A few months ago, I had the pleasure of spending a few days with a client, Carl Hixon. Carl is the proprietor of Georgio’s Pizza in Pensacola, Florida. Every morning, he picked me up at his oceanfront condo and we went to work. One morning was different than the rest. When I walked out to hop in his truck, I couldn’t help but notice a very large white shopping bag on the roof of his Honda. It had an unmistakable Georgio’s logo on it. It looked like Carl had set it on the roof and forgot it.

In reality it was a ploy. Carl and I really hit it off because his mind is mischievous, like mine. Upon close examination and explanation, Carl peeled the bag off the roof. It was custom-made from extra heavy vinyl and metal wire reinforcing corners. It had a solid bottom and four 50-pound grip magnets. Drain holes in the bottom made it waterproof. It was very well constructed and looked hurricane proof. As we made our 10-minute drive to the restaurant, we became the center of attention for dozens of fellow commuters. They honked, waved, pointed, shouted, waved their hands and made signals to alert us to the fact that we had a bag on the roof of the truck. I couldn’t believe the attention we received. We smiled, waved back and even stopped and thanked them for bringing it to our attention.

In retrospect, I think it would be very memorable if, when we were alerted that the bag was on the roof, we had regular paper shopping bags — logo printed on — to give to the folks we ran across. In the bag would be a menu, bounce-back certificate, refrigerator magnet and other goodies.

I’ve mentioned this idea to a select group of friends, and they are probably going to give it a whirl. In an ocean of horses, the lone zebra stands out. What a way to put a smile on everyone’s face.

If you’d like his spin on how it has worked out for him, Carl has agreed to let Pizza Today print his e-mail address: carlhixon@cox.net. ❖

Big Dave Ostrander owned a highly successful independent pizzeria before becoming a consultant, speaker and internationally sought-after trainer. He is a monthly contributor to Pizza Today and leads seminars on operational topics for the family of Pizza Expo tradeshows.

Q: The pre-cooked chicken breast that I use for salads and sandwiches is a great quality — but it’s expensive. What are the alternatives?

A: You can spend upwards of $4 a pound on pre-cooked chicken, and in many applications it is well worth it. If you have enough refrigeration or freezer space to handle raw chicken properly, I’d look for great deals. Right now I’m paying $1.29 a pound for frozen, extra-large, boneless, skinless chicken breast. Trim it. Butterfly it. Marinate it, then cook it in the oven, grill or char-grill. You’ll save a ton of money and have a great product.

I’ve seen lots of advice on using scales on the make line to weigh toppings. My food cost is in line, and I don’t really have the extra space. What’s your opinion? Portion control is critical in any restaurant. It sounds like your food cost is under control, but as you grow your business and have other people making pizza, it could creep out of control. If you don’t have room for a scale, at least use properly sized cups to measure your cheese (which is your most expensive topping) and other toppings like sausage and hamburger. Use counts on pepperoni, and you’ll be able to maintain that good food cost and perhaps even improve on it.

I took over a pizza shop with 10 tables and want to make the place a bit more cozy and comfortable. What tips can you offer to give my place a new feel? First of all, I’ve always said a fresh coat of a different color paint is a great place to start when trying to give your restaurant a fresh new look. There are some very nice vinyl tablecloths that can enhance the feel of your pizzeria, and that would be a very cost-effective way to achieve what you’re trying to do. Make sure you get some nice salt and pepper shakers, plus crushed red pepper and a Parmesan shaker for each table. For some final touches, add some nice art or even some pictures of your family. Customers love looking at interesting things on the walls. Great music to listen to can really enhance a diner’s experience as well.

Money is tight and I’ve got a couple of the neon light fixtures that have bad ballasts. It would be costly to repair them and pay an electrician. What do you suggest? I’ve been in that exact position before, and it was actually cheaper for me to go buy a new fixture altogether and install a new one. I’m talking about the kind that fits into a drop ceiling. You’ll be thrilled once you turn that breaker back on and see how bright your restaurant is. ❖

Jeffrey Freehof, owner of The Garlic Clove in Evans, Georgia, is Pizza Today’s resident expert. Send your questions to: Ask Chef Jeff, c/o Pizza Today, 908 South Eighth Street, Suite 200, Louisville, Kentucky, 40203

If you’ve overlooked your restaurant’s outdoor decorating, now’s a great time to dig into exterior design. Experts say landscaping around your pizzeria isn’t a frivolous expense: paying attention to your green spaces outside will help you attract more customers, which translates into more greenbacks for your cash register inside.

You wouldn’t settle for a restaurant with boring white walls and no interesting interior details, yet many eatery owners disregard landscaping as an unnecessary expense. “Landscape design is really no different than interior design; they merely work with different media,” explains veteran landscape designer Renee French, owner of Land Spectrum, a commercial and residential landscape design firm in Irvine, California. “With landscaping, the designer is working with plants and flowers instead of paint and wallpaper.” She says you should have a color scheme that echoes through not only flower color, but plant and leaf colors, as well.

Some pizza restaurants are so ingrained in a city’s local lore that they could basically operate out of a hole in the wall and they’d still have great business. But for most places, looks really do matter when it comes to attracting customers. “The way you design your landscaping definitely projects an image to potential customers,” says Jerri Pick, a senior associate at Land Arc West, a L.A. metro area landscape design fi rm. “A great landscape can take a restaurant that sort of melted into the background and really help it get noticed from the street, which means more customers stopping in to give it a try and see what this place is all about.”

If you have a limited budget and have to focus on one small area of your business to spruce up with landscaping, choose the front entrance. “It’s so important the entrance to the building sets the stage for what’s to come once the customer is inside,” French says. “Nice pottery planted with attractive accent plants can direct patrons to the front door and make a wonderful welcoming statement.”

The architecture of your restaurant is often a determining factor in landscaping choices. For eateries located in strip malls or other attached buildings, designing green spaces may be more of a challenge, but in these cases, it’s just as — if not more — important to set your space apart from the rest of the look-alike crowd. “A professional landscaping company will have designers on staff who have the expertise to create an attractive yet practical design based upon the physical requirements of the site as well as the client’s needs and wishes,” French explains.

If you want to landscape your restaurant but can’t swallow the price for a professional design and installation, you can try to do it yourself. Just remember that you’re not saving any money if you’re losing time taking care of business matters or you choose plants that won’t look good or thrive in your local climate.

“A professional landscape company can offer a well-thought-out design with the right combination of plant material, lawn areas and hardscapes,” says Darren Schelsky, co-owner of SLI Schelsky’s Landscape and Irrigation Inc. in Eugene, Oregon. Schelsky says while it may mean more up-front cost, hiring a skilled landscaping firm may save you money in the end. “A well-trained crew and modern equipment help ensure the landscaper can install the job efficiently and properly the first time. They will also usually offer a warranty on the material and labor, as well.”

Landscape design isn’t just about planting the right shrubs and flowers, though. It also includes details that compliment and enhance the green space, like seating design, walkways or water features. “We’re seeing an increasing trend in incorporating colorful outdoor furniture, trellis structures, and seasonal plantings in business landscape design,” says Mike Albert, a LEED accredited professional at Design Workshop, Inc., an Aspen, Colorado-based landscape architecture and planning fi rm. Albert says other trends he sees are water features like fountains, which will not only give that “Italian city” feeling to your outdoor space, but can also provide a “white noise” filter that can downplay negatives of outdoor areas like traffic or city noise.

Pick says when you’re choosing planters, consider going for that Italian feel with details like whitewashed terra-cotta planters, and maybe even adding some cascading rosemary to them to boost the sensory stimulation.

And if you have practical needs like fencing in and decorating an outdoor eating area, try to carry through with your restaurant’s overall feel. “You see so many dining patios miss out on landscaping opportunities they could have capitalized on to create a dining area with a real ‘wow’ factor,” says David Dubois, president and CEO of L.A.-based Mission Landscape. “You want people to see your restaurant and think, ‘I want to know what’s going on in there.’ You want it to be eye-catching and inviting.”

Once you’ve had your restaurant’s outdoor look designed and installed, don’t forget to include excellent maintenance into your upkeep budget. Even if you’ve designed a low-maintenance look, that doesn’t mean you can plant it and forget it.

“Low-maintenance doesn’t mean ‘no maintenance,’ ” French says. “All plants require some form of maintenance throughout the year.” Using an outside maintenance company or contracting with the fi rm that installed your landscape may be an added expense, but if you’re dedicated to improving the look and feel of your restaurant with vibrant exterior areas, it’s a good investment. “It’s well worth the money to not lose plant material to improper care,” French says. “In other words, let the restaurant owner focus on what he does best and let the landscape company do what they do best.” ❖



Outside In: Great interior plantscaping

You may want to keep your restaurant’s temperature cool during the summer months, but French says warming up your interior design with plants and other earthy details is a good move any time of year.

“Interior plants add a warm, earthy feel to any environment, and they have the added benefit of improving your interior air quality,” she says. But make sure you don’t go Tuscan Villa on the outside and English Garden on the inside. Coordinate your interior and exterior organic designs so the spaces flow seamlessly together despite their physical separation.

