PMQ Pizza - June/July 2021

BELLISSIMO PHILLY STEAK

Authentic, Versatile, Satisfying

Born in Philadelphia and loved nationwide, Philly Steak can add delicious versatility to any menu, attracting customers looking for that succulent, juicy flavor. For a commitment to quality product and competitive pricing, turn to Bellissimo for its authentic Philly Steak products – available raw and fully cooked, marinated and non-marinated.

Bellissimo’s Philly Steak is from 100% of the freshest USDA Domestic Beef, providing excellent flavor and marbling to make every bite unforgettably satisfying. The small batch, hand trimmed portions are frozen and readyto-cook, providing time and labor savings and a high-quality consistency your customers can count on.

If you’re looking for best in class value, choose Bellissimo’s traditional flat steak products as the basis to craft your own signature Philly Cheese Steak Sandwich.

I BELIEVE PIZZA IS AN ART. I BELIEVE IN USING NOTHING BUT THE BEST INGREDIENTS.

IF YOU WANT AN AVERAGE, RUN-OF-THE-MILL PIZZA

I BELIEVE YOU KNOW WHERE YOU CAN GO.

What’s your declaration of independence?

Grande is championing operators who have an independent spirit and shared passion for excellence. By providing the finest all natural, authentic Italian cheeses, along with an unwavering commitment to quality, we’ll continue to advocate for independents and their love of the craft.

grandecheese.com 1-800-8-GRANDE

34

BORN ON THE 4TH OF JULY

When Lenny Rago declared his independence from third-party partners last year, his sales and profits shot up. But can the full-service restaurant model survive in a post-pandemic world?

Recipe of the Month: Pepperoni Pizza Quesadilla

Chef’s Corner: Leo Caputo, Kennett Square Specialties

Cover photo by James Obos

DIGITAL EXCLUSIVES

A Certain Italian Film Legend Has Opened Her Own Pizzeria

Sophia Loren has partnered with Chef Gennaro Esposito and pizzaiolo Francesco Martucci to open Sophia Loren Original Italian Food in Florence.

pmq.com/sophia-loren-restaurant/

How to Advertise Your Pizzeria Affordably on YouTube

YouTube is a marketing gold mine for pizzeria operators, but first you need to understand its ad formats, costs and targeting abilities.

pmq.com/youtube-advertising-pizzerias

PUBLISHER

662-234-5481

Volume 25, Issue 5

June/July 2021

ISSN 1937-5263

Steve Green, sg@pmq.com ext. 123

CO-PUBLISHER

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

EDITOR IN CHIEF

Rick Hynum, rick@pmq.com

ART DIRECTOR

Eric Summers, eric@pmq.com

SENIOR COPY EDITOR

Tracy Morin, tracy@pmq.com

IT DIRECTOR

Cory Coward, cory@pmq.com ext. 133

DIRECTOR OF RESEARCH

Blake Harris, blake@pmq.com ext. 136

TEST CHEF/USPT COORDINATOR

Brian Hernandez, brian@pmq.com ext. 129

SOCIAL MEDIA DIRECTOR

Ingrid Valbuena, ingrid@pmq.com ext. 137

5

Ways WiFi Can Help You Better Market and Advertise to Your Customers

From building out your database and getting a more accurate traffic account to eliminating reliance on apps, WiFi is fast becoming a must-have.

pmq.com/wifi-for-pizzerias/

If the SBA Doesn’t Forgive Your PPP Loan, You Still Have Options

The so-called “final SBA loan review decision” isn’t actually all that final. Find out how you can appeal a denial of PPP loan forgiveness.

pmq.com/ppp-loan-forgiveness

FOOD PHOTOGRAPHER

David Fischer, david@pmq.com

CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER

Shawn Brown, shawn@pmq.com

ADVERTISING

SALES DIRECTOR

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

SENIOR ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE

Tom Boyles, tom@pmq.com ext. 122

SALES ASSISTANT

Brandy Pinion, brandy@pmq.com ext. 127

PMQ INTERNATIONAL

PMQ CHINA

Yvonne Liu, yvonne@pmq.com

PMQ RUSSIA

Vladimir Davydov, vladimir@pmq.com

Pizza Robot

Company Picnic Raises $16.3 Million to Accelerate Growth

Picnic plans to use the capital to expand its team and deploy and ramp up production of its automated Picnic Pizza System later this year.

pmq.com/picnic-pizza-system

Animal Welfare Group Singles Out Major Pizza Chains for Inhumane Practices

Papa John’s has signed on to the Better Chicken Commitment, but brands like Domino’s and Pizza Hut are still holding out, The Humane League says.

pmq.com/better-chicken-commitment

PMQ PIZZA MAGAZINE 605 Edison St. • Oxford, MS 38655 662.234.5481 • 662.234.0665 Fax

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.

EVENTS & PROMOTIONS JUNE/JULY 2021

INDUSTRY EVENTS

June 28-30

THE NIGHTCLUB & BAR SHOW

Las Vegas

This is one of the F&B industry’s premier events, and it’s a must-attend for pizzeria operators with a strong beverage component. This year’s show features the 2021 Food Festival and the F&B Innovation Center highlighting food and foodservice equipment exhibitors and live chef demonstrations. Learn more at ncbshow.com

July 10-12

THE TEXAS RESTAURANT ASSOCIATION MARKETPLACE

San Antonio

There are Texas-sized opportunities to be discovered with every TRA educational session, cooking demo and virtual happy hour—not to mention every conversation with fellow restaurateurs. Newcomers and veteran operators alike will discover new moneymaking ideas and products to grow their business.

Learn more at tramarketplace.com

August 7-8

THE LOUISIANA RESTAURANT ASSOCIATION SHOWCASE

Who needs an excuse for a getaway to New Orleans? Nobody. But here’s a good one anyway. This two-day marketplace for restaurant and foodservice professionals is the largest and most attended show of its kind in the region. Learn more at lra.org

Summer’s here, and the pizza industry is moving forward after a challenging pandemic year. Here’s a look at upcoming events and webinars you won’t want to miss, plus some special food and beverage holidays to celebrate with promotions and LTO offerings!

PROMOTE THIS!

June 30

NATIONAL MAI TAI DAY

Kick the summer off right with pizza and Mai Tai specials! Create your own signature craft cocktails like the LMAO Mai Tai at Pizza Hyena in Surfside Beach, South Carolina, and the Apricot Mai Tai at Dom DeMarco’s Pizzeria & Bar in Las Vegas!

July 14

NATIONAL MAC AND CHEESE DAY

It’s a classic comfort-food dish, but pizzeria owners have taken it to the next level. Create a Mac and Cheese Pizza special and promote it on social media with mouthwatering photos. Who knows? It could be your next signature pizza!

August 6

INTERNATIONAL BEER DAY

Your customers will have beer on the brains, and it just makes sense to help them celebrate with beer-and-pizza pairings, cross-promotions with local microbreweries and new brews on tap or by the glass!

LEARN AND EARN!

2 p.m., July 7

PMQ MARKETING MASTERS FEATURING MOBIVITY

PMQ publisher Steve Green hosts this webinar about text message marketing with Mobivity, an industry leader that powers mobile messaging programs for brands like Papa Gino’s, Subway, Sonic and more. Join us on Facebook Live!

2 p.m., July 8

SPEEDLINE SOLUTIONS WEBINAR

Doing More With Less: Dealing With a Labor Shortage

SpeedLine Solutions tackles a subject that’s on the minds of pizzeria operators across the country: how to bounce back from the pandemic at a time when finding new employees is getting more and more difficult. Register today at pmq.com/speedline

2 p.m., July 21

PMQ MARKETING MASTERS FEATURING BRUCE IRVING

PMQ publisher Steve Green discusses the latest marketing strategies with Bruce Irving, the marketing visionary behind SmartPizzaMarketing.com and host of the weekly Smart Pizza Marketing podcast. Join us on Facebook Live!

Sunny’s

BBQ Bacon

Cheeseburglar

A TREASURE HUNT FOR PIZZA

Throughout April, Sunny’s Pizzeria in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, sent social media fans on its Pizza Hunt, a search for free pizza in a contest guaranteed to create brand engagement and media buzz. Sunny’s employees hid branded, coin-like tokens around the city and offered daily clues on social media for finding them. Clues were posted at 9 a.m. each day and featured tightly cropped pictures of the “easily accessible” locations where the tokens could be found. The hunters who found the hidden treasures were asked to post photos of themselves holding up their token. Every returned Pizza Hunt token could be redeemed for a free medium-size pizza, with a total of 30 tokens hidden throughout the month. Sunny’s also hosts trivia contests based on the popular TV show The Office and plates a variety of signature pizzas with catchy names and artisanal recipes. These include the Bangerz N’ Mash (garlic mashed potatoes, mozzarella, cheddar, sausage, beef, onions and a drizzle of brown gravy) and the Liu Kang Bicycle Kick (chicken, sweet chili sauce, mozzarella, green peppers, onions, pineapple, red pepper flakes, garlic powder and a sriracha drizzle).

WELCOME TO THE CRUST-ACEOUS PERIOD

A new pizzeria has taken Sacramento back to the age of the dinosaurs. Husband-and-wife duo David Smith and Jamie Dougherty opened Pizzasaurus Rex in January, marking the beginning of what they call “the Crust-aceous period” in world history. Guaranteed to appeal to kids, Pizzasaurus Rex features a green dinosaur, called P. Rex, on its boxes, menus and swag, including T-shirts sized for young’uns and grown-ups alike. Smith and Dougherty already own Old Town Pizza and Taphouse in Elk Grove, California, and wanted to try a different concept. “We had been playing around with much more serious names, but I eventually disliked them all,” Smith told Sactown Magazine. “Finally, we thought, ‘What if we did something that’s not too serious?’” Pizzasaurus Rex features one-size-only, rectangular thin-crust pies fired for six to eight minutes at 475° in a brick deck oven, plus 12 beers on tap and three vegan pizzas—the Vegan Cheese, Vegan Pepperoni and Vegan Combo.

Co-owner Jamie Dougherty checks out the patio dining area at Pizzasaurus Rex in Sacramento.

This vegan pizza slice from Pizzasaurus Rex features a lemon-roasted garlic pesto sauce, oyster mushrooms, cherry tomatoes, pea shoots, lemon zest and truffle oil.

A team called the Assistant Regional Managers won Sunny’s recent Tuesday night trivia contest based on the popular TV show The Office

pie features beef, bacon, mozzarella, dill pickle chips and marinara sauce.

HOW A NEW PIZZERIA WENT VIRAL ON TIKTOK

The owners of a pizzeria called Fired Up used TikTok to reach a global audience just one week before opening their new shop in Durban, South Africa, in late April. Luke Silver and Michael Benson created a one-minute video that showed them transforming an old garage into their dream restaurant. To a soundtrack by Edith Whiskers, they were shown signing the lease on the space and popping a bottle of champagne in celebration, then sweeping, cleaning, hauling boxes and materials, and even digging a ditch before finally sharing a hug in the video’s last seconds. The video has been viewed on TikTok more than 230,000 times, with follow-ups earning roughly 56,700 and 22,000 views. The first video helped make their opening night a smash success, the business partners said, with customers pouring in from as far away as Pretoria, a seven-hour drive. The secret of its viral success: sheer authenticity. The video depicted the camaraderie and closeness between two friends, warmed the heart and didn’t overtly sell anything. “We didn’t do it to try and sell our pizzas,” Silver told the news website IOL. “We wanted to show that we had a dream and we were fighting for it.”

A SLICE, A BEER AND A HOLOGRAM

Is hologram dining the next best thing to being there? Virgin Media, a broadband service provider in the United Kingdom, found out when it debuted Two Hearts Pizzeria, the world’s first hologram dining experience, in April. Using technology powered by its gigabit network, the company brought friends and relatives in London, England, and Edinburgh, Scotland, together for a one-of-a-kind virtual pizza date. The “pizzeria” was essentially split in two, with half located on London’s South Bank and half on Edinburgh’s Castle Street. Virgin Media projected life-size holograms in the dining spaces, allowing the participants to see, hear and talk to each other in real time, as if sitting at the same table. Thirty people participated in the two-day event, enjoying pies with friends via hologram on opposite sides of the U.K. “We’re serving up a slice of the future,” Virgin Media COO Jeff Dodds said.

While enjoying pizza in London, Sarah NicholasKyei and her children interact with a life-size hologram of their friends, Natalie Holmes and Ian O’Connell, in Edinburgh during the Two Hearts Pizzeria experience.

Michael Benson and Luke Silver, owners of Fired Up in Durban, South Africa, went viral on TikTok with a video that showed them putting in the hard work of opening a new restaurant.

