PMQ Pizza - October 2020

FuturePizza The of

A DISTRIBUTION PARTNER YOU CAN RELY ON

While many broadliners have cut back service and staff, Bellissimo Foods Company distributors are 100% committed to servicing the hardworking owner/operators that define our pizza industry. Bellissimo distributors are:

n On the front lines of distribution

n Never cut delivery days and ensure you have the products you need to stay in business

n Expanding sales to customers affected by COVID-19

n The best source for thousands of quality Italian and Mediterranean imported/domestic products

Visit BellissimoFoods.com to find a local Bellissimo distributor and discover the Bellissimo Foods difference in service and product knowledge.

Delivering Authentic Italian

During the pandemic have you been lacking service or support from your broadline distributor?

FACT VS. FICTION AND STRATEGIES FOR SUCCESS IN THE PANDEMIC

Matt Vannini, president of Denver-based restaurant consulting and accounting firm Restaurant Solutions, Inc., says restaurateurs have some misconceptions about the state of the industry in the pandemic era. “Creativity and tenacity got many operators into this business,” he says, “and that’s what it’s taking to get them through this crisis. They also should educate themselves on the facts vs. the fiction about surviving—and thriving—in the pandemic.” Above all, they “need to believe that their past experiences and obstacles…have prepared them to overcome whatever the pandemic can throw at them.”

PMQ.COM/MATT-VANNINI

POLL: AMERICANS ARE TRANSITIONING TO MORE PLANT-BASED FOODS

Nearly six out of 10 respondents to a OnePoll survey said they have transitioned to a more plant-based diet since the pandemic began. About half cited a desire to make healthier food choices, while four in 10 said they want to eat fewer animal products.

NATIONAL RESTAURANT ASSOCIATION LAUNCHES “RESTAURANT REVIVAL” AD CAMPAIGN

The National Restaurant Association launched its first national consumer advertising campaign encouraging consumers to support local eateries. It focuses on “the rhythms and rituals” of the dine-in experience and asks, “Doesn’t dining out sound good?”

PMQ.COM/RESTAURANT-REVIVAL-CAMPAIGN

PAPA JOHN’S REPORTS HIGHEST PROFITS IN SEVERAL YEARS

Papa John’s logged a recordbreaking increase of 28% in North American same-store sales in the second quarter of 2020. The company said its margins and profits were “the highest they have been in several years,” while unit closures were at their lowest in 10 years.

PMQ.COM/PAPA-JOHNS-PROFITS

NEW PIZZERIA BRINGS TASTE OF BRAZIL TO MILWAUKEE

Pizza de Brazil, a new eatery in Milwaukee, offers a pandemicfriendly rodizio-style alternative to all-you-can-eat buffets. Guests pay a single rate ($11.99 per person for lunch and $19.99 for dinner), and servers bring a variety of Brazilian-influenced pies to the table.

PMQ.COM/PIZZA-DE-BRAZIL

PMQ.COM/VEGAN-POLL

The Future of Pizza

Predicting the future is tricky, but it’s safe to say disruptive changes are on the way for the restaurant industry. From ghost kitchens to robots and modular pizzerias, we explore how technology will drive innovation and reshape the pizza business for decades to come.

Tips From the Team: Giovanni Labbate

42 The Growing Potential of POS

A Publication of PMQ, Inc.

662-234-5481

Volume 24, Issue 8

October 2020

ISSN 1937-5263

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ALTERNATIVES TO THE STANDARD DOUGH BOX

Q: A:

There’s more than one way to store pizza dough balls, including sheet pans and plastic bags.

BY TOM LEHMANN

What are some viable alternatives to standard dough boxes?

Last month, we discussed using dough boxes for storing dough balls. Now let’s explore other options. We’ll start with standard aluminum bakery-sheet pans, which typically measure 18” by 26”. Like dough boxes, they must be used correctly for best results. Whereas dough boxes are self-stacking, sheet pans have to be placed into a vertical rack of some type for storage. While many racks are designed for holding sheet pans, the brackets supporting the pans are usually spaced closer together than we need: 2” as opposed to the more desirable 4”. You can still place the pans about 4” apart, but those extra brackets can snag the bags used to cover the pans—and they’re something else you have to work around. But you can live with the inconvenience if necessary. A better option is to have your shelf brackets spaced at 4” intervals, which makes for consistent pan spacing without extra brackets to get in the way as you load and unload pans.

For this type of pan, lightly oil the bottom of the pan and space dough balls at least 2” apart. Lightly oil the top of each dough ball (this prevents the plastic bag from sticking to the dough balls) and slide the pan inside a food contact-approved plastic bag that’s at least 6” longer than the pan. Place the pan into the rack, beginning at the top and working down. The bottom of the bag should then be pulled up and over the first row of dough balls on the pan, and the top of the bag should be pulled down to cover the front of the pan and tucked under the pan. The edges of the bag are now pulled down and tucked under the pan, and the pan brackets will hold the bag in place.

When removing pans from the rack, keep the bag closed and sealed to prevent drying. Allow the dough balls to warm at room temperature until they reach an internal temperature of 50°F before opening them into skins for immediate use.

This method of dough storage is very effective for those with a reach-in cooler—no cross-stacking or offset-stacking is required. The plastic bags, if kept under your control in the

kitchen area, can potentially be reused several times. However, if the bagged trays of dough balls are loaded into a closed transport/ wheeled rack and taken to a satellite store or location, the bags will likely be single-use only.

Bakery-sheet pans are easy to clean in hot water with a softbristle pot brush. However, because they are aluminum, use only plastic scrapers to lift off the dough balls and scrape dough from the pans. Since the pans are only 1” deep and fully nesting, they take up little storage or transportation space.

Another option is to bag the dough balls individually and place them on an aluminum sheet pan for storage. Using lightweight bread-type bags, lightly oil the entire dough ball and place it into the bag, pulling the bag snugly to the dough ball. Twist the open end into a ponytail and tuck it under the dough ball as it’s placed onto the sheet pan. This procedure allows the bag to slightly expand with the dough as it ferments, without rupturing or opening, as it would if the bag were tightly closed. Again, in many cases, you can reuse the plastic bags if they are kept under your control in the kitchen.

The above method of dough storage is particularly advantageous when working with high-absorption (soft/slack) dough. These dough balls tend to flow out more than those made from a lower-absorption dough, making it difficult to store them in boxes or on sheet pans. The bag controls the dough balls, allowing them to be placed onto sheet pans in a normal manner—without

the need for the large bag to cover the entire pan. This method also works when you make a limited number of dough balls or when you have little refrigerated storage space. You can individually bag all of the dough balls and place them in the cooler on sheet pans (or wherever you can fit them in), then allow them to ferment undisturbed. You can remove only the number of dough balls you need for a specific time period. And they’ll warm faster because they’re individually bagged, so, in many cases, they will be ready to open into skins within an hour or so, depending upon room temperature.

THEDOUGHDOCTOR@HOTMAIL.COM

POWERFUL PERFORMANCE + POWERFUL PARTNERS

Our products are the focal point of many commercial kitchen designs, so we understand the importance of partnering with designers and consultants to ensure they can deliver value as well as function and beauty.

Tom Lehmann was the longtime director of bakery assistance for the American Institute of Baking (AIB) and is now a pizza industry consultant.

SHOULD I CHARGE AN ONLINE ORDERING FEE?

Think Tank operators warn against making customers pay more for the convenience of digital orders.

daniel_bothman: Historically, we have been primarily a dine-in restaurant, with about 10% to 15% of sales being takeout and, prior to COVID-19, no online ordering or delivery. Now, in the age of COVID, our model has obviously changed, with a shift to 50%-plus takeout and the addition of online ordering through our POS system (not a third-party platform). I’m wondering if anyone is charging an online ordering fee, and why or why not? We do incur additional costs in monthly fees and “card not present” credit card rates. But we are not typically a nickel-anddiming sort of place, and this feels kind of like a money grab. But there is a convenience factor in ordering online, and that has value for the customer. We’re just trying to survive COVID however we can.

Tom-CC: Look around and see what similar restaurants in your area are doing.

Daddio: I think you will find the benefits of online ordering will more than cover the extra costs without the need to charge a fee.

December: I wouldn’t do it. I haven’t seen any restaurants that are charging customers to order online. The only time I can remember paying an online ordering fee was when I was buying concert tickets and was charged a “convenience fee” to input all of the info myself. I want my customers to order online exclusively—that’s the dream—so I wouldn’t do anything to hinder that.

Rico: The third-party apps have been playing around with this idea. They are calling it a service charge, and customers are paying it. Personally, I wouldn’t do it.

durbancic: We offer coupons and discounts for online-only orders. I recommend that you train your customers to order online. They will spend more, and it will save you time on the phones. There’s also less of a chance for mistakes—they placed the order, so the responsibility is on them. For us, online orders accounted for 28% of our orders last month and 37% of our sales.

famousperry: With minimum wage increasing everywhere, why would you charge anyone a fee for online ordering when it saves labor costs and is proven to create higher check averages?

Get answers to your most perplexing problems and swap tips and ideas with the experts in PMQ’s Think Tank, the pizza industry’s oldest and most popular online forum. Register for free at thinktank.pmq.com. (Member posts have been edited here for clarity.)

A LEAP OF FAITH

Getting furloughed from their jobs didn’t turn out as badly as expected for San Diego chefs Brandon Sloan and Chris Gentile. After making pies at their apartment and selling them to neighbors and friends via Instagram, they quickly built a name for themselves—and a new brand called Pandemic Pizza. “Making pizzas is one of my favorite things to do, especially in a time of uncertainty,” Sloan told a TV station in San Diego. As the orders flooded in, the partners started donating $1 from every pizza sold to a local charity each week. And when Tom Tarantino, owner of RoVino The Foodery, a downtown market and deli, learned about their success, he offered them space to keep the business going. Pandemic Pizza opened on August 1 and has hired other furloughed cooks, created branded T-shirts, and attracted more than 4,100 Instagram fans with mouthwatering food photography. “The same day Brandon found out he was furloughed from work was the day we created the Instagram handle,” the partners explain on their website. “The name Pandemic Pizza might be catchy, but it was meant to signify the unprecedented state of the world. It was our way to show our dedication to [giving] back. Like many things in life, it was a leap of faith.”

