MAR/APR 2020
CANADIANPIZZAMAG.COM
REBUILDING
A LEGACY How Maria’s endured a devastating fire and rallied its community
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MAR/APR 2020 Vol. 26, No. 2
DEPARTMENTS 6 7
From the Editor Industry News Government updates and news you can use
13 The pizza chef Clone your best customers
22 Making Dough with Diane
10
Five spring marketing strategies
26 Recipe Meatballs and Spicy Tomato Sauce
27 Tools of the Trade New products roundup
30 Cross-Canada Viewpoint Operators have their say on issues that matter
CONTENTS COVER STORY
ONLINE
10 Rebuilding a legacy How Maria’s Original Pizza in Brantford, Ont., endured a devastating fire and rallied its community By Colleen Cross
How should restaurants deal with coronavirus consequences?
GEARS IMAGE: © ALEXLMX / ADOBE STOCK
Whether you’re a single restaurant operator or an executive at a large franchised chain, the question on everyone’s mind is what can restaurants do to mitigate the negative effects of this pandemic on their business? canadianpizzamag.com
ON THE COVER Maria’s Original Pizza in Brantford, Ont., reopened to overwhelming community support two years after fire devastated the landmark pizzeria established in 1968 by Maria and Virgilio Risi. See page 10. CANADIAN PIZZA · March/April 2020
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16 Financial support for pizzerias during the pandemic COVID-19 financial compensation measures put in place by the federal and Ontario governments and banks By Bonny Koabel
18 Getting the word out How to write a media release that gets your pizzeria noticed By Michelle Brisebois
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20 Idle times, industrious action Ways to bolster your marketing, menu, displays and budget when things are slow By Claire Sykes
23 Smoke on the water How three P.E.I. entrepreneurs built a community-based floating pizzeria By Colleen Cross
CanadianPizzaMag.com
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FROM THE EDITOR BY COLLEEN CROSS
Mar/Apr 2020, Vol. 26, No. 2 EDITOR Colleen Cross ccross@annexbusinessmedia.com 519-428-3471 ext. 261
We’re all in this together
I
n February, this industry’s top challenge was finding and keeping good, reliable staff. That was before COVID-19. Then the seriousness of the pandemic became steadily (and sickeningly) obvious, restaurants were declared non-essential, except for those doing takeout and delivery, and dining rooms across Canada were shut down temporarily. Things quickly turned upside-down as every operator faced tough decisions about laying off staff. Many pizzerias were built on delivery and takeout and are able to serve customers that way. These are a lifeline – but not a long-term rescue – and they are barely keeping some places afloat. For every extra takeout order, there is a reduction in hours – and staff. For every Friday night order from a stir-crazy family, there is a large order for a sports team or birthday party that disappeared. Restaurants that run events or do catering lost that income stream in the blink of an eye. The government has offered financial help. Operators are trying to be strong and positive. But it’s grim. Every business in Canada is figuring out how to keep employees and customers safe. The restaurant industry is no different, but it is under special scrutiny because it involves handling people’s food. And it is under incredible strain due to its slim profit margins. Communication is so important right now: talking with your team and talking with your customers. Restaurants can’t take for granted that customers know they’re open. They can’t take for granted that customers know and trust their standards of cleanliness. I’ve heard members of the public say they won’t return to a restaurant that doesn’t have specific cleaning and social distancing measures in place. If you don’t have this information posted clearly – on the front door, at the cash register and in any high-traffic area ¬– how will they know? Customers, employees, suppliers all need to know what your pizzeria is doing to keep them safe and stop the spread of COVID-19. In this edition, the owners of Maria’s Original Pizza share how they rebuilt after a devastating fire and discuss measures they are taking
to help flatten the curve (page 10). Michelle Brisebois has solid tips on writing a press release that will get your pizzeria noticed (page 18). Much of that advice can be used in other forms of marketing or advertising you do. It’s time to be safe. It’s time to be responsible. And it’s time to sell yourself. To inspire you, here are a few strategies we saw pizzerias adopt: • Cross-training staff so they can switch between jobs, including and, especially, delivery. • Reaching out to their community to offer food to those in need. • Selling pizza kits for families to assemble and cook at home. • Posting smartphone videos on social media: teaching a technique, describing the inspiration for a signature pizza, talking about their team. Anyone can do this. Don’t worry if it’s not perfect – in this time of self-isolation, your fans will love to see you. • Marketing alcohol (for restaurants that are licensed and allowed to deliver or sell alcohol curbside). Tony’s Pizza Napoletana in San Francisco has a friendly competition going between pizzerias over who makes the best cocktail, legendary restaurateur Tony Gemignani shared in a panel during the Virtual Pizza Expo (held in place of the International Pizza Expo). • Getting creative and learning to, in Tony G’s words, “Borrow or steal ideas – you don’t need to ask permission.” Although it’s difficult to look ahead right now, think of this: All the thought and effort you’re putting into your business now – increasing marketing and communications, updating your best practices and putting long-term plans in place, being a better leader – will serve you well in the long run. The impact of social distancing will be with us for months, if not years. At this most stressful time, be well, be hopeful, be good to others and be good to yourselves. #pizzastrong. | CP
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canadian_pizza_magazine March/April 2020 · CANADIAN PIZZA
March/April 2020 · CANADIAN PIZZA
INDUSTRY NEWS
Restaurants Canada estimates that 800,000 foodservice jobs have already been lost nationwide due to COVID-19 and might not return if current conditions continue. With restaurants now struggling to pay rent and other bills due in April, the national association has conducted a survey to shed light on the state of the industry. Responses from foodservice operators across the country have revealed: –Four out of five restaurants have laid off employees since March 1. –Seven out of 10 foodservice operators will further cut back on staff hours or lay off more employees if conditions do not improve. –Nearly one out of 10 restaurants have already closed permanently and another 18 per cent will permanently close within a month if current conditions continue. “Not only was our industry CANADIAN PIZZA · March/April 2020
Canadian Pizza Podcast: Government financial support for pizzerias during the pandemic With pandemic restrictions in place, these are unprecedented and uncertain times for Canadian restaurants. In a recent podcast, Canadian Pizza took a look at COVID-19 financial compensation measures recently put in place by government to bring relief to small businesses, including pizzerias, restaurants and bakery/ cafés, that have been adversely affected by the shutdowns. Helping us navigate the government programs is Bonny Koabel, CPA, CGA, president of AKR Consulting Canada, a Mississauga, Ontario, firm specializing in government grants, subsidies, tax credits, refunds and rebates since 2003. Koabel walks us through different scenarios that show how pizzerias can make the most of financial relief programs, in some cases by combining the programs. Listen in at canadianpizzamag.com/topic/podcast and let us know what you’d like to hear on future podcasts. CanadianPizzaMag.com
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RIGHT IMAGE: © ALEXLMX / ADOBE STOCK
COVID-19 has cost Canadian food service 800,000 jobs since March 1
among the first to feel the impacts of COVID-19, we’ve been one of the hardest hit so far, with nearly two-thirds of our workforce now lost,” said Shanna Munro, Restaurants Canada president and chief administrative officer. ”In our 75 years of existence as Canada’s national foodservice association, these are by far the worst numbers we have ever seen.” Canada’s $93 billion foodservice industry represents four per cent of the country’s GDP. If conditions do not improve, Restaurants Canada estimates that foodservice sales will be down nearly $20 billion for the second quarter of 2020. Restaurants Canada has been working closely with government and industry stakeholders since the start of the COVID-19 crisis, contributing to efforts to safeguard public health and assure business continuity as much as possible. “Restaurants have played an essential role during this crisis, but are also uniquely challenged by the impacts of COVID-19. We are encouraged by relief measures introduced so far that have shown the concerns of foodservice are being
PODCAST
LEFT IMAGE: © GUSCHENKOVA / ADOBE STOCK
PANDEMIC EFFECTS
heard,” said David Lefebvre, vice-president, Federal and Quebec. “Without the steps already taken, the impacts on our industry would be even more devastating. In this time of crisis, it is reassuring to see governments, at all levels, come to the table with solutions.” Working toward a swift and strong recovery Restaurants Canada continues to be at the table, working with all levels of government to strengthen actions already taken in the following areas to provide foodservice businesses with more immediate protection and relief, as well as help to reopen and rehire: –Rent relief: Flexible arrangements are needed from landlords to allow for payment-free periods. Foodservice operators are looking for a co-ordinated effort led by government, coupled with no-eviction orders to relieve pressure. An injunction on evictions would allow time for governments to bring stakeholders to the table to develop immediate and longterm solutions that will work for all parties involved. –Access to working capital: With little-to-no sales revenue coming in for most foodservice businesses, many have already depleted their reserve funds, or soon will. Existing measures may need to be expanded and new solutions continue to be welcomed to ensure restaurants will have enough working capital to reopen their doors once physical distancing rules are lifted. –Labour: An expansion of the qualifying conditions and time period for accessing the 75 per cent wage subsidy would help restaurants not only keep workers on payroll but allow those already laid off to be rehired.
INDUSTRY NEWS
ON THE WEB Prime Minister shares COVID-19 economic response plan; Teen entrepreneur buys pizzeria in St. Thomas, Ont.; Domino’s Pizza of Canada focuses on hiring full- and part-time staff | FOR MORE PIZZA NEWS, check out our website, canadianpizzamag.com.
