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BACK-TO-SCHOOL PROMOTIONS • MARKETING 2.0 canadianpizzamag.com • September/October 2017

PIZZA FARM Integrity Foods has ultimate farm-to-fork experience

OCT. 16, 2017 | ATTENDEE GUIDE ON P. 21

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Volume 23 Issue 5 September/October 2017

GIVING YOURSELF A SALARY The benefits of taking a regular salary and the risks of not doing so

18 PIZZA FARM

Manitoba’s Integrity Foods has the ultimate farm-to-fork experience

21 CANADIAN PIZZA

SHOW GUIDE Check out what’s new this year in exhibitors, competitions and learning sessions!

ABOVE AND COVER: Jason Friesen tends a very special oven at Integrity Foods, near Riverton, Man., an organic bakery that has successfully diversified into pizza. Photo courtesy Integrity Foods

DEPARTMENTS 6

editor’s desk

pizza bites

the pizza chef

making dough

marketing insights

guest column

ONLINE IDENTIFY YOUR TOP 3 QUESTIONS FROM CUSTOMERS Training your employees to answer the top three questions your customers ask them will lead to loyalty to your restaurant, according to customer service expert Shep Hyken. Get tips to help you identify and train staff to respond to common questions at www.canadianpizzamag.com.

CANADIAN PIZZA EXTRAS | Little Caesars automates pickup with ‘Pizza Portal’ vending machine; Papa John’s suggests

gluten-intolerant diners not eat its gluten-free pizza … plus, the latest news and new products. www.canadianpizzamag.com

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2017 pizza 3

from the editor’s desk September/October 2017, Vol. 23, No. 5

Get the pizza to the people rones have successfully delivered pizza to customers, so I shouldn’t be surprised to read about self-driving pizza delivery. Yet I am impressed by news of a U.S. study undertaken by Domino’s Pizza and Ford to try to understand the role self-driving vehicles can play in pizza delivery. As part of the testing, researchers from both companies will investigate customer reactions to interacting with a self-driving vehicle as a part of their delivery experience, a move that suggests they are putting the horse before the cart, where it should be, by listening to their customers’ needs. Domino’s has a reputation for technological innovation. In 2015, the company worked with GM and Roush Enterprises to design a small car model for pizza delivery that boasted an illuminated warming oven. These developments can feel like ingenuity, progress and a threat to human jobs all at the same time. The Domino’s DXP warming-oven car seems designed to make the delivery driver’s life a little easier and a lot more efficient. But the notion of the self-driving car puts that very job at risk. You can’t halt progress – and if a product, tool or service pleases the customer, we can probably call it progress in the world of food service. Customers seem hungry for options, and I’m not just talking about choosing pizza toppings in a fast make line. Some want to eat their pizza at home with a houseful of hungry Peewee hockey players, some want to order it using their smartphone, some want to pick it up at the drive-thru, some want to take their time deciding at an instore kiosk and some want their ’za brought to their table along with a full description of how it’s made and time built in for questions. There are so many ways to get your pizza now. Five years ago, there may have been some eye rolling at some of the technology options out there. Today, they don’t seem quite so

outlandish. After all, we saw a relatively big burst of change happen when the internet came to town and people and industries like food service figured out how to put it to use. The less technical but possibly more game-changing third-party food delivery apps have made their mark on the restaurant industry. Some of these tools and technologies were created to push the limits. Others, like delivery services, are focused squarely on the customer and seem destined to stick around. There is room for all in this delivery potpourri: dine-in, home delivery, carryout, online ordering, drive-thru, self-serve kiosk, take ’n’ bake, catering, farmer’s market stands, delivery to campgrounds, and as you’ll read in our cover story, picnicking on the farm is an appealing option that is working for Integrity Foods. Think of these delivery methods not so much as items to tick off your list but options to consider then decide if they are right for your business and the market it serves. In some cases, it just makes sense to be on a platform like Just Eats, for example, just as it makes sense to have a Facebook presence – if that’s where your customers are. Ultimately it comes down to knowing your customer, justifying the choices you make and knowing how to communicate that to your customer. Any innovation that makes your job easier, satisfy current customers and tap into new ones is bound to have staying power. Some of you do pickup only, others focus more on delivery and many use a combination of methods. Let us know which new methods you are trying and what they are doing for your sales! •

6 pizza SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2017

Managing Editor Laura Aiken laiken@annexweb.com 416-522-1595 Editor Colleen Cross ccross@annexweb.com 519-428-3471 ext. 261 Publisher Christine Livingstone clivingstone@annexweb.com 519-429-5173 888-599-2228 ext. 239 Account Coordinator Shannon Drumm sdrumm@annexweb.com 888-599-2228, ext. 219 Media Designer Curtis Martin Circulation Manager Anita Madden amadden@annexbizmedia.com 416-442-5600 ext 3596 Group Publisher Martin McAnulty mmcanulty@annexweb.com COO Ted Markle tmarkle@annexweb.com President & CEO Mike Fredericks Mailing Address P.O. Box 530, 105 Donly Dr. S., Simcoe, ON N3Y 4N5 PUBLICATION MAIL AGREEMENT #40065710 Printed in Canada ISSN 1203-6838 Published seven times per year (Jan/Feb, Apr/May, Jun, Jul/Aug, Sept/Oct, Nov, Dec) by Annex Business Media Circulation email: lmalicdem@annexbizmedia.com Tel: 416-442-5600 ext. 3547 • Fax: 416-510-5170 Mail: 80 Valleybrook Drive, Toronto, ON M3B 2S9 Subscription Rates Canada – 1 Year $ 19.00 (+ applicable tax) Best pricing (Can/USA/foreign) available online at www.canadianpizzamag.com Occasionally, Canadian Pizza Magazine will mail information on behalf of industry-related groups whose products and services we believe may be of interest to you. If you prefer not to receive this information, please contact our circulation department in any of the four ways listed above.

