Issuu

Volume 19 Issue 2 April/May 2013

12 Rocco Agostino, chef of the YeAR

Meet the chef who brought VPN certified pizza to Toronto.

14 Using sociAl mediA to stAnd oUt 10

Pick up tricks from others’ success

15 cAn YoU tRUst YoUR pARtneR?

16 ARe YoU tApping?

How emerging wireless technology can save you time and money

22 the sights And soUnds of pizzA expo Canadian Pizza’s roundup of Las Vegas’ biggest pizza party

www.canadianpizzamag.com

DEPARTMENTS 6

editor’s desk

pizza bites

the pizza chef

making dough

marketing insights

canadian pizza online

pizza on fire

APRIL/MAY 2013 pizza 3

“Packed from Fresh Tomatoes, Not from Concentrate”...

President Tom Cortopassi (kneeling) and “Coach” Dino Cortopassi (standing) in one of our

Since 1942, our Restaurateur customers’ success has depended on the superior taste of the food they serve and of our products. As a family-owned business, it feels good knowing that so many of our customers have relied on our “Packed From Fresh Tomato” products from generation to generation.

Whether your restaurant has a long family history, or whether you’re the founder, you can depend on our family making the best “Real Italian” tomato products...always Packed From Fresh Tomatoes, Never From Concentrate...generation after generation!

Tom Cortopassi President/Owner

Dino Cortopassi Coach/Owner

Generation after Generation.

tomato fields in Stanislaus County, California

THE

StaniSlauS E

O F

Q U

The “Real Italian” Tomato Company 1202 “D” Street

from the editor’s desk April/may, Vol. 19, no. 2

Will they remember me? A

pizzeria cannot rest on the laurels of its high-quality food. Unfortunately, great food on its own will not make your restaurant memorable enough to trounce your competition. The ugly truth is that there is a lot of greattasting pizza out there, and although pizza makers take biggest pride in their own pies, I say put on the critic’s cap and take a hard look at what else you’re offering. These thoughts were sparked by two experiences: first, I heard a lecture by the always-excellent Joel Cohen at Pizza Expo on word-of-mouth marketing that was chock full of ideas to create experiences for your guests and get them spreading good gospel. Shortly thereafter, I was refuelling at a place in Las Vegas called China Poblano. It’s Chinese and Mexican, more side by side than fusion, and like nothing I’d ever encountered. Twenty-vegetable fried rice alongside Barbacoa tacos washed down with a cold blend of green tea, beer and tequila was certainly unique. Ironically, for a place that rides a reputation of causing an inability to recall nights prior, Las Vegas is champion of memorable experiences. Its combination of hardcore hospitality and adult amusement park is tough to beat. This year’s jaunt to Pizza Expo was my 10th touchdown in the entertainment capital, and despite the variety of eateries on offer, on each visit I find myself looking forward to returning to the same kitschy haunts time after time. This Chinese-Mexican nonfusion is just the type of place I return to. It’s these kinds of things that stick with you long after the remnants of taste have been slayed by the toothpaste. So, I thought back to the most memorable restaurants I’d been to, and what it was

that made them such cerebral chewing gum. Sometimes it was restaurants that offered an experience, such as La Cremerie in Paris where there was no menu to order from, about six tables and a chef who brought you what he had that day. It was confusing, but in a good way. Or Diablo’s, a casual Mexican restaurant that has a bathroom attendant alongside a bevy of fresh-up toiletries and candies – the last thing you expect in an open-air happy hour joint. Places with funky signs and paraphernalia also were easy to recall. I went to Frank & Teressa’s Anchor Bar, home of the original Buffalo chicken wing, about two years ago but I can still picture the interior of the joint, every inch plastered with a clipping, a sign or some other oddity to stare at. Joel Cohen’s word-of-mouth seminar touched on these differentiation tactics and more. Here are some of my favourite ideas he put forth: tell a story no one else can in the form of an analogy (we sell enough wings in a year to fill a Boeing 747); personalize your front door sign with the chef’s name and add some humour; post “meet the staff” head shots along with their hobbies to show guests who’s looking after them; randomly give out lottery tickets; differentiate your delivery drivers by having them don suits and ties; and run a “did you know” marketing campaign focusing on your restaurant story and ingredients. So, what makes you memorable? If your first reaction is to answer, “Why, my pizza of course!” I agree this is undoubtedly imperative, but what else? What do you offer that is unexpected? How do you surprise your guests? Let’s give them something to talk about. •

@CdnPizzaMag

6 pizza APRIL/MAY 2013

editor Laura Aiken laiken@annexweb.com 416-522-1595 Assistant editor Stefanie Wallace swallace@annexweb.com 888-599-2228 ext. 277 publisher Christine Livingstone clivingstone@annexweb.com 519-429-5173 888-599-2228 ext. 239 sales Assistant Jarah Stefek jstefek@annexweb.com 888-599-2228, ext. 219 media designer Jaime Ratcliffe group publisher Martin McAnulty mmcanulty@annexweb.com president Mike Fredericks mfredericks@annexweb.com mailing Address P.O. Box 530, 105 Donly Dr. S., Simcoe, ON N3Y 4N5 PuBLICAtION MAIL AgReeMeNt #40065710 RetuRN uNDeLIVeRABLe CANADIAN ADDReSS tO CIRCuLAtION DePARtMeNt, P.O. Box 530, Simcoe, ON N3Y 4N5 e-mail: subscribe@canadianpizzamag.com Published seven times per year (Jan/Feb, Apr/May, Jun, Jul/Aug, Sept/Oct, Nov, Dec), by Annex Publishing & Printing Inc. Printed in Canada ISSN 1203-6838 circulation e-mail: subscribe@canadianpizzamag.com tel: 866-790-6070 ext. 207 Fax: 877-624-1940 Mail: P.O. Box 530, Simcoe, ON N3Y 4N5 subscription Rates Canada – 1 Year $ 19.00 (+ applicable tax) Best pricing (Can/uSA/foreign) available online at www.canadianpizzamag.com Occasionally, Canadian Pizza Magazine will mail information on behalf of industry-related groups whose products and services we believe may be of interest to you. If you prefer not to receive this information, please contact our circulation department in any of the four ways listed above.. No part of the editorial content of this publication may be reprinted without the publisher’s written permission. ©2013 Annex Publishing and Printing Inc. All rights reserved. Opinions expressed in this magazine are not necessarily those of the editor or the publisher. No liability is assumed for errors or omissions. All advertising is subject to the publisher’s approval. Such approval does not imply any endorsement of the products or services advertised. Publisher reserves the right to refuse advertising that does not meet the standards of the publication. www.canadianpizzamag.com

pizzabites Famoso eyes international growth f

amoso Neapolitan Pizzeria is taking Canada by storm with new locations opening this year across the country and a high-profile investor on its side. The idea for Famoso started in 2005 after co-owner Justin Lussier visited Naples and was inspired by the culture and food served throughout Italy. Lussier and his business partners, Jason Allard and Christian Bullock, have trained with the Associazione Verace Pizza Napoletana (VPN). Famoso’s first location opened in May 2007 in Edmonton, followed by a second location in January 2009 and a third in September 2009. When Canadian Pizza spoke with Lussier, Allard and Bullock in February, Famoso had 15 locations open across British Columbia, Alberta and Ontario, with a plan to open at least 15 more before the end of 2013. Now, Canadian investor Michael Serruya is on board to help Famoso expand nationally and internationally. “There’s lots of work involved. It’s one thing to build a one- or two-store operation in one province, but to take it outside of the province and across the country and hopefully internationally is a different concept,” he says. “The challenges are more from a logistic point of view, for things like ensuring all of the ingredients can be sent to a store in Vancouver or Toronto.” Famoso’s fast-casual concept is aimed at giving guests different dining options. “Customers have the option of paying right away or starting a tab. We like to think it’s a nice middle ground between full service and the quick-service method of ordering and paying.“ says Allard.

