PMQ Pizza Magazine May 2015 by PMQ Pizza Magazine

MAY 2015 | WWW.PMQ.COM

Can'tMiss Tips for Direct Mail Success

PAGE 56

Creating Signature Sandwiches That Sell PAGE 44

Why Pizzaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Good For You (No Matter What the Media Says) PAGE 34

Deliciously Simple Gluten-Free Gluten Free never looked or tasted this good!

New Gluten Free Flour Produces Multiple Menu Items You won't believe what our new flour blends can do

No other gluten-free flour blends on the market perform like ours in terms of structure, mellow flavor and sound nutrition.

Formulated with just the right balance of whole grains, starches and fiber (and gum free), they mimic the properties of wheat. Finally, you can create elastic doughs for pizza crusts and breads â&#x20AC;Ś and get greattasting results with familiar, authentic textures.

Authentic Foods has been a trusted name in the gluten-free market for over 20 years. Our Product Development and R&D teams are always ready to assist you with custom formulations.

Gluten-Free www.authenticfoods.com www.glutenfree-supermarket.com

Wheat Free Tel: 310-366-7612 E-mail: sales@authenticfoods.com

pizzamagazine.com

ONLINE AT PMQ.COM

RECENTLY ON PIZZATV.COM Cooking With PMQ: The Popeye Pizza Michael LaMarca, owner of Master Pizza (masterpizza. com) in Cleveland, beat out 18 competitors with this uniquely delicious, spinach-based pie at the U.S. Pizza Team’s National Pizza Trials last December. LaMarca shares the secrets of the Popeye—featuring spinach, tomatoes, artichoke hearts, a four-cheese blend, garlic butter sauce and a balsamic glaze—with PMQ’s Brian Hernandez on PizzaTV this month.

PMQ BLOGS

(THEPIZZAINSIDER.PMQ.COM)

3 WAYS TO CRUSH YOUR COMPETITION You will always have competition. How you handle that competition can mean the difference between success and failure. Some operators go to extremes, such as parking their delivery vehicles in front of a competitor’s shop. Liz Barrett has more productive strategies in mind.

(SLICEOFLIFE.PMQ.COM)

DO YOU KNOW WHAT KIND OF “KLOUT” YOU HAVE? Klout uses social media analytics to gauge its users’ online social influence with the “Klout score,” a numerical value between 1 and 100. If you want to improve your social media performance and draw more fans, Klout may be the app you’re looking for. ANOTHER MILESTONE: FITTING INTO A SMALLER CHEF COAT Two months into his 16-week pizza diet and exercise regimen, test chef Brian Hernandez fights through guilt over cheating and keeps plugging away. Now he can fit into a chef coat that’s one size smaller than his current one—and he can still breathe!

(BRIANSPIZZADIET.PMQ.COM)

(PIZZAWITHOUTBORDERS.PMQ.COM)

EUROPEAN PIZZERIAS EMPHASIZE BEAUTY OF THEIR OVENS Missy Green Assink, PMQ’s international correspondent, recently checked out Parizza, the annual pizza trade show in Paris, and learned a thing or two about the new wave of decorative pizza ovens. Specifically, deck ovens can be just as beautiful as wood-fired ovens. “Now deck oven brands like OEM and Pizza Master are releasing ovens in gold, copper or even wood paneling,” Assink reports.

FIND US ON:

PMQ Pizza Magazine The Pizza Industry’s Business Monthly

PMQ PIZZA

Contents

MAGAZINE | May 2015 | Volum e 19, Issue

MAY 2015

| WWW.PMQ .COM

ON THE COVER

Can'tMiss Tips for Dire Mail Successct

PAGE 56

Creating Signature Sandwiches That Sell

Picture of Health

PAGE 44

Why Pizza Good ’s For (No Matter You What

The Pizza

Alarmed by half-baked headlines about pizza and nutrition? Despite a rash of dire warnings from health advocates and news media scaremongers, most nutrition experts say pizza is not only delicious—it can also be a healthy food choice. By Andy Knef Industry’s

Busine

ss Month

ly | PMQ.c

the Media Say s)

PAGE 34

FEATURES

34 DANNY KLIMETZ

The Sandwich Club With artisan breads and unique condiments gaining popularity, you can easily spice up your plain-Jane sandwich menu—and charge more for them. By Tracy Morin

Direct Mail: Alive & Kicking Old-school direct mail is starting to feel fresh and new again. Use these six can’t-miss tips to develop a winning direct mail campaign. By Liz Barrett

The Pizza Samurai Brad Corbin, owner of Sloopy’s Sports Cafe, took a far-out idea from the Far East and made it a bona fide menu sensation with his Asian-inspired Hibachi Pizza. By Andy Knef

Growing Pains: Starting a Franchise Franchising may seem like the ultimate prize, but you should ask yourself five key questions before adopting this tricky and challenging model. By Sean Brauser

Making the Team Newcomers made a big impression at the U.S. Pizza Team’s Winter Acrobatic Trials in Columbus, Ohio. By Rick Hynum

78 DANIEL PEREA

PMQ Pizza Magazine The Pizza Industry’s Business Monthly

The Best of NAPICS 2015 The PMQ staff uncovers new moneymaking products at the 2015 North America Pizza & Ice Cream Show (NAPICS).

DEPARTMENTS

In Lehmann’s Terms: How Salt, Sugar and Oil Affect Your Dough From altering flavor to crust color, these seemingly basic ingredients have a complicated effect on your finished dough.

New York’s Finest: Solving the Soggy Pizza Problem As Chef Bruno explains, your delivered pizza won’t be judged on how it looks going into the box, but on how it looks sliding out.

Accounting for Your Money: Automatic Gratuities Can Lead to Tax Woes Pizzeria operators need to understand tax law requirements for factoring automatic tips into the total sale amount.

Sherlyn’s Picks PMQ’s circulation manager Sherlyn Curry keeps her eye on the pizza industry’s true innovators and trendsetters: our subscribers.

The Art of Marketing PMQ’s Liz Barrett gives you five good reasons to raise your prices and offers tips on crafting press releases that will get noticed.

On the Road With PMQ From coast to coast and continent to continent, the PMQ staff roams the world to uncover the latest pizza trends.

Liquid Assets In this new beverage-focused column, senior copy editor Tracy Morin explores how pizza operators can make the most of their beverage programs.

Recipe of the Month: Broccoli Bacon Alfredo Test chef Brian Hernandez dreamed up this amazingly tasty pasta dish featuring whole-wheat pasta, broccoli florets, peas and bacon.

106 Pizza Hall of Fame: The Enchanted Inn/Drag’s Restaurant Click here for featured video: Watch the dough-slinging highlights of the U.S. Pizza Team’s Winter Trials.

At a time when locals literally thought pizza was a type of beer, the Draganowskis risked it all in northern Wisconsin and eventually built their own mini-empire. IN EVERY ISSUE

Click here for featured video: Test chef Brian Hernandez journeys to St. Petersburg, Florida, to discuss pizza and nutrition with Pizza Diet inventor Matt McClellan.

6 Online at PMQ.com

Product Spotlight

12 From the Editor

Advertiser Index

14 From the Inbox

Pizza Industry Resource Guide

24 Moneymakers

PMQ Pizza Magazine The Pizza Industry’s Business Monthly

WINGOLD

Preserving Tradition

Delivering quality one bag at a time. Exceptional quality has always been our main ingredient. It’s why, for over a century, Bay State Milling has been the choice for those looking to bring only the finest flours, mixes and custom solutions to consumers. • Enduring brands • Consistently superior products • Comprehensive portfolio of baking ingredients • Dedicated customer service • In-depth technical knowledge and support

For more information on our products, call 1-800-553-5687 or visit www.baystatemilling.com

FROM THE EDITOR Winner of 5 ASBPE Awards Winner of 4 GAMMA Awards ISSN 1937-5263

A P U B L I C AT I O N O F P M Q , I N C .

Pizza Isn’t Just Delicious— It’s Also Good For You

ournalism once was largely a sober-minded affair—news departments at the networks actually lost money, but no one cared because they were performing a public service. Reporters and editors toiled over the wording of articles that might be seen as controversial or inflammatory and triple-checked sources for accuracy. Deadlines loomed, but they found the time to get the facts right. With today’s 24-hour news cycle and media saturation, journalism has become entertainment, a moneymaking enterprise. We’re bombarded with provocative headlines emphasizing conflict and controversy. Loaded language abounds. The goal is to grab your attention quickly—by scaring you or making you angry—so you’ll read even the lamest “news” items. Lately the pizza industry has fallen victim to this trend, as news outlets report on studies about pizza and nutrition. Pizza is bad for us, the headlines scream. It’s making our kids fat! It’s wrecking our waistlines! Of course, pizza isn’t the problem. Overeating is the problem, and that goes for Twinkies and tacos, too. Too much of anything is a bad thing. In this month’s cover story, “Picture of Health” (page 34), Andy Knef talks to nutritionists and fitness experts to uncover the truth behind these half-baked headlines: Not only can pizza be a delicious part of a balanced diet, its key ingredients can actually help improve our health! PMQ can’t stop the negative media coverage, but we can empower our readers with accurate information to combat erroneous claims when talking to customers. You can even download PMQ’s “Why Pizza Is Good for You” graphic at PMQ.com/download. Hang it as a poster in your shop, share it on social media and spread the truth about pizza. As a pizzeria operator, you can be proud of the food you serve—not just because it’s delicious, but because it’s a healthy dietary choice. As one dietitian told Andy, “Eating is not just about nutrition—it’s about an experience. Traditional foods like pizza give us joy.”

Rick Hynum Editor-in-chief PMQ Pizza Magazine

VOLUME 19, ISSUE 4 MAY 2015 PUBLISHER Steve Green, sg@pmq.com ext. 123 CO-PUBLISHER Linda Green, linda@pmq.com ext. 121 EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Rick Hynum, rick@pmq.com ext. 130 ASSOCIATE EDITOR Andy Knef, andy@pmq.com ext. 136 EDITOR AT LARGE Liz Barrett, liz@pmq.com SENIOR COPY EDITOR Tracy Morin, tracy@pmq.com INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT Missy Green, missy@pmq.com ART DIRECTOR Kara Hoffman, kara@pmq.com ext. 135 GRAPHIC DESIGNER Eric Summers, eric@pmq.com ext. 134 MEDIA PRODUCER Daniel Lee Perea, dperea@pmq.com ext. 139 SOCIAL MEDIA DIRECTOR Melanie Addington, melanie@pmq.com ext. 133 CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER Shawn Brown, shawn@pmq.com CIRCULATION MANAGER Sherlyn Clark, sherlyn@pmq.com ext. 120 TEST CHEF/EVENT COORDINATOR Brian Hernandez, brian@pmq.com ext. 129

ADVERTISING SALES DIRECTOR Linda Green, linda@pmq.com ext. 121 SENIOR ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE Clifton Moody, clifton@pmq.com ext. 138 ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE Tom Boyles, tom@pmq.com ext. 122 ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE Anna Zemek, anna@pmq.com ext. 140 SALES ASSISTANT Brandy Pinion, brandy@pmq.com ext. 127

PMQ INTERNATIONAL PMQ CHINA Yvonne Liu, yvonne@pmq.com PMQ AUSTRALIA-NZ Tom Boyles, tom@pmqaustralia.com PMQ RUSSIA Vladimir Davydov, vladimir@pmq.com EDITORIAL ADVISORS Chef Santo Bruno, Tom Feltenstein, Tom Lehmann, Joey Todaro, Ed Zimmerman CONTRIBUTORS Sean Brauser, Chef Santo Bruno, Tom Lehmann, Michael J. Rasmussen

PMQ PIZZA MAGAZINE | May 2015 | Volume 19, Issue 4

PMQ PIZZA MAGAZINE MAY 2015 | WWW.PMQ.COM

Can'tMiss Tips for Direct Mail Success

PAGE 56

Creating Signature Sandwiches That Sell PAGE 44

The Pizza Industry’s Business Monthly | PMQ.com

Why Pizza’s Good For You (No Matter What the Media Says) PAGE 34

ON THE COVER: Despite recent anti-pizza headlines in the news media, fitness trainer and Zumba instructor Caysie Lagrone of Oxford, Mississippi, knows pizza can be a healthy food choice. In this month’s cover story (page 34), we delve deeper into the topic and explore why pizza isn’t just delicious—it’s also good for you. Photo by Danny Klimetz.

PMQ Pizza Magazine The Pizza Industry’s Business Monthly

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.

FROM THE INBOX

Owners J.R. and Teresa Geraci were on hand to make PMQ staffers feel welcome during their recent visit to Beavercreek Pizza Dive.

FACEBOOK CAMPAIGN SCORES VISIT FROM PMQ Want to earn a visit from the PMQ team when we’re in your area? Beavercreek Pizza Dive in Beavercreek, Ohio, orchestrated a social media campaign in February to get our attention, and it worked! Dedicated customers bombarded PMQ’s Facebook page with 20-plus invitations to their favorite pizzeria. Since we were already traveling around the state after the North America Pizza & Ice Cream Show, how could we resist? PMQ’s Melanie Addington, Daniel Lee Perea and Brian Hernandez dropped by for a veritable pizza feast. Here are some sample posts from Beavercreek aficionados: When in Ohio, why fool around with subpar pie? Check out Beavercreek Pizza Dive! William D. Helton

HALL OF FAME LEGENDS Thanks, PMQ Pizza Magazine! Home Run Inn Pizza was honored to be inducted into the Pizza Hall of Fame! Home Run Inn Chicago, IL via Facebook Thanks for the note and for serving great pizza to Chicagoans for nearly 60 years. We noticed that your post announcing your induction into the Pizza Hall of Fame garnered more than 7,000 likes, 294 comments and 682 shares on Facebook. We’re impressed!

The best stop you could make would be to try Beavercreek Pizza Dive this weekend. Best pizza ever. Betty Howard Beavercreek Pizza Dive is worth the trip! You are so close to so much cheesy goodness! Lori Lucas You need to try Beavercreek Pizza Dive! I am a so-called “pizza snob,” and this place knocks my socks off! My favorite is their BLT pizza, and my husband likes the Bomber! Jana Joe Do not miss an opportunity to experience the best pizza around. Stop at Beavercreek Pizza Dive and tantalize your taste buds! Robin Anderson FIND US ON SOCIAL MEDIA: 14

PMQ Pizza Magazine The Pizza Industry’s Business Monthly

Mention this ad and receive FREE onsite installation!

