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APRIL 2024

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COWABUNGA SAYS CHEESE!

Savvy Hamilton, Ont., pizzeria earns ‘World’s Best Cheese Pizza Slice’ kudos P. 12 PIZZA EXPO HIGHLIGHTS P. 20 REFRESHING YOUR PIZZERIA

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Watch video 2023

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April 2024 Vol.30, No. 2

DEPARTMENTS 6

From the Editor Working on your business

Industry News Movers, shakers, legislation and news you can use

10 The pizza chef

Judging pizza at the International Pizza Challenge

18 Tools of the Trade New products

20 Making Dough with Diane Spring-cleaning your pizzeria

22 Guest Column

CONTENTS

Health and wellness trends in pizza

COVER STORY

ONLINE

PHOTOS/ILLUSTRATIONS:JUSTIN MARK VINLUAN (COVER); CANADIAN PIZZA (OTHER PHOTOS)

Photo gallery of Vegas Pizza Expo The Canadian Pizza team was at Vegas Pizza Expo in March to mark the event’s 40th anniversary. See the event through our eyes, tag yourself in photos and get inspiration for your own pizzeria at canadianpizzamag.com.

World’s Best Cheese Slice Savvy Hamilton, Ont., pizzeria earns ‘World’s Best Cheese Pizza Slice’ kudos at International Pizza Challenge By Colleen Cross

12 Trends at Vegas Pizza Expo Pizza Expo is a place to find inspiration and ideas for you pizzeria. Walk the show floor with us! By Canadian Pizza Staff

14 Tommy’s Pizzeria International experiences have helped Thomas Schneider build up his Winnipeg business By Colleen Cross

ON THE COVER Andy Huynh, co-owner of Cowabunga Pizza in Hamilton, Ont., made the World’s Best Cheese Pizza Slice at the International Pizza Challenge. Learn how it all unfolded See page 9 CANADIAN PIZZA · April 2024

15 Pizza-Boat’s Turkish pide Pizza-Boat in Burlington, Ont., took third place at the Canadian Pizza Summit. Learn about their unique cultural specialty By Colleen Cross

16 Reduce flour dust exposure risk Getting the most out of your joint health and safety committee By WorkSafeBC CanadianPizzaMag.com

FROM THE EDITOR BY COLLEEN CROSS

April 2024, Vol. 30, No. 2

Get on the balcony

o you find you’re working hard in the everyday tasks of your pizza business but not spending enough time and energy planning and working on the direction of your business? Understandably, it’s easy to become mired in the daily operations of your pizzeria. After all, there is no shortage of problems – technical, labour and operational – to occupy your mind and your time. It’s a bit like being on the dance floor when you should be on the balcony. I did not coin this phrase. It is a well-known analogy in the world of business that I recently discovered after interviewing Karen Bornarth for an On the Rise podcast we did through our sister magazine Bakers Journal.

Operating a restaurant or bakery is “an exercise filled with adaptive challenges. . . . To address them, real leadership is required.” –Karen Bornarth, Bread Bakers Guild of America Karen is the executive director of the Bread Bakers Guild of America, with whom the Baking Association of Canada partners on education through which members of the BAC and the Guild receive a one-year free membership in each others’ organizations. She came onto the podcast to talk about a session she’ll be leading at Toronto Bakery Showcase called “Lessons from the Bakery Leadership Circle” about how to bring adaptive leadership into your baking operation. The Bakery Leadership Circle is a new program from the BBGA and Bakers4Bakers designed to support bakery owners in tackling

some of their stickiest business challenges through education and peer consulting activities. To get back to our analogy, being on the dance floor means you are directly in the middle of things. To mix metaphors, you can’t see the forest for the trees. In order to take in the big picture, you must move to the balcony where you have a clear overview. The balcony analogy was coined in 2009 by Ronald Heifetz, Marty Linsky and Alexander Grashow in their book The Practice of Adaptive Leadership: Tools and Tactics for Changing Your Organization and the World. According to Karen, operating a restaurant or bakery is “an exercise filled with adaptive challenges. These challenges are messy and multi-dimensional, often involving people (who are decidedly not finite and knowable). To address them, real leadership is required.” The Baking Association of Canada this year presents a value-packed Bakery Showcase, set for May 5-6 at the Toronto Congress Centre. The show floor is filled with suppliers tuned in to your needs and the education program focuses on improving your baking skills, learning about new trends, being inspired by the experiences of other entrepreneurs, future-proofing your business and connecting you with other bakeries and experts. Highlights include a panel on the future of artisan baking, demonstrations on making Turkish pizza (pide) and dessert, sessions on high-fibre amylose flour and sustainable flours, a panel celebrating diversity and culture in up-and-coming bakers, 150-plus vendors ready to talk with you about your everyday challenges and solutions and much more. A Canadian business-to-business event, it offers a different backdrop than Pizza Expo and it is the perfect place to step back from your operation and out onto the balcony to look at the big picture. See you there! | CP

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April 2024 · CANADIAN PIZZA

INDUSTRY NEWS

STATE OF THE RESTAURANT INDUSTRY

TOP PHOTO: TOMMY / DIGITALVISION VECTORS / GETTY IMAGES. ILLUSTRATION BY BRIAN FRAY

Sales at restaurants surpass prepandemic levels in 2022, says Statistics Canada Statistics Canada recently released data showing operators in restaurants, food services and drinking places continued to recover in 2022, as most restrictions were lifted by mid-year and Canadians felt more comfortable going to restaurants and bars. Operating revenue increased by almost one-quarter year over year to $84.2 billion in 2022, up 7.4 per cent from 2019, just prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. Three years after the start of the pandemic, sales at full-service restaurants and limited-service eating places exceeded pre-pandemic levels, while sales at special food services and drinking places had not yet fully recovered. Ontario, Quebec and British Columbia reported the largest increases in dollar terms in 2022, accounting for about three-quarters of national sales. Operating expenses for the subsector increased in 2022 to $80.7 billion, or 95.7 per cent CANADIAN PIZZA · April 2024

of operating revenue, up from $63.6 billion (93.8 per cent) in 2021. With operating expenses growing at a faster pace than operating revenues, the subsector recorded a smaller profit margin in 2022 (4.3 per cent). The cost of goods sold remained the largest operating expense at food services and drinking places in 2022, accounting for just over one-third of total operating expenses (up 0.3 per cent from 2021). The next largest operating expense was salaries, wages, commissions and benefits (32.6 per cent), unchanged from a year earlier. Fewer Canadians ordering takeout or delivery: E-commerce sales as a proportion of total sales declined by 2.4 to 9.8 per cent in 2022, as customers returned to restaurants and relied less on takeout meals. Nevertheless, this was more than double the e-commerce sales reported in 2019. The share of companies reporting e-commerce sales increased from approximately one-third in 2019 to just over half in 2022. The leading forms of e-commerce sales in 2022 were third-party websites (62.4 per cent) and mobile apps (52.4 per cent). Alcohol sales up but remain below pre-pandemic levels: Sales

