PMQ Pizza Magazine November 2018 by PMQ Pizza Magazine

November 2018

PIZZA MAGAZINE THE WORLD'S AUTHORITY ON PIZZA | PMQ.COM | PIZZATV.COM

PMQ PIZZA MAGAZINE | Volume 22, Issue 9

November 2018

THE

EUREKA!

The Pizza Industry’s Business Monthly | PMQ.com

MOMENT A chance gig in the Alaskan wilderness set the stage for Steve Bangos’ Eureka Pizza Co. PAGE 34

Keto-Style Pizza 28

Nov2018cover.indd 1

Essential Pizzeria Equipment 50

Mozzarella Madness 68

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FIND US ONLINE

AS SEEN ON PIZZATV.COM RECIPE VIDEO: TOMATO RICOTTA PIZZA In celebration of fall, Enzo Fiorello, a.k.a. the “Son of a Pizza Man,” heads into the kitchen to make a Tomato Ricotta pizza. Featuring a creamy mix of ricotta cheese, pesto, garlic and milk as the base, it’s topped with roasted cherry tomatoes, feta and fresh basil leaves. Using a rating system of 1 to 5 pepperonis, Enzo, a selfdescribed “novice pizza maker and expert pizza eater,” gives the Tomato Ricotta pie a solid 5. W W W. P I Z Z AT V. CO M / V I D E O/ T O M AT O R I CO T TA

If you’d like to contribute to PizzaTV.com and our Roku channel, send links to your best video content to info@PizzaTV.com.

EXCLUSIVELY ON PMQ.COM

TRY OUT THESE PIZZA RECIPES DREAMED UP BY A COMPUTER MIT scientist Pinar Yanardag and her team of artificial-intelligence researchers have developed a recurrent neural network that generates some pretty crazy pizza recipes. And Boston pizzaiolo Tony Naser of Crush Pizza was game enough to try them out.

HOW TO KEEP YOUR PIZZERIA ENERGY-EFFICIENT AND SAVE MONEY American restaurant owners spend an average of $2.90 per square foot on electricity and 85 cents per square foot on natural gas each year. The California Green Business Network offers eight tips for reducing your energy bills and boosting your bottom line.

P M Q . CO M /A I R E C I P E S . CO M P M Q . CO M / E N E R G Y S AV I N G S

OVEN COMPANY PAYS $1,000 A DAY TO PIZZA TASTE TESTERS Ooni, a Scottish manufacturer of mobile pizza ovens, offers “the best job in the world”—making and tasting pizza at home for $300 to $1,000 per day—and experienced pizza chefs have an advantage over other applicants to nab the higher rate. P M Q . CO M / P I Z Z A D R E A M J O B

FAMOUS O’S PIONEERS NEW YORK-STYLE PIZZA IN PAKISTAN Founded by Omar Qadir, Famous O’s opened its first location in Karachi, Pakistan, in September. And the concept is unlike anything else in the country, serving classic New York-style pizzas as well as Sicilian, Grandma and UpsideDown pies. P M Q . CO M / PA K I S TA N P I Z Z A

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IN THIS ISSUE

NOVEMBER FEATURES ON T COV HE ER

A fateful trip to Alaska during his days as a set designer sparked Steven Bangos’ imagination and set the stage for his Alaskanthemed Eureka Pizza Co.

PMQ.COM/1118C

is Neato— 28 Keto Ketogenic Pizza

Feed the Yeast

of the Trade— 50 Tools Essential Equipment

in 42 What’s the Box?

Party Time— Third-Party Delivery

Mozzarella Madness

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IN THIS ISSUE

Chef’s Corner: Melissa Rickman and the Staten Island Sausage, Pepper & Onion ’Boli PMQ.COM/1118B

In Lehmann’s Terms: Bakers Percent

Think Tank: Attracting Employees

Pizza Without Borders: Baking with the Heat of the Sun

Pizza Hall of Fame: Nick’s Pizza of Newburyport

98 P I Z Z AT V. C O M / V I D E O / N I C K S P I Z Z A N E W B U R Y P O R T

IN EVERY ISSUE 6

Online @ PMQ.com

Moneymakers

From the Editor

Product Spotlight

From the Inbox

The Pizza Exchange

Check out our digital and tablet editions for bonus video and multimedia content. Visit PMQ.com/digital to view the digital edition, or download our tablet app at iTunes, Google Play and Amazon.com.

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TRIM

FROM THE MANAGING EDITOR LIVE

Bill DeJournett Managing Editor

MY BAGS ARE PACKED Hello, pizza nation! I hope everyone enjoyed National Pizza Month in October and had a happy (and profitable) Halloween. As we move into November, I’d like to talk about one of my great passions: travel. I’ve been fortunate to have the opportunity to travel a good deal in my life, both for work and for leisure. Wherever I go, I always try to check out at least one pizzeria. My favorite far-flung pizza destination was Berlin. The year was 2010. That summer, on a whim, I decided to apply for my first-ever passport. I didn’t have any international trips on the horizon but thought it would be a good idea to secure one, in case I needed to travel abroad for work. Within months, I met someone at a work event who just happened to be a German national visiting the United States. We corresponded over the next few months, and she invited me to come visit her home city of Berlin—and sent a link advertising round-trip airfare from my home airport for less than $600. I replied to her, “Well, I guess I’m going to Berlin.” Before I arrived, I asked my friend to research pizzerias. We visited a couple during my stay, but the one that sticks out in my mind was called 12 Apostel (12 Apostles). Housed in an almost cavern-like building located under an old rail bridge, the walls and ceilings were completely covered with ornate medieval-style frescoes. On the menu, as advertised,

were 12 different pizzas named after the apostles. We ordered the Matteo, a simple Neapolitan-style pie with tomato sauce, mozzarella and fresh basil. Can you say, “Sehr gut”? I kept my receipt of that visit as a souvenir and still have it to this day. Pizzeria owners, of course, often also need to place themselves outside their comfort zones, take a chance and reap the benefits. To that end, in this issue of PMQ, I discuss third-party delivery services with some of the top minds in the pizza industry, while Liz Barrett Foster, our pizza styles expert, tells us what’s neato about keto pizza. Keeping it to more familiar “locales,” senior copy editor Tracy Morin discusses what everyone “kneads” to know about yeast and how to make the most of a key pizzeria ingredient: mozzarella. For further inspiration, our resident media specialist, Daniel Lee Perea, spotlights a micro-pizzeria in St. Petersburg, Florida, called Pizza Box. Finally, our cover subject, Steve Bangos, owner and proprietor of Eureka Pizza Co. in Yorba Linda, California, discusses his video-centric marketing strategy and his unusual story of how one music gig in Anchorage, Alaska, turned into two separate pizzerias—first in Alaska, then later in California—in our story on page 34. Have a great November, and keep us posted on your own journeys in the pizza world!

PIZZA MAGAZINE THE WO RL D'S AU THO RITY O N P IZZA | PMQ.CO M | P IZZATV.CO M

November 2018

ON THE COVER: THE

A chance gig in the Northwest set the stage for Steven Bangos’ Alaska-themed Eureka Pizza in Yorba Linda, California.

EUREKA! MOMENT A chance gig in the Alaskan wilderness set the stage for Steve Bangos’ Eureka Pizza Co.

PAGE 34

Keto-Style Pizza 28

A Publication of PMQ, Inc. 662-234-5481 Volume 22, Issue 9 November 2018 ISSN 1937-5263 Publisher Steve Green, sg@pmq.com ext. 123 Co-Publisher Linda Green, linda.pmq@gmail com ext. 121 Managing Editor Bill DeJournett, bill@pmq.com ext. 130 Editor at Large Liz Barrett, liz@pmq.com Senior Copy Editor Tracy Morin, tracy@pmq.com Editorial Consultant Rick Hynum, rick@pmq.com

International Correspondent Missy Green, missy@pmq.com Art Director Eric Summers, eric@pmq.com ext. 134 Creative Director Sarah Beth Wiley, sarahbeth@pmq.com ext. 135 Senior Media Producer Daniel Lee Perea, dperea@pmq.com ext. 139 Social Media Manager Heather Cray, heather@pmq.com ext. 137 Video Editor Blake Harris, blake@pmq.com ext. 136 Chief Financial Officer Shawn Brown, shawn@pmq.com Test Chef/USPT Coordinator Brian Hernandez, brian@pmq.com ext. 129

Essential Pizzeria Equipment 50

Mozzarella Madness 68

ADVERTISING

PMQ INTERNATIONAL

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

PMQ China Yvonne Liu, yvonne@pmq.com

Senior Account Executive Tom Boyles, tom@pmq.com ext. 122

PMQ Russia Vladimir Davydov, vladimir@pmq.com

Account Executive Chris Green, chris@pmq.com ext. 125

PMQ Pizza Magazine 605 Edison St. • Oxford, MS 38655 662.234.5481 • 662.234.0665 Fax

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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 9, Cedar Rapids, IA 52406-9953. Opinions expressed by the editors and contributing writers are strictly their own, and are not necessarily those of the advertisers. All rights reserved. No portion of PMQ may be reproduced in whole or part without written consent.

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FROM THE INBOX

DAN BUSLER PHOTOGRAPHY

GIVING BACK

WINNING ALL THE WAY TO ITALY

I enjoyed your September article on Greek pizza. Thanks for the props for my ethnic colleagues. I’ve been making pizza in my store since I was 10 years old. Now in our 43rd year, we would like to share our story. Like your subjects in the article, we share a lot of similar menu items but differ in what we do for the community and our neighbors. I’d like to share an event we’ve been doing for some time now in our restaurants for our community: the Bill’s 5K Road Race for Spinal Cord Injuries and the Travis Roy Foundation (B5K). This is our 13th year holding the event. It’s a great story about courage, faith, family, friends, perseverance, community and the will to live. Looking forward to hearing from you soon.

It was a pleasure meeting everyone at the U.S. Pizza Team competition in Oceanside, California, and what a pleasure it was winning and to now be a part of the U.S. Pizza Team and the Galbani Professionale Family. I’m looking forward to the next year of competing and being part of the team. You all made both my wife and I feel very welcome and part of the family! If there is anything you need or I could do, please do not hesitate to ask. And thank you again to Brian Hernandez for all your help and believing in me!

Dean Chronopoulos Bill’s Pizzeria Newton, MA

Dave Conti Red Planet Pizza and BBQ Ansonia, CT

Thank you for letting us know about your annual 5K event, Dean. We watched last year’s October race video, which showed more than 1,000 participants running and walking in their Halloween costumes and celebrating with pizza afterward. It looks like a fun event for a great cause. Keep up the excellent work!

Thanks for coming to the 2018 U.S Pizza Cup West Coast Trials, and congratulations on your win! You displayed a talent and dedication that makes us proud to have you as part of the U.S. Pizza Team. We look forward to seeing what you accomplish at the World Pizza Championships in Parma, Italy!

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IN LEHMANN’S TERMS

WHAT EXACTLY IS BAKERS PERCENT? The Dough Doctor breaks down the math behind the concept of bakers percentages. By Tom Lehmann

Q A

I’ll be opening my first shop soon. When discussing my dough, everyone talks in bakers percent. Why is this? When a dough is given in bakers percent, it is very easy to immediately see any issues with ingredient amounts. For example, if a dough based on 40 pounds of flour contained 17 ounces of salt, what would we know about this dough formula? If presented in bakers’ percent, we would immediately see the amount of salt is 2.65%—about as much as we might want to use in our dough, and certainly enough to require an adjustment in yeast level (making it higher) if a faster fermenting is needed. Bakers percent also allows us to manipulate the size of the dough very easily. In this case, all we need to do is decide how much dough we want to make or how much flour we want to use. With either of those two pieces of information, we can make the dough any size we want. Here’s how that works: If you know how much dough you want to make, just find the sum of the bakers percent comprising your dough formula, then divide this by 100 (moving the decimal point two places to the left) and divide the desired dough weight by this number. The result will be the flour weight needed to make the desired new dough weight. With the new flour weight, we can then use our bakers percent calculations to find the new ingredient weights. With bakers percent, the total flour weight is always equal to 100%. The rest of the ingredient percentages and weights are based on the flour weight. Using your calculator, enter

the flour weight and press “X”, then enter the ingredient percentage you want the weight for, and press the “%” key. Read the ingredient weight in the display window, taking into account that the ingredient weight will be shown in the same weight measure (pounds, ounces, grams, kilograms, etc.) that the flour weight was shown in. Here’s an example of how that works: The flour weight is 40 pounds, which is equal to 100%, and the oil amount is shown as 1.5%. Type in 40 X 1.5, then press the “%” key, and 0.6 pounds is the result. If you want to change your ingredient weights to ounces, just show the flour weight in ounces (40 X 16 = 640 ounces). Do the same math, 640 X 1.5, then press the “%” key, resulting in 9.6 ounces. Do this for each ingredient percentage, and you will have a dough with correct ingredient weights. When we want to change the dough size by manipulating the amount of flour used, here’s the procedure: Let’s say we are presently using 40 pounds of flour in our dough and we want to increase our dough size based on the addition of 10 more pounds of flour weight. This will bring our total flour weight to 50 pounds for our new dough. All we need to do now is to put 50 pounds down as the flour weight, and then multiply by 50 X ingredient percentage (press the “%” key). When this has been done for each ingredient weight, you will have your new dough with all ingredient weights correct for 50 pounds of flour weight. If your dough is not already shown in bakers percent, it’s easy to convert your dough formula to that. The first thing you need to do is to show all ingredient amounts in weight