One way to do this is ask your exterior landscape designer if anyone at the same fi rm specializes in interior plant services. Even if they don’t, they might be able to refer you to someone who can help you choose the right indoor plants to create the ambiance and decor you’re looking for.

Alyson McNutt English is an award-winning freelance writer specializing in home, health, family and green topics. She lives in Huntsville, Alabama.

All of us in this business are well aware of the excellent canned tomatoes at our disposal, so it goes without saying that we use them in various ways, whether it be a sauce for pasta or to ladle onto a pizza crust. For a different flavor, however, keep in mind that a signature pizza using fresh tomatoes offers a nice change of pace during late summer.

There are now a number of fresh tomatoes –– slicing, grape, Roma, plum, Strawberry and Campari –– that give the pizzaiolo any number of options to create a range of pizzas. And most of those tomatoes are now available all year long. There are a few issues to keep in mind, however, when using fresh tomatoes on pizza. Slicing tomatoes (those are the big round ones) provide the greatest coverage, but they give off a lot of moisture, so you have to protect the crust from getting soggy. The best way to prevent a soggy crust when using slicing tomatoes is to first lay down a base of cheese on the crust (note that technique in the recipes that follow).

Smaller tomatoes, such as plum and Roma, have less water content, but you still need to avoid the soggy crust syndrome. In using these tomatoes, I like to slice them in half and scrape out the seeds using the tip of a small spoon. Now I can use them as a slice (each half) or dice before scattering over the cheese base. You can prep a large amount in a short time, so don’t worry too much about the time involved.

Fresh plum tomatoes were the tomato of choice when I was doing pizza-consulting work in Mexico City. It was less expensive to use fresh plum tomatoes than to bring in canned tomatoes from the states. So another option at your disposal is to process fresh plum tomatoes as a sauce to use on pizza. I am not suggesting that you go whole hog on this, however. On a limited basis, let’s say during the peak fresh tomato season, you can do a special “Fresh Tomato Month.” Feature several pizza specials using fresh plum tomatoes. The idea draws attention to the “fresh” aspect of your restaurant and gives you an edge over competition.

To process, wash the tomatoes thoroughly. Next, crush or process the tomatoes and drain off the excess moisture and use as you would a tomato puree.

The real small tomatoes, such as grape or strawberry, can be either cut in half (a labor intensive deal) or used whole (a much better way to go). In using these smaller tomatoes, I sometime like to toss them in olive oil before putting them on the pizza. Again, though, I lay a base of cheese over the crust and then add the other toppings (if used), then more cheese and the tomatoes. With these smaller tomatoes, the heat of the oven actually chars the tomatoes, and that releases a very interesting and intense fl avor (in fact, these smaller tomatoes work great when baking a pizza in a gas-fired or wood-burning oven). In the recipes below, feel free to substitute grape or other smaller tomatoes if they are available at a reasonable price.

Another option when using fresh tomatoes is to roast, say, plum tomatoes in the oven. To process, cut the tomatoes in half and lay them cut-side-down on a sheet pan. Brush the tops with olive oil and roast in the oven until the skin chars. Pluck off the skin with the tines of a fork, and use them the same way as noted in the recipes below. You can jazz up these tomatoes and the resulting flavors even more by sprinkling on herbs or chopped fresh garlic. ❖

Pizza with Tomatoes & Eggplant
Yield: One 14-inch pizza
(scale up in direct proportion)

1 small eggplant (about 3⁄4 pound)
½ cup olive oil
½ pound shredded part-skim low moisture mozzarella
1 14-inch pizza shell
6-7 (about 1⁄4 pound) fresh plum or Roma tomatoes, sliced crosswise 1⁄4-inch thick
2 teaspoons dried oregano

Trim the stem end of the eggplant and slice lengthwise into 1/4-inch slices. Put the eggplant slices on a sheet pan and brush each slice liberally with olive oil. Broil the eggplant (or run them through the oven) on one side only until each slice turns a russet brown. Set aside.

Sprinkle half the cheese evenly over the crust. Arrange the eggplant over the cheese. Lay the tomatoes evenly on top of the eggplant. Sprinkle the oregano over the tomatoes. Scatter the remaining cheese evenly over the tomatoes. Bake.



Pizza with Tomatoes & Eggplant
Yield: One 14-inch pizza
(scale up in direct proportion)

1 small eggplant (about 3⁄4 pound)
½ cup olive oil
½ pound shredded part-skim low moisture mozzarella
1 14-inch pizza shell
6-7 (about 1⁄4 pound) fresh plum or Roma tomatoes, sliced crosswise 1⁄4-inch thick
2 teaspoons dried oregano

Trim the stem end of the eggplant and slice lengthwise into 1/4-inch slices. Put the eggplant slices on a sheet pan and brush each slice liberally with olive oil. Broil the eggplant (or run them through the oven) on one side only until each slice turns a russet brown. Set aside.

Sprinkle half the cheese evenly over the crust. Arrange the eggplant over the cheese. Lay the tomatoes evenly on top of the eggplant. Sprinkle the oregano over the tomatoes. Scatter the remaining cheese evenly over the tomatoes. Bake.

Roasted Pepper & Tomato Pizza
Yield: one 12-inch pizza
(scale up in direct proportion)

1 12-inch pizza shell
½ pound shredded Asiago or fontina cheese (about 2 cups)
6 (3⁄4- 1 pound) large fresh plum or Roma tomatoes, sliced crosswise 1⁄4-inch thick
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese ¾ cup roasted red bell peppers cut into strips
15 (about) leaves fresh basil Extra-virgin olive oil

Sprinkle half the Asiago or fontina evenly over the pizza crust. Arrange the tomatoes evenly over the cheese. Sprinkle on the Parmesan. Lay the bell pepper strips in a pattern on the pizza. Add the remaining cheese. Bake.

After the pizza comes out of the oven, tear or snip (with scissors) the basil leaves and scatter them over the pizza. Drizzle some olive oil over the pizza. Serve.

Pat Bruno is Pizza Today’s resident chef and a regular contributor.

It’s been a rough year for many Pizza Today readers. From fewer diners to increasing costs, weathering the economy is tops on the list of concerns for most operators. Still, Washington based Papa Murphy’s Take ‘N’ Bake Pizza had an impressive year in 2008 with a growth of 17 percent (8.5 percent same-store sales growth) and gross system sales sitting at $581.1 million. While many of its competitors did not fare nearly as well, Papa Murphy’s has once again reclaimed its title as Pizza Today’s Chain of the Year for 2009, its fourth win in nine years.

Admittedly, the company’s concept is simple –– fresh dough, a make-line of sensible ingredients and cheese combined with a small menu of side dishes –– and its relatively low operating costs (there’s no HVAC, freezers or ovens needed in-house, resulting in a as few as 35 days for a build-out) make Papa Murphy’s an attractive option for potential franchisees. And with just 63 corporate of its total 1,119 units to date, the overwhelming majority of its operations are franchised. In fact, the company opened a whopping 102 new stores in 2008, says Kevin King, senior vice president of development. “It was really spread across our system,” he adds, stretching from the new stores in the Southwest to additional units in existing markets in Minnesota, Seattle and the San Francisco Bay area.

In our interview last year with Papa Murphy’s, the company’s then senior vice president predicted that existing area developers would comprise the majority of growth in 2008 and that has held true, although single-store franchisees have stepped up in the company’s new markets. That is based mainly on “our low investment that we have, the ease of the operation that we run –– it’s not very complicated,” King says. “It takes a lot of hard work, but it isn’t really difficult to run one of our stores. Our success and strong value proposition that we have going right now –– we think those are the primary reasons that people buy a Papa Murphy’s and we think they’re ideally suited for the current economy.”

King also says communities tend to be more receptive to the idea of a Papa Murphy’s in their own neighborhoods since the units don’t take up a lot of space (the stores average about 1,200 square feet) and require less parking than their more traditional counterparts.

“We don’t have to have special-use permits or any zoning variances for our use, which is great, because we’re not putting a drive-though in and we don’t typically run into the ‘fast food’ definition that some communities have. It’s a lot quicker” from permit to completion, King says.

Entering new markets has, in the past, been challenging, but the company attributes its increase in sales to a more educated consumer thanks in part to the addition of take-and-bake pizzas in grocery stores. And while President and COO Clarice Turner says grocery stores have become more competition for Papa Murphy’s, the quality is different.

“When they really get it is when they go from ‘I have to bake it’ to ‘I get to bake it,’ ” King adds. “We still have challenges on why they should want to bake it.” Customers make up the majority of new Papa Murphy’s franchisees, followed by referrals from existing storeowners.

“Historically, our biggest source of franchisees has been our own,” Turner adds. “If you look at foreclosure rates and loan default rates –– which we’re looking at hard right now just trying to make sure our franchisees are doing well, and they are –– we (have) one of the historically lowest foreclosure rates.” Thirty-four stores closed last year, of which seven were located in Wal-Mart stores. “We look at franchisees as our partners and as our customers,” says John Barr, the company’s CEO. “I think that’s very important. That’s part of the culture we’ve created here.”