ON THE WEB A slice of famous Montreal pizza and how it could find its way to outer space; Lew’s Pizza + Wings + Things opens in former Tony’s Pizzeria spot in Thorold, Ont.; Pizzeria in Italy serving cricket-powder pizza; Don’t Argue Pizza makes triumphant return to Vancouver | FOR MORE PIZZA NEWS, check out our website, canadianpizzamag.com

of food and non-alcoholic beverages accounted for 87 per cent of total sales at food services and drinking places in 2022, down from 89.3 per cent in 2021. As customers returned to licensed establishments, the share of alcoholic beverage sales rose from 8.1 per cent in 2021 to 10.2 per cent in 2022, but it remained 1.3 per cent below the pre-pandemic level. Canadians paying more for food and drinks at restaurants and bars: Canadians were paying more for food purchased from restaurants (+6.7 per cent) and alcoholic beverages served in licensed establishments (+4.2 per cent) in 2022. Sales at full-service restaurants

outpaced sales at limited-service eating places for the first time since 2019: Full-service restaurants contributed the most to the overall decline in operating revenues during the first two years of the pandemic. In 2022, however, sales bounced back by one-third (+33.8 per cent) from the previous year to $38.2 billion, surpassing 2019 levels for the first time since the onset of the pandemic. Operating expenses at full-service restaurants rose at a higher rate (+35.8 per cent) to $36.6 billion, resulting in a 4.3 per cent operating profit margin. Operating revenue at limited-service eating places (mostly fast-food restaurants) rose 12.1 per cent in 2022 to $37.7 billion,

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INDUSTRY NEWS

also surpassing 2019 levels. Operating expenses increased 15.7 per cent to $36.2 billion, resulting in an operating profit margin of four per cent. Food and drink sales continue to grow in 2023: In the 12 months to December 2023, the Monthly Survey of Food Services and Drinking Places reported that sales at food services and drinking places rose 12.9 per cent from a year earlier. Prices for food purchased from restaurants rose 6.5 per cent in 2023, while prices for alcoholic beverages served in licensed establishments increased 5.3 per cent. Challenges remained as restaurants, bars and caterers dealt with rising prices, labour shortages and business closures. To learn more about how businesses are facing these challenges, check out the Canadian Survey on Business Conditions. GOVERNMENT

Restaurants not directly addressed in Ontario budget: Restaurants Canada Although there were some initiatives welcomed by Restaurants Canada, today’s Budget does not include any additional specific supports for our struggling restaurants sector. The Ontario Budget includes initiatives that target housing affordability, labour and training funding, transportation, and energy costs. These measures add value for business owners, the people they employ and or seek to hire. “While the above initiatives are welcomed, the restaurant sector continues to hurt and is 8

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in urgent need of additional specific measures to help struggling restaurants keep their doors open for their employees and patrons,” said Kris Barnier, vice-president, central Ontario. Restaurants have struggled in recent years with the piling on of expenses that are rising faster than revenues. This includes rising rents and mortgage costs, interest on debt, insurance, food costs, delivery, and transportation costs, as well as food, energy, and costs associated with the movement away from single use plastics. Canadians are struggling with affordability and restaurants are as well. Our data shows 62 per cent of restaurants are losing money or barely breaking even – compared to 12 per cent pre-pandemic. Advertisement “Restaurants need additional cost relief to cope with the rising cost of doing business – in Ontario and across the country. Our team will continue to advocate on behalf of operators as we seek targeted policy changes that will reduce operating costs for the industry, “said Kelly Higginson, president and chief executive officer, Restaurants Canada. We have seen this government act in the past to support our sector. This includes the recent freezing of alcohol taxes, and past action on wholesale pricing for alcohol purchased from the LCBO by bars and restaurants. The government has also taken measures to cut small business and payroll taxes. The sector is hurting and needs additional support to protect jobs, community defining meeting places, and taxpaying businesses. Restaurants Canada

welcomes initiatives announced today but will continue to call on the Ontario government to take additional specific actions to help our sector. FLOUR STANDARDS

Baking Association of Canada asks government to address compositional standards of ‘whole wheat flour’

The Baking Association of Canada together with the Canadian National Millers Association and the Canadian Pasta Manufacturers Association together are asking the federal government to address the compositional standards of Whole Wheat Flour. The three associations made comments on this topic and others in a joint submission to the federal government committee studying Regulations Amending Certain Regulations Concerning Food Additives and Compositional Standards. You can read the BAC’s full submission document here: https://news.mediaedge.ca/assets/CanadianGrainProcesingIndustryCommentsCG1PartI,Volume157,Number44.pdf )

SALES TOOLS

Circana launches SalesTrack for Canadian restaurants and food service Research firm Circana has launched SalesTrack, a tool designed to track brand performance relative to competition on a weekly basis within the Canadian food-service industry. SalesTrack provides participating restaurants insights into the impact of marketing and operational initiatives, allowing them to benchmark their performance against their competitors and make informed decisions. SalesTrack currently collaborates with chains in North America, Europe, and the Middle East, and provides weekly reporting of critical sales metrics, delivered five days after the close of each week. “SalesTrack is more than just data; it’s a strategic advantage for restaurants,” said Vince Sgabellone, industry analyst, foodservice, for Circana. “With this innovative solution, restaurants gain timely access to valuable insights into their performance, allowing them to identify trends, optimize operations, and stay competitive in this rapidly evolving industry.” Benefits of the service include sales decomposition, store efficiency, absolute ticket value, store count impact (analysis of same-store and total system performance to identify growth opportunities) and the ability to analyze specific weeks to assess the impact of initiatives and events. For more information, visit circana.com. | CP April 2024 · CANADIAN PIZZA

COVER STORY

COWABUNGA SAYS CHEESE! Savvy Hamilton, Ont., pizzeria earns ‘World’s Best Cheese Pizza Slice’ kudos

BY COLLEEN CROSS

F PHOTO: JUSTIN MARK VINLUAN, INSTAGRAM @ JUSTINMARKVINLUAN

or Cowabunga Pizzeria owners Justin Tanada and (Tan Tuong) Andy Huynh, cowabunga means fun. In its relatively short history, the pizzeria in Hamilton, Ont., has been busy and highly successful. Never more so than now, fresh from bringing home the title of “World’s Best Cheese Pizza Slice” at the International Pizza Expo in Las Vegas. Cowabunga officially opened October 2020 in a busy suburb on Hamilton Mountain in 2020 in a cozy take-out/pick-up spot.

Big cheese “The cheese pizza is not a bestseller on the menu,” Tanada says. “When we saw that category come up, we wanted to create the best cheese slice we could possibly make.” Winning the coveted title of World’s Best Cheese Pizza Slice at the International Pizza Expo in Las Vegas in March was especially sweet because they overcame big challenges to win it. Their checked luggage carrying their fermented and well-rested dough and most of CANADIAN PIZZA · April 2024

no joke. It means a lot.” Cowabunga Pizzeria now has a second location called Cowabunga+ with seating, a full bar and appetizers menu. They have about 25-30 staff. “We are grateful to them for showing up for us and holding down the fort,” Tanada says. Huynh says attention to detail and ingredients make a great cheese pizza: “It’s not the easiest to master but once you have all those variables down, once you have those those techniuqes down, you can really do something.” “We built our pizza similar to what we built here at Cowabunga [using mozzarella and fior di latte]. I was more focused on the execution of the dough and the baking of the pizza. Our sourdough starter definitely added a lot of flavour.” | CP

their ingredients went missing during the flight to Vegas. Fortunately, thinking two steps ahead, they had packed some of the dough in their carry-on luggage. That back-up dough earned Huynh and Cowabunga the coveted title. When the team learned Huynh would be competing again the next day in the prestigious Pizza Maker of the Year final competition, they had to decide whether to make dough that needed to be ready in 24 hours. “We decided to call our team member to fly down and bring our dough from Canada. We like to ferment our dough for 72 hours,” Huynh says. “It was definitely exciting and fun to have that many eyes at the convention centre to watch me,” the accomplished chef says. “I tried to get a little creative with the pizza.” Tanada says, “I think the Expo is a great experience. It was exciting watching Andy in the finals. It’s tough competition. It’s CanadianPizzaMag.com

THE PIZZA CHEF BY DIANA CLINE

Diana Cline is an award-winning pizza chef, a partner with Diana’s Cucina & Lounge in Winnipeg. In addition to creating award-winning recipes, Diana is a consultant to other pizzeria owner/operators in menu development, creating operational systems and marketing to help operators grow their business strategically. Contact her at diana@dianascucinaandlounge.com.