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measures (cups, tablespoons, scoops, etc. will not work), then divide the weight of each ingredient by the weight of the flour and multiply by 100. Here’s an example: Flour weight = 50 pounds, salt weight = 1 pound. Remember that both the flour and ingredient weights must be in the same weight units (pounds, ounces, grams, kilograms, etc.). Therefore, 1 divided by 50 X 100 = 2%. Do this for each ingredient, and you will have your dough formula shown in bakers percent. When changing most dough weights into bakers percent, I find it easier to automatically show the flour weight in ounces. This is because most of the smaller ingredient amounts will be in ounces, so in keeping flour and ingredient weights in the same units, just change the flour weight into ounces to keep the math easy. In this case, 50 pounds = 800 ounces (50 X 16 = 800). Divide the salt weight, 16 ounces, by 800, and multiply by 100, which equals 2%. If math intimidates you, there are some very good Excel spreadsheets that will do the math for you. To use these, all you will need to do is to fill in the blank spaces with the correct information. Bakers percent is a great tool, as it allows us to immediately see any discrepancies in the dough formulation by turning it into a mathematical equation. This allows us to manipulate the size of the dough up or down, keeping the dough in correct balance, so a dough based on 50 pounds of flour will consistently perform

the same as it did when based on 40 pounds of flour weight. A few things to keep in mind when working in bakers percent: “Total” flour is always expressed as 100%, but this is for wheat flours only. A dough might contain different types of wheat flour, such as regular white flour, whole-wheat flour or semolina flour. In this case, the sum of the percent of each flour must equal 100%, while the individual percentages will each be something less than 100%. Here’s an example: A dough formula based on 50 pounds of total flour weight contains 30 pounds of white flour (regular pizza flour), 15 pounds of whole-wheat flour, and 5 pounds of semolina flour. The bakers’ percent shown for each are as follows: white flour, 30 divided by 50 X 100 = 60%; wholewheat flour, 15 divided by 50 X 100 = 30%; semolina flour, 5 divided by 50 X 100 = 10%. The sum of the percentages equals 100% (60 + 30 + 10 = 100). This is how we show the amounts of different wheat flours when we have a dough formula presented in bakers percent.

Tom Lehmann was the longtime director of bakery assistance for the American Institute of Baking (AIB) and is now a pizza industry consultant. PMQ . CO M/D O UG H

NOVEMBER 2018 | PMQ.COM

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THE THINK TANK

ATTRACTING EMPLOYEES Operators discuss the challenges of finding quality employees—and offer up potential solutions. Boston09: When I’m looking to hire, I post ads on Craigslist and get two replies! Even if I give the store’s phone number, no one calls. What’s the next step to get applicants? Should I promise a signup bonus? Post “help wanted” signs? Go to the local recreation department and see if any kids need more hours? Ask current employees? I’m just short of walking into my neighborhood grocery store and asking the register person if they need more hours elsewhere. What can I do to get help these days? I’m promising well above minimum wage, full-time or part-time, and a schedule of their choice. What else can I do? Steve: We just had a hiring event after not getting any real

hits on Craigslist (also two replies and then no-shows for interviews). We hired seven of 11 people from the event, which was held about three weeks ago. We currently still have four of the hires. Two drivers have quit in the past week. They get minimum wage, a dollar per delivery and their tips. Typically, the daylight driver is pulling in $600 a week in just tips, yet they still quit. They either don’t want to work or feel as though they should be able to just work whenever they want. Paul7979: We ran an ad on Indeed.com and got a whole bunch of applications. It’s well worth a $20 ad to see if it brings you the same results it did for us.

have also had a lot of luck with targeted, promoted Facebook “help wanted” posts. I use the age feature to target the post to the age bracket I want to reach, set the geographic limit to commuting distance for this kind of job, include a picture of pizza or simply our logo, and describe the job. It costs more than Craigslist, but it puts the job in front of people who are not actually searching—and who might tell their friends. Pizzapiratespp: We switched to an online applicant tracking system about a year ago, and it has helped a lot. We get about 20 to 30 applications per week (we used to get only a couple). We use prescreening questions, which helps weed out bad fits. We currently have a waiting list of people who want to get in. We don’t advertise, but we do put a link on our website. Mondo: Almost all of our new hires are friends or relatives of current or former employees. When I get a good employee, I always ask if they have any friends or family looking for a job. I’ve found that when a new hire is referred by a current employee, they feel accountable to that person and want to do a good job—and the person who recommended them feels accountable too, making sure they do a good job. Also, most simply enjoy working with their friends, so to me, it’s a win all the way around. John P Scully: Hire vets! They show up on time, they work hard,

Bodegahwy: We have had some luck with box toppers. We print

a “help wanted” flyer and send them out on all the boxes. We

they can think for themselves, and they do not melt if you look at them sideways.

Get answers to your most perplexing problems and swap tips and ideas with the experts in PMQ’s Think Tank, the pizza industry’s oldest and most popular online forum. Register for free at thinktank.pmq.com. (Member posts have been edited here for clarity.) T HI N KTAN K.P M Q.COM

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MONEYMAKERS

AN APPETITE FOR PIZZA DESTRUCTION Miki Sudo once scarfed down 8½ pounds of kimchi in a single sitting, so the Double Down Pizza Challenge at Slice of Vegas must have been a welcome change of pace for the nationally ranked competitive eater. Sudo, the leading female competitive eater and No. 7 among men and women, attracted a crowd of reporters and admirers as she inhaled the seven-pound Double Down Pizza in 35 minutes and 43 seconds, becoming the first person to ever win the challenge. “It’s only 18 inches, but it’s stacked high with [ingredients],” Sudo said of the monster pie, which comes loaded with capicola, salami, pepperoni, bacon, ham, mozzarella, onions, mushrooms and jalapeños. “It’s more dense than you’d expect.” Sudo said the pie was “delicious,” adding, “but whether it’s hot dogs or chicken wings or ribs, everything’s delicious for the first minute. Then you have to eat the rest.”

Miki Sudo conquered the Double Down Pizza Challenge at Slice of Vegas in September. Sudo holds the No. 7 spot in the Major League Eaters’ ranking of the world’s top competitive eaters and is the highest-ranked woman.

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GLUTEN-FREE GOLD To spread the word about your gluten-free menu offerings, reach out to gluten-free bloggers in or near your market. Invite them to come in for some free pizza and ask them to blog about your food in return.

SEE YOU LATER, GATOR HATER Hard Knox Pizzeria, with two locations in Knoxville, Tennessee, spun promotional gold out of a storied SEC football rivalry when it unveiled its Gator Hater pizza just in time for the Tennessee Volunteers’ big game against Florida on September 22. The signature white-sauce pie was topped with smoked alligator meat, plus Gouda cheese, ovenroasted corn, red bell peppers, oregano and a housemade Cajun aioli drizzle. Hard Knox donated 20% of each pizza’s sales to the Medic Regional Blood Center and racked up a boatload of PR, including a feature in the Knoxville News Sentinel and coverage by local ABC affiliate WATE.

As the Florida Gators came to town for an SEC matchup with Tennessee, a pizza topped with alligator meat made big headlines in Knoxville for Hard Knox Pizzeria.

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MONEYMAKERS

YOU DROPPED A CHILI BOMB ON ME, BABY

Grinders blows through nearly 19,000 pounds of Kraft Cheez Whiz a year due to the popularity of chilibombing and the Famous Chili Bomb Pie.

Grinders Pizza, with three locations in Kansas, is where Midwesterners go to get chili-bombed—and they’re not ashamed to admit it. Owned by Jeff “Stretch” Rumaner, Grinders earned some TV time on the Food Network’s Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives with its Famous Chili Bomb Pie, which is piled with tater tots, housemade chili and Cheez Whiz. But by customer request, Grinders will pile those same three ingredients on any pizza on the menu—better known as “chili-bombing.” Rumaner says it’s all part of creating a “dining experience” for guests. “I’ve seen people chili-bomb salads, Bloody Marys—you can chili-bomb anything,” he says.

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40 NORTH GOES SOUTH OF THE BORDER Just months after movin’ on up from a mobile unit to a brick-andmortar restaurant, 40 North quickly made some hip new friends on the Austin, Texas, scene. In a late-September cross-promotion, the Neapolitan-style pizzeria partnered with celebrated Mexican restaurant Suerte (deemed “one of the country’s best new restaurants” by Eater.com) on a pizza collaboration called the La Buena. Brainstormed by Suerte chef Fermin Nunez and 40 North’s Clint Elmore, it featured mole amarillo, pickled carrots, kale, smoked scamorza and ’nduja. The chefs also conspired on a second pie, topped with mole negro, eggplant and confit peppers. The pies were offered for a full month starting September 24, with one dollar from each sale going to the nonprofit Grassroots Leadership, which opposes for-profit prisons and mass incarceration. Earlier in the summer, 40 North paired with Austin chef Philip Speer to create the Philly North pizza, topped with clams, ’nduja, Pecorino, shaved apples, micro arugula, and lemon.

40 North and Mexican eatery Suerte teamed up for this mole pizza that also boasted pickled carrots, kale, scamorza and ’ndjuja.

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MONEYMAKERS

THE MERRY MONTH OF MAC The once-novel mac and cheese pizza is becoming standard fare, but not the way Mikey’s Late Night Slice does it. As summer wound down this year, Columbus, Ohio’s hippest drunk-food eatery celebrated an entire “Month of Mac,” touting variations on their popular Mac and Cheezus pie. Among the offerings: the Sportsball (a hybrid of Mikey’s Mac & Cheezus and Silence of the Buffalo Wings pies), the Cajun Sausage Mac and the Fancy-Ass Truffle Mac. With their first purchase of a Month of Mac pie, customers received passports that could be stamped with each subsequent purchase. “They earned rewards at three, four and five stamps, with five stamps earning a whole pie,” says Jason Biundo, Mikey’s chief creative officer. Biundo said the promotion was a hit, both in terms of sales and customer engagement. “Every step of this has been a blast,” he says. “From working with my marketing team on the promotion and branding new recipes to actually creating the new recipes with our quality and purchasing managers and taking input from all levels of our staff, it’s been a deliciously fulfilling project.”

The Fancy-Ass Truffle Mac, one of the featured pies in the Month of Mac promo at Mikey’s Late Night Slice, features white cheddar and ricotta cheeses with truffle oil and crispy Panko bread crumbs.

QUICK TIP 3

ADD VALUE TO YOUR PIZZA BOX Don’t just put your own coupons on your pizza boxes. Partner with other local, noncompetitive businesses to provide coupons for ice cream, movie discounts and other special offers to boost your pizza’s perceived value.

CHARRED TO PURR-FECTION You might say the pizzas at Char in Portland, Oregon, are the cat’s meow. Owners Tyler Kennedy and Tim Alves, who opened Char in July, named all their signature menu items after their cats, including the Teddy Baby (featuring a sage béchamel sauce with winter squash, roasted mushrooms, roasted garlic and cheese); the Percy (a roasted marinara sauce topped with chorizo sausage, onions, cilantro and mozzarella/pepper Jack cheese); and the all-veggie Baron Von Streudelhaus. Char is just the latest addition to the culinary scene in Portland, which Brooklyn pizza czar Anthony Falco, co-founder of Roberta’s, has declared “the greatest pizza city in America.”

The fall/winter menu at Char in Portland features signature pies like the Percy, the Poe and the Teddy Baby, all named for the owners’ cats.

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THE CHEF’S CORNER

Melissa Rickman of Wholly Stromboli shows us the secret to great ’bolis!

ndez’s Herna Brian terview h c t a W th in in-dep elissa at with M .com/1118A .pmq www

MELISSA RICKMAN | W H O L L Y

STROMBOLI

Melissa Rickman brings some New York flavor to the plains of Colorado. | By Brian Hernandez On the front range of Colorado, almost a mile high, is the beautiful town of Fort Lupton. This pint-size outpost has some interesting claims to fame: It is home to Brian Shaw, leading American Strongman competitor from 2011 to 2016, and the birthplace of John Naka, bonsai sculpting grand master—and, thanks to Wholly Stromboli, offers up some of Colorado’s finest Italian-inspired eats. Located in downtown Fort Lupton, Wholly Stromboli houses some secrets from the past, as well as some of the present’s greatest flavors on the range. Initially, owner Melissa Rickman didn’t want to even consider serving pizza, but she was coerced by her husband’s in-depth research into pizza creation, and the rest is history. Restoring their twostory location, they discovered a beautiful brick surface beneath lackluster Sheetrock walls. This led to the decision to remove all the Sheetrock and convert the full basement area into a banquet hall. Upon discovering whiskey bottles and newspapers from the 1930s in the original drop ceiling, they decided to make the basement space into a speakeasy, capturing the history and feel of the original building. Bringing her passion for stromboli instilled by her mother, plus a knack for taking traditional dishes and adding her

own spin, Rickman added pizzas to her growing menu, and Wholly Stromboli was born. Melissa and her team continue to serve innovative items, such as the Divorce Soup, Triple Bypass stromboli and numerous pasta dishes, all served with housemade sauces. “Our belief is that we’ll feed you like your mama would,” Rickman says, “and that goes for the hospitality, too. When you’re here at Wholly Stromboli, you’re family.”