E W F F U ST

Pizza rth, Australia, Stones Located in North Pe the premium u) doesn’t skimp on .a m co a. izz sp ne to (s ones recently zza of the Week. St ingredients for its Pi base made o, featuring a paté rolled out the Ibéric o pork orn-fed jamón ibéric with free-range, ac with forest tisan pie was topped ar e Th n. ai Sp m fro rella and d capsicum, mozza mushrooms, roaste ón ibérico ham. 10-month aged jam

FREE

POS SYSTEM

Harbortouchâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s free* point-of-sale system is the perfect way to make running your business easier and more profitable!

Features & Benefits: s Blazingly fast sales and inventory tracking s Employee management s Manage orders more accurately and efficiently

Guarantee: s Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll program your menu and inventory s Free training for you and your staff s 24/7 Support / Repair / Replacement

Mention this ad and receive FREE onsite installation!

CALL NOW! 866-286-8744 iharbortouch.com

*Monthly service fee and merchant agreement are required. Harbortouch is a registered ISO/MSP of First National Bank of Omaha, 1620 Dodge St., Omaha, NE - Member FDIC HT_Final.indd 1

12/16/13 10:55 PM

IN LEHMANN’S TERMS

How Salt, Sugar and Oil Affect Your Dough Beyond adding flavor to your finished crust, these ingredients affect dough’s handling properties, crust color and other key properties. By Tom Lehmann Tom Lehmann recently retired as the longtime director of bakery assistance for the American Institute of Baking (AIB). He is now an industry consultant dedicated to helping pizzeria operators make more money. Need more dough advice? Visit the Dough Information Center at PMQ.com/ dough.

Q A

Can you explain the roles that salt, sugar and oil play in the overall final dough product?

Good question! Many people don’t realize that salt, sugar and oil do more than add flavor to pizza dough. Let’s consider these ingredients one at a time to determine how each affects your finished crust. Salt improves dough’s handling properties by giving it a drier feel with reduced stickiness and better extensibility properties. Salt also controls the rate of fermentation so as to reduce the incidence of “blown” or over-fermented dough. And without salt, or with too little salt, the finished dough will lack overall flavor, characterized by a somewhat starchy taste. Too much salt, on the other hand, slows the rate of fermentation and creates a tightness that makes it harder to open the dough into a pizza skin. Sugar comes in many different types. Some lend sweetness to the dough, while others mostly provide some crust color. Still others provide both sweetness and a unique flavor. Sucrose, in the form of granulated or table sugar, also

PMQ Pizza Magazine The Pizza Industry’s Business Monthly

provides nutrients for the yeast—this is especially important if you manage your dough over several days or more. Dextrose adds slightly less sweetness than sucrose but otherwise functions similarly. Lactose sugar (known as milk sugar), found in high quantities in dried dairy whey, has a low sweetness value but gives a darker finished crust color. (Like sucrose, honey and malt syrups also provide nutrients for yeast, increase crust color development, and provide a sweeter or unique taste.) Finally, fats and oils provide tenderness, mouth feel and flavor to the finished crust. They also help enhance the volume of the dough and inhibit moisture penetration from the toppings during baking, thus helping to prevent gum line formation. Additionally, animal fats, such as lard, tallow and butter, lend unique flavor to the crust, as do vegetable fats, such as margarine or shortening. Vegetable oils (corn, canola, soybean and peanut) taste bland and impart little, if any, flavor to the finished crust. Olive oil, on the other hand, lends a pronounced and distinctive flavor to the finished crust.

Eveer Ev e y pizz pizz pi zza yo you u ma make k has as a seccre rett in ingr gred gr edie ed ieent ient n —y —you you ourr pa pass ssio ss ion io n fo f r ma maki king ki n it be ng bett tter tt ter er.. Itt’s ’ why y you ou ins nsis istt o is on n the bes estt in ingr gred gr e ie ed ient nts. nt s s. And An d wh w y we we wo orrk tiire relleess sslyy to en ensu sure su re our tom omat ato at o pr p od duc u ts del e iv iver er con onsi sist si sten st entl en tlyy fr tl frees esh ta tast ste. st e Wit e. ith h no add ddittiv ives es or pr pres eser es errva attiive v s, ou o u urr ge gent ent ntl tle le pro occeess pro rote tect te ctss th ct he to t ma m to to’s ’ss tru ruee go good odne od ness ne ss.. Ta ss Tast s e ffo st or yo your urrseelf u l . Vi Visi sitt es si esca ca alo lon. n.ne n. net ne et fo forr a fr free ee sam a p plle. e.

F es Fr eshh-Pa hP ck Pa cked eed d Callifor iiffor o ni niaa To T m maato oes

NEW YORK’S FINEST

A greasy, droopy pie leaves delivery customers disappointed and even angry, but Chef Bruno says there are viable solutions on the market. By Chef Santo Bruno

Chef Bruno spends time with Erica Havers, vice president/ controller of Blodgett Oven Company.

ecently, my son James came to visit us, and we ordered two multi-topping pies from a local pizzeria for delivery. When the pies arrived and we each took a slice, the look of disappointment on James’ face said it all. His slice began to droop right before my eyes, the cheese and toppings sliding off the end. With my slice, it quickly became a race to eat it before all the toppings fell off and landed in my plate or, worse, on my shirt. The crust was soggy and wet. A pool of grease had formed on a grooved piece of paper that lined the pizza box under the pie. Since I had picked the pizza shop we ordered from, I was embarrassed—after all, pizza is my passion and my business. I called the pizzeria, and Sal, the owner, assured me he takes pride in his pizza, spends more on his ingredients and uses a liner under the pie to ensure quality. As an alternative, I ordered two more pies from

Chef Bruno is PMQ’s culinary advisor, with more than 50 years of international pizza experience. He is the corporate chef for Marsal & Sons and the culinary coach of the U.S. Pizza Team.

PMQ Pizza Magazine The Pizza Industry’s Business Monthly

Sal and sent James down with several black, raised mesh screens. I had Sal put a screen in each delivery box, place the pie on top, cut it, close the box and give the pies to James. I also suggested that Sal do his customers—and his business—a favor by trying a little experiment: Make two of those same multi-topping pies and box them up, one with the screen and one without it, then take both home and check their condition when he arrived. I wanted him to see firsthand what kind of delivered product his customers were receiving! There are many products that claim to solve the wet, soggy and greasy pizza problem. Pizzerias such as Portland, Maine-based Otto Pizza (ottoportland.com) and Jimmy’s Pizza Too (jimmyspizzatoo.com) in Lowell, Massachusetts, use a unique mesh screen from Pizza Savor that works well on a wide range of multi-topping pies. There are other solutions on the market, so do your own research. Your takeout/delivery pie will not be judged on how it looks going into the box, but on how it looks sliding out!

SLNY PRODUCTIONS

Solving the Soggy Pizza Problem

It pays to tend to your ﬂock. Over the past 5 years, employee out-of-pocket expenses have risen nearly 40%.1

Aflac can help protect your employees with cash to cover their bills in the event of a covered sickness or injury. And now employees’ claims can get paid in a day with Aflac’s One Day PaySM when they submit online.2 Small businesses like how easy it is to add voluntary coverage to their benefits at no direct cost. Especially when it is from Aflac, the number one provider of worksite/voluntary insurance sales for 13 consecutive years.3 Aflac may even be a pre-tax deduction, so when we say it pays to tend to your flock, it just might.

Call your local agent and visit aﬂac.com/smallbiz

2014 Employer Health Benefits Survey, The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation, September 10, 2014. 2One Day PaySM is available for most properly documented, individual claims submitted online through Aflac SmartClaim® by 3 PM ET. Aflac SmartClaim® not available on the following: Short Term Disability (excluding Accident and Sickness Riders), Life, Vision, Dental, Medicare Supplement, Long Term Care/Home Health Care, Aflac Plus Rider and Group policies. Individual Company Statistic, 2015. 3Eastbridge Consulting Group, U.S. Worksite/Voluntary Sales Report. Carrier Results for 2002-2014. Avon, CT. Coverage is underwritten by American Family Life Assurance Company of Columbus. In New York, coverage is underwritten by American Family Life Assurance Company of New York.

Z150001R

Worldwide Headquarters | 1932 Wynnton Road | Columbus, GA 31999

3/15

ACCOUNTING FOR MONEY

Automatic Gratuities Can Lead to Tax Woes Tax authorities may be suspicious of any failure to record automatic tips as part of the total sale in your POS records. By Mike Rasmussen

Q A

Do you have any advice about dealing with automatic gratuities and applicable taxes?

I recently worked with a restaurant that underwent a tax audit covering the previous three years. The operator uses a point-of-sale (POS) system to account for his daily operations and for monthly sales tax calculations. One item covered in the system’s daily sales report is “auto gratuities.” According to the restaurant’s policy, parties of eight or more guests are charged an automatic gratuity (a certain percentage of the total check). Servers are required to point out the automatic gratuity to customers before taking the order to ensure that the customers agree to this charge before moving ahead with the order. The server then receives the entire tip as cash and must enter it into the POS record as an “auto gratuity.”

PMQ Pizza Magazine The Pizza Industry’s Business Monthly

Here’s the problem: According to the tax laws of the state in which this restaurant is located, automatic gratuities must be listed as part of the total sales amount for that order and are considered taxable. If the server fails to enter the automatic gratuity as part of the total sale, the transaction can later be flagged as questionable in an audit. It may have been an honest mistake, but that doesn’t really matter to the taxing authorities. It’s the little things that can add up in your tax records and lead to problems in an audit. When an auditor reviews your sales records, he will use your POS system as a road map. If he finds discrepancies, you may be considered noncompliant. Thus, it is crucial that you fully review your POS Daily Taxable Sales formula to determine that all items are in compliance with your state’s reporting requirements. This will prevent costly surprises in an audit.

Michael J. Rasmussen is the owner of Rasmussen Tax Group (rasmussentaxgroup. com) in Conway, Arkansas. He is also the co-owner of Eyenalyze (eyenalyze. com), a company that provides real-time profit analysis for restaurant owners.

Great pizza demands

great cheese.

Successful operators know that great cheese is mandatory when crafting great pizza. Vantaggio delivers the best quality and value in premium mozzarella cheese. Vantaggio cheeses are made from the freshest milk using time-honored traditions of the old world to give it superior flavor, melt, stretch, and consistency, making it the fastest-growing brand in its class. Vantaggio is delivered exclusively by Bellissimo Foods Distributors. Contact your local Bellissimo representative today to taste the multiple varieties of Vantaggio Cheese. Please visit BellissimoFoods.com to locate a distributor in your area, or call 800-813-2974 and weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll be happy to assist you.

SHERLYN’S PICKS Sherlyn Curry, PMQ’s circulation manager, is often the first to spot new trends and concepts among our subscribers. Here, Sherlyn shines the spotlight on the true leaders and innovators of the industry.

Cogan’s Pizza coganspizza.com

Eating at the ultra-hip Cogan’s, with two stores in Norfolk, Virginia, will give you “spaceman strength and endurance,” according to the company’s pulp fiction-inspired marketing materials. Cogan’s motto—“Pizza. Beer. Gorillas.”—grabs attention on a wide range of logoed merchandise, including T-shirts, caps and hoodies, while sidewalk signage draws the eye with original—and decidedly offbeat—artwork, and a greenskinned beauty with antennae sprouting from her head lures guests to the full-service bar.

FatPie Pizza fatpiepizza.com

Located in Bellingham, Washington, FatPie built its reputation on Chicago-style pies made with a flaky cornmeal crust, but owner James Swift later added Detroit and New York styles to the mix. Swift’s company, the Raptor Group, also operates donut and ice cream shops in Bellingham, and Swift is known for trying to replicate foods he remembers from his travels or his childhood. Along with its elegant indoor setting, FatPie delivers dual-level rooftop seating in warm months.

Pi Pizzeria pi-pizza.com

After noshing on fare from St. Louis’ Pi Pizzeria during a campaign event in October 2008, President Obama reportedly called the shop and said their pizza was the best he’d ever had. The White House later invited Pi’s team to Washington, D.C., to cook for the first family. Along with deep-dish pizzas, executive chef Cary McDowell is renowned for snacks like his Billy Goat Chips, pint of mussels and spicy pickles made with Huy Fong chili paste.

Fire Slice Pizzeria fireslice.com

Unique signature pies dominate the menu at this Amarillo, Texas, pizzeria that opened in 2009. The Green Chile Cheeseburger features marinara sauce, New Mexico green chiles, hamburger, red onions, and cheddar and mozzarella cheeses, while the Tommy Boy comes loaded with grilled chicken, roasted crimini mushrooms, artichokes, feta and mozzarella. Fire Slice also offers live music showcasing local artists, online ordering, catering, a loyalty club and beer socials spotlighting area breweries.

Want to be featured in this section? To be considered, subscribe or renew your subscription at pmq.com/subscribe and email Sherlyn at sherlyn@pmq.com. 22

PMQ Pizza Magazine The Pizza Industry’s Business Monthly

MONEYMAKERS

Delivering Pizza to the Pope

Enzo Cacialli, co-owner of Pizzeria Don Ernesto in Naples, Italy, seized the opportunity to get papal approval of his pies recently when Pope Francis rode in a procession through the city. As the cavalcade passed, Cacialli climbed over a security barrier and darted to the Popemobile, bearing a pizza he’d made especially for the Holy See. Obligingly, Francis reached out and took the pizza with both hands as the car moved slowly by, and onlookers shouted with delight. The pizza mirrored the Vatican’s official colors with yellow cherry tomatoes and buffalo mozzarella and featured lettering in pizza crust that spelled out “Viva il Papa” (“Long Live the Pope”). “It’s really hard for me to understand what I managed to do,” Cacialli later told CNN. “Giving a pizza you made with your own hands to the Pope is very emotional.” After learning that Pope Francis longs to go out for pizza without getting mobbed, Enzo Cacialli and his staff at Pizzeria Don Ernesto in Naples decided to hand-deliver a pie to the church leader.

The Price Is Right

Founded in 1905 and celebrating its 110th anniversary, Lombardi’s Pizzeria in New York turned the clock back to turn-of-the-century prices for one day.