PACKING A PERFECT PICNIC BASKET

Forget fried chicken and potato salad: Pizza can be the perfect picnic food with a little help from U.K. chain Pizza Pilgrims. The company, which has more than a dozen locations around London, made it easy for customers to pack a basket with pies this summer. Its pizza picnic kits came with a red gingham blanket, the customers’ favorite two pizzas, a cup of olives, a Nutella dessert pizza ring, and a choice of alcoholic or soft drinks, plus recyclable cutlery to prevent plastic waste. Pizza Pilgrims even provided its picnicking guests with access to the company’s Spotify playlist for some mood music. The chain also invited customers to share pics of their pizza picnic spreads on social media, with a prize going to the most inventive photo.

The Princess Peach, a signature Pandemic Pizza pie, features grilled peaches, prosciutto, Gorgonzola, arugula and a balsamic drizzle.

Pandemic Pizza has built up its Instagram following with high-quality photos and promotional giveaways, such as offering branded swag, a pizza voucher and a bottle of wine.

The pizza picnic kit from Pizza Pilgrims includes a red gingham blanket and recyclable cutlery.

THE FIRST JEWISH DELI POP-UP?

Edith’s Eatery & Grocery, a new concept hosted through October at Paulie Gee’s original location in the Greenpoint neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York, might be the first Jewish deli pop-up in history. Conceived by chef Elyssa Heller, Edith’s pays tribute to Heller’s great-aunt, who ran a traditional Jewish deli in Brooklyn during the 1950s. Heller and pastry chef Caroline Schiff collaborated on the menu, creating fare guaranteed to make you plotz, especially the wood-fired bagels and salted caramel challah knots, as well as Edith’s BECL, a bacon, egg and cheese latke. Heller took inspiration from her great-aunt’s recipes, which were scribbled on everything from note cards to napkins and paper plates. “Her whitefish inspired our smoked trout recipe and, hopefully, if we are able to offer takeout-friendly versions of her recipes, we can add her noodle kugel, blintz soufflé, rugelach à la Edith, and her famous cabbage soup,” Heller told community news website Greenpointers.

DETROIT-STYLE MEETS FILIPINO INFLUENCE IN TORONTO

Don’t let the Detroit-style trappings fool you: The pizzas served up by Toronto pop-up Pabalos Island Pies are more Filipino than Motor City— and might just qualify as a brand-new style entirely. Located in the back of a Dundas Street eatery called Wallflower, Pabalos’ tropically themed pizzas were invented by best pals Sean Santos, Eric Tigley and Chuck Ortiz. “Our dough is a little bit different,” Santos told TRNTO.com. “We add rice flour to it to give it a bit of a chew. But we still get the crispy edges and the crispy bottom that are synonymous with Detroit-style pizzas.” Their weekly pop-ups offer three staple pies packed with island flavors, including a signature sauce that incorporates chili, garlic, lemongrass, roasted onions and a Filipino condiment called banana ketchup. The vegetarian Lola Pie features dollops of coconut cream and Thai basil, while the Bespren Longanizza Sausage Pie comes topped with sweet-garlicky longanisa sausage, a fried egg and cheese. The Tinapa Papa, meanwhile, offers smoked sardines, roasted onions, cotija cheese, roasted garlic and a citrus dressing. Other pies on rotation include the OMG (which stands for Oh My Gulay), topped with roasted kabocha squash, coconut milk and shiitake mushrooms, and the Plantation Pie, which boasts pineapple chunks, shaved pork shoulder, roasted onions and fish-sauce caramel. Every pie goes out in a box featuring one of Tigley’s own freehand illustrations, which might range from a sketch of a Care Bear to Optimus Prime.

Pastry chef Caroline Schiff (left) and Elyssa Heller (middle) collaborated on the menu’s Jewish fare, while Paulie Gee himself (right) provided the space for Heller’s pop-up concept.

Not for the faint of heart, the Tinapa Papa features bold flavors, including smoked sardines, roasted garlic and a citrus dressing.

The Bespren Longanizza Sausage Pie, one of the three staple menu items at Pabalos Island Pies, shows off the flavors of a Filipino breakfast, including longanisa sausage, a fried egg and cheese.

Ingredients matter.

You make careful choices about the ingredients in your food. WestRock makes careful choices about the ingredients in our boxes. We resource raw materials domestically and manufacture our boxes in North America to meet the highest quality and food safety standards.

westrock.com/pizza pizzaboxes@westrock.com

SAVED BY THE SICILIAN (AND SMART MARKETING)

As restaurateurs, Vincenza and Margherita Carrieri-Russo learned how to stand on their own two feet a long time ago. But if they ever need a little help, their beloved father, veteran restaurateur and pizzaiolo Vincenzo CarierriRusso, is never far away. In fact, he’s the executive chef at their fine-dining Italian restaurant, V&M Bistro, in Wilmington, Delaware. And his decades of pizzeria expertise came in handy when the pandemic hit and V&M was forced to pivot to carryout-only. “We made the transition quickly,” Vincenza says. “We turned our entire fancy restaurant into a full-blown old-school pizzeria overnight, and we kept adapting every day.”

A key item on V&M’s revamped menu was a Sicilian pizza that was once featured at Vincenzo’s own pizza shop, Zino’s, which thrived for three decades before closing 12 years ago. The Sicilian pie proved an instant hit with V&M’s customers, scoring local media coverage as well as attracting new fans to a restaurant that previously limited its pizza offering to 10” pizzettes.

“You will do whatever it takes to save your business during these very uncertain times,” Vincenza says. “Why bring back the Sicilian pizza? It was something different and new to offer, and Dad saw this as the perfect opportunity and time to re-introduce it…And yes, the Sicilian pizza gave V&M Bistro a heartbeat again.”

On one Friday night this summer, they sold so many $25 Sicilians that they ran out of dough by 7 p.m. and other family members had to come in to make more as the orders kept pouring in.

But smart marketing has also helped keep V&M’s doors open. “We maintained a consistent presence online and at the restaurant location,” Vincenza says. “We even raised the volume of our music on the exterior part of the building… to create ‘noise’ and let customers know that we were open for takeout. We posted videos of food and of cutting pizza, capturing all the senses, even the sound of pizza being cut. We posted videos of our new setup outside so our customers knew what to expect…And we introduced our V&M Market and started selling cheese, sauce, fresh breads, desserts and much more.”

Renowned for their craft cocktails, one of Margherita’s specialties, the sisters also opened the V&M Barlour featuring boozy ice cream-to-go, with flavors like Whiskey Chocolate Hazelnut, Rum Pina Colada and Vodka Mint Chocolate Chip, all made in house.

“We had to maintain relevance, so the goal was to constantly generate ideas and introduce them quickly,” Vincenza says. “And that is what we have been doing almost every day…My sister and I were taught there is no such thing as a bad idea. If it works, great. If it doesn’t, keep on moving.”

(Photos by Luigi Ciuffetelli)

SEEING DOUBLE AT PIZZA HUT

Pizza Hut doubled down on value in August with the introduction of the Double It Box, which offers two medium-size pizzas in the same box. The Plano, Texas-based chain debuted the offering with two medium onetopping pizzas for $12.99, equating to less than $1 per slice. Customers can also order a Double It Box special with a one-topping pizza and a specialty pizza for $15.99, or two specialty pizzas for $18.99. The company said the new promotion helps families, office colleagues and roommates resolve their arguments about which toppings to order on their delivery or carryout pizzas. “We get it—the whole family is home now more than usual, trying to navigate the new normal,” said Pizza Hut chief marketing officer George Felix. “Even when you decide that it’s pizza night, the negotiations on toppings can be fierce. With the new Double It Box, there’s no compromise needed—a pizza for the kids and a pizza for the parents, so everyone at the table has the power to choose the topping they want for less than one dollar a slice.”

DESIGNED FOR DELIVERY

When consumers get tired of ordering pizza (hard to imagine, but it happens), they often go for tacos or burgers instead. But those items usually don’t deliver well, which has become a crucial factor in the age of COVID-19. Domino’s claims to have solved that problem with a pair of new specialty menu additions: the chicken taco pizza and the cheeseburger pizza. Priced at $11.99, both pies were designed with delivery in mind. The chicken taco pizza features American cheese, taco seasoning, grilled chicken, onions, green peppers, diced tomatoes, provolone and cheddar cheese. The cheeseburger pizza boasts a ketchup-mustard sauce, American cheese, beef, onions, diced tomatoes, shredded provolone and cheddar cheese. “Now, friends and family who are craving a taco or cheeseburger on pizza night won’t be disappointed,” said Art D’Elia, Domino’s executive vice president and chief marketing officer. “Domino’s new taco and cheeseburger pizza are sure to satisfy everyone.”

Pizza Hut’s Double It Box offers two medium-size pies in a single box.

Domino’s has created two new specialty pizzas to satisfy consumers’ craving for tacos and burgers, which generally don’t deliver well.

It’s not always obvious what can and can’t be recycled. But the corrugated packaging industry is committed to making recycling as easy as ordering your favorite toppings. Eat pizza. Remove any leftover pizza (we won’t judge you for not eating the crust). Recycle the box. Insulated. Recyclable. Extraordinary.

Learn more at boxesareextraordinary.com

SURVEY: THE NO. 1 PREFERRED PIZZA PROVIDER

Domino’s might be the largest pizza chain, but customers in nearly half of all U.S. states would rather get their delivery/ carryout pies from Little Caesars, according to an August study conducted by international market research firm TOP. “Since the spread of COVID-19 on U.S. shores began in mid-March, Little Caesars has been the preferred provider for residents in 24 states,” the TOP Data Pizza Report survey found. “No other pizza place comes close, with Papa John’s leading the way in just nine states and Domino’s in seven.”

