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Why bother with portion control? Well, do you like money? I do, and I like to keep as much of it as I can.
Implementing a simple and concise portion-control program can literally save you tens of thousands of dollars! Tens of thousands of dollars that you already have and are let slipping through your fingers and right out the door in front of you. Right at this very moment pizzas are walking out your door with too much on them. Pizzas loaded down with your cash!
Chances are that right now in your restaurant you have about four different types of offenders who are over-portioning your pizzas. Do you recognize any of these characters?
The Artist: This particular pizza maker is sure that each and every pizza he or she makes is a beautiful work of art. Even though you’ve personally shown this employee exactly how much cheese, sausage and pepperoni to put on every pizza, there are no written guidelines or charts to follow, so he follows his artistic inspiration. Every pizza is different than the last and none has the correct amount of toppings on it. You probably have at least one of these “artists” in your shop.
Mr. Clueless: Food is cheap, right? Cheese is like, what 50 cents a pound or something, right? Or so thinks Mr. Clueless. This is one of your typical employees who thinks because you are a restaurant you get everything really cheap, everything is a “tax write off” and businesses make a ton of money anyway. This is the guy who scrapes all the cheese out of the catch pan and into the trash instead of back into the cheese bin. This is the guy who likes to “load up” the pizzas the way he would like to have them made. How many of these guys are working for you right now?
The Regular Joe: This is a normal guy, just like you and me—the high school kid starting his first job or the new hire who wants to really work hard and impress the boss. This is the guy who would love to make a pizza the right way, a perfect pizza made the way you want him to make it. But he can’t. The key employee that you had training him showed him one way; you showed him another; and then the manager showed him yet another way. His pizzas are not what you want going out your door either. The “Regular Joes” are the bulk of the portion offenders that you have working for you, and they’re trying hard to please.
You: Yes, the worst offender of them all. If you are free-throwing toppings on your pizzas, then I can guarantee that you are either over-portioning or under-portioning your pizzas 99 percent of the time. It’s impossible to free-throw toppings and get them 100 percent correct, 100 percent of the time. Worst of all you are setting a bad example for your staff. (I know you’re thinking, “I’ve been doing this for 149 years and I can put 10 ounces of cheese on a 16-inch pizza every … single … time.” Well, I’m sorry to burst your bubble, but you can’t.)
So, is your staff to blame for you losing money on over portioned pizzas as well as subs, salads, desserts, draft beers, wines, etc? Absolutely not. Most of the time your staff is not over-portioning or under-portioning on purpose or with malicious intentions in mind. It is just a simple systems failure.
Right now I’m paying almost $3 per pound for whole-milk mozzarella and I make about 4,000 pizzas per month at each of my pizzerias. If I were to put 1 ounce too much on every pizza, the cost to my bottom line would be $760 per month or $9,120 per year, per pizzeria! Just in cheese!
How can they be sure to get it right every single time and stop wasting money? It’s very simple really: a portion-control program. Putting together a portion-control program for your operation can be as simple or as complex as you want, but the basics are always the same. Here are the steps:
Information: You need to give employees the information they need. This can be done with portion charts on the make line or recipe books at prep stations. Just make sure the exact portion requirements are printed and in plain site. Staff members need to know, for example, that 8 ounces of cheese is what is expected on that 14-inch pizza, and they need to be able to look that number up immediately if necessary.
Tools: Once your pizza makers know the correct portions they need hit those numbers every time. This can only be done with tools such as digital scales and measuring cups. Their use must be mandatory.
Monitoring: Once you’ve trained your staff on how much of what goes on each item and given them to tools to get it done, you need to make sure they are actually implementing the portion-control system. A close eye on a busy night will tell you who is following the rules and who is not, but you can take it one step further and document ingredients usage with your POS. Taking advantage of the inventory module and portion-control features of your POS will allow you to keep an eye on your inventory and measure how close your staff is coming to hitting your portion goals.
Portion control is simple and easy. Believe it or not, your employees will grow to like it once it becomes routine. It takes the guessing out of their jobs; it makes training easier; and perhaps most importantly of all, they may get a boss who is in a good mood more often.
Michael Shepherd, who operates three independent pizzerias in northwest Ohio, will give an hour-long seminar on portion control on Wednesday, March 20, at Pizza Expo. He’ll also speak on Thursday, March 21, on the topic of low-cost marketing that generates added business.
For more details on International Pizza Expo 2013, visit www.pizzaexpo.com.
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The convenience of ordering pizza online is in such high customer demand that any pizzeria without an online ordering system should question how serious it is about growing business and profits. Offering customers an online ordering system has many benefits, including:
• New customers who prefer online ordering
• Higher ticket averages and sales (our online tickets are worth 25 percent more, on average)
• Increased efficiency due to reduced need for employee order-taking
• Improved customer service because customers can take as much time as they want to place and review an order prior to submission
• Lower marketing investment due to low-cost online ad placement
• Increased ROI due to higher ticket averages, new customers and low-cost marketing
When I first implemented an online ordering system at our pizzeria, online orders grew to 2 percent of total sales just weeks after the launch—and before we sent out a single promotion. Because our online tickets are worth, on average, 25 percent more than our carryout and delivery tickets, online ordering has proven to me that it’s a powerful way to increase profits.
I’ve also learned the importance of choosing an online ordering system wisely in order to maximize profits without requiring a major time investment. The following seven tips will help you select the best online ordering system for your pizzeria.
