Issuu

Volume 22 Issue 1 January/February 2016

CHEF OF THE YEAR Our new top pizzaiolo Joe Leroux talks grains, recipe development and non-stop learning

CUTTING-EDGE CRUSTS Canadian pizza chefs are pushing the boundaries of colour, flavour and grains

TRENDING OLDER What will a greying of Canadians mean for the pizza industry?

DEPARTMENTS

COVER: Canadian Pizza’s newest Chef of the Year Joe Leroux of Amadio’s Pizza in Port Credit, Ont., offers insights into his winning 15-grain crust. See page 12.

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editor’s desk

pizza bites

the pizza chef

making dough

new products

guest column

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2016 pizza 3

from the editor’s desk January/February 2016, Vol. 22, No. 1

Favourite trends R

unning a pizzeria in Canada today is as challenging as ever. The list of challenges rivals your five-year-old’s Christmas list in length: a rise in minimum wages in many provinces, a halt to temporary foreign workers, a shortage of skilled workers and unskilled workers, and continuing high food costs on almost every commodity. Add to these worries the disadvantages restaurants that serve beer and liquor face compared to other retail sellers who can buy it either wholesale or at cheaper prices – and it’s easy to see the glass as half-empty. Still, we hope you found lots of reasons to raise your glass to 2016. The start of a new year is a good time to take a break from worries and appreciate what you accomplished in 2015. It’s also a time to look ahead. Considering upcoming trends and how you can take advantage of them is a sure way to recharge your pizza passion. Customers are very interested in the idea of origin, ethnicity and a back-tobasics approach to ingredients. It’s all tied up in a bundle that goes beyond the Italian authenticity that has been strong for years. Canadians are becoming more and more adventurous in their tastes. Research firm Technomic points to one uniquely Canadian example of this – a growing interest in comforting German fare, such as artisanal sausages, beer cheese soups, soft pretzels, bratwurst, housemade mustards and Bavarian brews. Other cultures piquing people’s interest include Mediterranean, South American and Korean. Experimenting with grains and crust inclusions and incorporating different cultural traditions in your pizza are ways you can act on these customer interests. The strength of this trend is good news for pizzerias and for independents in particular as a way to compete with large chains on quality and technique rather than budget.

6 pizza JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2016

Managing Editor Laura Aiken laiken@annexweb.com 416-522-1595 Editor Colleen Cross ccross@annexweb.com 519-428-3471 ext. 261

A related trend hinges on people finding a sense of balance in their lives. Everywhere we see evidence that fat is gradually losing its stigma. Savvy diners understand the concept of good fats versus bad fats and choose to indulge (and later work it off at the gym). Pepperoni and meat-lovers’ pizza continue to be popular The bigger food companies are playing up meat and cheese products as sources of protein, good fats and high-quality, non-GMO and organic ingredients: there’s no reason independents and chains alike shouldn’t play up their own high-quality ingredients. And, this just in: being a couch potato is no longer viewed as a bad thing but a lifestyle as young couples hunker down for a night of binge TV watching. Online ordering is really taking off and has the potential to boost the average cheque as customers are able to mull over choices and upsells like drinks in a no-pressure setting.

…

This seems a fitting time to thank our columnists for their valuable contributions. It’s no easy task to write an opinion piece every issue, even when you have no shortage of opinions. Diana Cline, Michelle Brisebois, Diane Chiasson and Tom Stankiewicz come through again and again with smart, lively columns. Tom, our longtime back-page scribe, is taking a break from writing to focus on the many other hats he wears. In typical generous fashion, Tom says his door is always open to us. As is ours to him. We hope you find inspiration in these pages and we wish you many moments during the long workweek of loving what you do and feeling a part of the Canadian pizza community. Happy 2016!

Publisher Christine Livingstone clivingstone@annexweb.com 519-429-5173 888-599-2228 ext. 239 Account Coordinator Shannon Drumm sdrumm@annexweb.com 888-599-2228, ext. 219 Media Designer Alison Keba Circulation Manager Anita Madden amadden@annexbizmedia.com 416-442-5600 ext 3596 Group Publisher Martin McAnulty mmcanulty@annexweb.com Director of Soul/COO Sue Fredericks Mailing Address P.O. Box 530, 105 Donly Dr. S., Simcoe, ON N3Y 4N5 PUBLICATION MAIL AGREEMENT #40065710 Printed in Canada ISSN 1203-6838 Published seven times per year (Jan/Feb, Apr/May, Jun, Jul/Aug, Sept/Oct, Nov, Dec) by Annex Business Media Circulation email: lmalicdem@annexbizmedia.com Tel: 416-442-5600 x3547 Fax: 416-510-5170 Mail: 80 Valleybrook Drive, Toronto, ON M3B 2S9 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.

Annex Privacy Officer privacy@annexbizmedia.com Tel: 800-668-2374 No part of the editorial content of this publication may be reprinted without the publisher’s written permission. ©2016 Annex Publishing and Printing Inc. All rights reserved. Opinions expressed in this magazine are not necessarily those of the editor or the publisher. No liability is assumed for errors or omissions. All advertising is subject to the publisher’s approval. Such approval does not imply any endorsement of the products or services advertised. Publisher reserves the right to refuse advertising that does not meet the standards of the publication. www.canadianpizzamag.com

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pizzabites Flour Power Week is all about the crust anadian Pizza will dedicate the week of May 2 to 6 to all that goes into the perfect crust – flour, water, yeast, inclusions and technique. Every day that week, www.canadianpizzamag.com will feature stories about dough techniques and trends. We encourage readers to talk crust with fellow pizzaiolos who are friends and followers on Facebook and Twitter and to share your favourite photos showing off your handiwork. Had an experiment in dough that yielded surprises? Tell us about it. Remember: Flour Power Week is about more than great results – it’s also about learning. If you or someone you know are doing something interesting with crust or seeing a new trend in customer demand, let us know by phoning Colleen Cross at 519-428-3471, ext. 261, or emailing her at ccross@annexweb.com. Meanwhile, be sure to stay tuned to www.canadianpizzamag.com and watch the pages of Canadian Pizza for details on Flour Power Week!