How a pizza is judged in the International Pizza Challenge Competitions

’ve had the honour and privilege of judging for the International Pizza Challenge and Finals at the annual Pizza Expo in Las Vegas, and I’ve also judged in Italy and for Canada, and for France. I’m often asked about how a pizza is evaluated. Usually each competition has distinct rules which govern the way a pizza is judged, and after a number of years, I’ve incorporated my own methods in with each event. This March, I had the honour to judge at the 40th Pizza Expo, where the International Pizza Challenge competitions have expanded into seven main categories: Traditional, Non-Traditional, Pan, Napoletana, World’s Best Cheese Slice, Ooni Division, Daiya Non-Dairy Cheese Division, plus an additional Italian Sandwich category. After years of running these competitions, the organizers have put a ton of work into making this an exceptional event, from the competitors’ to the judges’ experience, there have been many improvements and much attention to detail. This year they brought in colour-coded sheets and index cards for each division to keep things better organized. They held Zoom meetings for judges and another for competitors ahead of time, to get everyone acquainted with the coloured score sheets, judging criteria, answer any questions, and familiarize the new systems in place. They presented a code of ethics for the judges. They run “blind judging,” for the first two days of competitions, meaning, the competitors don’t see the judges, and the judges don’t know which competitor made the pizza they’re judging. I can appreciate the attention to detail, after years of experience as a

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A key element of judging a pizza: Is the pizza visually appealing and appetizing? This Roman-style pizza, an entry in the Pan division, featured mozzarella, purple kale, Romanesco broccoli, fresh ricotta and Tulha cheese with a balsamic glaze on top.

What was also stressed to judges this year was the importance of judging each pizza against itself, rather than against another pizza in the same category.

competitor, and even more years as a judge, the more clarity in the rules, guidelines, and expectations, the better. They really aimed for transparency. What was also stressed to judges this year was the importance of judging each pizza against itself, rather than against another pizza in the same category, and also not to discuss each pizza with the other judges, until the score sheets were filled in and taken away. This was mentioned several times as a way to eliminate the possibility of some judges influencing other judges’ scores. Here are the main divisions and a description of each: Traditional American. These pizzas represent the type you’d enjoy with your family on pizza night! The only allowed finisher in this division is olive oil. This is a red sauce pizza on which no more than two of the following toppings may be added: pepperoni, sausage, bacon, ham, mushrooms,

peppers, tomatoes, onions and olives. Different varieties of these toppings constitute only one topping. Non-Traditional. Here anything goes and you are not restricted to the colour of sauce, or the kind or number of toppings on your pizza. That being said, there still needs to be a balance between the toppings and crust, sauce and cheeses. Pan: These pizzas should push the envelope on toppings and flavour profiles. They should have distinctive crust characteristics based on the style of the individual pizza. Detroit-style was included in this division, but judged as its own sub-category. Napoletana: This category gives competitors three style options: 1. Marinara which is made with crushed plum tomatoes, salt, fresh garlic, oregano and olive oil (all ingredients must be added before baking); 2. Margherita Extra made with crushed plum tomatoes and chopped fresh cherry tomatoes, mozzarella di bufala, grated April 2024 · CANADIAN PIZZA

What was stressed to the judges was the importance of judging each pizza against itself, rather than against another pizza in the same category and also not to discuss each pizza with the other judges until the score sheets were filled in and taken away.

cheese, extra-virgin olive oil and fresh basil (all ingredients must be added before baking); and 3. Margherita made with crushed plum tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, grated cheese, extra-virgin olive oil and fresh basil (all ingredients must be added before baking). World’s Best Cheese Slice: This is the only pizza that’s not presented unsliced to judges first. It’s presented to judges already sliced. Next is the judging guidelines and score sheet. Judge each pizza against itself using a scale of 1-10 (decimal point increments encouraged) using the following guidelines: 10 is perfect, 5 is average, 1 is inedible. Visual Presentation: Is the pizza visually appealing and appetizing? Bake: This can be evaluated by visual inspection. Was it cooked through? Do you see a gum line or is it burned? View the bottom of the crust as well as the top and interior crumb. Was the competitor able to get a good bake? Crust: This is a flavour and textural evaluation. Does it taste great and have a pleasant texture? Is the crust unintentionally dry or over-floured? Sauce, Cheese, Toppings: Evaluate the flavours of each component as well as the balance between them. Do the toppings enhance the pizza? Do they damage the pizza?

CANADIAN PIZZA · April 2024

Overall Taste: Did this pizza make a cohesive statement? Is it balanced? Is it enjoyable? Creativity: Is this an original, creative combination of cheeses, toppings, sauce, spices and crust? The only difference in the scoring between traditional and World’s Best Cheese slice and some of the other divisions is that there is an additional category for creativity under the taste criteria. An acceptable or mediocre pizza would receive a middle-of-the-road score, such as a 5 out of a possible 10. An above-average pizza would get a 6 or 7 out of a possible 10.A fabulous pizza would get a score of an 8 or 9. If the pizza totally misses the mark, then the score reflects the poor quality and the competitor gets a low score, typically less than 5. Reasons for the low score could be that the pizza is overcooked, undercooked, soggy, excessively greasy or just tastes bad. That’s the mechanics of scoring, and I always begin by looking at the pizza as it’s presented to the judges. The pizza is always brought in for the judges to see before it’s sliced. I check the bake by lifting the pizza and looking at the bottom of the crust. The facilitators will then take the pizza away, slice it up and bring each judge a slice of the pizza. At this point I smell my slice of pizza. This might sound odd, but I love the smell of good food and, for me, one “tell” of a great

INTERNATIONAL PIZZA CHALLENGE CATEGORIES IN 2024: Traditional American Non-Traditional Pan Napoletana World’s Best Cheese Slice Ooni Division Daiya Non-Dairy Cheese Division Best Italian Sandwich

pizza is whether the pizza smells good before I even taste it. Next, I take a bite from the slice with the toppings, crust, cheeses and sauce. If the pizza slops over on itself or on my lap then it gets a lower score than if it held the weight of the toppings and cheese. Next, I take a bite of the edge of the crust, just on its own. This will tell me whether the crust has any flavour; whether the pizza maker knows about proper fermentation and how that allows a great crust to develop flavours or whether it’s actually a cardboard crust hidden under tasty toppings. Lastly, I will take another bite of the pizza with sauce, cheese and toppings, just to confirm whether my first impressions were accurate. There were two pizzas that come to mind that, at first bite, I wasn’t sure if I liked them or not, but after that last bite I knew without a doubt. Finally, before giving it my final score I’d ask myself if this is a pizza that I would happy to pay for – if the answer was yes I would give it a higher score for overall taste. The important thing to note is that judging a pizza contest is a lot like judging a beauty contest. Everyone does not have to like the same pizza, but as an experienced judge, I’ve noticed that a good pizza is a good pizza, and it will receive a higher score. | CP CanadianPizzaMag.com

