Why the Vemag is a better pizza dough divider. Unmatched versatility. Easily adjustable to scale a wide range of pizza dough portions. Unmatched scaling accuracy. Consistently produces precise weight portions at 1% standard deviation. Easily handles stiff dough. The Vemag’s positive displacement double-screw pump gently handles even the stiffest doughs. No divider oil needed. Save thousands of dollars annually.
www.reiser.com Reiser Canada Burlington, ON • (905) 631-6611 Reiser Canton, MA • (781) 821-1290 2021
Visit our website to learn more
MAY/JUNE 2021 Vol. 27, No. 3
DEPARTMENTS 6
From the Editor Celebrating pizzerias!
8
Industry News Movers, shakers, legislation and news you can use
9
The Pizza Chef Technology glitches
10
16 Making Dough Implementing effective systems
22 Tools of the Trade New products
26 Guest Column Maurizio Mascioli: Creating something from nothing
CONTENTS
ONLINE
COVER STORY
Professional Pizza Roundtable: Pizza Trends
10 Pizzeria of the Year Alimo’s Pizzeria pays it forward!
We explore what’s going on in the pizza industry in Canada with help from Domenic Primucci, president of Pizza Nova, and Ali Khan Lalani, founder and CEO of General Assembly Pizza. Learn how two industry leaders react to shifts in the market in this compelling talk, which you’ll find under “Videos” at canadianpizzamag.com!
ON THE COVER Alimo’s Pizzeria in Slave Lake, Alta., has made it a mission and part of their brand to inspire and carry out good deeds. Alimo’s is a magnetic hub for generosity – and a way to channel donations and messages of goodwill to its community and beyond. Read their story on page 10.
14
Slave Lake, Alta., pizzeria exemplifies what’s special about family pizzerias in Canada By Colleen Cross
12 Keeping it local Joes Family Pizzeria & Poutinerie of Pembroke, Ont., reaches out to its community in creative ways and has a new pizza-kit venture to share By Colleen Cross
14 Restaurant tech post-COVID Technology can help you operate, market and communicate with customers, but is the ROI there? By Michelle Brisebois
26
18 Creative in the community We celebrate a bevvy of Canadian pizzerias that are doing good in their community and inspiring us all
24 Companion Baking How collaboration gives this company its competitive edge By Naomi Szeben
COVER PHOTO BY WILD ROSE STUDIOS
CANADIAN PIZZA · May/June 2021
CanadianPizzaMag.com
3
FROM THE EDITOR BY COLLEEN CROSS
May/June 2021, Vol. 27, No. 3
Welcome to your issue!
W
elcome to our Pizzeria of the community. Our commitment to our commuYear issue! We like to think of it nity, we feel, will strengthen our community, as as your issue in which we cele- well as our business. We asked ourselves, why brate Canadian pizzerias and be just a pizzeria, when we can use our reach the essential place you have in your communities. and influence to be so much more.” These hardworking brothers have won a trip Frankly we could write a book about you guys! to Pizza Expo in Las Vegas – a much-needed For now, we will focus on celebrating the stogetaway, they told us! ries and activities of as many pizzerias as possible! O’Doherty, McEachran and fellow Congratulations to Pizzeria of the judges Canadian Pizza’s Stephanie JewYear Alimo’s Pizzeria in Slave Lake, ell, Kathryn Nyenhuis and yours truly Alta.! This much-loved business won It comes were impressed and moved by the crethe hearts of judges with its story of down to ativity and community engagement taking good deeds and paying them stories. shown by so many pizzerias. forward with creativity and energy. We are We wanted to highlight as our runCo-owners Moe and Ali Mouallem honoured ner-up a business that stood out by have amazing instincts and timing that 28 the sheer volume of their activities, its when it comes to building awareness businesses smart marketing and its commitment about important causes and rallying opened to supporting local in every way possithe masses. ble: Joes Family Pizzeria & Poutinerie of “The opportunity to read all of the up about Pembroke, Ont. Joe and Natacha Ward’s entries, it’s just so heartwarming,” said their pizza innovative giveaways, coupons, free Elaine O’Doherty, marketing manag- journey. pizzas, social media activity and latest er, Canada, for contest sponsor Ardent Mills, who helped judge the entries. “Whether pizza kit expansion with local grocery stores will you’re a franchisee or an independent operator, have you cheering (and thinking about promotions for your own place). you’re the foundation of Canada.” When we put out the call for entries we “Every time I reread [Alimo’s] entry, it resonated more and more,” O’Doherty said in our heard from an exciting and inspiring array of YouTube channel reveal of the winners. “From businesses. You showed us how you innovate, their Random Acts of Pizza – what a great story support and motivate. It comes down to stories. Every entry had a . . . and to take that campaign and run with it, I story to tell and ideas to share. We are honoured think that’s just great.” Alimo’s “Pizza for Everybody” campaign that 28 businesses opened up about their pizza (symbolized by the inclusivity wall you see on journey and, to celebrate, we present snapshots our cover) also resonated with O’Doherty. “That of these great businesses and some of the many show of community and diversity and inclusion ways they engage their communities. After reading about the smart, creative and is something that I think we all really, really need just plain good things these pizzerias are doing, right now.” Her colleague Reid McEachran added, “I real- we’re confident you’ll take away a handful of ly felt such a strong element of not only commu- ideas and inspiration for your own business. We hope you’ll see yourselves and your piznity engagement – but community leadership!” This comment from our winners tells you zeria in these stories! Happy reading and here’s to a roaring-back all you need to know about Alimo’s: “We acknowledge that we are nothing without our summer! | CP
6
@CdnPizzaMag
EDITOR Colleen Cross ccross@annexbusinessmedia.com 519-428-3471 ext. 261 SALES MANAGER Stephanie Jewell sjewell@annexbusinessmedia.com 705-826-2254 ACCOUNT COORDINATOR Kathryn Nyenhuis knyenhuis@annexbusinessmedia.com 416-510-6753 MEDIA DESIGNER Svetlana Avrutin GROUP PUBLISHER, VP SALES Martin McAnulty mmcanulty@annexbusinessmedia.com
COO Scott Jamieson sjamieson@annexbusinessmedia.com
MAILING ADDRESS P.O. Box 530, 105 Donly Dr. S., Simcoe, ON N3Y 4N5 Publication Mail Agreement #40065710 Printed in Canada ISSN 1203-6838 Published six times per year (Jan/Feb, March/April, May/June, Jul/Aug, Sept/ Oct, Nov/Dec) by Annex Business Media
SUBSCRIPTION RATES Canada – 1 Year $ 26.50 (+ applicable tax) Best pricing (Can/USA/foreign) available online at canadianpizzamag.com Occasionally, Canadian Pizza Magazine will mail information onbehalf of industry-related groups whose products and services webelieve may be of interest to you. If you prefer not to receive thisinformation, please contact our circulation department in any ofthe four ways listed above.
ANNEX PRIVACY OFFICER privacy@annexbusinessmedia.com Tel: 800-668-2374 No part of the editorial content of this publication may be reprinted without the publisher’s written permission. ©2021 Annex Business Media. All rights reserved. Opinions expressed in this magazine are not necessarily those of the editor or the publisher. No liability is assumed for errors or omissions. All advertising is subject to the publisher’s approval. Such approval does not imply any endorsement of the products or services advertised. Publisher reserves the right to refuse advertising that does not meet the standards of the publication.
canadianpizzamag.com
CONNECT /CanadianPizzaMagazine
READER SERVICE Print and digital subscription inquiries or changes, please contact Anita Madden, Audience Development Manager Tel: (416) 510-5183 Fax: (416) 510-6875 Email: amadden@annexbusinessmedia.com Mail: 111 Gordon Baker Rd., Suite 400, Toronto, ON M2H 3R1
@CdnPizzaMag
canadian_pizza_magazine May/June 2021 · CANADIAN PIZZA
Congratulations to our Pizzeria of the Year Alimo’s Pizzeria, Slave Lake, Alberta!
And our runner-up Joes Family Pizzeria & Poutinerie, Pembroke, Ontario!
Putting your towns on the map with heart, creativity and commitment to local community! Pizzeria of the Year is brought to you by
Sponsored by
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.
Tech glitches, breakdowns and the unforeseen
PHOTO: EONEREN / ISTOCK / GETTY IMAGES PLUS / GETTY IMAGES
T
echnology is a great tool. Many of us operators have come to rely on so many pieces of it that some of its integration is truly second nature. And, every few months it seems as though there is another tool available to add and integrate, but only if it’s right and good for your operation. I don’t know about you, but every week I receive no less than a half-dozen of pitches for some new gadget or widget or software POS for my pizzeria. This one will text your customers every week, this one will activate lost customers, this one will reward your customers, this one claims it can do all that and then some. Most of them promise big things, and easy integration. Reality often shows up differently. It can be a bit overwhelming, discerning one from the other, and then weighing the pros and cons of a newly launched tech and how it might fit into your concept’s existing systems and clientele preferences. I’d like to speak about the other side of all this tech. The dark side: the glitches, the breakdowns and the unforeseen. As good as the best of the best is, no matter what fabulous pitch you’ve been given, every veteran pizzeria owner-operator will tell you that at some point, there will be a glitch, an unforeseen event and/or a full breakdown. Notice I said “every veteran pizzeria operator will tell you,” not every salesperson. Remember that. It might be a software issue, or it may be a hardware issue, and sometimes, it’s a perfect storm of both. And it’s not just for our industry: every industry that uses tech has these same issues. For instance, in the last week, the order-entry software that our province uses for ordering beer and liquor was working fine, except the add-on software that is necessary to use the order-entry application had recently gone through an upgrade, and that CANADIAN PIZZA · May/June 2021
What, if any, kind of back-up plan do you have in place in the event of some unfortunate unforeseen glitch?