1. Get A Third-Party Provider
While it's possible to host an online ordering system on your own website, there are definite drawbacks. Maintenance is up to you, and if the system goes down you will have to scramble to fix it—or wait for your web designer to do so at whatever hourly rate he or she charges. Third-party providers specialize in online ordering systems and are therefore less expensive and more responsive to your needs. Moreover, they are accountable for keeping your system running.
2. Excellent Branding
Your online ordering system should allow you to brand the look of the user interface, allowing you to prominently display your logo, address, phone number, website, company colors and other brand markers. The customer experience should be seamless; patrons should not feel they are being redirected to an unknown entity to complete their orders.
3. Ease Of Use
Your online ordering system should be extremely simple for customers to use. They should be able to log in, find what they want quickly and order it in a matter of minutes. It should also be easy for you to update whenever you have special offers, coupons and price changes. The easier your online ordering system is to use the more you can work it to your advantage, and the more customers will enjoy interacting with it. And, ultimately, the more profitable it will be.
4. Selling Tools
Your online ordering system should include selling tools that will help increase your ticket averages. Suggestive selling, interactive promotions and other sales tools should be presented in an intuitive fashion to the users. For example, any customer ordering bread sticks should be prompted automatically to opt for an extra sauce, and all customers should be asked if they'd like to add soda to their orders. Consider your online ordering system to be a marketing investment that carries an expected return.
5. Integration
The best online ordering systems integrate with your POS to make accounting fast and easy. Yours should also integrate with your kitchen printer, which needs to be outfitted with a buzzer so workers there know when an online order comes in. If properly structured, online ordering shouldn't add a lot of work and it can make your kitchen operations more efficient.
6. Customer Service
Before you make your online ordering solution decision, investigate a provider’s customer service. You want fast and knowledgeable support staff to assist you when you have questions and quickly correct any system malfunctions. You definitely don't want to lose an entire night's worth of online sales waiting for a tech to fix your system. Ask for references and follow up to see if other pizzeria owners would recommend the provider you're considering.
7. Pricing
Finally, pricing should play a role in your decision. As noted, your online ordering system is an investment that is expected to bring a return. The cheapest isn't necessarily the worst, and the most expensive isn't necessarily the best. Seek an online ordering system that satisfies the other six requirements listed here, then factor price into your decision-making process. The goal is to implement an online ordering system that will help you earn more profits in return for a fair investment.
Making the most of online orders is one of three topics Shawn Randazzo will be covering at Pizza Expo 2013. He will also present seminars on maximizing delivery business and building a winning company culture. He is co-owner of Detroit Style Pizza Co. in St. Clair Shores, Mich., and was the 2012 Pizza Maker of the Year winner at Expo’s International Pizza Challenge.
For more details on International Pizza Expo 2013, visit www.pizzaexpo.com.
Related
If you've ever wished you could sit down with a super-successful operator and quiz him about the keys to pizza profits, you'll want to sit in on Pizza Expo 2013's Wednesday morning keynote one-on-one session with $6-Million-Man Bill Jacobs and Pizza Today editor Jeremy White.
Jeremy will be your surrogate at this kick-off to the second day of Expo, March 20. He'll guide the discussion with Jacobs, whose Piece Brewery & Pizzeria in Chicago grosses more than $6 million in sales per year from one unit. You'll learn through this candid insider's exchange why Jacobs sold his successful bagel company and turned to pizza in 2001; how he found the perfect location in a mature pizza market and built revenues; why he's resisted opening a second unit; and much more.
Piece was named Pizza Today's Independent Pizzeria of the Year in 2011 and Jacobs, a Connecticut native who brought New Haven-style pies to the Windy City, has an engaging story to tell. There will be time for questions from the crowd as well during this wide-ranging and insightful keynote session.
Visit PizzaExpo.com to learn more about next year's show. .
Related
At Pizza Expo® you’ll find 5½ football fields of pizza-related products, services and equipment, as well as leading industry experts, consultants and analysts who are all willing to share new ideas and insights on everything you need to adapt, react and prosper in today’s economy. At next year’s show, we’ve added several new speakers to the lineup of experts keeping you abreast of trends and best practices in pizzeria management.
Here are just a few of the new speakers and topics we have planned for our 29th annual show, March 19–21, 2013:
“Famous Joe” Carlucci, owner of Joe’s Pizzeria, will tell you how to expand your catering business and boost your bottom line.
Roberta Matuson, president of Human Resource Solutions, is the author of the highly acclaimed book, Suddenly in Charge: Managing Up, Managing Down, Succeeding All Around, a Washington Post Top Five Business Book for Leaders. Roberta will show you how to “Make Dollars and Sense Out of Gen Y”, as well as present a second session on strategies for business growth.
Jeff Mease, founder & CEO of One World Enterprises, which includes Pizza X, Lennie’s, The Bloomington Brewing Co. and One World Catering & Events, will take you through the process of deciding whether or not to open a second unit.
Mike Bausch, owner of Andolini’s Pizzeria and 2011 Tulsa Restaurateur of the Year, will tell you how to manage, motivate and empower Gen Y to take your pizzeria to the next level.
T. J. Schier, president and founder of Incentivize Solutions and S.M.A.R.T. Restaurant Group, is one of the foremost authorities on restaurant training tactics. He’ll teach you the “Training Tactics of Pizza Pros” that really work and give a second seminar on 10 tactics to make your front line improve your bottom line.