Annex Privacy Officer privacy@annexbizmedia.com • Tel: 800-668-2374 No part of the editorial content of this publication may be reprinted without the publisher’s written permission. ©2017 Annex Publishing and Printing Inc. All rights reserved. Opinions expressed in this magazine are not necessarily those of the editor or the publisher. No liability is assumed for errors or omissions. All advertising is subject to the publisher’s approval. Such approval does not imply any endorsement of the products or services advertised. Publisher reserves the right to refuse advertising that does not meet the standards of the publication. www.canadianpizzamag.com

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pizzabites BRIEFLY | Smartphone could help detect E. coli, MIT researchers say; Papa John’s suggests gluten-intolerant diners not eat its gluten-free pizza | FOR MORE pizza news, check out our website, www.canadianpizzamag.com

Rude patrons could lead to more tips: U of Calgary study ervers mistreated by rude customers receive nearly double the amount in tips from other patrons in the restaurant, according to new research from the University of Calgary. A recent study published in the Journal of Applied Psychology examined how customers react after witnessing a fellow customer mistreat a restaurant employee. The study proposes that customer mistreatment of employees leads witnesses, that is, other customers, to leave larger tips, be supportive of and evaluate employees more positively. One of the three experiments demonstrated that employees who respond to mistreatment by talking back or being rude themselves are significantly less likely to get the support from other customers than those who respond neutrally. The study is entitled “When Fellow Customers Behave Badly: Witness Reactions to Employee Mistreatment by Customers.”

Pizzeria provides free pizza to B.C. fire victims izza King of Kamloops, B.C., has been doing its best to boost the morale of citizens displaced by recent wildfires in surrounding areas. On July 7, more than 40,000 residents were evacuated from their homes on five minutes’ notice and came into the city. When owner Parv Nann of Kamloops, B.C., heard from his employees and friends just how much some families had lost in the fires that engulfed areas around Kamloops, he started handing out his pizza and drink combo to anyone who asked for it. The poignancy of the situation was brought home for him when he saw a man at the local mall. Nann learned from mall staff that the man had had to leave his ranch and was forced to wait the weekend to withdraw money from his bank. “People lost their family pets, their homes and their belongings,” the pizzeria owner said. When you multiply the 4,500 slices handed out by $4 a slice, the cost of his good deed went into five figures. “People asked me why I do it when I must be losing money, and I say, ‘It’s a lot easier to lose your money than to lose your house,” Nann said. “If I can take their mind off it for even five minutes and put a smile on their faces, it’s worth it,’ he said. “I never got into this business to make a lot of money. When you make food, you make it for the enjoyment.” The three-year-old pizzeria, which has a dozen employees and serves “a thicker style” of pizza, also provides pizza to volunteers helping to evacuate homes. In mid-August, when Canadian Pizza talked with Nann, he reported that although some of the original fires had subsided, more were starting up.

For more news updated daily, visit www.canadianpizzamag.com

8 pizza SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2017

feature

Giving yourself a salary The benefits of taking a regular salary and the risks of not doing so BY TREENA HEIN

any restaurant owners – maybe you’re one of them – don’t give themselves any kind of regular pay and instead just take money out of the store account as needed. While this is technically legal, it is rather poor business management for a variety of reasons, whether it’s a corporation or a sole proprietor business arrangement. Before we look at exactly why it’s a risky practice and what you should do instead, let’s first look at what people do as an alternative to taking a salary. “Oftentimes, small business owners take a monthly draw, which is effectively a loan which they have to repay by their company year-end,” says Bob Sutter, a commercial credit banking specialist with 40 years’ experience. “This means they have to declare a salary or dividends at the end of the year, resulting in a big tax liability. Also, sometimes they borrow to repay the debt over the year-end point, and this does defer the tax payment if they don’t get caught.” All this, he says, is just plain bad tax planning. He advises that it’s always best to pay as you earn. Small business owners often also charge personal expenses (cellphone, vehicle expenses and so on) to the business on an ongoing basis instead of taking a salary and, to the extent they can get away with it, Sutter says it does result in reduced personal income, which in turn reduces personal income tax. It’s a situation of being constantly reimbursed instead of drawing a salary. However, Sutter advises being careful to keep good records and to ensure expenses are completely legitimate, or “reimbursements” may be treated as personal income in future Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) audits. Another scenario where owners don’t take a salary is where, if they needed to lend money to the business some time in the past, they can repay themselves in lieu of salary. No tax is therefore owed to the government. “This scenario, however, tends to reduce the credit worthiness of the business by reducing capitalization,” Sutter explains. “Financial institutions tend to look mainly at T4s to measure personal income and company-paid expenses, and loan repayments don’t show up there.” CRA media relations officer Zoltan Csepregi says that a business owner may draw funds from their business account for various reasons, including salary, loans, dividend payments or to help pay personal expenditures, but all payments have to be reported. Failure to report payments may be flagged by the CRA for

As a business owner, not giving yourself regular pay and instead just taking money out of the store account as needed is technically legal but rather poor business management.

review or audit. “Personal or living expenses cannot be deducted against business or personal taxes payable,” he adds. “An individual would have their personal tax returns opened to add the amount to their taxable incomes, as a benefit from the company. A taxpayer could face penalties on their corporate returns for the amount expensed and on their personal returns for the benefits received but not declared.” THE RISKS Putting aside the risk of audits and their potentially ugly consequences, the practice of not taking a salary can have a strong negative effect on one’s ability to get personal credit such as a mortgage. In assessing an application for a large loan, lenders must examine an applicant’s net income after expenses from a “Notice of Assessment” – in most cases, examining at least two years of net income and calculating an average. Obviously, if your net income is low, you may be refused, as an applicant’s “capacity to pay” is one of the most important factors in determining risk for a lender. So, to ensure success when trying to borrow to buy a home or even a car – which most of us need to do – it’s best to make sure lenders see a suitable amount of personal income so they can be reasonably sure the applicant can make the payments. Beyond the personal credit risks, we asked Alex Shteriev