Customers give a big thumbs-up while purchasing pies from Fired Up.

“THE BEST UNSUNG RESTAURANT STORY”

Tom Sacco, CEO of Happy Joe’s Pizza & Ice Cream, believes the 52-unit Midwestern chain has the makings of a national brand. Headquartered in Bettendorf, Iowa, the company presently has stores in Iowa, Illinois, Missouri, Minnesota, North Dakota and Wisconsin. But Sacco, who became CEO in October, envisions opening 1,000 new stores around the United States over the next decade. Sacco told QSR magazine that the family-friendly chain, founded in 1972 by Joe Whitty, has “the best unsung restaurant story” in the industry. “I’m looking forward to sharing it with thousands and thousands of families and hundreds and hundreds of thousands of guests around the country in the years to come,” he said. To spur growth, Sacco has waived the initial franchise fee for new partners and reduced royalties to 2% during the first year and 4% for the second year. He also hopes to lure in pizzeria operators who have struggled during the pandemic, offering them the chance to convert their existing spaces into Happy Joe’s stores. Happy Joe’s, he said, has “all these positive, magical memories that have been created…over the years. But nobody outside of six Midwestern states has a clue as to who [we] are.” If Sacco meets his goals, that will change in the next 10 years.

DOMINO’S NEEDS MORE DRIVERS

Domino’s isn’t exactly hurting for business these days. But drivers? That’s a different story. The chain has logged 39 consecutive quarters of same-store sales growth in the U.S. It controlled 22% of the country’s total quick-service pizza market in 2020 and aims to add nearly 1,800 stores in the coming years, with a goal of 8,000 nationwide. There’s just one problem: finding enough drivers to deliver all of that pizza. CEO Ritch Allison told investors that Domino’s, like many independents and chains, is “experiencing one of the most difficult staffing environments in a long time.” He added, “The real pinch point is the drivers. We’re working on continuing to make that a great job with the best economics, relative to other alternative [job opportunities]. We continue our work around fortressing to give them more deliveries per hour, which translates into higher wages. We’re working on technology and operating practices [so they] never have to get out of their cars.” The company is also banking on its driverless delivery vehicle, called R2, now being tested in Houston. If self-driving technology lives up to expectations, a day could come when Domino’s won’t need any drivers at all.

As the name suggests, Happy Joe’s Pizza & Ice Cream was founded as a kid-friendly gathering place for families and remains a beloved brand in the Midwest.

Happy Joe’s unveiled its newly designed pizza box in August 2020.

Happy the Dog serves as a natural kid magnet for the Happy Joe’s brand.

The Domino’s driverless delivery vehicle could change the way the chain gets pizzas to customers’ doors, but it’s still in the early testing stage.

Blaze has become one of the fastest-growing pizza brands by appealing to young people through its digital marketing platforms.

BLAZE PIZZA IS CATCHING FIRE IN THE SOUTH

Blaze Pizza, headquartered in Los Angeles, is gearing up for a major growth spurt in the American South. One of the country’s fastest-growing pizza brands, Blaze has inked deals to develop 16 new restaurants in Texas, Florida and Tennessee. The key target markets are Austin, Texas; Panama City, Florida; and Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. Spearheading Blaze’s growth in Texas is multiunit operator Kelsey Irvine, CEO of Carpo Pizza Enterprises. The 26-year-old franchisee, who currently operates 11 Jersey Mike’s franchise restaurants, plans to develop 10 new Blaze locations in the greater Austin area. Meanwhile, hotelier Kuna Patel is developing locations in Pigeon Forge and Panama City and plans to continue growing the Blaze brand through the Florida panhandle, Alabama and Mississippi over the next several years. “Texas and the Southeast have continued to be ideal markets for our brand, and we look forward to tapping into the wealth of potential in these regions while exponentially expanding our footprint over the next few years,” said Ed Yancey, Blaze Pizza’s vice president of franchise development.

ROUND TABLE GHOST KITCHEN

Global Franchise Group (GFG) has partnered with CloudKitchens to launch Round Table Pizza’s first ghost kitchen, which opened for business in Los Angeles in April. Ghost kitchens, in case you haven’t heard, focus exclusively on pickup and delivery service and essentially serve as virtual locations for restaurant brands, allowing them to expand their reach while reducing overhead costs. Operated by longtime Round Table franchisee Leticia Vasquez, the ghost kitchen will offer an abbreviated menu focusing on large and personal-size pizzas. “We’ve seen a significant shift in consumer dining trends since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic as more customers begin to rely on takeout and delivery options,” Vasquez said. “Now, with the opening of our first ghost kitchen, we can bring Round Table Pizza to a larger customer base, and I see huge potential for the continued growth of the brand.” GFG is the strategic brand manager and franchisor for Round Table Pizza as well as Great American Cookies, Hot Dog On a Stick, Marble Slab Creamery and Pretzelmaker. Paul Damico, CEO of GFG, said the ghost kitchen location will be “the first of what we hope will be many for our family of brands.”

Blaze Pizza plans to open new franchise stores in Texas, Florida and Tennessee and has an eye on Alabama and Mississippi as well.

Customers in Los Angeles can now order pies for carryout or delivery from Round Table Pizza’s first ghost kitchen.

LOU CAPUTO, KENNETT SQUARE SPECIALTIES

HERNANDEZ

When you hear pepperoni, you think pizza. But what pops into your head when you think of Pennsylvania? The Liberty Bell, Rocky, maybe cheesesteaks? Well, how about mushrooms? Tucked away in the southeastern corner of the state, just a stone’s throw from Pittsburgh and Baltimore, lies Kennett Square, the official Mushroom Capital of the World.

How did a quaint hamlet in Chester County earn such a lofty moniker? There were no bloody battles fought nor lands dominated—the folks there just found something they were good at and learned to do it very well. Lou Caputo, co-owner of Kennett Square Specialties (KSS), has been around the mushroom biz since the 1950s, beginning as a young mudslinger on a relative’s farm. He grew to learn, appreciate and understand all aspects of the mushroom, from growth to taste and preparation. Now Kennett Square provides 500 million pounds of mushrooms to the entire world, accounting for half of the United States’ mushroom crop. Caputo planted himself in the Chef’s Corner to divulge some of his secrets and best practices for our favorite fungi.

PMQ: How did you get started in mushrooms?

Caputo: I’m a fourth-generation exotic mushroom farmer. I started on my uncle’s mushroom farm in the ’50s. He needed someone to water the horse manure and straw coming in from the racetracks and fields, and, at 10½ years old, I was the man! That was my first job, and it’s been mushrooms ever since.

PMQ: How did Kennett Square become the Mushroom Capital of the World?

Caputo: The story goes that J.B. Swain was the first one to try to grow and sustain a mushroom here. We had access to all of the raw materials needed for growing, such as hay and straw from the fields in the area and the horse manure from the tracks and stables nearby. We used to get cocoa shells from the Hershey Company. We also had things like cottonseed hulls, corn flour and cottonseed meal coming up on rail from the South. Basically, it started in Kennett Square and remained in Kennett Square.

Straight outta the Mushroom Capital of the World, a ’shroom guru shares his secrets and best practices for preparing every pizza maker’s favorite fungi. BY BRIAN

Lou Caputo, co-owner of Kennett Square Specialties, is a fourth-generation exotic mushroom farmer.

PMQ: I hear you had a hand in revolutionizing the mushroom market in the 1980s.

Caputo: In ’88, the U.S. market was getting overrun by Chinese exotic mushrooms. To combat that incursion, we sat down and got the portobello on the map for grocery stores. We started preslicing them and making them appealing to the eye for the shopper. A portobello, in its natural state, is not as pretty as you may think. The convenience and beauty of the new product brought a big boom to that market but also helped U.S. mushrooms in general. That era got KSS involved in more exotic types of mushrooms.

PMQ: What about the concerns folks have about a product being grown in manure?

Caputo: That’s kind of a fairy tale. Yes, part of the growing stage for some mushrooms involves that substrate—your white button mushrooms, brown buttons (cremini) and your portobellos. But most of the exotic types are grown in other substrates, like oak sawdust, millet grain and bran, chopped cotton hulls and chopped straw. We produce about 10 different

varieties at KSS as well as a nonedible medicinal mushroom for the medical industry.

PMQ: Let’s explore some tips on mushroom flavor and prep. What about shiitake mushrooms?

Caputo: It’s a real woodsy mushroom. You should never eat the stem. Just use the cap. It can be marinated, grilled, sliced or sauteed and goes great with steak or fish. It pairs with a number of sauces.

PMQ: What about grey oyster mushrooms?

Caputo: It’s a very delicate mushroom with a very distinctive taste. It has one of the shortest shelf lives of any mushroom. It should be prepared with delicate dishes—nothing with an overbearing sauce. Try an oil- or light wine-based sauce. Oysters have a great habit of being able to absorb a flavor and pass it on.

PMQ: What about maitake mushrooms?

Caputo: Maitake mushrooms are high in fiber and vitamin D. It is such a versatile mushroom that it will take on any flavor you cook it with. Properly prepared, it can also create a cancerfighting compound called D-fraction. It’s my favorite edible mushroom, with natural medicinal affects!

PMQ: People say mushrooms are difficult to work with. What are your thoughts?

Caputo: Mushrooms are not a complete mystery. You can figure out preparation for most of them with three things: salt, pepper and butter. Do that, and they’ll give up most of their secrets. Sautéed, boiled or fried, you’ll have to ask the mushroom how it wants to be treated.

“You have to watch how much moisture a mushroom can bring to your pie during the bake. I like to sauté them. If you do it right, you can get a light singe around the edges.”

— LOU CAPUTO, KENNETT SQUARE SPECIALTIES

PMQ: What’s your best tip for mushroom preparation?

Caputo: Par-blanching or sautéing. If you put one layer of mushrooms in a pan, they will sauté. If you stack your layers, they’ll create their own standing moisture, and now you’re boiling them, and you’ll get a less than desirable texture. You have to watch how much moisture a mushroom can bring to your pie during the bake. I like to sauté them. If you do it right, you can get a light singe around the edges. You can’t get that from a boiled mushroom.

PMQ: Most people who don’t like mushrooms complain about the texture. What’s your answer to that?

Caputo: You can change the texture of mushrooms during cooking. Through different oil levels, temps and cooking times, you can completely change the mouthfeel of any mushroom.

PMQ: What’s your best tip for storing a fresh mushroom?

Caputo: Never, ever freeze a raw mushroom. Either parboil it, sauté it or bake it, but never freeze a fresh, raw mushroom. Mushrooms have a lot of internal moisture. You need to remedy the moisture problem in your preparation or actual cooking. Never put mushrooms in a sealed plastic bag. Store mushrooms in your refrigerator in a brown paper bag or a plastic or glass bowl with a damp towel on top. That mushroom has to breathe. If it can’t, it will have a very short shelf life. I rarely use raw mushrooms for anything. I like to either parboil or sauté them.

PMQ: What are some of your favorite mushroom pizza flavors?

Caputo: I like to take five or six varieties and chop them up. Sauté them in olive oil, salt and pepper. Put that on a regular red-sauce pizza with cheese and make a Mushroom Lovers. I would also suggest a white pizza, topped with garlic, shrimp and maitake, all sautéed up, added to the pie and cheesed with a good mozz. But one of my all-time favorites is a blackened portobello and chicken Alfredo pizza. Also, these combos lean more toward healthy. Flavor it however you want, but it’s a healthier pie with mushrooms.

PMQ: Any last thoughts on mushrooms?

Caputo: They can be whatever you need them to be. Mushrooms are very adaptable. The king oyster is known as the vegan scallop. It takes on the scallop flavor as well as texture. The pom pom, also known as the lion’s mane, is the vegan substitute for crab meat. So it all depends on the preparations and flavors you use, but mushrooms are always a healthy choice. They are highly adaptable to any menu, be it regular or even vegan.

PMQ: So, just to reiterate…why mushrooms?

Caputo: Hey, shiitake happens!

For the full interview with Lou Caputo and more info on Kennett Square Specialties, visit PMQ.com/ksssales.

Brian Hernandez is PMQ’s test chef.

“The king oyster is known as the vegan scallop. It takes on the scallop flavor as well as texture. The pom pom, also known as the lion’s mane, is the vegan substitute for crab meat.”

— LOU CAPUTO, KENNETT SQUARE SPECIALTIES

MELTS. BUBBLES. BROWNS.

You

Revolutionary liquid format. Performs like no other vegan cheese. Miyoko’s Vegan Pizza Mozzarella goes on liquid and transforms in the oven into perfectly melted cheese. Easy to apply, no fake flavorings and a cleaner ingredient list, this is a plant-based pizza game-changer.