INDUSTRY EVENTS

PIZZA EXPO HIGHLIGHTS BY CANADIAN PIZZA STAFF

he International Pizza Expo, held in Las Vegas in March, celebrated its 40th anniversary with solid educational content and exciting competitions, new products and networking for professional pizza makers and bakers. Canadian Pizza magazine was there to bring back a few highlights:

Demonstration: Multiple Cheese Blends and How to Use Them Eric Von Hansen, executive regional chef at Caliente Pizza and Draft House in Pittsburgh, Penn., led a demonstration giving advice to other pizzerias. He is known for its award-winning pizza, including a vodka cacciatore sauce pie enhanced with butter and basil. He has 12

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Giovanni Lagorgia, Carmelo Caruana and Stella Lagorgia stop by the Canadian Pizza booth to chat about their growing business, Jacques Cartier Pizza, based in Longueuil, Que.

also won top prizes multiple years at Vegas Expo. At the demo, Von Hansen made a steak pizza featuring caramelized onion, mushroom, white wine and topped with arugula. Another featured pizza was made with creamy French Boursin cheese, roasted artichoke hearts and shaved parmesan. Von Hansen said he puts the Boursin cheese directly onto the crust and “it just kind of melts into the crust.” The gregarious chef, whose fine-dining background has inspired his awarding winning pizzas with ingredients including duck breast, hanger steak and wagu beef, loves French cooking. “The things the French do with cream cheese are unbelievable,” he said. Von Hansen finished with a tip: “The trick with feta is not to put it in

the oven. That dries it out. It’s already brined and dried. Feta is a finishing cheese.”

Collaboration and LongTerm Sustainability In an inspiring keynote talk, father and daughter team John Farrell and Jacque Farrell of Farrelli’s Pizza in Wisconsin shared learnings from a storied pizzeria career. “We’ve never had a year when we didn’t make more money than the year before. We’ve been very fortunate,” said Jacque, co-founder with her father and current CEO. Farrelli’s Pizza opened its original location is in Lacey, Wis., and among a dozen other locations, Tacoma, Wash., location opened in 2017. “We’ve had $30,000 days and we’ve had $2,000 days. It depends on the sun. Imagine trying to schedule around the sun,” John said, giving kudos to one manager for keeping workers on year-round and thus offering them a viable, stable April 2024 · CANADIAN PIZZA

PHOTO: CANADIAN PIZZA

Pizzaiolos and operators share experience, knowledge and ideas

career path. In 1995, when John was 50 and Jacque was 23, they took out a loan for 30 per cent of their investment, in effect borrowing $65,000. In his work with distributor Food Services of America, John had learned that “relationships are everything.” Good relationships with distributors ensured they never ran out of supplies. Good relationships with their attorney, accountant and ingredient suppliers secured them fair prices and helped keep the business running smoothly. “It took us nine years to go from store 1 to store 2. We wanted to clean up our backyard first,” she said referring to paying off debt, Jacque said, adding that they invested in technology. John said of their management team, “If you trust these young people, you’ll be [pleasantly] shocked at how committed they’ll be – committed and involved. Teach them costing, teach them budgeting, give them a budget to work with. Some of the team are partial owners. The general managers all started at entry level and they take quarterly classes on business managament. John told a story as an example of Jacque’s ability to empathize with and motivate the team on a busy and difficult night at the restaurant when the team was struggling to keep up with customer traffic. She could have been hard on the team but instead brought them all milkshakes from a nearby shop and encouraged them to keep going. Farrelli’s offers profit-sharing to its employees. “We ensure people more than 30 hours each week,” said Jacque, who helps staff set up 401Ks as investments in their future. Growth is not all sunshine and roses, the duo warned. “If something affects one store, it affects us all.”

PHOTO: CANADIAN PIZZA

Be Less, Be Excellent Peyton Smith, founder of Mission Pizza Napoletana, shared how his business has managed to maintain the healthy work-life balance that many business owners and operators dream of. Mission does not sell plain cheese or CANADIAN PIZZA · April 2024

pepperoni pizza but instead specializes in gourmet pizza. “We are not trying to appeal to everyone,” said Smith, who is known for bringing Neapolitan pizza to the Carolinas in 2014, earned a James Beard Semifinalist nod for Best Chef Southeast in 2022. The celebrated pizzaiolo wanted to stop looking for validation through working more. “It’s about mindset, or a value system, and streamlining your processes wherever you can.” The Paradox of Choice applies not only to narrowing choices for your guests but also to narrowing moving parts for the team. “It’s not easy, but try to streamline processes and eliminate extra work wherever you can. Money matters but is it really worth the stress of chasing an incremental dollar that is diminishing in value?” COVID caused him to rethink his business model. Pre-pandemic, they worked five days a week. They now work four days. “People who come to see me mid-week are intentionally coming to see me,” he said. Smith set himself a dollar amount that would allow him to run the business, pay expenses, support employees and support his own family. “Once I’ve met that goal, a dollar above that doesn’t make a big difference to me,” he said. Smith blocks off four weeks a year of vacation. The team is selling food for 18 hours a week and he now is able to give time and attention to certain areas of the business such as menu development and to his family.

Employees like the reduced hours and use the extra time to run a side hustle or further their education. “They can bring more of themselves to the work,” Smith said. “It’s a small team, with 25-30 aggregate years employed, and we stick with people we like.” As guiding principles Smith recommended: “Figure out a way to do less work. Make the business less about the guests and more about you.” “Business people already take on a lot of risk,” he said. “I don’t want to let other people be my boss. Vigilance is required. Boundaries tell customers who we are, what we do and what we won’t do.” He wants his business to be known for its transparency, authenticity and integrity. For example, his team have learned how to say no to customers by telling them what you can do for them instead. One concrete step they took was to get rid of phone orders and switch to online ordering only. “My team likes it.” Artificial intelligence had a distinct presence at Pizza Expo with such exhibitors as Pizza Voice by VOICEPlug, which uses data about region, speech patterns, demographics and accents to customize phone ordertaking for pizzerias.

Baking and pizza books launched There was no shortage of books launched at Expo. The World Pizza Champions launched a collaborative cookbook called The Pursuit of Pizza featuring more than 30 award-winning pizza makers breaking down advanced recipes into easy steps. The book features a recipe for Maple Bacon Pizza by Thomas Schneider, owner of Tommy’s Pizzeria in Winnipeg. The pizza includes goat cheese, poached pears, bacon and maple syrup! Schneider has competed in international competitions in Italy and Las Vegas and in 2023 earned second place at the Canadian Pizza Summit in Toronto. Michael Kalanty, a bakery specialist and instructor at The Fire Within pizza school, was at Expo promoting his pair of books, How to Bake Bread: The Five Families of Bread and How to Bake More Bread: Modern Breads, Wild Yeast. For more highlights and photos, visit canadianpizzamag.com. | CP CanadianPizzaMag.com

PROFILE

International experiences have helped Thomas Schneider build up his Winnipeg business BY COLLEEN CROSS

he runnerup in our latest Chef of the Year East in Toronto, Thomas Schneider, is full of surprises. The owner and operator of Tommy’s Pizzeria in Winnipeg began his pizza-making career at age 15 working at Doughboys Pizza on Pembina Highway in Winnipeg. At age 19 Schneider moved to a small town outside of Dallas–Fort Worth, Texas, and opened his first franchise followed a year later by a second location. For Schneider, who always intended to open his own independent pizzeria, these were important steps toward gaining business experience. In 2015 Tommy sold both locations in Texas and moved back to Winnipeg to work with his friend Matthew Tallman of Trans Canada Brewing Company where they opened up Timmy Tom’s Pizzeria inside of the brewery. He continued to learn and establish his brand and opened his own location known as Tommy’s Pizzeria. The stylish spot with an old-style gangster vibe serves multiple pizza styles and seats up to 80 diners inside and 65-70 outside.