8 pizza JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2016

Five food trends for Canadian restaurants in 2016: Technomic O

ktoberfest, ethnic niches and a workforce squeeze are among trends Technomic expects to make a big impact in Canada in the coming year. The food research and consulting firm recently laid out five Canadian trends: Trend 1: Canadian diners are now embracing the food and drink of the Bavarian fall festival year round. There’s mounting consumer interest in comfort-heavy German fare, such as artisanal sausages, beer cheese soups and soft pretzels. This trend is evolving at new brauhaus-inspired restaurant concepts that offer Bratwurst, housemade mustards, Belgian-style fries, schnitzel and Bavarian brews. Trend 2: New ethnic niches flourish. Ethnic food and drink is trending towards the more adventurous, moving beyond nowfamiliar street foods to include lesser-known specialties found at the food carts, kiosks, pubs and food halls of far-flung lands. This movement speaks not just to authenticity, but to sincerity of flavour experiences and true culinary heritage. Trend 3: All-in-one adult beverage

innovation. Smoky and bitter flavours, ultrasour liqueurs and herb-infused spirits spark creativity behind the bar. Beer cocktails and “winetails” reveal the versatility of beer and wine. And the hard cider trend will spin off in new direction such as “hard” soft drinks, especially spiked root beers and ginger ales. Trend 4: Workforce squeeze. Canada’s restaurant industry has been put on notice, with government regulations poised to shake up operations. The strict moratorium on temporary foreign workers, coupled with newly enacted penalties for employer noncompliance, will have a disproportionate impact on restaurants. So will the rise in minimum wages across six provinces. Even as Canadian operators commit more resources to hiring, training and retention, they will be challenged as the effects of these mandates ripple through the labour market. Trend 5: The slow-coffee movement. Coffee is becoming more refined, as forwardthinking cafes are taking coffee to the next level. Cold brews, single-origin coffees, limited bean batches and “pour over” techniques are being heavily promoted.

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pizzabites

Restaurants cautious despite sales bump early half of Canadian operators reported higher samestore sales in the third quarter of 2015, said Restaurants Canada’s Restaurant Outlook Survey covering July, August and September. That’s up from 40 per cent reported a year earlier and is the highest share since the association began conducting the survey in 2011.Nearly six in 10 quick-service restaurants in Canada and over half of tableservice restaurants reported higher same-store sales in the third quarter. “Looking ahead, however, only 27 per cent of operators expect their sales to accelerate over the next six months,” the report said. This is down from 39 per cent in the previous quarter and 36 per cent reported a year earlier. This is due to the recession in Alberta, slower disposable income growth and weak job creation in the rest of Canada, the report said. Rising food and labour costs are the top challenges facing operators, said the report. Average food costs rose by 4.3 per cent in Q3 compared to Q3 2014, and a record 60 per cent of respondents said they plan to raise menu prices over the next six months. The full report and past reports may be found on the Restaurants Canada website.

Snacks, morning meals drove summer foodservice market, says NPD Group he Canadian foodservice industry experienced its second quarter of traffic decline and a slight bump in average eater cheque in the summer quarter of 2015, The NPD Group said in a new report. Snacks and morning meals are the broad drivers of the restaurant and foodservice market, the research firm added. Foodservice spending and visits grew in the summer quarter of 2015 in several countries and restaurants and foodservice outlets would benefit from a strong lunch daypart, according to NPD’s ongoing international foodservice market research, CREST. The service tracks consumer use of foodservice outlets in Australia, Canada, China, France, Germany, Great Britain, Italy, Japan, Russia, Spain, and the United States. Snacks and morning meals were the broad foodservice market drivers, the report said. Of the 11 countries NPD’s CREST tracks, Australia (winter quarter), China, Germany, Great Britain, and the U.S. posted traffic and average eater check gains. Foodservice spending and visits were flat to slightly declining in France and Japan. Canada, which weathered the global economic crisis better than any country except China, is having a tough run with its second quarter of traffic decline, the report said. Although the rebound of the lunch daypart experienced in recent quarters appears to have slowed down, snacks and morning meals were the broad market drivers, the report said. This is good news, the report said, but restaurants and foodservice outlets would benefit more from a strong lunch daypart. Visits to quick-service outlets were up or flat in most countries. Full-service restaurant visits declined in Australia, Canada, China, and the U.S. “Optimism, although cautious, abounds throughout the global foodservice market after a mostly growing or stable summer quarter,” said Bob O’Brien, senior vice-president, global foodservice at The NPD Group. “There are still some shaky economies but, overall, consumers around the world appear ready and willing to dine out again.”

For more industry news, visit www.canadianpizzamag.com

10 pizza JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2016

cover story

Chef of the Year Our new top pizzaiolo Joe Leroux talks grains, recipe development and non-stop learning BY COLLEEN CROSS

