Approximately 50 years ago, Tom and James Monaghan bought a struggling pizzeria named DomiNick’s and made a splash on the Ypsilanti, Michigan, restaurant scene by delivering pizza — for free.



Or so customers thought. The Monaghans merely built the costs of delivery into their margins and quoted one price. With almost no competition for delivery, what later became Domino’s formula worked brilliantly for a while until others matched that service advantage. From then on, most customers believed “free delivery” was here forever.

That is until Saddam Hussein convinced us all otherwise in 1990. Back then he thought it would be cool to send the Iraqi army on a road trip to Kuwait and see if the rest of the world would notice that it was heavily armed. It did — especially the U.S., whose need for Middle East oil put its supply in a precarious position.

Gasoline prices soared and my delivery drivers freaked out. Big Dave’s supposedly free delivery was suddenly costing them, and they couldn’t afford it. The drivers held a meeting out behind the dumpster — to which I wasn’t invited — and they appointed a spokesman who very subtlety asked for more money.

I sympathized with them and promised to raise their run compensation from 50 to 75 cents per run. Since we were delivering about 4,000 pizzas a month, that meant I’d created out of thin air a $1,000 monthly expense. Ouch!

When I told my accountant to comb through every line item on my financials and find a grand in fat, he assured me those funds didn’t exist. When I said they had to be there, he said: “Well, Dave, it looks like you and your wife just financed a raise for the drivers.”

As I fretted over what to do, he asked, “What does it cost you to deliver a pizza?” I had no answer. So we crunched the numbers and discovered that every “free” delivery actually cost me $2.51. I dreaded what I knew he’d say next: “You have to charge for delivery.” I whined and told him he didn’t understand the pizza business. He agreed and told me, “You don’t understand the money business.”

Naturally, I feared customers would hate us for it and go elsewhere, but I had no choice other than to charge a buck per delivery. I experienced some pretty severe tongue lashings, threats of false advertising and bodily harm. Over a buck! I blamed it on Saddam Hussein and the gas crisis. Some accepted it, some didn’t. Some saved the dollar and drove in to pick up their orders. I came very close to caving in under the pressure, but held steadfast. Within 30 days, we dropped from about 4,000 deliveries a month to 3,000. That was scary, but just a couple months later we were back to normal. Long story short, we kept our delivery charge and gradually increased it over the years as needed.

Not everyone joined us, of course — especially large chains. It would take the brutal price slashing, 2-for-1s and 5-5-5 deals of the new millennium to crush margins so thin that most of the industry knew it had to flee the “free delivery” model.

By my calculations, it costs between $3 and $4 to deliver a pizza in 2010. Whether that’s tacked on as a fee, absorbed into the pizza price or spread between both changes with every operator. In addition to the added expense, the hassle factor of delivery created more than its share of grey hairs for me.

Either way, you cannot eat the cost of free delivery if you expect to make money. You might fool your customers into thinking you’re doing it for free, but you’ll never fool your accountant.❖

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: We are using Roma tomatoes, a little tomato sauce, mozzerella cheese and basil to make a Margherita pizza. But it is too soggy. What should we do differently?



A: I’d start by eliminating the sauce. Brush a thin shell with a little olive oil. I like to slice balls of fresh mozzarella with an egg slicer to get nice, even thin slices. Slice your tomatoes the same thickness. Don’t cover the whole pizza with the fresh mozzarella. Too much or too thick will certainly create too much moisture on your pizza. Alternate the cheese with the tomatoes and then place your basil leaves between them. This should give you a great pie.

I really want to open a pizzeria in my town, but how is it possible to compete against the big chains?

The one thing the chains will have over us is their marketing budget, because it’s shared by so many other units. Their name will be in consumers’ faces way more than we’ll ever be able to achieve; however, there is so much more that independents can do to win the hearts and minds of the locals. Plug into the community and network as much as you can. Bring samples of your best to local businesses. Go to the local schools and see how you can get your pizza in there for lunch –– or offer prizes and incentives for activities such as reading programs. Offer fund-raisers, and more importantly show customers how much you care about them. Once you have that connection, they won’t care about the chain anymore!

We are thinking about adding an apple dessert pizza. The first one I made is good, but I do need some suggestions about “crumbles” to add on top.

I take about a stick of butter, a cup of fl our, a cup of brown sugar, ½ cup of sugar and a rounded teaspoon of cinnamon and put it in the food processor. There is your crumble. Quick oats are a very nice addition. Just pulse it though to get the crumble texture you are looking for. Enjoy!

Telemarketing seems to be getting out of hand. They either try to trick you or won’t take no for an answer. They’re making me crazy. How do I stop them?

If it’s a credit card processor and you’re not interested in having your rates analyzed, simply pretend you want their name and number and tell them you’ll call them as soon as you are ready. I told one once that the owners are bicycling through Europe and don’t know when they’ll be back. That conversation ended two seconds later. Be careful of scams and warn your staff about not giving out information, or you could get stung. I would avoid at all costs taking any catering orders through a “relay call” where an operator reads to you what the caller is saying and then types your response. It will almost always be a big scam. ❖

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.

I was in a local Italian restaurant waiting for a carryout order recently. A family of three walked in and asked for a table. I would estimate the parents to be in their 50s and the daughter to be around 20. They were politely told there would be a wait of 15 or 20 minutes.

The hostess then left her stand to tend to a chore. While she was gone, two college-aged females walked in. They were attractive, and they caught the eye of a young male server who happened to be passing through the lobby. He stopped and asked the young women if they’d been helped yet by the hostess. When they said they hadn’t, he replied: “I have a table for you and can seat you right now.” The hostess returned shortly to find a few angry customers. “Excuse me,” said the woman. “Two girls just walked in and were seated right away.” She paused briefly, then repeated herself, with a twist, for emphasis: “Two young, pretty girls were taken to a table right away by one of your servers.” The hostess was obviously unprepared for the situation and looked somewhat stunned.

She was not sure how to react. Then, the customer spoke up again. “I’d like to know how that happens,” she said. “The old lady is told 20 minutes, while the young ones are seated right away.” Now, let me interject here. I’d seen the whole thing play out. I don’t think the waiting customers were snubbed. I think it was an honest mistake by the server. He saw two customers enter and asked if they’d been helped. He then seated them. His mistake was not checking the hostess’ notebook first. Had he done that, he would have realized the other three were waiting on a table as opposed to simply waiting for another family member or friend to come out of the restroom.

In any case, the slip was much more innocent than the waiting family imagined it to be. Still, the woman did have a legitimate complaint — customers who entered after her family were seated first. (This restaurant does not take reservations, in case you are wondering.)

Still not sure what to say or do, the hostess fetched the manager. The manager immediately apologized and said he would get to the bottom of the situation. He left to speak to the server. He then returned and explained to the woman that a simple oversight had occurred, that the server meant no disrespect, and that he was sorry (again) and would seat her family immediately.

The family followed the manager into the dining room as my food was being handed to me by the hostess, who still looked bewildered.

As I drove home, I couldn’t help but wonder if the manager had ever taken the time to properly train the hostess on how to diffuse an upset customer. Clearly, the poor girl had no clue. The manager handled the situation quickly and with tact, but what if he had not been available at that exact moment for some reason? The restaurant would have lost three customers — for good.

As the initial point of contact to your dine-in customers, a well-trained hostess is critical to your operation’s success. Don’t just hire a pretty face. Take the time to train whomever it is you hire. A hostess doesn’t simply smile, say hello and write down names. The job also requires one to juggle seating assignments, make wait-time forecasts the customers expect to be accurate and, yes, even interact with upset customers.

Best,

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

Q: We are having a problem with our dough growing in the cooler.



A: There are a number of things that can result in the dough “blowing” in the cooler. The first cause could be excessive amounts of yeast in the dough. Most pizza doughs perform best when the yeast level is at or near 1 percent compressed yeast –– this equates to .5 percent active dry yeast, or 0.375 percent instant active dry yeast.

