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Volume 19 Issue 1 January/February 2013

12 THE PURPOSE BEHIND THE PIE

ABOVE: Harold Mackesey, Saputo’s Alberta sales manager, presents Wayne Rempel with the Pizza with Purpose award sponsored by Saputo Foodservice.

Wayne Rempel, owner of JP’s Pizza in Lacombe, Alta., is the winner of this year’s Pizza with Purpose award sponsored by Saputo Foodservice.

20 A PIZZA PLAYBACK

Looking back at what made headlines in 2012 – and forward to what it means for 2013.

24 THE SAUCY SIDE 24

Here’s a chicken wing primer before the big game.

www.canadianpizzamag.com

DEPARTMENTS 6

editor’s desk

pizza bites

canadian pizza online

the pizza chef

making dough

marketing insights

pizza on fire

Cover photo by Penny Moffitt

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 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.

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from the editor’s desk January/February, Vol. 19, No. 1

Born to be good? t is fair to say that doing good in your community is good for business. It gets your name out there and encourages people to associate your pizzeria with benevolence. It will most certainly help build your business, and that’s exciting. But serving pizza with purpose is more than that. It’s a nod to humans doing what humans do best. This year, we are proud to honour Wayne Rempel at JP’s in Lacombe, Alta., with the Pizza with Purpose award sponsored by Saputo Foodservice. We thank the folks at Saputo for their support in honouring Rempel with a $2,500 gift and plaque as part of winning this award. As you’ll read on page 12, doing good comes naturally to this businessman. This raises the question: Are we born to do to good? I think so. As a species, we’re simply “Born to Be Good,” according to the title of Dr. Dacher Keltner’s book. Keltner is the director of the Berkeley Greater Good Science Center at the University of California. We are a caretaking species from the get-go, with offspring that take “anywhere from seven to 45 years to reach the age of independence,” he says with a laugh. We have a neuropeptide in our bodies called oxytocin that promotes trust and devotion to others. Keltner talks of our vagus nerve, a large part of the central nervous system flowing from the brain stem that is “probably what is going to catapult our world towards a more sustainable future.” The wandering nerve is the compassion branch to the nervous system, he says, and what stimulates the oxytocin. It is a part of the nervous system that promotes altruism. He points to everyone from Darwin to the

Dalai Lama as having noted that compassion was our strongest instinct. When you reach out to others, you are reaching out to your own human nature and the benefits reach far beyond your business. United Press International ran a story in 2011 titled “Study: Altruism benefits givers’ health” that summarized the research of Stephen G. Post of Stony Brook University School of Medicine in New York. Post had reviewed over 50 studies on sincere acts of giving and found that “healthcare professionals should consider recommending such activities to patients” after finding how deep an impact altruism had on health factors ranging from mood to mortality. Post found that even just thinking about giving had a positive effect on health and well-being. How your pizzeria runs is an extension of you and how it touches people is a result of your vision. It’s your connection with your community at large. Technology may muddle how important all the “real” face-to-face connecting is, but consider this: Keltner’s research found that human connection is so strong that people who could not see one another but could touch a forearm for half a second were about four times more accurate in judging the emotional state of that person than if they hadn’t touched them at all. I’m not suggesting everyone run out and become a personal space invader, but that we keep in mind the power and exquisite depth of our species when it comes to communication. You cannot be left poorer for giving if you are left richer in heart. I hope that this year’s winner inspires you to continue the spirit of gestures, big and small. •

@CdnPizzaMag

6 pizza JANUARY/FEBRUARY 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 Sandy Mels smels@annexweb.com 888-599-2228, ext. 219 Media Designer Emily Sun 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. ©2012 Annex Publishing & 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

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pizzabites Agostino wins Chef of the Year hef Rocco Agostino’s love of porchetta has won him the title of Canadian Pizza magazine’s 2012 Chef of the Year and a trip to the International Pizza Expo in Las Vegas. Agostino, of Pizzeria Libretto in Toronto, was one of three finalists in this year’s bakeoff, hosted by Moretti Forni (distributed by Euro-Milan) at their Mississauga, Ont., kitchen. His pizza, topped with savoury Italian porchetta, fior di latte, a truffle cream sauce, rapini, preserved chilli peppers and pork crackling narrowly edged by the other two finalists, Rick Nixon of Itza Reistorante & Pizzeria in Nelson, B.C., and Justin Connors, of Fired Pizza Co. in Fredericton, N.B. On Dec. 12, all three finalists shipped their ingredients to the Moretti Forni kitchen, where the pizzas were baked and scored by a panel of six judges, including members of the Canadian Pizza team, Moretti Forni staff and representatives from Saputo Foodservice, the contest’s sponsor. Agostino’s win will send him to the International Pizza Expo in Last Vegas from March 19 to 21, a $1,000 cash prize, a cover feature in Canadian Pizza magazine and a guaranteed spot in the finals of either the traditional or non-traditional category at Pizza Expo. As runner-up, Nixon’s Harvest Pizza has won him a trip to Pizza Expo and a spot in the finals of either the traditional or non-traditional category. Connors’ curried pumpkin and ricotta cheese pizza garnered great feedback from the panel of judges. Congratulations to all finalists, and many thanks to our sponsors, Saputo Foodservice and Moretti Forni. Stay tuned for the April/May issue of Canadian Pizza magazine, which will feature Agostino on the cover and all the finalists’ recipes.