Beckee Moreland, director of gluten-free industry initiatives for the National Foundation for Celiac Awareness, will disclose how gluten-free products are impacting foodservice and creating new menu opportunities. She’ll discuss the potential of gluten-free pizza in the working pizzeria kitchen.
The bottom line is there’s always something new at Pizza Expo that can improve your pizzeria… a new marketing idea, technological innovation or menu item. As always, our commitment to you, our partners, is to continue to grow and improve every facet of Pizza Expo… from the trade show floor to our networking events and contests. In fact, if you don’t come away from International Pizza Expo 2013 with new cost-saving or profit-boosting ideas, I’ll refund your registration fee. All you have to do is put it in writing to me and I’ll send you a prompt refund. What other show gives you a money-back guarantee? I’ll tell you, none!
Remember International Pizza Expo® is a tax-deductible working vacation.
For more information on our contests or to register, please call (800) 489-8324 or visit our Website at www.PizzaExpo.com.
It’s all pizza and it’s all for YOU!
Best regards,
Bill Oakley
Executive Vice President
Bill OAKLEY
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If you’re a student of the pizza industry, chances are you’ve probably heard of a little show called International Pizza Expo. If you were one of the nearly 7,000 people who attended, you experienced first-hand the knowledge, expertise and excitement the annual show brought to the Las Vegas Convention Center last March.
“This year we had attendees from all 50 states, Puerto Rico, Canada and 23 other countries,” says Bill Oakley, executive vice president of Macfadden Protech, parent company of International Pizza Expo. “We even had a group from the largest pizza company in Mongolia, Mr. Pizza, make the long trip to Las Vegas to experience everything Pizza Expo has to offer. As a result of their experience, they’ve already implemented some of the ideas they picked up at Expo.” Show organizers say that 25 percent of show-goers were first-time attendees, and the show designated a day devoted entirely to those looking to start pizzerias. “Based on the comments to date, it was a huge success with 684 attendees taking part in this day-long educational program,” Oakley says. “This stimulating day of educational sessions and workshops was followed by a reception where attendees could network with fellow ‘newbies,’ industry experts and event sponsors.” Keynote speakers for the three-day show included Nick Sarillo, owner of Nick’s Pizza & Pub in Illinois, and Marla Topliff, president of Rosati’s Pizza. Bruce Allar, vice president of meetings and conferences for Macfadden Protech, says the 2012 line-up of Pizza Expo speakers placed more emphasis on successful pizzeria owners, making International Pizza Expo a true peer-to-peer experience. “The buzz of activity never abated among buyers and sellers on the show floor, or among pizza professionals networking and learning at other Expo gatherings,” says Allar. “Pizza Expo maintained a powerful momentum from the opening bell on Tuesday morning all the way to its conclusion on Thursday afternoon.”
Contestants vied for supremacy in the International Pizza Challenge, a series of culinary competitions designed to highlight the best of the best.
In the traditional division, regional prelimary winners included:
Reál Varela, Brooklyn Pizza & Pasta, Los Angeles, CA – Southwest Region
Tim Silva, Pizza My Heart, Los Gatos, CA – Northwest Region
Mark Briand, Bondi’s Pizza, London, Ont. – Mid-America Region
Giovanni Gagliardi, Pizzeria La Leggenda, San Felice, Italy – International Region
Marlene Smith, Pizza Palace Plus, Emporium, PA – Northeast Region
Keith Coffman, Lost River Pizza Co., Bowling Green, KY – Southeast Region
Frank Baird, Franco’s Pizza, Chardon, OH – Wild Card
Silva took home the title of World’s Best Traditional Pizza Winner.
In the Non-Traditional Division, preliminary winners were:
Joleen Pisner, AJ Barile’s Chicago Pizza, Yucaipa, CA – Southwest Region
John Cammack, Lefty’s Grill, Nevada City, CA – Northwest Region
Rick Mines, Nima’s Pizza & More, Gassville, AR – Southeast Region
John Gutekanst, Avalanche Pizza, Athens, OH – Mid-America Region
Andrew Scudera, Goodfella’s Brick Oven Pizza, Staten Island, NY – Northeast Region
Tsutomu Inayoshi, Home Delivered Pizza, Aichi, Japan – International Region
Scudera took home the title of World’s Best Non-Traditional Pizza.
In the new American-Pan division, finalists included:
Shawn Randazzo, Cloverleaf Pizza of St. Clair, St. Clair Shores, MI – 1st Place
Matthew Heard, Humble Pie, Edmond, OK – 2nd Place
Alex Abellan, Pizza Zone, Victoria, BC – 3rd Place
The Italian-Style Division Finals Winners were:
Umberto Fornito, Italy – 1st Place
Saverio Ciampi, Italy – 2nd Place
Alessandra DeBellis, Italy – 3rd Place
Finalists from each division competed in a blind-box challenge in the Pizza Maker of the Year Bake-Off. The competition’s mystery ingredient, Cattlemen’s Carolina Tangy Gold Barbeque Sauce, proved to be a challenge for the four finalists, who presented the judges with unique pizzas created from a table of provided ingredients. Shawn Randazzo of Cloverleaf Pizza of St. Clair in St. Clair Shores, Michigan, walked away with the title of World Champion Pizza Maker and a cash prize. The International Pizza Challenge also pitted four former winners –– all industry experts in their own right. Tony Gemignani of San Francisco-based Tony’s Pizza Napoletana was named the “Best of the Best” Master Pizza Maker of the Year.