Corporate officials say the company’s increase in sales over the past 12 months is based on several factors. “We’ve stayed very focused on our message of quality and value,” says Turner. “At some point through the year –– I think it was about September –– we sharpened our price points, partly in response to what was going on in the economy, but also based on just being nimble and understanding where our business is and how it’s behaving.”

Aside from its lower price point –– guest checks average $15 –– Ann Stone, chief marketing officer, says the take-and-bake aspect of the business has played a big role in its success over the last year. The company caters to families first and foremost, and the ability to control when and what families eat –– as well as being able to see the product from start to finish during construction –– makes it attractive.

“I get to go home, I get to hang out with my son and I get to say hello to my significant other,” Stone says, “and that pizza comes out on my terms. Men and women both love that aspect of our brand, and that’s value. It’s another aspect to value.” Particularly attractive is Papa Murphy’s ability to offer value-priced meals that feed the whole family. Those combinations, generally priced below $20, make Papa Murphy’s a less expensive dining alternative.

“The first thing, obviously, (that) we’d like to sell to a person is another pizza,” Stone says, but the operations team has created incentive programs at the store level to sell items like breadsticks and salads and has helped some stores add 60-percent increases in add-on sales.

Despite an ailing economy, Papa Murphy’s hasn’t been afraid to introduce new products to its markets. For example, its Jack- O-Lantern Pizza, introduced by a franchisee in Salt Lake City, was embraced company-wide resulting in better marketing materials the following year. “The operational challenge of getting ready for that many pizzas in a night –– our operations team had to learn how to coach that. You’re gearing up to do a thousand pizzas in one night? Wow –– you’ve got to have some prep work,” Stone says. “That learning curve has been a big part of our success.”

(The average Papa Murphy’s orders 31 additional boxes of pepperoni to handle the demand on Halloween.) The same specialty training applies to its heart-shaped pizza at Valentine’s Day and high volume on holidays such as New Year’s Eve and the day before Thanksgiving. “Of all the pizza brands, this concept –– take-and-bake –– lends itself better to those special days than anything else,” King adds. “If you’re a delivery chain, on Halloween you’ve got an hour that people want to eat … before the kids go out and you don’t have much time.” That ability to control the meal is the biggest differentiation between Papa Murphy’s and its competitors. Still, the company has been careful not to inundate its menu with too many new products, a common result of desperation on the part of a company to grab market share anyway possible.

“The main thing is the pizza,” Turner says. “Pizza is what we’re famous for. If we steer too far from that, (the franchisees) will let us know in a pretty pointed fashion. “Obviously, we are very on-top of our numbers in knowing what’s selling and where our bread and butter are, and those are the things that are sacred. Having said that, in this category, people like differentiation and you’ve got to bring out different products … but there’s a cadence to that that we look at throughout the year, as most chains do. … At the end of the day, we’re in the pizza business.

Papa Murphy’s Taco Grande Pizza and the Chicken Bacon Artichoke deLITE (the company’s thin-crust pizza) were both successful ventures. “I think a lot of what people rely on for us is consistency and control,” Turner says. “Broadening the menu somewhat, but not hugely. “We don’t have the marketing budget, obviously, that some of the bigger players have to throw something around like that. When we do something, it has to be pretty well thought through and tested. It might have come from a franchisee, (or) it might have come from a customer. … We’re going to look at something long and hard before we roll it out.”

When it comes to marketing, the company spent an estimated $30 million on its ad budget last year, stepping up its television advertising, specifically the number of weeks on air. “Our franchise operators really rallied behind the idea that growth is an opportunity and to do that, you need to keep people aware of your brand,” Stone says, adding that Papa Murphy’s revisited core issues such as new food photography on its marketing products, and “we believe that really paid off,” Stone adds.

What does the company foresee in the future? Barr says at this point, complacency is a luxury Papa Murphy’s cannot afford. “It’s going to be challenging. I don’t have to tell you that,” he says. “There’s a lot of headwind out there in regards to the economy. I don’t think there’s any industry or any company –– including Papa Murphy’s –– that’s not going to be affected by it. As stated before, I think we’re going to have to be very aggressive on our price points because people are looking for value. But, we can’t lose the quality of our product. That’s the most important thing.”

Stone credits Barr with crafting a senior management team that understands the business he took on in 2004 and since then has helped its gross system sales increase markedly. “Part of being able to see a future is having a team that can help you get there,” she says. King points out that that team doesn’t just include the company’s corporate officials, but the system as a whole –– including franchisees. “As they are more successful, they will build more stores, they will invest in their existing stores and they’re happy. The validation to the owners is better and it snowballs from there.”

Additionally, Papa Murphy’s has a compensation program that “paid out to every (corporate) employee we have in the company. It’s not just limited to the management,” Barr says, which affords corporate staff a sense of ownership. As the company grows in the future, consistency must remain a top priority. “To be a brand, you have to have consistency — because that’s what customers expect,” Turner says. “We have been tinkering with some of our operating systems and processes … to be able to grow it to a higher level in terms of the number of stores (we open) and to make (owning and operating a Papa Murphy’s store) an easier thing to do. We’re at that stage of evolution to be able to grow the brand.”

Although company officials declined to estimate the number of stores they will open this year, King says Papa Murphy’s hopes to “replicate or improve a little on the numbers we did in 2008. We’re focusing across our system and going to take advantage of any opportunities that come our way for growth and development, both from high quality owners who join our system this year or our experienced owners growing in their own markets.” ❖

Mandy Wolf Detwiler is managing editor at Pizza Today.

This past spring wasn’t an overly joyous time for Domino’s Pizza. In April, an employee at a franchised store in Conover, North Carolina, used a video camera to document her co-worker in the act of violating numerous food safety measures. The pizza maker — actually, he was constructing sandwiches at the time — made hundreds of thousands of stomachs turn in the video that quickly went viral on YouTube.

It was a nightmare for the delivery giant, which already was struggling with lackluster sales in its U.S. stores. Thanks to the action of two wayward individuals, a brand that has built a reputation over half a century was quickly and severely damaged. That’s the power of the Internet. That’s the power sites like Twitter, Facebook, MySpace and YouTube wield.

Though it’s now June, I am writing this column in April. Domino’s is getting mixed reviews for its response to the crisis, and rightfully so. While I sympathize with the position in which Domino’s found itself after the video got traction, I can’t understand why it took the company so long to go into crisis-response mode. We now live in an age where information hits the masses instantaneously — but Domino’s didn’t have any meaningful response to the video until two days after it was first posted on YouTube. In the meantime, the problem only worsened as more people viewed the video and blogged about it online.

Perhaps the Domino’s braintrust hoped the video would go unnoticed if they didn’t draw attention to it. Perhaps, being a giant, the company simply moves slowly by virtue of the amount of red tape it has to cut to get anything accomplished. I don’t know. But I do know this: for consumers, the video was the ultimate scarecrow.

“How often does that happen in other Domino’s stores?” Americans logically wondered. But the video didn’t just taint the Michigan-based franchise — it tainted all restaurants, in my opinion. If this can happen in a Domino’s store in North Carolina, is it out of the question that it can also happen in an independent pizzeria in Des Moines or a seafood restaurant in Portland?

It’s no secret that things like this occur from time to time in professional kitchens. Though the foodservice industry does its best to hide such cases, I’ve worked in enough restaurants and have watched enough hidden-camera television shows to know that the public can’t always trust those who handle its food.

Thankfully, acts of this nature are few and far between. The overwhelming majority of foodservice workers are honest, safety-conscious people who realize their actions can affect the health of others.

But the hoards that viewed the embarrassing Domino’s video can’t be faulted for wondering how prevalent these acts are within the foodservice industry. Right or wrong, all restaurants are facing a public indictment over this — yours included. You can’t be in your restaurant at all times, but you are responsible for what happens in it, even while you’re away. If you’ve not already taken steps to ensure something like this doesn’t happen to you, do so now, before it’s too late.

Best,

Jeremy White, editor-in-chief
jwhite@pizzatoday.com

In order for their staff to stand out, operators should consider what their staff is wearing. Are the employees easy to spot? Are their shirts clean and wrinkle-free? Are their shoes appropriate? Do they look professional? Are their clothes accurately representing the image and style of the restaurant? What do customers see when they look at your staff? Because a picture is worth a thousand words, what the staff wears sends a message about a restaurant. Operators should make sure that message is the right one.

“Uniforms are a very important branding element. It is a great way to further your brand, and a great way to show the culture of the restaurant or reinforce the style of the restaurant,” says Kimber Johnson, creative director with Lamb Creative and partner with 360 RDD in Scottsdale, Arizona. “You decorate, create menus … uniforms are an inexpensive way to almost decorate your restaurant.”

Ron Santibanez, founder and president of Profit Line Consulting in Moreno Valley, California, agrees that “uniforms play an important role in the branding of any restaurant.”



Uniforms should make spotting an employee easy, because hungry customers want service fast. Uniforms are not just pretty, either — they can put the focus on the good work of good workers.

“Sharp-looking uniforms possibly attract better employees,” Johnson theorizes. “When you look better, you feel better. Looking sharp — go 120 percent of the way — presenting yourself well is in your best interest. You are at a disadvantage if you don’t do uniforms, because the other guy will.”