8 pizza JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2013

CRFA asks for new approach to dairy pricing n an open letter to the Canadian Dairy Commission (CDC) in November, Garth Whyte, president and CEO of the Canadian Restaurant and Foodservice Association (CRFA), has asked for a new approach to dairy pricing. In the letter, Whyte asks the CDC to address two main issues: bring dairy prices to a more competitive level, while ensuring a fair return for producers, and introduce a distinct class of cheese pricing for the restaurant industry (as has been done for other sectors). Whyte suggests that introducing a new class of cheese, as exists for frozen pizza manufacturers, would be a step in the right direction. “Lower priced

cheese for restaurants will level an uneven playing field that forces fresh pizza makers to pay 30 per cent more for mozzarella cheese than frozen pizza manufacturers.” “Given the high cost of dairy, it should come as no surprise that Canadians have reduced their dairy consumption and are cross-border shopping to avoid Canada’s sky-high prices. Dairy products are also losing ground on restaurant menus as business owners seek out more reasonably priced products to promote to their customers. In the past five years, overall restaurant orders have increased by six per cent, but pizza orders have decreased by a stark 12 per cent,” Whyte states in the letter.

pizzabites

Technomic’s take: what’s ahead in 2013? echnomic’s team of consultants and editors have looked ahead to food trends that may significantly impact the restaurant industry in 2013. 1. Vegetables take their star turn. As more diners discover the joys of occasional meatless meals, the flirtation with vegetarian fare evolves into flexitarian fascination with actual vegetables. That means not only innovative salads, but also creative presentations of roasted or steamed veggies, even the assertive ones like carrots, kale or brussels sprouts. Vegetables at the centre of the plate are welcomed by diners – who continue to seek fresh, local, healthful fare – as well as operators squeezed by rising costs for proteins. 2. Great grains. Recognized as nutrition powerhouses – packed with protein as well as texture and full, rich taste – grains are also playing star roles on trendy menus. Dishes like polenta, couscous or bulgur are central to some of today’s hottest ethnic cuisines. And a number of grains – quinoa, amaranth, millet, wild rice, corn, oats and buckwheat – do not contain gluten, so they’re being nudged to the fore as part of the movement to gluten-free eating. 3. Chicken surprise. Yes, chicken is ubiquitous thanks to its always-reasonable price and remarkable versatility, but now it’s actually trendy as well. New quick-service and fast-casual fried-chicken concepts are popping up, offering Southern or spicy takes on a classic. And now that Latin-accented marinated chicken has established a niche, African peri-peri chicken may be next. 4. Snacking nation. Habits of around-the-clock eating, the street-food/food-truck craze, consumers’ demand for flexible portions and prices, and operators’ need to move beyond pricecutting on core menu items all combine to make snack fare a key trend. Tapas, mezze and upscale bar bites in full-service restaurants are matched by flavorful novelties in limited-service restaurants. 5. More is more. On the other hand, there’s an opposite valueas-volume movement. Look for more deals like Pizza Hut’s Big Dinner Box (two pizzas with multiple sides) or Olive Garden’s Dinner Today & Dinner Tomorrow (a dine-in meal plus a to-go meal), as well as multi-course feasts for two, four or more. 6. Retro rising: diner and deli fare. Concepts of many types are looking to the menus of traditional and contemporary diners and delis for inspiration. We’ll see a proliferation of premium diner- and deli-inspired meaty sandwiches, full-flavored soups, even pickles – from traditional dill cukes to pickled red onion. 7. Noodle-shop noodles. Ramen done right is a long way from dorm fare; it’s nutritious, subtle, satisfying and redolent of exotic Far East street markets. Look for ramen, udon, soba, cellophane and rice noodles to show up in hearty layered bowls, fragrant soups and even mixed-texture salads, not only in a burgeoning number of big-city noodle shops but also in seafood and varied-menu restaurants as well.

8. South America – the next frontier. Just as diners who love Asian fare have explored beyond Chinese to develop a taste for Thai and Vietnamese, those who favour Mexican are now looking south – all the way to Brazil, Argentina and Peru. We’ll see mainstreaming of South American-style grilled meats, chimichurri sauce, ceviche, South American-Asian fusion seafood dishes and iconic drinks, from Brazil’s caipirinha to Peru’s pisco sour. 9. Fast casual goes globe-trotting. Success in the exploding fast-casual sector is no longer limited to bakery cafés and Mexican concepts. Build-your-own-better-burger chains and gourmet brick-oven pizza restaurants have been on the rise for some time, but now we’re also seeing more ethnic foods and flavours – from American barbecue to Southeast Asian soups and sandwiches to Mediterranean and Middle Eastern fare. 10. Restaurants thirsty for differentiation turn to beverages. Trends include fresh fruit (especially tropical fruit) beverages; natural energy drinks; housemade sodas; cocktails made with candy-like flavoured vodkas; micro-distillery liquors that promote drinking locally; regional craft brews starring in beer-and-food pairings; and the rise of hard ciders.

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2013 pizza 9

pizzabites

Great finds at Gourmet Food & Wine Expo he Gourmet Food & Wine Expo turned up its usual annual array of interesting finds and winning wines. Canadian Pizza was on hand to ferret out some noteworthy finds for our readers. The show ran Nov. 15-18 at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre. Here are some of the most interesting booths we visited: Most shockingly refreshing white: An Austrian 2011, Yonder Velt Grüner Veltliner. Billed as a natural aperitif, this is one easy-drinking and memorable summer sipper. info@thecaseforwine.com Icewine spin: Vineland Estates Winery is crafting a most interesting vodka-based icewine. www.vineland.com Balanced cider: William’s Premium Cider is a good bet for those who want to put a particularly crisp and balanced cider

on their menu. This Quebec brew is more bright than sweet. Quite nice. www.williamcider.com Doing right by Riesling: Yalumba vineyard in Australia’s Y Series 2006 Riesling earned 5 stars from James Halliday at the 2013 Australian wine competition. We can see why. www.yalumba.com For Fireball fans: Dr. McGillicuddy’s of Fireball whiskey fame has rolled out a friendly Lemon Drop Schnapps that goes down smooth without being too sweet. drmcgillicuddy.com Winning whiskey: Forty Creek whiskey was a good partnership for last year’s Chef of the Year runner-up Marina Rondinelli, who blended the whiskey into her barbecue sauce base. However, it’s equally a standout to sip on. The distillery holds too many gold awards and accolades to

list here, but if you are in the market for a whiskey, it is worth the taste-test. www. fortycreekwhiskey.com Double gold: Lailey Vineyard’s Impromptu, a big red blend (75 per cent Syrah, 13 per cent Malbec and 12 per cent Petit Verdot), took home a gold medal at this year’s Canadian Wine Awards and Intervin International Wine Awards (Intervin). www.laileyvineyard.com Big honours for Canuck vintners: Southbrook Vineyards in Niagara-on-theLake, Ontario was Intervin’s winery of the year. www.southbrook.com Gaining political favour: If you want to taste what the official wine of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario is, look no farther than Burning Kiln winery in St. Williams, Ont., and its red wine called “Strip Room.” www.burningkilnwinery.ca

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TEN OF THE WORLD’S BEST SANDWICHES

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Do you have an idea for Canadian Pizza? We’re looking to fill our pages with stuff we know you’ll want to read and with ideas that need to be shared. If there’s something you’d like to know, let us know and we’ll work on finding answers for you. This is the place where Canada’s pizza industry can come together. Contact us laiken@annexweb.com or 416-522-1595 and tell us about it.