The popular World Pizza Games trials culminated at an event on Wednesday, March 13. Winners were:
1st Division Freestyle Acrobatics: Kazuya Akaogi, Red Japan Co., Japan
Masters Division Freestyle Acrobatics: Jay Schuurman, Pizza Rock, Sacramento, CA
Fastest Dough Stretch: Ingrosso Simone, Pizzeria Del Mille, Italy
Fastest Box Folding: Jimmy Xang, Pizza Guys, Rancho Cordova, CA
Largest Dough Stretch: Mario Sigmorile, Pizzeria Del Centro, Italy
Longest Spin: Kazuya Akaogi, Red Japan Co., Japan
Throughout the three-day event, show attendees visited sponsoring booths and turned in gamepieces for the $20,000 MEGA BUCKS Giveaway. Frank Sastano of Tulsa, Oklahoma-based Savastano’s Pizzeria took home the cash prize.
“This year’s Pizza Expo was the biggest and best show ever, breaking records for attendance with 6,901 pizza professionals, 940 booths and tons of excitement,” says Oakley. “Words just don’t do it justice; you really have to experience Pizza Expo to understand the interaction that takes place between our attendees and exhibitors. Everyone is truly anxious and motivated to get into discussions about new products, new technology, the latest industry trends and hot-button issues facing the industry today.”
In This Issue
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Exciting new seminars, workshops and competitions are in store for you at International Pizza Expo 2013, at the Las Vegas Convention Center, March 19-21 in Las Vegas, Nevada.
BREAKING NEWS: Pizza Expo will kick off with a special appearance by Chef Robert Irvine, host of Food Network’s prime-time series Restaurant Impossible.
A Craft Beer powerhouse panel discussion will make its debut at the 2013 Pizza Expo. Want to build a profitable craft beer program? Don’t miss this seminar.
The World Pizza Game return with the addition of a new “triathlon” category, comprised of box folding, dough tossing for a 16-inch screen and dough tossing for a 24-inch screen.
Find out more about the new additions to the 2013 Pizza Expo by clicking here.
To view a full schedule at a glance, click here.
International Pizza Expo® 2013, scheduled for March 19-21 at the Las Vegas Convention Center, is the oldest and largest annual gathering of pizza professionals—and will draw approximately 7,000 attendees and 450 exhibitors to a show floor covering an area equal to 5½ football fields. In its 29th year, Pizza Expo attracts top independent and chain operators to do business in the exhibit hall, attend education sessions and take part in pizza-making competitions.
Related
Pizza Expo® has something for everyone –– whether you’re looking for new ways to create revenue or just want to find out about the latest industry trends and products. The one thing that really separates Pizza Expo from all of the other general foodservice shows is the fact that there’s only one tradeshow where you’ll find over 80 industry specific seminars, workshops and demonstrations, 450 exhibiting companies and 1,000 booths all devoted to pizza … and that’s Pizza Expo. Throw in the best networking event in the industry –– the Beer and Bull Idea Exchange –– along with all of our other great contests and competitions, such as the World Pizza Games, International Pizza Challenge, and the Great $20,000 Mega Bucks Giveaway, and you can see why industry veterans call Pizza Expo the “Show of Shows.”
This year’s Expo shattered all of our previous attendance records with nearly 7,000 attendees and 4,000 exhibitor personnel. And the international presence was astounding, with attendees from Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Finland, Germany, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Mongolia, Norway and Spain –– just to name a few –– making it a truly worldly experience for everyone! Pizza is indeed a universal food, and there was plenty of it to be found on our show floor that measured over 5½ football fields.
If you didn’t get the chance to attend this year’s show, you still have the opportunity to listen and learn by ordering recordings of some or all of the 50-plus educational sessions that were offered. You can order a Multimedia DVD-ROM or download directly to your iPod by going to the InteliQuest Media website at www. intelliquestmedia.com. It’s also a good way to revisit a seminar to hear what you missed or listen to one you couldn’t attend –– and we know there were several you probably wish you could have made it to during the show.
In addition, I want to thank everyone who attended this year’s Expo. Without the continued support of pizzeria operators, suppliers, manufacturers and industry experts, we could not have achieved the measure of success that makes International Pizza Expo the must- attend event of the year.
It’s never too early to start making plans for next year’s show, slated for March 19 – 21, 2013, at the Las Vegas Convention Center, so save the date! We’re already making plans for next year’s Expo, and we think you’ll be pleased with the changes we’re making. If you have any ideas or suggestions on how we can improve the show, please give me a call at (800) 489-8324 or drop me a note at BOakley@PizzaToday.com.
Last but not least, please 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
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If you were in Las Vegas, then you know that International Pizza Expo® was the THE place to be. You could feel the energy and pizza enthusiasm from the moment you walked into the Las Vegas Convention Center.
There was something for everyone at International Pizza Expo® 2012, whether you’re a veteran or just opening your first store. When the show closed on Thursday afternoon, nearly 7,000 buyers had visited more than 930 exhibits and attended more than 80 educational sessions. Rounding out the experience were numerous culinary competitions, contests, demonstrations and other special events.