You might also check your dough’s finished temperature. If you are using a refrigerated dough management procedure –– which allows you to use the dough over a three day period of time from the cooler –– a good target, finished dough temperature is in the 80 F to 85 F range if using a walk-in cooler, or 70 F to 75 F if you’re using a reach-in cooler. If your finished dough temperature is higher than this, it becomes difficult to effectively cool the dough to a point where the rate of fermentation can be sufficiently lowered to allow for holding the dough for any extended period of time.

The finished dough temperature is controlled by the temperature of the water that you add to the dough. In some locations, your tap water temperature may be sufficiently cold to give you a finished dough temperature within the targeted temperature range, but if this isn’t possible, then you will need to use colder water. The easiest way to get colder water is by storing it in the cooler, at least overnight. This should effectively get your water temperature down to the 40 to 45 F range. You can then replace a portion or all of the dough water with the refrigerated water to achieve the desired finished dough temperature you’re looking for.

In some cases, such as stores with only a reach-in cooler, this won’t be possible, so the correct course of action to get colder water is to add ice to your water. When adding ice, be sure to replace the water on a pound for pound basis for ice. Don’t use a volumetric measure for the ice as it has a significantly different density than water. I recommend that you begin by replacing one pound of water with one pound of ice. Be sure to use flaked ice rather than cube ice as the cube ice, which will not melt sufficiently fast to work in this application. Keep increasing/adjusting the amount of ice added until the finished dough temperature falls within the desired temperature range.

Another thing that can cause the dough to blow is failure to take the dough directly to the cooler after scaling, balling and boxing. For some, it is a common practice to allow the dough to set out at room temperature for a period of time before we begin scaling and balling it. This practice can lead to the dough fermenting, and changing in density (becoming less dense) before the dough actually goes to the cooler. The less dense dough is significantly more difficult to cool uniformly. It is a better insulator and, as such, it may never cool to a point where it will be sufficiently stable in the cooler to allow it to be held for any period of time without blowing. Normally, when the dough blows under these circumstances, the reaction is to reduce the yeast level to a point where the dough doesn’t blow, but this now introduces a whole new problem –– in many cases, the dough now has a yeast level so low that it cannot support the weight of the topping ingredients during baking, and it may collapse, or not rise sufficiently to give the desired, light, airy internal crumb structure. In all too many cases, a gum line develops just under the sauce that will be next to impossible to resolve until we get the yeast level back up to where it needs to be. But, then the dough blows again. Now you can see why reducing the yeast level is not the correct action to take when the dough blows.

Failure to cross stack the dough boxes can also lead to blowing the dough. When first placed into the cooler, the dough boxes should be placed in a cross stacked pattern to allow the warmer air to escape from the dough boxes. This results in a significant improvement in the efficiency of cooling the dough balls. In cases where a walk-in cooler isn’t available and only a reach-in is used, there isn’t room in the cabinet to cross stack the dough boxes, but they can be placed into the cooler with the ends off set, resulting in open, exposed ends on each box, allowing for the escape of the warm air from the boxes.

Even with cross-stacking, you must allow enough time for the dough to be cooled before you seal the boxes closed.

We have found that if the dough balls weigh 16 ounces or less, the dough boxes should be allowed to remain cross-stacked for at least two hours. If the dough balls are between 17 and 24 ounces, they should remain cross stacked for at least 2½ hours. Because the dough still hasn’t come down in temperature to that of your cooler within these times, it is important to be consistent with the cross stack time employed. For example, if your dough ball weight is 10 ounces, and you’re using a cross stack time of two hours, that’s fine, but be sure to use that cross stack time consistently. Keep in mind, though, that these are only recommendations. Since all coolers are not created equally, you may need to adjust the cross stack times from those given above, and this is perfectly acceptable — just be sure to be consistent and always use the same cross stack time that you’ve found correct for your dough ball weight.

Another factor to consider occurs during the dough-making process. Due to traffic in and out of the cooler during the busier parts of the day, our coolers typically work harder, and operate at a slightly higher temperature than they do during the late night hours after the store is closed, or when business slacks off a bit. For this reason, I don’t recommend making the dough during the day, or even during the early evening hours. Instead, I recommend making dough a couple hours prior to closing, when the cooler will be operating more efficiently. By the time you’re ready to go home, you can down stack the dough boxes just before turning the lights off. While we’re on the topic of coolers, if you don’t already have them, consider installing plastic strip curtains over the door. Tests have shown that they will improve the operating efficiency of your cooler by as much as 15 percent.❖

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

It is hard to imagine that your dream, your business, can go up in smoke. But fires are a real and daily threat to operators. Ovens, stove tops, grease traps and a variety of other items can literally burn the house down. When equipment like exhaust fans, hoods and ventilation systems fail, fires happen.

In order to keep your dream, business, employees and customers safe, operators have to be aware of dangers in the kitchen, adhere to local fire codes and practice fire safety — because it only takes a moment to lose everything.

Rob Raia, owner of Colorado Springs-based Borriello Brothers, knows the devastation a fire can cause. In August, a fire broke out in the restaurant due to what appears to be a failed exhaust fan, causing critical damage to the roof.

“The smoke damage was extensive,” Raia said. “The fire started in between the drop ceiling and the roof itself. The whole roof was damaged extensively.” According to Raia, the fire started around 6 p.m. when the restaurant was just starting to get crowded, and the staff was gearing up for the evening.

“The managers took over and got everybody out real quick,” Raia said. “They did what they were supposed to do.”

According to Raia, the roof and ceiling have to be gutted. Although repairs have not started, he is hoping to reopen in three months.

“We do have a contract with a company to clean our hoods every six months,” Raia said. “We do what we’re supposed to do.”

Since fi res can happen anytime and anywhere, even when operators are practicing fi re safety, how can operators protect their businesses better?

Matt Klaus, senior fi re protection engineer with the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), says the document NFPA 96, The Standard for Ventilation Control and Fire Protection of Commercial Cooking Operations, is a great source on fire codes and fire prevention.

“This document provides the requirements for the design and installation of a fire safe cooking area within a commercial cooking environment,” said Klaus. “There are two main types of systems that are found in commercial cooking areas, an exhaust system and a fire suppression system. The ducted exhaust system is required for all ‘cooking equipment used in processes producing smoke or grease laden vapor’ (NFPA 96 Section 4.1.1 2011 Edition).”
To investigate local fire codes, Scott Dawkins, director of business operations for kitchen exhaust cleaning specialists HOODZ, advises operators to contact their local authority having jurisdiction (AHJ) to ensure the restaurant system is being properly inspected and maintained.



“Grease in an exhaust system is a potential fire hazard. In most municipalities, the AHJ is the fire marshal,” Dawkins said. “The AHJ will inform the restaurant owner of the local codes they have adopted in their area. The NFPA 96 outlines the minimal inspection frequency.”

Dawkins says exhaust cleaning companies are contracted by restaurant owners to regularly clean and inspect their systems. The volume of grease vapors the cooking equipment produces determines the maintenance schedule (which can be monthly, quarterly, semi-annually or annually).

“Hire qualified companies to help keep their investment fire safe. Always inspect the company’s work that is performing the exhaust cleaning and ask them for pictures of the cleaned system,” Dawkins said.

Upon reopening, Raia plans to implement a logbook of maintenance to record what equipment was serviced, when and by whom, and keep warranties accessible.

Dawkins, meanwhile, says operators need to know how the design of their kitchen and location of the equipment can increase or decrease fire risk.

“The restaurant owner will want to ensure they are following the local codes when designing or changing the layout of the kitchen to ensure the proper exhaust system is in place over the various cooking appliances,” Dawkins says. “Ensure all cooking equipment is functioning appropriately and the kitchen staff is properly trained on the necessary precautions.”

Klaus says grease fires are exceptionally challenging because they can provide a suppression challenge; a wet sprinkler will be ineffective and may even cause the fire to spread. “The general concern of the fi re marshals, building officials or responding personnel is that the appropriate systems have been put in place for the hazards present. This can be accomplished by providing the equipment as outlined in NFPA 96,” Klaus says. “Once the system has been properly designed and installed, maintaining and cleaning the system becomes the ongoing battle for the owner and fire department. The build-up of grease within the system can be the source of the fire or contribute to the development of a fire if it is permitted to ignite. Proper cleaning and inspection in accordance with Chapter 11 of NFPA 96 is one way to limit the exposure of a property to grease fires.”