8 pizza APRIL/MAY 2013

The sights at CRFA oronto’s annual Canadian Restaurant and Foodservices Association (CRFA) show touched down at the Direct Energy Centre with a heady buzz of spring and happening things. Held March 3-5, the event attracted about 13,000 people and featured more than 1,200 exhibitor booths. This year’s festivities saw a flair-bartending stage, Breakfast of Champions panel, pop-up bistro, and packed days of chef demos and educational seminars. Vikram Vij, Mark McEwan, Anna Olsen and David Adjey were among the celebrity chefs on hand. Mexico had a prominent presence with a pavilion of vanilla, green beans,

hot sauces, and of course tequila. The U.S. states of Georgia, Illinois and Pennsylvania had booth presence this year as well. The involvement of Gourmet Syndicate, a “mobile food infrastructure services company,” offered a nod to the continued food truck trend. Here’s a few cool new products and show newcomers: • Sauted mushrooms from Ubbelea come frozen with a shelf life of one year, and are great for pizza, sandwiches or poutine. Ubbelea also offers fresh mushrooms that have a neutral base of oil, butter, salt and pepper, for a variety of applications. • Mr. Donair showcased a fully

pizzabites

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cooked line of 100 per cent Canadian beef done pepperoni style for pizza, subs and sandwiches. Pure Chilean’s EVOO has a low acidity of 0.2 per cent. The company is the harvester, manufacturer and bottler. Pure Chilean was featuring two awardwinning oils: La Martina Arbequina, a single varietal; and Las Martina Premium Selection, made from a mix of olive varieties. The Shafer-Haggart display included new sliced black olive pouches that come in packs of 12. Armodilo, a first-time exhibitor looking to expand in the Canadian market, offered a slick-looking stand that turned tablets into interactive kiosks. Chef’s Fun Foods Gourmet Fries Seasoning are new in the Canadian market this year. Select Food Products has a new addition to its portion cup selection: Creamy Caesar. The company was also showcasing a new sweet and spicy chunky relish made with peaches, tomato paste, raisins and mustard seed.

Canadian Pizza magazine will host its own event, the Canadian Pizza Show, on Oct. 29 at the International Centre. Visit www.canadianpizzamag.com/pizzabizforum/ for more details.

Mother’s Pizza not just a memory anymore BY JAYSON KOBLuN fter a 20-year hiatus, Mother’s Pizza is back in business. Owners Brian Alger and Geeve Sandhu are reopening the doors of Mother’s Pizza Parlour and Spaghetti House on April 1, in Hamilton, Ont. They are hoping to bring in new customers while reminding returning ones of the restaurant’s successes throughout the 1970s and 1980s. “When you ask someone to list off things they remember about Mother’s Pizza, they all say the same thing – great food, great pizza, tall glasses, pizza pedestals, and silent movies,” says Brian Alger, co-owner of Mother’s Pizza. “We’re catering to a whole new generation now, we have to recognize that the business has evolved.” The owners hope this is the first of many Mother’s Pizzas to return. At its prime, the pizza chain had about 120 restaurants across Canada and a few in the U.S. The business closed down in the early 1990s. Alger has revived old brands before. Having brought the PoP Shoppe beverage brand back to North America in 2004, Alger gets a real sense of pride in what he does for old businesses. “It feels good to bring dormant brands back into the market. I like seeing how excited people get when they think about an old memory like Mother’s Pizza,” he says. “I grew up eating Mother’s Pizza, it’s probably where I got my love for the food.” Jay Nadeau, a pizza maker and delivery driver from one of the original Mother’s Pizzas in Oakville, Ont, is thrilled to see the return of his favourite pizza chain. “There isn’t a pizza out there today that can compare to what they have,” Nadeau says. “I have great memories from having birthday parties there when I was younger. They remind me of some of the best pizza I’ve ever had.” The owners buy bread from the local bakery, meat from the local butcher, and make their own sausage in the restaurant. “We do as much as possible in-house,” says Alger. “If you happen to wander in and don’t know the restaurant’s history, you’ll still really like it. We really hope our returning customers appreciate how we’ve recreated some of the old favourites.” Alger and Geeve have taken advantage of social media as they try and get people excited about the relaunch. “We posted a picture of our sign on Facebook during our early stages and received over 450 likes after just a few hours,” he says. “Just talking about it gives me goosebumps.” The restaurant is at 701 Queenston Rd. in Hamilton. Nadeau and Alger both suggest trying the “Grandmother’s Pizza” first.

APRIL/MAY 2013 pizza 9

the pizza chef

Diana Coutu

anadians love beer. Canadians love pizza. This month I’m going to talk about how I added beer to my recipe for pizza dough. Back in 2005, when Canadian Pizza held its first contest for “Canada’s Best Pizza Chef of the Year” it was inspired by another Food Network competition show. There were 40 common ingredients and you were allowed to choose five secret ingredients to complete three recipes from scratch. I wondered what made Canadian pizza truly Canadian. When you think of pizzas from different regions of the world – New York style, Chicago Deep Dish, Californian style and Italian style – each of those styles of pizza has distinctive characteristics and tastes that make them region-specific. Back to my original question, what makes Canadian pizza Canadian? One night while I was looking in the fridge, the answer hit me. Canadians have been enjoying beer and pizza for decades, what would happen if I put the beer right in the pizza dough? It took me three or four test batches to answer that question. I did very small test batches of only four dough balls so I wouldn’t need a whole keg of beer. When I started testing I substituted some of the water amount with my husband’s favourite beer. I did a few batches and increased the amount of beer only while decreasing the water by the same volume. In order to get any of the beer flavour into your pizza crust you will need at least 50 per cent of the liquid to be beer. Using beer in your pizza dough can add a unique flavour and appeal to an otherwise ordinary pizza. The main thing to remember is that you should choose a beer with a distinctive flavour. Stay away

Using beer in your pizza dough

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These two pair up in more ways than one.