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2017 pizza 9

feature (a managing director and partner at Beacon Corporation in on the corporate tax return. Dividends can be paid at year-end Toronto) how the practice of not taking a salary can impact your to distribute wealth to various individuals to take advantage of business. “It affects the amount of credit the business can re- the dividend tax credits, which reduces taxes payable, as well as ceive, as current financial obligations large or small are taken into lower individual tax brackets.” Sutter says the most reliable method of paying oneself in a account when determining the ability of the business to repay sole proprietor situation is to pay yourself a salaany loans,” he says. Sutter echoes the sentiment. ry and pay-source deductions (income tax, Cana“Overall,” he says, “credit ability of small businessdian Pension Plan and so on) like everyone else, es is tied to the personal worth and income of the Not taking normally on a quarterly basis. This method offers owner. Taking a salary shows commercial banka salary can several advantages, in Sutter’s view. “You don’t get ers a truer and less complicated picture of how behind with the CRA and there are no nasty surthe business is doing for business valuation and have a strong prises at tax time,” he says. “As we’ve discussed, business borrowing purposes.” Not taking a salanegative effect you also have a solid record of personal income ry does not affect selling your business, however, according to Shteriev, as all personal expenses and on one’s ability when attempting to borrow.” Sutter says that in addition, if it happens that the business made salaries are added back to obtain the true ability of to get personal more than enough to pay that salary, this can be the business to generate cash flow. credit such as a shown as elective income if necessary if the lender will recognize it. Elective means you could have PAYING YOURSELF CORRECTLY taken more salary than you did but chose to leave mortgage. In terms of the right way to pay yourself, Shteriev it in the business.” says there are multiple correct ways of doing it. There are other options, but they are harder to “One is not better than the other, but rather better for your situation,” he explains. “In a corporation, a salary can be keep track of, may risk unexpected outcomes at tax time and can paid if more cash is needed on hand. Personal expenses can be make it tougher to demonstrate the success of the business and run through the business, and if they are classified as non-taxable the personal income of the business owner. “You can pay yourself periodic draws by borrowing from the benefits, they will not be added to personal income and remain business or, as mentioned, repaying funds previously lent to the business, or pay yourself dividends from business profits,” Sutter says. “You can also pay yourself rent if you own the business property or pay yourself management fees or bonuses.” •

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the pizza chef

The lighter side of pizza Diana Cline

arlier this year, I flew to Las Vegas to judge the pizza culinary competitions for the International Pizza Challenge. Many people think judging a pizza competition is the best job in the world; however, it’s not all glamour and glitter. While it was a great honour to fill a chair, as with many things, there is a downside. Over the course of three days, I smelled and tasted more than 100 pizzas. When judging, you’re only sitting: there’s no getting up to walk around and get blood flowing to help digest all that food. All those pizzas – well, it was just too many in too short a time frame. And, I’ll be honest, not all of them were great. There’s a saying that’s often quoted to me: “Pizza is like sex, there’s no such thing as bad pizza.” I’ve always disagreed. The last day I wasn’t feeling so good. I couldn’t wait to get home to my own food. More than anything, I needed to go for a long walk. While judging, I was served all sorts of pizzas loaded up with tons of meat toppings. With a few of them I couldn’t be sure what kind of meat it was. One definitely smelled funky! I couldn’t be sure the pizzas I was judging were made with real-food ingredients. That’s not to say my experience was entirely bad, I was served a few absolutely fabulous pizzas; one dessert pizza that still lingers, and a few pizzas with edible flowers that were so very pretty as well as tasty. The last day I judged the gluten-free pizza baking category. Wow! Some of them I would have sworn were made with wheat flour. Several were creatively topped and very tasty. But, after 31 gluten-free pizzas, too much of anything isn’t good for the body or the soul. In the weeks prior to leaving for

Las Vegas, I had been eating mostly flavours were very satisfying, and no one vegetarian meals. I can’t say exactly why, seemed to notice there wasn’t any meat on only that I was guided to cook and eat veg- this ’zza. It scored the highest among all etarian dishes and pizzas, and that meat of my fellow judges: even with all of our no longer appealed to me. I’ve been doing differing preferences and tastes, this one a lot of meditation to enhance natural in- appealed to all of us. It’s worth mentiontuition, increase metabolism and clairvoy- ing that this winning pizza was lightly, or ance, and I was finding that many of my rather, sparsely, topped; the old adage that tastes were changing. less is more is especially true Naturally, every judge when making a pizza for a will have their own prefcompetition. In Vegas, some Many people erences and tastes, which of the pizzas I judged had think judging makes for a better compemore than a dozen toppings tition; if everyone thought on them, piled high one on a pizza that every generic budget top of the other, until you competition is pepperoni and mushroom attempted to pick up the pizza was the best there slice to eat it, at which point the best job was to be had, well, that they all fell off. Pizza isn’t in the world; would make for a very designed to hold that many short and boring competihowever, it’s not toppings, not even a deep tion. A fellow judges mendish or a pan pizza. Pizzas all glamour and that score the highest in all tioned that it seemed like we’d tasted the same pepthe competitions I’ve judged glitter. peroni and bacon pizza at have had toppings that were least six times in one heat. sparsely laid out rather than While your pizza may be the number 1 stacked on top of each other. seller on your menu, it won’t be enough to Whether you’ve already entered a pizza wow a judge’s palate when they’ve already competition, or are considering entering tasted a dozen other pizzas that are pretty one, I hope this column has been helpful. much all the same. When you consider the I wish all competitors good luck and a cost of entering and attending a culinary good competition! competition, you want to bring something Unil next column, be well! • that’s unique to your menu, unique to Diana Cline is a two-time Canadian Pizza magazine your region, or an entirely new creation. Last October, the pizza that took top Chef of the Year, three-time winner of “Canada’s Best Pizza Chef” at international pizza competitions, a judge for honours at the Canadian Pizza Show was international pizza culinary competitions in Las Vegas, entirely vegetarian, and, it’s not hard to Italy and France, and a partner with Diana’s Cucina & see why it won. It was very different from Lounge in Winnipeg. In addition to creating award-winning recipes, Diana is a consultant to other pizzeria the other entries. All the veggies were owner/operators in menu development, creating systems independently sautéed, or roasted, and to run a pizzeria on autopilot, along with marketing and enhanced with herbs and spices. It was positioning to help operators grow their business effectively and strategically. She is available for consulting unusual to find spiced pecans and beets on a limited basis, for more information contact her at on a pizza, but the combined textures and diana@dianascucinaandlounge.com