TOP is a global network of 12 data-driven marketing agencies specializing in different fields. The company’s study found that overall visits to pizza chains have declined by 20% since the pandemic began, including a 6% drop for the Detroit-based Little Caesars.

But Little Caesars’ emphasis on value—including its standard $5 Hot-N-Ready pies—still has strong appeal for consumers struggling to make ends meet in the COVID-19 crisis. The company has focused on menu innovation over the past two years as well. In addition to a plant-based Impossible Supreme Pizza (featuring meatless sausage from Impossible Foods) launched in 2019, Little Caesars introduced a unique limited-time menu item, called Slices-N-Stix, in August. It’s a combination of four pepperoni slices and eight cheese breadsticks in a single pie, sold for $6.

As part of its enhanced business model, Little Caesars began offering delivery via DoorDash in January and last year added contactless pickup in stores around the country. The chain’s Pizza Portal is a method in which customers can place orders online and retrieve their pies from a kiosk with heated compartments, eliminating the need to interact with employees.

“It seems likely that Little Caesars’ low prices and unique ‘Hot-N-Ready’ business model, which can completely eliminate human interaction from the pizza pickup, are key factors in the Detroit-based chain’s pandemic pizza-wars success,” TOP notes.

According to the TOP survey, Little Caesars is the preferred pizza provider in Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah and Vermont.

“The cost-effective approach to dining, partnered with minimal human interaction, has been at the top of a lot of American menus this year, and the results from our pizza report indicate that little has changed recently,” TOP said in a summary of its survey.

The TOP Data Pizza Report survey found that Little Caesars outpaces Domino’s and other major chains as the preferred pizza provider in 24 states.

Little Caesars debuted a specialty pizza featuring meatless sausage from Impossible Foods in 2019.

Slices-N-Stix is Little Caesars’ new unique hybrid, combining pepperoni slices and breadsticks in one pizza.

OCTOBER RECIPE

CHARCUTERIE BOARD PIZZA

Sponsored by:

Over the last four years, charcuterie has grown by 45% on menus.* Create a twist on the trendy charcuterie board by adding this meat-centric pizza to your menu. Utilize a combination of existing sliced cured meats from your back-of-house to create this new pizza experience for your customers.

INGREDIENTS:

16-oz. pizza dough ball, slacked

Olive oil (as needed)

11.43 oz. (1 log) Grande Cepponelli Fresh Mozzarella, drained

3 oz. assorted thin-sliced cured meats, such as prosciutto, pepperoni or soppressata

½ oz. (3 quarters) marinated artichoke heart quarters, drained

½ oz. (2 tbsp.) peppadew peppers, drained and sliced

½ oz. (2 tbsp.) green olives, pitted and drained

½ oz. (2 tbsp.) black olives, pitted and drained

½ oz. (2 tbsp.) red onion, thinly sliced

¼ oz. (½ c.) fresh arugula

¼ oz. (2 tbsp.) Grande Shaved Parmesan

2 oz. (3) cherry peppers, drained (optional)

2 oz. (¼ c.) Alfredo sauce (optional)

1 oz. (2 tbsp.) basil pesto (optional)

DIRECTIONS:

Stretch dough to form a 14” crust. Brush the dough evenly with olive oil. Slice the mozzarella log into 12 slices. Arrange 9 of the slices evenly over the dough, reserving 3 slices. Arrange 1 oz. prosciutto over one third of the pizza, 1 oz. pepperoni over another third and 1 oz. soppressata over the last third.

Arrange the 3 quartered artichoke hearts in the center of the pizza. Arrange ½ oz. each of peppadew slices, green olives, black olives and red onion over the pizza. Top with the remaining 3 slices of mozzarella.

Bake in an impingement oven at 450°F for 5 to 5½ minutes or in a deck oven for 8 to 10 minutes, until the crust is golden-brown and the cheese is melted. Slice into 16 square-shaped pieces and garnish with ¼ oz. each of arugula and shaved Parmesan. Serve accompanied with cherry peppers, Alfredo sauce and pesto portioned in separate ramekins, if desired.

*Datassential, August 2020

CHANGING WITH THE TIMES

In this time of uncertainty, we are all looking for a new normal, a set of variables that we can control. Fortunately, there are numerous adaptations that can help you keep things running smoothly in your pizza operation. U.S. Pizza Team member Giovanni Labbate and the crew at Billy Bricks Wood Fired Pizza, located in Mount Prospect, Illinois, have successfully adapted to the changes in the current market. From building a winning team to new avenues of distribution—and a little mix of the old and new—Labbate and Billy Bricks were able to create a road map that works for them and could work for you.

Hernandez: What were some of the first changes you had to make during the pandemic?

Labbate: Unfortunately, one of the first changes we had to do was to close a location we had inside a local hockey arena. But we took the focus to one of our other locations in Oak Park. It wasn’t doing gangbusters at the time but soon became one of our best stores. You just have to focus your energy on what you can control and succeed at, while taking all the pitfalls in stride.

Hernandez: What kinds of changes did you make to your locations that have remained open?

Labbate: First, we told our managers to watch what they order, keep staff minimal, and keep an eye on the inventory. Since we are a restaurant group and have several concepts, we also launched some virtual kitchens in the Oak Park store. This allowed us to have several different concepts out of one location and retain as many employees as possible. Virtual kitchens have been trending lately, but they are more important than ever right now for independent operations. Minimum contact, multiple concepts, mass employment— that’s the trifecta.

Hernandez: How were you compensating your employees before the pandemic?

Labbate: Well, compensating and incentivizing go hand in hand. But we look at it as, incentivization is the “carrot,” and compensation is when you finally get that carrot! Do not dangle that carrot if you have no intention of giving it to them. First off, offer a good wage. That will get applicants in the door.

Giovanni Labbate explains how Billy Bricks Wood Fired Pizza staged a COVID-19 comeback after closing down one of its stores. BY BRIAN HERNANDEZ

We pay our staff very well. Scheduling is also a good one for us. We are not open very late, so that’s enticing to employees, but we are flexible on hours anyway, as long as the shops are staffed. We also offer a shared-tip program. All the tips that come in get split in-house. That’s a big incentive, since it can raise anyone’s hourly wage by a couple bucks. Another great incentive we have is our pizza trucks. Everyone works toward getting picked for truck duty. There is an opportunity to earn more money and tips on these separately scheduled events. It’s hot, crowded and chaotic, but the end compensation is well worth it. That’s why that one tends to be a merit-based incentive. But you have to be fair to your employees. Let them know clearly what you expect and what your standards are, then make sure they adhere to them. But the most important thing is to make your staff feel appreciated and necessary. That gives them some ownership and pride in the operation. Nothing is a better motivator than pride in your work.

Hernandez: Were there many changes in food-truck regulations that you had to deal with?

Labbate: Surprisingly not. Food trucks themselves tend to be heavily regulated to begin with. But there were some changes at the sites we would serve. We definitely set up the socialdistancing cues for our food truck customers. I guess the biggest change would be the addition of wearing masks all the time. It’s uncomfortable, but it’s the very least we can do, and it makes the customers feel safe. But if you follow the rules to begin with, you shouldn’t have to make many adjustments.

Hernandez: What benefit does a food truck offer during these times?

Labbate: A food truck lets you reach the customer base that might not be familiar with you. It also helps that it’s an open-air operation, so people who are more concerned about the spread of germs will be more comfortable. Plus, it’s mobile! Unlike your brick-and-mortar location, which relies on your customer base coming in to see you on a regular schedule, you can move your mobile units around town daily or weekly to hit the best trafficked spots for your product.

Giovanni Labbate (left) believes in motivating and incentivizing his employees to keep the wood fires burning at Billy Bricks. Popular pizzas on the menu include the Prosciutto and Baby Spinach and the Classic Margherita with San Marzano tomatoes.

Hernandez: If someone has to shut down a location temporarily, what should they focus on when planning to reopen?

Labbate: For us, it was mainly employee retention and getting back to “normal.” We were closed for a few months and lost some employees. They had to look for other income, and we understand that. But, for the most part, we were able to retain most of our employees with some creative rescheduling between locations and duties, and now we’re back up and running. I would say there are a lot of people looking for jobs out there now, and a lot of them are quality people, unemployed through no fault of their own.

Hernandez: What is one of your best tips for compensating employees in any situation?

Labbate: Do not be afraid to recognize and reward someone who deserves it. Don’t be afraid to make sure they are recognized and feel validated. Whichever way you do it, be it personally buying them a free meal or getting them a plaque, that nurtures the best in your staff and will make other employees strive for that goal as well. Public recognition is key to motivating them.

Hernandez: What’s your best tip for success with a mobile unit right now?

Labbate: It’s definitely more work than a brick-and-mortar, but the rewards can also be greater. They are two different animals. I would suggest having a restaurant before you get a mobile unit. In that case, you have recipes and procedures worked out ahead of time. Just because you can do one does not mean you can succeed at the other.

To see the entire interview, visit PMQ.com/labbate.

Working on Billy Bricks’ food trucks—called Wheels and Wheels II—lets employees make more money and tips. In addition to appearing at events and festivals around the region, the trucks can be booked for private parties, weddings and corporate lunches.

Robotics leader Picnic has developed a pizza making robot that’s already being used by Zaucer Pizza in Redmond, Washington, and by Centerplate at Seattle’s T-Mobile Park.

TheFuturePizza of �

From ghost kitchens to foodbots and modular pizzerias with small footprints, technology and innovation will redefine, reshape and resize tomorrow’s pizzeria.