Quick Tip 1: Plugging High-Profit Items When a customer asks, “What’s good here?” your server should never reply, “Everything.” He should be ready to answer the question vividly while pointing the guest to a high-profit menu item. “Have you tried our oven-roasted chicken wings dipped in sweet and spicy barbecue sauce? It’s my favorite!” 24

PMQ Pizza Magazine The Pizza Industry’s Business Monthly

A dollar slice isn’t hard to find in New York City, but pizza for a nickel? That was the offer from Lombardi’s Pizzeria (firstpizza.com), which celebrated its 110th anniversary in March by selling small Margherita pies for five cents, the original price when the Little Italy shop opened back in 1905. Not surprisingly, the lunchtime line stretched around the block and a “pizza bouncer” had to be brought in to keep things orderly.

What a Can (of Spinach) Can Do

If you thought March 26 was just another ordinary Thursday, Toledo, Ohio-based Marco’s Pizza (marcos.com) was one step ahead of you. The company turned National Spinach Day into a major event, offering its customers a free medium Grilled Chicken Florentine pizza in exchange for a can of spinach. Using the theme “See How Much a Can Can Do,” the chain, which has 600-plus stores in 35 states and the Bahamas, collected thousands of cans of spinach to help local food banks across the country while promoting its special limited-time Grilled Chicken Florentine pie, made with baby spinach, tomato slices, grilled chicken, a blend of four cheeses and a creamy garlic Parmesan sauce.

An employee at a Marco’s Pizza store in Cincinnati shows off a batch of spinach cans donated by customers for the chain’s National Spinach Day promo.

Quick Tip 2: The Power of Radio Partner with a local radio station to host a live remote broadcast from your pizzeria. Make sure to choose a station that targets your preferred demographic and educate the DJ/host about your menu and specialty offerings in advance.

The Hottest Ticket in Town

The Farmington, New Hampshire police department recently teamed up with Crowley’s Variety & Grill (crowleysvarietyandgrill.com) to offer gift cards for free pizza slices and French fries to citizens who got caught obeying—not breaking—the law. Farmington police chief John Drury wanted to thank citizens for maintaining order through a long, hard winter, so he collaborated with Crowley’s on a promotion that created goodwill between officers and residents while also showing off Crowley’s fare. Drury originally offered to pay for the gift cards out of his own pocket, but Crowley’s insisted on donating them. Police officers in Farmington, New Hampshire, partnered with Crowley’s Variety & Grill to ticket citizens for good behavior—and reward them with free pizza and fries.

May 2015 pmq.com

THE ART OF MARKETING

Reasons

Costs Keep Rising. The cost of everything around you is rising. If you don’t raise your prices, you’ll find it harder and harder to cover everyday expenses, including wages.

5 26

Customers Expect It. Everyone’s raising prices, not just you. Explain that these changes are necessary to provide the quality of food and service customers have come to expect. Who can argue with that?

PMQ Pizza Magazine The Pizza Industry’s Business Monthly

To Raise Your Prices

You’re Worth It. If your pizza is truly the best, your prices should reflect it. You won’t lose as many customers as you think, and the few you do lose will be replaced by those willing to pay more for quality.

Growth Isn’t Free. If you want to grow your pizzeria, add new offerings and expand operations, you’ll need more capital. A price increase can help fund these dreams.

You’re Currently Undercharging. You’re probably undercharging for some—if not most—menu items. Average food cost is around 31%. Use an online Cost of Goods Sold calculator to figure out your average.

Want m ore sa market ing tips les and ?C Liz Bar rett’s w heck out eekly b The lo (thepiz Pizza Insider g, zainsid er.pmq .com)!

Looking for more marketing ideas and insights? PMQ has you covered! By Liz Barrett

Tips&Tricks 7 Ways to Get Your Press Release Noticed! 1.

ize S! a great pr g in r TRY THIle e f f o raffle ollect p st. C Run a sim contact li il a m e r try. u o sses for en to build y e r d d a il a em names and

Press releases must announce a timely event—a grand opening, new menu, anniversary bash—or the media won’t think it’s newsworthy.

2. Create a list of publications and editors to target with your release. Choose appropriate editors (food editors, lifestyle editors, etc.) for your news. 3. To get started, look for online templates that let you plug your info into them. Browsing what others have written will also help you perfect your style. 4. Editors receive a lot of mail and must skim over it, so put the most important information at the top. Focus on the “who, what, when, where and why” right away. 5. Include your contact information (email and phone). If an editor is interested in your story, he should be able to contact you immediately. 6. A press release with a relevant high-resolution photo is more likely to catch an editor’s attention, boosting your chances of getting featured in the publication. 7.

Editors are busy people; if you haven’t heard back from someone in a week or two, it’s perfectly acceptable to send one quick follow-up email.

Building a Social Network Community Social networking reflects a basic human longing for a sense of community. Help create that experience for your social media followers by engaging with them, quickly answering their questions, asking for their feedback and thanking them for their comments. Let your personality and sense of humor show in every post. If you’re just pushing out “sell” messages about your daily specials, your fans will soon get bored and tune you out.

May 2015 pmq.com

ON THE ROAD WITH PMQ

WHERE WE’VE

BEEN

From coast to coast and continent to continent, the PMQ staff roams the world to uncover the latest pizza trends. For more indepth accounts of our travels, visit pmq.com/ontheroad.

NEW YORK STATE OF MIND Melanie Addington and Daniel Lee Perea took a whirlwind pizza tour of New York, sampling the fare at such legendary spots as Lombardi’s Pizza (firstpizza.com), Totonno’s Pizzeria Napolitana (totonnosconeyisland.com) and Di Fara (difara.com). “Lombardi’s sauce is something I dream about now,” Melanie says. ON THE GO IN OHIO The PMQ crew braved a rough week of winter weather in Ohio, but the great pizza made it all worthwhile. After holding the U.S. Pizza Team’s Winter Acrobatic Trials at the North America Pizza & Ice Cream Show (NAPICS) in mid-February, our video crew—Daniel Lee Perea, Melanie Addington and Brian Hernandez—made side trips to Master Pizza (masterpizza.com) in Cleveland, Romeo’s Pizza (romeospizza.com) in Medina, and Beavercreek Pizza Dive in Beavercreek (beavercreekpizza.com). CALIFORNIA DREAMIN’ PMQ publisher Steve Green led a team west for the Winter Fancy Foods Show in San Francisco, and Missy Green Assink checked out several Bay Area pizza shops, including Bluebird Pizza in San Leandro, owned by PMQ Think Tank member Fran Leidy, and visited U.S. Pizza Team member Leah Scurto at Pizza My Heart (pizzamyheart.com) in Los Gatos. MERCURYNEWS.COM

BA FIVE50 PIZ ZA

LET IT ROLL On a trip to Las Vegas, Tracy Morin rolled high numbers at 800 Degrees (800degreespizza.com) and Five50 Pizza Bar (aria.com/dining/restaurants/ five50-pizza-bar). “In America’s gambling mecca, local ingredients, fast service and customizable fare prove a winning combination for pizza restaurants,” Tracy says.

FROM PARIS TO GOTHENBURG After showing off her dough spinning moves and judging the Pizza Grand Prix in Gothenburg, Sweden, Missy Green Assink was interviewed by a local radio station, Mix Megapol, then dropped in on the PizzaMaster oven factory to see how Sweden’s top-selling ovens are put together. From there, it was on to Paris for Parizza, France’s national pizza trade show, and the Tour de France pizza competition. 28

PMQ Pizza Magazine The Pizza Industry’s Business Monthly

WHERE WE’RE

GOING Robert Irvine

Anne Burrell

Maneet Chauhan

Rick Bayless

Elizabeth Faulkner

OFF TO THE NRA SHOW Chicago is our kind of town, and we dig the pizza, too. So you can bet we won’t miss the National Restaurant Association Show, to be held May 16 to 19. Most of the PMQ staff will hit the Windy City for this one-of-a-kind event, the food industry’s biggest, most exciting trade show. Over a span of four days, dozens of education sessions will cover topics ranging from “Marijuana On the Menu” and “Spices From A to Z” to social media marketing, franchising, handling minimum wage hikes, and mobile apps. Meanwhile, the NRA Show is your chance to rub elbows with the culinary elite. This year’s list of featured celebrity chefs includes Rick Bayless, winner of Top Chef Masters; Food Network star Anne Burrell; Chopped judge Maneet Chauhan; and Robert Irvine, host of Restaurant: Impossible and Restaurant Express. And you won’t want to miss the specialty areas, such as the Tech Pavilion, featuring all the latest advances in mobile apps, mobile payment, POS systems and digital signage, or the Startup Alley, showcasing a slew of tech-savvy startups poised to make a big impact in the restaurant industry.

THE OLYMPICS OF PIZZA Following the NRA Show, many PMQ staffers will repack their suitcases and jet across the Atlantic to Parma, Italy, for this year’s World Pizza Championship. Once again we’ll bring a contingent of America’s best pizza makers to compete in this global contest. The culinary category will feature pizza chefs from more than 20 countries, while the acrobatics competition will attract some of the world’s finest “pizzathletes.” The U.S. Pizza Team always does its country proud at this event, which is hailed by many as the “Olympics of Pizza.” Team member Jamie Culliton claimed second place in last year’s individual dough spinning contest, and the USPT squad won the Team Acrobatics competition in 2011. May 2015 pmq.com

LIQUID ASSETS

The Hottest Beverage Trends of 2015 I n this new beverage-focused column, we’ll explore how pizzeria operators can make the most of their beverage programs. This month, we take a look at some of the beverage trends predicted for 2015, as seen by top industry tastemakers. Note the themes throughout to make sure your beverages are hitting the mark—fresh, local, healthy and specialty products remain hot concepts in every beverage category.

2015 TRENDS:

Alcoholic Beverages

1. Micro-distilled/artisan spirits 2. Locally produced beer/wine/spirits 3. “New make” whiskey 4. Food-beer pairings 5. House-brewed beer

Best in Brews

The Brewers Association surveyed brewers nationwide to pinpoint the top beer trends for 2015. Some predictions from the experts: Single-hop beers Limited-release beers Red and brown ales Session beers Flavor-infused beers Low-alcohol fruity beers Low-alcohol Hybrid styles

beers allow patrons to order multiple brews, increasing profits for your pizzeria.

PMQ Pizza Magazine The Pizza Industry’s Business Monthly

Pizzerias are perfect spots for beer-themed dinners. Partner with local brewmasters to whip up specialty pizzas and other dishes that pair with their brews.

2015 TRENDS: Cocktails

and Cocktail Ingredients 1. Onsite barrel-aged drinks 2. Regional signature cocktails 3. Culinary cocktails 4. Food-liquor/cocktail pairings 5. Edible cocktails

By Tracy Morin

Tops for Teetotalers

Findings from the predominantly nonalcoholic beverage manufacturers that participated in Beverage Industryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s annual New Product Development Outlook survey: dd Consumer needs reflected the following top 10 buzzwords for beverages: high-protein, natural, healthy, convenience, energy-boosting, probiotic/ prebiotic, low-calorie, organic, low-sugar and vitamin/mineral fortified. dd In 2014, the top five beverage flavors were orange, vanilla, lemon, strawberry and peach. For 2015, chocolate is listed as the No. 1 anticipated top-selling flavor, followed by coffee and vanilla. dd Dairy-based and dairy-alternative drinks will be the top category of focus for 2015, followed by sports and energy drinks, then coffee and tea. dd 70% of respondents will incorporate natural flavors into their new products.

Try offering a housemade or natural soda alternative to your traditional fountain optionsâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll appeal to discerning parents and younger customers alike.

We make our pepperoni the same way, every day, to ensure a consistent, authentic texture and flavor. For the highest quality pepperoni that makes every pizza taste better... choose LIGURIA.

Cut our sample against yours. Contact us today.

www.liguriafoods.com sales@liguriafoods.com 515-332-4121

PizzaiolosHalfPgAd4.7.indd 1

4/8/15 8:05 AM31 May 2015 pmq.com

RECIPE OF THE MONTH A Preference for Pasta The Italians may not have invented pasta, but they invented some of the world’s best pasta dishes. There are so many different types of pasta and so many flavorful sauces, the possibilities are limited only by your imagination. Here are several examples from pizzerias around the country: Burbank Pizzeria & Pasta (burbankpizzeria.com) in Burbank, California, offers a wide variety of pasta dishes, including the Penne All Arrabiata, made with anchovies, capers, black olives, red chilis and tomato sauce. At Manhattan’s upscale Trattoria Zero Otto Nove (089nyc.roberto089.com), cuttlefish plays the starring role in the Linguini al Nero di Sepp. A relative of the squid and octopus, the cuttlefish is sautéed in garlic, oil and black squid ink and served with linguine. A Los Angeles eatery renowned for its wood-fired pizzas and southern Italian cuisine, Sotto (sottorestaurant.com) offers the Casarecce, made with a long, tube-like pasta that soaks up the rich flavors of braised lamb ragu, egg and Pecorino cheese. 32

PMQ Pizza Magazine The Pizza Industry’s Business Monthly

KARA HOFFMAN

Broccoli Bacon Alfredo

Recipe provided by PMQ test chef Brian Hernandez INGREDIENTS: 8 oz. multigrain, whole-wheat or spelt spaghetti 1 lb. broccoli florets, chopped 1 c. frozen peas 4 slices bacon 1 stick butter 1 c. heavy cream 2 cloves garlic, minced 2 c. freshly grated Parmesan Pasta cooking water, as needed 2 tbsp. fresh Italian (flat-leaf ) parsley, snipped (optional) Grated Parmesan cheese (optional) Salt Coarsely ground black pepper INSTRUCTIONS: Cook spaghetti according to package directions, adding broccoli florets and frozen peas for the last 5 minutes of cooking. Drain, reserving the cooking water, and set aside. Meanwhile, cook bacon in a medium-size skillet and set aside on a paper towel-lined plate; let cool and break into bite-size pieces. For the sauce, melt butter and warm cream in a small saucepan. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Add the Parmesan and stir until melted. Bring to boiling and reduce heat. Boil gently, uncovered, until sauce has thickened. Remove from heat and stir in bacon pieces. Place spaghetti-vegetable mixture in a large bowl and pour the sauce over it. Toss gently to combine. If needed, thin the mixture to desired consistency with more of the reserved cooking water. Top with snipped parsley and additional grated Parmesan cheese. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Imagine...18% More Revenue. DONE! Start INCREASING your REVENUE by 18% or more with an Online Ordering-enabled POS system from PDQ POS. Industry statistics show that checks from online ordering are 18% higher than phone/in-store orders. The result: more products sold more frequently to more people. Plus, online ordering saves on telephone staffing costs! Contact PDQ POS to begin saving more and earning more. (After all, do you really want Marissa to order from your competitor?) 

