This post was updated May 7, 2024 to reflect current year’s Mother’s Day information.

Ways to Show Appreciation this Mother’s Day at your Restaurant

Invite moms to spend Mother’s Day on Sunday, May 12th at your pizzeria. Moms love pizza and family. Pizza is the perfect shared food to celebrate the occasion.

Mother’s Day at Restaurants: The Stats

Plan accordingly. To help, National Restaurant Association survey is filled with Mother’s Day dining habits. Many moms want to let restaurants do the cooking on their special day, according to the National Restaurant Association survey. finds 43% of consumers plan to use restaurants to celebrate, with 34% saying they’ll dine out and another 12% expecting to order takeout on Mother’s Day.

How will you commemorate the day? NRA asked what consumers are looking for. Here’s how they responded:

• 56% want to pamper the mother-figures in their lives, or even themselves.
• 48% would like to create a special experience with family and/or friends.
• 39% would like to avoid cooking or cleanup at home.
• 28% say convenience is a factor.

What about takeout or delivery? NRA found options that would make them more likely to choose one
restaurant over a similar restaurant:

• 47% say they’d select a restaurant offering a Mother’s Day discount.
• 45% would choose a restaurant offering multi-course meal bundles (appetizer, entrée and dessert).
• 42% would choose a restaurant offering free add-ins for Mom, like special cocktails, desserts, flowers, chocolates, or a small gift.
• 36% would select a restaurant offering free or discounted delivery.

Which daypart should you focus on?

NRA’s survey discovered 52% will choose dinner, while 43% plan for lunch. Brunch is also popular, with 28% and 13% plan to go out for breakfast.

Explore more of the survey findings.

6 Ways to Show Appreciation this Mother’s Day

Now, let’s look at a few marketing and promotion ideas you can show Appreciation this Mother’s Day at your pizzeria.

• Showcase the moms that work at your restaurant on social and on digital boards, if available.
• Offer a discount or free meal to moms when group of four dine in.
• Create a Mother’s Day Family bundle with apps, pizza, desserts and drinks.
• Do a callout on social for people to tag their moms and nominate them to receive ______ (i.e. pizza bundle, free pizzas, special gift.) Draw winner(s) on Mother’s Day.
• Create a “mom”-inspired Pizza of the Day. Blast it on social.
• Do a gift card trade with another business and run giveaways on Mother’s Day. Don’t forget to promote beforehand by doing shared posts with the partnering business.

Mother’s Day Hashtags

Try adding some hashtags to your Mother’s Day promotions and posts. Don’t forget to create your own hashtags to honor moms like #momlove____pizzeria. Here are a few popular Mother’s Day hashtags:

#happymothersday #mothersday2024 #thanksmom #mymomisthebest #bestmomever #momoftheyear

Don’t forget to share your Mother’s Day celebrations with us on social @PizzaToday

The post Mother’s Day: Moms Love Pizza. UPDATED appeared first on Pizza Today.

A Family Affair: Honoring Tradition & Building on Success

• Company has doubled in size.
• Franchise system has grown from 10 partners to 45 partners.
• Chain named one of five innovative restaurant brands recognized by Nation’s Restaurant News with a 2023 CREATORS Award.
• Average unit sales 60% higher than pizza industry average.
• Franchise satisfaction rating 13 points higher than franchise benchmark.

A Familiar Face Takes the Helm

Building on a Solid Family Foundation for Continued Growth

About Donatos Pizza

The post Donatos Pizza CEO Announces Retirement appeared first on Pizza Today.

Common pizza dough problems and how to fix them

This extensive guide for troubleshooting your pizza dough and pizza crust answers common pizza dough problems to help you make a better pizza. Whether you are a professional pizza maker and pizzaiolo or an at home pizza maker and pizza chef, answers to common dough questions can help you perfect your pizza. Pizza Today has spent four decades providing solutions to pizza dough issues that pizzerias face. Through Dough Doctor, Knead to Know and Kitchen features, we have helped pizzerias learn more about pizza dough productions, management and fixing pizza dough problems. We have a section of PizzaToday.com dedicated to Dough Production & Development. Bookmark that link and browse through recent articles.

Here, we are addressing common dough problems and how to fix them. Before you dive into specific pizza dough questions, go ahead and bookmark this page. We will continue to add more dough questions and solutions.

What’s wrong with my pizza dough?

There are many things that could be wrong with your dough. Maybe your pizza is sticking to the peel. Maybe your dough is too soggy or your dough is undercooked… this guide has answers to all of these common concerns and more

Explore the following common pizza dough questions with many resources to help solve each issue:

How do I get rid of the gum line on pizza crust?

Why is my pizza crust soggy?

Why does my pizza dough keep snapping back when I try to stretch it? Why does my dough not stay stretched?

How to prevent my pizza crust from bubbling in the oven?

How do I stop getting my pizza stuck on the pizza peel?

What do I do if I ruin my batch of pizza dough?

How do I keep the ingredients from sliding off my pizza crust?

Why is my pizza dough weak and tears when I stretch it?

Why is my pizza crust undercooked?

Why is my pizza crust too tough or chewy?

Why is my pizza dough too soft?

Why is my pizza dough so sticky?

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How do I get rid of the gum line on pizza crust?

What do you do when your pizza has a dreaded gum line? First, what is a gum line? The gum line is the doughy section of the crust, basically undercooked dough of the crust under its sauce, toppings and cheese.

4 causes of the gum line on finished pizza crust

The late Dough Doctor Tom Lehmann identified four common factors that contribute to the development of the gum line. They are:

1. Excessive thinning of the sauce. A thin watery sauce that exhibits a tendency to separate upon standing will develop a wet soggy area just below the sauce, leading to the development of a gum line.
2. Pre-saucing of the pizza skins ahead of time for in-store use or in making take and bake pizzas. Pre-saucing of the skins should be avoided whenever possible, but when it must be done, either to help keep up with orders during busy periods, or when making take and bake pizzas, the pizza skins should be given a very light application of oil prior to saucing.
3. Too much sauce used on the pizza. When too much sauce is used on the pizza, it becomes more difficult to bake out thoroughly.
4. Insufficient yeast level. This can result from a number of things. Incorrect dough formulation (not enough yeast), but more commonly it is the result of action taken to address blowing of the dough.

A few other solutions to reducing a gum line is to cross stack dough balls when they goes into the cooler. Keep adequate temperature control over your dough-making process to make sure the dough has cooled properly before cooling.

Read all about the dreaded gum line — What causes it and what to do about it.

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Why is my pizza crust soggy?

A myriad of factors can contribute to a soggy pizza crust. Here are a few common causes to start your trouble shooting:

The main culprit could be your pizza sauce. Audrey Kelly says, “It is also important to tailor your sauce to fit the style of pizza you are making. You don’t want a super heavy sauce on a delicate Neapolitan pie just as you want something more substantial on a Sicilian crust.”

It could also be your toppings, especially fresh vegetables. The late Dough Doctor Tom Lehmann provided an interesting solution. “I solved that problem by using a Japanese breadcrumb. I find it best to sauce the dough first, then sprinkle a couple of tablespoons of the coarse, plain, white crumb on top of the sauce. Then add the cheese and the vegetable toppings. The crumbs will absorb the moisture from the veggies, and the texture blends right in with the cheese. It really does work and prevents soggy bottom pizza!” Another option to roast vegetables slightly to expel excess water content.

Check that your oven temperature is correct. Thoroughly inspect your oven temperature. The late Dough Doctor Tom Lehmann goes into what to look for in troubleshooting oven temperature issues.

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Why does my pizza dough keep snapping back when I try to stretch it? Why does my dough not stay stretched?

Also called dough memory, pizza dough snapback occurs when a stretched pizza will not stay stretched – snaps back – no matter how much you stretch or how much pressure applied to the stretch.

Dough Expert Laura Meyer addresses pizza dough snapback or dough memory in a Knead to Know column. She says, “To better understand why dough snaps back we need to have a basic understanding of gluten development. Mixing time and the type of mixer used is extremely important when it comes to gluten development. If not done properly this can lead to your dough snapping back. Over mixing is a thing. When it comes time to mix your dough, having a game plan and all your ingredients weighed out and ready to go is important. I have seen many operations weigh as they go, which translates to dough mixing for too long in the mixer and the gluten becoming too tight.

“Cold dough is another factor here,” she continues. “Cold dough will not only cook poorly but will not stretch well and will continue to snap back. If you were to try and run a marathon without warming up you’ll most likely pull a muscle within the first few miles. Dough is no different, warming up your dough means the dough will stretch nicely and be less likely to tear.”

4 ways you can address pizza dough snapback

The late Dough Doctor Tom Lehmann identifies four ways you can address dough snapback:

1. By changing to a lower-protein content flour, we can generally reduce the amount of snap-back (though, in severe cases, this will not totally eliminate it).
2. Dough fermentation. One cause of snap-back is insufficient dough conditioning through fermentation, so anything which will increase the amount of fermentation the dough receives prior to opening into a skin will help to reduce or eliminate the problem. This might include any of the following: increasing the yeast level; increasing the finished (mixed) dough temperature or increasing the total fermentation time. Any of these actions will result in an increase in dough fermentation that will weaken the wheat flour proteins and result in a softer, more extensible (less elastic) dough that exhibits less of a tendency to snap-back.
3. Dough absorption. In some cases where only a slight amount of snap-back needs to be addressed, a slight increase of two to five percent in dough absorption might be sufficient to address the problem without any other changes being necessary.
4. Reducing agents. Reducing agents are ingredients that act on the flour proteins by breaking them down or weakening them. Some will even destroy/denature the proteins entirely. Reducing agents are what one might call the “silver bullet” or “magic ingredient” when it comes to excessive dough snap-back or memory. These are ingredients that you just add to the dough formulation and — poof! — no more snap back.

Read on in a Q&A with the Dough Doctor.

An easy fix may be using PZ-44 Dough Conditioner. In a Dough Doctor story, the late Tom Lehmann says, “This ingredient is what we call a “reducing agent.” When used in a dough, it will cause the dough to become softer and more extensible (less elastic). What this means is that it will not exhibit the snap-back characteristics during hand, or machine forming. When adding any type of reducing agent to your dough, care must be taken to prevent using it in an excessive amount.” Read more.

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How to prevent my pizza crust from bubbling in the oven?

Fermentation is one of the keys to reducing bubbling in our pizza doughs. The Late Dough Doctor Tom Lehmann looks at solutions to preventing bubbling crust.

With normal yeast levels (0.375 percent instant dry yeast, 0.5 percent active dry yeast, or 1.25 percent compressed/fresh yeast), and a finished (mixed) dough temperature in the 80 to 85F range, the bubbles are minimized after 2.5 hours of fermentation time at ambient temperature (approximately 70F).

If you take the proper storage steps, you can pretty much eliminate bubbles. Start by taking the dough balls immediately after scaling and balling and place them in dough boxes, cross-stacked for two hours. Be sure to wipe them with salad oil to prevent them from drying out in the cooler. After two hours, downstack them and allow them to ferment overnight. Allow them to sit at room temperature for two hours before you use them and you’re ready to go.

The second main cause of bubbling crusts, and possibly the most common today, has to do with both temperature and tempering of the dough balls after removal from the cooler. If the dough is at cooler temperature when taken to the oven for baking, an open invitation has been extended for bubble development.

Some prefer to allow dough balls to warm 5F above the cooler temperature. “We have found that by allowing the dough to temper at room temperature for 2 hours prior to opening the dough balls up into skins.”

Dough dockers are designed to help control bubbling. But they don’t do anything to prevent it, or address the problem at its root cause. If you do happen to have one of those doughs that just seems to have a penchant for bubbling, the dough docker might prove to be your salvation.

The Late Dough Doctor Tom Lehmann explores Bubbling Pizza Crust further.

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How do I stop getting my pizza stuck on the pizza peel?

Pizza sticking to a peel as you put the pizza in the oven is common pizza dough problem While some may think maker error, the real answer may lie in dough science. The late Dough Doctor Tom Lehmann addressed the cause of this dough issue in Pizza Today. “If you are using malt in your dough, make doubly sure that it is non-diastatic (non-enzyme active) malt. If the malt is diastatic malt (enzyme active), it will convert starch in the flour to sugars, making the dough sticky or tacky to the point where it will stick to almost any surface it comes into contact with, including a prep peel,” he said.

“If the dough is over absorbed (contains too much water) it may feel clammy or even exhibit a slight tackiness when touched,” he added. “Over absorbed dough tends to be difficult to work with as the dough is just too extensible and is easily over stretched during the forming operation. While some of the traditional doughs are fairly high in absorption and difficult to handle during forming, they can still be peeled into the oven without much of a problem if they are well floured for ease of handling, and either fine cornmeal, or semolina flour is used as the peel dust to aid in sliding the prepared dough skin off of the peel. Be sure to use a wood or wood laminate peel for your prep peel.”

He continued to offer this simple solution: “just make sure once the dough is placed on the peel it is dressed and peeled into the oven without interruption. Of course, a good peel dust doesn’t hurt either.”

From the Pizza Today Test Kitchen, we learned that if you give the peel a little shake after you top the pizza, it’s a good check before you attempt to slide a pizza off the peel onto a hot oven deck.

Go even more in depth into dough sticking on pizza peels.

Understand why certain flours are good peel release agents in Prep Peel and Dough.

Learn everything you ever want to know about pizza peels. Read Tools of the Trade Part One, Part Two and Part Three from Tony Gemignani:

Tools of the Trade

Peel Off on Different Types of Pizza Peels

Pizza Peels, Part III

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What do I do if I ruin my batch of pizza dough? 

Blowing a batch of dough happens. What’s important is that you have a plan in place to replace the pizza dough that has blown and maintain pizza service with the best pizza dough. That is where emergency dough comes in.

The late Dough Doctor Tom Lehmann provided a blue print for you to create an emergency dough fast. “Every shop should have an emergency dough formula and procedure tucked away for these not-so-special moments,” Lehmann said. “I like to make my emergency dough from my regular dough formula because I’m already familiar with it. Still, we need to make a few changes to our dough formula to allow it to be made quickly and be ready for making pizza skins in not much more than two hours.”

He continues, “I have found that increasing the yeast content to double the normal level helps to speed things up a bit. Increasing the finished dough temperature to something in the 90 to 95 F range really helps to get the dough on line within the two-hour time limit as well. The quickest way to do this is to just increase the temperature of the water that you are adding to the dough by 15 F (assuming you are presently targeting a finished dough temperature of 80 to 85 F). If you are not targeting your finished dough temperature in that range, give it your best estimation for water temperature to get your dough to come from the mixer within 90 to 95 F.

I also like to have a bag of reducing agent, such as PZ-44, on hand for these occasions. By including a reducing agent in the emergency dough formulation you will have a greater assurance that the dough will handle well without excessive snap-back during the forming procedure.”

Go deeper into creating an emergency dough.

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How do I keep the ingredients from sliding off my pizza crust?

There are several causes of ingredients sliding off your pizza crust. The first component you need to examine is if your pizza crust is strong enough to support the weight of the toppings that you are putting on the pizza. Pizza Master John Gutekanst dives into types of pizza crusts and the toppings they can support. “Too much hydration, wet toppings, weighty meats and cheeses, and insufficient thought about how the heated foundation will support all these assets can lead to your downfall. To avoid this, let’s look at the styles of pizzas and the topping support they offer.

Pizza styles and the weight of toppings

• Thin and crispy pizza: Low tolerance for weighty toppings unless an extremely low-hydrated, high-gluten dough is baked at medium temperatures, creating a hard, crisp crust that will not “flop” or crack. Examples are the East Coast Hot Oil pizzas, the Roman Scrocciarella and the St. Louis thin. A lot of these styles are made with less sauce and cheese and cut in the Chicago “Tavern Style” squares to accommodate multiple toppings.
• Medium thick brick-oven crust: Mid-level tolerance for heavy toppings depends upon hydration. Below 70 percent and a lower temperature bake at 500 F will dry a dynamic high-gluten crust out enough for plenty of sauce and cheese. The more steam remaining in the crust will soften the dough, and higher heat will only crisp the outside of the cornicione (crust.) If you try drying out the gluten scaffolding in the center at this high temperature, it will only burn the outside.
• High Hydration Crusts: Believe it or not, high hydration crusts are the perfect platform for dressing with multiple toppings. Pizzas like the Pizza in Teglia are baked in pans because of that high moisture, but they create a crisp crust and large cell structure at temperatures in the mid 500 F range. These pizzas also have a lot of oil in the mix because the oil coats the gluten strands eliminating moisture saturation. This technique creates strong alveoli, or “lungs” when filled by carbon dioxide. Many high-hydration pizzas are par-baked much in the same pans that the smaller-celled Sicilian Pizzas are, like the wonderful Sfincione.

Read his article: Heavy Lift: Crusts to Support Loaded Pizzas

Secondly, the dreaded gum line can be the culprit of toppings sliding off your pizza. Whether the pizza is over-sauced, under cooked or insufficient yeast levels, you’ll want to address these problems right away. Take a look at how to fix gum line issues. 

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Why is my pizza dough weak and tears when I stretch it?

Laura Meyer addressed dough tearing. “If your dough tears easily or is unable to stretch, then it has not developed enough gluten and could use a little bit more time mixing,” she says… “If my dough is high in hydration and I am using a planetary mixer, it can be hard for the dough to reach full gluten development purely because of the style of mixer and the way it is constructed. This is not necessarily a flaw by any means. Planetary mixers are great work horses and for some operations the best choice because it can accommodate attachments for cutting and shredding. Knowing that this mixer is not as well suited for high hydrated doughs, bulk fermentation as well as incorporating a few folds before refrigerating the dough will ensure that the dough absorbs all the water and develops to full gluten development. A good rule of thumb when using bulk fermentation is the shorter the mix time the longer the bulk fermentation and vice versa.

Autolyse is another technique used by bakers and pizza makers to make sure flour is well hydrated and to ensure full gluten development. Autolyse is a rest period during the mixing process.

Read her article: Knead to Know: What Comes After the Mix for your Batch of Dough.

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Why is my pizza crust undercooked?

Laura Meyer knows the ins and outs of proper pizza cooking. To address an undercooked pizza crust, she says, “One of the most common errors I see in kitchens is not enough dough has been pulled out of the refrigerator before service. Just as you should never put a cold steak on a grill, you should never put cold dough in a hot oven. If you are cooking Neapolitan pizza, cold dough tends to blister more giving it that leopard spotting everyone loves but at the same time is that much harder to cook all the way through. No matter what style you are cooking, your oven is going to have a set point and a specific cook time. In every kitchen I have worked in there is always that one cook or new person that loves cold dough because it is easier to stretch and harder to tear. The downfall of this is an improperly trained cook. During the cooking process your dough is rising in temperature to cook the toppings, cheese and dough. If your dough is cold, it is harder for it to cook all the way through while your toppings cook and the dough browns. When the pizza enters the oven, the water in the dough begins to boil and evaporate. If the dough is cold, it will not cook all the way through leaving too much moisture in the dough resulting in a gum line.

“Another flaw I see repeatedly is improperly cooked bottoms. On busy nights it can be hard to keep up with dine-in as well as take-out and delivery. It can become overwhelming and adding on people constantly asking where their food is can be anxiety driven and frustrating. Most cooks try and compensate by putting as many pies as they physically can in the oven thinking they’re going to push food out faster that way. What really ends up happening is the oven cools down to a point where the stones cannot recover with each new rotation of pies. As pizzas cook, the heat from the stones is absorbed by the pizza. By putting pizzas in the same spot, those areas completely lose their heat meaning the bottoms never cook. To combat this, I recommend leaving at least one spot where nothing is cooking leaving it as a “hot spot”. By keeping a hot spot in the oven, you will always have an area to rotate your pizzas into towards the end of the bake to finish off the bottoms. If you are using screens, it is smart to remove the screen halfway through so the pizza can finish on the physical stone. The contact with the stone will ensure a well-done bottom as well as ensure you get the desired crispiness.”

Read her article: Knead to Know: Avoid an Undercooked Pizza and Unhappy Diners.

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Why is my pizza crust too tough or chewy?

There are many factors that cause a pizza crust to be too chewy or too tough. The Late Tom Lehmann dives into the topic and provides cause and ways to fix the issue. He said, “When we encounter an excessively tough and chewy thin-crust pizza, the problem might be due to improper dough management techniques (such as a finished dough temperature that is too low, which therefore results in insufficient dough fermentation). Another cause for a tough and chewy crust characteristic is trying to sheet the dough too thin, thinking that it will make for a crispier finished crust. Just the opposite is true. Our dough formula and dough management procedure can be “spot on,” but if we sheet/roll the dough too thin we end up degassing the dough, making it more dense. The heat then passes right on through the dough without ever getting it hot enough to fully bake it and we end up with a crust that might have some resemblance of crispiness when it comes out of the oven but soon progresses from crispy to tough and chewy. The answer here is to use a different method to open the dough into a pizza skin (hand formed or pressed) or to open the sheeting rolls slightly to give a thicker pizza skin better able to create a heat/thermal block.

Read Lehmann’s article: Dough Doctor: Tough Sell — Causes of too tough, chewy crust.

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How to prevent my pizza crust from burning?

The first thing to examine: Is your pizza crust burnt or is that part of the pizza style and pizza characteristics? Blistering, also known as leoparding, is common with many high-heat, wood-fired pizzas. Char is a common characteristic of pizza styles, like New Haven and many artisan style pizzas.

Laura Meyer says, “At times what appears to be burnt areas are thin spots on the crust that formed during the stretch but were never degassed before entering the oven.  A simple fix is to pop thin bubbles before cooking or using a bubble popper to deflate enlarged bubbles inside the oven before they firm up.”

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Why is my pizza dough too soft?

The Late Tom Lehmann answered this question based on a two-day cold fermentation. “Your dough formula likely contains too much oil. Keep in mind that both water and oil contribute to the soft and extensible handling properties of the dough. It’s most likely that this is where the problem is. To correct the problem, I would suggest reducing the oil content to a level where it does not exceed four percent of the flour weight and to where the combined water and oil do not exceed 56 to 60 percent of the flour weight.”

He continued. “Also, keep in mind that the flour needs to hydrate the water in order to form “gluten”. With the high level of oil that you’re using it is entirely possible that a good deal of the flour is absorbing oil rather than water if the oil is not added in a delayed manner. To do this, do not add the oil until the ingredients have had a chance to mix together at a low speed for a couple of minutes. When you cannot see any dry flour in the mixing bowl, the oil can be added and blended in by mixing for an additional minute at low speed. Then, the dough can be mixed in your normal manner. This should give you more consistent dough performance, especially after a couple of days in the cooler.” Read on in Knead to Know: Soft Sell.

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Why is my pizza dough so sticky?

The minute you pull your dough from the dough box, you know when you have a sticky situation. The late Dough Doctor Tom Lehmann said, “The number one reason for a wet, sticky dough is covering it when you put it into the cooler. After mixing, the dough is going to be at least at room temperature or above, making it quite a bit warmer than the inside of your cooler, which should be operating at 36 to 40F. When you lid the container of dough balls, the moisture that is being held in the warm air condenses onto the inside of the container (the top where there is head space above the dough) as it cools due to exposure to the cold air. Since the dough retains a lot of heat (latent heat) it continues to generate moist air within the box and the moisture continues to condense onto the inside of the container until the dough and box eventually equilibrate at the same temperature. By this time, though, the box is flooded with water that drips onto the dough surface. This water is slowly absorbed back into the dough, but under most conditions the dough is removed from the cooler for use before it is fully absorbed. What we experience is a wet, sticky dough. To add insult to injury, these doughs also tend to have a strong propensity to bubble during baking as the water in the outer portion of the dough is vaporized into steam.

He provided a few step-by-step solutions to solve the sticky dough problem in Knead to Know: Sticky Situation.

Check back as we will add more common pizza dough problems. Explore more pizza making how-to and advice articles from master pizza makers and dough experts in Dough Production & Development.

The post Troubleshooting Your Pizza Dough — A Guide to Making Pizza Better appeared first on Pizza Today.

A Quick Q&A with Thomas McNaughton and Ryan Pollnow, co-founders at Flour + Water, San Francisco, California

Concept:

THOMAS: For Flour + Water Pizzeria, we pulled inspiration from the pizzerias we all grew up frequenting. We wanted to play off that nostalgia with fun menu items like mozzarella sticks and Hawaiian pizza, while still putting a heavy emphasis on technique and recipes that showcase our team’s culinary approach and obsession with pizza. While we take our dough seriously, the experience is meant to be like a pizza party every night. It’s one of the best foods to enjoy with a group, so we created a space that’s inviting and relaxed.

Pizza Style & Dough:

RYAN: Our dough is a four-day process that uses a pre-ferment, known as a poolish, to kick start fermentation. We use a combination of two different types of flour from Central Milling and rely on a slow, cold fermentation until a final proof on day four when the dough’s ready to use. Our pizzas are 13-inch rounds that get fired in an electric deck oven set to 600 F. The dough recipe and oven temperature settings allow us to get the characteristics that we love in pizza. We look for variation in the char of the outside crust, while maintaining structure on the base of each pie.

You moved into a new flagship location. How has that enabled your business to grow?

THOMAS: We spent a long time searching for the perfect space for our operation and couldn’t be happier with where we landed in North Beach, a San Francisco neighborhood known for its long lineage of Italian restaurants. Being able to take the time and build out the Pizzeria to our exact specifications has proven to be worth it. We have an entirely separate operation dedicated to to-go orders and delivery so that our dining room isn’t interrupted by that action. Our Dough Room is the heart of the space, and was built to accomodate a larger team while maximizing dough production to fuel our to-go program and the expansion of the Flour + Water Pizza Shop concept. Every night we’re also able to transition the Dough Room into a semi-private dining room for seated and standing pizza parties; it’s also a space where we can host private pizza classes during the week.

Tell us more about the neighborhood pizzeria model you are working to expand?

THOMAS: We’ve mapped out a hub and spoke model for the Pizzeria. Our 4,000 square-foot flagship space in North Beach will soon be the commissary for satellite ‘Pizza Shop’ locations, meaning we can focus on finding smaller spaces where we don’t have to produce the dough on-site, but can still serve new neighborhoods and, ultimately, new cities. The look and feel of the flagship will carry over, but the emphasis will be less on dine-in and more on bringing our pizza to areas where it wasn’t able to be picked up or delivered before.

You also have a commercial pasta line. What has it taken for you to get your pasta in hundreds of grocery stores?

RYAN: The learning curve from operating restaurants to diving into the world of consumer packaged goods is no joke! We’ve been planning this project for years, thinking of ways in which we can extend the reach of our hospitality knowing that not everyone will be able to visit our restaurants. It’s awesome to see Flour + Water Foods on shelves at not only our local retailers in the Bay Area, but at grocery stores throughout the Pacific Northwest and, soon, Southern California. We’re also shipping our pasta for online orders, so even those outside the West Coast have been able to experience a taste of what we do at our restaurants. While we’re still a little fish in the big pond of this space, it’s been awesome to receive feedback about the quality and superior texture. We’re applying the same techniques we use in our restaurants, so consumers can feel confident that what they are buying truly is ‘chef-tested.’

Tell us more about how Flour + Water supports the regenerative farming movement?

RYAN: Our restaurants were founding members of Zero Foodprint, a nonprofit mobilizing the food world around agricultural climate solutions, and our dried pasta line is their first partner in the packaged goods world. From an operational standpoint, we care tremendously about sourcing from farms with sustainable and regenerative practices– we believe that healthy soil means higher-quality produce, which in turn creates food that not only tastes better, but is better for the planet, too.

The post Conversation: Thomas McNaughton, Ryan Pollnow, Flour + Water, San Francisco, California appeared first on Pizza Today.

Question from a Pizza Today Reader: How do I incorporate more alternative/whole grains and what’s its effect on gluten development?

Whole Wheat Wander

So, you want to make whole wheat dough? When I first started, whole wheat was terrible. It was dense and dry and was for the older generations or for those who were dieting. A lot has changed since then — and once you learn what whole wheat really is, making it doesn’t seem quite as daunting.

What is whole wheat to begin with?

It’s exactly as it sounds. This is flour that comprises the entire part of the grain.

Depending on the baker or pizza maker, some breads and doughs are labeled as “whole grain” but really the flour only consists of a small portion of whole wheat. The label is not strictly defined or regulated, so the amount of whole grain can vary widely from product to product.

The amount of whole grains can vary for a number of reasons, but the main one is that the higher percentage of whole grain the harder it is to make a light and airy loaf. Most 100-percent whole grain breads and flours tend to produce doughs that are denser than those made with refined flours because the gluten percentage decreases the more whole grain you use.

Flour is made by grinding kernels of wheat, sifting (also known as refining), and then packaging. There are many steps in between but the main goal is to breakdown the kernel from its three main parts. For whole wheat flour, you mainly hear a lot about the bran and the germ. One of the biggest selling points in the commercial bread industry, cereal industry and even in the larger health industry are the buzz words of wheat bran and wheat germ that tell consumers a product with these two things is healthier.

Wheat bran is the outer coating on a kernel of grain. It is this part that is more nutrient dense and contains fiber but is separated from the other two parts of the grain and then added back into the flour at varying amounts. Bran can have a large effect on the volume of your dough as it does not contain much gluten and can be physically jagged (which can damage gluten formation).

The germ is the reproductive part of the grain. Like bran, this portion is normally removed from the other parts and processed separately. This portion only makes up a small percentage, less than five percent, but contains a larger quantity of fat. Having a larger quantity of germ in flour can be tough as the higher percentage of fat/ oil means the flour will go rancid faster because of oxidation. The germ contains no gluten, so a high percentage of germ can have a large effect on the final rise of your dough. A tip when adding germ to your dough is to toast it separately, bring it to room temperature and then add it in to your dough. This will help keep oxidation at bay.

The endosperm is the largest part of the grain and is the main component in a bag of flour. For whole wheat flour, the germ, bran and endosperm are processed separately but then mixed back together. The five refinements of flour will help you determine how much bran and germ is still in your flour.

00 – The most refined. Contains as little bran and germ as possible.

0 – Contains some bran and germ, but is not super noticeable.

1 – Contains a decent amount of bran and germ and you can really see the flecks within the flour. The color is now a mix of white with flecks of brown.

2 – The color of this is on the browner side as this contains the most amount of bran and germ without being considered whole wheat.

Whole grain contains all of the grain. As little as possible has been removed. The components may have been
processed separately but have been added back together.

Incorporating Whole Grains in Pizza Dough

Learning to incorporate different refinements and increasing amounts of whole wheat can have dramatic changes on your dough. The colors deepen and it is easy to smell the sweetness as well as the nuttiness that is held within wheat. The hard part is learning how much is too much, as the more you use the more it will affect the gluten structure (which ultimately will affect the rise of your dough).

A great way to dabble with whole wheat is to start small. Whether you introduce a different refinement to learn your comfort zone or blend whole what flour into your main 00 flour, I would recommend staying under 20 percent at first. Nothing says you can’t go for it, but staying around the 20 percent will ensure you build a gluten structure giving you the rise you want while still incorporating the other benefits of adding whole wheat like flavor, aroma and texture.

A tip when adding in bran to your doughs is to grind the germ down to a smaller size. This will help with water absorption as well as add to better gluten formation (leading to a lighter less dense dough).

One of the great things about today’s industry is the blurring of lines between bread and pizza. Techniques that were once specific to bread baking are now being used regularly in pizza making. The incorporation of ancient grains like Khorasan, Spelt, Emmer, Einkorn and others, like Rye and Buckwheat, mean the options are endless. But finding the right balance is key. Some of these grains will not have the same gluten forming proteins as the wheat you find in your 00 bag of flour, and others are used for gluten-free baking because they’re predominantly starch. So, the amounts you will use to blend will vary.

Whole wheat is nothing to be afraid of. But understanding gluten formation and the need for certain proteins will help you understand the correlation between flavor and rise and how much to use.

Laura Meyer is the owner of Pizzeria da Laura in Berkeley, CA.

The post Knead to Know: Whole Grain Pizzas appeared first on Pizza Today.

Get the Arrabbiata Calabrian Chili and Cup and Char Sausage Pizza recipe

This Arrabbiata won’t make you angry!

I have always loved a little spice on my pizza. It is funny: I never really liked to add red pepper flakes to my whole pizza, but there is something about adding them to a reheated slice from a slice shop that I always loved. Call me crazy. Anyway, adding some Calabrian chili to your pizza sauce can really elevate the flavor and give your pizza some serious punch. I played around a little, trying to find the right balance of heat to complement the sweet of the tomato. This is a super simple recipe that is packed with flavor.

Chris Decker is Founding Pizzaiolo & Partner at Truly Pizza, in Dana Point, California. @everythingbutanchovies on Instagram.

The post On Deck: Arrabbiata Calabrian Chili and Cup and Char Sausage Pizza appeared first on Pizza Today.

The James Beard Foundation® has announced its 2024 Lifetime Achievement, Humanitarian of the Year, and Leadership Awards honorees, and Restaurant and Chef Awards nominees in advance of the James Beard Awards® ceremonies presented by Capital One. Mark your calendar for June 8-10 to cheer on fellow pizza pros who are honorees and finalists. According to an April release, the 33rd annual James Beard Restaurant and Chef Awards in Chicago will be livestreamed Monday, June 10 on Eater.com. The specific 2024 Awards ceremonies will be on the following dates:

• Saturday, June 8, 2024: Media Awards at Columbia College Chicago Student Center
• Sunday, June 9, 2024: Leadership Awards at The Dalcy
• Monday, June 10, 2024: Restaurant and Chef Awards at Lyric Opera of Chicago

Pizzerias are being recognized in several James Beard Award categories. The James Beard Awards are among the nation’s most prestigious honors recognizing leaders in the culinary and food media industries, and those in the broader food systems. Let’s take a look at who in the pizza industry are being showcased by the James Beard Foundation.

Muhammad Abdul-Hadi, Down North Pizza, Philadelphia, PA Photo by Amurri Lauren

Muhammad Abdul-Hadi, Down North Pizza, Philadelphia, PA, — Leadership Awards – Industry Culture and Practices, James Beard Awards

Muhammad Abdul-Hadi, Founder/Owner, Down North Pizza and Down North Foundation, Philadelphia, PA, will receive the Leadership Award for Industry Culture and Practices, which recognizes leaders who have made a significant impact and are acknowledged and recognized as setting industry standards, with a commitment to transforming the industry into one that is sustainable and equitable. These leaders have put in place systems and policies that prioritize the physical and mental health of employees and themselves and have proven to make for a sound financial model for staff and owners alike that foster longevity in the restaurant industry. They are modeling how to make independent restaurants more equitable both within and beyond one’s own businesses.. Abdul-Hadi will be celebrated at an invite-only ceremony in Chicago on Sunday, June 9 and recognized on stage at the Restaurant and Chef Awards ceremony on Monday, June 10 at the Lyric Opera of Chicago.

Abdul-Hadi is the founder of Down North Pizza, a mission-driven restaurant that exclusively hires previously incarcerated employees, the release details. As an entrepreneur in property management, retail, and real estate development, Abdul-Hadi focuses on creating business models that offer both employment and housing to formerly incarcerated individuals. In 2015, Abdul-Hadi bought property in the Strawberry Mansion neighborhood—a predominantly Black and historically underserved area of Philadelphia marked by high recidivism rates. Abdul-Hadi’s aim was to use the property to offer subsidized housing to individuals negatively impacted by the criminal justice system but has expanded the building’s use with the opening of Down North Pizza. Abdul-Hadi’s philosophy of meeting people where they are—recognizing and valuing their experiences and skills often overlooked in traditional hiring practices—has not only contributed to the success of Down North Pizza but has also set a precedent for future enterprises that seek to combine profit with purpose.

Down North Pizza has been featured in Destinations in Pizza Today Magazine.

Sarah Minnick, Lovely’s Fifty Fifty, Portland, OR Photo Courtesy of Lovely’s Fifty Fifty

Sarah Minnick, Lovely’s Fifty Fifty, Portland, OR — Outstanding Chef, James Beard Awards Finalist

Sarah Minnick, Lovely’s Fifty Fifty, Portland, OR, is a finalist for Outstanding Chef. The award recognizes a chef who sets high culinary standards and has served as a positive example for other food professionals, while contributing positively to their broader community.

Minnick’s approach to pizza, a farm-to-table menu and mastery of unconventional ingredients has earned her coveted culinary esteem and an entire episode of the Netflix’s hit Chef’s Table. You can listen to her on The Hot Slice Podcast with Pizza Today as she shares an operational shift, details of her sourdough and her ingredient philosophy.