BY RICK HYNUM

Predicting the future is tricky business, and some of us should know better than to even try. In PMQ’s June 2017 cover story, we suggested that Zume Pizza, a delivery-only start-up manned in part by rob otic pizzaioli, “may be the sci-fi pizzeria of the future.” As of Jan uary 2020, Zume Pizza, headquartered in Mountain View, California, was no more, at least as a pizza operation; its founders laid off 50% of its workforce and switched their focus to food packaging, production and deli very.

At least we said “ may be.”

Futurists have been getting it wrong since at least the 1960s, when they predicted space colonies on the moon and a jet pack in every home by 2020. But you don’t have to go out on a limb to predict some disruptive changes on the way for the pizza industry, some of them fast-forwarded by the pandemic. “The only constant…will be the speed of change and the hypercompetition the restaurant and foodservice industry will face,” the National Restaurant Association (NRA) states in its report, Restaurant Industry 2030: Actionable Insights for the Future. “Ordinary won’t cut it in 2030. What constitutes a restaurant is rapidly changing. The off-premises market—carryout, delivery, drive-thru and mobile units—is where the majority of industry growth is going to come over the next 10 years.”

And, as the report explains, technology is the driving force: “The only reason growth can occur is that the technology is now in place to support it. Data-driven decisions will expand beyond sales and staffing applications to guest services, supplychain logistics and menu development, allowing restaurants to adapt what to sell in real time as demand dictates.”

Even the definition of a “restaurant” will get fuzzy. “Some restaurants will morph into a hybrid model, offering counter service, full service, takeout and delivery, and meal kits,” the NRA report says. Others will offer delivery only or a mix of carryout and delivery without a dine-in option.

No matter what, the pace of change will accelerate, and innovation must become part of every independent restaurant’s DNA, especially if you want to keep up with major chains.

GHOST STORIES

There’s nothing scary about ghost kitchens—stripped-down facilities that produce food exclusively for delivery without the need for costly build-outs of brick-and-mortar restaurants. Ghost kitchens could create a $1 trillion opportunity for food delivery by 2030 by reducing food costs and speeding up delivery times, according to global research firm Euromonitor.

“People need interaction, and this will not go away—and thank goodness. What a world this would be without it!”

— MARY JANE RIVA, PIZZA FACTORY

Tomorrow’s pizzeria, like Toledo, Ohio-based Marco’s Pizza, will likely place a premium on fast delivery to customers wherever they are, whenever they’re hungry for a pie.

MARCO’S PIZZA

Off-premise dining is where the majority of restaurant industry growth will come from in the next decade, and innovative chains like Marco’s Pizza are working to stay ahead of the trend.

MARCO’S PIZZA

Ron Stilwell, Marco’s Pizza vice president and chief development officer

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If you have any interest in call centers call us to discuss options or visit www.pizzacloud.net to register for a webinar.

Get Inspired

“This is the trend,” says Peter Klamka, owner of The Blind Pig in Las Vegas and CEO of Cordia Corporation, which specializes in ghost kitchens and THCinfused foods for food establishments. “Pizza is a commodity. Pizza will shift to high-end delivery only.”

Although The Blind Pig is a dine-in operation offering pizza, Italian dishes and American comfort food, Klamka believes the dine-in experience “is going away fast…I think the middle market for dine-in is being squeezed out. I see fast food and high-end dining [as the future].”

Many restaurateurs see a brighter future for dine-in, but chains like Marco’s Pizza, headquartered in Toledo, Ohio, are planning for a healthy mix of on- and off-premise in their business models, especially since third-party platforms will make it easier to get food into more customers’ hands. “One way to ensure customers the same great experience via a third-party app…is to optimize your kitchen for those types of orders,” says Ron Stilwell, Marco’s vice president and chief development officer. “We’re piloting virtual kitchens and ghost kitchens as we speak with franchisees in California, North Carolina and Houston, and we’re off to a great start. These virtual or ghost kitchens are all about efficiency in a shared kitchen space, which also allows us to easily use third-party delivery drivers and provide a quick-to-open format.”

Independent pizzeria operator Chuck Sillari also sees the potential of ghost kitchens. His singleunit restaurant, Mortadella Head in Somerville, Massachusetts, is working on a ghost kitchen that will serve five towns. “We feel this will be a great test to see if we are able to drive sales using our digital assets and social media,” Sillari says. “Cloud kitchens will become big, in my opinion. People want the convenience of delivery. With everything becoming on-demand, there is a whole generation of pizza customers out there

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LEGENDS OF TOMORROW

Don’t miss these upcoming PMQ Live streamcasts on the future of pizza!

PMQ Live Update

2 p.m. (CT), Thursday, October 15

PMQ’s Brian Hernandez talks to U.S. Pizza Team member Gene McWilliams of Flora, Illinois, about his ghost kitchen operation, Kitchens Unlimited, with three different takeout/delivery concepts.

PMQ Live Marketing Masters

2 p.m. (CT), Monday, October 12

PMQ publisher Steve Green delves into menu engineering and the future of digital menu development with one of the industry’s great marketing masters, Greg Rapp of Menu Engineers.

Chuck Sillari, Mortadella Head

What's my Italian Inspiration?

that have never called up a pizza shop to place an order and picked up their pizza. They only know how to use an app on their phone, and the pizza shows up at their front door. We are happy to serve these people the best pizza out there.”

Mary Jane Riva, president and CEO of Oakhurst, Californiabased Pizza Factory, said she’s “intrigued” by the ghost-kitchen concept. “It’s a great way to complement an existing location by being able to expand your presence in the market with a much lower overhead, such as in an industrial type of location. This is on our radar, but we still tend to favor the takeout and delivery model in a neighborhood center and a strip mall.”

MAD ABOUT MODULAR

Rally’s Drive-In might be a drive-thru burger joint, but it placed a huge delivery order in April 2018: An almost complete modular restaurant was transported by flatbed truck

to a new Rally’s site in Whitehall, Ohio. It was one of dozens that Rally’s has installed in the past several years.

Instead of maximizing “butts in seats,” pizzerias of the future will aim to serve as many customers as possible, wherever they might be. That’s why you should expect to see more smallerfootprint units, with a focus on off-premise dining, Marty McCauley, design director at Cincinnati-based design firm FRCH Nelson, told QSR magazine recently. “[What] we really believe is the future of quick-service restaurants is, instead of these 3,000-square-foot units, you’re going to see maybe 1,500- or 2,000-square-foot units. What brands have learned is they have to have the ability to be agile, and customers are really responding to things like curbside pickup and other offpremises channels.”

Marco’s Pizza has high hopes for its own prefabricated “podular” units, which are designed for carryout, walk-up and

“Virtual or ghost kitchens are all about efficiency in a shared kitchen space, which also allows us to easily use third-party delivery drivers and provide a quick-to-open format.”

— RON STILWELL, MARCO’S PIZZA

This artist rendering depicts the prefabricated, smallfootprint “podular” restaurants developed by Marco’s Pizza for carryout, walk-up and delivery.

Mortadella Head is planning a ghost kitchen in a Boston suburb that will service five towns; Doordash launched its first ghost kitchen for several restaurant clients in Redwood City, California.

MARCO’S PIZZA

MORTADELLA HEAD

DOORDASH KITCHENS

delivery. With a smaller footprint—about 850 square feet— podular units make it easier and more affordable to get into the pizza business. “Although we designed our podular unit pre-pandemic, the model complements the ‘new restaurant era’ that has been greatly impacted by COVID-19, specifically the increased demand for a contact-free experience,” Stilwell says. “We have several franchisees in the process of piloting this unit, which will allow them to own and operate a Marco’s Pizza at a much lower cost while expanding our reach to areas that lack real estate options for a full build-out. It shrinks the timeline from signing an agreement to grand opening, while still creating jobs, as the team member size is about the same as a traditional Marco’s Pizza unit—15 to 25 employees.”

GOING ROBOTIC

Delivery and carryout did not compute for robot-heavy Zume Pizza, but they were definitely on to something. Robotic technology for food preparation has improved by leaps and bounds in recent years, led by companies like Picnic, a Seattlebased tech startup. Last year, Picnic unveiled a robot system that can make 300 pies in an hour. The highly compact system, already in use by Zaucer Pizza in Redmond, Washington, flattens the dough, distributes sauce and arranges toppings. The technology “will make our pizza production process more efficient and [our] business more competitive,” Zaucer Pizza co-CEO Aaron Roberts said last October.

Marco’s Pizza will also tap into the power of foodbots. “We’re meeting with various manufacturers on integrating robotics into our kitchens, with a goal to automate our hightraffic locations for efficiency and accuracy,” Stilwell says.

“The primary benefit of utilizing this form of technology is speed—lowering delivery times and maximizing high-volume opportunity. At the same time, we need to ensure our quality

“[Food robots] will make our pizza production process more efficient and our business more competitive.”

— AARON ROBERTS, ZAUCER PIZZA

Starship Technologies’ food delivery robots are already making the rounds on college campuses like the University of Mississippi.

CHRISTIAN JOHNSON, UNIVERSITY OF MISSISSIPPI

standards are maintained, and we are in the process of testing all these aspects, which is very tricky. One of the benefits we’ve seen in these tests is on food costs. For instance, the robot is engineered to use the exact measurement of sauce, cheese and toppings, which reduces food waste and saves money.”

Major chains like Domino’s and Pizza Hut have also been developing driverless cars for pizza delivery, but the jury’s still out on that technology. Food delivery robots, however, are already a reality, especially on college campuses like George Mason University and the University of Mississippi, among others. In a column for Cheese Market News last October, Ed Zimmerman, president of The Food Connector, said robots can relieve labor issues for pizzerias and other restaurants. “The idea of incorporating robots to cook, clean, serve and approve transactions on debit cards might be the greatest gift operators can get,” Zimmerman wrote. “Hiring, training, scheduling and disciplining disappear. Surly cashiers replaced by electronic helpers lowers consumers’ expectations of courteous service.”