wasn’t working properly with the order-entry software. But you only knew that for sure after about an hour or so of troubleshooting, reinstalling the add-on software, adjusting settings, and then still a no-go. If you needed to place an order for alcohol on the weekend, well, that was too bad for you, since the order desk is only available Monday through Friday. I called Monday morning to place a manual-entry order, and was told I’d get my usual confirmation email. I didn’t. I called again on a Thursday afternoon to confirm my order would be delivered the following day, and the phone system kicked me to a voicemail message saying the office was closed and that I needed to phone during regular 9-4 business hours. It was 1:45 p.m. There are many issues that arise from a simple glitch: one component of one part of your operation has undergone an upgrade, and then suddenly nothing else can communicate with it. Only, you may not be aware that there’s a glitch until... you’ve been made aware. In my operation, we recently discontinued our custom-designed app. After a large investment of time, money and resources, and a greater number of glitches, promises of fixes and ease of use that weren’t kept – not to mention having to pay additional charges for integration with our current systems, which had
their own communication glitches – we decided it was an expense that wasn’t actually essential to our operation. This past weekend, an order came through, rather, a partial order came through. You can imagine the issues on the make line that arose from that. I’ve known far too many operators who have integrated their phone systems into a “cloud-based” type of platform, which is really great, when it all works the way it’s supposed to. But, inevitably, there comes a time when suddenly, without warning, the whole thing goes down. In my experience, it’s often peak busy times, like a Friday night supper rush, when this happens. Customers are frustrated and punchy because they can’t get through, team members are on the receiving end of these upset customers, and are often not equipped to solve or resolve the tech issues, so it’s usually the owner-operator who is stuck on their mobile phone with tech support trying to get it back up and running. If you’ve ever worked a shift when this has happened, then you know the special place in Hell it is. This column isn’t meant to dissuade anyone from adopting and integrating tech. It’s important for every owner-operator to vet out and determine if these new tech components actually help streamline your operation and/or increase sales and do what they promise. The reality is, you can get sold on something that doesn’t actually do what you were told to expect it to. Almost all of these operation-enhancing tools cost significant money, and take time and energy to set up and to work through glitches. Some of these tech tools are definitely worth the investment; however, not all are. And, eventually even the best of the best ones will fail in some way. What, if any, kind of back-up plan do you have in place in the event of some unfortunate unforeseen glitch? | CP CanadianPizzaMag.com
9
PIZZERIA OF THE YEAR • COVER STORY
ALIMO’S PIZZERIA PAYS IT FORWARD!
P
eople want to help other people. Sometimes they just need to know how. That’s where our first Pizzeria of the Year comes in. Alimo’s Pizzeria in Slave Lake, Alta., has made it a mission and part of their brand to inspire and carry out good deeds. Alimo’s is not so much a family pizzeria as a magnetic hub for generosity – and a way to channel donations and messages of goodwill to its community and beyond. The business impressed judges with its efficient operation, smart marketing and sense of caring. It touched the hearts of judges with its commitment to Slave Lake, Alta., a tight-knit but in some ways “transient town” where a percentage of the population of about 7,000 regularly arrives for short-term work as RCMP or in the oil fields and moves eventually moves away. Owning and operating a pizzeria is much more than a job or an investment to co-owners and brothers Ali and Moe Mouallem. To them it’s
a series of relationships – with their family, their team, their suppliers and most of all their community. The business is based on their parents’ popular pizza recipe and inspired by their community’s enthusiasm. Abdul and Chafica Mouallem emigrated from Lebanon in 1958 and 1976, respectively, and ran several businesses, including a successful bar and grill. After winding down the bar and grill, they kept getting requests for the pizza. In response, Moe and Ali developed a business plan, opened Alimo’s in 2004 and since then have consistently built its brand by paying it forward. A social media campaign that went viral cemented the brothers’ higher purpose. It’s a great story. In fall 2019, a nearby Alberta fire department mistakenly ordered pizza from Alamo Pizza in San Antonio, Texas. When the mix-up was discovered, the Alberta department paid to have the pizzas delivered to San Antonio first responders.
ALIMO’S CAMPAIGNS: #RandomActsOfPizza #Frontline Fridays Pizza Is For Everyone Moevember
‘We asked ourselves, why be just a pizzeria, when we can use our reach and influence to be so much more.’ – Ali and Moe Mouallem, Alimo’s Pizzeria 10
@CdnPizzaMag
Word got back to Alimo’s, who kept the goodwill going. Moe created a colourful graphic and posted it on social media with the hashtag #RandomActsOfPizza, turning the unexpected attention into a campaign that encouraged everyone to order pizza for deserving strangers and perform other acts of kindness. Alimo’s pizza went to people on the street, police stations, hospitals, schools, small businesses – anywhere that people needed a lift. The pizzeria co-ordinated the donations and of course delivered the pizza to surprised and happy Slave Lakers. The feel-good campaign resulted in a specialty pizza, the San Antonio Screwup, featuring pepperoni, bacon, mushroom, green peppers and banana peppers. Seizing another opportunity to do good, for every pizza sold, Alimo’s donated $2 to Friends for Learning, a local organization that helps organize extracurricular activities for kids. The positive response to #RandomActsOfPizza motivated them to speed up the pace of their community involvement and reinforce its importance. “We always pride ourselves on being leaders, not followers, in everything we do,” Moe Mouallem wrote in their contest entry. “We acknowledge that we are nothing without our community. Our commitment to our community, we feel, will strengthen our community, as well as our business. “We asked ourselves, why be just May/June 2021 · CANADIAN PIZZA
PHOTOS BY WILD ROSE STUDIOS
Slave Lake, Alta., pizzeria exemplifies what’s special about family pizzerias in Canada BY COLLEEN CROSS
the first 24 hours of posting to our social media. Before Christmas their customers dropped off hundreds of dollars to keep the momentum going. The initiative peaked around Christmas but is ongoing. “We’re always open to it, but people sometimes hesitate to take advantage of it,” Ali says. “We try to make it easy and not require people to give their names.
‘Moevember’
a pizzeria, when we can use our reach and influence to be so much more.” You’ll notice a pattern here. These owner-operators are quick to see and act on opportunities to help others and to promote positivity. Ali, Moe and their team have run several campaigns recently that reflect key themes seen since the pandemic turned the world upside-down. These include #FrontlineFridays, in which they worked with local business sponsors to provide free lunches to frontline workers. They were especially moved by a donation that helps them continue the deliveries. The Lukan family donated $1,000 in memory of their son Conner, a beloved local Humboldt Broncos player who died along in a terrible bus crash in 2018 that killed 15 teammates and injured 13. Alimo’s had been Conner’s favourite pizza place. CANADIAN PIZZA · May/June 2021
“Pizza Is For Everyone,” a twopronged campaign promoting inclusivity and feeding those in need. First, it was about celebrating inclusivity. “We created a feature wall in our pizzeria with a diverse range of our customers from different backgrounds as well as the word “pizza” spelled in various languages.” They reached out to friends and acquaintances who are visibly different and posted photos and messages. Creating this space was a way to unite people of different races, political views, culture, religion and gender, Moe says. “That’s the vision.” Second, it was about feeding people, literally and emotionally. Under the tagline “Everybody eats,” they provided free meals to people in need. “We offered free meals to anyone struggling, and encouraged families in need to reach out to us,” Moe says. “We had over $500 in donations in
Alimo’s is based on the popular pizza recipe of Abdul and Chafica Mouallem, Ali and Moe’s parents, who emigrated from Lebanon and ran several businesses including a successful bar and grill. Here the family stands in from of Alimo’s “inclusivity wall” – clockwise from left are Ali, Moe, Abdul and Chafica.
Most touching of their many efforts was a fundraising campaign they organized to help Moe Salloum, their then-13-year-old cousin, who was diagnosed with leukemia last October. Eager to help ease the family’s burden, they swung into action. “Naturally, we went with a “Moevember” fundraising drive in November that got picked up by other community businesses and schools.” They created a dedicated page called “Moe’s Brave Battle,” funnelled donations and offered to match them up to $500. They raised close to $10,000 to help Moe and his mother, Rima, handle day-to-day needs as Moe undergoes treatment. Originally from Slave Lake, they had moved to Edmonton a year before Moe’s diagnosis. As it turned out, the move allowed them to be close to the hospital where Moe would receive treatment. Besides providing emotional support, the fundraising has helped them get settled recently in a bigger house and buy furniture, allowing Moe to have his own washroom while he continues treatment. When we spoke with Ali and Moe in May, they reported that young Moe is home from the hospital and going back and forth for treatments. “He still really has a positive outlook,” Ali says. Other businesses followed Alimo’s lead to show they cared. For example, many students and staff at Moe’s alma mater, E.G. Wahlstrom School in Slave Lake dyed their hair and moustaches yellow and purple, the colours of Moe’s favourite NBA team, the Los Angeles Lakers. Continued on page 23 CanadianPizzaMag.com
11
FEATURE
KEEPING IT
LOCAL
Joes Family Pizzeria & Poutinerie of Pembroke, Ont., reaches out to its community in creative ways and has a new pizza-kit venture to share
J
oes Family Pizzeria & Poutinerie is entering an exciting expansion phase. After just over a decade in business, the runner-up in our Pizzeria of the Year competition is firmly embedded in its community of Pembroke, Ont., near Ottawa. Joes supports many local causes and activities, and now is reaching customers in their homes through its pizza kits sold in area grocery stores. Joes is being recognized for its hyper-local community activities, which are not just part of the business’s marketing plan – they are its marketing plan. “We give 100 per cent of our advertising budget back to our community through social media draws, charitable donations and cross-promotions with other business,” says Joe Ward, who with his wife Natacha owns the popular local pizzeria. “Seven per cent of gross sales goes directly back in to the community through charities and giveaways.” “We don’t pay for radio, print, flyers . . . we’d rather pay it forward and word-of-mouth advertising is always better anyways,” Ward adds. In 11 years, they’ve never turned down a request from a charity, he says. “We always give something.” 12
@CdnPizzaMag
Local partnerships A former corporate store manager for two stores in a chain pizzeria, Joe appreciates the freedom he enjoys as an independent, including to buy locally and keep money in the community. He and Natacha work with other local businesses to piggyback on one another’s events and radio ads. “We do a lot of cross-promoting. If you look down our well long enough you see we promote other businesses. I advertise even for other pizzerias,” he says. They buy as much produce locally as possible, including bison meat from a local farmer and sausage from a local butcher. The couple have a combined 53 years in the pizza business, with Joe’s family going back five generations in Pembroke. Natacha, who hails from Stanstead, a town on the U.S./Canadian border, met Joe while visiting Pembroke. During their first three years in business, Joe worked 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. seven days a week, and Natacha worked 4-7 shifts when she wasn’t on duty as a personal support worker. Their children – Kayla, 26, Halle, 16, Joey, 14, and foster child Levi, 17 – all work or have at one time worked in the pizzeria. In fact, Kayla, Halle and Joey did a series of ra-
Joes is run by Joe and Natacha Ward and family. Their children all work or have at one time worked in the pizzeria.