“I

t came to me in a dream,” is how Joe Leroux describes his pizza – a winning combination of rosemary potatoes, Parmigiano Reggiano and hickory-smoked bacon. Canadian Pizza magazine’s newest Chef of the Year says he was inspired to make a pierogi-style pizza after visiting a fellow pizzaiolo who was having a lot of success with his own. The taste combination held a lot of appeal for Leroux’s wife Margit, who was born in Austria. “I am the one who loves pierogis,” she says with a smile during a pleasant afternoon interview at the couple’s pizzeria, Amadio’s Pizza in Port Credit, a pretty lakefront village that forms part of Mississauga, Ont. The two talk grains, recipe development and the importance of non-stop learning to the success of a small business. Leroux started experimenting with multigrain flours, hemp in particular, and his creative play with cream cheese and potatoes eventually turned into garlic Parmigiano Reggiano cream sauce on a crust that features a dizzying mix of whole-wheat flour, hemp flour and more than a dozen other ancient grains including quinoa and rye. Six months before the Chef of the Year competition, he set about perfecting the creation he calls “Chi manga bene, viva bene,” which translates from Italian to English as “If you eat well, you live well.” Why the ambitious mix of grains? He says it came out of a desire to push the boundaries and offer customers something new. “You always want to offer

something new,” he says. He weighs and mixes the grains ahead of time so they are ready for use. “Another challenge in working with several flours is to not let one flour overpower the others, but have it complement and work in harmony with other flavours,” Leroux says. “There has to be a nice harmony.” Including potatoes on pizza also has its challenges. “You have to cook them al dente, then let them finish cooking on the pizza,” he says. “You need a little bit of resistance.” They firm up in the fridge as well, he notes, so that process must be taken into account. Variety is key, he says: you should use the same variety you would use in potato salad. Leroux will head to the International Pizza Challenge in Las Vegas in March to pit his pie against other avid competitors in the Non-Traditional category. He will take cheese and flour down himself but plans to source other ingredients in Las Vegas. He plans to be there a couple of days early to give his 60 per cent hydrated dough a chance to rise. “Ideally it needs 48 hours of cold fermentation,” he says. He has attended Pizza Expo to watch the competitions several times, and he has a strategy: Be prepared and have a plan A, B, C and D. The hardest thing about competing is working in an unfamiliar environment with different ovens and tools than what you’re used to, he says. “You have to be prepared for the unknown,” he says. “It’s

12 pizza JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2016

Chi manga bene, viva bene INGREDIENTS Crust: • 15 different grains, including ancient grains • salt • yeast • water

• •

cheddar cheese mozzarella

TECHNIQUE

Sauce: • garlic • Parmigiano Reggiano • whipping cream

We start with cold fermented twoday-old 60 per cent hydration dough with a homemade garlic Parmigiano Reggiano cream sauce. The pizza is topped with sliced rosemary potatoes, hickory smoked bacon, red onions, cheddar cheese and mozzarella.

Toppings: • rosemary potatoes • red onions • hickory smoked bacon

all about adaptability and handling the butterflies.” But he’s not waiting until March to make and promote his award-winning pizza in store. At press time he was preparing to offer it as a weekend option. And because this multi-flour dough is more labour intensive than other pizzas, he will add a 25 per cent surcharge to it. Leroux expects it to be popular, but points to an irony he has observed over 25 years: customers want to know you have healthier choices such as whole wheat, but they don’t necessarily want to order them. He is constantly finding that balance between innovating and keeping old favourites. TRENDS “To be successful you have to look at the trends and know which ones you can adapt for your own use,” he says. “Is it feasible? Not all ideas are feasible.” One trend the couple has observed in recent years is a growing interest in thincrust pizza. “There’s something appealing about the word ‘thin,’ ” Margit says.

They say the meat-lover’s pizza has grown steadily as an option, especially for teenage boys and young men. Another development Leroux is keeping his eye on is customers’ growing interest in clean eating. “I’m looking for non-GMO ingredients, but not finding much out there,” he says. 25TH ANNIVERSARY After 25 years in business in a pizzeria market that has dwindled from 16 pizzerias to two, Leroux can call himself a veteran and a survivor. He worked in several different restaurant settings before opening Amadio’s and has been making pizza since age 15, when he took a job at the pizzeria around the corner from his home. “I was making pizza when Elvis died,” he says. Amadio’s has five full-time staff, including Joe and Margit, and six parttime staff. The pizzeria began life on Dundas Street in Mississauga in 1990, then moved to a location three minutes away on busy Hurontario Street. “It’s just busy

Continued on page 24

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2016 pizza 13

E H T R O F T E EVEN

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the pizza chef

Running a profitable pizzeria Diana Cline

ne of the most challenging things about running a successful restaurant is controlling your costs and maintaining profitability. This is a daily battle and you must be relentless if you want to make money in this business. Proper food controls and accurate recipe mapping are absolutely essential to ensure profits are not thrown in the garbage or given away. Your weekly food cost should be no more than 30 per cent if you are serious about keeping the doors open without constantly injecting money into your business. It requires a lot of proper planning and accurate projections to keep your restaurant stocked with enough products to not run out of anything but not have so much on hand that it spoils. The only difference between inventory and waste is timing. A three-day-old case of Roma tomatoes is inventory and has value; a three-week-old case of Romas is waste and has cost you money. There are many ways to control your waste and one of the most important is to have properly maintained equipment. If your equipment is running poorly, it is costing you money in many different ways. Any refrigeration equipment should always be at the proper temperature to ensure product quality and food safety. Many operators view equipment maintenance as a bother and only fix things when they break. This is false economy as it always costs you much more to fix something after it breaks than it does to do routine maintenance so it doesn’t break down. If your walk-in cooler breaks down you could potentially lose thousands of dollars in perishable product in addition to lost sales. Properly maintained equipment uses less power

and will keep the temperature more stable and extend the life of your product. This in turn saves you money, frustration and downtime. We use an equipment maintenance schedule at the cucina. It allows us to keep track of when we have serviced our equipment last and when we need to do it next. Once again this is a very easy thing to incorporate into your restaurant. A simple piece of paper on a clipboard will do the trick. If you really want to get fancy you can use an electronic organizer. Another way to control your food cost is to accurately map out every recipe on your menu. It’s not that difficult and will give you accurate information on how much each item on your menu truly costs you to produce. This exercise in turn allows you to price your products properly and gives you the opportunity to actually turn a profit. In order to map out a recipe you need to have a standard recipe for each item on your meanu. You should have recipes for everything that you sell. This helps to ensure consistency of product and allows you to project how much product you will need to do a given amount of sales. Here is an example of how to map out a simple recipe. For this exercise we will map out a 12” cheese pizza. The standard recipe would include a 12” dough ball, 5 oz of marinara sauce, 5 oz of mozzarella and a pizza box. Now let’s calculate the cost of this item: dough ball = $.35, marinara (100 oz can costs $10 or $.10 per oz, so 5 oz of marinara = $.50), mozzarella (1 lb of mozzarella costs $4.80, 1 lb = 16 oz, 1 oz of mozza costs $.30 so 5 oz = $1.50), a bundle of 12” boxes costs $25 (1 bundle = 50 boxes, $25 divided by 50 = $.50).