Operators not only need to educate themselves on fire codes and fire safety, but they must also educate their staff.

According to OSHA’s Fire Safety in the Workplace Fact Sheet, “Employers should train workers about fire hazards in the workplace and about what to do in a fire emergency. If you want your workers to evacuate, you should train them on how to escape. If you expect your workers to use portable fire extinguishers, you must provide hands-on training in using this equipment.”

Successful fire prevention requires education and hard work. By following local fire codes, matching up the right systems to the present dangers, maintaining those systems to keep them working efficiently and educating your staff on fire safety procedures, operators can reduce their risk of fire to their businesses and dreams. ❖

DeAnn Owens is a freelance journalist living in Indianapolis. She specializes in features and human interest stories.

Back in June, I received a call from Marissa Ross, Coordinating Producer for the Travel Channel’s popular “Food Wars” show. The program was filming a pizza showdown in the Big Apple, and the producers wanted me to serve as an expert pizza guest and a judge for the episode, which airs November 17 at 10 p.m. I was flattered and more than happy to say yes. I’ve done television work in the past and always enjoyed it. As a Theatre Arts minor, I’ve always had somewhat of an itch to be on stage. Though television is different from most dramatic stage acting, it certainly has its own challenges and provides a nice break from the day-to-day Pizza Today editorial duties. How could I turn the offer down?



In early July, I flew to New York and stayed in Times Square. It’s always nice to be in the center of a thriving city, whether it be New York or San Francisco. The pace is so much different than what I experience on a typical day in Louisville, Kentucky, where Pizza Today is based.

After getting settled in, the first thing I did was hook up with my friend Scott Weiner, who owns and operates Scott’s Pizza Tours in New York. We met up at Kesté, a highly revered Neapolitan pizzeria that is operated by a true pizza legend, Roberto Caporuscio. Roberto recognized me immediately when I walked in (we’ve met several times at International Pizza Expo in Las Vegas), and the Italian hospitality began. He was pleased to host me, and that became more and more evident as pizza after pizza made its way to my table. Scott and I went through much of the Kesté menu, including a special lard pie that harkens back to the purest of early pizzas. It was more or less a historical and contemporary gastronomical tour rolled into one. I can’t wait to go back to Bleecker Street for round two, which Roberto promised as Scott and I exited his restaurant late into the New York night.



Speaking of Bleecker Street, I’d been informed before heading to New York that the “Food Wars” episode would pit John’s of Bleecker against Grimaldi’s Pizzeria. I knew I was in for a really difficult decision when it came time to vote in front of the Travel Channel cameras. You see, I’ve been to each of these spots dozens of times and hold them in very high regard. I’ve never had anything close to a sub-par pizza from either of these shops. In fact, when I take friends around New York to sample pizza, there are five or six iconic establishments I never miss. John’s and Grimaldi’s are among them.

The producers wanted to start at John’s and then work our way to Grimaldi’s later in the filming. When I arrived, I was greeted on the sidewalk by the director and his assistant. I was told it would be a while and to make myself comfortable. In the meantime, I had the pleasure of meeting my co-judge, Mark Bello of Pizza a Casa, a pizza cooking school located in New York’s Chinatown. Though I’d heard of Mark and knew about his pizza expertise, I had never met him until arriving on the “Food Wars” set. We share a lot of common interests and became fast friends. In fact, later that night, after a day of stuffing ourselves with John’s and Grimaldi’s pizzas, I went to Pizza a Casa for a late-night crash course with Mark and the aforementioned Scott Weiner. Mark fi red up his oven and began to show us how he teaches his pizzamaking class (which is geared for home cooks). We listened to great music and had some beer as we developed dough and made thin-crust beauties in several varieties. I was two-for-two when it came to my NYC “down time.”



Anyway, let’s get back to the filming set. I was put into makeup as about 50 production crew members set up cameras, lights, umbrellas, audio equipment, etc. “Food Wars” host Camille Ford dropped by to say hello, and we, too, hit it off. Just like with Bello, I quickly discovered that Camille and I have a lot in common. We talked first about food, then about our love of working out.

When the set was ready, Mark, Camille and I were all seated in a booth at John’s of Bleecker Street. Camille made her introduction for the camera, then we were off. She introduced the judges and asked us a little about what we look for in a New York pizza. From there, it was time to eat!



A fresh John’s pizza was placed before us and it was our duty to taste and critique it. I found few flaws with it. To me, the first critical step to a great pizza is getting the dough right. So I quickly tore into the crust to dissect it. No, I don’t eat pizza in this sloppy fashion, but I do find it particularly helpful if I’m judging.

This strategy amused the host and director, who asked me about my “pizza autopsy.” So I explained to them what I was looking for (internal crumb structure, as Dough Doctor Tom Lehmann calls it) and why I chose to tear my pizza open during the tasting.

Unfortunately, filming a show doesn’t go as quickly or easily as one might expect when they watch a 30-minute episode on television. It takes a few 12-hour days to yield that half hour of footage, so we were in it for the long haul. Television, as the director put it, is “hurry up and wait.” It’s also somewhat of a lie. When you watch the episode, there are times you may see a close up of me nodding or listening to Mike Frank of John’s or Gina Peluso of Grimaldi’s. In reality, I conversed with them on camera very little. Much of that “nodding and listening” happened artificially — I stared at a wall behind an empty chair and provided that animation on the director’s cue.



At any rate, after enjoying many very good pies from John’s, we had a 90-minute break. I spent that down time with Mark, Camille and Marissa (the Coordinating Producer) in a coffee shop. We just hung out and talked about all kinds of things ranging from our college experiences to our favorite sports teams to television production. Of course, we talked a lot about pizza — but not what we thought about the pies from John’s. Discussing John’s or Grimaldi’s with one another was strictly off-limits. The producers didn’t want us to inadvertently sway one another with our thoughts or comments.

We arrived at Grimaldi’s and it was somewhat of a circus act. At John’s, you see, we’d been on a closed set. When we arrived, the pizzeria wasn’t yet open for business. It has two dining rooms divided by a wall, so the production company set up in the smaller of the two. Even after John’s opened for business, we weren’t bothered and didn’t have an audience thanks to the partitioned, split floor plan.



Grimaldi’s, on the other hand, was very much open when we arrived. It was about 3 p.m. and a long line stretched down the sidewalk. As people waited to get into the tiny dining room, the production crew carried its mounds of equipment in and set up. Camille, Mark and I chatted with some waiting customers and posed with a few for pictures.

When the director was ready, we took our places in the center of a packed house at Grimaldi’s. The staff kept working away in the open kitchen behind us as customers came and went. I feel sorry for the folks waiting outside to get in — we were taking up tons of room and most of the customers inside stuck around well after their pizza was gone to watch us film. It was somewhat surreal. Not only were the cameras and the eyes of the crew on us, but the eyes of dozens of customers — locals and tourists alike — hung on our every words.

Just like at John’s, we were presented a pizza from Grimaldi’s to taste and critique. Again, I found few flaws. I knew after my first slice at Grimaldi’s that picking a winner was going to be more difficult than I first imagined.

Luckily for me, I devised a weighted scoring system of my own before leaving for New York. In the event that there wasn’t an overwhelming favorite after tasting both pies, I knew I could fall back on my scoring system to pick a winner.

As it turns out, that’s exactly what I had to do. In my system, the most critical elements, such as the sauce, for example, are given more importance than, say, the herbs. When I went through my calculations, it could not have been any closer — one pizzeria scored a half-point higher than the other. Wow.

We finished filming at a park in Brooklyn. The beautiful location provided unobstructed and world-class views of the Manhattan skyline and the Brooklyn Bridge. It was an ideal spot to wrap the show.

A crowd gathered around us as supporters of both John’s and Grimaldi’s showed up to cheer for their favorite pizzeria. When crunch time came, the judges were given “Food Wars” cards and asked to write down the name of the pizzeria for which we were voting. Not easy to do when both pizzeria managers are standing next to you, but it was a job I gladly accepted, I had to remind myself.