As of mid-May Joes pizza kits are available in 20 stores, and are expected to be in Ottawa by summer. Future plans include selling across Ontario and in Quebec. SUCCESSFUL CAMPAIGNS/ ACTIVITIES: #ItPaysToEatAtJoes Freebie frenzies Business-card coupons Scavenger hunts 30-inch pizza challenge
dio spots that got a lot of traction, promoting specials featuring their favourite foods and dishes with their names on them. A savvy businessperson, Joe says that in the early days, the hardest part was getting people to try the pizza: “Every three months we would give away free pizza for a year and we would tell everybody to like us on Facebook,” he says. “Now we’ve pivoted. We still do that, but our main promotion now is every month we give away five $100 gift certificates. We randomly pick posts and commenters, and each one chosen wins $100.” “If I retain that customer for a year, it’s worth it,” he says, estimating that the average customer is worth $1,200 to their business. And he doesn’t worry about giving away pizza because the pizzeria makes money when customers take them up on the free offer then add extra toppings. “The biggest hurdle I find is just getting somebody to eat your food,” he says. “People’s habits are hard to break.” Here is just a sampling of the pizzeria’s creative campaigns for getting pizza into stomachs: #ItPaysToEatAtJoes: Joes draws a customer’s name every morning and the winner gets a gift certificate for the amount they spent the night before. May/June 2021 · CANADIAN PIZZA
PHOTOS COURTESY JOES FAMILY PIZZERIA
BY COLLEEN CROSS
FEATURE
The spinning wheel: “We have a spinning wheel we lend out to other businesses for them to use during special events (and provide them thousands of coupons for free slices, poutines and pizzas for them to give away using the wheel).” Freebie frenzies: sees them handing out free pizzas around town. “On Family Day the last few years we have gone to all the ice shacks on the Ottawa River and handed out free pizzas to families – also at our local skate park in summer and tobogganing hill in winter.” Connecting with students: In 2020, when all four local high schools had to cancel their graduation and prom due to the pandemic, Joes gave every graduating student a free poutine. Business-card coupons: They give out business-cardsized coupons at other local businesses, including restaurants. They did an Easter egg hunt at Value Village, hiding the small cards in displays and on shelves around the store. Scavenger hunts: They sometimes post a selfie taken somewhere in town with their custom-branded truck, telling followers on social media, “Hey guys, if you recognize where we are, you’ll find a coupon here!” Bartering: They love to barter with fellow businesses. “It’s just getting out there and talking.” Joes is known for its 30-inch pizza challenge, which has been covered widely by newspapers, radio and TV. Customer teams of up to three people travel accept the challenge of eating a pizza the rough equivalent of six large pizzas with three topCANADIAN PIZZA · May/June 2021
On pizza kits: ‘We’re building a brand. That was the whole end game. I didn’t want to franchise. This is a little bit better.’ –Joe Ward pings of their choice. That’s 1820 pounds! The prize is a hefty $600 store credit. Three teams have successfully completed the challenge and their pictures hang on the wall. The last team to do it was a military group from the nearby 2 Signal Battalion, which pleases Joe, who himself was a “base brat.”
Pizza-kit factory Like many pizzerias, Joes started selling pizza kits early in 2020. They went over so well the Wards decided to try growing this part of the business. Joe reached out to a local independent grocer, Steven & Julie’s No Frills. Joe Ward continues the story: “We started in January and worked exclusively with them for first three months. We slowly expanded to other smaller stores. . . . Arnprior took 120 kits the first day and ordered another 15 packs of 12. Soon we were selling 20 cases a week to each No Frills.” It was time scale up. “We have leased a 4,000-square-foot warehouse to make a pizza-kit factory!” he says with excitement. There’s a lot to this operation, including buying custom bags and stickers that won’t fall off in the freezer. In Joes tradition, they put a coupon in every kit sold at No Frills. “People could win a free large pizza, poutine, slice or $5 gift certificate, and we have given prizes to people sharing their family’s creations.” “We’re building a brand. That was the whole end game. I didn’t want to franchise. This is a little bit better. Eventually, the next step will be getting our
pizza sauce private-labelled and get a co-packer.” Scaling up has not been simple or easy. “There is a lag waiting to be paid. It’s tough to grow,” Joe says. In Joes’ case, they were able to grow gradually by selling privately to their local No Frills stores without “listing” (providing specific information and meeting certain requirements). As of mid-May the kits were available in 20 stores, including small independents, in surrounding communities such as Deep River, Barry’s Bay and Renfrew and are expected to be
in Ottawa by summer. By next year the couple hopes the kits will be available across Ontario and in Quebec. They provide yet another way for area charities to make money: charity organizations sell them and get 20 per cent to keep for the charity. Finally, we can’t talk about Joes without mentioning Big Joe Mufferaw, a.k.a. Joseph Montferrand, a French-Canadian logger, strongman and folk hero of the working man who worked in many small towns in the Ottawa Valley, and celebrated by folk singer Stompin’ Tom Connors. The Big Joe Mufferaw, featuring meatballs, bacon, diced dill pickles and old cheddar, is a bestseller on the pizzeria’s menu and the perfect symbol of Joes Family Pizzeria and its local pride. | CP
CanadianPizzaMag.com
13
TECHNOLOGY
Technology can help you operate, market and communicate with customers, but is the ROI there? BY MICHELLE BRISEBOIS
T
here are stirrings of hope that we might finally socialize and dine on-premise again. For those restaurants who have weathered the storm, operational innovation and flexibility has been the key to survival and that operational flexibility has often been supported by technology. We were curious to hear from operators about what technology they implemented so they could continue to operate during the pandemic and we also wanted to know if these same operators planned to run with their new systems in the “aftertimes” when COVID -19 restrictions are lifted for good. The April Labour Force Survey from Statistics Canada, reports that of the 503,000 jobs that are
14
@CdnPizzaMag
still absent from pre-COVID levels, 70.9 per cent of those missing jobs belong to the foodservice industry. According to Restaurants Canada, eight out of 10 restaurants report operating at a loss or break-even point and seven out of 10 operators feel they will need a year of recovery to become profitable again. Those businesses whose models were rooted in on-premise dining had the steepest learning curve because their business model and operating plan was not aligned with off-premise consumption. Survival came from government support, rent relief and new streams of revenue like curbside pickup, delivery, meal kits and pantry/ non-food product line extensions. All of these shifts were primarily supported by technology.
What is restaurant technology? Technological innovation does not have to be cutting edge, expensive or worthy of a feature highlight in the next Back to the Future movie. Your phone qualifies as a technological asset. Operators on the cutting edge like &pizza, a restaurant chain in the U.S., use robots back of house to roll dough, chatbots to take orders and converse with customers, and tricked-out delivery vehicles that have working kitchens in them to make the pizza en route to delivery. This is the operational exception, not the rule. Most restaurants are trying to figure out what this week’s lockdown status is while juggling staff, applying for grants and losing sleep.
Will take-away dining continue post-pandemic? Prior to the pandemic, 30 per cent of Canadians ordered food online at least once a week according to research by AgriFood Analytics Lab at Dalhousie University. The research found that Canadians spent $4.7 billion total on meals in 2019, and almost $1.5 billion of these sales came via a food ordering app. The pandemic accelerated this trend. The lab canvassed 7,300 Canadians in early November 2020 and learned that nearly 29 per cent of survey respondents had ordered directly from a restaurant since the start of the pandemic and 26 per cent reported using a delivery app. Upserve.com reports that the top three items that have spiked in sales in 2020 compared to 2019 are sandwiches and wraps May/June 2021 · CANADIAN PIZZA
PHOTO: ALEKSANDARGEORGIEV/E+/GETTY IMAGES
RESTAURANT TECH POST-COVID
Researching, purchasing, learning and implementing a new software solution is often easier said than done. Most restaurants still operating post-pandemic have implemented curbside pickup supported by an online ordering platform.
TECHNOLOGY
(up 21 per cent), burgers (up 10 per cent) and pizza (up nine per cent). Surveys are indicating that take-away dining will continue to be strong in the “after times” as well. The researchers were surprised to learn that half of respondents intended to continue to order online at least once a week post-pandemic.