12 pizza SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2017

pizza bites

U.S. breaks record for world’s longest pizza n June 10, a U.S. team of chefs, equipment specialists and volunteers broke Italy’s record for world’s longest pizza and a Canadian oven expert played a key role in the event. The team of about 400 people worked at the Auto Club Speedway near Fontana, Calif., to make the record-breaking pizza, which was 1.93 kilometres (6,333 feet) long. It included several sub-teams of pizza makers, scaffolding constructors and engineers. One enthusiastic Canadian played an important role in the event. Philippe Levasseur, president and CEO of Les Entreprises Dynamix Global Inc. / Dynamix USA Corp in Montreal, was one of four on the engineering team. Levasseur’s job was to make sure everything was running smoothly. Levasseur’s preparation included several trips to California in the weeks preceding the record attempt to check on three Italforni conveyor ovens needed to cook the sauce-and-cheese pizza. The ovens were mounted on specially designed scaffolding and dollies that allowed them to move over the mammoth pie while it remained stationary. The pizza-making team – which consisted of Tony Gemignani, Giulio Adriani, Tom Lehmann, John Arena, Fred Mortati, Massimo

Balacchi and Jimmy DiSisto – started building the pizza at 8 p.m. They needed to proof the dough about an hour before it was ready for baking. They made the pizza in sections of three feet by 20 inches, storing them in a refrigerated truck as they went. “Besides being awesome, it was great being part of something big. And it was gratifying to break the record under all these conditions,” Levasseur told Canadian Pizza. Some of those conditions included tight health department rules that required the pizza to be boxed within four hours, holes in the pizza dough that had to be patched as they went along. The main issue was humidity, he said. They had to use propane to heat the ovens and the propane got cold. Nevertheless, the team beat the previous record set by Italy by about 300 feet, finishing at 3 p.m. on June 10 with a pizza measuring 6,333 feet – almost 1.3 miles – long. Proceeds and finished pizza were given to area charities and food banks. The event was sponsored by PizzaOvens.com, which is owned by Fash Asvadi, director at PizzaOvens.com and Italforni USA Ovens. Official sponsors include PizzaOvens.com, Italforni Authentic Italian Ovens, Orlando Foods (distributors for the Caputo flour used and Ciao brand tomatoes), Scaffold Works and Capstone Scaffolding, SoCal Gas, TFX Non-Stick, and Sysco, which provided the Riserva Cheese by Arrezzio. Jimmy DiSisto of Venice Bakery prepared the dough. •

TASTE THE

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making dough with Diane

Diane Chiasson ack-to-school season suggests a busier time for most families and a return to more regular business for a pizza restaurant. There are many quick-service and fast-casual restaurants that are working hard to promote to elementary schools, high schools and the more lucrative university market, and this is why you have to work harder to bring students and families back to your pizzeria. There are plenty of ways to attract students, parents and teachers to your pizzeria, and below are a few ideas that will help you maximize your sales:

PROMOTIONS FOR STUDENTS Social media – As you know, an excellent way to get promotions right in front of students is by using social media. Social media marketing is free unless you boost your posts for a few extra dollars, and social media has proven to be a remarkably effective way to promote restaurants. Students always search for pictures of food and therefore you should take some great snapshots of your weekly special and post it on your website, Facebook, Instagram and other popular social media venues. Special coupons – Plenty of high school, college and university students will be looking for easy and affordable meals, and they will likely make a repeat purchase from a pizzeria that offers student “combo deal” discount coupons. You should team up with your area colleges and universities and set up a booth during special events or simply ask them to distribute your coupons menus or flyers. Many restaurants are getting students in their doors by offering free appetizers, desserts or beverages, and you may consider offering a standing discount to those who bring in their student ID. You may offer free coffee coupons with a purchase of a

Increase sales with back-to-school-andbeyond promotions breakfast or some after-school treats. You restaurant and spend more time together. could also offer coupons to students who The best way to promote this with moms can demonstrate perfect attendance. You is to focus on giving them a break by not should think about launching a promoti- having them to stress over cooking and onal campaign that will provide students cleaning up and allowing her to enjoy a who come into your restaurant with free free evening with her family. Train your drinks coupons during Halloween season staff to upsell every chance they get, ofand throughout the month of November fering appetizers, desserts, beverages and when they purchase any entrée. sides to go along with your meals. Student lunch special – You may have a lot of local competition from other re- PROMOTIONS FOR TEACHERS staurants and chain restaurants, but if Be generous and considerate – What about your pizzeria is near a college or univer- these teachers? Who can forget the hard sity campus, there is nothing better than work they do inside and outside the classcreating and promoting a room? You should have student lunch special. Put some promotions geared together a few combos at directly to teachers and their You may a special price and market families. You can offer them these “student lunch spe- consider offering a free beverage or appeticials” on your website, sozer simply by asking them a standing cial media sites and flyers. to show you their teacher’s You should also add your discount to those badge. Parents or students daily special to an outside could come in and purchase sign to encourage students a “special teacher treat” couwho bring in and their friends to try pon set at a special price that their student ID. they can offer their favourite your food. teachers as a gift. You could PROMOTIONS FOR also have a designated “teaPARENTS cher day or evening.” Be thoughtful – You should also think of These are great opportunities for your parents who would love to enjoy quiet time business to reach out to parents, students away from the hustle and bustle of regular and teachers, and in doing so to greatly family life. Consider offering a “parent’s increase your sales. It may also encourage day out” lunch or dinner special or “buy- students and parents to interact and bond one-get-one” (BOGO deals) parent meals. with each other outside of a classroom Designate a family night – Parents want setting. • their kids treated special and vice versa. You should focus on sending a message Diane Chiasson, FCSI, president of Chiasson Consultants that you are a family-friendly restaurant, Inc., has been helping food service, hospitality and retail operators increase sales for over 30 years by providing and you may want to look at designating innovative and revenue-increasing food service and retail one night, such as Tuesday, as a “family merchandising programs, interior design, branding, menu get-together” promotion. This will en- engineering, marketing and promotional campaigns. Contact her at 416-926-1338, toll-free at 1-888-926courage your student community to meet 6655 or chiasson@chiassonconsultants.com, or visit www. with their parents once a week at your chiassonconsultants.com