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feature

The purpose behind the pie JP’s Pizza serves the community with support

t’s safe to say the first pizzas Wayne Rempel ever served to his customers weren’t the most gourmet, but they were well received. In his first foray into the foodservice world, Rempel and his brother owned a part-time mobile food concession business in British Columbia. The business was hired for lots of outdoor events and concerts, and at one point, a venue requested it provide pizza. “It’s terrible,” he admits, “but we bought pre-made frozen pizzas.” Cooked in pizza ovens, the pizzas were a hit with their customers. “They weren’t fantastic, but I was surprised at how well we did.” This experience merely ignited the passion Rempel has for pizza and people. He is now the owner of JP’s Pizza in Lacombe, Alta., and the winner of this year’s Pizza with Purpose Award sponsored by Saputo Foodservice, which was designed to recognize pizzerias that are making a difference in their communities. This pizza chef is a people person with a can-do attitude that immediately shined during our phone conversation. The purpose behind his efforts lies in the passion he has for the community he serves, and his involvement extends far past the walls of his restaurant. After the mobile food concessions business was sold in 1998, Rempel realized how much he enjoyed owning a business

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and interacting with people. “When I was working for myself, I realized the harder I worked, the more I benefited,” he says. He was in the market to start or purchase a business when a pizzeria in the community of Lacombe came up for sale. He wasn’t looking to buy a pizzeria specifically, but he knew it would be a good way to quench his thirst for working with people. “I just remembered how much people loved pizza,” he says. “I knew it was something people flocked to.” In 1999, Rempel and his family (wife Carmell and daughters Tiffany and Rebecca) relocated from Chilliwack, B.C., to Lacombe to start their adventure. At the time, JP’s was called Just Pizza 2 for 1, and the restaurant served only pizza, subs and calzones. The 1,000-square-foot building was situated at the corner of two intersecting highways, which brought lots of traffic, but parking at the restaurant was very limited. When the first chain pizza restaurant opened in Lacombe in 2001, the restaurant took a hit, and Rempel knew change was necessary. “We realized we needed to expand our menu to capture more of our market share, and we started adding menu items that complemented the pizza but didn’t force us to redo the restaurant.” More change was in store in March

Photos by Penny Moffitt

BY STEFANIE WALLACE

Wayne Rempel, winner of this year’s Pizza with Purpose award, pours his passion into the community he serves.

A year of giving Take a look at some of the ways that JP’s Pizza has immersed itself in the community of Lacombe, Alta., over the past year: • Food, gift certificates, sponsorships and supplies were donated to groups such as Big Brothers Big Sisters, local schools, the Gord Bamford Foundation, the Lacombe Athletic Park and Lacombe Skatepark, the Kinsmen, the Rotary Lobster Fest, Youth for Christ, a Mexico missions trip, and local bowling leagues. • Rempel and his staff volunteer at community events and participate in local parades and sporting events. • Meals have been donated to families and community members in need. • JP’s delivered free pizza to the police and ambulance service during check stops. • Product was donated, as it is every year, to food banks, 4-H clubs, church youth groups, minor sports leagues, the chamber of commerce and more.

2005, when the building’s lease was set to expire. Rempel found a new building only a kilometre away, with two-and-a-half times the space and ample parking. When the business moved to its current location in July 2005, Rempel decided rebranding was in order. Just Pizza became JP’s, more menu items were added and the restaurant evolved to a fast-casual concept with lots of seating. Of course, along with its successes, the restaurant has had its struggles, but community support was key in riding out the bumps in the road. “When you own a business in the community, it’s the people of the community that support you. If I didn’t have these customers, I wouldn’t have a business. It’s just right to support them back,” he says. “I’m not going to fool anyone and say I don’t do it to help my business. I would be crazy to think it wouldn’t help my business, and not to do it. The more that I can support people, the more they support me. The more I make, the more I can give.” This mantra means his donation list is constantly growing, with thanks in part to his policy that no one walks away empty handed. “When I first took over the busi-

ness we had a budget [for donations] and once it ran out, it was gone. [This strategy] makes total financial sense. But I’d still tend to give things away after the budget had run out and it would affect our bottom line,” he says. Now, rather than donating to a few large causes and several smaller ones, Rempel tries to give an equal amount to everyone who asks, even if it’s just a $10 gift certificate. Bigger projects, like the Lacombe Skatepark and Lacombe Athletic Park have also benefited from Rempel’s kindness. The latter is a state-of-the-art outdoor facility used for community sports such as football, soccer, rugby, lacrosse and track and field. “Throughout the $4-million project so far, Wayne and JP’s Pizza has assisted us with several fundraisers, including providing us product, support and advertising at different events,” says Darren Gagnon, fundraising chair of the Lacombe Athletic Park Association. “He’s also been very much involved with the skateboard park that was built in Lacombe. At different events we’ve had, he’s always been there with JP’s to support us and pass on the word of our fundraising efforts.” These causes are especially close

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2013 pizza 13

feature

JP’s menu features a variety of pizzas, wings, subs, side dishes and more, with customer favourites including a pizzeria sandwich.