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STATEN ISLAND SAUSAGE, PEPPER & ONION ’BOLI INGREDIENTS 8-oz. dough ball 8 oz. Italian sausage, crumbled 2 oz. yellow onion, thinly sliced 2 oz. green pepper, thinly sliced 2-3 slices smoked provolone cheese Olive oil, for cooking Heat two sauté pans on medium-high, adding a small amount of olive oil to each. Add the Italian sausage to one pan, crumbling as finely as possible until browned. Add the yellow onions and green peppers to the second pan. Once the vegetable mixture begins to caramelize, add the browned sausage. Sauté the mixture until the veggies caramelize fully.

Roll out the dough ball to an 11”-by-6” oval. Place the provolone slices directly on the dough. Place the sausage/vegetable mixture on top of the cheese slices, leaving a ½” to 1” clean edge at the top of the dough to create a clean seal. Roll the stromboli, making sure to keep the filling inside and rolled under the dough. Gently tuck the ends of the dough when fully rolled, ensuring the seal is on the bottom of the stromboli. Place on a nonstick pan. Bake at 550°F for about 8 minutes, or until firm. Remove from the oven when golden brown and serve with your preferred sauce.

Brian Hernandez, a longtime pizzaiolo, is PMQ’s test chef, U.S. Pizza Team event coordinator and a host on PizzaTV.

R E L AT E D V I D E O LEA R N H OW TO MA KE T H E STAT E N IS LA N D SAUSAG E, PEPPER & O N IO N ’ BOL I I N OUR EXCLUSIV E R ECIPE V ID EO AT WWW. PMQ . CO M/1118 B

There it is: the Staten Island Sausage, Pepper & Onion ’Boli—an easy recipe that can be made in either the home or restaurant.

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O T E K T A E N 28 PMQ PIZZA MAGAZINE | THE WORLDâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S AUTHORITY ON PIZZA

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R E L AT E D V I D E O

O O T A

J O IN CH EF B R IA N H ER N A N D EZ A S H E MA KES A KETO PIZ Z A AT WWW. PMQ . CO M/1118 C

Bring dieting pizza fans back to your pizzeria with a keto pizza crust. By Liz Barrett Foster

High fat, high protein, low carbohydrates.

Sounds like a meat lover’s dream, right?

That dream can quickly turn into a nightmare when dieters hear the two

words no one should ever have to hear: No pizza.

R O C K S TA R P I Z Z A

You’ve undoubtedly overheard chatter about the ketogenic diet lately. Maybe you’ve even attempted the diet after learning about someone else’s incredible success. The controversial diet, with its roots (supposedly) based in science, has its pros and cons, but the basic premise is: When your body doesn’t have any carbohydrates to burn, it will turn to stored fat as fuel. The original Ketogenic Diet began as a medical treatment formulated in the 1920s by Dr. Russell Wilder of the Mayo Clinic. Wilder discovered that a high ratio of fat to protein and carbs helped to decrease—and sometimes eliminate— seizure activity in epilepsy patients. In the classic keto diet, 90% of calories come from fat. In today’s trendy keto diet, often associated with fast-track weight loss, fat percentages have been adjusted. According to The Charlie Foundation for Ketogenic Therapies, variations in the keto diet today can contain anywhere from 60% fat to 82% fat and 5% carbohydrates to 17% protein, depending on the plan. As with any restrictive diet, dieters will inevitably start craving the foods they love. One of the most popular cravings on a low-carb diet is pizza. So, of course, there are numerous solutions and hacks to help keto dieters satiate their pizza cravings.

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ANSWERING THE DEMAND

In September 2017, there were 5,400 monthly Google searches for the term “keto pizza,” according to data obtained using the Keyword Keg app. Less than a year later, in August 2018, that number grew to 14,800 monthly searches for the same term. The solo term “keto” was searched in Google 550,000 times last August. Imagine the possibilities if your pizzeria showed up in the search results when a local pizza lover on the keto diet searched for pizza. After debuting a keto crust offering in August of this year, Ron Mathews, owner of Rockstar Pizza in Brownsburg, Indiana, doesn’t have to wonder anymore. “I’m having

MJ’S PIZZERIA

WHAT IS KETO PIZZA?

Keto pizza is any form of pizza that contains the least amount of carbohydrates possible. We’ve seen “pizza” that replaces the crust with chicken, cheese, bacon and ground beef patties. You may not consider these creations (or, some say, abominations) pizza, but if you’ve ever gone a month without pizza, trust us, anything even remotely resembling pizza will taste good. Most recently, recipes that incorporate nut flours, such as almond, coconut and pecan, have entered the fray. These additions allow keto dieters to experience a pizza crust that tastes closer to a traditional pizza than a slab of meat ever could. The nut flours are usually combined with cheese, cream cheese and egg before being par-baked and topped with ingredients. While many dieters are finding recipes online and making the pizzas at home, some pizzeria operators have decided to cater to the keto crowd and offer a special keto pie.

a hard time just keeping up with the demand,” Mathews says. “We’re selling a minimum of 100 keto pizzas on Saturdays, which is when we promote the offering.” Mathews says he has several friends on the diet who were requesting that he make keto pizzas. “I decided that I would make enough keto crusts to last the week,” he says. “The first night, we offered the pizza from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m., and we sold out all 100 crusts by 5:30 p.m. That’s with no delivery. It was unreal.” The following Saturday, Mathews’ keto pizzas sold out by 6 p.m. In recent weeks, Mathews has also added—and sold out of—keto sandwiches. MAKING VS. SOURCING

As with anything in your pizzeria, you usually have a choice between personally making an item or sourcing it from somewhere else to save on labor and ingredients. Keto crusts are no different, if you can find a local bakery that specializes in the product. For his new offering, Mathews chose to make his own crusts. “I use a blend of

almond, pecan and coconut flour, along with seasonings, egg and sea salt,” says Mathews. “In a separate container, I mix and melt down a blend of cheeses until they are gooey.” So far, Mathews says the only way he’s been able to combine the two mixtures is by hand, not with his mixer, translating into a timeconsuming process. “It’s like making bread in the 1920s,” he says. “I can make only four crusts at a time.” (See Mathews’ recipe on page 32.) Because of the hands-on nature of the keto crust production, Mathews only offers medium-size keto pizzas, and no specials. There’s also a $3 upcharge to substitute keto crust in place of a traditional crust. “While I may not be making a lot of money from the keto pizzas themselves, I’m seeing a lot of people coming back into the pizzeria, and they’re bringing their kids, who are not on the diet,” Mathews explains. “My tickets have been insane.” If the keto offering sounds interesting, but the production sounds too timeconsuming for your current operation, there may be options for outsourcing

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THE KETO AND GLUTEN-FREE CONNECTION

Reminiscent of the gluten-free offering, we’re now seeing consumers start to ask about keto offerings at pizzerias. Mathews says that some of his gluten-free customers have even transitioned over to the keto crust. “There are people in a household who are doing keto, but maybe not everybody is,” Odysseos adds. “Now, they can get a regular pizza for the other family members and still have their own; nobody is left out.” But beware: Mathews says that a keto offering inspires a lot of questions from customers, similar to the early days of gluten-free pizza. “They want to know the carb count of every single topping, which is really hard to calculate,” Mathews says. “I also struggle with so many people asking for the recipe, since I went through so much trial and error to get the crust right.” Odysseos says she’s seen people drive nearly 100 miles to get keto crust, because they can’t find it where they are. “On Labor Day, a lady from our Keto Facebook group drove an hour and a half from Toronto to get a keto pizza,” says Odysseos. As they say, “Where there’s a will, there’s a way.” Slowly and surely, all types of dieters will find a way to fit pizza back into their diet. Why not help ease their struggle with your own keto pizza? Liz Barrett Foster is PMQ’s editor at large and author of Pizza: A Slice of American History.

R O C K S TA R P I Z Z A

its production. At MJ’s Gourmet Pizza in Kitchener, Ontario, Canada, co-owner Julie Odysseos has been offering keto crusts since January 2017. “There’s a baker who makes keto items and provides the crusts for us,” Odysseos says. “She has her own business called Keto Eats & Treats, and she asked if we would be interested in selling the crusts.” Odysseos took a poll to see if MJ’s customers would be interested in a keto crust and got a great response. “The baker also connected us with a keto group online, whose members were excited about us offering the crusts,” she says. “There are people out there who still want to have the fun of having pizza but also want to follow their diet.” And now, when those people are looking for keto pizza in Kitchener, MJ’s pops up on Google. MJ’s sells, on average, 30 to 40 personal-size crusts per week, according to Odysseos. “The smaller size is good, because when you’re on the keto diet, you don’t need a lot to feel full,” she says. If there isn’t already a bakery offering keto crusts in your area, you can always reach out to your favorite baker and collaborate on a recipe that will work for both of your businesses and allow you both to cross-promote.

Rockstar Keto Pizza Recipe provided by Ron Mathews, Rockstar Pizza, Brownsburg, IN

Ingredients: ¾ c. almond flour ¼ c. coconut flour ¼ c. pecan meal 1 tsp. white wine vinegar 1 egg ¼ tsp. sea salt ¼ tsp. garlic salt 1 tbsp. Italian seasoning, plus rosemary 1½ c. shredded mozzarella/provolone cheese 2 tbsp. cream cheese Directions: In one bowl, thoroughly mix the three flours, white wine vinegar, egg, salt, garlic and seasoning. In a second bowl, add the mozzarella/provolone mixture and cream cheese, then microwave for 35 seconds. Remove and stir. Return to the microwave for 45 seconds. Remove and stir. When completely mixed and still warm, knead the ingredients from both bowls together into one mixture. Roll out the dough onto a 12” sheet pan. Par-bake the crust at 425˚F for 3 to 4 minutes (it will turn a darkish yellow). Let cool before use.

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THE

EUREKA! MOMENT A chance gig in Alaska became the inspiration for Steve Bangos’ Eureka Pizza Co. By Bill DeJournett

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Eureka Pizza Co. owner Steve Bangos takes great joy in making his customers happy.

When Steve Bangos, a television visual and set designer and musician, traveled to Alaska for a gig, little did he know that visit would change his life. Years later, his Eureka Pizza Co., located in Yorba Linda, California, honors the landscape and culture of the 49th state. Bangos’ journey toward running a successful pizzeria began with music. During a 17-year career working in the television industry, Bangos was also a practicing musician as a drummer in a Greek-oriented cover band. When his group was hired to play a gig in Anchorage, Alaska, he was so impressed at the sight of the city’s mountain vistas, he decided on the spot that he would live there one day. And that love at first sight later evolved into Eureka Pizza Co., an Alaska-themed pizzeria where employees make everyone feel like part of the family.

PMQ: TELL US ABOUT YOUR INTRODUCTION TO ALASKA. Bangos: I discovered Alaska 27 years

ago. I went as a musician, but I’m also an avid outdoorsman, and when we had the opportunity to play a gig in Anchorage, I said, “That sounds so cool and exotic.” I couldn’t wait to go. As soon as I got off the plane and saw the mountains, I said, “I’m going to live here. I don’t know how or when, but I’m going to live here.” I just fell in love with the state. We went back once a year to play for a church venue. They would hire us to play for one night, and we would

play five or six hours, and then I’d stick around for a couple days. I was so enamored, being there. I kind of meandered my way to some areas that were known for fishing. I came across a town called Seward and went there every year. PMQ: HOW DID EUREKA PIZZA CO. GET STARTED? Bangos: In 2004, I got to know the

owner of one of the small eateries I would frequent. He was older than I and was ready to retire. He wanted to sell his place, called The Greek Islands, a fastcasual pizza and deli spot. I thought I

“As soon as I got off the plane and saw the mountains, I said, ‘I’m going to live here. I don’t know how or when, but I’m going to live here.’ I just fell in love with the state.”

M T P • • • •

— STEVE BANGOS, EUREKA PIZZA CO.

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Bangos and his crew at Eureka Pizza Co.