App and Commission-Free Online Ordering for Pizzerias

Are you tired of paying up to 30% commission on your third-party online orders? Are you paying a flat fee per order or perhaps even a monthly subscription fee to offer online ordering to your customers?

Meet Grubtools, a leading online food ordering platform designed to give your pizzeria a competitive edge with tools to make your business grow. Grubtools offers a free online ordering platform and custom branded app, providing commission-free pickup and delivery orders in one platform. Grubtools gives you complete control of your menu, access to your customer data, daily batching and deposits into your bank account, access to a reliable delivery network of drivers, and in-house customer support.

Grubtools gives your customers the ability to order directly from your website, social media profiles, business profiles like Yelp and TripAdvisor, or your own branded app rather than being routed to a third-party site that lists you among your competitors (and takes a commission on all of your orders).

You’ll be able to keep up with the competition with a free custom-built iPhone and Android restaurant app that’s branded to your pizzeria. Grubtools’ mobile apps showcase your logo and food, creating the ultimate brand experience and boosting repeat orders by up to 300%.

Sixty-three percent of consumers have at least one ordering app on their phones. Keep your competitive edge and let Grubtools build your own branded app for free! There are no setup fees, monthly subscription costs, long-term contracts, commissions, or per-order “flat fee costs.” You work hard for your profits. Grubtools thinks you should keep them!

Most commission-based third-party online ordering companies often charge restaurants a 15% to 30% commission per order, while subscription-based services can generally cost anywhere from $50 to $199 a month! Unfortunately, these pricing models dramatically eat into your profit margins, and restaurants have never been under more pressure than they are today, given the difficult reopening environment and staffing challenges. If you are having trouble staffing your pizzeria, integrated online ordering can free up much needed resources, so your staff is not taking the majority of pickup and delivery orders over the phone or at your front counter. They’re freed up to help customers who are dining in, increasing your income and overall customer satisfaction.

Grubtools can have you up and running and accepting commission-free pickup and delivery orders in just a few days. Learn how Grubtools has helped other pizzerias like yours at grubtools.com or call 855-998-6657

HOSTMILANO 2021 RETURNS LIVE OCTOBER 22-26

Innovation, sustainability, technology and safety will be at the forefront of the 42nd edition of HostMilano, the global equipment hub bringing together the most prominent Italian and international companies.

The event, dedicated to the restaurant and foodservice industries, takes place October 22-26, 2021, at Fiera Milano Rho, where 4,000-plus companies from 40 countries will participate in hundreds of scheduled events.

Coming Back Safely

HostMilano’s live exhibition will be held in a completely safe space, thanks to the protocols already in place and tested last September. The 2021 event meets all the guidelines and new measures decided by governments regarding trade fair structures as restrictions begin to ease. The Fiera Milano digital platform will support each of the companies by facilitating meetings between exhibitors and buyers.

Thanks to the ICE-ITA Agency, the scouting and selection of buyers from medium- and long-haul has begun and is already getting positive feedback.

An Award for Innovation

HostMilano has always been an immersive, personalized, multichannel event combining business opportunities and innovation. The latter is increasingly important, especially as the SMART Label Host Innovation Award makes a comeback this year. Fiera Milano’s competition, open to all innovative companies, is promoted by Host-Fiera Milano in partnership with POLI.design and sponsored by the Association for Industrial Design. More than 150 awards and 20 special recognitions have been given out to honor exhibitors’ smartest solutions over the last three editions.

Top Events

The HostMilano agenda is packed with more than 800 events, ranging from contests to show-cooking, seminars and training sessions. Events cover all the macro-areas of the show, including Pastry Luxury in the World, hosted by Iginio Massari, with some of the world’s most renowned pastry chefs; the International Championships, organized by the International Pastry, Ice Cream and Chocolate Federation; and the Panettone World Championship of the Maestri del Lievito Madre (Mother Yeast Masters), where attendees choose the best traditional artisan panettone after a discussion about the beloved Milanese cake.

Finally, on the catering front, FIPE will present Ristorazione 4.0, focused on digital innovation in the sector, with seminars led by the Ho.re.ca Digital Academy and organized by APCI Associazione Professionale Cuochi (Professional Chefs’ Association), as well as FCSI’s The Future of Hospitality. Current events and tomorrow’s trends will also be the focus of Design Talks, a collaboration with POLI.design that features professional updates on issues in the professional hospitality and design sectors.

For more information, visit https://host.fieramilano.it/en

JUNE/JULY RECIPE

PEPPERONI PIZZA QUESADILLA

INGREDIENTS:

8 flour tortillas

1 c. pizza sauce

2 c. mozzarella cheese, shredded

16 slices Margherita pepperoni, large diameter

2 tbsp. butter

DIRECTIONS:

Sponsored by:

Brush tortillas with thin layer of pizza sauce on one side. Sprinkle cheese on top of bottom tortilla. Top with pepperoni, followed by the other tortilla. Do the same with remaining three tortillas and ingredients to create a total of four quesadillas.

Heat cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Add butter. Place quesadillas in skillet and cook 3 to 5 minutes each side. Slice and serve with pizza sauce/marinara for dipping.

PAYMENT POINTERS

Experts break down everything you need to know about the world of payment processing, from evolving technology to COVID-era customer expectations.

BY TRACY MORIN

From QR codes to kiosks, from pay-at-the-table to smart termina ls, the world of payment processing, like anything tech-related, continues to evolve with the times. And, when you throw the COVID-19 wrench into the works—with buzzwords like contactless and curbs ide turning from add-ons to essentials seemingly overnight—the picture can get even more co mplex.

Whether you need guidance on the basics or fastevolving intricacies, look no further. We tapped payment processing experts to sort through everything payment-related in easy-to-understand terms.

THE FOUR ELEMENTS

According to Nancy Decker Lent, founding member and VP of account executive success at Park Place

Payments in Woodland Hills, California, operators should consider four elements when choosing a system: Hardware involves an up-front cost for the actual terminal. A simple pizzeria may not need an elaborate POS system; it may be able to process transactions

with a countertop or smart terminal. Plenty of these are WiFi-enabled and can be walked to a table.

If you need a POS system, the second element is the software, which manages inventory, sends orders to print in the kitchen, tracks table seating or reservations, etc. The software is a recurring cost, so make sure you fully understand what the cost is, what features it includes, and whether or not those features match your business needs.

Processing fees can include application fees, statement fees, PCI fees, security essentials, monthly minimums and more. Carefully review any and all fees included in the proposal before you make a decision.

Finally, consider service. The ability to quickly get a person (who knows your business) on the other end of the phone when your system is down and cannot accept payments is priceless. You also want to consider the other levels of service a payment processor offers. For example, are you getting proper next-day funding without having to pay a significant fee? Will you get help with PCI compliance? Are you protected from fraud, or will you be assisted if there is a data breach?

“You need to look at price, technology and service and to find a partner,” Decker Lent concludes. “With a little bit of education, you can make the best decision and find the right solution for your business—and it may not be the shiniest or best-known solution.”

for efficient ordering and payment, while full-service pizzerias can choose tabletop options.

Handheld POS processors can be used by servers tableside to create a more efficient checkout process. Customer cards are charged right at the table, and customers can still use near-field communication (NFC) contactless payments and enroll in loyalty programs. Handheld options are also ideal for curbside or other outdoor ordering and pickup.

QR code payments gained renewed popularity last year, as many restaurants adopted this technology for contactless menus. For QR code payments, the code can be printed on customer checks, which eliminates the need for servers to bring payment cards back and forth.

TYPE CASTING

Meaghan Brophy, retail analyst at New York-based Fit Small Business, notes that there are several types of processing available:

Online ordering and payment can be added to an existing website or built with a white-label solution or through a thirdparty app.

Building a branded app can be an effective solution for pizzerias with multiple locations or a large pickup and delivery customer base. Customers can order and pay at their convenience—and branded apps offer pizzerias additional tools, like customer accounts with saved information, loyalty programs and push notifications.

Self-service tech eliminates the pain point of customers waiting for checks and can speed up the payment process and overall turnaround time. Fast-casual pizzerias might use kiosks

In the handheld category, Melissa Johnson, payments analyst at Merchant Maverick in Orange, California, notes that the advent of “smart terminals” allows servers to send an order to the kitchen or bar while standing next to patrons at the table. “Smart terminals also make it easy to seamlessly split checks and take payments on the spot,” Johnson adds. “As a bonus, they are almost always equipped with NFC so that customers can use the ‘tap to pay’ feature on their smartphones or smartwatches.”

COVID-ERA CONTACTLESS

Doug Mearkle, head of U.S. merchant services sales for TD Bank, headquartered in Cherry Hill, New Jersey, notes that consumer payment preferences have changed due to COVID19, and restaurant owners should pay close attention to these evolving preferences. “Consumers now expect a quick and

“Consumers now expect a quick and efficient payments experience that limits face-to-face interaction. While making payments was once an afterthought, the payments experience has now become an integral way to ensure consumers feel comfortable visiting and returning to a business.”

— DOUG MEARKLE, TD BANK

efficient payments experience that limits face-to-face interaction,” Mearkle notes. “While making payments was once an afterthought, the payments experience has now become an integral way to ensure consumers feel comfortable visiting and returning to a business.”

Mearkle explains that merchant payment offerings like mobile, online and contactless payments help enhance consumer confidence because consumers are able to quickly make a payment without the need for shared devices or cards. “These payment offerings also benefit the business because many merchant offerings do not hold back a percentage of transactions or delay fund deposits,” he says. “This is very important in the current economic environment, where liquidity is crucial, especially for restaurants that may be operating at partial capacity.”

Mearkle recommends a full-service merchant solutions program, which allows businesses to gain a more holistic view of the fiscal health of their business by syncing all payments apps across devices in real time, allowing businesses to engage customers and manage employees while viewing real-time inventory, order tracking, employee scheduling and reporting.

QUICK TIPS

Johnson notes that you can get a POS system and payment processing from a single provider, or you can choose each one separately. “But, in either case, you should absolutely make sure your payment system supports EMV,” she advises. “NFC support for tap-to-pay is nice, but keep in mind that not all smartphones support it. You also need to make sure that your setup has an intuitive system for managing tips, especially with credit card payments.”

In addition, Brophy recommends keeping in mind the following when choosing a payment solution:

Find the most affordable option for your business. Competitive rates are important—but the most affordable option will vary for each business, depending on your overall sales volume and average order value. For example, a slice shop with lower average tickets might be better suited to a processor that has a flat-rate percentage transaction fee, whereas a full-service pizzeria may find a flat 15-cent per ticket markup more economical. Also, different types of transactions have different rates: Generally, card-not-present transactions, like online orders, have higher rates than card-present transactions, such as selfservice, tableside or handheld POS checkouts.

Choose a solution that offers flexibility. With a POS and payments system that offers a range of hardware and payment processing options, you’re free to take orders however you need to as your business changes and adapts. You don’t want to invest in hardware only to outgrow the system in a few years.

Make sure your technology is compatible. Your POS and payment processor need to talk to each other. Otherwise, no matter what payment method you choose, there will be a huge inefficiency— needing to manually record payments in the POS. For small businesses, Brophy usually recommends choosing one completely integrated system for simplicity and ease of use.

Tracy Morin is PMQ’s senior copy editor.

Beyond The Dough Presented By

Advice for 2021 graduates...

• Be thankful for what you have.

• Ask for what you want. Go for it!

• Write down your goals, talk about them, pray about them, focus on them, tell everyone about them, work your butt off to hit them... and when you do reach your goals... CELEBRATE.

• Save your money!

• There is a lot to see in this world. Go see it while you’re young.

• Don’t stop learning. Keep reading. Listen to something, while you drive, that will stimulate your brain.

• Pray every day for a minute or two.

• Get up early. Don’t be late. Work hard.

• Always save room for dessert at a nice restaurant!

• Be careful who you spend time with.

• Don’t settle for average.

• Hug your friends. Your circle gets a lot smaller as you get older.

• Don’t let your pride get in the way of asking for help!

Funny, this is great advice for us

“seasoned folks” also!

To learn more about Perfect Crust’s pizza liners and other products, visit perfectcrust.com or email Eric Bam at Eric@perfectcrust.com

About Eric Bam:

A Boston native now living in Tulsa, OK, Eric Bam is VP of sales and marketing for Perfect Crust, with 20 years of experience in the foodservice industry. A powerful force in the workplace, Bam uses his positive attitude and tireless energy to encourage others to work hard and succeed. He has a wife and three children and loves helping the men and women of the pizza industry grow their businesses.

born 4th july on the of

When Lenny Rago of Panino’s Pizzeria declared his independence from thirdparty partners last year, his sales and profits shot up. But he’s weighing more drastic changes for the future.