PDQ POS: The Essential Ingredient of Your Business Recipe #1 Rated POS for Ease of Use, Speed, Reliability, Accuracy and Security



PCI 3.0 Compliant



EMV-Ready w/NFC-Capable Payment Processing



Robust On-Line Ordering



Rewards/Loyalty



Accepts Apple Pay and Google Wallet



Three-Year Hot Swap Warranty



Live, U.S.-based Support 24x7x365



Enhanced Driver Mapping & Dispatch



Enterprise Reporting



Mobile Reporting



29+ Years’ Experience

PDQpos.com 877-968-6430

Bonus Video Coverage: Test chef Brian Hernandez journeys to St. Petersburg, Florida, to discuss pizza and nutrition with Pizza Diet inventor Matt McClellan.

: BODYBY PIZZA

ons to enjoy Rer as FAVORITE FOOD you

Without Worry

ts, including anti-oxidan Key pizza ingredient with have been associated rich tomatoes, and cular health improved cardiovas

cancer prevention

3. 4.

eese and food source—ch Pizza is an ancient fueled tomatoes on bread anti-oxidant-rich the Roman legions.

Pizza Diet, , founder of the Matt McClellan a slice in 30 days eating lost 25 pounds He also 2 1/2 to 3 hours. of pizza every and his l by 86 points lowered his cholestero body fat by 10%. need to deprive “There is no the ‘calories in yourself. Follow calories out’ system. of If you eat a slice pizza, keep moving.”

6. 7.

sourcing – in pizza crust Breakthroughs -blended and ancestral whole-grain , naturally dough and sprouting frontier flects the next sweet grains—re in pizza baking. nt pizzerias around Many independe focus on putting renewed the country are ingredients, including locally sourced l meats. and all-natura organic toppings part of a to make pizza “It’s not hard balanced meal. reasonable and salad or of pizza with a A couple of slices offer a a non-sugary drink some fruit and nutritious option.”

and certified diabetic registered dietitian, — Diane Zych, in St. Louis BJC HealthCare educator with

certified — Kelly Murphy, and women’s personal trainer lifestyle coach

PMQ, Inc. is the pizza industry’s leading business media and marketing 17 company, with in years’ experience best providing the for marketing strategies independent pizzaioli.

Presented by

www.pmq.com Photo by Danny

Klimetz

FREE POSTER DOWNLOAD: Visit pmq.com/freedownload to get your FREE 11” x 17” poster: “Body by Pizza: 7 Reasons to Enjoy Your Favorite Food Without Worry,” featuring our model Caysie Lagrone!

Like anything else, too much pizza can be bad for you, but most nutritionists and fitness experts agree that pizza in moderation is a healthy food.

PMQ Pizza Magazine The Pizza Industry’s Business Monthly

Picture of Despite pizza’s bad rap in the news media, many nutrition experts agree that America’s favorite food can be a healthy dining option. By Andy Knef

N DA

merica’s favorite food seems to be perennially under attack. But despite dire warnings from health advocates and news media scaremongers who blame pizza for obesity in children, many nutrition experts say pizza is not only delicious; it can also be a healthy food choice. Nutritional studies that trashed pizzerias for heaping on the salt were widely promoted in late 2014, but the blockbuster assault came with a study published in Pediatrics, the journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics, in January 2015. In that report, researchers blamed pizza for boosting calories, saturated fat and sodium in the diets of American children and adolescents. News outlets around the country, including ABC’s Good Morning America and The New York Times, touted the study, but it was a recent report in the Tampa Bay Times that got Matt McClellan’s attention. Now McClellan, owner of two Tour De Pizza (tourdepizza.com) stores in St. Petersburg, Florida, and the inventor of the 30-Day Pizza Diet, is ready to go to war on behalf of pizzerias and the food he loves to eat every day.

May 2015 pmq.com

# DANIEL PEREA



Matt McClellan, owner of Tour De Pizza in St. Petersburg, Florida, and an advocate for the nutritional value of pizza, displays a recent newspaper headline that portrays America’s favorite food in a negative light.

“Our industry is taking a beating from thousands of doctors and so-called nutrition experts who are attacking pizza to make a profit,” McClellan says. “These biased advocates for public health don’t even eat healthily themselves, but they’re taking money out of our pockets. I want to be a voice to stop the assault on pizza.” LIVING PROOF McClellan has lent more than his voice to the counterattack against the “nutritionally correct” media and food policy gang. He has donated his body to the cause. After moving from Denver to open a pizzeria on Florida’s Gulf Coast, McClellan invented his pizza diet in 2009. He was a new pizzeria owner at the time, pitching the local gym on free pizza samples to encourage business. When the workout crowd and a reporter with the local paper challenged him to prove that pizza could be healthy, the determined entrepreneur put his pizza where his mouth is and agreed to eat nothing but pizza for 30 days. The results were startling. Eating a slice of pizza every 2½ to 3 hours, McClellan lost 25 pounds in 30 days. Perhaps more remarkably, he lowered his cholesterol 86 points and his body fat by 10% with no medications. “There is no secret to this diet,” McClellan says, with the confidence of a man who has opened multiple successful 36

PMQ Pizza Magazine The Pizza Industry’s Business Monthly

“It’s not hard to make pizza part of a reasonable and balanced meal. A couple of slices of pizza with a salad or some fruit and a nonsugary drink offer a nutritious option.” —Diane Zych, registered dietitian businesses and won Best Physique contests. “It’s good nutritional science based on portion control, raising metabolism levels with the help of a regular workout plan, and tracking daily intake of carbohydrates, protein, fiber and fat.” McClellan wanted to prove a simple point: You can lose weight and stay healthy eating only pizza. “Not just pizza, but the kind of good, old New York-style pizza I make in my pizzeria with standard ingredients that are in pizzerias around the country,” McClellan adds. He went on to refine his pizza diet and eventually started entering—and winning—bodybuilding competitions. He enlisted Jay Sherinsky, owner of Fitness RX Studios in St. Petersburg and a personal trainer and diet consultant, to help him design a fitness regimen. “No food of itself is good or bad,” Sherinsky notes. “Pizza is my favorite

BONICI ® Sheeted Dough BONICI ® Heat & Serve Bacon Pieces

Tyson® Red Label™ Grilled Strips BONICI ® Flatbread BONICI ® Pepperoni

BONICI ® Flatbread Tyson® Boneless Wings

BONICI ® Sliced & Quartered Smoked Ham

BONICI ® Sausage Crumbles

Reasons To Switch.

BONICI ® Old World Specialties® Spicy Italian Sausage

Tyson® Bacon Pieces

BONICI ® Dough BONICI ® Pepperoni

BONICI ® Pepperoni

BONICI ® Breakfast Pork Crumbles

Tyson® Ham Slices

BONICI ® Dough Tyson® Ham Slices

BONICI ® Pepperoni BONICI ® Heat & Serve Bacon Pieces Tyson® Deli Slices™ Sliced Meats

BONICI ® Dough BONICI ® Pepperoni

BONICI ® Meatballs

Visit us at BONICI.com for a product catalog, valuable insights and menu inspiration to help you do MORE with pizza.

DANIEL PEREA

Matt McClellan readies a batch of pizzas for customers at Tour De Pizza in St. Petersburg, Florida.

“I advise (clients) to follow the ‘calories in, calories out’ system. If you eat a slice of pizza, keep moving. Delicious food, like this fabulous slice I’m eating, is part of the diversity of life.” —Kelly Murphy, personal trainer food. I eat a lot of it, but my research helping thousands of clients shape their bodies and improve their health tells me that a balanced intake of macronutrients—carbs, fats, proteins and fiber—combined with regular exercise is the key to weight control and an optimally performing body.” Another member of McClellan’s pro-pizza posse, Kelly Murphy, a Tampa, Florida-based certified personal trainer and author, works with women as a lifestyle coach, helping them overcome their worst phobias. She says she counsels her clients not to obsess about enjoying their favorite indulgences, such as pizza. “Fear is the biggest obstacle in our mental and physical health,” Murphy says. She decided to team up with McClellan to help preach his “pizza power” message after reading his story in a fitness magazine. “I share Matt’s passion for doing what you love and eating what you love,” Murphy says, munching on a slice of thin-crust Margherita pie outside of McClellan’s Tour De Pizza. “Women don’t like to be deprived—of the foods they love and the experiences they value. I help them lose weight, partly by teaching them to overcome their obsessive fear about giving in to indulgences. I tell them 38

PMQ Pizza Magazine The Pizza Industry’s Business Monthly

Anyone who follows the “calories in, calories out” system can enjoy pizza without guilt, most nutrition experts agree.

there is no need to deprive yourself of fast food. I advise them to follow the ‘calories in, calories out’ system. If you eat a slice of pizza, keep moving. Delicious food, like this fabulous slice I’m eating, is part of the diversity of life. I fully support Matt’s initiatives for making the case on a national level that pizza is a healthy food option.” PIZZA PUSHBACK But researchers like Lisa Powell, a University of Chicago professor of health policy and lead author of the Pediatrics study on kids and pizza consumption, have made a different argument to the national news media. “Parents should aim to curb pizza consumption, particularly as a snack, where it was shown to have the largest adverse impact on children’s calorie intake, and they should put their pizza dollars toward healthier brands,” Powell told LiveScience.com in February. Powell’s study, which analyzed 24-hour dietary practices of more than 12,000 children over a seven-year period, found that youngsters between the ages of 2 and 11 consumed an extra 84 calories on the days they ate pizza, while adolescents consumed an extra 230 calories. The study also blamed pizza for increasing the subjects’ saturated fat and sodium intake. But here’s another takeaway from the study that received less publicity: During the period that the research—collected from questionnaires tallied every two years between 2003 and 2010—was conducted, Powell’s team found that the number of calories children consumed from pizza actually decreased by 25%. The study’s adolescent population (ages 12 to 19) decreased its caloric intake from pizza by 22%. Even the staunchest pizza advocates agree that eating too many meat-laden pies, chased down with multiple

beers or sugar-packed soda, is a recipe for weight gain. But the ancient food source—cheese and antioxidant-rich tomatoes on bread—that fueled the Roman legions has also inspired research that partially contradicts the pizza critics. Several recent studies have found evidence that pizza, when judiciously prepared, offers lifesaving benefits. A 2013 article in Public Health Nutrition stated, “Key pizza ingredients have been associated with improved cardiovascular health and cancer prevention.” In that study, a team of Scottish scientists from Glasgow University and Glasgow Caledonian University developed a range of new recipes to create “nutritionally balanced pizza” made with whole-wheat flour, less salt and a little Scottish seaweed to boost flavor and vitamin content. Another 2013 study, led by Dr. Silvano Gallus of the Mario Negri Institute for Pharmaceutical Research in Milan, touted habitual pizza consumption as a “favorable indicator” for preventing heart attacks and reducing the

For more information on our deck or dome ovens, mixers, dividers, or dough equipment please visit www.univexcorp.com or give us a call Tel. 800-258-6358 Fax. 603-893-1249

DANIEL PEREA

The interior of Tour De Pizza is a veritable shrine to health and fitness, with walls covered in functional bikes, frames filled with articles touting pizza’s inherent healthiness, and showcases of Matt’s escapades as a pizza diet spokesperson.

risk for esophageal, colon and mouth cancers. “We knew that tomato sauce could offer protection against certain tumors, but we did not expect pizza as a complete meal also to offer such protective powers,” Gallus told the BBC. BEST OF BOTH WORLDS Julie Ghazi, founder of Pure Pizza (purepizzaclt.com) in Charlotte, North Carolina, has staked her future on the proposition that the nation’s favorite comfort food can be both delicious and healthy. “Pizza isn’t ever going away, but it can be made healthier,” says Ghazi, who left her job with an architectural firm in 2012 to found a business she thought might be recession-proof. “When we started Pure Pizza, we were determined to get ahead of the wave of nutritional awareness that is shaping consumer food

The Univex Pizza System Mix, divide, round, spin, and bake. Everything you need to consistently make Your Perfect Pizza

We Raise the Bar. We Set the Standard.

May 2015 pmq.com

“Our industry is taking a beating from thousands of doctors and socalled nutrition experts who are attacking pizza to make a profit. These biased advocates for public health don’t even eat healthily themselves, but they’re taking money out of our pockets.” —Matt McClellan, Tour De Pizza choices. That wave has become a tsunami, which is crashing right now, thanks to FDA-mandated menu labeling and a national demand for food that is more organically sourced and sustainable.” Pure Pizza answers that demand with “farm-to-fork” ingredient sourcing and organically grown tomatoes, among other sustainable strategies. But the foundation of all pizza is the crust, the chief source of its calories and the heart of its crunchy popularity. Ghazi considers Pure Pizza’s whole-grain dough, developed by head chef and dough pioneer Peter Reinhart, to be the company’s signature contribution to a healthy pizza evolution. Reinhart makes the pizza crust from sprouted ancient grains, such as amaranth, buckwheat and whole wheat. “Sprouting the grains before they are dried and milled produces high-quality dough that retains the sweetness of traditional white flour dough without any need to add sugars,” Ghazi notes. “We believe this approach reflects the next frontier in baking.” Other pizza chains, particularly within the fast-casual segment, are also moving toward healthier ingredients. Naked Pizza (nakedpizza. biz), with stores in Louisiana, New Jersey, Virginia, Washington and the United Arab Emirates, promotes its use of “all-natural” meats—antibiotic- and hormone-free toppings—along with its ancestral-blended 10-grain dough. Fast-casual leader Uncle Maddio’s (unclemaddios.com) also touts its organic and hormone-free meat toppings, as does the three-location Skinny Pizza (skinnypizza. com) in New York. THE PIZZA EXPERIENCE So the question remains: Does pizza, in its standard cheesy, crusty, saucy, meat-packed form, pose a deadly threat to America’s health and waistlines? Not necessarily, says Diane Zych, the top registered dietitian with BJC Healthcare in St. Louis, a leading academic healthcare organization affiliated with Washington University School of Medicine. “Everyone— including me—loves pizza,” Zych says. “I would much rather eat a slice of pizza, from a nutritional standpoint, than a fast-food hamburger.