When choosing the type of uniform, whether it is dress shirts and ties or t-shirts and caps, or something more extravagant, operators should keep their employees’ comfort and budget in mind. No one enjoys working in uncomfortable conditions, and that includes what clothes are made of and how well they take a beating in the washer and dryer — because an employee who lives on tips cannot afford to keep replacing a poor-quality uniform.

“We live in fashion forward times. There is more opportunity to dress your staff, more brands, and more options. It’s a good time to put your staff in great-looking uniforms; ten years ago it wasn’t like that,” Johnson says, adding that seasonal temperatures like 115 degrees during an Arizona summer can dictate some uniform choices.

“Regarding the life of uniforms, pick options that are going to wear well; good brands, good fabrics that are not going to shrink in the wash. Make smart choices with uniforms, because your employees will appreciate it. Give access to products they won’t have to replace all the time. Blends tend to be better, but it depends on where you are; some, like the all-cotton, are driven by climate and culture,” Johnson says.

Asking questions while concentrating on the staff’s needs will help operators find the right uniform. Uniforms should be a perfect fit for all the employees.

“Companies tend to design the uniforms for the female; they assume they’ll have a female wait staff. You can find a good balance with your employees — different shirts for males and females — not exactly the same, but complementary,” Johnson says. Establishing a dress code policy is also important when it comes to uniforms. Operators may consider addressing issues and making rules on things such as piercings, tattoos, footwear, use of perfume or cologne, even make-up and hairstyle in the dress code policy.

“Dress codes should be established so that employees cannot add accessories that distract from the overall appearance. Uniforms should be replaced when they appear worn,” Santibanez said. Johnson agrees with making the dress code clear and well-documented by posting the uniform designs and policy where the staff easily can see them.



“It’s important that the employer stick to the specs. Make people go home and change. Make policy, document it, and implement it so there are no questions,” Johnson says. Although establishing a dress code policy is essential to producing a successful uniform, operators can change the uniform itself when the time is right.

“It is reasonable to change it up. Uniforms are not the same as a logo,” Johnson said.

Specific uniforms can dress up or dress down a restaurant’s image. And with so many options from all-cotton to fabric blends, t-shirts to polo shirts with baseball caps to button down dress shirts with ties, operators can design the uniform that best fits their restaurant. Even a general dress code like white shirts and black pants or red shirts can help operators define the look of their staff and promote their restaurant’s image. Because when a staff stands out in a positive way, customers will sit down ready and eager to be served. ❖

DeAnn Owens is a freelance writer based in Ohio. She specializes in features.

Take-and-bake pizza is growing in popularity, and I constantly get questions on how to make it without preparing special dough. At one time or another, you may have been asked to prepare a par-baked pizza for a customer. What you actually did was make an early version of a take-and-bake pizza. Years ago, we used to call them par-baked pizzas, or if we got it from the supermarket, it might have been referred to as a deli pizza.

With the advent of dedicated take-and-bake pizza stores, plus the availability of take-and-bake /bake-to-rise pizzas in supermarket frozen-food display cases, the take-and-bake pizza has finally taken on an identity of its own. Today’s take-and-bake pizza is made on a raw, unbaked dough skin, which allows the dough to rise during baking in the consumer’s oven, imparting a more desirable appearance, eating texture and flavor to the freshly baked pizza.

While we can develop dough specific to making take-and-bake pizzas as the take-and-bake chains have done, can we also alter our regular pizza dough to allow it to be successfully employed in this growing segment? There are two basic approaches that we can take. Both call for modifications only to the dough management procedure, so we don’t need to worry about making changes to the dough formula itself.

The first procedure of the two is probably the easiest to implement. Let’s assume that the dough has been through your dough management procedure and has just come out of the cooler. You will need to experiment a little to determine the minimum time to allow the dough to sit at room temperature before opening and shaping it. Then, begin opening all of the dough balls needed for take-and-bake pizzas into pizza skins. Place the opened skins onto wire screens and store on a wire tree rack in the cooler. Try to get the skins into the cooler as quickly as possible after opening them. The object is to keep them as cold as possible.

As soon as you have a rack filled with skins, allow it to remain uncovered for an additional 30 minutes, then cover the rack with a suitable plastic bag to prevent drying. After the dough skins have been in the cooler for an hour, transfer them to a location convenient to the prep table so they are always nearby when an order is received for a take-and-bake pizza. Keep in mind when making the dough skins that many home ovens may not accommodate pizzas much larger than 14- or 16-inches. Dock the dough skin and place it onto a piece of oven parchment paper, or one of the ovenable trays designed specifically for take-and-bake pizzas. If you use an ovenable tray, it is suggested that it be lightly oiled before placing the dough skin onto it. This will ensure a satisfactory release of the dough from the tray if the consumer holds the pizza in their refrigerator for a longer time than recommended. Brush the dough skin lightly with olive oil, or blended oil, then dress it to order with sauce and toppings as normal. The pizza is now ready to be wrapped and sent home with
the consumer. Some stores will send the pizza home with just the wrap on it, while others like to place the wrapped pizza into a box for additional protection. In either case, be sure to mark the pizza “KEEP REFRIGERATED”, “DO NOT FREEZE” and add a use-by date, too. Provide complete baking instructions with the pizza for both gas and electric ovens, and it’s probably a good idea to also mark it with a “DO NOT MICROWAVE” label while you’re at it.

The second procedure is the least intrusive –– it requires the least amount of forethought or preparation to implement. The one drawback to this procedure, however, is that it tends to give the shortest shelf life and is least tolerant to any temperature abuse that the pizza might receive at the hands of the consumer. In this procedure, the dough is handled completely in your normal manner right up to the point where the dough is opened to form pizza skins. As soon as the skins are formed, they are placed on wire screens and stored in wire racks in the cooler. Be sure to leave the racks of dough uncovered in the cooler for at least 30 minutes to ensure adequate cooling of the dough skins, and then cover the racks of dough with a plastic bag to prevent drying. For a take-and-bake order, remove a dough skin from the rack and dock it well, then brush it lightly with olive oil or a blended oil, place it onto a sheet of oven parchment paper, or one of the ovenable trays designed specifically for take-and-bake applications. Be sure to lightly oil the tray before placing the dough skin into it, as this will ensure a satisfactory release of the crust from the tray in the event that the consumer holds the pizza in their refrigerator longer than the recommended time, and then dress it with sauce and the desired toppings. The packaging would be the same as stated above for the first procedure. The reason why this procedure doesn’t give a finished product with quite as much tolerance to consumer abuse is because of the potential for additional fermentation time that the dough can receive when handled in this manner. In the first procedure, the potential fermentation time has been reduced by as much as three hours, which can add substantially to the dough’s tolerance to consumer (storage time and temperature) abuse.

In some cases, complaints may be received from the consumers that the dough/crust doesn’t color up well during baking in their home ovens. If you should experience this, you will need to prepare special dough just for your take-and-bake pizzas. The only formula modification that you will need to make is to increase the level of sugar added to the dough to 5 percent of the total fl our weight (fl our weight x 5 then press the “%” key and read the amount of sugar to add in the display window of your calculator). The added sugar will contribute significantly towards obtaining a darker crust color in a consumer type oven. ❖

Tom Lehmann is a director at the American Institute of Baking in Manhattan, Kansas

It’s never too early to start making plans to attend International Pizza Expo®. Operators have come to know the value of attending Pizza Expo. In fact, ask anyone who has attended a past Expo and they’ll tell you there’s nowhere else that you’ll find 450-plus exhibiting companies demonstrating their products and services. Throw in over 60 business-boosting seminars and demonstrations, as well as unmatched networking opportunities, and you’ll see why past attendees and exhibitors alike refer to our show as the “Super Bowl” for the pizza industry.

Now, if you want to get those competitive juices flowing and you feel the need to compete, then we’ve got you covered. I know you think your pizza is the best. Here’s your chance to prove it by competing in the International Pizza Challenge™ — the most prestigious pizza-making contest in the world with nearly $30,000 in prize money. The winner of each category, traditional and non-traditional, will take home bragging rights to “World’s Best Pizza” and the $10,000 grand prize. In addition, the top two finishers from each of these competitions will compete head-to-head in a blind-box competition to determine the “Pizziola of the Year”. Better yet, the winner will walk away with an additional $5,000 in prize money on top of the other earnings. Watch for more information and entry forms for both competitions in future issues of PIZZA TODAY and on the International Pizza Expo Web-site, www.pizzaexpo.com.

And that’s not all: energy and excitement abound when the World Pizza Champions™ and the World Pizza Games® take center stage. Contestants will be able to compete in up to six events, including team freestyle acrobatics, individual freestyle acrobatics, fastest dough, largest stretch, box folding or our newest event, longest spin. Each event winner will take home $1,000 and a “World Championship” plaque.

Last but not least, some lucky pizzeria owner will walk away with $20,000 in cold, hard cash by participating in the $20,000 MEGA BUCKS Giveaway™!

The bottom line? There’s always something new at Pizza Expo that can improve your pizzeria.