BY RICK HYNUM

Lenny Rago comes from an Italian family, but he had an all-American childhood in Chicago—tussling and fighting with his older brother, Gino, playing back-alley hockey with his buddies, riding his bike to work at a mom-and-pop pizza shop. He was even born on the 4th of July. But the times, they are a-changin’ in the USA, and so is the pizza industry. And Rago, who co-owns Panino’s Pizzeria in the Windy City area with his brother and their friend, Bruno Brunetti, knows he has to change as well to survive.

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Fortunately, he’s the kind of guy who can teach himself just about anything and learn to do it well. That’s why he declared his independence from third-party companies during the pandemic last year, took control of Panino’s digital presence and became master of his own pizza marketing destiny. Now he just needs to figure out where that destiny will take him—and his three-store company—in a post-pandemic world.

It’s a question that’s vexing him these days. “I’ve thought about it a lot lately,” Rago says. “I love dine-in, but I don’t think it’s heading in the right direction. I think we’re a dying breed, and we need to change our thinking.”

CUTTING THE CORD

Lenny and Gino Rago opened the first Panino’s location in 1997. They brought in Brunetti as a partner and opened their second store in 2003, and the trio then opened a third store in 2009. Prepared from scratch at their restaurants in Chicago, Evanston and Park Ridge, their pizza and other menu items have earned national and international acclaim, with Lenny Rago capturing the top culinary prize in the Pizza Pizzazz competition at the 2018 Mid-America Restaurant Expo in Columbus, Ohio. Both brothers are members of the U.S. Pizza Team and have competed—and excelled—in the World Pizza Championship in Italy.

“I reached out to all of the third-party companies and…I cut them all off…I haven’t looked back once, and our sales have actually increased, and my profit margin has gone up, because I took everything into my own hands.”

— LENNY RAGO, PANINO’S PIZZERIA

For this month’s photo shoot, Panino’s owner Lenny Rago made some 4th of July-themed party favorites in his home kitchen.

JAMES OBOS/JPM PHOTOGRAPHY

There’s no question Rago knows what he’s doing in the kitchen, but he’s also the financial mastermind behind Panino’s. And he has been taking a good, hard look at the numbers since the pandemic began. They’re just not adding up.

Although he continues to take COVID-19 seriously, he can’t help but wonder if the country overreacted to the spread of the virus and wreaked unnecessary economic havoc on itself. Food prices have shot up, and some key ingredients are increasingly harder to source. Workers are demanding higher wages in nearly every sector of the foodservice business. And many customers remain wary, still preferring carryout and delivery to dining in at restaurants.

“The money it costs to operate a business today is very alarming,” Rago says. “Was the pandemic that bad, or were we being played? Looking back, I feel it was overkill.”

In the midst of the panic, Rago had some hard decisions to make. “I thought, this is ridiculous, with these third-party companies charging us all these fees. I was paying Grubhub a fee, and Chowly, which was integrated with our SpeedLine Solutions POS, was another fee. I was getting hit by fee after fee, and I wasn’t in control of it. I hated not being in control of it. I decided we needed to do our own online ordering and our own website, and I needed to learn more about the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). I took it on myself to do the research to make sure I was doing the right thing.”

In the spring of 2020, as the pizza industry in Chicago pivoted to delivery and carryout, Rago shut down one of the Panino’s stores entirely during April but kept paying the employees from his own pocket to stay home. He sought advice from industry accountant Michael Rasmussen (PMQ’s

“When I was a kid, a 16” sausage pizza cost $9.50. Now it’s $22. In the past 25 or 30 years, you’d think that would have tripled, but it’s barely doubled. That pizza should sell for $30—it feeds four to five people!”

— LENNY RAGO, PANINO’S PIZZERIA

Rago (shown at left standing between his brother Gino and their business partner, Bruno Brunetti) is a longtime U.S. Pizza Team member who has competed at the World Pizza Championship in Italy.

mikeshothoney.com

“Accounting for Your Money” columnist) to learn the ins and outs of the PPP, applied for a loan and got it. He also dedicated that month to bringing online ordering for all three Panino’s locations back in-house, working with SpeedLine to develop his own system and with digital marketing company Americaneagle.com on his website. “I reached out to all of the third-party companies and told them, ‘I appreciate everything you’ve done, but every dollar counts at this time, and I need to do this on my own.’ And I cut them all off.”

So how did that work out for him? The risk was worth it, he says. “I haven’t looked back once, and our sales have actually increased, and my profit margin has gone up, because I took everything into my own hands,” Rago says.

UNDERSTANDING THE LABOR SHORTAGE

Savoring this newfound freedom, Rago also began tapping into the marketing power of his POS system, building his own database of 15,000 customers and marketing to them directly

“I’ve thought about it a lot lately. I love dinein, but I don’t think it’s heading in the right direction. I think we’re a dying breed, and we need to change our thinking.”

— LENNY RAGO, PANINO’S PIZZERIA

through traditional mail, texts and email. “We told them we were cutting out all third parties and offering our own online ordering system,” he recalls. “Now, working with Constant Contact, we’re sending out mailers on a quarterly or monthly basis directly to that customer database and building on it. I might send out 2,000 to 3,000 pieces each week in different postal zones. I constantly rotate it out so that people are always seeing our name. Every quarter, I’ll send out a postcard with an offer of $10 off a $55 order, $5 off a $35 order, or two pizzas for $16.99, that kind of thing. I’ve also been promoting heavily through our Google Business page and through emails and text marketing.”

Rago is an ambassador for Margherita Meats, so the supplier paid for a TV commercial spot that he plans to try out on the local channels. “This 30-second commercial cost me nothing,” he says. “Leveraging my strength with the brands I use is very effective.”

But marketing Panino’s is the least of Rago’s problems these days. “We need employees, not marketing,” he says. And the so-called “labor shortage” is another symptom of the radical change facing the restaurant industry today. “I don’t think there’s a shortage of employees. I think there’s a shortage of people who want to work in our industry,” Rago says. “I can’t open my dining room, because I can’t find servers.”

He says Panino’s employees can make upwards of $30 an hour or more with tips, but many only want to work part-time.

“That’s fine, but now I’ve got to hire three or four people to do one job. My customers get used to seeing the same people, and now they see three or four different people every time they come in. As a server, you build a relationship with those customers, and those relationships are reflected in the tips. And with parttimers, it’s a lot more work for an independent operator like me to have to juggle those schedules.”

Rago was taken aback in a conversation with one young man who trades in the cryptocurrency market. “This kid told me he could make more money trading Dogecoin than coming in to work and answering my phones,” he recalls. “That’s crazy to me. That should be supplemental to your income. You go and wait tables, make $25 an hour, and then go trade your Dogecoins at home and make more. But they have other means of making money now. I just don’t think people want to work in our industry anymore.”

And hiring low-wage part-time kitchen help doesn’t make much sense to Rago, either, considering the depth and breadth of Panino’s menu, which includes everything from artisanal

JAMES OBOS/JPM PHOTOGRAPHY

“I don’t think there’s a shortage of employees. I think there’s a shortage of people who want to work in our industry.”

— LENNY RAGO, PANINO’S PIZZERIA

Rago, shown here making pizza at home, won the MidAmerica Restaurant Expo’s Pizza Pizzazz competition in 2018.

DIP DUNK DRIZZLE

Mike’s Hot Honey started out of a pizzeria in Brooklyn 11 years ago, creating a whole new category of pizza topping that has been called a ‘game changer’ by pizza fans and spawned best-selling menu items for pizzerias nationwide. Request a sample today to see what all the buzz is about. www.mikeshothoney.com/sample

Neapolitan and East Coast pizzas, calzones and pasta dishes to burgers, pork chops, pot roast and chicken.

“Panino’s is a scratch kitchen, family-owned, with 20, 30, 40 different items on the menu, and that’s very hard to maintain,” he notes. “To make our menu is very complex. You can’t have a minimum-wage employee making those dishes. You need a committed, full-time person who will learn that job and stay with you. I can’t have a part-time high-school kid making these dishes—it’s not gonna happen.”

ONLY THE STRONG WILL SURVIVE

In other words, even after declaring his independence from third-party companies, Rago still has a lot to figure out. The pizzeria industry, he believes, is undergoing “a major shift.” The full-service model might not be the model of the future for operations like Panino’s, even though taking good care of his customers and filling their bellies with a wide range of amazing foods is Rago’s passion.

So what’s the solution? Clearly, delivery is the big moneymaker for the major chains, while some smaller chains are also investing in the ghost kitchen model to cut back their expenses and raise their profits. Even some independent operators, such as past PMQ cover subject Michael Androw, owner of E&D Pizza in Avon, Connecticut, have switched to

DELCO only and seen their sales soar during the pandemic.

“I might just have to do that,” Rago says, with a sigh. “But I’ve got a good lunch business. I’m very undecided about it.”

Time will tell whether the shift in customer preferences for delivery and carryout is permanent, but it’s looking that way to Rago. And with rising food prices and labor costs, the advantage goes to Domino’s, Pizza Hut and other big chains. Sadly, raising his own prices is not a promising option. Customers still expect a certain price point for pizza, and that price point is disturbingly low. “When I was a kid, a 16” sausage pizza cost $9.50,” he reflects. “Now it’s $22. In the past 25 or 30 years, you’d think that would have tripled, but it’s barely doubled. That pizza should sell for $30—it feeds four to five people!

“So what does that tell you?” he continues. “These chains have hurt the independents with low prices, so we [independents] have to charge low prices, too, and keep our profit margins really low.”

Rago will keep pondering the problem, but he knows he made the right move by cutting out his old third-party partners back in 2020. “It’s a very challenging world we’re living in right now,” he says. “That’s why you need to declare your independence from these third-party companies to try to retain all the profits you can. We’re working on very low margins with rising food costs, and we can’t continue to raise our prices to keep up. Only the strong are gonna survive.”

Rick Hynum is PMQ’s editor in chief.

The Panino’s menu includes everything from pies like this mac and cheese pizza to burgers, pork chops, pot roast and chicken.

Rago fires up a Neapolitan-style pizza in his backyard oven.

JAMES OBOS/JPM PHOTOGRAPHY

“...We’re sending out mailers on a quarterly or monthly basis directly to that customer database and building on it. I might send out 2,000 to 3,000 pieces each week in different postal zones. I constantly rotate it out so that people are always seeing our name.”

— LENNY RAGO,

PANINO’S PIZZERIA

WELCOME MARGHERITA ITALIAN MEATS TO THE U.S. PIZZA TEAM SPONSOR FAMILY!

The U.S. Pizza Team (USPT) is proud to introduce Margherita Italian Meats, a premium cured meat brand serving foodservice operators, as a gold-level sponsor for 2021

Founded in 2000, the USPT has been bringing competition and excitement to the pizza industry, creating national events that bring together culinary masters and dough tossing phenoms to share their love of pizza making.

“Creating a partnership between the U.S. Pizza Team and Margherita is a natural fit that gives us the opportunity to connect with culinary experts that have a true passion for pizza making,” says Ed Wayda, senior brand manager for Smithfield Culinary. “Having an understanding of what makes a pizza delicious and memorable not only comes with experience, but also with the trust of ingredients being used. We are thrilled to be working closely with some of the best pizza makers in our country and look forward to seeing our Margherita meats make their way onto some noteworthy pies.”

As a gold-level sponsor, Margherita will provide product to U.S. Pizza Team competitors to serve as inspiration for chefs looking to create inventive flavor combinations. Everything from Margherita’s pepperoni slices and meatballs to capicola and salami will be offered to pizza makers to get creative with.

“We are thrilled to have Margherita on board as a gold-level sponsor,” says USPT coordinator Brian Hernandez. “As a staple

product for many of our competitors, it’s exciting to have a premium brand like Margherita take part in our events that have so much culinary passion behind them.”

To learn more about Margherita, a Smithfield Culinary brand, visit smithfieldculinary.com/margherita.

ABOUT SMITHFIELD CULINARY

With a dedication to culinary arts innovation, and industryleading sustainability, Smithfield Culinary leverages passionate chefs, culinary partners and R&D to produce high-quality products that inspire chefs and consumers alike. Foodservice brands within the Smithfield Culinary portfolio feature Smithfield® and Margherita®. Smithfield Culinary is the foodservice business unit of Smithfield Foods, Inc., the world’s largest pork processor and largest hog producer in the United States. For more information, visit SmithfieldCulinary.com

A FEW OF OUR PIZZA TO INSPIRE US DURING COMPETITION AND FINDING

2020 VUSPC Live Reveal on USPT Facebook

2020 VUSPC Winner Lars Smith, State of Mind Public House & Pizzeria, Los Altos, CA

No Kid Hungry with Chef Geno McWilliams of Kitchens Unlimited, Effingham, IL

PIZZA TEAM HEROES THAT CONTINUED

DURING 2020, VIA ZOOM, VIRTUAL FINDING AN IMPORTANT CAUSE!