COMMUNITY
Topper’s Pizza reaches out to food banks, first responders
CANADIAN PIZZA SUMMIT
PIZZA EXPO
Canadian Pizza Summit West and East set for fall
Pizza Expo cancels June 2020 event
The Canadian Pizza Summit and Chef of the Year Competitions will hold two events in 2020 – one in Burnaby, B.C., Sept. 14, and the other in Toronto on Oct. 19. Due to national efforts to contain the coronavirus, the Pizza Summit West has been postponed from its original June date to September. It is set for Sept. 14 at EM Bakery Equipment in Burnaby, B.C. Our already established Pizza Summit East is set for Oct. 19 at Faema Canada in Toronto. Each event offers a chance to win a trip to compete at the Las Vegas Pizza Expo in 2021. That means pizza chefs can compete in either British Columbia or Ontario. It also means there’ll be two Chefs of the Year, two Great Pizza Box Fold-Offs and two opportunities to network and research trends. To register for Pizza Summit West and Pizza Summit East, visit canadianpizzamag.com/ pizzashow. We’ll keep you up to date on developments at canadianpizzamag.com. 8
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Pizza Expo organizers have formally cancelled Pizza Expo 2020 amid growing concerns surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic. A message on the Expo website reads in part as follows: “Maintaining the health and safety of every member of this incredible community, as well as that of the Pizza Expo team, is paramount to us. Organizers cited the many recent developments regarding COVID-19 that include, but are not limited to, the declaration of a National State of Emergency; the various states of emergency declared across the nation; travel restrictions placed on foreign nationals travelling to the U.S.; the declaration by the WHO of COVID-19 as a pandemic; the accelerating pace of confirmed cases worldwide and restrictions on congregating and large gatherings “A Virtual Pizza Expo featuring educational sessions was held early in April. The next Pizza Expo is set for March 16-18, 2021.”
Topper’s Pizza rolled out two special programs to help food banks and thank first responders. Three dollars from every Family Pleaser Combo sold will be donated to help local food banks and Feed Ontario’s COVID-19 Emergency Food Boxes. Customers can also choose to give additional donations of $1, $2, or $5. Second, as a thank-you to health-care workers and first responders, Ontario health-care workers and first
responders (police, fire and paramedics) will receive 25 per cent off any large pizza. PETITION
Canadian restaurants group lobbies for government relief A lobby group called Save Hospitality is asking government to ensure EI benefits for laid-off staff, cease collecting property taxes for restaurants and other financial relief measures. The group has launched a petition calling for many government supports for impacted food businesses Learn more at savehospitality.ca.
March/April 2020 · CANADIAN PIZZA
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COVER STORY
REBUILDING A LEGACY How Maria’s Original Pizza endured a devastating fire and rallied its community BY COLLEEN CROSS
T
his is a story about resilience, past traditions and hope for the future. As Gino and Bobbie-Sue Risi, watched a massive fire destroy their Brantford, Ont., pizzeria, Gino vowed to rebuild the namesake pizzeria opened half a century ago by his parents, Maria and Virgilio Risi. “Take pictures because we’re rebuilding this thing,” he said, thinking of his late mother and her practical attitude. “She would have just said, “It’s a building. Nobody got hurt. Let’s just do it again. And that’s kind of what I went for. There wasn’t even a hesitation to think about it.” He recalls the fateful day – Sunday, June 4, 2017. “We got the phone call in the morning. We live about 10 kilometres away, and driving into the city, I could see the smoke. I was sick to my stomach.” When he arrived at 428 Colborne St., his pizzeria and his sister’s business and home were engulfed by flames and beyond saving. But thanks to a practical and 10
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Maria’s Pizza was established in 1968 by Maria and Virgilio Risi.
positive outlook, the family legacy would go on. Gino and his wife, Bobbie-Sue, have owned and operated Maria’s Pizza in downtown Brantford, Ont., for the past five years. Prior to that Gino operated a location of Maria’s on busy, plaza-heavy King George Road. Bobbie-Sue started working for Maria’s 20 years ago making the sauce two days a week while teaching kindergarten. She retired from teaching when the fire happened to work full time. They are a thoughtful, high-spirited tag team. Maria and Virgilio Risi started the business in 1968. At one point in time there were three stores in
Brantford. The two remaining stores have been run separately for the past five years.
Rebuilding process
ITEMS SALVAGED AFTER THE FIRE: • 40-gallon sauce pot • 750-pound capacity dough machine • Large, hand-welded pizza fork
The family forged ahead with what turned out to be a lengthy rebuilding process. “We went to an architect we knew who worked alongside us to give it that old charm it had but with some new things to make it more enjoyable and better workflow – like air conditioning, higher ceilings and better windows,” Bobbie-Sue says. “Then we got a builder. Waiting for all the permits to come through, that process took a long time,” she adds. March/April 2020 · CANADIAN PIZZA
COVER STORY
Community response: ‘If you build it, we will come” While the couple waited for permits for the 2,600-squarefoot shop, the small city of 100,000 rallied around them. “We had so much love and support going on even when we were doing the rebuild,” Bobbie-Sue says. A couple days after the fire, firefighters took the “Maria’s Pizza” awning off the building before demolition. Gino and the couple’s teenaged sons, Virgil and Robbie, stood it up at the worksite on two by fours. “That did something to so many people,” she says. “There were so many posts on social media. One fan, Joshua Wall, who is now a Ward 5 councillor, did a big post saying, ‘This is the kind of thing that makes you want to get up and do stuff.’ ” Their delivery driver, Patti Parker, drove by one night and saw chalk words in front of where the pizza shop had been: “If you build it, we will come.” “It was like Field of Dreams,” Bobbie-Sue says. “It was awesome.” During Maria’s soft opening in June 2019, two years ¬– almost to the day – since the fire, they posted on Facebook they’d be selling 100 pizzas on a first come, first served basis. The city was hungry for the business to reopen and they ended up selling more than 350 pies that afternoon. Later that summer, they showed off their newly rebuilt pizzeria and thanked their staff and the community that stood by them. The grand reopening included special golden tickets for a large half Canadian pizza for $10 instructing customers to come during specific time periods throughout the day. Their family, friends, staff, local politicians and the tradespeople who helped rebuild the business came out to celebrate. Gino’s aunt and Maria’s sister, Rosa, cut the ribbon after studying a collage of more than 200 photos of the family and business at the front of the shop.
PHOTO COURTESY OF MARIA’S ORIGINAL PIZZA
Same pizza, same experience – only better In rebuilding, the couple decided not to mess with the layout, ingredients or the other elements that customers love about Maria’s. One of those elements was the doorway. “We wanted the doorway, with that little alcove, or nook, so it looks inviting,” Gino says. Another key thing was installing new Garland gas deck ovens similar to those they’d had for 28 years in order to re-create the taste of their signature pizza. “They’re a little bit different model but they’re cooking pretty much the same,” he says. “We wanted them in the exact same spot so that when people come in, it reminds them of the old one because the counter’s in the same spot roughly – and the kitchen is the same.” They’ve also kept the same ingredients: the same dough CANADIAN PIZZA · March/April 2020
For the rebuild, co-owner Bobbie-Sue Risi dreamed of a lunch counter for sandwiches, desserts, a slice of the day and pastas.
Gino was making before the fire, the same sauce Bobbie-Sue learned to make from Zia (Aunt) Rosa and the same cheese. Gino says he had offers of less expensive cheese from different companies. “I said, ‘I’m sorry – we’ve got to stick with what we’ve been doing.” As if to explain why, he describes a text they received recently from a longtime customer who enjoyed reliving the experience of eating Maria’s pizza with a Coke he’d had 20 years ago. “That means a lot to me,” Gino says. The couple were serious about re-creating the pizza that made Maria’s so popular. That meant seasoning new trays until they got the taste right. “The pizzas weren’t coming out the same in the beginning as they are now,” Gino says. “It took probably a couple hundred seasonings per tray to get them to cook decent. Now they’re coming out beautiful.” A few precious items were salvaged after the fire. The 40-gallon sauce pot, the dough machine and a large fork – welded by Gino himself – used to pull pizzas out of the oven. “There were a few things I managed to keep, like our measuring cup that doesn’t actually measure anything. That’s how the ladies used to measure stuff. I wanted it so bad and I found it in the rubble,” he says. “The dough machine was the biggest thing because it holds 750 pounds of dough per batch and it would have been very expensive – about $80,000 – to replace. I got my father-in-law (Brian Squance) to completely refurbish it. Without that machine, the financial stress would have been huge because the insurance didn’t pay near what it would have cost to replace it.” Gino’s advice to those starting out or starting over: “Get better insurance. I was underinsured on everything. That’s one thing that will never happen again. But the insurance company did pay right away to the full extent of the policy.” There were a few unexpected health and safety features they had to install and put them over budget significantly, Bobbie-Sue adds. “For the rebuild we wanted to do some type of lunch counter for sandwiches, desserts, a slice of the day and pastas. That was an upgrade. To do the kind CanadianPizzaMag.com
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of convection oven that I wanted you needed to have the whole system with a hood on top. Big bucks! And when you’re already in it, you just do it.” “For wheelchair accessibility, the washroom had to be a certain size,” Gino says. “You needed the automatic door openers, which were $4,000 a piece. Even though we don’t have the restroom for the public because we are strictly takeout, they said we needed to have it wheelchair accessible for our employees.” They made a few important changes simply to improve the shop. “Gino and I dreamt about it,” Bobbie-Sue says. “We picked out colours and tiles. I had a little vision of what it would be and I’d show Gino and he’d say, yes or no or maybe,” she says, referring to the bright red and contrasting bright yellow tile, new counter and modern fixtures. “The kitchen is basically how it has been for 50 years and it worked pretty well,” Gino says with a laugh. “We changed one counter. Instead of the girls making the pizzas facing the wall, now they face us and the ovens.” “It’s good for the communication,” Bobbie-Sue adds. “We found when the girls face the wall and make their pizzas, they weren’t part of the flow. Now they see and hear things because they’re looking at whoever is on ovens.” Fewer mistakes are made, they both agree. For example, their first Friday night they had no problems with orders. “That never happened 12
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Staff like family Because the couple take to heart the idea of a work team as family, their first Christmas party after reopening saw a few tears flow. “I love these kids and these people who work for us: they are ours,” Bobbie-Sue says. “We both broke down trying to thank them because without them we don’t have a pizzeria. If you want to do well, you’ve got to make sure you treat your employees with respect – and we do.” They also wanted to support their staff emotionally. “They were scared (when the pizzeria was destroyed) because of the history of Maria’s,” Bobbie-Sue says. “A lot of the kids’ parents used to come for their Friday night treat. They were telling us memories of their dads or their granddads coming in to get pizza. It was emotional.”