As always, our commitment to you is to produce the biggest and best show ever. In fact, I guarantee attending Expo will be the single best investment of time and money you’ll make in 2010, or we’ll refund your registration fee.

Remember, International Pizza Expo is a tax-deductible working vacation.

It’s all pizza and it’s all for YOU!

Sincerely,

Bill Oakley
Executive Vice President

Tom Iannarino owns and operates Terita’s Pizza in the Northland area of Columbus, Ohio. Iannarino’s father, Gus, founded the restaurant in 1959, two years before Tom was born. The younger Iannarino grew up in the family business — which only offers carryout service — and personally runs the store daily.

 

PT: Terita’s is about to celebrate its 50th anniversary. How does that feel?

TI: It feels great. My dad started this business back in ’59 on a spur of the moment. He’d been in the insurance business. People thought it would never last, and now here we are 50 years later. It’s the only job I’ve ever had.

PT: You’ve never worked anywhere else?

TI: I was interested in the fire department and did work part-time in a township, but that’s my second love.

PT: What’s the biggest challenge you face as a smallbusiness owner?

TI: The everyday change of the product prices. Every time you turn around a product is going up on you. It’s neverending and it really hurts us small people. We just have to take it and bite the bullet, though. Dad drove it in my mind to never cheapen the product.

PT: How has the recession affected your business?

TI: I can’t really say it’s been affecting us. We’re all carryout. We don’t deliver or have dine-in, and it’s been that way for 50 years. People can grab a couple of pizzas and feed their families rather than go out to a sit-down restaurant. It’s a lot cheaper. I can’t really complain.

PT: Can you share a secret Terita’s has learned after half-a-century in business?

TI: Well, when things get tough, a lot of people end up cheapening their products. That’s a mistake. We don’t do that.

Think fruit pizza and the ubiquitous “Hawaiian” most likely comes to mind. While no one will argue against the popularity of this ham-and-pineapple delight, fruit toppings aren’t limited to pineapple. Consider pears, apples, oranges — even coconut. The operators we interviewed did just that and discovered that fruit not only adds a sweet note to savory pies, but it also creates menu interest.

Fruit-topped pizzas fit perfectly into the concept at McKinners Pizza Bar in Littleton, Colorado. “Most people associate pizza places with Italian restaurants. We are not an Italian restaurant, but eclectic,” explains co-owner Keven Kinaschuck.

“Fruit pizza gives people something to talk about,” adds Christopher McGraw, Kinaschuck’s partner. McGraw developed a prosciutto and pear pizza after eating a pepperoni and pear pie while traveling. The pizza tops a New York-style crust with red sauce, Fontina and mozzarella cheeses, diced canned Bartlett pears and prosciutto. “The combination of pears, zesty tomato sauce, salty prosciutto and nutty cheese is just awesome,” says McGraw, who estimates that a 13-inch pizza has an 18-percent food cost.

Fresh pears were originally used, but they dried out when baked. A canned product, which packs pears in light syrup, replaced the fresh pears. “The syrup maintains the pear’s consistency and adds sweetness,” says Kinaschuck, who recommends placing pears beneath the cheese. “The cheese works like a blanket and traps the moisture. If you put the fruit on top of the cheese, it will burn.”

A Mandarin pizza is built with a cracker thin crust, red wine vinaigrette, fresh spinach, canned mandarin oranges and mozzarella. After baking, it is sprinkled with honey-glazed pecans. “It’s a light, crunchy pizza based off a spinach salad my uncle made,” says McGraw. “Since we bake at such a high temperature, a thin crust prevents it from overcooking.” The pizza has an estimated 15 percent food cost.

Ted McKinnon, owner of two Alfy’s stores in Silverlake and Puget Park, Washington, came up with the Luau pizza after gazing over the salad bar. (Alfy’s is a 15-unit pizzeria franchise based in Everett, Washington.) “We have 45 items on our salad bar, including canned Mandarin oranges and pineapple. I thought, ‘why not try this on a pizza?’ ” he says. The Luau pizza layers Canadian bacon, pineapple, Mandarin oranges, shredded coconut, bacon crumbles and mozzarella atop a sweet Italiano pizza sauce.

The Luau was tested last spring at McKinnon’s operation and sold well enough that he recommended it to the Alfy’s franchise group. It’s currently a full-time menu item. “It is in our top 10 for sales within our specialty pizza category,” says McKinnon, who claims the pizza’s food cost is in proportion to other specialty pizzas. “Coconut and oranges are relatively cheap items. The most expensive part is the bacon,” he says.

McKinnon recognizes that coconut and oranges may scare some people away from ordering. To counter that, he offers free samples. “You must give out free samples for people to try,” he says.

“If you think a fruit pizza may be too weird to sell, there is a good chance that your customers will agree. There are many people who would just order a pepperoni pizza. Free samples get them out of this rut and, hopefully, will get them to order more food.”

Offering more sustainable ingredients was the impetus behind the fruit pizzas served at Hot Lips Pizza, a five-unit operation based in Portland, Oregon. “For us, it makes sense to use locally grown ingredients,” says co-owner David Yudkin. “Oregon’s Hood River Valley grows the finest pears and apples in the world, but the orchards are being torn up for developments. This is a way to support our local farmers and menu local ingredients.”

Hot Lips successfully transitioned a ham-and-pineapple pizza into a ham-and-pear pizza, which layers sliced local pears, house-cured apple wood smoked ham and mozzarella over an olive oil base. Meanwhile, the Veggie Waldorf pizza showcases apples, bleu cheese and walnuts across an olive oil base. “The Waldorf is one of our more popular pies,” says Yudkin. “Because it’s seasonal, people get upset when they can’t get it. It creates a great buzz when it comes back on the menu.”

Four different apple varieties are used over the season. “You want to use a firm, crisp apple, not a red delicious — it’s too soft,” Yudkin says. He estimates the fruit pizzas have a 28-30 percent food cost.

While Yudkin admits sourcing fresh ingredients is more expensive than canned or frozen, he says the yield is better. “We don’t buy print ads. Some of the logic is that what we would have allocated for advertising, we use on food cost,” he says. It’s fun. Yudkin enjoys experimenting with different fruit pizza combinations, even the unsuccessful ones. “We wanted to do a ham and cherry pizza, but it didn’t work out,” he says. “The color wasn’t so nice. (Plus), how do you pit the fresh cherries?” ❖

Mandarin Pizza
Recipe courtesy of McKinners Pizza Bar, Littleton, Colorado

13 ounces pizza dough
3 tablespoons red wine vinaigrette
2 ounces baby spinach, washed and dried
25 canned Mandarin orange sections, drained
8 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded
4 ounces honey glazed pecans
Corn meal

Roll or hand stretch dough to 13-inches in diameter. Sprinkle corn meal on pizza board. Place dough on pizza board.

Spoon vinaigrette onto dough, spreading about ¼ inch away from edge, then sprinkle spinach on entire pizza.

Place orange sections randomly on top of spinach. Cover with mozzarella cheese and bake in pre-heated 495 F oven, on a pizza stone, until cheese browns slightly.

Remove from oven and sprinkle with pecans. Let set for 3 minutes. Cut and serve.

Melanie Wolkoff Wachsman is a freelance writer in Louisville, Kentucky. She covers food, business and liefestyle trends.

What is it about wings? They have become so popular that I wouldn’t be surprised if some scientist is at work trying to figure out how to come up with a chicken that has four wings. It’s no surprise people love them — they’re fun, fast and qualify as finger food. But not all wings are created equal. I have had chicken wings that were so scrawny I figured they might have come from a pigeon. I have even had wings that didn’t even taste like chicken. And I have had chicken wings that were so lacking in flavor it was an insult to the name, let alone the chicken.

Here are some of the basic facts: The secret is in the sauce(s). But I figured you already knew that, or you would simply be serving fried chicken wings. The ingredients? The chicken wings, of course. And the rest: hot pepper sauce, white vinegar, butter and salt. The level of heat is determined by the amount of hot pepper sauce used. Flour and cayenne pepper are also basic ingredients for consideration. For me personally, I like to add a bit of garlic (or garlic powder) and to play around with flavors.

That said, sometimes basic is best. Here’s a simple recipe that’s sure to please. ❖

Hot Wings
Yield: 24 wings, or about 3 to 4 servings (scale up in direct proportion)

1 cup all-purpose flour
1⁄4 teaspoon paprika
1⁄4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (or to taste) Pinch of salt
1⁄3 cup unsalted butter
1⁄2 cup vinegar-based hot sauce
1 teaspoon black pepper
12 whole meaty chicken wings (chop off the tips and discard. Cut each wing in half at the joint.)

This is basically a five-step process:
1. In a large mixing bowl, combine the dry ingredients – flour, paprika, cayenne pepper, and salt.
2. In a sauce pan, melt the butter, hot sauce and the black pepper. Keep the sauce warm.
3. Toss the wings in the fl our mixture to coat.
4. Deep fry the wings (375 F for 10 to12 minutes should do it) and drain.
5. Toss the fried wings in the hot sauce to coat. That’s it. Simple. Now serve the wings with a dipping sauce on the side (bleu cheese sauce or dressing and celery sticks are standard).