16 pizza JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2016

Add all these numbers together – $.35, $.50, $1.50 and $.50 – and you now know that is costs you $2.85 to make a cheese pizza. Now you want to run a 30 per cent food cost, so you will need to price your pizza at $9.50 to meet your projections. How did I come up with this price? Take your costs ($2.80) and divide by 30 per cent and that number will tell you how much you should charge for that pizza. $2.85 divided by 30 per cent equals $9.50. This is a very simplified example, but you get the idea. Conversely, if you charge $5 for that $2.85 pizza, you can see that it would be impossible for you to sustain: at 57 per cent food cost, you can’t afford to pay staff, rent, phones, gas or electricity. Never mind maintenance on your equipment. Many independent operators have never done this exercise and are unaware of their true food costs. If you can use a scale and are comfortable using a spreadsheet, then you can easily do this. I know this exercise will take some time, especially if you have several different sizes on your menu, but is well worth investing the time. You will have a much better understanding of what to charge for your products and you will definitely have more money in the bank at the end of the month. •

Diana Cline is a two-time Canadian Pizza magazine Chef of the Year champion, internationally recognized gourmet pizzaiolo, owner of Diana’s Cucina & Lounge in Winnipeg, Man., and a director for the CRFA (now Restaurants Canada) from 2009-2013. In addition to creating awardwinning recipes, Diana is also a consultant to other pizzeria owner/operators in menu development, creating systems to run a pizzeria on autopilot, along with marketing and positioning to help operators grow their business effectively and strategically. She is available for consulting on a limited basis, for more information contact her at dianaslcline@ gmail.com.

feature

Cutting-edge crusts Canadian pizza chefs are pushing the boundaries of colour, flavour and grains BY JULIE FITZ-GERALD

nnovative pizza chefs across Canada are letting their creativity shine as they experiment with colourenhancing ingredients, nutrientpacked seeds, flavourful herbs and flour born of ancient grains. From pizza dough made with an einkorn flour-maple syrup biga to onyx black and rosemary-adorned crusts, Canada’s pizzaiolos are adding ancient grains, seeds and colour to their eyepopping inventions. Giuseppe Cortinovis, runner-up in the Canadian Pizza Chef of the Year open competition in October, is passionate about pizza and the possibilities it holds. His background in baking led him to create a one-of-a-kind dough that pays homage to both his native Italy, where his bakery is still in operation, and Canada, where he is lead pizza chef at Trattoria in Vancouver. Using an einkorn flour and maple syrup biga, Cortinovis created the “Vegetarian G-Style” pizza for Canadian Pizza’s Chef of the Year contest. “I put the maple syrup to connect the two nations. Einkorn flour is for the Roman Empire and maple syrup for the speciality in Canada,” Cortinovis explains. In his first attempt, the low gluten content in einkorn flour proved to be a challenge. However, the second time around Cortinovis replaced 50 per cent of the einkorn flour with strong flour and the result was exactly what he was looking for. Once mixed, the biga sits at room temperature for 24 hours while the fermentation process takes place, creating yeast that is then incorporated into the actual pizza dough. “I take the biga and I

Pizza dough made from food-grade activated charcoal was a highlight of the School of Italian Pizza’s traditional pizza class in November in Toronto. Pizza chefs Tony Vacchio and Kyle Rindinella also have explored black-crust pizza – though Rindinella used squid ink to achieve the effect.

use the yeast in the real dough, which is 40 per cent semolina flour, 60 per cent 00 flour, water and salt. It’s a long fermentation [another 36 hours to be exact], so it’s super digestible.” Cortinovis also adds flax seeds (20 grams per kilo) to the dough for an added crunch. Topped with spicy peperonata; Taleggio cheese, made near his hometown of San Pellegrino Terme in Italy; sunflower seeds; pine nuts; freshly chopped arugula; figs and vincotto (think balsamic vinaigrette but sweeter) – the Vegetarian G-Style pizza is intended to be a flavour explosion. “The salty part from the cheese, the bitter part from the arugula, the sweetness from the vincotto; my idea was to put together a

combination of all these tastes. . . . It’s a vision of a modern vegetarian pizza. It’s very tasty and also very healthy.” Cortinovis’ easily digestible pizza packed with nutrient-dense seeds and ancient flour is an important trend in current consumer attitudes and buying patterns. A Packaged Facts consumer research study released in August 2015 found that ancient grains, sprouted ingredients, and seeds and nuts are experiencing greater attention from U.S. consumers as these products “move from the natural and organic channel into conventional supermarkets and mass merchandise stores.” The report goes on to

Continued on page 22

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2016 pizza 17

feature

Trending older What will a greying of Canadians mean for the pizza industry? BY MICHELLE BRISEBOIS

rend watching can be a guessing game but it’s easier to predict future consumer behaviour if you follow demographic trends. In late 2015, a headline announced a seismic shift in Canada’s demographic makeup. For the first time, the number of Canadians over the age of 64 exceeded the number of Canadians under the age of 14. This change will have implications for our health care, for our economy and for consumer trends. If pizza is a food most commonly associated with youth . . . will a greying of Canadian society spell its downturn? Baby boomers have been driving the Canadian economy since their birth from 1946 to 1965. An incredible 29 per cent of the Canadian population (Statistics Canada 2011) falls into this demographic group, with the peak of boomer births occurring around 1959-60. They made us build more schools in the 1970s as children, practise high-impact aerobics in the ’80s as young adults and “cocoon” at home with videos (and pizza) in the ’90s as they started their families. Children of the baby boomers are referred to by a few different names: echo boomers, generation Y and millennials. The millennials were born from 1977 to 1992, with the peak in births arriving around 1990, and they represent 27 per cent of the Canadian population (Statistics Canada 2011). Roughly speaking, boomers are in their 50s and 60s and millennials are in their 20s and 30s. What’s concerning for our industry is that traditionally, people in their 50s, 60s and 70s didn’t consume much pizza. It was never an issue because

