identified the need to help pizzerias reduce their print costs by recreating their full menu on the back of every topper.

Today, hundreds of pizzerias throughout the United States and Canada have experienced increases in sales because their menu is included with every pizza delivery. “I believe the full menu on each box showed our customers items that they didn’t know we carried, leading to increases in our overall sales,” says Omar Ahmad from Gatti’s Pizza in Houston. With the unpopular federal menu labeling law looming, BTA has also become a solution of compliance for some of the country’s largest chains.

With the rise of social media and online advertising, many traditional print advertising companies have struggled to retain advertisers, forcing them to raise rates. This technology has turned many merchants away from print advertising altogether, creating an opportunity for a fresh, innovative way to advertise,

market or simply brand a business on the local level. BTA provides its clients with an exclusive front-row seat in consumers’ homes on top of a product that neither the Internet nor any social media program will ever replace: the timeless pizza box!

BTA has become the industry leader in box toppers by offering a program with the lowest cost and highest reach and frequency in the country. With ad space starting as low as a penny per topper, BTA gives clients the affordability they deserve in print advertising. “Our advertising consultants often get complimented on our incredible low prices as well as the overall box topper concept,” Emm says. He and his wife, Amanda (BTA’s CFO), along with five highly skilled and trained regional consultants, manage 60-plus advertising consultants throughout the United States and Canada. Emm attributes BTA’s success to the hardworking advertising consultants and graphic design team who keep the company on track toward hitting the company’s goals.

If you’re looking to reduce (or potentially eliminate) your menu print costs, create more menu awareness and join BTA’s rapidly growing list of pizzeria partners, contact BTA today at info@boxtopinc.com or 302-378-7895.

May 2013

pmq.com 59

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ADVERTISER INDEX MAY 2013 Advertiser

Phone

Website

Page

AM Manufacturing. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 708-841-0959 . . . . . . .ammfg.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 American Metalcraft . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 800-333-9133 . . . . . . .amnow.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42 Avantec Ovens. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 800-322-4374 . . . . . . .avantecovens.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49 Bay State Milling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 800-553-5687 . . . . . . .baystatemilling.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Cover 3 Bellissimo. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 800-813-2974 . . . . . . .bellissimofoods.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 Box Top, Inc.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 302-378-7895 . . . . . . .boxtopinc.com. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59 Caputo Flour . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 201-368-9197 . . . . . . .orlandofoods.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 Capital for Merchants. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 877-533-0124 . . . . . . .capitalformerchants.com/pmq . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61 Delivery Bags USA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 888-501-2247 . . . . . .deliverybagsusa.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65 Deiorio’s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 800-649-7612 . . . . . . .deiorios.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 Dole . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 800-723-9868 . . . . . . .dolefoodservice.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 DoughMate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 800-501-2458 . . . . . .doughmate.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65 Escalon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 800-ESCALON . . . . . .escalon.net . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 EZ Dine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 877-853-1263 . . . . . . .ezdinepos.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60 Fontanini. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 708-485-4800 . . . . . . .fontanini.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 Grande Cheese . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 800-8-GRANDE . . . . .grandecheese.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Hoodmart . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 800-715-1014 . . . . . . .hoodmart.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .39 HTH . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 800-321-1850 . . . . . . .hthsigns.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64 iFranchise . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 708-957-2300 . . . . . . .ifranchisegroup.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41 Impact Worldwide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 800-653-8837 . . . . . . .impactworldwide.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53 La Nova . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 716-881-3355 . . . . . . .lanova.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Cover 4 Le 5 Stagioni . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 800-780-2280 . . . . . . .le5stagioni.it . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43 LFI . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 888-882-0551 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .66 Lillsun . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 260-356-6514 . . . . . . .lillsun.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54 Liguria. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 800-765-1452 . . . . . . .liguriafood.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48 MF&B Restaurant Systems. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 888-480-EDGE . . . . . .edgeovens.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57 Marsal & Sons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 631-226-6688 . . . . . . .marsalsons.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 Menu Express . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 877-250-2819 . . . . . . .themenuexpress.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61 Meridian Star POS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 855-853-6485 . . . . . . .meridianstarmerchantservices.com. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 Microworks. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 800-787-2068 . . . . . . .microworks.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Middleby Marshall. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 877-34-OVENS . . . . . .wowoven.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Moving Targets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 800-926-2451 . . . . . . .movingtargets.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 NJ Restaurant Equipment Corp . . . . . . . . . . . . 201-313-3334 . . . . . . .njrecorp.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33 North American Bancard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 877-533-0970 . . . . . . .nabancard.com/pmq . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63 One Click Dining . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 877-328-8040 . . . . . . .oneclickdiner.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64 One Two 3 Print It . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 888-800-4455 . . . . . .123printit.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64 Peerless Ovens . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 800-548-4514 . . . . . . .peerlessovens.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63 Perfect Crust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 800-783-5343 . . . . . . .perfectcrust.com. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63 Perka . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 888-957-3752 . . . . . . .getperka.com/pizza. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .39 Petra Molino Quaglia Flour . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 631-804-1879 . . . . . . .farinapetra.it/benvenuto/eng_petra.html . . . . . . . . . . . 61 Pizza Equipment Warehouse . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 888-749-9237 . . . . . . .pizzaequipmentwarehouse.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62 Pizza Skool . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 517-395-4765 . . . . . . .traintogreatness.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55 Pizza Umbrella . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .pizzaumbrella.com. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54 Rock Tenn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 816-415-7359 . . . . . . .rocktenn.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Cover 2 Stanislaus. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 800-327-7201 . . . . . . .stanislaus.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4, 5 Takeout Printing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 845-564-2609 . . . . . . .takeoutprinting.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65 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.