Quick ‘n’ Easy Bleu Cheese Dressing Combine 8 ounces of a softened blue-veined cheese with ½ cup sour cream and ½ cup heavy whipping cream. Use a fork to mash the bleu cheese as you add the sour cream and whipping cream to combine. Whip it up to smooth it out. If you want to zip the dressing up a bit add some cayenne pepper.



Chicken Wing Pizza
This is such a good-tasting pizza you will wonder why you never thought of it before.
Makes one 14-inch pizza (scale up in direct proportion)

Make the chicken wings, following the basic recipe, through Step 5. Pull the meat off the bones (you will need about 10-12 ounces of meat). Combine pizza sauce with Louisiana hot sauce (adjust heat to taste). Spread (lightly) the sauce over the crust.

Add the pulled chicken wing meat to the pizza, spreading it evenly. Top the pizza with shredded mozzarella and bleu cheese (to taste, but I use a ratio of 2⁄3 mozzarella to 1⁄3 bleu cheese). Bake and serve.

Alternatively, for this pizza, instead of combining the mozzarella with the bleu cheese, just go with the mozzarella. After the pizza is baked, and just before serving, drop dollops of the bleu cheese dressing (see recipe on page 51) on top of the melted mozzarella. And if you want to get really fancy, you can garnish the pizza with celery sticks.

Pat Bruno is Pizza Today’s resident chef and a regular contributor. He is the former owner and operator of a prominent Italian cooking school in Chicago and is a food critic for the Chicago Sun-Times.

Muscles produce force. Muscles create motion. Muscles incinerate fat. And therein lies a paradox. Most attempts at weight loss involve dieting instead of exercise. Successful, long-term fitness comes from working out, not from starving.

Dieting is the absolute worst thing you can do if you’re trying to lose weight. Starving yourself has the reverse effect by causing even more weight gain over time. That’s because severe dieting causes muscle mass to shrink. The less muscle you have, the less fat you’ll burn.

Do you realize that marketing is the only expense in your business capable of generating revenue? All other expenses are nothing but dead weight that is carried by the success of your marketing efforts. In your pizzeria, marketing is the muscle that burns the fat. Bottom line: it pays the bills.

While most pizzeria owners would love to have more money to spend on marketing, when cash fl ow dries up marketing is almost always the first expense on the chopping block.

In tough times, it’s tempting to cut back a little here and there. I get that. I also understand that rent, payroll and keeping the walk-in stocked are top priorities. That said, exercise extreme caution when turning a critical eye to your marketing budget. Your goal is to invest those dollars more efficiently, not to cut them. Ideally, we want to force each marketing dollar to do the work of 10.

Begin your belt-tightening by following these tips, that way you don’t feel the urge to slash your advertising:
❖ Cut wasteful advertising that does not produce more than it costs
❖ Use programmable thermostats
❖ Change the filters in your HVAC
❖ Trade pizza for window washing, bug spraying, etc.
❖ Clean your oven (you’re paying to heat everything in it — even the junk at the bottom)
❖ Clean the fins on your refrigeration compressor coils
❖ Measure and weigh your toppings
❖ Use only one small trash can in the kitchen (people throw away less when they have to keep hauling the bag to the dumpster)
❖ Look into a better rate on credit card processing
❖ Consider a prime vendor agreement with your distributor to bring overall food costs down.

Now, closely examine your results from mass marketing. Keep in mind that anything pulling a 2 percent response rate means you’ve wasted 98 percent of your money the minute you write the check.

Invest in marketing that targets your current customers. After all, they’re 700 percent more likely to order from you than a total stranger.

Also, you need to realize that simply generating one extra visit per month from a customer will have a profound impact on your profits. That’s because, other than food cost, that extra visit won’t cost you any more rent, payroll or fixed overhead. That extra visit is packed with profit.

It’s gut-check time. Look in the mirror and make a promise not to cut your marketing — because, if you do, you’ll trade a very brief reduction in spending for a long-term debt balloon. Cut the fat, not the muscle. ❖

Kamron Karington owned a highly successful independent pizzeria before becoming a consultant, speaker and author of The Black Book: Your Complete Guide to Creating Staggering Profits in Your Pizza Business. He is a monthly contributor to Pizza Today.

When I had my cooking school in Chicago, I had to make big batches of this pasta dish for the students because they gobbled it up pretty fast. The idea behind this dish is that the spinach gets “cooked” only from the ambient heat of the pasta, and that technique keeps the dish fresh and lively. This is an easy, two-step dish, one that any restaurant can send out to the table in no time fl at. 

Pat Bruno is Pizza Today’s resident chef and a regular contributor. He is the former owner and operator of a prominent Italian cooking school in Chicago and is a food critic for the Chicago Sun-Times.

Yield: 4 to 6 servings (Scale up in direct proportion)
12 ounces fresh baby spinach leaves, stemmed if necessary
½ pound Asiago or fontina cheese, shredded
6 ounces roasted red bell peppers, drained (if using canned) and sliced
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
12 ounces cavatappi pasta (or other short pasta, such as fusilli or rotini)
¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
½ cup toasted pine nuts In a large bowl, combine the spinach, Asiago, roasted peppers, olive oil and garlic. Toss to combine. Set aside. (Can be prepped up to this point 3 hours ahead and held at room temperature.) Cook the pasta in an abundant amount of boiling salted water until it is al dente. Drain the pasta. Working quickly, add the pasta to the bowl with the spinach. Add the Parmesan cheese. Toss again. Divide the pasta among serving bowls. Sprinkle some pine nuts over each portion. Serve at once.

Note: In service, I would have the spinach mixture ready to go. I would cook a pasta portion (about 3 ounces dry), drain it and then toss the pasta with a portion of the spinach mixture.

To toast the pine nuts, place 1 teaspoon olive oil in a small nonstick skillet, then add the nuts. Stir to coat them with the oil. Over medium heat, cook and stir until they are golden brown. The gap between toasting the nuts and burning them is very close, so keep a close watch. While I have some space to do so, here are some of the basic steps for perfect pasta cookery:
❖ Pasta must be cooked in plenty of boiling, salted water. You will need 5 quarts of water and 2 teaspoons of salt for 12 ounces to 1 pound of pasta.
❖ Never put oil in the cooking water. If you use plenty of water the pasta will never stick together. Also, oil in the water makes the pasta slippery, destroys the pasta-starch connection and ultimately prevents the good bonding of the sauce to the pasta (the starch that rises to the surface of the pasta during cooking helps to grab the sauce once the pasta is drained).
❖ Drain the pasta as soon as it is al dente (and please, please, do not rinse it with water). It will continue to cook a bit due to its interior heat, so don’t push it to the limit.

Love it or hate it, ricotta just may be the most versatile cheese found in pizzerias today. Not only is it used in pasta dishes, but it can also be found atop pizzas and in rich, delightful sauces and desserts. It’s important to understand what ricotta comes from and how it’s made. Ricotta is Italian for “recooked” — it is made by “cooking” whey. It makes delicious lasagna, ravioli stuffing, gnocchi, cannoli, cheese-stuffed shells and even a great treat that both of my grandmothers used to make me called cheese blintzes (cheese filled crepes). Naturally, I’d be a fool if I didn’t mention how great pizza is with dollops of ricotta baked on it.

Many of us who have been blessed to learn how to make our own homemade fresh mozzarella at International Pizza Expo have learned that fresh milk has an enzyme added to it to separate the curds and whey. It’s that curd that we can buy to then make our own mozzarella. So, what about the whey? Well, it is then cooked to make ricotta.

Like types and styles of pizza crust and sauce, there are many different kinds of ricotta. There’s whole milk and part skim, with an obvious difference in the fat content. But there are also different textures you can find in ricotta cheese. Many ricottas can be a little bit grainy, and they are suitable for making lasagna, ravioli, manicotti or stuffed shells. Personally, I prefer a whipped, smooth ricotta cheese. It’s more versatile and has a much better mouth feel.

In order to use your ricotta cheese for both pasta dishes and desserts, it makes more sense to buy just one type. Ask your vendor to provide you with samples of the various ricottas they carry so that you can try them out for yourself.

For lasagna, manicotti, stuffed shells and ravioli, I like to season my ricotta with salt, pepper, garlic and Italian seasonings. I call my lasagna “Four- Cheese Lasagna” and find it much easier to assemble with all the cheeses in the filling instead of layering each cheese as I’m making the lasagna. For that reason, I add Parmesan, diced or shredded mozzarella and provolone cheeses to my ricotta filling. I fi nd it important to add a few eggs to this mixture to bind it together once it’s cooked.

There is superfine ricotta cheese available with very low moisture designed for use in desserts. This cheese is designed to hold powdered or confectionary sugar well without getting too moist and loose. Mixing three pounds of this ricotta with one pound of powdered sugar and a couple of tablespoons of almond extract makes a perfect cannoli filling. With a pastry bag, I fi ll my cannoli shells and then dip the ends in mini chocolate chips.