The Traditional Division of the International Pizza Challenge™ had the following regional winners and wild cards that advanced to the finals:
Real Varela, Brooklyn Pizza & Pasta, Los Angeles, CA - Southwest Region
Tim Silva, Nima’s Pizza My Heart, Los Gatos, CA - Northwest Region
Mark Briand, Bondi’s Pizza, London, Ontario - Mid-America Region
Frank Baird, Franco’s Pizza Plus, Chardon, OH - Wild Card
Giovanni Gagliardi, Pizzeria La Leggenda, San Felice, Italy - International Region
Marlene Smith, Pizza Palace Plus, Emporium, PA - Northeast Region
Keith Coffman, Lost River Pizza Co., Bowling Green, KY, - Southeast Region
The Non-Traditional Division of the International Pizza Challenge™ had the following regional winners and wild cards that advanced to the finals:
Joleen Pisner, AJ Barile’s Chicago Pizza, Yucaipa, CA - Southwest Region
John Cammack, Lefty’s Grill, Nevada City, CA - Northwest Region
Rick Mines, Nima’s Pizza & More, Gassville, AR - Southeast Region
John Gutekanst, Avalanche Pizza, Athens, OH - Mid-America Region
Andrew Scudera, Goodfella’s Brick Oven Pizza, Staten Island, NY -
Northeast Region
Tsutomu Inayoshi, Japanese Home Delivered Pizza, Aichi, Japan -
International Region
Alexandre Brunet, Pizza Stromboli, Montreal, Quebec - Wild Card
Tim Silva, won the Traditional Division and $7,500, Andrew Scudera, won Non-Traditional Division and $7,500, Shawn Randazzo, Cloverleaf Pizza, St. Clair, MI, won the American-Pan Division, and Umberto Fornito won the Italian-Style Division and $4,000.
Following the International Pizza Challenge finals, the winners in each division squared off in the Pizza Maker of the Year competition. Contestants were presented with a table of ingredients from which to choose. There were no restrictions for toppings, but all contestants had to use the secret ingredient – Cattlemen’s® Carolina Tangy Gold™ Barbeque Sauce. Shawn Randazzo walked away with the title of World Champion Pizza Maker of the Year and an additional $5,000. We also introduced a new competition this year called the Best of the Best, where four past World Champions squared off to see who would be named the Master Pizza Maker of the Year. The inaugural winner was Tony Gemignani, of Tony’s Pizza Napoletana in San Francisco, California, who walked away with $2,500.
The Winners in the World Pizza Games® were as follows:
Freestyle Acrobatics –– Kazuya Akaogi, Red Japan Co., Japan,
Masters Division Freestyle Acrobatics –– Jay Schuurman, Pizza Rock, Sacramento, CA
Fastest Dough Stretch –– Ingrosso Simone, Pizzeria Del Mille, Italy
Fastest Box Folding –– Jimmy Xang, Pizza Guys, Rancho Cordova, CA
Largest Dough Stretch –– Mario Sigmorile, Pizzeria Del Centro, Italy
Longest Spin –– Kazuya Akaogi, Red Japan Co., Japan
Start making plans now to attend International Pizza Expo® 2013, which will again be held at the Las Vegas Convention Center March 19 – 21.
Sincerely,
Bill Oakley
In This Issue
More Articles
If you’re a student of the pizza industry, chances are you’ve probably heard of a little show called International Pizza Expo. If you were one of the nearly 7,000 people who attended, you experienced first-hand the knowledge, expertise and excitement the annual show brought to the Las Vegas Convention Center last March.
“This year we had attendees from all 50 states, Puerto Rico, Canada and 23 other countries,” says Bill Oakley, executive vice president of Macfadden Protech, parent company of International Pizza Expo. “We even had a group from the largest pizza company in Mongolia, Mr. Pizza, make the long trip to Las Vegas to experience everything Pizza Expo has to offer. As a result of their experience, they’ve already implemented some of the ideas they picked up at Expo.” Show organizers say that 25 percent of show-goers were first-time attendees, and the show designated a day devoted entirely to those looking to start pizzerias. “Based on the comments to date, it was a huge success with 684 attendees taking part in this day-long educational program,” Oakley says. “This stimulating day of educational sessions and workshops was followed by a reception where attendees could network with fellow ‘newbies,’ industry experts and event sponsors.” Keynote speakers for the three-day show included Nick Sarillo, owner of Nick’s Pizza & Pub in Illinois, and Marla Topliff, president of Rosati’s Pizza. Bruce Allar, vice president of meetings and conferences for Macfadden Protech, says the 2012 line-up of Pizza Expo speakers placed more emphasis on successful pizzeria owners, making International Pizza Expo a true peer-to-peer experience. “The buzz of activity never abated among buyers and sellers on the show floor, or among pizza professionals networking and learning at other Expo gatherings,” says Allar. “Pizza Expo maintained a powerful momentum from the opening bell on Tuesday morning all the way to its conclusion on Thursday afternoon.”
Contestants vied for supremacy in the International Pizza Challenge, a series of culinary competitions designed to highlight the best of the best.
In the traditional division, regional prelimary winners included:
Reál Varela, Brooklyn Pizza & Pasta, Los Angeles, CA – Southwest Region
Tim Silva, Pizza My Heart, Los Gatos, CA – Northwest Region
Mark Briand, Bondi’s Pizza, London, Ont. – Mid-America Region
Giovanni Gagliardi, Pizzeria La Leggenda, San Felice, Italy – International Region
Marlene Smith, Pizza Palace Plus, Emporium, PA – Northeast Region
Keith Coffman, Lost River Pizza Co., Bowling Green, KY – Southeast Region
Frank Baird, Franco’s Pizza, Chardon, OH – Wild Card
Silva took home the title of World’s Best Traditional Pizza Winner.