Texas training ground He gained valuable franchising experience in Texas. “It was difficult at beginning. I didn’t know anyone. But it was a good experience. I just knew that there was a lot more to pizza than running a franchise. Papa John’s, I felt, was the best quality of ingredients at the time. But then I went to Tony G’s. We learned 14

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Thomas Schneider, owner of Tommy’s Pizzeria in Winnipeg, has had a big year winning second place at the Canadian Pizza Summit, competing with the World Pizza Champions and having his Maple Bacon Pizza recipe published in The Pursuit of Pizza, a prestigious book launched at Vegas Expo featuring more than 30 award-winning pizza makers.

Neapolitan and Italian styles. Then I went back to the school to learn New York, Chicago and Detroit styles.”

International adventures There have been many high points along this path. The dedicated pizza maker attended Tony Gemignani’s International School of Pizza in San Francisco. He competed at the Pizza World Championships in Parma, Italy, where he was named Best Pizza Maker in Canada. Twice he placed in the top 3 of the international division at Vegas Expo. When Schneider was asked to join the WPC Team, he became obsessed with learning about all the different styles of pizza. As he gained experience competing, he began to enjoy it. He earned second place in Atlantic City’s Northeast Pizza Pasta event. “Competing in Italy was intense, nerve-wracking, there were two judges watching us very closely.” Tommy’s produces at least 200 pizzas a Friday night in winter with the help of a top-notch staff. “My general manager has been with me for about seven years since the brewery days. My head chef has been with me about four years. I encourage them to express their creativity through two-week to

monthly specials. It’s scary to let people come up with recipes that aren’t yours. It’s scary to let go of responsibility, but that’s allowed me to step back.” Over the last year, following some health concerns, he has cut back from working 14 hours a day – not an easy thing for someone who has been operating pizzeria from his teenage years. “I gave up a lot when I was young,” he says. “I always had such great responsibilities. That’s why I am where I am today.” He may consider franchising Tommy’s eventually and says that if he goes that route, quality will always be the focus. And his experience gained in Texas would stand him in good stead. His proudest moment has been getting on the World Pizza Champion team. “I hoped that would happen maybe in 10-15 years. It happened a little sooner than expected,” he says. On his menu are several special pizzas that pay tribute to his pizza industry friends. “My pizzas were named after these people I met,” he says. For example, The Gemignani features prosciutto, nduja sausage and soppressata pepperoni. One of Schneider’s goals is to educate Canada on different styles. Among those are New York, Detroit, and tavern-style (a.k.a. Chicago cracker thin) which he launched early in 2024. Grandma-style is next – a style he learned from its inventor, Umberto Corteo of Long Island, N.Y. The style is baked in a rectangular pan and topped with mozzarella and tomato sauce, in that order, then cut into square pieces. Every year Schneider travels, bakes pizzas in the shops of friends, samples the best pizza and brings home to Canada all that he’s learned. “I’m working on telling my story. I tell people, ‘You don’t have to travel to the States. I’ve done the research for you. The best is in Winnipeg.’ ” | CP April 2024 · CANADIAN PIZZA

PHOTO: CANADIAN PIZZA

TOMMY’S PIZZERIA

PROFILE

ROCKIN’ THE PIZZA-BOAT Pizza-Boat of Burlington, Ont., is expanding tastes with unique pizza shapes and flavours BY COLLEEN CROSS

PHOTO: CANADIAN PIZZA

izza-Boat in Burlington, Ont., looks like your typical bright, cheery pizzeria. The brightly lit, welcoming shop is located in a busy shopping plaza. Customers are greeted as friends and offered tiny hot cups of Turkish coffee. “It’s strong,” counsels a smiling Yesim Erkus, who is chef and owner of the unique pizzeria. “But it’s not too bitter. I like it. Try it, I think you’ll like it.” She’s right. I’m not a coffee drinker so I’m unsure, but the demi-tasse of coffee is rich and smooth. Erkus opened Pizza-Boat in 2020. That should tell you something about the owner’s determination and tenacity. The smart, straightforward entrepreneur says she had just signed the lease to their location when the government declared a pandemic. Others might have panicked. Erkus took a deep breath and carried on with the plan. “The timing worked out because we used the time to renovate and, actually, contractors were more readily available. Trained as a lawyer and highly creative, Erkus designed the store herself. Customers are invited to spin a wheel of fortune when they make a purchase to win a free menu item. Kids and adults alike are given bamboo utensils to colour while they wait five to 10 minutes for pizza. The mini works of art are posted on the wall. These touches tell you this business has a personality. Head chef Ali Isitmezoglu made the

CANADIAN PIZZA · April 2024

Chef Ali Isitmezoglu of Pizza-Boat in Burlington, Ont., placed third at the Canadian Pizza Summit with the pizzeria’s signature boat-shaped pide featuring sauteed spinach, mushrooms and pulled beef. Chef/owner Yesim Erkus proudly assisted.

award-winning pizza at the Toronto Chef of the Year Competition, encouraged by Erkus, who presented the shop’s pizza to the judges. Isitmezoglu worked as a celebrated chef in Turkey at Nisantasi Basköse and other renowned restaurants. Erkus brought him over to head up her kitchen. The chef is precise and methodical. He takes me through the process of making pides and pocket-boats, another favourite shareable item on the menu. He uses a vertical dough sheeter to get the dough consistently super-thin, something they made do without at the Chef of the Year Competition in Toronto in October 2023. His handiwork impressed judges enough to award him third place among top Canadian pizzaiolos. Also on the menu are eight-inch Lahmacun, which are thin-crust dough topped with ground beef blended with tomatoes, onions, green peppers, red

peppers, parsley, garlic and herbs. My hosts bring out pocket-boats that we all share, similar in shape to the pizza-boats but rolled into an enclosed “pocket” then served, like the pizza-boats, sliced across the narrow width into small and tasty morsels that are gone in two bites. The Chef’s Signature Pizza Boat features sauteed spinach, pulled beef, sauteed mushrooms and cheese. Pizza-Boats include meat lovers assorted, chicken, pepperoni, vegetarian and other pizzas most Canadians are familiar with. They also serve a pizza-boat called Soujuk, which is made up of beef soujuk and mozzarella. Soujuk is a dry, spicy and fermented sausage eaten in several Balkan, Middle Eastern and Central Asian regions. A very special product designed to touch their Middle Eastern communities is Joseph’s Canadian Pizza Boat, which is made with beef pepperoni, beef soujuk and sauteed mushrooms. The compassionate Erkus donates $5 of the proceeds from every Joseph’s Canadian Pizza Boat to Turkey and Syria Earthquake Relief. Erkus and Isitmezoglu say they loved taking their pizza to competition and spreading their word about their unique products. They have big plans for Pizza-Boat, and with so many great marketing ideas – from spinning wheels to branded napkin packages, magnet and framed copies of the issue of Canadian Pizza on the wall in which Ali appears in the gallery of pizza chefs. The duo are presenting a demo at Toronto Bakery Showcase on May 5 where they will demonstrate how to make their pide and traditional Turkish desserts. Come cheer them on! | CP CanadianPizzaMag.com

HEALTH & SAFETY

REDUCE FLOUR DUST EXPOSURE RISK

BY WORKSAFEBC

or most pizzeria and bakery workers flour is just part of a day’s work. Flour dust may seem harmless but dust in high concentrations is a contaminant that must be controlled. Mitigating and eliminating these 16

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risks is a must for employers, but it’s not something that you have to do alone. Many employers in food and beverage manufacturing are harnessing the power of their joint health and safety committee or worker representative to identify and control risks.