from light beers because they won’t have enough kick to enhance the flavour of the dough. Next I varied the fermentation, or proofing, times. I always allow any pizza dough to proof in a walk-in cooler for at least 24 hours. Good dough needs time to develop the flavours. With my beer dough I found that it needed a 36-hour rise. I get asked a lot whether the amount of yeast needs to be reduced since there is yeast present in beer, and the answer is no. The amount of active yeast in beer is typically not sufficient to warrant reducing yeast in the recipe. This is a general rule of thumb; it is possible to make a starter, which is often substituted for fresh yeast, from just beer, flour, salt and rising time. Once the dough had developed the flavours, I baked it with a little bit of sauce and cheese. The flavour of the beer is baked right into the pizza dough, and all of the alcohol bakes off – making it safe for all ages to eat. With my beer dough, the crust bakes to a crisp golden brown

on the outside while still being soft and bread-like on the inside. Since then I’ve shared my award-winning beer pizza dough recipe with friends from around the world. My friends from Ireland used Guinness beer in their pizza dough one time, and Jameson whiskey another. A friend from Ohio uses it with a craft beer that is popular at his high-end pizzeria. A friend from California is testing it with a Pinot Grigio. When you have a good pizza dough recipe, it can easily be modified to accommodate regional preferences and become a signature feature of your menu. • Diana Coutu is a two-time Canadian Pizza magazine chef of the year champion, internationally recognized gourmet pizzaiolo, co-owner of Diana’s Gourmet Pizzeria in Winnipeg, Man., and a board of director for the CRFA. In addition to creating award-winning recipes, Diana is also a consultant to other pizzeria owner/operators in menu development, creating systems to run a pizzeria on autopilot, along with marketing and positioning to help operators grow their business effectively and strategically. She is available for consulting on a limited basis. For more information, contact her at Diana@dianasgourmetpizzeria.ca.

Your prep time will be shorter. Your menu richer. Simply create with fully cooked meats from Burke. We offer more than 1,200 varieties to meat your entrées, salads, sandwiches and pizza. Sample? Just ask. Chase Global Foods, Canada 800.263.1964 www.BurkeCorp.com/CPP or 800.654.1152

cover story

The crew: Nick auf der Mauer of Porchetta and Co., Pizzeria Libretto business partners Jamie Cook, Gary Quinto, Max Rimaldi and Rocco Agostino, and Libretto staffer Mathan Rajarantnam.

Chef of the Year Meet the 2013 Canadian Pizza magazine Chef of the Year sponsored by Saputo Foodservice and Moretti Forni (distributed by Euro-Milan) BY LAuRA AIKeN

occo Agostino may be the shareholder who’s “all about the food” in the Libretto Restaurant Group, but he’s earned his business stripes and then some as the executive chef of one of Toronto’s busiest pizzerias. Pizzeria Libretto brought VPN certified pizza to Toronto, sparking the oft media quoted “pizza wars” as more shops opened up featuring the Neapolitan style. Pizzeria Libretto was unveiled on the trendy Ossington strip in August 2008. The first week was a “little crazy,” says Agostino. “There were dramatic jumps in service from the first night to the second night. We ran out of dough a couple times. It was

12 pizza APRIL/MAY 2013

something I think the city wanted and was excited about.” Torontonians got excited and stayed excited. Libretto is still a busy place, and Neapolitan pizza is still on fire five years later. What began as one restaurant, grew to a second location on Danforth, and a sister restaurant, Enoteca Sociale. Agostino, one of four partners in the restaurant group, splits his time between the pizzerias. Agostino has become a celebrity chef of sorts. While he isn’t hosting his own show (yet), his name fronts one of the upcoming and upscale new eateries at Pearson Airport alongside the likes of Mark McEwan. But, before he was known as pizza maker

extraordinaire, serving up duck confit pies in the tradition of his French culinary training, he was a young buck, born in 1970 and raised in downtown Toronto, who didn’t take much interest in food until his later teen years. “I drove my parents crazy as a kid, played hockey with my friends. I don’t think it was until I was a teenager, about 16 or so, that I started taking notice of food. Like every kid, I would watch my mum cooking in the kitchen.” To this day, he says his favourite meal of Mom’s is her lasagna, and that it would “probably be my last supper.” He got his first restaurant job at 19,

working his way through a few different places. He wanted to work for Raffaello Ferrari, an executive chef and co-owner of Centro in the 1980s. Agostino saw him as a top Italian chef and he wanted to learn from the best. He didn’t land a job with him, but did get to meet him and was advised to work in a couple of other kitchens and then come back. He met his future business partner and the majority owner of Libretto, Max Rimaldi, at one of his first posts (perhaps the unattained position became a twist of fate). And, as all who’ve had their first posts know, mistakes are some of life’s most memorable learning opportunities. “It was at my first job. Chef had stock on the stove and asked me to strain it, so I said OK. So I strained it – the liquid is all gone – and saved whatever else was left. He’s like, ‘what did you do?’ I was like, ‘I strained it.’ So I saved the fish bones. Needless to say I never did that again.” He eventually attended Stratford Chef School, and furthered his culinary training in Italy. He then opened up the Silver Spoon in Toronto, operating it for 10 years before Rimaldi turned up with an idea for a pizzeria. Agostino sold Silver Spoon and opened Libretto a year and a half later. Rimaldi started the concept at home, working the dough, which is aged for three days. At Libretto, it’s all about flavour. The restaurant abides by an Italian philosophy of following seasons and preparing simple yet bold-flavoured dishes, says Agostino. “There’s something to be said for having a tomato in August when it’s at its peak. That’s why you won’t find tomatoes on our menu at this time of year [February]. It’s about flavor . . . wild leeks are about a month away and it gets your mind turning and thinking of specials.” Local and organic are two food buying decisions wrapped tightly in the fold of Agostino’s philosophy, but if he had to choose one or the other, he says he would pick local because he knows where the food is coming from. Using companies that bridge the gap between farmers and restaurant helps Agostino keep a steady supply. He lives his beliefs at home, visiting the farmer’s markets with his wife and young son and daughter. When he’s not playing with his kids, flipping through food magazines, or taking his family for wings, he’s got his ambition for

perfection keeping him on his chef-shoed toes. He credits having passion, and the desire to learn something new every day as way to keep thinking researching. Agostino was recently in California attaining his own VPN certification, where he discovered something he didn’t know about the origin of the Margherita pizza (which is and always has been the pizzeria’s top seller). Legend has it that Raffaele Esposito made the pizza for Queen Margherita for which it was named, but through Agostino’s certification he was taught that it was Esposito’s wife who gave him the idea for the ingredients. Ideas are one thing, consistency another. If Esposito made that pizza the same way, day in and day out, for years, then he would have had the elusive consistency factor nailed. Consistency, says Agostino, is the hardest thing about being a chef, and pizza is tough to make the same day in and day out. The weather, wood, oven . . . it all plays a card in the hand that makes up a full house. For young chefs in Toronto, working for Agostino would be a coveted spot and he seems to take to his mentoring role like a good parent. Although the media sometimes portray chefs as temperamental, he says, yelling accomplishes nothing when it comes to teaching students how to handle

themselves under pressure. Teach them to be cool, and be cool by leading, he says. After a year or two with you, they deserve to move on and learn more elsewhere. “Of course, sometimes you have to raise your voice but I don’t think you have to be an asshole,” he says, and then apologizes for swearing in the adult yet soft-spoken and youthful way he relates, rolling his thumbs and sticking his hands in the side of his apron as he talks. All the recognition doesn’t seem to have gone to his head, and while he’s often been described in the press as a humble guy (which is true), it fits the bill best to say he is one who genuinely enjoys making others happy. He is most gratified when he can see people in the dining room smiling, or when guests say his pizza is just as good or better than what they’ve had in Italy. If his son says it’s good, “that’s huge.” It’s not caviar he’d choose if left stranded on a desert island, but good old olive oil, and that fact is reflected in the simple sophistication, and the elegant yet unpretentious nature, of his dishes. “Pizza is one of those things that evokes really good memories, no matter how old you are, or what background you’re from, it just seems that at some point someone had a pizza that’s that comforting memory that really hits home.” •