The three of us wrote down our votes and were instructed by the director to keep them to ourselves. Camille then asked both me and Mark to talk about the two pizzerias and discuss why we picked the one we chose — without giving our votes away.

Finally, it was time to reveal our votes. I went first, followed by Mark. He and I disagreed on the winner, which meant Camille, as the show host, had to break the tie. The air was filled with anticipation as she flipped her card over to reveal the winner of “Food Wars” in New York. To find out which pizzeria won — and see yours truly in action — watch the “Food Wars” episode on New York pizza Wednesday, November 17 at 10 p.m. on the Travel Channel.

In the meantime, the photos accompanying this article provide a brief glimpse of my time on the “Food Wars” set. ❖

Jeremy White is Editor-in-Chief of Pizza Today.

Fresh … seasonal … local … it’s almost become a mantra. The Slow Food movement has made farm-fresh produce hip again, and every new farm to jump on board brings prices down further. Now, pizzerias are being challenged to re-think their entire approach to ingredients. But when does it make sense to go local? Which products are worth the extra money? And what’s the best way to get started?

The first argument most Slow Food advocates make is about taste. According to Lois Hoffbauer, the chairperson of the Duluth Farmer’s Market in northern Minnesota, fresher is better. She says that the produce, oregano and cheese available at local markets are tastier and purer than processed food.

“If you are a faceless entity, like a big factory farm, you’re not going to know your customers,” Hoffbauer says. “We’re not going to do something to our fruits and vegetables that we wouldn’t eat ourselves.”

David Yudkin would agree. He’s the co-owner of Hotlips Pizza, a five-location chain in the Portland area with a focus on fresh, local ingredients. Since the chain opened in 1984, they’ve been looking for ways to incorporate area produce onto their menu.

“In the winter, we use more potatoes and onions and kale,” Yudkin says. “In the summer, we’re using more tomatoes and peppers and basil. If you do it right, it’s glorious.” Even Yudkin would agree that local has its limits, however. Sometimes a particular food is better when it’s imported. Olive oil, cheese and wine are all tied to the place they’re produced, and local products usually don’t compare.

“There are certain things you just don’t buy locally,” Yudkin says. “You don’t buy local Parmesan. (Imported Parmesan) is a fine product; it’s high value, and that’s the way it’s always been for centuries.”

Furthermore, some prefer their tomatoes canned. Jeff Varasano, the owner of Varasano’s Pizzeria, is one of them. He says that fresh tomatoes might be great in Caprese salads or on top of a pie, but they have no place in the sauce.

“In terms of sauce, we definitely only use canned tomatoes,” Varasano says. “You cannot make a pizza with fresh tomatoes. I’ve tried it many times, (and) it just doesn’t have the right flavor to it.”

Another concern for operators is the cost. Local produce is a small-scale operation, and that means it’s more expensive. When Varasano ran out of his favorite kind of oregano, he tried –– and rejected — 46 different kinds from his supplier. Finally, he realized his only option was to pay a local nursery to grow it for him, with the first harvest last September. While he was thrilled to recover the taste he was missing, he admits it cut into his profits.

“I’m going to pay through the nose,” Varasano says. “My cost for that would probably be in the neighborhood of 10 times more than I’m going to buy commercially. It’s totally impractical, but I just really want that one ingredient.”

Partially due to cost pressure from local ingredients, Yudkin’s 18-inch pies cost around $30 each. To prevent that figure from spiking even more, he’s had to consider when going local is worth it. While he says that canning his own tomatoes would be prohibitively expensive, using local fl our was a relatively cheap fix.

“You have to do it smartly,” Yudkin says. “If it’s wheat, you’re talking generally about pennies. It’s not like going to local cheese or local protein.”

Of course, some products are not available locally at any price. Varasano says it’s difficult to find good local cheese in Georgia, and Yudkin says it’s difficult to find it in Oregon. Produce varies with the season. And then there are those weeks where the local farmers simply have a bad harvest. Even when everything is going smoothly, it can be very time-consuming to get local products.

“Last summer, I was running up to the farmer’s market every Saturday and getting basil,” Varasano says. “But it was basically an hour out of my day just to get one ingredient.”

Is it worth it? Clearly, Varasano and Yudkin think so, at least for some ingredients. Varasano says his oregano and basil are worth the time, cost, and effort, and he splurges for local tomatoes when they’re in season. Yudkin has gone further, making local a part of his brand and his reputation. He’s connected his site with various local-food causes, introduced a pizza - by- bike program, and brought in extras like locally made soda to bring additional prestige and foot traffic. But in the end, he says, every operator must concentrate on three things. The restaurant must be profitable, local ingredients and all. The service must be good. And the pizza must be worth it.

“If you’re not doing those,” Yudkin says, “You can’t even have a conversation about sustainable ingredients. You have to have credibility. It could be the most sustainable pizza in the world, but if it’s crappy pizza ... eating is believing.” ❖

Useful Resources

sustainabletable.org

A thorough introduction to the idea of sustainable and organic food with discussions on where to buy, the meaning of technical terms, and questions to ask dairy, hog and produce farmers.

localharvest.org

This extensive map shows farmer’s markets, family farms, co-ops, and more, and contains a searchable index of where to get sustainable food.

farmsreach.com

An online farm food marketplace that connects farmers to business buyers. It’s essentially a networking tool — restaurant owners make their own deals once the site connects them to nearby farmers.

Robert Lillegard is a freelance writer in Superior, Wisconsin.

There is a tool available to every pizza shop operator that will motivate your staff, increase sales, improve customer service and promote teamwork. The best part is that it won’t cost you a dime and it only takes a few minutes each day. The “tool” is pre-shift meetings and, if you begin regularly gathering your crew for a pre-shift powwow, you’ll decrease misunderstandings among employees about prices, changes in the menu offerings, wait staff table assignments and promotional specials –– and run a more effi cient operation overall.

In fact, according to Jeff Hookham, CEO of 4 Remarkable Service, a Dallasbased consulting company, if you’re not pre-shifting, you’re undermining the training that you’ve already done with employees — bringing communication to a standstill. “Your message, that you want good service and suggestive selling, isn’t getting (consistently) heard,” says Hookham. “So your service levels are going down.”

Perhaps you’ve done pre-shift meetings in the past and let the habit slide, you do them whenever there’s time (which usually means never) or you’ve never done them. To reap the rewards, restaurant managers who pre-shift regularly say you must conduct pre-shifts religiously before every revenue period.

John Pearson, manager of Boca Raton-based Boca’s Best Pizza, says that he uses pre-shifts for several reasons –– most importantly to keep the lines of communication open between him and his staff. “It lets me tell them what the focus is for the day or for the month and keeps everybody in the loop.”

Pearson says pre-shifting also keeps everyone updated about events such as upcoming holiday specials or when new menu items will roll out. Pre-shifting also spikes sales and offers Pearson an opportunity to communicate incentives to his crew.

“Sometimes I’ll hold a contest to see who can sell the most strawberry shortcakes tonight,” Pearson says. “One of the perks I give them is a special employee meal to whoever sells the most desserts during the dinner service. So it (pre-shifting) definitely helps with selling.”

Eduardo Valenzuela, director of operations for Coronado, Californiabased Village Pizzeria Bayside, a two-site company, also uses preshifts as a way to incentivize sales and says that it motivates his staff to up-sell and it creates friendly competition among staff.

Conducting effective pre-shift meetings takes a bit of preparation says Hookham. You don’t want to gather your staff and just “wing it.” Creating an agenda will ensure your meetings stay on course and have positive results. In fact, “keep it positive” should be the overall theme of your meetings.

“The biggest mistake managers make in a pre-shift meeting is letting it go negative,” Hookham says. “Typically these meetings take place right before your revenue period starts, so you don’t want a lot of negativity hitting the floor.”

That negativity will carry over and affect your customer service levels. You want your service staff greeting your customers feeling valued, positive and part of a team.

“Talking about negative things like ‘Jill’s not doing the work she’s supposed to be doing’ or ‘Jill and Joe aren’t getting along’ –– that stuff needs to be taken care of offl ine, not during a pre-shift.”

Instead, use your pre-shift time wisely by focusing on good news such as recognizing a team member who had the highest sales during a special promotion or received a compliment from a customer. Pre-shifts are also a good time to remind staff about things like portion control and cleanliness.