“I like to step away and greet people, sit down and meet with them at the appropriate time, provide that personal, one-on-one touch. Employees see that, and now I see my front-line people going around checking on everyone, making sure everything is OK. ” — STEVE BANGOS, EUREKA PIZZA CO.

could turn this thing around. When the opportunity to purchase presented itself, I jumped on it. I told my wife, Patricia, “I feel really good about this. This is an environment I can see myself in.” We established the restaurant in 2005. I kept the menu the way it was, but I embellished it greatly. I also brought a level of customer service that people in that town weren’t used to seeing. It was my home. I always tell people, “This is my home, so please make it yours.” After my first year, I rebranded it Eureka Pizza Co. I was already established, so it was just a name change. I also wanted to capture the Alaska theme and celebrate Alaskan history. Eureka is translated from Greek as “I have found it.” It’s used as an exclamation to celebrate a discovery, and it’s what a lot of the gold prospectors said. I was committed to serving hearty, delicious food in a very

warm, friendly, rustic environment and, more importantly, to delivering premium hospitality. The downside was that it was a very seasonal town. Year round, it’s about 3,000 people. But in the summer months, it swells to about 30,000 to 50,000 people, and they’re all tourists. So, for 120 days, you’re doing good numbers. You’re making a living. And for the other eight months, you work for free, and that gets old. PMQ: HOW DID YOU END UP IN CALIFORNIA? Bangos: In 2014, my wife and I had

an opportunity to establish a business down here. Her family acquired a commercial property, which had a spot that was available—a disheveled, old deli. I had an opportunity to take it over and be in business for 12 months out of the year instead of 120 days.

Coming from Alaska to Southern California was a game-changing move. Coming down here, I didn’t know anything about the competition, and I had to do a lot of research. I knew that in order to do this, I had to bring everything I had learned, everything I’d done successfully in Alaska. It couldn’t just be a good place to eat; it needed to be unique. Yorba Linda is a big market. I have 60,000 people in my backyard, which borders another 60,000. It’s a large demographic. I decided to embrace the Alaskan theme—very warm and rustic. I designed every square inch of my store. We had the place gutted. That’s where my creative background came in handy, because I was an established set designer in television. I even wrapped my brand around the Alaskan Brewing Company, which is a 30-year-old craft

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brewing company out of Juneau. In six months, we were their No. 1 account in California in tap sales. Having Alaskan beer fits into our theme. It really stands out as being very different. I love it when tourists come in and share their Alaska stories. It’s a little foreign to some people, but no one really questions it. PMQ: TELL US ABOUT YOUR MENU. Bangos: Our menu is a hybrid. I’m not competing with

other eateries that have a similar menu. We’re of Greek descent, so I wanted to encompass Mediterranean-influenced recipes and still celebrate New York-style thin-crust pizza (my parents were from New York) in a very rustic, warm dining environment. The whole package seems to work; its uniqueness draws people. People in Alaska still follow me, and many of them wish I was still there. But it was impossible for me to manage two stores 3,200 miles apart. PMQ: HOW DOES YOUR ARTISTIC AND DESIGN BACKGROUND INFLUENCE YOUR MENU? Bangos: Coming from a creative background, I treat every plate

like a canvas—every single dish, whether it’s a salad or a pizza, spaghetti, pasta or a stromboli. I want everything to be the Rembrandt of food. I know it’s going to taste wonderful, but I also want it to be so appealing to the eye that customers’ first impression is, “Wow.”

Owner Steve Bangos used his background in set design to completely refurbish the interior of his pizzeria, aiming primarily for a rustic Alaska theme.

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PMQ: YOU HAVE A LOT OF GREAT VIDEOS ON YOUR FACEBOOK PAGE. TELL US ABOUT THE INSPIRATION FOR THOSE. Bangos: On Instagram, I see a lot of

pretty pictures of food. I wanted my videos to be more personal than that. It’s so important to connect to your customers so they know you. People go to a place because they know the food is good. But I also wanted them to know who is making the food, in an entertaining format. I also knew that no one in this market did anything like that. In a nutshell, it was an invitation for people to know me and what I’m all about. I’m not afraid to share what I’m doing, because I want customers to know what they’re eating. The response has been really great. It’s so gratifying when customers come in and say, “I saw that video of the Greek Village Spaghetti. Can you make that for me?” My background in the world of entertainment and hospitality helps my confidence. One of my crew members, who is good at videography, shot them on my iPhone X, and my 15-year-old son, who is into video production, put the videos together using iMovie. It’s just amazing what you can come up with when you tap into the resources that you already have. PMQ: TELL US ABOUT YOUR MANAGEMENT STYLE. Bangos: You can only lead as well as

you serve, so I’m in the trenches with my employees. I call them co-workers, because I work right with them. I handpick all of them. Customer service is really important, so I look at character. I don’t care how long your resume is or how many places you’ve worked;

if you’re rich in character, you can be taught. I look for excitement and enthusiasm, an “I can’t wait to do this” type of attitude. When you get those diamonds in the rough, you want to groom them. You want to exemplify what makes your business a success. Every customer who walks through that door is credible, and they are responsible for your success, whether they are buying a slice of pizza or an $800 catering order. They are helping you keep the lights on. The words “thank you” can never be said enough. The customer experience starts when they walk through my door. Are they welcomed? Are they greeted properly? We cross-train. When you stop reinforcing and assume your employees are going to know everything, they’re not going to get it. As for me, I like to step away and greet people, sit down and meet with them at the appropriate time, provide that personal, one-on-one touch. Employees see that, and now I see my front-line people going around checking on everyone, making sure everything is OK. Our repeat customers like the fact that they feel greeted. When they are here, they’ve got to feel like family. That’s what keeps them coming back.

Find Them On Facebook PMQ has been saying it for years: Video is your best marketing tool. Utilizing owner Steve Bangos as the star in the Eureka Pizza Co. videos shows a human connection, plus it attracts customers. And he does them all himself—without video crew or lighting experts. Check out his popular videos at facebook.com/EurekaPizza-Co-191947620908865/.

PMQ: WHAT DO YOU SEE IN THE FUTURE FOR YOUR PIZZERIA? Bangos: I’m very passionate about what

I’m doing. I’m in it to win it. We’re only two years old in this ZIP code, and coming here to Yorba Linda was a challenge. I think I can confidently say I overcame many challenges, but I’m not out of the woods yet. Bill DeJournett is PMQ’s managing editor.

“You can only lead as well as you serve, so I’m in the trenches with my employees. I call them co-workers, because I work right with them.” — STEVE BANGOS, EUREKA PIZZA CO.

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WHAT’S IN THE

BOX? At a micro-pizzeria in Florida, good things come in small packages. By Daniel Lee Perea On a busy strip in St. Petersburg, Florida, lies an unassuming little shop serving delicious and original pizza creations—the emphasis being on “little”. Operated by Kelley McKell and her husband, Adam Duff, with some help from Adam’s brother Andrew, the pizzeria known as Pizza Box is a mere 750 square feet. Walk into the tight confines of the shop on any given afternoon, and you’ll find McKell and Duff alternating between expertly working the oven, filling drink orders and slinging pies to hungry customers. But here, good things come in small packages.

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Good things come in small packages, like the Debbie’s Veggie pizza (right), a pie that changes from month to month with seasonal vegetables.

“We had people dine in and tell us, ‘You guys will probably have a nice little run, but you’ll be out of business in a year.’ But here we are, two years later, successful, making money, making it work!” — ADAM DUFF, PIZZA BOX

OVERCOMING ADVERSITY

You’d never know that the restaurant made a fairly inauspicious debut, back in April 2016. “We put everything we had into this place,” Duff recalls. “When we first opened, things were slow—so slow that we resorted to literally standing outside on the sidewalk holding free pizza, begging people to stop and try some. We really didn’t know if we were going to make it.” Complicating matters in those early days, a competing pizzeria had opened a mere three doors down from Pizza Box. Everyone loves a David and Goliath story—until they find themselves in the midst of one, facing down a giant. “The morning I was going to sign the lease for this space, my mom frantically called me and said, ‘Have you read the paper? They’re opening a wood-fired pizzeria right next door to you guys!’” Duff recalls. “I checked into it and found out this other restaurant had spent $300,000 on the oven alone. That was almost three times more than what we were putting into our entire restaurant!” “Honestly, we didn’t know how this would impact our business,” McKell adds. “We decided to go to the pizzeria’s original location to see what their pizza tasted like. After trying their product, we realized how different our styles are. They have a very traditional Italian product, while ours is very nontraditional, made with artisan bread flour. Our pizza is cooked at a much lower temperature and is a completely

different consistency.” The couple fought through their fears and pulled the trigger on the lease. After opening, the early response from locals was not exactly encouraging. “We had people dine in and tell us, ‘You guys will probably have a nice little run, but you’ll be out of business in a year,’” Duff says. “Why would you even say something like that, and to my face! But here we are, two years later, successful, making money, making it work!” The turning point came a few months after opening, when a local paper visited for a profile on Pizza Box and declared its dessert pizza the best dessert in St. Pete. “People started streaming in to order it,” Duff says. “From there, it was a matter of convincing them to try our pizzas.” A QUIRKY CONCEPT

While Pizza Box is the couple’s first attempt at owning a standalone pizzeria, it isn’t their first foray in the industry. Duff and McKell, natives of St. Petersburg and Tampa, respectively, first met while waiting tables at a local restaurant. After years of working in local food establishments, they moved to New Hampshire and launched a tiny pizzeria called the Lemming Pub within the Fitzwilliam Inn, a bed and breakfast, that belonged to one their friends.

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Find yo y your ur Ispirazione Italiana

What's our Italian Inspiration? It’s bringing Italy, the most

food-centric country in the world, to the biggest melting pot in America: Las Vegas! Everyone here is from somewhere else. So, Metro Pizza set out to become everybody’s hometown pizzeria by combining regional styles and flavors with authentic ingredients like Galbani® Premio Mozzarella—from Italy’s #1 cheese brand. It’s the perfect way to give our customers a taste of Italy and a taste of home, too. —JOHN ARENA (CO-FOUNDER) & CHRIS DECKER (CHEF/PARTNER), METRO PIZZA

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From the self-built oven to its innovative dough recipe, Pizza Box has a unique take on everything.

Eventually, facing pangs of homesickness, they exchanged the cold New England winters for the familiar subtropical sun of Florida. They returned home with plans to bring their newly honed DIY pizza esthetic to St. Petersburg. “We built this oven ourselves,” Duff points out. “It comes in a kit from a company in Maine. You have to pour concrete in sections and get it just right. I put the frame on wheels, and the whole oven is just the right width to fit through the front door, so it gives us the option to take it mobile, in case we want to do special events.” Where did the couple learn their wood-fired pizza skills? Duff laughs that he attended “YouTube University” and tapped a mentor for advice. “You can learn how to do anything these days by watching instructional videos on YouTube,” he says. “I also befriended a Sicilian coworker, who shared his love of wood-fired cooking. He showed me some basics, gave me pointers and encouraged me to do a lot of research.” The pies at Pizza Box may have their roots in traditional Neapoltan style, but that’s where the similarity ends. “We would describe it as Neo-Neapolitan,” McKell explains. “We use a wood-fired

“We use a wood-fired oven and cook at a high temperature, but we have so many nontraditional elements in our style. We smoke with cherry wood but cook with oak. We use an artisan bread flour, and our dough is highhydration. Our product is thin, crispy, and not chewy in the center. We also use so many different ingredients and try to think outside the box when it comes to toppings.” — KELLEY MCKELL, PIZZA BOX

oven and cook at a high temperature, but we have so many nontraditional elements in our style. We smoke with cherry wood but cook with oak. We use an artisan bread flour, and our dough is high-hydration. Our product is thin, crispy, and not chewy in the center. We also use so many different ingredients

and try to think outside the box when it comes to toppings.” The ever-changing, seasonally inspired menu includes the Angry Goat, which features spicy herb-infused goat cheese, cherry peppers, fire-roasted red peppers, bacon and chives. The Lover Boy is topped with housemade

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The Lover Boy features a delightful blend of housemade sausage, housemade San Marzano tomato sauce, herb-whipped ricotta, caramelized onions, fresh basil, and a flavor kick provided by cherry peppers.

meatballs, herb-whipped ricotta, caramelized onions, cherry peppers and fresh basil. The Debbie’s Veggie is a seasonal affair, with toppings that change each month, depending upon what’s in season. And the award-winning dessert pizza that helped cement Pizza Box’s success remains a signature dish; it’s topped with honey-whipped mascarpone and whichever fruit is in peak season, then dusted with powdered sugar. The pizzeria’s interior displays a quirky, rough-hewn character, reflective of the Duff clan’s DIY mentality. Photos of Kelly, Adam, Andrew, and various extended family and friends are displayed on the walls. “We wanted to really have a family environment and make it feel like you’re just over at someone’s house,” Adam notes. “St. Petersburg is a unique city,” McKell adds. “It is very communal and does not allow corporate chains in the downtown area. Everything is centrally located, and everyone is big on supporting local businesses. This is the perfect area for small mom-and-pops to thrive.”

about the entire experience—from watching a toddler try pizza for the first time to being a part of great-aunt Ruth’s 90th birthday celebration. This is why we do what we do. Our next goal will be figuring out how to be a part of so many more life experiences.” With an eye to the future and a strong work ethic firmly dedicated to the present, the folks behind Pizza Box keep finding that success tastes as delicious as a well-made pie. After two and a half years of building a customer base and standing up to stiff competition, it’s safe to say that despite initial challenges, the little pizzeria that could has its sights set on bigger and better. Daniel Lee Perea is PMQ’s senior media producer.