In the Non-Traditional Division, preliminary winners were:
Joleen Pisner, AJ Barile’s Chicago Pizza, Yucaipa, CA – Southwest Region
John Cammack, Lefty’s Grill, Nevada City, CA – Northwest Region
Rick Mines, Nima’s Pizza & More, Gassville, AR – Southeast Region
John Gutekanst, Avalanche Pizza, Athens, OH – Mid-America Region
Andrew Scudera, Goodfella’s Brick Oven Pizza, Staten Island, NY – Northeast Region
Tsutomu Inayoshi, Home Delivered Pizza, Aichi, Japan – International Region
Scudera took home the title of World’s Best Non-Traditional Pizza.
In the new American-Pan division, finalists included:
Shawn Randazzo, Cloverleaf Pizza of St. Clair, St. Clair Shores, MI – 1st Place
Matthew Heard, Humble Pie, Edmond, OK – 2nd Place
Alex Abellan, Pizza Zone, Victoria, BC – 3rd Place
The Italian-Style Division Finals Winners were:
Umberto Fornito, Italy – 1st Place
Saverio Ciampi, Italy – 2nd Place
Alessandra DeBellis, Italy – 3rd Place
Finalists from each division competed in a blind-box challenge in the Pizza Maker of the Year Bake-Off. The competition’s mystery ingredient, Cattlemen’s Carolina Tangy Gold Barbeque Sauce, proved to be a challenge for the four finalists, who presented the judges with unique pizzas created from a table of provided ingredients. Shawn Randazzo of Cloverleaf Pizza of St. Clair in St. Clair Shores, Michigan, walked away with the title of World Champion Pizza Maker and a cash prize. The International Pizza Challenge also pitted four former winners –– all industry experts in their own right. Tony Gemignani of San Francisco-based Tony’s Pizza Napoletana was named the “Best of the Best” Master Pizza Maker of the Year.
The popular World Pizza Games trials culminated at an event on Wednesday, March 13. Winners were:
1st Division Freestyle Acrobatics: Kazuya Akaogi, Red Japan Co., Japan
Masters Division Freestyle Acrobatics: Jay Schuurman, Pizza Rock, Sacramento, CA
Fastest Dough Stretch: Ingrosso Simone, Pizzeria Del Mille, Italy
Fastest Box Folding: Jimmy Xang, Pizza Guys, Rancho Cordova, CA
Largest Dough Stretch: Mario Sigmorile, Pizzeria Del Centro, Italy
Longest Spin: Kazuya Akaogi, Red Japan Co., Japan
Throughout the three-day event, show attendees visited sponsoring booths and turned in gamepieces for the $20,000 MEGA BUCKS Giveaway. Frank Sastano of Tulsa, Oklahoma-based Savastano’s Pizzeria took home the cash prize.
“This year’s Pizza Expo was the biggest and best show ever, breaking records for attendance with 6,901 pizza professionals, 940 booths and tons of excitement,” says Oakley. “Words just don’t do it justice; you really have to experience Pizza Expo to understand the interaction that takes place between our attendees and exhibitors. Everyone is truly anxious and motivated to get into discussions about new products, new technology, the latest industry trends and hot-button issues facing the industry today.”
In This Issue
More Articles
Exciting new seminars, workshops and competitions are in store for you at International Pizza Expo 2013, at the Las Vegas Convention Center, March 19-21 in Las Vegas, Nevada.
BREAKING NEWS: Pizza Expo will kick off with a special appearance by Chef Robert Irvine, host of Food Network’s prime-time series Restaurant Impossible.
A Craft Beer powerhouse panel discussion will make its debut at the 2013 Pizza Expo. Want to build a profitable craft beer program? Don’t miss this seminar.
The World Pizza Game return with the addition of a new “triathlon” category, comprised of box folding, dough tossing for a 16-inch screen and dough tossing for a 24-inch screen.
Find out more about the new additions to the 2013 Pizza Expo by clicking here.
To view a full schedule at a glance, click here.
International Pizza Expo® 2013, scheduled for March 19-21 at the Las Vegas Convention Center, is the oldest and largest annual gathering of pizza professionals—and will draw approximately 7,000 attendees and 450 exhibitors to a show floor covering an area equal to 5½ football fields. In its 29th year, Pizza Expo attracts top independent and chain operators to do business in the exhibit hall, attend education sessions and take part in pizza-making competitions.
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Pizza Expo® has something for everyone –– whether you’re looking for new ways to create revenue or just want to find out about the latest industry trends and products. The one thing that really separates Pizza Expo from all of the other general foodservice shows is the fact that there’s only one tradeshow where you’ll find over 80 industry specific seminars, workshops and demonstrations, 450 exhibiting companies and 1,000 booths all devoted to pizza … and that’s Pizza Expo. Throw in the best networking event in the industry –– the Beer and Bull Idea Exchange –– along with all of our other great contests and competitions, such as the World Pizza Games, International Pizza Challenge, and the Great $20,000 Mega Bucks Giveaway, and you can see why industry veterans call Pizza Expo the “Show of Shows.”