Juan Hermosillo, 2021 Virtual Acrobatic Pizza Spinning Championship

USPT at the 2019 World Pizza Championships, Parma, Italy

Sean Dempsey, Dempsey’s Brewery Pub & Restaurant, Watertown, SD, 2nd Place 2020 VUSPC

Rico Lunardi, Slice on Broadway, Pittsburgh, PA, 3rd Place 2020 VUSPC

Healthy Choices

In today’s world, “healthy” means different things to different people. Luckily, the versatile shape-shifter that is pizza can accommodate virtually any interpretation.

BY TRACY MORIN

Call it a byproduct of being America’s favorite food. Whether your customers are gluten-free, paleo, keto, plant-based, vegan, pescatarian or any other dietary designation, chances are that pizza has an iteration to meet their needs. However, no matter what diet they’re trying out or what lifestyle they’ve decided to adopt for the long haul, those customers aren’t willing to compromise when it comes to flavor.

Whether fresh for delivery or reheated later, pizzas featuring Saputo® Premium Gold Ricotta Cheese and Mozzarella always hold up.

“We are finding that our customers are, more than ever, looking for that elusive combination of healthy and excellent taste,” notes chef Vincent Barcelona, director of sales—national accounts and culinary for Stratas Foods in Memphis, Tennessee. “The palates of consumers get more sophisticated and more experimental every year.” To help meet a range of customers’ dietary desires, we sourced a selection of better-for-you recipes to inspire your own takes on the various approaches to healthier pizzas.

CAST IRON SKILLET PIZZA

Provided by Christine Cochran, executive director, Grain Foods Foundation

“Pizza can be a great way for both kids and adults to get some vegetables, lean proteins, and essential grains,” Cochran says. “This pizza provides both heart-healthy whole grains and nutrient-rich enriched grains through its blended crust, plus plenty of colorful vegetables—and enough thin-sliced prosciutto and cheese to make it delicious!”

INGREDIENTS:

• 250g (about 2 c.) all-purpose flour

• 250g (about 2 c.) whole-wheat flour

• 30g salt

• 700g (about 2.75 c.) lukewarm (100ºF) water

• 60g (4 tbsp.) unsalted butter, melted

• 40g (about 2.5 tbsp.) olive oil, plus more for greasing

• 5g (about 1 tsp.) active dry yeast

Suggested toppings: tomato sauce, red onion, red sweet peppers, prosciutto, fresh mozzarella, fresh spinach, fresh basil

DIRECTIONS:

CHRISTINE COCHRAN

Combine the flours and salt in a large bowl. In a separate container, combine the water, melted butter, oil and yeast. Let sit for 1 to 2 minutes. Add the water mixture to the flour mixture and stir with a rubber spatula. The dough will be sticky. Mix until it comes together into a shaggy dough. Cover and let sit for 30 to 45 minutes. Uncover the dough and knead with flour for 5 minutes or less, until the dough is no longer shaggy. Move it to a clean bowl, cover and let stand for 3 to 5 hours at room temperature. Move the dough into the refrigerator and let sit, ideally overnight (6 to 24 hours). Remove the dough and divide into portions of roughly 600g each. Grease a 10” cast iron pan with olive oil and place a dough ball in each. Ensure the dough has a light covering of oil. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise to room temperature (about 3 to 5 hours). Preheat the oven to 400° for at least 30 minutes. While the oven is preheating, gently spread the dough so it fills the pan and place the chosen toppings on top. Bake for about 45 minutes, checking occasionally. (Depending on the oven, you may need to lightly place aluminum foil over the top to prevent burning.) Let the pizza cool for 5 to 10 minutes before serving. Makes 3 pizzas.

PIZZA TV

As Seen On PizzaTV.com

Don’t miss these videos and webinars on PizzaTV.com!

STELLA’S GOURMET PIZZA DESSERTS

Stella’s Gourmet offers an array of mouthwatering pizza desserts from chocolate chip cookies and brownies to s’mores and the Chewy Gooey Chocolate Chunk, all easy to prepare and guaranteed to satisfy any customer’s sweet tooth. These dessert items come fully baked and ready for a quick heat-and-serve in a deck or conveyor oven!

Watch the video at PizzaTV.com/stellas-gourmet-pizza-desserts

THE SPRING TART FROM CAPUTO CHEESE

We know spring is almost over, but this pizza-like pastry recipe from Caputo Cheese is a light and savory treat for any season. Featuring quail eggs, fresh asparagus, EVOO, prosciutto, grated and shaved Pecorino Romano, bocconcini, garlic and mascarpone, it’s a showstopper that will leave your customers hungry for more!

Watch the video at PizzaTV.com/spring-tart-from-caputo-cheese

DON’T MISS THIS WEBINAR!

DOING MORE WITH LESS: DEALING WITH A LABOR SHORTAGE

Hosted by SpeedLine Solutions

2 P.M., JULY 8, 2021

SpeedLine Solutions tackles a subject that’s on the minds of pizzeria operators across the country: how to bounce back from the pandemic at a time when finding new employees is getting more and more difficult pmq.com/speedline

PESCATARIAN PIADINA PIZZA

Provided by chef Stephanie Harris-Uyidi, author, The Posh Pescatarian: A Collection of My Favorite Sustainable Seafood Recipes

Harris-Uyidi is a pescatarian, meaning she follows a plant-based diet supplemented with seafood. “This Pescatarian Piadina Pizza was inspired by my trip to Capri, Italy, and is filled with fresh ingredients,” she says. “Piadina is a simple yeast-free Italian flatbread that is straightforward to make, but a naan-style bread or a Greek-style pita would also work for this recipe.”

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 flatbreads

• ½ lb. shrimp, peeled and deveined, tails removed and sliced in half lengthwise

• 1 tin of blue mussels in olive oil, drained, oil reserved

• 1 tbsp. of olive oil

• Juice of ½ lemon

• Black pepper, to taste

• ½ c. mozzarella cheese, grated

• 1 handful of black olives, sliced

• 1 large tomato, sliced thin

• 1 garlic clove, minced

• ½ c. arugula leaves

• 1 tsp. red pepper flakes

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat the oven to 450°. Add the 1 tbsp. of olive oil along with the reserved tinned mussel oil to a medium-size skillet. When the oil is hot, add the shrimp, garlic and lemon juice to the pan, along with a little freshly cracked black pepper. Cook for 2 minutes, until the shrimp just starts to turn pink. Remove the shrimp from the pan and set aside; reserve the olive oil sauce in a separate container. Lay the flatbreads out on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Use a pastry brush to spread on the reserved olive oil sauce from the pan. Next, layer on the topping ingredients: cheese, tomato, shrimp, mussels, olives and red pepper flakes. Add the baking sheet to the oven and cook for 6 to 8 minutes or until the cheese is melted. Remove from the oven, top with fresh arugula, slice as desired and serve immediately.

THE WORLD OF BILLY MANZO

William “Billy” Manzo, Jr., owner of Federal Hill Pizza in Providence and Warren, Rhode Island, is a true pizza renaissance man. Prior to opening his first store in Warren, Manzo and his wife, Christine, ran a wholesale business selling pizza dough and pizza shells in Rhode Island, Massachusetts and Connecticut. Today, he’s one of the region’s most respected pizzaioli, but he’s a lot more than that. He’s also a marketing mastermind who has created dozens of Facebook videos that have garnered thousands of views over the past seven years.

Manzo has begun developing content exclusively for PMQ, starting with a focus this month on healthy pizza recipes. Check out Manzo’s recipe videos beginning in mid-June at PMQ.com/Billy-Manzo. And don’t miss Manzo’s new column, which debuts in the August issue of PMQ Pizza Magazine!

STEPHANIE HARRIS-UYIDI

FATHEAD PIZZA

Provided

by Matthew Gaedke, founder, KetoConnect

The keto diet may require low-carb eating, but its adherents still crave pizza! “This is a classic keto recipe and is loved by just about everyone who tries a keto diet,” Matthew Gaedke says. “It’s usually one of the first copycat recipes someone makes when they start keto.”

INGREDIENTS:

• 1½ c. mozzarella cheese, shredded

• 2 oz. cream cheese

• 1 large egg

• ¾ c. almond flour

• 1 tsp. baking powder

• 1 tsp. Italian seasoning (optional)

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 425°. Combine mozzarella and cream cheese in a bowl and microwave for 30 seconds. Take out of microwave and mix. Microwave for another 30 seconds and mix again. Add almond flour, baking powder, egg, and any herbs and spices to the melted mixture. Mix all of the ingredients together with a fork until they combine and begin to cool. Then knead by hand and form into a pizza crust on a nonstick pan. (Tip: Place parchment paper over the crust and roll with a rolling pin. The dough can be difficult to shape by hand.) Bake for 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from the oven, add desired toppings and bake for an additional 5 to 7 minutes.

Tracy Morin is PMQ’s senior copy editor.

Trust Saputo® Premium Gold Ricotta Cheese and Mozzarella to deliver the soft, delicate textures and clean, milky flavors to keep customers coming back again and again.

KETOCONNECT

Getting the Party Started (Third)

Still on the fence about working with thirdparty delivery? Looking to improve your current partnerships? Here’s how pizzerias are making third-party deliveries work for them.

BY TRACY MORIN

Since their emergence on the foodservice scene, there has been no shortage of gripes about third-party delivery providers. But for many pizzerias, they’ve moved from a “no way” to a necessary evil to a solid partner that legitimately helps boost business. And the impact of COVID-19—from dine-in restrictions to keeping more customers at home—has only fueled their growth.

“We have used DoorDash, Uber Eats and other third-party delivery services at all of our locations for several years, which has broadened our customer base and enabled our patrons to reach us at their leisure, especially during the pandemic,” notes Zach Hempen, senior digital marketing manager of Your Pie Pizza, based in Alpharetta, Georgia, with 75 locations. “Despite the commission fee with any service, our system benefits from these delivery platforms by driving additional business to our restaurants from existing and new consumers and allowing us the chance to gain exposure in different markets.”

SUCCESS STORIES

Leah Arp, off-premise marketing manager for Your Pie Pizza, manages its delivery service relationships, and she notes some impressive stats surrounding third-party sales. “Our thirdparty delivery business overall has grown by more than 400% when comparing Period 4 in 2020 to Period 4 in 2021—a 439% increase,” she says. “We have reached close to 10,000 additional consumers through third-party delivery services from January to March alone. And we gain a lot of insights from the reviews through third-party delivery, which can then be applied to the product, the packaging or the process. It gives us additional data from a particular subset of consumers.”

However, at Mountain Mike’s Pizza, based in Newport Beach, California, with 236 locations and growing, educating individual franchise owners about the benefits of third-party delivery took some time. “Some of the negative is perception over reality—because a lot of folks are so focused on the third-party marketing fee, and they’re also concerned over cannibalization,” explains Mountain Mike’s president and COO Jim Metevier. “But third-party sales are incremental business. Loyal Mountain Mike’s guests, who are going online, picking up the phone or coming in to order, are going to continue to do that, but DoorDash, Grubhub and Uber Eats

orders are coming from those consumers. And if you’re not part of that list, you’re not going to get the order. We feel like thirdparty really complemented our in-house delivery.”

Mountain Mike’s even did a test in California’s Bay Area, looking at its restaurants that joined DoorDash and those who offered only in-house delivery. It showed that the third-party sales were more than 80% incremental. They also showed reluctant franchisees the dollar profits of the sales. “Your margins on those incremental orders might be lower, but you don’t take margins to the bank—you take dollars,” Metevier says. “We showed them you’re still making more money by leveraging these services.” And, needless to say, they became more crucial when COVID hit—at Mountain Mike’s, thirdparty jumped from 6% of sales, pre-pandemic, to 13% by 2021. The company currently works with four third-party providers and integrated these orders into its POS system to streamline operations.

Anthony Russo, CEO and founder of Houston-based Russo’s New York Pizzeria, with 42 locations, also decided to embrace third-party providers, despite already employing his own delivery drivers. “Families and moms gravitate toward Grubhub or DoorDash, and we didn’t want to miss out on the opportunity to be in that digital space,” Russo explains. “We did negotiate on their fees, but the way I see it, it’s marketing dollars. We see additional sales coming in, and customers are more aware of us now, too.”

“Your margins on those incremental orders might be lower, but you don’t take margins to the bank—you take dollars.”

— JIM METEVIER, MOUNTAIN MIKE’S PIZZA

MOUNTAIN MIKE’S PIZZA

At the Mountain Mike’s Pizza chain, third-party sales more than doubled during the pandemic.