ON THE GROW

The tiny size of the pizzeria isn’t just the perfect setting for cozy meals; it tentatively serves as a blueprint for possible future expansion. “The main operating space of this restaurant is almost identical to the dimensions of a shipping container,” Duff points out. “Now that I know we can make an operation work in these dimensions, it’s possible to recreate the model in a modular form by building a restaurant into shipping containers.” “We are big believers in starting small, but now we want to take the next step and have a second location so that we can reach more people,” McKell adds. “For us, making pizza is 48 PMQ PIZZA MAGAZINE | THE WORLD’S AUTHORITY ON PIZZA

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We explore the many instruments that help pizza makers shine. By Liz Barrett Foster

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ust for a moment,

put down this magazine and take a good look at your hands. Lift them up, stretch them out, turn them over a time or two. Do you see remnants of pizza flour? What about those scars from the time you grabbed a hot pan or missed a beat with your favorite knife? No matter how many tools are invented to help make your job easier, you already own the most important pizza making tools on the planetâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;everything else is just gravy. Still, as a pizza maker, when you choose to take the leap and open your first, second or 10th pizzeria, one of the biggest financial considerations will involve equipment. While your two hands are essential to pizza making, you will need a few crucial tools if you expect to employ additional staff and serve a greater number of customers. Ultimately, youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll find that an oven, a mixer, reliable refrigeration, and a certain number of smallware items will suffice in your quest to create the perfect pizza. However, before laying out any capital, experts agree that you must first review your menu and concept.

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Mixing Things Up

Mixers are available in several styles and load capacities ranging from 15 to 300 pounds; choosing the one that fits your concept will depend mostly on how many pizzas you plan to produce each week. Some main considerations include:

“ The pizza style will determine a lot of the equipment you’re going to need, and the oven and mixer are the first two items that will really play into that.” ANTHONY FALCO, INTERNATIONAL PIZZA CONSULTANT, PREVIOUSLY OF ROBERTA’S

Let Your Menu Be Your Guide “The first step is always to identify what type of pizza you want to make,” says Brooklyn, New York-based international pizza consultant Anthony Falco, who is best known for his previous stint working the pizza oven at Roberta’s in Brooklyn. “The pizza style will determine a lot of the equipment you’re going to need, and the oven and mixer are the first two items that will really play into that.” Glenn Cybulski, a Penngrove, California-based restaurateur, chef and consultant, agrees, adding that you need to dive even deeper, deciding, before you design the kitchen, if you’ll offer gluten-free items. “I look at the entire menu during kitchen planning, including if there will be gluten-free offerings that need a separate prep area in the kitchen,” says Cybulski. “The dough making aspect, especially if gluten-free pizza is involved, will affect the entire kitchen.” Once you feel comfortable with your menu and the style of pizza you’ll be making, you can move forward with choosing an oven, mixer and other dough making tools.

New or used. “Ultimately, new equipment is the best way to go; it has a warranty and dealer support if anything were to go wrong,” says Tim Green, pizza specialist at Newport Beach, California-based Synergy Restaurant Consultants. “Always look at refurbished and a warranty when buying a used mixer. Be certain it’s the make and model that you need. You are really taking a risk if your used mixer has not been refurbished.” “Choose what you can afford,” advises Cybulski. “If it’s a used mixer, buy it from a reputable company, not from Sal down on the corner.” Spiral or planetary. The most basic difference between planetary and spiral mixers is that one has a hook that moves around the bowl, while the other has a bowl that moves around the hook, according to Cybulski. “The tried-and-true planetary mixer has a mixing hook that runs around the bowl,” he says. “Spiral mixers have a spiral hook that doesn’t move, but the bowl moves around it. And a third type, also popular, are fork mixers. They look like a two-pronged fork with the bowl moving around the fork.” The whole idea behind the spiral mixer’s ability to have the bowl move instead of the hook, according to Cybulski, is to create less friction and less heat—the enemy of dough production. “It’s a control issue,” he says. “You want to keep the temperature at a certain level so that the dough doesn’t overreact too soon.” “Planetary mixers are widely used in bakeries and restaurants for their versatility, allowing the use of a variety of attachments—not only for mixing, but for food prep, such as shredding, slicing and grinding,” Green adds. And while Green says he feels there’s very little difference between the finished dough when comparing the two styles of mixers, with planetary mixers, he prefers models

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with a dough hook that’s designed to keep the dough at the bottom of the bowl, without dough riding up the hook. Spiral mixers are more expensive than planetary mixers, but Falco says it is possible to find a reliable used one. “If you’re in a big market, like New York, you can get a good used spiral mixer, which imparts less heat than a planetary mixer.” While Falco says he’s a fan of fork mixers, which are smaller and easier to clean, he also reminds operators to think about how many other tasks they’ll be relegating to their mixers. If you need a multifunctional mixer that can also shred cheese, whip cream and extrude pasta, a planetary mixer may be your best bet. Size matters. Bigger isn’t always better, especially when it comes to mixers. Green suggests a 40-quart mixer for several reasons. “I prefer to make smaller batches of dough; not only is a smaller batch easier to handle, but you are more consistent in your dough production,” Green explains. “Also consider that larger mixers often require three-phase electric; if it is not already in your building, it will take additional permitting to bring it in.”

“Ultimately, new equipment is the best way to go; it has a warranty and dealer support if anything were to go wrong.” TIM GREEN, PIZZA SPECIALIST, SYNERGY RESTAURANT CONSULTANTS

Getting Baked

There are many factors that go into selecting the pizza oven that’s right for your pizzeria, but two of the top questions you need to answer are: What type of pizza will you serve? For example, Neapolitan pizza requires a wood-burning oven, while New York-style slices bake better in a deck oven. How skilled in pizza making is my staff ? Conveyor and impinger ovens are the simplest of ovens to operate, while deck ovens take a bit more skill, and wood-fired are the most difficult to learn. Your oven and mixer will be the workhorses of your kitchen. Don’t skimp on these two pieces of equipment. Get what you need and want from the beginning, and they should last you for years to come.

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A-Peeling Pizza

There are dozens of pizza peel styles to choose from, but, again, the peel you need will be determined by your type of pizza, Falco says. “With New York-style pizza, you’ll build the pizza on a wooden peel before sliding it into a deck oven,” says Falco. “Then you use a metal peel to move it around.” For wood-fired pizzas, Falco says peels geared toward wood-fired ovens may have a perforated metal surface that allows the flour to shake off of the bottom. Once you know the style of pizza you’ll be making, talk with your supplier and fellow pizza makers about the type of peel that will work best.

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Small Is Big

Your smallwares are some of the most important tools in your kitchen. From scales to knives to dough scrapers, you and your staff will use these tools every day. Cybulski lists the following dough making smallware essentials: A speed rack for your dough trays; a high-quality scale that has three decimal points, because you’ll be weighing dough in ounces or grams (Cybulski recommends a scale with a foot pedal that allows hands-free zeroing out for saving time in the kitchen); whisks and proper measuring tools; dough scrapers; a reach-in or under-counter refrigerator; quart-size containers; and probe and infrared thermometers.

To Box or Not to Box

“ I believe dough boxes come down to preference, unless you’re talking about specific styles and authenticity, such as how Neapolitan dough is suppposed to be proofed in dough boxes made of a certain kind of wood.”

Unless you’re baking your dough immediately after mixing it, you’ll need to think about dough storage, too. Dough trays, storage and quality refrigeration are all a part of dough production. “I believe dough boxes come down to preference, unless you’re talking about specific styles and authenticity, such as how Neapolitan dough is supposed to be proofed in dough boxes made of a certain kind of wood,” says Cybulski. “I tend to like the fiberglass dough boxes, because, unlike plastic dough boxes, the fiberglass ones don’t warp, and they stay true to their fit size. The less air flow, the better.” Falco likes fiberglass, too, but prefers trays over boxes. “I don’t like dough boxes; they’re expensive, they take up a lot of space, and it’s hard to check on your dough,” he says. “I prefer to use a fiberglass sheet tray for dough balls. I cover the dough balls with foodservice plastic wrap. They’re cheaper and take up less space, and I feel like I have more control over when I retard my dough.” All that dough needs to go somewhere, and therefore Falco says operators must find good refrigeration. “There are just some things I would not recommend cheaping out on,” Falco says. “The mixer would be one, and refrigeration is the other. It’s OK to buy a high-quality used mixer, but it’s not worth it to buy cheap refrigeration. Spending the money up front will make your life a lot easier down the road.”

GLENN CYBULSKI, RESTAURATEUR, CHEF AND CONSULTANT

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Divide and Conquer

Equipment that helps speed up dough production makes the most sense in large-scale operations and franchises, and won’t necessarily work for all doughs, such as those that are extremely wet. Experts agree that for a small operation, tools such as sheeters, rounders and divider rounders are probably not necessary, or even suggested. However, if you have a high-volume operation, they can speed up your processes. “Time is money these days,” says Cybulski. “I hate automation and taking away jobs, but this is also a business, and we need to make money, so I think a divider rounder is essential if you have a high-traffic, high-volume pizzeria.” Green suggests considering a rounder if you’re producing more than 200 dough balls per day. “Understanding that when you are using a dough rounder you still need to cut and weigh your dough, as a startup piece of equipment, they save a lot of time in training of your staff,” he says. “Rolling dough by hand does take time to train, and even after the skill is learned, rolling with a machine takes less time than rolling by hand.” With a divider rounder, Green says, after you modify them to work with your dough, you can simply toss batches of dough into the machine and the dough will be weighed, cut and rolled. “The initial cost of these machines is pretty high, but they will save you a lot of labor dollars in training and daily production,” he says. “But don’t forget that these machines, as well as dough rounders, have small parts that need to be removed daily for cleaning. Always be sure to have a system to manage these parts and pieces.” For the new owner, the less tools, the better, according to Falco. “If you’re just starting out, you want to be as hands-on as possible to understand your art,” he says. In the end, no matter how many tools you have in your arsenal, it’s your two hands and your experience that will get you through when the mixer breaks down, the staff calls in sick and the phone is ringing off the hook. If you’re lucky, those times will be few and far between. Liz Barrett Foster is PMQ’s editor at large and author of Pizza: A Slice of American History.

Shopping List

You may not need every pizza dough making smallware on this list, but this is a good place to start:

Scale Probe thermometer Infrared thermometer Dough box Pans Peel Pizza cutter Dough docker Pizza screens Oven brushes Dough scraper Can opener Mixing bowls Measuring spoons Measuring cups Knives Whisks Quart-size containers Tongs Sauce pans Ladles Cutting board

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Brush up on the basics you need to know about the essential living organism that makes your dough grow: yeast. By Tracy Morin Yeast may seem like an unassuming ingredient, but itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s indispensable for making pizzaâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;and a real multitasker, allowing dough to rise, contributing flavor and aroma, and making dough softer for stretching. While any of the three main types of yeast can create the results you desire for your crust, each dictates different operating procedures, sports a finite shelf life and requires specific storage needs. Here, experts break down the details of each type to ensure peak performance in your pizzeria.