The winning combination This winning Canadian recipe landed in the top three at the International Pizza Challenge. Congratulations, Rocco! • • • • • • • •

traditional dough porchetta (the meat was provided by Chef Nick auf der Mauer of Porchetta and Co.) fior di latte cream drizzle of earthy truffle oil rapini preserved chilis pork crackling

APRIL/MAY 2013 pizza 13

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Using social media to stand out You can get great ideas from watching others’ success BY ALIx RIChARDSON

ake social media part of your company’s strategic plan because its customers and potential customers are definitely online. You should be too. Use social media to interact with customers to get feedback, find out what you’re doing well and what could use improvement. Communicate upcoming events, offers, and contests to reach a larger audience than you do now. Engage with your customers and let them know what differentiates your company from the rest. Do you use fresh local ingredients? This is the type of information people want to know! And it may cause someone to choose you over a competitor. Before you start setting up every account possible, your first step should be a social media strategy. Take the time to look at which social networks your target markets are using. Outline your social media goals and objectives in this strategy, and plan out how these goals will be measured. Taking the time to get this strategy on paper can really improve your chances of having a successful social media presence. Not having a strategy is one of the biggest mistakes companies are making, so if you don’t already have one in place, put this at the top of your list for 2013. Once your strategy is in place, make sure your accounts are set up properly. Even if you’re not ready to get started, it’s a good idea to set up accounts to save your company’s name (if it’s not already taken). When your social media accounts are up and running, make sure you have someone dedicated to monitoring and keeping accounts updated regularly. You will need to build targeted fans and followers, and you will need to retain those

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fans and followers by keeping them interested. If you want people to “Like” your Facebook Page, make sure you’re giving them something worth liking. Avoid being too self-promotional. Post relevant information that is useful to fans and followers, as well as exclusive offers, and/or sneak peeks. Make sure you are monitoring review sites and responding to all comments. It is important that these are not overlooked or ignored. Even if a negative comment is made, do not delete it. Show the customer how you can turn a poor experience into a great one. Don’t forget to be social. It’s important to respond to any questions, comments, complaints or praise as soon as possible. Every comment, post and tweet is an opportunity to stand out and really strengthen your relationships with customers and potential customers. Incorporate QR codes on all of your printed material (pizza boxes, menus, etc.) to direct customers to your website, to “Like” your Facebook Page, or to follow you on Twitter. This can be a great way to build targeted fans and followers. Get creative. Why not add some QR codes to your menu that will allow customers to watch a short video from your chef explaining the ingredients while cooking up that menu item? These types of ideas can really set you apart in the industry, and it doesn’t hurt to keep customers entertained while waiting for their order! Need inspiration to get you started on your social media journey? Google Ramon De Leon, who started delivering pizza when he was 19 years old and is now the managing partner of seven Domino’s franchises in Chicago. He’s passion-

ate about pizza and shows this by going above and beyond customers’ expectations. A woman went to Twitter to complain that her pizza was late and the order was wrong. De Leon made a video with the manager both apologizing for her experience and vowing to make things right. One of our favourite ideas that De Leon has implemented is using Twitter hashtags next to each menu item. This encourages and makes it easy for customers to share exactly what they’re enjoying at the moment. You may also consider adding a custom tab on your Facebook Page that enables customers to order directly via Facebook. And what about offering check-in deals to customers who visit your location? These are the types of things that people are likely to tell their friends about. Pizza Hut is another one to watch. The amount of sharing their fans and stores do on Facebook is impressive. For example, one customer requested a side of magic with their order and received a container labelled “Side of Magic” with Lucky Charms marshmallows inside their pizza box. The customer was impressed and posted it on the Pizza Hut Facebook Page. Within a week, the post received over 12,000 “Likes” and more than 220 shares. Now instead of having one happy customer they have thousands. • Alix Richardson is the manager of business development for Miss Mediosa, a full-service social media company. Miss Mediosa specializes in social media management for businesses across Canada, the U.S, and the U.K. The company focuses on strategy development, setup, management services, and more. For tips, tricks and ideas, follow Miss Mediosa on Twitter (@MissMediosa) and Facebook (Facebook.com/MissMediosa). For more information, feel free to contact Alix at alix@missmediosa.com, or by calling 403-770-9659. Visit the company online at www. missmediosa.com to find out what “Mediosa” means.

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Can you trust your partner? BY ALBeRt S. FRANK

good partnership can improve a business; a bad one can sink it. Any working relationship is bound to come across rocky waters at some point – times change, friendships can end, shareholders could sell out, or a partner might die. Requesting a partnership agreement or a shareholder’s agreement lets you set rules on how to deal with issues like this before they happen, reducing the risk of serious disputes. Here are a few of the many ways an agreement can save your business: SEPARATE wAyS Normally you cannot force out a partner or fellow shareholder unless there is a previous agreement giving you that power. Agreements should include a way for people to go their separate ways if necessary. There are also buy-sell methods, including “shotgun” sales or sales based on valuations. With shotgun, one party offers to buy at a certain price. The other side then has the choice either to buy or to sell at that price. For a sale on a valuation you would need a valuation method or an agreed figure. Be cautious because if an exact figure is in the agreement it could become unreasonable as the business becomes more or less valuable. You could then be stuck with that figure. FiRST RiGhT oF REFuSAL Agreements also often include a right of first refusal, so that a partner or fellow shareholder who wants to sell his or her interest to an outsider must first offer to sell to those already in the business. RESTRiCTioNS oN ShARE TRANSFERS You can have restrictions on share transfers

so that you do not have to be in business with just anyone. This is often more of a concern in corporations with only a few shareholders.

over the authority the directors normally have, the shareholders could be subject to the duties and liabilities of directors.

