PMQ Pizza Magazine June/July 2013

Dressings for Success 26

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June/July 2013

Make your salads shine with zesty signature dressings.

Power of POS Sports Marketing Special Section: Idea Zone

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PMQ Blogs (blogs.pmq.com) Recent Videos (pmq.com/video)

The Pizza Insider Recent Topics The Greening of Pizza Trucks Useful Small Business Apps Publish Your Own Pizza Book Pizza TV: Aaron’s Last Wish

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

In a powerful tribute to his late brother, Aaron, Seth Collins travels the country, ordering pizzas and surprising hardworking servers with $500 tips. Check out his touching story at PMQ.com/video.

Pizza Without Borders Recent Topics Italy Needs 6,000 Pizzaioli Spain’s Top Food Tendencies Pizza’s Future According to Italians Missy Green travels the world to deliver industry news and ideas from foreign lands.

This Week in Pizza Catch up on the latest pizza industry news every Wednesday with Pizza TV’s weekly online broadcast, This Week in Pizza, with host Daniel Perea.

Top Social Media Posts Highlights of some of the best social media posts we’ve seen recently:

This Week in Pizza Ermanno’s Legendary Pizza: We have partnered with one of our favorite local businesses, Jojutlas MX Grill, for May’s Pizza of the Month, the Chicken Queso Pie. Like and share to win this pizza.

(50 likes, 56 shares, 45 comments) Dion’s Pizza: Have you noticed the wooden boxes full of brownies and cookies on our counters? The incredibly kind and talented Ed Osburn lovingly handcrafts each box using recycled wood.

(469 likes, 3 shares, 21 comments)

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

@dcslices: Late-night post-wedding pizza party with fireworks!

Congratulations, Colleen & Michael!

INTERACT WITH THE INDUSTRY DAILY ON FACEBOOK, TWITTER and PMQ’s THINK TANK FORUM PMQ Pizza Magazine 6

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CONTENTS June/July 2013

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| June/July 2013

Dressings for Success

| Volume 17, Issue 5

26

PMQ PIZZA MAGAZINE

On the cover

The Pizza Industry’s

More chefs are taking advantage of cross-cultural influences and nontraditional ingredients to create housemade salad dressings with mass appeal.

By Michelle McAnally

Dress

Business Monthly

gs for Succin ess 26 Page

Make your

salads shine

| PMQ.com

POWER OF POS SPORTS MARKE TING SPECIAL SECTIO N: IDEA ZONE

with zesty

signature dressi

ngs.

features

36 The Power of POS Operators and experts explain how the new generations of POS systems are working harder— and smarter—to improve your pizzeria’s efficiency and boost your bottom line.

By Tracy Morin

48 The Sporting Life Hometown pizzerias that cater to local sports teams and their fans can build a grassroots customer base that will remain loyal for years to come.

By Michelle McAnally

54

The Social Scene The marketing director of Aurelio’s Pizza offers practical tips and strategies for using social media to humanize your brand and build enduring relationships with customers.

By Kirk Mauriello

61

Special Section: Idea Zone Kick-start your marketing efforts with these innovative products and services designed specifically to help pizzerias attract new customers and make more money.

Coming Next Month Pizza of the Month: Vegetarian Toppings: Trendy, nontraditional toppings grab customers’ attention, provide upselling opportunities and lead to creative new possibilities in the pizzeria kitchen.

Catering to Vegetarians: As more Americans demand vegetarian options on pizzeria menus, PMQ explains how to capitalize on this trend while concocting veggie pies that even carnivores will crave.

Ovens: Experts explain how to make wise use of your ovens through profitable nonpizza items, such as appetizers, pastas, breads, calzones and more.

8

PMQ Pizza Magazine

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JUNE/JULY 2013

| Pg 36 | Pg 48 | Pg 61

The Pizza Industry’s Business Monthly

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CONTENTS June/July 2013

departments 18 In Lehmann’s Terms: Secrets of a Great

White Pizza Tom “The Dough Doctor” Lehmann explains how you can use a light Alfredo sauce to create a white pie that customers won’t forget.

20

New York’s Finest: Good Times at Festa Italiana Chef Bruno checks out Festa Italiana, a popular Tampa, Florida, festival featuring the best of Italian and Sicilian culture.

22 Accounting for Your

Money: Asking the Right Questions As Mike Rasmussen explains, some of the most fruitful discussions with accountants or other service providers begin with a single word: “Why?”

24

36

Marketing Maven: Lessons From a Marketing Champion Linda Duke shows how Whole Foods created an exemplary marketing campaign—using print, social media and direct mail— for a grand opening in Novato, California.

46 Pizza of the Month: The Reuben Salty corned beef, gooey Swiss cheese and a pungent burst of sauerkraut combine to make the Reuben Pizza a pie that customers will crave and competitors will envy.

90 Time Capsule:

Connie’s Pizza In 1963, Jim Stolfe bought a little food stand in Chicago. Fifty years later, Connie’s Pizza is still growing and trying new ideas to stay ahead.

10 PMQ Pizza Magazine The Pizza Industry’s Business Monthly

SHOPKEEP POS

AURELIO’S PIZZA

46 54

in every issue 6

Online at PMQ.com

12

Editor’s Note

14

Letters to the Editor

16

Pizza Press

60

Product Spotlight

75

Advertiser Index

76

Pizza Industry Resource Guide

48

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

Martin Reyna Executive Chef, Vince’s on Harlem

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

©2012, Escalon Premier Brands.

EDITOR’S NOTE rick hynum

The Point-of-Sale Revolution

PMQ PIZZA MAGAZINE | June/July 2013 | Volume 17, Issue 5 The Pizza Industry’s Business Monthly | PMQ.com

Dressings for Success 26

www.pmq.com

Page

JUNE/JULY 2013

Make your salads shine with zesty signature dressings.

POWER OF POS SPORTS MARKETING SPECIAL SECTION: IDEA ZONE

| Pg 36 | Pg 48 | Pg 61

Scan code for bonus content: Aaron’s Last Wish

On the cover: Signature salad dressings lend added dimensions of flavor to the pizzeria dining experience, while the Reuben in the Rye, our Pizza of the Month, puts a tasty, tangy twist on a classic sandwich.

Photo by Kara Hoffman

There’s an exciting innovation every day, it seems, in the brave new world of pointof-sale (POS) systems. For the most part, of course, the restaurant business itself has changed very little over the centuries. As with the thermopolia of ancient Rome and the taverns and bodegas of medieval Europe, customers still walk in, order something tasty from the menu, gobble it down and pay the bill. But whereas peasants and pilgrims once paid with shekels, doubloons and the occasional fat piglet, nowadays customers prefer to use a little plastic card that, by the looks of it, ought to be worth no more than a deuce of spades.

As the nature of our currency evolves, restaurateurs have been forced to quickly adapt, and an entirely new industry has sprung up. Multifunctional POS systems abound, and the choices can seem overwhelming. The best ones integrate the latest technologies, including tablets, smartphones and the cloud. In many cases, the restaurant transaction has become a cashless, cardless experience for everyone involved.

But, as PMQ’s Tracy Morin explains in this month’s info-packed article, “The Power of POS” (page 36), POS systems are so much more than highfalutin cash registers. Forward-thinking restaurant operators are leveraging these technologies in ways that will likely lead to an entirely new paradigm of commerce, using POS systems for everything from building customer loyalty (and this experience, too, can be cardless as well as cashless) to managing payroll, monitoring food costs and profit margins, tracking franchise or multiunit performance, and developing and executing complex marketing strategies.

In other words, the moneymaking potential of POS is virtually limitless, and, even better, the technology is getting simpler to use every year. If you can operate your smartphone, you can be a POS whiz in no time. Tracy’s article will fill you in on many of the possible uses, including call-in and online ordering, rewards and loyalty programs, and minimizing human error and security issues. Check it out and see for yourself how the revolution in POS technology can help you achieve your long-term sales goals without having to count shekels and piglets.

Subscribe to PMQ now!

Get your print, digital or mobile edition!

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12 PMQ Pizza Magazine The Pizza Industry’s Business Monthly

Rick Hynum Editor-in-chief PMQ Pizza Magazine

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR rick hynum

A Taste of Brazil Congratulations on your April 2013 issue!

We loved reading your article about the pizza culture of Brazil (“A Slice of São Paulo”). We were honored to be featured in the article and appreciated your comments regarding the traditions of our restaurant, A Tal da Pizza. Best regards from São Paulo!

Tiago Tostes Bueno A Tal da Pizza São Paulo, Brazil It’s great to hear from you, Tiago. The PMQ staffers who visited your pizzeria really enjoyed their experience. We hope you will stay in touch!

Golden Anniversary With my brothers and our mother, Rosa, I operate a chain of pizza restaurants called Pudgie’s Pizza, Pasta & Subs in New York, Pennsylvania and Maryland. We are celebrating our 50th anniversary this year.

Pudgie’s Pizza, Pasta & Subs opened its

first pizza and sub operation in Elmira, New York, in April 1963. My late father, Michael P. Cleary Sr., was the founder of Pudgie’s. His hard work and ingenuity were the basic elements that laid the foundation for the success of Pudgie’s.

Due to my father’s untimely passing in 1990, all of the Pudgie’s locations eventually became nonfranchised locations.

From 1990 to the present, the family has owned and operated the Elmira Southside location as well as other locations in New York and Pennsylvania and, more recently, Maryland. Southside Pudgie’s is our most successful location and the area’s premier pizzeria. We have since reacquired the rights to sell franchises and have already opened four new and very successful Pudgie’s restaurants, including one in Syracuse this year. We get requests constantly on Facebook and Twitter for new Pudgie’s locations all over the country. The Pudgie’s Pizza story is a great one, and I think your readers would love to hear about it.

Robert Cleary Pudgie’s Pizza, Pasta & Subs Elmira, NY Thanks for reaching out, Robert! We are always looking for historic pizzerias—those that have been in business for 50 or more years—for our monthly Time Capsule column, and we welcome correspondence from all of our readers on how they’re making their businesses a success!

A P u b lication of P M Q , I nc .

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

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

We want to hear from you!

Have a complaint, compliment or suggestion about something you’ve read in the pages of PMQ? Send your letter via email to editor@pmq.com with “Letter to the Editor” in the subject line, or mail to PMQ, ATTN: Letters to the Editor, 605 Edison St., Oxford, MS 38655. We look forward to hearing from you!

Friend us on Facebook! Visit facebook.com/pmqpizzamagazine.

Think Tank Conversations What’s the buzz? Log on to find out the latest industry buzz at thinktank.pmq.com

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20 qt. mixer...

Online ordering companies...

Detroit-style pizza...

Elongating the shelf life of dough...

Cloud POS and accounting...

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 Kirk Mauriello Michael J. Rasmussen Tom Lehmann

Volume 17, Issue 5 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.

brian weavel

pizza press news & views

Pies ’n’ Pucks

Kya Cahn from the Service Club at McDonough 26 plants a tomato plant donated by Rotolo’s Pizzeria.

More than 10,000 schoolchildren in the New Orleans area planted the tomato plants to present to their mothers on Mother’s Day.

Alec Weavel welcomes his favorite hockey player, Jimmy Hayes, to Anna's Pizza & Pasta.

They Say Tomato On May 8 to 10, thousands of students from 32 Louisiana schools celebrated Mother’s Day with a pizza-friendly twist: growing tomato plants thanks to a donation of recycled plastic cups, plants and soil from the 29-location Rotolo’s Pizzeria (rotolos.com), based in Baton Rouge. Rotolo’s celebrated Earth Day 2013 and April’s National Recycling Month by collecting plastic cups from customers in exchange for free pizza as part of the pizzeria’s popular “cup buyback program.” Now in its fourth year, the program has encouraged the recycling of more than 20,000 cups.

“Just as the quality of our food depends on the fresh ingredients we put into it, community support depends on what you invest in it,” reports Mitch Rotolo, founder and CEO of Rotolo’s Pizzeria. “By donating tomato plants to south Louisiana schools, we’re continuing in our mission to support healthy eating while showing our appreciation to local moms for the hard work they do every day.”

Rise and Shine When staff at Mellow Mushroom (mellowmushroom.com) Brookhaven in Atlanta learned that the Army was no longer supplying a former employee’s Afghanistan-based unit with a morning meal, they were eager to help. The store recently held a drive to collect nonperishable breakfast items, from protein shakes to cereals, as well as nonfood items such as magazines, and handwritten notes to show support and money to cover shipping costs. In turn, participating customers received 15% off their bills.

“We were happy to help out one of our own, so we set up a tent with decorations and were amazed at the turnout—we collected two carloads full of items,” reports Meredith Burleigh, assistant general manager at the location. “We were so glad we could show everyone in the unit that we support them—while providing people an opportunity to do something they could feel good about and enjoy some delicious pizza!”

16 PMQ Pizza Magazine The Pizza Industry’s Business Monthly

Meredith Burleigh

rotolo’s pizzeria

Nothing brings together sports stars and fans like pizza—a lesson seven-year-old Alec Weavel learned firsthand when he drafted a letter to his favorite hockey player, Jimmy Hayes, from the Rockford Ice Hogs. Brian Weavel, Alec’s father and owner of Anna’s Pizza & Pasta (annaspizzawinnebago.com) in Winnebago, Illinois, was charged with facilitating the correspondence. “Within an hour after receiving the letter, Hayes responded that he’d be there that night to make pizza with my son,” recalls Brian.