Tony Conte, Inferno Pizzeria Napoletana, Darnestown, MD — Best Chef: Mid-Atlantic, James Beard Awards Finalist

Tony Conte, Inferno Pizzeria Napoletana, Darnestown, MD Photo Courtesy of Inferno Pizzeria Napoletana

Tony Conte, Inferno Pizzeria Napoletana, Darnestown, MD is a finalist for the award for Best Chef: Mid-Atlantic. Conte is the chef-owner of the 44-seat pizzeria that strays from strict Neapolitan pizza guidelines to serve a canotto style, “translates in Italian to ‘dinghy’ or ‘inflatable raft’ – alluding to the airy outer ring serving as crust”, Inferno’s site states.

You can read a quick Conversation with Tony Conte in Pizza Today.

Others Recognized as James Beard Awards Semi-finalists

In addition to those who advanced to the finals, congratulations also goes out to pizzerias and pizza professionals who made the Semi-final round for the James Beard Awards. They are:

Outstanding Wine and Other Beverages Program

Bufalina, Austin, TX

Best Chef by Region

California

Michael Procaccini and Stefano Procaccini, La Parolaccia, Long Beach, CA

Great Lakes

Salvador Fernandez, Bridges Craft Pizza & Wine Bar, Greencastle, IN

New York State

Scarr Pimentel, Scarr’s Pizza, New York, NY

For more information about the James Beard Awards, visit jamesbeard.org/awards.

>> Explore more pizzerias who are being recognized nationally and internationally in Pizza Today’s Guide to the 2024 Best Pizza Lists. <<

The post Pizzerias, Pizza Chefs recognized at 2024 James Beard Awards appeared first on Pizza Today.

See who won world’s best pizza in Pan, Non-Traditional, Traditional, Neapolitan, Cheese Slice Pizza and Partner Competitions at Pizza Expo

Pizza makers from pizzerias around the world went head-to-head to find out who makes the best pizza in the world at the International Pizza Challenge (IPC) at Pizza Expo in Las Vegas, March 19-21, 2024.

This year’s Challenge included five professional pizza-making divisions and three partner competitions. Traditional Pizza, Non-Traditional Pizza, Neapolitan/STG Pizza, Pan Pizza divisions returned with addition of this year’s newest division, World’s Best Cheese Slice. The Top 5 competitors in the preliminary round faced on the finals for each division. Division winners faced off in the World Champion Pizza Maker of the Year competition. That winner competed in an invite-only Best of the Best competition with previous Pizza Maker of the Year winners.

Partner competitions included Ooni Pizza Throwdown, hosted by Ooni; Plant-Based Competition, hosted by Daiya; and California-Style Competition, hosted by the California Milk Advisory Board.

In all, International Pizza Challenged welcomed 439 unique pizza competitors with a total of about 500 competition spots including the finals and exhibition competition, according to IPC coordinator Jeremy Galvin.

Each competitor baked their signature pizza on the spot at Pizza Expo and presented to a renowned panel of accredited chefs. The preliminary and final competitions had four blind judges, “judging the pizzas completely blind to whom the competitor is,” Galvin says. “This is so the focus is on the food, not who made it, where they are from or what brands they use.”

Note: There is a score next to each winner’s name. “The score next to their name is based on four judge scores,” Galvin says. “We take the highest and lowest scores, average them together then we average that score with the other two scores for a final average score.”

World Champion Pizza Maker of the Year

Tony Cerimele, (161.49) New Columbus Pizza Co., Pittston, Pennsylvania

Tony Cerimele, owner of New Columbus Pizza Company, in Nesquehoning, Pennsylvania, is the 2024 World Champion Pizza Maker of the Year at the International Pizza Challenge during Pizza Expo (March 19-21) in Las Vegas

Tony Cerimele, owner of New Columbus Pizza Company, in Nesquehoning, Pennsylvania, is the 2024 World Champion Pizza Maker of the Year. After capturing the first-place finish in the Pan Division Finals, Tony went up against winners of the other division’s final — Cheese Slice, Traditional, Non-Traditional, and Neapolitan. During the competition pizza makers were required to use a secret ingredient, Galbani thin sliced fresh mozzarella, when making their pizza that was publicly judged at the competition by a panel of renowned chefs. Find more about World Champion Pizza Maker of the Year competition and read a Q&A with Tony on his winning pizzas.

Best of the Best Pizza Winner

Joe Carlucci, (169.41) Valentina’s Pizzeria & Wine Bar, Madison, Alabama

Joe Carlucci, Valentina’s Pizzeria & Wine Bar, Madison, Alabama, won Best of the Best at International Pizza Challenge 2024

Joe Carlucci, owner of Valentina’s Pizzeria & Wine Bar, Madison, Alabama, captured 2024 Best of the Best title. Carlucci went head-to-head again fellow Pizza Maker of the Year winners in the Best of the Best competition that included three surprise ingredients: pork belly, red onion and pineapple. Carlucci’s win made history as he is the only pizza maker to win pizza titles consecutively three years in a row with his previous 2022 Best Traditional Pizza in the World, 2023 Best Non-Traditional Pizza in the World, and 2023 Pizza Maker of the Year.

Traditional Pizza Division

In the Traditional Pizza Division, Competitors provide the dough, cheese/cheese blend and spices. They must use a red sauce. No more than two (2) of the following toppings may be added: Pepperoni, Sausage, Bacon, Ham, Mushrooms, Peppers, Tomatoes, Onions, and Olives.

Traditional Division Finals Winners

Sergio Balderas, Truly Pizza, Dana Point, California, wins the Traditional Pizza Division at International Pizza Challenge 2024.

1st Place — Sergio Balderas, (43.62) Truly Pizza, Dana Point, California

2nd Place — Anthony Berghela (43.22) Romo’s Pizza, Glenmont, New York

3rd Place — Matt Hutchinson (41.06) Pizaro’s Pizza Napoletana, Houston, Texas

See Traditional Pizza Regional Winners below.

Non-Traditional Pizza Division

The Non-Traditional Pizza Division is an anything goes competition. There are no restrictions on dough, sauce, toppings, or styles.

Non-Traditional Pizza Division Finals Winners

Alex White, Yukon Pizza, Las Vegas, Nevada, wins the Non-Traditional Pizza Division at International Pizza Challenge 2024.

1st Place — Alex White, Yukon Pizza, (52.52) Las Vegas, Nevada

2nd Place — Michael Vakneen (52.19) Pop Up Pizza, LLC, Las Vegas, Nevada

3rd Place — Mckenzie Sanvido, (52.05) Untamed Wine Estates, Johnson City, Texas

See Non-Traditional Pizza Regional Winners below.

Neapolitan Pizza Division

Neapolitan competitors follow strict rules. The products that provide the base for “Pizza Napoletana” include wheat-flour type “00” with the addition of flour type “0” (no meat tenderizer or other dough enhancers will be allowed), natural yeast, water, peeled San Marzano DOP tomatoes and/or fresh cherry tomatoes, marine salt, and extra-virgin olive oil. The dough must be kneaded by hand or with a low-speed mixer. After the rising process, the dough must be formed by hand without the help of a rolling pin or other machine and must weigh between 250-280g and be no more than 3 mm (1/8 in) thick. The pizza must be baked for 45-90 seconds in a 485o C (905o F) pizza oven. There are three official variants: Marinara, Margherita Extra and Margherita.

Neapolitan Pizza Division Winners

Vincenzo Santoro, Song e Napule, New York, New York, wins the Neapolitan Pizza Division at International Pizza Challenge 2024.

1st Place — Vincenzo Santoro, (46.42) Song e Napule, New York, New York

2nd Place — Cesare Di Iorio, (44.94) Sogno Toscano Inc., Sarasota, Florida

3rd Place — Luca De Marinis, (43.73) Monserate Winery, Fallbrook, California

Pan Pizza Division

Styles that fall into this category include, but are not limited to, the following: Roman, Chicago, Detroit, Grandma, Ohio Valley, Old Forge and Sicilian. There are no restrictions on dough, sauce, or toppings, except that the pizzas must conform to a pan style.

Pan Pizza Division Winners

Tony Cerimele, (54.51) New Columbus Pizza Co., Nesquehoning, Pennsylvania, won the Pan Pizza Division at the International Pizza Challenge 2024.

1st Place — Tony Cerimele, (54.51) New Columbus Pizza Co., Nesquehoning, Pennsylvania

2nd Place — Charlie Webb, (50.59) Hudson & Packard, Poughkeepsie, New York

3rd Place — Roy Bass, (49.70) Those Guys Pies, Las Vegas, Nevada

Charlie Webb, Hudson & Packard, Poughkeepsie, New York, won the Shawn Randazzo Memorial Award with the top scoring Detroit style pizza.

World’s Best Cheese Slice Division 

In IPC’s newest division, competitors provide the dough, traditional red tomato sauce (only), cheese/cheese blend and spices. NO par-baking. Once the pizza enters the oven ONLY a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil (infused or not), grated cheese & dry spices after baking are acceptable; NO other drizzles, toppings, cheeses, or work on the pizza is allowed once the pizza enters the oven. This division is open to all crust styles.

World’s Best Cheese Slice Division Winners

Andy Huynh, Cowabunga+, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, wins the World’s Best Cheese Slice Division at International Pizza Challenge 2024.

1st Place — Andy Huynh, (41.14) Cowabunga+, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada

2nd Place — Lorenzo Hernandez (41.12) The Slice & Pint, El Segundo, California

3rd Place — Vicky Ixcot, (38.74) Andy’s Pizza, Alexandria, Virginia

Regional Winners Recognized in the Traditional and Non-Traditional Divisions

During the preliminaries of the Traditional and Non-Traditional Divisions, highest scoring competitors for each regional are recognized. The first-place winner also won a cash prize. The regions include Southwest, Southeast, Midwest, Northwest, Northeast and International.

Traditional Pizza Division Regional Winners

Southwest Region

1st Place — Sergio Balderas, (45.53) Truly Pizza, Dana Point, California

2nd Place — Matt Hutchinson, (42.91) Pizaro’s Pizza Napoletana, Houston, Texas

3rd Place — Alastair Hannmann, (42.05) Pizza Buddha, Kapaa, Hawaii

Southeast Region

1st Place — Andy Brown, (42.02) Andy’s Pizza, Alexandria, Virginia

2nd Place — Dustin Finnegan, (40.29) The Nona Slice House, Safety Harbor, Florida

3rd Place — Teo Tomasi, (40.23) Marabella Old World Pizza, Inc., Greenville, North Carolina

Midwest Region

1st Place — Carmela Cataldo, (41.46) Antonio’s Italian Ristorante, Elkhart, Indiana

2nd Place — Ali Afshar, (39.70) Oleys Pepperoni Cannoli, Green Bay, Wisconsin

3rd Place — Nino Del Greco, (39.54) Pizza del Nino, Sterling Heights, Michigan

Northwest Region

1st Place — Bill Crawford, (40.25) Righteous Slice, Rexburg, Idaho

2nd Place — Josh Hillman, (39.33) Sourdough Willy’s Pizzeria, Kingston, Washington

3rd Place — Drew Balstad, (38.75) Rhombus Guys, Grand Forks, North Dakota

Northeast Region

1st Place — Anthony Berghela, (44.81) Romo’s Pizza, Glenmont, New York

2nd Place — Michael Testa, (41.54) Jersey Pizza Boys, Avenel, New Jersey

3rd Place — Perry Bogacz, (40.37) Caliente Pizza & Draft House, Allison Park, Pennsylvania

International Region

1st Place — Gianluca Piersanti, (44.07) Tommy SRLS, Velletri, Italy

2nd Place — Alessio Cataldo, (43.32) Taste Italy, St. Leonard, Quebec, Canada

3rd Place — Fiodar Huminski, (42.43) Pizzéria No. 900, Montréal, Quebec, Canada

Non-Traditional Pizza Division Regional Winners

Southwest Region

1st Place — Michael Vakneen, (55.05) Pop Up Pizza, LLC, Las Vegas, Nevada

2nd Place — Alex White, (54.88) Yukon Pizza, (52.52) Las Vegas, Nevada

3rd Place — Mckenzie Sanvido, (53.37) Untamed Wine Estates, Johnson City, Texas

Southeast Region

1st Place — Camryn Suggs, (53.04) Valentina’s Pizzeria & Wine Bar, Madison, Alabama

2nd Place — Alejandro Burgaleta, (52.98) The Pizza Point Miami, LLC, Miami, Florida

3rd Place — Joey Streeter, (51.85) The Nona Slice House, Safety Harbor, Florida

Midwest Region

1st Place — Deserai Satullo, (54.39) Sauced Pizza and Catering, Fairview, Ohio

2nd Place — Paul Cataldo, (47.92) Antonio’s Italian Ristorante, Elkhart, Indiana

3rd Place — Brian Hall, (47.15) Crafters Pizza and Drafthouse, Carmel, Indiana

Northwest Region

1st Place — Anthony Gilbert, (51.54) Melt Pizza Company, Stillwater, Minnesota

2nd Place — Sean Dempsey, (48.17) Dempseys Brewery, Watertown, South Dakota

3rd Place — Niles Peacock, (44.17) Niles Peacock Kitchen & Bar, Edmonds, Washington

Northeast Region

1st Place — Andrew Scudera, (53.81) Goodfellas, Staten Island, New York

2nd Place — Tracy Dykeman, (51.50) Slice on Broadway, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

3rd Place — Eric Von Hansen, (51.24) Caliente Pizza & Draft House, Monroeville, Pennsylvania

International Region

1st Place — Heitor Benatti, (52.97) Forneria Benatti, Caxias Do, Brazil

2nd Place — Bruce Madadi, (51.16) Maipai, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada

3rd Place — Aleksandar Aleksic, (50.59) Japes, London, England, UK

Partner Competitions include Ooni Pizza Throwdown, California Milk Advisory Board California-Style Competition and Daiya Plant-based Competition

Ooni Pizza Throwdown

Hosted by Ooni

The Ooni Pizza Throwdown had two divisions, Traditional and Pan. Each competition will be limited to 15 entrants in each category. Entrants may only compete in one category. Pizzas will be made in an entrant’s choice of Ooni oven – either Ooni Koda 16 (Natural Gas) or Ooni Volt 12 (Electric.) Traditional pizzas can be any style cooked directly on the stone. Pan can be any style cooked in a pan or sheet.

Ooni Pan Final Winners

1st Place — Eidref Laxa, (51.83) What’s Good Dough, San Jose, California

2nd Place — Ryan Ososky, (51.70) Dtown Pizzeria, Los Angeles, California

3rd Place — Srdjan Jelcic, (51.35) Japes, London, England, UK

Ooni Traditional Final Winners

1st Place — Ryan Thompson, (42.56) Pogonip Pizza, San Jose, California

2nd Place — Jeff Taylor, (42.19) Staglio Pizza, Westminster, Maryland

3rd Place — Matt Hickey 41.81 Caliente Pizza & Draft House, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Plant-Based Competition

Hosted by Daiya

A Plant-Based Competition featuring Daiya Foods Dairy-Free Cheeses! The crust/dough/batter must be fresh or parbaked. In addition, the dough, and all toppings must be plant based. Each competitor’s goal will be to showcase Daiya Foods deliciously dairy-free cheeses and blends, including, but not limited to the following: Daiya Dairy-Free Mozzarella Style Cheese, Daiya Dairy-free Shredded Italian Blend Cheese, Daiya Dairy Free Shredded Cheddar Cheese and Daiya Dairy-free Cream Cheese.

Plant-Based Competition WInners

1st Place — Leonardo Zoppetti, (41.01) Instituto Conpizza, São Paulo, Brazil

2nd Place — Ali Afshar, (39.23) Oleys Pepperoni Cannoli, Green Bay, Wisconsin

3rd Place — Soyeon Chewning, (38.42) Eldora Restaurant, Apo AP, South Korea

California-Style Competition

Hosted by the California Milk Advisory Board

The competition had two (2) divisions, Amateur/Student and Professional divisions, with a maximum of 15 competitors in each division for a total of 30 competitors from across Southeast Asia and Mexico. The Amateur/Student division will consist of culinary students from accredited schools and/or institutions and the professional division will be made up of professional restaurant and pizzeria chefs. Chefs will be able to choose from a selection of more than 250 varieties and styles of award-winning California cheeses to create the most innovative, interesting, and inspiring California-Style pizzas! Each competitor’s goal will be to feature California-Style ingredients and toppings that showcase the best of what the Golden State has to offer, along with a special focus on Real California Cheeses.

California-Style Competition WInners

1st Place — Chef Apisit Jitprasong (54.29)

2nd Place — Chef Shi (Kevin) Zhao (48.59)

3rd Place — Paramet Saisutthi (47.46)

We’ll continue our coverage of competitions at Pizza Expo 2024 in our Pizza Expo News Hub, including more conversations with winners and details on winning pizzas.

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Slice House to Leverage All New Marketing Technology Stack to Support Explosive Growth

SAN FRANCISCO (April 25, 2024) – Slice House by Tony Gemignani, the highly successful fast-casual pizza franchise by world renowned pizzaiolo Tony Gemignani, officially introduced its national franchise program in July 2022 and quickly saw rapid growth, signing 124 multi-unit deals across the San Francisco Bay Area, Southern California, Texas, Utah, Colorado, and Tennessee. As the brand continues to grow, with an anticipated 75 more units to be signed into development by the end of 2024, Slice House is simultaneously building a best-in-class martech stack.

Below is an overview of the cutting-edge technology and digital initiatives that are being rolled out across the Slice House brand in the coming months:

• Updated Brand Identity | To meet the needs of the digital-first world, the Slice House logo has been modernized to support readability, scalability, and overall impact, without compromising brand recognition. The iconic pizza slicer, while still integral to the logo, has been simplified and the font has a more contemporary look and feel with a brighter, tomato red hue.
• New Website | In partnership with BRINK, a digital agency renowned for integrating strategy, data-driven experiences and enterprise technology for brands that put customers at the center of their world, the brand will roll out an all-new websitethat will significantly improve the overall user experience in addition to providing an interface for online ordering and a new Slice House rewards program.
• Digital Marketing | Paytronix, the cloud-based digital guest engagement platform, will allow Slice House to optimize its digital experience. Through its new guest engagement program, Slice will develop a brand new online ordering platform which will be complimented by a user-friendly mobile app, best-in-class customer loyalty program, and highly personalized email marketing campaigns.
• Review Management | SOCi, the CoMarketing Cloud for multi-location enterprises, will streamline digital marketing efforts for the brand to increase online visibility as it continues to scale. In addition to managing local landing pages, this platform will allow Slice House to manage its presence across online listings and review channels, from Google to Yelp, for each location to efficiently update business information and quickly respond to reviews by utilizing generative AI.

Named #1 Emerging Brand in Pizza Marketplace’s Top 100 Movers & Shakers 2023, Slice House has since built upon its nationwide program to offer franchisees even greater support and value, including a partnership with global leader in real estate services JLL, and welcoming David Denton as Fractional Chief Technology Officer along with Chief Marketing Officer Renae Scott, who joined in November 2023.

“We are thrilled to be working with best-in-class restaurant marketing and technology partners to support our brand partners as we continue the brand’s growth trajectory,” states Renae Scott, Chief Marketing Officer of Slice House.

Slice House is actively seeking qualified brand partners to develop new territories across the country.  For more information on franchise opportunities, please visit slicehousefranchise.com.

ABOUT SLICE HOUSE BY TONY GEMIGNANI

Slice House by Tony Gemignani, founded by the globally acclaimed 13-time world pizza champion, offers an unparalleled pizza experience, blending artisan craftsmanship with fast-casual dining. Originating from San Francisco’s iconic North Beach neighborhood, Slice House has expanded with over 124 units open or under development, providing a diverse menu from signature New York to California style pizzas, including health-conscious options, complemented by a hand-picked selection of local craft brews and natural wines. Recognized as the #1 Emerging Brand in Pizza Marketplace’s Top 100 Movers & Shakers, Slice House’s nationwide franchise program extends Tony’s legendary expertise and authentic original recipes to entrepreneurs, embodying a legacy of excellence with a versatile business model suited for a range of dining and delivery services.

The post Slice House by Tony Gemignani Brand Evolves as the Franchise Program Continues to Expand appeared first on Pizza Today.

Antico Pizza Napaletana, Atlanta, GA

While the list of esteemed accolades continues to grow, the formula for Antico Pizza remains the same, and its place in the dining community continues to expand. Last year, Antico joined 10 Atlanta restaurants that were awarded MICHELIN’s Bib Gourmand status. Antico Pizza is not only a standout among restaurants in Atlanta, but it also is one of just 13 pizza restaurants in the United States and one of 25 in the world to earn the Bib Gourmand status.

“To be recognized in this elite selection of Atlanta restaurants is humbling,” says Di Palma. “We’re thrilled to be a part of this inaugural class of Atlanta restaurants in the MICHELIN Guide. As we celebrate Antico Pizza’s 15^th year, we are excited to receive this new accolade as we continue to evolve.”

From the beginning, he stayed faithful to his family’s age-old pizza Napoletana recipe. The yeasty dough is prepared with finely milled 00 flour, just like in Naples; cheeses are flown in fresh from Italy each week; and he only uses imported San Marzano DOP tomatoes in his tangy red sauce, Sicilian sea salt and extra virgin olive oil. Each pizza is flash-baked for 90 seconds in 1,000-degree custom-built ovens crafted from ancient Santa Maria brick and volcanic rock from Mt. Vesuvius.

Antico created its original style of pizza and caused a nationwide trend. Over the last 15 years, Di Palma has won numerous “Best of” awards, obtained a special Italian certification and was named best pizza in the United States by the Festa Della Pizza in Naples in 2010. Since opening in 2009, the beloved pizza spot has gathered countless awards and recognitions including:

• Top in Class for United States, Festa Della Pizza in Salerno, 2010
• Critics’ Pick for Best Pizza, Creative Loafing, 2010, 2011
• Readers’ Pick for Best Pizza, Creative Loafing, 2010-2018
• #2 Best of Atlanta, Zagat, 2011
• Where to Eat and Drink in Atlanta, Bon Appetit, 2013
• 10 Best Pizza in the U.S., Business Insider, 2013
• Top 10 Pizzas in the U.S., Gayot, 2013
• Best Pizza in Atlanta, Huffington Post, 2014
• #1 Most Iconic Atlanta Pizzerias, Eater, 2014
• Readers’ Choice for Best Pizza, Atlanta Magazine, 2014
• Best. Ever. with Ted Allen – featured, Food Network, 2015
• #7 Best Pizza in the U.S., TripAdvisor, 2015
• Best Italian Style Pizza, Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 2015
• 12 New Pizza Classics, Food & Wine Magazine, 2015
• 10 Best Atlanta Restaurants, USA Today, 2016
• 50 Best Restaurants, Atlanta Magazine, 2017
• Best Pizza in 23 U.S. Cities, Zagat, 2017
• Where to Eat, Drink in Atlanta, Sports Illustrated, 2017
• The 101 Best Pizzas in America, The Daily Meal, 2019
• Best Pizza Place in Atlanta | Best of Atlanta, Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 2019
• The 10 Best Pizzerias in Atlanta, Serious Eats, 2019
• 9 Great New Pizza Places in Atlanta, Zagat, 2019
• # 3 Best Pizza Place in Atlanta | Best of Atlanta, Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 2020
• #4 Best Pizza in Atlanta, GA Followers, 2020
• The Best Pizza in Every State, Food & Wine Magazine, 2021
• Best Pizza in Atlanta, Thrillist, 2021
• Where to Eat Pizza in Atlanta, Creative Loafing, 2021
• Best Pizza in Atlanta, Access Atlanta, 2022
• Best Pizza in Atlanta, The Atlantan, 2023
• Best Pizza in Atlanta, Gayot, 2023
• Steak Shapiro’s Top 10 Pizzas (#2), Atlanta Eats, 2023
• Best Pizza in Atlanta, The Infatuation, 2023
• #2 Best of Atlanta Pizza, Secret Atlanta, 2023
• #3 Best Pizza in Atlanta, TimeOut, 2023
• #1 Best Pizza in Alpharetta, Rough Draft, 2023
• Top 10 Best Pizza in Atlanta, Culture Trip, 2023
• #16 Best Pizza in the Country, TimeOut, 2023
• #35 Best in the U.S.A., 50 Top Pizzas, 2023
• Top 17 Best in the Country, Gotham Magazine, 2023
• Top 100 Restaurants in Atlanta, Jezebel, 2023
• Best Pizza in Atlanta, Epicurious
• Best Pizza in Every State, Reader’s Digest, 2024

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Balancing Act: Flavorful Pizza Topping Combinations

“We can form a single united body, while the enemy must spit up into fractions. Hence there will be a whole pitted against the separate parts of the whole, which means we shall be many to the enemy’s few.”  Sun Tzu, The Art of War, 5th Century B.C.

Making pizza is art. Each pizza is a song that starts with techniques to turn time, temperature, water, bacteria and grain into gasses, which, in turn, creates a textural wonder that is enjoyed with the allegro of toppings that play fast, quick and bright across the palate. The sensory memory that sets this pizza apart is a song that people seek out again and again, be it folded in your hand, on a piece of foil, cardboard box or porcelain plate. Pizza transforms inspiration, imagination and insight into a symphony of human creativity. Combining toppings is essential to building these perfect tastes, but to create these masterpieces, you just need to know how.

Usually, when someone asks me about pizza toppings, my pizza mind automatically goes to my makeline menu mix. I see that shiny monster and lift the lids to see the same-old 12 toppings. If you’re like me, you can’t help it — these are the backbone of my pizzeria, the most favorite pizza toppings that my customers order over and over. Our customers’ memories are all about that great experience they had before with these toppings, but these flavor memories can also be replicated in the present tense using creative and well-thought-out combinations. We all must agree that customers are becoming increasingly adventurous with their pizzas. This means that we need to be ahead of the culinary curve and know how to pair toppings in new and innovative ways.

Taste Treatment Plant

There are several ways to think about topping combinations that make for terrific pizzas. One is the flavor history of cooking and pizza, followed by the quality of toppings on hand, and lastly how these toppings interact with others and the platform that they are presented on. Here are a few questions to ask yourself before engineering a new pizza.

Taste: Is it Sweet, Salty, Bitter, Acidy/Sour or Umami/Savory?

Texture: Is it Dry, Crunchy, Soft, Gooey, Wet or Chewy?

Aroma: Is it Sweet, Smokey, Vegetal, Pungent or Wheaty?

Color: Does it have eye appeal?

Pairing: Is there a feeling of completeness? Do all the topping players embrace each other by complimenting or balancing each other?

When thinking about pairing toppings on pizza, think about the last time you’ve experienced a new combination. That taste starts with color stimulating your eye in an introduction to the whole experience followed by aroma, which consists of 80-90 percent of the flavor experience. The textural crunch of a brilliant cornicione, or crust, releases the salty wheatiness that stimulates your appetite, while the sweet umami of the cheese satisfies your need for pleasure. Perhaps the sourness, acidity or spiciness of an ancillary topping adds sparkle and brightness to the finish. You marvel as every bite combines the five elements in a symphony of taste.

Pizza Topping Pairing Blender

Many pizza makers swear by adding only 2-3 toppings to a pizza. But depending upon whether you’re adding flavor vs. enhancing flavor, this may not be enough to bring the flavors to the pinnacle of taste. Your choice of heightening flavors can take two avenues: Adding flavor or enhancing flavor.

Here are a few examples of adding flavor to a three-topping pizza to make it shine:

• Gorgonzola + Pear + Walnut (add spinach)
• Mozzarella + Basil + Tomato (add Prosciutto di Parma)
• Gruyere + Ham + Hazelnuts (add fig jam)

Here is an example of enhancing flavor to a three-topping pizza to make it shine:

• Manchego + Quince Paste + Almonds (enhance by roasting almonds)
• Caciocavallo + Ham + Red Peppers (enhance by pickling the red peppers)
• Provolone + Tomato sauce + Roasted Red Onion (Enhance by roasting onions with Calabrian chilies)

Extra Texture

The creation of pizza is in a unique position to project flavors because it has a very flavorful platform to consider while planning a flavor path. Much like pasta, you need to consider not only the texture, flavor and overall mouthfeel of the pizza but the way it is cooked. Is it caramelized, pillowy and charred, or crispy, thin and golden?

These examples provide just a peek into how pizzas may be enhanced by pizza toppings. There are many historical topping variations to look for that have been used in the past that work well on the pizza platform. They are:

• Gorgonzola, Fig Jam, Walnuts
• Artichoke, Roasted Leek, Parmigiano, Cream
• Mozzarella, Ricotta, Mortadella, Pistachio
• Anchovy, Garlic, Romano, Parsley
• Zucchini, Egg, Parmigiano
• Clam, Chili, Parsley, Romano
• Eggplant, Roasted Red Pepper, Onion
• Tomato, Garlic, Oregano
• Shrimp, Andouille Sausage, Red Onions
• Peaches, Bresaola, Burrata, Pecan
• Steak, Blue Cheese, Watercress
• Fennel, Sausage, Radicchio, Chili flakes

Pork Belly Pizza with Roasted Leeks, Pickled Lemon and Hazelnut

This pizza is amazing because of the wonderful pairing of leeks and pork which transforms like a mushroom cloud of flavor. The Gruyere adds a sour note to the melting mozzarella and the sweet lemon hit is followed by the textural crunch of the hazelnuts.

Get the Pork Belly Pizza with Roasted Leeks, Pickled Lemon and Hazelnut recipe.

John Gutekanst owns Avalanche Pizza in Athens, Ohio.

The post Topping combinations that turn pizza into a winning symphony of flavor appeared first on Pizza Today.

This pizza is amazing because of the wonderful pairing of leeks and pork which transforms like a mushroom cloud of flavor. The Gruyere adds a sour note to the melting mozzarella and the sweet lemon hit is followed by the textural crunch of the hazelnuts.

The post Pork Belly Pizza with Roasted Leeks, Pickled Lemon and Hazelnut appeared first on Pizza Today.

“You Tip, We Tip” promotion gives customers a $3 “tip” to use on their next online delivery order

ANN ARBOR, Mich., April 25, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Domino’s Pizza Inc. (NYSE: DPZ) brought you Carryout Tips. Now the largest pizza company in the world, known for its value innovation, is launching You Tip, We Tip – a promotion that tips customers who tip their delivery drivers, beginning April 29.

“Domino’s drivers have been hustling to deliver hot, delicious pizzas since 1960, and we love that customers have been tipping them for their great service since day one,” said Kate Trumbull, Domino’s senior vice president – chief brand officer. “But these days, everywhere you go, there’s a tip screen. The pressure to tip is real, even when no extra service is provided. So, we decided to flip the script and show our appreciation by tipping customers back.”

How Does You Tip, We Tip Work?

When customers tip their Domino’s delivery driver $3 or more online, they’ll receive a $3 coupon to use on the following week’s online delivery order.

Domino’s is the first quick-service restaurant to tip customers for tipping their delivery drivers. To learn more about Domino’s You Tip, We Tip promotion, visit dominos.com/youtipwetip.

About Domino’s Pizza^®

Founded in 1960, Domino’s Pizza is the largest pizza company in the world, with a significant business in both delivery and carryout pizza. It ranks among the world’s top public restaurant brands with a global enterprise of more than 20,500 stores in over 90 markets. Domino’s had global retail sales of nearly $18.3 billion in 2023. Its system is comprised of independent franchise owners who accounted for 99% of Domino’s stores as of the end of fiscal 2023. In the U.S., Domino’s generated more than 85% of U.S. retail sales in 2023 via digital channels and has developed several innovative ordering platforms including seven unique ways to order Domino’s. In 2023, Domino’s launched Pinpoint Delivery, a new technology that allows customers to receive a delivery nearly anywhere, including places like parks, baseball fields and beaches.

Order – dominos.com
Company Info – biz.dominos.com
Media Assets – media.dominos.com

SOURCE Domino’s Pizza Inc.

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Marco’s brand brings quality and fresh flavor to the forefront to elevate every occasion

TOLEDO, Ohio, April 22, 2024 – Marco’s Pizza, one of the nation’s fastest-growing pizza brands, announced today the launch of a new brand platform, But Wait, There’s Marco’s™, designed to disrupt routine ordering behavior and remind consumers of a tastier option – Marco’s Pizza!

The opportunity to awaken consumers to the flavorful choice is significant. In fact, 66% of consumers had pizza within the last week, yet 96% of consumers’ last pizza order was from an establishment they had been to before, according to the Datassential 2024 Pizza Keynote.

But Wait, There’s Marco’s™ encourages consumers to break free from the mundane and try the big, bold flavors of Marco’s Pizza that come from its commitment to craftmanship: fresh dough made in every store, every day; the founder’s signature sauce; a fresh, never frozen  blend of three real cheeses; and premium toppings baked atop an always golden crust.

The new brand platform kicks off today with a national advertising campaign, created by Chicago-based BarkleyOKRP. At the heart of the campaign are new :15 and :30 spots that will air on major networks on linear and streaming TV, executed by Marco’s new media agency of record, Noble People.

In addition to the new TV spots, the brand is bringing But Wait, There’s Marco’s™ to life through print, radio, paid social media, digital out-of-home units, email marketing, and a full creative refresh that delivers a brighter, more modern look and feel across all touch points.

“From day one, Marco’s Pizza has delivered superior quality and next-level flavor. And it’s time for more consumers to taste the difference,” said Denise Lauer, Chief Marketing Officer, Marco’s Franchising, LLC. “The launch of our new brand platform, But Wait, There’s Marco’s, inspires consumers to change up their pizza routine and experience the extraordinary flavor that we bring to the table every day. We believe consumers will discover that Marco’s Pizza is more than better.”

From captivating new imagery of its hallmark products to an unforgettable new tagline that interrupts common pizza eating occasions, the But Wait, There’s Marco’s™ brand platform urges consumers to never settle for mediocre pizza.

“There’s nothing better than a delicious rhythmic hook to shake up the status quo. And we’re doing this by celebrating the quality and craft that goes into every Marco’s pizza,” said Matt Reinhard, BarkleyOKRP Founder and Head of Design. “With this new campaign, we have an opportunity to showcase a modern twist on one of the category’s fastest growing brands.”

Marco’s Treats Taste Buds with Two Delicious Offers

Starting today, consumers can make Marco’s their first-round pick and score 32% off all menu-price pizzas* using code 32MPP this Monday, April 22 through Thursday, April 25. Offer available for online and app orders only; see www.marcos.com for details.

In addition, the brand is celebrating the launch of its new But Wait, There’s Marco™ platform with an unbeatable offer to help consumers elevate their pizza experience. Marco’s most popular pizza – the Pepperoni Magnifico® loaded with both classic and crispy, cupped Old World Pepperoni® – is available for just $9.99 using code PEPMAG for a limited time.**

For more information about this offer, Marco’s Pizza and to find your nearest location, please visit www.marcos.com or download our mobile app available on the App Store or Google Play.

ABOUT MARCO’S PIZZA

Marco’s Pizza is the one of the fastest-growing pizza brands in the United States. Marco’s was founded in 1978 by Italian-born Pasquale (“Pat”) Giammarco and delivers a high-quality pizza experience, known for its dough made from scratch and its three fresh signature cheeses. The company has grown from its roots as a beloved Ohio brand to operate over 1,100 stores in 34 states with locations in Puerto Rico and the Bahamas. Most recently, Marco’s Pizza was ranked No. 51 on Entrepreneur Magazine’s 2023 “Franchise 500” ranking. Other recent accolades include a high ranking on Newsweek’s 2023 “America’s Best Customer Service” in pizza chains list, ranked No. 40 on QSR’s Top 50 and has been featured six consecutive years on Nation’s Restaurant News’ prestigious “Top 500” ranking.

* Use code: 32MPP. Limited time only. Price and participation may vary. Available only on orders placed through Marco’s app and marcos.com only. Not valid with catering, other offers, or discounts or through 3rd-party delivery apps. Order must include all required items. Price and delivery fee may vary. Delivery orders must meet stated minimum. Other restrictions may apply.

** Use Code PEPMAG. Valid on the Large Pepperoni Magnifico® only. For a limited time only at participating stores. Order must include all required items. Not valid with other offers or discounts or through 3rd-party delivery apps. Price and delivery fee may vary. Delivery orders must meet stated minimum. Other restrictions may apply.

The post Marco’s Pizza Pulls Consumers Out of Pizza Ruts in New Brand Campaign appeared first on Pizza Today.