to Rempel’s heart. “I want Lacombe to be one of the best places to live,” he says. “These groups are helping other people . . . they’re the ones putting on minor sports for our youth to keep them out of trouble, or building a skatepark so the kids aren’t skating on the sidewalk.” “A lot of his time and effort is put toward youth,” says Steve Christie, the mayor of Lacombe. “He has a true heart for the youth of our community, which he recognizes as the future of our community.” Outside of JP’s, Rempel recognizes the importance of downtime spent with loved ones. He and his wife Carmell love boating, travelling, entertaining friends and spending time with their kids and grandkids. He appreciates different cuisine – especially a good surf and turf – when he’s out for dinner or on holidays, but his mind always shifts back to pizza. “Eventually, I have to try the pizza,” he says with a chuckle. He also enjoys honing his public-

14 pizza JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2013

speaking skills. “When I get out of the pizza business, I want to get into the speaking circuit and share what I do to help other business owners,” he says. He gets his practice in as a guest speaker at the Canadian University College, sharing entrepreneurial insights with business students For younger students, Rempel participates in a work experience program with the Lacombe Composite High School, giving students work experience in exchange for school credits. Many participating students are already his employees, and Rempel has welcomed back some who are looking for jobs after completing the program. “I get such satisfaction of seeing kids coming out of my business after being able to mentor them, and seeing them move on to be successful,” he says. “And a lot of the kids that have worked for me still live in Lacombe . . . it drives me to keep giving back.” Wanting to make even more of a big-

picture impact, Rempel became involved in politics. He’ll have completed two three-year terms as a city councillor in October 2013. In December, Rempel was recognized for his participation on council with a five-year service award. “His entrepreneurial spirit is very valuable to city council as well as the entire community,” Christie says. “Time away from his business that he’s giving to the community is be a huge thing; having to co-ordinate staff and schedules around his city business. He has made a huge commitment to the city and it’s very much appreciated.” But like the rest of his community involvement, his reason for joining council stems back to his love for the community and the people he serves. “It wasn’t that I was unhappy with how things were going, or that I thought I could do a better job. I just wanted to be part of the process of making the city of Lacombe the best place to raise my kids and grandkids.” •

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the pizza chef

Planning for profit Diana Coutu

n the last issue we discussed the importance of planning ahead for a new year of business by knowing your true costs, projecting your sales and filling your schedule accurately. These tasks sound simple enough but the how-to isn’t necessarily obvious. As promised in my last column, here, in further detail, is how we manage our staff. We look at whether we have enough staff on our schedule to handle the sales we are projecting; keeping in mind that there will be some turnover and occasions when our key staff will want time off. We use a specialized calculation to determine the appropriate number of staff needed for our operation and our projected sales. This is a key tool we use to make sure we don’t overschedule, or conversely, understaff; it’s a delicate balance that must be maintained. We use two different calculations to help us plan our sales and schedule properly. First, you must figure out how many hours you need to schedule to cover each day. Are you a dinner store and open at 4 p.m., do you do lunch and open at 11 a.m., are you pickup and delivery or do you also have dine-in? You know your store best and only you can figure out how many hours you need to fill your schedule. Perhaps you need 400 scheduled hours in a week. This would equal 10 full-time equivalents, or 10 FTEs, as one full-time employee works 40 hours a week; therefore, 400 hours equals 10 full-time employees. A FTE can also be four part-timers working 10 hours a week or two who work 20 hours. This gives you an idea of how many names you need on your roster to be fully staffed but not overstaffed. By understanding how many hours you need, you can calculate if you need to hire more staff, or maybe, if you have

16 pizza JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2013

too many staff on the schedule. Unless you tivity you will be better able to determine know how many hours you need to fill, who your most productive staff are and then you are just guessing. Since labour when your most productive hours are. is most likely your largest expense, you These tools can also help you deterneed to be very careful with your schedule mine what impact any additional labour and not overstaff. You must also calculate costs, such as a minimum wage increase, your labour overhead and add this num- will have on your bottom line. If you ber to your labour dollar projections. Typi- know that you need 400 hours to fill and cally, this is an extra 10 per cent. Here is a minimum wage just went up 50 cents per breakdown of the overhead: four per cent hour (400 hours x 50 cents = $200 + 10 vacation pay, six per cent for employment per cent overhead = $220) then you know insurance and Canada Penthat you need to cut about sion Plan contribution. This 20 hours off your schedSince labour means that every dollar you ule (assuming an average is most likely pay your staff is actually wage of $10.25 an hour) $1.10. If you aren’t factoring and increase productivity your largest this into your labour dollars just to stay even. Unless expense, you then you will be spending you know these two calmore than your budgeted need to be very culations, it’s very difficult amount, a practice that can to keep labour under concareful with be very expensive and eat trol. You can’t plan out your up your cash flow. profits if you have no idea your schedule The second calculahow much it will cost to and not tion we use is a measure do those sales. Information of productivity called sales is powerful if you use it to overstaff. per labour hour. This is a your advantage and useless straightforward calculation if you don’t. The only way and is very easy to figure to know if you are on track out. Here is an example: during your sup- to making profits is to know where you per rush you bring in $1,500 in sales be- need to be and correct your course along tween 5 and 6:00 p.m. and you have 10 the way to ensure you reach your goal. If people scheduled during that hour, divide you aren’t planning for your business to your sales $1,500 by the number of staff profit then who is? • on during that time to give you a measure of productivity. Fifteen hundred divided Diana Coutu is a two-time Canadian Pizza magazine chef of the year champion, internationally recognized by 10 equals $150 in sales per man-hour. gourmet pizzaiolo, co-owner of Diana’s Gourmet Pizzeria This number allows you to determine how in Winnipeg, Man., and a board of director for the CRFA. many hours you need to schedule to do a In addition to creating award-winning recipes, Diana is also a consultant to other pizzeria owner/operators in certain amount of sales. menu development, creating systems to run a pizzeria on By using these two tools you will be autopilot, along with marketing and positioning to help able to more effectively fill your schedule operators grow their business effectively and strategically. She is available for consulting on a limited basis. For with as many staff as needed and as few as more information, contact her at Diana@dianasgourmetpossible, and by measuring your produc- pizzeria.ca.