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WORKING THE SYSTEM

Operators who are utilizing third-party delivery services to their best advantage have found that certain tips and tricks can maximize the relationship:

• Engage in open communication. Arp has found success by utilizing third-party delivery providers as business partners. “We have biweekly calls with each partner to discuss opportunities for operational improvement on both the side of the restaurants and the side of the drivers,” she explains. “We also discuss what marketing promotions work best for our specific needs on a brand level, as well as for individual markets. Keep in mind that they’re there to help you—if you’re doing good business, they are, too.”

In addition, Your Pie takes advantage of as many of the brand-wide promotions offered by the partners as possible to harness the strength of their marketing budgets and bring attention to Your Pie locations. “For example, Uber Eats does a great job of having different promotions throughout the year, depending on what is top of mind for consumers, that our stores are allowed to opt in to,” Arp notes.

• Explore separate storefronts. Russo uses third-party apps to present a wider range of offerings available through his business. He has played around with creating separate virtual storefronts to highlight aspects of the menu, like catering, gluten-free, vegan or New York deli sandwiches— without the need for additional rent or labor costs. “Some customers have no idea that I have gluten-free items or catering trays and pizza packages, but online I can put myself in that category,” Russo says. “Adding two additional storefronts, virtually, helps offset the expenses of working with third parties.”

• Follow up. There are several “aftercare” recommendations operators advocate to help make the most of third-party deliveries. Arp uses the menu trends and customer feedback from within those platforms, combined with the data from its own online ordering and loyalty platform, to help prioritize what items should be featured more prominently online. The company can also evaluate the areas of the pizzeria in which consumers are seeking improvements, as well as areas where Your Pie is excelling in the digital customers’ eyes. Finally, the company tries to track where each customer comes from—and a full 40% of third-party customers have never before ordered from the pizzeria.

HERE TO STAY

Then there are ways to promote your business alongside the orders themselves. Mountain Mike’s uses box toppers with the phone number and website of the local store, as well as promotions that can point consumers to its own delivery

“Families and moms gravitate toward Grubhub or DoorDash, and we didn’t want to miss out on the opportunity to be in that digital space. We did negotiate on their fees, but the way I see it, it’s marketing dollars.”

— ANTHONY RUSSO, RUSSO’S NEW YORK PIZZERIA

RUSSO’S NEW YORK PIZZERIA

Despite employing its own delivery drivers, Russo’s New York Pizzeria also works with third-party providers.

services. Your Pie places inserts in bags to convey other ways to reach the business directly (and more cheaply). Russo, too, includes bounce-back offers and online deals. “One day, they might order delivery, but the next time, they’ll come for dine-in,” Russo says. “We just want to win them over.”

Ultimately, Metevier sees these deliveries as a complement to the overall business, and he notes that these providers are here to stay— though he predicts some shifts in the thirdparty industry in the months or years ahead as regulations change, consolidations occur and new players emerge. “I don’t see any reason not to work with them—they continue to make our brand bigger and increase our reach,” Metevier says. “I’m all in. When our franchisees see that it’s driving their top line and, from a dollar perspective, adding to their bottom line, they realize there’s a big opportunity there.”

And, as Arp points out, “If you’re not there, your competitors will be.”

Tracy Morin is PMQ’s senior copy editor.

“We have biweekly calls with each partner to discuss opportunities for operational improvement on both the side of the restaurants and the side of the drivers…. Keep in mind that they’re there to help you— if you’re doing good business, they are, too.”

— LEAH ARP, YOUR PIE PIZZA

RUSSO’S NEW YORK PIZZERIA

Marketing materials like menus, inserts, offers and box toppers can point third-party customers to a pizzeria’s own ordering systems and physical locations.

Renewable and compostable materials can help reduce the environmental impact of to-go orders.

THE TOTAL PACKAGE

From enabling greater sustainability to promoting family fun and food safety, today’s packaging options are more advanced—and more important—than ever.

BY TRACY MORIN

Thanks to their menu items’ natural ability to travel well for delivery and carryout, pizzerias have become true heroes in the pandemic. But the massive numbers of dine-in sales converting into to-go orders make packaging more important than ever— from standpoints of the customer experience, environmental sustainability and food safety. Luckily, packaging providers and pizzerias alike are meeting these evolving needs with some creative solutions.

Grate machine for your operation

PERSONAL TOUCHES

The pandemic has changed the way pizzeria operators are approaching their packaging—and, in some cases, they’re making it a lot more fun and interactive. David Kranker, marketing manager at Budget Branders in Hudsonville, Michigan, works with pizzerias on custom packaging and has witnessed plenty of creativity from his clients. “Some shops added game elements to their boxes for families to play together after eating—things like tic-tac-toe on the box or a cutout hole on the top to use the box for cornhole,” Kranker explains. “I’ve also seen shops print beautiful abstract art on their boxes to essentially make them look like a painted canvas that can be hung up on the wall. Not everyone is going to hang up pizza boxes as fine art, but some die-hard pizza fans will—and that’s great brand recognition, if you can make yourself a permanent fixture in someone’s home.”

Kranker has even noted pizzerias taking a crowdsourced approach, in which they’ll print customer-provided art or drawings onto their boxes—a great way to get customers further invested in the product, since they love seeing art from friends or family on the packaging. Other pizzerias will take customer requests for drawings on the inside of the boxes to brighten someone’s day. “It creates a special experience for customers, who are often going to post it on social media, which increases brand reach,” Kranker says. “If shops are willing to do this, I would suggest they promote that they do it on their website and on social media to get more requests—and, ultimately, more social shares.”

MATERIAL WORLD

Lauren Olson, zero waste manager for World Centric in Rohnert Park, California, notes that food and packaging waste (including from foodservice) account for a staggering 45% of all materials that end up in U.S. landfills each year. Meanwhile, the boost in takeout and delivery business as a result of the pandemic has only increased single-use plastic packaging waste.

However, using renewable and compostable materials for packaging go a long way toward helping reduce environmental impact—a factor that’s becoming more important to customers every year in the face of well-publicized concerns like climate change. Olson stresses that today’s consumers are looking to support restaurant operators who are making an effort to operate sustainably. “Look for foodservice ware that’s certified commercially compostable by ASTM D6400 standards,” she recommends. “Choose compostable packaging that’s made from renewable plantbased materials, like bagasse, sugarcane, wheatstraw or other plant fibers.”

GREENTOGO

GreenToGo, a creative reusable pizza-packaging solution in Durham, North Carolina, aims to make one-time-use pizza boxes a thing of the past.

Fortunately, Olson adds, the past few years have seen a significant shift away from using petroleum-based plastics and virgin wood fiber as raw materials in foodservice packaging. “There is growing momentum toward use of plant-based materials like sugarcane, bamboo, and plant-based plastics such as polylactic acid (PLA)—to the benefit of our planet’s future,” she says.

SAFETY MEETS SUSTAINABILITY

The pandemic has put even more emphasis on crosscontamination and safety, but how do those requirements intersect with consumers’ sustainability demands? Manufacturers are increasingly focused on solutions that keep both in mind. For example, Atlanta-based GP PRO, a division

straw or removes the film. “The operator doesn’t handle the lid or even the open brim of the cup, and the tamper-evident seal helps promote overall food safety,” Frisch notes. “It virtually eliminates the use of high-impact polystyrene lids and uses 60% less plastic than most snap-on lids.”

This drink sealer was created because the company found, in a recent consumer survey, that beverage delivery is often rated unsatisfactory. Results showed that 34% of respondents received a fountain beverage that had totally or partially spilled in transit, another 34% received a drink that appeared messy or unclean, and 21% had reason to believe their beverage had been tampered with. “The growth in the takeout, delivery and drive-thru market is keeping many operators afloat right now,” Frisch says. “But if operators want to see that off-premise

of Georgia-Pacific, recently introduced a cutlery dispensing system that wraps utensils only at the end used for eating, helping reduce cross-contamination while using 60% less material than fully wrapped cutlery. (The company also found that dispensing systems reduce cutlery consumption by 31%, compared to open cutlery bins.)

“I think what’s most exciting is the evolution of automation and its role in foodservice and foodservice packaging,” adds Alec Frisch, vice president and general manager of foodservice for GP PRO. To that end, the company’s new Automated Sealing Machine places a tamper-evident, spill-resistant sealed film on to-go cups so that fountain beverages remain hygienically contained in the cup until the customer inserts a

growth continue, we need to solve these customer concerns and help operators confidently incorporate fountain beverages into their off-premise offerings—and reap the high margins that fountain drink sales provide.”

CLEAN AND GREEN

In Durham, North Carolina, GreenToGo was established in 2017 to offer a packaging-reuse service that incorporates a customer mobile app and necessary behind-the-scenes logistics so that businesses can quit using disposable food packaging altogether. Crystal Dreisbach, the inventor, explains that the GreenToGo service offers recovery of reusable containers, including collection from restaurants,

“Pizzerias can offer the reusable box option on their online order forms…or they can switch entirely to reusable—and never put their pizza in cardboard again.”

— CRYSTAL DREISBACH, GREENTOGO

and transport to its central wash facility, as well as washing, sanitization and drying, then restocking to restaurants.

Eventually, Dreisbach set her sights on the pizza biz. “We wanted to begin adding reusable pizza boxes to our circulation, so we purchased a test set of reusable pizza boxes from ARRRC so that we could test the concept in Pie Pushers Pizza in Durham,” she says. “Unfortunately, none of the reusable pizza boxes on the market are up to the design criteria and standards for a city-wide program like ours, so we designed our own and are working on getting funding to go to manufacture. Pizzerias can offer the reusable box option on their online order forms for customers to select, or they can switch entirely to reusable—and never put their pizza in cardboard again. The benefits to restaurants are economic, environmental and social.”

Olson notes some key pre-pandemic stats: With approximately 3 billion pizzas sold in the U.S. each year, about 2 billion are transported in cardboard pizza boxes. “That’s a lot of pizza boxes and even more waste—roughly 674,614,000

pounds of cardboard,” Olson says. “Food residue contaminates a pizza box, making it unacceptable to recyclers seeking clean material. And that will, ultimately, relegate the box to the landfill.” Hence, for a more sustainable disposable solution, World Centric utilized molding technology to develop the two-piece, compostable PizzaRound container, using tree-free, plant-based materials that hold in heat, improve crispness and eliminate the need for pizza box liners or tents.

Of course, pizzeria owners who are taking steps toward sustainability—in terms of boxes or any other packaging— should be sure to share their efforts with customers via their social pages, websites, in-store signage and more. While not everyone may take note, the growing number of customers who care about the planet and their communities will greatly appreciate these efforts!

Tracy Morin is PMQ’s senior copy editor.

With takeout and delivery business booming, packaging manufacturers are looking to prevent spills and promote better hygiene when it comes to serving up beverages.

“There is growing momentum toward use of plant-based materials like sugarcane, bamboo, and plant-based plastics such as polylactic acid (PLA)—to the benefit of our planet’s future.”

— LAUREN OLSON, WORLD CENTRIC

POP

CULTURE

Pop-up events help mobile pizzerias expand their brand reach and nab new customers. Follow these 7 steps to make them a success from start to finish.

BY TRACY MORIN

For pizzerias with mobile operations, pop-up events offer a bevy of benefits. They can be a great way for businesses to get their name out there, generate buzz for the brand, partner with local noncompeting businesses, and establish or renew connections with customers.

But what are pop-ups, anyway? The term has become a bit muddled over the years, according to Linda Farha, founder and chief connector of Pop-Up Go in Toronto. “Originally, popups were intended for brand activation, lasting between one weekend and three months,” she explains. “You simply ‘pop up’ in a location and then go away. There are a few reasons to do them, like to offer a little teaser of something to come, help the brand directly connect with the end consumer, or establish yourself in a community, building some momentum for the brand and becoming better known.”

But though these events are temporary, they are by no means easy to pull off. Owners of mobile operations—which already carry a unique set of challenges—must plan and execute events to a T to make the most of these opportunities. Here, experts break down the essentials to keep in mind every step of the way.

STEP 1: FIND YOUR PURPOSE.

Farha recommends that before you plan a pop-up, ask yourself: What is your end goal? Do you want to test new menu items? Increase your database so you can expand your marketing efforts? Test a general location where you might open a brick-and-mortar space down the line? “You have to figure out why, then build your event based on the why,” Farha explains. “Even in a temporary setup, if you don’t project the brand in a positive way, you look like you’re not serious.”

STEP 2: DETERMINE LOCATION.