Featuring thin, foldable pizza slices with the perfect balance of cheese, sauce and toppings

ANN ARBOR, Mich., April 15, 2024 – Craving a delicious, new crust that is thin and cut into big, foldable slices? Domino’s Pizza Inc. (NYSE: DPZ), the largest pizza company in the world, has you covered. Introducing New York Style Pizza: a pizza that is designed to be even more delicious, whether you hail from New York City or beyond.

Domino’s New York Style Pizza is made with fresh, never frozen dough that is stretched thin, by hand. It is topped with a melty blend of cheese made with 100% real mozzarella and provolone, and cut into six big, foldable slices.

“Domino’s prides itself on offering a variety of pizza crusts for all different tastes,” said Russell Weiner, Domino’s CEO. “Our pizza chefs created this new pizza crust to allow the deliciousness of our ingredients to shine through. It has the perfect balance of crust, sauce, cheese and toppings in every bite, making it the star of the show. New York Style Pizza may become our customers’ new favorite crust!”

Customers looking to try Domino’s New York Style Pizza can take advantage of the following deals:

• Large three-topping New York Style Pizzas for $10.99 each
• Mix & Match Deal: order any two or more menu items (including medium two-topping New York Style Pizzas) for $6.99 each
• Domino’s Rewards members may also redeem 60 points for a free medium two-topping New York Style Pizza.

To locate the nearest Domino’s and place an order, visit dominos.com.

About Domino’s Pizza^®

Founded in 1960, Domino’s Pizza is the largest pizza company in the world, with a significant business in both delivery and carryout pizza. It ranks among the world’s top public restaurant brands with a global enterprise of more than 20,500 stores in over 90 markets. Domino’s had global retail sales of nearly $18.3 billion in 2023. Its system is comprised of independent franchise owners who accounted for 99% of Domino’s stores as of the end of fiscal 2023. In the U.S., Domino’s generated more than 85% of U.S. retail sales in 2023 via digital channels and has developed several innovative ordering platforms including seven unique ways to order Domino’s. In 2023, Domino’s launched Pinpoint Delivery, a new technology that allows customers to receive a delivery nearly anywhere, including places like parks, baseball fields and beaches.

The post Introducing Domino’s New York Style Pizza appeared first on Pizza Today.

ATLANTA–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Apr. 9, 2024– Papa John’s International, Inc. (NASDAQ: PZZA) (“Papa Johns” or “Company”) today announced plans to open 50 new restaurants by 2028 in partnership with franchisee Nadeem Bajwa and his company, The Bajco Group, which has grown over the past 20 years to become one of Papa Johns largest domestic franchisees.

Furthering Bajwa’s goal to own 500 Papa Johns restaurants, the new agreement will expand the Papa Johns footprint in The Bajco Group’s existing markets across the Midwest and in Arizona, Pennsylvania and Florida, adding to the more than 200 restaurants the franchisee and his team currently operate.

“Nadeem’s story is a clear example of how Papa Johns supports its franchisees to build shared success,” said Joe Sieve, Papa Johns Chief Restaurant Officer “After starting his Papa Johns journey as a delivery driver, today he is one of the strongest ambassadors for the opportunities Papa Johns presents to its team members and franchisees. Nadeem’s confidence in the brand and expertise in the industry reinforces why he knows there has never been a better time to grow with Papa Johns.”

A proponent of paying it forward and creating future opportunities for his team members to build their own businesses with Papa Johns, Bajwa credits the Company’s business model and strong brand equity as integral to his success.

“Signing this deal, I am as excited today as I was 20 years ago when I opened my first restaurant,” Bajwa said. “Papa Johns is not just about business. My team members are my family – and that’s a whole different ballgame. I’m proud that in partnership with Papa Johns, I have been able to pursue my own aspiration, and watch my own team members go from starting their first jobs to becoming leaders.”

Earlier this year, Papa Johns announced the Back to Growth Program (B2G Program), a new development incentive program designed to accelerate growth in North America as part of its Back to Better 2.0 strategy. The new program will boost restaurant-level margins during the first five years of operations of new restaurants – equating to a 600-basis point of annual cost savings in restaurant P&Ls – which is expected to significantly improve cash-on-cash returns for franchisees, add scale for Papa Johns in key markets and attract growth-oriented franchisees.

In tandem with this program, Papa Johns is making significant investments to strengthen its North America development infrastructure. To attract new, growth-oriented franchisees and support current developing franchisees, Papa Johns is strengthening its development team through several key hires who will specifically focus on unlocking accelerated franchisee growth.

About Papa Johns

Papa John’s International, Inc. (NASDAQ: PZZA) (“Papa Johns”) opened its doors in 1984 with one goal in mind: BETTER INGREDIENTS. BETTER PIZZA.® Papa Johns believes that using high quality ingredients leads to superior quality pizzas. Its original dough is made of only six ingredients and is fresh, never frozen. Papa Johns tops its pizzas with real cheese made from mozzarella, pizza sauce made with vine-ripened tomatoes that go from vine to can in the same day and meat free of fillers. It was the first national pizza delivery chain to announce the removal of artificial flavors and synthetic colors from its entire food menu. Papa Johns is co-headquartered in Atlanta, Ga. and Louisville, Ky. and is the world’s third-largest pizza delivery company with more than 5,900 restaurants in approximately 50 countries and territories. For more information about the Company or to order pizza online, visit www.papajohns.com or download the Papa Johns mobile app for iOS or Android.

About Bajco Group

The Bajco Group is a privately held business enterprise based in the United States with its principal office in Canfield, Ohio and satellite office in Lahore, Pakistan. Its affiliated companies currently own and manage 200+ Papa John’s Pizza restaurants across 10 states in the U.S. and a commercial real estate portfolio across Midwest region of the United States.

The post Papa Johns deepens strategic partnership with the Bajco Group to expand presence in North America with 50 new stores by 2028 appeared first on Pizza Today.

Learn how to make the year’s biggest pizza styles: Detroit, New York, Grandma, Sicilian, Chicago Thin

We’re predict which pizza style will be the year’s trending pizza style. During our recent pizzeria operator survey, we asked which pizza styles pizzeria owners looked to add in the next year. We included those pizza style findings in our 2024 Pizza Industry Trends Report. You can see more of this year’s biggest trends in the report.

Let’s dive a little deeper into the five most popular trending pizza styles and get into the pizza dough formula and pizza dough recipes so you can test a new pizza style in your restaurant.

Top 5 Trending Pizza Styles Dough Recipes

Detroit Style Pizza is proving it has staying power as the hot pizza style to add. A mover and shaker is New York-style pizza making its debut in the Top 5 Pizza Styles to add. Pushed out of the Top 5 by a paper-thin margin is Roman style. Here are the Top 5 Pizza Style trending this year:

1. Detroit
2. Grandma
3. Sicilian
4. New York
5. Chicago Thin

Now let’s explore each dough style and find out how to make Detroit, New York, Grandma, Sicilian and Chicago Thin pizzas with tips and advices from the pizza industry’s top pizza masters and dough experts.

Pepperoni Detroit-style Pizza, Via 313, Austin, TX

Detroit Style Pizza Dough Recipe

Detroit-style pizza is the top pizza style on the rise two years in a row. Detroit pizza came on the national scene a decade ago and growing to mainstream status within the past few years. The square pizza is distinctively unique down to how its dough is proofed, the baking process down to ingredients used and how to apply toppings.

Detroit-style pizza features a medium-thick crust that’s light and airy on the inside, yet crispy on the outside, a signature of authenticity that’s achieved by a high moisture content (between a 68- and 72-percent hydration level) and the proofing process. Preparing your Detroit-style pizza dough takes care and attention to detail. Other identifying characteristics include: Pizzas is baked in square steel pans. Cheese is spread evenly across the entire pizza, edge to edge. Brick cheese is commonly used. Sauce goes on the top. Check out a complete Guide to Detroit Style Pizza.

Now to the Detroit Style Pizza Dough Recipe. We have three recipes for you to try from some of the biggest names in the pizza business. They are:

Smoke’s Detroit-Style Pizza Dough Recipe. Jeff Smokevitch is a World Pizza Champion who brought Detroit Style Pizza to Colorado — first to Telluride at Brown Dog Pizza, then to Denver and beyond with Blue Pan Pizza. Follow this Detroit pizza recipe. Jeff Smokevitch leads a demonstration at Pizza Expo to teach how to make a Detroit-style pizza. You can also watch him as he created a Detroit pizza in his home kitchen.

Detroit-Style Pizza Dough by John Arena. Co-owner of Metro Pizza in Las Vegas, John Arena is a go-to pizza dough expert. He shares his Detroit pizza recipe that includes a Poolish for Detroit-Style Pizza Dough. His recipe walks you through the dough process, dough fermentation and room temperature proof.

Tony’s Trending Recipe: Detroit Pizza. Tony Gemignani is a world-famous pizza master and restaurateur with over 30 restaurants, most notably Tony’s Pizza Napoletana in San Francisco. His recipe pays tribute to Shawn Randazzo.

Grandpa Pie, Tony’s Pizza Napoletana, San Franciso, California

Grandma Pizza Dough Recipe

Grandma Pizza (aka Grandma Pie) is New York’s famous other pizza style. In a 2015 Respecting the Craft Column, Tony Gemignani made this prediction about the grandma pie that has come to fruition: “this unique style will soon gain momentum in the Midwest and on the West Coast.” What made the style gain momentum? He went on to say, “They are cooked in a half-black reinforced sheet pan, are heavily oiled and feature sliced mozzarella (sometimes shredded or fresh mozz). These pizzas are topped with tomato sauce and cooked in a gas brick oven. You could finish it with Grana Padano, herbs, pecorino, olive oil, Parmigiano and chopped garlic. Sometimes the dry cheese can go on before. This pizza is typically shorter/thinner than your typical Sicilian. It’s great for delivery, dine in and by the slice. Typically, this pizza is slightly fried more than a Sicilian because of the excess oil and thinness.

“Some of these pizzas have a very simple tomato sauce comprised of puréed or hand crushed tomatoes. Others have a super-sweet sauce or are a bit over-spiced. For example, you could use sugar, onions, onion powder, oregano and other dry or fresh herbs in the sauce. I’ve seen it several ways. Italian families always remember their grandma or mother making pizzas at home. It was always pushed out in some well-oiled pan, and they would add ingredients like anchovies, olive, crushed tomato, onions or cheese. The name literally originated from our collective grandma. It was simple, memorable and fun.”

Now, let’s get into the Grandma Pie pizza dough recipe. Tony Gemignani shares a recipe can be made from your pizza dough. Try the Grandma Pizza Dough Recipe.

Sicilian Pizza by John Gutekanst, Avalanche Pizza, Athens, Ohio

Sicilian Pizza Dough Recipe

To get to know this pizza style, let’s turn to our dough expert Laura Meyer in her Knead to Know: Sicilian Style Pizza. “Nowadays when you see Sicilian-style pizza on a menu, it generally means a thick-crust pizza made in a rectangular pan cut into square slices. Besides that, the range of toppings and application of toppings varies just as much as any other style of pizza. In addition, like other styles the line between bread and Sicilian “pizza” has blurred tremendously with techniques associated with other styles blended into it. But Sicilian pizza traces its inception back to sfincione.”

The dough is where the differentiation shines for Audrey Kelly, owner of Audrey Jane’s Pizza Garage in Boulder, Colorado in an article exploring the difference between Grandma and Sicilian pizzas. “They are risen for hours and then par baked. The bottom should always be crispy, providing a nice crunch to contrast the pillowy, light middle. They are rectangular in shape as opposed to the traditional square shape of a grandma. All of our pizza is naturally leavened, AKA sourdough. The Sicilian is where you can truly taste the beauty of this method. The long rise and fermentation really accentuate the flavor and strengthens the texture. I think of Sicilians as a cloud that carries a light amount of toppings. Some people might think that since the Sicilian is thicker in structure it can hold up to more toppings.

Dough Expert Laura Meyer, owner of Pizzeria da Laura in Berkeley, California, expands further. “Sicilians land between focaccia and the Roman pan style in that focaccia is very closely related to the Sicilian in its original form. Roman techniques and flours have begun to creep into the Sicilian style turning it into a sort of hybrid. Roman can take upwards of three days and have a high hydration leading to a very thin, crispy crust with a very large and airy open crumb structure. Since a lot of toppings are put on after the cooking process in Roman pans, it makes sense to have a large, open crumb structure as it does. The Sicilian style is meant to carry a heavier, wetter ingredient load so having a spongier texture that can hold everything without deflating it is ideal. Using long and controlled fermentation times, like Chris and John do, give the Sicilian a lightness to the interior. Hydrations into the 70s and above are more common with Roman styles and breads although can be found with some Sicilians. When it comes to higher hydrations, cook temps and whether doughs are topped and baked from raw or par baked then topped and cooked lends to very different finished products. The debate over par bakes or cooked form raw extends into Sicilians. For those looking for a slight crisp and a very soft interior, cooking from raw will give you that texture albeit a longer cook time. Par baking is going to give you a soft interior but the double bake is going to cook out more of the moisture giving you a firmer outer crust.”

Check out a basic Sicilian Style Pizza Dough Recipe to test in your kitchen.

New York Style Pizza, Joe’s Pizza, West Village, New York City

New York Style Pizza Dough Recipe

New York Style Pizza is the No 1. most popular pizza in America. The first licensed pizzeria to open in the U.S. was Lombari’s, which opened in New York City in 1905. Dough uses flour, water, yeast, salt, olive oil. Typically, it requires a two- to three-day cold ferment. The crust is crispy, yet light and foldable. Crust should be about 1/8-inch thick through the middle with a raised edge. Slices should be cut into triangles. The signature way to eat a New York pizza slice is to fold it in half from crust edge to edge. Toppings are dispersed evenly and not too heavy to weigh down the pliable slice.

International Pizza Consultant Anthony Falco contributed a Knead to Know Column all about NY pizza. In the article, he says, “a NY-style pizza is big, it’s thin but not paper thin, crispy but still flexible enough to fold without cracking, and the toppings should be a cohesive amalgamation and applied with restraint and simplicity. It shouldn’t be too fancy, but that doesn’t mean you can’t use quality ingredients. It should always be cooked directly on the stones of the oven floor, be that gas, wood, electric or coal.” Falco also provided his New York Pizza dough recipe. Try Anthony Falco’s New York Style Pizza recipe.

In John Arena’s Knead to Know column, he conducted a Q&A with 2017’s NY-style Caputo Cup winner Dr. Derek Sanchez, who owns MiaMarcos in San Antonio, Texas. Derek provided a New York Pizza Dough formula using Baker’s Percentage. Check out Derek Sanchez’s New York Style Pizza dough formula.

For a traditional, basic New York style recipe, try this New York Style pizza dough recipe.

Chicago Thin Crust Pizza, Eno’s Pizza Tavern, Dallas, Texas

Chicago Thin Style Pizza Dough Recipe

Notice all the super thin crust pizza that many are referring to as Tavern style lately? The original tavern style is from Chicago, a city also known for its Deep Dish. Chicago Thin Crust Style Pizza is far from its thick sibling. It has recently experienced an explosion in popularity. It’s something that the late Dough Doctor Tom Lehmann saw coming in the early 2010s. He said, when it comes to Chicago Thin, “any good, patent grade bread flour with 10.5- to 11.5-percent protein content should work well.” There are also a couple specifics he discusses. “A planetary type mixer will work best for mixing this dough. You will need to use a dough sheeter/roller to form the dough into skins. You could roll the dough by hand, but you will soon find this to be a lot of work. Hot and cold presses are just not suited to this production method.”
The Dough Doctor provided his dough formula for Chicago Thin with step-by-step instructions. Follow Tom Lehmann’s Chicago Thin Crust Pizza Dough recipe.

Dough expert Laura Meyer offers advice for those looking for a super crispy Chicago Thin Crust Pizza in her article Tavern Style Pizza is Sweeping the Nation. “Par baking the dough is another way to add crispiness to a thin-crust pie. As much as I love crispy thin-crust pizzas, they lose that crunch very quickly as the pizza cools down. Maintaining that crispiness is one of the hardest traits to keep. Utilizing cornmeal and a par bake or double bake method helps ensure your pizza stays crispy for a longer period of time. How would you do this?

Coat your dough ball in cornmeal and roll it out with a rolling pin or use a sheeter. Once you’ve reached your desired size or thickness, dock it, place it on a peel and slide it into the oven. Without any sauce, cheese or toppings, par bake it just for two minutes or just until it’s no longer raw and the bottom is just beginning to show some spots of color. Remove it from the oven and stack them until ready to use. When an order comes in, top it as you normally would and then finish the bake until it’s crispy and the toppings are cooked.”

Want to go even crispier, Tony Gemignani says in a Respecting the Craft column, “You can actually achieve a crispier crust by cooking in a well-seasoned pan. And doing so also is great for texture and flavor. Different types of oils can be used if you settle on this method. Play around with olive oil, cottonseed oil, canola or fats such as Crisco, butter or lard.”

Let’s not forget a Chicago Deep Dish Dough Recipe

Often thought of as the Windy City’s only pizza style. Deep Dish, joins Chicago Thin and Stuffed Pizzas as region’s pizza styles. Particularly popular in the Midwest, this style of pizza speaks for itself. It’s a close cousin to the Chicago-stuffed pie — the obvious difference being that all the toppings are placed on top and there is only one layer of dough. This unique pie stands out with a crisp, biscuit-like crust that comes up the sides of a three-inch pan. It’s thick with cheese and other ingredients, and then topped with a chunky tomato sauce and baked for 30 to 45 minutes.

Here’s a Chicago Deep Dish Pizza Dough Recipe.

This should get you started testing a new trending pizza style. Have fun and let us know what you learn in your test kitchen.

The post Pizza Dough Recipes for Top Trending Pizza Styles appeared first on Pizza Today.

Read the April 2024 Issue of Pizza Today Magazine

It’s our Desserts Issue. Get dessert recipes and ideas. Find tips and advice on marketing desserts and outsourcing your desserts. Explore pizzas featuring spring produce. Discover how pizzerias are backing a cause on their menu.

You can check out the full Digital Edition — Pizza Today April 2024.

The post April 2024 appeared first on Pizza Today.

Spring is a time of renewal. Let’s give your menu a spring spruce up. After sparse winter offerings, spring ushers in new and exciting produce to try on your menu. There are so many new vegetation “popping up” from the ground. Why not turn the spring bounty into pizza specials?

John Gutekanst not only loves bringing spring produce to the menu, he even forages for spring’s wild flavors. Check out his article: Spring’s Bounty is Ripe for Your Pizza Menu.

We have more ideas for you, too. Bring spring to your menu with some of these offerings:

1. Asparagus ushers in the spring season. Think asparagus is just for roast and serving as a side with meat protein? Think again. Let asparagus shine with a pizza beautifully featuring spears with lemon, smoked pancetta, Asiago and mozzarella. Get the recipe from World Pizza Champion and Restaurateur Tony Gemignani: Tony’s Trending Recipe: Asparagus Pizza. Or, try it shaved for more even distribution. Try this Shaved Asparagus and Egg Pizza. For more Asparagus ideas, read Asparagus: Bring the Spring.
2. Go to Greens. Spring is the perfect time to finish you pizzas with greens. The early spring enables cold-loving greens like arugula, green garlic, spinach, romaine, ramps, rhubarb, cilantro and sprouts to pop either in farmed fields or on their own in the wild. The warmer weather of late spring brings on the stiffer and hardier garlic scapes, kale, chard, radicchio, endive and nasturtium. Try this Ramp and Walnut Pesto recipe.
3. Room for Shrooms. Spring is a great time to incorporate wild mushroom. It’s the season where foragers look for beloved Morels and Oyster mushrooms. Check out this mushroom guide.
4. Add leeks before the season closes. Leeks work well with sausage and potatoes and great as a ravioli stuffing. Try the Leek-a-Choke Ravioli.
5. Say “Yes” to Pineapple. Spring is primetime for this controversial pizza topping. You can go with the classic Hawaiian and BBQ pizzas. Or you can go creative with pies like the Pineapple Upside-Down Pizza or Jamaican Jerk Chicken Pizza.

We can’t wait to see how you celebrate spring! Let us know ways you are bringing spring to your menus by tagging @PizzaToday on your social.

The post 5 Ways to Bring Spring onto your Restaurant Menu appeared first on Pizza Today.

Pizzerias are creating limited-edition pies to support local causes and generating buzz in the process

Bill Jacobs’s voice fills with energy as he discusses the 2024 Slice to Meet You campaign at Piece, his Chicago-based brewery and pizzeria.

Starting in January, Piece debuted a different monthly pizza crafted in collaboration with an acclaimed Chicago chef in support of PAWS Chicago, the Midwest’s largest no-kill animal shelter. For every $35 pizza sold over the three-month fundraising campaign, PAWS collected $50 – a $10 donation from Piece coupled with matching donations from four separate donors. After raising nearly $30,000 for PAWS last year, Jacobs hopes this year’s edition, which concludes April 9, surpasses $50,000.

“This has taken on a life of its own,” Jacobs says. “People are passionate about animals, celebrity chefs and pizza, so we hit the trifecta right there.”

Many pizzerias share Jacobs’s zeal for community-centered philanthropy, which can be good for the soul and for business by stimulating revenue, awareness and public goodwill.

“Find a cause that resonates with you and emulate what we’ve done,” Jacobs challenges his fellow pizzeria operators.

Creative campaigns

Pizzerias across the country continue creating clever LTOs to support worthy causes.

Last July, Milwaukee-based Pizza Man introduced a special burger pizza to support Ronald McDonald House Charities Eastern Wisconsin.

In Dallas, Sfuzzi’s month-long Influencer Pizza Challenge tasks local personalities to create limited-edition pies and compete head-to-head for charitable dollars. Efforts have supported a local homeless recovery center, a women’s shelter and the North Texas Food Bank.

In Audubon, New Jersey, Genova Pizza has embraced a different approach, using its pizza boxes, rather than its pies, to support admirable causes.

Last spring, the family-owned establishment created themed pizza boxes featuring an animated superhero caricature of Callen McDonnell, a local two-year-old battling Leukemia. Throughout April 2023, any purchase of a Grandma Pizza – Genova’s best-selling Sicilian-style pie – was placed in the special “Super Cal” box with proceeds directed to the family. The effort raised $1,500 for the McDonnells.

“This felt like an opportunity to do something that mattered,” says Genova Pizza co-owner Ali Doukali.

Genova followed up its Super Cal initiative with a second “local hero” pizza box in September highlighting former Genova employee and U.S. Marine Harrison Whitman. Proceeds from that campaign’s effort went to the Warrior Foundation in Whitman’s honor. Genova has since created a nomination process for community members to suggest future local heroes and beneficiaries.

“Amid a lot of negativity in the world, we want to give back and be a positive community partner,” Doukali says. “Since getting this off the ground, we see potential to do a lot of good for people around us.”

Optimizing results

As Piece, Pizza Man, Sfuzzi and Genova demonstrate, creative, philanthropic initiatives offer pizzerias a chance to show their community-minded ethos and capture attention.

“A lot that can be done to make this attractive to your market,” Jacobs reminds.

And a few well-executed steps can help pizzerias create fruitful campaigns:

#1: Make it special.

At Piece, Jacobs has leveraged the culinary talents – and ingredients – of his collaborators to create novel limited-time offerings. The Hot Smoque’n Pizza created by Barry Sorkin of Smoque BBQ and Doug Sohn of Hot Doug’s, for example, features Sorkin’s smoked chicken thighs and Sohn’s andouille sausage on a white pizza with smoked mozzarella, scallions and creole sauce.

Jacobs and his culinary team at Piece work with every chef collaborator to create, test and tweak the special pizza before its debut.

“You need an enticing and interesting product to draw orders,” Jacobs says.

#2: Time it right.

Pizzerias create urgency when they put an expiration date on cause-related initiatives. Time limits also give operators a focused period to build a story and spark interest without risking a stale initiative. For many, one month seems about right – enough time to let a campaign simmer and capture results, but not too long that the initiative fades into the background as routine business.

And while a pizzeria can roll out a special initiative at any point during the calendar year, a little strategy can maximize impact. Piece, for instance, rolls out its Slice to Meet You effort over the year’s opening three months, historically the year’s slowest quarter for Piece’s bottom line and PAWS’s fundraising.

#3: Spread the word.

When Callen McDonnell and his family visited Genova Pizza last spring to see the pizza boxes, the pizzeria shared photos of the family’s visit on social media, which elevated awareness of the effort.

“Without community support, this wouldn’t have taken off the way it did,” Doukali says.

It’s vital the restaurant (and its partner) actively promote the initiative. Invite local media and influencers to visit and post regularly on social channels to drum up interest.

“It’s important to provide concise and consistent communications throughout the campaign,” says Jacobs, who builds a library of ready-made social content by capturing photos and videos of the pizza-creation process with each celebrity chef.

#4: Plan ahead.

A half-baked effort will do little good for the pizzeria or its beneficiary, so get the necessities in hand before launch.

Ready print marketing collateral, including in-store signage and table tents, and any special ingredients required to make the LTO pies well in advance. Before Genova Pizza introduced its Super Cal pizza box, Doukali researched custom box vendors and secured a high-quality box for the 32-slice Grandma pizza.

In addition, Jacobs urges operators to run the numbers and charge an appropriate price for the special pizzas to ensure beneficial results.

“Be aware of your costs so you can make it work,” Jacobs advises.

#5: Amplify the impact.

A cause-related initiative does not have to stop at the pizza sale, as eateries can drive additional impact.

Genova’s effort to benefit the McDonnell family, for instance, included selling Super Cal t-shirts and sharing a link to the McDonnell’s GoFundMe page on every pizza box. Moving forward, Doukali sees an opportunity to improve messaging and propel impact, perhaps by including a QR code on boxes linking to a personal video or call to action.

“As we go through this process, we certainly see ways to refine it,” he says.

DANIEL P. SMITH Chicago-based writer has covered business issues and best practices for a variety of trade publications, newspapers, and magazines.

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Spring Fling: Add spring flavors to your pizza menu

It was another muddy spring but here I was again, lurking into my favorite “Ramp Holler”, (local vernacular for “hollow.”) This little valley was my favorite foraging spot for the first wild food of spring — ramps. This location always produced early and heavy because of the lack of humans, a good water source, and the protection from the cold by the steep ridges above. With each step I felt like being in a slow-motion color machine turning from dark winter brown to splotchy light green then to the most intense viridian green. The ramp “Flags,” or wide leaves fluttered in the breeze all the way up from valley floor to the steep ridges making them move like a green ocean. As I bent over to harvest my first handful of ramp flags, I started thinking about how I would present them on pizza with all the other spring favorites that will soon be popping this new year.

Spruce Springsteen

From mushrooms to spruce tips, the bounty of spring has always added a positive addition to my menu mix. Both wild and cultivated spring foods can be showcased on pizzas and can turn a seemingly “normal” slice of pizza into a game changer. There are so many places to find spring foods. Farmers markets, vegetable auctions, farm visits and even local grocery stores are good locations to find foods in April and May. Here are some wild and farmed spring greats:

Evergreens

The depth of flavor gained by baby pinecones, spruce tips, cedar buds, and even wintergreen is pure magic. I like creating a balsamic-like glaze by reducing the buds with water and sugar. This pairs wonderfully on burrata, gorgonzola and with pine nuts, hazelnuts, Prosciutto di Parma, onions, ricotta, roasted garlic and bacon. Spruce tip Panna Cotta from Italy, or Posset, the British custard, are both cream forward and easy to make. Italian Mugolio and Varenye from the Caucusus both rely upon sugar to draw out the piney goodness of young buds and cones and make thick-sweet sauces that rival and even eclipse Balsamic glaze in flavor.

Spring Violet

by far the best edible flower for garnish you can put on a pizza. There are over a hundred different types of violets, but the common blue violet is the most harvested. Although they are all edible, some are more palatable than others. These are easy to spot and harvest. The greens can also be used in salads, soups and stewed.

Kale

Over wintered kale starts popping even before many other spring foods. This is perfect sauteed or shocked in hot then cold water before topping on pizza with garlic, olive oil, sausage, pork, potatoes, chorizo, onions, lemon, bell peppers, thyme, cheddar and Parmigiano.

Dandelion

An often-forgotten spring food here in the U.S. has been used for centuries in Europe. I was taught by a professional wild forager in the Dolomite Mountains of Italy to dig the small, spring dandelion up and trim the “hip” of the plant, cutting off the roots and the stems leaving a meaty round core like a small artichoke with a sweet, honey flavor with a nutty finish. In the middle of this core is one or two dandelion buds or “capers.” Both can be sauteed, roasted or pickled easily and are perfect to pair with Prosciutto di Parma or Speck, spinach, pork, chicken and mushrooms.

Garlic Scapes

These tender stems shoot from the spring garlic bulb after ramp season. They grow curly and end in an uncloaked flower head. The scape needs to be cut off to ensure the plant doesn’t expend its energy and ruin the underground bulb. I’ve found that using only young scapes that are foot-long are the best because they get tough and stringy the older they grow. Milder than garlic bulbs, scapes can be sauteed, pickled, roasted and pureed into pestos. I like to make Sicilian-style salmoriglio, salsa verde or garlic ricotta. Scapes are perfect for pork, chicken or anchovy themed pizzas.

Ramps

Ramps are the first things to pop up in spring. Try to avoid buying from disreputable dealers who send unsavory people out to clean out the whole forest of ramps. I never use the bulbs unless thinning out patches to grow more. Using the tops either sauteed or just raw before the pizza bake makes for a sublime taste and silky chew. Great with artichokes, asparagus, speck, anchovy, goat cheese, Gruyere, Bel Paese, Ricotta, Parmigiano, potatoes, morels, lentils and ham.

Asparagus

This comes in middle-spring and can be thin or fat depending upon the weather. Most store-bought asparagus is old and sold by the pound with a woody end and even mushy tops. Snap the bottom to find the perfect tender spot. Roasted or sauteed asparagus is wonderful and even raw (if local) on a pizzas or in calzones and makes traditional barriers on pizza like the famous “Quattro Stagione.” The perfect asparagus pairing is with whole grain mustard, pistachio, ricotta, parmigiano, bacon, anchovy, lemon, orange, pestos and in risotto.

Strawberry

This is the great finale of spring, coming at the tail end of this season. Local strawberries, unlike the hollow, hurried and sprayed junk found at the stores, are smaller and sweeter. Perfect for the agro dolce or sweet and sour pizzas like gorgonzola, strawberry and hazelnut pizzas. During the glut of strawberries, I turn to making sweet, pickled strawberries with just a touch of vinegar. These red wonders really shine with rhubarb, olive oil, mascarpone, almonds, spicy capicola, lemon, basil, mango, balsamic, mint and orange.

Morel Mushrooms

These are the spring king of mushrooms. They pop up, (or not) almost every year in the same locations. Morels are especially rare because they are hard, almost impossible to grow because of their symbiosis with forest trees. If you are lucky enough to find these hollow, triangular shaped wonders, you can cut them in half vertically or stuff with chicken mousse, asparagus, garlic, ramps and bacon. I recommend putting the morels on pizza halfway through the bake, so they don’t disintegrate. Fontina, Parmigiano and chevre are great morel cheeses. Lemon, olive oil, black pepper, caraway, fava beans, serrano ham, shallots and country ham are perfect pairings for morels.

Other spring foods that are abundant either in the forest or at farmers markets are Watercress, Wild Violet, Chickweed, Lambs Quarters, Fiddlehead fern, Turnips and Radishes.

John Gutekanst owns Avalanche Pizza in Athens, Ohio.

The post Spring’s Bounty is Ripe for Your Pizza Menu appeared first on Pizza Today.

Outsourcing Desserts

The question of when a restaurant should outsource desserts comes up frequently among owners and operators. While some pizza shops may be scratch-only kitchens or able to handle a full menu load, the reality for many others is that outsourcing some items makes sense for their operations. Some even find a balance in using a combination of in-house and outsourced desserts.

Jessica Hellaine, co-owner and operator of Black Dog Pizzeria in Dublin, Ohio says, “Outsourcing our desserts allows us to focus more on our main dish—our pizzas. It is less work for us that can be used elsewhere, and also helps us to save on space, time and money.  We’re just a takeout/delivery pizzeria and so our resources are limited. And working with local bakers allows us unique marketing opportunities.”

Outsourcing desserts comes down to time, labor and space — elements that many operations find sorely lacking into today’s restaurants. It’s important to always run the numbers. If you are considering outsourcing or the reverse and you want to take desserts in house, it is vital to establish your true costs and your pricing and profit margin goals with each dessert item.

If you are an operation that is deciding whether to incorporate dessert into the menu at all, many operators find it is worth it. Datassentials released its report that 60 percent of operators say that the desserts they offer help to drive profit. That survey also found the best-selling desserts were easy to prep and can be eaten on the go.

If you were at Pizza Expo in Las Vegas, you may have noticed, and even tasted, dozens upon dozens of desserts offered by vendors, including gelato, cannoli, cheesecake, cakes, brownies, cookies and more. You may have also tried vegan and allergy-sensitive specific treats to nut, dairy and gluten allergies. With stringent guidelines for allergy-related foods, outsourcing especially these types of desserts can help you limit cross contamination that can occur in restaurant kitchen environments.

Some desserts are prone to outsourcing — like gelato and ice cream. But, the fact is almost any dessert you can dream up is probably already available through outsourcing. There are many options when outsourcing desserts. You need to evaluate which will work better for your business and more importantly which will sell well with customers. Here are sources where you can find desserts:

• Mainline Distributors. Some advantages to using your established distributor is that you already have a working relationship and delivery processes in place. They also typically have a large catalog of sweet treat options.
• Wholesale Bakeries. Wholesale bakeries have strong distribution network and can accommodate high-volume bulk production.
• Local Retail Bakeries. Since retail bakeries have a consumer direct model, name recognition can be high with diners.

A note on wholesale bakeries and retail bakeries: There are several bakeries that operate in both capacities.

What are you looking for in your desserts?

Knowing the answer to this question will help you find out which direction you want to go with sourcing your desserts. When Hellaine is looking for a dessert, she’s says she is seeking, “reliability and unique ‘cool’ desserts that taste good and travel well. We wanted to offer baked goods that are more interesting than just the standard baked cookies and brownies at a lot of the shops nearby. It’s also important for us to keep whatever food we sell as scratch-made as possible, and to work locally.”

Tasting and testing outsource desserts is just as important as when you research and develop in-house items. Run blind tastings with employees, customers and friends and family. Gather an honest assessment before you add it to the menu. This is no time to order and “hope it sells.”

Going with a Local Bakery

If you already have working relationships with local businesses in your community, buying desserts from a local bakery may be a great option for you to continue supporting fellow local companies. Hellaine uses two locally owned bakers/bakeries to supply desserts — Angie’s Rainbow Cookies and Paisley’s Pie.

“We have worked with Paisley’s Pies for about six years and Angie’s Rainbow Cookies for a little over a year,” she says. “Paisleys Pies we found at a local market and asked if she could make pies to sell in our shop—specifically pies unique and only available to our pizzeria. Angie’s Rainbow Cookies came to us asking if we would be interested in selling her cookies through our shop. She had previously been selling Italian rainbow cookies through her website and the local Farmer’s Market circuit.”

You may need to seek out those relationships. This is where social media, review sites and local news sources come in handy. You can find out who is already making the best desserts in town to see if what they offer would fit your business concept.

Working with local bakeries can also allow for flexibility and specialty products. “We put an order in at the beginning of the week with our providers for how many items we need and what type, and they bring them out a few days later,” Hellaine says. “They also make us monthly ‘specialty’ items that can only be purchased at our shop for that month—usually something holiday or seasonal themed—that we sell alongside their regular fare.”

Partnerships with a local bakery are great for cross promotion. “We co-market with Angie’s Rainbow Cookies,” Hellaine says. “She has an amazing social media presence and by collaborating on stories, feeds, and posts, we have access to each other’s customers. She’s brought a lot of her fans to us and our shop, and we’ve introduced a lot of people to just cookies. It’s a win-win and I think customers really appreciate seeing two local business owners working together and being front and center for their products.“

DENISE GREER is Executive Editor of Pizza Today.

The post When should a restaurant outsource its desserts? appeared first on Pizza Today.

Tony Cerimele wins World Champion Pizza Maker of the Year at Pizza Expo’s International Pizza Challenge

Tony Cerimele, owner of New Columbus Pizza Company, in Nesquehoning, Pennsylvania, is the 2024 World Champion Pizza Maker of the Year at the International Pizza Challenge during Pizza Expo (March 19-21) in Las Vegas. After capturing the first-place finish in the Pan Division, Tony went on to win the Finals to be named World Champion Pizza Maker of the Year.