DATA MATTERS

It probably goes without saying, but we’ll say it anyway: Customer data matters now, and it will matter even more in the future.

Tracking customer preferences and rewarding their loyalty will be of paramount importance to pizzerias’ success—and new technology will make that easier.

“The ability to provide exemplary customer service boils down to the ability to personalize marketing and call-toaction messages gleaned from things like customer location, demographic data, and other digital or purchase-history cues,” notes Ryan Christiansen, co-founder and CEO of Ntooitive Digital, a Las Vegas-based marketing and technology company. “I suggest implementing multi-touch attribution technology to measure the cross-channel consumer journey in real time,” he adds. Multi-touch attribution is the act of determining the value of each customer touchpoint that leads to a conversion, which helps identify the marketing channels that are working for you. “With the number of cell phones that are in the pockets of consumers today, restaurant marketers can serve up targeted ads, capture mobile device IDs, and gain a granular understanding of how channels are performing on a daily basis in order to drive conversions,” Christiansen says. “Multi-touch attribution can help inform your creative ideas and messaging with actionable insight, too, enabling you to quickly adjust, optimize and improve your marketing and media investments.”

Thanks to data-crunching technology, the pizzeria operator of the future might know the customer better than the customer knows himself. And that’s okay, because the pizza business will always be a people business. For all of today’s gee-whiz tech and innovations, Riva, for one, believes folks will always want to sit down at a table with friends, eat a pie and just chat. “People need interaction, and this will not go away—and thank goodness,” she says. “What a world this would be without it! Will we be operating differently and have some new ways of accommodating our guests? Yes. But community is necessary for society, and where better to have community than over a great meal in a community restaurant that you know, trust, love and feel a connection to?”

Rick Hynum is PMQ’s editor in chief.

The Pizza Factory chain’s president and CEO is “intrigued” by ghost kitchens, but she believes customers will always crave the social experience of dining out with family or friends.

Food robots manufactured by Picnic can flatten dough, distribute sauce and arrange toppings, cutting back on labor for pizza restaurants.

The Growing Potential of POS

BY TRACY MORIN

Editor’s Note: PMQ is committed to providing readers with the most up-to-date information on POS innovations in the pizzeria industry. With so many excellent POS providers to choose from, it was impossible to interview all of them for this story. Instead, we have interviewed three knowledgeable sources, who agreed to provide their insights without attribution to preserve PMQ's objectivity and eliminate any appearance of favoritism. For more information and a complete list of the industry’s POS providers, visit our Online Ordering Solutions Center at PMQ.com/pizzamarketing

According to a recent PMQ survey of its readers, pizzeria operators enjoy many business-streamlining aspects of their POS systems, including the ability to track sales, labor and customer behavior, integrate online ordering and marketing, minimize errors, and increase efficiency, all while being user-friendly for owners and employees alike.

As online ordering and digital marketing become indispensable tools for pizzeria operators, POS systems continue to evolve to meet their ever-changing needs.

And, in today’s landscape—when so much of ordering revolves around delivery and carryout—POS systems can be crucial for creating a seamless experience for both operators and customers. Recently, we asked three major POS providers to give us the scoop on the latest features and benefits that can help—and how operators can use them to their best advantage.

PROVIDER A: POS AS THE TECH EPICENTER

Pizza, by nature, presents unique and complex scenarios— phone and online orders, customer management, integrated loyalty programs, various pricing structures, drivers and servers, calculating service charges, and more. What’s happening now, and the trend for the future, is that pizzerias are looking at their operations like a Domino’s, which views itself as a technology company. Individual features of a POS system are like grains of sand—but you have to think of your POS as the entire technological space of a pizzeria’s operation, as one business management system. Look at your business with POS at the central focal point to create one cohesive unit, from marketing to curbside delivery.

There are some great apps out there, but you want them to integrate with the POS. With the POS offering a technological overview of your operation, you can look at your personal strengths and weaknesses, and tie together so many facets of your business. You want to have everything automated. For example, marketing has to be consistent and persistent. You want to have scheduling, inventory, integrated phone systems, and credit card processing for online, in-person, phone, and future or catering orders. Pizzeria owners are more interested in not just the typical functions, but asking, “What else can the POS do that I’m not good at?”

The pizzeria owner’s No. 1 problem today is labor, so you can accommodate that through POS-driven automation. What’s most important now: an online ordering system, smooth and seamless phone orders, and loyalty and rewards programs. With tables in-store operating at 50%, what will you do to work your kitchen at full capacity through phone and online orders? You want to attract people for the first time, then get them to order more often. And getting orders

succinctly—that is what a POS can do, while reducing labor and overhead costs. Don’t be afraid to invest in your business with a great system; it’ll generate more revenue in the long run. Ultimately, look at your entire entity and figure out how technology can help you. We want to give independents and small chains the tools to act like the big boys.

PROVIDER B: FOCUS ON DELIVERY

Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, we’ve had a huge focus on the pizza industry and delivery specifically, which is even more important now. Today, even operations that never offered delivery have had to add it, and that requires many additional POS features: mapping, dispatching, emails sent to drivers with delivery instructions, and email updates to

You have to think of your POS as the entire technological space of a pizzeria’s operation, as one business management system. Look at your business with POS at the central focal point to create one cohesive unit, from marketing to curbside delivery.

A POS system can help create a seamless contactless ordering experience, which has become the new norm during the COVID-19 pandemic.

customers. Also, heat maps allow you to see the types of orders and money spent, so you can get an idea of what your delivery area is. Making sure online ordering works directly with the POS, with features that keep customers’ information safe, is very important. Safety features (using user IDs, swipe cards or biometrics to log in) also allow you to see who’s in the system at all times.

As many pizzerias now do their own delivery as well as offer third-party delivery, you want to track drivers both in-store and out-of-store, and track delivery times. A POS system can provide drivers with directions and calculate the best routes and mileage.

Some major things to look for in your POS system include calculating inventory, delivery, communications with

SURVEY SAYS!

customers, managing the back end, and online ordering. You also want a system that allows you to integrate with other systems to keep up with future innovations. For example, five years ago, people weren’t even looking at third-party ordering. Look at what you’re offering now and what you see coming in the next five years, because you don’t want to have to change your system later.

You also must have a customer database to track buying info; have a loyalty program capability; generate reporting to see stats on your best sellers and food cost margins; and the ability to offer custom messaging (like when it’s a customer’s birthday or they haven’t visited in 60 or 90 days), so the pizzeria can send them direct mail to attract them back.

PROVIDER C: THE IMPORTANCE OF A DIGITAL PRESENCE

A lot of trends in our industry were happening before COVID-19, like the “convenience is king” approach when getting out product to your customer. But now, POS systems

POS Provider B recently conducted a survey among its customers to highlight some key operational changes in the wake of COVID-19—and why it’s important for POS systems to meet these new needs. Some highlights of the survey:

• 65% added a contactless delivery option, where customers prepay and have their deliveries placed at a preselected location for them to collect. Of those surveyed that added contactless delivery, 54% of them saw an increase in sales.

• More than half of the restaurants surveyed reported that their sales increased following the COVID-19 pandemic.

• 60% offered curbside pickup, where customers can wait in their cars for their takeout orders. Of those that added curbside pickup, 51% saw an increase in sales.

• 57% offered delivery only using their in-house drivers, and 37% offered delivery using both in-house drivers and third-party sites. Of those surveyed, more pizzerias that offer delivery in-house saw an increase in sales than those that don’t.

• Only 6% of pizzerias surveyed don’t charge for delivery, while 94% charge for delivery in some way. They use either a flat rate (60%) or base it on delivery zones (34%).

• 68% of pizzerias surveyed have between one and five delivery drivers on a busy night, and 86% reported Fridays as their busiest night.

The better POS solutions will be able to recreate the customer experience they’ve become accustomed to with third parties, which have extremely convenient and easy-to-use apps.

are incorporating curbside pickup features to help smaller operators compete with larger chains. Messaging customers is key, so that pizzerias can send a link and customers can alert the pizzeria when they arrive—it’s a more contactless, less in-store approach.

Delivery is also key, either natively or third-party. The better POS solutions will be able to recreate the customer experience they’ve become accustomed to with third parties, which have extremely convenient and easy-to-use apps. But there is app fatigue out there, so it’s about creating a mobile-friendly, convenient and easy-to-use online ordering experience on your website, while customers are still able to contact the restaurant and be alerted on the progress of the order. Customers want to see the driver and get updated ETAs to eliminate that

waiting anxiety. You want a POS system that pushes toward automation to incorporate all of these streams of revenue in a native solution—without needing a bunch of outside parties. It’s creating a business within your business now, and it’s not going away for the foreseeable future.

Customers will often lean toward convenience over quality, and POS systems are starting to answer those needs. Your digital presence is now your first impression—it’s not someone walking in the door. Through loyalty programs, curbside pickup, online ordering, catering programs and kiosks, these are customers who are signing up to work with your business. Now you own that data, and that is key to the success of your business—understanding their buying trends so you can specifically market to them. You also want to track inventory, see your top-10 items, and monitor costs and controls, since things fluctuate greatly. You want to monitor how you’re performing or get notified if you’re low in stock, for example.

Finally, customers want to go to your website, they want you to know what they order, and they want to keep notified every step of the way. On the employee side, interaction is key, too, as employees may handle a variety of jobs now. Choosing a POS that is intuitive and easy to use, with very little training, is especially key now.

Tracy Morin is PMQ’s senior copy editor.

Today, even operations that never offered delivery have had to add it, and that requires many additional POS features: mapping, dispatching, emails sent to drivers with delivery instructions, and email updates to customers.

Veteran pizzaiolo Vincenzo CarrieriRusso, executive chef at V&M Bistro in Wilmington, Delaware, runs an immaculate and streamlined kitchen—and was able to quickly adapt to the pandemic by pivoting from gourmet Italian fare to pizzas to go. (Photo by Luigi Ciuffetelli)

DESIGNS of the TIMES

PMQ pulls back the curtain on some of the most thoughtfully designed pizzeria kitchens from coast to coast.