Once you have goals in mind, Farha says, ensure the location makes sense. Does it have a good deal of foot traffic and/or allow for easy customer access? And does your brand jibe with the customers in that area—for example, is your operation

more high-end or down-home? “Think about your budget, too; people don’t realize how much these events cost,” Farha adds. “Look at location, demographics, budget, and how you can market the space.” Doing your research also ensures that the location and format make sense for what you want to achieve. Pop-Up Go has worked with everything from businesses taking over the window of a physical location to digital pop-up shops and pop-ups in a vacant lot. But in pandemic times, outdoor pop-up events are especially on-trend, and mobile operations can use them to test different regions and find out where they’re most successful.

STEP 3: THINK AHEAD.

For Joseph and Katherine Argento, owners of Mama’s Meatballs and Pizzeria, which also has a brick-and-mortar location in Pennsauken, New Jersey, preplanned events are now the only uses for their mobile unit (versus parking somewhere and hoping for sales). But they’ve learned that anything can happen along the way, so expecting the unexpected is a must. “It is a truck, so we’ve had incidents!”

Katherine says. “You have to make sure the generator has gas

“People think these events don’t have to be in-depth, but they should be. Make sure you’re organized. Have internet for payment processing. Think about insurance and security deposits.”

— LINDA FARHA, POP-UP GO

MAMA’S MEATBALLS AND PIZZERIA

The owners of Mama’s Meatballs and Pizzeria use mobile events like pop-ups to direct customers to their brickand-mortar location.

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and take extra gas with you—because if the generator goes out, everything does. Battery issues can land you on the side of the road before an event. You can pop a tire or hit bad traffic. Be prepared. I like to be at the event, set up and ready to go, one hour before the event starts.”

STEP 4: DO A TEST RUN.

Depending on how long your pop-up will last, Farha recommends taking the first week or day(s) to do a soft launch and work out any kinks. You want to ensure everything runs smoothly, from payment processing and signage to following the area’s rules and regulations (which now may change from moment to moment, due to COVID-19-related restrictions). In fact, one of the biggest pitfalls around pop-up events that Farha sees is a lack of organization and/or professionalism. “People think these events don’t have to be in-depth, but they should be,” she says. “Make sure you’re organized. Have internet for payment processing. Think about insurance and security deposits. Just be ready and, again, remember why you’re doing this.”

STEP 5: MARKET SMART.

Farha recommends tapping your database to market the event and drive customers to your pop-up’s location. “Create that urgency factor—don’t stay there too long,” she says. “You need to think 360º, according to what your angle is.” For example, she suggests reaching out to local media outlets and utilizing social media to build buzz (a boosted social media ad campaign helps you gain traction among your desired demographics). You can also mail an e-blast to your current database and use your website to host mini contests that give customers an incentive to attend the event. “The food truck world is very big on social media, and I always say, if you’re not on it, you’re being left out,” Joseph says. “We do promote events on social media, but we also use our storefront, like placing fliers on pizza boxes saying where and when it will be.”

STEP 6: CONNECT WITH CUSTOMERS.

During the event, have a mechanism in place to capture email addresses and allow customers to opt in to your mailings so you can establish an ongoing dialogue. “You can run another

“On the truck, we keep marketing materials to hand out, like menus, business cards and merchandise. We have a customer information collection system, so we get their cell phone numbers and email them receipts. They can also receive rewards points.”

— JOSEPH ARGENTO, MAMA’S MEATBALLS AND PIZZERIA

contest, for example—because you need to offer something they’ll benefit from to get them to sign up,” Farha says. “QR codes are very useful now, since customers can scan with their phones and input their name and email instantaneously.” And, just as the Argentos use their storefront to promote mobile events, they then use those mobile events to promote their brick-and-mortar location. “On the truck, we keep marketing materials to hand out, like menus, business cards and merchandise,” Joseph says. “We have a customer information collection system, so we get their cell phone numbers and email them receipts. They can also receive rewards points. That way, we can market to them later.”

STEP 7: FOLLOW UP.

In addition to following up with customers after the event ends, you’ll want to evaluate the pop-up before you plan your next event. Did you accomplish your goals? What did you learn along the way? Was the event profitable? “We look at the number of

covers—we want to do 100 at any event,” Joseph notes. “Even with 60 to 70, that’s not as profitable as we’d like.” Because mobile units have to dish out for expenses like fees, permits and fuel (in addition to the normal expenditures around food and labor), Joseph wants to ensure the event makes money after those up-front costs. Then again, perhaps your main goal was raising brand awareness—and in those cases, profit may be less important to you. It all comes back to step one: outlining your purpose. That will allow you to establish the markers that determine your definition of success.

Tracy Morin is PMQ’s senior copy editor.

Pop-Up Go advocates setting the scene and marketing within your pop-up space—while working within the prescribed budget.

SUDSY SALES

BY TRACY MORIN

Ah, pizza and beer—these two fermented wonders seamlessly combine to offer a match made in any menu heaven. But some pizzeria owners have decided to upgrade this natural pairing even further by crafting their own beers in-house. “Our customers love all things local and artisan, so the investment has been absolutely worth it for us,” says Louise York, owner of LouEddies Pizza and Brewery in Skyforest, California. “I think beer makes LouEddies a more interesting restaurant. In the words of our brewmaster, Hunter Goniea, beer just makes the entire experience better—and we sell more beer because of how well it pairs with the flavors of our pizza.”

With plenty of advance prep and attention to detail, microbrewing can offer a healthy boost to your bottom line.

A WHOLE NEW WORLD

Starting up a microbrewing operation within your pizzeria is a serious consideration and requires a slew of research and planning ahead. First, get to know your local regulations. Requirements vary by location, but in California, York needed to obtain licensing from the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau at the federal level, as well as the state-level California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control.

The licensing process took almost one year, York says. “Turning our beer and wine license into a beer manufacturing license involves paperwork and ongoing inspections. You have to account for all of your grains and how they turn into salable beer. They can come in and ask about your cost of goods. It’s an added layer of doing business.” In addition, you’ll need proper insurance to cover people who are allowed into the brewing area.

Doug Walner, owner and executive chairman of NOLA Brewing and NOLA Pizza Co. in New Orleans, also stresses the importance of checking with your state for the rules around alcohol production and sales (which may vary according to whether your business is considered a brewpub, microbrewery or large-scale brewery). Are you allowed to sell other companies’ beers or other alcohol in addition to your own beers? Are you allowed to package and sell your beer to other stores? Are there age restrictions you must keep in mind for both customers and employees?

“Alcohol is a highly regulated business, so manufacturing beer on-site has serious business ramifications,” Walner explains. “Really think through what you want to do, understand what

you need to do, and definitely engage in advance planning.” For assistance, he adds, contact a lawyer in your state who specializes in alcohol-related regulations.

Mark McClain, owner of Drop the H Brewing Company, which serves up its beer and pizza in Pittsburg, Kansas, agrees that the two biggest challenges of adding a microbrewery business involve regulatory and complexity concerns. “Getting licensed and maintaining compliance add to your workload,” McClain says. “You’re adding complexity by running two operations, a restaurant and a brewery. While acknowledging these challenges, in our case, they have proven manageable and well worth it.”

LAYING THE GROUNDWORK

When you’ve decided to add microbrewing to your operation, you’ll need to explore additional key factors, including developing the ideal beer recipes and purchasing the proper equipment, plus setting aside the amount of space the brewing will require. “The biggest thing to consider is the equipment, layout and design and what that will mean for your business,” Walner says. “What kind of room do you have? You don’t

“A pizza restaurant with a brewery is a low-risk business model, since a busy restaurant has a built-in consumer.”

— LOUISE YORK, LOUEDDIES PIZZA AND BREWERY

At LouEddies, a historical cabin on its property houses the beer making equipment, which customers are invited to view.

LOUEDDIES PIZZA AND BREWERY

need to go big, but you do need certain equipment, and some systems are designed to fit in smaller spaces.”

In addition, Walner adds, other challenges can crop up: What unpleasant odors might emit during the fermenting process? Do you have proper ventilation to combat them? How will you handle the disposal of spent grains (i.e., do you have external storage)? If you’ll be bottling or canning your beer, you will require additional equipment—but you may choose to offer only beers on draft when you’re just starting out.

At LouEddies, the cost of initial investment for brewing operations totaled $25,000 to $30,000, but the building used (a historical cabin on the property) required fundamental upgrades, such as weight reinforcements and drainage. “The first step is outlining the space,” York explains. “We have dedicated 350’ to our Nano Brewery System, the fermenters, and the storage of grains and goods. And most important in incorporating a brewery is having great beer product. We were self-taught through classes and videos, but we also reached out to the brewer community and had many mentors in our brewery offering suggestions and assistance. We’re still learning every day!”

To hone his craft, McClain attended and graduated from the University of Vermont’s Business of Craft Beer program. If your pizzeria is still in the planning stages, he says, incorporating a microbrewery into the operation is

fairly simple. But, for existing pizzerias, a number of factors will impact this addition. “Look at your available floor space, intended production scale, regulatory considerations, etc.,” McClain advises. “Fortunately, many of these hurdles can be accommodated—there are numerous vendors and many options to customize equipment to meet any given situation.”

York believes it was advantageous to establish her restaurant business first, building up a dedicated clientele over two years before introducing in-house craft brews. She believes that the process of adding beer shares many commonalities with developing the perfect pizza menu, but for brewing newbies, it’s a good idea to seek assistance. “Bring in a seasoned brewer to help, or you’ll have a very steep learning curve,” York warns. “I work with my restaurant employees who are interested in learning about beer, but I know other breweries that opened with the help of the home brewer community. Those people are passionate and love working with new equipment.”

MAXIMIZING PROFITS

McClain’s combination brewery-restaurant operates with the tagline “craft beer, craft pizza, craft experience.” Though he admits that equipment costs can be a barrier to entry—and many other factors must be considered to make the financial case for the investment—he believes that offering both pizza and beer creates a healthy uptick in profits. “On a macro scale,

“The biggest thing to consider is the equipment, layout and design and what that will mean for your business…You don’t need to go big, but you do need certain equipment, and some systems are designed to fit in smaller spaces.”

— DOUG WALNER, NOLA BREWING AND NOLA PIZZA

NOLA Brewing, traditionally a beercentric operation, has diversified its business by expanding into New York-style pies with NOLA Pizza Co.

NOLA BREWING/NOLA PIZZA CO.

Brewers Association economist Bart Watson has many studies that show the success rate of brewpubs compared with that of restaurants—and it’s not even close, McClain notes. “I could point to many ways the brewery side of our operation adds to our profits: providing additional revenue streams, expanding the universe of potential customers, market differentiation and more. I also like the synergy it affords and how we can tie the two operations together to demonstrate the value proposition we offer.”

At LouEddies, York has also landed upon improved profit margins by selling her in-house beer on draft and in 22-ounce bombers for takeaway. Though the pizzeria has a vast offering of beers and wine, its own beer makes up an average of 30% of total alcohol sales. “We also have a lower cost of goods sold and a higher perceived value on products made in-house— fresh beer is just better,” York says. “A pizza restaurant with a brewery is a low-risk business model, since a busy restaurant has a built-in consumer. Our guests come in for pizza and buy beer. But you have to make great beer, and that’s easier said than done!”

McClain has also found that his food customers are naturally attracted to the brewing side of his business. “People like to understand the brewing process, so after touring our operation, we like to draw upon the similarities between brewing and baking,” he explains. “Just as we make our beer on-premise, we make our dough, sauces and dressings on-premise. Just as the beer is unpasteurized, so too is our pizza. For example, we shred our own cheese—no stabilizers, just fresh cheese. People respond to that. Brewing on-premise lets us engage our guests more intimately, and that’s a big plus.”

For York, the brewing biz even offers unexpected perks among employees. “There is an added benefit for us in employee retention,” she says. “Many of our pizzaioli have an interest in brewing, and we welcome them in the brewery. It offers our employees the opportunity to learn a trade, and we are happy to have that for them.”

Finally, simple steps can entice beer trial when you’re just starting out. In addition to sampling, Walner recommends offering easy ways for customers to get hooked on your brews, such as special dinners with pizza-and-beer pairings or flights of beer to serve up several styles in smaller pours. “People like to try beers and find the particular one that fits their palate, then buy the full size,” he explains. “You can be free with tastes, because beer is very profitable, a high-margin product, when made in-house. And it’s fun, too—who doesn’t want to have a slice of pizza and a beer?”

Tracy Morin is PMQ’s senior copy editor.

Customer tours of its brewing operation allow staff at Drop the H Brewing Company to make the connection between brewing beer and baking pizzas.

Mark McClain, owner of Drop the H Brewing Company, honed his crafts at a pizza school and through a university’s beer program.

DROP THE H BREWING COMPANY

DROP THE H BREWING COMPANY

Sign Language

Digital signs can boost sales, convey key information to customers, eliminate pre-pandemic paper menus and reinforce your brand via more dynamic, engaging messaging.