This year’s Expo shattered all of our previous attendance records with nearly 7,000 attendees and 4,000 exhibitor personnel. And the international presence was astounding, with attendees from Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Finland, Germany, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Mongolia, Norway and Spain –– just to name a few –– making it a truly worldly experience for everyone! Pizza is indeed a universal food, and there was plenty of it to be found on our show floor that measured over 5½ football fields.
If you didn’t get the chance to attend this year’s show, you still have the opportunity to listen and learn by ordering recordings of some or all of the 50-plus educational sessions that were offered. You can order a Multimedia DVD-ROM or download directly to your iPod by going to the InteliQuest Media website at www. intelliquestmedia.com. It’s also a good way to revisit a seminar to hear what you missed or listen to one you couldn’t attend –– and we know there were several you probably wish you could have made it to during the show.
In addition, I want to thank everyone who attended this year’s Expo. Without the continued support of pizzeria operators, suppliers, manufacturers and industry experts, we could not have achieved the measure of success that makes International Pizza Expo the must- attend event of the year.
It’s never too early to start making plans for next year’s show, slated for March 19 – 21, 2013, at the Las Vegas Convention Center, so save the date! We’re already making plans for next year’s Expo, and we think you’ll be pleased with the changes we’re making. If you have any ideas or suggestions on how we can improve the show, please give me a call at (800) 489-8324 or drop me a note at BOakley@PizzaToday.com.
Last but not least, please 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
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If you were in Las Vegas, then you know that International Pizza Expo® was the THE place to be. You could feel the energy and pizza enthusiasm from the moment you walked into the Las Vegas Convention Center.
There was something for everyone at International Pizza Expo® 2012, whether you’re a veteran or just opening your first store. When the show closed on Thursday afternoon, nearly 7,000 buyers had visited more than 930 exhibits and attended more than 80 educational sessions. Rounding out the experience were numerous culinary competitions, contests, demonstrations and other special events.
The Traditional Division of the International Pizza Challenge™ had the following regional winners and wild cards that advanced to the finals:
Real Varela, Brooklyn Pizza & Pasta, Los Angeles, CA - Southwest Region
Tim Silva, Nima’s Pizza My Heart, Los Gatos, CA - Northwest Region
Mark Briand, Bondi’s Pizza, London, Ontario - Mid-America Region
Frank Baird, Franco’s Pizza Plus, Chardon, OH - Wild Card
Giovanni Gagliardi, Pizzeria La Leggenda, San Felice, Italy - International Region
Marlene Smith, Pizza Palace Plus, Emporium, PA - Northeast Region
Keith Coffman, Lost River Pizza Co., Bowling Green, KY, - Southeast Region
The Non-Traditional Division of the International Pizza Challenge™ had the following regional winners and wild cards that advanced to the finals:
Joleen Pisner, AJ Barile’s Chicago Pizza, Yucaipa, CA - Southwest Region
John Cammack, Lefty’s Grill, Nevada City, CA - Northwest Region
Rick Mines, Nima’s Pizza & More, Gassville, AR - Southeast Region
John Gutekanst, Avalanche Pizza, Athens, OH - Mid-America Region
Andrew Scudera, Goodfella’s Brick Oven Pizza, Staten Island, NY -
Northeast Region
Tsutomu Inayoshi, Japanese Home Delivered Pizza, Aichi, Japan -
International Region
Alexandre Brunet, Pizza Stromboli, Montreal, Quebec - Wild Card
Tim Silva, won the Traditional Division and $7,500, Andrew Scudera, won Non-Traditional Division and $7,500, Shawn Randazzo, Cloverleaf Pizza, St. Clair, MI, won the American-Pan Division, and Umberto Fornito won the Italian-Style Division and $4,000.
Following the International Pizza Challenge finals, the winners in each division squared off in the Pizza Maker of the Year competition. Contestants were presented with a table of ingredients from which to choose. There were no restrictions for toppings, but all contestants had to use the secret ingredient – Cattlemen’s® Carolina Tangy Gold™ Barbeque Sauce. Shawn Randazzo walked away with the title of World Champion Pizza Maker of the Year and an additional $5,000. We also introduced a new competition this year called the Best of the Best, where four past World Champions squared off to see who would be named the Master Pizza Maker of the Year. The inaugural winner was Tony Gemignani, of Tony’s Pizza Napoletana in San Francisco, California, who walked away with $2,500.
The Winners in the World Pizza Games® were as follows:
Freestyle Acrobatics –– Kazuya Akaogi, Red Japan Co., Japan,
Masters Division Freestyle Acrobatics –– Jay Schuurman, Pizza Rock, Sacramento, CA
Fastest Dough Stretch –– Ingrosso Simone, Pizzeria Del Mille, Italy
Fastest Box Folding –– Jimmy Xang, Pizza Guys, Rancho Cordova, CA
Largest Dough Stretch –– Mario Sigmorile, Pizzeria Del Centro, Italy
Longest Spin –– Kazuya Akaogi, Red Japan Co., Japan
Start making plans now to attend International Pizza Expo® 2013, which will again be held at the Las Vegas Convention Center March 19 – 21.
Sincerely,
Bill Oakley
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If you’re a student of the pizza industry, chances are you’ve probably heard of a little show called International Pizza Expo. If you were one of the nearly 7,000 people who attended, you experienced first-hand the knowledge, expertise and excitement the annual show brought to the Las Vegas Convention Center last March.