16 pizza SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2017

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2013-11-11 11:06 AM

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Pizza farm Photo courtesy Integrity Farms

Manitoba’s Integrity Foods provides the ultimate farm-to-fork experience

BY COLLEEN CROSS

izza lovers are dining al fresco in rural Manitoba and it all began with a wood-fired oven named Hildegard. Hildegard can be found at Integrity Foods, a thriving retail organic bread and pizza business run by Dora and Cornelius Friesen on their farm outside Riverton, Man. The Friesens, who started the bakery in the 1990s, built the oven outside during a workshop they commissioned in 2002 from expert baker and oven builder Alan Scott. Scott, who operated OvenCrafters in Petaluma, Calif., wrote The Bread Builders, a seminal baking book they admired. “Alan told us what materials we’d need to build an oven and we built the oven’s core in a weekend,” Dora Friesen says. The couple then converted their attached, double-car garage into a retail space where they sold their bread. “Neighbours thought we were crazy,” Dora says with a chuckle. Scott, who has since passed away, also prepared for the Friesens an organic spelt

desem – unleavened, or sourdough – starter. “The brick oven and desem starter he created have been the heart and soul of our bakery,” Dora says. “Pizza night was the outcome of our desire to share the gift of this oven.” Pizza sales make up about 25 per cent of their sales. Pizzas are made on weekends from the third weekend of June until the third weekend in November. “It’s our summer,” she says. “People drive out from Winnipeg – a two-hour drive – especially to visit the farm.” In 2009, they built a second oven indoors that they christened Cora – a combination of their names, Cornelius and Dora. The pizza crusts, which are made from this starter, contain organic whole-grain spelt flour, water and sea salts. Sourdough spelt is what sets their crust apart, she says. “People were asking for naturally leavened bread.” There was a learning curve with the oven. “We had to learn quickly,” Dora says. “The pizzas bake quickly and transferring

them to and from the oven was tricky.” After a chaotic evening “oven-warming” event that saw hundreds of pizzas going in and coming out of the oven at breakneck speed, they realized the answer to their efficiency problem was prebaking the crusts and bagging them in bulk so they’re ready for topping. Customers fall into all age groups and they spread the word about this hidden gem. “Some families have come out for years, and now their children come,” she says. The business is listed in the county’s travel guide, which helps attract tourists. They are not on Facebook but they do have a stylish, descriptive website (www. integrityfoods.ca) created by graphic design students who visited the farm. PIZZA AL FRESCO, CANADIAN STYLE On pizza night, guests are encouraged to relax, tour the grounds and have a picnic on the farm. Although they have a retail store where they sell bread, they don’t have an indoor

ABOVE: Jason Friesen pulls a pizza from the bakery’s wood-fired oven nicknamed Hildegard at Integrity Foods.

18 pizza SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2017

the garden and handles agri-tourism. She describes her role in the business matter-of-factly as “the head that steers everything and directs the affair.” They currently have two bakers on staff. Staff get a nice perk, she says: “their own pizza picnic each night after everyone else is happy.” That’s where they experiment with new pizzas, she adds. They’ve been thinking of putting a chef’s choice pizza on the menu for August. “Visitors could tell us what they don’t want or can’t have on their pizzas – the rest is up to the chef!” One challenge that comes with running a rural food business two hours from most suppliers in Winnipeg is the need to think ahead and stock up on perishable supplies. “If we run out of something, for example, the Bothwell cheese we use, we’re in trouble,” she says. Supplies are delivered once a month, and although they have a freezer, it’s a balancing act between being overstocked and running out of ingredients.

THE TEAM Although the Friesen children have grown and gone on to other careers, the business is still very much a family enterprise. Son Jason and brother-in-law Dwight spent several years as the main bakers and now help as needed. Daughter Debbie is their accountant and advisor. Cornelius mills the grain, fires the oven, and on baking days does most of the brick oven baking. Dora works in the bakery, tends to

A PLACE OF LEARNING The bakery and farm have become a hub for learning over the years, drawing post-secondary students from a school in France who have boarded with them every year until the last year for a threemonth work placement from July to October. Among other requirements, the students must develop a new product. Last summer, they created a dense cake they would typically have in Brittany,

Photo courtesy Integrity Farms

restaurant space. However, a gazebo with tables, chairs and umbrellas ensures diners stay dry as pies are pumped out, rain or shine. Some people spread out blankets on the ground. The pizzas are sold whole and boxed, Dora says, adding that they’ve never sold by the slice. Visitors may quench their thirst with water, coffee and iced mint tea made from mint grown in the garden, or purchase soft drinks. Some bring their own drinks and salads, she says. The experience is kid-friendly, with lots to keep all ages busy when not eating. There are play areas for torpedo ball and soccer, a forest trail, photo albums to browse and a vegetable garden to explore. Dora is always ready to talk with visitors about homegrown and local food. Animals share the space with humans – including an alpaca, birds, sheep, rabbits, goats, chickens, ducks, geese and a friendly silkie rooster named Elvis. The family dog sits nearby looking longingly at guests and their pizza. “And kittens – there are lots of barn kittens every year,” Dora says. “We’ve had some adoptions.”

PICK-YOUR-OWN PIZZA Most of the vegetable toppings come from the farm, and as you might expect, there is an emphasis on using local products. At one time bison was a topping choice, but with prices so high at the moment they have switched to grass-fed beef, she says. Perhaps their best-known pizza, and Dora’s favourite, is the Garden Special. People are given a basket and encouraged to walk the garden, filling their basket with whatever vegetables they choose. They then bring their selection to the oven area where staff use them to create a pizza that is about as custom-made as they come. The veggies are added raw but Dora thinks in future they might create a station to cook the toppings before they go on the pizzas. What are the most popular vegetables? “People seem to like the beets,” she says. One of Friesen’s favourites, Fisherman’s Catch, features Lake Winnipeg pickerel cheeks, lemon tidbits, fresh dill and a house-made white cream sauce. “That one is very tasty,” she says.

Their best-known pizza is the Garden Special. People are given a basket and encouraged to walk the garden, filling their basket with whatever vegetables they choose.