In 2015, the number of Canadians over the age of 64 exceeded the number of Canadians under the age of 14 – a change that will have implications for our health care, for our economy and for consumer trends.

that age group represented a relatively small consumer segment. The boomers were young and eating lots of pizza and all was well. It’s important to note, however, that older consumers wouldn’t have grown up eating pizza regularly so they were simply staying true to form. Pizza came of age right alongside most baby boomers and our industry hopes they would continue to consume it into old age. According to research firm Technomic, boomers are eating less pizza than generation X or millennials, who still drive the lion’s share of pizza occasions. Most of the pizza consumption resides with 20- and 30-somethings as it starts to

18 pizza JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2016

wane when people enter their 40s. This shift may be driven by health concerns, which often become more of a priority for people as they enter middle age; but a busy lifestyle offsets this shift by making many boomers crave convenience. What’s important to note is that Canadian baby boomers tend to consume more frozen pizza than other age groups. “Boomers say [frozen pizza] is a quick and easy meal and it’s more convenient than pizza for delivery or carryout,” says Deanna Jordan, senior analyst of consumer insights for Technomic. Interestingly, many millennials indicate they’d be keen to buy a frozen version of their favourite foodservice pizza. So as you see your

millennial customers start to have families and not have as much free time to go to restaurants, consider a frozen take-out program to keep them as customers. If you sell pizza through a traditional foodservice venue, make sure you target millennials in your marketing tactics because they have the time to stop by a restaurant. “And of course when looking at foodservice, the over-index of millennials on all accounts will be partially due to the fact that they just eat out more often than older consumers. About 28 per cent fewer boomers eat foodservice on a weekly+ basis than millennials,” Jordan says. The foodservice pizza sector has long struggled to compete with the increasing popularity of frozen pizza, and the fact that the largest population cohort is more inclined towards frozen pizza could leave us wondering if there is a glimmer of opportunity anywhere. It could well exist within the growing fast-casual sector. Fast-casual is a dining category that’s been growing quickly in the United States and has recently taken off in Canada. The average cheque of a quick-service restaurant is $8.50 whereas the average cheque for a fast-casual is $12. The dining experience is marketed as offering the speed of a quick-service restaurant with fresher ingredients and a bit more ambience. New chains such as Five Guys, Hero Certified Burgers and Mucho Burrito are stealing share from big chains such as McDonald’s, which is closing restaurants in the United States and Canada. The fastcasual segment could be the perfect way to offer baby boomers

healthier pizzas with fresh ingredients in a speedy manner that fits into their tight schedules. “Boomers also actually seem quite interested in fast-casual pizza chains, which could present an opportunity to drive traffic among this demographic,” Jordan says. If you’re trying to decide whether to focus your product development and marketing efforts on promoting healthy ingredients, you’re not alone. That’s a complicated issue for both millennials and boomers. According to Technomic, both groups are pretty closely aligned in regards to pizza. “There is a plurality saying that they consider health when eating pizza but don’t really let it affect how much or the type of pizza they eat. And this is despite more boomers than millennials noting that they try to eat healthfully most of the time,” Jordan says. Pizza is a bit of a guilty pleasure, so do use and promote fresh ingredients, but have the crowd pleasers that satisfy those cravings. When 56 per cent of the Canadian population falls into two distinct demographic cohorts, it’s clearly good business to cater to both of these groups if possible. Boomers and millennials still love pizza. Boomers will continue to retire but will stay busy and want convenience. Convenience will become increasingly important to millennials as they stay home more with young families. Make it fresh, make it delicious and make it easy for people to enjoy on the go. The best business strategies also age well. • Michelle Brisebois is a marketing professional with experience in the food, pharmaceutical and financial services industries. She specializes in brand strategies.

he taste of

Tradition

SALERNO DAIRY

T. 905.544.6281 F. 905.549.1196 20 Morley Street, Hamilton, Ontario, L8H 3R7

www.salernodairy.com www.gaylea.com JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2016 pizza 19

making dough with Diane

7 ways to advertise your new pizzeria Diane Chiasson

ith the very challenging economy and increased competition among restaurants, it is more important than ever to get your new pizzeria or new location noticed. While it may seem like a difficult task, you don’t have to spend a lot of money to promote your business. It just takes a bit of patience and creativity to get you going. Here are some budget-friendly tips to help you get started:

1. DESIGN YOUR WEBSITE Develop a professional-looking website. The best way to promote your pizzeria is to show high-quality, delicious-looking pictures of your pizzas, not only on your website but also across various social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, Google+, Pinterest and other online resources. Include images of gooey melted cheese, fresh Roma tomatoes with basil pesto sauce, fancier pizzas with variations of toppings, and golden crust. Include photos of your restaurant’s interior and exterior to give your customers a sense of the style, décor and ambiance. Don’t forget to provide easy directions and a map to your pizza place. 2. COME UP WITH A SLOGAN Depending of the style of the restaurant you will operate – a family-style sit-down restaurant, a casual grab-and-go pizza or an upscale Italian eatery – create a slogan around your unique style. Use a simple slogan that’s easy to remember, but make sure it describes in simple terms the characteristics your pizzeria wishes to convey. 3. CREATE AN EMAIL NEWSLETTER Determine the best frequency of your newsletter. Send out a monthly email