“He was there for more than two hours talking sports and pizza.”

During his visit, Hayes gifted Brian’s sons, Alec and Evan, with signed hockey sticks and jerseys and whipped up a bacon-and-cheese pizza. Meanwhile, Hayes scored an Anna’s T-shirt and three pizzas to go. The Ice Hogs filmed the meeting to post on the team’s website, and the video even played on the big screen during a home game. “This was an incredible experience for my son,” Brian says. “This guy went way out of his way to make a dream come true for my boy.”

Mellow Mushroom helps a former employee—and his entire Army unit in Afghanistan—by collecting breakfast items at its location.

Crazy dough’s

Crazy Dough’s Pizza owners/operators Melissa and Doug Ferriman are committed to giving back to the Boston community.

Rebuilding Boston The Boston Marathon bombing literally hit close to home for Crazy Dough’s Pizza (crazydoughs.com): The six-location chain’s Boylston location was just blocks from the bombing site, and those at the pizzeria witnessed emergency efforts firsthand. To show appreciation, Crazy Dough’s teamed up with Bacio Cheese for a fundraiser to aid victims and medical responders, donating 50% of all proceeds from cheese slices sold during the entire month of May to The One Fund Boston.

Crazy Dough’s and Bacio also catered free pizza parties for Boston’s five main hospitals throughout the month, using its full-service catering truck to serve gourmet pizza, salad, sodas and cookies to medical personnel. “Our hearts go out to the victims of the Boston Marathon bombings and to the entire Boston community,” says Jason Mounts, associate director for Bacio Cheese. “We were excited to partner with Crazy Dough’s to provide financial assistance to victims and thank-you pizza parties to the dedicated emergency medicine community in Boston.”

il cane rosso

Second-Location Success

Jay Jerrier, owner of Dallas-based Il Cane Rosso (ilcanerosso.com), might have questioned his sanity when he decided to open a second location of his popular pizzeria, but the move paid off when in late April the doors opened to much fanfare from both local press and customers. “The Dallas-Fort Worth area is a really big market, and with all of the good luck and good press we’ve gotten, we felt like the demand was there—and our first location had been open for two years, so we felt like we were ready to stretch,” Jerrier explains.

“We hope to open more in Texas, then stretch even a little further outside, but we want to make sure we can maintain the quality of our pizza before we Edgar Valdez and Alessio Lacco celebrate the grand start getting really nuts.” opening of the second Il Cane Rosso location in Dallas.

Jerrier’s advice for others considering a second location: Make sure you have a great team; have your business processes and recipes down; and be able to evaluate how all of the operations are performing in real time, no matter where you are. “We have a great lineup of technology that we use behind the scenes, which frees our team up so we can focus on making sure the pizza is world-class,” he adds. “So far, it’s been great; we’ve been open for less than a week, but we’ve been really busy.”

Do you want to help out a great cause but aren’t sure where to start? Join an existing movement this September with Share Our Strength’s Dine Out for No Kid Hungry, which enlists thousands of restaurants and chefs nationwide to bring attention to and raise funds for the 16 million American children who struggle with hunger.

Register your pizzeria for free at dineoutfornokidhungry.org, where you’ll find a full online resource center with how-to guides, templates for press releases to promote participation, downloadable point-of-purchase materials, fact sheets and case histories from participating restaurants. Then create a fundraising promotion to run during the month of September and donate the proceeds from the promotion to Share Our Strength.

“Pizza operators nationwide can help by raising funds during Share Our Strength’s Dine Out for No Kid Hungry event,” says Billy Shore, founder and CEO of Share Our Strength. “Every dollar raised can help connect a child with up to 10 nutritious meals—so literally every dollar counts.”

share our strength

No Kid Hungry

Last year, more than 8,200 restaurants raised nearly $6 million for Share Our Strength’s Dine Out for No Kid Hungry.

June/July 2013

pmq.com 17

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

Secrets of a Great White Pizza Tom “The Dough Doctor” Lehmann offers tips for making the perfect white pie.

By Tom Lehmann

QUESTION: I want to add a white pizza to my menu.

I know there are a lot of different cheeseblend combinations out there. What are your personal favorites?

ANSWER: My all-time favorite white pizza is made with a light application of Alfredo sauce in place of the standard tomatobased sauce. I prefer to make or use a very basic Alfredo—consisting of only Parmesan cheese and cream—so that the sauce doesn’t dominate the flavor of the other toppings. This approach allows me to adjust the garlic levels to complement the other toppings as needed.

To make these great-tasting pizzas, I first apply the Alfredo sauce to the pizza skin. If garlic is used, I add it next, in diced form, over the top of the sauce.

The garlic may not get evenly distributed throughout the sauce, but that doesn’t bother me in the least. In fact, I think it’s a good thing. The random application of the garlic gives more interest to the taste of the pizza—this is sometimes referred to as “layering” the flavor, as it yields subtle changes in the flavor of each and every bite. From there, the pizza skin can be dressed in the usual manner. However, with a cheese-based sauce, you can probably reduce the amount of cheese applied to the top of the pie without compromising perceived quality.

A light Alfredo sauce works splendidly for a seafood pizza. For guests with high-end tastes, you can add lobster, crab meat, shrimp, caviar, oysters and even calamari. However, unless you run a high-end store, it’s more practical to use lower-cost ingredients. I’ve gotten very good reviews for seafood pizzas made with nothing more than firm-flesh white fish and shrimp complemented by red onion and fresh, thin-sliced tomatoes, all topped lightly with mozzarella and shredded Parmesan or Romano cheese. For this type of pie, I like to apply a little more Alfredo than I would use for other white pizzas, then sprinkle on a liberal application of dried dill weed to create a flavor that’s reminiscent of tartar sauce. I’ll add some sliced garlic, followed by slices of fish filet and baby shrimp, plus the red onion, tomato slices and cheeses. I try to keep the cheese application light so as not to detract from the rich flavors imparted by the seafood.

For a 12” seafood Alfredo pizza, I normally use only three ounces of mozzarella cheese and one ounce of shredded Parmesan or Romano cheese.

18 PMQ Pizza Magazine The Pizza Industry’s Business Monthly

Delicious and different, these seafood pizzas will command a premium price, but, by using discretion in your topping selection, they needn’t send your customers into “sticker shock.” And they can help boost sales on slower days, thus improving your bottom line!

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

New York’s Finest Chef Bruno

Good Times at Festa Italiana

An annual Tampa festival spotlights Italian food and Sicilian culture.

RADKO KELEMAN

By Chef Santo Bruno

T

he Ybor City district in Tampa, Florida, has a rich Sicilian heritage. People started emigrating from Sicily at the end of the 19th century and moved to Ybor City and West Tampa, where they found work in the cigar factories.

Here, they came together with the region’s many Cuban immigrants, and there was a great deal of intermarriage between the two nationalities. Ybor City soon became famous for its homemade, hand-rolled cigars, but it’s also famous for something else: the annual Festa Italiana, a four-day event that features delicious Italian food from the Tampa Bay area’s restaurants, plus fine Italian wines, live entertainment and kids’ activities.

This year’s Festa Italiana took place on April 4 to April 7. Attendees were able to see and taste every kind of authentic Italian food imaginable—the meatball Parmigiana, for example, is the best you will ever find! And, of course, the amazing Cuban sandwiches are not to be missed either. (This town is famous for both its Italian and Cuban cuisines.) Bruce Keiffer from Federated Payments, who joined me at the festival, remarked on how much he enjoyed the homemade cookies and pastries at the pre-event, which was held in the great Italian building known as the Italiano-Italian Club.

Additionally, this colorful festival features men dressed as members of the famous Garibaldi Brigade, parading through the city streets in honor of the great military expedition that liberated Sicily from the Bourbons of France in 1860. As you stroll along the busy avenues, you’ll also encounter the city’s leading restaurant owners and retail merchants.

20 PMQ Pizza Magazine The Pizza Industry’s Business Monthly

For anyone who isn’t familiar with Ybor City’s character, it is very similar to Bourbon Street in New Orleans, only much cleaner and family-friendly. I’m very proud to have been a participant in this feast throughout the years. I have many friends in the area and, of course, I’ve made Tampa my home, too. I even had the opportunity to make a surprise dish for the mayor and Florida’s governor and state senate leaders.

Festa Italiana is an event that people in the pizza industry should attend every year, for the great Italian food—including pizza—as well as for the networking opportunities and the cultural experience. If you’re a vendor, the festival provides an excellent venue to get your products noticed and land some big accounts. Plan to make it a weeklong trip—since Ybor City is located only about an hour’s drive from Orlando and the beaches of Clearwater, you will never run out of things to do. Best of all, 50% of all festival ticket sales go to charity.

Mark your calendars now for 2014’s event—I’ve got a booth of my own, so I’ll see you there! For more information, visit festaitalianatampa.com or italian-club.org.

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

Asking the Right Questions If your sales and expense numbers don’t add up, you’ve got every right to find out why.

By Michael J. Rasmussen

QUESTION: Is it appropriate to ask my accountant why the numbers don’t feel right?

ANSWER: Absolutely! Some of my best discussions with clients begin when they simply ask, “Why?” Keep in mind that any unaudited financial statements that your bookkeeper or accountant provides to you on a monthly basis have not been verified against outside sources. If you rent your property, for example, it’s possible that, once per year, your landlord will generate an adjustment for CAM (common area maintenance) costs and bill you at a time when cash flow is tight. But if you don’t pay immediately, you could be evicted or incur penalties for late payment. When you see a bill from your landlord that is higher than normal, you have every reason to ask for an explanation and a fuller account of the charges.

In another example, you may use an outside service or accountant to process your payroll, so you assume that all your payroll taxes are being remitted in a timely manner. But one day you receive a notice of unpaid taxes, and the IRS investigation begins.

You should immediately contact your payroll processor and ask for an explanation: How did that happen, and how can you prevent this problem in the future?

As your accountant attempts to puzzle together financial information and paint a picture of your operations from day to day and month to month, you need to understand his decisions and agree with them. For instance, the chart of accounts contains expense categories for all costs that your operation may incur. From the start, you need to identify all vendors and suppliers that will provide services and products to your restaurant. The accountant then has a responsibility to categorize all costs into these agreed-upon expense accounts so that you can monitor the percentages on a month-to-month basis.

You should always review your financial statement for a given period and, if the numbers appear to be off, you need to ask for a detailed explanation.

22 PMQ Pizza Magazine The Pizza Industry’s Business Monthly

Be curious and inquire about any discrepancy that affects your money flow. Why is your insurance so costly? What are your alternatives? Why are your food costs so high relative to net sales? Are there industry averages to which you can compare your results? What can be done to lower your tax burden? Is there any way to automate your systems to lower your accounting fees and reduce paperwork? Do other restaurant owners include comps in their net sales? Why do you always have an over/short cash balance?

A word of caution: Don’t get carried away with this approach if your accountant or advisor charges by the hour, or you may get billed for his time to research your questions. One solution is to find out when your accountant travels and ask him to call you from the road so you can ask these questions during his normal downtime. But never be afraid to ask, “Why?”

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

Lessons From a Marketing Champion Whole Foods’ integrated marketing campaign uses print, social media and direct mail to create a can’t-miss grand opening.

By Linda Duke

A

s a marketing expert and lover of all things marketing, I take the time to review many brands’ marketing campaigns. And when a campaign goes above and beyond all expectations, I try to share it so that others can learn from it. Whole Foods, a leader in the sustainable, natural and local segment of the grocery marketplace, recently created an integrated marketing campaign for its Novato, California, grand opening that is well-deserving of praise. The chain wove a campaign that integrated specific brand messages with print, direct mail and social media while involving the entire community. It’s integrated marketing at its best, and, for me, it reached even closer to home because Whole Foods is located near my house. It was impossible not to notice this great campaign in the mail, on the street, in the newspaper and in my email inbox. I’m sharing the details with you so you can take their ideas and try them out with your pizzeria!

To celebrate Whole Foods’ arrival in Novato, the company started off with a pre-grand-opening party, called a Community Taste Fair, held four days before the grand opening event.

This included free food, vendor promotions through sampling and live music. The grand opening itself was held on Earth Day, with a community-wide “bread breaking” party for members of the Chamber of Commerce and the city council, plus performers from the local high school and more free food.

Take a look at the various media outlets Whole Foods used to spread the word of the events: Print advertising. Whole Foods placed a full-page color display ad in the local newspaper two days prior to the pre-grandopening event. It featured a coupon for $10 off of a $50 purchase or more, plus an artist’s rendering of downtown Novato 24 PMQ Pizza Magazine The Pizza Industry’s Business Monthly

Billboard advertising played an integral part in Whole Foods’ marketing campaign for its Novato, California, grand opening.

to promote community pride. The company also offered coupons on the front page of the newspaper each Wednesday, which happens to be the day that the paper’s weekly food section appears.

Freestanding inserts (FSIs). Rather than a typical FSI, Whole Foods inserted its full-color company newsletter into the local newspaper. It offered tips for using Whole Foods products, new product information, recipe ideas, value items and coupons sponsored by Whole Foods vendors.