High cost of tech Many operators are frustrated by and concerned about the transaction fees that come with technology use. With restaurant margins already thin, giving some of that away to take orders and process payment can really cause an operator to wonder if these platforms are worth it. Brian Gasbarini owner of Rise Above Restaurant in St. Catharines and Hamilton, implemented an online ordering system so customers could order and prepay prior to curbside pickup. Gasbarini points out that the system used to facilitate that online ordering system also charges a commission of 7.5 per cent for the platform solution and about 2.5 per cent for the credit card processing. “A customer could order the same food by phone, and pay by cash, and we get 10 per cent more money from them compared to online ordering, or 7.5 per cent more if they order by phone and pay by credit card. So, it’s an interesting consideration for restaurant owners as to whether the food costs should reflect these extra order processing costs,” he says. The more that service providers “dip into” restaurant revenue streams like this, the harder it will be for restaurants to extract any profit from already narrow profit margins. Or the higher restaurant prices will need to be, without the customer really understanding the big picture of why. Gasbarini doesn’t necessarily see it as a longterm positive development, even if it is helping Rise Above reclaim CANADIAN PIZZA · May/June 2021
When we get the business model right, restaurant technology can be a strategic profit booster missing on-premise revenue during the pandemic and offer more convenience and ease for the customer. Enza Lorefice at Trecce in Toronto expresses similar concerns around the transaction fees and surcharges associated with takeaway dining. Trecce has continued to operate with a take-out and delivery menu as well as by selling fresh-made pastas and sauces. Trecce uses Square and etransfers to process online and phone orders but Lorefice is hesitant to go too far with new order processing systems where the surcharges and transactions fees can claw back too much of the profit. “These companies know that many restaurants will say yes to keep operating, but the attractive pricing at the start can turn into something much more expensive after the trial period is over,” she says. Trecce will explore ways to continue to market their pastas and sauces post-COVID and will likely continue to take etransfers for payment as that seems to be convenient for both customers and their business. The advantage of an etransfer payment process is that the restaurant is only charged a transaction fee if it requests the transfer through the system. If the transaction is completed verbally and the payment is sent after that conversation, the sender (customer) is charged a small fee. This process involves more labour (a conversation with the customer) and isn’t without risk. If no password code is used, then the bank is not liable for any exchange that gets hacked and compromised.
Technology and restaurant promotion Technology can support your operation, but it also has huge value in terms of marketing and customer relations. Online tools are primarily free or very cost-effective and, increasingly, these platforms offer robust bells and whistles to help you attract more business. Night Picker and Pantry are brand new food-focused platforms best described as “The Food Network meets QVC Home Shopping Channel.” They are the brainchild of Julie Guyard, who brings her background in retailing and culinary arts to the industry. The app is free for the restaurant industry to use. It allows restaurants to loop in their social media feeds and their online ordering systems to reach a wider but more focused audience of food lovers. The app is primarily a media platform dedicated to the food industry. A pizzeria can set up a profile to focus on their local market or a chef can promote their brand to a wider audience (and Night Picker is receiving more and more requests from individual chefs). “We see many chefs launching non-perishable products such as spice blends or sauces or even cookbooks that they’d like to promote to a wider audience so the app is being changed to allow for this,” Guyard says. Night Picker is the content portion of the platform where restaurants can post their promotional content and Pantry is the transactional piece where food lovers can discover new
things to buy. It’s perfect for promoting pizza kits. The app had its big reveal on Canada’s Top Chef in May 2021.
Restaurant tech post-COVID Technology is there to do your bidding. The return on investment during COVID is hard to gauge due to the skewed nature of the orders being all takeaway. That’s not reality and in the “aftertimes” things will recalibrate. Do the real math around the cost of the technology: a $15 order that costs you $1.50 in transaction fees must be compared to a verbal order by factoring in the labour to take that order. If your employee is making $11.40 per hour, then you are paying them about $1.90 for every 10 minutes of work. If the average phone order takes five minutes, then you are paying $0.80 for each order in labour which an online ordering system does automatically, labour-free. Those numbers only include the direct labour for that order. You are still paying that person $1.90 per 10 minutes for work, paid breaks, time where there isn’t any business . . . the online ordering system only costs you money when it’s generating a sale. See where your business shifts post-COVID and then do a fully loaded profit-and-loss analysis for each menu item for three different order/delivery scenarios: on-premise, takeaway or delivery. When we get the business model right, restaurant tech can be a strategic profit booster. | CP 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 is currently an adjunct professor at the Canadian Food and Wine Institute at Niagara College and can be reached at michelle@textrixconsulting.com. CanadianPizzaMag.com
15
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.
Implementing effective systems for your small pizzeria Part one
I
t’s your staff members who are going to deliver a “wow!” experience. If you want to develop good people and create a better culture in your pizza operation, you must have sound systems in place. Small independent pizzeria owners should keep in mind that every pizzeria chain began as a single independent operator. It’s by establishing systems and processes that they were able to duplicate the successes of their first pizzeria. You must learn how to develop and put in place effective systems. As an owner or operator, you should always think of new ways of helping your staff members do their job faster and easier by creating and designing proper systems geared toward meeting the basic service expectations that are common to all pizzerias, including: • Quick and polite greeting • Courteous and well-dressed staff • Timely service • Hot food hot and cold food cold • Consistency • Professionalism • Attentiveness • Cleanliness and sanitation • Comfortable eating/dining experience Unfortunately, business owners sometimes are too busy, and they get distracted and forget. If you want to ensure your customers receive the ultimate guest experience, you must focus your attention on improving your systems. Excellent and effective systems are the building blocks of every foodservice operation. They will help you stay on track and save your energy for giving your guests a great experience rather than struggling to remember details. Effective systems will not only ensure consistency and guest sat16
@CdnPizzaMag
Every pizzeria chain began as a single independent operator. It’s by establishing systems and processes that they were able to duplicate the successes of their first pizzeria.
isfaction, but they will also help you with your cost control, which is crucial during this economy. Your operational systems should include back-ofthe-house systems, front-of-the-house systems, management systems, personal systems, catering systems and delivery systems. This is the first of a two-part series on creating effective systems to improve your pizzeria operation. Here we’ll cover implementing effective systems to ensure consistent guest experiences. Effective systems and controls are the cornerstones of successful pizzerias. Most of you think that systems are challenging to put together, boring and time consuming. Get this out of your mind. A system is essentially the same as a recipe, which is putting together ingredients, steps and instructions designed to make a specific dish. The end result should always be the same-tasting and -looking pizza, calzone, panzerotti, salad, wings or desserts, regardless of who made it. Basically, a system is a process, procedure or series of steps designed to produce a standard result: it’s the perfect way to create results that are consistent, predictable, measurable and achieve
the desired level of customer service and experience.
1. Start with a product order form or template A proper order form or template should list all the ingredients and products that your back-of-the-house uses. Having a streamlined ordering procedure and proper inventory control is crucial in maintaining the consistent cost of sales and product availability. You could easily make a basic multi-purpose form in an Excel sheet, then print it and post it on a clipboard in the kitchen, behind your counters or in your office. If you Google it, I am positive that you could also download a free order form or template. This form should be highly visible when ordering, receiving and maintaining accurate control inventory. Write at the very top of your sheet, the Month, and then below on one line, have many columns, and write the following: • Inventory ID or Item Number • Date of Last Order • Item Name • Description • Unit Measure (or UM for Unit of Measure – whether it’s a case, bag, sack, bottles, lb, kg, etc.) • Stock Location (Basement, Shelf 4, or Store Room A, Shelf 2, or Kitchen, on a pallet) • Supplier or Vendor Name • Unit Price • Quantity in Stock • Inventory Value • Reorder Level • Days Per Reorder • Item Reorder Quantity • Item Discontinued • Week 1, Week 2, Week 3, Week 4 • Total Value • Employee Initial
2. Continue with a kitchen utensil and smallware checklist Another useful form to ensure availability and quality is the utensil, smallware and equipment checklist. May/June 2021 · CANADIAN PIZZA
PHOTO: SHAPECHARGE/E+/GETTY IMAGES
MAKING DOUGH WITH DIANE
MAKING DOUGH WITH DIANE BY DIANE CHIASSON
This checklist usually includes listing all products such as utensils, smallwares, equipment and other supplies needed throughout the pizza shop. Just be aware that running out of products or having products disappear will cost you money. You should always keep track of your food items, smallwares, linens, uniforms, cleaning supplies and other merchandise. Here is a general checklist of utensils and smallwares you need to keep track of in your kitchen: Cooking pans and pots: Regular (coupe) pans; wide-rim pizza pans; cutter pizza pans; cast iron pizza pans; pizza stones; pizza screens and disks, deep-dish pizza
pans; pizza pan separators, pizza pan grippers; and pots and pans of all sizes with lids. Cooking tools and utensils: Pizza peels and other oven tools; dough scrapers; pizza rollers; dough cutters and markers; rocking pizza cutters; expandable cutters; pizza bubble poppers; dough dockers; dough proofing boxes/trays; pizza pie server; rolling pins and accessories; cooking mats; citrus juicer; scoops; basting brushes; pan liners; flour sifters and sieves; kitchen scale; zester; timer; thermometer; dough sheeter; dough dividers and rounders; graters; spoons and slotted spoons; cheese shakers; spice and flour shakers and
CANADIAN PIZZA · May/June 2021 PZ_Roundtable_HP1_MayJune21_CWM.indd 1
dredges; whisks; spatulas; tongs; ladles; measuring cups (liquid/ dry) and spoons; mixing bowls; mixing bowl stand; bowl and bench scrapers; workbench scraper cleaner; cutting boards; cooling racks; squeeze bottles; commercial mixers/stand mixers/ tabletop mixers; food processor; food mills; mortar and pestle; chopper; slicers; chef’s knives; paring knives; kitchen scissors. Don’t forget to write items like coffee makers and drink dispensers’ supplies, food storage boxes and lids, utility carts, storage racks and covers, dishware, glassware, flatware, pizza paddles, linens for sit-down restaurants, as well as sanitary products such as aprons, hairnets and hats.