“This year we had attendees from all 50 states, Puerto Rico, Canada and 23 other countries,” says Bill Oakley, executive vice president of Macfadden Protech, parent company of International Pizza Expo. “We even had a group from the largest pizza company in Mongolia, Mr. Pizza, make the long trip to Las Vegas to experience everything Pizza Expo has to offer. As a result of their experience, they’ve already implemented some of the ideas they picked up at Expo.” Show organizers say that 25 percent of show-goers were first-time attendees, and the show designated a day devoted entirely to those looking to start pizzerias. “Based on the comments to date, it was a huge success with 684 attendees taking part in this day-long educational program,” Oakley says. “This stimulating day of educational sessions and workshops was followed by a reception where attendees could network with fellow ‘newbies,’ industry experts and event sponsors.” Keynote speakers for the three-day show included Nick Sarillo, owner of Nick’s Pizza & Pub in Illinois, and Marla Topliff, president of Rosati’s Pizza. Bruce Allar, vice president of meetings and conferences for Macfadden Protech, says the 2012 line-up of Pizza Expo speakers placed more emphasis on successful pizzeria owners, making International Pizza Expo a true peer-to-peer experience. “The buzz of activity never abated among buyers and sellers on the show floor, or among pizza professionals networking and learning at other Expo gatherings,” says Allar. “Pizza Expo maintained a powerful momentum from the opening bell on Tuesday morning all the way to its conclusion on Thursday afternoon.”
Contestants vied for supremacy in the International Pizza Challenge, a series of culinary competitions designed to highlight the best of the best.
In the traditional division, regional prelimary winners included:
Reál Varela, Brooklyn Pizza & Pasta, Los Angeles, CA – Southwest Region
Tim Silva, Pizza My Heart, Los Gatos, CA – Northwest Region
Mark Briand, Bondi’s Pizza, London, Ont. – Mid-America Region
Giovanni Gagliardi, Pizzeria La Leggenda, San Felice, Italy – International Region
Marlene Smith, Pizza Palace Plus, Emporium, PA – Northeast Region
Keith Coffman, Lost River Pizza Co., Bowling Green, KY – Southeast Region
Frank Baird, Franco’s Pizza, Chardon, OH – Wild Card
Silva took home the title of World’s Best Traditional Pizza Winner.
In the Non-Traditional Division, preliminary winners were:
Joleen Pisner, AJ Barile’s Chicago Pizza, Yucaipa, CA – Southwest Region
John Cammack, Lefty’s Grill, Nevada City, CA – Northwest Region
Rick Mines, Nima’s Pizza & More, Gassville, AR – Southeast Region
John Gutekanst, Avalanche Pizza, Athens, OH – Mid-America Region
Andrew Scudera, Goodfella’s Brick Oven Pizza, Staten Island, NY – Northeast Region
Tsutomu Inayoshi, Home Delivered Pizza, Aichi, Japan – International Region
Scudera took home the title of World’s Best Non-Traditional Pizza.
In the new American-Pan division, finalists included:
Shawn Randazzo, Cloverleaf Pizza of St. Clair, St. Clair Shores, MI – 1st Place
Matthew Heard, Humble Pie, Edmond, OK – 2nd Place
Alex Abellan, Pizza Zone, Victoria, BC – 3rd Place
The Italian-Style Division Finals Winners were:
Umberto Fornito, Italy – 1st Place
Saverio Ciampi, Italy – 2nd Place
Alessandra DeBellis, Italy – 3rd Place
Finalists from each division competed in a blind-box challenge in the Pizza Maker of the Year Bake-Off. The competition’s mystery ingredient, Cattlemen’s Carolina Tangy Gold Barbeque Sauce, proved to be a challenge for the four finalists, who presented the judges with unique pizzas created from a table of provided ingredients. Shawn Randazzo of Cloverleaf Pizza of St. Clair in St. Clair Shores, Michigan, walked away with the title of World Champion Pizza Maker and a cash prize. The International Pizza Challenge also pitted four former winners –– all industry experts in their own right. Tony Gemignani of San Francisco-based Tony’s Pizza Napoletana was named the “Best of the Best” Master Pizza Maker of the Year.
The popular World Pizza Games trials culminated at an event on Wednesday, March 13. Winners were:
1st Division Freestyle Acrobatics: Kazuya Akaogi, Red Japan Co., Japan
Masters Division Freestyle Acrobatics: Jay Schuurman, Pizza Rock, Sacramento, CA
Fastest Dough Stretch: Ingrosso Simone, Pizzeria Del Mille, Italy
Fastest Box Folding: Jimmy Xang, Pizza Guys, Rancho Cordova, CA
Largest Dough Stretch: Mario Sigmorile, Pizzeria Del Centro, Italy
Longest Spin: Kazuya Akaogi, Red Japan Co., Japan
Throughout the three-day event, show attendees visited sponsoring booths and turned in gamepieces for the $20,000 MEGA BUCKS Giveaway. Frank Sastano of Tulsa, Oklahoma-based Savastano’s Pizzeria took home the cash prize.
“This year’s Pizza Expo was the biggest and best show ever, breaking records for attendance with 6,901 pizza professionals, 940 booths and tons of excitement,” says Oakley. “Words just don’t do it justice; you really have to experience Pizza Expo to understand the interaction that takes place between our attendees and exhibitors. Everyone is truly anxious and motivated to get into discussions about new products, new technology, the latest industry trends and hot-button issues facing the industry today.”
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