Direct mailers. The front of the piece displayed the date of the grand opening and the store’s address, hours of business and

phone number, along with the same artist’s rendering of the town itself. On the inside, Whole Foods explained its mission and touted local partnerships and special prices on products.

Coupons were featured on the back of the piece, but these coupons were designed to be redeemed eight weeks after the grand opening to continue driving sales and traffic to the new store.

Social media. Whole Foods used Facebook to cross-promote the pre-grand-opening and grand-opening events and to create a following of local customers. The company also sent out an email invitation to Novato residents.

Outdoor advertisement. The company took advantage of advertising space at a bus stop located across the street from its store. The ad invited riders to drop in and eat if the bus was running late.

Arrow spinners. To attract attention, professional arrow spinners performed in the parking lot.

Community partnerships. To foster goodwill in the community, Whole Foods partnered with local vendors of dairy products, baked goods, produce and seafood for the event. These partnerships were promoted in the direct mailer and social media outlets and with in-store signage. The company also worked with the local high school to bring in young performers for free entertainment.

How does this sort of campaign attract customers? For starters, it got the community involved and made locals, from kids to grown-ups, feel like a part of the Whole Foods family from the beginning. It integrated free food and sampling—always a big draw—and used specific messaging and multiple media strategies to both drive sales and promote the brand. The company also showed its commitment to local partners and demonstrated social awareness by hosting the grand opening party on Earth Day. All in all, Whole Foods used a smart integrated strategy to become a good corporate citizen and throw a noteworthy grand-opening celebration that locals wouldn’t want to miss.

This campaign helped the company define its brand to the town of Novato and create a buzz that will hopefully bring in customers for a long time to come.

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.

June/July 2013

pmq.com 25

feature story Dressings

26 PMQ Pizza Magazine The Pizza Industry’s Business Monthly

Dressings for

Success From ethnic flavors to “extreme” options, signature salad dressings are easy to make— and hugely popular crowd pleasers.

By Michelle McAnally

C

reative chefs have been dreaming up recipes for salad dressings since ancient times. The Chinese started drizzling sesame oil, soy sauce and citrus juice on greens as far back as 5,000 years ago. The Babylonians doused theirs with oil and vinegar, while early Romans liked their salads dressed with salt and the Egyptians of Cleopatra’s era sprinkled in Asian spices.

Fast forward to the 21st century, where cross-cultural influences and an endless array of ingredients have resulted in dozens of dressings available both for salads and for dipping. The go-to trifecta in the United States has traditionally consisted of ranch, Italian and blue cheese, so any pizzeria worth its salt will have those covered. But as American taste buds get more adventurous, tangy vinaigrettes, Asian-inspired essences and simple drizzles that let the flavors of the salad shine through are becoming all the rage.

As a pizzeria operator, you should keep your tried-and-true dressings up to snuff, but you should also stay on top of the latest trends to keep customers interested and coming back for more. And don’t forget to include low-fat dressing options for

calorie-conscious customers—experts suggest offering healthier versions of at least two or three of your most popular flavors.

Popular Favorites Ranch dressing has long been a staple in pizzeria kitchens and on supermarket shelves, and it remains the No. 1 dressing choice, according to the Association for Dressings and Sauces.

This creamy blend of buttermilk, mayonnaise and various spices—invented at the Hidden Valley dude ranch in California in the mid-1950s—has transcended its humble beginnings as a condiment for salads only and is now considered the king of dips, used for everything from cheese sticks to wings to pizza crust.

“Our homemade ranch is a pretty common request from our guests,” says Eric Ozarowski, chief marketing officer at Nick’s Pizza & Pub (nickspizzapub.com) in Crystal Lake, Illinois. “The secret is in the heavy cream, buttermilk and mayonnaise—and obviously the spices, but we can’t give it all away. We make several other dressings in-house, too, because we take pride in serving an amazing and consistent product.”

June/July 2013

pmq.com 27

PIZZA RUSTICA

America’s Favorites Pizza Rustica, headquartered in Miami Beach, Florida, features five salads on its regular menu, including the Rustica, made with fresh arugula, imported prosciutto, artichoke hearts and Kalamata olives.

In fact, a standout dressing can lead to supersizing upsell opportunities for Nick’s. “We currently do not sell our dressings by the bottle, but we have had several guests ask that we make larger portions for them so they can take it home,” Ozarowski says.

Lori Bliss Hill, owner of Enfield, New Hampshire’s Enfield House of Pizza (enfieldhouseofpizza.com), says ranch is easily her best-selling dressing. “We use Ken’s Steakhouse Ranch in packets, and we have a large population of customers who like to dip their crust in it,” she says. “They don’t dip their slice in it, but some do like to drizzle ranch over the whole slice.”

Vinaigrettes are another popular choice and can be prepared with a variety of herbs, spices and acids, tailored to bring out the flavors in any type of salad. In fact, Hill says that her housemade dressing—made with olive oil, a balsamic vinegar blend and a top-secret array of spices—is Enfield House of Pizza’s second top seller.

“We’ve seen a jump in the use of the Greek vinaigrette, and we attribute it to our new line of salads that are loaded with ingredients such as tomatoes, olives, banana peppers and shaved Parmesan,” says Peter Wise, vice president of marketing for Marco’s Pizza (marcos.com). “The Greek vinaigrette seems to bring out the flavors of the fresh vegetables. While ranch and blue cheese dressings are pretty cut-and-dry, vinaigrette is limited only by your imagination.”

At Pizza Rustica (pizza-rustica.com), a multi-store chain headquartered in Miami Beach, Florida, most salads are served with a housemade balsamic vinaigrette, says Melissa Mokha, the director of support and development. “The base is a highquality extra-virgin olive oil and tasty balsamic vinegar,” she 28 PMQ Pizza Magazine The Pizza Industry’s Business Monthly

Pretty much anyone who likes salad likes salad dressing. But what are the most popular dressing flavors? According to the Association for Dressings and Sauces, here are the top 10 regular (full-fat) salad dressings:  Ranch  Italian  Blue Cheese  Caesar  Thousand Island  Balsamic Vinaigrette  French  Asian  Honey Dijon/Mustard  Red Wine Vinaigrette

says. “We then add fresh thyme, garlic, oregano, brown sugar and shallots and blend everything together. The result is amazingly tasty. It has a semi-thick consistency, and that’s what makes it richer and more flavorful.”

Setting High Standards According to research by the Association for Dressings and Sauces, most restaurants that offer a house dressing report that it’s the most popular flavor on the menu. Of course, a highquality housemade salad dressing begins with high-quality ingredients. Located in Chicago, Quartino Ristorante & Wine Bar (quartinochicago.com) features a selection of gourmet salads that make a simple yet elegant accompaniment to any meal.

Chef John Coletta says he has very high standards when it comes to his salads and dressings. “Utilizing superior-quality extra-virgin olive oil produced from small artisanal producers

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“Each and every salad component must be held to a standard of excellence. Utilizing superior-quality extra-virgin olive oil produced from small artisanal producers is a good start.”

is a good start,” he says. “However, each and every salad component must be held to a standard of excellence. Therefore, the salt should be a pure sea salt from Mediterranean waters. And the fragrant black or white pepper should be no longer than three months dried and ground.”

But Coletta’s just getting warmed up—he also uses vinegars made from wine, preferably a wine varietal that is indigenous to the region that the dish is from. He prefers honey produced from a cultured environment with an age of no more than six months and superior lemons that emulate the tropical varieties found in southern Italy. Finally, he says, “aceto Balsamico from Modena, Italy, is another element of consideration; utilizing commercially produced aceto balsamico will only result in a facsimile version of fragrant cuisine.”

But consistently meeting such singularly high standards can be easier said than done, Coletta admits: “Although these concepts are mostly known to all good chefs, they are rarely found in a consistent manner, often due to market volatility, economic instability and customer price preferences.” But he

30 PMQ Pizza Magazine The Pizza Industry’s Business Monthly

QUARTINO RISTORANTE

—Chef John Coletta, Quartino Ristorante & Wine Bar

Chef John Coletta from Chicago’s Quartino Ristorante & Wine Bar has very high standards for his dressings, preferring to use only the finest extra-virgin olive oil from small artisanal producers and sea salt from Mediterranean waters.

usually finds a way. Quartino’s Caprese salad is drizzled with aged balsamic syrup, a sweet, syrupy reduction of the Trebbiano grape made by infusing aceto balsamico with garlic, bay leaves, thyme, Italian parsley and black pepper. Balsamic syrup yields “deep, dark, rich, robust and intense flavors,” Coletta says, although making it takes a little time and work. The mixture, he explains, should be “simmered slowly until it lightly coats the back of a spoon. It is then strained through a fine mesh strainer and allowed to cool. Placing the balsamic syrup into a plastic squeeze bottle allows for efficient control and accuracy while plating.”

PIZZA RUSTICA

Pizza Rustica’s housemade balsamic vinaigrette dressing is its biggest seller, but the Miami Beach, Florida, chain also offers more familiar choices, including Ranch, Caesar and honey mustard options.

That Homemade Touch It’s nearly always cheaper to make your own dressing than to buy a bottled one, and that “homemade” touch can elevate your salad menu above the competition. However, especially for takeout and delivery shops, prepared dressings save labor and provide convenience; instead of laboring to produce your own dressing, you can just grab a packet or prefilled plastic cup to include with a salad order. “Marco’s Pizza uses dressings

32 PMQ Pizza Magazine The Pizza Industry’s Business Monthly

from Marzetti’s, with predominant use of Italian and Ranch,” says Wise. “The full range of dressings seems to complement the fresh croutons that Marco’s handmakes and bakes on site each day.”

Some operators create their own signature dressings by starting with bottled dressings, sometimes combining two or more, and stirring in additional ingredients. But many still prefer to build their dressings from scratch and bring more exotic elements into the mix. Ethnic flavors, for example, are becoming trendier as the U.S. population diversifies and Americans discover new and exciting tastes. Flavors such as mango and jalapeño reflect a growing Hispanic influence, while sesame and ginger, staples of Asian cuisine, are gaining popularity as well.

And, as more Americans strive to eat healthier foods, many have turned to so-called “superfruits.” Packed with antioxidant properties, these fruits—including pomegranates, blueberries and acai berries—make zesty additions to ordinary vinaigrettes.

In fact, to get kids interested in healthful, low-calorie eating, some nutrition experts are developing fruit-based dressings specifically with children in mind, according to Food Management, a magazine for noncommercial foodservice directors, managers and chefs. Kid-friendly nomenclature plays a big role in these dressings. Referred to as “extreme” dressings, they sport tummy-tickling names like Orange Dreamsicle, made with orange juice, mandarin oranges and yogurt, and Extreme Strawberry, a concoction of orange juice, strawberry/banana juice, fresh strawberries and honey. But the most popular of

Window Dressing When creating a delicious new salad for your menu, matching the salad dressing with the characteristics of the greens (bitterness, size of cut, etc.) is key. Here are some suggestions from the Association for Dressings and Sauces:  Romaine lettuce: Try blends such as Caesar, ranch or aioli. Use less of the same dressing for tiny-diced romaine lettuce than you’d use with larger cuts.  Bitter greens: Experiment with sharp, fruity vinaigrettes.  Iceberg lettuce: Consider creamy dressings based on yogurt, buttermilk and mayonnaise.  Butter lettuce: Think about using rich vinaigrettes with wine or champagne vinegars, mustard and aromatic herbs.

PIZZA RUSTICA

Pizza Rustica customers can build their own salads, choosing from spring baby greens, arugula or romaine lettuce, then adding one meat, one cheese and unlimited vegetables, topped with their preferred dressing.

these so-called “extreme” dressings is, perhaps, also the most predictable one: the Peanut Butter and Jelly, made with peanut butter, grape jelly, grape juice and salad oil.

If you’re looking to create your own signature dressing but don’t have a clue where to start, consult with your bottled dressing supplier—your representative may be able to help you formulate a unique blend especially for your restaurant. And don’t be afraid to experiment—mix two or more commercial dressings or sauces, add your own herbs and sample the results.

For example, blend one part French dressing with four parts

blue cheese dressing or add ½ cup of Worcestershire sauce to a gallon of Italian dressing. If you really want to get adventurous, combine one gallon of mayonnaise with one quart of salsa and two teaspoons of hot red pepper sauce for a Mexican-inspired dressing.

Keep tinkering around, adding herbs or seasonings here and there, and you may hit upon exactly the right combination.

The possibilities are limitless, and fortune, as they say, favors the bold!

Michelle McAnally is PMQ’s food editor.

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pmq.com 33

feature story pos systems

Today's POS systems are going mobile, and some quick-serve operators may now opt for cloud-based iPad solutions.

Power POS

The of

Today’s cutting-edge POS systems offer more innovations than ever to boost sales and help your business run seamlessly.

By Tracy Morin

A

s POS systems have advanced, you may feel overwhelmed by all of the bells and whistles they offer. But, ultimately, today’s models are making life much easier for the operator—streamlining online (and even old-fashioned call-in) ordering, simplifying loyalty programs and menu management, promising top-notch security for customer information, and enhancing mobile possibilities for customers who increasingly expect to order on the go. PMQ talked with operators and experts in the field to find out how the new generations of POS systems are working smarter and harder for you—and your customers.