Cerimele was among the Top 5 competitors of 50 in the Pan Division to advance from the preliminaries on Tuesday, March 19. He continued to take the Pan Division Title in the Pan Finals on Thursday, March 21. Styles that fall into this category include, but are not limited to Roman, Chicago, Detroit, Grandma, Ohio Valley, Old Forge and Sicilian.

Winners of each division’s final — Cheese Slice, Traditional, Non-Traditional, Pan and Neapolitan — advanced to the Pizza Maker of the Year competition on Thursday.

Stay updated on all PIZZA EXPO 2024 News. We’ve created a hub for news from the World’s Largest Pizza Show. Find all the updates and happenings at Pizza Expo 2024. Go to the Pizza Expo 2024 Hub.

 A Quick Q&A with Pizza Maker of the Year Tony Cerimele

We reached out Tony Cerimele to get first impressions after winning the World Champion Pizza Maker of the Year at International Pizza Challenge at last week’s Pizza Expo. Find out about the his competition experience and his winning pizzas. Read this quick Q&A with Tony Cerimele:

What does it mean for you to receive recognition as the Pizza Maker of the Year?

I think the biggest thing for me is that fact that I accomplished something I set out to do a long time ago.  I first started competing in 2017.  Since the beginning it has been a rollercoaster.  Looking at it now I am most happy to bring these awards back to my hometown of Nesquehoning, PA, and all of Northeastern Pennsylvania.  We have some incredible pizza in our area and I am just happy to be a part of the community.  I think the most import thing for me after winning is the fact that my daughters witnessed firsthand that hard work and determination really do pay off in the end.  They saw all the reps, all the trials and tribulations with this pizza, and to get this outcome was the greatest example I could give them to keep pushing forward to achieve what you dream off.

Tell us about your winning pizzas. What made your pizzas stand out?

Photo courtesy of Tony Cerimele

Both of my pizzas were made on the same Sicilian crust.  I formulated the dough to be light and airy through the 3-day process it takes.  The pizza that won the pan division was an upside-down Sicilian pie with whole milk mozzarella and sauce on top.  The sauce was simply crushed tomatoes with salt, pepper, and basil.  Post bake I finished it with a whipped ricotta, basil and Grana Padano.  What put this pizza over the top in my opinion was the pepperoni jam made by Lee Hunzinger. It is amazing.

The second pizza was stressful to say the least.  Using the same dough and only the ingredients provided, I paused in my mind for a minute and prayed to my father to put an idea in my head.  I literally focused on the red onions and bell peppers, once I saw the sausage in the fridge it hit me, make a crumbled sausage and pepper pizza.  So, I prepared the toppings like I would if I was going to be eating a sausage and pepper sub, then constructed the pizza in layers.  Finishing it with EVOO, basil, ricotta, and torn fresh mozzarella.

What was the competition like this year?

The competition was awesome.  So many people from around the world, it was incredible.  There was so much energy in that area it was palpable the entire Expo.  I also thought it was great having the finals round for each division.  Mike LaMarca, Jeremy Galvin, and their entire team do such an amazing job organizing

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Results from the International Pizza Challenge 2024

We are bringing you results as we receive them from the International Pizza Challenge at Pizza Expo 2024. This year, we have 5 divisions: Traditional, Non-Traditional, Neapolitan/STG, Pan, & World’s Best Cheese Slice, which will be represented in the pizza bake-off that will showcase the world’s best pizza makers. Each competitor will have the opportunity to bake their signature pizza on the spot at Pizza Expo, which will then be presented to a renowned panel of accredited chefs. The bake-offs will take place Tuesday through Thursday in the International Pizza Challenge contest area. The winners of each division will face off against each other in a mystery-ingredient bake-off to determine who will be named the 2024 Pizza Maker of the Year.

Stay updated on all PIZZA EXPO 2024 News. We’ve created a hub for news from the World’s Largest Pizza Show. Find all the updates and happenings at Pizza Expo 2024. Go to the Pizza Expo 2024 Hub.

Each day, we are posting results as they come in. Check back as the results are announced.

Tony Cerimele wins World Champion Pizza Maker of the Year at Pizza Expo’s International Pizza Challenge

Tony Cerimele, owner of New Columbus Pizza Company, in Nesquehoning, Pennsylvania, is the 2024 World Champion Pizza Maker of the Year at the International Pizza Challenge during Pizza Expo (March 19-21) in Las Vegas. After capturing the first-place finish in the Pan Division, Tony went on to win the Finals to be named World Champion Pizza Maker of the Year.

Read a Q&A with Tony on his competition experience and his winning pizzas.

Champions have been crowned in International Pizza Challenge

Stay tuned for all the official International Pizza Challenge final details. Please be patient as we travel back to our homes. For now. let’s highlight the division winners. Congratulations to the following champions in the International Pizza Challenge:

• Traditional
  Sergio Balderas, Truly Pizza, Dana Point, California
• Non-Traditional
  Alex White, Yukon Pizza, Las Vegas, Nevada
• Neapolitan
  Vincent Santoro, Song e Napule, New York, New York
• Pan
  Tony Cerimele, New Columbus Pizza Co., Nesquehoning, Pennsylvania
• World’s Best Cheese Slice
  Tan Tuong (Andy) Huynh, Cowabunga+, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
• Best of the Best (Publicly Judged)
  Joe Carlucci, Valentino’s Pizzeria & Wine Bar, Madison,  Alabama
• Pizza Maker of the Year (Publicly Judged)
  Tony Cerimele, New Columbus Pizza Co., Nesquehoning, Pennsylvania

Final scoresheets are in!.

International Pizza Challenge Wednesday Results

International Pizza Challenge breaks the record for the number of competitors. Wednesday alone saw 260+ competitors presenting their best pie in:

• Non-Traditional
• Neapolitan,
• Ooni Traditional & Pan
• Daiya Vegan Divisions

Preliminary Results on the Top 5 competitors for Non-Traditional and Napoletana will advance to Thursdays finals.

Ooni Traditional Division Preliminary Results

Congratulations to everyone in the Ooni Traditional Division. Here are the Top 3:

1. Ryan Thompson
2. Jeff Taylor
3. Matt Hickey

Here are the full scoresheets:

Ooni Pan Division Preliminary Results

Congratulations to everyone in the Ooni Pan Division. Here are the Top 3:

1. Eidref Laxal
2. Ryan Ososky
3. Srdian Jelcic

Here are the full scoresheets:

Daiya Vegan Division Preliminary Results

Congratulations to everyone in the Daiya Vegan Division. Here are the Top 3:

1. Leonardo Zoppetti
2. Ali Afshar
3. Soyeon Chewning

Here are the full scoresheets:

Non-Traditional Division Preliminary Results

Top 5 Competitors in the Non-Traditional Division will advance to the Thursday Finals. They are:

1. Michael Vakneen
2. Alex White
3. Deserai Satullo
4. Andrew Scudera
5. Mckenzie Sanvido

Regional Winners for the Non-Traditional Division are in!

In addition to the Top 5, the Non-Traditional Division also recognizes regional winners. Congrats to the following competitors who placed in their region:

Southwest

1. Michael Vakneen
2. Alex White
3. Mckenzie Sanvido

Northwest

1. Anthony Gilbert
2. Sean Dempsey
3. Niles Peacock

Midwest

1. Deserai Satullo
2. Paul Cataldo
3. Brian Hall

Southeast

1. Camryn Suggs
2. Alejandro Burgaleta
3. Joey Streeter

Northeast

1. Andrew Scudera
2. Tracy Dykeman
3. Eric Von Hansen

International

1. Heitor Benatti
2. Bruce Madadi
3. Aleksandar Aleksic

Take a look at the full Non-Traditional Scoresheet:

Pizza Napoletana Division Preliminary Results

Top 5 Competitors in the Pizza Napoletana Division will advance to the Thursday Finals. They are:

1. Luca De Marinis
2. Vincenzo Capuano
3. James Terwilliger
4. Cesare Di lorio
5. Vincenzo Santoro

Here are the Pizza Napoletana Division full scoresheet:

International Pizza Challenge Tuesday Results

International Pizza Challenge breaks the record for the number of competitors. Tuesday alone saw 209 competitors presenting their best pie in:

• World’s Best Cheese Slice
• Pan
• Traditional
• CMAB Professional Division Preliminaries

Top 5 competitors will advance to Thursday’s Division Finals.

A note to competitors: These are preliminary results. When we share the full IPC Winners, we will include pizzerias, locations and links to the pizzeria.

Traditional Division Regional Winners are in!

In addition to the Top 5, the Traditional Division also recognizes regional winners. Congrats to the following competitors who placed in their region:

Southwest

1. Sergio Balderas
2. Matt Hutchinson
3. Alastair Hannmann

Northwest

1. Bill Crawford
2. Josh Hillman
3. Drew Balstad

Midwest

1. Carmela Cataldo
2. Ali Afshar
3. Nino Del Greco

Southeast

1. Andy Brown
2. Dustin Finnegan
3. Teo Tomasi

Northeast

1. Anthony Berghela
2. Michael Testa
3. Perry Bogacz

International

1. Gianluca Piersanti
2. Alessio Cataldo
3. Fiodar Huminski

Following are the Top 5 Competitors Tuesday’s Divisions who will advance to the Thursday Finals:

CMAB Pro Division Preliminary Results

Top 5 Competitors in the Pan Division will advance to the Thursday Finals. They are:

1. Chef Apisit Jitprasong
2. Chef Shi (Kevin) Zhao
3. Paramet Saisutth
4. Chef Sakamoto
5. Chef Nguyen Thi Huyen Trang

Here’s the full CMAB Pro Preliminary Division scoresheet:

Pan Division Preliminary Results

Top 5 Competitors in the Pan Division will advance to the Thursday Finals. They are:

1. Charlie Webb
2. Jeff Miner
3. Tony Cerimele
4. Craig Capano
5. Rov Bass

Here’s the full Pan Division scoresheet:

World’s Best Cheese Slice Division Preliminary Results

Top 5 Competitors in the World’s Best Cheese Slice Division will advance to the Thursday Finals. They are:

1. Rico Lunardi
2. Anthony DeSousa
3. Vicky Ixcot
4. Andy Huynh
5. Lorenzo Hernandez

Here’s the full World’s Best Cheese Slice scoresheet:

Traditional Division Preliminary Results

Top 5 Competitors in the Traditional Division will advance to the Thursday Finals. They are:

1. Sergio Balderas
2. Anthony Berghela
3. Gianluca Piersanti
4. Alessio Cataldo
5. Matt Hutchinson

Here’s the full scoresheet: (Regional winners for the Traditional Divisions will be announced Wednesday morning.)

The post International Pizza Challenge 2024 — Daily Results appeared first on Pizza Today.

A Q&A with Blair Pietrini, Pietrini Pizza Napoletana, Los Alamitos, California

Concept:

Our concept is an elevated casual dining experience. We welcome all kinds of visitors and types of gatherings. We are the perfect spot for a weekly date night or for a night out with the family! We’ve become a hotspot for tourists and we love meeting new people and getting to hear their stories. Our restaurant is an extension of our family, and our love for bringing people together. We are dedicated to our community and to building and cultivating relationships within it.

Pizza & Dough:

At this point in time we offer two styles of pizza using a variety of Caputo flours. We make New York style pies that are baked in a deck oven, and Neapolitan style pies that are cooked in our custom made wood-fired oven that my husband had imported from Naples, Italy. Our dough is always evolving as we continue to learn and grow day by day. Right now we are using direct fermentation for our Neapolitan dough and cold proofing for about 48 hours. We are using a high protein flour and a  pre-ferment for our New York dough and cold proofing for at least
48 hours as well.

Reopening after your husband Gene’s passing, what is important as you continue to grow Pietrini?

After my husband Gene’s passing, the most important thing for me in reopening the restaurant  was  simply to  honor him by carrying on his legacy through endeavoring to  keep his “pizza dream” alive. He was so intensely passionate about making pizza, gathering people together to enjoy it, and doing everything possible to ensure that everyone felt incredibly welcome and satisfied during their visit. Continuing forward, we are dedicated to providing exceptional food using the finest ingredients, along with a huge helping of hospitality and kindness. Staying true to our family’s core values is extremely important to us.

How are you able to sustain the balance for your family and the business?

After experiencing such a devastating loss, we made the decision to limit our hours of operation to just five days a week and evenings only. I realize this flies in the face of conventional restaurant wisdom, but for us, family comes first and this is what we felt we needed to do in order for it to be sustainable for us during this time. When we are able to have sufficient staffing that is successfully cross trained, we will consider expanding our hours, but until then, this is the choice we are making to help maintain a healthier work/life balance for ourselves. I have heard too many stories of people whose restaurants ended up owning them rather than them owning their restaurant. After everything we have been through, that just isn’t a sacrifice I am willing to make.

Even before opening Pietrini you have been a strong community advocate. What has been the most fulfilling way you have given back to your community at Pietrini?

It has been an incredible blessing to be able to work in the same community that I grew up in. I have had the privilege of running a non profit organization that included a food pantry along with an emergency assistance program in our city for over 25 years. Upon my husband’s unexpected passing  ( just 10 months after opening PPN), it became clear that I needed to shift my focus and give our new restaurant my undivided attention. I later came to the realization that there were still ways in which we could continue to help people through the restaurant itself. There have been several ways whereby we have been able to give back to our community thus far, such as hosting chamber of commerce meetings, local police events and participating in various community campaigns and sponsoring local education programs and sports teams. We were able to host a Toy Drive that benefitted children in need along with sending over $2K (which we raised through our “Lifting up Lahaina” – Aloha pizza sales campaign ) to the Maui Food Bank to assist them in feeding people displaced by the Maui Wildfires.  Undoubtedly, however, I feel that the most fulfilling way we have been able to give back to our community has been to provide employment opportunities for those in need of a second chance, and those who simply need someone to believe in them.

What’s next for Pietrini? 

As for the future, our focus is on sustaining the growth we are currently experiencing, through expanding both our staff and our menu. We are looking to include some pasta dishes and other menu items to offset the volume of Neapolitan pizzas on any given night. Adding an additional oven and reworking our kitchen work space is also a must moving forward. A thriving business is a wonderful thing, but at Pietrini Pizza Napoletana,  it is extremely important to do so with a “family first” mindset, which will allow us (and our team members) to have a life outside of the restaurant.

The post Conversation with Blair Pietrini, Pietrini Pizza Napoletana, Los Alamitos, California appeared first on Pizza Today.

Listen to Thomas McNaughton and Ryan Pollnow of San Francisco-based Flour + Water on The Hot Slice Podcast

This week, we talk with co-executive chefs and partners Thomas McNaughton and Ryan Pollnow at San Francisco-based Flour + Water to get the skinny on the direction their taking their highly successful pizza concept. Check out more details provided by Flour + Water:

Thomas McNaughton, Co-Executive Chef & Founding Partner, Flour + Water Hospitality Group (Flour + Water, Flour +Water Pizzeria, Penny Roma, Flour + Water Pasta Shop)
Thomas McNaughton, founding partner, co-chef and CEO of Flour +Water Hospitality Group, grew up in Southern New Jersey. He graduated from the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York, then gained valuable experience working for Bay Area restaurants La Folie, Gary Danko and Quince. On his culinary journey, he also worked at a number of Michelin-rated restaurants in France, Germany and Italy, falling head over heels in love with the hand-rolled pastas of Bologna and the nonne that produce them. Thomas is relentlessly driven by the community of farmers, craftsmen and “creatives” that call the Bay Area home.

Ryan Pollnow, Co-Executive Chef & Partner, Flour + WaterHospitality Group (Flour + Water, Flour + Water Pizzeria, Penny Roma, Flour + Water Pasta Shop)
Ryan Pollnow, co-chef and vice president of the Flour + WaterHospitality Group, discovered a love for cooking and the micro seasons of the Bay Area while growing up in Northern California. Ryan completed culinary school in Sonoma County while working at restaurants and wineries to further develop his acumen in the field. He continued his education abroad at renowned restaurant Mugaritz in northern Spain before returning to the Bay Area. Traveling for culinary inspiration has always been an important part of his growth, and his time in Italy left a significant imprint on his love for seasonal cooking. Ryan led each FWHG kitchen individually as Chef de Cuisine before transitioning into his current role overseeing all culinary operations as co-executive chef.

Flour + Water Pizzeria | Flour + Water Pizza Shop

Flour + Water Pizzeria, 532 Columbus Ave, San Francisco, CA 94133

Flour + Water Pizza Shop, 1533 Stockton Street, San Francisco, CA 94133

Co-Chefs: Thomas McNaughton, Ryan Pollnow

Beverage Director: Samuel Bogue

Director of Operations: Amanda Flores

General Manager: Paige McNeil

Hours: 11:30am to 10pm, daily

fwpizzeria.com | @flourandwaterpizzeria

In June 2023, Flour + Water Hospitality Group introduced their new flagship Flour + Water Pizzeria and new Flour + Water Pizza Shop concept in San Francisco’s North Beach, a community long-recognized for its history of Italian cuisine. With its prime location adjacent to Washington Square Park, Flour + Water Pizzeria’s new home is a hub for all things pizza, expanding upon the foundation of the restaurant. The 4,000 square foot restaurant is divided into three distinct spaces: an expansive full-service dining room and bar; a glassed-in Dough Room; and the dedicated Pizza Shop for quick service, pick-up and delivery.

With the flagship, co-chefs Thomas McNaughton + Ryan Pollnow reveal a new chapter that reflects their love for the pizza experience. From the meticulous craftsmanship of the hot pies to the sly nods to iconic pizzeria culture, every element showcases their passion for pizza. Utilizing hand-selected, expertly milled grains from industry leader Central Milling, the co-chefs refined their signature dough recipe to be the ideal canvas for both classic and non-traditional toppings, while also considering portability for the to-go program. Pizzas, antipasti and salads are composed with ingredients that highlight the chefs’ long-standing relationships with Northern California producers and farmers. Guests can anticipate the return of fan favorite hand-rolled mozzarella sticks and Double8 Dairy buffalo gelato soft serve along with new additions such as head-on shrimp scampi, Hawaiian pizza with chili crisp, and dine-in exclusive bone marrow pie (a nod to Flour + Water).

As part of the Pizzeria’s evolution, Flour + Water Hospitality Group’s Beverage Director Samuel Bogue offers a comprehensive beverage program with wine, beer, cocktails and non-alcoholic options. A concise wine list features predominantly Italian producers, as well as domestic offerings that reflect Bogue’s mission to champion small production, organically farmed, family wineries. The list includes Flour+ Water’s Pasta Water and Pasta Sauce “house” wines, a collaboration with Subject to Change Wine Co. in Richmond, CA. Bogue worked alongside North Beach resident cocktail expert Elmer Mejicanos for the cocktail menu to curate a list that includes classics such as negronis and daiquiris, as well as crushable creations such as the aperitif-inspired Boozy Slushy. Wine and beer selections are also available to grab-and-go from the Pizza Shop for those picking up pizzas and provisions.

The team collaborated with Lundberg Design and project architect Gavin Knowles to bring the Pizzeria to life, while paying tribute to the legacy of the restaurant’s predecessor, Rose Pistola. A fixture in North Beach for 21 years, Rose Pistola is credited for its defining role in the community’s Italian culinary scene, while also influencing the trajectory of restaurants such as Flour + Water. Lundberg composed a palette around the restaurant’s original Italian-inspired mosaic tile floor, selecting bright, high-contrast materials to complement the black, white, gray, yellow, and orange tones of the pattern.

Design features were thoughtfully constructed to celebrate the evolution of the dough. A dough stretching counter greets guests entering the Pizzeria from Columbus Avenue, while the glassed-in Dough Room at the heart of the restaurant provides a window into the production process. By night, the space transforms into a private dining room for gatherings of 12-14 guests. From the Stockton Street Pizza Shop entrance, a wall of to-go pizza boxes is displayed in a custom steel rack crafted by Lundberg’s in-house fabrication studio. The removal of boxes throughout the day provides visibility into the active Dough Room from the 12-seat Shop. “The Big Slice”, a daily-changing giant slice exclusive to the Pizza Shop, and a fully restored vintage Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles arcade game provide further impetus for impromptu walk-ins. For locals picking up, a robust retail program of beverages and products rounds out the to-go experience.

Additional references to retro pizza culture are reflected throughout the 75-seat Pizzeria space with touches such as pendant lights made of corrugated cardboard. Two dedicated bars – a pizza bar overlooking the ovens, and anterior bar showcasing the restaurant’s new cocktail program – offer ample options for walk-ins. Custom banquettes, die-wall paneling, and Dough Room tables made with a recycled paper composite material called Richlite reveal Flour +Water’s commitment to sustainable practices.

Underscoring that ethos of environmental consciousness, the new Flour + Water Pizzeria location joins all Flour + Water Hospitality Group restaurants as a member of Zero Foodprint, an organization that funds grants for farmers switching to regenerative practices.

Flour + Water Pizzeria is open daily from 11:30am to 10pm. In the months to come, Flour + Water Hospitality Group will announce additional locations of the Flour + Water Pizza Shop concept, bringing their prized pizzas to communities throughout the Bay Area.

About Flour + Water Hospitality Group

Flour + Water Hospitality Group is a culture-driven San Francisco-based hospitality group dedicated to creating stand-out culinary experiences that reflect the leadership’s shared commitment to quality, community impact and transparency. Led by co-chefs Thomas McNaughton and Ryan Pollnow, and their partners Kara Bratcher, Dan Nestojko, Vanya Shekell, and David Steele, the team operates Flour + Water, Flour + Water Pasta Shop and Penny Roma in San Francisco’s Mission District, as well as the Flour + Water Pizzeria and Flour + Water Foods brands. McNaughton and Pollnow’s creativity and expertise is on display across the group’s concepts with offerings reflective of regional Italian traditions and Northern California inspirations with hand-crafted pasta and pizza at the center.

Since the opening of the original Flour + Water in 2009, the Group’s passion for cultivating community through genuine hospitality and memorable experiences has established the company as an industry leader.  Their approach has had an indelible impact on the Bay Area’s culinary landscape, the restaurant spaces often functioning as incubators, expanding Flour + Water’s influence beyond their hometown. Committed to sustainable sourcing and practices, Flour +Water Hospitality Group was a founding member of Zero Foodprint, a nonprofit mobilizing the food world around agricultural climate solutions.

Thank you to our sponsor

The post 196. Flour + Water = a Vibrant, Growing Pizza Concept appeared first on Pizza Today.

A larger booth presence, new product innovation and expanded range of solutions are all in the cards for General Mills Foodservice at this year’s premier pizza event in Las Vegas.

MINNEAPOLIS (March 3, 2024) — General Mills Foodservice is upping its game at this year’s International Pizza Expo to reflect its expanded portfolio of solutions and in-depth technical expertise to help pizza makers serve their best pizza. Taking place March 19-21, 2024, at the Las Vegas Convention Center, Pizza Expo is the largest event of its kind and draws thousands of pizza makers from independent and chain pizza restaurants from around the world.

General Mills Foodservice’s new booth will showcase its full continuum of pizza crust solutions, including its expansive flour line-up, complete range of dough and crust products from BONICI^® and TNT Crust™, and new Gold Medal™ All Trumps™ Dough Balls. In addition, the Doughminators™, a team with a deep knowledge of flour and technical baking expertise, will return to host more of their popular dough demonstrations and Pizza Crust Boot Camp sessions.

“We are excited to debut our larger booth and offer Pizza Expo attendees a one-stop shop for all of their pizza crust needs, whether they are seeking flour, dough, self-rising, parbaked or custom crust options,” said Tom Santos, senior technical training specialist at General Mills Foodservice who also serves as a Doughminator. “We always enjoy connecting with pizza makers from around the world as well as the chance to share our latest product innovations and demonstrate how our team of technical experts is in their corner when it comes to making the finest pizza.”

Pizza Crust Boot Camp

A highlight of Pizza Expo for more than 25 years, Pizza Crust Boot Camp is a free seminar featuring both technical and practical information covering ingredient functionality, formulation, signature crusts, troubleshooting, and dough-making steps and methods.

Pizza Crust Boot Camp (Room W210-211):

• Part 1 (Tuesday, March 19 and Wednesday, March 20: 9:30-10:30 a.m.)
  • During Part I (technical), attendees will learn about basic dough formation, along with the interfunctionality of ingredients and applications of specialty ingredients.
• Part 2 (Tuesday, March 19 and Wednesday, March 20: 3:30-4:30 p.m.)
  • Part II (practical) covers the dough-making process and discusses various dough-processing methods, as well as how to make “emergency” dough.

Pizza Expo attendees who stop by the General Mills Foodservice booth will find information, resources and expertise to serve pizza their patrons will love, including:

• Dough demonstrations with the new Gold Medal All Trumps Dough Ball along with samples of finished pizzas prepared by Wood Stone Ovens.
• BONICI^® crust solutions for various back-of-house needs.
• Details on a wide variety of pizza flour options, from untreated/clean label flours to solutions for specific pizza styles (e.g., New York, Neapolitan, Detroit).
• Information on custom solutions for operations that meet business requirements for partnership.
• An interactive booth that allows attendees to scan QR codes onsite to access extensive information on flour and troubleshooting resources at their fingertips.
• The Pillsbury Doughboy will be onsite throughout the expo, along with a variety of giveaways including bowl scrapers, pizza cutters and fun Pillsbury Doughboy swag.

“We are proud to be a trusted partner in the pizza industry, and it doesn’t get any better than Pizza Expo!” Santos added. “If you haven’t found your perfect pizza crust solution for your back-of-house needs, we are here to help you make a lasting match.”

Pizza Expo attendees can inquire about making an appointment with a member of the General Mills Foodservice sales team for a product consultation and visit at their own operation. For those who can’t make it to Pizza Expo, General Mills Foodservice’s website for pizzerias offers helpful resources including dough troubleshooting tips and dough-making video demonstrations. Click here for more information.

About General Mills Foodservice

General Mills Foodservice serves the foodservice and bakery industries by providing quality products from time-trusted brands along with culinary support, nutrition education, and marketing resources to help operators succeed. Its distinguished brand portfolio includes Big G Cereals, Yoplait, Nature Valley, Gold Medal, Pillsbury, Chex Mix, Bugles, Gardetto’s, Annie’s and TNT Crust/BONICI^®. For more information, please visit www.GeneralMillsFoodservice.com.

The post General Mills Foodservice to Double Down at Pizza Expo appeared first on Pizza Today.

Limited-time offerings can fuel urgency

Time is running out! Buy now before it’s too late! Don’t miss your chance!

It’s a cold hard fact that scarcity sells. Companies like eBay and StubHub are valued in the billions because of it. We get excited every time the McRib comes back and there’s mayhem when Pumpkin Spice Latte season returns. Fortunately for you, it’s also useful to independent pizzerias. A limited time offering, or LTO, can provide the power to do more than just boost sales. By tapping into the customers’ fear of missing out you can increase sales, attract media attention, and strengthen your community relations.

Seasonality

Every summer, pizza fans flock to Frank Pepe Pizzeria Napoletana’s sixteen locations for a taste of their fresh tomato pizza. This is a pizza that’s only available while tomatoes are in season, unlike the restaurant’s perennial pies that use canned tomatoes. Sales surge as customers grab what they can before time runs out. When summer ends, so does the fresh tomato pizza.

The rhythm of seasonality keeps Dan Richer engaged with both his customers and local farmers through his ever-changing menu at Razza in Jersey City. “Customers want to know when corn is coming back and when zucchini will be on the menu again. The truth is that I don’t know! What we’re doing is alive.” Richer bases his entire concept on perpetual change. He reprints menus every day so he can adjust to the limits of nature. There are some pizzas that will always be available, but the ability to constantly add items based on seasonality gives Razza fans a reason to come back more often.

Collaboration

What’s better than marketing to your own customers? Marketing to someone else’s customers! You can use LTOs to do both by offering a limited-time collaboration with another local business. Greenville Avenue Pizza Company in Dallas teamed up with a popular Chinese restaurant in the neighborhood to create a hit. “They told us their number one seller was the Dan Dan Sausage, so we took inspiration from that dish to create a super popular pizza that lived on our menu for just a few weeks,” says owner Sammy Mandell.

Alex Coons has had great success collaborating with like-minded businesses through his restaurant Hot Tongue in the Silverlake section of Los Angeles. “We recently ran a collaborative pie for just one weekend with a fantastic local restaurant called BeeWali’s. The collaboration proved to be a fantastic marketing tool for both of us, drawing in lots of new faces. It was one of our best weekends of the year.” Collaborations like this don’t just build a restaurant’s audience, they also strengthen communities.

Publicity

The main reason Greenville Avenue Pizza Company runs limited-time offerings is to stay relevant. “Our focus is on staying top of mind,” says Mandell. “How do you get yourself press coverage if you’re doing the same thing every day?” By having a rolling series of LTOs, Greenville Avenue Pizza Company has established a reputation within their community. It’s so much a part of their identity that the largest local magazine in Dallas recently featured them on the cover of their pizza-centric issue. Even better, the magazine asked GAPCO to collaborate on a special pizza in celebration of the issue. It doesn’t get any better than collaborating with the press!

On the social media side, an LTO provides loads of content opportunities. Images and videos of your new creation will generate buzz and provide a nice break from the same photo of your pepperoni pizza. MaiPai Tiki Bar in Hamilton, Ontario uses Instagram Reels to announce a new featured pizza every week. These videos rack up thousands of views and lead to a spike in pre-orders. MaiPai once ran a social media campaign that invited their followers to vote for their favorite weekly feature. They scored lots of engagement and used the results to update their regular menu.

Boosting Slow Periods

Time-sensitive offers have the ability to bring people through the door in times of need. Mama’s Too in New York City creates a new sandwich every week to be sold only on Wednesday. Regulars who usually come in for pizza make an extra visit on Wednesday just to pick up the weekly sandwich. The pizzeria announces the sandwich one day in advance via Instagram and they regularly sell out.

Diana Huynh, owner of Cici’s Pizza & Wings in Toronto, fired up an LTO when she noticed her merch line wasn’t selling. Last October, she celebrated Pizza Month with a special offer of a free slice with the purchase of any piece of Cici’s swag. She usually sells just five pieces of merch per month, but the free slice incentive increased that number to over forty.

Challenges

Creating temporary menu items takes a lot of work. You’ll have to devote time to R&D, especially if you’re working with an unfamiliar ingredient or process. Seasonal items pose a particular challenge because a short season won’t give you much time to experiment.

Before you can take your new item public, you’ll have to train your staff. The kitchen has to know how to prepare the dish and your servers need to be able to sell it. A complicated process that clogs up your makeline will give you more headaches than solutions. This is another reason it’s great to collaborate with another restaurant that can handle some of the prep for you.

One of the most popular LTOs at Greenville Avenue Pizza Company is their Pretty Pickle pizza. “We get more requests for this than any other pie,” says owner Sammy Mandell. “We would have already added it to the regular menu, but each pie gets 100 slices of pickle and that’s just too labor-intensive for my staff.”

Dan Richer agrees. “I can spend months perfecting chocolate cake but if it’s not a process my staff can execute perfectly every time it’s not worth adding to the menu.

The loudest refrain from pizzerias that use limited time offerings is that they have to become part of your routine. Greenville Avenue Pizza Company spent two years building their LTO program but now it’s an essential part of their restaurant. Razza and MaiPai consider short-run items to be part of their DNA. They’ve trained customers to anticipate LTOs as a way of holding their attention. It’s important to put in the work of establishing consistency, otherwise the occasional one-off will go unnoticed. It takes time and energy to build a rhythm, but the results could pump a new lifesource into your pizzeria.

SCOTT WIENER is the founder of Scott’s Pizza Tours in New York City and SliceOutHunger.org  Instagram: @scottspizzatours

The post Using FOMO to create an LTO appeared first on Pizza Today.

Raising prices on operators’ minds

“If you’ve got the power to raise prices without losing business to a competitor, you’ve got a very good business. And if you have to have a prayer session before raising the price by a tenth of a cent, then you’ve got a terrible business. I’ve been in both, and I know the difference.”
-Warren Buffett

Nick Bogacz, founder and president of Caliente Pizza & Draft House in Pittsburgh

Our industry for so long has been thought of as an affordable option to feed a family. The fear when raising prices is that you will lose customers, or that you will become unaffordable. The truth is, for most of you reading this, you have been under-charging for a long time. There are many approaches determining what your pricing should look like. In the end, you want to be able to offer fair pricing, but you also want to make sure you are making a profit.

I like to take the approach of writing my menu prices down according to my food cost. Having your menu broken down so you know how much each pizza costs is essential. Let’s take breaking down the cost of a pepperoni pizza, for example. The first step is knowing how much ingredient goes into each recipe. If I ask you how many pepperonis go on your large pizza, you should know that number. At Caliente, we have build guides for every menu item that we sell. For our large 14-inch pizza, we know the cost of the dough ball, the cost of the 6 ounces of sauce, and the 8 ounces of cheese. We also know the cost of the 48 pepperonis that go on the pizza. We then look at the cost of the box that the pizza goes into. We then take that amount and start the process of finding our menu price. Our goal at the stores is to have a 29-percent food cost.

Reviewing each individual topping pizza like the example above, and then getting the average of what it costs to make each pizza, is the way to determine what a one-topping pizza should cost on your menu. However, there will be more variation when you break down your gourmet pizzas. I suggest having pricing tiers for your gourmet pizzas. We used to price ours all the same, but by designating them into three tiers, we have been able to keep the costs closer to that 29-percent food cost goal.

You have to get over the fear that you will lose customers if you raise prices. Stand behind the quality of your product. The worst thing you can do is get into a price war with your competitors. I have found raising prices has been essential in staying in business. Inflation has skyrocketed since COVID, and if you have raised your prices less than three times since the beginning of the pandemic, you need to raise them again now.

Going over every menu item, step-by-step, and breaking down the cost of each item is the second step — but you must first create the resources you need to monitor and determine those prices. Creating build and recipe guides for all your menu items is the first step in this process, and that’s what we will cover in the next installment of Building Blocks.

Nick Bogacz is the founder and president of Caliente Pizza & Draft House in Pittsburgh.  Instagram: @caliente_pizza

The post Building Blocks: Should I Raise Prices? appeared first on Pizza Today.

The story of how our Pizza Sauce came to fruition

The Global Tomato Market generates $181.74 Billion in revenue yearly. To put that in perspective, that is larger than the GDP of Ukraine and Morocco, and not far off from Greece, Peru and Portugal. According to a study published from the USDA in 2019, “Americans on average consume 30lbs of tomatoes per year. Sixty percent of that comes from canned tomatoes, as Pizza Sauce contributes to the high consumption of the vegetable.” Here is the story of how our Pizza Sauce came to fruition.

Tomatoes are a central and iconic element to Italian Cuisine, yet they are actually a “newer” ingredient that didn’t come along until the late 1600s. It’s hard to believe that some of the most famous Italians ever, Julius Caesar, Leonardo Da Vinci, Marco Polo, Michelangelo and even Christopher Columbus never had a dish of Spaghetti Pomodoro. George Washington, Ben Franklin, Sam Adams… our Founding Fathers did not know what pizza was.

Hundreds of years ago, long before Europeans had set foot in the New World, tomatoes grew wild in the Andes of Western South America. The natives began cultivating them, eventually bringing the plant northward through Central America and into Mexico. When the Spanish arrived in the early 16th century, they found the inhabitants growing a food crop called “tomatl” in the native language.

Seeds were brought back by the Spaniards, but tomatoes were not an easy product to introduce to fellow Europeans: they did not look or taste like any known plant, they had a strange consistency and texture and they were very acidic when green. Once ripe they were soft and they disintegrated in the lengthy cooking which was common at the time. But the climate and soil of the Mediterranean were ideal for their growing, and since they did not compete with local crops it was used as a supplementary one that did not interfere with the traditional ones.

For many years, tomatoes were feared,

partly due to their resemblance to the venomous nightshade plant and partly because of a false story that quickly circulated about a group of upper-class Europeans who died after eating them. While the group did experience fatalities after consuming tomatoes, further investigation revealed that the high acidity of the tomatoes leached lead from the pewter dinnerware, causing lead poisoning. The story circulated for years, raising suspicions across the continent.

It wasn’t until 1692 that we see the first-ever recipe featuring tomatoes appearing in “Lo Scalco alla Moderna” by Antonio Latini. Antonio, an orphan at the age of 5, grew up homeless in the streets but was eventually taken into a kitchen. He worked his way up to become the Steward for the Viceroy of Spain and Naples. His published recipe was for a sauce containing cooked tomatoes, intended as an accompaniment for cooked meat or fish. In 1790, Roman Chef Francesco Leonardi published the highly regarded cookbook “L’Apicio Moderno”, where he wrote the first recipe and proclaimed he had ”invented” pasta al pomodo (pasta with tomato sauce).