DiSPuTE RESoLuTioN Hopefully disputes are rare. If there is one, NoN-CoMPETiTioN AND you can set rules as to how to handle it. NoN-SoLiCiTATioN You can make clear in an agreement, that For example, you could provide for mediation followed by court if the your ex-partner or sharemediation does not work, or holder will not be in compehopefully mediation followed by arbitition with the business for a tration. certain amount of time, and you had the courts will enforce reasonforesight to RETiREMENT, ETC. able clauses. Courts will not work with Someday a partner or fellow enforce non-competition shareholder might be unclauses that are too broad, an insurance willing, or unable, to keep or too restricting. company working in the business. So an agreement that before the You can set out in the agreesomeone may not work in ment what happens then: the fashion industry for the death [of your generally there is some form next 10 years anywhere in partner] of buy-out. Canada would almost cerIf the separation is retainly be unenforceable. On sulting from a death, hopethe other hand, not allowing fully you had the foresight a person to sell cars within one mile of the joint business location for to work with an insurance company before six months after ceasing to be a partner or the death that can provide the money needfellow shareholder is more likely to be en- ed for a buy-out and to soften the blow of losing a key player. forceable. You can also agree that the person will not solicit business for a separate venture REviEw from the existing clients, and possibly also An agreement should last for a number of from existing prospects. Remember to be years, but should be reviewed from time reasonable in the clause so that the court to time. I suggest reviewing annually, or at least every second year. After all, things would be more likely to uphold it. change, and the agreement might have to change too. • DECiSioN MAkiNG You might want to set special decisionmaking rules. You could require agreement Albert S. Frank is a business and trial lawyer with Rosenfor certain types of decisions. Be aware, baum & Frank LLP in Toronto. To contact him, please though, that to the extent shareholders take call 416-929-7202 or e-mail afrank@franklaw.ca

APRIL/MAY 2013 pizza 15

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Rogers and CiBC rolled out the country’s first “tap-and-go” digital payment app late last year.

Are you tapping? Sayonara swipe, so long insert, say hello to tap. How the future could save you time and money. BY LAuRA AIKeN

dopting the latest technology is not just for the big boys of business. Everyone can put a horse in this race. Today, there’s one defining technology with the best odds in the sports book: near field communication (NFC). You know it as the little sound wave you may have on your bank cards, or as the pay wave option you have seen people using at Starbucks or some gas stations. NFC is the ESP of the account transaction world. One NFC chip enabled device can

16 pizza APRIL/MAY 2013

share anything with another enabled device just by touching it. The information can be exchanged between cards, smartphones, key fobs and terminals. “Within 12 to 18 months, you will start to see this occurring in restaurants, where payment is made by tapping a card,” predicts Wayne Edwards, a partner in Merchant Mobile Apps. He adds: “We know what’s coming is going to involve mobile payments: what’s possible is anybody’s guess.”

NFC is also the technology behind mobile wallets. Mobile wallets allow users to download their payment and loyalty cards to their phone, eliminating the need to carry them. NFC technology has been around for a while, and detractors have pointed out that it hasn’t revolutionized the world yet, but the short-range and secure wireless system requires an equipment and mentality overhaul that will take time. For the moment, and as it appears from the actions of the major banking players, use of

feature the technology is indeed expanding and moving forward. Last November, Rogers and CIBC rolled out the country’s first “tap-and-go” digital payment app that allows credit card purchases through a smartphone. The Financial Post reported: “For Rogers, mobile payments represents a potentially massive new market. The wireless giant believes that by 2016, four in five devices will be equipped with NFC technology and total purchases will surge to $14.2-billion.” RBC announced plans in late 2012 for its own virtual wallet. It is likely all of Canada’s big banks are sewing suits of similar stripes. In the U.S., Wal-Mart stores have been busy piloting a “Scan & Go” program that lets customers pay using their smartphones. Zomaron Merchant Services, a company that clinched #15 on Profit magazine’s Hot 50 list in 2012, is right on the cusp of hot emerging technology. Zomaron aims to offer better rates and better customer service to merchants. Joseph Jongsma and Tarique Al Ansari founded the company in a joint decision to compete against the banks. Jongsma shares the current tide of enthusiasm for the possibilities NFC technology is bringing to the marketplace. For now, he says, we will have pay wave cards and mobile wallet smartphones in the market because older generations prefer to use the physical cards. Darlene Wallace of Zomaron, a wireless technology vet, thinks men will be the first big adopters of the technology because it suits their need to carry less, being the purse-less sex of course. Convenience and speed will be two big advantages. The system is faster than either swiping or insert/ pin payment. “You’re going to see separate lines for this eventually. People are able to order their coffee and muffin and go into the store and go right up to that line to pay because it will be ready,” says Jongsma. The latest hardware – terminals and the like – being deployed in the market are NFC equipped, says Jongsma. However, it’s unlikely your service provider is going to send you an upgraded terminal unless your current one breaks down, he adds, so if you want to get NFC-ready you may need to start the ball rolling yourself. As it fil-

18 pizza APRIL/MAY 2013

ters through the bigger chains and big-box shops, more and more customers will expect it. Changing technology doesn’t necessarily mean higher prices. An NFC terminal is pretty much the same price as what merchants are paying now, says Jongsma. “If it costs the same, it makes sense to get that technology into your business right away.” ThE viRTuAL MERChANT: iDEAL FoR PizzA DELivERy The market is seeing growing use of NFC, or tap and pay/pay wave technology, and mobile wallets, which download the user’s banks cards to their smartphone enabling it to be used as a payment device. It seems the ultimate fusion of these technologies is the virtual merchant, offered by Zomaron, which may have some big appeal for pizzerias with delivery drivers. Virtual merchant mobile processing allows delivery drivers to accept payment at the door through their own smartphone. The payment information collected is stored on a cloud, and drivers use a server ID through an app to make transactions. When using virtual merchant, operators would not need to send out drivers with long-range terminals, eliminating the monthly fees associated with these units. Operators can get reports and see live transactions through this system as well. Wallace notes that the system allows for signature capture and the virtual merchant costs 80 per cent less in hardware costs than what a pizzeria with multiple drivers on the road would be paying today. Pricing is also linked to sales volume. Currently, virtual merchant is able to process Visa and MasterCard only, as is much NFC technology, but Jongsma says things are about to change. “In July, Zomaron is expected to be one of the only companies in Canada having access to debit, Visa, MasterCard through chip technology through the phone and that’s huge. That’s going to change the market incredibly.” ThE NEw LoyALTy CARD Payment service isn’t the only market tapping into tap and pay. The loyalty program market is also coming up with new ways

to foster patronage. Spoonity, an Ottawabased company founded by Max Bailey and Myron Gomes, offer a tablet and key fob set up for restaurants and guests to facilitate an easy rewards program. Spoonity got rolling in early 2011, then launched in November of that year with four restaurants on board. NFC was selected as the technology of choice due to its simplicity and growth in the mobile space, says Bailey, who suspects it will become the dominant player in this arena. Single independents pay between $60 to $100 a month for the tablet, says Bailey, with small to medium-sized restaurants being the company’s target market, but they are also equipped to roll the automated system out for a chain. The cost is linked to features, he says. For small shops, it will replace their punch card, and the amount of report data they obtain varies depending on the package signed on for. Operators can learn who their customers are, how many are earning rewards, e-mail addresses, frequency and who has stopped coming in the last 30, 60 or 90 days. Then, there is the option of sending those lapsed customers messages. Spoonity rewards customers through three spoon levels: a teaspoon for occasional guests, a tablespoon for loyal customers and a big spoon for regulars. The system helps enable servers and delivery staff address customers by name. The company has a little over 100 restaurants confirmed for this year, says Bailey. While emerging technology can seem like something in the shadows of everyday business, it is only a matter of time before it becomes a customer demand. It seems to be the generally accepted and agreed upon future that one day the smartphone will be the dominant way to pay. It could be the right horse to bet on in the race. Right now, having the latest technology could not only set you apart from the competition, but also save you money. This raises the question, why wait? •