“The point of it is to get everybody to pull together and get the feeling of being a team before they go out,” says Bill Marvin, “The Restaurant Doctor,” a Gig Harbor, Washington-based consultant. “People come in with their life all over them and whatever else is going on, and it’s really critical to let all that slide away and say ‘We’re here to accomplish something together.’ ”

Another common mistake is going too long during pre-shifts. An ideal time frame is fi ve to ten minutes. “Pre-shifts need to be to be short and sweet,” Hookham says. “You really want to focus. Have a list of things to discuss and hit three things –– with one major and two minors.”

To foster a team atmosphere, give your employees the opportunity to weigh in and share their ideas. “Throw some questions out there that the team can answer. Instead of telling them how to interact with the guests, ask them how to interact with the guests and see what they have to say,” Hookham says.

Pearson, who has been pre-shifting regularly since opening Boca’s in February, says it’s an invaluable tool as far as setting and exceeding goals and getting everyone on the same page. “So many issues are resolved at the meetings where if you didn’t have it, you might miss. During meetings, I’m looking at uniforms; I’m looking at everything and it’s so much easier to correct in that environment,” he says.

Regular pre-shifting also sends a positive message to your staff. “I think if you do pre-shifts religiously, that shows the staff that you’re focused and they will stay focused. But if you just do them whenever you feel like it, it shows the management team isn’t on the same page,” says Valenzuela. 



Pre-Shifting Dos and Don’ts

Pre-shift meetings can be an invaluable management tool – if done right. Here are some suggestions for running effective pre-shift meetings.

Do: Hold Pre-shifts Jeff Hookham, CEO of 4 Remarkable Service notes that, overall, employees are happier in work environments that foster regular communication.

Don’t: End on a sour note If a meeting takes a turn for the negative, steer it back to the positive as quickly as possible. Never send your employees to the floor worried or angry about something said in the meeting.

Denene Brox is a Kansas City-based freelance writer who regularly covers restaurant and business topics.

When it comes to meat toppings, there are plenty of choices – from the traditional, like ham and sausage, to atypical choices of clams, shrimp and alligator (yes, we’ve seen it!). Somewhere in the middle are salami –– often overlooked outside of sandwiches, these dry, cured meats offer just as much versatility as their traditional counterparts, but come in a variety of styles.

Salami are typically uncooked but are safe for consumption because they have been preserved through curing –– the word salami is derived from the Latin sal, or salt, one of the main preservatives. Depending on the variety, salami can lend salt or spice to a pizza or dish. Best of all, they have a long shelf-life when in their original casings (years!) and last around two weeks when sliced and refrigerated.

You’re probably not willing to try your hand at making salami, but if you were, you’d grind or hand-cut the meat and season it with spices and salt. It is then placed in a non-edible casing and hung to cure. The most popular salami choice is pepperoni. You probably already know that it is the top topping in America, but there are other salami varieties that can change the flavor profiles of your menu offerings. Popular choices include:
❖ cotto –– pork and veal seasoned with garlic and peppercorns
❖ Genoa –– pork and veal seasoned with garlic, pepper and red wine
❖ Milano –– pork, beef and pork fat seasoned with garlic and white wine
❖ Napoli –– beef and pork seasoned with red and black pepper
❖ soppressata –– pork seasoned with garlic and red pepper
❖ capicola –– made from pork shoulder only, seasoned with herbs, white or red wine
❖ pepperoni –– beef and pork seasoned with black and red pepper.

David Gordon, owner of Indiana based Pittsboro Pizzeria, uses cold salami on the restaurant’s chef salad, but gets more bang for his buck by including on the toasted Italian sub. “We are using a Genoa salami,” Gordon says. “When we opened three years ago, this is the one that (the distributor) brought us and we sampled. We just stuck with it.”

Gordon says it is difficult to tell if the ham “oils out” during baking since the sub sandwich is made with pepperoni and ham, but “it sells really well. The Italian sub is probably our best selling sub sandwich.” At $5.35, the 8-inch sandwich includes Genoa salami, pepperoni, ham, a little bit of onion and mozzerella.

When using salami on the chef salad, each slice is folded and cut into six pieces and sprinkled over the salad, along with pepperoni, ham and bacon. “We never considered going with a beef product,” Gordon says, adding that the salami complements the other meat flavors.

He purchases the Genoa in five-pound increments and has to restock one every week or two weeks.

Jonathan Goldsmith, proprietor of the AVPN-certifi ed Spacca Napoli in Chicago, is quick to point out the fact that his restaurant uses salumi –– a derivative of the salami family that can include cooked or smoke meats as well. “We love salumis,”

Goldsmith says. “We use it both for antipasti and we use it on our pizzas.” Goldsmith buys larger links of salumi and asks his distributor for their freshest offerings –– especially critical when used on Spacca Napoli’s antipasto misto platter, which is fi lled with meats, cheeses and olives.

“One of the nice things –– and I learned this in Parma –– is that we do a drizzle of balsamic vinagrette underneath the salumis, and it’s really beautiful.”

Goldsmith’s pizzas pair the meats with bufala or fi or di latte mozzerella cheeses, basil, cherry tomatoes, provolone and arugula in different combinations. The “Cafona dell Rei” combines fi or di latte and smoked mozzarellas, capicola, proscuitto cotto, a sweet salami, basil and –– for a unique touch –– a sunnyside up egg.

Salami “definitely has a longer shelf life,” Goldsmith says. “I probably have $500 to $700 we’ll order and it’ll sit in the cooler for several months. “It’s wonderful. It’s versatile and there’s so many different things you can do with the meats and combine it with different cheeses across the menu.”

With so many varieties of salami available, talk to your distributor about how you plan to use it. If you choose a variety that is large in diameter, consider chopping the slices to make it go farther on pizzas and salads. Factor in the saltiness as well –– choose cheeses that complement rather than add to the overall texture and flavors. ❖

Mandy Wolf Detwiler is managing editor at Pizza Today.

From Messina on the Northeast corner of Sicily to Trapani on the west coast, Sicily has, over many centuries, felt the infl uences of Greek, Roman, and Spanish culture. That minestrone of civilizations has had quite an impact on the cuisine of this fabled island. Often the term cucina povera, or the cooking of the poor, is ascribed to Sicilian cuisine, but that in no way downgrades the pleasure and ingenuity that is so much a part of Sicilian cooking. In fact, Sicilian cuisine bursts with color, flavor, fragrance and goodness.

The gist of this article –– Sicilian pasta sauce –– is but a small dot on the culinary canvas that defines Sicilian food. Important to Sicilian cooking are creations like arancini (crunchy rice balls) and ingredients like sardines, anchovies, tomatoes, eggplant, crushed red pepper, olive oil, olives, clams, mussels, squid, capers, garlic, selected cheeses and fruits (like blood oranges and lemons). But, it is the simplicity of Sicilian cooking that makes it so approachable.

I am putting forth a challenge to every operator reading this article. Add some dishes –– pasta, pizza, appetizers –– with a Sicilian subtext and watch how fast those specialties fl y out of the kitchen. The time for Sicilian cooking to get its due has arrived. So let’s get started with some delicious Sicilian pasta sauces and go from there and see what else we can do with them.

Sicilian Pasta Sauce
Sicilians love to use ridged pasta like rigatoni, ziti and penne, so in this recipe I use an imported rigatoni known as “rigatoni gigantica” because I like the way it flattens after it has been cooked.

Yield: 4 to 6 servings (scale up in direct proportion)
1 pound mild Italian sausage with fennel
2 tablespoons olive oil
½ pound lean ground beef
1 cup chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 cups canned plum tomatoes with juices
1 can (6 ounces) tomato paste
2 teaspoons dried basil
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 pound rigatoni
½ cup grated Romano cheese

Remove casing from sausage (discard casing). Warm the olive oil for one minute in a large sauté pan set over medium-high heat. Add the sausage (breaking it up with a fork or spoon) and the ground beef. Cook and stir for 6 to 8 minutes until the meats are no longer pink.

Add the onion, garlic, tomatoes, tomato paste, basil, oregano and pepper flakes.