Made to Order

shopkeep pos

Online ordering has been called “the future” for a while, but let’s face it—the future has now arrived. According to Duessa Holscher, marketing director at Granbury Restaurant Solutions in Grapevine, Texas, POS systems now integrate with various online ordering providers, making it easier to manage your online menu with direct POS updates (especially important if your menu items or coupons change regularly). The result? More efficient ordering for the operator and the customer.

“A strong integration allows consumers to process a credit card online but still gives the restaurant owner control over the final sale amount, including the ability to add a tip or a coupon after the transaction reaches the restaurant,” Holscher says. “Some systems also integrate other features such as expected delivery times, so if the store changes this information on the fly, the online system can be automatically updated to reflect the latest information. All of this communication between the two systems helps to keep the consumer informed and makes orders as accurate as possible.”

Joe Liguori, president of Pizzeria Valdiano (pizzeriavaldiano.com), with four locations in Central Florida, finds that online orders that transfer directly to POS also limit theft (employees don’t write down credit card info), ensure order accuracy (eliminating human error) and save time (the order goes straight to the kitchen for preparation).

In fact, online ordering now integrates fully into the POS system and the app of a pizzeria. “In the past, online and app ordering took place on two separate systems, and subsequent reporting and printing were therefore also run on separate systems,” explains Lisa Falzone, CEO of San Francisco-based Revel Systems.

June/July 2013

pmq.com 37

Joe Liguori, president of Pizzeria Valdiano, finds that online orders transfering directly to POS limits theft (employees don’t write down credit card info), ensures order accuracy (eliminating human error) and saves time (the order goes straight to the kitchen for preparation).

“But cloud-based POS systems can easily make everything happen on one system.”

At Aurelio’s Pizza (aureliospizza.com), based in Chicago with 45 locations in six states, a fully integrated POS has upped the ante. “A pizzeria used to be able to collect data on a customer such as name, address, phone number and order history,” says Kirk Mauriello, director of franchising for Aurelio’s. “Now, POS companies can build platforms to work with other business systems. The POS terminals can handle credit card payment, a rewards card or coupons. It all works together, saving steps and helping reduce the margin for error.”

According to Alan Hayman, president of Hayman Consulting Group in Potomac, Maryland, POS systems also benefit the customer, thanks to improved user interface for ordering and a simple format that allows for complete customization (i.e., inputting instructions such as ‘extra sauce’ or ‘no onions’).

And Michael Stuhlman, director of sales and operations for Breakaway Restaurant Solutions in Arlington, Texas, points out that companies are continually updating systems to make them more user-friendly—from introducing mobile versions of the ordering platform that don’t require a standalone app to more social media integration.

Old-School Orders POS systems even make things simpler for “old-school” customers who prefer to call in their orders. Caller ID is now standard; the POS at Aurelio’s, for example, recalls a customer’s past orders and can apply the same order specifications with the click of a button—ideal for saving time in a business where ordering the same items repeatedly is common (while also “helping the customer feel like we know them,” Mauriello adds).

But, Holscher notes, POS systems can provide even more information about a call-in customer. Employees can see if that customer is a member of the restaurant’s loyalty program or is calling back on an open order and can respond appropriately. Some systems also offer an optional e-mail confirmation 38 PMQ Pizza Magazine The Pizza Industry’s Business Monthly

for phone orders, giving customers confidence that the order is correct (while collecting valuable email information for future marketing).

All of this translates to a smooth experience for customers.

“They want the benefit of the store connecting their order history, loyalty programs and even gift cards to an order that’s called in, without them having to remind the operator,” Hayman says. “Meanwhile, for the operator, advanced mapping tools on a POS can not only identify a delivery area, they can also differentiate parts of a territory and upcharge for certain delivery orders or limit certain areas where delivery is not available based on the time of day. With the right system, those decisions are made by the POS—not the order taker.”

Leveraging Loyalty Loyalty programs are major marketing tools for pizzerias, and POS systems are making their management simpler while streamlining enrollment: Simply type a phone number into the system—no physical cards required. “The key is to get people signed up quickly and be able to use multiple identifiers (bar code, cell number, home number, email, etc.) as the link. The client can get a tag to take with him in no time and go to the website to add more information at a later date,” says Hayman. “The incentive for operators is also to be able to get rid of plastic altogether—cards are expensive, and people are tired of having so many.”

Accordingly, Hayman believes the future of loyalty cards lies in smartphone-based solutions and POS developers offering apps as an extension of loyalty and gift card programs. Customer data would be stored “in the cloud,” not at the store level, making the process easier, especially for operators with multiple locations.

Tim Freida, VP of sales for Microworks POS Solutions in Webster, New York, agrees that POS systems now offer seamless integration of loyalty services via all ordering formats—mobile, Web, desktop or in-store—so customers can

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accumulate loyalty points in one holding account that’s saved in the cloud. “In-store, an employee can ask for the customer’s cell number and automatically send an invitation to sign up for loyalty via text message, while online orderers can opt in for email and SMS text messaging,” Freida says. They can also receive text messages with updates on the status of their orders. An Internet portal allows the customer to track his loyalty account, and multiple stores’ data can be sent to the operator so that loyalty customers who have opted in to email/text updates can be sent marketing blasts.

“Most of the new loyalty programs have gone cardless, and in many cases they integrate with the pizzeria’s POS system,” Liguori says. “Our program is as simple as getting the customer’s mobile number into the system. Upon signing up, our customer receives a text to continue the registration process, and the more info they input (email address, birthday, etc.), the more credits they receive toward earning a free meal.”

Meanwhile, many credit card processing companies have created loyalty programs that work simply by registering a credit card with the restaurant. “In this case, all the customer has to do is use the same credit card for each visit, and he receives credit for the meal,” Liguori says. “Also, POS systems have moved away from the traditional ‘pole display’ to customer display screens. At my Winter Park location, if the cashier doesn’t ask the customer to be part of our loyalty program, a display screen shows an invitation graphic to join.” This graphic can be

40 PMQ Pizza Magazine The Pizza Industry’s Business Monthly

Monitoring Costs POS systems are famous for improving operations and customer service, but they can also help you save money. Eyenalyze, a new software that attaches to a POS system, further streamlines the process by working with both POS systems and foodservice providers to offer plate costing and daily gross profits. The program pulls food cost data directly from your suppliers, along with labor and overhead costs, and provides a simple report that helps you determine your profitability on a daily, weekly or monthly basis. The approach is designed to save legwork on the operator’s part.

Based on a subscription model, the software currently works with only a handful of POS systems and suppliers, but the company is looking to branch out to more in the future. “Franchises have the means, methods and money to create interfaces with POS and see how they’re doing on a daily basis, but independents often don’t,” observes Jeff Detweiler, co-founder of Eyenalyze, which is located in Conway, Arkansas. “We’re creating a culture for vendors to send information electronically, creating a ‘digital back office.’ Paperless is passé—now it’s all about digital.”

changed to post reminders about Facebook, upselling desserts or other items, catering or any other message that Liguori wants to communicate to the customer.

Today’s POS systems integrate loyalty programs to keep track of customer purchases—and then can be programmed

to send customized offers based on the customer’s purchase history, says Mauriello. Hence, POS is increasingly being used to generate targeted promotions. “First-time customers, loyalty program members, and special targeted groups like teachers, military personnel and college students can be verified instantly and directly marketed to with discounts and special offers, without the worry of customer abuse and fraud,” notes Jake Weatherly, CEO of SheerID in Eugene, Oregon. “For example, teachers who come in to eat with their family can be instantly verified as teachers and then sent specific marketing messages about hosting school fundraisers.”

With a well-designed rewards program, a restaurant owner can take a hands-off or hands-on approach to electronic marketing sent to customers, from “set it and forget it” email campaigns (birthday, anniversary and holiday emails) to more targeted campaigns (Tuesday Wing Night), according to Mike Reinecker, director of sales for PDQ POS in Newtown, Pennsylvania. “Detailed rewards reports allow savvy owners the ability to track every dollar spent and every point redeemed to identify the most effective campaigns that are increasing sales,” he notes. “When online ordering is integrated into rewards and loyalty programs, it becomes a marketing boon for business owners. Trends can be identified, and valuable data can be extracted, providing excellent deals for the consumer and continued sales growth for pizzerias.”

And for those customers who require immediate payback, more retailers are now offering instant rewards in the form of POS-generated coupon offers, according to O.B. Rawls, leader of merchant accounts for TASQ and leasing sales at Atlantabased First Data. “At the time of purchase, the consumer not only receives a receipt, but also a reward, details of which are either printed at the end of the receipt or on a separate coupon,” he says. “At their most sophisticated level, these programs deliver highly effective personalized offers; for example, if a customer has just bought a pizza, the operator’s data system can recognize that today is his birthday and immediately generate a customized coupon offer: ‘Happy birthday! As a token of our appreciation, please accept 10% off your next purchase.’”

Maximum Security When protecting customers’ credit card information, you can never be too careful, and POS systems today are ready to meet that challenge. “There are many levels of security to consider,” Holscher says. “Not only must your POS software be certified as PA-DSS compliant, you also have to make sure your hardware and computers are configured correctly and your network is securely managed on an ongoing basis. We recommend encrypted credit card swipe devices and complete tokenization of all credit card data—which means that the swipe itself will encrypt the card data and send that information to the processor, who is the only one that has the key to unencrypt it.” This reduces any chance of credit card data being compromised on the way from the swipe to the POS system or while in the POS system itself, because the POS will never have the card number. Similar secure pin-pad devices

June/July 2013

pmq.com 41

“Detailed rewards reports allow savvy owners the ability to track every dollar spent and every point redeemed to identify the most effective campaigns that are increasing sales.”

—Mike Reinecker, PDQ POS allow you to type credit card numbers for phone orders and immediately encrypt them, Holscher adds.

Mauriello notes that any POS system should be PCIcompliant and integrate credit card processing, as opposed to entering an order on a POS station and then running a credit card through a standalone terminal. “A PCI-compliant POS system sends out the credit card information over a secure Internet connection to the credit card processing company, and then it receives back a token (encrypted number) transaction, so no credit card number data is stored in the POS system,” he says.

However, just because a device is considered “compliant,” Rawls warns, that doesn’t mean all vulnerabilities have been removed. “While encryption and tokenization solutions are necessary to protect payment data in transit and in storage, EMV (which stands for EuroPay, MasterCard and Visa, the three companies that devised the standard) provides authentication when used with a PIN and also provides additional transaction- and card-level validation,” he says. “Operators

42 PMQ Pizza Magazine The Pizza Industry’s Business Monthly

should look for a layered approach to payment security to help protect sensitive data.”

Falzone also recommends secure EMV technology, which takes a POS system beyond the scope of PCI compliance, and advises operators to check their equipment—by April 2014, POS systems running on Windows XP will no longer be PCI-compliant.

Finally, don’t ignore the necessary upkeep on keeping customers’ information secure. Haynam recommends the following: qq Protect password access to systems—stealing passwords is the No. 1 way that hackers gain access. qq Make sure your POS vendors are on the approved lists (i.e., PA-DSS, Visa, etc.). qq Keep your software up-to-date, as vendors upgrade their systems for security issues. qq Keep your systems under a software support plan.

Following these steps will help ensure that your POS system—no matter how many bells and whistles it has— takes care of the real bottom line: your customers.

Tracy Morin is PMQ’s senior copy editor.

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Microworks POS Solutions Microworks’ latest POS innovations include tightly integrated Web, mobile and call center ordering that provides your customers flexibility to manage their orders while you maintain a single shared credit card batch with your store’s POS system. You can also take advantage of electronic gift cards and loyalty programs. Microworks’ PriSM system is ideal for single locations, multistore operators or franchises. 800-787-2068, microworks.com

Breakaway Restaurant Solutions Breakaway Restaurant Solutions specializes in point-ofsale software for the pizza delivery, quick-service and fast-casual restaurant market segments. Its Vision software streamlines every aspect of your operation to make your business more efficient and profitable. Breakaway is dedicated to providing products that increase revenue, enhance the guest experience and improve your bottom line. 817-299-4500, breakawaypos.com

Point of Success The newest release from Point of Success, Version 3’s software brings more than 80 new features, including a birthday club, ordering by table position, repeat round, taxinclusive pricing, cash tip tracking, house accounts, tableside handheld ordering and digital scale integration. Call today for a free live demo. 866-285-7613, factorysvc.com

ShopKeep POS Harbourtouch Harbortouch’s free state-ofthe-art POS system is perfect for pizzerias. The user-friendly POS helps grow business with custom QSR and delivery features and offers caller ID integration, streamlined order entry, mapping and the ability to track drivers out on deliveries—including sending text messages to drivers. 866-286-8744, harbortouch.com

ShopKeep POS is an iPad point-of-sale system that makes it easy for merchants to run their businesses, including ringing sales, processing credit cards, and printing and emailing receipts. Supported by a powerful, cloud-based BackOffice system, ShopKeep gives merchants the information they need to make smart business decisions. 800-820-9814, shopkeep.com

SpeedLine Solutions At Chicago-based Nancy’s Pizza, SpeedLine inventory and portion controls cut food costs by 5%. Operators obtain control over speed of service, delivery performance and guest analytics; higher sales with integrated Web and mobile ordering; and larger, more frequent orders with upselling and targeted marketing tools.