I even attempted tiramisu with this smooth ricotta as a replacement for the traditional Mascarpone cheese — and it came out perfect. I like to make a big batch and freeze it. First, I whip four quarts of heavy cream. When it’s almost whipped all the way, I add two pounds of powdered sugar and three small boxes of instant white chocolate pudding powder mix (which acts as a stabilizer).

Next, I fold in six pounds of smooth ricotta. This completes my cream filling. Once that is ready, I brew a double strength pot of coffee and sweeten it with 3 pounds of sugar. I line two full two inch hotel pans with plastic wrap and assemble the tiramisu.

I start by lining each pan with ladyfinger cookies. I drizzle the sweet coffee mixture over the cookies. Next, I layer in some of the cream. I repeat the process until I have three layers of soaked cookies with three layers of the cream. This will fi ll two hotel pans. Then I freeze it all.

In order to get a clean cut on the tiramisu, pop it out of the pan while it’s still frozen and cut each yield into 28 squares. Wrap each piece individually and keep them frozen. Pull a few out per shift. Thaw them in the refrigerator. Serve each piece with a sprinkling of cocoa on top.❖

A Unique Twist
Gnocchi is a little dumpling that is usually made with potato. I find it so much easier to make with ricotta cheese, which yields a light dumpling. Simply add a few ingredients together to make a soft gnocchi dough. Here’s a recipe that’s quick and easy.



Ricotta Gnocchi

1 pound ricotta cheese
1 egg
½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
¾ cup fl our
1 teaspoon salt

Mix the ingredients together to form a soft dough. If it’s too sticky, add a little more fl our — a little at a time — until you can roll the dough out on the counter.

Roll it out into a rope form and cut even pieces. You can press them with your thumb, roll them over the back of a fork with your finger or roll them over a gnocchi board that puts lines on them. Boil them in salted water for about 4 to 5 minutes. Drain them and immediately toss them in your favorite sauce and serve.

There are virtually hundreds of sauce options. Garlic butter would be great, but if you really wanted to stick with a ricotta theme, you could mix some ricotta with marinara to make a tomato cream sauce. You can even make an untraditional Alfredo sauce by draining the gnocchi, tossing it with some melted garlic butter, a cup of ricotta, ½ cup of Parmesan and ½ cup of cream.

Jeffrey Freehof owns The Garlic Clove in Evans, Georgia, and is a frequent contributor to Pizza Today and the Pizza Expo trade show family.

Targeting Teens

By the end of next year, there will be 35 million teenagers in the United States. At the peak of the baby boom, there were 33 million. And, what’s more — today’s teens have more disposable income than any other generation of teens had. Luckily, teens love pizza, so attracting them shouldn’t be all that difficult. Still, here are some tips:
❖ Use social networking sites, such as Twitter, Facebook and MySpace, to reach out to them with marketing.
❖ If you have room for video or redemption games, take advantage of the space.
❖ Hire them. If teens work in your shop, their friends will hang out there and eat.
❖ Bundle. Try two slices, a breadstick and a drink for $5.99.
❖ Get involved with area high schools and middle schools. Donate pizzas to the band boosters, athletic departments, etc.

A Nice Touch

If there is such a thing as a “secret” ingredient that all operators should add to their pizza sauce, it would have to be olive oil. Swirl a tablespoon or two into your sauce about 10 minutes before it is ready to come off the heat. Extra-virgin olive oil is always the best choice as it adds fruitiness to the sauce.

Solar Powered

Do you use sun-dried tomatoes as a pizza topping or in your pasta dishes? If so, you’ll get greater flexibility and lower cost if you buy them dried (versus those packed in oil) and re-hydrate them in boiling water. Just remember, their flavor is very intense —so don’t go overboard when you add them to a recipe.

Measure By Weight, Not Volume

Weighing ingredients truly is the only way to ensure dough consistency. A cup of fl our, for example, may actually be different every time depending on how tight or loosely the fl our is packed into the cup. By contrast, 16 ounces will always be 16 ounces. If uniformity is a concern, this is a surefire way to address it.

I In these increasingly competitive times, standing out has become more important than ever. Offering top-notch food and service is the first step, but sometimes you’ve got to take it a little further. Featuring live entertainment may give you the edge you need to move ahead of the pack.

Need convincing? Consider Brian Hogan, co-owner of Shorty’s Pizza. Hogan and his partners have two Georgia locations, one in Atlanta and one in Tucker. They offer live music and dancing at the Tucker restaurant.

When building out the Tucker site two years ago, they realized there was room for a stage and decided to go for it. Their motive? They wanted to find a way to keep people staying in their seats and to also attract an after-dinner crowd. “In a small town, the dining tends to end early,” explains Hogan. “People leave around 9:00. Live music offered us a way to get a new group in (the bands don’t start until 9:30) and to keep people here longer.”

Then there is the appeal of becoming a destination point, and offering customers in this hard-pressed economy more value for their dining dollar, says Phil Willis, owner of Mission Pizza & Pub in Fremont, California. Willis has offered live music for 15 of the 20 years he’s been in business. This (along with his high-quality product, he is quick to add) has helped him turn customers into steady regulars. In fact, says Willis, they’re in a growth mode; business is up 10 percent over last year.

Live music also leads to higher ticket prices, says Maria Fiore, co-owner of Café Fiore, in Ventura, California. She has offered live music and dancing since “day one,” five years ago. Although table turns may slow down a tad, this is more than compensated for by the fact that people generally stay longer and spend more money, says Fiore. Willis agrees. “Most people tend to order more drinks,” explains Willis, whose restaurant serves beer and wine only. “And there is no labor involved in opening up a bottle of beer, so the margins are very good.”

Locating talent isn’t difficult, say these operators. Once your first band hits the stage, the rest is a breeze. “If you offer music, the people find you,” says Hogan. “I could fi ll up every night of the week with bands.” Mark Langley, owner of Clifton’s Pizza in Louisville, Kentucky, says when he first opened 19 years ago (he’s offered live music from the start) he found musicians by going to other places that offered entertainment and also through word-of-mouth and customer suggestions. Now that he’s firmly established, the musicians come to him — and he has the stacks and stacks of audition CDs to prove it. In fact, he adds, sometimes the number of people approaching him about playing can be a little overwhelming.

But thanks to the Internet, checking out musicians and getting a feel for how they fi t with your restaurant has gotten easier — every band has a MySpace or Facebook page, says Fiore. She tries to go with local musicians as much as possible because these bands tend to bring in their local followings.



Hogan likes to use local bands also, although he also features “national bands” on his stage.

“We’ve found a niche,” he explains. “If you can find local bands that have a lot of friends, but they don’t play more than several times a month so there aren’t that many venues where their friends can go to see them play, you can really draw in a crowd.” (See sidebar for additional suggestions.)

Live entertainment can be very affordable, says Langley, adding that a small percentage of his operating budget is devoted to this. Featuring a single or a duo is one way to go (he offers dinner-type music, such as acoustic or jazz combo). Langley also invested in a sound system, which allows him to bring in bands pretty cheaply, since they don’t have to provide their own.

Willis doesn’t pay bands (his lean is towards country and blue grass). Instead, he guarantees them $100 in the tip jar and provides dinner and drinks. Fiore has top-40 bands playing Thursday through Saturday and does pay them. She estimates about 10 percent of her operating budget goes to entertainment, but says that live music brings in at least 30 to 40 percent additional revenue.

Hogan’s strategy depends on the band. “If a band approaches us, we offer them $100 and let them decide what to charge at the door and let them keep that,” he explains. “But for others, we’ve paid as much as $2,000.”

For pizzeria operators considering whether to offer live music, Langley advises that they have to be ready to stick with it. “There are times when it’s not profitable and the musicians are playing to an empty room,” he says. “Then there are times when it is. You just have to take the good with the bad. But this has helped us stay competitive. Even in this economy, we’re still pulling people in. In fact, we just had one of our busiest Saturdays ever.”

Also, unless the musicians stick to original work, you’ll have to carry licenses (ASCAP and BMI), says Willis. Otherwise, you’ll face stiff fines. ❖

Making Music Work
You’re a restaurant first; music is a value-added component, so make sure it doesn’t overwhelm your primary business. Maintain control by:
❖ Investing in your own sound system, says Willis. This way you, not the band, control the volume. He purchased his in parts on eBay. Keep it simple, says Hogan. “Lots of people try to overdo the sound system,” he says. “But the more complicated it is, the harder it is to use.” His before-buying advice? Ask musicians what they like.
❖ Matching the music to your clientele and ambiance/noise level. Remember that certain types of music can inspire unruly behavior, especially when alcohol-fueled.
❖ Getting to know the local music scene. What bands draw the crowds, and what kinds do they attract?

Pamela Mills Senn is a freelancer specializing in writing on topics of interest to all manner of businesses. She is based in Long Beach, California.

‘Tis the season to be frugal? Consumers are finding their disposable cash at an all time low. The reality of a recession has hit home. Consumers now have to be more discreet than ever or change their ways — and change does not come easy. Dining out is still a large part of the American lifestyle, but its trends often mirror the economy.