newsletter. It doesn’t have to be a weekly affair: you just need to communicate regularly and consistently. Newsletters are an effective way to get all kinds of information about your restaurant into the hands of your customers and potential customers. Use your newsletter to show off your new menu items and signature dishes or to share special club membership or discounts or to simply talk about your wonderful staff. Add colourful photographs of your dishes – use pictures that will make people salivate and get them in the door. Share photos of your chefs, events, servers or specials of the week. For branding purposes, always use your restaurant’s logo and colours, and make sure that your newsletter’s layout is esthetically pleasing. Consider creating a “teaser offer” to encourage people to visit your restaurant. Ask them to bring in the newsletter itself to redeem the offer. I suggest a free cocktail or dessert rather than discounting your pizza. 4. START A BLOG Starting your own blog is a very effective way to advertise your restaurant, to get noticed and to stay on budget. It is also a great way to build community and engage with your customers. Share everything about your new pizzeria – images of food, recipes, new menu items, daily specials, unusual toppings, crazy and funny stories, upcoming events, your successes and struggles, and anything else that might interest your customers. 5. HAND OUT FRIDGE MAGNETS Your business card may get lost or thrown away, but magnets will find themselves stuck on the refrigerator. Custom-printed magnets make intriguing promotional tools by bringing awareness to your brand

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and are handy, at-a-glance informational tools. Every time someone opens the refrigerator door to find it empty or the contents unappealing, your branded magnet will give them an instant reminder of your pizzeria and an easily accessed telephone number. 6. USE COLOURFUL FLYERS Pizzerias have competition everywhere and using flyers is a great form of advertising as well as a great way to promote your operation. You can announce special promotions and events, deals, new toppings, and promote your seasonal menu. Try to design an eye-catching flyer, and keep in mind that the most efficient way to make your flyers stand out is to make them attractive, colourful and interesting. Another important reason to create and hand out flyers is for brand awareness: if you are not consistently reminding your customers that you are actively doing business, they will forget about you and your restaurant and go somewhere else. Pass out flyers to houses in your community, nearby office buildings. 7. TARGET THE KIDS Have you ever seen a kid who didn’t like pizza? Nine times out of 10, you will definitely hear “PIZZA PLEASE!” Bring the kids in by developing a fun kids’ pizza menu and offer some interesting games, colourful balloons or unique activities. • Diane Chiasson, FCSI, president of Chiasson Consultants Inc., has been helping foodservice, hospitality and retail operators increase sales for over 25 years by providing 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 1-888926-6655 or chiasson@chiassonconsultants.com, or visit www.chiassonconsultants.com.

new products PAYVUE CASH DRAWER SHEDS NEW LIGHT A new illuminated cash drawer is addressing the problem of conducting cash transactions in low-light environments. The PayVue cash drawer automatically illuminates the till when opened with just the right amount of light to see, but not draw significant attention to, its contents, manufacturer MMF POS said in a press release. Soft low-lights can make it difficult to monitor cashhandling activities, the company said. The drawer also features the LockIt Integrated Secure Cash Drop Compartment with a dedicated media slot to help protect high value cash and media. These features are designed make it easier for the cashier in low-light settings to correctly identify cash and coin with an eye to improving payment accuracy, speed and good customer service. The PayVue system

is available from MMF POS in Canada through your POS system installer, who may purchase the system from one of five distributors in Canada: BlueStar, Scansource, Ingram Micro and Synnex. www.mmfpos.com GLOBE INTRODUCES GAS FLOOR FRYERS Globe Food Equipment Company of Dayton, Ohio, recently introduced a line of gas floor fryers to their cooking line. The gas floor fryer models feature stainless steel fry tanks, large foam zones designed to prevent excessive moisture in oil, durable cast iron burners with 30,000 BTUs per heat tube, specialty high heat baffles inside the tubes for improved heating efficiency, and 1¼-inch full balltype port drain with extension pipe to promote quick and easy cleaning. The fryers are available in three oil capacity models (35-40, 50 and 80 pounds) and either natural or liquid propane gas.

Units include twin nickel chrome wire mesh fry baskets with handles, basket support rack, stainless steel legs and a set of four casters. Included is a one-year parts and labour warranty and two-year tank (full fryer) replacement. www.globefoodequip.com 3M GRIDDLE-CLEANING SYSTEM 3M has a new system to help lighten the daily job of scrubbing and scraping a heavily used griddle until it shines. The Scotch-Brite Quick Clean griddlecleaning system is faster, safer, and easier to use than traditional griddle cleaning products, such as bricks and screens, the company says. Using a three-step process, the system cleans efficiently with no rinsing needed and leaves no messy residue behind. www.3M.com/foodservice

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JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2016 pizza 21

feature Continued from page 17

crust, bursting forth flavour and fragrance after cooking. The pizza is topped with fresh baby spinach, kalamata olives, red peppers, pancetta and smoked mozzarella. “It’s very well received. All your senses come alive: the visual, the smell, you can almost taste it before you put it in your mouth,” Vacchio explains. For greater visual appeal Vacchio artistically pinches the rosemary needles around the dough once it’s stretched and formed in the pan, rather than incorporating them throughout the dough. The idea for the pizza came from Zolas’ homemade focaccia, which is smothered in olive oil, garlic and fresh rosemary.