Flour dust may seem harmless but dust in high concentrations is a contaminant that must be controlled.

Harness your joint committee Joint committees play an important role in the workplace and are a requirement for any employer with 20 workers or more. If your workplace has more than 9 but fewer than 20 workers, you need a worker health and safety representative instead of a committee, but the role they play in injury prevention is just as important. A joint committee brings together April 2024 · CANADIAN PIZZA

PHOTO:© PARILOV / ADOBE STOCK

Getting the most out of your joint health and safety committee

representatives of the employer and the workers and supports the duty of the employer to ensure a healthy and safe workplace. They meet monthly and work together to help resolve health and safety issues in the workplace. Whether you have a committee or a worker representative, here some examples of the duties they have: • Promptly dealing with health and safety concerns • Consulting with workers and the employer on issues related to health and safety and the occupational environment • Advising the employer on workplace health and safety programs and policies, and monitoring their effectiveness • Advising the employer on proposed changes to the workplace, including significant proposed changes to equipment and machinery, or work processes that may affect the health or safety of workers • Making recommendations to the employer on education programs to support the health and safety of workers and compliance under the Workers Compensation Act and Occupational Health and Safety Regulation

The knowledge of the workers on the health and safety committee or your health and safety representative can help you review and adapt your risk controls. The work environment may require physical modifications to facilities, along with equipment and processes that can reduce exposure. Some questions to consider: • Can a flour dust extraction system be installed? • Can ventilation be improved? • Can a HEPA vacuum be used for cleaning?

Visit worksafebc.com for resources to help you manage a healthy and safe workplace.

Protect workers from flour dust A joint health a safety committee can also help manage the risk of workers being exposed to airborne flour dust. Tasks that create high concentrations of airborne flour include: • Loading flour and other ingredients into mixers • Dusting flour onto baking surfaces • Dry sweeping flour dust from shelving or the floor • Disposing of empty flour bags </bu> Inhaling airborne flour dust can irritate the respiratory tract and lead to a type of occupational asthma known as “baker’s asthma.” Once people are sensitized to flour dust, they can experience asthma attacks from exposure to even small amounts of it. In some cases, it can take up to 30 years to develop symptoms after being exposed. Flour dust in the air can also cause explosions. When tiny particles like flour are released into the air, they are highly flammable. A cloud of flour dust mixed with an ignition source could be disastrous.

Prevent flour dust from becoming airborne Managing risk in your workplace involves thinking about what might cause harm to your workers and determining whether you are taking reasonable steps to prevent that harm from happening. It’s important to regularly review your work processes to ensure a change in production isn’t putting workers at risk.

A joint health a safety committee can also help manage the risk of workers being exposed to airborne flour dust. CANADIAN PIZZA · April 2024

The next line of defense is to look at updating procedures and policies. Questions to consider with your committee or representative include: • Do you have a written exposure control plan for flour dust? • Are there warning signs posted in the work area? • Are safe procedures posted to remind workers how to minimize the spread of dust? • Can cleaning practices be improved and done more regularly? Personal protective equipment such as respirators is the last resort and should only be used if there is at least one other control in place as well. Some questions to consider: • Do workers have the proper respirators for use during cleanup and dusty short-term tasks? • Have respirators been fitted and checked to make sure they are working properly? After implementing a new process, be sure to have the committee check back in with workers for updates and possible improvements. A joint health and safety committee plays an important role in helping to identify health and safety risks and developing a plan to manage them. It provides an opportunity for workers and employers to find solutions together and creates a safer workplace for all.

Find out more Visit worksafebc.com for resources to help you manage a healthy and safe workplace. Additional sources of information include: • Joint health & safety committees • Flour dust • Combustible dust. WorkSafeBC is committed to creating a province free from workplace injury or illness, and to providing service driven by their core values of integrity, accountability, and innovation. By partnering with workers and employers, they help British Columbians come home from work safe every day. | CP

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TOOLS OF THE TRADE

When it comes to new ingredients, equipment and services, Canadian Pizza keeps you in the know. For more on new products for the pizza industry, check out our website, canadianpizzamag.com

DELIVERY TECH

Software helps pizzerias manage delivery Empower Delivery has launched a delivery management product designed to meet the unique needs of pizza delivery establishments by providing greater efficiency, cost savings and improved delivery experience. It has been designed specifically for restaurants who have been frustrated in sourcing enough drivers and who have considered using a third party to offload the hassle of recruiting, onboarding, training, managing and retaining drivers. The end-to-end order-to-fulfilment software combines the consumer experience with kitchen production and logistics fulfilment. This enables a digital path to customer ordering, order timing, delivery routing and restaurant marketing. With the launch of the driver management software, Empower Delivery can now also offer high-volume delivery restaurants on-demand driver management as an addition to their current tech stack. By facilitating intelligent order-to-driver matching, routing delivery couriers, giving 18

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restaurants a view to courier locations, and providing customers with real-time order tracking, the delivery management software enables pizza restaurants to simplify delivery and increase profitability. Because the software takes orders in from a restaurant’s existing tech stack, it will work with whatever payments the restaurant currently has in place, a company respresentative said. The product allows delivery-focused establishments to streamline their delivery operations, reduce costs and elevate the overall customer experience. empower.delivery

SIDES

‘Dressing Optional’ microgreens and baby greens mixes provide flavour GoodLeaf Farms has launched a new “Dressing Optional” line of microgreens and baby greens salad mixes designed to be flavourful even without the addition of dressing. The company has introduced two additional new blends of its greens that deliver “big taste with a punch of nutritional goodness,”

and are designed to elevate salads and main dishes. “Microgreens and baby greens have all of the flavour of their adult plant counterparts, said Cheryl Verbiski, vice-president, Commercial, at GoodLeaf Farms. “Finding the right blend produces a mouth-watering food experience – without compromising on the health benefits that come with a product that could pack as much as 40 times the nutritional value as a mature plant.” The product line includes three mixes: Spring Mix, Sweet & Spicy Mix and Four Seasons Mix. Produce used in the new mixes is grown in GoodLeaf’s indoor farms across Canada, without the use of pesticides, herbicides or fungicides. goodleaffarms.com

CHEESE

Squirrel Systems launches order-andpay features for fullservice restaurants Squirrel Systems has launched a new portfolio of order-andpay features to enhance the tableside ordering experience for

full-service restaurants. Squirrel’s tableside ordering platform started as a technology to deliver a better guest experience and has become a way to operate the front of the house more efficiently amid rising labour and food costs while increasing table turns and average cheque sizes. Putting a device that now combines both ordering and payments in the hands of the server is a natural evolution of the tableside ordering experience, the company said in a press release. Servers no longer need the hassle of handling multiple devices, and guests can take advantage of a convenient and paperless payment experience. Squirrel recently introduced two new order-and-pay device solutions specifically built to meet full-service restaurants’ unique needs. A smaller six-inch form factor best suits more casual table service environments that value speed and simplicity. Busy restaurant brands that operate at scale offering table-side ordering and payment may prefer an eight-inch, wide-screen iPad with integrated payment. Squirrel’s order-and-pay solutions provide a safe and enhanced guest experience with instant bill management, reduced touchpoints and quick bill production. Operators can also go paperless and printer-free with e-billing or electronic cheques and receipts. The order-and-pay solutions are available for use with Squirrel Cloud Full-service Restaurant Edition and Squirrel 11. squirrelsystems.com April 2024 · CANADIAN PIZZA