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2017 pizza 19

profile France, with some fruit layered into it, Dora says. Pizza was one of their favourite items to experiment with, she adds. “Previous students developed a pizza that was representative of foods in their own French tradition.” What’s in store for the business? A little less hustle, if Dora has her way. With the wholesale baking division in transition to become a year-round operation that her daughter Judith and her husband Dave Newsom will run from a bakery in Winnipeg, the “head” of the business anticipates having more time to grow the pizza side of the business and enjoy the fruits – and vegetables – of her labour. Next summer she plans to develop more products. They’ve been primarily a bread bakery, specializing in spelt/sourdough, and occasionally cookies and cakes. She would like to expand the range of their products. She also would like to host more pizza-related events and farm tours. She looks forward to devoting more time to their Artisan Baker for the Day, a workshop that lets participants learn about whole grains, methods and benefits of milling fresh flour, different styles of breadmaking, and baking in a wood-fired oven. For all of the Friesens’ business savvy, you get the distinct feeling Integrity Foods is not only a livelihood but also a philosophy of life and of food. That philosophy emphasizes the health of people and their environment and includes the use of quality ingredients that are organic, local and affordable, if possible.

ELEMENTS OF AN AGRI-TOURISM BUSINESS Grain mill Wholesale bakery Retail bread store and stand Pizza nights Farm and bakery tours Bread-baking workshops Catering for companies, service clubs and tour groups Garden Play area and trails “As people are becoming more informed about food and how it’s grown, I think they’re making choices that make a statement,” Dora says. “They want to know it’s not only good tasting but that it was grown in a very good way, and then prepared in a very pleasing way as well.” “Our pizza prices are fairly high, but we know it’s not only a pizza, it’s an experience. But we don’t apologize because we know we are choosing quality and for people who want the quality, they will come.” • For more success stories, visit www.canadianpizzamag.com > Profiles

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2017-09-05 7:32 AM

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2017 pizza 21

WELCOME

Welcome to your show... bring your camera! It’s the only trade show in Canada dedicated to the art and business of making fresh pizza!

he Canadian Pizza Show is for the hard-working pizza industry. We’ve made it easier than ever to enjoy a day of pizza appreciation and business networking. The competitions will be centre stage again, and we have a couple of fun new events for you. (See page 25!) We want to extend a very special thank-you to our generous and active sponsors, exhibitors, speakers and judges for your participation, your enthusiasm and, above all, your support. You help make this show an event like no other

with value for all attendees. We thank you, our pizzerias, for giving up a day out of your busiest month. This show is for you, but we couldn’t put it on without you! Talk to the folks in the booths – they are here to help you work smarter and make more money. Take advantage of top-notch menu tips from Jeff Dover and Diana Cline. Enter the competitions: they are intense, adrenalin-driven and, incidentally, a lot of fun! We have a special request for those of you not competing: please bring your

cameras, snap away, share photos of your favourite moments and pizzas on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, and tag them #CdnPizzaShow so we can help share them with your pizza community where they will be seen by fellow pizzerias and also your customers. We think there is something here for the whole team to benefit from and it’s something special that you won’t find anywhere else – an atmosphere of learning and sharing within the Canadian market. Enjoy! – Canadian Pizza magazine

CMY

THANK YOU

22 pizza SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2017

It’s not just pizza.

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SCHEDULE 8:30 a.m.

Registration opens

9:00 a.m.

Trade show opens

10:00 -11:30 a.m.

Chef of the Year – Traditional Cheer on our pizza chefs as they compete. Competitors provide the dough, cheese/cheese blend and spices. They must use a red sauce. No more than two of the following toppings may be added: pepperoni, sausage, bacon, ham, mushrooms, peppers, tomatoes, onions and olives.

10:30 a.m.

Somerset Sheeter Beater Challenge Location: SP Sales booth

11:30 a.m.

Boost Your Average Cheque Through Your Menu Jeff Dover of consulting firm fsSTRATEGY will show you how to work your menu, flyers and other promotional materials to full advantage to boost your bottom line.

12:00 p.m.

Seasonal Pizza Challenge Pizza makers compete for a prize of 5,000 flyers by creating holiday or seasonally inspired pizzas: Got a fun Super Bowl pizza? An Easter-themed dessert pizza? Register now and get in on the fun! Co-hosted by Canadian Pizza and special guest Diana Cline!

12:30 p.m.

Somerset Sheeter Beater Challenge Location: SP Sales booth 106 & 108

1:30 p.m.

Chef of the Year – Open Cheer on our pizza chefs in the division where imagination is the only limit! Competitors may enter a pizza with any combination and number of toppings they choose. Crust may be traditional or deep-dish.

2:30 p.m.

Somerset Sheeter Beater Challenge Location: SP Sales booth 106 & 108

3:10 p.m.

Great Pizza Box Fold-Off Think you’re a fast folder? Show us just how fast you can fold 10 large pizza boxes as you go for glory against your speedy peers!

3:30 p.m.

How to Capture the Vegan Pizza Market in Your Area Award-winning chef, pizzeria owner and restaurant consultant Diana Cline will discuss common myths of vegan and vegetarian diets, identifying just who your vegan and vegetarian customers are and what every independent pizzeria owner needs to know to serve them.

4:00 p.m.

Prizes awarded Great Pizza Box Fold-Off, Sheeter Beater Challenge final, Chef of the Year division winners.

4:15 p.m.

Chef of the Year showdown Traditional meets Open as division winners go head to head in an exciting bake-off to decide Chef of the Year.

4:30 p.m.

Chef of the Year announced / Trade show closes

24 pizza SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2017

NEW THIS YEAR SEASONAL PIZZA CHALLENGE Do you make a cool holiday or seasonally inspired pizza? A Super Bowl pizza? An Easter-themed dessert pizza? A Canadian flag-inspired pie? Here’s your chance to show us what you’ve got! Entrants must incorporate a holiday or theme into their pizza. How you do that – through crust, sauce or toppings, flavours, colours or shape – is up to you! As you assemble and tell us about your pizza, we will lead a fun brainstorming session on how to reel in customers with a creative, irresistible themed pizza. Pizza chef Diana Cline and Canadian Pizza editor Colleen Cross will co-host the competition, judges will judge your pie and attendees will vote in a secret ballot. The winner will receive 5,000 custom-designed flyers printed and delivered to their pizzeria!