Photo courtesy Tony Vacchio

note that “sharing the limelight with ancient grains for consumer attention are sprouted grains, seeds and nuts, promising ease of digestibility and enhanced nutritional value in terms of protein, amino acids and micronutrients.” Canadian pizza chefs are certainly paying attention when it comes to consumer demand for offerings that pack a nutritional punch. “I really believe the future of pizza is like the one I’m making. With 00 flour you refine the grain to get the 00 so thin that you lose all the properties of the grain. It’s more like starch and sugar. . . . I’d rather give people an option that’s very

“Zolas Signature Rosemary Crust” pizza features fresh rosemary needles pinched into the crust, bursting forth flavour and fragrance after cooking.

healthy and interesting,” Cortinovis says. Innovation in pizza dough has the ability to ignite our most powerful senses: taste, touch, smell and sight. Tony Vacchio, lovingly known as Chef “T” by his staff, is the owner of Zolas Restaurant in Ottawa. When it opened its doors 29 years ago, Vacchio says it was the first Italian restaurant in Ottawa’s west end to have an exhibition style/open kitchen concept. When it comes to customer favourites, Zolas’ loyal clientele have made “Zolas Signature Rosemary Crust” pizza the most popular pizza item on the menu. The pizza, another entry in the competition, features fresh rosemary needles pinched into the

Vacchio had to try the mouth-watering combination with pizza. His one caution to those wanting to incorporate rosemary into their pizza dough: “Make sure the rosemary needles are fresh, because they are woody and if it’s not fresh then it will tend to burn.” Another pizza trend that has grabbed Vacchio’s attention is black dough. While this can be achieved through squid ink, as seen with some pasta dishes, it’s a foodgrade, activated charcoal powder that has intrigued him. With a long history of medicinal uses, including as an emergency antidote for poisoning or pharmaceutical overdose, a teeth whitener, and a general

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detoxifier, food-grade activated charcoal can also be used in baked breads, cakes and pizza dough to turn the product black without affecting taste or texture. “I have used squid ink before as we do make fresh pasta daily, but some people have allergies to seafood so I searched for an alternative. I first thought about the idea with Halloween around the corner but found it hard to find in Ottawa. It would be an interesting conversation item for customers, with the dough’s canvas being jet black. Imagine the colour contrast with mozzarella and red peppers,” Vacchio says. When inspiration and passion combine, innovation is born. Vacchio attributes his inspiration to his family’s roots in Naples and his mother’s passion for making Italian favourites, like pasta and pizzas, from scratch. Kyle Rindinella, chef di cucina at Pizzeria Libretto’s Danforth Avenue location in Toronto, turned his intrigue of black pizza dough into a reality with his Chef of the Year entry, “The Rindinella.” The entry featured classic Neapolitan dough with a hydration rate of 60 per cent, turned dark black. He replaced approximately 20 to 30 grams of water with black squid ink, just enough to achieve the midnight black palette he was after without altering the flavour of the dough. The pizza was topped with tomato sauce, tuna confited in olive oil, black olives, preserved tomatoes, shaved bonito flakes and parsley. The creation is an ode to his family’s Sicilian roots. “When I think about Sicily, the first thing that comes to my mind is fish, a lot of bright sunshine and a little bit of heat,” Rindinella explains. Reviews from industry friends were positive. “They enjoyed it. I mean, at first it was a little shocking to people – even my kitchen team was a little taken aback – but it was enjoyed. It was more so just for something different.” Another dough trend Rindinella is currently exploring is the use of various flours. With ancient grains top of mind among consumers, innovations in this area are in demand. “I’ve noticed a few ‘more than normal’ calls [in the restaurant] for different types of dough. Not necessarily for gluten-free dough, but asking if we make

Photo courtesy Giuseppe Cortinovis

new products

Using an einkorn flour and maple syrup biga, Chef of the Year runner-up Giuseppe Cortinovis created a vegetarian pizza. Once mixed, the biga sits at room temperature for 24 hours while the fermentation process takes place

rye dough or spelt dough,” Rindinella says. As deep passion and unbounded creativity unite among Canada’s talented pizzaiolos, they are making big leaps in the name of innovation. With seemingly endless areas ripe for exploring, Vacchio reminds us that innovative does not have

to mean complicated. “Food costs are expensive, but you don’t have to load tons of stuff on a pizza. Simple is always best and you can make innovative pizzas with simple toppings.” • Julie Fitz-Gerald is a freelance writer and regular contributor to Canadian Pizza magazine.

MELAMINE SERVING BOARDS PROVIDE RUSTIC WOOD LOOK American Metalcraft has a new Melamine Naturals Collection of serving boards that look like wood but are made of durable, washable, stain- and oil-resistant melamine. There are five styles in American Metalcraft’s Melamine Naturals Collection. The rustic wood and acacia serving boards are available in three sizes from a smaller 14-inch diameter to a larger 215/8inch diameter round-to-oval shape that measures 25½ inches long by 10¼ inches wide. Both styles feature round feet that lift the boards one inch off the table for convenient serving and clearing. Square and rectangular styles in the collection include walnut, bamboo and elm wood serving boards. The square boards measure 11¼ square inches by 3/8 inches high, and the rectangular boards measure 207/8 inches long by 12½ inches wide by 3/8 inches high. www.amnow.com

PROFITS IN THE PIE Effective Marketing Tactics to Seize Your Slice of the $38.1 Billion Pizza Pie! • Learn marketing ideas that are tried and true – not wasting money, but making thousands of dollars • Learn to easily implemented marketing tactics – have an action plan you can act on, making you a local celebrity • Tweak ideas and make them your own – be the talk of your town with innovative ideas that generate free press Author Scott Anthony is recognized by the pizza industry as an Operator Expert and a marketing guru. Today he operates an award-winning pizzeria, Fox’s Pizza Den of Punxsutawney and he also does private consultation for operators around the country.

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2016 pizza 23 Pizza Book Ad sept 13.indd 1

2013-08-07 11:27 AM

cover story Continued from page 13 enough,” he says, noting it’s important to cross-train staff for those busy periods and unexpected staff shortages. The current store sits in cosy proximity to retail stores and professional offices in an upper-middle-class suburban neighbourhood. The real estate was chosen in part because its square footage and layout was similar to the previous location. “It was 31 feet, front to back,” he says, arms akimbo. “I knew it would work.” Leroux provides a tour of the restaurant, starting from a customer order space with a spacious feel due to a large mirror that reflects community involvement that won him a Saputo Foodservice Pizza With Purpose award in 2011. Through the door and with a gentle curve to the left is a make line that can accommodate 10 staff. A right turn takes you to the ovens, which have grown in number from two to six over the years. “We don’t quite need the sixth oven yet, but we will,” he says with a smile.