Countertop pizza display: Pizza display cases; cake, pie, stands and covers; pizza serving wares; sample domes, display stands; display trays and covers; pizza tray stands; pizza racks and shelf racks; napkin dispensers. Packaging: Pizza boxes; dry wax paper, pizza slice holders, pizza circles, pizza box stacks, insulated pizza delivery bag; dessert trays; parchment paper; bags; boxes; serving trays, plates and cutlery. | CP
Look up for the second article of this two-part series on creating effective systems to improve your pizzeria operation in the July/August issue.
CanadianPizzaMag.com
17
2021-06-01 11:07 AM
CHETICAMP
FEATURE LUNENBURG
PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND LANCASTER PEMBROKE
ORILLIA
PORT CREDIT ST. CATHARINES BRANTFORD SIMCOE
ORANGEVILLE MILTON TORONTO WINDSOR AMHERSTBURG
Nimrod’s Charlottetown, P.E.I.
NOVA SCOTIA Big Red’s Lunenburg, N.S.
ONTARIO
SLAVE LAKE
CALGARY KELOWNA LANGLEY NANAIMO COBBLE HILL
LANGFORD
BRITISH COLUMBIA Ali Baba Pizza, Langford, B.C. Emilio Finatti Pizzeria Langley, Port Coquitlam and White Rock, B.C.
ALBERTA
Fiazza Fresh Fired Ottawa, Ont. Gabriel Pizza Eastern Ontario/ Western Quebec
Pizza Nova Toronto, GTA, southern Ontario Tops in Pizza Orillia, Ont. Luigi’s Lasagna & Pizzeria Milton, Ont.
Joes Family Pizzeria Pembroke, Ont.
Bluebird Café and Grill Orangeville, Ont.
Pizza on the Fly Calgary, Alta.
Lancaster Restaurant & Pizzeria Lancaster, Ont.
Una Pizza + Wine Calgary, Alta.
The Lock Wood Fired Pizzeria St. Catharines, Ont.
Amadio’s Pizza Port Credit, Ont.
Mercasa Little Italy Eatery Brantford, Ont.
Pi Co. Pizza Toronto, Ont.
Arcata Pizza Windsor, Ont.
Frank’s Pizza House Toronto, Ont.
Armando’s Amherstburg Amherstburg, Ont.
Venga Cucina Toronto, Ont.
The Barrel Restaurant Simcoe, Ont.
Alimo’s Pizza Slave Lake, Alta.
LG’s (Little George’s North) Nanaimo, B.C. Pizzamor’EH Kelowna, B.C. Moo’s Pizza Cobble Hill, B.C.
Wabo’s Pizza, Sub & Donair Cheticamp, N.S.
COMMUNITY We celebrate a bevvy of Canadian pizzerias innovating and doing good in their neighbourhood BY CANADIAN PIZZA STAFF
W
hen we put out a call for Pizzeria of the Year entries was met with an exciting and inspiring array of businesses. You showed us how you innovate, support and motivate your communities! In no particular order, we present snapshots of the entries we received and some of the many ways they engage their communities. After reading about the smart, creative and just plain good things these pizzerias are doing, we’re confident you’ll take away a handful of ideas and inspiration for your own business!
18
@CdnPizzaMag
Wabo’s Pizza, Sub & Donair was founded in 1993 in downtown Cheticamp on the picturesque Cabot Trail in Nova Scotia. Owner Marc Neary operates runs a traditional pizza shop upstairs year round and a dine-in Italian restaurant in the summer months downstairs. Wabo’s offers bursaries to students at the local high school, sponsors several minor hockey teams in the area and sponsors sports teams through pizza campaigns where they sell our slices at games and keep the money from the sale for their fundraising. During the initial
lockdown phase of the pandemic last year, Wabo’s offered pizza for pickup and started a “Community Grocer” program. “With only one grocery store in our town of 3,000-plus people, inventory was pretty low and Wabo’s decided to fill the void by ordering bulk, wholesale items and retailing them to our customers,” owner Marc Neary says. They sold flour (sometimes 100 bags per week), chicken breast, steaks, sugar and other items, increased sales and created new loyal customers proving they were a safe, caring place to do business. May/June 2021 · CANADIAN PIZZA
MAP IMAGE: ROYALTY FREE/ISTOCK / GETTY IMAGES PLUS/GETTY IMAGES
CREATIVE IN THE
FEATURE
Since opening in 2017, but pre-COVID, The Lock Wood Fired Pizzeria of St. Catharines, Ont., has sponsored individuals and full teams from bocce to volleyball, to motor cross. “We also donate to many stag and does with our awesome pizza box prize full of goodies,” co-owners and brothers Josh and Jeremy Paone tells us. “We also have introduced 35 per cent discount to first responders to let them know we appreciate their hard work in the community. We have raised money through selling pizzas for a local elementary school library. The brothers’ annual summer “hottest pizza competition” is a great crowd pleaser.
and has worked with breweries on a series of pizza flight and beer flight tastings (pre-pandemic). Armando’s Amherstburg competes in Battle of the Growers fundraising for the United Way, sponsors Amherstburg hockey teams, does Pizza for Polio fundraisers and silently donates gift cards for free dinners to families with children battling illness.
Pizza on the Fly of Calgary has been selling pizza by weight since 2018. Owner Anna Marchisano and family moved to Canada from Rome a decade ago and brought that city’s specialty with them. They are, rightly, proud to have educated customers about the specialty pizza, unconventional toppings such as potatoes and healthy pizza made with a crust of 85 per cent hydration, 72 hours of proofing and little yeast.
If there is something going on in the pizza world, Joe Leroux knows about it. The owner of Amadio’s Pizza in Port Credit, Ont., past Chef of the Year and Pizza With Purpose winner, is well connected and keen to share what he’s learned over 30 years in business. In January 2020, Leroux hosted weekly pizza-making workshops. Participants donated $40 each to the food bank and Leroux donated the ingredients and his time. He has carried out many community-based marketing campaigns, donating pizzas to volunteers with a blues and jazz festival, sponsoring sports teams and banquets, supporting the Mississauga Humane Society Walkathon and providing pizzas for weekly school pizza days.
Armando’s Amherstburg near Windsor, Ont., is owned and operated by pizza chef Dean Litster, a competitive chef who has placed third in the International category at the International Pizza Expo and was our Chef of the Year Open in 2019. Litster started working with the Armando’s chain at 15, rose to management and corporate pizza chef, and in 2018 purchased his own store. Litster is committed to working with local businesses. For example, he has an ongoing collaboration with Little Food Foods in Windsor, an artisanal pierogi manufacturer, to create the Pepperoni Paradise Pierogi. The store serves only locally made wine and craft beer
Pi Co. Pizza in the Greater Toronto Area since opening in 2016. “Our experience give our customers the opportunity to craft their own personal pi with thousands of combinations by choosing from over 50 different toppings,” says publicist Eden Hazan. Like many pizzerias that focus on an in-store customized pizza experience, Pi Co. has pivoted. “We launched our own app that gives customers the opportunity to enjoy this experience virtually, with pizzas delivered to their doors with no-contact delivery,” Hazan says. In 2020 Pi Co. sponsored pizza parties for a dozen hospitals and small businesses and will continue the tradition.
CANADIAN PIZZA · May/June 2021
For three generations, Arcata Pizza has made a big impact on the city of Windsor, Ont. “Arcata is always supportive of local charities, and our local fundraisers whether it’s a local youth sports teams or the unemployed help centre, Salvation Army or our homeless shelter, we believe that giving an extra hand could help many,” says owner -operator Bob Abumeeiz. Recently the winner of a March Madness pizza vote on Facebook, Arcata ships pizzas across Canada to homesick Windsorites who have moved away. The Barrel Restaurant of Simcoe, Ont., has been a family owned operation for 33 years and a strong supporter of its local hospital, schools, teams, events and festivals over that time. Recent fundraisers include campaigns for
the local Heart and Stroke Foundation, Simcoe Little Theatre, United Way and local Norfolk Hurricanes hockey team. Led by partners Nick Kokkoros and Nick Zographoshe, the family restaurant thrives and consistently increasing sales each year. One of the partners previously served on the local hospital board and is currently on the local chamber of commerce board. They work with schools and college to hire and mentor students. Tops in Pizza in Orillia, Ont., is well known for its tradition of inviting the community in for free pizza slices on Christmas Day. The family-owned shop has kept very busy serving Orillia and area since 1974 in many other ways. For many years they have delivered complimentary
NOW AVAILABLE
CERTIFIED HALAL PIZZA TOPPINGS Beef Pepperoni, Julienne Cut Chicken, Beef Crumble, Beef Sausage, Veggie Pepperoni and more...