Bring the sauce to a gentle boil. Turn down the heat and simmer the sauce for an hour or more until it has reduced, stirring occasionally.

Cook the pasta in plenty of boiling water (that has been salted) until al dente (about 14 minutes for large rigatoni). Drain well.

Divide the pasta among six heated pasta bowls. Spoon some of the sauce over each portion. Sprinkle a portion of the romano cheese over each serving.

Chef’s notes: sauce can be made ahead. Cool slightly before covering and refrigeration. Cooled sauce can then be used on pizza. Spread a small amount of the sauce over a pizza shell. Top with grated romano or a blend of mozzarella and provolone. Bake as you would any other pizza.

Pasta alla Norma
This classic Sicilian pasta dish dates back to the late 1800s and was named after Bellini’s opera “Norma.” Eggplant is used frequently in Sicilian cooking. This is a very versatile sauce, so check out the extended possibilities under my Chef’s Notes.

Yield: six servings (scale up in direct proportion)
½ cup olive oil
2 small, firm eggplants (about 2 pounds), trimmed (but not peeled), cut into ½-inch cubes
1 cup chopped onion
2 garlic cloves, minced or pushed through a garlic press
2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes (or to taste) 6 cups canned plum tomatoes with juices
1 cup torn basil leaves
1 pound ridged ziti or rigatoni
1 cup crumbled ricotta salata (a salted, dry ricotta cheese)

Warm the olive oil for 1 minute in a large sauté pan set over medium high heat. Add the eggplant and cook and stir until the eggplant softens a bit. Add the onion, garlic and red pepper flakes. Cook and stir until the onion softens.

Crush the tomatoes by hand or use a hand-held blender. Add the tomatoes to the sauté pan with the eggplant and onion. Add the basil leaves. Simmer the sauce for an hour or more to reduce.

While the sauce is simmering, cook the pasta in boiling salted water until it is al dente. Drain well. Divide the pasta among heated pasta bowls. Spoon some of the sauce over the pasta. Sprinkle some of the ricotta salata over each portion.

Chef’s notes 
If ricotta salata is not available, top each pasta portion with dollops of regular ricotta. 
Also, this sauce and method can be used as a pizza topping. Cool the sauce before spreading it on a pizza crust. Bake the pizza. After baking and just before sending it out, top with ricotta salata or dollops of regular ricotta. 
Batches of this sauce can be made ahead and stored, covered, in the cooler. Use with pasta or pizza as suggested. 
Small, firm eggplant (also known as Asian eggplant) does not need to be salted. Eggplant with a lot of seeds can be bitter unless it is salted and pressed to get rid of the bitterness. 
Once this sauce has been made and cooled, it can be used for an appetizer of eggplant bruschetta. Simply spoon a small amount of the cooled eggplant sauce over toasted or grilled ovals of bread. Top each portion with some grated Parmesan or Romano cheese and/or a chiffonade of fresh basil. 

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.

What is the next level for you? Boosting sales, opening another location, franchising? Each has his own mission; each must take critical steps to bring his operation to that new level. My personal mission is to make my pizzeria the best it can be — the talk of the town. My obstacle: The Big Three and me. How can I make my advertising, and thus the brand image that I present, look world class on my budget? More importantly, what about me and my approach to taking the next step?



I interviewed several expert business consultants for this article, and the one point that stuck out with all of them was best summed up by James Sinclair of OnSite Consulting: “Operators generally tend not to love advice, especially advice that counters their own system or beliefs, and especially if they have to pay for someone to give an opinion they disagree with.” When all the experts are saying, “Here is a way to increase your sales, brand yourself with a customized look and complement that with enticing images by a world-renowned food photographer,” the question becomes this: Will you lean on your own understanding? Get over yourself. Let’s be doers, not forgetful hearers of what experts preach.

Peter F. Drucker, American educator and writer, said “Whenever you see a successful business, someone once made a courageous decision.” As operators, we need to decide to listen, profit from the advice and be courageous.

Sinclair concurs: “Operators can benefit from outsiders who understand the market from a macro perspective and franchisees that have worked closely with a franchisor either for testing or on a model variation. Being a franchisee does not waive your requirement to innovate and be dynamic. Localization is 90 percent.”

Doing so gives you a concise and well crafted message. You are now on the same playing field as the big guys — and you have a home field advantage.

Tony Troiano, co-owner of J.B. Alberto’s Pizza, spent 32 years growing his business into a Chicago tradition. Troiano says: “I certainly think, from a food standpoint, we (independents) have a huge advantage over the Big Three, but we can learn a lot from them as far as marketing and operations are concerned.”

Troiano learned to profit in several ways. “I promote online ordering on all of my printed material,” he says. “This is something the Big 3 have promoted for many years — and, thanks to them, it has certainly taken off. Why not piggy back on the millions that they are spending to promote this? Let’s face it, online ordering is here to stay and growing every year.”

My pizzeria has seen online sales double in the past year, and Troiano reports similar results.

We can also take a design lesson from the big operations. J.B. Alberto’s Pizza, for example, is a delco unit (offering only delivery or carryout). Since no one spends much time in there or dines inside the unit, how much does the small interior space of the pizzeria matter?

“Last year, I remodeled the carryout area to create a warm and inviting feel with cherry wood and granite countertops,” says Troiano. “Our carry out sales increased 6 percent.”

Statistically, most franchise chains either strongly encourage or require their franchisees to remodel or upgrade interior spaces every fi ve years. Troiano’s results show the importance of this. ❖

Scott Anthony is a Fox’s Pizza Den franchisee in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania. He is a monthly contributor to Pizza Today.

No, this article is not about those French bread pizzas cramming the frozen food section of your local market. What I want to do today is give you some ideas on how to make your own French bread pizzas as an added feature, regardless of where you place them on your menu –– sandwiches, pizza, flatbread or appetizers.

The fact is that I am not totally satisfied with continuing to use the term “French bread pizza.” It could be Italian bread pizza, flatbread pizza or sub sandwich pizza. Pick the name that might register the strongest with your customers and in what fashion you might wish to market this product.



For example, most any topping that you would use on your regular pizza could go on a French bread pizza. But let’s get creative. Let’s take this idea of a French bread pizza to a whole new level.

First, let me start with the basics. Use a loaf of French or Italian bread. Let’s assume that it is around 18 inches long. Cut the bread in half to form two nine-inch pieces. Conversely, you can buy submarine buns of varying lengths, but let’s go with those that are, say, seven or eight inches long. Or, to follow the current trend, you can set it up so that you end up with two foot-long buns or rolls.

Once you have the bread sized the way you want it, cut it in half horizontally. Now hollow out each slice of the bread (save the bread to use as fresh breadcrumbs). By hollowing out the bread, it keeps the filling, sauce and cheese all in place, which makes it easier for the customer to eat by hand (if that’s the choice) and to serve or deliver.


Now comes the fun part. Where do we go from here? Let us explore the range of possibilities. 

You can toast the hollowed out portion of the roll (both sides) by putting the two pieces under a broiler or on the grill (this is optional). If you do the toasting, then while the roll is still warm, rub the inside of each piece with a clove of garlic. 

Smear marinara or meat sauce into the hollow of the bread. Sprinkle some grated Romano cheese (or any good melting cheese like mozzarella) over the sauce and run the bread under the salamander or broiler or through the oven to melt the cheese. That’s as simple as it gets. 

Let’s try a submarine French bread pizza. Layer an array of Italian cold cuts into the hollow (don’t chop the meat and cheeses, because it makes it harder to hold and eat), then add a layer of giardiniera or olive salad. Top with slices of provolone cheese. Give it some heat to melt the cheese. Presto! It’s as simple as that. 

Or it can be as simple as tossing chopped fresh tomatoes with olive oil, basil and chopped fresh mozzarella. Arrange this “salad” in the hollow of the bread. Sprinkle some grated Parmesan or Romano over the ingredients. No need for added heat now. 

In the hollow of each roll, spread a thin layer of ricotta cheese over the bottom. Layer thin slices of fresh tomatoes over the ricotta. Sprinkle grated mozzarella over the tomatoes, followed by a sprinkle of oregano. Give the roll some heat. You can also add leaves of fresh spinach to this one to add more interest. Use your imagination.