May 2013

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67

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

advertising

Use Simple Marketing Technology to...

OR MEET BEAT 5-YEAR GOALS

You must read this!

Learn 3 EASY STEPS You Can DO TODAY!

“The Pizzaman’s

Marketing Blueprint”

computer systems: point of sale

FREE! ($75 value) + BONUS VIDEO

Sign up at:

getcustomers 4 life.com

Or Call 24/7 voicemail:

1-888-978-3117

bags

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

cheese

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

Foremost Farms USA: Your source for award-winning, soft, all-natural Italian cheeses.

Crafted by Wisconsin Master Cheese Makers® www.foremostfarms.com.....................................................................................(608) 355-8700

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

817.299.4500 sales@BreakawayPOS.com www.BreakawayPOS.com

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

• •

CALL FOR A DEMO TODAY!

68 PMQ Pizza Magazine The Pizza Industry’s Business Monthly

Self Serve Kiosk ordering Automated customer loyalty marketing

800.750.3947 www.granburyrs.com

The pizza exchange Pizza Industry Resource Guide consulting

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

Included in a low-cost processing account, merchants can enjoy an all-in-one touch screen, a thermal printer, a kitchen printer, an electronic cash drawer and PC America restaurant management software, all at no cost.

As Seen in Product Spotlight!

Credit Card Processing

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

May 2013

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The pizza exchange Pizza Industry Resource Guide dough Cont.

dough trays/proofing trays dough dividers/rounders

• 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

70 PMQ Pizza Magazine The Pizza Industry’s Business Monthly

The pizza exchange Pizza Industry Resource Guide flour ConT.

gelato

True Artisan Gelato

(888) 316-1545 www.stefanosgelato.com

gluten-free products

W H O L E S O M E

&

D E L I C I O U S ™

food distributors hygiene

Hand-Wash Sinks

· Bathrooms

REDUCES CROSS-CONTAMINATION

Reduces the Spread of Germs • Stops Drippy Faucets Replaces Aerator On Any Faucet • Conserves Water - Saves 65%

Call for more info

800-972-8348 • www.instant-off.com 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.

708-957-2300 • www.ifranchisegroup.com

®

FRANCHISE CONSULTANTS

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

72 PMQ Pizza Magazine The Pizza Industry’s Business Monthly

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

management

Sugar Creek Packing Co.,............................... Private Label Precooked Meat Topping Specialists www.sugarcreek.com.......................................800-848-8205............................sales@sugarcreek.com keep more of your hard earned dough!

3 money saving programs:

sCheduLing • aTTendanCe • daiLy Log

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

save time and increase profits!

www.timeforge.com 866.684.7191

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

Visit LocalGiftCards.com to get started.

menu boards

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

pmq.com/Recipe-Bank/

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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

74 PMQ Pizza Magazine The Pizza Industry’s Business Monthly

The pizza exchange Pizza Industry Resource Guide pizza delivery thermal bags

May 2013

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The pizza exchange Pizza Industry Resource Guide pizza delivery thermal bags

pizza ovens Cont.

Keep Your Pizza HOT & DRY 5 Pie & 10 Pie Bags

Electric Pizza Delivery Bags 888-556-2024 • www.RediHeat.com Call or Order Online

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

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 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 76 PMQ Pizza Magazine The Pizza Industry’s Business Monthly

The pizza exchange Pizza Industry Resource Guide pizza pans Cont

pizza ovens Cont.

AMERICAN MADE

i feel pretty.

oh, so pretty!

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

P.A. PRODUCTS, Inc. BAKEWARE SPECIALISTS

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

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.

pizza supplies

• Pizza Preparation and Delivery Products •

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

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

& sons, inc.