‘Overwhelming’ response to call for new staff Four longtime Maria’s staff returned when the pizzeria reopened. When it came time to hire new staff, the
response was overwhelming, Bobbie-Sue recalls. Front window coverings displayed the logo, and invited applications. “We had a stupid amount of resumés – I couldn’t even get to all of them. I don’t want to sound cocky, but I swear it was in the hundreds.” Many of the new staff were young and known to the family: “I had some type of relationship with their parents, or I had taught them or I knew of them through a friend of a friend.” She had taught four of the girls in kindergarten and they all go to their son Robbie’s school. Maria’s is like a second home to many staff. “A lot of our staff are champions in their own way, whether it’s through sports or through music or through honour roll,” Bobbie-Sue says. “We go to their games or recitals or whatever is happening with our staff and give them a shoutout on social media. They are very impressed and proud to be given any type of platform.” She tells of another tradition that has changed slightly since pandemic measures took hold in mid-March. “In October we started opening on Sundays. We thought, what else are we going to do this winter? Might as well open. We have a little staff of six that does a shift from 4 to 7. Afterwards we would take them out to a local pub or restaurant and buy them dinner. It was kind of our thing: we’d go out for wings and a burger. It’s nice to talk and laugh and find out what is going on in their life. Since COVID-19, we can’t eat at our favourite places, so we’re just getting takeout and having it at our pizza shop. We’re keeping it up in a different way – it is weird, it’s still where you work – but it’s still nice. They’re getting a little treat and no one’s coming in to say, ‘Number 32!’ and we can just sit and have our meal.” | CP
UPDATES: • Higher ceilings • Bigger windows • Automatic door openers • Sandwich and dessert counter • Bright red and yellow kitchen tiles • Noise-softening panels
To learn how Maria’s adjusted to meet the pandemic’s social distancing measures, see Cross-Country Viewpoint (page 30). March/April 2020 · CANADIAN PIZZA
PHOTO CREDIT: MARIA’S ORIGINAL PIZZA
While the couple waited for permits, the city of 100,000 rallied around them.
before,” Gino says. “It’s cool that changing one aspect so that the pizza makers are involved – with the stretchers, with the ovens, with the front – can make such a difference.” They also added acoustic panels to soften a distracting echo. “It was terrible,” Gino says. “We couldn’t even put our fans on because they were so loud. The panels helped the situation immensely. It still isn’t as cosy as I’d like in the sound department – but we’re working on it. It’s just about trying to get the feel we had before.” In that same vein, something they have kept is the name. “We actually thought when we did the rebuild that we would have a name similar to Maria’s, like maybe “Son of Maria,” “Mama Maria’s,” Bobbie-Sue says. “But you can’t mess with it. So we went with Maria’s the Original – that was the original location, that was hers and Gino’s dad, Virgil’s.”
THE PIZZA CHEF BY DIANA CLINE
Diana Cline is an award-winning pizza chef, a partner with Diana’s Cucina & Lounge in Winnipeg. In addition to creating award-winning recipes, Diana is a consultant to other pizzeria owner/operators in menu development, creating operational systems and marketing to help operators grow their business strategically. Contact her at diana@dianascucinaandlounge.com.
Clone your best customers
PHOTO CREDIT: © JAMESCHIPPER / ADOBE STOCK
I
’m often asked for advice on how to get more new customers. The truth is, it’s difficult, especially these days. There are many media today that weren’t available a decade ago. And there are many that were available then and still are now. With print, radio, TV, and new social media popping up everywhere, where does one begin? In this column I’ll focus on print media. They say that a potential new customer needs to see your ad, menu or flyer seven to 10 times before they even consider doing business with your establishment. That’s a lot of mail. Printed catalogue-type coupon booklets are cost effective; however, you’re bunched in with several other businesses, which may or may not be helpful. Most publications will have a non-compete clause, meaning, you are guaranteed to be the only “pizza place” advertising in that space, for that issue. Potential customers looking at these printed publications are scoping for deals, and your concept may not fit the mould for the big discounts this medium promises its readers. Let’s say you do offer a deep discount: there’s the old adage that if you devalue your goods to gain a new customer then you haven’t actually gained anything. You have only devalued your product. Knowing those odds, perhaps it’s best not to focus on new customers as much as on your existing customers. Customer retention is a great marketing strategy, especially when many businesses take it for granted that just because you patronized it once you will do so again and again. Think of all the businesses that you visit regularly and ask yourself what have they done to let you know they appre-
CANADIAN PIZZA · March/April 2020
Red ticket, green ticket is a win-win promotion. Your best customers will be grateful that you thought enough to mail them a gift and they’ll also feel super when they give their friend a free medium pizza.
ciate it? A lot of places are guilty of assuming you know that you are valuable to them, but a business that takes the time to show it will definitely stand apart from the crowd. There are several ways to let your customers know that their business is important to you and “Red ticket, green ticket” is one of my favourite promotions. This promotion is a direct-mail strategy that rewards your best customers and gives them a gift for their friend. Here’s how it works: buy two rolls of admission tickets – also known as beer tickets, or carnival tickets, one red and one green. Pull a report from your POS of your top 100 customers. Take that list and mail them a red ticket and a green ticket along with a letter explaining that you’d like to thank them for their business and give them a free large two-topping pizza when they redeem their red ticket. In the letter, be honest: tell them it’s tough to stand out in this busy world and crowded marketplace, and ask them if they’ll help grow your business by word of mouth advertising. To me, this is the sincerest form of advertising, it’s heart centred. In the letter, tell them to give the green ticket to one of their
friends who has never been to your pizzeria and you’ll give their friend a free medium two-topping pizza. Red ticket, green ticket is a winwin. Your best customers will be grateful that you thought enough to mail them a gift and they’ll also feel super when they give their friend a free medium pizza – all because they already do business with you. This strategy rewards your best customers and enlists their help to grow your business and look like a superstar while they do it! You’ve no doubt heard the saying “birds of a feather flock together”? This strategy introduces you in a most positive way to another potential great customer. Remember to include a menu with the letter for their friend. This promotion has a lot going for it: it’s a direct-mail promotion that isn’t for everyone in the neighbourhood but only your best customers. This strategy rewards your best customers and gives them something positive to talk about when they mention your pizzeria to their friends, co-workers and families. When you focus your efforts on your best customers, you won’t be able to stop the great word of mouth advertising created. | CP CanadianPizzaMag.com
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FEATURE
FINANCIAL SUPPORT FOR PIZZERIAS DURING COVID-19
BY BONNY KOABEL
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he following article discusses COVID-19 financial compensation measures that were put in place by the federal and Ontario governments and banks as of March 27, 2020. These measures may have changed and additional financial compensation may have been added since this date. Please see canadianpizzamag. com for updated COVID-19 financial compensation measures. To maximize the compensation, it is recommended that you review this information with your accountant or bookkeeper.