A couple of last thoughts: French bread rolls travel (delivery) great; just make sure they are either wrapped well or are put in a sturdy box. And, this product is a good alternative to pizza for someone who wants to eat light. Also, kids love the shape and idea of this product. 

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.

Can you imagine a show floor larger than four football fields with nothing but pizza-related supplies, equipment and services? At Pizza Expo you’ll be able to shop, sample and network with your pizza peers from around the world. International Pizza Expo® – the “Show of Shows” for the Pizza Industry – is the place to do business, learn, network and deal. Pizza Expo® has grown from a humble start (134 booths) in Orlando, Florida, in 1984 to nearly 1,000 booths for last year’s record-breaking 26th anniversary show.

Designed specifically for pizzeria owners and operators, there’s something for everyone at International Pizza Expo 2011, whether you’re a veteran or just opening your first store. When the show closes on Thursday afternoon, you will have had the opportunity to visit nearly 1,000 exhibits and attend your choice of nearly 80 educational seminars, workshops and demonstrations. Rounding out the experience are numerous culinary competitions, contests and other special events.

Show Web Site is Live – www.PizzaExpo.com — The Web site for International Pizza Expo 2011 has been recently updated to let you know everything you need to know about attending or exhibiting.

Online Registration is Open — Book online and save $10. Make your plans now; as always, Las Vegas will be bulging at the seams during the month of March with Pizza Expo, Spring Break and several other events and trade shows going on at the same time. And that’s not to mention the great weather, gambling, award-winning restaurants and some of the world’s best hotels! Best of all, it’s a tax-deductible working vacation. Remember: the earlier you plan, the more you save.

Housing is Open — We’ve negotiated special discounted rates with some of the finest hotels in Las Vegas –– some call them the best in the world –– through our official housing bureau, Expovision. Check out our online Travel and Hotel page for a list of hotel properties, rates and online reservation instructions. Or, if you prefer, you can download a housing form and fax in your request.

Conference Program — Do you want to find out how to position your pizzeria to outperform your competition in the current economic environment? International Pizza Expo 2011 will offer more on-target business boosting seminars and networking events than ever before. In fact, we’ve added an entire day of seminars on Monday, March 1. These seminars are specifically designed for the new operator and/or first-time attendee. If you’re looking for answers or need a few new ideas, then attending International Pizza Expo will be the best investment of time and money you’ll make.

Exhibit Hall — While on our Web site, be sure to visit the Exhibit Hall to see a listing of all the exhibiting companies who will be at the show ready to negotiate and do business. If they’re in the pizza business, then they’ll be at Pizza Expo. What’s even better, most of our exhibiting partners will be offering great show specials. At next year’s show you can expect to see nearly 450 exhibiting companies that represent every facet of the pizza industry.

Looking to Exhibit? International Pizza Expo 2011 is more than 95 percent sold! If you haven’t reserved your booth space yet, now is the time. Call Bobbie MacIntosh, Tradeshow Sales Manager, at 800-489-8324. We’re working hard to make International Pizza Expo the only show you need to attend.
Sincerely,
Bill Oakley
Executive Vice President

Mushroom Madness

Americans love mushrooms on pizza, but they can be delicate and have a relatively short shelf life. Portobello mushrooms add a dense, hearty flavor to pizzas, and they can carry their own as a topping. When shopping, choose ones that are fi rm and dark-brown with no blemishes. When cooked, they turn black –– be sure to trim the stem and use them thinly sliced. Portobellos also make a hearty addition to salads –– they pair especially well with steak!

Surprise!

Health inspectors don’t care if you’re not prepared for their visit. Your best bet? Train your staff to clean as you go. That includes brushing debris and keeping spills off the make line, keeping the kitchen floor free of debris, stacking pans and screens neatly and emptying garbage regularly.

Create a monthly (or bi-monthly) chore cleaning walk-in coolers, dusting shelving, cleaning corners and washing the ovens, hoods, walls, lights and trash cans. These can all be done during slow periods. Finally, keep a vigilant eye for those pesky deductions –– they’re usually an easy fix but can bring a score down quickly. These include improperly stored chemicals, employee drinks on the prep table, improperly labeled containers and incorrectly calibrated meat thermometers.

Finally, if you’re leaving all this to your employees, consider conducting your own surprise inspection. You’ll be able to see who’s on the ball –– and who’s playing dangerously on your home field.

Perfect Peppers

Bell peppers look and taste great as a pizza topping, but if you want to add a gourmet touch to your menu, consider taking one easy step –– sautéing them. It’s easy! Simply place chopped or sliced peppers in a warm pan with olive oil and garlic and cook until soft and limp. You can also blanch peppers in boiling water for two to three minutes. Drain, cool and toss with olive oil. These methods lend a different flavor profile to dishes rather than raw peppers. Give it a try!

Simple Sweets

Americans love their sweets, and a recent NRA survey found that 56 percent of dinner patrons and 30 percent of lunch patrons order dessert in restaurants with per-person checks of more than $25. Since pizzerias check averages often fall below that, pushing desserts can be difficult. One easy way to boost check averages is to add cookies to your menu. You’ve already got an oven –– train your employees to suggest warm, fresh baked cookies when customers place their orders. Stick to one or two varieties (chocolate chip is the top selling snack food in America!), utilize your pizza ovens and watch profit margins soar.

Tables don’t just hold utensils, drinks and food. These important pieces of furniture can also set the right ambiance for your restaurant.

“The tables, along with all the furniture, are a piece of your décor package,” says Michelle Bushey, a partner and the creative director at Vision 360, a hospitality design firm in Dallas. “The tables bring continuity to the brand.”

It sounds simple enough, but there are many details to consider when you are choosing a tabletop. You have to choose not only whether to go with wood, plastic, metal, or a combination of these, but shapes and sizes are important too. You want to make sure you can fit enough customers during your lunch or dinner rush to keep waiting times to a minimum. At the same time, you need a minimum amount of space between tables in order to meet local ordinances about the number of people you may have at one time in the restaurant.

Most importantly, you want your eatery to look a certain way, and you have to stay within your food and fixtures (FF&E) budget. Michael Solomon, the northeast sales manager for the Web site division of College Point, New York-based Restaurant Depot, recommends 36 inches between tables, and 42 to 48 inches in the main aisle. That leaves enough room for staff and customers to walk, but there is another advantage to having some room between tables. “My biggest concern is flexibility,” he says. “You want to be able to slide tables together to accommodate parties of six or eight.”

He recommends buying tables that are the same width so that they can be pushed together. He doesn’t like round tables, especially drop leaf tables, because they take up too much room.

Michael Nolan, manager of franchise operations for Elkhorn, Nebraska-based Sam and Louie’s New York Pizzeria, says it’s important to choose the right tables to make the place look like a restaurant, not a mess hall. “We use a mixture of tables, booths and banquettes in our locations,” he says. “We also use a combination of square tables, rectangular tables and round tables.”

At Sam and Louie’s 19 locations, the tabletops are laminate covered plywood. “When picking a laminate, it is important to consider the pattern,” he says. “You don’t want something that is too busy. At the same time you typically want to stay away from dark colors and solid colors as they typically show scratches and fingerprints more prominently.”

Phil Hartman, owner of the New York City-based Two Boots Pizza, agrees that the right tables can set the tone for the restaurant. He wanted Two Boots’ ten restaurants to have an old-school vibe, so he chose a laminate called “Cracked Ice,” which he says looks very close to vintage 1950s Formica. “We edge it with ribbed metal trim,” he says. “We also like to intersperse traditional red check tablecloths, which soften the feel of the place.”

Hartman adds that Two Boots Pizza uses cotton tablecloths, “not the polyester ones that linen companies love to foist on us.”

Bushey says some restaurants don’t want to use linens because they are expensive. However, if you do cover your tables with tablecloths, you can get away with buying less pricey table tops that are made of particleboard or plywood covered with vinyl or plastic laminate. “If we have a client that is using tablecloths, we will spec something inexpensive,” Bushey says.