SHEETER BEATER CHALLENGE All attendees can test their dough-opening skills against a Somerset dough sheeter in the Sheeter Beater Challenge, sponsored by Somerset and SP Sales (distributor). Top placers will have a showdown for the grand prize of a BakerStone pizza oven box! Spots are limited. Register online or at the booth.

MORNING AND AFTERNOON MINI SESSIONS

Boost Your Average Cheque Through Your Menu (11:30 pm) Increasing your average cheque is a tried-andtrue method for boosting your bottom line. Get solid tips for encouraging your customers to spend more in your pizzeria! Jeff Dover of consulting firm fsSTRATEGY will show you how to work your menu, flyers and other promotional materials to full advantage to boost your bottom line. Don’t miss this informative session! How to Capture the Vegan Pizza Market in Your Area (3:30pm) Meatless Mondays aren’t just a fad: they’re consistently gaining popularity. Award-winning chef, pizzeria owner and restaurant consultant Diana Cline will discuss common myths of vegan and vegetarian diets, identifying just who your vegan and vegetarian customers are and what every independent pizzeria owner needs to know to serve them. She’ll give tips and insights on how to choose ingredients and share a few specialty gourmet vegan pizza recipes to help you wow this under-served segment of the marketplace. Don’t miss this exciting session!

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2017 pizza 25

EXHIBITORS

Exhibitors and Sponsors of the 2017 Canadian Pizza Show GOLD SPONSOR of Canadian Pizza Show

Finica Food Specialties Ltd finica.com Booth 104 GayLea Foods gaylea.com Booth 119

Ardent Mills ardentmills.ca Booth 109/110 Burke Corporation burkecorp.com Booth 400/402 Chase Global Foods chaseglobalfoods.com Booth 400/402 Covertex Corporation covertexcorp.com Booth 206 Crown Cookware crowncookware.ca Booth 206 Daniel’s Brands igginternational.com Booth 105 GOLD SPONSOR of Canadian Pizza Chef of the Year

Haymach Canada Inc. haymach.ca Booth 102 Heritage Parts Canada heritageparts.ca Booth 208 Hobart Canada hobart.ca Booth 203/205 IGG International igginternational.com Booth 105 Krinos Foods Canada Ltd. krinos.ca Booth 505 Lallemand lallemand.com Booth 317 Lesaffre Yeast Corporation lesaffre.com Booth 217

GOLD SPONSOR of Canadian Pizza Chef of the Year

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Moretti Forni Canada morettiforni.ca Booth 313/315

Neil Jones Food Company neiljonesfoodcompany.com Booth 216 Reuven International reuven.com Booth 202 Reiser reiser.com Booth 218 Salamina Foods salamina.ca Booth 207/209 DIAMOND SPONSOR of the Canadian Pizza Show & Canadian Pizza Chef of the Year

GOLD SPONSOR of Canadian Pizza Show Saputo Foodservice saputo.com Booth 208/309

Escalon Premier Brands Heinz Canada escalon.net Booth 116/118 Faema Canada faema.ca Booth 313/315

Marsal Pizza Ovens marsalovens.com Booth 115 Message on Hold messageonholdservice.com Booth 309

26 pizza SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2017

Somerset somerset.com Booth 106/108 Splice Digital splicedigital.com Booth 503 S.P. Sales spsalescanada.com Booth 106/108 Sugardale sugardale.com Booth 400/402 Valassis valassis.com Booth 120 Viau Foods viaufood.com Booth 105 W.D. Colledge wdcolledge.com Booth 115

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marketing insights

The 4 Ps of marketing . . . 2.0 Michelle Brisebois

ntrepreneurs typically have great marketing instincts that allow them to identify a business opportunity, launch it and grow it. Instincts are invaluable, but it’s good to remember that marketing is a practice based on solid theory as well. Understanding this theory and applying it strategically can help you gain new customers, increase revenue and build profit. The “Four P’s” of marketing remains one of the most reliable tools through which we can pull certain levers to stoke the flames of success. But in a digital world do those principles still ring true?

PRICE Too often, price is the default lever business owners go to if they aren’t comfortable with other marketing strategies. The right price is the highest one you can charge that customers will be willing to pay and feel they’ve received good value for money. Pulling on the price lever too often results in a “race to the bottom” leaving little margin in which the business can operate. Promotional pricing is an effective tool to attract customers or highlight certain products, but don’t discount too frequently or customers will become trained to wait for the sale and your margins will be eroded. Check on your competitors often to ensure your prices are in the right zone.

PRODUCT The obvious products are your menu items but services count here too. The style, quality and attributes that make it unique are all aspects of the product offering. A product that lacks quality or a unique point of difference is vulnerable to competitive threat. Are you investing in innovation? Do you have written quality standards? Is what you offer truly unique? By continuously asking and addressing these questions, you will shore up your product offering.

PRICE 2.0 Digital tools have given the consumer a lot of pricing power. It’s so easy for them to check prices on the fly and compare your offering to others nearby. These tools also allow you to provide digital coupons pushed directly to customers’ computers or smartphones. You’ll save on the printing costs and make it easier for customers to redeem them because they won’t have to bring a paper coupon from home.

PRODUCT 2.0 Product attributes need to be honed for digital exposure. Do you have great photos? Not just good photos but great, gorgeous enticing, I-want-it-right-NOW photos? Are the product descriptions so tempting they make the mouth water? Is your website mobile-friendly to ensure it can be easily viewed on all handheld devices? Remember: Amazon’s profit is driven largely by its cloud services, so consider adding downloadable content to your product offering that you could charge for, such as an online cooking school.