ing revenue losses and to help prevent layoffs, the government is providing small businesses a temporary wage subsidy of 75 per cent on gross wages. The subsidy is will be retroactive to all T4 employees as of March 15. Details at this time are forthcoming. For more information on the wage subsidy program see: https://www.canada.ca/en/department-finance/economic-response-plan/covid19-businesses.html#wage_subsidies Employee EI compensation for reduced work hours The EI Work Sharing Program provides employment insurance benefits to workers who agree to reduce their normal working hours as a result of developments beyond the control of their employers such as COVID-19. Under the EI Work Sharing Program, employees agree to work a reduced
SUPPORT TO CANADIANS • Flexibility on mortgage payments • Flexibility on personal tax return filing • Income support for families
number of hours per week and are compensated by EI for those reduced hours. The federal government is extending the eligibility to 76 weeks, easing eligibility requirements, and streamlining the application process. For more information on the EI Work Sharing Program see: https://www.canada.ca/en/employment-social-development/services/work-sharing.html Canada Emergency Business Account The Canada Emergency Business Account was announced on March 27 and offers small businesses a $40,000 interest free loan for the first year. For more details contact your bank or see the following link: https://www.canada.ca/en/department-finance/economic-response-plan.html
PHOTO: © ALEXLMX / ADOBE STOCK
COVID-19 financial compensation measures put in place by the federal and Ontario governments and banks
FEDERAL GOVERNMENT SUPPORT FOR BUSINESSES Wage subsidy of up to 75 per cent for existing employees To support businesses that are fac16
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March/April 2020 · CANADIAN PIZZA
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Business Credit Availability Program (BCAP) ensuring businesses have access to credit The Business Credit Availability Program (BCAP) will allow the Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC) and Export Development Canada (EDC) to provide more than $10 billion of additional support, largely targeted to small and medium-sized businesses. Relief measures include: • Working capital loans of up to $2 million • Flexible repayment terms, such as postponement of principal payments for up to six months, • Reduced rates on new eligible loans In order to qualify, contact your bank and they will need to make a referral to BDC or EDC. BDC contact information: https://www.bdc.ca/en/contact_us/ pages/default.aspx EDC contact information: https://www.edc.ca/en/contact-us.html Flexibility for businesses filing taxes The Canada Revenue Agency will allow all businesses to defer until after Aug. 31, 2020, the payment of any income tax amounts that were owed as of March 18, 2020, and before September 2020. This relief would apply to tax balances due as well as instalments. Penalties and interest relief on corporate tax, HST and payroll tax Penalties and interest relief applies to any penalties and Interest charges that your company receives on HST, payroll and corporate taxes late payments due to extraordinary business circumstances such as COVID-19. To learn more, go to: https://www.canada.ca/en/revenue-agency/services/about-canada-revenue-agency-cra/complaints-disputes/ cancel-waive-penalties-interest.html
CANADIAN PIZZA · March/April 2020
ONTARIO GOVERNMENT SUPPORT FOR BUSINESSES Employer health tax deferrals The Ontario government is providing assistance with employer health taxes (EHT). Beginning April 1, 2020, and for a period of five months, up until Aug. 31, 2020, the province will not apply any penalties or interest on any late-filed returns or incomplete or late tax payments. Therefore, EHT payments from April, May, June and July will not be due until Aug. 31, 2020. In addition, employers with annual payrolls of up to $5 million will be exempt from EHT on the first $1 million of total Ontario T4 Payroll 2020. This increased EHT tax exemption limit will increase company savings from $9,945 to $19,500 in 2020. The EHT exemption limit will return to $490,000 on Jan. 1, 2021. Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB) Businesses covered by the WSIB’s workplace insurance are automatically eligible for the following relief package: • Schedule 1 employers with premiums owed to the WSIB will be allowed to defer reporting and payments until Aug. 31, 2020. • The deferral will also apply to Schedule 2 businesses that pay WSIB for the cost related to their workplace injury and illness claims. In addition, no interest will be accrued on outstanding premium payments and no penalties will be charged during this six-month deferral period. Property tax deferrals The provincial government is allowing municipalities to defer property tax payments. As a result, property tax payments are being deferred in all cities. Deferral times differ per city. If you have submitted a series of post-dated cheques to the city to pay your property taxes, they will be held for the deferral period. To find
out the deferral period have a look at your municipality’s website or call or email your city counsellor to find out details. In the City of Toronto there is a grace period without penalties for 60 days starting March 16, 2020.
FEDERAL GOVERNMENT SUPPORT TO CANADIANS Canada Emergency Response Benefit The Canada Emergency Response Benefit was announced on March 27 and will provide a taxable benefit of $2,000 a month for up to four months. Funding is available for any self-employed workers who are forced to stop work as a result of COVID-19 and do not have access to paid leave or other income support. Flexibility on mortgage payments All five of the major Canadian banks have put programs in place to allow homeowners to defer their mortgage payments for up to six months. After the six-month period the deferred mortgage payments will be rolled into the outstanding mortgage and amortized over the remainder of the mortgage period. This will result in slightly higher mortgage payments after six months. To apply call your bank and apply online.
SUPPORT FOR BUSINESSES • Wage subsidy of up to 75 per cent • EI compensation for reduced hours • Canada Emergency Business Account
Flexibility on personal tax return filing In order to provide greater flexibility to Canadians who may be experiencing hardships during the COVID-19 outbreak, the Canada Revenue Agency will defer the filing due date for the 2019 tax returns of individuals. The CRA encourages individuals who expect to receive benefits under the Goods and Services Tax Credit (GSTC) or the Canada Child Benefit not to delay the filing of their personal tax return to make sure their benefits for the 2020-21 tax year are properly determined. CONTINUED ON PAGE 28 CanadianPizzaMag.com
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GETTING THE WORD OUT How to write a media release that gets your pizzeria noticed BY MICHELLE BRISEBOIS
Recognize when you have something to share If you’re waiting until you win a big award or open a new location to label something newsworthy, then you will miss out on other opportunities for publicity. News can take many forms: hiring a new chef, renovating your restaurant, hosting a visiting chef for an event, implementing a 18
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progressive human resource program and many other possibilities. Find the cool angle to the story The real story is buried inside of the obvious story, kind of like a nested Russian doll. Dig beyond the obvious. If you’ve hired a new chef, the real story might be that she’s trained in Italy or has a signature dish that makes the angels sing. Your restaurant renovation might include some vital accommodations and updates for wheelchair accessibility – that’s the real story. The trick is to take at least three pokes at the obvious story trying to find the point of difference hiding underneath. Michelangelo famously said that he didn’t carve the statue of David but simply removed the excess rock that was obscuring the statue.
News can take many forms: hiring a new chef, renovating your restaurant, hosting a visiting chef for an event, implementing a progressive human resource program and many other possibilities.
Have a format The objective of a good media release is to have it become a published story. The more organized, to-the-point, engaging and focused your release is, the more likely it is to get picked up. Writers are often on deadline so if they can easily pull out the main points of a story and know who to contact for a quick chat to flesh out the details, then you’ve just made their job easier. Your goal should be to make it one page – 300 or so words. It might be easier to start with the summary of the story to get your creative juices flowing. Stay focused on your key message. You don’t want to bore them and, ideally, they may take some of this text directly into the article. March/April 2020 · CANADIAN PIZZA
PHOTO CREDIT: © ZERBOR / ADOBE STOCK
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ne of the most powerful marketing assets a business can have is “new” news. If there’s any kind of development in your business, you need to crow about it! However, many entrepreneurs fail to recognize when they have something newsworthy to share. Business owners also may assume that media releases, or press releases, are only for the big companies. This is not true at all. Think of a media release as a way for you to serve up all the ingredients for a great article to a publication that your customers might read. Make it easy for them to pull together an article about you quickly. There’s an art to creating a strong media release so let’s break it down.
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Place important headings at the top In bold letters, write “For Immediate Release” and the date you wish it to be released to the public. Underneath this text put contact name, organization name, phone number, email, website and social media channels. This information lets the writer easily gather more information or contact you for an interview. The name of the game here is to make this media release so turnkey that the story almost writes itself. Craft a clever headline The operative word here is clever. You want to entice the writer to keep reading the release and to want to write a story about your business news. For example, if you were writing a headline to trumpet the arrival of your exciting new chef, you might lead with this: “Award-winning chef brings famous recipe to Art of Pie.” Underneath the headline you can add in a smaller font a subheading like this one: “This is the pizza that won a gold medal in XYZ competition – now you can have it too.” Next comes the body of the content Make sure you use keywords. These are the words and phrases that will most often be used by customers to search for your pizzeria online. Start with your town and province then dig into the key theme. Your first sentence should be direct and on point with your most important message. This is not the time to “bury the headline” as they say in journalism. If the exciting message is about that amazing new pizza from your new chef then the first sentence should say, “When the judges awarded Chef Smith’s Neapolitan pizza a gold medal, they described the taste as authentically balanced and fresh. We are delighted that she’s joined our restaurant as head chef and will be bringing this amazing recipe to our town.” You would then go on to CANADIAN PIZZA · March/April 2020
talk about the other exciting menu innovations that are planned and when the new pizza will be available. Include quotations Every article includes quotations from the people featured in the article. If we use the example of the new chef, get one or two quotes from her and include your own comments too. This will make it easy for the writer to pick them out and weave them into the article. Make sure the quotes work to enhance the excitement around the announcement. The chef might say, “I’m thrilled to bring this dish to the restaurant menu. I’ve got plans to tweak the toppings with amazing local ingredients.”
more depth to your announcement. Video increases engagement (time the reader spends on the site) so it’s a powerful thing to include. Have a call to action End the press release with a statement like this: “To taste Chef Smith’s pizza, order now. The Art of Pie can be found at 123 Main St. or online at (website).” Make it easy for readers to click and book a table. Make a contact list Many businesses may assume they need to use a big media release service to hit all of the best publications. It’s a better strategy for you to think in terms of your chamber of commerce, local newspapers, radio stations, food
If there’s any kind of development in your business, you need to crow about it! Include your links Part of a strong SEO (search engine optimization) strategy for your own website is something called link building. Link building means that other reputable websites link to yours. The search engines love this because it creates something called “domain authority.” If a news outlet links to you, it will drive traffic to your site and signal to the search engines that you are associated with other reliable sources. Assuming that the writer will take your content from the media release to build the article – having your links there already will ensure this linking back is done.
bloggers and local magazines. A reader 300 kilometres away isn’t coming for dinner – the local patrons are – so keep it simple. Get the contact names and emails of each editor, write them a personal email to introduce yourself and attach the media release. Include a note in the email to quickly explain the purpose of your media release and why it matters. If you want a template to use for your next media release, check out the following link: https://www. smartsheet.com/press-release-templates Don’t be shy – rmember, self-promotion is part of being an entrepreneur. | CP
Include video Many news outlets have an online version of their publication too and a video will give them additional valuable content. You could record a quick interview with the chef or show her making the award-winning pizza to add
Michelle Brisebois is a marketing consultant specializing in e-commerce and digital content strategy and retail/in-store activation. Michelle has worked in the food, pharmaceutical, financial services and wine industries. She can be reached at michelle@textrixconsulting.com. CanadianPizzaMag.com
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FEATURE
IDLE TIMES, INDUSTRIOUS ACTION
BY CLAIRE SYKES
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rom rethinking your marketing and menu to revamping your displays and budget, there’s plenty you can do to turn idle times into industrious action.