Another important factor is cleaning. “You want to look at it from an operational standpoint. Your staff is going to have to be trained so that they’re not cleaning granite with Windex,” she says.

There are advantages and disadvantages to the various materials. Plastic laminate is easy to clean and it’s among the least expensive tabletop materials. Plastic laminate is often referred to as Formica, but Formica is actually one brand of plastic laminate. There are other brands such as Wilson-Art. Plastic laminate comes in many colors and patterns, and then you can add a metal edge or wood edge.

Kurt Petersen, who owns the restaurant furniture supplier Petersen Furniture in suburban Chicago, says plastic laminate is popular because of the cost, but also because it comes in many patterns, and is durable. “If some kid wants to carve his initials in your table, they can do it in wood or steel, but plastic laminate will make that carving a lot of work,” he says. “It used to be plastic laminate was popular because it stood up against cigarettes.”

Vinyl is also inexpensive. Bushey says one popular choice now is a sort of hybrid of a wood edge with laminate inlay. “It can give you a nice wood feeling but it’s easier to clean, and it cuts down cost.”

Solid wood can be expensive, depending on the wood species and the thickness. “The only caveat with wood is someone has to take care of it,” Petersen says. “You have to keep it clean with mild soap and water and make sure it stays dry.”

Stainless steel, or stainless steel with wood cores, is easy to clean but can be scratched.

Then there is the square corner versus round corner decision. “The square and rectangular tables need to have rounded corners to help protect children’s foreheads,” Nolan says. “They’re still hard, but at least they aren’t sharp, too.”

Bushey says furniture could total 10 to 15 percent of your budget. Table tops can cost anywhere from less than $100 for a 36-inch by 36-inch square made of plastic laminate on particleboard, to about $400 for the same size table top made of plantation grown sustainable Brazilian oak.

The tops are sold separately from the bases. The bases are typically steel or cast iron, and the shapes vary. In general, your customers will likely not see the base, so appearance is less important than whether the base can hold whatever size table top you choose.

Finally, go ahead and make the pizzas as large as you want. “You don’t need larger tables,” Solomon says. “Use a stand.”

Nolan says Sam & Louie’s uses a cake stand. “Of course we call it a pizza stand,” he says. “The pizza is elevated above the table so you have room for your plates, drinks, shakers, etc., even if you have an 18-inch pizza, which most of ours are.” ❖

Nora Caley is a freelance writer specializing in food and business topics. She lives in Denver, Colorado.

PIZZA VOLANTE



We saw the blue car (pictured at left) out front and knew we had to stop. When we were served a bubbling hot pizza from a wood-burning oven, we were glad we did.

The creations at Pizza Volante occupy the middle ground somewhere between a New York pizza and a Neapolitan pie. Volante refers to its pizza as “Roman-style.” No matter what you call it, we called it well executed and downright tasty.



Opened in 2009, this new neighborhood favorite also offers panini, pasta dishes, and an array of wines. The quarters are a little cramped and spartan (save for the gaudy orange chairs), but Pizza Volante customers aren’t stopping in for comfort.

The wine list is notable because each of its 18 offerings are priced at $18 for the bottle. A night out in the Design District need not break the bank, and that’s always a good thing.



Pizza Volante was our first stop of the day, and what a day it was. We hit Miami early and decided to discover the city’s pizza scene the old-fashioned way — by dropping in unannounced, sampling the fare and taking pictures. How did we find out where to go? We asked locals or simply stopped into places that caught our collective pizza eye — such was the case with Pizza Volante. Sure, you’re going to miss great places when you do it this way. But you also discover the unsung heroes. And don’t worry if you were passed over. We have found that South Florida’s pizza scene has exploded in the past five years. We’ll be back soon to detail it in all its glory from West Palm Beach down through Miami. In the meantime, enjoy the limited roster of hotspots we turned up on our anonymous pizza quest in one of America’s most fashion-forward cities.

ANDIAMO



As unique a pizzeria as one will find, stucturally speaking. The building that houses Andiamo apparently was a carwash in a previous life. As wild as that sounds, the layout is perfect for a pizza parlor: open kitchen, indoor seating, a large spread for outdoor dining.



The pizzas here are served on a fluffy, chewy, traditional crust. They’re gourmet, to be sure, and delicious. The “Genovese” features rosemary potatoes, fresh garlic, pancetta, caramelized onions, mozzarella and gorgonzola. The “Vesuvio” is adorned with salami, olives, hot cherry peppers, tomato sauce and mozzarella.



Our server recommended the “BBQ Chicken”, so we gave that a whirl. We also dug into the “Mediterraneo,” which is topped with roasted peppers, artichokes, sundried tomatoes, basil pesto and feta cheese. Breadsticks, salads, panini, desserts and Philly cheesesteaks round out the impressive menu.



After hitting Pizza Volante and then Andiamo, we were two-for-two in the city’s Design District. From there, we branched out to other parts of Miami — and found more winners along the way.

CASOLA’S PIZZERIA



Opened in 1982, Casola’s is the exact opposite of the pizzerias you’ll find profiled on the following two pages. A throwback to pizza’s old-school heyday, Casola’s Pizzeria and Sub Shop is a no-frills spot favored by locals who want traditional pizza and pasta dinners. The menu also offers subs, chicken wings, hot dogs, croissants, salads, burgers and desserts.

There’s a little something for everyone here. It’s not as representative of fl ashy Miami as it is of, say, New Jersey ... but that’s what makes it stand out in the crowd and keeps local American pizza purists coming back for more.

SPRIS



South Beach’s Lincoln Road is a place to see and be seen. The shopping is good, but the food is even better. Plenty of restaurants line the walk, and there’s al fresco seating galore in this breezy city. Among the throng of dining choices sits Spris, a wood-burning pizzeria that serves thin-crusted beauties. The gourmet pizzas have earned an “excellent” rating from Zagat, and for good reason.

The menu offers creations like the “Carbonara” pizza — tomato sauce, mozzarella, pancetta, sunny-sideup eggs, Parmesan and black pepper. The “Saporita” features tomato sauce, mozzarella, spicy Italian salami, gorgonzola, capers, Kalamata olives and garlic.

From there, the offerings branch out to a number of appetizers, focaccia, bruschetta, salad, panini, woodbaked sandwiches and calzones. Draft and bottled beers, sparkling waters and a selection of wines help push check averages up.

In its review of Spris, Miami.com called the restaurant one of the most popular and affordable dining destinations on trendy Lincoln Road. Isn’t that what pizza is all about, no matter how fancy you decide to get with it?

SOSTA



Also located on Lincoln Road, Sosta Pizzeria Enoteca is another trendy establishment with a typical Miami twist. Here, the pizzas are gourmet and priced to sell. The marinara pie goes for just $8.50, while the house favored Sosta pizza is priced at $15 (sun-dried tomato spreads, mozzarella, burratta cheese, prosciutto).

The unique calling card at Sosta is the dessert menu, which offers everything at the set price of $6.50. In all, eight delectable dishes ranging from cheesecake with strawberry sauce to Pizza alla Nutella tempt sweet-toothed diners. Four dessert wines and an espresso lineup complement the fine finishes and give patrons of Sosta something to write home about.

Plus, the regular wine list is quite extensive for a pizzeria. It features champagne and prosecco, two rose wines and a battery of whites and reds. With selections from around the globe, it’s easy to choose a winner at Sosta.

In a sophisticated, fashionable city like Miami, what else would you expect?

PIZZA RUSTICA



Pizza Rustica also has roots on Lincoln Road in South Beach, but its product differs greatly from the competition. Baked in oversized rectangular pans, the crust here is thicker and the fare is heartier than found elsewhere in the vicinity.



The pies are cut into large rectangular slices and served with toppings piled high. Founder Pino Piroso opened Pizza Rustica in 1996. Since then, the company has expanded to 19 locations throughout the United States and France. There are 10 Pizza Rusticas in Florida, one in Arkansas, three in California, one in Michigan, one in South Carolina and three in Paris, France. Two more stores — one in Texas, one in Ohio — are set to open soon.

Pizza Rustica has gotten its fair share of press over the years. Expect that to continue as the company grows through franchising and expands its presence in both the United States and Europe alike.