DANIEL PEREA

Building a Better Body With Pizza Brian Hernandez, PMQ’s test chef, is on a mission to build a better body with pizza. After years of struggling with his weight, he met with Matt McClellan, owner of Tour De Pizza in Tampa, Florida, and inventor of the 30-Day Pizza Diet, and started on an extended 120-day version of the diet—along with a tough workout regimen—in late January. He also started blogging about the experience at PMQ.com. “I wanted to help undo the negative press that pizza gets these days,” Hernandez says. “Also, being accountable to the entire nation is a great motivator.” As of press time in early April, Hernandez had lost 22 pounds and 3.25” on his navel measurement eating mostly pizza for every meal. “It’s been easier than expected,” he says. “I thought I’d get tired of pizza quicker, but if you vary the menu up, it stays fresh and new. Also, with the amount of water I have to drink, I’m more full more of the time.” Hernandez isn’t aiming for fast results—slow and steady wins the weight loss. “I’m a big guy and will always be a big guy, but I can feel comfortable in my own skin at 240 to 250 pounds. I definitely feel I’m on track to get there. I’ll put it this way: I’ll stay on track until I hit 245, then watch out, McDonald’s—I’m ordering 15 Big Macs!” (He’s kidding, of course. We think.) Follow Brian’s progress on his blog at brianspizzadiet.pmq.com.

Eating is not just about nutrition—it’s about an experience. Traditional foods like pizza give us joy. These are special foods that unite us as families. It gives us satisfaction and the good vibes of a shared meal.” Zych adds that pizza—especially the kind you purchase at an independent pizzeria offering specialty choices with a focus on vegetables and lean protein—can be a conscientious food choice for the whole family. “It’s completely possible to enjoy pizza and be calorie-conscious,” she says. “It’s not hard to make pizza part of a reasonable and balanced meal. A couple of slices of pizza with a salad or some fruit and a nonsugary drink offer a nutritious option.” It all comes down to portion control and personal responsibility, Zych believes. “If the consumer is trying to reduce calories, I recommend a thinner crust and adding vegetables,” she says. “It’s also a good idea that pizza is not the only food served.” Teaching children about nutrition, Zych continues, is the parents’ job. “Parents are in charge of what their kids eat,” she says. “Depending on age appropriateness, children can wash and chop the ingredients for your pizza. Vegetables, like spinach, broccoli and cauliflower, can add color and texture as well as flavor and nutrition to your pizza. Stronger-tasting cheeses like feta and goat’s cheese are great because you can use less and add robust flavor. For traditionalists, olives are a healthy ingredient, and so are mushrooms, onions and peppers. Lean meat like chicken can offer a good source of pizza protein.” Better nutrition and a healthier diet starts at the family table, Zych advises. “To have long-term impact on calorie consumption, we simply need to eat slower,” she says. “Savor that slice of pizza. Pay attention to what you’re eating and enjoy every bite.” Zych believes pizza can also be an ideal special-occasion meal choice. “Instead of ordering out several times a week from chains, I’d recommend patronizing mom-and-pop pizza restaurants, where you’re more likely to get unique choices with healthier toppings and crust.” The great pizza nutrition debate is sure to continue, but there’s no disputing that America’s love affair with the time-tested combination of dough, sauce and cheesy desire burns stronger than ever. Pizza, to put it plainly, is good for you. Andy Knef is PMQ’s associate editor.

PMQ Pizza Magazine The Pizza Industry’s Business Monthly

Visit us at the NRA Show Booth # 6213

Rolling in the Dough with Hoshizaki’s Pizza Prep Tables

CPT67

Featuring The Newest Addition with Patent Pending Air Flow Design

CPT46

“A Superior Degree of Reliability”

CPT46-D

800.438.6087

CPT67-D4

CPT93

www.hoshizakiamerica.com

Artisan bread and piled-high premium fillings help create standout sandwiches for hungry patrons.

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

SANDWICH

THE

Club

Stuck with sandwiches that barely sell? Spice up your plain-Jane menu with artisan breads, unique condiments and flavor-packed extras that customers can’t resist—and will pay more for. By Tracy Morin

hether you call ’em subs, grinders, heroes or hoagies, sandwiches are a no-brainer on pizzeria menus. After all, they’re quite similar to pizzas—utilizing a bread base that allows for endless variety and customization—and customers love them for their portability and affordability. According to Rosemont, Illinois-based US Foods, United States residents eat an estimated 300 million sandwiches every day—on average, about one per day for every American—and

sandwiches are menued more frequently in restaurants than any other type of entree. Don’t hesitate to make the most of this popular item by tapping time-tested recipes and giving your creativity free rein. BREAD WINNERS When crafting a quality sandwich, start at the bottom (and top). Artisan breads are on the rise as customers crave upscale varieties with a flavorful twist. You shouldn’t

May 2015 pmq.com

Diet Plans Some fad diets come and go, while a few look like they may be here to stay. Why not use them for sandwich inspiration? 1. Gluten-Free—Accommodate gluten-free guests by purchasing premade gluten-free breads for your sandwiches. Example: Cottage Inn (cottageinn.com), with 40-plus stores in Michigan and Ohio, offers the gluten-free Italian sandwich, with ham, salami, provolone, hot pepper rings, red onion, lettuce, tomato and mustard sauce. TOGO EATERIES

Offering sandwiches bundled with drinks and sides appeals to families who seek value meals.

overlook the classics (white and wheat remain perennially popular), but a few specialty breads can help make your sandwiches stand out. America’s largest sandwich slingers understand that options are crucial for today’s customers. At Togo’s Eateries, a 250-location chain based in San Jose, California, artisan breads include Parmesan Cheese, San Francisco-Style Sourdough and 100% Honey Whole Wheat. Dallas-based Which Wich, meanwhile, appeals to health-conscious customers with the option to “skinny your wich” by scooping out the insides of the bread. Schlotzky’s Deli mixes up its menu with Dark Rye and Jalapeno Cheese buns, while Subway multipurposes its flatbreads for sandwiches and flatbread-style pizzas. Whenever possible, pizzeria operators should allow customers to select their own breads, though they’ll also appreciate if you supply a “suggested bread” for each sandwich. In recent years, pretzel breads, Italian favorites such as ciabatta and focaccia, multigrain blends, and herb- or flavor-infused breads have gained in popularity, but even breakfast staples like croissants and bagels can be a great choice. Ron Eyester, chef/owner at Timone’s Pizza and Deli (timonespizzaatlanta.com) in Atlanta, notes that some of his most popular sandwiches are offered on homemade bagels, made fresh every morning. However, if bread making requires too much of a time commitment, you can also partner with a trusted local brand. Gene Mongan, owner-operator (with partner Kurt Raepple) of John’s Pizza and Subs (johnspizzaandsubs. com), with four locations in New York, offers its subma46

PMQ Pizza Magazine The Pizza Industry’s Business Monthly

2. Paleo—Paleo dieters may crave a breadless option, but “paleo breads” are gaining in popularity. Use other ingredients (slices of tomato or portobello mushrooms, lettuce wraps or meat patties) in place of a bun, or offer a bunless option for any of your sandwiches. Example: So Natural Organic Restaurant & Market (sonaturalmarket. com) in Harker Heights, Texas, offers its sandwiches on traditional, gluten-free or Paleo Bread. 3. Meat-Free—For vegetarians and vegans, move beyond the basic fixings on a bun. Add flavor and depth with meat alternatives, local veggies, vegan cheeses and inventive sauces. Example: Hillside Pizza (hillsidepizza. com), with three locations in Massachusetts, offers the Stupendous Seitan, with seitan, onions, peppers, cheddar and sundried tomato pesto. 4. Low-carb—Low-carb devotees appreciate the option of making any sandwich into a wrap for less of the white stuff without sacrificing flavor. Try flavored tortillas, pitas or lavash for an ethnic touch. Example: Wild Olive Pizzeria (wildolivepizzaspringfield.com) in Springfield, Massachusetts, offers white, wheat and low-carb wraps, including the Spicy Tuna, with white albacore tuna, bacon, banana peppers, roasted red peppers and provolone cheese.

“You won’t fail or succeed until you try something new. New ideas, combinations and flavors allow you to find something fresh, new and delicious.” —Todd Peterson, Togo’s Eateries

TOGO EATERIES

• 30 lb x 0.1 oz / 15 kg x 5 g Accuracy • Prep Pizza Ingredients Directly on the Scale • Eliminates Excess Usage of High-Cost Ingredients • Displays Ingredient Weights and Total Pizza Weight • Built-In Rechargeable Battery and AC Adapter (Included)

ALSO FROM DETECTO:

TOP LOADING DIAL SCALES

BAKER DOUGH SCALES

203 East Daugherty Street

RECEIVING SCALES

Webb City, MO 64870

(800) 641-2008

PORTION CONTROL SCALES

www.Detecto.com

RETAIL POINT-OF-SALE + BATCHING SCALES

detecto@cardet.com

â&#x20AC;&#x153;One of our most unique sandwiches is the Meatloaf Sandwich, with Tillamook cheddar, crispy onions and steak sauce from our sister restaurant, Rosebud, all served on a kaiser roll.â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x201D;Ron Eyester, Timoneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Pizza and Deli

JOHNâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S PIZZA & SUBS

Johnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Pizza & Subs attracts customers with its hearty, overstuffed sandwiches.

rine sandwiches on Italian rolls made by a local bakery, Costanzoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Bakery, which has built a reputation in the area since 1933. â&#x20AC;&#x153;This third-generation, family-owned bakery bakes the best submarine rolls in the world,â&#x20AC;? says Mongan, who offers subs on its Wheat Roll, Sesame Roll and White Roll in 12â&#x20AC;?, 8â&#x20AC;? and 6â&#x20AC;? sizes. Local bakeries might even provide cross-promotional benefits, with which you can promote each other and share client pools. AN INSIDE JOB Once you have a great bread base, the fun part begins:

Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s going inside? Ideally, you can cross-utilize a lot of your pizzeria toppings to create delicious subs while stocking a few ingredients that are unique to your sandwiches or salads. In-house ingredients, from pickled onions to specialty condiments, can help differentiate your pizzeria. The most popular sandwich component at Timoneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s is its corned beef, crafted over a two-week span. According to Eyester, the corned beef embodies Timoneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s sandwich philosophy, which he describes as â&#x20AC;&#x153;a return to tradition, with top ingredients from local purveyors and chef-driven sandwiches. One of our most unique sandwiches is the

DOUGH with attitude.

-PPLJOH GPS ĂŠFYJCMF EPVHI QSPDFTTJOH FRVJQNFOU UIBU EPFTO U SFRVJSF XSFTUMJOH BSPVOE ZPVS LJUDIFO ". .BOVGBDUVSJOH T EPVHI EJWJEFST BOE SPVOEFST SFRVJSF MJÉ&#x2020;MF PQFSBUJOH TQBDF XIJMF EFMJWFSJOH PVUTUBOEJOH QSPEVDUJPO OVNCFST 5IFTF NBDIJOFT IBOEMF EPVHI HFOUMZ ZFU BSF TUSPOH FOPVHI UP TIPX JU iXIP T CPTT w 'PS PWFS ZFBST ". .BOVGBDUVSJOH IBT CFFO IFMQJOH QVU EPVHI JO JUT QMBDF $BMM UPEBZ BOE MFU PVS iBÉ&#x2020;JUVEFw UPXBSET EFEJDBUFE DVTUPNFS TFSWJDF BOE TBUJTGBDUJPO XPSL GPS ZPV

ROUND-O-MATIC DOUGH ROUNDER

Features: â&#x20AC;˘ One person operation â&#x20AC;˘ 1 to 32 ounce range â&#x20AC;˘ Stainless-steel construction â&#x20AC;˘ NSF and UL U approved

SCALE-O-MATIC COMBINATION DIVIDER / ROUNDER

Features: â&#x20AC;˘ One person operation â&#x20AC;˘ 1 to 32 ounce range â&#x20AC;˘ 2000 pieces/hour capability â&#x20AC;˘ Stainless-steel construction â&#x20AC;˘ Standard 75 lb. hopper

STREAMLINE YOUR PROCESS WITH OTHER EQUIPMENT FROM AM: Pizza Presses, Crust Dockers, Proofers and Conveyors We also design, rebuild, consult and upgrade entire lines.

AM MANUFACTURING COMPANY

9200 CALUMET AVE SUITE NW07 MUNSTER, IN 46321 Âˇ PHONE: 219-472-7272 OR 800-342-6744 Âˇ FAX: 219-472-7271

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

TIMONE’S PIZZA AND DELI

TIMONE’S PIZZA & DELI

Chef-driven sandwiches at Timone’s Pizza and Deli boast high-quality ingredients with impressive eye appeal.

Meatloaf Sandwich, with Tillamook cheddar, crispy onions and steak sauce from our sister restaurant, Rosebud, all served on a kaiser roll. But, hands down, the most popular sandwich is the Reuben: our housemade corned beef, Swiss, sauerkraut and Russian dressing on rye.” To keep its sandwiches interesting, the pizzeria also takes inspiration from customers’ feedback and sourcing unique local ingredients and produce. Intuiting locals’ taste buds has also been a driving force behind John’s Pizza & Sub sandwiches. “We’ve been

in business since 1982 and are famous for a popular combination in the Buffalo market—blue cheese and hot sauce—that we combined in the early ’80s for the Chicken Finger Sub,” explains Mongan. The combo, he adds, has been duplicated by nearly every pizzeria in its market and by restaurants hours away; even McDonald’s locations in the area sell a chicken sandwich with hot sauce and blue cheese. “When we began selling it, people would laugh and ask, ‘What the heck is a Chicken Finger Sub?’” he recalls. “Since then, we’ve sold millions

Edge out the Competition Best Technology Best Bake

Efficiency Affordability Simplicity Ease of Installation Serviceability

featuring:

1.888.480.EDGE • www.edgeovens.com 50

PMQ Pizza Magazine The Pizza Industry’s Business Monthly

TIMONE’S PIZZA AND DELI

of these at our four locations in the northern suburbs of Buffalo.”

For a comfort-food classic, pair a “grown-up” grilled cheese sandwich with a bowl of tomato soup.