For more ways to save money in your pizzeria, follow us on Twitter and like us on Facebook! @CdnPizzaMag

Contact your local repesentative to arrange a demonstration British Columbia Castle Agencies North Vancouver, BC, Canada Tel/Cell: (604) 904-7681 Contact: David Terretta Email: king@castleagencies.ca

Alberta MAC Sales & Marketing Calgary, AB, Canada Phone: 403-281-8540 Contact: Steve MacKell Email: mackell@telusplanet.net

Manitoba/Saskatchewan Dennis Braun Agencies Winnipeg, MB Canada Tel: 204-663-8077 Cell: 204-229-4613 Email: denbraun@mts.net

Ontario Distex M.&M. Inc. Mississauga, Ont Tel: 905 565-5990 Toll Free: 1 888 645-7324 Email:info@distex.ca

www.wowoven.com

Quebec Distex M.&M. Inc. St-Laurent (Quebec) Tel.: (514) 382-3620 Toll free : 1-800-567-3620 Web: www.distex.ca

Atlantic Provinces/Maritimes Flanagan Agencies Inc Moncton, New Brunswick Tel: (506) 387-8757 Contact Mike Flanagan Email: mike@fai.ca

making dough with Diane

Getting the right message out Diane Chiasson

n today’s fast-paced world of digital and mobile technology, consumers are constantly bombarded by marketing and advertising campaigns for different products. With so many choices, it’s easy for consumers to become completely overwhelmed about what they should order. To make sure consumers remember your products, it is important for your pizza operation to provide as much useful and easily understood information as possible. In order to deliver this type of service, you must communicate your products and your brand to your customers using engaging signage, pointof-purchase materials (POPs), labels, packaging, merchandising displays, graphics and other tools.

Before you review your menu for the new year, consider these big consumer trends

1. wRiTE EFFECTivE PoPS Writing an effective POP can help convince a customer to try something new. Spell out the benefits of your products on each POP, and list the reasons they should buy it. Instead of writing “Veggie Pizza,” try “Heart-healthy vegetarian pizza with fresh spinach, tomatoes, onions, green and red peppers, mushrooms and black olives on a whole-grain, handmade crust. Each slice contains only 130 calories.” 2. iN-SToRE MERChANDiSiNG Using proper in-store merchandising techniques will help build connections between the product and the customer, resulting in more impulse and trial sales. Try setting up a large, eye-catching display of your salads or appetizers to encourage customers to see and notice the product. Take advantage of offering free samples as customers enter – ultimately you want to entice the customer into

20 pizza APRIL/MAY 2013

A pizza box begins as a blank slate. what message will you convey on yours?

buying it. Use proper signage around the display to highlight its features and benefits.

customers that all the ingredients you use are fresh.

3. uSE FLooR GRAPhiCS AND FLooR STANDS A good way to drive your customers to beverages, snacks, desserts or other retail products you might sell in your pizza operation is to use floor graphics to lead them there. If you sell bags of chips, it’s a good idea to put a floor graphic right at the entrance of your store to alert customers that you sell chips.

5. DESiGN PRoPER PACkAGiNG AND LABELS If your pizza operation is mainly for takeout and delivery, ensure that your packaging not only is cohesive with your branding, but also supplies useful information such as a list of ingredients and nutritional information. If your operation prides itself on using all natural ingredients, make sure your pizza box highlights this fact. •

4. DiSPLAy ThE iNGREDiENTS Consider highlighting the freshness and wholesomeness of your salads and pizzas by showcasing the ingredients you use. For example, set up fresh or fake tomatoes, onions, pepperoni, salami, artichokes, wheels of cheese, wheat sheaves, grains, tins of olive oil, big jars of olives and other props around your countertops and display cases to show

Diane Chiasson, FCSI, president of Chiasson Consultants Inc., has been helping restaurant, foodservice, hospitality and retail operators increase sales for over 30 years. Her company provides innovative and revenue-increasing foodservice and retail merchandising programs, interior design, branding, menu engineering, marketing and promotional campaigns, and much more. Contact her at 416-926-1338, toll-free at 1-888-926-6655 or through chiasson@chiassonconsultants.com, or visit www.chiassonconsultants.com.

the 2013 Canadian Pizza show

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visit www.canadianpizzamag.com to Watch video tips from this year’s speakers. • SpeakerS

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here’s What some of our attendees had to say about our 1st ever pizza shoW in 2012: “Great event very informative, awesome speakers, lots of great food, I met some very nice people and can’t wait to attend next year!” Sukh – Pizza Depot, Guelph

“It was very informative, inspiring and confirmed other pizzeria owners have the same ideas as us. Lots of what we learned we have thought of, just now we know we need to ACT. The experience was just overall great!” Josh & Rhonda Schlueter – Lotamecheese Pizzeria, Cambridge

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“Thank you for all your hard work and we will most definitely attend another ‘Canadian Pizza show’ again.” Sue and Dave Lanktree – Pizza Junction, Kitchener

Watch canadian pizza magazine and WWW.canadianpizzamag.com email: jstefek@annexweb.com call: 1-888-599-2228 ext.219

feature

Rick Nixon of itza Ristorante and Pizzeria in Nelson, B.C., inspects his pizza before serving it to the judges.

Sights and sounds of Pizza Expo Exciting competitions and cool new products at this year’s Pizza Expo BY SteFANIe WALLACe

whopping 80,000 more tourists than usual trekked to Las Vegas in mid-March for March Madness, the NCAA basketball tournament, but inside the Las Vegas Convention Center, basketball was the last thing on everyone’s mind. Pizza was the name of the game from March 18 to 21, as the Canadian Pizza team and thousands of other pizza enthusiasts ventured to sin city for International Pizza Expo. Spanning the area of seven