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

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 Vision Foodservice Systems Halifax, Nova Scotia Tel: (902) 461-4615 Contact Ted Mussett Email: ted@visionfoodsystems.com

making dough with Diane

6 pizza trends to follow in 2013 Diane Chiasson

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

appy New Year and welcome to 2013, the year that healthy, pure and flavourful foods will take centre stage. This year, the trends we expect to see all point in the direction of a healthier lifestyle. Vegetables, smaller portions, flavour derived from spices instead of fat and more transparent ingredient lists pave the way. Here are my predictions for what trends we can expect to see at pizza operations across North America this year:

1. ETHNIC FLAVOURS This year, expect to see strong ethnic flavours from all parts of the world appearing on pizza menus, especially ingredients from Southeast Asia. However, expect to see chefs mixing up ethnicities as well. Don’t be surprised to find a pizza that features Indian, Italian, Mediterranean and Asian influences all in one! Take a trip to your local ethnic markets, and experiment with all the different flavours, spices and ingredients that could potentially make it onto your list of pizza toppings.

Mini versions of everything will appear on menus in 2013.

a gluten-free pizza and a vegan pizza to stay competitive. However, make sure you designate a specific area in your pizza operation to prep and bake your gluten-free pizzas, so as not to cross-contaminate with the wheat flour from your regular menu offerings.

2. TRANSPARENT INGREDIENTS A healthier lifestyle continues to be the trend this year, as people are becoming more and more conscientious of what they put into their bodies. Restaurant owners and operators will be expected to show exactly what ingredients they are putting in their food. Customers will be looking for pure, simple and all-natural ingredients.

4. MORE GREEN VEGGIES Vegetables are expected to be a big trend this year, especially kale, beet greens, chard, turnip greens and mustard greens. Expect to see more locally foraged and imported items like kale, beet greens, chard, turnip greens and mustard greens, Asian greens, sunchoke, Jerusalem artichoke, different types of squash and turnips, and other non-traditional vegetables to make appearances as pizza toppings.

3. GLUTEN-FREE AND VEGAN PIZZAS Gluten-free is now considered a lifestyle – and the number of people choosing the gluten-free way continues to increase rapidly. Vegans are also on the rise. As a pizza operator, it may become imperative to offer

5. HEALTHIER KIDS Leading a healthier lifestyle is one of the key trends of 2013 and it also applies to our kids. Pizza is arguably the most popular kids’ food, so look for pizza operators to re-evaluate their kids’ menu items and

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create tomato sauces with “hidden” vegetables, adding more healthy grains to the crusts, and using less fattening toppings like turkey pepperoni and turkey bacon. 6. SMALLER/CHEAPER ITEMS Moving forward, people will also continue to eat more often, but in smaller portions. Expect to see “mini” versions of everything on menus around the world. Pizza operators should look to offer snack size products selling in the $1 to $2 range. There you have it! These six trends are sweeping North America and are worth considering when you are reviewing your menu for the new year. • 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.

feature

A pizza playback Looking back at what made headlines in 2012 – and forward to what it means for 2013 BY STEFANIE WALLACE

izza made mainstream news several times in 2012, with articles highlighting weird toppings, expensive pies and new forms of presentation. The new year typically brings lists of trends to watch for, but we’re changing it up this year, recapping some of the most newsworthy pizza trends from the past year to provide some context for what’s ahead. Joel Gregoire, a Toronto-based food and beverage industry analyst with the NPD Group, lends some insight about what these trends mean for the coming year. DIFFERENT COOKING AND PRESENTATION METHODS Among other things, 2012 brought an abundance of new ways for pizzaiolos to present their craft. Several chains and independents

offered Valentine’s Day specials complete with heart-shaped pizzas. A new pizzeria opened in March in New York City, where all of the crusts of the four pizzas on its menu were first deep-fried, then topped and baked like a regular pizza. Pizza in a cone became popular in Australia and Italy, where there is an entire restaurant dedicated to serving cone-shaped pies. And an Eastern Canadian chain launched a double-decker pizza, stacking one pizza on top of the other before baking. With concepts like these making headlines, should operators consider presenting their craft in a new way? “When you can offer something that’s innovative and new to the consumer, it’s not a bad idea,” Gregoire says. However, he advises exercising caution and using good judgment before launching something com-

pletely new and possibly out-of-the-box. “A good way to see if something’s becoming more popular is to look on the grocery shelves,” he says. Restaurants are generally at the forefront of experimenting with different foods, but they tend to have more flexibility in changing their menu options. Launching a product in a grocery store is a big investment, so when something hits the supermarket shelves, it can be a good indicator that it’s here to stay. He uses thin-crust pizza as an example. Gregoire says the NPD Group tracks thin crust pizza versus regular crust pizza, and has seen a growth in the number of times thin crust is served over the last five years. The proof is in the frozen food section: “There’s quite a variety of thin crust frozen pizzas that wouldn’t have been there 10 or 15 years ago.”

Pies with pricey toppings – something trend analyst Joel Gregoire says serves a niche market – made news headlines across the world in 2012.