Galbani Professionale Premio Pizza Mozzarella Lactalis Canada Foodservice – a division of Canadian dairy leader Lactalis Canada – has launched Galbani Professionale Premio Pizza Mozzarella in Canada. Premio is positioned as a premium 26 per cent pizza mozzarella that comes in a 2.3-kilogram block format in cases of eight blocks.

compromising performance, function or print quality. Compared to traditional solutions, the weight and material consumption of the box has been reduced by approximately 30 per cent, the producer of fresh fibre paperboards said in a press release. The fresh fibre MetsäBoard Natural WKL Bright used for the box weighs 80 g/ m² (16 lbs/1,000 ft²). Despite the reduced weight, the E-flute corrugated board box’s structure provides the necessary rigidity

and more sustainable solution for food-grade applications. It is a fully bleached, uncoated white kraftliner suitable for flexo, offset, and digital inkjet printing and is available in a basis weight range of 70-160 g/m². Metsä Board’s Sustainability Service compared the packaging to existing solutions and made a detailed analysis of its environmental impact by looking at both the material and the production. Compared to traditional boxes made of recycled fibre, the weight of this pizza box made of MetsäBoard Natural WKL Bright was up to 38 per cent lighter and its carbon footprint up to 50 per cent lower. metsagroup.com/metsaboard

DOUGH BALLS

With ample free oil, remarkable blister coverage and uniformity as well as a buttery and creamy flavour profile, Galbani Professionale Premio Pizza Mozzarella is designed to provide exceptional cheese coverage and superior melting behaviour for a mouthwatering texture. galbanipropremio.ca

while the fresh fibre material the necessary purity to hold a freshly baked pizza. The pizza box was designed by Futupack and the packaging was manufactured by Adara Pakkaus, while the lightweight paperboard substrate was provided by Metsä Board to provide a better, safer,

Rich’s debuts pinsa and showcases parbaked crusts at Pizza Expo Rich Products is expanding its portfolio of industry-leading pizza doughs and crusts with an authentic, Italian-style lineup of pizza products. The company provided a sneak peek of the new portfolio at the 2024 International Pizza Expo in Las Vegas.

“Last year, our team traveled to Italy to gather inspiration and expertise that would enhance our portfolio with more authentically Italian products. In Europe, we tasted some of the best pizza we’d ever had and saw the opportunity to bring some of these products and innovation to the U.S. and Canada markets,” said Donna Reeves-Collins, senior vice-president, Pizza & Flatbread Category. Rich’s provided an exclusive “first taste” of its new Pinsa at Expo and its Authentically Italian line, which includes: 7”x 11” Oval Pinsa and 12” Round Pinsa An 8 oz. Pizza Dough Ball made with Double Zero “00” Italian Style Flour and are higher in moisture than traditional dough balls, making them easier for operators to use for Neapolitan-style pizzas 16” Double Zero ‘00” Italian Style Parbaked Pizza Crust: Rich’s parbaked crust is made with Double Zero “00” style flour, delivering the taste, texture and aroma one would find in a Roman cafe, but with freezer-to-oven simplicity. The company’s new Double Zero “00” Parbaked Crusts are expected to be available through Dot Foods by May 6. richsusa.com

PIZZA BOXES

Metsä Board creates ‘world’s lightest pizza box’ Metsä Board has collaborated with industry professionals to create a food-safe pizza box that aims to reduce both material and printing ink usage, benefiting the environment without CANADIAN PIZZA · April 2024

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MAKING DOUGH WITH DIANE BY DIANE CHIASSON

Diane Chiasson, FCSI, president of Chiasson Consultants Inc., has been helping foodservice, hospitality and retail operators increase sales for over 35 years by providing innovative and revenue-increasing food service and retail merchandising programs, interior design, branding, menu engineering, marketing and promotional campaigns. Contact her at 416-926-1338, send her an email at chiasson@chiassonconsultlants.com, or visit www.chiassonconsultants.com

Five easy spring-cleaning tips to refresh your pizzeria

Take a walk around your pizzeria and look at things from your guests’ point of view. Make sure to deep-clean your pizzeria’s customer-facing areas.

1. DEEP-CLEAN THE OUTSIDE OF YOUR SHOP Don’t overlook the importance of a clean exterior. Get the front façade of your pizzeria operation a serious power wash to rinse away the winter mess. Pizza operators often focus more on the interior than their facility’s exterior, but keeping your pizzeria’s exterior squeaky clean is just as important. As all the snow melts away, the building roofs and exteriors, sidings, gutters, windows, shutters, surrounding sidewalks, awnings, signage, entryways, outdoor furniture and parking lots of your pizzeria are probably covered in dirt, grime, mud, salt and all kinds of residual winter elements. If you have a patio or other outdoor seating areas, it’s time to get them ready. Power wash tables, chairs, the patio and fence. 20

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Deep-clean and sanitize staff break rooms and bathrooms. Dirty bathrooms signify a business not caring about the little things.

2. TACKLE THE BEHINDTHE-SCENES AND DECLUTTER YOUR ENTIRE SPACE A clean space equals a clear mind. Start by getting rid of the clutter. Take stock of and organize your inventory and take time to reduce clutter and throw away items you no longer need. Go through your office, organize cords and cables, go through all the piles of papers on your desk, file away important papers, shred the rest, and tidy up and replenish office supplies. Most operators I have worked with unnecessarily hold on to old files for years. Trash old project files. Go paperless. Moving from paper to digital is practical, means less clutter and is good for the planet. Kitchen areas are particularly prone to clutter because of all those kitchen gadgets and tools. Try to weed out unnecessary tools and gadgets. Get some good jars and storage containers for your dried goods and spices. Give away the cookbooks that you are never going to use. Think about making your space more functional by organizing items more efficiently. How can you best use your kitchen space? Do you have

excess storage containers or should you buy new ones? Check your storage containers, jars, or container lids without the corresponding mate. Do you have kitchen utensils or tools that you have duplicates of or never used? How about old spices and expired food? Throw out these chipped and cracked dishes, mugs or glasses. How many aprons do you have, and how many do you need? What about threadbare and ratty dishcloths and dishtowels? Throw away your smelly sponges and get rid of your gnarly potholders. What about scratched, non-stick cookware? Decluttering is great for your pizza operation, as well as for ensuring the peace of mind of customers and the team. Start a decluttering scavenger hunt today.

3. CLEAN THE FRONT AND BACK OF THE HOUSE AREA Take a walk around your pizzeria and look at things from your guests’ point of view. Pizzerias often include a takeaway coffee station, an area for a birthday celebration, or a café, so make sure to deep-clean your pizzeria’s customer-facing areas. Strict cleanliness and hygiene standards apply when April 2024 · CANADIAN PIZZA

PHOTO CREDIT:ELEGANZA/ E+/ GETTY IMAGES

t is time for your pizzeria’s annual spring cleaning and to look for easy ways to renew your spaces. As the weather warms up, there is no better time to make sure your springcleaning plans are well organized and underway. Spring is an excellent time to renew your spaces, eliminate the clutter and thoroughly clean your pizzeria. Get your employees involved and make it as easy and fun as possible. Play lively music, order refreshing drinks and tasty food and get cleaning. It’s the perfect opportunity to get your staff together for team building and bonding. Be sure to reward your staff accordingly. Refreshing your pizzeria operation will create a safer, cleaner, brighter environment that will attract customers and build trust. Here are five easy spring-cleaning tips to refresh your pizzeria.

working with and selling food. Have your carpets steam cleaned, degrease the hood and toss out things you don’t need. It will improve the visual impression, create a hygienic environment and leave an overall positive impression. Make sure all appliances and equipment units are thoroughly cleaned and functioning properly, in addition to sweeping and mopping, cleaning and sanitizing flyer and grill areas, walk-in refrigerators and freezer areas, counters, tables, chairs and kitchen hoods. Use a duster to get to those hard-to-reach areas under appliances and large equipment units like worktables, shelving, cooking and preparation equipment, refrigeration units, storage shelves, pantries, closets, and other pieces of furniture. Vacuum under rugs and floor mats. Clean and sanitize trash bins. Clean windowsills and blinds with a damp cloth to allow fresh air to circulate. Dust light fixtures and any ceiling fan with a microfibre cloth.