Other features include forecasting, scheduling, overtime controls, and food cost and product margin controls. 888-400-9185, speedlinesolutions.com 44 PMQ Pizza Magazine The Pizza Industry’s Business Monthly

Arrow POS + POM Arrow POS+POM combines POS with integrated marketing tools in its Pointof-Marketing system and integrated online ordering with OrderCraze. New for 2013 is Central Command, a one-number call center application: Orders come into one location staffed by your order entry crew, who can upsell and forward orders to the appropriate store, taking pressure off individual locations so they can focus on production and execution. 888-378-3338, arrowpos.com

PDQ POS PDQ Rewards & Loyalty provides a low-cost, effective method of building customer loyalty, with an intuitive user interface. Directly integrated into the POS, it gathers valuable customer data trends and allows owners to reward faithful customers. With “set it and forget it” options for email and postcard marketing campaigns, offers can be sent on birthdays, anniversaries, holidays and more. 877-968-6430, pdqpos.com

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The Reuben Recipe by Brian Hernandez Photo by Daniel Perea Crust: 1 c. warm water 1¼ tbsp. instant yeast 1 tbsp. sugar 1 tbsp. light olive oil 1½ c. all-purpose flour 1½ c. dark rye flour 1½ tsp. salt 1 tbsp. caraway seeds Mix ingredients and knead for 7 minutes; add rye flour as needed to prevent dough from becoming sticky. Place the dough in a bowl and spritz with oil to prevent drying out. Cover with plastic wrap and let rest for 10 minutes. Slap out the 18-oz. dough ball and place on a lightly oiled 14” pizza pan. Dock pizza dough generously with a fork.

Par-bake at 400° for 7 to 10 minutes. Dough will become a dark brown, but remove it while it’s still a little soft on the bottom.

46 PMQ Pizza Magazine The Pizza Industry’s Business Monthly

Pizza: 6 oz. shredded Swiss cheese 6 oz. thinly sliced corned beef 7 oz. sauerkraut, well-drained ¼ c. chopped dill pickle slices 1 c. Thousand Island dressing Spread a light covering of dressing over the crust. Sprinkle 4 oz.

Swiss cheese on the pie. Evenly distribute corned beef over the cheese. Add sauerkraut over the corned beef. Add the final 2 oz. of Swiss cheese to the top. Bake at 400° for 7 to 10 minutes, until the bottom is firm. Remove from the oven and add chopped pickles.

Lightly drizzle dressing over the pie in a zigzag pattern, then repeat in the opposite direction.

The Reuben in the Rye

If your customers like Reuben sandwiches, they’re going to love your Reuben pizza, which features the same ingredients baked on a thin, rye-flour crust. The salty corned beef, gooey Swiss cheese and pungent burst of sauerkraut all combine to create a specialty pizza that your customers will crave and your competitors will envy.

Here’s a look at some Reuben pies in pizzerias around the country: With locations in Portage and Kalamazoo, Michigan, Erbelli’s Pizzeria & Italian Bistro & Pub (erbellis.com) earned coverage on The Food Channel for its Reuben pizza, made with Polish sauerkraut, corned beef, butter, Thousand Island, pickles, mozzarella and Swiss cheeses and caraway seeds.

The Oregon Express (oregonexpressdayton.com) in Dayton, Ohio, adds rye croutons to its Reuben pie, which otherwise features traditional Reuben ingredients.

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feature story sports marketing

The Sporting Life

Make your pizzeria a sports team hangout, and you’ll score points—and profits—with a broad cross-section of customers.

By Michelle McAnally

F

rom Little League baseball and girls soccer leagues to the Super Bowl and the World Series, nothing brings Americans together like sports—unless, of course, it’s pizza. Sports promotions and pizza restaurants are a winning combination in any season. In fact, hometown pizzerias that cater to local sports teams can build a grassroots customer base that will remain loyal for many years to come.

The beauty of sports promotions is that they appeal to a broad cross-section of consumers: males and females, young and old, from pizza-loving children who play football, hockey or tennis, to their parents, who want to support their kids, and all of the many fans of the various sports. Even youths who don’t actually play sports still often want to be associated with their school’s teams, and they’ll go where the players go. Older sports participants, such as players with golf leagues or community tennis associations, crave a good pie, too. Make your pizzeria a team hangout, and you’ll score points with a wide and diverse customer base year-round.

Become a Booster So how do you get started? Put your money where your team is.

Most local sports teams need money for uniforms, equipment and travel expenses, and you can help. If no one reaches out to you, be proactive and reach out to them. Visit with the coaches or the booster clubs and offer your pizzeria as a venue for team fundraisers and throw in some special offers to sweeten the pot.

At Harborside Pizza (harborsidepizza.com), a takeout-only pizzeria in tiny, remote Cordova, Alaska, owner Brian Wildrick supports a wide range of school sports. “We have donated gift certificates, made cheesecakes for scholarship fund raffles and donated money for uniforms for the basketball team,” he says.

“We also sponsor a Little League team. You get a banner with your logo on it, and you name the team.”

Additionally, Wildrick has had success with a coupon promotion. Local students and team members sell the coupons, which offer a small discount on Harborside’s pizza, to their friends, parents and neighbors to raise funds for their teams.

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Located in Grand Rapids, Michigan, Uccello’s Ristorante, Pizzeria & Sports Lounge boasts a football-shaped bar and serves as an official sponsor of the local minor league hockey team.

“We have donated gift certificates, made cheesecakes for scholarship fund raffles and donated money for uniforms for the basketball team.” —Brian Wildrick, Harborside Pizza “They split the proceeds with me,” he says. “They give me a check for all the coupons they sell, and the customers just bring in the coupon. This year they raised about $3,000 to keep for traveling to other parts of the state or around the country.”

Wildrick benefits from this arrangement financially because it drives traffic to his pizzeria, and, even better, he usually upsells the coupon-wielding customer for extra toppings, garlic knots, drinks and desserts. “It really does help keep people coming into the shop and keeps them looking at the menu, so that they’ll try something new and add something on,” he explains. “It works extremely well, and it’s a really good boost in the winter, plus the kids learn how to show initiative and raise money.”

Loyal as he is to local teams, Wildrick is also perfectly happy to sell—and deliver—pizzas to their opponents. “You can only get here by plane or ferry, so when rival teams come from out of town, they will order a bunch of pizza, and we’ll deliver it up to the school. It’s a big hit with the kids. It keeps us in everybody’s mind and expands our audience to all different kinds of people.”

Building Loyalty Brian Weavel, owner of Winnebago, Illinois-based Anna’s Pizza & Pasta (annaspizzawinnebago.com), has supported local sports for more than 15 years. “I sponsor both boys’ and girls’ teams and, on occasion, men’s and women’s teams,” he 50 PMQ Pizza Magazine The Pizza Industry’s Business Monthly

says. “I prefer the kids—they are much more fun and much more loyal. I have sponsored baseball, softball, soccer and basketball and have even coached many of these teams.”

Weavel says he typically sponsors one team per sport, and it’s not cheap. The startup costs for a fresh sponsorship of a youth baseball team is the costliest investment—up to $1,000 for equipment, gear and uniforms. “Once you have the equipment, it generally costs about $500 per year,” he notes. “This includes jerseys, upgraded equipment, pants, socks, etc. I always throw an end-of-the-year pizza party for each team, and, if I’m not a coach, I make sure to attend several games.”

While this might seem like a lot of money, especially for a small pizzeria, Weavel thinks it’s worth the investment. “I feel that people are very loyal to Anna’s Pizza and Pasta because of how much I am involved in not just sponsoring teams but in being a part of their kids’ lives,” he says. “Playing for one of the Anna’s teams definitely makes the kids want to eat at Anna’s, and kids are the driving force as to where their parents eat.”

Besides garnering great free publicity through local newspaper articles and pictures, every jersey with the Anna’s logo on the back serves as a can’t-miss billboard.

“I love seeing these kids running around town in their Anna’s Pizza & Pasta jerseys,” Weavel adds. “You see it all year long, and it’s great advertising!”

But there’s another unexpected perk that Weavel has noticed over the years: It turns out that many of the

Brian Weavel, owner of Anna’s Pizza & Pasta in Winnebago, Illinois, doesn’t just support local kids sports—he even coaches some of the teams.

“I love seeing these kids running around town in their Anna’s Pizza & Pasta jerseys. You see it all year long, and it’s great advertising!”

—Brian Weavel, Anna’s Pizza and Pasta

youths on past Anna’s Pizza teams have gone on to take jobs at the pizzeria. “We just counted them off from the team pictures on Anna’s ‘Wall of Fame’ and saw at least 10 kids who went on to put in great years of work at Anna’s when they became old enough,” says Weavel. “Now that’s true loyalty!”

Going Pro Not every sports lover keeps up with local games, but virtually all fans follow the college and pro teams. Even if your pizzeria isn’t in a position to work with the nearest high school or junior high squads—maybe your competitors already have that niche sewn up—you can always switch on the TV set and promote around the big leagues.

“We have TVs all over the restaurant, including the dining rooms, sports lounge and bar,” says Todd Wabeke, marketing manager of Uccello’s Ristorante, Pizzeria & Sports Lounge (uccellos.com) in Grand Rapids, Michigan. “We offer all of the TV packages that cover the major sports—NFL, NBA, MLB and NHL. We also carry soccer games, golf and tennis.

We are busy year-round, but we have great sports days during football, basketball and baseball seasons and the playoffs.”

Just how serious are these folks about their sports? For starters, Uccello’s serves as an official sponsor of the Grand Rapids Griffins, the minor league hockey team for the Detroit Red Wings. “West Michigan is a great hockey area, from high school to college to the pros,” Wabeke points out. “We have a fantastic relationship with the Griffins, who are the future Red Wings players. That brings us great exposure.”

But Grand Rapids is located in a state with a proud gridiron tradition, too—schools such as the University of Michigan and Michigan State University play powerhouse football, and the Detroit Lions are no slouches, either. With that in mind, at each of Uccello’s four locations, the centerpiece of the sports lounge is a football-shaped bar. “It’s perfect for viewing all sports,” Wabeke says. “We have tons of TVs at every angle for our bar guests.”

Marketing With Muscle Of course, even a million wide-screen, high-definition TVs won’t earn you a dime if they’re playing to an empty room.

Uccello’s offers drink and appetizer specials for all college and pro football games, but if you’re willing to spend a little extra—and get creative—consider the following ideas: qq Host a Jersey Day promotion in honor of your local or regional sports team (college, pro or semipro).

Customers who show up wearing that team’s jersey get a free slice of pizza, a free appetizer or some other worthwhile special. Use your Facebook, Twitter and other social media accounts to spread the word; shoot out an announcement to your email database as well. qq Host fantasy football or baseball draft parties for the diehard sports fanatics in your area. You can either let your patrons create the leagues themselves or offer to create the leagues for them, then encourage them to watch all of the big games at your pizzeria. At the season’s end, consider giving away a big-ticket prize to the overall winner or winners. qq Create promotions around favorite pro or college team players. The Post Sports Bar & Grill in St. Louis, for example, gives away rounds of shots whenever the Cardinals’ Lance Berkman hits a homer. On the other hand, they may do the same when a particularly hated player on a rival team hits into a double play. qq Offer to host team dinners or to provide food for postpractice get-togethers. For pro or semipro teams, you may want to go so far as to offer free catering for their team breakfasts or dinners throughout the season. Once you get pro athletes hooked on your food, they’ll start showing up on their own, and the resulting publicity is priceless!

Michelle McAnally is PMQ’s food editor.

June/July 2013

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in partnership with

Pizza & Baking

Together Now

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

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

Where the Industry Unites

Your Invitation.

Join us at the grain-based food industry’s main event this October 6-9 in Las Vegas. Visit www.IBIE2013.com for more information and to register.

Find us:

All Together Business Serious baking and pizza professionals agree: the Baking Expo™ is the largest, most important trade event of 2013, where all the latest technology, products, equipment and opportunities come together like nowhere else. Get to IBIE and get down to business.

Explore 800+ exhibitors ready to supply you with the full range of products and resources, including pizza related suppliers conveniently located in the Pizza Village. Shop and compare baking equipment, ingredients, cheese applicators and extruders, dough dividers, feed systems, packaging materials, preparation tools and much more.

Experience technology on the leading edge.

At IBIE, the industry’s newest advances are on display in more than 500,000 net square feet of exhibit space, with innovative technology applications for every product category and operations of every size. Stop by the Innovation Showcase, located in the lobby, for a preview of what’s new.

Pizza Village Booth Space is Now Available! IBIE booth space is nearly sold out, but you can still reserve premium space set aside in PMQ’s Pizza Village. The pavilion is located in a high traffic area of the Expo Hall and will be a center for activity and a draw for your buyers. Reserve your space today.

Tom Boyles | 662.234.5481 x122 | tom@pmq.com Clifton Moody | 662.234.5481 x138 | clifton@pmq.com Linda Green | 662.234.5481 x121 | linda@pmq.com

All Together Educational IBIE’s professional conference and networking event offer unmatched opportunities for you to learn from the experts, share problem-solving strategies with colleagues and get the ideas and inspiration that will take your career and business to the next level. Choose from more than 70 sessions, including targeted pizza courses.