BY TRACY MORIN

Whether customers are visiting your pizzeria for carryout and to-go orders or spending some dine-in time, digital signage can help create a more immersive, interactive experience for them. And, for the operator, these signs point customers to higher-profit food items, enable up-to-the-minute menu pricing and availability, and—especially important in today’s climate—eliminate the need for potentially unsanitary paper men us.

“The biggest benefits are that they encourage impulse buys, help create habitual consumers by displaying daily or real-time specials, and may even help recapture customers or increase the purchasing frequency of current customers by introducing or promoting new menu items,” explains Darren Easton, vice president and creative director for The Cyphers Agency in Crofton, Maryland. “Most simply, your digital signage can and should be an essential aspect of your marketing, and investing your time and effort in making it the best it can be is, in our experience, time and effort very well spent.”

PANDEMIC-ERA UPDATES

Most COVID-19 restrictions have been lifted or eased in many parts of the country, but operators still need to present the most accurate information to their customers. And as supply chains continue to face interruptions—and shortages and sellouts remain commonplace—keeping menus up-to-date continues to be a challenge. “During the pandemic especially, you want to have the current pricing and availability for your menu items everywhere, from your POS system to third-party platforms to your in-store menus,” says Dan Bejmuk, CEO of Dreambox Creations in San Dimas, California. “There has

been more movement toward one-time use menus or those that can be sanitized between uses, but these incur either more printing or labor costs.” Digital solutions, of course, can offer an alternative to both of these options and possibly save money in the long-term.

Furthermore, as some customers remain wary of dining in restaurants and have reduced the amount of time and money they’re spending outside the home, Easton notes that it’s essential for restaurant operators to do all they can to reach consumers—including diversifying how they use their digital signage. “Whereas you may have simply ‘set and forget’ signage with your hours and weekly specials in the past, you should now utilize it to communicate diverse messages,” Easton advises. He recommends using signage for the following:

• Continuing to share important pandemic-related health and safety measures in real time to help keep employees and customers safe. Customers still want to know that their favorite restaurant is adhering to the proper procedures. This is especially important for franchises, as policies and procedures may range from location to location (and therefore would not be covered by an allencompassing email or social media post).

“During the pandemic especially, you want to have the current pricing and availability for your menu items everywhere, from your POS system to thirdparty platforms to your in-store menus.”

— DAN BEJMUK, DREAMBOX CREATIONS

At Pizza Guys, digital signs highlight not only menus but of-the-moment updates, like information on current charitable campaigns and COVID-19 cleaning procedures.

PIZZA GUYS

• Providing directions/instructions for customers in the restaurant so that they know where to go and can get to their intended destinations quickly, maintaining social distancing (if still required) and minimizing or eliminating interaction with staff for those patrons who are still a little nervous.

• Offering status updates on orders, which allows customers to spread out, move outdoors as they wait, etc.

• Promoting daily/weekly/hourly specials and promos, with a heavy focus on takeout/curbside/delivery, since convenience and in-home dining are still a priority for most customers.

• Showing support and appreciation for customers as they start to return to your restaurant, thanking them for their business, and reminding them of your philanthropic endeavors and support for the community.

DIGITAL TO-DOS

Brian Nelson, COO of NewsBreak Media Network in Knoxville, Tennessee, says digital signage offers a way for multiunit operations to manage the network in an efficient and effective way, at both the corporate and site level. “Robust digital solutions allow the owner to change a price without having to make a change at 15 stores,” Nelson says. “Plus, they allow you to make changes without relying on employees, who should be focusing instead on customer service and in-house guests.” In addition, owners of any size operation can use in-store digital menu boards to influence buying behavior, such as grouping complementary products together to encourage add-ons or upsells.

Bejmuk asserts that the best uses of digital signage go beyond simply translating a paper menu to a screen setting. Instead, use images to get customers’ mouths watering; steer them to the most profitable food items, rotated according to daypart; and present the menu specialties that best represent

“Digital menu boards force you to be hyper-efficient on what you’re showing to customers. You might choose to narrow down to eight core, highly profitable specials.”

— BRIAN NELSON, NEWSBREAK MEDIA NETWORK

PIZZA GUYS

the brand. “You can even use digital signs to convey usergenerated content, like photos taken by guests,” Bejmuk adds. “Using these for in-store signage helps tell your story and adds authenticity and legitimacy to your business.”

Ultimately, think about how you can convey your brand values (such as hospitality) in a digital medium, Bejmuk recommends. Ask yourself: What do we have that other competitors don’t? Then work to get that across through your signage.

Finally, Nelson suggests, as trends are leading away from overstuffed, book-length menus, think in terms of greater efficiency. Use your digital menu space to master placement of menu items and include beautiful photography to entice trial of your latest and greatest creations. “Digital menu boards force you to be hyper-efficient on what you’re showing to customers,” Nelson notes. “You might choose to narrow down to eight core, highly profitable specials. Your regulars who order a pepperoni pizza every time are going to order it without looking at a menu—so use the space to highlight something else.”

PROJECTING THE FUTURE

Remi Del Mar, senior product manager in commercial visual products for Epson in Los Alamitos, California, notes that digital signage is only about 15 years old and remains a rapidly evolving space. It’s also somewhat fragmented, with various components making up this category: displays, content, and content management or cloud-based services. “Dynamic content is more attention-grabbing, but there’s a lot that goes into replacing static signage and making it a tool for engagement,” Del Mar says. “Digital signage requires the restaurant owner to have a vision for his space.”

Traditionally, digital menu boards may have provided an image, name, price and perhaps nutritional value for menu items. But Del Mar notes that owners can make them more engaging by adding fun elements like quizzes, up-to-date sports scores, or storytelling-type product info (such as where your produce comes from).

In the future, however, Del Mar believes in the power of projectors to create a richer guest experience. With this technology, info isn’t relegated to a wall—it can be cast on any surface: on tables or chairs, on the wall near restrooms, or on windows that face the street. “You can project 30” to 500” away with a single projector, and since you’re not bound by a frame, you get that wall space back and enjoy more flexibility,” Del Mar explains. These systems can work in tandem with motion sensors, project specials of the day on the tables of in-house diners or let customers outside know that you’re opening soon. Del Mar believes projectors help sell more food and drinks while tapping into the overall trends of immersive dining and shared experiences.

“While there’s no telling what the future holds for digital signage, I predict that, as with all technology, it will evolve to offer more and more options in the future,” Easton concludes. “This could be scannable real-time offers, the ability for customers to upload pictures and videos of their dining experiences—who knows! Whatever the future brings, it will be essential for restaurant owners to keep tabs on the latest technologies because, like it or not, signage reaches eyeballs and, therefore, signage sells.”

Tracy Morin is PMQ’s senior copy editor.

Projection-based digital signage allows for shining the light of information anywhere in the pizzeria, from tabletops to walls, and switching sign “locations” on a dime. EPSON

GRANDÉ FIOR•DI•LATTE

Grandé Fior•di•Latte is a fresh mozzarella unlike any other. Grandé’s passion is to showcase the flavor and beauty of its fresh milk, accented nicely with light, cultured dairy flavors developed through traditional cheese making. Grandé Fior•di•Latte is clean, light, fresh and milky, with a little culture to balance and a touch of sea salt to finish. 800-847-2633, GRANDECHEESE.COM

FRESH ORIGINS

Packed with nutrients and texture, Fresh Origins Squash Blossoms are vibrant, golden blossoms with outstanding versatility. Prepare your pizza dough, then press each blossom artfully into place, or sauté them in olive oil and use as a centerpiece topping that bakes beautifully with your other ingredients, adding dimension, taste and color. Fresh Origins also offers other artisan microgreens and edible flowers. 760-736-4072, FRESHORIGINS.COM

FORZA FORNI

The Forza Forni Mobile Oven Series includes the Caterer Duo and Quattro. You can bake more than 80 pizzas an hour at peak production. Preheat time is one hour. In terms of work and storage space, twin stainless-steel storage doors double as sturdy worktables. Additional storage space below fits firewood, dough boxes, tools and more. Built on a heavy-duty aluminum frame, they can be towed with most mid-range and larger SUVs. 844-683-6462, FORZAFORNI.COM

MAMA LAROSA FOODS

Mama LaRosa Foods offers innovative and convenient packaging. Pizza and bread dough are individually wrapped in a sealed breathable bag to ensure an easy-proof process. The individual packaging will save you time, labor and the hassle of using a proof box or proofing at room temperature. Dough balls are ready to use directly out of the cooler after thawing 24 hours—no additional steps are needed! 734-946-7878, MAMALAROSA.COM

THE VEGAN MEAT COOKBOOK

Bestselling author Miyoko Schinner, hailed by VegNews as the “vegan cheese queen,” has penned a new cookbook featuring more than 100 people-pleasing meals featuring vegan meat. The Vegan Meat Cookbook covers everything from comfort food classics and speedy weeknight dinners to global flavors and showstoppers as well as recipes for do-it-yourself vegan meats and cheeses. Available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble and other retail sites

MOBIVITY

Mobivity SmartReceipt transforms ordinary receipts into a rich and dynamic guest engagement platform. SmartReceipt uses POS data captured for every order to print an engaging message with a personalized offer for every guest based on their purchase. You can convert ordinary to-go box receipts into a first-party, revenue-building marketing channel while boosting average ticket spends. 877-282-7660, MOBIVITY.COM

NUTELLA

There are many exciting ways to utilize Nutella within the pizza segment. Dessert pizzas, for example, are a perfect fit. Dessert pizzas featuring Nutella have increased 28.6% on restaurant menus in the past two years. You can offer additional fruit toppings for unique dessert pizzas and wow customers with a delicious treat. For a recipe and to learn more about Nutella, visit FERREROFOODSERVICE.COM. 800-408-1505

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Original

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TEL: 214-331-3000; 866-7MIXERS; 866-875-6868; 866-451-1668

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TEL: 360-366-0997; 360-366-9328

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PIZZA MIXER

PIZZA OVENS

PIZZA TOOLS

PIZZA PEELS

PIZZA OVENS

PIZZA SUPPLIES

THE PIZZA HOUSE

Serving up award-winning pizzas and heartwarming welcomes, cust omers from far and wide flock to this home away from home in Columbus, Ohio.

BY TRACY MORIN

Two cousins, Richie Dorn and Bobby Tiberi, didn’t have a bunch of restaurant experience when they opened up The Pizza House in 1961—but they did have a family pizza recipe they knew would be a smash hit. Their original location opened in an actual house in Columbus, Ohio, with two tables and a couple of counter stools, and business took off despite the humble digs.

A kid named William Colasante was one of their first employees, starting at 15 years old and working there until the early ’80s. He and his wife, Diane, opened their own business in Columbus, a popular nightclub. Meanwhile, in 1990, The Pizza House completed a massive move that found the small original—at less than 1,000 square feet—relocating across the street to a building five times its size. When Dorn and Tiberi decided to retire in 1991, William gladly stepped in to buy the now-sizable pizzeria.

“Some things were added to the menu when it moved to the bigger location, but my dad wanted to keep everything the same,” recalls Rodd Carmean, William’s stepson. “All of the recipes to this day are the originals from Richie and Bobby. It’s traditional Italian food, and pizza is our No. 1 seller.” Rodd, of course, grew up in the business, starting by dishwashing and working his way around every job possible. In 2017,

he assumed full ownership with his wife, Tomi, whom he’d taken to the pizzeria for their first date (they’ve now been married 31 years).

Today, The Pizza House’s food regularly wins awards in the area, and sales stats show that a whopping 20% of customers drive 25 miles or more just to eat there. Though the pizzeria maintains an old-school vibe with retro decor and no delivery service, the Carmeans have also kept up with the times, adding social media accounts handled by outside experts and building a brisk catering business that serves local corporations. “We hear a lot about the dough—people say, ‘Pizza House has a unique taste,’” Tomi says. “I think that’s another thing that’s given us longevity: We’ve not changed anything, even as costs go up. You’ve got to stick with your recipes.”

Rodd believes that another key secret to The Pizza House’s success comes down to customer interaction. A 15-year veteran hostess greets every diner with a hug, and Rodd estimates that he knows more than half of his customers by name. “We treat everyone like family—much of our staff has been here a long period of time, so they know the customers,” Rodd explains. “We treat everyone like they’ve been coming in forever, even if it’s their first time.”

Tracy Morin is PMQ’s senior copy editor.

The Pizza House originally started in an actual house (top left) by two cousins, Richie Dorn and Bobby Tiberi (top right). Today, Rodd Carmean (bottom right) runs the busy 5,000-square-foot pizzeria with his wife, Tomi.

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