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.

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IP Phone Service

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Ask us how we can make your life easier and improve your customer ’s experience during these difficult times. Our rapid response support team averaged almost 500 custom changes per week in April-June. As “the rules” changed for our clients, we updated messaging and call flow to minimize impact, maximize revenue. Let PizzaCloud do the same for your stores.

Maintain control, and get the calls off the front counters. For a small chain all you need is a large office at one location. Cut labor hours up to 50% and/or shift labor to lower cost regions while increasing average ticket . Eliminate the constantly ringing phones at the front counters! Tight integration allows calls to overflow to stores, so you can choose when to staff the call center.

The same tight integration, same detailed reports and call recordings in your hands, same ability to overflow back to the stores, but you let some one else hire and manage the staff. We can provide this service to you or work with your existing call center provider.

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