Early traces of pizza go back to ancient times with the Egyptians, Romans and Greeks, but pizza as we know today emerged in the 18th century, in the Southern Italian port city of Naples. From 1700 to 1750 the city’s population doubled from 200,000 to 400,000. There was a big need to feed a bustling metropolis with people always on the go. Street vendors would purchase disc-shaped flatbreads from bakeries and keep them warm in small tinned copper stoves that they balanced on their heads. Ingredients were simple like lard, garlic, salt, basil and in some instances caciocavallo cheese and fresh tomato.

Many believe that pizza sauce was invented by Raffaele Esposito in 1889 because he was credited with the invention of the “Pizza Margherita”. According to the legend, Queen Margherita summoned Raffaele to the Royal Palace to prepare the popular dish among the locals in Naples. Out of the three pizzas he prepared for her Majesty, her favorite was the tomato, basil, mozzarella pizza, of which he named in her honor. However, while we can attribute the naming of the pizza to Raffaele, we know with certainty that he was not the creator of that pizza, nor the first pizzaiolo to use tomato sauce.

In the second half of the 1700s, references to fresh tomatoes as pizza toppings began to emerge in essays and books, reflecting a growing trust among Neapolitans in tomatoes, due to their abundance, low cost, and ease of cultivation. The evolution continued in 1792 when Giuseppe Sorrentino obtained a business license to bake focaccias and pizzas, marking the establishment the first recorded pizzeria in Naples. This shift sparked a wave of entrepreneurs opening pizzerias, breaking away from the reliance of bakeries. Over the subsequent 50 years, Pizzaioli likely engaged in experimentation, incorporating tomatoes and tomato sauce onto pizzas as we recognize them today.

The first factual mention of pizzas with tomato sauce,

specifically describing what we now know as “la marinara” and “La Margherita” comes from Francesco de Boureard in his 1866 book “Usi e costume di Napoli” (Customs and traditions of Naples). We’ve established pizzaioli were making sauces with tomatoes, let’s remember that tomatoes were still seasonal during this period, available only part of the year.

Francesco Cirio, a Northern Italian, started working at his father’s fruit and vegetable stand in Turin at 14. Inspired by French confectioner and chef Nicholas Appert, Cirio established a canning factory in 1856, at the young age of 20, pioneering the Appertization method for preserving food with heat initially focusing on peas. With the high demand of tomatoes in Southern Italy, Francesco founded the countries first tomato factory in 1875, near Naples in San Giovanni Teduccio and Castellamare di Stabia. These towns were near the Vulcanic Angro Sarnese region, where the popular San Marzano tomato continues to grow till this day. The year-round availability marked the exponential growth of tomato popularity in Italy, and then also in Europe. We also know it’s safe to say in 1875 pizzaioli all over Naples were using the peeled tomatoes year-round to make their pizza sauces.

Italian immigrants introduced pizza to New York in the early 1900s.

Initially baked in coal fired (also some wood) bakery ovens, their sauce mirrored traditional methods, made by hand crushing whole peeled canned tomatoes with the addition of salt. The canned tomatoes being used were not the expensive imported Italian ones, but the more economical American grown, which had a different flavor profile than they were accustomed working with. Due to the higher acidity than the San Marzano, I would suspect sugar and olive oil could have begun to find its way to some of the Pizzaiolis recipes, in attempts to achieve the balance of the tomatoes they were accustomed to.

The complete evolution, or revolution depending on how you want to look at it, really began in the 1930s when Frank Mastro invented the gas oven. Adopted by most New York and East Coast pizzerias by the 1940s, these ovens baked at a lower temperature that required much longer cooking times. A sauce with less water content that prevented the pizza from drying out and to help retain its moisture was needed, and so thick tomato sauces, dense purees and slow cooking batches of tomatoes to reduce water content where deployed.

By the 50s pizza had spread rapidly across the country. It was taken up by many enterprising restaurateurs who were often not from an Italian background, and adapted to reflect the tastes and needs of the cultural melting pot that America was becoming. It was no longer an Italian ethnic dish, but a proud food that became symbolic of the local people it was serving. Hence we see the birth of different styles, like the Chicago Deep Dish or the Detroit Pan, and the addition of non-traditional ingredients to their pizza sauce like sugar, oregano, garlic, onion, pepper and rosemary to name a few.

Pizza sauces have not really changed much from the 60s and 70s when we had our biggest boom of pizzeria openings. In talking to many operators around the country, I have noticed places adding their unique signature, like Janet Zapata of Pizza 550 in Loredo, Texas, who adds a little crushed pepper to her sauce to give it a kick, or Tony Garcia from Guy from Italy in Lubbock, Texas, who likes to add a little more sugar than average to kill the acidity and bring an additional level of sweetness.  I do believe we will see a change in the way tomatoes and sauces are packaged in the future. Some manufacturers are offering their products in plastic aseptic bags (think bag in box), that they claim offers a unique set or advantages that help preserve the freshness, flavor and nutritional value of tomatoes. And some dispute that claim. Regardless of how it’s packaged, one thing I know for sure is that we will always love our pizza sauce.

Pasquale DiDiana is owner/operator of Bacci Pizzerias in Chicago, Illinois and a frequent speaker at International Pizza Expo.

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Ricotta Cheese: Role Player

Ricotta is a whey cheese to which pizzeria operators are no stranger. A menu staple in many pizza shops and Italian restaurants coast to coast, the creamy cheese plays a role in various applications from calzone filling to lasagna enhancer to pizza topper. It often lends texture more than sheer flavor, which contributes to its ability to be used in both savory or sweet dishes.

Though it can be made from virtually any animal milk, in the United States ricotta is predominately made from cow’s milk. The item isn’t going to be the shining star in most dishes, but ricotta’s functionality makes it nonetheless a must-have. Getting right to it, here are some recipes that make excellent use of the cheese. As always, use these as a starting point and experiment until you get it just right for your customer base.

• Angry Meatball and Ricotta Pizza
• Tomato and Ricotta Pizza
• Italian Cake with Ricotta and Chocolate

Interested in trying your hand at making your own fresh ricotta in house? It’s surprisingly simple. Here’s an easy method.

Get the Fresh Ricotta recipe.

Jeremy White is the Editor in Chief for Pizza Today.

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Flatbread Pans offer chefs a blank canvas

LloydPans Flatbread Pans expand baking versatility even more by offering multiple configurations and styles. Our lineup helps commercial bakers and chefs create everything from American-style flatbread pizzas to globally-inspired shareables.

Flatbread Pan Specifications:

• 5×15 inch, 0.5-inch deep
• 14-gauge aluminum with Dura-Kote release finish
• Folded, angled rim for strength
• Solid pan performance
• Made in the USA

Perforated Flatbread Pan Specifications:

• 5×15 inch, 0.5-inch deep
• 14-gauge aluminum with PSTK release finish
• Folded, angled rim for strength
• Perforated for increased airflow

Additional Flatbread Pans:
Rounded Corner Hex Pan: raised beaded edge for strength
Perforated QDF40: flat folded rim for strength and aid for peel access
Hearth Bake for Artisan Style Crust: designed to bake in a fast bake (calibrated) conveyor pizza oven and emerge with the special crispness associated with hearth oven baked pizzas

LloydPans, a U.S. manufacturer of commercial pizza pans and tools, bakeware, cookware and foodservice equipment, is located in Spokane Valley, Wash. In addition to an extensive line of standard products, LloydPans also offers custom solutions for just about anything their customers need. LloydPans’ products are sold online at www.lloydpans.com and through distributors.

LloydPans
800-748-6251
www.lloydpans.com
sales@lloydpans.com

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Key Menu Takeaways from the 2024 Pizza Industry Trends Report

We have spent months pouring over last fall’s Pizzeria Operator Survey results. The extensive 2024 Pizza Industry Trends Report is a lot to digest and hits on many facets of pizzeria operations. If you know me, you know I love crunching the data and finding common themes and trends. Pizzeria menus are so important that we devoted some much needed attention in the report to what is happening on pizzeria menus in America.

In the report, we highlight current menu trends, including top pizza styles nationally and by region, Top 20 pizza toppings, hot toppings to watch and pizza toppings on the horizon. We know that offering multiple pizza styles is on trend. Detroit is the top pizza style to add for the second year in a row. Grandma and Sicilian are coming up fast. Pizzerias are branching out from traditional pizza toppings. Meats are still on top as pizza toppings. There are so many more over-arching pizza menu trends in the report. If you haven’t read the 2024 Pizza Industry Trends Report yet, check it out.

Now, I’m looking across the data to share insights that I discovered in our survey. I’m going deeper into the data to break down striking menu trends to take notice of.

Here are the 13 Pizzeria Menu Trends from the Pizza Industry Trends Report

1. Seafood lovers are a niche that some pizzerias have earned, when done right. Those with seafood on the pizza menu gravitate towards shrimp, clams, crab meat and yes, anchovies.  
2. Americans are crazy for chicken. It’s the sixth most popular topping. Not only that, but operators are also testing new ways to use chicken in their kitchens. Baked, smoked, fried, barbecued or seared, it’s a great versatile ingredient to take across your menu.
3. Vegan is still very hot. When it comes to plant-based offerings, imitation is best form of flattery. Consumers are looking for those common pizza toppings that are plant-based. Popular vegan items include vegan mozzarella, vegan pepperoni and vegan sausage.
4. Wings might have a high food cost, but they are the second most popular item on the menu behind pizza at most pizzerias in the U.S. Wings can be dressed in many ways. Most popular include classic Buffalo, dry rubbed, BBQ and garlic Parmesan. 
5. Sandwiches are providing a great return. Go classic with sandwiches and watch your lunch daypart get a boost. Top sandwiches from the survey included Italian Beef, meatball, Italian sub and a steak and cheese.
6. More burgers are going on pizzeria menus. If you are adding a burger, be sure you’re going with high-quality beef. Smash burgers and thick gourmet-style burgers are hot right now. You can’t have burgers without fries. Expect to see them on the burger menu and offered on their own on the apps menu.
7. Customers crave more doughy masterpieces to accompany their pizza orders. Cheesy bread, garlic bread or garlic knots are a solid add-on choice for customers. They prove to be an in-demand item across the country.
8. Even amid concise menus, salads are a strong sales item. Today’s customers expect more than iceberg lettuce and carrots. Be as bold with your salad menu as your pizza menu. Create color, use local produce and top with interesting or even house-made dressings.
9. Pasta is a hit with pizzeria diners. The most noteworthy pasta on menus around the country is lasagna. It’s a great option if you are looking for something that can be made ahead of time and heated to order. Second is traditional spaghetti and meatballs.
10. Meatballs were one of the most added items to menus. They are versatile gems — great for the pizza menu, on sandwiches or as a standalone app with marinara and hot chili oil. See Audrey Kelly’s Hot Chili Oil Story.
11. Over 82 percent of operators surveyed indicated that they offer a vegetarian pizza. It’s is one of the easiest offerings to add. Every makeline is equipped to make a vegetarian pizza. We would like to see that number at 100 percent. 
12. Nearly 66 percent of operators surveyed offer a gluten-free crust. While you do not hear about gluten-free in news headlines as much, gluten-free is still top of mind with American consumers with gluten sensitivity or Celiac Disease. 
13. A surprising 39 percent offered a cauliflower crust. While in many cases cauliflower crusts are a good gluten-free option, they are also diabetic friendly, Keto friendly and low carb.

Knowing what is happening on pizzeria menus at a national level can help you evaluate what to add, what to keep and what to remove. Explore more menu trends in Menu Development. Be sure to complete our survey later this year so that what’s happening at your pizzeria can be counted nationally.

DENISE GREER is Executive Editor of Pizza Today.

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The Stinger — Trending Hot Chili Oil

Hot oil is the answer to what all your pizzas have been missing. Looking to add extra flavor to a basic cheese pizza? Hot oil. Looking for a fun condiment to keep on the tables? Hot oil. Does your Italian sub need some zing? Hot oil. As you can see, there are many ways to utilize this awesome ingredient.

The four main ways to use hot oil are:

1. Use it as a finisher for any dish — pizza, salads, sandwiches or appetizers. The versatility of chili oil makes it the perfect complement to so many unexpected dishes.
2. As a marinade. Brush different raw meats and veggies before you cook them with hot oil to create a more dynamic flavor and add an underlying heat to the pie or dish.
3. As a dipping sauce. Forget Ranch or even honey. All you really need is one banging hot oil to make sure every last bite of crust gets eaten up. You can also serve it with a side dish of homemade focaccia or garlic knots.
4. In the pan. Instead of using straight olive or canola oil for sautéing and roasting, cut it in half and sub out hot oil.

Making Hot Oil

There are really two different ways to make hot oil. The first is using a pre-made canola or a neutral tasting olive oil and infusing it with chilies. The second is by adding fresh chilies to the olives during the olive oil extraction where the chilies and olives are then crushed together. This is called the Agrumato Method. This method creates beautifully complex and flavorful oils. The only downside is that you definitely need to have an olive mill to produce it.

As you can see there are a few differences to the two process’ of making hot oil. David Garci-Aguirre, the Master Miller at Corto, has been making Agrumato oils there for a few years now. He said, “It is so important to distinguish agrumato oils (sometimes referred to as co-milled or co-crushed) from other flavored oils because they are so unique. The making of olive oil is a complex process where incredible flavors and aromas are formed. When you add fresh ingredients at this stage you can create new and unique combinations of flavor and aroma that cannot be replicated in the kitchen or after the oil is extracted. Infusions and extracts for example, tend to be very one dimensional in flavor. This is because there is no interaction between the ingredients when the flavors of the oil are being developed. In contrast, agrumato method oils are the product of an intricate interplay between both ingredients.”

Since the two versions of hot oils taste very different, the one you decide on will depend on how you want to use it and whether or not you want to make it yourself. I think a basic, infused hot oil can be a great all-around option to have at your shop. Since it is fairly inexpensive to make, you can use it as sauté oil or give it away as a dipping sauce to customers. With such a unique and aromatic flavor, Agrumato oil on the other hand, is the perfect finisher for pizzas and the flavor really comes through baked into dishes and desserts. Think chili olive oil cake, focaccia finished with a drizzle of chili oil or house-made chili rolls.

If you want to make your own hot oil in house, and I will say I am definitely one of those people who likes to make anything I can in house, there’s a good chance you already have all of the ingredients on hand. Simply said, chili oil can be made from infusing oil with chilies. You can use any chili but a neutral oil is recommended. There are only three basic ingredients: oil, chili flakes or dried chilies and time. You can change up the flavor by the type of chilies you use and whether or not you add additional ingredients.

The main thing to keep in mind is the temperature of the oil. You want to be between 180 F to 350 F. The hotter it is, the darker the oil will be. If it gets too hot (think smoking), it will burn the chilies and result in a bitter flavor. You can test the oil by dropping in a few chili flakes and if it sizzles, it is ready. I like to leave the chili flakes in the oil for a few days to gain maximum flavor, then strain. After that the oil is ready to go. Chili oil also has a pretty long shelf life, two to three months if you store it in a cool, dark place.

To make other types of chili oils you can add other ingredients, such as granulated garlic, shallots, salts or peppercorns. A really popular one is a chili crunch sauce. While this is traditionally used in Asian dishes, it adds a ton of flavor and texture, which can be great on pizza too.

Different oils in general are great flavor boosters for pizza and just like a great extra virgin olive oil, hot oils can be cross utilized throughout your menu. They are a great addition to sandwiches, can add a kick to salad dressings, tossed with wings and used to finish appetizers, such as a mushroom crostini or burrata over roasted vegetables. It’s also easy to make a big batch and have it available for your customers to add to their own slices and pies.

There are multiple dimensions to every pizza and when you want maximum flavor you want to look at every one. I’m a big believer that there doesn’t need to be tons of toppings on a pizza but rather good quality and well thought out ones. Hot oil provides a complex and flavorful option to up your pizza game.

Hot Oil Recipe:

Get a Hot Oil recipe.

Audrey Kelly owns Audrey Jane’s Pizza Garage in Boulder, Colorado.

The post Hot Oil is a Great Pizza Topping and Condiment appeared first on Pizza Today.

Blend it like Beckham

“Today’s pizzamakers are fortunate to live in an era wielding not only a diversity of grains, but also the knowledge of nutrition, gluten strength and fermentation to harness their full potential. The Fertile Crescent has come full circle as ancient grains are blended with contemporary expertise to create these beautiful modern pizzas.”
-Serhan Ayhan, Owner, Next Level Pizza, New York

In these modern times, chefs, bakers and innovative pizza makers like Serhan Ayhan are all looking for identity-shaping foods for their businesses. Many pizza makers have shifted their focus to a more artistic strategy that was usually used by chefs in their shiny controlled kitchens. This new artistic perspective about the platform that is pizza combines structural integrity, layering of flavors, new uses of ancient grains, and a combination of grains for their pizza crusts. The new pizza artists are now pushing the limits of manipulation like fine wine makers to achieve the perfect pizza crust. The more knowledge you have of your flour, the more you will be able wrap your pizza head around the perfect crust for your pizzeria. Just remember, any negative characteristics of a certain flour can be altered by other flours to create a superstar pizza crust.

Mixed Blessings

The characteristic of flour depends on the variety, location and growing conditions. Some wheats are considered soft and some are known as hard. Hard wheat has more of the protein’s gliadin and glutenin which form gluten when the flour is moistened. While mixing doughs, there are two distinctions; strong flours — which have a high protein content and are used to make breads, pizza and other yeasted products and weak flours — which are made from soft wheat and are used to make cookies, cakes, and pastries.

Endo What?

The composition of each wheat kernel consists of bran, germ and endosperm. Let’s jump in this geeky swamp for a second.

Bran: This is the hard, outer skin of the kernel and represents 14 percent to 17 percent of the grain. It is darker in color than it appears as small brown flecks, usually named whole wheat. In cases where millers crush white wheat, or screen out the bran, they may appear lighter. Other darker flours like Spelt, Einkorn, Rouge de Bordeaux etc. are darker also. Whole wheats may be altered into more lighter, or “golden” by the miller screening more of the bran out.

Pizza Bakers Note: Because Bran flakes are sharp, they affect the strength of the gluten bubbles and negate a certain level of extensibility you seek to both stretch your dough for a better cornicione, or airy crust. Millers use the distinction extraction that refers to the total amount of bran and germ taken out as a percentage. A lower extraction means that more endosperm is in your flour and less bran and germ. This may help you formulate the rise of your pizza with other factors like heat and hydration.

Germ: This little nugget of life is what creates a new plant if the kernel is sprouting and represents 2-3 percent of the grain. The germ is the vitamin hub of the kernel containing protein, nutrients and vitamins. Germ also contains a lot of fat and therefore can become rancid quickly if held too long.

Pizza Bakers Note: Adding raw wheat germ at 5-7 percent of total flour in your pizza recipe will create a nice nutty flavor and much more nutritious bread without hindering the gluten strength.

Endosperm: This is the starchy, white interior of the kernel after the bran and germ are removed and represents 81-83 percent of the grain. Depending upon the type of kernel, it represents about 67-76 percent starch and between 6-18 percent protein. It contains small amounts of minerals, sugar, fat and moisture. Many consider this as flour once the germ and bran are removed by the millers.

Pizza Bakers Note: Because the ground endosperm represents the bulk of starch and protein, it is most important to know the aspects of each one. Starches are complex carbohydrates and can absorb up to half of their weight in water and a small amount of starch becomes available as food for yeast. About 6-18 percent of white flour is protein depending upon the variety of kernel. Roughly 80 percent of proteins are glutenin and gliadin which, when combined with water create gluten. This creates the scaffolding that supports the gluten net that holds the carbon dioxide which makes an airy pizza crust. Of course, all this depends upon many, many factors. Some high-gluten flours contain added gluten to achieve consistency- some companies call this “reinforced” flour.

A Note on Baker’s Percentage:

This practical shift from ounces and pounds provides an accurate and faster way to measure flour in your pizzeria. By taking the total flour in kilograms and grams and basing the other ingredients individually against the flour, you’ll be able to speedily mix and replicate recipes. For example, when 1000 grams of flour is used with 100 grams of water, the water baker’s percentage is 10 percent. If the salt in this same recipe is 10 grams, then the baker’s percentage of the salt is one percent.

Power of the Flour

Flour is usually categorized as high-gluten flour at 14-percent protein, bread flour at 11-13.5-percent protein, cake and pastry flour which are 8 percent and 9 percent respectively.

European flours typically top out at 11.5-percent protein, lower than typical North American flours. They are graded on ash content. T45 and T55 are flours with low ash for cake and pastry. T65 are high-gluten and higher grades are flours with increasing darkness ending at dark rye designated T170.

Some other flours that are trending in innovative pizza products are as follows:

Spelt: Often considered the ancestor of modern wheat, this grain has become increasingly popular in pizzerias. It has a lower absorption than wheat and a weaker gluten structure, so it usually needs to be ground finer and/or mixed with a high-gluten mix. I’ve used local, Amish-grown spelt at a 60-percent mix to 40 percent high gluten for almost 15 years. The payoff of using spelt is a deep, slightly sweet, molasses flavor and nutty flavor that customers love.

Kamut: This durum wheat is trending with up to 40 percent higher protein than modern wheat. This golden flour has a nuttiness with hints of butter, and it is packed with nutrients. Many flour companies are milling white Kamut flour. Kamut has a reputation as being more easily digested than regular wheat and it has a chewy texture. I like this pizza dough with strong cheeses like goat and Gruyère paired with fatty pork, sweet fruit, and nuts.

Buckwheat: First documented in China 6000 years ago, this grain is rich in zinc, copper and manganese and is an important grain for vegans. Buckwheat adds zero gluten to your pizza crust mix but packs loads of strong nutty flavor. It must be ground finely because it will dilute the structural matrix, less is more.

Kernza*: I’ve used this Perennial Wheat for almost 10 years in my menu-mix. Long known as the next wave of sustainable grains, Kernza has roots that can penetrate the earth up to 10 feet down which will produce grain even in drought conditions. This also means no tilling, no fertilizers or pesticides that are needed to grow this grain. Kernza has 17-percent protein and a sharp bran which means it needs to be screened more by the millers. The reward is a pizza crust that is a brown sugary, almost honey-like flavor of nuts and maple.

Durum: Because of climate change, this is the grain of the future because it grows in hot, arid environments. Durum is a golden flour known as semolina and has different grinds, for pasta and breads. I’ve been getting different blends from Sicily that are stone ground at Molina del Ponte. The Rimacinata flour is a blend of Simeto, Duilio and Appio durum wheats but my favorite for baking a wonderful Focaccia Barese and Pizza in Teglia is 100 percent Tumminia. The sweet nuttiness and cakelike texture of this grain makes an airy, unforgettable crust.

Einkorn: This is one of the oldest wheats that has been cultivated. Its low gluten content may drive a pizza maker nuts which is why I use it with higher gluten flour for a fluffy, velvety texture with a slight chew. The advantage is a deep nutty and almost grassy taste perfect with cream sauces and strong cheeses.

Soy and Rice: These both contain no gluten and are used extensively in non-gluten crusts. These flours are added to the trendy Roman pizza called Pinza*. The soy flour is used as a non-gluten replacement for wheat and the white rice flour gives the pizza a crunchy and soft texture. It is mixed with olive oil to cloak some of proteins that form gluten. Using too much soy flour can lead to an unpleasant beany flavor but toasted soy flour adds a pleasant taste. Too much rice flour adds a sticky and oily finish to the tongue.

John Gutekanst owns Avalanche Pizza in Athens, Ohio.

The post Understanding Modern Flours, Mixing Trends and Blends appeared first on Pizza Today.

How pizzerias can keep sustainability momentum rolling well into the future.

Even when leadership’s intentions are pure and their commitment firm, a pizzeria’s momentum with sustainability can nevertheless stall.

Employee turnover might overrun even the most well-designed efforts, as a revolving door of employees weaken an operation’s ability to consistently execute sustainable practices.

Costs might derail thoughtful local purchasing objectives, especially amid inflationary pressures in an already low-margin industry loathe to raise menu prices.

A lack of resources or know-how might hamper management’s ability to troubleshoot and subsequently drive a return to more familiar – and less environmentally kind – patterns.

And the need to extinguish daily operational fires, from missing cash to a no-show employee to a plumbing issue, might nudge sustainability into the background over time. After all, amid mounting orders, pizzas to cook and bills to pay, tackling climate change might seem more luxury than necessity.

To be certain, it’s not easy being green – and even harder staying green.

Josh Prigge of Sustridge, a Minnesota-based sustainability consulting firm, and Michael Oshman, CEO and founder of the Green Restaurant Association (GRA), offer pizzerias battle-tested thoughts on building a productive and lasting sustainability strategy.

First, take a wider view of sustainability’s value.

So often, business leaders mistakenly view sustainability in terms of dollars and cents alone. While they might launch sustainable initiatives for the “right reasons” – namely, to contribute to a healthier planet – they then evaluate such efforts exclusively through the bottom line.

In some instances, sustainable practices will deliver clear financial positives. Decreasing energy use, for example, will spur lower operating costs and reducing waste will prompt fewer trash pickups. Both will generate an obvious bottom-line impact.

Some of sustainability’s other benefits, however, are less evident and instantaneous. Prigge says restaurant leadership must understand sustainability’s wider value and use that as fuel to maintain momentum.

“With some sustainable efforts, there might not be an immediate payback, but rather some intangibles that lead to the long-term health and success of the business,” Prigge says.

To Prigge’s point, restaurants incorporating and promoting their sustainability efforts can attract new customers. According to an October 2022 report from Datassential, nine of out 10 consumers say sustainability matters to them, while more than half say restaurant sustainability practices “somewhat influence” their out-of-home dining choices.

“Folks are looking for businesses who share their beliefs,” Prigge says, adding that sustainable initiatives can also spur PR opportunities and “free advertising” for the restaurant.

Oshman, meanwhile, notes that sustainability can also help businesses attract and retain quality employees. In IBM’s Institute for Business Value (IBV) report released in 2022, 67 percent of the survey’s 16,000 respondents said they were more willing to apply for positions with environmentally sustainable companies. Given the high cost of employee turnover, the ability to attract and retain talent can spark significant benefits.

“Employees want to be working at a place that matches their values,” Oshman says.

Second, bake sustainability into the business strategy.

For many restaurants, sustainability frequently becomes a disjointed collection of scattered decisions. Buy more local ingredients here. Reduce energy there. While such one-off practices are noble and positive, a more cohesive strategy positioning sustainability as a core value and central business strategy increases the likelihood of long-term success.

Prigge urges restaurant operations to create a formal sustainable strategy featuring defined targets and attainable short and long-term goals.

If a restaurant wants to increase its local buying, for example, it must first understand what percentage of goods are currently purchased locally. Thereafter, it can create a realistic target to push that figure up in the short and long-term with specific action steps – convert to purchasing all local cheese by the close of 2024, for instance – to hit those marks.

Yet more, everyone at the restaurant should know the goals. Leadership should incorporate sustainable practices into staff members’ formal job duties – maybe it’s recording food waste or separating trash into compost or recycling bins – and provide clear communication on why specific efforts matter. Leadership should also communicate progress and celebrate notable wins with staff.

A formal strategy including designated tasks and targets will help engrain sustainability into an operation’s culture and its daily activities. Employees and management alike will know the expectations and goals, which makes it easier to maintain momentum even amid staff turnover.

“Sustainability isn’t a one-month thing,” Oshman reminds. “It’s commitment and support and ongoing effort.”

Finally, be vigilant in looking for ways to improve.

Any restaurant will encounter challenges as it pursues more sustainable operations. A manager passionate about sustainability will move on or a local vendor offering a great line of sustainable disposables will cease operations. Those temporary hiccups cannot stall progress.

“Keep in mind there are more physical solutions than ever before, so there’s not just one good napkin anymore,” Oshman says.

Specifically, Oshman urges restaurants to utilize resources designed to help drive their sustainability efforts. Two summers ago, for instance, the GRA launched six badges, each one outlining “understandable and relatable” environmental steps a restaurant could take to increase sustainability. The Near-Zero Waste badge, for example, features instructions on recycling, waste reduction, food waste, training, reusables and disposables.

Many local utilities or state restaurant associations, meanwhile, offer resource pages to help commercial operations pursue more sustainable practices or adhere to environmentally minded legislation. Such resources promise to elevate restaurant leadership’s awareness, highlight winning strategies and propel sustainable efforts.

In addition, Prigge urges restaurants to shift their calculus. As one example, energy efficient investments like a smart thermostat or shutting down idle equipment might offer a more immediate and noticeable financial payment, particularly in older buildings. In contrast, water savings might not appear as robust off the bat. Rather than looking at each utility individually, he suggests “bundling projects together” to see the bigger ROI picture.

Then, he recommends using savings in one area to fuel additional investments, thereby allowing today’s sustainability to feed tomorrow’s gains.

“Create a revolving loan fund,” Prigge says. “Put the savings from one sustainable project with immediate payback in there and then reinvest it elsewhere down the line, so your sustainability continues to grow.”

DANIEL P. SMITH Chicago-based writer has covered business issues and best practices for a variety of trade publications, newspapers, and magazines.

The post Making Sustainability Sustainable appeared first on Pizza Today.

Selling pizza in stadiums and arenas

When you’re building your brand in your local area, there are many traditional ways to do this. Whether it is being entrenched in your community or using the typical forms of advertising. For making a huge impact in brand recognition there may be no bolder move than getting aligned with your local sports organizations and venues. Even if you do not have any major or minor league teams in your area you will have some high school sports that may present some opportunities as well.

We currently have 17 different concession stands spread out over five different venues. They are Acruisure Stadium, (home of the Pittsburgh Steelers and Pitt Panthers) PPG Arena, (home of the Pittsburgh Penguins) PNC Park, (home of the Pittsburgh Pirates) Beaver Stadium (home of the Nittany Lions) and Pegula Ice Arena (home of Penn State Hockey). We have done this all over the course of 18 months. In that 18 months we have gone from people not knowing about us to almost anytime someone sees us in our shirts they at the very least say that they need to eat there, that they have heard about us or someone they know loves our food. We have made a huge mark on Western PA in the form of name recognition.

The Product to Sell in Stadiums

Before we ever spoke to any sports team we had to think about a product that we could sell in the stadiums. I suggest doing your research and trying other pizzas in outside concessions. You don’t want to ruin your brand by putting out an inferior product. The product you sell inside your stores may not be able to be duplicated in a venue that’s not your pizzeria. Inside our pizzeria we never freeze any of our dough. We knew if we could freeze just the shells after we parbake them we would be on our way to having a product that we could sell outside of the restaurant.

From there it was important to use the same sauce, cheese and pepperoni as we do on premise. It was also important to be able to build the pizza on site with fresh product on top of our frozen shell once it was defrosted. The shell that we make is the same dough recipe as we have always used for our five other styles of pizza. Just like the other five styles we use different processes when fermenting and baking the shells.

Once we had the quality where we wanted it we knew we could mass produce the product because we had just purchased a 4,800 square foot commissary building. This gave us the means to produce dough during the day and we have a place to store the shells. With that being said I know of some friends in the industry who overnight produce shells for their other locations at their pizzeria and this same method could work for making shells for outside venues. We use the commissary to mass produce prep for our restaurants and producing the shells for stadiums has offset the cost of the operations of our commissary building.

Staffing & Training at a Concession Venue

Each venue that we operate in has a contract in place. Each venue is a little different, but they are all somewhat the same. In the sense that we sell them the shell. This is how we offset the operations of the commissary building as mentioned above. Then from there we set up a licensing agreement where we get a certain percentage back on each slice of pizza sold. We have no staff operating the booths, we use the vendor staff. The initial thought is how can you monitor quality if your staff is not making the pizzas? We have put forth some proven ways to control the quality. We train all of their supervisors in the very beginning so that they can train their staff. From there we have produced wall charts for all the concession stands that show how to properly prepare the pizzas. We then supply the venue with measuring cups for the cheese and the proper spoodles for the sauce.

Once the training is complete a small team of my employees and myself do go to the first few events at the venue. We never step in and make all the pizzas but we do train and spot check for quality. One of the ways we ensure that our product will be made up to our standards when we are not there is to make their employees feel like our employees. The first thing I do at each new venue is to give them all a Caliente Pin and a Caliente T-Shirt. The leaders of each stand I gave them a $100 Caliente Gift Card. I learned all their names and called them by such when I saw them.

When I took a prospective stadium through one of our existing stadiums they could not believe the camaraderie and love that I had for them and they had for me and my staff. They asked me how often I am there and I told them just in the beginning a few times a year for spot checks. You could tell they care about the product and they care about me. I also make sure I give them all a gift card at Christmas time. If you have read anything I have ever written, you know I am huge on treating people the right way and caring about them before they care about you. The stadiums and outside concessions are no different.

We have learned a lot about being in outside concessions and what I have laid out for you above are the must do’s. The don’t or mistakes along the way that we have made is really not so much on the product end but more on the end of how the deal is structured. There is so much effort that goes into being in stadiums the last thing you want to do is go in and not have proper signage or display of your product. I can not stress enough how important it is to have all your signage details in any contract that you sign. Where all signage will be displayed, who’s paying for it and most importantly who is installing it. I ended up with a huge bill for signage to be installed because I had to use their installers who happened to be union workers. In the end don’t just treat the outside concessions like just an extension of your business, treat it like your business.

Nick Bogacz is the founder and president of Caliente Pizza & Draft House in Pittsburgh.  Instagram: @caliente_pizza

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A Look at Pizza Places Around the U.S.

Each month, we highlight pizzerias across America and showcase what makes them standout. Explore featured menu items and pizzas.

Berwick Pizza & Subs, Green Camp, Ohio

Berwick is home of the dessert pizza. The pizzeria uses cereals and other sweet favorites to create the pies. Berwick applies that creativity to its entire pizza menu. “One thing that sets our restaurant apart is our crazy pizza creations,” says Austin Buckland. “We feature a new pizza every month with our Pizza of the Month program and dare to be different. From Cosmic Brownie and Pumpkin Donut to Caramel Apple Fritter, we come up with a new recipe monthly. We are well known to be heavy pizza toppers. We load the pizza toppings on. Our large pizza has nearly a pound of cheese! We make our own dough daily and cook our pizzas in an old-fashioned deck oven. One of our most ‘stand out’ menu items would have to be our Fruity Pebbles dessert pizza. We have several dessert pizzas on our menu, but it’s a classic favorite flavor in pizza form. We start off with a sugar cookie base, sweet cream filling, and our own dessert streusel. We top it with Fruity Pebbles and swirls of icing!”

Piccoli Piatti Pizzeria, Bethesda, Maryland

This Neapolitan-style pizzeria is embarking on its second location this year. The original location sits in the Wildwood Shopping Center and features an open kitchen drawing eyes to its dome oven. The menu is full of small plates, sandwiches, salads and pizzas. The menu also highlights mussels, including Smoky Pancetta with white wine, crema, leeks and parsley. In addition to classic Neapolitan pizzas, Piccoli Piatti also offers unique creations like the Inverno with mozzarella, goat cheese, Brussels sprouts, caramelized red onion and herbs. The Norma is topped with mozzarella, eggplant and ricotta. The Fiarelli features mozzarella, sausage, broccoli rabe and fontina.

Circle Inn Pizzeria, Clearfield, Utah

Congrats to Circle Inn, which reopened in a new location after a devastating fire in 2022. The multi-generational family-owned pizzeria has been a staple of its community since 1941. The menu features cheesy and garlic bread, wings, sandwiches, salads and pizzas. Sandwiches include the French Dip with au jus dipping sauce. Specialty pizzas include Chicken Bacon Ranch, Turkey Bacon Ranch, Philly Cheesesteak, Spicy Buffalo Chicken and BBQ Chicken.

The post Pizza Destinations: Berwick Pizza, Green Camp, OH; Piccoli Piatti Pizzeria, Bethesda, MD; Circle Inn Pizzeria, Clearfield, UT appeared first on Pizza Today.

Norwood, Mass. (January 18, 2024) – As National Pizza Week wraps up this Sunday, January 20, 2024, Uno Pizzeria & Grill – the birthplace of deep dish pizza – is proud to announce its 80^th birthday celebration this year. The iconic pizza destination will honor the milestone at its fifteen restaurants throughout Massachusetts with a series of contests, events and promotions where nostalgic Uno guests from the last eight decades can share some of their fondest memories and experiences at Uno’s for a chance to win prizes, including an all-expenses paid trip to Chicago, where the Uno story began in 1943.