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TYPE CASTING

There are three main types of yeast available to pizza makers: active dry yeast (ADY), instant dry yeast (IDY), and fresh, or compressed, yeast (CY). Tom “The Dough Doctor” Lehmann, a consultant to the pizza industry at Dough Doctor Consulting in Manhattan, Kansas, notes that two other types may be used in specific applications: protective ADY (PADY), used in dry mixes, and cream yeast, which is compressed before it’s centrifuged to pull off water, but not processed to make it a compressed type of yeast. However, pizzeria owners will mainly be concerned with ADY, IDY and CY. The main difference between the three, Lehmann notes, relates to moisture content. CY contains very high moisture (70%), making it extremely perishable, so it must be maintained at refrigerated temperatures and has a limited shelf life. “Even leaving it on the counter for 20 to 30 minutes before putting it back in the refrigerator will affect the yeast activity,” Lehmann says. “And CY can’t come into contact with salt or sugar before mixing,

so you can’t use it to make ‘goodie bags’ with a premeasured blend of ingredients to mix dough.” Paul Bright, innovation manager at AB Mauri North America in St. Louis, clarifies that CY is the same type of yeast as ADY and IDY; it simply hasn’t gone through their drying process. “This yeast can be added after all other ingredients are added to the mixing bowl,” he says. “As a rough guide, the pizza dough maker would use one pound of fresh yeast for every 0.4 to 0.5 pounds of dry yeast.” Originally designed for home, not commercial, applications, ADY has a long history in baking—and eventually found its way to pizzerias, thanks to its reliable performance. The one caveat: It must be hydrated before being added into a dough mixture. “That can be the Achilles heel for pizza makers, because you must hydrate in warm water with a definite temperature, usually between 100˚ and 105˚F,” Lehmann notes. “Some people just run their hand under water until it feels warm, but for accuracy the temperature must be measured.” Using water that is too cold

or too warm can damage the yeast and lead to poor results. “This type has a reputation of being inconsistent, but it isn’t—as long as you handle it right,” Lehmann says. Finally, IDY has been dried to a very low moisture content (6%), making it very stable, with a lengthy shelf life. Unlike ADY, IDY can and should be added dry, no prehydration needed; place it directly on top of the flour and mix. (The “instant” in IDY doesn’t refer to instant yeast activity, but instant hydration.) Thanks to its relative ease of use, IDY is the most popular choice for today’s pizza makers, but it’s still crucial to monitor water temperature. “Yeast is extremely sensitive, so if you use water at the incorrect temperature, you’ll lose yeast activity,” Lehmann says. “It’s especially sensitive to lower temps—so if you go 5˚F higher, it might not be a deal-breaker, but 5˚F lower can be.” Despite their differences, when used properly, all three types of yeast offer the same results. “The great thing about fresh and dry yeasts is that they are the same species of yeast and therefore produce the same fermentation flavors

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The Color Code Tom “The Dough Doctor” Lehmann, a consultant to the pizza industry with Dough Doctor Consulting in Manhattan, Kansas, notes that there are different types of instant dry yeast (IDY) on the market. “In the pizza industry, they're labeled as red-label IDY and gold-label IDY,” he says. “Gold-label IDY is a different subspecies; it has a very high tolerance to sugar (making it great for sweet doughs or Danish) but a low tolerance to salt, which is often used in pizza dough, so stay away from the gold-label variety for pizza.” Then there's green-label IDY, which is another strain that's ideal if you're freezing your dough. Look into this type if you're freezing—not just occasionally, but if frozen dough makes up the main thrust of your business.

and gassing activity levels,” Bright explains. “Once properly processed, depending if the yeast requires rehydration, dry blending or chilling prior to use, any yeast will function similarly in a dough.” SHELF LIFE AND STORAGE

Bright notes that any of the above varieties are ideal for pizza dough making, but a key consideration when selecting fresh vs. dry yeast is how quickly the yeast will be used. “Dry yeast, when stored unopened and vacuumed, has a shelf life of two years, while fresh yeast, when stored at refrigerated conditions, has a shelf life that ranges from 21 to 42 days,” Bright says. “Use of fresh compressed yeast provides the most tolerant yeast for pizza doughs that are either cold or warm, as the yeast is already active. Dry yeast requires a little more care with regards to rehydration temperatures or dough water temperatures.” Therefore, when using CY, keep the yeast cold (below 40˚F) at all times— right up to the point of addition to the mixing bowl. “If fresh yeast is allowed to warm prior to use, this will have a negative effect on yeast activity and gassing power,” Bright says. “Dry yeast, when packaged under vacuum, has a

shelf life of two years—but once the foil package has been opened, any unused yeast should be resealed and refrigerated. If stored under these conditions, dry yeast should have stable activity for several more weeks.” Lehmann points out that improper storage techniques are another common mistake among pizzeria operators. While yeast comes in a vacuum-sealed package, operators may simply open, pour into a plastic bowl with a lid and toss in the fridge—not the ideal conditions. Instead, Lehmann advises, open the bag, pour out the amount needed, pull the bag down to eliminate excess air, and secure the bag with tape or a rubber band. And, though refrigeration is generally advisable, that depends on your usage. “If you’re using IDY within one week, do not refrigerate; leave at room temperature,” Lehmann adds. “This is because climates differ. If you live in a humid environment,

like you’d find in Miami, and take the yeast out of the refrigerator and open it, there’s moist air touching the yeast. Moisture is condensing onto the yeast, which damages it. Leaving it at room temperature, you won’t get that condensation.” When in doubt, consult with your yeast manufacturer to nail down exact operating procedures—from the ideal water temperature when mixing to best storage practices. With exact (and consistent) procedures, you’ll reap optimal results. “Yeast is a living organism and should be treated with care to maximize its performance,” Bright concludes. “Optimal storage and processing conditions, including temperature for the particular yeast type the pizza maker is using, will lead to the most consistent and best tasting pizzas.” Tracy Morin is PMQ’s senior copy editor.

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TIME

Navigate the tricky world of third-party delivery services with these expert tips. By Bill DeJournett Delivery is a time-honored hallmark of the pizza industry. However, offering delivery comes at a price. Hiring, training and employing delivery drivers adds labor costs to your pizzeria, not to mention the added cost of insurance. An alternative to delivery is to utilize a third-party delivery service. There are essentially two types of third-party food services: Those that simply place an order with the restaurant, and those that pick up the food from the restaurant and deliver to the customer. Most third-party delivery services operate on a model of charging an extra fee (up to 30% of the ticket in some cases) for customers to place an order online or via an app. Some services require you to upload your customer database. Business owners should carefully weigh the advantages and disadvantages of this approach. According to Bikky.com, an automated restaurant marketing platform based in New York City, the biggest third-party delivery services are GrubHub, with 15.1 million active users, and UberEats, with 8.7 million mobile app users. DoorDash, while having far less active users, has the second largest market share in third-party delivery. An important factor to consider when evaluating third-party delivery services is your customer base. According to PMQâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 2018 Pizza Power Report, â&#x20AC;&#x153;In a survey by AlixPartners, among those who order delivery, 71% said they prefer to get delivery directly from the restaurant, while only 8% said they prefer it through a third-party intermediary. There are also fees associated with third-party delivery that may not be worth it to your business if you already have in-house delivery drivers on the payroll.â&#x20AC;?

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“With any of these thirdparty platforms, you can be paying 30% to upload your customers to a platform where your competitors can begin poaching them.” — KAMRON KARRINGTON

“It seems to be a decent option if you don’t do delivery yourself,” says Jamie Culliton, U.S. Pizza Team coach. “I have a couple of friends around the country who don’t do delivery, because they can’t find a driver. So it’s a good option when you are in a situation like that. I do know they take a pretty hefty cut out of your ticket to deliver it. So that would be the downside—losing that money instead of just having a delivery driver yourself. But then again, you don’t have to pay the insurance with a delivery driver, which is always a pain.” Is a third-party delivery service right for you? And once you commit, how should you proceed? Here are some things to consider: AVOID THE PITFALLS. Kamron Karrington, founder and CEO of Repeat Returns, a marketing agency in Las Vegas, warns of some of the dangers of utilizing third-party delivery services, particularly if they require you to upload your customer database. “With any of these third-party platforms, you can be paying 30% to upload your customers to a platform where your competitors can begin poaching them,” Karrington says. “If you presented this to a merchant that way, they’re going to say no. But that’s not how it’s pitched. It’s pitched, ‘We have all these people who want to order, and they’re going to see your restaurant,’ so you sign up. But, while you’re on board, you are transferring either your customers or people who are ordering from you to a third-party provider who is now promoting your competitors to your customers.” Karrington also warns of the seductive nature of third-party platforms. “They’ve got you addicted to this, and now it’s going to be hard to leave,” he says. “You’ve uploaded all your customers to them, and if you stop, your customers will be ordering from others.”

To successfully make the switch, Karrington recommends finding what he terms as a “conversion path” from the thirdparty services to your dedicated online ordering platform, weaning the consumer from the third-party app to ordering directly from you. “If you’re doing your own delivery, you can include a box topper aimed at moving a third-party user to your online ordering site,” Karrington says. “You can say, ‘Order direct at our website and get $5 off your next order.’ That gets them to move to your site the next time. If you’re using third-party delivery, those services are not too keen on you trying to steal their customers away and getting them to order directly through you.” CONVERT YOUR CUSTOMERS. Use unique delivery packaging specifically for third-party delivery to convert customers to your loyalty program. “If you’re using a box topper, that can disappear on the way to the customer’s house,” Karrington says, “so print specific boxes or to-go containers for those customers who are ordering through that channel. Print the pitch on there: ‘Join our loyalty program and start earning rewards each time you place an order.’” Karrington recommends a good signup offer to entice customers. In a welcome email, make it clear to them that to earn points and redeem offers for online orders, they must order from your website (include the link in the email). WEIGH THE PROS AND CONS. Pizzeria owners should carefully evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of third-party delivery services. For example, Bruce Irving of Smart Pizza Marketing, a digital agency in Boston, believes that third-party delivery services are great if you’re a small, local pizzeria with no real digital footprint. “The problem that happens with more established restaurants and pizzerias is that it takes away from your own online ordering system,” he says. “If you do have your own online ordering, it could be a mistake to promote third-party services.”

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W In these cases, Irving recommends using third-party services as a way to be found, like you would on Google, when someone searches the third-party site for pizza. “Once that customer orders from you through the third-party platform, do anything and everything you can to get them to order directly from you the next time,” Irving says. “Then you have their email, phone number, address, all that data—but these third-party services may take those customers who order from you and promote that customer to other businesses, which may be competitors of yours.” Lenny Rago, co-owner of Panino’s in Chicago and a U.S. Pizza Team member, poses another angle to consider, along with a personal anecdote: “Are third-party companies taking other establishments’ orders and grouping them, causing deliveries to be late?” asks Rago. “I ordered at my house one time and got someone who could barely understand me, and I couldn’t understand them. They didn’t have direct contact with the restaurant. When the customer calls third-party

“I think third-party delivery services are great services if you’re a small, local pizzeria with no real digital footprint.” — BRUCE IRVING

companies with high volume, they can be put on hold forever.” Further issues have happened to Rago as a customer: Once, a driver set the food at the wrong house, left it outside in freezing temperatures, and by the time he got through to customer service and she delivered it to the correct address, the food was ice-cold. Such mistakes can potentially reflect poorly on your brand. PROMOTE YOUR BRAND. Irving believes that operators with a social media footprint, mobile-friendly website and online ordering are less likely to need third-party delivery. “Aggressively market those things on social media, on Facebook, on Instagram, through your email, and offline if you do fliers or door hangers,”

Co he advises. “Promote the fact that you have your own delivery and your own online ordering system, and make it easy for people to use. The reason those third-party delivery platforms are so popular is that the ease of use for the consumer is great on those platforms. For most pizzerias, it’s not.” Karrington notes that it may be beneficial to outsource delivery—but only if it makes sense for your operation. “If you have a service that is making you look good, and saving you money and hassle, that completely makes sense,” he says. “Just don’t give up the biggest asset you have, your customer database. That’s a bad trade.” Bill DeJournett is PMQ’s managing editor.

Add-On Assets Some POS manufacturers, such as Par Technology, based in New Hartford, New York, have equipment that can automatically coordinate third-party delivery services with your restaurant’s POS system, greatly simplifying the process of utilizing these services. Slice, an online ordering platform based in New York City that's designed to promote smaller, independently owned pizzerias, says about 40% of their order volume is for pickup and takeout, not delivery, according to their analytics.