Proudly made in the

THE LITTLE DETAILS When you find a signature-sub winner, don’t be afraid to experiment by adding a new twist. On the heels of its Chicken Finger Sub success, John’s gained similar traction with an oversized spinoff called the Stinger, boasting almost ¾ lb. of chicken fingers and grilled rib eye steak on a roll with the signature flavors of Buffalo, blue cheese and hot sauce. You can also score winning subs through unique details. Togo’s elevates tried-and-true meats—think pastrami, ham, turkey and roast beef—with flavor-boosting ingredients, including signature sauces (BBQ Chipotle Mayo) and texture-boosting add-ons (chile-lime tortilla strips). “You won’t fail or succeed until you try something new,” says Todd Peterson, senior vice president of franchise development for Togo’s. “New ideas, combinations and flavors allow you to find something fresh, new and delicious.” Finally, don’t forget that cheeses can easily stimulate your sandwich selection. Amp up flavor with smoked Gouda, feta or Brie. Try an Italian-themed “grown-up” grilled cheese with Parmesan, Asiago, mascarpone or fresh mozzarella, served with your signature marinara. Balance tangy Gorgonzola with sweet ingredients (apple, grape, peppadew peppers or dried cranberry), or pair pepper jack with spicier meats for Mexican-inspired sammies. Play with flavor and texture for a sandwich experience that goes beyond the ordinary! Tracy Morin is PMQ’s senior copy editor.

PMQ Pizza Magazine The Pizza Industry’s Business Monthly

Be Inspired. Be Creative. Be Original.

Red, White, and Blue Pizza made with Nutella®

People in more than 200 countries around the world enjoy Nutella®, the original hazelnut spread®.1 Be creative by adding Nutella® to your menu and offer your customers the brand they love. Now available in a variety of foodservice sizes. Use Nutella® to create unique and delicious pizzas and other creative items your customers are sure to love. ✓ Gluten free ✓ No artificial colors or preservatives ✓ Certified Kosher ✓ Contains no peanuts ✓ Non-GMO ingredients ✓ 12-month shelf life2

To request your FREE Nutella® Starter Kit3 and to learn more about adding Nutella® to your menu, call 410-268-0030 ext. 259 or visit www.nutellafoodservice.com/start. Your FREE Nutella® Starter Kit includes:

✓ ✓ ✓ ✓

Nutella® Usage Guide Nutella® Information Guide Recipes Inspired by Nutella® Samples to inspire the imagination: - 6 Portion Control packs - 1 - 26.5 oz. Jar

Ferrero S.p.A. Piping Bag has a 6-month shelf life 3 For new foodservice customers only. While supplies last. 1

©Ferrero 2015

QUA

T I L

“Quality ingredients are essential

in today’s competitive pizza business. It’s no different with the pasta on my menu… my customers and I demand the best. That’s why I’m proud to use Barilla.”

Insist on it.

Sign Up for our Foundations quarterly e-newsletter and you could win a case of Academia Barilla 100% Extra Virgin Olive Oil!*

For more information on Barilla® products, call 1-866-349-4386. One winner selected each month. Limit one entry per person. Entries not selected each month will roll to the next month’s selection. See official rules for details at www.signupfoundations.com. © 2014 Barilla America, Inc.

Yours

OUR KITCHEN

Regional Pizza Chain Shares Success Story

Piezoni’s Chicken Parm with Penne

Piezoni’s is a Northeast regional pizza chain with 17 stores and growing across Rhode Island and Massachusetts. Known for fresh, high-quality ingredients and innovative menu items, Piezoni’s is a brand on the rise. We chatted with Janessa Burgo, a franchisee and operations manager in Pawtucket about the brand, and why pasta works at Piezoni’s.

“

Our pastas are very popular. Some days it seems like it’s all we sell!

”

Q Why do you think pasta works for Piezoni’s? We noticed that you’re about much more A For guests, especially first-time guests, pasta is than pizza, with a very broad menu. Is that an easy order. It’s comfortable, familiar and part of the key to building traffic and sales? approachable. We highlight the fresh, house-made A We’ve had a broad menu from the beginning, and attributes of our pasta dishes that are both keep adding items to each category, from pizzas true to our brand and what our guests look for. to pastas and salads to sandwiches, as we grow. It Consumers today want high-quality ingredients helps us appeal to a much wider audience than a prepared just for them. You can quickly and easily pizza-only concept. do that with pasta.

Tell me about the pasta section of the menu. A Our pastas are very popular. Some days it seems like it’s all we sell, especially the house-made chicken parm over Barilla penne.

Q A

Why did you choose Barilla? Barilla is a brand that’s about quality. We taste the difference. Even though we don’t brand Barilla on the menu, our customers recognize the quality too and come back for it.

Learn more in our next edition. This is the second in a series of six editions Barilla will share on best practices for menuing pasta in the pizza segment. For more information and foodservice-ready pasta recipes, visit barillafoodservicerecipes.com

This direct mail piece draws readers in with a tantalizing photo and keeps their interest with an invitation to come in for a free pizza, no strings attached.

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

DUKE MARKETING

DIRECT MAIL:

Alive & Kicking A few small tweaks may be all it takes to develop a direct-mail campaign that really works. Our experts offer six can’t-miss tips to get you started. By Liz Barrett

he introduction of social media has helped many pizzeria operators reduce their marketing budgets. However, while you’re spending hours hunched over a computer trying to figure out the best way to get 100 customers to “like” you, the guy down the street just mailed 10,000 direct mail pieces emblazoned with an irresistible offer to your customers. Which strategy sounds more effective to you? Some say that direct mail has gone the way of the dinosaur. With so many ways to reach customers online, they insist there’s no reason to spend money on snail mail anymore. Alyson Lex, founder and CEO of Rock Your Marketing in Baltimore, says that direct mail has been touted as dead for so long that business owners are starting to believe it. “Mailboxes are becoming emptier, but people still check them every day,” Lex says. “You don’t have to speak as loudly to be heard in a place where there isn’t as much competition.” Unlike the Internet, direct mail can be more personalized for your audience and allows your customer to physically hold your message in his hands, notes Linda

Duke, CEO of Duke Marketing in San Rafael, California. “With the right offer, a direct mailer can deliver your message without any other brands clouding their memory, allowing your brand to stand out,” Duke says. In other words, the old-school method of direct mail is starting to feel fresh and new again. “Our lives have all gone online—from social media and online bill pay to telecommuting and streaming movies. We’re all so bombarded with emails, Facebook posts and tweets that they’ve lost their impact,” says Adam J. Toris, founder and owner of Cognicom Media in Bridgewater, New Jersey. “With direct mail, the person has to see it. Even if they just drop the mailer into the trash, they’ve held it in their hand, looked at it, and, at the very least, read part of it.” CREATING A DIRECT MAIL CAMPAIGN You may be thinking, “I’ve tried direct mail in the past and it didn’t work for me.” Maybe no one brought in a mailer, signed up for your email list or redeemed your coupons. So why waste your time trying it again, right? Wrong. With direct mail, the devil is in the details. Even May 2015 pmq.com

“Historically, pizza places have used bland and basic graphic design for direct mail pieces. If you’re going to make the investment in printing and mailing it, you should also invest in having it professionally designed.” —Adam J. Toris, Cognicom Media

Send customers something they’d never expect from you, such as a Valentine’s Day card with a gift of free cheesy bread.

MARCO’S PIZZA

the smallest tweak can mean the difference between a new customer and a mailer that’s destined for the recycle bin. So let’s take a look at six essential ways to make your next—or first—direct mail campaign a success.

Nail the Basics. There are certain elements that are required on every direct mail piece that you send out. If you’ve sent a mailer recently, grab it and see if it contains basic info such as contact information, hours, error-free copy, a compelling offer, a call to action, and an expiration date. “Don’t forget the contact info,” says Jenne McCarty, brand manager at Marco’s Pizza (marcospizza.com), a Toledo, Ohiobased chain. “And proofread, proofread, proofread. Customers want to buy from someone they can trust, and this is your chance to impress. Pay attention to the hierarchy of messaging as well. What do you want them to think about first when they see your direct mail piece?” However, while making sure to include all of the essential information, you can easily go overboard with too much info. “Remember that less is more,” Toris says. “Don’t try to cram too much information on the piece. You do not need to list all of the pies you make or tell the 50-year family history of the pizzeria. Keep it simple, concise, and to the point.”

Make It Exciting. Lex warns that being boring will get your marketing piece put in the trash faster than anything else. “Have fun and send something unique and different,” she says. It’s a busy world out there;

PMQ Pizza Magazine The Pizza Industry’s Business Monthly

getting attention means you must think outside the box. Try sending your piece in a red envelope designed to look like Priority Mail or look into suppliers—such as 3D Mail and Oriental Trading—that offer attention-getting “lumpy mail” products. We’re living in a fast-paced, technology-driven world, so when you’re thinking of sending out a plain paper flier, think again. “Do something to stand out in the mailbox,” McCarty says. “Die-cuts, complex folds and oversized pieces tend to pop, and that translates into more eyes viewing.” When you have only a moment to grab someone’s attention, what will you do? “Historically, pizza places have used bland and basic graphic design for direct mail pieces,” Toris observes. “If you’re going to make the investment in printing and mailing it, you should also invest in having it professionally designed. Use real pictures of your pizzas and your shop in the design and stay away from stock photos and clip art.”

Make Them an Offer They Can’t Refuse. According to Bert Martinez, a marketing and sales consultant in Phoenix, 80% of your direct mailer’s success is dependent upon its headline. “Your logo is not a headline,” he says. “An attention-grabbing headline makes readers stop and read more. Once they stop to read, you need to make [an appealing] offer, such as Kids Eat Free or Free Pizza, not 10% off. Give them something they actually want.” “Just offering coupons isn’t good enough,” Toris says. “What makes you special? Do you use a

Chattanooga Office: Grain Craft/MM/PFM 201 W. Main Street â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Suite 103 Chattanooga, TN 37409 423-265-2313

Kansas City Office: Grain Craft/CFP 2001 Shawnee Mission Parkway Mission Woods, KS 66205 913-890-6300

GRAIN CRAFT

For more information visit us at graincraft.com

The more you can personalize your message, the more successful you’ll be.”

Make It Trackable. If you aren’t keeping a record of how many people redeem your offers and adding those customers to your customer list, you’re missing a key element of direct mail success. “Have a system in place for gathering contact information from customers,” Martinez advises. “If you spend the money to get them through your door, get them on your list and follow up with them.” He suggests creating an incentive for servers to secure emails at the table after a guest redeems an offer using wording such as, “We’d love to send you more great offers like this via email; I just need your name and email address.” Then just add the info to the ticket for entry at the end of their shift. Every direct mail piece needs a mechanism to track the mailer and track returns and redemptions, according to Duke. “Communicate with staff and crew regarding redeeming instructions and first-time guest communication.”

Don’t Stop at One. Martinez reminds us to consider marketing’s “rule of seven” when planning a campaign. “You must see an ad seven times before you recognize that you’ve seen it,” he says. “A lot of people drop the ball when it comes to direct mail repetition. Sending a mailing two or three times is comparable to going to the gym two or three times; repetition is paramount. Send direct mail once per month at a minimum; Every Door Direct Mail (EDDM) from the USPS has now made it easier for businesses to target potential customers.” Your direct mail pieces should be a part of your overall marketing strategy, each doing its part to support the larger plan. “A single direct mailing might provide an appreciable lift in the short term, but a multichannel marketing plan that includes a cadence of direct mail plus digital tactics and local events is more likely to keep you top-of-mind, which is the goal,” McCarty says. “How often you send really depends upon your goals. If you’re new in the neighborhood, you’re certainly going to do a lot more mailing at first, and then taper into a cadence

DUKE MARKETING

Create a special menu item to help raise funds/awareness for your favorite cause and invite your customers to join in the effort.

wood-burning or brick oven? Has your pizza won any awards? Do you offer artisan pies? Special or unusual toppings? What separates you from the rest? Figure it out and promote it.” Duke agrees, saying that many pizzeria operators make their offers too weak and then wonder why there’s no redemption. “Food cost should be part of the budget for the direct mailer. Give something away to those who receive the offer, as a ‘Come Try Us’ special,” Duke says. “Entice them with something only your restaurant offers and then draw them in with your compelling offer.”

Make It Personal. How well do you really know your current and potential customers? “One of the biggest mistakes restaurants make when creating a direct mail piece is not doing enough research in order to know their audience,” Martinez says. “Take your time cultivating the offer; see what others are doing and do the opposite. If you aren’t good at marketing, find someone who is.” “No one wants to feel like a name on a list,” McCarty says. “Make your offer feel local in order to connect with your customer.” And don’t forget the power in addressing someone by his name. “Using a first name dramatically increases engagement,” Lex adds. “‘Dear Homeowner’ doesn’t cut it anymore.

PMQ Pizza Magazine The Pizza Industry’s Business Monthly

Kits

Assembled

• Wide range of sizes and configurations

• Wood, gas, or gas/wood options

• Fast heat-up

• Intertek listed in US and Canada

• Superior thermal performance

• Authentic Italian design; made in USA

• Unrivaled durability

• Finance options available

WWW.FORNOBRAVO.COM | (800) 407-5119 | SALES@FORNOBRAVO.COM

Direct Mail Checklist Check your direct mailer against this list of must-haves provided by Rock Your Marketing. Does your piece contain every element? 1. An Offer: Why should your customer care that you’re sending them mail? 2. A Deadline: If you don’t ask them to respond by a certain date, you’re asking them not to respond. 3. A Compelling Headline: This is what gets your reader’s attention and draws them into your marketing message. 4. Personalization: “Dear Homeowner” won’t cut it. Using a first name dramatically increases engagement. The more you can personalize your message, the more successful you’ll be. 5. Your Contact Information: As much contact information as your customer will require to do business with you is precisely how much to include. Phone number, e-mail, website and address should all be standard.

that makes sense for the demographics. Promotions, LTOs and special events might be a quick single hit. Think about how you want the piece to be used, and what other tactics you’re leveraging to support your initiative, and that will help guide the frequency of your mailings.” “Direct mail takes time and testing to get it right, but once you do you’ll see consistent profits,” Lex concludes. “There are enough holidays and events that you can have a reason to mail at least once per month, if not more. I love to create marketing messages around ‘wacky’ holidays, such as National Pizza With Everything Day on November 12. I’ve yet to receive an offer from a local pizza place on November 12.” Direct mail should be seen as an irreplaceable tool in your marketing toolbox. Combined with your other marketing efforts on- and offline, your competition won’t stand a chance. Liz Barrett is PMQ’s editor at large and author of Pizza: A Slice of American History.

CMY

PMQ Pizza Magazine The Pizza Industry’s Business Monthly

Add a new slice to your menu Your customers already love your pizza. Give them new reasons to explore your menu with Fontanini sandwich offerings. Each flavorful option is crafted with care to delight taste buds. From Italian Beef to Italian Sausage to a delicious Combo and more, they’re sure to find new favorites. And you’ll find the same high quality you’ve come to expect from Fontanini Meats. Let Fontanini help you get your slice of the sandwich market with our award-winning products, POS and menu costing support. Contact Rosemary at 1-830-609-1037 to set up a sampling with one of our sales representatives.