Muscle up your marketing When it’s lean like this, it’s even more important to take the lead in promoting your pizzeria: • Breathe new life into your brand. Revitalize it, considering everything from your logo and advertising to displays and phone etiquette. • Wake up your website. Especially if it’s been a while. You likely can improve its layout, wording and photos. • Augment your advertising. It may seem counterintuitive, but fewer 20
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THINGS THAT NEED ATTENTION Marketing Menu Premises Finances Operations Mental well-being
consumer dollars warrant spending more on business promotion. • Create a buzz. Do a good deed, host a public pizza party or pizza-making demo – any reason to send out news press releases. • Make up your own holidays. Be fun and silly, with Pizza Pie Day, PizzaFest and World Cheeze ’n’ Crust Month. • •Join a team. Partner with other businesses, such as a local brewery or bakery, and expand your pizzeria’s offerings. • Milk your mailing list. Update it with customers’ newest information, or get a more current computer program for it. • Blast your blog. Regularly post about new pizza offerings, upcoming specials, pizzeria events and curious facts about pizza.
• Renew your newsletter. Or if you don’t have one, start one; and send out the most current information about your pizzeria. • Get sociable. Push out those tweets, posts, pics and chats to convey a flurry of activity, so people hurry to your pizzeria. • Inspire customer loyalty. Offer a punch card or points system, for frequent-purchase rewards of freebies and discounts.
Maximize your menu Your pizzas may look pretty chill in the oven or behind glass, but they’re really itching for a change. Help them out: • Compare to be aware. Look carefully at the sales numbers, to see how those of particular pizzas have fared over the last six months or so. • Do the math. Take note of what’s been flying out of your pizzeria and what’s gotten “stale,” and decide which menu items to switch out. • Stay in the know. Keep up with the March/April 2020 · CANADIAN PIZZA
PHOTO CREDIT: © INTERIORPHOTO / ADOBE STOCK
Ways to bolster your marketing, menu, displays and budget when things are slow
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latest pizza trends by talking with other pizzeria owners, attending webinars and conferences, and reading articles. • Mix it up. Collaborate with a small, regional farm or local gourmet-foods producer and add new pizzas with unexpected ingredients. • Open online. Make your pizzeria an easy choice for people to order online, through your website or through an e-commerce platform.
• Engage your employees. Instead of staff cutbacks and layoffs, put your people to work doing down-time duties, and ask for their ideas. • Get a grip on your goals. Revisit your long- and short-term targets and decide what you’re still aiming toward and what you need to adjust.
Shape up your shop
There may be fewer customers ordering and eating your fabulous pizza, but don’t let a lull pull you down low. It won’t last forever. Throw your arms around the obstacles and you’ll more likely see the opportunities. In the quiet of an emptier pizzeria, listen for that inner voice saying, “Keep the faith!” Find strength in the struggle, stay open and steady yourself for the unexpected, and greet the spontaneous while planning ahead. | CP
You know you’d ace a restaurant health inspection. On top of that, make improvements to your pizzeria’s appearance: • Tidy up. Clear out back-office drawers, closets and shelves; purge files and shred sensitive documents. • Ditch those pizzeria displays. Sure, they’ve worked for customers, but why not wow them, instead? Look to other restaurants, in general, for ideas. • Remove and replace. It’s time to let go of that decade-old drinks counter and those putty-colored metal file cabinets. In with the new! • Move it around. The menus have always been by the door, and the napkins and cutlery next to the beverages, but are those still the best places? • Examine your exterior. Look at street access, parking, signage, lighting, walkways, landscaping – through your customers’ eyes – and modify as needed.
Embrace the break
Claire Sykes is a freelance writer in Portland, Ore. Her how-to business-management articles appear in dozens of retail trade publications from Canada and the U.S. She also covers other areas of business, along with health and bioscience, philanthropy and the arts. Visit sykeswrites.com.
Get a handle on your finances With sales down, that’s the best time to open the books and get a handle on the bucks: • Go on a money diet. Note where you’re overspending and where you need to cut. No budget? Don’t put it off any longer. • Get some guidance. Find a qualified management consultant with pizzeria experience, in everything from a cash crisis to intelligent investments. • See your banker. If you own the building that houses your pizzeria, discuss the pros and cons of refinancing and borrowing, and shop around for the best rates. • Suss out your size. Improving sales could mean expanding your existing space, adding another location or staying put. Research the options. • Rate the rates. If you’ve had the same car, property, business and health insurance for years, negotiate for better prices, and compare companies.
Optimize your operations You’ve been meaning to tackle all kinds of business tasks, so now you can do these: • Catch up on the clerical. Delete those emails, file bills, send out the invoices, write those checks, call that vendor back. • Peruse your policies and procedures. Written years ago, they may not apply anymore, so go through and make appropriate changes. • Get educated. Read trade-magazine articles, take a bookkeeping class, learn that software program. There’s always something new to know. CANADIAN PIZZA · March/April 2020
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MAKING DOUGH WITH DIANE BY DIANE CHIASSON
Diane Chiasson, FCSI, president of Chiasson Consultants Inc., has been helping foodservice, hospitality and retail operators increase sales for over 30 years by providing innovative, revenue-increasing marketing strategies. Contact her at 416-926-1338 or chiasson@chiassonconsultants.com, or visit chiassonconsultants.com.
Five spring marketing strategies
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pring is in the air and with it comes unique holidays, celebrations, events and activities – all great opportunities for friends and family members to celebrate. Many people view springtime as a fresh start, and so should you. For many restaurants, April is a transition month, a time to get ready for the busiest time of the year. After a long, cold winter, it’s time to ramp up your pizzeria marketing strategy in time for the spring season. Here are five ways you can prepare your pizzeria for the spring. 1. Write down a good plan for spring holidays and events Many view springtime as a fresh start. With major holidays, celebrations and the graduation season around the corner, you should spend some time coming up with a plan for the next few months. Creating a spring plan will allow you to analyze every detail of your potential business. As you know, Easter is one of the busiest days of the year for the restaurant business. Don’t forget that there are other celebrations like Passover, Earth Day, Mother’s Day, Memorial Day, Father’s Day, and graduation time: arguably the busiest restaurant periods of the year. A solid spring plan will help you stay organized and stay focused. When creating your plan, be sure to answer these questions: Will you have a specific theme for each occasion? Will you have any special recipes or promotions? Will you have specialty items? Will you be updating your website? 2. Clean, declutter, organize, decorate and make it festive Give your restaurant a spring cleaning. Even the best-maintained restaurants need a deep clean at 22
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Take a look at national calendars of events that are on the web. This will help you stay on track for these special holidays, events and celebrations. You may find specific days or occasions that are a perfect fit for your pizzeria.
least once a year. Power wash your exterior facade, have your carpets steam cleaned, degrease the hood, and toss out things you just don’t need. Just like Christmas or Valentine’s Day, the spring holidays are where you can really put a spin on the feelings spring evokes in all of us. Don’t forget to match your décor to fit the occasion. Set the scene with fresh flowers, colourful napkins, and plates, creative signs and banners in your windows. Add some quirky pizza pie merchandising displays. Don’t be shy to use bright colours: colours will make your customers happy, boost their appetite, and make your pizza operation more inviting. A positive experience is just as important as the food and it’s a powerful tool to bring guests back. 3. Create a brand new spring menu Take advantage of the warmer weather to add some new, interesting and mouthwatering pizza items on your menu. You don’t need a full menu overhaul; just rethink your menu layout to emphasize your existing menu items in some new and exciting ways. Stay away from heavy items and put lighter menu items in the spotlight. You should also try to add some new “pop” to your menu design. It’s the perfect time to remove heavier cheese-based items to give vegetable-based pizza the spotlight. It’s also important that you review your menu prices to make sure food costs are in check. Above all, focus on good food and great customer service. 4. Offer something extra special for the kids It’s always a good idea to organize some creative activities to keep children from getting bored. Set
aside one corner of your sitting area as a kids-only zone. Stock the tables with some papers, markers, colouring books, board games and even some modelling dough, or plasticine. There are many ways to keep kids occupied and enjoying themselves while parents have a little break. Whatever you decide to do, make it prominent in your marketing material so parents will know your pizzeria is a great place to bring kids. Don’t forget that if the kids have a great time, they will ask their parents to return to your restaurant. 5. Evaluate your pizzeria’s website and social media plan Be sure to get the word out about your pizzeria and your special spring promotions. You really need to take some time with your staff to review your website and current social media plan. You should infuse your web presence with the spring spirit. In addition to greeting your guests on your website with some special promotions, you should also revamp the look and feel of your website to reflect the spring season. Don’t forget to update your website regularly with pictures of your delicious new pizza items as well as a clear call to action to boost sales. Offer plenty of information on your website and in your social media posts. Depending on your budget, you may consider running a targeted ad campaign for Facebook users in your area. Don’t forget to share at least three messages to your followers. To decide on the ideal media plan, you should think about what kind of experience you want your customers to have in your restaurant. Early spring is a good time to do some spring cleaning, evaluate your social media plan and get ready for the major events and themes relevant to this time of the year. | CP March/April 2020 · CANADIAN PIZZA
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How three P.E.I. entrepreneurs built a community-based floating pizzeria BY COLLEEN CROSS
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loating in Charlottetown’s harbour amid other attractions is Nimrods’ Pizzeria. With music blasting and people dancing, it was a hit during its first summer of operation in 2019. Three young partners – Mikey Wasnidge, Nigel Haan and Jesse Clausheide – brought Nimrods’ concept to the Peake’s Quay Marina. Wasnidge walked us through the interesting process of putting a wood-fired pizza oven out to sea and creating a pizza bar and patio that draws both staff and customers to its fun-loving tropical scene from June through September. Canadian Pizza: How did you come to operate a floating pizzeria? Mikey Wasnidge: The Peake’s Quay CANADIAN PIZZA · March/April 2020
We wanted to focus on creating that beach hut, tropical destination feel.
