MobileMust-Haves

Looking to enter the mobile pizzeria business? Here’s how to make sure you have everything you need for a successful on-the-go operation.

BY TRACY MORIN

They may not shimmer with the same brand-new novelty as they did in the late ’00s, but mobile units are still popular today as a way to start a foodservice business on a smaller budget. “I’ve been working as a consultant for a few pizza restaurants in the Philadelphia area,” reports Stefano Velia, owner of the blog Pala Pizza, “and the majority of new clients are surprisingly going the mobile route.”

Of course, mobile operations offer a unique set of challenges. But if you’re looking to create your own version of the movable feast, some basics will help you get started off right—and help position you for success over the (literal) long haul.

The Oven

The most basic piece of equipment for a mobile pizzeria is, of course, the oven. “The amazing thing now is that mobile pizzerias are no longer confined to a food truck with a single wood-fired oven in the back,” Velia says. “With the increase in portable pizza ovens, a few of my clients are packing up multiple ovens and then setting up in an outdoor space. This enables a lot more pizzas to be made, and in a shorter time— addressing what is often one of the biggest constraints of mobile pizzerias.”

Velia currently owns 13 portable pizza ovens that he has used to test and review for his blog, then to help train his clients. He’s a fan of the Gozney and Ooni brands in this category, but you may choose to go with a more traditional mobile setup. Regardless, since this will be your No. 1 piece of equipment, take your time to research and, if possible, try out the oven for yourself before taking the plunge.

Prep Essentials

Aside from the oven, you’ll need a few basic kitchen components to pull off a fabulous mobile menu. Mark Moeller, national restaurant consultant and owner of The Recipe of Success in Westport, Connecticut, recommends that owners obtain refrigeration, including a pizza prep table; a hand sink and three-compartment sink area; a hood; and a generator. “Access to a commercial kitchen for the preparation of dough and all ingredients that are needed for the day’s menu are also required,” he adds.

Velia, for example, likes to have a prep table with plenty of flour on hand and ample room to stretch and prep