BY TRACY MORIN

A clean, attractive dining room is a must-have, but we all know the real magic starts in the kitchen. The size of your kitchen doesn’t necessarily matter, but smart, high-functioning design does, especially for frazzled staff on a busy night when the online orders are piling up in the POS and the line is stretching out the door. We talked to some leading pizzeria operators to uncover the secrets of great kitchen design, from allowing space for social distancing to achieving a full “kitchen theater” effect.

THE NEAPOLITAN EXPERIENCE

Luca Varuni, Owner/Executive Chef Varuni Napoli, Atlanta, GA (two locations)

I wanted a big, open kitchen that would allow guests an immersive and interactive experience from start to finish. Everything our team does happens in front of our guests, like at an open market in Naples.

I wanted to create a space that was modern but also had special touches of Neapolitan culture—the perfect juxtaposition of the old and new world. The two ovens are the main attractions and are set in the middle of our kitchen and restaurant. The main materials used for the buildout were brick, wood, marble and glass. We showcase all of our products— including DOP-certified San Marzano tomatoes, Calabrian peppers, black truffle oil from Sorrento, salt blessed by the pope, buffalo mozzarella and more—around the restaurant. We also have a glass-enclosed, temperature-controlled room where we make our dough daily.

Varuni Napoli’s design offers the opportunity to give an inside-out view of what we’re doing to make our pizza. Our pizzaioli put a ton of training and hard work into their craft, so being able to showcase that for the enjoyment of our guests is important to them and helps increase morale among the team. We also have a 15-seat pizza bar, where guests can interact with the pizzaioli and ask questions.

Be smart about the way you use your space. You don’t necessarily need a big kitchen to be successful; it’s more important to have a multifunctional kitchen. Spend time making sure you achieve a smooth operation. Make sure to create a space that is comfortable for your kitchen team.

We Neapolitans are known to be very superstitious, and I’m no exception! At both of my pizzerias, I have the biggest cornicello (Neapolitan horn) you will ever see hanging from the soffit in the middle of the kitchen. There’s also another horn located on the top shelf of our bar. It’s part of my Neapolitan culture—it’s a good luck charm that will protect you from the evil eye!

“I wanted to create a space that was modern but also had special touches of Neapolitan culture—the perfect juxtaposition of the old and new world. The two ovens are the main attractions and are set in the middle of our kitchen and restaurant.”

— LUCA VARUNI, VARUNI NAPOLI

VARUNI NAPOLI

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THE FAST-CASUAL CHAIN

Brad Kent, Executive Chef

Blaze Pizza, Headquartered in Pasadena, CA (342 locations)

When conceptualizing our kitchens, we had several elements in mind, the first being visibility. We use outstanding-quality, all-natural ingredients that, by virtue of their freshness, have beautiful, vibrant colors and visible textures. It’s important for us to showcase those quality ingredients to our guests even before the pizzas hit the ovens. To support our assembly-line presentation, we have a glass shield between the guest and the pizza assembling crew member, providing an inside look at the prep process.

We purposely designed our kitchens with an open floor plan so guests could easily view our unique units, ranging from our oversize Hobart mixer for dough making to our huge live-fire oven. Every step of the pizza making process— cutting, garnishing and baking—is visible from all areas of the dining rooms. When possible, we try to position our oven, which is the heart of our 360° experience, so that it is noticeable from the street and able to attract passersby.

Every Blaze Pizza kitchen features the following amenities to impact our efficiency and environment:

• Larger walk-in coolers for space to accommodate large quantities of dough balls fermenting a full 24 hours

• Custom-designed dough presses for consistency, quality and speed

• Large open-top assembly lines for guests to view the variety and quality of our ingredients

• A large, open-hearth, live-fire oven for visibility and to produce chef-quality fast-fired pizzas in a “kitchen theater” environment

• A second assembly line for online and third-party orders so that guests who visit our restaurants are able to receive personalized and uninterrupted service

• A long assembly line that was great for speed before COVID-19 and now allows for social distancing between our crew members behind the line Our advice: Design for the level of business you hope to achieve, and then add a bit more capacity. At the same time, don’t get too caught up in futureproofing your kitchen for every possible innovation. So many brands invest too heavily on future scenarios while sacrificing the core of their business today. Innovation is something you’re never done doing. Be prepared to pivot when the opportunity presents itself.

“When possible, we try to position our oven, which is the heart of our 360° experience, so that it is noticeable from the street and able to attract passersby.”

— BRAD KENT, BLAZE PIZZA

THE DUAL CONCEPT

Shaz Khan, CFO and Co-Owner

Tono Pizzeria + Cheesesteaks, Maplewood, MN (two locations)

We’re a fast-casual brick-oven pizzeria with cheesesteaks, and we keep two things at the forefront: customer visibility and flow of materials/staff in the kitchen. With limited real estate, there are two ways to approach design-from-scratch: One is to design form around function, and the other—which we do—is to design function around form. Each has its own tangible benefits.

Beautiful spaces create a more pleasant environment. At the heart of our kitchen is a hand-built brick oven that’s constructed in-store. We want this to be the centerpiece that grabs the customer’s attention. Everything else revolves around this piece. Determine what your centerpiece is—and if such a feature doesn’t exist, place the focus on branding and staff.

Customers really love seeing their food being made; it offers transparency into the process, validates safety and health processes, and builds trust between the consumer and the brand. Use glass displays between

pizza makers and the customer, with a lot of open space. Lighting is also a huge factor, as the proper temperature and placement of lighting can amplify ambience and help direct customers’ eyes to the elements you desire. Finally, consider flow of product in the kitchen. How do the raw ingredients (and the staff carrying them) move around the kitchen in a fashion that is fluid? We make sure that the dough prep is done in one area, the visually stunning dough stretching and tossing is happening in the line of sight of customers (as are the topping additions), and there’s an island where our 12” completed pies can land after exiting the visible flames of our brick oven.

To accomplish all of this, we work with our equipment supplier to lay out all the equipment and then mock up our movement in the space by taping off areas, simulating the equipment before it’s installed, while we are under construction. In the pandemic era, this is even more necessary—to ensure we are complying with social distancing, without creating a disconnection between our brand and our customers.

“Consider flow of product in the kitchen. How do the raw ingredients (and the staff carrying them) move around the kitchen in a fashion that is fluid?”

— SHAZ KHAN, TONO

PIZZERIA + CHEESESTEAKS

TONO PIZZERIA + CHEESESTEAKS

EXPERT INPUT

Brandon Lehman, Co-Founder and Managing Partner SCGWest, Newport Beach, CA

For our clients who offer pizza, the kitchen layout is specialized for each concept’s offerings and kitchen size. For example, a pizza-to-go establishment (like Domino’s) has much different requirements than a full-service restaurant. For Domino’s, we design the kitchen purely centered around high volume and efficiency. The kitchen is positioned around the pizza oven, while other menu items, like chicken or sandwiches, utilize the same preparation tables, toppings and pizza oven for greater flexibility and efficiency.

One of our longstanding clients, Waters Edge Wineries, has a menu focused on items that complement its wine offerings, and pizza and flatbreads are at the top of that list. These kitchens are designed much differently—with space and flexibility in mind and with equipment selected to allow menu items to be added or taken away if they prove to be unpopular or not a good fit for the local region. This allows the restaurant to offer seasonal menu items.

Overall, though, a commercial kitchen should be looked at as a “food factory.” A lot of kitchen equipment, food preparation equipment and refrigeration equipment are all packed into a small space. So we really stress the importance of planning, planning and more planning. Although we are in the development and construction industry, we first sit down with our clients to understand their exact menu items and the projected volume of each menu item to understand what type of ingredients will need to be readily available. If there is a chef, we involve him. It may take multiple meetings to understand how he likes the flow of the kitchen, but this step gives the chef a sense of ownership in design—and sometimes the smallest tweak can make the food preparation and line cook’s jobs much easier.

A perfectly designed kitchen should allow the kitchen staff to operate like a well-trained orchestra. The type of equipment selected should not affect the flow if well-planned and coordinated. One more tip: Implement technology and eliminate clutter or unneeded kitchen equipment. We see all too often excess kitchen equipment in place that does not get used and is ultimately in the way or impeding the flow of the kitchen.

Tracy Morin is PMQ’s senior copy editor.

“A perfectly designed kitchen should allow the kitchen staff to operate like a well-trained orchestra. The type of equipment selected should not affect the flow if well-planned and coordinated.”

— BRANDON LEHMAN, SCGWEST

CHARC ATTACK

BY TRACY MORIN

For Michael

Sohocki, chef and

owner of San Antonio-based Restaurant Gwendolyn (owner of Il Forno Pizzeria), charcuterie is more than an array of cured meats and accompaniments— it’s an artful way of honoring the culinary roots of humankind. “Our cultural identity was formed by limitations, so before there was refrigeration or international food distribution, people worked with the land to preserve what we had,” Sohocki says. “As we exchange those methods for consumerism and convenience, we lose touch with those traditions.”

The art of charcuterie has a long history, powered by the necessities of food preservation. But modern chefs are tapping this old-school art form to offer diners a unique experience.

In essence, charcuterie taps preservation techniques of olden times, including salting, brining, curing and smoking. “Charcuterie (the French term) and salumi (its Italian counterpart) are items made from preserving pork products, such as sausages and cured hams,” notes Lisabet Summa, culinary director and partner at Big Time Restaurant Group in West Palm Beach, Florida, which oversees seven brands, including Italian concepts Louie Bossi’s and Elisabetta’s. “But there are also some non-pork charcuterie products, like bresaola (beef), or those made with boar or goat.”