Marina wanted to build a floating food court. They were really busy and they had a feeling it would work to put more businesses down there. There’s the coffee shop and office owned by the marina. There’s Zax Burgers and Shakes and there is the chip shack, which does poutine and lobster rolls, and then there’s us. What were the first steps? We built the building from scratch. We wanted to focus on creating that beach hut, tropical destination feel. We decided the best thing we could do was build large hatches that wrap around the entire building, build a bar around two sides of it and make a kind of tropical bar. We weren’t able to run threephase power so we weren’t able to run a giant pizza oven down there. Nobody will service propane on the
water so we weren’t able to do a propane pizza oven. We started looking at different wood-fired options. We had to make sure it could do volume. It had to be able to hold five or six pizzas at a time. Otherwise, in such a high tourist area, we might be shooting ourselves in the foot to go too small. But it needed to be able to fit in the door of the shop. A couple of days into planning we started looking at food trucks as inspiration. In those we’d seen doing Napoli-style pizzas, the ovens were on the outside of the truck that got towed from behind. All of a sudden we realized we could put it on the outside of the building and work the pizzas from inside. We started sourcing the oven and we found some businesses that send it modular and we build it. But we wanted something built locally and we were really lucky to find a gentleman on Prince Edward Island, John Russo, who had spent his whole career making wood-fired brick ovens. He was able to refurbish an oven he CanadianPizzaMag.com
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PHOTO: NIMRODS’ PIZZERIA
SMOKE ON THE WATER
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Nimrods’ Pizzeria in Charlottetown harbour has created a fun floating pizzeria, bar and patio inspired by tropical tiki bars.
had built, replace the fire brick and the floor of it, give it a paint job and turn it around in a couple of weeks. What were the challenges to installing the oven? The oven weighed around 5,000 pounds, so we had to figure out how to float that. The marina replaced the wooden docks last summer with 10 by 6 PVC floating dock units and each one holds 1,100 pounds. Basically, we realized that if we had four docks tied together, theoretically it would hold it but we weren’t sure how well. We had to put the oven in a specific location so that it used all of the surrounding docks. We had a crane lift the oven down and place it onto a custom-fabricated steel frame that my partner, Nigel, built. The purpose of the frame was to distribute the weight evenly over that space rather than put it all targeted onto one dock. It was a steel frame, about a four-foot radius, the oven itself, but he was able to build a frame that distributed the weight over an eight-foot space. The day the crane came, we had them lift the oven and set it on the dock. That was a tricky part because of the weight and the extent they had to reach. They had to position it very strategically and it was a very nerve-wracking day. There was the crane operator and four guys on the 24
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ground who were moving the oven in place once it got down and making sure it landed in the exact spot it needed to sit. Once it was sitting, you could see that the tops of the back docks were touching the water so we knew that we couldn’t leave it like that. It was basically taking down all the docks it was connected to – we could see it was making the building lean backwards. We had to get a scuba diver to take two more dock units, drill a hole in the units and fill them full of water so they could sink. Once they got to the right depth, they attached them underneath the dock, plugged the hole and pumped them full of air to give the dock something like 12,000 pounds of lift beneath it. It was a collaborative effort between our team and the dock owners. We were always consulting with them and telling them our weights and what we were going to be doing and they were really helpful in reassuring us it should work. Once it got situated and locked into place, it didn’t move. It never really moved in the waves and we didn’t have any issues with it. In the early days, how was the learning curve? When we started, we had no experience in the food and beverage industry. My partner, Jesse, had spent a lot of personal time in developing the
pizza. He had a real passion for making pizza dough and making pizzas from scratch. I bought a little stainless steel, wood-fired oven when we were roommates years ago. He started making us pizzas with it every day. Because we didn’t have a food and beverage background, we didn’t know what it meant to source bulk ingredients – when to get them and who to get it from and who to hire. It was a lot of bumps along the road – a lot to learn. We worked with our buddy, Don Weir, who is an experienced chef. He helped to figure out the relationship between the prep kitchen – where we do all of our doughs and all of our topping prep. He was really helpful through every stage of that process. He’s no longer working with us but we owe him a lot. Bruce Rooney, our general manager, keeps things running every day. We leaned on Bruce really hard last summer and he made our lives so much easier, just helping in every aspect of the business – making the dough, managing the staff, figuring out the logistical challenges. Where is the prep kitchen? The commissary is about 15 blocks away at the Charlottetown Curling Club. The club rented out its kitchen and we have two commercial prep kitchens there that we use: one for prepping ingredients and one for prepping doughs. Prepping involves chopping ingredients or making butter chicken or shawarma pizza. We do some specialty pizzas that require a bit more labour. We sous vide our chicken. We use good locally sourced ingredients. Every ingredient we use we try to make very good quality. When you’re charging a premium price, you want to let people know there’s value there.
‘We eliminated any kind of hierarchy among staff. ‘Some of our pizza cooks became our best servers and some of our servers became our best pizza cooks.’ –Mikey Wasnidge
What is a standout item on your menu? We have about a dozen gourmet pizzas on the menu along with handmade pastas, local craft beer and March/April 2020 · CANADIAN PIZZA
FEATURE
tropical cocktails. Our lobster pizza was a hit last summer. At $22 it’s the most expensive pizza on the menu. It features fresh local lobster, sautéed sliced potatoes, a garlic cream base, mozzarella and is finished with a bright red claw on top and a sprinkle of Parmesan and chives. The idea of putting potatoes on it was a way of highlighting Prince Edward Island. For every pizza we sold last year, we bought a meal for someone at the soup kitchen. We ended up donating about $16,000 to the soup kitchen. How many staff do you have? We have about 10 staff in the summer. We’ve tried to create almost a factory line where everyone does one thing. We have somebody stretching the doughs, we have somebody topping them, we have somebody cooking them, we have a person who does the finishing, a person who runs the bar and one person who’s ringing in orders and taking cash. Early in the shoulder season, you can run that thing pretty easily with two people – somebody working with the customers and somebody working with pizza. On busy summer days we’ll sell probably 250 pizzas. On days like that there are six people with their heads down doing the same thing over and over. What is your human resource strategy? When we first put a call out for hiring, nobody really knew what we were working on, because we kept our marina project hush-hush. We didn’t get a lot of experienced people. For the first little while, we put together this rag-tag crew of people who were really stoked to be part of it, just because they trusted we were building something cool. Throughout the summer as we grew and became busier, it was so much easier. Friends were telling their friends and they were putting in recommendations for their friends. This year we found 90 per cent of our staff were coming back from last summer, which is awesome. We had no idea that everybody wanted to come back. We needed to hire eight or nine more people and we didn’t even have to put out a call for applications, we had so many people referring their friends and bringing people on. We’ve eliminated any kind of hierarchy among staff. So the servers and cooks all get paid the same and they get tipped out the same. We pay above industry standard – a couple of dollars above minimum wage – which is rather unusual in the service industry. Everybody ended up making something like $25 an hour. It made it this really fun environment where some of our pizza cooks became our best servers and some of our servers became our best pizza cooks. They knew they could swap roles: if they wanted to be trained in a different position, we would train them and they wouldn’t feel like they were stepping out or down. With that and the soup kitchen donation we were making, it helped our staff feel like they were part of something unique. Being in such a small, confined space, it really makes you calculate whether that makes sense. ‘Why is someone four feet away from me making more than I who am doing the same amount of work?’ Our staff are awesome and when we have a bit of down time, everyCANADIAN PIZZA · March/April 2020
body is dancing, having a good time and enjoying each other’s company. I’ve worked in the service industry as a bartender and server and I can say I’ve never seen that kind of dynamic before. It’s very special. How would you describe your business? We’re really young – in our late twenties and early thirties. We came up going to music festivals together so that whole ‘work hard, play hard’ thing, we really embodied. I think we bring a little bit of that, but more than anything we encourage people to have fun and we empower our staff to handle situations the way they think they should be handled. When we decided to call ourselves Nimrods’, I think we set the tone that we meant to. We have the luxury of being really small: we’re kind of a microbusiness. We don’t have a lot of overhead or huge start-up costs. We don’t have all of our futures riding on this. From Day 1 this was an experiment. I try not to be too critical of people who don’t have these standards because they have a lot riding on their business. We have a very lean start-up model, we have a very lean operational model and we’re really lucky to have this high-volume tourist area. But at the end of the day, we’re not putting all of our eggs in one basket: this is always going to be fun first, business second.