A wet/dry vacuum can be used to quickly remove dry, loose food from the display counters and ovens. The surface of the glass sales counter needs to be cleaned using a combination of vinegar, baking soda and warm water or a glass cleaner and microfibre cloth. This chemical-free cleaning solution can be used to clean floors, walls and much more. Check all the items in your pantry, shelves, and storage areas for expired items, and rotate through them so that the oldest products are at the front. Replace air filters and vacuum vents to minimize dust and ensure fresh air flows through your workplace. Deepclean and sanitize staff break rooms and bathrooms. Dirty bathrooms signify a business not caring about the little things.

4. INSPECT THE REFRIGERATED STORAGE AREAS, HVAC, AND OVENS You should thoroughly walk through and inspect your pizzeria’s air

5 TIPS TO REFRESH YOUR PIZZERIA: 1. Deep-cle an the entire outside of your pizzeria 2. Tackle the behind-the-scenes and declutter your entire space 3. Clean the front and back of the house area 4. Inspect the refrigerated storage areas, HVAC, and ovens 5. Re-organize your furniture and displays

conditioning and refrigerated storage areas. Get rid of debris and change any filters on your HVAC units. Don’t forget to check the gaskets on your refrigerators and freezers. I always advise my clients to have a professionally certified HVAC technician look closely at all their equipment. Your ovens and other top-of-the-line equipment deserve a deep cleaning to avoid an unclean environment and future equipment malfunction.

5. RE-ORGANIZE YOUR FURNITURE AND DISPLAYS Consider a simple rearrangement of your furniture or pizza displays: it will allow your space to feel even more renewed. Don’t forget that new and unique changes can entirely alter how your customers see your pizzeria and, as a result, will encourage them to visit your pizzeria more often. Make sure that your restaurant is a place where customers can relax and have some great food. | CP

From focaccias to pan pizza and the deepdish delight of Chicago-style, Pizza: The

PIZZA: THE ULTIMATE COOKBOOK Scan code to buy this book

Ultimate Cookbook will capture your taste buds and your imagination. Pizza has a delicious history that travels back to Southern Italy, to at least the 10th century, where the term was first recorded. Since then, pizzailos developed unique flavors throughout time until pizza has become the staple we know today. With Pizza: The Ultimate Cookbook on hand, you’ll always go back for seconds. $53.95 | Item# 1646430031

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2024-03-28 10:02 AM

GUEST COLUMN BY JANE DUMMER, RD

Jane Dummer, RD, known as the Pod to Plate Food Consultant, collaborates and partners with the food and nutrition industry across North America. janedummer.com

Current health and wellness trends in pizza

izza is an innovative food, changing and adapting to new trends. It is one of the most widely consumed dishes globally. As health and wellness continues to be on the minds of consumers, the pizza sector is embracing this trend. From specialty diet options to farm-fresh ingredients, there are many possibilities for that pizza lover with well-being on their plate. According to Pizza Today’s 2024 Pizza Trends report, vegan meat and cheese alternatives, sweet and hot pepper varieties, plus caramelized and pickled vegetables are among the hottest trends in toppings for 2024. Pizzerias are looking for the best plant-based ingredients that work for their vegan and meat- and dairy-free customers. Not only for pizza toppings but also for crusts. At the recent ASB BakingTECH 2024 conference in Chicago, I connected with several ingredient suppliers. Oscar Carreon, development and technical service manager, AB Mauri North America, says: “Pizza is a very convenient option for many families since it is easy to both prepare or purchase. If finished pizza products also

Vegan meat and cheese alternatives, sweet and hot pepper varieties, plus caramelized and pickled vegetables are among the hottest trends in toppings for 2024. 22

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deliver good nutrition and/or health attributes, what a win-win for both manufacturers and their customers.” Carreon explains: “The vegetarian and vegan markets have been increasing the past few years. More plant-based ingredients are now available for bakers to formulate crusts while incorporating changes in texture, flavour and even statements like, ‘improved with’, ‘addition of’, and ‘formulated with’. Whole wheat, cauliflower-based, gluten-free and thin style – can play an important role in all foods, not just pizza, in the years ahead. If texture and flavour are not impacted, then consumers are open to trying new and different options. The big secret: how much of these ingredients can be put in crust formulation without affecting the final product and still deliver good nutrition? At AB Mauri, we continue to work on a variety of new and innovative solutions for the pizza, naan, flatbread and tortilla space.” Rachel Antalek, Pizza Hut’s new chief food innovation officer, says, “At Pizza Hut, our commitment to modernizing flavours is at the forefront of our brand identity.” According to the company’s market research survey of 5,000 American adults (surveyed between December 2023 and January 2024) peppers are on trend, from roasted sweet peppers to bold, spicy peppers. Pizza lovers also shared they’d be willing to try several unusual fruit and veggie toppings on their pizza that they usually wouldn’t go for: pineapple (44 per cent), chili peppers (21 per cent), artichokes (16 per cent), potatoes (15 per cent) and pickles (14 per cent). The experts at Pizza Hut predict thin crust will continue to grow in

popularity as consumers look for lighter styles of pizza to enjoy. In terms of crust, the recent survey found the most popular types of pizza crust are thin-crust (28 per cent), stuffed-crust (20 per cent) and thick-crust (14 per cent). Artisan crusts are another favourite for consumers focused on health and wellness. With unique flavour profiles, along with interesting textures, these handcrafted crusts are gaining in popularity. The flavour profiles can come from the unique flour blends and the use of herbs. A Neapolitan-style thin crust is a top trend for 2024 and is thought to have been created in the 1800s in Naples, Italy. It has a very thin crust with dough that puffs up around the sides giving a light, airy, crispy crust. This artisan dough is hand kneaded and is baked in a woodfired oven for an appealing taste and texture. Independent pizzerias and restaurants are distinguishing themselves by offering farm fresh, local toppings. This contributes to the wellness of the immediate economy and environment. These regional ingredients include spinach, basil, arugula, specialty mushrooms, fresh garlic, heirloom tomatoes, peaches, potatoes, sweet onions plus specialty cheeses and meats. Recently, I was at my local pizzeria and had the chef add their vegetable medley of the day (zucchini, mushrooms and red peppers) to a thin-crust, meat-forward pizza. Both the chef and server agreed this variety would be a delicious mainstay on their menu. The world of pizza is evolving and emerging with delicious, health-forward innovative ingredients that don’t sacrifice texture or flavour. Globally, with more than 30 billion pizzas being consumed annually, expect to see more options that emphasize the 2024 health and wellness trends. | CP April 2024 · CANADIAN PIZZA

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