20 pizza JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2013

feature TOPPING TRENDS, PREMIUM PIES AND PRICE TAGS Strange combinations always make the headlines, and this year was no exception. In the Middle East, a cheeseburger-stuffed crust pizza and a hotdog-stuffed crust pizza (which came to Canada last fall) were popular items. Last summer’s Calgary Stampede offered crickettopped and alligator-topped pizzas. Buffalo-style flavoured items gained ground across the board, and more restaurants went gourmet with sophisticated flavour profiles and ethnic combinations. But Gregoire says there’s no doubt about it: pepperoni is still number 1 in the eyes of the consumer. “People still really like those common pizzas they’re used to with traditional toppings,” he says. “But, there does seem to be a really niche market with pizzas that offer different varieties. It’s a totally different eating experience.” Relating back to innovation, unconventional toppings and ingredient combinations create a buzz, and offering something your competitor can’t gives you an edge. But the success of this depends on your market. Think about your customers – do they come to you for a quick weeknight-meal for their family, or do they prefer a Saturday-evening gourmet experience? “A hotdog-crusted pizza might not be to everybody’s taste, but it’s something you can build some buzz around, and it’s something that might appeal to a different segment of the population: perhaps more families with kids,” Gregoire notes. “But unless the kids have a more sophisticated palate, they probably won’t appreciate a pizza topped with duck, pear or

brie cheese.” If you’re hesitant to introduce new things this year, Gregoire suggests a spin on standby favourites, like using homemade pepperoni or introducing a new kind of cheese. That said, Gregoire predicts consumers’ attitudes about food will continue to change, thanks in part to Canada’s growing diverse population. Overall immigration trends in Canada show more growth in Chinese and South Asian populations, and Gregoire says this opens doors to new flavours that our palates aren’t traditionally exposed to. NPD’s food attitudes data examines how open survey respondents are to trying new and foreign foods, and Gregoire says the number has increased over the last five years, especially in urban centres. With new toppings and combinations come new price tags, and rather large ones, in some cases. The $450 pizza in Vancouver made worldwide headlines this year. Topped with black Alaskan cod, lobster, smoked salmon and Russian caviar, the pizza must be ordered one day in advance to allow for preparation. “It’s not the kind of food you make dinner out of, it’s the kind of food that you dine from,” Nader Hatami, owner of Steveston Pizza Company, told Canadian Pizza in our September-October edition. “You take it home, you open it up and it’s something that’s very artistic. It has to be artistic, otherwise, why do it?” Gregoire agrees that premium pizza like Hatami’s is about the experience. “There’s always going to be customers willing to pay for it,” he says. “They want to try it out. We see it with other meals too, like premium burgers. It’s all about the experience that you offer.” UNCONVENTIONAL DELIVERY AND CONVENIENCE As food trucks continue to roll out across the country, Gregoire says the trend speaks to novelty and experience. Mobile pizzerias can be found in several provinces. On a completely different side of convenience, a vending machine that dispenses freshly made pizzas in less than three minutes launched in Italy this year, and is reported to be heading to the United States. So, how far will people go for convenience? What do these new options mean for the traditional pizzeria? “There are more and more options for consumers. In order to really stand out you really have to offer a different value proposition for the consumer,” Gregoire says, noting that food service as a whole is becoming increasingly competitive. “Be it on wheels or in a vending machine, if you can offer the consumer something that really helps you stick out, it can only give you a competitive advantage.” Some of the year’s top headlines may turn into trends, and some will quickly fade. But innovation is at the forefront of all of these trends, and it’s here to stay. If you deem 2013 your year of innovation, Gregoire offers some words of cautionary wisdom. “When you’re innovating, you’re creating a buzz, and people like buzz around food. However, a colleague of mine always says, ‘People like new, but don’t build a factory around it.’” • HOT TRENDS IN 2013? These trends made headlines in 2012, but what will be hot in 2013? Do you have something newsworthy planned for the coming year? Let us know on Twitter @CdnPizzaMag.

22 pizza JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2013

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feature

The saucy side Here’s a chicken wing primer before the big game BY JULIE FITZ-GERALD

or a small-fry, the popular chicken wing has made a big name for itself, enticing consumers with its crunchy, saucy goodness. In the past, orders of crispy wings went hand in hand with a big sports game, but they have quickly become a year-round favourite. In March, 2012 U.S. food industry consulting firm Technomic, Inc. released a report detailing the rise in popularity of chicken wings. In its Category CloseUp: Wings report, Technomic found there is substantial innovation and room for growth in the wing category and that these fan favourites have become a year-round menu item for diners. “Wings and sports have long been a winning combination – and more than 10 per cent of all wing-based limited-time offers are game-day promotions,” Technomic executive vice-president, Darren Tristano, notes in a press release. “However, wings’ overall appeal comes from their ability to suit consumers’ desire for customization, including traditional and global flavour options from sweet to super hot, and for portion flexibility, serving as snacks, starters, entrees and sides. And they are fun finger foods that are easy to share, so they lend a social aspect.” The report also found that more and more restaurants are jumping on board the wing wagon, with 36 per cent of the Top 500 restaurant chains in the U.S. offering wings on their menus, a number that is growing year over year. The famous “Buffalo wing” has come a long way from its birthplace: the Anchor Bar in Buffalo, N.Y. According to the National Chicken Council, in 1964 Teressa Bellissimo, who co-owned the Anchor Bar at the time, made her son and his friends a late-night snack by frying leftover chicken wings, tossing them in hot sauce and serving them with celery sticks and bleu

24 pizza JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2013

A Technomic poll says 36 per cent of the Top 500 U.S. restaurant chains offer wings.

cheese dip. The snack was such a hit that the Bellissimos added it to their bar menu the next day, much to the delight of customers. Realizing the gem they had created, Teressa’s son, Domenic Bellissimo, and Dick Winger, who sold hot sauce to the bar, went on the road promoting Buffalo wings and selling hot sauce to restaurateurs across the U.S. The popularity of the dish has continued to spread ever since. In Canada, the market for chicken wings is also robust, with the Chicken Farmers of Canada estimating that Canadians consume approximately 77 million kilograms of chicken wings every year. Consumer demand for wings in our sports-loving society surges on game days, most notably when the National Football League’s championship, the Super Bowl, is taking place. Pizza Pizza reported that in 2011 it sold over 200,000 chicken wings alongside 40,000 pizzas on Super Bowl Sunday alone. With Super Bowl XLVII taking place in New Orleans on Feb. 3, the timing has never been better to test run chicken wings in your pizzeria.