Pizza Ovens and Equipment

National Marketing, Inc.

www.nminc.com 800-994-4664

pizza pans

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

May 2013

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The pizza exchange Pizza Industry Resource Guide pizza supplies

printing Cont.

Increase Your Sales By 50% or More with Every Door Direct Mail (EDDM)

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

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

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!

Included per EDDM mailer

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

DESSERTS

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$ 16.00

FULL SERVICE CATERING

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)

Local Postal Customer

INGREDIENTS...

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

SUNDAY IS TRAY DAY AT

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

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?

Funerals? Business Meetings?

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

$ 16.00

G’s MamaZA PIZ

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Home Delivery and

Phone Orders are

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SPECIAL # 1 (everyday) 6 pcs. of Reg. pizza 7 - Boneless Wings 2 - Desserts and 1 - 2 liter of pop

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Takeout Menus • Boxtoppers • Magnets • Flyers • In House Menus Kid’s Menus • Custom Placemats • Business Cards • Post Cards • Rack Cards No shading/shadow Stickers • Thank You Cards • Doorhangers • Banners • Gift Certificates Table Tents • Posters • Signs & More

www.takeoutprinting.com 845 - 564 - 2609

Gray, no shading No shadow

877 - 25 - PRINT (77468)

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

78 PMQ Pizza Magazine The Pizza Industry’s Business Monthly

Actual 3D Non-Vector

The pizza exchange Pizza Industry Resource Guide printing Cont.

Flyers

anniversary special

8½ x 11 • Folded

60#

12,500

$

25,000

$

50,000

$

THEsE OFFErs arE GOOD unTIl auGusT 30, 2013

80#

48300

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11 x 17 • Tri-Folded High Gloss

12,500

78300

$

25,000

$

128300

50,000

$

100,000

Post cards

188300

318300

$

6 x 9 • EDDM Qualified • Print Only

10,000

$

20,000

$

50,000

$

100,000

58300

88300

$

178300

288300

post office ready •

postage Included

6 x 9 • EDDM Mail Pieces • Postage Included

10,000

27¢ each

20,000

25¢ each

50,000

24¢ each

Call for more sizes and quantities

800-783-0990

PMQ2013_Half_MAY.indd 1

bcms.us 4/10/13 1:14 PM

sauce Cont.

refrigeration

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

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The pizza exchange Pizza Industry Resource Guide telephone equipment/supplies/service

sauce Cont.

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

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

tomato products

security

specialty foods 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

sticky notes ventilation

take & bake trays

pmq.com/Recipe-Bank/ 80 PMQ Pizza Magazine The Pizza Industry’s Business Monthly

The pizza exchange Pizza Industry Resource Guide ventilation Cont.

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Water

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DEPARTMENT time capsule

Nicolosi’s Italian Restaurant This San Diego survivor has been rolling with the punches for more than 60 years.

I

n 1952, after operating a bakery in Massachusetts in the ’40s, Sicilian emigrant Salvatore Nicolosi brought his family to Southern California and opened Nicolosi’s Italian Restaurant (nicolosis.com) in San Diego, serving Old-World recipes handed down in his family. In 1958, only four years after moving his operation to a converted house in Mission Hills, Salvatore passed away, but his wife and sons kept the business thriving and eventually expanded, opening three more locations—two in San Diego County and another in Mammoth Lakes, California. “My uncle George was a real innovator—in the ’60s, he bought a van with a heated unit and motorcycles with boxes on the back to deliver when no one else was doing that,” recalls Ron Burner, current owner and grandson of Salvatore. “It didn’t really take off; he was ahead of his time, and the system wasn’t perfected yet.”

One by one, the uncles eventually retired and closed their locations, but the original, operated by Burner’s uncle Sam, continued on, even after a move in 1992 when a freeway was built through the converted house’s neighborhood. However, when Sam retired and decided to close down this last location in 2009, Burner and his brother got together and decided to take over. Today, Burner operates the restaurant with his wife and just celebrated 60 years in business by opening a second location in nearby El Cajon.

The restaurant started out by serving basic pizzas and homemade pastas, plus (true to Salvatore’s baking roots) homemade bread for its signature torpedo sandwiches, but the menu has tripled in size since those early days. “We’ve evolved into specialty and gourmet pizzas, as well as different pasta and seafood dishes, but everything is still homemade, with locally grown, fresh vegetables and bread from our 200-year-old family recipe,” Burner says.