Driving Restaurant Sales in a Tough Economy Linda Duke 60 minutes | Monday, October 7th Pizza Art: Not Just for Fun, but Good Business Marketing Domenico Crolla 60 minutes | Monday, October 7th

Rock Their World!

Sam Fauser 60 minutes | Sunday, October 6th

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

Trench Marketing: How to Grow Your Retail Business From Behind Your Own Counter.

Rudolf Waldner 60 minutes | Sunday, October 6th

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

All Together Inspirational Thrive on the information and inspiration available in PMQ’s Pizza Village—a town-square-style exhibit centrally located on the show floor featuring pizza related exhibitors, competitions, demonstrations and more.

Pizza Information Center. PMQ will offer its vast knowledge of the pizza industry to IBIE 2013 attendees at the PMQ Pizza Information Center.

Attendees who currently offer pizza or are considering adding it to their offerings (frozen or fresh) will have the opportunity to learn from pizza experts who will share knowledge on best practices, recipes, food costs, growth rates, consumer trends, the state of the industry and more.

American Pizza Championships. Do you think you have the best pizza in America?

Prove it! Register to compete in the American Pizza Championships at IBIE. Show us your skills in the Gluten-Free and Traditional pie categories. Grand Prize is an all-expense-paid trip to Italy to compete in the World Pizza Championships as a member of the U.S. Pizza Team in the spring of 2014. Whether you are a spectator or competitor, the American Pizza Championship is an exciting event displaying some of America’s premier pizzaioli, so dust off your Chef Coats and oil up your rolling pins!

U.S. Pizza Team Trials. Register to compete in the U.S. Pizza Team Trials and join pizzathletes from across the country to demonstrate your pizza spinning prowess and skill with the dough. The trials will be held at the PMQ Pizza Village at IBIE. The U.S. Pizza Team is dedicated to truth, justice, and the American pie, and the 1st place winner in Acrobatics will receive the Grand Prize of an all-expense-paid trip to compete on the U.S. Pizza Team at the World Pizza Championships in Italy, spring of 2014. Help us raise awareness of the industry and sport of pizza spinning and represent the United States against more than 20 countries in friendly competition.

To register to compete in the American Pizza Championship OR the U.S. Pizza Team Trials, please visit PMQ.com/uspt-registration.

For more information on the events or the World Pizza Championships, please contact Brian Hernandez at brian@pmq.com or 662.234.5481 x129.

These are just a few of the highlights taking place during IBIE 2013. For a complete schedule visit www.IBIE2013.com.

feature story social media

F

acebook, Twitter, Pinterest—you can’t get far into any conversation without hearing at least one of these popular social media websites mentioned. As a pizzeria operator, you know you need to either jump onto the social media train or, if you’ve already boarded, add some fuel to your efforts. But who should take the wheel?

Does your train need more than one boxcar? And where should it go? If you’re scratching your head as you try to figure out your social media plan, this article will offer practical insights gained through experience. At Aurelio’s Pizza (aureliospizza.com), we have been using social media since 2010 and, through trial and error, we’ve learned a few things that could help you.

If you’ve been wavering over whether to launch a social media campaign, stop wringing your hands and just do it.

Social media provides terrific brand exposure that opens an ongoing dialogue between your company and your customers.

54 PMQ Pizza Magazine The Pizza Industry’s Business Monthly

the

social scene A venerable pizza concept dating back to 1959, Aurelio’s Pizza, founded by Joe Aurelio, takes a very modern approach to marketing, capitalizing on social media to generate brand exposure and build relationships with customers.

The franchising director of Aurelio’s Pizza explains how to use social media to deepen your brand’s relationship with customers.

By Kirk Mauriello | Photos by Aurellio’s Pizza

It takes word-of-mouth to an entirely new level and humanizes your brand. Google loves it, and it can be used to boost your website’s overall ranking on search engines. And, most importantly, your customers—and your competitors—are already using it.

Even so, social media cannot replace traditional marketing.

Attracting and keeping customers will always require a mix of marketing strategies. In multichannel marketing, there are reach channels, which position your pizzeria for purchase consideration; depth channels, which enable you to tell your story; and relationship channels, which help you better serve your existing customers. Social media is an excellent tool for your relationship marketing strategy.

Tell, Don’t Sell Social media is like a cocktail party. If you show up holding a sign that reads, “Buy my pizza!” you’ll be the obnoxious,

overbearing guest who quickly gets shunned and left standing alone in a corner. Many restaurant operators mistakenly use social media to push out a steady stream of “sell” messages to their audiences without taking the time to first establish relationships. This is a turnoff that will get you “unliked” and, worse, unloved.

Most social media platforms serve as recreational sharing forums, and people participate in order to be entertained. They pay the most attention to information that either engages or benefits them. In other words, don’t hit them over the head with a “buy my pizza” message. Tell, don’t sell. Build a relationship with your customers; lure them in with charm and humor, engage and enlighten them, and then remind them that you’ve also got some great deals on the best pizza and wings in town.

When it comes to forming social media relationships that yield results, the key is to add value to the conversation.

This may sound like marketing-speak, but it’s very similar to

June/July 2013

pmq.com 55

real-life conversations: If you’ve got something interesting to say, other people will feel a connection and want to keep talking—and listening—to you. The same goes for social media dialogue. Yes, you can mention your latest promotion or even create a special promotion exclusively for your social media fans or followers, but these “selling” messages should only comprise about 15% of your content. The other 85% should be interesting information that you are in a unique position to share. If you’re selling 85% of the time and connecting only 15% of the time, you will never connect at all.

Twitter. Especially popular with younger people, Twitter has 200 million active users and is like a micro-TV spot that followers must be logged on to catch. It’s mostly a verbal forum (with a strict 140-character limit), and it’s fast-moving, with tweets and retweets popping up constantly, so it’s most effective with frequent users. Success on Twitter relies heavily on building and maintaining relationships, so survey your customers and make sure that they’re using Twitter regularly before committing to it yourself.

Pinterest. This is primarily a Spotlight your pizza makers, servers and other employees by offering visual forum, an online corkan Employee of the Month award and featuring the winners on your board for photographs, artiFacebook page, suggests Kirk Mauriello, from Aurelio’s Pizza. cles, recipes and videos that The Big Three reflect a vast range of personal interests, from art and cooking Between Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest, not to mention to home furnishings and clothing. A recent Shareaholic study Foursquare and LinkedIn, there is no lack of choices in social shows that Pinterest, with its 25 million users, now drives more media outlets. All of them can work for your restaurant if you referral traffic than Twitter. If you have a lot of great pictures of use them correctly and consistently, and many work together your pizzas, salads and other menu items and know how to be for greater success. But each one works differently, and how creative with them, Pinterest might be a good platform for you. you use them should reflect and respect your audience’s needs. You can also post pictures of your ingredients, staff in action, For starters, you should not feel pressured to use all of the customers and recent events. social media platforms just because your customers likely use What makes one social media platform better than another? many or most of them. First, consider your goals, content and Nothing, really—it’s not about “better,” it’s about how you use man-hours. Social media sites are free, but the labor needed to the platform and what’s most effective for you. Business is a build relationships that further brand loyalty is not. You’ll want numbers game—your marketing effort needs to drive traffic. to research the sites thoroughly and understand what consti- To say that Facebook is better than Twitter is like saying TV tutes success with each of them. Remember, your business and advertising is better than print simply because you run a fullyour customers are local. Followers in Abu Dhabi aren’t eating blown advertising campaign on TV and only one occasional your pizza. So take some time to learn the platform that you ad in the newspaper. choose. Start out by creating a personal account before starting a business page. Observe how others are using the format and Content Is Still King take note of what type of content appeals to them and what As a pizza chain with 42 stores, Aurelio’s focuses on Facebook turns them off. Here is a brief overview of the big three social and Twitter, with Facebook getting the best results. To ensure media sites: brand consistency across numerous franchise locations, we use Facebook. With 1.06 billion monthly active users worldwide, a franchise management system called Franconnect to corpoFacebook is a terrific forum for talking with customers, learn- rately control and manage our Facebook content. Through ing about their top-of-mind interests, announcing specials Franconnect, we feed content to all of our stores’ individual and getting feedback. It’s helpful for inspiring and testing new pages and can also add location-specific content and develop ideas and hearing authentic opinions. It’s both a visual and a trackable promotions. For us, gaining Facebook success has verbal forum, allowing you to post pictures of your food, tout been about putting in the time to learn how to effectively use upcoming specials and events, solicit customers’ input and it. And we recognize that it would require a lot more time and promote contests. effort to use additional forms of social media, such as Pinterest.

56 PMQ Pizza Magazine The Pizza Industry’s Business Monthly

As part of a multichannel marketing strategy, social media sites like Facebook and Twitter play an increasingly important role in relationship marketing, creating a sense of personal connection between customers and the restaurant and its staff.

We are not saying that you shouldn’t use other social media outlets, but we have learned that the more platforms you use, the less chance you’ll have to use any one of them to its fullest potential unless you’re able to dedicate a lot of time and manpower to it.

Many restaurant operators have found that Facebook is the best social media solution for their needs. But what kind of content should you post on Facebook, and how often should you post it? From what we’ve learned, posting once a day on Facebook is a good approach, and posting between 4 p.m. and

8 p.m. generates the most response. Of course, if you’ve got an upcoming event that you want to promote or a newsworthy announcement, feel free to post these as they occur. On the other hand, don’t post the same message more than once a day—this will be viewed as spam.

Short posts and photos get the most attention. Brands such as Oreo have elevated their use of in-the-moment posts and graphics to an art form that has earned consumer attention and admiration in both traditional and social media. Most people like to look at pictures of people they know, so take pho-

our rEcipE... passioN is our maiN iNgrEdiENt

E-mail samplE@liguriafoods.com for a samplE of our products

1-800-765-1452 www.liguriafoods.com

EXclusiVElY producEd at EstaBlisHmENt 15747 June/July 2013

pmq.com 57

Seeing Aurelio’s on their Facebook newsfeed on Monday helps customers to remember that they want our pizza on Friday.

—Kirk Mauriello, Auriello’s Pizza tos of your customers and post them on your page. If a customer comes in with an especially cute baby, toddler or twins in tow, ask permission to take a picture and post it on your page. The proud parents will then share your post with their friends, and you’ve just extended your restaurant’s reach to all of their friends,

family members and acquaintances!

Did you sponsor a charity event recently? Post pictures and information about the amount of money that was raised. Have you added a new menu item? Post a mouthwatering photo and description of the ingredients. Do you give out an Employee of the Month

award? Post the winner’s picture and a brief bio every month. Did a famous person recently dine in your restaurant?

With the celebrity’s permission, take a photo and post it—perhaps the celebrity will even give you a quote about how much he or she enjoyed your pizza!

Above all, provide information that will help your customers get to know your business better. Then pay attention to what your customers say in response.

Engage them in a conversation whenever you can and always bring value to the discussion.

Finally, you can grow your fan base by cross-promoting your Facebook presence in your more traditional forms of communication, such as e-newsletters, printed materials and websites. These approaches help to build momentum in your social media campaign—we’ve noticed that the more “likes” we get, the faster they’ll keep coming, because we look like a company that people want to interact with.

Promoting Posts So what’s so great about being “liked” on Facebook? “Likes” tell you how many “fans” your Facebook page has, and it also tells you how these folks are responding to your content. In the latter sense, a “like” is a customer’s way of saying, “Hey, I saw that post, and I liked it!”

In addition to trying to add value through our traditional posts, we have used Facebook promotions to push offers and test redemption response rates among our 22,000-plus fans. For promotions, we use a mix of viral and paid reach. Viral reach refers to the number of Facebook users who have seen something that we posted in the traditional manner for free. Paid reach is the number of additional people who saw a post that we paid Facebook to promote on our behalf.

(Paid promotions on Facebook can cost as much or as little as you’re willing to pay. A payment of $4.99 can help one post reach up to 1,500 people, while $19.99 can bring an estimated reach of between 3,300 and 6,100 people.)

We once created a post for a special offer of two medium, one-topping pizzas 58 PMQ Pizza Magazine The Pizza Industry’s Business Monthly

Savvy companies have elevated use of in-the-moment posts, photos and graphics to an art form, employing social media to put a human face and personality on their brands.

for $21.50. Our viral reach for that post was 108,183, with 2,834 Facebook users “talking” about it (“talking” is a term that refers to user engagement with a particular post). It received 161 “likes,” 91 “shares” and 49 comments. Additionally, 1,657 people claimed the offer (by downloading it). That’s a lot of love, right? However, less than a handful of the offers were actually redeemed during the promotion’s period of validity!

So was it all for naught? Not at all. We saw a spike in business that Friday. So we repeated the experiment and noticed the same result each time. A Facebook promotion on a Monday or Tuesday led to a business spike on Friday. We believe that these promotions plant the seed in customers’ minds. Seeing Aurelio’s on their Facebook newsfeed on Monday helps customers to remember that they want our pizza on Friday.

For now, Facebook will remain Aurelio’s social media train. As we continue to grow, we may add more boxcars—new social media tools—when we see their value.