See us at the NRA Show booth #3201

Customers drive from hours away to sample U.S. Pizza Team member Brad Corbin’s innovative Hibachi Pizza at Sloopy’s Sports Cafe in Lakeland, Ohio. DANA NIEMEYER

PMQ Pizza Magazine The Pizza Industry’s Business Monthly

HE PIZZA SAMURA

The Far East meets the Midwest at Sloopy’s Sports Café in Lakeland, Ohio, soon to be known as the land of the rising Hibachi pie. By Andy Knef

he creator of the Hibachi Pizza admits it can be hard to convince people to try his labor of love. Brad Corbin, a U.S. Pizza Team member and owner of Sloopy’s Sports Café (sloopyspizza. com) in Lakeland, Ohio, concedes that a pizza with ingredients like yum yum sauce, sauteéd broccoli, fried rice and sesame seeds doesn’t exactly induce a mouthwatering reflex in your average salt-of-theearth upper Midwesterner. But give his multiple award-winning pie a try and you’ll be hooked for life, Corbin promises. “I’m very humbled by the loyalty of my customers —like one man who drove four hours from Athens, Ohio, to try the Hibachi because he read an article about it,” recalls Corbin, who says he is committed to the pizza business for the long haul. “It’s actually hard to get people to eat it at first because it sounds so different. There is no cheese and no red sauce.

But once they try it, they routinely swear it’s the best pizza they ever ate. I’m trying to establish specialty gourmet pizza as my niche. I want to create pies that are so far out of the box that people ask themselves, ‘Why should I eat this?’” Fortunately, Corbin has succeeded spectacularly in getting patrons to take that first bite. With co-owner John Stephenson, he even recently opened a takeout and delivery shop in Port Clinton, only miles away from Sloopy’s highly popular original Lakeland location. “At least seven out of 10 pizza orders at the new shop are for the Hibachi,” Corbin notes, proudly. A TAKE-NO-PRISONERS ENTREPRENEUR The Hibachi is topped with a Japanese creamy sauce (yum yum sauce), chicken, shrimp, sauteéd broccoli, May 2015 pmq.com

DANA NIEMEYER

MELANIE ADDINGTON

Brad Corbin developed his Asian-inspired Hibachi Pizza for the NAPICS 2012 Pizza Pizzazz competition and was surprised when it won first place. He went on to win the PMQ-sponsored American Pizza Championship with the unique pie.

“It’s actually hard to get people to eat it at first because it sounds so different. There is no cheese and no red sauce. But once they try it, they routinely swear it’s the best pizza they ever ate.” —Brad Corbin, Sloopy’s Sports Cafe carrots, mushrooms, zucchini, onions, fried rice and an oyster/soy sauce combination, then finished with sesame seeds. The pie was voted the Best Pizza in America at the American Pizza Championship, held at the Florida Restaurant & Lodging Show in Orlando in 2012, and grabbed the top prize in the Pizza Pizzazz contest held the same year in conjunction with the North America Pizza & Ice Cream Show (NAPICS). Yes, people love it, but what motivated a self-described small-town pizza lifer to stray so far from the simple certitudes of pepperoni and mozzarella? Try street cred and vision. “There are about 14 pizzerias in this county—plenty of competition,” Corbin says. “We’re a resort community near the lake, so in the summer business is booming. In winter, it’s minimal. I wanted to do something different that no one else is doing.” Tapping into his years of experience—Corbin has worked in the pizza industry since he was 12—and his interest in Asian flavors, he developed the Hibachi in 2012 for the NAPICS competition, held annually in 66

PMQ Pizza Magazine The Pizza Industry’s Business Monthly

Columbus, Ohio. To his great surprise, his pizza captured first place. “After the competition, judges were coming out and introducing themselves, saying, ‘This pizza is awesome.’ I brought it back to my restaurant in Lakeland and debuted the Hibachi as The Pizza of the Month. My customers went crazy for it.” After the Hibachi also round-kicked the competition in the PMQ-sponsored American Pizza Championship, the emboldened pizza maker returned to NAPICS the next year with a new specialty concoction, called Paige’s Delight. “This one is made with a balsamic reduction, hand-cured bacon, marinated chicken, red onions, mozzarella and strawberry puree,” Corbin says. “After I take it out of the oven, I top it with fresh strawberries, cilantro and hot chili sauce.” These may seem like striking flavor combinations for a Midwestern pizza maker, but Corbin is a take-no-prisoners entrepreneur. “I want my pizza to taste different than everyone else’s,” he says, with a confidence as straightforward as his commitment to quality. “My specialty pizzas and my pizzerias are successful because we use high-quality, fresh ingredients and prepare our pizzas with one priority —making the flavors gel. I’m not in the pizza business to make a buck selling junk.” Sloopy’s Lakeland and Port Clinton, locations reflect Corbin’s heartland values. There’s a pizza joint on nearly every street corner. The local school is K through 12—in one building. But if you’re ever in this northern Ohio lake community looking for culinary inspiration that’s as far outside the box as yum yum sauce-coated pizza crust, Sloopy’s is a stop worth making. See you there! Andy Knef is PMQ’s associate editor.

Dividing dough just got 20 times faster! American Baking Systems D-20 hydraulic dividers quickly divide dough into 20 equal pieces in seconds. Low maintenance, easy to clean and simple to operate. Much safer than piston dividers in less space. No nightly tear downs or puddles of oil on the ground. HDD-20S (square bowl) HDD-20R (round bowl) • 35 Lbs Dough • 3.5—28 ounces

DIVIDER

American Baking Systems 50 kg/110 pound spiral mixer produces more dough than an 80 quart planetary mixer with better results. The 25 kg /55 pound dough capacity mixer produces more dough than a 40 quart planetary. • • • •

Model HDD-20, Available in round or square bowl

Model ABSFBM-50

2 speed digital panels Manual back-up controls Lower mixing times Less heating of mixed dough

MIXERS

We offer a complete line of Spiral Dough Mixers, Deck Ovens, Sheeters, and more!

Over 60 years of combined service to the baking industry

Bakery Equipment Consulting • Design

American Baking Systems, Inc. 319-373-5006 • Fax: 319-373-5008 info@abs1.net • www.abs1.net

Know a pizzeria that’s over 50 years old and a pillar of the community?

Nominate them for inclusion into the Pizza Hall of Fame! Visit

www.PizzaHallofFame.com for more information.

May 2015 pmq.com

Employee Kerry Maher gets ready to make a delivery run for a Romeo’s Pizza shop in Pickerington, Ohio. DANIEL PEREA

PMQ Pizza Magazine The Pizza Industry’s Business Monthly

GROWING PAINS: S TA R T I N G A F R A N C H I S E Franchising your pizzeria concept may seem like the ultimate prize, but don’t make a move until you’ve asked yourself these five key questions. By Sean Brauser

omeo’s Pizza (romeospizza.com) started franchising about 10 years ago and currently has 35 stores. There have been many ups and downs over the past decade. As with anything, the grass is always greener on the other side. Some days I’ve wished that all of the stores were franchised, and some days I’ve wished that none of them were! Many restaurateurs see franchising as the ultimate prize. In some cases, they may be right. With franchising, you can grow quickly for less money—and with less responsibility—than you can by opening restaurants yourself. But you will have to maneuver around many obstacles before you achieve success. In this article, we’ll look at five key questions you’ll need to ask yourself in order to make a better informed decision about franchising your pizzeria concept.

WHAT IS FRANCHISING? Before you adopt the franchise model, you’ll need to understand what franchising really is. First, it is a financing model. It’s a way to use other people’s money to grow your brand and income. After all, if you had all of the money in the world and every store was generating cash flow, why would you even consider franchising? But most restaurateurs do not have that kind of money. So, to gain momentum quickly, they sell franchises.

Which leads me to the second point: Franchising is selling. Selling is a totally different skill set from running a restaurant. Professional salespeople spend a lot of time cultivating leads, making calls, doing follow-ups and closing the sale. Selling franchises requires all of those skills. Do you have those skills, or will you need to hire someone and bring them into your company? Since franchising is selling, you will need a sales system. How will you cultivate leads? Will you use a lead source, such as Franchise Marketing Systems? How much will you charge for the franchise, and how much in royalties will you need to take to maintain a supportive environment? These are all questions related to franchise sales. Without a system in place, you will waste a lot of time and end up frustrated.

Franchising is selling. Selling is a totally different skill set from running a restaurant. Professional salespeople spend a lot of time cultivating leads, making calls, doing followups and closing the sale.

May 2015 pmq.com

DANIEL PEREA

Branding is essential to any pizzeria franchise. Branding is the true “product” that franchisors are selling, says Romeo’s Pizza founder Sean Brauser.

IS YOUR BRAND MARKETABLE? Assuming your restaurant concept is a brand, you have to ask yourself: Is the brand marketable? So many great restaurants have that special something that makes them work. I call it “the magic.” In many cases, “the magic” is the owner, the manager and/or the employees. Alternatively, it may be the location, the competitive environment or even the product. Unfortunately, all of those things are completely unmarketable when it comes to franchising. The only thing that is marketable—the only true “magic”—is the power of your brand. Your brand is everything that your company stands for and projects to the outside world. It’s the logo, the uniforms, the way you greet customers, the food quality, the speed of service, or anything else that is unique to you. It is the how, why and when of your company. It is bigger than the owner and is truly “the magic.” Your brand represents the real “product” you will be selling through franchising. The systems and processes that work behind the scenes also make your brand. In my last article for PMQ (March 2015), I talked about these systems and processes that must be in place before you even consider opening a second unit, let alone franchising your concept. You’ll need an operations manual, a food prep manual and an employee handbook. Your

PMQ Pizza Magazine The Pizza Industry’s Business Monthly

operations manual needs to address customer relations, inventory and ordering systems. You must have a system for labor scheduling and optimization. And you need a financial system to track the success of the restaurant. These systems are the most important “products” you’re selling when you sell a franchise. I also believe you must have at least three highly successful locations before you can franchise your concept. Otherwise, few potential franchisees will want to invest in your brand. Why? Because you haven’t proven that “the magic” is the brand and the system. With just one or two locations, you may still be “the magic,” or maybe it’s the town you’re in or some other factor that cannot be duplicated. In addition, those three stores should run as close to perfectly as possible. Sales and profits need to be high. The stores need to show sales growth year over year. You need to have employees in place who genuinely care and make the restaurant hum. Remember: Once you build your system, you must train your employees to operate that system. Then it’s your job to look for areas where the system is breaking down and opportunities for improvement. The system is what you are selling, so make sure it’s perfect!

HOW TO MAKE NEAPOLITAN PIZZA DOUGH

The Strength of Tradition made in Naples

PMQ’s Test Chef Brian Hernandez walks you through all of the steps for creating authentic Neapolitan pizza dough in this exclusive PMQ video.

Search through hundreds of recipes and view our special how-to recipe videos in the PMQ Recipe Bank! • John Arena’s Eggplant Pizza • Bacon Cheeseburger Pizza • Pretzel Crust Pizza • Broccoli Rabe Pizza And many more!

WHY CAPUTO? • Only pure wheat is used in our flours, never any additives or preservatives. • Through our longstanding relationships with top wheat farmers around the world, we select only the best wheat available every season. • We mill slowly, sacrificing speed for quality to avoid damaging the protein and gluten. • Each of our flours was developed in concert with the Pizzaioli, pasta makers, and pastry chefs. We work with them to continiously assure our flour performs to their expectations.

PMQ RECIPE BANK pmq.com/recipebank

Exclusive North American Importer: Orlando Food Sales, Maywood, NJ (T) 201-368-9197 | www.orlandofoods.com www.CaputoFlour.com

May 2015 pmq.com

WHAT KIND OF EXPENSES WILL I FACE? No doubt about it, franchising is expensive. To sell a franchise, you must have a Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD) and a Franchise Agreement. Together, these documents can run up to 200 pages. Whenever you speak to a potential franchisee about franchising, you must give him a copy of these documents and have him sign off on them. Creating these documents can cost a lot of money. When I first started, I found a company called FranDocs that sells boilerplate franchised documents for significantly less than a lawyer would charge. I took the documents and spent about three months completing the agreements with Romeo’s Pizza specifics. I then took the document to an attorney for a legal review. One thing I have learned is that it’s a lot cheaper to have an attorney review something than it is to pay him to create it for you. Franchisees also expect—and deserve—a support team paid for by you, the franchisor. In the beginning, the Romeo’s Pizza team consisted of myself, my partner and one other person. Unfortunately, providing franchisee support took all of us away from our regular full-time responsibilities to the company. We had to hire additional personnel to fill the gaps. We now have a staff of about

PMQ Pizza Magazine The Pizza Industry’s Business Monthly

DANIEL PEREA

HOW CRUCIAL IS IMAGE? Your restaurant’s image plays a crucial role in franchising success. Try to think like an outside investor. As you step into your restaurant, ask yourself some probing questions. Is it clean, neat and well-organized? Are the employees behaving like professionals and treating customers correctly? Does the decor truly reflect what you want the next 50 stores to look like? Would you invest in this company? Decor is a very important piece of the puzzle. The overall appearance and ambience generated by your decor will make or break a lot of franchise sales. If your pizzeria looks too “mom and pop,” you will have a difficult time selling franchises. It needs to look and feel new, sleek and marketable, with digital elements or signage that project a modern, appealing image. Hiring interior designers to achieve the right look can be expensive, but creating an image that sells is mandatory for your success.

Kerry Maher presses out dough for another pie at Romeo’s Pizza in Pickerington, Ohio.

12 people providing support to our current franchisees and recruiting new franchisees. We have teams in place for training, marketing, operations and brand protection. Our goal is to give our franchisees unparalleled support so they can run their businesses efficiently and profitably. Royalties sound nice and easy, but until you’ve got multiple locations up and running, most of that revenue —and then some—will go toward providing support for your franchisees and developing your brand. One more thing: It’s crucial to work with an experienced attorney who can guide you through the many legal issues pertaining to franchising. You can do your own research—there are a number of books about the legal mechanics of franchising—but always have a lawyer review everything you’re doing to avoid costly lawsuits.