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FEATURE
Tell us about the leadership team and what they do the rest of the year. We have Nigel, who is a builder, we have me, who is the business development person and then we have Jesse and Bruce, who are really great, operationally gifted people. Jesse owns a paintball course in the country – he works at different things all the time. Myself, I flip homes with my wife and do marketing consulting. Nigel is currently working with a video production software company designing hardware for their software and he also owns a snow blower company, Haan Tech. Bruce is a professional musician who is
with several bands. We’re all entrepreneurial, industrious people. None of us have our full future laid out in front of us yet – we’re just doing whatever strikes our passion. What are your plans for the future? Nimrods’ started as a food truck that was going to sell baked potatoes in a Home Depot parking lot. It was a simple premise. Then it became a concept for a beer garden. When that didn’t work out, it became this floating pizza bar. At this point, Nimrods’ is more like a concept than an actual location – a flexible community brand. We’re all really keen to
make big moves and to take big risks and to jump on opportunities as they present themselves. That’s what our commitment to each other is – that Nimrods will always be this changing, evolving thing. In the long term, I’d love to see a couple more seasonal outdoor restaurants. I’d love to see long-term year-round indoor restaurants/music venues. We definitely have hopes to keep this thing growing. We just don’t want to grow too fast, too soon. We’ll take it day by day. | CP This interview has been edited and condensed.
RECIPE BY ROCCO AGOSTINO, EXECUTIVE CHEF AND PARTNER, LIBRETTO RESTAURANT GROUP, TORONTO
Meatballs and Spicy Tomato Sauce This is my take on the recipe my mother used to make when I was growing up. Easy to make, slightly spicy, and with a smokey sweetness from the roasted red peppers – giving it a familiar characteristic on a dish that I have enjoyed many times over. Adding pasta to these tasty meatballs is an option, but enjoying them on their own and using a crostino (grilled bread) to wipe up the sauce on the plate is a great way to enjoy this recipe. Yield: Serves 4-6 people.
Meatballs INGREDIENTS
• 1½ kg ground beef/ ground pork/ ground pork belly • ¾ cups breadcrumbs • 1 egg • ½ cup parsley chopped • ¼ cup chives, chopped • ¼ cup oregano, chopped • ½ cup roasted red peppers, puréed 26
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PROCEDURE
• ½ cup parmigiano cheese, finely grated • ½ tbsp salt • ½ tbsp black pepper PROCEDURE
1. Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl making sure everything is mixed together. 2. Use standard ice cream scoop to portion the meatballs. 3. Roll the meat in the hand to give it a tight circular shape and place on a large sheet pan lined with parchment paper. 4. Bake in the oven at 375 C for 15 minutes. 5. Remove from oven and set aside.
Tomato sauce for spicy meatballs INGREDIENTS
• ½ cup olive oil • ½ large onion, finely diced • 1 tbsp garlic (2 cloves), finely chopped • 1 litre canned San Marzano tomato, puréed • ¼ basil, chopped • ¼ cup bomba (Italian spicy condiment found at most grocery stores) • ½ tbsp salt • 6 slices of crostini from a baguette, index finger thick • 2 tbsp olive oil • ½ cup parmigiano cheese, coarsely grated
1. Add ¼ cup of olive oil to a large enough pot that the meatballs will fit. 2. Sauté the onions over medium heat till translucent. 3. Add chopped garlic and sauté for another minute 4. Add the tomato sauce and bring to a simmer – for 5 minutes. 5. Add the chopped basil, bomba, salt and simmer for another 5 minutes. 6. Add meatballs and drippings left in the tray and simmer for another 30 to 45 minutes. 7. While meatballs simmer, lightly brush crostini with olive oil and bake in a 375 C oven until light golden in colour. Remove from oven and set aside. 8. In a bowl, place 3 meatballs and pour a spoon of sauce over top of each meatball. 9. Sprinkle 1 tbsp of the grated parmigiano cheese over top, and add a crostino to each of the plates. March/April 2020 · CANADIAN PIZZA
TOOLS OF THE TRADE
PIZZA AND CAKE PANS
New long pizza pan and tall cheesecake pan from LloydPans LloydPans has launched two new pans that push the boundaries of length and size. A new Long Pizza Pan comes in dimensions as long as 27 x 4 x 1.5 inches. A new extra-tall round cheesecake pan measures 8 x 4 inches. The Long Pizza Pan is perfect for restaurants looking to excite customers with a long, narrow pan pizza perfect for large parties, says Traci Rennaker, LloydPans’ president and chief executive officer, in a press release. The pizza pan comes in several lengths with a standard width (4 inches) and depth (1.5 inches). Pizzerias can produce long personal pizzas with the 12-inch long pan, feed a family with the 18-inch long pan or serve a whole party with the 27-inch long pan. Each pan features LloydPans’ proprietary PSTK coating that offers operators a durable pan that requires no pre-seasoning. “This new cheesecake pan is perfect for those bakers looking to make a visual impact with a tall cheesecake,” Rennaker says. The tall cheesecake pan was originally launched as a custom pan, but due to popular demand, it became part of the permanent line of loose-bottom cheesecake pans. The 4-inch height is about as tall as a bakCANADIAN PIZZA · March/April 2020
er can make a cheesecake, and the stick-resistant coating is designed to allow easy release. The coating also makes the pan steam resistant, which means a baker can de-pan cheesecakes now or later and they won’t damage the pan or the integrity of the cheesecake. LloydPans manufactures commercial pizza pans and tools, bakeware, cookware and foodservice equipment, and provides customized solutions.
From ingredients to kitchen equipment to business technology, Canadian Pizza keeps you in the know. For more on new products for the pizza industry, check out our website, canadianpizzamag.com.
through the Paytronix DoorDash partnership or offer delivery from their own in-house operation. This is designed as a way to get moving fast and not to replace the full-featured version of the Paytronix Order and Delivery product, the company said in a blog post. paytronix.com
lloydpans.com
ONLINE ORDERING
Paytronix Rapid Launch sets up online order and delivery quickly With dine-in and bar experiences shut down for nearly every restaurant in the country, Rapid Launch software from Paytronix is designed to help restaurants quickly add online ordering, curbside pickup and delivery. The software allows restaurants to establish an online order and delivery program in one to two weeks. Paytronix has rolled out its Order and Delivery program as a way for restaurants to establish an online order and delivery program in just a few days. It is built on the cloud-based Paytronix connector, which sends information through to a connected Windows machine that is then output to a printer. An employee then takes that information and enters it into the restaurant’s POS system. The system also features self-service menu management, so restaurants can make menu changes quickly to adjust to inventory changes. Customers can easily activate delivery
SUSTAINABILITY
The Superstraw is edible and sustainable Planet Kitchen’s The Superstraw is edible, 100 per cent biodegradable and made from apple pomace – the recycled apple pulp collected from making apple juice – and grain. This straw option for environmentally conscious diners is also vegan and sugar-free. Superstraws last an hour in a drink, so you don’t need to worry about the straw giving up before the drink is finished, and you can eat it when you are done, the company said in a press release from the Restaurants Canada Show, where the straws were featured. The straws, which last more than an hour in any cold beverage including soft drinks, are food grade and 100 per cent biodegradable, and LEAF-certified. The apple pulp gives them a sweet, tart flavour and a natural, sleek look designed to accentuate cocktails and beverages. planetkitchen.ca
ARTISAN OLIVE OILS
EVOO value-priced artisanal olive oils, pizza sauces EVOO Fine Foods, a company in the Puglia region of Italy, has a line of olive oils, pizza sauces and crushed tomatoes made using artisanal methods. The infused olive oils are cold-pressed using a granite-on-granite technique. They are made in a sustainable facility using no chemicals. The oils, which are infused with such ingredients as lemon, orange and basil, offer such benefits as polyphenols, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, a company representative said. Their supplier in Canada is Advantage Waypoint. evoofinefoods.com
INFUSED HONEYS
Infused honeys from P.E.I. When P.E.I. chefs couldn’t find the flavour profiles they sought due to their remote location, they created their own. Forty Six° North has a line of infused honeys, jams and chutneys, as well as spice blends, that incorporate such flavours as lavender, chili and peppermint. fortysixnorth.ca CanadianPizzaMag.com
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TOOLS OF THE TRADE
CLEANING SUPPLIES
WypAll disposable cloths designed for better, faster cleaning and sanitation WypAll disposable foodservice cloths offer 25 per cent faster absorption than many other cloths, which leads to less wiping, a quicker dry and better cleaning, manufacturer Kimberly-Clark Professional said in a press release. Better cleaning and sanitation are crucial to eliminating the risk of cross-contamination. “Proper surface sanitization can only occur when both cleaning and sanitization are done correctly by employees,” said Tracy Doucet, general manager of Wiping and Safety business for Kimberly-Clark Professional. “A better-performing product can make all the difference.” WypAll Foodservice Cloths can be rinsed and reused and are compatible with common chlorine-based cleaners, quaternary
ammonium and iodine sanitizers. They also clean residue that rags leave behind, are durable when wet or dry, boost productivity by making the worker’s job easier and increase cost savings through a money-back guarantee against rags and towels. They are ideal for frontof-house and back-of-house cleaning tasks and are available as foodservice cloths, heavy-duty foodservice cloths and ultra-duty foodservice cloths. All three are certified by the National Sanitation Foundation and the Forest Stewardship Council. WypAll Foodservice Cloths are available in Canada and the U.S. kcprofessional.com
MARKETING VIA TEXT
Reach many customers quickly via texting Raange has a way to grow your sales quickly and win back past customers using mobile texts. Everyone with a cellphone or mobile device receives texts and nearly 90 per cent of texts are opened and looked at immediately, the company says. As a marketing tool, texts are significantly less expensive than
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 17
FINANCIAL SUPPORT FOR PIZZERIAS DURING COVID-19 The CRA will allow all taxpayers to defer, until after Aug. 31, 2020, the payment of any income tax amounts that become owing on or after today and before September 2020. This relief would apply to tax balances due as well as instalments. No interest or penalties will accumulate on these amounts during this period.