As you contemplate your own marketing efforts, social media—whether it’s Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest or some other platform—may be right for you if you want to deepen your relationship with existing customers and help them spread the word about your product to new ones. But social media is very much an “effort made equals results achieved” equation. While some businesses question the monetary value of their social media strategies, we have learned that, when we use Facebook and adapt to its increased functionality, it makes our cash registers ring.

Kirk Mauriello is director of franchising for Aurelio’s Pizza, a 42-store pizza chain headquartered in Homewood, Illinois.

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June/July 2013

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The pizza exchange product spotlight

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Making Healthy Taste Good All 14 flavors of Briannas’ Fine Salad Dressings are available in 64-ounce foodservice-size containers.

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Cutting Water Costs Built to withstand constant use, the Instant-Off PRO Series is a cost-effective way to conserve water and reduce cross-contamination. The PRO Series commercial versions can be installed in place of the aerator on any faucet or threaded pipe; water is controlled by moving a stainless-steel rod and automatically shuts off when the hand is removed. 800-972-8348, instant-off.com

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60 PMQ Pizza Magazine The Pizza Industry’s Business Monthly

Secrets of a Perfect Crust Customers can enjoy a perfectly golden crust every time with Perfect Crust’s advanced bake technology.

The bakeable tray allows for easy, convenient transfer in and out of the oven; prevents oven drips and spills; eliminates soggy crust centers; and features patented bidirectional bumps for air flow and moisture release, resulting in even baking. 800-783-5343, perfectcrust.com

idea zone Pizzas 4 Patriots

a d v e r t o r i a l

Pizzas 4 Patriots Offers Win-Win for Pizzerias Many newspapers run “feel-good” stories about patriotism and Americana on Independence Day. If pizzeria owners approach local newspapers or TV stations prior to the Fourth and let them know they’ll be donating a portion of the day’s sales to Pizzas 4 Patriots, it would be a great way to gain free publicity and promote the program, says Sergeant Mark Evans, founder of the nonprofit organization, which has delivered more than 1 million pizzas to American troops in war zones. So how can you get involved?

While most of us will celebrate the Fourth of July hovering over barbecue grills or enjoying a nice day at the lake or beach, thousands of soldiers serving overseas will be daydreaming about those activities that we take for granted. But you can help bring a little slice of home to the troops in the field with Pizzas 4 Patriots while promoting your restaurant.

For this year’s Fourth of July, Evans, a 26-year military veteran, with corporate sponsors DHL and AT&T, have set a goal of delivering 20,000 pizzas, reaching every military person serving in the field in the Middle East. They’ll ship the pizzas to military airports, where the Pentagon will take over, delivering the pies via trucks and helicopters directly to the men and women in forward areas.

“Pizzas for Patriots can use any donations you can provide, from $5 to $5,000,” Evans says. “But if pizzeria owners could donate a portion of their sales on the Fourth of July, or for the entire month of June—say 25 cents, 50 cents or $1 of every pizza sold—this would show the industry’s appreciation and also be a good opportunity to gain publicity and do something for a great cause.”

Companies that make donations, regardless of the amount, will be listed at Pizzas4Patriots.com and receive a certificate of appreciation for their stores. But, in addition to publicity and appreciation, you’ll also get the satisfaction of knowing you have put a smile on someone’s face on the other side of the world, someone who can’t be home with his loved ones for the holiday.

Additionally, you’ll get access to a promo packet, including press releases, artwork and box toppers, to help publicize your efforts.

To learn more about Pizzas 4 Patriots, get your promotional material and join the cause, contact Evans at 847-357-0000 or visit Pizzas4Patriots.com. You can also email him at sgtevans@ sbcglobal.net.

Pizzas 4 Patriots

INDEPENDENCE DAY NATIONAL PROMOTION “Let’s make this the biggest Pizza 4 Patriots delivery EVER!”

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June/July 2013

pmq.com 61

idea zone NoteAds

a d v e r t o r i a l

NoteAds Rolls Out New Marketing Tools There’s a reason why pizzeria operators prefer sticky note ads from NoteAds Advertising to box toppers, door hangers and window clings: Not only do the ads stand out with their fourcolor imprint, they also literally stick around the home until they’re used. Unlike refrigerator magnets, doorknob hangers or glued-on box toppers, these repositionable ads will restick on almost any household surface and can be purchased for a fraction of the cost of similar direct marketing tools.

Sticky notes ads are also portable, and the consumer will redeem the coupons more frequently than magnets or similar products, making their effectiveness more measurable. The coupon is precut and stuck in a visible place, increasing the likelihood that the customer will think about your restaurant when he’s hungry and redeem it.

Competition has driven manufacturers to find the best balance of a strong adhesive, low price and clean printing. The adhesive must hold to a variety of surfaces in different environments, but if it’s too strong, it limits the imprint areas, creates curling issues or tears the sheets when removed. 3M’s Super Sticky Note has tested best in our comparison studies, but it’s significantly more expensive than other brands. NoteAds uses several different manufacturers, including 3M, to produce its

62 PMQ Pizza Magazine The Pizza Industry’s Business Monthly

notes in order to meet its customers’ specific needs. “Our first question is not how many sticky notes they’re using, but how they are being used,” says John Grantham, president of NoteAds. “A sticky note ad placed on the front page of the newspaper requires a much different adhesive and configuration than a note used as a door hanger.”

Although NoteAds specializes almost exclusively in repositionable sticky notes, the company is also introducing a new product that complements the power of the sticky note ad. Fullcolor directional signs near the customer’s pizzeria can enhance the promotion that’s being advertised on the sticky note. A sign promoting your grand opening, an upcoming event or special offers can have the exact same graphics repeated on a temporary directional sign for very little money. While NoteAds also provides competitive prices on business cards, menus and other paper products, the directional signs are the company’s first new direct-marketing product that’s produced on a completely different medium. It will serve as a tool that reinforces and expands your sticky note campaign to drive additional sales.

For more information on NoteAds Advertising, visit NoteAds. com or call 800-309-7502.

idea zone Get Customers 4 Life

a d v e r t o r i a l

Achieve Pizza Domination With Marketing Blueprint, Free Mobile Website Even if you toss pizza 14 hours a day, you’re not really in the pizza business, says Jeff Levin of Get Customers 4 Life, which specializes in mobile apps, websites and marketing management. You’re in the loyalty business. “Customer loyalty is key to your success, but it doesn’t just happen by itself,” he says. “It must be the focus of your marketing efforts. New customers don’t just fall through the front door—marketing gets them in, and loyalty programs keep them coming back.”

Sending a coupon to people who just moved to the neighborhood is a good start. “We offer a new twist on this approach that can cut costs in half so you can use the savings on more interesting stuff, such as treating your customers like they are VIPs—Very Important Pizza-eaters,” Levin notes. The company’s smartphone app lets you create a “VIP inner circle” for customers with daily special deals that don’t appear on your website or menu. It also offers funny videos and games that can be shared with friends via social media. Additionally, the company’s scratch-off game ticket is perfect for mobile websites. As the customer rubs his finger back and forth across the screen, the image changes and reveals a discount offer.

Of course, not everyone wants to be a loyal customer. “What if someone starts talking trash on an Internet gripe site because his pizza was delivered late?” Levin says. “This bad review sticks out like a danger flag in Google searches. Our service allows your customers to rate their meals on your mobile website— the good ratings get posted online while the negative ones get diverted to your email inbox. These positive reviews will push the few bad ones down to page 4 or 5—instead of page 1—in a Google search.”

Get Customers 4 Life also helps pizzerias dominate Google searches by posting SEO-friendly videos about their stores on Youtube and similar sites, Levin adds. “We can push their competitors onto the second and third pages of Google. We can even produce high-quality videos for them with just a few snapshots.”

To get your marketing efforts off to a good start, Get Customers 4 Life is giving away a free mobile website (a $495 value) to the first 100 callers.

For a free copy of “The Pizzaman’s Marketing Blueprint” and a free mobile website, visit GetCustomers4Life.com/mobile or call 888-994-9878 and leave your email address.

June/July 2013

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idea zone dynamic drinkware

a d v e r t o r i a l

Boost Beverage Sales With Dynamic Drinkware “The better-looking the glass is, the more people are willing to pay for what is inside of it,” says Zarin Thomson, owner of Caffe Royale in Stellenbosch, South Africa. Like many restaurateurs, Thomson turned his beverage sales from negative to positive with a little glass redesign. As Robert Foley from Dynamic Drinkware, LLC, explains, there are many good reasons to embrace photo-quality, picture-perfect collectible drinkware in your pizzeria: 1. Sell more beverages. “All cups hold water, but ours look better,” Foley says. “With the right graphics, you’ll sell more beverages.” In its seven years in business, Dynamic Drinkware, LLC, located in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, has consistently increased its customer base, from supermarkets to professional sports teams and convenience stores, by helping clients boost sales through better drinkware presentation.

2. Build community connections. Appeal to students at local schools and their parents by offering collectible cups featuring the school’s logo. Sports teams, universities or any other organization that inspires customer loyalty make a great fit for logoed cups. Foley reports that casual dining pizzerias have increased their sales through collectible cups, showing their support for local teams and organizations, which, in turn, keeps customers

64 PMQ Pizza Magazine The Pizza Industry’s Business Monthly

coming back again and again. To create your own collectible cups, simply send the logo to Dynamic Drinkware, LLC, and their graphics designers can help you create the impact you need to sell more beverages. Design possibilities are nearly limitless, and cups may feature photo-quality pictures, shiny foil and lenticular 3-D images that provide cool graphics that can flip from one image to another or zoom, morph or provide motion, creating the “wow factor” for customers.

3. Free advertising. You can also feature your logo on collectible cups, which are fun to use and reuse. Most importantly, the image becomes part of the cup—it’s not merely printed on. That means the cup is 100% dishwasher safe and will bear your message for the life of the cup. And since plastic cups are commonly used at outdoor events, picnics, barbecues and concerts, your logo or message will be seen by hundreds and even thousands of people, inside and outside the customer’s home.

Dynamic Drinkware, LLC, does 100% of its design and manufacturing work in the United States and guarantees ontime delivery. Its goal is to exceed your expectations and increase your bottom-line profits. For more information or to request a quote, visit DynamicDrinkware.com or request samples at 920-230-3232.

idea zone Sunray Printing

a d v e r t o r i a l

Magnet Mailers Earn Double-Digit Returns The refrigerator is more than an appliance; it’s the family message board, photo album and brag sheet all in one. It can serve as a billboard for your pizza, too, when you take advantage of magnetized direct-mail services from St. Cloud, Minnesotabased Sunray Printing Solutions. “Many of our pizzeria clients have gotten double-digit returns from our magnet mailers,” says Bob Byers, Sunray’s vice president and partner. “I wouldn’t say that’s unheard of, but it’s certainly extraordinary.”

While ordinary direct-mail pieces often get tossed in the trash, magnet mailers for pizzerias end up on the refrigerator door, promoting your pizza around the clock. “The average American opens the refrigerator 22 times a day, so your fridge coupon appears before their eyes 22 times a day,” Byers notes.

“You’ve taken the most valuable piece of real estate, from a marketing perspective, in the home and placed your message there, front and center, for months at a time. You can’t ask for a better location.”

As email inboxes grow more cluttered, studies show that consumers ages 25 to 34 would rather get offers through snail mail. “This demographic prefers fridge coupons, and, with their busy lives, hanging your message on their refrigerators fits into their routines,” Byers says.

For pizzerias that have more specials than can fit on a regular mailer, Sunray offers a customizable, jumbo-size 6”-by-22” postcard for promoting multiple products and deals. “You can create a postcard with specials covering extended periods of time, with a ‘week one’ special, a ‘week two’ special and so on,” Byers says. “That means it can stay on the customer’s refrigerator for two or three months instead of one. And the postcard is perforated, so the customer can tear off the coupons and redeem them at your pizzeria.”

Customers are also more likely to redeem a magnetized coupon, Byers adds. “Postcard mailings in 2012 averaged a 2.47% response. Our fridge coupon customers report a minimum of 7%, with some as high as 30%.”

Finally, Sunray Printing is fully approved by the U.S. Postal Service to mail magnetized, jumbo-size postcards. “We print and mail it for you, for less than the price of a first-class stamp,” Byers says. “It’s easy to get your money back and make a profit.

And you’ll never have to worry about the postcards getting rejected by USPS.” For more information, contact Byers at 320-492-3017 or bbyers@sunrayprinting.com. Visit the company’s website at SunrayPrinting.com.

June/July 2013

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idea zone Message on Hold

a d v e r t o r i a l

Two Great Companies, One Amazing Product Repeated busy signals can ring like a death knell for a pizzeria with a strong delivery component. Every missed call leads to a potential lost sale and money that could go to a competitor.

But thanks to a partnership between two industry innovators, Message On Hold and Pizza Phone, busy signals will soon be a thing of the past.

Pizza Phone’s cloud-based phone system provides an unlimited number of phone lines for pizzerias, ensuring that no caller ever gets a busy signal. “With a traditional phone system, if you buy four lines, you can only handle four calls,” says Josh Rowe, owner of Pizza Phone and a former pizzeria owner. “With our system, it doesn’t matter how many calls you get—every call will go through, either to your CSR or to an on-hold messaging system that provides information the customer will want to know about your products, specials and upcoming events.”