THE ART OF CHARCUTERIE

At North Italia, based in Calabasas, California, with 23 locations nationwide, charcuterie is the art of preparing meat products such as prosciutto, salami or ham, then pairing them with a variety of cheeses and other items to add a host of sweet and savory flavors. “Generally, when served in a restaurant, charcuterie is presented as an appetizer on a board or as a happy-hour item to go with cocktails,” says North Italia brand chef Carlos Calderon. “Our modern Italian eatery is famous for its artisanal, handcrafted cuisine, so we offer a Chef’s Board, our version of charcuterie.”

About six years ago, chef Louie Bossi from Big Time Restaurant Group caught the charcuterie bug, noticing that big-city restaurants were increasingly cashing in on the popularity of meat and cheese boards. He decided to focus on in-house preparations that could grace boards in his own concepts—not only cured meats, but pickles, olives, jams, honeys and mustards to complement the meats and cheeses. “Now, it’s one of the most popular starter items for customers

to share with a glass of wine,” Summa reports. “It gets the meal going, even before ordering appetizers.”

At Louie Bossi’s, one or two meat items are made in-house, supplemented by domestic artisanal meats and Italian imports of delicacies like prosciutto. The plates proved so popular, the restaurant couldn’t keep up with demand by making everything in-house, but some meat preparations are easier than others—for example, cuts such as guanciale (pork jowl meat) or duck breasts (to make a duck ham) are smaller and enable a faster drying process. Bigger meat slabs, such as prosciutto, require much more space as well as a one-year curing process, so they are outsourced. Summa notes that in-house preparations demand much less in terms of food cost while requiring much more work in terms of time and staff dedication.

However, Summa’s staff has been quick to jump on board with the in-house prep process. “They love to watch the transformation in our food chambers, which are monitored for pH and temperature during the drying process,” Summa says. “It’s a fun learning experience for many chefs, and it really

“[Charcuterie] is one of the most popular starter items for customers to share with a glass of wine. It gets the meal going, even before ordering appetizers.”

— LISABET SUMMA, BIG TIME RESTAURANT GROUP

Chef Michael Sohocki created Charc Week in San Antonio, Texas, to delve deep into charcuterie-based education and tastings.

RESTAURANT GWENDOLYN

underlines these traditions for them. It imbues the entire staff with such a sense of pride.”

For Sohocki, the charcuterie process is elevated to an art form. He even created a show-and-tell and educational experience out of the idea—Charc Week, which has been going strong in San Antonio since 2010. During the weeklong event, curious chefs and culinary instructors alike receive in-depth education in advanced classes like “Denaturing With Salt” and “The Biology of Vinegar.” Meanwhile, for customers, local restaurants offer charcuterie plates at a set price, with the understanding that they include at least four housemade meats, and the entire event benefits the local food bank.

PREP TO PLATE

Despite his passion for charcuterie, Sohocki’s advice for those just starting out will put a newbie at ease: Don’t be intimidated by technicalities. “Find one trustworthy base recipe for something simple, like a salami, and experiment with that one thing,” he advises. “With that one base recipe, make a bunch of variations on that single theme until you achieve the perfect feel, look and weight. Trust your gut—you’ll develop the skill more through repeating it.”

Once you have your meat prep down pat, experiment with how you can best complement it on a plate or board for guests. “Classically, you start with meat and cheese and build from there—salty, with something sweet; heavy, with something lighter,” Calderon explains. “I’ve seen pretty much everything on a board, but sometimes less is more, so it’s important to be intentional about what you put on it.” At North Italia, for example, the prosciutto can be salty, so

Calderon offsets that with something sweet, adding figs so that the tastes complement each other. “The goal is to tell a story and think about how your accompaniments add to the features,” Calderon adds. “You don’t want there to be too many options or ingredients that don’t pair well. The trend is swinging back to simplicity.”

CHARC SMARTS

At Louie Bossi’s, meats get paired with olives—three to four types that are marinated in a mixture of olive oil, fresh thyme, garlic, orange peel and fennel seeds for boosted flavor. For crunch, chefs add a side of grissini (long, hard breadsticks) or sliced crostini infused with a mix of either walnut-raisin or olives. Giardiniera, or pickled vegetables,

Our experts share a few additional tips for making the most of charcuterie, from meat preservation to plating:

“Keep food safety regulations in mind, and be able to explain your processes to health inspectors. Be ready to show and record how you keep preparations safe by monitoring critical control points. And, personally, I like to put something ‘scary’ on the plate, like blood sausage. It threatens people’s ideas of ‘normal,’ but hey— chickens have feet. Pigs have bones and ears. When you buy everything boneless, skinless, etc., you delete the story of the animal. But, if you eat animals, I think you need to come to grips with that reality.” —Michael Sohocki, chef and owner, Restaurant Gwendolyn/Il Forno Pizzeria, San Antonio, TX

“Served at room temperature, with the right wine and accouterments, charcuterie is a great way to eat pork. You have to start with a really great product to get the best results, so we use only heritage breeds of pork—it makes a [dramatic] difference with salumi products. We also have our dry curing chambers on display in the restaurant so customers can see it, and our servers love explaining to guests everything that we make in-house. And you can cross-utilize those cured meats on pizzas, too!” —Lisabet Summa, culinary director and partner, Big Time Restaurant Group/Louie Bossi’s, West Palm Beach, FL

“Personalize and cater to your audience, but play to their preferences, according to your menu. The most important thing to consider is how it will be used by your guests—are they snacking light, or do they want something heavier? If it’s a shared starter, like our Chef’s Board at North Italia, you want a variety of items for all palates that’d be best enjoyed over conversation.” —Carlos Calderon, brand chef, North Italia, Calabasas, CA

adds additional crunch, salt, spice, tang and color. Roasted sea-salt marcona almonds and black truffle honey provide salty and sweet counterparts.

Sohocki also finds that accompaniments can make excellent use of kitchen extras that may otherwise be thrown away. In addition to dried fruits stewed in white wine, sugar and spices, he may create chutneys, jams, preserves, pickles or marmalades to repurpose leftovers. For example, juiced lemon rinds can feature in a jam, or peach pits and skins can be cooked down with sugar for a preserve.

Finally, to reap maximum profits, keep your audience in mind—and don’t be afraid to experiment. For Calderon, the goal is always to create a balance with the items presented. When creating a board, he makes sure to combine different flavors, present pairings with wine or a cocktail and suggest the item as an appetizer to share. “All of the cured meats make great talking points for your guests,” he adds. “It’s a really great opportunity to walk them through the board and allows you to seem like an expert on the subject.”

Tracy Morin is PMQ’s senior copy editor.

“Find one trustworthy base recipe for something simple, like a salami, and experiment with that one thing. With that one base recipe, make a bunch of variations on that single theme until you achieve the perfect feel, look and weight.”

— MICHAEL SOHOCKI, RESTAURANT GWENDOLYN

MIKE’S HOT HONEY

Mike’s Hot Honey, a popular brand of honey infused with chili peppers, makes a tasty sweet-and-hot condiment for charcuterie.

C VID COMEBACK winner

LouEddie’s Pizza, Skyforest, CA

Los Angeles, LouEddie’s Pizza in Skyforest, California, has a history of adaptation and innovation, from a lucrative seasonal wedding business to live music and outdoor dining in historic and scenic Willow Woods Park. In the pandemic, owner Louise York remained flexible, creative and happy to experiment, and as a result,

she is the winner of PMQ’s COVID Comeback contest. Pizzeria owners from around the country submitted their comeback stories for a chance to win a $500 cash prize. Our panel of PMQ judges, including our editorial and marketing staff, chose York’s story as the winner, and we’re happy to share it in her own words.

This cozy, off-the-beaten-path pizzeria adapted to shifting customer needs and thrived in the pandemic.

As a small-town, local pizza-shop favorite, the COVID-19 crisis brought with it for us not only health-related fears for our staff and customers but fears for the survival of our business, too. After mid-March 2020, the restaurant landscape changed for all of us. But we are like many restaurants—we are scrappy, determined and constantly evolving.

The ideas I’m going to share here are not all original ideas. We found some of them in the trade magazines or picked them up from other restaurants, while many ideas were in the “we should try this someday” files. Well, “someday” came, and we were ready.

I often tell people—and I firmly believe—that it is not the idea that makes the difference; it is the implementation. Here are some of the ideas that worked for us, thanks to successful implementation.

RULE NO. 1: CREATE WIN-WIN BUSINESS PARTNERSHIPS

Shifting to delivery may seem obvious, but it was a challenge for us. We had been too busy to even consider delivery prior to the pandemic, nor did we have insurance set up for delivery drivers. During the stay-at-home order, we partnered with Thousand

programs

Pines Christian Camp. Their overnight

Editor’s Note: Located on the site of an old logging camp in the mountains outside of

LouEddie’s Baja Fiesta pizza features chicken breast, housemade chorizo, freshly roasted chilis, mozzarella, cilantro and a chipotle sauce.

for kids had been shut down due to COVID-19. They were hoping to keep a number of their key staff members employed and needed work for them to do. So we asked them to handle our deliveries. We offered them the pass-through on the delivery charge of $10 and the tips they earned. This approach kept their employees on the payroll, and we were able to utilize the insurance they had in place. We used a “keep people employed” marketing program, and our customers loved the collaboration and embraced the message.

RULE NO. 2: REPACKAGE EXISTING PRODUCTS

We have a small brewery and offer the products on draft paired with pizzas. Well, we had a lot of beer to move through, and our saloon was closed. So we decided to create 22-ounce Bomber Bottles. The process was relatively simple: Labels were created, a bottling system was purchased, and we defined our procedures.

RULE NO. 3: CREATE AN IN-HOUSE STORE

Our dining room was turned into a small store. We offered beer and wine to go, along with a lot of LouEddie’s swag, including T-shirts and gift certificates. It seemed that all of our customers wanted to buy something—anything. They wanted to help us.