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Facebook or Google ads, it adds. Raange’s Text Alerts service is a way to get offers into the hands of your customers instantly. You can send them coupon codes, exclusive offers, weekly deals and promotions, then direct them to your web page or to call in directly. The cost for texts starts at three cents Cdn per text but may be lower depending on volume. No IT support is required for the service and it is compliant with Canadian privacy laws.
PLANT-BASED MILKS
Elmhurst plant-based milks and soft-serve
Acoustic panel maker ezoBord specializes in a fully recyclable acoustic material made from PET plastic, giving a wide range of design options, colour choices and customized print capability. Its range of customizable modern acoustic products for ceiling, wall, division and furniture applications help absorb sound in style so patrons can dine in peace without being overwhelmed by the background noises of a busy restaurant, including those coming from the kitchen.
Elmhurst had a number of plantbased milks made on display at the Restaurants Canada Show in March. The company’s creamers are carrageenan-free, no artificial flavours, kosher, dairy-free, gluten-free, vegan and non-GMO certified and shelf life of six months. Its oat creamers are available in French vanilla, gingerbread, hazelnut, unsweetened, and other flavours. Its hemp creamers are available in golden-milk, pumpkin spice, French vanilla and peppermint mocha. Oat latte flavours include matcha, cacao, golden-milk, flash brew and other flavours. Elmhurst’s soft-serve is gluten-free, dairy-free, non-GMO, kosher, lactose-free and, the company said, truly vegan in that it is made using ingredients not derived from animals.
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NOISE CONTROL
Acoustic panels elevate the guest experience
Income support for families The government is proposing to increase the maximum annual Canada Child Benefit (CCB) payment amounts, only for the 201920 benefit year, by $300 per child. The overall increase for families receiving CCB will be approximately $550 on average: these families will receive an extra $300 per child as part of their May payment. In total, this measure will deliver almost $2 billion in extra support. In addition, Ontario will be providing a one-time payment of $200 per child up to 12 years of age, and $250 for those with special needs, including children enrolled in private schools. The proposed enhancements of the GSTC
and CCB will give a single parent with two children and low to modest income nearly $1,500 in additional short-term support. To read the entire federal and provincial government announcements, please see the following links: https://www.canada.ca/en/department-finance/economic-response-plan.html https://budget.ontario.ca/2020/marchupdate/action-plan.html | CP Bonny Koabel CPA, CGA, is president of AKR Consulting Canada, a Mississauga, Ont., firm specializing in government grants, subsidies, tax credits, refunds and rebates since 2003.
March/April 2020 · CANADIAN PIZZA
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Annex Bookstore ........................................................ 29 Faema Company (Canada) Ltd. / Euro-Milan Inc....... 32 Ford Motor Company .................................................... 2 Middleby Marshall....................................................... 31 Pizza Misc .............................................................. 14,15 Reiser / Robert Reiser & Co. ........................................ 7 Ricco Food Distributor ................................................ 21 Springer’s Meats Inc. .................................................. 25 Stanislaus Food Products ......................................... 4,5 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.
CANADIAN PIZZA · March/April 2020
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CROSS-CANADA VIEWPOINT BY CANADIAN PIZZA STAFF
Here you’ll read about pizzeria operators from across Canada and have a chance to share your own views on a wide range of topics. To offer feedback or ideas for future topics, get in touch with editor Colleen Cross at ccross@annexbusinessmedia.com or 519-428-3471 ext. 261.
Coping with COVID-19
W
e asked pizzeria operators, how are you coping with the social distancing measures in place? Here’s what two operators had to say.
Gino and Bobbie-Sue Risi, owners of Maria’s Original Pizza, Brantford, Ont. (April 4, 2020) Like all restaurant operators, Gino and Bobbie-Sue Risi have had to roll with the punches of a pandemic and a dizzyingly uncertain March. Aside from their new lunch counter, Maria’s is takeout and delivery only. They feel fortunate they’ve been able to stay open – with a few adjustments. “We can’t do a full staff from 11 to 9 because there’s no need for us in the day anymore. Our lunch customers were not coming in because their work was considered non-essential. We changed to a 3 to 8 shift and we did that for about five days. Now instead of 11 to 10 we’re doing 4 to 7. And we’re closed on Monday. We have been extremely steady with the new hours and we appreciate all the patrons supporting this mom-and-pop shop with pickups and deliveries during this trying and scary time.” Bobbie-Sue has been doing the cleaning herself and they’ve instituted a no-cash, debit-only policy. “No more slices will be on hand because that’s where a lot of the walk-in customers are using small change,” she says. “Now there’s only one person doing the phones, one person doing the debit. Our pizza makers are such a good distance away from each other. It’s always Gino or I or an adult up at the front dealing with customers. We’re trying to make sure everyone is safe. “The door is always left open 30
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“We have one employee’s wife who is going to get some pizzathemed material and making PPE masks for the staff.” –Cory Medd
during opening hours – no one’s having to touch the door. It’s open, there’s air, and we just hope we’re doing the right thing by being open.” Their staff of 19 has been reduced by about half, some of which is due to employees needing to be at home with their kids. She says, “I did ask the staff, ‘Tell me how you’re feeling. If you don’t want to come in, don’t come in – happy heart – your job is here for you when this pandemic is over.’ ” “We wondered, will people be angry we’re opening? Are we flattening this curve?” When they takeout and delivery restaurants were deemed an essential service by the province, the decision of whether to stay open or close was theirs to make. “We’re blessed that we’re still open and actually are doing very well under the circumstances,” Gino says. “But we had mixed feelings. Should we be closed and doing our part during the pandemic? We wanted to keep people working. Is it socially right or not? So, I’ve been struggling with that. “But people coming in for the pizza are thanking us. They say, ‘This is bringing me joy.’ ”
Cory Medd, owner of Two Guys and a Pizza Place, Lethbridge, Alta. (April 9, 2020) In late March, Cory Medd, owner of Two Guys and a Pizza Place in Lethbridge, Alta., laid out a timeline that tells a story by itself: “March 17 – We closed the dining room and reduced our hours. March 18-20 we laid off about 15 servers. March 20-22 we were not too busy, as the city just shut down and people were scared. March 19 – I started a driver tip-out for the cooks, as a way to reward those working hard. March 23 – We introduced a “no staff shall go
hungry or thirsty” incentive, where I give bonuses in the form of food (or beer!) for hours worked. Since March 18, we’ve offered delivery and takeout only. Deliveries have been up for sure.” They are selling beer for pickup where people can pick up a mix-andmatch six-pack of craft beers. They’ve been closing at 9 p.m. instead of 11 p.m. or 1 a.m. “And we’re thinking about closing on Mondays.” Customers have been cooperative and supportive, he says, adding that about 25 per cent opt for contactless delivery or curbside pickup and prepay for their orders. “I am blessed to have a system in place, including loyal drivers that work for me. We are still not on Skip The Dishes and I am thankful I don’t have to go that route.” “If staff have any doubts about their health, we tell them not to come in and to get tested,” he says. “The layoffs were very difficult. We have kept in touch and I am trying to help with any questions they have. Some of the laid-off employees may have been leaving in summer after school was done. Some have other essential jobs. As soon as it is possible to hire them back, I will do that.” As for currently working staff, he says, “I’ve doubled their tip-out, out of my pocket. The drivers are tipping out too.” And if he is able to benefit from government programs he’ll pass that on to staff through bonuses. “We have one employee’s wife who is going to get some pizzathemed material and making PPE masks for the staff. . . . In a week they may be mandatory – who knows.” Medd wonders what the future will hold. “What else should I add? ¬Frozen pizzas? Pizza starter kits for families? Selling sauces? Will my dining room ever open again?! We are taking it day by day and week to week. Sales are down because of no dining room, but we are doing better than most, I guess.” | CP March/April 2020 · CANADIAN PIZZA
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Contact your local repesentative to arrange a demonstration MARITIME PROVINCES Flanagan Agencies, Inc. Moncton, New Brunswick 506.387.8757 Fax: 506.387.8750 sales@fai.ca
QUEBEC Distex (test kitchen) Dorval, Quebec 514.382.3620 Fax: 514.382.7837 info@distex.ca
ONTARIO Distex M&M, Inc. 905.565.5990 Fax: 905.565.5992 info@distex.ca
MANITOBA and SASKATCHEWAN Simpson Wilson Ltd. Winnipeg, Manitoba 204.632.6941 or 1-800.342.3626 Fax: 204.633.9254 cam@simpsonwilson.com
ALBERTA Bert Johnson Ent., Ltd. (BJE) Calgary, AB 403.243.2378 Fax: 403.287.7788 Calgary: dave@bje.cc Edmonton: erin@bje.cc
BRITISH COLUMBIA Distex M&M, Inc. Port Moody, BC 778.989.3620 cvandenhoven@distex.ca