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Mozz Madness A staple at every pizzeria, mozzarella shines for its versatility in everything from apps and salads to pizza and pasta. By Tracy Morin

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“Move away from traditional greens and look to Belgian endive and radicchio; the bitter and hearty leaves complement a rich, milky mozzarella so well.” — DONATELLA ARPAIA

Is there any topping more essential in pizza production than mozzarella? From sliced to shredded, smoked to straciatella, the many forms of mozz— not to mention its impressive ability to pair with virtually any ingredient—have surely helped it rise to prime status as Americans’ most-consumed cheese. In fact, Dairy Foods magazine reports that of the 33-plus pounds of cheese each of us consume every year, nearly one-third, 10.8 pounds, is mozzarella. But are you making the most of this key pizzeria ingredient? We tapped chefs and operators to share their most creative recipe ideas, as well as handy tips on selection and storage, to ensure that you’re stretching (pun intended) this must-have to the max. FINISHING ORDER

For pizzas alone, mozzarella can be more versatile than you think—simply depending on when it’s added during the cooking or preparation process, or what type is used. “It’s based on the ingredients that are going on the pizza or other item, but it all comes down

to a balance of flavors to get the right taste and look,” says Paul Russo, CEO and founder of NYPD Pizza in Orlando, Florida. “Authentic New York pizza requires a blend of mozzarella cheeses to get the correct taste, while the amount of cheese that is used provides the correct balance of flavors. Some pies require cheese on top, while other pies have the cheese on bottom.” Perhaps NYPD’s most creative use of mozz on a pie is its cold cheese pizza, called the Oneonta slice (named after the New York town that made this style famous), which melds cooked cheese, melted cheese and cold cheese. At the recently opened Sauce Pizzeria in New York City, owner Adam Elzer incorporates mozzarella a bit differently on the Upside Down Cheese pie. “The ingredients go on the dough in reverse: mozzarella first, sauce second, and toppings last,” Elzer explains. “As a result, the cheese bakes directly into the dough; the sauce is slightly sweeter, because it concentrates under the high heat; and the texture is more cohesive.” Elzer asserts that this method—an

TIP! Find Your Type “I cannot emphasize enough that not all mozzarella is created equal. When choosing mozzarella, look at the color; it should look like the color of milk, not porcelainwhite. Then, obviously, evaluate the taste and melt. When I launched Prova Pizzabar, I went through an extensive blind tasting of many brands and ended up choosing a top Italian brand, because they continue to make their product the old-fashioned way, using highquality milk from local, familyowned farms.” —Donatella Arpaia, chef and partner, Prova Pizzabar, New York, NY

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“Everyone loves its mild flavor profile, which plays so well with many different ingredients, but one aspect that is often lost with mozzarella is how well it plays with fruits.” — ANDY WITTMAN

old-school technique used by iconic pizzerias like Totonno’s in Brooklyn, New York—keeps the cheese from sliding around on the pie. The Upside Down Cheese pie also counts on the right cheese blend: low-moisture, partskim mozzarella and fresh mozzarella, then finished with a sprinkle of Pecorino for added depth of flavor. Donatella Arpaia, chef and partner of Prova Pizzabar in New York, believes that when you add your mozzarella depends on the type of mozzarella being used. “For fresh mozzarella, I usually add after the pizza is out of the oven,” she says. “For the pizza that I developed at Prova, there’s a two-step cooking process, so shredded mozzarella goes on

after a par-baking, midway through the cooking process.” The lesson: When it comes to mozz, don’t be afraid to play around with your prep and cooking methods to target exactly the right flavor and texture for your pies. APPETIZER INSPO

Mozzarella isn’t just a must-have ingredient for savory dishes. Andy Wittman, corporate chef at Pizza Patrón, a Latin-inspired pizza franchise headquartered in San Antonio, points out mozzarella’s amazing versatility in a wide range of applications. “Everyone loves its mild flavor profile, which plays so well with many different ingredients, but one aspect that is often lost with

TIP! Storage Solutions “Sometimes, fresh mozzarella is vacuum-packed. If your fresh mozzarella does not come in a tub of liquid, store it in the refrigerator in cold, fresh water and use within two to three days, at the most. Change the water daily. Once you open it, fresh mozzarella, burrata or shredded mozzarella will keep refrigerated for five days. Loaf mozzarella has approximately a 21-day refrigerator shelf life once opened, and smoked mozzarella will keep for 28 days. Keep these tightly wrapped in the crisper drawer, replacing the wrap each time you unwrap and cut them.” —Donatella Arpaia, chef and partner, Prova Pizzabar, New York, NY

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mozzarella is how well it plays with fruits,” Wittman says. “The slight saltiness really brings out the sweetness in multiple fruits—apricots and figs being two of my favorites.” One of Wittman’s most delectable dishes can be offered as an appetizer or a hot cheese course. Here’s his step by-step: Working with a good-quality fresh mozzarella, heat a small, seasoned cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Once the pan is warm, add in slices of mozzarella in a circle and let them melt about halfway through. Warm some fig preserves in another pan and spoon them over the cheese. Splash on a couple tablespoons of Campari, then sprinkle on julienned, crispy fried prosciutto. “A small sprinkle of julienned basil completes the dish, and I serve it in the skillet immediately, with crispy Italian toast rounds,” Wittman says. “I love the interplay of sweet, salty and bitter. The cheese works to carry the dish, as well as provide texture and a perfect counterpart to all of the flavors.”

PAIRING POINTERS

Arpaia equates mozzarella to the “little black dress” in a woman’s closet, thanks to its ability to pair so effortlessly with so many ingredients. But you can help narrow the field of pairing partners by looking at larger food and ingredient trends, as well as working seasonally. “Some of the protein toppings that are exciting consumers today are pork belly, sopressata, pancetta and pulled pork,” Arpaia notes. “If you’re looking for emerging nonprotein toppings, the fastestgrowing options are kale, cranberry, Brussels sprouts, heirloom tomatoes, Calabrian chili peppers, baby arugula, butternut squash and pumpkin.” In pasta dishes, Arpaia’s favorite partners for mozzarella are vegetables, from nightshades like zucchini and eggplant to autumnal varieties. “I really have not found a vegetable that mozzarella doesn’t pair well with,” she says. Meanwhile, for calzones, she recommends incorporating fresh ricotta,

“Authentic New York pizza requires a blend of mozzarella cheeses to get the correct taste, while the amount of cheese that is used provides the correct balance of flavors.” — PAUL RUSSO Many operators also advocate allowing a fresh, highquality mozzarella to stand out in premium salads. For these applications, Arpaia recommends using a hearty lettuce that can hold up to mozzarella—think kale or spinach—as a base. “Move away from traditional greens and look to Belgian endive and radicchio; the bitter and hearty leaves complement a rich, milky mozzarella so well,” she adds. “I also love using arugula and butter lettuce, but in these cases, you have to be sure to cut the mozzarella finely.”

tomatoes, fresh herbs and spinach. “As for meats, I think pork products, like pancetta and guanciale, go really well with mozzarella in a calzone,” Arpaia adds. “You can also get out of the spinach calzone rut by adding vegetables according to season, like acorn squash, kale or Brussels sprouts—and, in the summer, of course, gorgeous tomatoes.” Tracy Morin is PMQ’s senior copy editor.

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PIZZA WITHOUT BORDERS

BAKING WITH THE HEAT OF THE SUN FALSTERBO, SWEDEN PMQ’s Scandinavian correspondent and pizza world champion Mike Arvblom discusses how he discovered a pizza oven that bakes solely on the power of the sun: “The first time I saw a solar-powered pizza oven, I was at a Swedish outdoor food festival. I was teaching 40 to 60 kids per day to make pizza with fresh ingredients on a grill. The class was free, and each child got a diploma, signed by me, stating that they were a pizza chef. They were so happy to bake and receive a diploma! I found a lot of talented kids that baked pizzas very well for the first time. “During my break, I walked through the festival, and this oven that looked like a NASA satellite caught my eye. Right away, I was thinking, ‘I’ve got to bake pizza in that!’ So I went up to Sara Hjalmarsson, who was standing by the oven, and asked if I could make a pizza in that solar dish. Since I already had all the ingredients, I was able to test it on the spot. Everyone was very impressed how we baked with the sun’s all-natural power.” Sara Hjalmarsson, a supplier of solar ovens, says it is just the beginning for the market. Hjalmarsson is looking into higher capacity pizza ovens, which would be suitable in restaurants. She is already working with a Michelin star chef to bring more power of the sun to the commercial kitchen. Hjalmarsson currently imports solar ovens to Sweden from Germany, France and the United States. Her website is skaffasolkok.nu.

PAPA JOHN’S GROWS GLOBALLY ALMATY, KAZAKHSTAN This summer, the Papa John’s largest international franchisee, PJ Western, has opened its first store in Almaty, Kazakhstan. Almaty is Kazakhstan’s biggest city, and the store opening is just one of 16 planned for the Kazakh market. PJ Western currently operates 181 Papa John’s in Russia, Belarus, Kyrgyzstan and Poland, and will continue to expand in Eastern Europe and into Central Asia. Tim O’Hern, chief development officer of Papa John’s International, said the company is excited about the expansion plans after the franchise’s success in Russia and Belarus. Papa John’s International has also stated it is searching for potential franchisees in France, Belgium and Denmark.

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NOVEMBER PIZZA COMPETITIONS WORLDWIDE:

NOVEMBER 13-15, 2018 The 13th PMQ-Fizz Cup Chinese Pizza Championship FHC Food Show SHANGHAI, CHINA The Chinese Pizza Championship continues to grow, with more international presence each year. Last year, competitors from seven countries came to participate in culinary and acrobatic competitions, including U.S. Pizza Team member Michael LaMarca. Last year marked its first pizza industry forum, where experts from around the world came to discuss the current state of the industry and where it is headed.

NOVEMBER 27 Italian Pizza Star Competition Conference Florentia Hotel FLORENCE, ITALY The Italian Pizza Star Competition starts online, where competitors mail in photos of their best looking pizza. Finalists are invited to Florence to recreate their star pizza, vying for the prize of 500 euros. Categories include Classica, Gourmet, Alternative Dough and Regional Pizza. Find out more by visiting the event organizer website, pizzamaster.it.

NOVEMBER 13-15, 2018 The European Pizza Championship The 3rd European Pizza & Pasta Show LONDON, ENGLAND More than 100 companies exhibiting 600-plus brands will be present at this three-day exhibition in London. The event is organized by IPR Events London in association with PAPAâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;the Pizza, Pasta and Italian Food Association. In addition to the European Pizza Championship, part of a series of pizza competitions from Pizza Senza Frontiere, 36 U.K. chefs will compete for the Pizza and Pasta Chef of the year award. PMQ Pizza Magazine will be present at the event. Visit pizzapastashow.com.

Missy Green is a pizza spinning gold medalist and PMQâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s international correspondent. She currently resides in the Netherlands.

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PIZZERIAMAGNETS.COM Successful pizzerias have long embraced the proven marketing power of customized magnets. On display 24/7, they attract customers to your pizzeria when the fridge is bare, that tired and hungry feeling ensues, a get-together is planned, or it’s office pizza day. This affordable, highly visible, durable, and effective promotional tool engages new and returning customers. Complimentary samples are available. 888-870-7172, pizzeriamagnets.com

YAMATO Yamato offers the PB-200 weighing scale, perfect for portion control in the preparation of pizza and baked goods. It features a foot tare switch for hands-free use, an easy-to-read LCD display and a low-profile design. Its removable stainless-steel platform allows for easy cleanup, and it includes a rechargeable battery and an AC adaptor. 262-236-0036, yamatoamericas.com

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908-241-9191 * www. tasteitpresents.com

DOUGH

DeIorio Foods

@DeIorios

blog.DeIorios.com

DeIorios.com

C O N S U LT I N G

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PIZZA INDUSTRY RESOURCE GUIDE

DOUGH

DELICIOUS MADE-TO-ORDER BREAD AND PIZZA DOUGH

D O U G H T R AYS/P RO O F I N G T R AYS

The Original Dough Box

MANY IMITATE. NONE CAN DUPLICATE

Old World Tradition with New World Convenience.

• Fiberglass strength & durability outlast plastic trays • Secure stacking, won't bend or sag • 3 standard sizes with snap-on lids • Optional lids and dollies available

www.mamalarosafoods.com

To locate a distributor near you, call 734-946-7878. DOUGH BOWLS

FLOUR, GLUTEN-FREE Scan for Demo

Premium Flours Make Gluten-Free Tasty & Easy! Tel: 310-366-7612 E-mail: sales@authenticfoods.com Web: www.authenticfoods.com

FLOUR DOUGH DIVIDERS/ROUNDERS

Exceptional pizza starts with exceptional flour. Traditional Pizza Flours, Whole Grain Flours, Pizza Crust Mixes, Private Label Packaging, Proprietary Blending, Custom Development For more information call 1-800-553-5687 or visit www.baystatemilling.com

A revolutionary ingredient changing the way people enjoy Italian cuisine Carlo F. Pedone • 414.301.4245 • carlo@pinsaromana.us

Learn more about Pinsa Romana or attending the academy: pinsaromana.us • pinsaschool.com

DOUGH PRESSES, ROLLERS

FLOUR

150 years of premium pizza flour

Heckers & Ceresota

D O U G H T R AYS/P RO O F I N G T R AYS • Dough Trays – extremely durable and airtight! Outlasts All Other Dough Trays • Dough Tray Covers – designed to fit! • Plastic Dough Knives – two ergonomic designs! • Dough Tray Dollies – heavy duty! Excellence in Customer service since 1955! The preferred dough tray of the largest pizza companies in the world. Buy direct from the manufacturer with over 25 years manufacturing in dough trays.

SINCE 1843 THE UHLMANN COMPANY 1-866-866-8627

◆

HeckersCeresota.com

Call 800-501-2458 ........... www.doughmate.com ......... fax: 908-276-9483 NOVEMBER 2018 | PMQ.COM

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THE PIZZA EXCHANGE

00 FLOUR

HOTEL ROOM KEY ADVERTISING

Molino Pasini s.p.a. - Italy

HOTEL ROOM KEY ADVERTISING

Full line flours for Pizza, Fresh Pasta, Ready Mix for gnocchi Phone: 1-973-454-8534 +39 0376 969015 www.molinopasini.com - info@molinopasini.com

DIAL #600 from your room for In-Room SPEED DIAL Papa John’s ROOM DELIVERY to Your Business

PIZZAROOMKEYS.COM • 866-912-3539

FOOD DISTRIBUTORS

FRYERS

BE THE

INSURANCE

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Restaurant Delivery Insurance Program Hired & Non-Owned Auto Liability Coverage

Have your agent contact us today!