Though the restaurant has changed ownership and locations over the years, it continues to thrive thanks to attention to quality, the familiarity of the Nicolosi’s name and a 60th anniversary celebration that elicited a “Nicolosi’s Day” proclamation from the city of San Diego. “You can’t please everybody, but I’m proud that we’ve continued to evolve—and though we don’t want to be a factorytype pizzeria, the No. 1 thing we work on is consistency,” Burner notes. “Plus, dedication and loyalty are huge priorities for me, so we’ve always treated employees like family. That’s something to be proud of in today’s world.” –Tracy Morin

82 PMQ Pizza Magazine The Pizza Industry’s Business Monthly

(Top to bottom) Ron Burner helps out at the pizzeria as a teenager in the early ‘70s; Salvatore and his sons, Dick and George, man the pizzeria in 1955; an exterior shot shows Nicolosi’s in the ‘50s.

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

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

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SPECIAL EDITION 2013 PIZZA GUIDE TO NRA SHOW

2013 PIZZA GUIDE TO THE NRA RESTAURANT SHOW

Welcome to our NRA Pizza Exhibitor Guide designed to make it easier for you to find pizza-related products. Be sure to visit these exhibitors as you make your rounds.

ASI/Restaurant Manager POS Booth 555

Boxit Corporation Booth 122

Product: POS System with intuitive one-screen pizza matrix, caller ID, customer database and back office reporting.

Product: Pizza boxes, carryout boxes, ovenable pizza trays

Show Special: Invest in a new Restaurant Manager POS system by July 1st and get a FREE iPad Mini Mobile POS tool! www.rmpos.com/pizza.html 800-356-037 Sales@actionsystems.com Fax: 301-445-6104

www.boxit.com 800-438-2269 Fax: 800-969-3297 salesrep@boxit.com

ColdTech Commercial Booth 9445

Desco USA Booth 6636

Product: Model: CPT168-71. Two-door, stainless steel solid door pizza prep table. 3-year warranty on all parts and labor, and a 5-year warranty on the compressor.

Product: Pasta making machines, sheeters, and extruders

www.coldtechcommercial.com 855-241-3251 Fax: 877-298-8278 info@coldtechcommercial.com

Click here to see video

Show Special: Look for special show offers at our booth. www.DescoUSA.com 708-588-1099 Fax: 708-588-1099

info@descousa.com Sales: Mark Cora

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Henny Penny Corporation Booth 4431 Product: Evolution Elite Open Fryer: an Energy Star-certified open fryer with one to four wells, electric or gas powered, using 40% less oil than other open fryers. www.hennypenny.com 800-417-8417 Fax: 800-417-8402 info@hennypenny.com

Hoodmart, Inc. Booth 1105 Product: Commercial kitchen ventilation hood systems Show Special: Special show discounts on hoods www.hoodmart.com 800-715-1014 Fax: 800-716-1214

sales@hoodmart.com Sales: Judy Thomas

Click here to see video

MFG Tray (Molded Fiber Glass Tray Co.) Booth 7579 Product: Pizza dough boxes 3”, 4.5” and 6” deep, lids and dollies; display/market trays; serving trays; proofing/ bagel boards; pan extenders and more. All constructed of long-lasting fiberglass-reinforced composites. www.mfgtray.com 800-458-6050 Fax: 814-458-6050

lnoles@mfgtray.com Sales: Linda Noles

Orion Food Systems/ Lettieri’s Foods Booth 8272 Product: Bulk and pre-packaged, par-baked, fullytopped 6” and 7” personal pan pizzas, 14” take-andbake pizzas and 14” pre-sliced pizzas. Also produces a microwavable, hand-held pizza that can be held hot in a warmer for 90 minutes. tom.kaspar@hsfl.com 605-336-6961 Sales: Tom Kaspar Fax: 605-336-0141 www.orionfoodsystems.com

Product: Pizza Spinner: A compact piece of equipment that automatically stretches the dough to make perfect hand-tossed quality pizza crust in a matter of seconds. www.rheon.com 949-768-1900 Fax: 949-855-1991

us.sales@rheon.com Sales: Kazu Harada

SpeedLine Solutions, Inc. Booth 6676 Product: Point of sale and restaurant management systems for pizza and delivery.

Show Special: Look for special show offers at our booth. www.speedlinesolutions.com 888-400-9185 info@speedlinesolutions.com

PMQ Pizza Magazine

Product: Revention’s offerings include point-of-sale solutions, HungerRush integrated online ordering, and Revention Enterprise.

Show Special: Offering free POS software, free online ordering mobile apps, free enterprise apps www.revention.com 877-738-7444 Fax: 281-679-7324

Rheon USA Booth 7151

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Revention, Inc. Booth 6466

Click here to see video

The Pizza Industry’s Business Monthly

info@revention.com Click here to see video

Click here for more listings.