CONTINUAL LEARNING Leroux has made a point of improving his business and marketing acumen and

24 pizza JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2016

Amadio’s Pizza celebrated 25 years in business in 2015. Owners Joe and Margit Leroux head up a team of five full-time and six part-time staff.

networking with other pizzeria operators. The learning began in earnest when he toured Italy and Europe in the 1980s – that’s where he and Margit met – and he has made a habit of visiting and keeping up with other Canadian pizzerias as well. “It’s important to be in touch with others who are going through the same things you are,” he says. Independent operators have more freedom to implement ideas, but fewer resources when compared to the chains they compete with, he adds. “Being an independent, I don’t have access to human resources, marketing, research facilities and accountants. I don’t have time to see the latest trends.” Events like the Canadian Pizza Show and International Pizza Expo are “your HR department, your R&D department and your marketing department all rolled into one,” he says. “The stuff you learn there you cannot learn anywhere else, under one roof. It’s all about collaboration.” •

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Annex Bookstore ............................................... 23 Burke................................................................. 11 Canadian Pizza E-newsletter ............................. 21 Flour Power ....................................................... 24 Middleby Marshall............................................... 9 Moretti Forni ..................................................... 27 Pizza Expo 2016....................................... 14 & 15 Pizza Power Page .............................................. 25 Restaurants Canada Show 2016 ......................... 7 Ricco Food Distributor ...................................... 19 Salerno.............................................................. 19 Saputo .............................................................. 28 Springer’s Meats ............................................... 21 Stanislaus .................................................... 4 & 5 Viau Food ............................................................ 2 Use these advertiser contact numbers to find out more about a product advertised in this issue or to place an order. This index is provided as a service. Canadian Pizza Magazine is not liable for errors or omissions.

guest column

Telephone turnoffs Jeff Mowatt

ike you, there are times in my work when emails and texts aren’t efficient and I actually need to phone someone and have a real conversation. I’ve made literally thousands of calls over the years and – since I pay particular attention to customer communication – I’ve created a list of Top 10 Telephone Turnoffs. See if you can relate to these pitfalls, which I’ve rated from least annoying to worst. More importantly, read the accompanying tips to ensure you and your team members aren’t committing the same offences. 10. “Good afternoon, thank you for calling ABC company, Ralf speaking. How can I help you?” Long greetings waste the caller’s time. Instead, just open with, “Thank you for calling ABC company, this is Ralf.” It’s concise and finishes with the employee’s name rather than the word “speaking.” People remember the word spoken last and the most important word is your name. While you’re at it, avoid asking, “How can I help you?” The caller will tell you this, and adding that statement essentially steps all over your name by following it with more words that make it even less memorable. 9. “Hello.” While, turnoff #10 was too long, this greeting doesn’t offer enough information. If a call is transferred to you from a switchboard, just say, “Good morning (or afternoon) this is Jeff.” In this case, by saying good morning you let the caller know they’ve reached you live and not your voice mail. 8. “How are you?” Asking this question to someone you’ve never met has two unintended consequences: 1) sounds insincere 2) wastes the person’s time. Not a great start, especially when the most important thing you’re trying to establish is trust. Instead of asking, “How are you?”

simply introduce yourself, then explain, 3. “ABC department?” (When picking up “We’ve never met. The reason I’m calling a transferred call after you’ve been briefed is…” about their complaint.) Forcing unhappy 7. “Please hold.” Putting a caller on hold customers to repeat themselves simply without asking permission is rude. Instead, elevates their frustration. Instead, answer ask permission and thank them: “May I put the call by introducing yourself with your you on hold for a moment? Thank you.” first and last name, explaining that your 6. “I’m either on the phone or away colleague briefed you, and paraphrasing from my desk….” Callers understand that your understanding of the situation. Then, they’ve reached your voice mail. They don’t rather than starting back at square one, the need an explanation about why. If you’re customer can simply correct or confirm the out of the office for several days, mention details. that. Otherwise, just state, “You’ve reached 2. Peeking at your smartphone screen the voice mail of Jeff Mowatt. Please leave a while in a face-to-face conversation. message. ’Nuff said. (Please When you check your don’t tell me to have a great phone in front of others, day – just stop talking so I you demonstrate a focus on Ask yourself can leave a message.) yourself that undermines 5. “Your call is important trust. if everything to us.” This is the default 1. Talking on a cellphone you say and do when you’re around others. recorded message you often hear when reaching No one wants to hear half enhances or a call centre. Again, the of a telephone conversation most important thing to diminishes trust. from a bystander. Anywhere. establish with customers is Anytime. We would rather trust. It doesn’t help when listen to jets taking off the record message tells a lie. If our call was than be subjected to someone’s stream of really that important to the organization, consciousness. If you must make a phone they’d have a live person taking our call. call while others are within earshot, keep it This statement insults our intelligence. short or go elsewhere to make the call. Instead, opt for, “Your call will be answered Bottom line: The good news about in approximately x minutes. Thank you for these telephone turnoffs is they are easy to your patience.” avoid. Ask yourself if everything you say 4. “You need to call department x.” and do enhances or diminishes trust. When (When customers have a complaint.) The you demonstrate your respect for your last thing customers want when expressing customers’ time and intelligence, chances a concern is the runaround. If a customer are you will be rewarded – literally – with is unhappy, rather than foisting them their loyalty. • on another department, ask permission to put the caller on hold. Then you call Jeff Mowatt is a customer service strategist, award-winning the department to brief them about the speaker and bestselling author. For more tips, training tools, or to inquire about engaging Jeff for your team, visit www. customer’s concern and their state of mind. JeffMowatt.com. That leads us to turnoff #3…

26 pizza JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2016