PLACE This is where your product can be obtained and how easy it is to find. For food service, “place” is an expanding part of the marketing mix. The traditional place to find your products is likely your bricks-and-mortar restaurant, and if you have delivery it can be at the customer’s door. That’s assuming your bricks-and-mortar location was established in an area with market potential surrounding it: is that still the case? Has the neighbourhood changed in the years you’ve been in business? Those young families who ordered pizza every Friday night may now be

28 pizza SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2017

empty nesters interested in artisan cuisine; if so, you’ll need to revisit “product” perhaps by offering smaller portions and more upscale ingredients. PLACE 2.0 Digitally speaking, your place will be your website, online store or other digital tools like UberEats. Making it easy for customers to find you online will soon be paramount. Google often changes its algorithms to favour websites with characteristics it wants to reward. Responsive websites and sites with high content engagement are examples of two attributes Google will reward you for having. Online ordering of food is predicted to overtake traditional walk-in or phone ordering by 2022 so restaurateurs should not neglect their websites and online presence. PROMOTION Promotion is all about getting the word out through advertising, signage, banners and word of mouth. These activities require you to invest time, money and creativity to make people aware of your brand. Make sure you audit your promotional activities regularly to look at your spend versus your return on that spend. Who are you targeting? If your target market has shifted to become empty nesters, you may need to shift from coupons and sponsoring little league to a direct mail offer of your new, smaller artisan pizza. PROMOTION 2.0 The challenge with promotion in the digital space is that the time in which to make an impression is much shorter. If you engage in email marketing, Facebook ads or promotional updates via Twitter, it’s important to analyze your open rates, conversion rates, engagement (likes, comments, shares) and to test different offers and wording. •

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MARKETING

Learn tips & tricks from a Master Pizziolo. Order your copy of Canadian Pizza Baking Champion Diana Cline’s cookbook Passionate About Pizza at the Annex Bookstore

647.557.3477 info@italiana.ca

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Company

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Italiana.ca

Advertisers Index

2016-12-19 10:31 AM

Page #

Annex Bookstore .......................................................... 17 Ardent Mills ....................................................................2 Burke...............................................................................7 Canadian Pizza Show/Chef .......................................14-15 Canadian Pizza Show Guide .....................................21-27 Escalon .........................................................................23 Finica ............................................................................20 Marsal Pizza Ovens .......................................................27 Message on Hold ..........................................................17 Middleby Marshall.........................................................11 Moretti Forni .................................................................31 2016-12-12 7:59 AM Pizza Power Page ..........................................................29 Ricco Food Distributor ..................................................13 Salamina .......................................................................25 Salerno..........................................................................13 Saputo ..........................................................................32 Springer’s Meats ...........................................................10 Stanislaus ................................................................ 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.

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2017 pizza 29

guest column

Top 4 email marketing mistakes Bruce Irving

mail has been around a long time. I always think way back to the days of AOL and getting so excited to hear the old “You’ve got mail” notification. The novelty shortly wore off a little and people started to ignore the vast majority of emails bombarding their inbox. Email marketing started to become passé and along the way you may even have heard that email marketing was dead. Maybe before you even got a chance to really use or understand the power of email for your business. Well guess what? It isn’t dead . . . not even close. Those who think email marketing is dead simply do not know how to use it well. Here are five mistakes to avoid when getting started with email marketing. These are common mistakes that almost everyone thinking about starting an email marketing campaign makes. If you find yourself doing any of these, stop and use this article to implement a great email marketing strategy. Let’s get into it . . .

1. NOT COLLECTING EMAILS FROM EVERYONE WHO VISITS YOUR WEBSITE I see this in most restaurant websites. There is no offering on the homepage for your customers to opt into. Why wouldn’t you ask anyone who visits your website to input their email address in exchange for a gift? They obviously went to your website for a reason: give them an opportunity to give you their email. If you don’t, you’ll be missing out on one of the best ways to grow your target list. Offer a discount or a free item in exchange for their email address. It could

be something like a weekly giveaway to a dollar amount off their next order. Think of something you could start offering and get started converting those visitors into emails! 2. NOT SENDING EMAILS WHEN PEOPLE SUBSCRIBE TO YOUR LIST This is something that I talk about with our clients all the time. They get so overwhelmed by the thought of not knowing what to say that they never say or send anything. Someone who signs up for your email wants to hear from you. However, consumers have short attention spans. If they don’t hear from you, they quickly forget you. It’s the same as someone calling your restaurant only to find you’re not answering the phone! Then calling them back two weeks later saying “Hey, we are ready to take your order now.” They forgot that they even called you. You blew it! 3. ASKING FOR TOO MUCH INSIDE EACH EMAIL You have so much to say you try and ask for five or six things inside your email. This will only overwhelm your customer and result in them taking no action at all. When sending your emails, ask for one thing. If you really have to ask for two, put the second one in the P.S. When we consume emails we are programmed to look at the headline (why we opened) then we scan the email (this is why bullet points or bold headlines are great). Lastly, we read the P.S. note. If those grab our attention then we’ll read the rest. If they don’t, you’ll get deleted and disappear forever.

30 pizza SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2017

4. NOT MAKING IT EASY TO READ ON A MOBILE DEVICE Like I said in number 3, we scan, and if it looks good, then we read. Use bullet points, easy-to-read fonts and big type sizes (15 points). Most of your emails will get read on mobile so before you send it as a broadcast, send a test email to yourself and read it on your phone. If it looks good and it’s easy to read, your click-through rate will dramatically increase. Not only that but when you send a future email people will remember yours are easy to read and they’ll get opened. 5. BEING BORING Too many people write emails they want to send, not that people want to read. Reverse-engineer the process and put yourself inside the shoes of the reader. Would you really care about what you’re sending? Is it entertaining in the least or are you just saying how great you are or always trying to sell a product? It’s not always about selling in the email. Tell stories. Be worth reading. If you are, then the sale will come in time. Thanks for reading and I hope this helped. If you’d like some help or have any questions about becoming an email marketing pro, get in touch. • Bruce Irving is the marketing visionary behind SmartPizzaMarketing.com and host of the weekly Smart Pizza Marketing podcast. On his podcasts, he interviews the leading minds of the pizza restaurant industry. Irving, an expert marketing consultant and former pizzeria owner, has turned Smart Pizza Marketing into a top full-service digital agency built for pizzeria restaurants, and designed and created specifically to help restaurant owners get more customers. He may be contacted at Bruce@SmartPizzaMarketing.com

MC/TM

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