With AutoFry and MultiChef ventless technology you can serve hot delicious appetizers without the need for costly renovations.

Matt Andrews: 717.214.7606 | matt.andrews@amwins.com

Fully Automated • Convenient • Reliable • Safe • Affordable • Fully Enclosed For more information call 800-348-2976 or visit us online at MTIproducts.com • AutoFry.com • MultiChef.com Your Source for Ventless Kitchen Solutions for over 25 Years

FURNITURE/FIXTURES

Heat your Restaurant with SUNPAK® Outdoor Patio Heaters

MAGNETS

Wall or ceiling mounted, nothing on the floor Natural Gas or Propane Models Made in the U.S.A.

www.infradyne.com

888.317.5255

GLUTEN-FREE PRODUCTS Scan for Demo

Premium Flours Make Gluten-Free Tasty & Easy! Tel: 310-366-7612 E-mail: sales@authenticfoods.com W H O L E S Web: O M www.authenticfoods.com E & D E L I C I O U S ™ WHOLES

OME & DELICIOUS

™

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PIZZA INDUSTRY RESOURCE GUIDE

M A C H I N E R Y/ E Q U I P M E N T

1-800-426-0323

www.northernpizza.com

MANAGEMENT Ovens Mixers Prep Tables Walk-ins Parts Smallwares

MAILING LISTS

keep more of your hard earned dough! 3 money saving programs:

sCheduLing • aTTendanCe • daiLy Log

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

save time and increase profits!

www.timeforge.com 866.684.7191

MARKETING IDEAS

Reach More Hungry Customers with an Occupant List • Saturate neighborhoods with your message • Personalize for more effective campaigns • Save on postage It’s better than Every Door Direct Mail – and we’ll throw in free mailing software!

Get a Free Quote Now

www.melissa.com/hungry 1-800-MELISSA

FOR MORE CHEFWARE, VISIT WWW.TASTEOFITALY.ORG (PGS 22 & 23)

1-800-760-8662 | 805-473-8494

NOVEMBER 2018 | PMQ.COM

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THE PIZZA EXCHANGE

MARKETING IDEAS

MIXERS

Pizza’s Great Storyteller

The Original Variable Speed Mixer

Radio-style stories to bring customers in. Let pizza’s greatest storyteller make you a local pizza hero! • Fully-produced 1-minute pizza stories

Varimixer Strong as a Bear.

Rix Quinn

Hear samples at PizzaTV.com/Rix M E AT TO P P I N G S

800-222-1138

PRESTIGE FOODS .....................314-567-3648................MEATTRADER@MSN.COM

www.varimixer.com www.varimixerusa.com

Low Closeout Pricing! Call for this week’s special. For Deals That Go To Your Bottom Line.

V6OP

mixer@varimixer.com • 14240 South Lakes Dr • Charlotte, NC

MOISTURE-ABSORBENT TOPPINGS CONDITIONER/SUPPLIES

“Consistently Delicious!” FOODSERVICE, PRIVATE LABEL AND RETAIL PRODUCTS

OLIVES

847-228-7070 • Elk Grove Village, IL • www.devancofoods.com

ACORSA USA 2200 FLETCHER AVE. SUITE # 702, FORT LEE, NJ 07024 Tel. 201-944-0474 ...... Fax # 201-944-1279 enrique.escudero@dcoop.es ... www.dcoop.es

MIXERS

Precision HD-60 Pizza Mixer 7-Year Unconditional Parts Warranty on all gears and shafts in the planetary and transmission!

THE WORLD`S LARGEST OLIVE AND OLIVE OIL PRODUCER

Holdsbowl! art 80-qundles a Ha . bag 0 5 lb our! of fl

We offer a full line of Green Olives, Ripe Olives and Olive Oil from Spain for private label or branded. OU Kosher and BRC Certified. Inventory stored at 11 warehouses throughout the U.S.

ON HOLD MARKETING/PHONE SERVICES

www.pizzamixers.com • 1-877-R-MIXERS MIXERS

Pizza Package Includes: CL50 Ultra Veg Prep Machine, 2mm and 4mm slicing disc, 7mm grating disc, 10mm dicing kit disc holders, and dice cleaning kit

800/824-1646 www.robotcoupeusa.com Heavy Duty MIXeRS RS

2-Year Warranty

robotcoupe-PizzaPackage-35x2.indd 1

3/26/17 12:50 PM

60 qt. Pizza Mixer handles 50 lb. bag of flour Direct gear drive transmission • Rigid cast iron construction

Globe Food Equipment Co. | www.globefoodequip.com

pmq.com/Recipe-Bank/

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PIZZA INDUSTRY RESOURCE GUIDE

ONLINE ORDERING

PIZZA BOXES

Tears into plates & a leftover storage box!

info@greenboxny.com | 212.874.0748 | greenboxny.com info@greenboxny.com | 212.874.0748 | greenboxny.com POS Integration with:

PIZZA BOX LINERS

Dinerware

Custom App $99 Monthly + 0% Commission imenutogo.com Online Mobile Ordering Solution (718) 554-0524

Grow Your Business with the power of online ordering More Orders. Starting Now.

SliceLife.com/JoinNow or (844) 880-2346

PIZZA CRUSTS

PIZZA BOXES

Your food. Our custom-printed boxes. A winning combination. Ten case minimums. Pizza, sub, slice, kids and other boxes available.

800-626-0828 | starpizzabox.com

CUSTOMIZE YOUR PIZZA BOX Doing It The American Way!

No one knows

CRUSTS

better than we do. Visit akcrust.com PIZZA DELIVERY THERMAL BAGS

TAKE YOUR IMAGE TO THE NEXT LEVEL 7” to 36” Custom Boxes and Odd Sizes Available

UP TO 4-COLORS | NO PLATE FEES*

Rectangular Flat Bread Boxes Available

888.400.3455 ext.107 | wpackaging.net 2001 East Cooley Drive, Colton, CA 92324 NOVEMBER 2018 | PMQ.COM

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THE PIZZA EXCHANGE

PIZZA DELIVERY THERMAL BAGS

PIZZA OVENS

TRADITIONAL, FAST CASUAL, ARTISAN... WE’VE GOT PIZZA COVERED VENTLESS IMPINGEMENT CONVEYORS, BATCH, AND ARTISAN BATCH OVENS 1-800-90TURBO | www.turbochef.com

Stone Deck, Pizza Dome, and Bakery

www.univexcorp.com Tel. 800-258-6358 Fax. 603-893-1249

WWW.XLTOVENS.COM TO ORDER CALL (316) 943-2751 | TOLL-FREE: (888) 443-2751 | FAX: (316) 943-2769

WOOD STONE CORPORATION ...............Stone Hearth & Specialty Commercial Cooking Equipment .1801 W. Bakerview Rd ..................... Bellingham, WA 98226 TOLL Free 800-988-8103Fax: 360-650-1166.............. woodstone-corp.com

Get the latest and greatest in pizza news, recipes, videos, marketing strategies and technologies at www.pmq.com!

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PIZZA INDUSTRY RESOURCE GUIDE

PIZZA DELIVERY THERMAL BAGS

NOVEMBER SPECIALS

High Qua lit y Pizza Tools

Made in Italy Since 1986 Phone 630-553-9135 sales@gimetalusa.com www.gimetalusa.com NOVEMBER 2018 | PMQ.COM

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THE PIZZA EXCHANGE

PIZZA PANS

PIZZA SUPPLIES

• Pizza Preparation and Delivery Products •

National Marketing, Inc.

www.nminc.com 800-994-4664

734-266-2222

Fax: 734-266-2121

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

PIZZA PEELS

PIZZA WARMING EQUIPMENT

KEEP HOT FOODS HOT! FOOD WARMING SHELF Keep orders hot until customers arrive Phone: 800-521-0238 Email: sales@lockwoodusa.com

ALWAYS WITH YOU.

Come talk with us on these platforms!

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PIZZA INDUSTRY RESOURCE GUIDE

PRINTING

SAUCE

Since 1915, The Neil Jones Food Company has been producing premium quality tomato and custom blend sauces. A family owned and operated corporation, we only pack from the freshest and finest vine-ripened California tomatoes. So whether you prefer classic #10 cans or new shelf-stable pouches, you will always get the very best in fresh packed tomato products from Neil Jones Food.

ALWAYS WITH YOU.

Come follow us, like us, and engage with us on these social media platforms!

T E L E P H O N E E Q U I P M E N T/ S U P P L I E S / S E R V I C E

www.pizzatv.com NOVEMBER 2018 | PMQ.COM

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THE PIZZA EXCHANGE

TO M ATO P RO D U C T S

WINGS

YEAST

TA B L EC LOT H S

Updating your dining room is easy with our easy-care vinyl table covers … always made to your specs. Fabrics are also available by the roll.

You Top the Pizza, We’ll Top the Tables!

• • • •

372 colors and 65 mix-and-match patterns Covers are custom made within 2-3 weeks Available with velcro, umbrella holes or elastic for a perfect fit. No minimums required

View and order patterns online at Americo-Inc.com

Call 1-800-626-2350 FREE SWATCHES!

601 East Barton | West Memphis, AR 72301

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Who Wants Free Box Toppers

DuranAds has been providing Free Box Toppers since 2004 to 3500 Domino’s/Papa John’s/Pizza Huts But we have advertisers in areas that we don’t have locations so we need your help Keep your eye on the Pie

We pay 100% of the costs for printing & shipping your ads in exchange for sharing ad space. How can you beat that oﬀer??? 949-742-9500 advertise@DuranAds.com

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

Are you a pizza-making genius?

PROVE IT!

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

www.PizzaHallofFame.com for more information.

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Share your best recipes with PMQ - and the entire pizza-loving world in the Recipe Bank. • Pizzas • Appetizers • Entrees

• Wings • Flatbreads • Salads

• Desserts • and More!

Submit your recipes TODAY at PMQ.com/recipebank! 10/12/18 9:32 AM

PIZZA HALL OF FAME

(Clockwise from left) Nick LaBarba mans the oven in the mid-’60s; Frank and Tiziana pose in the pizzeria with Gilda LaBarba; Gilda crafts a pie in the early ’60s; Nick and a young Frank go to work in 1963; Gilda greets customers in ’65; Frank’s daughter tries her hand at pizza making.

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

Watch of Fam Pizza Hall PizzaT e videos on V.c NEW P om and th e izzaTV chann Roku el!

NICK’S PIZZA OF NEWBURYPORT Despite opening for limited hours while juggling full-time jobs on the side, the LaBarba family has cemented this humble pizzeria’s legacy over three generations. By Tracy Morin In 1948, Abruzzo, Italy, transplants Ester and Donato DePalma opened a small trattoria in Newburyport, Massachusetts, serving up rectangular pan pizzas and subs inspired by their homeland. After a 1953 move two blocks away (the business’ current location), Ester’s niece and nephew, Gilda and Aldo, joined the ranks to help out; by 1957, Gilda and her husband, Nicola “Nick” LaBarba, took over the business, renaming it Nick’s Pizza. Both juggled full-time jobs, so the pizzeria was open only three days a week, Friday to Sunday. In the early ’70s, they moved to a pizza-only menu, and in 1985 he started opening on Thursdays, too. Their son, Frank LaBarba, current owner of Nick’s, took over in 1990 when Nick wanted to semi-retire from the pizzeria. But Frank, too, worked full-time, as a mechanical engineer, for 33 years while overseeing the pizzeria with his wife, Tiziana. When he retired from that job, the pizzeria expanded to a five-day workweek, but the menu still consists of pizza only (alongside a sole salad), in a small space with seven four-person tables. Nevertheless, modern-day additions have helped business boom over the last decade: the launch of delivery service, a Facebook page with thousands of followers, and

online ordering to streamline sales. “I think our success comes from being a family business—we care about the product and make sure every pizza comes out perfect,” Frank says. “We do the work ourselves. We’re not absentee owners.” In fact, despite relying solely on social media and word-of-mouth, LaBarba finds it difficult to keep up with demand—but that doesn’t mean he isn’t seeking further growth. In the future, he may introduce additional menu items like pasta, sandwiches and wings; start an Instagram page; expand the pizzeria’s square footage; or, with hopes of bringing his two daughters on board, even open a second location. But, for now, he’s happy to spend his time tending the oven, chatting with regulars—and welcoming new customers, who quickly become converts. “The most challenging thing is time; there’s so much to do and no time to get it all done!” Frank says. “When you work morning until night and face those stressful busy times, it can really wear you. But, at the end, it’s rewarding. If you don’t like to work, this is not the job for you.”

Tracy Morin is PMQ’s senior copy editor.

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R E L AT E D V I D E O TO F I N D OU T MO RE ABOUT T HE BEN EF I T S OF BAKING W I T H P I N SA RO MANA, VI SI T P M Q.COM/ 1118D

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