Wholesale: 905-547-1321 www.SpringersMeats.com
CanadianPizzaMag.com
19
FEATURE
pizzas to first responders and essential workers, including multiple OPP organizations, paramedic services, fire departments and hospital staff. “In 2020, instead of offering slices at our restaurant, we served over 100 people at our local shelter for their annual Christmas Eve Luncheon,” co-owner Christopher Marinakos says. Tops also sponsors sports teams, works with 15 local schools for their weekly pizza lunches, and for 2021 have committed to helping a local family in need by supplying them with monthly meals for the entire year. This next pizzeria will touch your heart because it’s from two daughters each sending their own shout-out to their hardworking, quietly giving dad, Rick Swinemar. Big Red’s in Chester and Lunenburg, N.S., opened in 1977 and is owned by Swinemar and his brother Derrek. “I’m tearing up writing this,” writes daughter Jacqueline Swinemar. “He would take the shirt off his back for anyone. He has done so much for the community over the 40 years.” There is plenty of evidence of Big Red’s giving: daily donations, sponsoring sports teams, events, school lunches, food banks. The pizza is famous on the south shore for its sweet sauce. Daughter Colleen Swinemar tells how their mom’s modified bread recipe forms the dough, which is made fresh every day. “Big Red’s is home, family and community. A perfect representation of Canadian!” We couldn’t agree more. In 2020, Andrew Craig, director of operations for Fiazza Fresh Fired in the Ottawa area, started a new initiative called “Pizza with a Purpose,” where Fiazza collaborates with other local restaurants. Restaurants create new pizza concepts that are sold at Fiazza 20
@CdnPizzaMag
with part of the proceeds going to a local charity. In fall 2020 they collaborated with successful restaurant group Beckta Dining. “Fiazza promoted the partnership, the partner restaurant, the chef and the pizzas he created to our customer base through social media, local TV, newspaper and radio promotions.” After working at Lancaster Restaurant & Pizzeria, opened in 1992, Adam Kluver took the leap and bought it in 2018 from his former employers. “Our pizzeria supports many community functions, from fundraisers to donating $1 to the Canadian Cancer Society for every large pizza we sell, raising a total of $5,227 in 2020,” says Kluver, who sat in the dunk tank on Canada Day to raise money for charity. Lancaster sponsors its local hockey team, the CharLan Rebels, and the Char-Lan Skating Club and supplies their pizza parties. We featured Una Pizza + Wine as part of an article called “Going green” in 2016. Since then owners Kelly Black and Jayme MacFayden have continued to raise the bar for sustainability in terms of the environment and their staff. The Calgary business, which opened its doors in 2010, showcases local product quality, ingredient-based menu items and pizzas and a large wine list. The restaurant is all about inclusivity. “We never compete but always collaborate,” Black says. “We’ve participated in collaborations with local breweries such as our friends at Trolley 5, and Two-House Brewing. We work with local growers and farmers.” They consistently talk one on one with each staff member about their goals, ambitions and passionate causes, which they help support through UNA’s Community Love Partner program en-
couraging direct donations from patrons. They sponsor research and development trips abroad for their chefs.
2020, they used summer revenues to turn an old KFC restaurant that had sat vacant into “P.E.I.’s first locally owned, locally sourced, drive-thru fast-casual restaurant.”
Pizza Nova, established in 1963 by Sam Primucci, has grown to over 140 locations in Ontario. President Domenic Primucci, Sam’s son, told us each of Pizza Nova’s locations continues to use family recipes, traditional preparation methods fresh, locally grown ingredients. Well known for its work supporting its communities, this company seems to support more causes year by year. In 2020, they reinvented a muchloved annual event, That’s Amore Pizza for Kids Day, where for years $1 from each medium pepperoni pizza has been donated to Variety – the Children’s Charity to raise $1.8 million for the charity over the years. When COVID prevented gathering, Pizza Nova contacted suppliers to raise $120,000. For 18 years, they have laced up for and donated pizza to the Gutsy Walk, an annual fundraiser for Crohn’s and Colitis Canada, raising more than $60,000.
We often hear about mom-andpop shops – how about mother-and-daughter shop. LG’s (Little George’s North) in Nanaimo, B.C., run by Rohini Chaitanya Mehendiratta, was opened in 1997 by her mother, Pina Monga Mehendiratta. As a young teenager, Rohini helped her mother make its own meal deliveries every day. Instead of hanging out with friends, Rohini was working 14hour days in the pizzeria with her mum. “We had big dreams, but they could only be accomplished by hard work and time management,” she says. They operated seven days per week and stayed open on Christmas Day for people who otherwise would not get to celebrate Christmas. Her mom has since retired, and Rohini’s son is now the age she was they first opened shop in 1997. “Hopefully he will be helping out soon. He is a foodie as well,” she says.
Fun-loving, floating pizzeria Nimrod’s in the Charlottetown harbour so excited its community on opening that fans pre-ordered $15,000 worth of pizzas through Kickstarter to help launch the little business with big ideas. Rising to the occasion, friends and partners Mikey Wasnidge, Nigel Haan, Bruce Rooney and Jesse Clausheide engineered a floatable building carrying a 5,000-pound pizza oven within four weeks. That first fall, they partnered with the local soup kitchen to sponsor a meal for someone in need for every pizza they sold. It cost them their first-year profit, but “we felt very strongly that we owed it to those who supported us early on,” Wasnidge says. In December
Moo’s Pizza in Cobble Hill, B.C., on Vancouver Island is legendary for giving to the community. The shop sponsors many teams and clubs, donates a portion of sales from one of its pizzas to the local food bank and has stories to tell like this one told by owner Melissa Cottam (Moo): “One year shortly after we opened, a customer lost their son suddenly. We rallied with the community and sold take ’n’ bakes to people all over the island. We worked and worked and got the pizzas made, 750 take ’n’ bake pizzas sold and the money donated to help the family.” The business has doubled in size since opening in the mid1990s and seen its sales climb May/June 2021 · CANADIAN PIZZA
eight to 10 per cent year over year. They plan to open a second location in a nearby town soon. Frank’s Pizza House in Toronto’s Corso Italia has been in business for 30 years and this pandemic proved to be a challenging time. “I was fortunate to have many loyal and caring clients offer me financial support,” says owner Giorgio Taverniti, who is legally blind. Grateful for offers of financial support but unwilling to accept them, he channelled the goodwill into a community fund. “People can donate as much or as little as they can, add on to their order and the funds go towards paying for someone else’s meal. I typically don’t sell pizza slices, but we created the pay what you can $0 to $3 for pizza slices. My customers are more than just that, they are a family, and a community that works together to take care of each other.” With an impressive 3,900 followers on Facebook, Ali Baba Pizza, founded in 1986 by Georges Murr, has grown to six locations in the Victoria area, and B.C. Ferry terminal in Vancouver. Now into the second generation of family, they always supporting local events, charities, fundraisers and the homeless, says Elisabeth Hage of the Langford, B.C., location. Venga Cucina in Toronto’s Junction neighbourhood is the vision of Gino Benevenga, who brings a little piece of his home region of Campania in Italy. Benevenga specializes in Roman-style flatbread pizzas – the pinsa Romana – and is a certified master in this style. In December 2020 Venga Cucina donated 100 pinsas to Villa Charities for frontline workers battling the coronavirus. In February 2021, each week $1 of pinsa sales went to various charCANADIAN PIZZA · May/June 2021
ities serving Toronto including SickKids Foundation, Covenant House Toronto, Fred Victor Centre and The Scott Mission. Throughout the years Luigi’s Lasagna & Pizzeria of Milton, Ont., has supported the Milton Hospital Auxiliary Foundation, The Spitfires Wheelchair Sports, Milton Ultimate Club and the Milton Street Festival. In December 2020 they launched a #MiltonStrongPizza campaign through which they created a new “Milton Strong Pizza” with ingredients voted on by the community. For each Milton Strong Pizza sold they donate $1 to Halton Food4Kids. In the last year they opened their kitchen to a few virtual restaurants that were looking for a commercial grade kitchen to operate from, says CEO Sameem Nabil. Bluebird Café and Grill in Orangeville, Ont., in business since 1982 is a playbook on ideas for engaging your community. “Our fundraisers for our community generally always involve our pizzas as they are a number 1 seller,” say owners Michelle and Rick Arsenault. “Every year at Christmas we do a pizza promotion with a local organization called Believe Bags, which is a non-profit organization that puts together bags with gifts/gifts cards for single moms at Christmas. We donate a portion of pizza sales to them for the purchase of gift cards for their bags.” Recently they did a pizza fundraiser for a local organization called Branching Out Support Services who were participating in the Coldest Night of the Year walk in support of the local food bank. Bluebird donated $1 from every pizza sold for a week and they sold a record 350 pizzas that week. They took part in an online cooking class with local chefs in