22 pizza APRIL/MAY 2013

football fields, Pizza Expo once again offered great networking opportunities, noteworthy new products, engaging and enlightening seminars and jam-packed aisles on the trade show floor. Representing the Canadians in the International Pizza Competition was our Chef of the Year winner Rocco Agostino of Pizzeria Libretto in Toronto and runner-up Rick Nixon of Itza Ristorante and Pizzeria in Nelson, B.C. Agostino earned a finalist spot in the non-traditional di-

vision of the International Pizza Challenge, placing third in his category with a savoury porchetta pizza, featuring fior di latte cheese, porchetta from Porchetta and Co. in Toronto, pork crackling, chili peppers, roasted garlic and rapini, all topped with a truffle cream sauce. Nixon competed in the finals of the traditional division with a twist on a traditional sausage and pepper pizza. Nixon topped his pizza with four varieties of peppers: fresh green bell peppers, roasted

red peppers, roasted poblanos and pickled banana peppers. He made two varieties of sausage – buffalo apple and rosemary, and veal and red wine – and completed the pizza with a creamy blend of garlic-infused Italian mascarpone, partly skimmed mozzarella, full-fat edam and grated Grana Padano cheeses. Canadian Pizza also bumped into competitors from Pizzeria Defina in Toronto and attendees from Antonino’s Original Pizza in Windsor, Ont. On the culinary competition floor, Thiago Vasconcelo won the traditional category, Floriana Pastore took the non-traditional title, Jeff Smokevitch clinched first place in the Pan-American division and Michele D’Amelio won the title in the Italian division. Congratulations to all competitors! Here are some of the trends we noticed on the show floor this year: Gluten-free items had a strong presence at the show, with several exhibitors featuring gluten-free products. We found our Canadian friends at the Kinnikinnick booth showcasing a gluten-, dairy-, peanut- and nut-free frozen dough ball that comes in a 400-gram size and rolls out to two 12-inch pizza crusts. Soulmaize Bakery was sampling its gluten-free pizza crust mix made with corn flour. The mix has a 12-month shelf life and one kilogram of mix yields two medium pizzas. The shiny, red Version D oven from XLT Ovens was on display on the show floor, featuring an optical flame sensor and stainless steel gas fittings. The Version D series features a sandwich door design, allowing for the addition of an extended front panel option. An optional extended front, available in almost any colour, reduces heat radiate in the kitchen, and a new control box container ensures important manuals and documents are stored closed for easy reference. Several new toppings caught our eye, including vegan shredded cheeses from Follow Your Heart. Available in mozzarella, cheddar and a fiesta blend, the cheeses are made with organic palm fruit oil and are soy-, gluten-, dairy- and lactosefree with a creamy, gooey texture. The Mushroom Company featured individually quickfrozen roasted mushrooms. The kosher and organic-certified mushrooms are fire, smoke or flavour roasted over open flames and are available whole, sliced, diced or in custom cuts. NRC now carries a Sticky Media product made from thermal paper that’s designed to withstand hot environments. This means, the order receipt or label will better stick to pizza boxes or items sitting under heat lamps. Sherman Specialty Company Inc. carried a vast variety of items to entertain children in your pizzeria and help serve families better. If you’re looking to grab some attention on the street, Samsung LED design was showcasing a walking LED ball that was turning a lot of heads. The rotating ball is attached to a backpack and company lit says it runs for six hours and has a two hour charge time. Lizbeth Lane turned out a unique pizza sauce with their tomatillo cilantro flavour. Their sauces earned some attention this year, being named one of the 10 most “unique and innovative foods” and at a U.S. Fancy Food Show last year. Mies Products displayed their filter machines for edible fats and oils that are designed to make your cooking oil last two

Rocco Agostino of Pizzeria Libretto in Toronto presents his porchetta pizza to the judges.

APRIL/MAY 2013 pizza 23

The Prop & Peller booth had authentic Bavarian soft pretzels and dipping sauces on display.

Put Your

to three times longer. John Reseburg, a salesperson for Mies, said the filter will provide the return on your investment in about a year. Sauces and spices were hot topics this year. Rocky Mountain Spice Company featured a vegetable spice blend, as well as several other varieties, for mixing into oil as a tasty appetizer, or into sour cream as a side dip. On the snacks side, we found the Prop & Peller Pretzel booth, with products launching in Canada soon. Their Bavarian pretzels are crusty on the outside and light and fluffly on the inside. Mobile marketing was definitely a hot topic on the show floor, with several exhibitors discussing the technology on the show floor. Boomtext, powered by Mobivity, told us about a case study that followed a quick-service restaurant that sent out a text message offering 99-cent kids meals during regular hours for one month. More than 4,935 kids meals sold in five hours. This marketing strategy made its way to the seminar rooms too, where Clayton Kreuger offered tips for independent pizzerias. As Kreuger noted, 30 per cent of all restaurant searches in the United States come from mobile devices. With so many customers going mobile, it’s necessary to ensure your restaurant and website are mobile-friendly. Visit www.canadianpizzamag.com to view more of our live coverage from the show, including exclusive photos and videos from the show floor, competition area and World Pizza Games. See you next year! •

2012 Winner Wayne Rempel

on our cover ARE YOU MAKING A DIFFERENCE IN YOUR COMMUNITY? Nominate your pizzeria for the Pizza with Purpose Award sponsored by Saputo Foodservice and share the spirit of generosity with your fellow pizzaiolos. We want to hear about your fundraising, sponsorship, participation in community events and creative contributions. Activities can be local or national in scope. The winner won’t be determined just on an amount of money raised, but on all the ways, big and small, that your pizzeria is touching lives.

The Pizza with Purpose award sponsored by

24 pizza APRIL/MAY 2013 Pizza_Purpose_Saputo APRMAY13horizontal.indd 1

Watch for details on how you can nominate your pizzeria online in the June issue of Canadian Pizza.

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APRIL/MAY 2013 pizza 25

marketing insights

Michelle Brisebois

mazon.com founder Jeff Bezos defines branding as your reputation. “It’s what people say about you when you’re not in the room,” he says. Many of us have mixed emotions when we hear this because we recognize that even though we strive for perfection, sometimes customer expectations aren’t met and we disappoint. On the other hand, there are also times that we shine and excel but never get any feedback. Businesses have got used to functioning in blissful ignorance of the real conversation in the other room but social media has changed all of that for good. Get ready to be a fly on a wall. Social media can be distracting. Most businesspeople feel they don’t have time in their 14-hour days to putter around on the Internet. You may be missing the point. You’re not spending time on the computer: you’re spending time with your customers. “Social Media is about developing a personal relationship with your customers,” says Ciara McCann, communications specialist for Andrew Peller Ltd. “Set time every day to focus on checking your online mentions and responding to those conversations,” she says. If you already have a business Twitter account then maybe you’re already reaping the benefits of social media. You can use tools such as HootSuite to manage your accounts. McCann recommends that you follow some bigger companies and see how they engage their customers. Lifestyle guru Martha Stewart is very adept at using Twitter to conduct mini surveys to engage in conversations with her consumer base and to introduce new products. Follow large restaurants you admire. As you’ll soon see, not all tweets are created equal and how you respond to them depends on the circumstance. Customer feedback via social media tends to fall into one of three categories –

