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Attack Of The White Claw

New York chefs claim their city’s water is the best for pizza dough, but Blaze Pizza executive chef Brad Kent has other ideas. He introduced a pizza crust made with Mango White Claw, a hard seltzer, for one day at 40 Blaze Pizza locations around the country. The June 18 special made national news, earning coverage from Business Insider, Delish, People magazine and other sites. Kent said the promotion started on a whim. “While sipping on a Mango White Claw, I thought, ‘Why not make dough with this instead of filtered water?’ Turns out it tastes great! After combining a few of our fresh ingredients, the final recommended topping list offers a balance of spicy and tangy, with a bit of tropical sweetness to balance it out.” He recommended pairing the crust with red sauce, shredded mozzarella, pepperoni, red bell pepper, pineapple, jalapeño and arugula. Kent might be on to something: As food scientist Kevin Ryan once explained to the Chicago Tribune, the bubbles in sparkling water create pockets of air that expand under heat, giving pizza crust a lighter, crispier texture.

MIDNIGHT AT LENA’S OASIS

Beach drinks won’t cure the coronavirus, but they make social distancing a lot more fun at Lena’s Wood-Fired Pizza & Tap in Alexandria, Virginia. As other restaurants in the area reopened their dine-in services at half-capacity in June, Lena’s owner Dave Nicholas realized his bustling carryout/curbside pickup business was bringing in too much money to justify giving up the downstairs space for a small number of diners. Instead, he converted his upstairs deck into a tropical-themed pop-up bar and eatery with exotic plants and boat drinks that would make Jimmy Buffett drool. Replete with flowing white curtains, partitioning screens between tables and an abundance of plants, Lena’s Oasis—as the space is called—is open to customers by reservation only. Its beverage menu features tropical-style cocktails like the Raspberry Caipirinha, the

Mojito and the Italian Paloma.

Like many of us, beloved mascot Chuck E. Cheese found himself stuck at home for several months as dine-in services closed down during the pandemic—a situation that ultimately forced the chain into Chapter 11 bankruptcy.

After logging more than $600 million in sales in 2019, Marco’s Pizza has seen its year-over-year numbers climb by about 20%.

MARCO’S LOOKS TO THE FUTURE

Same-store sales have soared during the pandemic for Marco’s Pizza, the No. 6 chain in the United States, but president and COO Tony Libardi knows there is plenty more work to be done. With 900-plus locations, Marco’s logged more than $600 million in system-wide sales in 2019 and has seen its year-over-year sales climb by about 20%. In a podcast interview with QSR magazine, Libardi said he’s more focused on preparing for a post-pandemic, high-tech future. He believes nervous customers will want to see increased automation in restaurants and fewer touch points that could result in viral contamination. “You remove all those touchpoints, all those contact points, which I think consumers are going to expect moving forward,” Libardi told QSR. “Simple things like doors—reaching out and grabbing a handle. Are automated doors in our future across every retail and restaurant establishment out there? All those points have to be considered and either removed and automated, or at least [operators must create] a perception of safety for the guests when they’re grabbing that door.” Marco’s is now developing an automated kitchen, with machines adding sauce and cheese to dough skins and even slicing and placing pepperoni on the pies. The company has also opened its first ghost kitchen in Los Angeles. The 250-square-foot facility will allow Marco’s to produce more delivery pizzas for a minimal investment.

COVID-19 FORCES CHUCK E. CHEESE INTO BANKRUPTCY

Chuck E. Cheese’s parent company, CEC Entertainment, has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, which the company blamed on the financial strain of mass closures due to the COVID-19 pandemic. According to a statement released by CEC, many of its kid-friendly stores will continue to operate as the company reorganizes under the supervision of a federal bankruptcy court. CEC, which also operates Peter Piper Pizza stores around the country, had reopened 266 restaurants by June 24—roughly half of its total number of 555 company-owned locations. The company will continue opening additional locations each week. “The Chapter 11 process will allow us to strengthen our financial structure as we recover from what has undoubtedly been the most challenging event in our company’s history and get back to the business of delivering memories, entertainment and pizzas for another 40 years and beyond,” said David McKillips, CEC’s chief executive officer.

As the pandemic forced the closure of dine-in services, Chuck E. Cheese pivoted to carryout and take-home party kits for its young fans.