which people bought tickets to view the class online with proceeds to the Rotary Club. Mercasa Little Italy Eatery, the only restaurant in Brantford, Ont., specializing in Roman pizza, has done a lot of charity work in just three years in business. Mercasa supports many community programs, including Nova Vita women’s shelter ($5 from every feature pizza donated), Why Not City Missions for at-risk youth (40 hot meals every week), the seniors’ resource centre and Brant Community Healthcare Services. In 2020 they donated more than 5,000 hot meals to community members in need. “We even brought Nav, the Toronto Raptors’ “Super Fan,” to town and visited partners to make donations and raise spirits,” says founder and executive chef Tom Mercante, who draws inspiration from his family’s home regions of Abruzzo and Lazio in Italy. “We love our communities!” says Aaron Gehrman, director of operations of Emilio Finatti Pizzeria, with three locations in Langley, Port Coquitlam and White Rock, B.C. The business shows that love in different ways: 20 per cent off to all first responders, donations of 20 per cent of gross sales to fundraisers with local schools and the personal touch. “We personalize every pizza box with a handwritten message, ‘Thank you and Enjoy!’ and a fun drawing when we can, says the competitive chef, who finished in first place, International division, at Pizza Expo in 2015. ” Dax Guest Ross launched Pizzamor’EH in Kelowna, B.C., in February 2019. The team participates in school fundraisers where the fresh and frozen pizza deals give 40 per cent of funds back to
the school. They provide a bursary for the Youth Ambassador program and promote the event. Ross and his team are constant innovators. In response to the abrupt shift of sales from mostly dine-in to mostly takeout in March 2020, they opened a pizza drive-thru. They trialled their first production run of flash-frozen pizza in February 2021, with plans to launch in retail outlets in the Okanagan Valley. Other bold initiatives include an in-store retail outlet called Local’EH that sells foods and crafts from smallscale local producers. Gabriel Pizza’s 40-plus locations in eastern Ontario and western Quebec have participated in countless non-profit and charitable events since Michael Hanna and family opened the store in 1977. Here are highlights from that long list. On the first Tuesday of each month (Toonie Tuesday) they donate $2 from every large pizza ordered to the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario. Ray Skaff, marketing manager, describes a campaign close to their hearts: “Gabriel Pizza learned of Ollie Pickering’s love of our pizza through his mother, Dawn’s blog chronicling Ollie and his family’s journey with childhood cancer. In April 2020, during a rough stretch in Ollie’s treatment while in Toronto, all Ollie wanted was his favourite green olive and cheese pizza, which Gabriel Pizza delivered to him, his family and the caring staff at the Sick Kids Hospital in Toronto.” Ollie’s Pizza campaign launched in May 2020. The chain donated a portion of every Ollie’s Pizza purchased for the rest of 2020 and in partnership with Candlelighters, raised $13,200. Best of all, Ollie is now eight, recovered and doing well. What a great note to end on! | CP CanadianPizzaMag.com
21
TOOLS OF THE TRADE
DELIVERY TECH
Dometic to launch temperaturecontrolled DeliBox for food delivery The Dometic DeliBox can be mounted on mopeds, motorcycles, electric bikes and placed in cars and vans. With separate compartments and two dedicated temperature zones, it provides both active heating (all models) and active cooling (premium model) elements to keep food at optimal temperatures throughout the delivery process. It has the capacity to handle large orders and multiple orders. It features an air purification system with cold plasma Ion technology designed to keep the interior clean and free of lingering odours from previous deliveries. The premium version also has a smartphone application that makes it possible to keep track of every delivery and monitor the temperature during transport. It is customizable and can be wrapped with brand logos. The DeliBox measures 500 mm (wide) x 560 (high) x 611.5 mm (deep) and weighs 16 kg. The DeliBox Dual measures 500 mm x 560 mm x 688.5 mm and weighs 21 kg. The DeliBox will be avail22
@CdnPizzaMag
able in October 2021 and may be pre-ordered at a price range starting at $775 US. dometic.com
PIZZA PANS
LloydPans launches Chicago Deep Dish Pizza Pan
LloydPans has launched its Chicago Deep Dish Pan to help pizzerias and food-service operations re-create the popular pizza Chicago is known for. Chicago-style pizzas are known for their deep, buttery crusts layered with ingredients. Chicago Deep Dish Pizza Pans come in 1.5-inch and 2.25-inch depths, and both come in a variety of diameters. The pans come with the company’s patented pre-seasoned Tuff-Kote (PSTK) finish, which eliminates the need for pre-seasoning, messy oiling of pans and offers durability. The coating also makes depanning and cleanup a breeze. “The deep dish pizza may be a Chicago institution, but it’s
When it comes to new ingredients, equipment and services, Canadian Pizza keeps you in the know. For more on new products for the pizza industry, check out our website, canadianpizzamag.com
garnering more interest... so the timing couldn’t be better to add it to the lineup,” said LloydPans’ president and CEO Traci Rennaker. She cited Chicago-style deep dish pizza as one of the most popular regional styles. LloydPans Chicago Deep Dish Pans include the following features: • Can be stacked dozens high • Stacks are stable for easier carrying • Ideal for proofing dough • Less expensive, since separators are not needed • 1.2-inch clearance between pans • Round rim for safe handling • Heavy 14-gauge aluminum • Choose PSTK finish or bare aluminum lloydpans.com
CURED MEAT TOPPINGS
Soleterra d’Italia’s Canada-Italy partnership produces cured meats with unique flavours
A Canada-Italy partnership is bringing high-quality dry-cured salami, cooked and cured meats made in the Italian style to Canadian restaurants and grocery stores. Soleterra d’Italia produces dry cured salami and cooked meats (Italian-style ham) in its Acme, Alta., facility. The plant is owned and operated by the Price family using authentic Italian recipes from the Simonini family of Modena, Italy. They also import cured meats such as prosciutto, speck, coppa, mortadella and pancetta arrotolata
(loosely translated as “rolled up”) from partner plants in Modena, owned and operated by the Simonini family for near 100 years. The partnership began in 2016 between Sunterra Meats, part of the Prices’ family-run food company with farming, processing and retail operations. In 2018, Soleterra d’Italia built a new facility near Acme and began producing authentic Simonini family recipes using Sunterra Farms pork. This allows products made at the Acme facility to be traceable back to the farm of origin. The Canadian and Italian plants use the same equipment to produce their meat products. “The sliced prosciutto is aged for 12 months using only three ingredients – ham, salt and time (not thyme),” said Sheldon Connors, accounts manager for Western Canada, who was reached at the virtual RC Show early in March. The salami is available in six unique flavours such as Contadino (peppercorn) and Tartufo (black truffle). It is fermented and dry cured, which gives it texture and taste. New from the company are salami sticks in such flavours as Calabrese Piccante, featuring chili peppers and paprika, and Finocchio, featuring fennel. These and other flavours are available in several formats for convenience and, being shelf stable, do not require refrigeration. The Alberta plant, producing since 2018, is federally Inspected, HAACP-certified and GFSI (BRC)-accredited. Soleterra Italia produces both branded and private-label products for food service and retail. Connor and Kelly Fron, his sales colleague in Eastern Canada, are available to help operators with their needs. soleterra.ca May/June 2021 · CANADIAN PIZZA
PIZZERIA OF THE YEAR • COVER STORY Continued from page 11
Family business Family and community mean everything to the brothers. Their close circle includes their parents, sister Susan, and their own families. Ali and his wife, Fatima, have four children: Elliyah, Abdul, Omar and Zayn. Moe and his wife Sameraa have three children: Abydah, Saeed and Saif. Fatima and Sameraa pitch in at the pizzeria when their husbands are working out in the neighbourhood. What have they been up to lately? Alimo’s continues to support the local food bank, women’s shelter, schools and local sports programs. They are busy planning and organizing sponsors for the annual Riverboat Days, a giant block party and children’s fest set for July. And – something new – they’ve been recognizing teachers
for their dedication in the face of a challenging school year. Last fall, Telus Canada awarded Alimo’s $500 in a campaign supporting small business called “Stand With Owners.” The brothers made the most of the prize, using it to provide free ice cream to teachers in town beginning on Teacher Appreciation Day in May. Since Ali is a trustee of three public schools, teachers and staff are never far from his mind. They handed out ice cream coupons to area schools. All told, that means about 200 teachers and school staff will enjoy an ice cream on Alimo’s. With local Foothills Creamery flavours such as Shark Attack, a blue-raspberry and shark-grey vanilla with a swirl of raspberry ribbon, it’s a unique treat. The brothers would like to make this an annual event.