RULE NO. 4: CREATE EXPERIENCES FOR YOUR CUSTOMERS

It was certainly a timely idea to create a cooking kit for children. The kiddos were all stuck at home and needed fun things to do—and, of course, they needed to eat, too. We all know the pride gained in cooking something good! Our Zoom cooking classes for the Girl Scouts were especially fun. Find the product and a market that needs the product and move toward implementation!

RULE NO. 5: SELL SMART!

We looked at all of our costs of goods and thought about how to sell smarter and cut costs without affecting the quality of our products. For example, four-color printing on carryout boxes and T-shirts—did we really need that? The answer was no. We saved a lot of money by cutting costs on our custom-print goods.

After years of offering draft beer, LouEddie’s switched to 22-ounce Bomber Bottles to go.

Happy customers enjoy a chicken-topped pizza with red onions and pineapple.

Like many pizzerias coping with the pandemic, LouEddie’s enjoyed success by creating pizza making kits for kids stuck at home.

LouEddie’s offers scenic outdoor dining at its location in Willow Woods Park.

In 1954 Sophia Loren won our hearts as a pizzaiola in “The Gold of Naples,” and 53 years later the U.S. Pizza Team won the Caputo Acrobatic Gold of Naples.

The U.S. Pizza Team traveled to France to introduce new flavors to French pizza fans.

The U.S. Pizza Team struck gold at the World Pizza Championships in Salsomaggiore, Italy. The team wowed the audience and judges with their zombie-themed routine set to “Thriller” by Michael Jackson.

Team members from across the country showed off their dough spinning skills on the streets of New York in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, shining a light on the world of pizza sports.

The United States’ finest pizza athletes helped propel the U.S. Pizza Team to silver in Team Acrobatics at the World Pizza Championships.

The 2020 Virtual U.S. Pizza Cup

Tuesday, October 20, 2020, at 2PM CST

YOU EAT WITH YOUR EYES FIRST, AND THIS FALL WE’LL PROVE IT

The 2020 Virtual U.S. Pizza Cup (VUSPC) is gearing up to be the virtual culinary event of the year, focusing on visual appeal and presentation. presentation, as well as a high-res “side slice” photo to show your crumb structure. age 16 or older—currently working in a pizzeria. Register at

Cash prizes awarded to top three entries: 1st prize, 2nd prize,

Feature your best pie, get some crucial practice for your next competition, and earn the traveling money to get there! entries must be submitted by Tuesday, October 13, 2020, to brian@pmq.com. Live at 2 p.m. (CT), Tuesday, October 20. For more information about rules and requirements, visit or contact Brian Hernandez at brian@pmq.com or 662-234-5481 x 129.

CHARCUTERIE BOARDS BRING VARIETY TO YOUR MENU

One of the biggest trends on today’s menus is the charcuterie board. From humble beginnings of cheese and meat, today’s charcuterie boards are filled with seasonal fruit, nuts, sweet and savory jams and chutneys, and an array of different cured meats and artisan cheeses. Charcuterie boards offer chefs a blank canvas that can be changed frequently based on seasonality and kitchen creativity.

Leading industry cheese manufacturer Caputo can help build your cheese board. In addition to a variety of shapes and cuts of fresh mozzarella, Caputo also offers hand-tied burrata and nodini knots, as well as hand-dipped ricotta. Caputo also offers Italian and Italian-style cheeses like Romano, Parmesan and Asiago, and they can customize the perfect solution for your menu’s needs.

CAPUTO CHARCUTERIE BOARD

Ingredients:

• 8 oz. Caputo Nodini Fresh Mozzarella

• 4 oz. Caputo Basil Pesto

• 6 oz. assorted olives

• 3 oz. Genoa salami

• 3 oz. prosciutto

• 2 oz. hot soppressata

• 2 oz. capicola

• 2 oz. oven-roasted peppered turkey breast

• 3 oz. edamame salad

• 10 oz. balsamic cippolini onions

• 8 oz. peppadew peppers stuffed with Caputo Ricotta

• 8 oz. marinated artichoke hearts

• 1 ea. baguette

When putting the charcuterie board together, there’s a lot of creativity that can be used, from the type of cheeses and meats used to the placement of the products. Since the soppressata is a bit spicy, it’s closer to the sweeter ricotta peppadews. There’s a mix of briny olives and herby artichokes, which are a great complement to the assorted meats. Pesto and fresh mozzarella are a delightful combination, and the whole board is balanced with different flavors that impact the taste buds in delicious ways.

Today’s chefs seek manufacturers with the experience and know-how to create authentic products that best fit their culinary visions. They demand exceptional taste as well as multiple formats, innovative formulations and custom seasoning blends, along with the appropriate melting temperatures, shelf life and back-of-house ease and efficiency. Whatever your needs, you can rest assured that Caputo will deliver the quality, flavor and consistency that only high standards and family pride can produce. For more information, call 708-450-0074 or visit caputocheese.com

the skill

To

Tradition

THRIVE POS

With packages starting as low as $149 a month, managing your pizza delivery business with Thrive POS and their suite of business-building tools has never been more affordable. More than just a POS system, Thrive features an array of pizza technology solutions, including delivery, mobile and online ordering, loyalty marketing and enterprise reporting—all fully integrated with the POS. BIT.LY/PMQ-THRIVE

PEERLESS OVENS

No hood? No problem! The Peerless Electric CE61PE-VL50 Ventless Pizza Deck Oven offers exclusive features, including a space-saving design, with electronic controls and a variable control system for better distribution of heat and better baking. The ventless hood is certified under UL710b. The Ansul R-102 wet chemical fire suppression system is available where required. 800-548-4514, PEERLESSOVENS.COM

PIZZA CLOUD

PizzaCloud provides customized phone service and cellular backup internet to more than 1,000 pizza restaurants, helping lower costs, increase revenue and eliminate outages. “They have the best phone service, customer service and support team in the business,” says Ali Ghassabian of Pizza Guys. “Over the last two years, I’ve gotten excellent service from them. We’re transferring all of our 70 locations to Pizza Cloud.” 866-511-5521, PIZZACLOUD.NET

NUTELLA

There are many ways to utilize Nutella within the pizza segment. Dessert pizzas are a perfect fit! And customers can even take them to go! Offer a customized dessert pizza made with Nutella as an option so customers can experience this indulgent treat at home.

Visit Nutella’s website to get the recipe for the pictured pizza and more pizza recipes. 800-408-1505, FERREROFOODSERVICE.COM

PORTION PADL

The difficulty of cutting a pizza can hinder your ability to offer a creative new menu item. That might explain why more operators don’t offer a hybrid of both pizza slices and cheese bread or breadsticks in one dish. The Slices and Strips Portion Padl, inspired by Little Caesars’ new Slices-N-Stix, solves this problem—and any employee, whatever their experience level, can work with it. 330-608-5928, PORTIONPADL.COM

DIG-IN

Online growth platform Dig-In is the restaurant industry’s answer to third-party apps and online ordering. With every Dig-In package, your restaurant gets a professional website, custom SEO, an ordering system, delivery integration and more—with no middleman or app needed. To learn more about how Dig-In can serve pizzeria owners, visit joindigin.com/pmq. 424-257-2990, MARKETING@JOINDIGIN.COM

DOUGH BOXES

SHAKER LIDS

DOUGH BOWLS

PIZZA OVENS

PIZZA OVENS

REGINA’S PIZZA

This Ohio pizzeria, started by old-school Italians and hustled into the 21st century by a second generation, celebrates 50 years in 2020.

BY TRACY MORIN

In the mid-1960s, two best friends, Steve Catalano and Louie Bamonte, were running a modest tavern in Orrville, Ohio. But when the state bought the property, Louie decided to take a stab at the pizza business in nearby Akron. In 1970, they opened Regina’s Pizza, named after Steve’s daughter (also Louie’s goddaughter). They purchased a second location in 1971 but soon realized that two stores created a work overload and kept only the second, which would enjoy incredible success for decades. “Basically, they figured out the business on their own, and everything was done from scratch,” recalls Robert Catalano, son of Steve and current owner/operator “Business was astronomical—a line of 15 cars waiting for the two parking spaces and a wait of an hour or more for pizza.”

Steve, who juggled two additional jobs, and Louie worked tirelessly in the business, and the best friends passed away in 2008 within six months of each other at the same nursing home. By then, Robert and his brother, Stephen (now a silent partner), were ready to carry the torch. They, too, tried a second location for about five years before coming to the same conclusion as their predecessors and deciding to stick with the original.

Instead, the pizzeria received major upgrades by moving locations in 2009. Two parking spots became 35, and square footage nearly tripled. The once-carryout business now offered dine-in seating and air conditioning. Robert added efficiency-boosting equipment, including larger ovens, dough sheeters and a POS system. Today, the formerly cash-only business accepts credit cards and offers third-party delivery. “I’d be creative and change with the times or be left behind,” Robert says. “When my dad and uncle started, there were maybe two pizza shops; now, there’s one every 200 yards!”

Still, Regina’s maintains its focus on quality ingredients, community involvement, and loyalty to staff members, some of whom have logged decades at the pizzeria. Louie and Steve would often dole out holiday and birthday bonuses or spend thousands on Christmas toys for children. In 2020, to celebrate 50 years, a dozen staff members will be treated to a Las Vegas vacation. And the next generation is already involved, as Robert’s 13-year-old son now pitches in at the pizzeria. “My dad and uncle kept it simple, content with what they were doing—and very much into loyalty, respect and family,” Robert says. “We’ve also learned it’s impossible to make everyone happy. You have to stick to what you do best.”

Tracy Morin is PMQ’s senior copy editor.

(Clockwise from top left) Louie Bamonte (second from left) poses with Stephen, Steve and Robert Catalano; Louie and Steve work in the kitchen, mix dough, and take orders; the Regina’s Pizza second outpost stayed open for 38 years before expanding to a new location; the best friends and WWII veterans return home, circa 1945.

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