For a flat rate of only $199 per month (plus a $500 installation fee), pizzerias get an all-new phone system that delivers numerous features, including unlimited lines, calls and users; interactive voice response (IVR); detailed call reports; caller ID; call blocking; call waiting; voice mail; a digital receptionist; an employee phone book; and more. Additionally, all incoming

calls can be recorded and played back anytime, allowing managers to monitor their CSRs’ performance and serving as training tools for new employees.

New clients who order the Pizza Phone system will also receive a 60-day free trial of Message On Hold’s cutting-edge service, featuring customizable, professionally produced marketing and sales on-hold messages. Every on-hold call provides an opportunity to upsell, cross-sell and promote new menu items.

“Our average client sees an average sales increase of 54 cents per ticket,” says Mike Wick, president of Message on Hold. “If you’re looking at an average of 1,000 tickets per week, that’s a lot of added sales that wouldn’t have been made otherwise. Plus, if you can keep callers from hanging up, that increases sales, and expanding the number of phone lines also boosts sales.”

Meanwhile, the $199 fee never changes, no matter how many calls you get. “This partnership allows pizzeria owners to take advantage of that monthly investment so they can increase average sales, reduce hang-ups and improve the customer experience,” Wick says.

For more information, call 888-851-9601 or visit PizzaPhoneSystem.com or MessageOnHoldService.com.

If your phone is busy, you won’t be.

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the only phone system specifically 888-851-9601 designed for a pizzeria. www.messageonholdservice.com | www.pizzaphonesystem.com Only $199.99/mo. Includes system/service

66 PMQ Pizza Magazine The Pizza Industry’s Business Monthly

idea zone signature systems

a d v e r t o r i a l

Reward Loyal Customers With PDQ POS Do you keep track of who visits your pizzeria and who has stopped coming altogether? Keeping track of such data allows you to target your marketing according to customers’ purchasing habits, turn occasional guests into regulars and potentially recapture lost business. It all starts with Signature Systems’ powerful point-of-sale system, PDQ POS, which allows you to develop robust customer loyalty and sponsorship programs that can drive traffic for years to come.

Loyalty programs build business by letting customers earn points toward a free or discounted food item, incentivizing them to choose your pizzeria over competitors’ stores. Whereas these promotions once required punch cards that customers presented during checkout, the PDQ POS system helps streamline the process while providing valuable data on participating guests.

With information such as email addresses, phone numbers and important dates, you can provide targeted offers in a range of ways—from email and texting to direct mail—and create enticing specials for customers’ birthdays and anniversaries. Your customers will enjoy the easy-to-use interface that allows them to log in and check their pizza points online and determine how far they have to go before their next milestone.

Sponsorship programs are another great way to build goodwill in your community while boosting sales. With flexible parameters, percentages can be set on certain food items or total sales to determine the funds that the pizzeria will donate. This approach helps create incentives for fundraising groups to actively promote your pizzeria. For your part, you can publicize the organizations with window signage and even a fundraiser thermometer that indicates their progress. Wrap up the project with a call to the local media and a public presentation of the check.

These loyalty and sponsorship programs can be easily carried out with the PDQ POS system. Customers are identified with their phone numbers, and all of their information is accessible by the pizzeria. Funds raised in sponsorships are automatically calculated by the system to prevent human error. And PDQ POS’s system tracks and targets customers according to their interests for precise and effective marketing.

Signature Systems’ PDQ POS provides complete POS solutions, including hardware, software and 24/7 support via a live service line, so you’ll always get the help you need, even during a late-night rush. For more information on how to build lasting relationships with your customers, visit PDQPOS.com or call 877-968-6430.

June/July 2013

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The Pizza exchange bulletin board

The Pizza exchange bulletin board

June/July 2013

pmq.com 69

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The Pizza exchange bulletin board

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72 PMQ Pizza Magazine The Pizza Industry’s Business Monthly

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ADVERTISER INDEX JUNE/JULY 2013 Advertiser

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Website

Page

AM Manufacturing. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 708-841-0959 . . . . . . . ammfg.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 American Baking Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 319-373-5006 . . . . . . . abs1.net . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70 Avantec Ovens. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 800-322-4374 . . . . . . . avantecovens.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33 Bacio Cheese . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 855-222-4685 . . . . . . . baciocheese.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34, 35 Bay State Milling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 800-553-5687 . . . . . . . baystatemilling.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47 Bellissimo. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 800-813-2974 . . . . . . . bellissimofoods.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 Briannas Salad Dressings. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 979-836-5978 . . . . . . . briannassaladdressing.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41 Burke. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 800-654-1152 . . . . . . . burkecorp.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Delivery Bags USA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 888-501-2247 . . . . . . deliverybagsusa.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71 Dynamic Drinkware . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 920-230-3232 . . . . . . dynamicdrinkware.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .64 Escalon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 888-ESCALON . . . . . . escalon.net . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 EZ Dine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 877-853-1263 . . . . . . . ezdinepos.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68 Fontanini. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 800-331-6370 . . . . . . . fontanini.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 Fruit Fly Bar Pro. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 888-282-3079 . . . . . . . fruitflybarpro.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 Get Customers 4 Life . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 888-994-9878 . . . . . . . getcustomers4life.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63 Grande Cheese . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 800-8-GRANDE . . . . . grandecheese.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 GroupPrintBuy.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 855-856-2208 . . . . . . . groupprintbuy.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70 Hoodmart . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 800-715-1014 . . . . . . . hoodmart.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57 HTH . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 800-321-1850 . . . . . . . hthsigns.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71 IBIE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ibie2013.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52, 53 Instant-Off . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 800-972-8348 . . . . . . . instant-off.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71 La Nova . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 716-881-3366 . . . . . . . lanova.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Cover 4 Le 5 Stagioni . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 800-780-2280 . . . . . . . le5stagioni.it . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 LFI . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 888-882-0551 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73 Lillsun . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 260-356-6514 . . . . . . . lillsun.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59 Liguria. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 800-765-1452 . . . . . . . liguriafoods.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57 MF&B Restaurant Systems. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 888-480-EDGE . . . . . . edgeovens.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 Marsal & Sons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 631-226-6688 . . . . . . . marsalsons.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58 Marzetti . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 614-846-2232 . . . . . . . marzettifoodservice.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Cover 2 Menu Express . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 856-216-7777 . . . . . . . themenuexpress.com. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72 Microworks. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 800-787-2068 . . . . . . . microworks.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Middleby Marshall. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 877-34-OVENS . . . . . . wowoven.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Moving Targets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 800-926-2451 . . . . . . . movingtargets.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 NoteAds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 800-309-7502 . . . . . . . noteads.com. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62 NJ Restaurant Equipment Corp . . . . . . . . . . . . 888-770-4479 . . . . . . . njrecorp.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42 One Click Diner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 877-328-8040 . . . . . . . oneclickdiner.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69 One Two 3 Print It . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 888-800-4455 . . . . . . 123printit.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69 Perfect Crust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 800-783-5343 . . . . . . . perfectcrust.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72 Petra Molino Quaglia Flour . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 631-804-1879 . . . . . . . farinapetra.it/benvenuto/eng_petra.html . . . . . . . . . . 69 Pizzas 4 Patriots . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 847-357-0000 . . . . . . . pizzas4patriots.com. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61 Pizza Phone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 888-851-9601 . . . . . . . pizzaphonesystem.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66 Pizza Skool . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 517-395-4765 . . . . . . . traintogreatness.com. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43 Pizza Umbrella . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . pizzaumbrella.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59 Restaurant Depot . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . restaurantdepot.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 Rock Tenn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 816-415-7359 . . . . . . . rocktenn.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Cover 3 ShopKeep POS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 800-820-9814 . . . . . . . shopkeep.com/pmq . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 Signature Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 877-968-6430 . . . . . . . pdqpos.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67 Stanislaus. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 800-327-7201 . . . . . . . stanislaus.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4, 5 Sunray Printing Solutions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 320-492-3017 . . . . . . . sunrayprinting.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65 Vinyl Repair Master. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 561-981-6200 . . . . . . . vinylrepairmaster.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45 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.

June/July 2013

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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

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

cheese

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

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

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!

76 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

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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

78 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 A FLY KILLER Kills all flies, cockroaches & spiders Guaranteed elimination

888-282-3079, or 631-237-1414 www.fruitflybarpro.com

1051 Amboy Avenue, Perth Amboy NJ

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

Serving NY, NJ, PA, DE, CT

insurance

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

80 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 Sugar Creek Packing Co.,............................... Private Label Precooked Meat Topping Specialists www.sugarcreek.com.......................................800-848-8205............................sales@sugarcreek.com

management

keep more of your hard earned dough!

3 money saving programs:

sCheduLing • aTTendanCe • daiLy Log

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

save time and increase profits!

www.timeforge.com 866.684.7191

menu boards

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.

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

American Baking Systems

pmq.com/Recipe-Bank/

319-373-5006 • www.abs1.net

• • • •

Spiral Mixers Planetary Mixers Dough Sheeters Deck Ovens and more!

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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

Pizza Skool

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!

on hold marketing

82 PMQ Pizza Magazine The Pizza Industry’s Business Monthly

The pizza exchange Pizza Industry Resource Guide pizza delivery thermal bags

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The pizza exchange Pizza Industry Resource Guide pizza delivery thermal bags

pizza ovens Cont.

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

ELECTRIC HOTBAG

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

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

800-927-6787

Made in the USA

www.HOTBAG.com

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 84 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

Inventor of

SUPER DOUGH BOWLS

The Quik-Disk

™

The best screen replacement since 1989.

LLOYD INDU STR IES ®

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

Replace your dented ones TODAY !

100’s OF SMART PIZZA PRODUCTS ONLINE!

MADE IN THE USA

Buy Direct and Save $$ • www.lloydpans.com • 1-800-748-6251

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

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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

Included per EDDM mailer

SPECIAL # 1 (everyday)

DESSERTS

PRSRT STD ECRWSS U.S. Postage PAID EDDM Retail

6 pcs. of Reg. pizza 7 - Boneless Wings 2 - Desserts and 1 - 2 liter of pop

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

$ 16.00

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

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

$ 19.95

(pick up only)

Full Service Catering Available

ECRWSS

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

Local Postal Customer

INGREDIENTS...

$ 16.00

Mama G’s Catering is a full line caterer that will come to your home, your business or you can come to us at the Greek Church ( Hellinic Steubenville where we cater. Hall ) in downtown All food is homemade, just like Mama used to make, and we specializing in roast beef, all kinds of chicken, pork, pasta, are a full line caterer superb salads, and fantastic desserts just to name a few delicious side dishes, We can prepare anything you of our more popular items. want.

Weddings? Graduations? Baptisms?

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

ALL FOR ONLY

SPECIAL #2 (everyday)

G’s MamaZA PIZ

Why Pay More? ...CAN MAKE A PIZZA

Postage 20 ¢ as low as

ONLY THE FRESHEST

Food Flyer

Home Delivery and

Phone Orders are

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DEPARTMENT time capsule

Connie’s Pizza This Chicago-based multiunit pizzeria is still growing—and experimenting with new concepts —after 50 years in business.

O

n June 1, 1963, Jim Stolfe purchased a little food stand from Connie DeGrazia on Chicago’s South Side. He left the Connie’s name on the storefront and started serving up pizza from a dough recipe he developed, incorporating techniques learned from his grandmother and a local neighborhood baker. In less than a year, Jim offered up his prized 1962 Oldsmobile Starfire to purchase the first Connie’s Pizza (conniespizza. com) freestanding storefront, which proved to be a smart gamble —through the new location, Jim quickly became an accidental pioneer in pizza delivery. “There weren’t too many places doing delivery back then, so my father put pies on trucks and sold to people sitting on stoops in the neighborhood,” recalls Michael Stolfe, son of Jim and president of the company (his brother, Marc, operates the frozen and retail divisions). “Originally, the trucks were for advertising, but by the late ’70s and early ’80s, we were known for selling pizzas from our little red trucks at Soldier Field, McCormick Place and local stadiums.”

Connie’s also expanded by adding brick-and-mortar stores in the late ’70s, branching out into the suburbs, and entered the retail and frozen markets in the late ’90s, which evolved from selling pizzas to local hotels in downtown Chicago. Today, the company enjoys a 15,000-square-foot headquarters and a robust catering business, but its two locations opening this year (bringing the total to eight) have a different twist: In addition to selling the pan pizzas Connie’s is known for, they will incorporate woodburning ovens for the first time. “With the wood-burning ovens, we stay true to our brand but offer an enhanced experience,” says Michael. “You can’t stand still or make mistakes in this business, and you have to work harder to make money—you have to stay on top of your game.”

However, when asked for the true secret to Connie’s longevity, Michael sums it up in one word: passion. “In this business, if you don’t love what you’re doing, you’re not going to be successful,” he says. “When you’re passionate and cook with love, it’ll show through in the product.” –Tracy Morin

(Top to bottom) Young Connie’s customers share spaghetti; Jim Stolfe opened his first freestanding storefront with the money from selling his prized Oldsmobile Starfire; Jim tends to deep-dish pies at the pizzeria.

90 PMQ Pizza Magazine The Pizza Industry’s Business Monthly

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

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