WHO’S THE IDEAL FRANCHISEE? Finally, one of the biggest challenges you’ll face is finding the right franchisee. At Romeo’s Pizza, our most successful franchisees have certain qualities in common. First and foremost, they all have entrepreneurial mindsets. They want to have their own business and make their own way in life. But they also want a system that they can follow and learn from. The smartest people are those

“Say Hello to

Ciao Tomatoes

DANIEL PEREA

and shake hands with True Italian Tradition”

An efficient system for order taking and accuracy is a crucial element for restaurant franchising success.

Your brand represents the real “product” you will be selling through franchising. The systems and processes that work behind the scenes also make your brand. who admit they don’t know it all. Beware of the potential franchisee that thinks he already knows it all! Achieving success in franchising is quite a challenge. Remember that what you are selling is a system to make money. Your product just happens to be pizza. You are a marketing company and a sales organization. You need to constantly improve and grow your system—it is never done! You need to be prepared to support your franchisees on a daily basis, especially if your system is complicated. You can be successful in franchising, but understanding what success looks like first will help you decide if that’s really what you want. Good luck! Sean Brauser is the founder and CEO of Romeo’s Pizza (romeospizza.com), a 36-unit chain headquartered in Medina, Ohio.

Handpicked and packed fresh & ripe with generations of tradition, Ciao brand Italian Peeled Tomatoes are produced specifically to meet the needs of Chefs and Pizzaioli alike. We take extra care in selecting our tomatoes to assure maximum maturity of raw materials. These tomatoes are packed in a heavy juice with added fresh basil to yield the perfect balance of whole tomatoes to fragrant, fresh tomato puree according to our most ancient tradition of the Vesuvio region. Ciao Italian peeled tomatoes, serve them with pride!

Italian Peeled Tomatoes

Exclusive North American Importer: Orlando Food Sales, Maywood, NJ (T) 201-368-9197 | www.orlandofoods.com

May 2015 pmq.com

Bradley Johnson’s dough spinning moves earned him a spot on the U.S. Pizza Team.

MELANIE ADDINGTON

Bonus Video Coverage: Watch the dough-slinging highlights of the U.S. Pizza Team's Winter Trials.

MAKING THE TEAM Veterans and rookies alike turned up the heat at this year’s U.S. Pizza Team Winter Acrobatic Trials at NAPICS in Columbus. By Rick Hynum

here were new faces and familiar ones at the U.S. Pizza Team’s annual Winter Acrobatic Trials, held at the North America Pizza & Ice Cream Show (NAPICS) earlier this year in Columbus, Ohio. Veteran dough spinner Bradley Johnson of Mellow Mushroom (mellowmushroom.com) in Chattanooga walked away with the grand prize, but some newbies also stepped in to make a big impression on the judges and the crowd in the competition, demonstrating that the USPT continues to grow and thrive. In the Freestyle Acrobatics event, Johnson, who has been honing his dough spinning skills for years, dazzled the judges to capture first place. For his outstanding performance, Johnson earned a free trip to Parma, Italy, to compete with the USPT in the World Pizza Championship this month. Meanwhile, a pair of talented newcom74

PMQ Pizza Magazine The Pizza Industry’s Business Monthly

ers arrived on the scene to make Johnson work harder for the prize. Placing second was first-time competitor Scott Volpe, owner of the Fiamme Pizza Napoletana food truck in Tucson, Arizona, while Jacob Bens of Ramundo’s Pizzeria (ramundospizzeria.com) in Cincinnati claimed third place. (Ramundo’s has been hailed by Cincinnati Magazine as having the “Best Pizza Sauce in the City.”) Competitors were also tested on a variety of skills, including Largest Dough Stretch, Fastest Pie Maker and

Bradley Johnson won the USPT’s Acrobatics competition and a trip to the World Pizza Championship in Italy.

MELANIE ADDINGTON MELANIE ADDINGTON

Finalists in the dough spinning category of the team’s Winter Trials were (from left) Bradley Johnson, 1st place; Scott Volpe, 2nd place; and Jacob Bens, 3rd place.

Fastest Box Folder. In the Largest Dough Stretch contest, Johnson again stole the show, recording a stretch of 32”. Another veteran competitor, Dave Sommers of Mad Mushroom (madmushroom.com) in West Lafayette, Indiana, came in a close second with 31”. David Whisker of the Boyne City, Michigan, location of B.C. Pizza (bcpizza. com) rounded out the top three with a stretch of 27.5”. Grabbing the gold for his first time, Rick Wheeler of Mad Mushroom in Lafayette, Indiana, was named Fastest Pizza Maker with a score of 1.2167 minutes. This was another hard-fought category, with Bradley Johnson finishing second with 1.2189 minutes. Whisker captured third place with his time of 1.28 minutes. Finally, Kyle Hambley of Samosky’s Homestyle Pizzeria (samoskyshomestylepizza.com), located in Valley City, Ohio, took the gold in the Fastest Box Folder contest with a time of 20.91 seconds. Whisker, who medaled in three categories this year, captured second place with 24.77 seconds, and Sommers took home third prize with a time of 25.87 seconds. THE CULINARY MASTERS Pizzathletes like Johnson, Wheeler and Hambley weren’t the only hard-charging competitors at this year’s NAPICS event. More than 110 pizza masters from around the country descended on the Columbus show for the 2015 Pizza Pizzazz culinary competition. The first-place winner in each category won a cash prize of $6,000, while second-place winners received $1,000 and third-place winners pocketed $500 for their culinary talents. Will Shaw of the Pizza BOGO (pizzabogo.com) location in North Olmsted, Ohio, captured first place in the Gourmet category of the event. Shaw delighted the judges with his Tuscan Fiorentina, which combines a spicy garlic sauce with red onions, fresh basil, Peruvian sweet drop

MELANIE ADDINGTON

Scott Volpe (top) and Jacob Bens perform their routines for the judges at the U.S. Pizza Team’s Winter Trials competition in Columbus, Ohio.

peppers, mushrooms, sirloin steak, cheese, scallions and a balsamic glaze. Also in the Gourmet category, Anthony Farinacci of Fanucce’s Italian Restaurant and Pizzeria (fanucces.com) in Willoughby, Ohio, took home second place honors and $1,000 with his Potata Pizza. Farinacci created his masterpiece with potatoes, crispy pancetta, caramelized onions, cheese, parsley and a balsamic glaze. Nathan Sickmiller of Six Hundred Downtown (600downtown.com) in Bellefontaine, Ohio, won third place and $500 with a pizza he calls The D. It features mozzarella and feta

May 2015 pmq.com

MELANIE ADDINGTON

Finalists in the Pizza Pizzazz competition’s Traditional category were (from left) Lisa Early, 2nd place; Brad Rocco, 1st place; and David Smith II, 3rd place.

cheeses, peppadew peppers, prosciutto, arugula, Parmesan and—you guessed it—a balsamic glaze. At Bexley Pizza Plus (bexleypizzaplus.com) in Bexley, Ohio, every employee is cross-trained to be a pizza chef. One of the best-known is Brad Rocco, a competition veteran and this year’s winner in the Traditional category. Rocco wowed the judges with a pizza featuring sausage, portabella mushroom, spicy pepperoni, bell pepper and cheese. He has won at Pizza Pizzazz twice before—in 2003 and 2006—and competed with the U.S. Pizza Team in Italy both years. Coming in second in the Traditional category was Lisa Early, owner of Brenz Pizza Co. (brenzpizzaco.com), a favorite among college students and locals alike in Knoxville, Tennessee. Early won $1,000 for the ATM (All the Meat), a red-sauce pie loaded with pepperoni, ham, sausage, capicola, bacon and cheese. Finally, longtime pizza making competitor David Smith II, owner of Pizza Palace Plus (pizzapalaceplus.com) in Emporium, Pennsylvania, made his presence felt with his third-place finisher, the Traditional Meateater. A carnivore’s dream come true, this red-sauce pizza blended pepperoni, ham, bacon, salami and sausage with mozzarella and provolone cheeses. ANOTHER SUCCESSFUL NAPICS SHOW Just as respected pizza makers flocked to the Pizza Pizzazz competition, NAPICS 2015 also drew thousands of pizzeria and ice cream shop owners and operators from across the country to see, taste and touch the latest industry wares, foods and beverages from more than 175 exhibitors. Additionally, workshops and seminars drew nearly 900 attendees to learn more about marketing and managing their businesses and maximizing revenue. 76

PMQ Pizza Magazine The Pizza Industry’s Business Monthly

MELANIE ADDINGTON

Finalists in the Gourmet category were (from left) Anthony Farinacci, 2nd place; Will Shaw, 1st place; and Nathan Sickmiller, 3rd place.

Prominent guest speakers included Jeff Joiner of Jeff Joiner Training, who discussed how to turn customers into happy, hardcore loyalists and “tattoo” your brand on their minds, and Jeff Slutsky, the Street Fighter Marketing expert. David Scott Peters of TheRestaurantExpert.com talked about developing key systems to ensure restaurant success, and Steve Christensen of the Frozen Dessert Institute covered hiring and training employees. NAPICS organizers are already working on the 2016 event, to be held January 24 to 25 at the Greater Columbus Convention Center in Columbus, and the U.S. Pizza Team will be there again to host next year’s Winter Acrobatic Trials. The U.S. Pizza Team consists of expert pizza makers and dough spinning acrobatic performers from pizza restaurants across the United States. The squad competes regularly in the World Pizza Championship, held every spring in Italy. In the 2014 global event, USPT member Jamie Culliton won second place in the Individual Freestyle category. In 2011, the U.S. Pizza Team won first place in the Team Acrobatics competition at the same event. The USPT is sponsored by Grain Craft, California Milk Advisory Board, Gordon Food Service, La Nova, Paradise Tomato Kitchens, Bag Solutions, Fontanini Meats, Lillsun, Marsal and Sons, Univex, PizzaInsurance.com, Rock Tenn and Presto Foods. To learn more about the U.S. Pizza Team, visit the team’s website at www.USPizzaTeam.com, call Brian Hernandez at 662-234-5481, ext. 129, or email him at brian@pmq.com. Rick Hynum is PMQ’s editor-in-chief.

the

BEST

NAPICS

2015

PMQ staff members share their favorite discoveries from the 2015 North America Pizza & Ice Cream Show.

A wintertime trek to Columbus, Ohio, for NAPICS has become a tradition for the PMQ staff. For the 2015 event, we walked every square inch of the show floor in search of products that can help you sell more pizza and make more money. Here are our recommendations:

Steve GREEN

STAR PIZZA BOX Now you can finally use the most coveted panel in pizza box real estate to market your pizzeria. Thanks to Star Pizza Box, the inside cover—the only part of the pizza box that’s readable when the box is open—is now printable. That means you can tantalize your customers with further offers, lead them to your website or give them a history lesson about your business. 800-626-0828, starpizzabox.com

Publisher

PMQ Pizza Magazine The Pizza Industry’s Business Monthly

FROZEN SPECIALTIES You can’t go to a pizza and ice cream show and not find something really neat for kids. I found these color-changing spoons and straws from Frozen Specialties and brought them back to share with my grandchildren. They were so excited when the green spoons turned blue and the pink spoons turned purple. Think of how excited the kids in your pizzeria will be when they eat ice cream with these “magic spoons.” Frozen Specialties also has cool color-changing cups and straws, and anything else you need to serve ice cream in your pizzeria. 419-867-2005, frozenspecialties.com

Linda GREEN Co-Publisher

LLOYD PANS From Grandma and Detroit styles to Chicago and Sicilian, all great pizza starts with a solid foundation. For years I have loved meeting and talking with the guys from Lloyd Pans and discussing the latest trends. They have a pan for every new and old pizza style, including the ones currently making headlines. If you are looking to add a new style to your menu or to replace your dirty old pans, look no further than Lloyd Pans. 800-748-6251, lloydpans.com

BAKER’S QUALITY CRUSTS Baker’s Quality Crusts stood out to me with their premium premade crusts. The samples tasted amazing, and these crusts make it easy to add something new to your menu. They have readyto-go flatbreads, par-baked crusts and sheeted dough balls. My favorite is the self-rising crust, which doesn’t require proofing and can be used to make take-and-bake pizzas. 800-846-6153, bakersqualitypizzacrusts.com

SOLUT! Food packaging from SOLUT! caught my eye because it’s perfect for use with take-and-bake pizza. The trays are attractive, produced sustainably and can be placed in the oven, microwave or freezer without a problem. SOLUT! trays are also ideal for shipping your pizza to faraway customers because, unlike aluminum, this paper packaging won’t set off metal detectors, ensuring that your pizza arrives safely. 877-609-9450, gosolut.com

May 2015 pmq.com

Tom BOYLES

QUICK LABEL SYSTEM’S KIARO PRINTER One of the best products I found was the label printing system from Quick Label. With this system you can easily print custom labels for box toppers and customized sandwich wrap labels or create your own logoed nutritional labels for sauces, to-go and catering trays. You can print on various sizes of labels to fit many applications. With this system, you can print the exact amount of what you need when you need it and even include bar codes. 877-757-7978, quicklabel.com

Account Representative NINO’S FRESH PIZZA DOUGH I wouldn’t usually select frozen pizza dough as one of my top picks, but as I chatted with competitors in the Pizza Pizzazz section of the show, all they were talking about was Nino’s. I was surprised at how fresh this frozen dough tasted. Each ball comes in its own bag and, when thawed, it proofs up and makes a dough that tastes, looks and performs like it was fresh-made. Give them a call and ask about samples—this is a frozen dough you need to taste to believe! 800-208-9084, ninosfreshpizzadough.com

Do you know what your guests are thinking?

You can count on GMA Research for a quick, accurate, and affordable way to find out what your guests really think. Our team of experts has specialized in foodservice and hospitality research since 1970. For a free consultation on how GMA Research can help you, contact Don Morgan, Senior Partner.

don@gmaresearch.com (425) 460-8800

PMQ Pizza Magazine The Pizza Industry’s Business Monthly

BRODIE MEAT PRODUCTS I could not quit sampling Brodie Meat’s pork fritters. They’re made with 100% pork loin, and what’s really nice about them is that they taste best when baked in pizza ovens. The blended breading does not shrink when it’s cooked, and the flavor is delicious. They can be used as filling for a sandwich or as a plate special with a variety of side dishes. If you want to know where you can order them or get some samples, call Robbie Selfridge. 309-342-1500, brodiemeatproducts@grics.net

SMARTMARKET Industry innovators share their insights and expertise to help you attract more customers and sell more pizza. u Deliver Media's direct mail programs have delivered ROI as high as 900% for pizzerias around the U.S.

May 2015 Sponsored Section

SMARTMARKET DELIVER MEDIA