26 pizza APRIL/MAY 2013

When you’re not in the room a praise, a complaint or a mention. When someone tweets that they just ate at your restaurant and had an amazing time you need to respond immediately. First, respond to the tweet by saying something like “So glad you had a good time. Our team had a great evening too.” Ideally your response is positive and reads personal. It is less sales pitch and more dialogue,” says McCann. You should then post a copy of the comment for your team to see. Anyone with a customer service job loves to get praise from the people they serve, so acknowledging them will be appreciated. It’s also nice when you can have ongoing conversations through social media. If someone posts that they especially love one of your pizza menu items, you can comment back, “Thanks for the lovely compliment. Do you prefer the thin crust or thick?” These mini conversations create a bond with your customers and allow you to converse with them in a public forum that gets your business noticed. When you and the customer are having a pleasant exchange, an audience is a wonderful thing. But what about those negative reviews? People are not afraid to complain about service that did not meet their expectations; social media just means that now we can’t pretend it isn’t happening. When someone posts a negative comment, first assess whether the comment is valid and balanced or whether it is simply over the top. Ensure the key leaders in your business are aware of the comment and then respond to it on social media as quickly and directly as possible. Avoid the scripted response – it’s easy for customers to spot. Be genuine and offer a solution if you can with only a few sentences. If the situation warrants it, then give them your e-mail address and ask them to leave a number where you can call them to resolve things. Resist the urge to delete those comments

or to ignore them. If you do respond, followers watching this exchange will be impressed that you worked to resolve things and they will love you for it. If a comment is nasty, it is still a good idea to respond politely and to try to take it offline where you can resolve things in private. This generally works only when there actually is a service issue to be responded to. If the comment is simply nasty, then you may wish to not respond or to have the comment removed. Often business who are unfairly attacked by disgruntled customers find that their devoted customers chime in to support the business. When people love a brand or business, they may feel motivated to defend it. Negative comments can still end in a positive way. When you’re mentioned in an exchange, feel free to chime in and keep the conversation going by asking the tweeter a question, by recommending another event or by providing a sneak peek at a new menu item. Keep track of your regular followers and on Fridays you can recommend them by using the hash tag #FF which stands for Follow Fridays. Let’s say a fan named @pizzafangirl has been especially supportive by tweeting about your restaurant. You can tweet out to your Twitter followers Check out @pizzafangirl #FF which will get her more followers. Developing online working relationships with your customers can be powerful. Being in the conversational room with our customers is a great thing. It lets us connect with them, get a handle on problems before they become bigger, and understand how we are perceived. Web 2.0 lets us truly live our brands. • Michelle Brisebois is a marketing professional with experience in the food, pharmaceutical, financial services and wine industries. She specializes in retail brand strategies.

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Annex Bookstore ................................................................... 29 Burke Corporation ................................................................. 11 Diana’s Gourmet Pizzeria ...................................................... 29 Dutchess Bakers Machine..................................................... 28 EM Bakery Equipment........................................................... 25 Faema Company Canada ........................................................ 7 G. Schafer Advertising ......................................................... 28 JL International ...................................................................... 29 Middleby/Escan Distribution.................................................. 19 On Trend Brand Strategies .................................................... 28 Pizza Chef of the Year .......................................................... 17 Pizza with Purpose ................................................................ 24 Ricco Food Distributor ........................................................... 27 Salerno Cheese ..................................................................... 27 Saputo Dairy Products Canada............................................. 32 Select Food Products ............................................................ 25 Speedline Solutions Inc. ........................................................ 28 Springer’s Meats Inc. ............................................................. 23 Stanislaus Food Products .................................................... 4-5 TellAll Communications ......................................................... 29 Viau Food Products Inc. .......................................................... 2 XLT Ovens/ Wolfe Electric Inc. .............................................. 31

Use these advertiser contact numbers to find out more about a product advertised in this issue or to place an order. This index is provided as a service. Canadian Pizza Magazine is not liable for errors or omissions.

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APRIL/MAY 2013 pizza 29

pizza on fire

Equipment breakdown Tom Stankiewicz

t’s approaching the 6 p.m. rush for your pizza deliveries. You look around and see that everything is running as smoothly as a well-oiled machine. The phone is ringing off the hook, customers are waiting eagerly for their pizzas, and all employees are busy moving the orders along. You know that it’s going to be a good night for business. Then, your pizza dough mixer breaks and refuses to start up again. What is your backup plan if equipment unexpectedly breaks down? I imagine some of us have a backup plan in place or at least a simple strategy to follow until the problem is fixed. But, there are also those who don’t like to plan for the worst and who deal with problems when they happen. These are, of course, two totally opposite ways of solving problems. I always say that you should just go with whatever works best for you. However, the second approach is probably less desirable as it likely will take longer to fix the problem. Recently, I had an experience with an unfortunate equipment incident at my pizza store. It was Friday evening and all of a sudden my dough mixer stopped working. You can just imagine what was going through my mind as I watched my pizza dough portions disappear one after another, unable to get more batches ready. Let’s just say that it was very nerve-racking and stressful. My strategy was to always have a list of equipment stores that can easily replace any part that breaks. So I do have a list, but inconveniently for me, none of them was open Friday evening. I quickly realized that unless I could find somebody to fix it for me on short notice, I wouldn’t be able to operate my business efficiently at all. Out of desperation, I called another independently owned pizzeria that is located

30 pizza APRIL/MAY 2013

Do you have a backup plan for a broken mixer during a busy rush? just a short distance from my store. Once called anytime to repair or replace what I explained the predicament I was in, the broke. A copy of the plan should be placed owner offered to mix some dough for me. First of all, I was amazed that I had this where all employees can easily find it so incredible, quick solution. Then I realized the problem can be handled smoothly if that likely the owner responded so helpfully you are not around. It’s essential for your to my situation because we both run inde- employees to know that they should not operate any equipment pendent pizza stores. He with broken parts. It is simcould truly appreciate what You can just ply too dangerous. Make it a disaster this was and probimagine what clear that in your absence ably thought to himself, there are specific steps that “What if I was in this situawas going must be followed to resolve tion and I needed help?” through my the problem as soon as posIt made me realize that mind as i sible. If you want to be the those of us who are indepenonly one who executes the dent pizzeria owners look at watched my plan, then it’s a good idea the business competition pizza dough to have all important phone from a slightly different portions numbers saved on your cellangle than franchises. I very phone. This way, the informuch doubt that if I walked disappear one mation is readily available to into any one of the maafter another, you if it’s needed. jor pizza chains and asked unable to get Of course, regular them to mix some pizza equipment maintenance dough for me, they would more batches will help prevent such happily agree. Understandready. emergencies. Maintenance ably, they have strict policies is especially important if that employees have to folyour existing equipment low, whereas the owner of an independent pizza store can adjust those has been used for years and is old. Initially, it might seem as if you’re spending money policies anytime he sees fit. After this unfortunate event, I can as- on equipment that is working properly sure you that I have a better backup plan and you might wonder if it’s necessary. In to follow in case of such emergencies. I the long run, you are saving money and have to admit that I got lucky this time, time by having zero or very few equipbut I’d rather not push my luck any fur- ment failures. Most importantly, you will ther. It’s always better to have at least have peace of mind that the equipment is a small plan in the event of equipment checked regularly and that this strategy failure. I would ensure that your list in- will minimize potential emergencies for cludes equipment stores that can deliver you to deal with. • the parts anytime, not just Monday to Friday. The list should include at least Tom Stankiewicz has been in the pizza business for more than 15 years. He has been the proprietor of Bondi’s three individuals who are familiar with Pizza in London, Ont., since 2000, and is president of the equipment maintenance and who can be Canadian Pizza Team.

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