Many operators in the pizza industry are experiencing drops in sales and profits. How can an operator adapt to the changing times and keep his customer base alive and well? Here are a few suggestions adopted from trends I’ve seen throughout the restaurant industry:

❖ Rebates – People love them. Like an operator, a consumer looks at the bottom line. How can you offer rebates? Maybe you already do and all you need to do is adopt some consumer friendly language, such as, ‘Buy 5 XL pizzas and receive a $5 rebate check good on your next pizza purchase’. A rebate can be as simple as a gift certificate. Obtaining a rebate is a consumer motivation. This tactic can increase the frequency of a consumer’s purchases. We tend to call such buying incentives “reward programs”, but in trying times consumers’ loyalty can wane. Renaming your program will attract a consumer with language they are becoming increasingly familiar with. Using gift certificates as your rebate will also heighten awareness of this ‘product’ on your menu. Statistics show that an average of 16 percent of gift certificates are never redeemed — pure profit for you. Those that redeem their gift certificates for full value can usually be upsold another 15 percent.

❖ Value Menus – Fast food giants present their value menus to masses and find success. It is widely acknowledged that upon taking your family to a fast food joint, your wallet becomes $25 lighter. You did not experience quality or value, yet you still go. Why? Because they have successfully positioned themselves as a value meal replacement. Can we do a similar thing? Sure. Take your quality product and create a $9.99 menu. I am not advocating deep discounts. I am promoting that you take the time to ask yourself “What can I offer for 9.99?” This will give the perception that we are not only a quality product, but a value, too — and value is a top concern for consumers in a recession. Try to come up with five items: a small pizza plus sodas, a medium pizza, an XL pizza with a thin crust and lite cheese (lower food cost, health benefits) and so forth. Once we attract the price-conscious consumer, the sale comes naturally. Ask yourself, “Did I order from the value menu the last time I went to a fast food joint?” Another trend we see in fast casual is that $5.99 seems to be the magic number of what the market will bear for a meal. Once again, can we apply that to our operation? Can you offer a sandwich, chips and drink for $5.99? It doesn’t have to be a steak or bacon. Why not ham, or a veggie, or a smaller version of one of your signature items? People are looking for an affordable way to get through these times without making major lifestyle changes. Position yourself to be a reasonable option, then work to increase their frequency as you gain top-of-mind awareness.



❖ Consumer Appeal — Combo ads with perceived value still remain the most popular in our industry. It now takes a little more to get them in the door, though. Add a tag (or “bottom headline”) to your ad. You may also have to communicate your message in more appealing ways. Take this short letter, for example: “Bring your kids to my pizzeria on Halloween and receive a ‘treat’ — plus, get your picture taken with our mascot (costumed employee ... ). We will e-mail you a copy of the picture.” Now, you have their e-mail address in your database. The marketing cost? Minimal. The same tactic can be applied to any holiday, and it’s an excellent way to show some goodwill, create traffic, build a database and communicate your message in a very cost-effective way.

You - Zig Ziglar once alleged, “You cannot tailor-make the situations in life, but you can tailor-make the attitudes to fit those situations.” The media is full of gloom and doom. Your positive attitude in the face of adversity will project to consumers that you are a thriving survivor. If you are not personally adding value, you are decreasing the profits of the company. Just remember that your pizzeria may not be all things to all people, but you can be all things to your customers if you put yourself in their shoes and adapt your persona to appeal to their interests. ❖

Scott Anthony is a Fox’s Pizza Den franchisee in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania. He leads marketing seminars at International Pizza Expo and is a frequent contributor to Pizza Today.

Have fun with this “five-course” summer special: appetizer, salad, pizza, pasta and dessert. I have a lot of recipes to cover, so let’s get right to it. Each of these recipes can be scaled up in direct proportion. ❖

APPETIZER
Mozzarella Cheese Puffs
These golden puffs are flavorful and fun. Kids, especially, love these. You just might have to move them from a special to the regular menu.
Makes 12 puffs

2 cups fl our
½ teaspoon salt
8 ounces unsalted butter, softened
1 pound shredded mozzarella

Combine the fl our and the salt. In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter. Fold in the mozzarella cheese. Add the fl our mixture and combine thoroughly. Shape the mixture into small balls (around the size of a golf ball) by rolling them in the palms of your hands and place on a baking sheet. Bake in a preheated 350 F oven for 15-20 minutes, or until the balls puff and are golden brown. Serve with a warm marinara dipping sauce.

SALAD
Bean and Tuna Salad with Radicchio
A cool, light and refreshing salad that works particularly well in the summer months. Put layers of thinly-sliced fresh tomatoes on the plate to form a flavorful and colorful base on top of which you can portion the salad.
Yield: 4 servings

2½ cups canned cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
2 cups coarsely chopped radicchio
1⁄4 cup red onion, chopped
2 tablespoons fl at-leaf parsley, chopped
1 cup water-packed Albacore tuna, drained, flaked
1⁄4 cup extra-virgin olive oil 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar Salt and pepper, to taste

In a medium-size bowl, combine the beans, radicchio, onion, parsley and tuna. Toss gently to combine. Whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice and vinegar until completely blended. Add salt and pepper. Drizzle the dressing over the salad and toss gently. Refrigerate for at least an hour before serving.

PIZZA
Pizza alla Funghi (Mushroom Pizza)
Earthy, flavorful, delicious. Call it a “Mushroom Lover’s” Pizza if you care to.
Yield: one 14-inch pizza

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
½ pound shiitake mushrooms
½ pound portobello mushrooms, sliced about 1⁄4-inch thick
½ pound cultivated (white domestic), sliced about 1⁄8-inch thick
2 teaspoons dried oregano, crumbled Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
1 14-inch pizza shell
8 ounces shredded mozzarella or combination of mozzarella and Provolone

In a large sauté pan set over medium-high heat, warm the olive oil for 1 minute. Add the garlic and the mushrooms and cook and stir until the mushrooms give off their liquid, about 4 minutes. Add the oregano and combine. Add salt and pepper to taste. Turn the mushrooms out of the pan and reserve (can be made several hours ahead). Spread the mushroom mixture evenly over the pizza crust. Sprinkle on the cheese. Bake.



PASTA
Baked Macaroni & Cheese
Mac ‘n’ Cheese is one of the hottest dishes around, and this is my version of this classic dish. I use a combination of cheeses instead of the usual sharp cheddar. But the all-important flavor kicks — dry mustard and cayenne — are still included.
Yield: 6-8 servings

6 tablespoons unsalted butter
1⁄4 cup all-purpose fl our
4 cups milk
1 ½ teaspoons dry mustard
1⁄8 teaspoon cayenne
1⁄8 teaspoon salt
1 Pound cavatappi or similar corkscrew shaped pasta
1⁄4 pound shredded provolone cheese
1⁄4 pound shredded Asiago cheese
1⁄4 pound shredded mozzarella cheese
1 1⁄4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 cup fresh bread crumbs
1 tablespoon dried oregano, crumbled

In a heavy sauce pan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the fl our and cook, whisking, for 3 minutes. Add the milk in a steady stream, whisking steadily, and bring to a boil. Add the mustard, cayenne, and salt, and whisk to combine. Whisking the sauce, simmer until it thickens, about 2 minutes. Set aside. Cook the pasta in plenty of boiling salted water until it is almost al dente. Drain well. While the pasta is cooking, preheat the oven to 350 F. Butter a shallow 3 to 4-quart baking dish. In a large bowl, stir together the cooked pasta, white sauce, provolone, Asiago, mozzarella, and 1 cup of the Parmesan, then transfer the mixture to the buttered baking dish. Smooth off the top with a spatula. In a small bowl, combine the bread crumbs, oregano, and remaining 1⁄4 cup Parmesan and sprinkle it evenly over the pasta. (This recipe can be prepared several hours in advance, covered and put in the cooler. Bring to room temperature before baking.) Bake the pasta in the oven for 20-25 minutes, or until the top is golden and the cheese is bubbling.

DESSERT
The standard trinity of Italian desserts consists mainly of tiramisu, cannoli, and gelato, so maybe it’s time to think outside the box. Here’s a quick and easy dessert that offers relief from that boring old box.

Ricotta all’Espresso
This is a dessert you can count on for whipping up (no pun intended) real fast. Creamy and rich-tasting with a mousse like consistency, it’s one that adults and children alike will enjoy. If you don’t have espresso in-house, simply use strong black coffee (or even instant espresso coffee).
Yield: 4 servings

2 cups ricotta cheese (not low-fat)
3⁄4 cup confectioners’ sugar
1⁄4 cup espresso or strong black coffee, cooled
2 tablespoons sambuca (optional)
½ cup finely chopped pistachios

Put the ricotta, sugar, coffee and optional sambuca in a food processor or blender and process until creamy and thick. Spoon the mixture into tall serving glasses and refrigerate, covered, for at least 2 hours, until thoroughly chilled.

Just before serving, sprinkle some of the chopped pistachios on top of each serving.

Another option to jazz up this dessert would be to fold mini-morsel chocolate chips into the cheese after it has been chilled.

Pat Bruno is Pizza Today’s resident chef and a regular contributor. He is the former owner and operator of a prominent Italian cooking school in Chicago and is a food critic for the Chicago Sun-Times.