CANADIAN PIZZA · May/June 2021 PZ_VirtualCompetition_HP2_MayJune21_CWM.indd 1
We asked them about their creative process and how they build momentum. “Being independent, we have more freedom than many businesses,” Moe says. “For most of our ideas, we don’t have to wait for approval like a franchisee typically would. We’re able to jump on it within a day or two. Some stuff we do and it doesn’t take off. Other stuff does.” Community involvement is where independents can shine, he says. “When you can’t match the prices of a franchise, you need to find your own way that’s not going to break the bank. It’s our way of levelling the playing field.” As we talk, they are enthusiastic about a “sign wars” campaign in the community, a fun campaign popping up in commu-
nities across Canada this spring. Businesses tease, challenge and name other local businesses on their signage, Moe explains. This friendly rivalry means that your business is advertised indirectly – almost subliminally – on other people’s signs. “Everybody’s kind of in a rut right now. People on Facebook and Instagram, they like to see that personal content. It’s marketing, it’s fun, and it’s something that brings the community together.” Ali says positivity is key. “It engages people and you see people in your community smiling and being positive. All our social media stuff is about building people up and leading by example. We give others an opportunity to join in and help us get the momentum going.” | CP
CanadianPizzaMag.com
23
2021-06-01 11:06 AM
COMPANION BAKING How collaboration gives this company its competitive edge BY NAOMI SZEBEN
J
osh Allen, the founder of Companion Baking, believes in the “4 Cs” of what make his company tick: Companionship, customers, community and their company. His service-based business helps bakeries improve their bread programs, from cost control and scaling to full distribution. Allen’s unspoken fourth “C” is collaboration. “We make what the customer needs that we don’t have. We don’t really have a bank of products that people choose Companion Baking creates its own line of dough, buns and loaves, but from, but we sit down and col- also creates a program for start-up food companies. laborate with the customer and work with them to fill a need to table bread in the early ’90s, the do both of those things so they tell their story to their customers. chef would say, ‘Look, we love us- reached out and they said, ‘Look, And that’s what we really have a ing your sourdough bread in the we need some help. We need to be passion for doing.” basket, but we make a hamburg- able to continue to produce pizza The company was in business er every day, can you make us a and meet that demand and we for 27 years, starting as a fresh really nice brioche hamburger need you to be able to make bread wholesale bakery. Companion bun?’ Or, a hotel would be using for us born in the capacity that Baking’s specialty lies in turnkey something in their restaurant, we need.’ We took some things programs for retail grocers and but they said, ‘Look, we need completely away from where they product development for emerg- banquet rolls, or we need break- were going, we took some things ing bakery innovators. How did fast pastries…’ and so it’s always that were an exact match, and in this company begin? been collaborative, the way we’ve the end, we found something sort of in the middle.” The pizzeria had It all started with Allen bor- grown our business.” Recently Companion Bakonly two weeks to get their new rowing money from his granding helped a pizzeria chain exline in order for fear of falling father to start the business. “His one piece of advice for me was pand while going clean-label. behind, but ultimately, the co-opalways ‘shut up and listen to your “They’ve been around for a long erative approached worked. “We customer and they’ll help you and time, but COVID ramped up improved the crust characteristell you how to be successful.’ So, their business… they got really tics of what they were looking for. we’ve always listened and we built busy during COVID selling piz- We improved the [clean-label] our product mix over the years in za. They had been making bread ingredient declaration, and we’ve for themselves for 40 or 50 years, been able to meet the demand responding to those needs.” “So, while we may have start- garlic bread and for a small sand- for them and they’ve been able to ed with the handful of hearth wich line that they were doing. grow their pizza business through breads that people were using for They realized that they couldn’t the pandemic.” 24
@CdnPizzaMag
They had two weeks to work it out, or else they would lose business by being far behind in orders, and Companion Baking made it work. Part of the company’s success lies in its ability to manage expectation. “A lot of times, customers have a very strong idea of what they need, how they want to get there. And we work through it a lot on paper and talk it through a lot before we even start to do samples. I think one of the things that folks appreciate about us, is that we’re very honest and transparent that we can’t do something or we can’t do it for a price they need. We explain that to them up front; we don’t waste a lot of energy either on our part or their part in thinking about opportunities if we can’t deliver. So, we try to spend a lot of energy in those upfront conversations and ask a lot of questions, and sometimes we can ask questions that they weren’t prepared to answer. Then, they’ve got to go figure out what the answers are to those questions. So, it’s still usually a good dialogue and I think that builds trust a lot of times.” Companion Baking thrives on problem-solving. “It’s just a real joy for us to try to sell those customization needs so that they can tell their story, whether it’s on the plate or on the package for customers.” Allen defines storytelling in a baking context as a company that can impart a sense of quality in their product through sharing the history of their ingredients or method of creating the baked goods. “We make ‘great’ special for you,” Allen says. “We built a business around an interest in specialization and customization and doing those kinds of things and so it’s been in our DNA from the beginning,” he adds. | CP Naomi Szeben is editor of sister publication Bakers Journal, where this article first appeared. May/June 2021 · CANADIAN PIZZA
PHOTO; MELANY ROBINSON, COURTESY OF COMPANION BAKING
PROFILE
INGREDIENTS SIMPLY DELICIOUS
plant-based cheese that will expand your customer base! vegan • Canadian made free of: dairy • gluten • soy • nuts
FREE SAMPLE
Advertisers Index Company
Page #
for qualified restaurants
Annex Bookstore ............................................25 Faema Company (Canada) Ltd. / Euro-Milan Inc. .........................................28 Canadian Pizza .......................................7,15,23 Goodstock Foods ...........................................25 Pizza Today / Pizza Expo ................................27 2021-03-25 11:08 AM Reiser / Robert Reiser & Co. ............................2 Ricco Food Distributor ...................................13 Springer’s Meats Inc. .....................................19 Stanislaus Food Products..............................4,5
Contact us for more info: 587-499-8793 sales@goodstockfoods.com prairiemelt.com @prairie.melt
PZ_goodstock_buscard_MarApr21_CSA.indd 1
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.
NEW RELEASE
PIZZA CZAR: RECIPES AND KNOW-HOW FROM A WORLD-TRAVELING PIZZA CHEF In his comprehensive first book, legendary pizza czar Anthony Falco teaches you everything you need to know to make pizza wherever you are, drawing from his singular experience opening pizzerias around the globe. If there’s one thing the entire world can agree on, it’s pizza. It just might be the world’s favorite food. In this definitive book, filled with hacks, tips, and secret techniques never before shared, International Pizza Consultant Anthony Falco brings the world of pizza to your kitchen, wherever you are.
$44.00
Item #1419747847
877-267-3473 CANADIAN PIZZA · May/June 2021
annexbookstore.com CanadianPizzaMag.com
25
GUEST COLUMN BY MAURIZIO MASCIOLI
Chef Maurizio Mascioli owns and operates Maurizio’s Pizzeria Inc. in Parry Sound, Ont. He is a volunteer firefighter for the Parry Sound Fire Department, two-time International Pizza Championship gold medal recipient and 2018 Master Chef recipient. He has received awards for outstanding customer service, entrepreneur of the year and business of the year from the Parry Sound Chamber of Commerce, and is an instructor for the School of Italian Pizza in Toronto.
Creating something from nothing
C
The frozen dough ball COVID-19 is still here, and let’s face it, it’s sticking around longer than we had hoped. Many of our fellow restaurateurs have had their indoor seating shut down and been left with takeout and/or delivery. Yet, there’s another untapped revenue stream: homemade meal kits. By allowing the customer to make pizza at home, you give a new dimension to the experience once had at your establishment. The main ingredient that’s most difficult, if not impossible, to re-create is your pizza dough ball. So, let’s freeze it for the customer. However, it’s not just any frozen dough ball. To do this right, it’s a flash-frozen dough ball. Flash-freezing using a specialized freezer is the only way to seal in the freshness and hydration of any food product. Food costs: Expect 3-5% | Profit percentage: 2677%
Focaccia bread From pizza dough ball to focaccia bread. At Maurizio’s Pizzeria, we make 26
@CdnPizzaMag
Food costs: Expect 17-20% | Profit percentage: 546%
Calzone
Real-world benefits: reach larger demographic incur little or no added costs add revenue streams reduce waste
one size of pizza using an approximately 230-gram dough ball. Now reimagine that dough ball stretched to form a bread bun – same volume, different shape. Bake in oven at 700 F for approximately 90 seconds, allow to cool. Do not cut. Buns keep fresh for two days refrigerated. When needed, slice in half, drizzle olive oil on both interior halves, crush Himalayan salt, kalamata olives, artichoke heart, rubbed basil, rubbed oregano and fresh rosemary. Bake for 90 seconds at 700 F. Remove from oven and, using a rocker knife, cut into slices perfect for any appetizer. Food costs: Expect 5-10% | Profit percentage: 1800%
Providing the group with variety gives you opportunity to keep all the dollars being spent for lunch or dinner at your venue.
Sandwiches Focaccia bun to sandwich bun. Same concept applies – same baked bun, different toppings and different cut. Most guests that buy in groups have difficulty deciding on just pizza. We’ve found that a single household will buy for everyone in that household during the current Ontario stay-at-home order. That household becomes the “new group order.” Sometimes, not everyone is feeling like a pizza. The sandwich gives those guests variety. Providing the group with variety gives you opportunity to keep all the dollars being spent for lunch or dinner at your venue.
Pizza dough ball to calzone. Same pizza-making concept applies – again just a different approach. Hand stretch pizza, add topping, herbs and spices to one side, fold over crust and finger-pinch edges to seal. Bake for approximately two minutes at 700 F, garnish with olive oil, additional herbs and spices, box and serve. As with sandwiches, the calzone adds that extra variety to your menu that manyother venues don’t offer. This puts your pizzeria at a higher percentage to claim the whole group seeking variety, time and time again.
The bottom line There are many other products you can add to your menu. However, for the most part, your food costs may be much higher than for the items discussed. Plus, bringing in something new item means another item you need to buy with the possibility of additional spoilage. With focaccia, sandwiches and calzones, you already have all the ingredients to create them. You move through your ingredients faster, maintaining freshness, limiting spoilage, while increasing revenue and customer satisfaction. What’s more, you don’t need a wood-fired oven to create any of these baked items. All you need is a high-temperature fast-recovery oven. Also, keep in mind, focaccia bread, sandwiches and calzones make an excellent option for catering meals and/or delivery as they retain their crunch and hydration longer than your typical thin-crust pizza. Food costs: Expect 13% to 18% | Profit percentage: 675%
This formula will add extra value to your venue now and well into the future. | CP May/June 2021 · CANADIAN PIZZA
PHOTO COURTESY MAURIZIO MASCIOLI
razy title, right? How can something be made from nothing? Think of it this way: nothing already exists in a form called thin-crust pizza. If we break it down to its basic comments, it looks like this: a round dough ball, topping ingredients and a box. A pizzeria exists because of the dough ball it uses. Now if we change the form of that dough ball, we create a new menu item. In turn, we create a new revenue stream from few or no added costs. Based on frozen dough balls, focaccia bread, sandwiches and calzones, your overall annual sales can be boosted from a very conservative $31,000 to $140,000 or more depending on your marketing and work-flow efficiency.
LEARN
SHOP CONNECT
JOIN US IN LAS VEGAS
AUGUST
Register at PizzaExpo.com with promo code EBR11 or scan below to receive $40 off your 3-day pass
17-19,2021 LAS VEGAS CONVENTION CENTER
Neapolis® is the first electric deck oven for Neapolitan Pizza; Created by Moretti Forni, it reaches the maximum temperature of 510°C. The oven is able to keep the heat exactly at the pre-set temperature. This is a fundamental element especially during the busiest moments of a pizzeria when the service needs to provide customers with precision and obviously a perfectly cooked pizza.
AdaptivePower®Technology allows to automatically manage the power according to the load inside the baking chamber. thus energy saving is guaranteed. With the exclusive DualTemp®Technology it is possible to separately manage the temperatures of ceiling and floor, for a perfect baking process with any type of products. The revolutionary Smart-Baking® Technology allom to separately manage the power of ceiling and floor.
Quality Foodservice Equipment since 1986 115 Matheson Blvd East Mississauga, Ontario L4Z 1X8 info@euromilan.com Toll Free: 855.544.8600
euromilan.com