The contest will encourage Uno’s fans to share their ‘Uno’s Moments,’ heart-warming stories of family nights, first dates, post-game meals and gatherings with friends at www.unos.com/80years and through Uno’s’ social media pages. Contest entrants will also have opportunities to win free pizza for a year and Uno’s swag and apparel in addition to the all-expenses paid trip to Chicago, which also includes a visit to the original Uno Pizzeria & Grill on the corner of Ohio and Wabash. Plans for in-restaurant events, along with weeklong celebrations for Uno’s’ other signature styles of pizza including Chicago Thin Crust, Detroit-style, Tavern-style, Gluten-free and Cauliflower crust will be announced in weeks ahead.

“The common thread amongst our loyal guests from over the last several decades is that fond memories are created at Uno’s, long-lasting memories of visiting our restaurants and trying our deep dish pizza for the very first time with friends, family and teammates,” said Erik Frederick, CEO of Uno Pizzeria & Grill. “We look forward to hearing more of those memories through Uno’s Moments, and creating even more memories in the years to come here in Massachusetts, which became our home away from home when Aaron Spencer introduced delicious deep dish pizza here in 1978.”

Uno Pizzeria & Grill, formerly and commonly referred to as Pizzeria Uno, was introduced outside of Illinois for the very first time in 1978 when Aaron Spencer – Massachusetts resident, entrepreneur and prominent businessman – purchased the franchise rights to the restaurant and brand. Spencer opened the first franchise location in Boston with an expanded menu to attract a broader crowd than just pizza enthusiasts. Uno’s now has fifteen restaurants in Massachusetts cities and towns including Attleboro, Bellingham, Braintree, Dedham, Framingham, Haverhill, Leominster, Millbury, Revere, two in Springfield including the Basketball Hall of Fame, Sturbridge, Westborough, Worcester and Wrentham, and its corporate headquarters are located in Norwood.

Knowing well that some people who grew up with Uno’s here in Massachusetts have moved to different areas in New England, Uno’s is also offering the contest to those who now reside in New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Maine and can take advantage of in-restaurant promotions and events at their respective hometown Uno’s. For more information, please visit www.unos.com.

About Uno Pizzeria & Grill:

Based in Boston, Massachusetts, Uno Restaurant Holdings Corporation includes approximately 80 company-owned and franchised UNO Pizzeria & Grill restaurants located in 18 states, and the District of Columbia, India, and Saudi Arabia. UNO is all about connecting people over awesome pizza – from its famous Chicago Deep Dish, which UNO invented in 1943, to its Chicago Thin Crust, to its gluten-free and vegan pizzas to its new Detroit Style Pizza. For more information, visit www.unos.com.

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Guide to the 2024 Best Pizza Lists

The search of this year’s leading national best pizza lists has started early. Did your pizzeria make one of this year’s top pizza lists? Making best pizza in the US, state, region or even world can be a game changer for pizzerias. Be sure to bookmark this guide and visit it often. Bookmark this page. We will be updating it with new pizza lists as they come out.

See which pizzerias are being recognized in the U.S. this year. Each “best pizza” list is based on its own criteria using expert panels, audience votes, reviews or other factors. Here are the biggest pizza lists of 2024 so far:

Eat This, Not That! Ranks Best Slice of Pizza, According to Chefs

Burrata & Hot Honey Pizza, L’Industrie, Brooklyn, NYC

New York slice famed L’Industrie nabs the No. 1 spot on Where to Get The Best Slice of Pizza in America, According to Chefs from Eat This, Not That!, a brand that’s comprised of an award-winning team of journalists and board-certified experts, doctors, nutritionists, chefs, personal trainers, and dietitians who work together to bring you accurate, timely, informative, and actionable content on food, nutrition, dieting, weight loss, health, wellness, and more.

L’Industrie’s pizzas were called “a textural masterpiece.” Also in Top 10 pizza slices spots are Ian’s Pizza in Madison, Wisconsin. Tivoli in Seattle, Wells Brothers Pizza in Racine, Wisconsin, Umberto’s in New York.

Check out the full best pizza slices list at Get The Best Slice of Pizza in America, According to Chefs.

Muhammad Abdul-Hadi, Down North Pizza, Philadelphia, PA

James Beard Awards recognizes Pizzerias, Pizza Chefs

Pizzerias are being recognized in several James Beard Award categories this year. The James Beard Awards are among the nation’s most prestigious honors recognizing leaders in the culinary and food media industries, and those in the broader food systems.

Check out these what pizzerias and pizza chefs are honorees or finalists in the James Beard Awards 2024:

Muhammad Abdul-Hadi, Founder/Owner, Down North Pizza and Down North Foundation, Philadelphia, PA, will receive the Leadership Award for Industry Culture and Practices.

Photo Courtesy of Lovely’s Fifty Fifty

Sarah Minnick, Lovely’s Fifty Fifty, Portland, OR, is a finalist for Outstanding Chef.

Tony Conte, Inferno Pizzeria Napoletana, Darnestown, MD is a finalist for the award for Best Chef: Mid-Atlantic.

Honorees and category winners will be announced at the James Beard Awards® ceremonies presented by Capital One held on June 8-10 in Chicago.

Congrats also the James Beard Awards semi-finalists, including:

Chef-owner Tony Conte opened Inferno in 2015. He applies his fine-dining culinary background to his artisanal, wood-fired pizzeria.

Outstanding Wine and Other Beverages Program — Bufalina, Austin, TX

Best Chef by Region

California — Michael Procaccini and Stefano Procaccini, La Parolaccia, Long Beach, CA

Great Lakes — Salvador Fernandez, Bridges Craft Pizza & Wine Bar, Greencastle, IN

New York State — Scarr Pimentel, Scarr’s Pizza, New York, NY

For more about the honorees and finalists, as well as when the awards ceremony will take place, read Pizzerias, Pizza Chefs recognized at 2024 James Beard Awards.

International Pizza Challenge crowns Best Pizza winners, Pizza Maker of the Year

Tony Cerimele, owner of New Columbus Pizza Company, in Nesquehoning, Pennsylvania, is the 2024 World Champion Pizza Maker of the Year at the International Pizza Challenge during Pizza Expo (March 19-21) in Las Vegas

Pizza makers from pizzerias around the world went head-to-head to find out who makes the best pizza in the world at the International Pizza Challenge (IPC) at Pizza Expo in Las Vegas, March 19-21, 2024. This year’s Challenge included five professional pizza-making divisions and three partner competitions. In all, International Pizza Challenged welcomed 439 unique pizza competitors with a total of about 500 competition spots in the Traditional Pizza, Non-Traditional Pizza, Neapolitan/STG Pizza, Pan Pizza, World’s Best Cheese Slice divisions.

Check out these best pizza winning pizzerias:

• Tony Cerimele, owner of New Columbus Pizza Company, in Nesquehoning, Pennsylvania, is the 2024 World Champion Pizza Maker of the Year and Best Pan Pizza.
• Joe Carlucci, owner of Valentina’s Pizzeria & Wine Bar, Madison, Alabama, captures 2024 Best of the Best Pizza title.
• Andy Huynh, Cowabunga+, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, wins the World’s Best Cheese Slice.
• Vincenzo Santoro, Song e Napule, New York, New York, wins Best Neapolitan Pizza.
• Alex White, Yukon Pizza, Las Vegas, Nevada, wins Best Non-Traditional Pizza.
• Sergio Balderas, Truly Pizza, Dana Point, California, wins wins Best Traditional Pizza.

Regional Best Traditional Pizzas and Best Non-Traditional Pizzas in the Midwest, Northeast, Southeast, Northwest, Southwest and International were also recognized. For more on the International Pizza Challenge and to see more best pizza winners, go to Official International Pizza Challenge 2024 Best Pizza Winners are…

Clever identifies The Best Pizza Cities in America

Clever Real Estate names Denver among the best pizza cities, in addition to Chicago and New York.

Clever’s research went on to rank 50 Pizza Cities, The 15 Best Pizza Cities, Rankings by Category, The 10 Worst Pizza Cities and America’s Pizza Preferences.

According to Clever, they ranked “50 biggest metro areas in the U.S. using the following parameters for each city: Pizza reputation, based on a survey of 1,000 Americans; Rate of pizza restaurants per 100,000 residents; Pizza passion, based on local internet search activity for 34 pizza-related terms (e.g., “pizza near me,” “pizza delivery,” “pan pizza,” etc.); Average Yelp rating for pizza restaurants; Average price of a large cheese pizza; Average price of a large pepperoni pizza; Share of median annual income required to purchase one cheese pizza each week for a year; and Share of median annual income required to purchase one pepperoni pizza each week for a year.”

Go to Clever’s The Best Pizza Cities in America: 2024 Data.

Top 100 Pizza Spots according to Yelp Elites 2024

Yelp has just released its list Top 100 Pizza Spots. Pizzerias on the list were selected by Yelp Elite Squad. Who are these Yelp Elites? According to Yelp’s Support Center, “The Yelp Elite Squad is our way of recognizing people who are active in the Yelp community and role models on and off the Yelp site. Elite-worthiness is based on a number of things, including well-written reviews, high quality photos, a detailed personal profile, and a history of playing well with others.”

Lombardi’s Pizza, New York

For the Top 100 pizza list, Yelp compiled the list according to this: “This is an all-time list of the Top Pizza Spots in the US, according to Yelp Elites. We identified businesses in the pizza category on Yelp, then ranked those spots using a number of factors, including the total volume and number of 5-star reviews each business had that were written by members of the Yelp Elite Squad.”

1. Pequod’s Pizzeria, Chicago, Illinois
2. Bestia, Los Angeles, California
3. Lombardi’s Pizza, New York, New York

Find out who else made the Top 100, go to the Top 100 Pizza Spots according to Yelp Elites 2024.

35 Pizzerias to Watch in 2024

Our 35 pizzerias to watch this year was hand selected by Pizza Today, taking into account factors like total operation, from sales and employee programs to community outreach and marketing. We asked independent pizzeria owners to submit their businesses for consideration in our Pizzerias to Watch list. We received hundreds of outstanding submissions. To name a few:

• Abbiocco Pizzeria, Indianapolis, Indiana AbbioccoPizzeria.com
• Dedham House of Pizza, Dedham, Massachusetts www.dedhamhouseofpizza.com
• Mattenga’s Pizzeria, Schertz, Texas mattengas.com/
• Old Town Pizza, Auburn, California www.otpizza.net
• Slice Pizza & Brew, Birmingham, AL https://www.slicebirmingham.com/

Check out the entire 35 Pizzerias to Watch in 2024 feature.

Stay tuned. More best pizza lists will be added as they are published.

See who made America’s Best Pizza Lists in 2023.

The post Guide to the 2024 National “Best Pizzas” Lists appeared first on Pizza Today.

Odie O’Connor, owner of Boxcar Pizza in Portland, Oregon on The Hot Slice Podcast

his week, we chat with Odie O’Connor, owner of Boxcar Pizza in Portland, Oregon. Boxcar is a vegan Detroit style pizza shop. His first venture into the pizza biz was a wood-fired pizza cart. On the show, we got the skinny on Odie’s next pizza project, a New York-style pizzeria in his hometown of San Diego, California, offering New York sourdough pies, as well as Sicilian and Grandma.

That’s five styles. Odie has a passion for pizza dough and learning. We talk about the process and the various styles. He shares how he decided to go into business with each style.

Doing a vegan Detroit pizza is unique. He details what he wanted in a Detroit pizza and why it’s open to all pizza lovers. Yes, we even talked cheese, since it’s a signature of the style.

In a Conversation in Pizza Today Magazine, Odie talked about the R&D of his Detroit. He said “When developing the vegan recipes I always consider taste, smell, allergens, and food cost.  Our meats are typically made from either vital wheat gluten or textured vegetable protein.  Once I decide what the base will be, I begin adding spices and liquids that I think will best represent umami flavors and also bake how I want them to on the pizzas. It really is just research, trial, error and then repeat.” Read his Conversation: https://pizzatoday.com/topics/people-pizzerias/conversation-odie-oconnor-boxcar-pizza-portland-oregon/

Check out Boxcar Pizza on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/boxcarpizza/ and his new project https://www.instagram.com/odiespizza/ .

Thank you to our sponsor

The post 192. Five Dough Styles and Going with Odie O’Connor appeared first on Pizza Today.

Fast Casual Franchise by 13-Time World Champion Tony Gemignani Had a Record Day of Pizza Sales, Reinforcing its Success as a Beloved Pizza Restaurant with 29 Locations in Arenas and Stadiums in California and Nevada as a part of its 145 Units Open or in Development Nationally

SAN FRANCISCO (February 14, 2024) – Slice House by Tony Gemignani, the highly successful fast-casual pizza franchise by world renowned pizzaiolo Tony Gemignani, is proud to announce a record day of pizza sales at Allegiant Stadium on Sunday, February 11, 2024, for Super Bowl LVIII. Slice House served an incredible 8,200 slices of pizza to football fans in attendance at the big game; the impressive milestone is a testament to customers’ love of Slice House’s authentic pizzas, as well as the franchise’s success within such venues. Slice House’s five locations at Allegiant Stadium are among its 29 locations in arenas and stadiums in California and Nevada, including the San Francisco Giants’ Oracle Park, San Francisco Warriors’ Chase Center, San Francisco 49ers’ Levi’s Stadium, and the newly opened Sphere in Las Vegas – which are a part of its 145 units open or in development nationally.

“As a football fan and pizzaiolo, there is no bigger day than Super Bowl, so it was incredibly exciting for Slice House to have such a strong presence at Allegiant Stadium, serving a record 8,200 slices of pizza on the day of the big game,” said Founder Tony Gemignani. “Food has a way of bringing people together and this was no exception. I was honored to be at Slice House during the Super Bowl to personally serve our authentic pizzas to fans, whether they were San Francisco Bay Area natives who are familiar with our pizzas or customers visiting from other cities who were experiencing Slice House for the first time.”

President George Karpaty continued, “Slice House has a long history being a part of sports and entertainment communities, and we look forward to continuing to expand in arenas and stadiums and beyond as a part of our nationwide franchise program. Super Bowl was a great example of how Slice House provides top-quality pizza and genuine hospitality in fast casual, high traffic environments with a franchise that supports every aspect of the business.” In advance of the big game, Slice House designed and executed a dedicated social media campaign inclusive of organic and paid elements that targeted fans.

Slice House is a convenient way for diners to experience pizza and more by a world-champion, celebrity chef. Originally opened in San Francisco’s historic Italian neighborhood of North Beach in 2010, Slice House by Tony Gemignani has since expanded to include 6 standalone locations as well as 29 locations within arenas and stadiums. In 2023, Slice House by Tony Gemignani, named the #1 Emerging Brand in Pizza Marketplace’s Top 100 Movers & Shakers, launched its nationwide franchise program; to-date, it has achieved 145 franchised units open or under development across five states.

For more information, please visit www.slicehouse.com and follow along on Instagram @SliceHouse and Facebook @SliceHouseFolsom.

ABOUT SLICE HOUSE BY TONY GEMIGNANI

Originally opened in San Francisco’s historic Italian neighborhood of North Beach in 2010, Slice House by Tony Gemignani is where artisan pizza meets fast casual dining.  Slice House is a convenient way for diners to experience the 13-time world champion’s famous New York, Sicilian, Grandma, Detroit, and California style pizzas including gluten-free, vegan, and vegetarian options, as well as pasta, wings, and salads accompanied by a drink menu featuring local craft breweries and natural wines.  In 2023, Slice House by Tony Gemignani launched its nationwide franchise program and achieved 100 units open or under development across five states. Named the #1 Emerging Brand in Pizza Marketplace’s Top 100 Movers & Shakers 2023, Slice House presents the opportunity to join a seasoned team with over 30 years of experience in the multibillion-dollar pizza industry, offering the credibility of a celebrity chef, access to authentic regional recipes, and a flexible revenue stream from brick-and-mortar locations to stadium kiosks, with fast-casual, sit-down, take-out, or third-party delivery services.

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Pizza Valentine’s Day Fun to add to your pizzeria’s V Day celebration

Pizza is the perfect meal for sharing so, of course, couples and families love to visit pizzerias on Valentine’s Day. The holiday gives you the opportunity to show your customers the love with heart-shaped pizzas and other Valentine’s Day-specific promotions, like a couple’s complete meal package.

9 Pizza Valentine’s Day Card Greetings to try!

We’re counting down 9 of the best Pizza Valentine’s Day Card Greetings. Try one of these on your social today:

1. You got a PIZZA my heart!

2. Every PIZZA me loves every PIZZA you!

3. You stole a PIZZA my heart!

4. All you need is love and PIZZA!

5. Any way you SLICE IT, you’re mine!

6. You’re the Pepperoni to my PIZZA!

7. PIZZA is my Valentine!

8. I love you with every PIZZA my heart!

    

   Now, this one might be contrary…

9. I love you more than PIZZA! And I really love PIZZA!

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Hairy Styles: Classifying Pizza Styles

If you feel like you’ve been experiencing Regional Pizza Style Fatigue lately, you’re not alone. Not long ago, the vast majority of Americans categorized all pizza into just a few broad categories: New York Style, Chicago Style and Other. Thanks to the Food Network, social media and various pizza competitions, we’ve been exposed to a wide array of global variations. Some are legitimate regional specialties while others are mere mirages used for marketing. How do we tell the difference and when is it important to ignore such classification? Let’s find out by diving into the history of regional style nomenclature.

What defines a food as regional in the first place?

The original pizza of Naples was itself a regional distinction. Well into the 17th century, the term pizza was used to describe cookies and cakes. The famous Renaissance chef Bartolomeo Scappi’s 1570 recipe collection, Opera, includes several recipes for biscuits and cinnamon buns that he portrays as different types of pizza. When the savory pizzas we now love appeared in Naples around the mid-18th century, the modifier Napoletana specified the dish based on its point of origin. Geography is certainly the most important element of a regional style’s definition.

There are strong parallels between pizza and BBQ, particularly in the case of provenance. BBQ expert and New York Times best-selling author Meathead Goldwyn explains that “South Carolina [currently] has many different styles of BBQ but the one that’s unique has a mustard-based sauce. Germans brought that in through Charleston.” In the same way, Texas style BBQ is often beef-focused because cattle were more common than pigs by the time the regional designation was made. The connection between place and food is integral to the legitimacy of a regional style.

Differentiation is another important step in determining a regional style’s definition.

Karen Dybis, author of Detroit Style Pizza: A Doughtown History, relied on that concept for clarity in her research for the book. “Detroit style pizza is not round, isn’t baked in a standard pan, does not only use mozzarella, and the sauce is not below the cheese.” The fact that Detroit’s deep square pizza isn’t identical to any other city’s indigenous style is what defines its identity.

This explains why Chicago’s deep-dish pizza has long defined its hometown despite being far less popular locally than thin, square-cut pizzas. By the early 1980s, it was seen as the antithesis of New York City’s thin slices. Chicago Pizza Tours founder Jon Porter points out the contrast between the Chicago deep-dish and NYC slice dining experience. “There weren’t many places that did [deep-dish] pizza. You had to go downtown, find a parking spot, and wait 40 minutes for your pizza. It was a special occasion restaurant, unlike the everyday corner slice shop experience in New York.”

Although the distinct characteristics that form a regional style are integral to its definition, the public is more concerned with what’s on the plate rather than a set of required recipes. According to Italian food expert, award-winning author, and TV host Katie Parla points out that Romans accept variation among their city’s Pizza Tonda restaurants. “They’re not all adhering to a specific [recipe], but the final product has the crispy and chewy texture that the local population requires.” We see plenty of variation in the pizza of Naples, but they all serve a similar size, texture and experience. The same goes for the pizza of New Haven, Connecticut. The city’s pizza is often associated with coal-fired brick ovens, but only a small number of its
pizzerias use them.

New Haven pizza expert, and author of Pizza In New Haven, Colin Caplan credits longevity for his hometown’s signature style. “Pizzerias in the New Haven area have been making it the same way for around a century. Our pizzas are thin, crispy, and charred – that’s what the people of New Haven have come to expect,” says Caplan. “I get [upset] when the pizza’s not charred.” Charred pizza isn’t unique to New Haven, but it has become an expectation across the past century.

What legitimizes a regional pizza style?

A legitimate regional style requires critical mass both in terms of the number of pizzerias serving it and the number of consumers recognizing it. A new pizzeria in Tuscaloosa that claims to have created Tuscaloosa style pizza last year is not making a legitimate regional style. Nor is a pizza that bases its identity on a topping combination. For instance, Hawaiian pizza has never claimed to be a style of pizza from Hawaii. It’s merely a topping combination loosely referential to the island state. Windsor, Ontario has several pizzerias that claim to make Windsor style pizza, but the only common thread among them is the use of shredded pepperoni, canned mushrooms and a local mozzarella. That’s a topping combination, not a regional style. We tend to identify artisan pizzas made with local produce as California style, but pizzerias across the country have managed to do the same without being anywhere close to the Golden State.

This begs the question: at what point does one pizzeria’s specialty transform into a regional style? Dybis thinks it’s all due to recognition from beyond the region. Despite being around since the 1940s, Detroiters didn’t recognize their own deep, square pizzas as a regional style until just over a decade ago. Some of the earliest
instances of the phrase “Detroit Style pizza” come from articles written in the 1980s in places like Lincoln, Nebraska, reporting on the new pizzeria in town that’s making “unique thick square pizza with the sauce on top.” Once enough pizzerias started serving the thick squares in Colorado, California, Texas and New York City it suddenly became a recognized regional style.

Pizzerias today often desire to be associated with a particular style. It definitely makes marketing easier, especially when a style is different from the mainstream options. Pizza schools and certification courses are making it easier than ever to gain credibility and acceptance. There are programs for Neapolitan, Roman, New York, New Haven and even Detroit style. For pizza makers interested in learning new methods or newcomers looking for a place to start, categorization can be extremely helpful.

With all the content bouncing around social media, it’s now easier than ever to draw inspiration from multiple styles, resulting in cross-pollination that blurs the lines separating regional classifications. Meathead Goldwyn believes that strict taxonomy is becoming less advantageous. “I think those walls have tumbled down. There used to be regional styles, but we’re in a global economy now.”

Humans love to categorize. It gives us a sense of order that helps establish expectations. As helpful as it can be for those entering the pizza business or customers encountering an unfamiliar slice, it can get in the way of creativity. Meathead puts it best. “I think we really need to worry less about these definitions and just make beautiful food.”

Regional Pizza Style Requirements:

1. Origin: All regional pizza styles are tied to a specific birthplace.
2. Differentiation: Must be unlike other styles in the area and unique from styles in other areas.
3. Longevity: Requires decades of existence.
4. Critical Mass: Both in terms of the number of pizzerias making the style and the population’s acceptance.
5. Recognition: The strongest regional styles are referenced from beyond the region.

SCOTT WIENER is the founder of Scott’s Pizza Tours in New York City and SliceOutHunger.org  Instagram: @scottspizzatours

The post When does a pizza become a regional pizza style? appeared first on Pizza Today.

Fill your February Calendar with Key Dates, Observances and Food Holidays

February may be the shortest month of the year. It is also packed with observances, food holidays and one of the biggest pizza sales days of the year.

Let’s look at some key dates and how you can honor them in your pizzeria. Mark the following dates on your calendar:

Black History Month

Find ways to spotlight Black-owned Businesses and chefs you partner with, as well as black-owned businesses in your area. Donate to charitable food organizations supporting black communities like Black Farmers Network and Black Chef Movement. Partner with local history and cultural organizations to host an educational food series. Spotlight and amplify the voices of your employees internally and externally. Extend these programs all year long.

5-9 National Pride in Foodservice Week

This is a week to honor fellow foodservice teams who work in schools, hospitals, nursing homes, correctional facilities and other foodservice workplaces. Let them know you appreciate them.

9  National Pizza Day

It’s time to celebrate America’s favorite food, PIZZA. Find a unique way to mark National Pizza Day that reflects your brand. Market it and then be sure you are ready for a big day.

11  Super Bowl Sunday

It’s one of the busiest, if not THE busiest days in American pizzerias. Get those systems in place to flow seamlessly in the massive rush of football fans, in house, to-go and delivery. We have some ideas to help the day run smoothly.

13  Galentine’s Day

This one is often overlooked. Give ladies the idea to dine with you. Create a friends meal package including app, pizza, dessert and alcoholic beverage.

14  Valentine’s Day

Heart-shaped pizzas will sell out on this day. Find out how to make a heart-shaped pizza. If White Castle can sell out reservations on V-Day, so can you. Have fun with your packages and promotions.

14  Ash Wednesday (Start of Lent)

This date marks the start of the 40-day season of Lent, during which time follows may abstain from meat during the period or many may abstain on Fridays. Restaurants offer lent specials and meatless promotions. Many restaurants add seafood and fish specials during lent. Highlight veggie pies or create something special to adhere to Lent specifications.

19  President’s Day

It’s a big deals day for consumers. Get in on the action with an offer your customers can’t resist.

Be sure to tag us @PizzaToday to share your February celebrations and events. Check out 10 Can’t Miss Pizza Holidays!

The post February brings Pizza Love Opportunities — February Observances and Food Holidays appeared first on Pizza Today.

National Pizza Day is Friday, February 9!

Your customers are already getting excited for National Pizza Day on February 9 and so should you. Pizza Friday and National Pizza Day, Friday will be a HUGE day. Pizzeria operators have found creative ways to mark the occasion. We’ve scoured the web and social media to share how pizzerias are celebrating. Here are ten fun marketing and outreach ideas we came across:

• Blow up social media with tag challenges for pizza giveaways
• Participate in Pizza Across America, a national pizza donation campaign
• Debut limited-time-only pizzas and new pizzas to secret menus
• Pizza giveaways for the first “X” number of customers
• Discounts, promo codes, BOGO deals, meal packages galore
• Let a pizza maker take over your social and share some pizza how-to tips.
• Reach out to media to make pizzas on local news programs and other media spots
• Games and more games, including pizza naming and trivia for swag, prizes and gift cards
• Pizza and craft beer pairing events
• Tie in a Customer Appreciation Day with a party

Don’t forget to tag @PizzaToday in your National Pizza Day posts so we can see how you celebrate and share on our social.

Other February Pizza Moments

National Pizza Day isn’t the only sales opportunity day this month. Valentine’s Day and Super Bowl Sunday. Pizza is all about the love and the biggest day in professional football is also one of the busiest days for pizzerias.

Here are a few pizzeria resources for you to make the most of these big February sales days:

Are you ready for Super Bowl Sunday?

Don’t get caught off guard with poor inventory management and staff scheduling. Wee have tips for you get ready for a super-sized sales day.

Valentine’s Day Heart-shaped Pizza

Did you know there is a heart-shaped dough mold? Yeah, we didn’t either so we made heart-shaped pizzas using a template. Learn how to make a heart-shaped pizza. We want to see those heart-shaped pizzas. Tag @pizzatoday on social.

Don’t forget to check out 10 Can’t Miss Pizza Holidays!

The post National Pizza Day, February 9th: 10 Ways Pizzerias Will Celebrate appeared first on Pizza Today.

LloydPans Quik-Disks are superior alternatives to mesh pizza screens

Transform the way you bake pizzas with LloydPans Quik-Disks. Say goodbye to the hassle of spending extra time in the kitchen by giving customers speedy satisfaction and deliciousness without a long wait.

Hot, crispy pizza will be delivered in record time, thanks to Quik-Disks’ features:

• Hard coat anodized 18-gauge (0.040-inch) aluminum
• No seasoning required and ready to go out of the box
• Permanent finish will not chip, bake, flake or peel off — ever
• Durable: outlasts and outperforms pizza screens
• Folded flat rim for added strength and easier removal with peels
• 40% airflow to 60% surface ratio

In addition to standard Quik-Disks, LloydPans also offers customers Hex Quik-Disks, which have the most airflow, Heart Shaped Quik-Disks in time for Valentine’s Day and Rectangle Quik-Disks for square shaped pizza lovers.

LloydPans, a U.S. manufacturer of commercial pizza pans and tools, bakeware, cookware and foodservice equipment, is located in Spokane Valley, Wash. In addition to an extensive line of standard products, LloydPans also offers custom solutions for just about anything their customers need. LloydPans’ products are sold online at www.lloydpans.com and through distributors.

LloydPans
800-748-6251
www.lloydpans.com
sales@lloydpans.com

The post LloydPans Quik-Disks Redefine Fast, Delicious Pizza appeared first on Pizza Today.

Pizza Expo 2024 — 40 Years of Community

The pizza industry is different than most. There is a strong bond, a sense of community and a helping spirit. It wasn’t always that way. What changed the industry was the first International Pizza Expo in 1984. Today, the pizza industry is a realization of the vision of the inaugural Pizza Expo.

Pizza Expo 2024, commencing at the Las Vegas Convention Center, March 19-21, is expected to be biggest and best Pizza Expo yet. Attendees and exhibitors can expect fanfare and celebration of our four decades. “If you don’t make it this year to our 40th anniversary show, you’ll have missed being part of the largest gathering of pizza professionals ever assembled” says Bill Oakley, Pizza Expo Show Director. “It’s going to be a record-breaking show in terms of attendance and net square footage of exhibit space. Each year, we are committed to improving the experience for attendees and exhibitors alike in response to the industry’s ever-changing needs, demands and market changes.

“Expo attendees each year gain access to the latest equipment, technology, and software, as well as an education and demonstration program second to none. But they should also expect to find more new exhibitors and products than ever before. Pizza Expo continues to be your one-stop shop for everything you need for your restaurant all under one roof. It’s also your single best opportunity to discover what’s new, what’s working and what’s trending. You’ll be able to obtain new industry knowledge, insights and ideas that will help you position your pizzeria for improved profitability and future growth.”

Stay updated on all PIZZA EXPO 2024 News. We’ve created a hub for news from the World’s Largest Pizza Show. Find all the updates and happenings at Pizza Expo 2024. Go to the Pizza Expo 2024 Hub.

What’s new at this year’s Pizza Expo?

Each year, we up our game at Pizza Expo, invigorating the show with new ideas. The 40th iteration will see the introduction of new competitions and events sure to satisfy attendees.

Oakley gave a breakdown on some of the exciting new additions to Pizza Expo 2024. They are:

1. The World’s Best Cheese Slice competition is new to the 2024 International Pizza Challenge.

2. We have 2 new pizza-making competitions this year.

a. Ooni Pizza Throwdown – The Ooni Pizza Throwdown will have two divisions, Traditional and Pan. Each competition will be limited to 15 entrants in each category. Entrants may only compete in one
category. Pizzas will be made in an entrant’s choice of Ooni oven – either Ooni Koda 16 (Natural Gas), Ooni Karu 16 (Natural Gas) or Ooni Volt (Electric.) Traditional pizzas can be any style cooked directly on the stone. Pan can be any style cooked in a pan or sheet.

b. Plant-Based Competition – A Plant-Based Competition featuring Daiya Foods Dairy-Free Cheeses! The crust/dough/batter must be fresh or parbaked. In addition, the dough — and all toppings — must be plant based. Each competitor’s goal will be to showcase Daiya Foods’ dairy-free cheeses and blends, including, but not limited to the following.

• • Daiya Dairy-Free Mozzarella Style Cheese
  • Daiya Dairy-free Shredded Italian Blend Cheese
  • Daiya Dairy Free Shredded Cheddar Cheese
  • Daiya Dairy-free Cream Cheese

3. 2 new hands-on Pizza Making Workshops (Paid – $250)

a. Reaching for a New Generation of Pizzaioli – Francesco Marra, Co-Founder and Director, Pizza University & Culinary Arts and Giulio Adriani, Master Instructor, Pizza University and Culinary Arts

b. Mastering Dough with Sourdough Willy – Will Grant, Owner and Master Pizzaioli, Workshop Presenter, That’s A Some Pizza

4. New School of Pizzeria Management Workshops (Paid – $250)

a. 1 New – Master Profitability: Conquer Budgeting Fears and Empower Financial Success and What to do BEFORE You Increase Menu Prices – David Scott Peters

b. Crafting Your Brand and Marketing Strategy – Mike Bausch, owner-operator, Andolini’s Pizzeria

c. Maximizing Revenue via Online Ordering – Melissa Rickman, owner – CFO Wholly Stromboli

The Sunday and Monday fee-based workshops were added to Pizza Expo less than a decade ago. In that time, they have helped many operators grow their business through intensive courses. “The workshops are so detailed,” says Content Director and Editor In Chief Jeremy White. “They give attendees the opportunity to really deep-dive into the subject matter with proven experts in the field. The knowledge you walk away with from these pre-show workshops is very valuable. I highly recommend attending one, particularly if you’re just getting started in the business. You’ll find a real nuts-and-bolts approach that leads to initiatives and procedures that you can immediately implement in your business to help it thrive.”

Pizza Expo has a long history of providing a top-notch education program. This year’s offerings include hard-hitting critical issues facing pizzeria owners. Bring your team and assign everyone educational sessions so you don’t miss any.

“This year’s education program has plenty of new workshops, seminars and demos that are sure to appeal to Pizza Expo attendees,” White says. “Scott Anthony is doing a seminar on exit strategies for retirement, a topic many pizzeria owners don’t plan for enough in advance. Drew Butler is a new face to the program. He’s going to discuss how he turned his pizzeria ownership dream into a reality. Eric Von Hansen is covering the importance of building meaningful and mutually beneficial relationships with vendors. Anthony DeSousa, another new face to the program, will detail how he took his online ordering sales over the $1 million mark. Lars Smith will be doing a seminar on using locally grown ingredients. Lots of exciting new things going on!”

Demonstrations on the show floor add to the excitement of the exhibit hall. Demos fill up fast. Arrive early, ask questions and take notes. Let’s highlight a few can’t miss demos. “You won’t want to miss Frank Zabski’s demonstration on New Haven Apizza,” White says. “It’s a style that is not very prevalent across the country outside of its home base in Connecticut. But it’s gaining traction, and for good reason. Plus, Frank is an energetic and entertaining speaker. It’s the perfect demo to kick off the show. You also don’t want to miss Tony Gemignani’s demo on Chicago Tavern Pizza or Scott Sandler’s presentation on how to make vegan nut cheeses. Our entire demo lineup is first rate, so make sure you plan in advance so you don’t miss the ones that are most applicable to your pizzeria.”

Let’s get the party started right by planning your Pizza Expo experience ahead of time. Go to PizzaExpo.com and download the app. See you in March.

Stay updated on all PIZZA EXPO 2024 News. We’ve created a hub for news from the World’s Largest Pizza Show. Find all the updates and happenings at Pizza Expo 2024. Go to the Pizza Expo 2024 Hub.

The post 2024 Pizza Expo Preview appeared first on Pizza Today.

Bell Peppers on Pizza: Ring the Bell

It’s time to ring the bell. Bell peppers, of course. Bell peppers ranked as the No. 8 most popular pizza topping in America, according to our pizzeria operator survey published in our 2024 Pizza Industry Trends Report. In some areas of the U.S., bell peppers break into the Top 5 Pizza Toppings.

Most pizzeria toppings list include these peppers that are in the Grossum Group of the Capsicum annuum. Let’s dive into a few more fun facts about bell peppers. They are in the nightshade family Solanaceae and they are native to the Americas. Bell peppers are loaded with Vitamin C. Red, yellow and orange bell peppers are all variations of the green bell pepper at various stages of ripeness and are typically sweeter than the green. Did you know that Paprika is made from bell peppers? If you haven’t played with dusting a bell pepper pizza with paprika or even smoked paprika, here is your invitation to try it.

Raw vs Cooked Bell Peppers

How you prep your peppers is up to you. Whether you use them raw or cooked may impact how you cut them. Generally, peppers are diced, sliced or cut into rings. Thickness varies.

Avoid large chunks or cuts when you are applying bell peppers raw onto a pizza. They will not have time to fully cook, unless you are going for the crunch of a pepper.

The mild flavor of the bell pepper makes it a good complement for other toppings. It doesn’t overpower other flavors. This is why you see so many supreme, deluxe and the works pizzas include green bell peppers. Peppers are raw in this application.

If you are looking to enhance the flavors of the bell peppers, cooking will bring out the sweetness. Cooking will also evaporate excess water in the pepper. You can saute them but a better method for a pizza kitchen is to roast them in your pizza oven. Simply leave whole and place on a roasting pan. Or quarter the peppers and remove the seed. Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil, salt and pepper and roast until you get a nice char on the skin. When removing peppers from oven, some choose to peel the skin off. But many prefer to keep the skin on.