Offering chicken wings as an add-on to pizza orders can be a huge hit with your customers if done correctly. Andy and Dimi Pavlopoulos, co-owners of Tony’s Best Pizza & Wings in Lindsay, Ont., have made a success of this pairing at their popular establishment. When they bought the struggling pizzeria in January 2011, the chicken wings were being imported from Brazil and China. They were frozen and mediocre at best. This husband-andwife duo immediately began sourcing fresh wings from local farms and settled on a chicken farm in southern Ontario that delivers the wings two days after their kill date, twice a week. It doesn’t get any fresher than that. Today, Tony’s Best sells between 100 and 150 pounds of wings every week, sometimes more depending on championship game days. In 2011, the couple’s first year of owning the business, Tony’s Best received gold standings for best pizza and best chicken wings in Lindsay, as voted by readers of the local newspaper. Setting their wings apart from the rest is the secret

flour blend that they’re tossed in prior to frying. “We hand toss them in our own secret flour mixture that we create ourselves. Nobody knows what’s in it, not even the staff,” Andy says. Once dusted, the wings are deep fried to achieve the perfect crispy texture that consumers love. While many pizzerias offer baked wings instead of deep fried to avoid the cost associated with purchasing a deep fryer, Andy is adamant that there is only one way to go. “Deep fried is the only way that you’re going to get a crispy, Buffalo-style wing. When you go to certain places that bake them (and it takes at least one hour to bake a chicken wing from fresh to cooked) and you get them in 10 minutes they’re pre-cooked wings that have been warmed up, it’s the only feasible way. The fryer is the only way you’re going to get from a raw wing to a cooked wing in a short period of time.” Once cooked to perfection, the wings are ready to be sauced, and the more choices, the better. Technomic noted that wing

concepts in the U.S. offer an average of 18 different sauces for customers to choose from, with Buffalo sauces, particularly extra-hot versions, becoming increasingly popular. Tony’s Best offers more than a dozen types of wing sauces, but also allows customers to create their own. This flexibility for customer preferences is just part of their emphasis on customer service. “We have everything from mild to medium to Frank’s Hot, we have honey garlic, Cajunspecial dry, honey mustard garlic and a variety of hot sauces that aren’t even on the menu. We have a lot of customers who are religious followers of our wings and they’ll create different concoctions by mixing sauces together. Because we make [our wings] fresh, we can let the customers create different mixtures; it’s easy for us to do.” Andy and Dimi are in the midst of taking their chicken wings one step further by creating homemade sauces to replace the pre-made options that they currently offer. They will soon be taking their creations for a trial run with customers, gain-

ing feedback to perfect the all-important step of matching the perfect sauces with the tastiest wings. Andy notes that the last crucial step to chicken wing success is to market them! Decide what sets your wings apart from the flock and let customers know. “You have to market it. You can’t just say you’re going to add wings to your menu without going on a full marketing campaign. You have to let the people know that you have wings. Tell them how you make them and what you’re offering.” Wings at Tony’s Best sell for $10.99 a pound. The Chicken Farmers of Canada estimate the average wholesale price for wings in 2012 will be between $5 and $5.10 a kilogram. With 100 to 150 pounds of wings being sold every week at Tony’s Best, they have become a great revenue-generating add-on for the business. With Super Bowl XLVII just around the corner, chicken wings could be a savvy way to generate more profits in your pizzeria as well. •

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2013 pizza 25

marketing insights

Trendwatch 2013 Shifts to watch for in the coming months Michelle Brisebois

trend is defined as a general direction in which things move. Trends are not to be confused with fads, which are popular products or activities that come and go in a blaze of glory. Trends are roadmaps to the future and so divining where things are headed is important to ensure your business is capitalizing on the opportunities these trends present. As we enter a new year, the “Great Recession” talk continues to drag on with worries over fiscal cliffs and other scary omens. It’s natural that the financial health of consumers will influence certain eating trends. Other factors driving culinary trends include immigration, demographics and popular culture. So let’s get out our crystal ball and see what’s on tap for 2013.

FARM TO TABLE This trend is about food produced locally and served to local consumers. The movement is gaining momentum partly fuelled by a desire to support local businesses and keep money close to home. Those who support the buy local movement purport that when you support a locally owned business every $100 spent there retains $45 to the local economy. Conversely, only about $13 stays in the local economy for every $100 spent at a big box store (Institute for Local Self-Reliance and Austin (Tex.) consulting firm Civic Economics). It’s reasoned that local businesses tend to do their purchasing locally, while large chain stores usually centralize purchasing from a head office. Some propose that local foods are easier on our bodies because they’re grown in the soils and conditions that we live in so we aren’t as likely to have an allergic reaction. One food trend that plays to this theory is “zip code honey,” or allowing consumers to purchase honey

26 pizza JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2013

Join the Meatless Monday movement and promote your vegetarian dishes.

from an area close to them. There are other equally strong well-known arguments that are converse to the proponents, such as actual eco-savings in buying local food being grossly overstated and the concept that buying local can be “selfish” in possibly adversely affecting poorer communities who suffer if you do not buy their goods that come from afar. What we do know is people are emotionally invested in where their food comes from and they are interested, so make sure you list the origin of ingredients you use on your menus and use this messaging on your Facebook and Twitter posts. Refer to the farmers who grow your ingredients and speak to their locations – your customers will love it. DAY PART? WHAT DAY PART? Those of us on the business side of the restaurant industry used to look at things in terms of breakfast, lunch and supper. As snacking has gained in popularity, meals have started to shift into times of the day that haven’t traditionally been busy. According to the “Snacking Occasion Consumer Trend Report” by Technomic, 48 per cent of respondents report that they’re snack-

ing at least twice a day in 2012, compared to 25 per cent in 2010. Longer work days and busier lifestyles mean more frequent but smaller meals are the order of the day. SymphonyIRI’s 2012 Consumer Snacking Survey reveals that more than one-third of the population often eats snacks instead of meals when on-the-go. Look to have fresh single-serve options at times such as late afternoon and late evening. PROTEIN SHIFT Recent drought conditions from the summer of 2012 have made beef more scarce and more expensive. Pork has been the darling of the restaurant world but it too is expected to increase in cost. Look for chicken and ancient grains such as quinoa, bulgur and millet to take centre stage as alternatives to beef and pork. Burgers and sliders are becoming passé while cheese plates are strong. Meatless Mondays are an old trend resurrected for today’s culture. Meatless Mondays were used during both world wars as a way of helping with rations. The initiative was relaunched in 2008 as a way of cutting down on environmental effects related to meat production such as

