Hot Honey’s Epic Rise in the Pizza Industry

Mike’s Hot Honey has become an unlikely force in the pizza industry, with its balance of sweetness and heat that pairs especially well with a cup-and-char pepperoni pie. From rave reviews in the press to enthusiastic fans posting on social media, the hype for the product is palpable and growing rapidly. It can be found on the menu at some of the best pizzerias in the country, including Paulie Gee’s, where founder Mike Kurtz worked as a pizzaiolo and launched the product 10 years ago.

“For the first five years of the business, I was a one-man operation, personally producing and delivering the product to customers,” says Kurtz. “I would pack cases of hot honey into my car and drive around New York City, making deliveries to our early restaurant and retail partners.” The brand has now grown to over 10,000 points of retail distribution and is on the menu in thousands of restaurants nationwide.

Mike’s Hot Honey offers multiple pack sizes for retail and foodservice and has just launched a 1-oz. dip cup that’s perfect for delivery and to-go orders. From labor savings to allowing consumers to drizzle the hot honey on their pizza just before eating for the best flavor experience, the dip cups are already proving to be the favored format for pizza delivery.

Building the price of Mike’s Hot Honey into the menu item—or offering it as an upcharge—is key to a pizzeria’s success. The product is made with pure, high-quality honey, so consumers in the know have shown no resistance to a $0.50 charge for a drizzle on a slice, $2 for a full pie or $1.25 for a dip cup. It’s the flavor and the brand that keep customers coming back for more, which is why restaurants typically list not just “hot honey” but the brand name “Mike’s Hot Honey” on their menu. The trend of featuring brand names on restaurant menus as a way to increase sales is nothing new. Mike’s Hot Honey is an easy way to refresh your menu and gain new and loyal customers with one simple ingredient.

While pizza isn’t the only menu item that can benefit from a drizzle of Mike’s Hot Honey (think wings, fried chicken sandwiches, ice cream and even cocktails), it was the original pairing of fresh mozzarella, soppressata and Mike’s Hot Honey at Paulie Gee’s that put it on the map. To taste it for yourself, request a sample from Mike’s Hot Honey at mikeshothoney.com

Inedible Art

The “Mittisse” is a 13” oven glove that comes in two styles: Chicken On Honey Oat or Vegetarian On Baguette. The mitt’s long “submarine” size protects the entire arm from heat, and a thumb on the back makes gripping easy. The Chicken On Honey Oat depicts fillings of chicken, lettuce and olives, while the Vegetarian On Baguette features cheese, lettuce, tomatoes and olives. Each is customizable with a company logo. 512-296-4633, INEDIBLEART.COM

Lloydpans

Customers are craving pan pizza, and LloydPans has the tools. Designed for pizza styles including Detroit, grandma, Sicilian and Roman, these pans are safe for metal utensils, stick-resistant and durable for commercial baking. They need no seasoning and will not rust. Expert pizza masters choose LloydPans because they consistently bake as expected, are easy to maintain and easy to clean—and they’re made in the USA. 800-748-6251, LLOYDPANS.COM/PIZZA-TOOLS

The Uhlmann Company

For more than three generations, the Uhlmann Company has been producing Heckers and Ceresota unbleached flours for the finest pizza restaurants in Chicago and New York City. Now they’ve introduced Ceresota Napoli “00” flour. Milled in Italy from the finest European and Italian soft wheat, it’s authentically Italian and designed to meet the needs of the most seasoned pizzaiolos. HECKERSCERESOTA.COM

Yamato

The Yamato AW-WPS Pizza Scale, designed for portion control, features a hands-free tare, making it easier to weigh ingredients. Weighing ingredients, especially cheese, will help maximize your profit margins. This NSF-certified scale has a capacity of 30 pounds, with no cable between the platform and the indicator. To tare the scale while building a pizza, simply motion in front of the indicator and it will reset to zero. YAMATOAMERICAS.COM

Hungerrush

The HungerRush handheld ordering system maximizes revenue by processing orders quicker, busting long lines and equipping restaurants to work more efficiently so you can spend more time providing a great customer experience. The Restaurant Management System provides centralized and comprehensive data and visibility related to your other integrated services, such as mobile and online ordering, loyalty, delivery management and HUB, your command center for reporting and management. HUNGERRUSH.COM/HANDHELD-PMQ

Devanco Foods

Chicago has become world-renowned as a food mecca, known for its diverse culinary offerings. Devanco Foods specializes in two of the most popular items that originated in the Windy City—gyros and Italian beef. Devanco Foods is dedicated to flavor and committed to quality. Its Italian beef is slow-roasted and paired with a flavorful gravy, and the company produces Chicago’s first and finest gyros, from cones to slices that are hand-carved right off the cone. 847-228-7070, DEVANCOFOODS.COM

Optimal Dough Protection

» Fiberglass strength and durability outlast plastic trays

» Color matching available

» Interlock stacking with or without lids to ensure dough quality

» Secure stacking with no bending or sagging

» Easily cleaned in any standard or commercial high-temp washer

» Snap-on lids and heavy-duty dollies available PH

(Clockwise from left) Joe’s Pizza King kicked off the Lombardo family’s pizza empire; Pete Lombardo, greatgrandfather of Jim Jr., stands in front of his location, Gino’s Pizza, in the ’70s; a young Jim Lombardo Jr. works with dough; Pizza Gino spawned several other locations; Giuseppe Lombardo purchased Joe’s Pizza King in 1974.