Take peppers across the menu

Bell Peppers can be used in everything from appetizers and salads to sandwiches and pastas. Get the most of your pepper inventory with dishes that make bell peppers shine. There is one areas I’d like to see more bell peppers appear in and that is sauces.

An easy sauce that will wow customers is a pepper pesto. The spin on a traditional pesto is full of flavor and perfect on a pizza with chicken and spinach. Here’s the recipe:

Get the Roasted Red Pepper Pesto recipe. 

John Gutekanst has shared a sauce from Rome that is dynamite on pizza or on sandwiches. For an upcharge, offer it as a dipping sauce. Here is his recipe.

Get the Roman Roasted Pepper Sauce recipe.

The possibilities in pizza topping combinations that work well with bell peppers is endless. One of the most popular pizza combinations is a sausage and peppers pizza. Let’s create a simple, yet flavor-packed pizza recipe that kicks up the flavors of sausage and complements the bell pepper. Here’s the recipe:

Get the Spicy Sausage and Sweet Pepper Pizza recipe.

DENISE GREER is Executive Editor of Pizza Today.

The post Think differently about how you use bell peppers on pizza appeared first on Pizza Today.

Walk through the Pizza Process

Everyone’s ideal pizza will look, taste and feel differently. The key to building your perfect pie is understanding how to utilize different dough methods and how they will change your final product, picking the right tomatoes, cheese and toppings as well as when and how you add ingredients to your pizza.

The Dough

Let’s start with the dough. Depending on what style of pizza you are making, the ingredients and dough process will be different. The one thing that all doughs should have in common though, is proper fermentation. It is when the proteins in flour combine with water to create gluten. Yeast (whether commercial or natural) is added and consumes the simple sugars in the dough to create carbon dioxide bubbles. With the addition of salt, a stronger bond and gluten net form, causing the dough to rise and age. If you think about it, the slower and longer this process is, the resulting crust will be more dynamic by creating lots of airy bubbles and flavor in the dough. That being said, you don’t want to over ferment dough. Once there is no more fresh flour for the yeast to oxidize, the dough will turn flat and sour, thus not rising. That is why it is important to pick the right flour and hydration for your fermentation process and time.

Certain flours are synonymous with specific types of pizzas, but there is so much more to a flour than just the company that produces it. A few things to look for are:

• Protein percentage: the higher the protein of a flour the longer the fermentation time can and will be.
• W Factor: the extensibility of the dough or the strength of the gluten in the flour. A flour with less gluten, or a soft flour will be between W180-250. A strong flour will be between W250-300.
• Grind of the Flour: Measured on a scale from 00-2 with 00 being the finest and 2 the coarsest.
• Bleached or unbleached: Bleached flour uses a chemical aging process whereas unbleached doesn’t.

After you settle on your flour, the next important decision in dough is whether you use a Direct Method (mixing flour directly with yeast, salt, water and any other ingredients in your dough) or Indirect Method (A two-stage process to making dough using either a Biga, Poolish, Pate-ferment or sourdough starter).

The Sauce

While a lot of thought and experimentation should go into finding the right dough, the toppings can be just as important since they are the first thing that hits a person’s taste buds while devouring a slice. I’m a big believer that your sauce will only be as good as the tomatoes that go into it. That’s because it you use a quality tomato you don’t need to add very much else. The flavor of the fruit speaks for itself. There are a lot of different types and brands of tomatoes available, each bringing a unique flavor and texture to your final product. Almost everyone is partial to one or another. This can be dependent on the style you are making, where you live or what dominant flavor you look for in a tomato. For example, if you make certified VPN Neapolitan pizza, you definitely want to use DOP San Marzano tomatoes. This particular variety is only grown in the fertile soil under Mount Vesuvius in the Campania region of Italy. If your pizza style doesn’t need a specific tomato, there are a few really great options that are grown in the USA or Italy. Whatever you choose, you want to make sure they have a bright flavor and color as well as a good mouthfeel. A few of the different tomatoes you can buy are: whole peeled, strips, crushed/ground with skins on or off, or tomato purees. Blending a few varieties can create a balanced sauce without having to add additional sugar. Almost all pizza sauces should be uncooked. There are, of course, exception, such as using a sauce that needs to be cooked down with other ingredients like onions or Guanciale. The reason that it should be uncooked is that it cooks in the oven and you want to retain the sweet, bright flavor of the tomatoes.

The Cheese

Cheese. Pizza people stand by their brand of cheese and will almost never waiver or change. I’ve used the same brand since opening, but every year we re-try other brands or new ones that have emerged. My brother and I will do a blind taste test but every time we land on the one we have always used. The reason for revisiting it every year? The price. Whether you use fresh mozzarella, blocks or even stretch it yourself, cheese is one of the most expensive components on your pie. Yes, tomatoes and flour are expensive these days too, but the quantity you use per pizza compared to cheese is much, much smaller. My brother jokes that we should have a market price for slices depending on how much the cheese is.

Aside from the brand of cheese, a few things to look at for mozzarella cheese are:

• Milk fat percentage: do you want whole milk, part skim or a blend? I am a big believer in whole milk mozzarella. That grease drip that comes off your folded slice? Pure goodness. However, if you’re looking for a cheese that gives a good pull (think Insta worthy), part skim will be more your jam.
• Pre-shredded or blocks: Pre-shredded is obviously easier and very consistent. The downside is that a lot of brands add an anti-caking agent to them which gives the cheese a grittier texture. They are also usually more expensive than block cheese but that also is determined by your labor costs. If you buy the blocks you can either shred it or slice it. Slicing has the advantage of being very consistent for portioning.
• Mozzarella or blend: Mozzarella is the most common cheese on pizza but obviously different styles have different cheeses. Certain brands are coming out with mozzarella blends (cheddar, provolone, etc.).

Once you’ve decided on your dough, sauce and cheese, it’s time to consider any additional toppings. When and how you put on toppings can change the way a pizza tastes and feels in your mouth. If you put cheese on top of the sauce it will taste different than if you put it on the bottom. If you pinch on fresh sausage rather than add on sliced links it will interact with the other toppings differently. Certain things should always go on before the bake: raw meats, certain veggies and cheeses. While others should go on after: Arugula, cured meats, finishing cheeses and oils.

The type of oven should also be a consideration when building your ideal pie. Whether you use gas, electric, wood or coal, the choice will affect the structure, texture and flavor of your pizza. Each type and brand bakes differently so it is a personal choice. You can manipulate it with certain things like what bench flour you use, the temperature you bake at (hot and fast or low and slow), whether or not you use a screen and how long your dough has been out.

As you can see, creating your perfect pizza really comes down to time and temperature, picking the right flour, tomatoes and cheese as well as toppings. There are a few other things that I live by when making a pizza, or really any dish for that matter. Never underestimate the value of a really good olive oil. Don’t forget to salt and as I tell my Little Slices, salt in stages.

Really, the bottom line is, stay true to your pizza and dough but take the necessary steps to make it properly fermented, structurally sound and acceptably topped. Most importantly, never stop learning and trying to improve your craft.

Don’t miss Audrey’s Demo at Pizza Expo 2024

Wednesday, 10:15 am -11:15 am

D05 Demo: How to Build a Better Pie

Audrey Kelly, Owner/Pizzaiola, Speaker, Audrey Jane’s Pizza

Type: Demo | Track: Demo | Room No: Show Floor Demo Area

See the full Pizza Expo Education Schedule.

Audrey Kelly owns Audrey Jane’s Pizza Garage in Boulder, Colorado.

The post What makes a great pizza? appeared first on Pizza Today.

Traditional American Pizza Styles: States of Play

Explaining what an American style pizza is to anyone is like showing them a what an American looks like. The breadth and depth of diversity of pizzas in this country is peppered with differing dough making, toppings and cooking methods. Unlike some other countries, pizzas in the U.S. are not regionally bound to mimic centuries of pizza making in that range or region. To find the spine of pizza making in the United States, we must look to our culinary past, which relies upon the tools and techniques of Europe but then accommodates the wide and productive American landscape and the diverse culinary desires and tastes of this diverse populace.

“At its core, American pizza is one that favors the present over the past and it follows customers, not custom. It’s not even a style, it’s a refusal to adhere to one specific style because it’s always evolving.”

— Scott Wiener, Founder, Scotts Pizza Tours, and Slice Out Hunger

Phat of the Land

The United States has always been known as the “land of milk and honey.” Our shared history of domination, immigration and integration has always relied upon the commoditization of foods. The first pilgrims tilled the fertile soils producing plenty of traditional foodstuffs but did not mimic the native American use of the ebb and flow of the seasons and use of wild foods. The coastal tribes’ practice of putting up food stores of corn and smoked fish and meat for the winter sustained them but the pilgrims’ disdain for native practices lead to starvation in the first years. In fact, at Plymouth alone, half of the pilgrims were dead before the first winter was over.

Stat-chew of Liberty 

The first fact to know about American cuisine is that compared to European countries, we are culinarily, very young. Mass starvation and poverty through wars and upheaval in Europe has necessitated specific techniques, methods and creative twists in food. This innovation seems to be missing in historic American cooking practices. Our largesse of meat, fish and vegetables mirrored the huge fertile landscape of this country. This is reflected in the number of toppings on an American pizza. More cheese, meat and dough tend to satisfy U.S. customers. The arrival of soldiers who served in Italy in the 40s brought a new craving for Italian food and started the ball rolling for the different styling of American Pizza. The past 20 years have seen many chefs practicing traditional European pizza making in the United States and have upped American culinary mojo with pizza schools, demonstrations, media and social media putting this finesse on the fast track. This has also led to more innovative sauces, meats, cheeses and grains.

American Pie

There are many factors that have influenced American style pizzas. Corporations, regions, cheese, flour and meat companies, supply and even individual pizza chefs have had a hand in making some traditional American pizzas popular.  Here are some variations of American pizzas that you may, or may not, not be familiar with. I’ve kept individual names out to protect the innocent.

New England Beach Pizza

This Pizza made only in Southern New Hampshire and Northern Massachusetts is both simple and different. The crust is wafer thin, cooked on seasoned sheet pans and you can get a single slice or a box of 8 or 20 squares. Other toppings are available to pair with a very sweet sauce and just a smattering of aged provolone. Two pizza places dominate this market and are rivals which is why I will not disclose their names.

Milwaukee Pizza

This cracker thin pizza originated at the Caradaro Club and has evolved into several micro-styles depending upon the place you go to. It is sheeted round or oblong, some with a cornmeal dusting and each tavern-style cut is crunchy like crazy. Some pizzas are as thin as two credit cards. In some places, this crisp thinness is achieved by par-baking the crust in deck ovens then turning it over before saucing and cheesing, others go straight on the deck. The sauce is simple, sweet, and placed as just a thin layer of whole milk mozzarella.

Quad-City Pizza

This Mississippi River Valley style is prepared in Davenport and Bettendorf Iowa, Rock Island, Moline, and East Moline Illinois. This pizza is made with malt and hand-stretched to a thin crust with a slight cornicione, or crust. Chili flakes and ground cayenne makes the thin tomato sauce zing with spice. It is usually loaded with fennel sausage. Pizzas are available in 16-inch and 10-inch styles and cut into strips as opposed to slices or squares.

Detroit Pizza

This rectangular pizza baked in a seasoned blue steel pan that was initially said to be used in the automobile business for draining oil or catching grease. This focaccia-like pizza with small cell structure is usually par-baked with Wisconsin brick cheese baked in a “Frico” or bark around the side. Cheese and toppings lie under the sauce which is put on after the final bake. Many different variations now dominate the market.

Colorado Pizza

These small 8-inch round pizzas have a braided crust with added honey in the dough. A major heaping of whole milk mozzarella tops the extra-sweet sauce, and the braided crust ensures that the boatload of toppings doesn’t fall off. Colorado style has been described as like Chicago deep dish but sweeter with a cooking time that is shorter. This pizza is sold by the pound and is accompanied by more honey.

California Pizza

This pizza tends to lack a particular crust, size, style or even bake. The similarities of this pizza lie in the dissimilar nature of them. They all tend to lean on seasonality, international flavor profiles, freshness and artisanal ingredients that Spago, Gjelina, Hail Mary, Tony’s, Tandoori, Mozza, Pot Pizza, California Pizza Kitchen all have made available to Californians.

Altoona Pizza

Originally made at the Altoona Hotel before it was burnt down in 2013. Other pizza shops have taken up the mantle. This is usually a square-cut, sheet pan baked, thick Sicilian style crust with a soft feel. It was originally topped with Velveeta over deli salami and green peppers but now most places place the salami and pepper slice under processed American cheese. Other toppings can be added.

Ohio Valley Pizza

This pizza is made in the northeastern Ohio Valley around Steubenville, Ohio and Wheeling West Virginia. It is best described as a square pie with a bready crust, sweet sauce baked at 550 F and garnished with sauce made of green bell peppers, oregano and olive oil. This pizza is par-baked and taken out before topping with more sauce and a small amount of cheese. After the final baking, the pizza is topped with shredded provolone cheese and cold toppings and cut into squares.

Philly Tomato Pie

This square pizza is usually compared to the Sicilian Sfincione because of its thick, focaccia-like crust. It is also called a “Bakery Pizza” in nearby Rhode Island. Most of this style has just a smattering of Romano after the bake. The thick sauce is just as high as the crust and is cooked for over 40 minutes with sugar, oregano, garlic salt and olive oil.

Midwest Pizza Dough Recipe

Here is a dough recipe which, to me best reflects the middle ground in middle America. I’ve left this recipe at 66% hydration. Strong enough to hold sauce, cheese and toppings and flavorful enough after proofing to enable a digestible crust. Mixing it with cold water (and using less yeast) followed by cold fermentation slows the yeast activity down, giving the starches in the flour time to convert to simple sugars releasing fantastic flavors. This recipe is designed to be used within 6 hours if using warmer water, and up to 3 days using the cold holding method.

Get the Midwest Pizza Dough Recipe.

John Gutekanst owns Avalanche Pizza in Athens, Ohio.

The post The evolution of Traditional American Pizza appeared first on Pizza Today.

Get the Midwest Pizza Dough Recipe

John Gutekanst wrote an article on Traditional American Pizza which he outlines some variations of American pizzas that you may, or may not, not be familiar with. The Midwest style pizza was included.

Here is a dough recipe which, to me best reflects the middle ground in middle America. I’ve left this recipe at 66% hydration. Strong enough to hold sauce, cheese and toppings and flavorful enough after proofing to enable a digestible crust. Mixing it with cold water (and using less yeast) followed by cold fermentation slows the yeast activity down, giving the starches in the flour time to convert to simple sugars releasing fantastic flavors. This recipe is designed to be used within 6 hours if using warmer water, and up to 3 days using the cold holding method.

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Gas ovens were once the standard at pizzerias and restaurants across the U.S., but electric ovens are gaining ground

For decades, gas ovens dominated restaurant kitchens, including pizzerias. These days, however, electric ovens are cutting into that long-held supremacy.

While natural gas remains the preferred cooking energy source in U.S. restaurants – three out of four domestic restaurants use natural gas, according to a National Restaurant Association (NRA) Research Group survey – electric ovens continue gaining ground.

To be certain, technological advancements have propelled the increasing use of electric ovens, which have become more versatile and robust. However, the uptick in electric oven adoption may be attributed to another key factor: regulations forcing the use of electric ovens.

In 2019, Berkley, California, became the first U.S. city to ban natural gas hook-ups in new buildings. Numerous other cities, counties and states scattered across the map followed suit, including New York, where the state legislature passed a measure last May banning natural gas appliances in new buildings starting in 2026. The advocates of such regulations tout the environmental benefits of relying on electricity rather than gas as well as safety factors, including research linking gas stoves to toxic gases threatening employee health and the environment.

“Europe has been using electric for years and they’ve set the baseline showing it’s possible to maintain food quality and flavor profiles without draining natural resources or adding to one’s carbon footprint,” says Nathan Beucler of Ohio-based Burkett Restaurant Equipment & Supplies. “Still, that doesn’t mean restaurants here in the U.S. are ready to abandon gas.”

An earnest assessment of gas ovens

Compared to their electric counterparts, gas ovens offer some clear benefits.

First, gas ovens heat up faster and reach higher temperatures, two particularly appealing elements for many pizza-peddling operations.

Second, gas ovens are generally more affordable to purchase and operate as well as more durable. Beucler, who sells both electric and gas ovens, says gas units typically cost 30-40 percent less than comparable electric options. And as gas is a more accessible utility in most markets across the U.S., operational costs run about 10-30 percent less than electric, according to NRA reports.

Finally, many foodies believe gas ovens deliver a more flavorful taste, particularly with the char and flare ups gas ovens can provide. In particular, solid-fuel ovens, such as wood or coal with gas assist, help produce “a true rustic pizza taste,” notes Mike Rudd of KaTom Restaurant Supply in Tennessee, which is why those options remain popular with pizzerias, in particular.

Gas ovens, of course, have their drawbacks. They require a bigger fan on the hood, which increases the investment, and they fall short of their electric rivals on energy efficiency.

Yet more, heat distribution on gas ovens can be more uneven than electric, which can threaten product quality and consistency. Gas ovens also produce carbon monoxide emissions, carry the ever-present risk of a leak or explosion and require more effort to clean given their many dirt, dust and grime-capturing components.

Evaluating the electric oven

While electric oven sales have surged thanks, in part, to regulations, some pizzeria operators have voluntarily opted for electric over gas. (Of note, Rudd sees more electric oven varieties entering the marketplace, including open-hearth options that can serve as a pizzeria’s centerpiece.)

In the fast-paced restaurant environment and in an industry with notoriously high turnover, the operational ease of electric ovens, which can be conveyor, deck or convection, proves particularly enticing. Controls are generally more intuitive and feature easy-to-adjust settings.

Electric ovens also provide more precise temperature control and heat distribution throughout the cooking chamber. This helps drive product consistency and minimizes the risk of hot or cold spots on a pizza or dish. Meanwhile, the ability to control the electric oven with distinct temperature zones allows a restaurant to cook thicker or thinner pizzas on different decks of the oven, which is an attractive feature for operators serving various pizza styles.

Many view electric ovens as the safer option, too, for both staff and the environment. They are more energy efficient than gas and do not emit carbon monoxide, a greenhouse gas that contributes to climate change. Also, alternative energy sources, such as solar or wind, can power electric ovens, which is an appealing reality for some pizzeria operators and their clientele.

Yet, there are some trade-offs when swapping a gas oven for an electric model. Electric ovens are generally more expensive to purchase and operate, as electric is more costly per Kilowatt hour. Heating up at a slower pace than gas, the electric ovens also top out at about 700 degrees, well short of the temperature limits gas ovens can reach.

4 questions to ask before buying an oven

#1: Is there a regulation demanding electric ovens?

Such regulations remain rare, but they are increasing across the country. If such a requirement exists (or is
being debated), the gas vs. electric decision is made easier for the operator.

#2: Is three-phase electric present?

To accommodate a larger electric oven, the pizzeria will likely need access to three-phase electric, something Beucler says few buildings have. If three-phase electric is not present, Beucler has seen the cost to obtain it run as high as $85,000.

#3: What’s my menu?

A pizzeria’s menu will often dictate one’s decision to go with gas or electric. As electric ovens top out at about 700 degrees, shops serving Neo-Neapolitan pies frequently favor gas or solid-fuel ovens, Rudd says. Those serving multiple pizza styles, however, might prefer the versatility of electric ovens.

#4: Finally, what’s my budget?

Operators will need to investigate the cost of the oven itself, installation and operational costs. A gas oven will often be more economical than an electric option, both upfront and on a daily operational basis.

Beucler, however, is seeing a growing number of operators leaning toward electric conveyor pizza ovens, many of which are ventless. Such units eliminate the cost of the exhaust hood and the accompanying buildout required with a gas oven, investments that could touch $20,000 in total.

“There could be significant upfront savings there and you won’t have a hole in your roof,” Beucler says.

Daniel P. Smith  Chicago-based writer has covered business issues and best practices for a variety of trade publications, newspapers, and magazines.

The post Gas Ovens vs. Electric Ovens: Heating Up appeared first on Pizza Today.

Read the February 2024 Issue of Pizza Today Magazine

It’s the Pizza Expo Preview. Get more details on the upcoming International Pizza Expo in Las Vegas. This issue is packed with business-focused articles, like using a Pro Forma to grow, Cash Flow and learning how to buy like the big pizza chains. Find out what to do if you have a service outage. Explore the process to making a better pizza and the backstory on traditional American pizzas. Get a primer on what classifies a pizza as a regional pizza style.

You can check out the full Digital Edition — Pizza Today February 2024.

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A Q&A with Odie O’Connor, owner of Boxcar Pizza, Portland, Oregon

Concept:

The concept for Boxcar was created in the early summer of 2020. I had temporarily closed my first business, Baby Blue Pizza, due to the pandemic. So with the extra time I had on my hands I began experimenting making vegan Detroit style pizzas. After a lot of trial and error (and a ton of help from Marc of Square Pie Guys) I came up with a dough that I was really proud of.  A second generation pizza spot became available so I decided to take the leap and open up Boxcar in August of 2020.  The goal has always been to make really good pizza that just happens to be vegan. I never wanted the selling point to be that it was vegan.

Pizza Style & Dough:

Our Detroit style pizzas are a 70-percent hydration sourdough that we par-bake every morning.  We use Small’s Family Bread Flour who are located here in the Pacific Northwest. Doing sourdough Detroit style pizza was challenging because the rise is such an important part of the style. I learned that timing the first mix and the feeding of the starter perfectly is vital.  We do an overnight autolyse with the leaven and half the flour and water for the batch (most dough savvy people would say this is not a real autolyse). Allowing the dough to autolyse with the leaven in really develops the flavor, dough strength, and gets a head start on the first rise. When I first opened Boxcar we were not par-baking the doughs, but we couldn’t get the consistency that I was looking for. Since deciding to par bake every morning we can assure that we’re getting the dough at the perfect spot in the fermentation process, and we get a much more springy crust because the initial bake isn’t weighted down with ingredients. Par-baking also makes for a lighter, fluffy inside and a very crispy bottom and edges.

Tell us what went into finding/creating your vegan products? What was your R&D process?

When developing the vegan recipes I always consider taste, smell, allergens, and food cost.  Our meats are typically made from either vital wheat gluten or textured vegetable protein.  Once I decide what the base will be, I begin adding spices and liquids that I think will best represent umami flavors and also bake how I want them to on the pizzas.  It really is just research, trial, error and then repeat.

Detroit Style and Vegan, that is unique. How have you been able to find your market in Portland?

The food scene is Portland is incredible.  There always seems to be a new pop-up, restaurant, or event happening and Portlanders really show up for our community.  It’s definitely risky to open a 100 percent vegan restaurant. Luckily there is a very big vegan community in Portland and we’ve been able to create a returning customer base through friendly customer service, consistency in the pizza, and always looking for ways to improve. We have loyal customers who are vegan and also loyal customers who are omnivores. The selling point has always been this is good pizza, not “you should buy this because it’s vegan”.

What did you learn from your first restaurant that helped you in Boxcar?

I learned a lot from my first pizza business, Baby Blue Pizza. The main points would be: BE CONSISTENT, there are so many good food options out there, one bad experience can turn a customer off for good. HIRE WELL, if you hire someone out of pure necessity and not because you think they would be a great addition to the shop, you will end up firing them 100 percent of the time, and they will add a ton of stress to your life until you do fire them.  CREATE A RELATABLE BRAND. Customers want to know there is a human behind the business, the day of the cookie-cutter, cliche social media post is over-show that you are a human. CARE ABOUT YOUR EMPLOYEES. Take time to learn about who your employees are, and recognize that people work so they can live their lives, never the other way around. No one will ever care about your business as much as you do, and that is fine — it’s the way it’s supposed to be.

The post Conversation: Odie O’Connor, Boxcar Pizza, Portland, Oregon appeared first on Pizza Today.

Serhan Ayhan shares his approach to unconventional pizza toppings

There’s no denying that the classics like pepperoni, mushroom, and sausage are tried and true. But earlier this year, New York Times Cooking called Brooklyn’s Cuts & Slices oxtail pie “New York’s Most Exciting Pizza”, and lines have been out the door. Featuring unique pizzas on your menu can turn heads – and customers into your shop. Here are a few roadmaps for unconventional toppings to get you started.

Bet The Farm

Celery Root Pizza — Photo by Serhan Ayhan

One place where I frequently discover new ingredients is at our local farmer’s market. If you have access to one, challenge yourself and pick out a fruit or vegetable or other ingredient that you have never seen or heard of and start connecting the dots to other ingredients.

An invaluable tool to make these connections is The Flavor Bible by Andrew Dornenburg and Karen Page. The first time I encountered celery root, I did not have a CLUE what to do with it. Referencing The Flavor Bible for celery root, Gruyère (a nutty cheese) is noted as a flavorful pairing. From there, I flipped to the section for Gruyère pairings, with ham being one recommendation. While we did not have ham, we had a pancetta that complemented the Gruyère with its savory, salty, and slightly smoky flavor. The pancetta, in turn, reminded me of maple bacon, which led to the incorporation of a spicy maple syrup. Before I knew it, a beautiful and unique pizza with complex flavors was born.

Walk Down Memory Lane

Hawaiian Furikake Bar Pie — Photo by Serhan Ayhan

Not every creative pizza needs a farm to table approach. Sometimes foods like a favorite childhood snack can revisit us in the form of a pizza. Think about bites that you or others grew up with that are remembered dearly. Is there a creative and tasteful (pun intended) way to make them work on a pizza?

Earlier this year, I was thinking about how despite its name and ham & pineapple toppings, Hawaiian pizza’s origins are not from the islands. This got me wondering – how could I put a true Hawaiian twist to this pizza? I hit the web to conduct my due diligence on nostalgic Hawaiian snacks and learned about furikake Chex Mix, a popular island treat that incorporates a buttery soy sauce glaze and furikake seasoning into Chex Cereal. I topped the snack onto a Hawaiian pizza on a bar style crust, and sure enough, it was a hit – I even had pineapple haters complimenting! Chex Cereal also shared it on their socials!

Tap into the Collective Consciousness

When I get stuck in a creative rut and the well of ideas run dry, I look to others for inspiration.

One day I was walking in our neighborhood and saw some stunning in-season tangerines, and just knew that I had to think of a way to showcase them on a pizza.

Tangerine Pizza. Photo by Serhan Ayhan

When I got home, I hit the web for recipes using citrus and came across Claire Saffitz’s blood orange olive oil cake and was astonished at how she beautifully incorporated the oranges. It looked wonderful – but I wasn’t making a cake! I went through my cookbooks and found Chris Bianco’s lemon and red onion focaccia. Taking the visual cues from Claire’s cake and the execution cues from Chris’s focaccia, I created something uniquely my own: an alluring round pan pizza with thinly sliced tangerines, red onion, mozzarella, fontina, pecorino Romano, and mint.

These are but a few roadmaps to lead you to your new and creative pizzas. Deconstruct an existing dish. Look to other people and cultures. Step out of your comfort zone and don’t be afraid to try a few new things when figuring out what resonates with your customers.

Serhan Ayhan is the pizza maker of Next Level Pizza in New York, focusing on pizza pop-ups, private events, and consulting.

The post Unconventional Pizza Toppings: Beginner’s Guide appeared first on Pizza Today.

Everyone’s Favorite: Get the Chicken Scarpiello Pizza Recipe

As I was thinking of what pizza to make this month, I couldn’t help but ask myself “what do I really love to eat?”  As usual, my stomach starts growling and I say to myself “I could really go for some chicken scarpiello right now!” So, we are going to make a chicken scarpiello pizza. For those of you that don’t know, it’s typically chicken thighs, sausage and cherry peppers. I know — delicious, right? For this recipe I used chicken breasts because I assume most of you have them in your restaurants. Preparing in advance and letting the flavors meld together for a day or two really helped, so keep that in mind.

This recipe will give you up to four 10-inch pizzas.

Chris Decker is Founding Pizzaiolo & Partner at Truly Pizza, in Dana Point, California. @everythingbutanchovies on Instagram,

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Iconic St. Louis-style pizza company marks occasion by launching a commemorative pizza box and specials throughout the year

PRESS RELEASE

ST LOUIS (Jan. 8, 2024) – 60 years ago a thin-crust, Provel-covered legend was born in St. Louis and pizza has never been the same. In 1964, Ed and Margie Imo opened their first Imo’s Pizza Parlor at the corner of Thurman and Shaw in South St. Louis, introducing generations of pizza lovers to The Square Beyond Compare. Today the company has 98 locations across Missouri, Illinois and Kansas.

To mark this special anniversary, Imo’s Pizza partnered with St. Louis artist and lifelong Imo’s fan, Dan Zettwoch, to create a commemorative pizza box which pays homage to the company’s humble beginnings. Throughout the year, Imo’s will offer a variety of specials to mark the company’s 60^th anniversary. The first special of the year will be a two-topping, 16-inch pizza for $19.64 – a tribute to the year Imo’s Pizza was founded. In addition to the specials, Imo’s will also begin airing new 30-second television spots – a downloadable version is available here.

Photo Credit: Imo’s Pizza

“It’s our birthday but the celebration is all about our loyal fans,” said Nichole Carpenter, Director of Marketing for Imo’s Pizza. “Imo’s is a part of St. Louis history, and we’re excited to honor the community that has supported us all these years. As a St. Louis company, it was important that we worked with a local artist to create a unique pizza box that captured our roots. We love what Dan created, and we are looking forward to celebrating our 60^th all year long!”

“As I was researching this project, I loved making connections about the contemporary mid-60s history and design in St. Louis,” said Zettwoch. “As Imo’s was opening its first location, the Cardinals won the World Series and had their last season in Sportsman’s Park as Busch Stadium II was being built. At the same time, the Arch was under construction, forever changing the St. Louis skyline. Imo’s is a part of our city’s rich history, and I was honored to create a box for my favorite pizza!”

For fans of Imo’s Pizza who don’t live near a parlor, it is available for nationwide delivery via Goldbelly.

About Imo’s Pizza

Since first opening their doors in 1964, the Imo family has welcomed generations of customers to Imo’s Pizza locations across the bi-state area. Today, Imo’s Pizza is proudly served in 99 locations in Missouri, Illinois and Kansas. Additionally, Imo’s Pizza products – consisting of more than 17 different items, including frozen pizzas, sauces, dressings, marinades, pizza crusts and Provel cheese products – are available at participating grocery chains in the greater St. Louis area. Imo’s has earned a solid reputation and loyal following through its commitment to maintaining the highest level of quality in all of its restaurants, as well as in the grocery stores that carry its products. This quality starts with ingredients. From fresh ground meats and the Imo family’s homemade sauce to delicious vegetables and full strips of bacon, every topping that covers its crispy, edge-to-edge St. Louis-style pizza is of the highest quality. For more information visit imospizza.com.

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35 Pizzerias to Watch in America in 2024

We asked independent pizzeria owners to submit their businesses for consideration in our Pizzerias to Watch list. We received hundreds of outstanding submissions and have painstakingly whittled them down to this list of 35.

While the Hot 100 Independent Pizzerias List we used to do ranked pizzerias by highest sales volume, our Pizzerias to Watch feature looks at the total operation, from sales and employee programs to community outreach and marketing.

We present to you 35 pizzerias to watch as they continue to thrive and grow. While we asked several questions, we’re sharing one or two of the pizzerias’ Q&A responses here in this issue — in their own words.

Abbiocco Pizzeria, Indianapolis, Indiana

AbbioccoPizzeria.com
facebook abbiocco Pizzeria
Year Opened: 2021

Gross Annual Sales July 2022-June 2023: 600,000
Gross Annual Sales July 2021-June 2022: 500,000

Year-over-Year Sales: Up 20%

How has your company grown during the past 12 months and what are your future growth plans?
Over the past 12 months, our company has experienced significant growth and achieved several milestones. First, our sales have seen a remarkable increase of 15 to 20%, which is a testament to our dedicated team, loyal customers, and the quality of our products. We’ve also been fortunate to receive increased recognition in the culinary community, with features in prominent publications such as YelpIndy and Indy Monthly’s ’25 Best Restaurants.’ Looking ahead, our future growth plans are both exciting and strategic. We aim to expand our presence and reach new audiences by venturing into the food truck industry. This move not only allows us to create word-of-mouth buzz but also serves as a valuable testbed for potential future brick-and-mortar locations. By taking our delicious pizza to different neighborhoods and events, we intend to gauge the reception and demand in various areas. This approach aligns with our commitment to thoughtful expansion and ensuring that we provide our exceptional pizza experience to as many people as possible. We’re thrilled about the possibilities this growth trajectory holds for our company in the coming years.

Billy Bricks, Lombard, IL

billybrickshq.com
IG @billybrickshq
Year Opened: 2005
Gross Annual Sales July 2022-June 2023: 8,709,906.45
Gross Annual Sales July 2021-June 2022: 9,440,112.57
Year-over-Year Sales: Down 7.75%
How has your company grown during the past 12 months and what are your future growth plans?
In the past 12 months we shrunk in unit size to cut a few of the underperforming location and to really focus in on our core stores and areas to re-expand. We have 4 units that will open by 2024 as part of our re-expansion and we will add at least one more ice cream truck and pizza truck to our mobile catering fleet. We plan to open 2-4 units either stand alone pizza or pizza parlor and ice cream parlor per year over the next 6 years with a goal of 20 units by 2029 and an ever growing mobile fleet to support regions/territories. *sales numbers entered above reflect a few of the closures sales no longer being included, however, our per unit average greatly increased and our net profit as a company increased significantly by cutting the underperforming units*

Cheshire Pizza & Ale, Cheshire, CT

www.cheshirepizza.com
IG: @cheshire_pizza
Year Opened: 2017
Gross Annual Sales July 2022-June 2023: 4,114,930
Gross Annual Sales July 2021-June 2022: 3,789,750
Year-over-Year Sales: Up 8.58%
How has your company grown during the past 12 months and what are your future growth plans?
Our customer base has consistently grown since our inception in 2017. We have grown by focusing on what our customer base looks for. Quality product, consistent service all coming from staff that buys into our systems. We are looking into establishing a commissary kitchen and launching a DELCO concept within a 50 mile radius.
Why should you be among the Pizzerias To Watch List?
There are countless worthy Pizzerias to watch throughout the country. Although we are the red headed step child when it comes to the New Haven pizza scene (we serve pan pizza!) we believe that our continues growth and investing in our staff has separated us from our competition. With the ever-changing employee retention issues facing the hospitality industry, laying the foundation in place via health and retirement benefits has helped us change the stigma that restaurant employees cannot make a career out of their job.

Dedham House of Pizza, Dedham, MA

www.dedhamhouseofpizza.com
IG @dedhamhouseofpizza
Year Opened: 1986
Gross Annual Sales July 2022-June 2023: 2,034,036.44
Gross Annual Sales July 2021-June 2022: 1,831,865.63
Year-over-Year Sales: Up 11.03%
How has your company grown during the past 12 months and what are your future growth plans?
In the past year, our pizzeria has experienced remarkable growth driven by our unwavering commitment to quality and the development of our exceptional team members. As a small pizzeria, we’ve made significant strides in enhancing our services. One notable initiative involves the creation of comprehensive guidebooks with vivid photographs translated into our team members’ native languages, ensuring crystal-clear communication and a deeper understanding of our processes. Moreover, we’ve reimagined our uniforms and hats, even crafting custom attire for our dedicated long-term employees, instilling a sense of pride and unity within our team…

DeFazio’s Pizzeria, Troy, NY

Www.defaziospizza.com
IG @defaziospizzeria
Year Opened: 1989
Gross Annual Sales July 2022-June 2023: 1,800,000
Gross Annual Sales July 2021-June 2022: 1,600,000
Year-over-Year Sales: Up 12.5%
What community outreach initiatives do you organize?
Every year we organize “Stick It to Hunger.” This stickball tournament brings local companies together to play stickball and donate to a shelter two blocks from our location that supports 35 local families. We typically raise over $15,000 worth of good. We donate over $3,000 in gift certificates to local charities.
How has your company grown during the past 12 months and what are your future growth plans?
Our 2nd location in Albany has doubled business from their first year. We are attached to a distillery with a great outdoor space. We have hosted 4 weddings and many private events. Our Troy location continues to be a staple for locals and people traveling upstate New York. We are building a 100 seat restaurant that we will open in 2024.