pollution, fossil fuels, and water and land consumption. Promote your vegetarian pizzas on Mondays as a way of joining this initiative and giving customers a tasty meatless option that drives traffic to a traditionally slower day. Check out Meatless Mondays Canada website meatlessmondays.ca for more information. WINE TIME Canadians are drinking more wine than ever, and specifically, more Canadian wine. The Bank of Montreal’s research on the wine industry reports that consumers purchased an average of 22 bottles of wine in 2011. This is up from 13 in bottles per year on average in 1995. “Wine has drained away market share from beer and spirits to the point where it’s nearly a third of all alcohol consumption in Canada, the recent report said.” Wine’s share of goblet (total alcohol consumption) rose from 18 per cent in 1995 to 30 per cent in 2011. During the same period, beer consumption fell from 53 per cent to 45 per cent and spirits fell from 29 per cent to 25 per cent. Wine and beer can also tap into the farm-to-table trend, with 25 per cent of Canadians indicating they are consuming more Canadian wine than ever before and 52 per cent indicating they think the quality of Canadian wine has improved (Harris/Decima, June 2012). Although overall sales of beer are down; within the category, sales growth is coming from craft breweries (LCBO reports craft beer sales are up 53 per

cent in 2011 over 2010), continuing the trend to seek out local producers. AUSTERITY AT THE TABLE Have you noticed sales of your appetizers are up whilst sales of your main courses are down? If so, it may be that your customers are trying to keep their costs and waistlines to a minimum. In 2009 a U.S. food blog called A Mighty Appetite invited readers to save money on groceries for a week and “eat down the fridge.” The challenge is about using what you have in your pantry, fridge or freezer instead of stuffing it to the gills with new food every week. The movement has gained momentum and consumers are embracing their newfound frugality all the way to the restaurant table. The popularity of tapas and small plates has also readjusted consumer expectations around portion size, and for many, two appetizers might give them a way to taste more of the menu on a lighter scale. Look at value bundles that are a win/win for you and the customer. Promote your by-the-slice offerings and single-serve pizzas. As we glance at these trends, it’s clear that eating out is impacted greatly by the environment and the economy. These are overall large movements that are not new, but seem here to stay. • 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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pizza on fire

Rent or own? Tom Stankiewicz

hen it comes to renting versus owning your pizzeria’s location, I’ve discovered in the last few months that there are pitfalls and pros to both situations. I have observed that most business owners who open a brand new start-up pizzeria rent the space and some of us purchase a property once the business is well established. Many factors need to be considered when deciding to invest in a business property. As we know, location is one of the most important factors in helping the business be successful, especially if it is a start-up operation. With that in mind, very often the best locations for your business don’t offer any properties for sale because these prime spots are usually in a commercial plaza that offers units for lease only. In a situation like this, where the only option to consider is to lease, it is straightforward to go ahead and lease if the location fits perfectly with your business plan. Once the business is well established, the owner can take the risk of moving it to a different location, as loyal customers will follow. The move can be tricky though, so my advice is to consider it very carefully before the final decision is made. The new location itself should be in very close proximity to the old one if you’re counting on your customers to continue buying your pizza. You might even mention to the clients what your plans are in the near future and note their reaction. If most of it is positive and the idea is received well then your customers will follow you. The other advantage to owning the premises is that you have control over what the place looks like. Owning the building allows you to make the place very unique and different from other pizzerias out there. As long as you obtain per-

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mits and follow the city’s bylaws, you’re free to design and modify the space you own. This could be seen as a great advantage, especially if your goal is to stand out from the crowd of other pizzerias in your city. That’s not to say that if you’re renting you can’t redesign the premises. It all depends on your landlord and how open he or she feels to change. Your landlord needs to feel comfortable that the changes you are proposing won’t limit his or her ability to rent the space to another business when you leave. Most of us who have been in the pizza business for a while and plan on doing it for many more years see this as our ticket to well-deserved retirement. From that perspective, buying property makes a very good business and personal investment. It will definitely increase the equity of your business and make it more attractive to buyers when you decide to sell it. It is also interesting to note that some owners purchase the property under a newly registered business that is separate from the pizzeria. The pizzeria then leases the space from the newly created company. A conversation with a chartered accountant would be a must to ensure you understand the tax savings and implications in this situation. On the other hand, if your pizza business happens to go through a slow and rough period, the property itself is protected from creditors. Again, my advice is to speak to a legal professional to get more clarification. One advantage to renting is that you can easily vacate the property. You’re not attached to the building and if there is something you dislike about it, it is not your obligation to fix it. You have the option of waiting until your lease expires or paying the fee specified in your lease

agreement and leaving early. Some people like the fact that they don’t have to worry about having additional expenses when something needs to be replaced, for example, windows or a roof. On the flip side, when you own a property, the only way to get rid of it is to sell it. Depending on how well the building was maintained and what condition it is in, selling might not be an easy thing to do. I think the biggest risk and worry for business owners is that most, if not all, business loans or mortgages require that you sign a personal guarantee. That means that, in the event of your business not making the required monthly payments, the financial institution will go after your personal assets. I think that is a valid concern and that is why it is important to review and analyze your business’ financial statements before you commit to anything. In tough economic times it is possible for any business – even one that has been prospering for years – to see a decrease in its sales. In the end, each of us knows our own pizza business inside and out. We know what works best and we know our customer base pretty well. If it makes sense for you to venture into investing in business property, then there are opportunities out there, for sure. Make sure you do your research and go into it with eyes wide open. If renting a space has been an advantage for your business, then keep on doing it. There is no need to fix something that isn’t broken, particularly if the repair doesn’t net an improvement. •

Tom Stankiewicz has been in the pizza business for more than 15 years. He has been the proprietor of Bondi’s Pizza in London, Ont., since 2000, and is president of the Canadian Pizza Team.

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