Georgio’s Chicago Pizzeria, Crystal Lake, Illinois

www.georgiospizza.com
facebook.com/GeorgiosPizzaCrystalLake
Year Opened: 2002
Gross Annual Sales July 2022-June 2023: 6,200,000
Gross Annual Sales July 2021-June 2022: 5,600,000
Year-over-Year Sales: Up 10.71%
What is your pizzeria’s brand and how do you market your pizzeria?
We’re a Chicago-style pizzeria serving authentic deep dish and thin crust pizza, the way they were first served in Chicago back in the 1940’s. We do very little marketing. Most of our marketing is through community sponsorships, donations, and word of mouth. We also have a loyalty program that keeps our best customers engaged.

Go 4 Pizza, Rancho Cordova, Ca

Go4pizza.com
IG @go4pizza2.0
Year Opened: 2009
Gross Annual Sales July 2022-June 2023: 2,000,000
Gross Annual Sales July 2021-June 2022: 1,700,000
Year-over-Year Sales: Up 17.64%
What community outreach initiatives do you organize?
We support all local schools and sport teams and do fund raisers throughout the year. We also offer our party room and party patios for season ending sports parties at no cost to the teams!
Why should you be among the Pizzerias To Watch List?
We are more than a pizzeria, we are the center of our communities! We do tap take overs, live music, trivia every week, paint night, corn hole tournaments and comedy nights and other special events! Our concept, food and restaurant layout and family atmosphere I have not seen in all the years reading Pizza Today!

Greenville Avenue Pizza Company, Dallas, Texas

www.gapc.co
facebook.com/GreenvilleAvenuePizzaCompany
Year Opened: 2007
Gross Annual Sales July 2022-June 2023: 6,131,882
Gross Annual Sales July 2021-June 2022: 6,125,823
Year-over-Year Sales: Up .09%
What is your pizzeria’s brand and how do you market your pizzeria?
*We are a badass neighborhood pizzeria in Dallas, TX. Come for the show and meet your PIZZA SLAYERS. Our restaurants are open kitchen concepts so that our customers can watch our process and see how much care, love and passion is put into each pizza. Our Slayers wear chef coats and holsters that hold their tools which adds extra edge to the look of our team. *Our Unique Limited Time Offerings, (seasonal pizza & one day specials). Some of our favorite LTO’s include The Pretty Pickle, The Doobie (our 4/20 special) and The Hatche Chile and Chorizo. *We are here for our neighbors and provide a fun Neighborhood Experience- Each location is hyper local and we encourage everyone to come as they are to feel welcome and comfortable. We use the highest quality ingredients, like Grande cheese and Stanislaus tomatoes. We pride ourselves on being a from scratch kitchen, we make our own sauce, cook and prep our toppings, put our soul into the food.

Itri Wood Fired Pizza Bar, Bristol, PA

www.itriwoodfired.com/
IG @ itri_wood_fired
Year Opened: 2017
Gross Annual Sales July 2022-June 2023: 1,900,000
Gross Annual Sales July 2021-June 2022: 1,200,000
Year-over-Year Sales: Up 58.33%
Why should you be among the Pizzerias To Watch List?
Six years ago we took a very big risk on a main street that had yet to begin it’s revitalization. Many had written off our great little town as a place that didn’t understand a restaurant driven by a community oriented mission that also included a cool and rustic ambiance. We zeroed in on an eclectic playlist, a great sound system, interesting art on our walls, and most importantly, fantastic pizza and food. The question six year ago from many was “why?” Why are you opening there? In our first year we did$550,000 in sales. Since then many other restaurants, cafes, distilleries, and breweries have opened. They are all great in their own right and doing a great job in moving the street forward. However, we are proud to have been one of the first and we continue to grow, change, and adapt. We are on pace to do $2,000,000 in sales in 2023. Finally, our pizza remains the most central aspect to our business, and in our humble opinion, it’s fantastic. We have a unique offering of 12 wood fired Detroit (ish) style pizza daily and a variety of NEOpolitan pizzas that are out of this world. We try to get local ingredients and sustainable products whenever possible.

Mattenga’s Pizzeria, Schertz, Texas

https://mattengas.com/
facebook.com/mattengaspizzeria
Year Opened: 2014
Gross Annual Sales July 2022-June 2023: 5,124,154.16
Gross Annual Sales July 2021-June 2022: 3,109,144.88
Year-over-Year Sales: Up 64.8%
How has your company grown during the past 12 months and what are your future growth plans?
Our restaurant has grown significantly over the past 12 months, both in terms of customer base and revenue. We have implemented a number of strategies to increase our visibility and attract new customers, such as upgrading our website, increasing our social media presence, and offering discounts and promotions. We have also invested in new equipment and staff training to improve the quality of our food and service. For the future, we plan to continue to focus on increasing our customer base and expanding our reach through online marketing and partnerships with local businesses. Additionally, we will continue to invest in our staff and equipment to ensure that our customers receive the best possible experience. We plan to continue this growth trajectory by expanding our locations, increasing our marketing efforts, and exploring new markets through food truck. We also continue to develop menus to ensure that our products remain competitive and up to date.

Old Town Pizza, Auburn, California

www.otpizza.net
facebook.com/OldTownPizza
Year Opened: Pizza Restaurant opened in 1999 and my family purchased it in 2002
Gross Annual Sales July 2022-June 2023: 12,862,804
Gross Annual Sales July 2021-June 2022: 10,777,273
Year-over-Year Sales: Up 19.35%
How has your company grown during the past 12 months and what are your future growth plans?
Our growth the last 12 months have been entirely organic. Our newest location opened in May of 2022. Our future plans include a new “owned” location in the Roseville, Ca. area and we are planning on getting into the mobile kitchen business in the near future. Lastly, we are thinking about getting into the “event center” business and using our Pizza and Beer success to anchor an event center.
Why should you be among the Pizzerias To Watch List?
Our brand turns 25 years old in July of 2024 and we are still growing with a great reputation. We love being our communities “hometown” pizza place. Our guests celebrate their life milestones with OTP. Our relationship with our community is truly a win-win partnership.

PARLOUR, New Albany, Indiana

eatparlour.com
linkedin.com/company/parlourpeoplepizzapints
Year Opened: 2019
Gross Annual Sales July 2022-June 2023: 7,797,029.27
Gross Annual Sales July 2021-June 2022: 6,273,465.66
Year-over-Year Sales: Up 24.28%
Why should you be among the Pizzerias To Watch List?
PARLOUR is a standout candidate for the Pizzerias to Watch list, led by the resilient and transparent leadership of Don Robinson. Despite the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, Don’s unwavering resilience and commitment to open communication have been pivotal in steering the company to exceptional success. Under his guidance, PARLOUR has experienced an impressive 195.36% sales growth from 2020 to 2022. This growth is not only a testament to Don’s strategic vision but also reflects the dedication of the entire team. The company’s expansion into new locations, strategic partnerships, and franchise agreements showcase its commitment to broadening its reach and impact. With a vibrant company culture, a focus on employee well-being, and a mission to take the PARLOUR brand nationwide, it’s clear that PARLOUR is not just a pizzeria but a dynamic force in the industry, worthy of close attention and recognition.

Pietrini Pizza Napoletana, Los Alamitos, Ca

Www.pietrinipizza.com
IG @pietrinipizza
Year Opened: 2021
Gross Annual Sales July 2022-June 2023: 963,814.3
Gross Annual Sales July 2021-June 2022: 393,927.39
Year-over-Year Sales: Up 144%
Why is your pizzeria a great place to work? (What employee incentives/benefits do you offer?
We have worked hard to cultivate a healthy/ positive atmosphere, and work hard to keep it. We have a genuine love for people and care for the well being of our employees and they know it. We have an open door policy where employees can ask questions, voice concerns etc. Employees are recognized for their hard work and achievements during team meetings and gatherings, earning swag, personalized chef coats, etc. Birthdays and work anniversaries are recognized and celebrated with gift cards, desserts on the house etc. We have team meetings / dinners with raffle prizes, contests etc and make it fun.

Perrotta’s Pizza, Canton, Georgia

Perrottaspizza.com
facebook.com/perrottaspizza
Year Opened: 2018
Gross Annual Sales July 2022-June 2023: 1,200,000
Gross Annual Sales July 2021-June 2022: 940,000
Year-over-Year Sales: Up 27.65%
Why should you be among the Pizzerias to Watch List?
That depends on your view should we be considered because we are still the old school family owned and operated pizzeria but using technology input from the younger family members to grow sales and possibly expand to other locations. Or maybe because we are heavily involved in the community and charitable organizations even though we work countless hours a week but we still find time to give back. Or you could say winning best pizza in Canton Georgia four years in a row should be why. It not up to me if we deserve to be on the watchlist either way we’ll be happy because we love what we do it’s our family bond and passion.

Pizzoco Pizza Parlor, Winchester, VA

www.pizzoco.com
IG @pizzoco
Year Opened: 2019
Gross Annual Sales July 2022-June 2023: 1,000,000
Gross Annual Sales July 2021-June 2022: 850,000
Year-over-Year Sales: Up 17.64%
Why should you be among the Pizzerias To Watch List?
We are a small independent pizzeria in a historic building in a true neighborhood that has developed a large following since we opened in 2019. We have been on Yelp’s Top 100 pizzerias in the USA for the past two years in a row (2022 #53, 2023 #32). People routinely make the drive from Washington DC (1.5 hours) just to eat our pizza. We are veteran owned and have become a pillar of the community. We are the highest rated pizzeria in the state of Virginia.

Rochettos Pizzeria, Scott, LA

www.rochettos.com
facebook.com/rochettospizzeria
Year Opened: 2009
Gross Annual Sales July 2022-June 2023: 2,700,000
Gross Annual Sales July 2021-June 2022: 1,850,000
Year-over-Year Sales: Up 45.94%
How has your company grown during the past 12 months and what are your future growth plans?
Opened a second location Dec 21, 2022 in Crowley, Louisiana, located 15 miles form original location, Just expanded a catering/ banquet room to accommodate local business activity
Why should you be among the Pizzerias to Watch List?
Rochettos Pizzeria standard has been a staple in South Louisiana for 13 years now and growing. In a community that relies on tourism and the restaurant industry Rochettos has remained strong through economic hardships and the pandemic. The concept developed by the owner is one that can fit in any city in America and is designed to be a pillar of the community.

Slice Pizza & Brew, Birmingham, AL

https://www.slicebirmingham.com/
IG @slicepizzabrew
Year Opened: 2011
Gross Annual Sales July 2022-June 2023: 5,760,000
Gross Annual Sales July 2021-June 2022: 4,500,000
Year-over-Year Sales: Up 28%
Why should you be among the Pizzerias to Watch List?
Since opening in 2011, our pizzeria has stayed true to our original mission of being a family-owned and operated business that combines a welcoming, friendly atmosphere with fresh, mouthwatering food and local brews. Over the past year, we have experienced significant growth with the opening of our fourth location, the expansion to a full-service commissary, and the upcoming launch of our fifth location in Birmingham, Alabama. As the home of the first stone pizza oven in the city of Birmingham, we have remained loyal to our roots, pairing specialty pizzas with local brews that keep our customers coming back for more. We are also committed to giving back to the community through outreach initiatives such as our Dough Raiser fundraisers, SliceFest and other unique events that have allowed us to donate more than $100,000 back to the Birmingham community. We would be honored to be included on this year’s Pizzerias To Watch List because of our commitment to always finding new ways to honor our core values that make us Slice Pizza & Brew while working alongside other local businesses to support and engage with the communities we call home.

The Onion Tree, Sea Cliff, New York

www.TheOnionTree.com
IG @ theoniontreeseacliff
Year Opened: 2020
Gross Annual Sales July 2022-June 2023: 1,164,862
Gross Annual Sales July 2021-June 2022: 857,399
Year-over-Year Sales: Up 35.85%
Why is your pizzeria a great place to work? (What employee incentives/benefits do you offer?
Our employees are family rather than just folks who work with us. We pay above NYS average pay – we offer 2 weeks paid vacation, 10 sick days and bonuses on achievement of revenue targets. 2 annual company parties – offer us an opportunity to express our gratitude to our team members. As a result, our team takes an ownership approach and works with heart and hospitality.
Why should you be among the Pizzerias To Watch List?
We are a Pizzeria/Gastropub where Pizza Napoletana meets Indian Cuisine + Rock n Roll! We opened our business on March 6, 2020. Lost almost everything in the first couple of months. We however zigged and zagged to survive. Our concept – while quirky and maybe even eccentric, is a product of the pandemic – a result of our burning 🔥 desire to survive the hardest times we’d ever seen, not only to survive but to thrive….🙏🏽

Tre Amici, Bayamon, Puerto Rico

www.treamicipr.com
IG @treamicipr
Year Opened: 15-Oct-21
Gross Annual Sales July 2022-June 2023: 628,438.46
Gross Annual Sales July 2021-June 2022: 288,667.06
Year-over-Year Sales: Up 117%
How has your company grown during the past 12 months and what are your future growth plans?
The growth Tre Amici has been experience is astounding. When the business started the goal was to sell 40 pizza pies daily to survive and pay the bills considering our production is handmade and fresh. Twenty-four months later we are selling at least 200 pies daily, still by hand. The sales keep growing. People come back every week and we go sold out every weekend. The future growth plan for Tre Amici is getting another place where we can attract more customers and store more inventory. We cannot make more than 200 pies daily because we don’t have enough place to store them. The new place has two floors, two firewood ovens and one dumbwaiter. At the new location the goal is to sell 500 pies daily and make the best cocktails in town. The team hopes to be open at the end of this year. The future has never been brighter.

Valentina’s Pizzeria & Wine Bar, Madison, AL

valentinaspizzeria.com
IG @valentinaspizzeria
Year Opened: 2020
Gross Annual Sales July 2022-June 2023: 1,000000
Gross Annual Sales July 2021-June 2022: 750,000
Year-over-Year Sales: Up 33%
How has your company grown during the past 12 months and what are your future growth plans?
Valentina’s has grown more than I ever thought since opening. I opened in 2020 with 7 tables and little staff. In three years we have outgrown our 1000 square foot location and are about to move to a new brick and mortar that is 4000 square feet. I could not have done this without my incredible community and staff.
Why should you be among the Pizzerias to Watch List?
I have been in the pizza community for over 25 years. This community is like no other. I have failed more times than I can count. After years and years, I finally got it right. Valentina’s is named after my daughter. She comes in a works in the store right alongside me. I am incredibly blessed and thankful that after 3 years of opening Valentina’s, I have already outgrown this space by 3 times the amount.

Via Farina, Omaha, Nebraska

Goviafarina.com
IG @goviafarina
Year Opened: 2016
Gross Annual Sales July 2022-June 2023: 1,200,000
Gross Annual Sales July 2021-June 2022: 875,000
Year-over-Year Sales: Up 117%
What community outreach initiatives do you organize?
I have organized a cold weather clothing drive for 6 years running. We average anywhere from 1000-1500 pounds to clothing donated every winter. This will be our first year doing pizza across America. We work from time to time with the native American and American Eskimo rehabilitation society to get job placement in a safe space for those that are slowly reintroducing themselves back into the work force.
How has your company grown during the past 12 months and what are your future growth plans?
We have grown in the last year with the presence of our mobile pizza oven. We are in plans currently for a second location and hope to be open by early summer 2024.

Wild Ace Pizza & Pub, Greer, SC

https://thewildace.com/
facebook.com/wildacegreer
Year Opened: 2009
Gross Annual Sales July 2022-June 2023: 3,640,924.26
Gross Annual Sales July 2021-June 2022: 3,468,985.4
Year-over-Year Sales: Up 4.95%
What is your pizzeria’s brand and how do you market your pizzeria?
Wild Ace Pizza & Pub is an aviation themed restaurant featuring a full menu with aviation named menu items, cocktails, and advertising of military Flying Aces. Hanging airplanes occupy the ceiling and entertain both children and adults. The large, dog friendly, outdoor patio is a big draw during most of the year.
What community outreach initiatives do you organize?
We sponsor an Oktoberfest each fall and also host a non-profit benefit semi-annually called The Good Time Benefit that raised money for children with life threatening conditions. We also heavily support Greer Relief and Resources Agency – our community agency that exists to transform neighbors in need to neighbors who thrive by providing services to eliminate poverty and help neighbors overcome barriers for success.

Zio’s Pizzeria, Omaha, Nebraska

Ziospizzeria.com
facebook.com/ZiosOmaha
Year Opened: 1985
Gross Annual Sales July 2022-June 2023: 4,100,000
Gross Annual Sales July 2021-June 2022: 3,900,000
Year-over-Year Sales: Up 5.1%
Why should you be among the Pizzerias To Watch List?
Our establishments have been around since 1985 in the Omaha market. We are long term trusted pizzeria (we have 4 of them in Omaha). We try to focus on community with marketing that includes schools, churches and other local events. Plenty of donations go out monthly to many of the local charity groups in Omaha. We take pride in our daily food we prep with nearly 45 freshly prepped items along with fresh dough daily. We will continue with our table service standards during the evenings as long as we can continue to hire service oriented people that love working with customers and food. That has been a major challenge since the end of Covid. Our restaurants are all recently (within the last 5 years) been remodeled. With patios at 2 of them and a drive thru at 1. With our loyal guests (many of whom we see at least once per week), we hope to bring another set of younger customers with the help of some of the current trends in social media.

New Pizzerias on our Radar

Blue Square Pizza
Hopkinton, Massachusetts
www.bluesquarepizza.com

Coniglio’s Old Fashioned
Morristown, NJ
https://www.coniglios.com/

Double Zero Pie & Pub
LAS VEGAS, NV
https://www.doublezeropie.com/

Hearth & Table
Lincoln City, OR
www.hearthandtablelc.com

Mangia Mangia Pizzeria
Estes Park, CO
www.mangiamangiapizzeria.com

Prohibition Pizza
High Springs, Fl
www.prohibitionpizza.com

Stellenzo’s Pizza
Santa Clarita, California
www.stellenzos.com

Truly Pizza
Dana point, California
Trulypizza.com

Regional and National Pizza Companies and Chains to Watch

Farrelli’s Pizza
Dupont, WA

Home

Piesanos
5200 Nw 43rd st, Gainesville
Piesanos.com

Sal’s Pizza
Lawrence, Massachusetts
sals.com

Via 313 Pizza
Lehi, Utah
Via313.com

The post 35 Pizzerias to Watch in 2024 appeared first on Pizza Today.

New Pizza toppings to add right now

So, what are the big pizza topping trends you will see this year? If you know me, you know I love analyzing and talking trends and industry change and evolution. For the past decade, it has been my mission to be able to look for what’s next. It keeps me on the pulse of the pizza industry, as well as pizza enthusiasts.

Pizza toppings are a tough predictor as what’s hot can change quickly. That is why I, first, want to share with you some of the insights from our 2024 Pizza Industry Trends Report. The toppings represented here are not from me. Instead, they are responses from 750 pizzeria operators from across the U.S., who participated in our annual industry survey. While we’re looking at pizza topping trends here, you can go to the 2024 Pizza Industry Trends Report to get a deeper dive into toppings including the Top 20 Pizza Toppings. You can even find a list of toppings that operators are removing from menus. Now let’s get into the fun stuff. 

Hot Pizza Toppings to Watch

We asked operators what pizza toppings they have introduced in the past 12 months to get a gauge on what’s hot with pizza toppings.

We found toppings that are new to pizzeria menus include:

• Going with a different pepperoni style like cup and char or old world
• Vegan meat and cheese alternatives
• Sweet and hot pepper varieties, including jalapeños, cherry peppers, and pasilla peppers
• Mexican-inspired meats like Birria, chorizo and carne asada, BBQ pork, chicken and brisket

You can check out more hot pizza toppings in the report.

Cheese Please! 

Cheeses were all over the fill-in responses for topping additions. The biggest take away from cheeses is the trend towards blending cheeses. A few cheeses to add to your R&D are ricotta and goat cheese. Play with the whipped versions, too.

Also, it’s time to nail down the right vegan cheese for your pizza. There are a ton on the market, or you can try to make your own. Addtionally, Scamorza and fresh mozzarella are finding their way into more pizzerias around the country.

Pizza Toppings on the Horizon

In our survey, we wanted to know what toppings are in research and development. This year, the creativity in pizza kitchens is high. Here are some common themes among operators who are experimenting with pizza toppings at their shops:

• Find the right plant-based toppings. Pizzerias are looking for the best plant-based products that work for their vegan and meat- and dairy-free customers.

• Play with unique and creative toppings. While some may be seasonal, unique pizza toppings are finding their way onto menus, from more exotic mushrooms like shiitake to persimmons, waffles and even octopus. Others include smoked Kalamata olives, sweet drop peppers, curry sauce, lemons and pecans.

• Look to International flavors. Mexican, Cuban, Indian and other Asian specialties inspired pizzas are wowing culinary explorers at pizzerias.

These are just a few of the inspirations behind new topping choices. More ideas are in the report.

Denise’s Picks — 2024 Hot Pizza Topping Trend 

This wouldn’t be a trends feature without me sharing what I see coming as hot pizza topping trends. Some of these toppings appear in our report. But others are toppings I’ve been tracking and noticing spikes as they are featured on more menus. In no particular order, they are: 

Cup-and-char sausage

Many have never heard of this version of cup-and-char meat, but a major industry player rolled out its product last year. Will it get as much love as its cousin, the roni cup? That will be determined by pizza lovers. I’m excited to see how this one develops.

Birria

You can thank TikTok for the rise of this braised Mexican beef. Creators have had viewers drooling over Birria slo-mo shorts. While goat and lamb are traditionally used, many versions use tender beef, various dried chili peppers, tomatoes, garlic, onion, spices and apple cider vinegar to create a broth that you are going to want to offer as a dipping sauce. 

Unique Pesto

The basil-based sauce has been rejuvenated by a new generation and they are not sticking to tradition. Instead, they are gravitating towards a new field of ingredients — nuts like pistachio and oils like avocado and grapeseed, even changing up the classic basil with other herbs. Don’t know where to start? Check out Audrey Kelly’s pesto story.   

Corn

We alluded to it over the summer that corn is having a moment and it’s not finished. With Southwest and Mexican style pizza popularity rising, this ingredient will find its uses across the menu. Give an elote corn pizza a try! 

Smoked Salmon

Now hear me out, this cured fish has its place on pizza. Creative culinary minds are proving that. Last year, cream cheese hit the mainstream on pizza and here is its perfect pairing. Use the fully cooked salmon as a finishing ingredient and pair it with arugula, cream cheese, chives and lemon. Go crazy and add avocado. That’s another ingredient I am watching closely.

Mortadella

This classic Italian cured meat is going through a resurgence and we’re here for it. Try mortadella post-baked with arugula, stracciatella cheese and pistachios.

Maybe you’ll find your next hot pizza topping after reading this. Maybe it will inspire you to find another ingredient that your customers will love. Either way, introducing new toppings will create excitement with your customers and your team. Let us know what you come up with.

DENISE GREER is Executive Editor of Pizza Today.

The post Hottest of Hot Pizza Topping Trends 2024 appeared first on Pizza Today.

Bacon breaks into 5 most popular pizza toppings! 

Updated January 2, 2024. Most popular pizza toppings vary by region and even individual pizzeria. There are some universal pizza toppings that are popular across the U.S. Pepperoni is the No. 1 pizza topping in the U.S. but in areas of Illinois, sausage beats out pepperoni for the top spot.

Pizza topping lists are continually changing as Americans’ tastes change. Hot pizza toppings in the 2010s could drop on the list in favor of others. This is true even in the top five pizza toppings. In past years, onion, green peppers and olives have made the Top 5 toppings list. Not this year; meaty toppings reign supreme.

We sought to find a definitive answer so we can track and monitor the changes each year. We went straight to pizzeria operators to find out what are the most popular pizza toppings on their menu as part of our 2024 Pizza Industry Trends Report. The extensive operator survey received nearly 750 responses from across the United States. Pizzeria operators used their POS systems to identify the most popular pizza toppings. We analyzed the data to bring you the top pizza toppings in America.

What are the five most popular pizza toppings?

The Top 5 Pizza Toppings in the US are:

1. Pepperoni
2. Sausage
3. Mushroom
4. Extra Cheese
5. Bacon

Now let’s break down each of the Top Five Pizza Toppings.

1. Pepperoni

This has long been America’s favorite pizza topping. What is pepperoni made of? It’s cured sausage made of pork and beef that has been seasoned with spices like paprika, chili pepper, cayenne, black pepper and even fennel and allspice. Pepperoni varies in size from thick or thin flat laid pepperoni and cup and char pepperoni to cubed pepperoni and Old World pepperoni.

Explore more on America’s favorite pizza topping in the Pep Talk: Styles of Pepperoni, America’s No.1 Pizza Topping feature.

2. Sausage

If you are from the Midwest, sausage is often a go-to pizza topping. If you’re in Chicago, sausage is the No. 1 pizza topping in the land. Sausage varies widely in type and style. While there are sausage links like kielbasa and andouille, we tend to think of the pizza topping as ground sausage. It is flavored several ways, from fennel and sage to Italian spiced.

Try a sweet Italian sausage recipe. 

Today, pizzeria operators find unique and flavorful ways to make sausage stand out. Check out our Guide to Making Sausage in House and Pizza Topping Combos.

3. Mushroom

Mushrooms have remained a top pizza topping consistently, and for good reason. Varies are abundant. They can either stand out on a pizza or complement other pizza ingredients. The most common mushrooms used on pizza are white button mushrooms, followed by cremini and portobellos.

Get ideas on how to prepare mushrooms and whether they go over or under the cheese on pizza.

4. Extra Cheese

Extra Cheese is often a pizza topping that people don’t think of as a topping. Cheese is part of the holy trinity of pizza — crust, sauce and cheese. But Americans love cheese and lots of it, so pizzerias added an “extra cheese” option long ago that has become one of the most popular toppings.

Learn more about how to price extra cheese in Extra Cheese, a Top Five Pizza Topping — What to Charge.

5. Bacon

This brings us to the newbie on the list. We have watched bacon climb up the toppings list for years. As we analyzed the survey data, it was no surprise to us that bacon broke into the Top 5 Pizza Toppings. After all, bacon is a key ingredient on several popular specialty pizzas across the country. The mantra “everything is better with bacon” stands on pizza as well.

Deep dive into bacon pizza with these two features:

Bacon on Pizza: Crispy Business

You’re Bacon Me Crazy

What are the Top 10 Pizza Toppings in America?

Let’s go further than the Top 5 Pizza Toppings and look at the top 10 most popular pizza toppings in American according to pizzeria operators.

1. Pepperoni
2. Sausage
3. Mushroom
4. Extra Cheese
5. Bacon
6. Chicken
7. Onion
8. Red/Green Bell Pepper
9. Ham
10. Black Olives

Explore more about this year’s pizza topping trends including the Top 20 most popular pizza toppings in our 2024 Pizza Industry Trends Report.

Looking for more new topping ideas?

If you are looking for new pizza topping ideas, we have several stories that give you inspiration for pizza toppings to try in your kitchen. Check out these pizza toppings articles:

Hottest of Hot Pizza Topping Trends 2024 — New Pizza toppings to add right now

Unconventional Pizza Toppings: Beginner’s Guide

The post The Top 5 Pizza Toppings are… appeared first on Pizza Today.

Laura Meyer shares the most common pizza dough questions she has received

The more you learn about fermentation the more you understand how little you actually know. Learning to make dough, especially sourdough, is just like raising a child. You create a mix, attempt to get it on a feeding schedule or dough production schedule, control a routine for consistency, and then everything changes and you’re stuck wondering why it’s not behaving the way it did yesterday or the week before. There are so many factors at play when it comes to not just dough making but dough handling and as soon as one element changes, everything changes. So, here are a few questions I always get asked that may be something you are overlooking.

Q: What are some of the common mistakes that are attributed to inconsistencies?

A: Cold dough in a hot oven is a recipe for inconsistency in both doneness and coloration. On busy nights it can be easy to get caught up in the rush and speed at which things are moving resulting in needing to use dough that was pulled directly out of the refrigerator. Everyone does it because when the rush is on it’s hard to stop and think about tiny details. I know space is a key factor here, but staging dough helps my pizzeria avoid the dreaded gum line that most often occurs with cold dough. My crew uses a speed rack that sits outside of the walk-in in our prep area. When we notice, we are starting to pick up speed the crew will pull out half a rack of dough or even an entire rack worth so that as the night wears on we are pulling dough from the rack outside of the fridge instead of dough directly from the fridge. Our prep area isn’t as hot as our pizza area but moving dough from the fridge to a warmer area and then to the warmest area makes sure that the dough comes to temp as we need it. Cold sauce is another contributing factor to gum lines. We make sure to use containers that are large enough so we do not run out of sauce every 10 minutes, but they are small enough that they aren’t sitting out for hours at a time.

Q: How do I get large pockets and big oven spring?

A: I have heard this question quite a bit over the last few years thanks to Instagram and social media. Everyone is looking for giant crumb structure because it gives you the ooh and awe factor, but it has also made a lot of people think that giant crumb structure equals good pizza. Big, open structure does show well cooked dough but it does not always mean great flavor. But how do you achieve it? There’s more than one factor that contributes to an open crumb. Using a preferment, specifically a biga, can help aid in large pockets. Fermentation time coupled with temperature is always going to shape your final product but proper use of your oven is key. All ovens have vents. Most pizza makers set their ovens and never touch them but depending on the style and whether you are using a par bake or not, opening and closing your vents will give you the oven spring you are looking for. As your dough cooks, the water in your dough is going to turn into steam and then want to escape. Closing the vents on your oven will trap the steam in your oven, aiding in oven spring as well as help develop a crispy crust. The key is when to open the vents. If you are par baking you really only need to keep the vents closed for 2-3 minutes and then open the vents to release the steam. Opening the vents is an important step because without this too much moisture is trapped in the oven and the dough does not have a chance to dry out and crisp. If you are making multiple styles of pizza or are just busy, I like to keep the vents halfway open. With the vents partially opened during service it slows down the escape of steam too quickly, ensuring a well baked pizza. One of the last elements that will change the spring of your dough is how you stretch and how much of an allowance you leave for your crust.

Q: Do I need a different dough if I want to make different styles?

A: The short but not simple answer is yes and no. If you are a traditionalist, yes, you need a different dough. If you want nuance and subtlety, yes, you need different doughs. If you are looking to streamline, are limited on space and equipment, or are just in a place that you want to offer variety but are not ready to make big changes, then no, you do not need a different dough. I recommend doing some research and finding the middle ground between styles when it comes to protein levels in flour,
hydration content within recipes, usage of fats and sugar. You’ll want to come up with a recipe that checks all the boxes but is right down the middle. How you manipulate them is the key. Extending fermentation times, using both warm and cold temperatures for fermentation, usage of preferments, proofing times, humidity control, thickness of doughs for pan pizzas, oven temps, and simply changing your hand techniques will all give you different outcomes. The beauty of pizza is in the small details that make it unique to you so the best thing you can do is not get complacent and continue to play and try new things. You never know what you’ll find when you start making mistakes.

Laura Meyer is the owner of Pizzeria da Laura in Berkeley, CA.

>> Explore answers to more common pizza dough questions in Troubleshooting your Pizza Dough: What’s wrong with my pizza dough? <<

The post Knead to Know: Most Common Pizza Dough Questions appeared first on Pizza Today.

In the music world, Barry Gordy of Motown fame coined the phrase, “Don’t bore us, get to the chorus.” While rooted in the
music industry, this philosophy resonates profoundly with the restaurant world, particularly for us in the pizzeria business. The essence of Gordy’s advice? Be direct, be clear and don’t dilly-dally.

Mike Bausch, owner, Andolini’s Pizzeria

In our efforts to be catchy or clever, to weave a story or create a unique brand voice, we often need to remember the power of simplicity and directness. I’ve seen this in my own experience – pizzas with straightforward, easily recognizable names consistently outperform those with clever but obscure references. Sure, there’s a time and place for creativity and inside jokes, but clarity should never be sacrificed for cleverness.

Take Bon Jovi’s “You Give Love a Bad Name.” The chorus isn’t just near the beginning of the song; it is the beginning. They captured their audience in the first three seconds. In today’s saturated market, this approach is more relevant than ever. People’s attention spans are short. They’re constantly bombarded with choices. You need to grab them immediately to avoid losing them entirely.

A “Maui Waui Hawaiian Pie” works to brand it uniquely while still being obvious. However, “The Ailina,” a street in Kona, is too inside of a reference to ever outperform the previous example.

This concept extends beyond menu items to branding as a whole. Consider a pizzeria’s tagline. A vague or generic tagline like “Fun and More” or “Great Eats” doesn’t really say much. It’s forgettable. In contrast, a specific and descriptive tagline – “Pizzeria and Wine Bar,” for instance – instantly informs the customer about what to expect. It’s straightforward, it’s clear and it’s effective.

The power of direct messaging can’t be overstated. While nuance and creativity have their places, especially in areas like logo design and interior decor, clarity and directness win when it comes to communication – whether it’s your menu, your marketing, or your tagline.

In our industry, getting caught up in trying to be different or unique is easy. We want to stand out, to be memorable. But sometimes, in our quest for originality, we lose sight of what really matters – communicating effectively with our customers.

Remember, your customers are looking for an answer to a simple question: “What can I expect here?” The more directly and clearly you can answer that question, the more likely they are to walk through your doors. It’s about meeting them where they are, speaking their language, and delivering what they’re looking for without making them work for it.

So, as you think about your menu, branding and marketing strategy, take a page from Barry Gordy’s book. Don’t bore your customers with unnecessary fluff.

Get to the chorus. Look at these two versions of a description, the first with too much fluff.

Mozzarella Sticks:

These mozzarella sticks do the trick with our signature marinara topped with our special blend of Romano. You gotta try it, to anything else, fuggetabout it.

Just say the menu item with only what will resonate to convey the point effectively.

Mozzarella Sticks:

Lightly fried, made in-house mozzarella topped with signature marinara and Romano

Be clear, be direct, and watch as your message resonates with efficiency.

Mike Bausch is the owner of Andolini’s Pizzeria in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Instagram: @mikeybausch

The post Mike’s Monthly Tip: Don’t Bore Us, Get to the Chorus appeared first on Pizza Today.

Canned Veggie to Pizza Topping Star

Writing this article brought me back to the R&D days of Wholly Stromboli. I had many pie-in-the-sky ideas about which products I would and would not use in my restaurant. Settling for canned roasted red peppers, peeled garlic in a plastic jug, and pickled jalapeño, for convenience’s sake, were options that I initially did not want to consider. Because I prided myself on using only the freshest ingredients and loved the flavor and aroma of a fresh clove of garlic or the taste and texture of fresh roasted red peppers, I was going to figure out the labor and efficiency piece. I am sure you know how that worked out. Of course, I buy whole peeled garlic in a plastic jug, canned roasted red pepper, and as for the jalapeños …  I only switched to fresh sliced jalapeños about a year ago.

My point is if you plan to do any amount of volume in your restaurant, you’re probably going to have to plan on using canned veggies, and while I consider some canned veggies like sliced Spanish olives and pickled jalapeño a commodity, other things like artichoke hearts, fire-roasted green chilies, roasted red peppers and especially tomatoes can vary in taste, texture and quality.

How much to spend should be driven by your price point and your target food cost. For what I consider commodity canned goods, my main focus is the consistency of the product and pricing. However, when we’re talking about canned tomatoes, I pull out all the stops! I only use the best. I want a tomato that is packed fresh from the field, not subjected to excess heat during the canning process, and does not contain any preservatives.

Fire-roasted green chilies are one of my favorite ingredients to use in soups, ‘bolis and pizzas. We are pretty spoiled here in Colorado because we have some of the best fire-roasted Hatch green chilies around. One of my favorite fall traditions is going to pick up a bushel of fresh fire-roasted chilies, but hand peeling and dicing bushels of them is not practical and the labor cost does not make good financial sense for my operation.

When looking for a canned Hatch green chili, I want moderate heat and minimal residual skins, seeds, stems or crowns. There are different levels of quality, and you will find less of that waste material in a higher-quality product. A note about diced Hatch green chilies: they are a potentially hazardous product and must be handled properly according to HACCP guidelines for storage. Therefore, they must be stored below any ready-to-eat foods. When storing them, I prefer to drain off some of the natural juices, only retaining enough to keep them from drying out. I prep them into the containers that we use on the line and use a perforated scoop to portion them for use in recipes.

I prefer artichoke hearts canned in their natural juices instead of a marinade. Not that I don’t like the taste of the marinade, but I use artichokes in a variety of salads, pasta dishes, pizzas and stromboli, and the marinade will overpower the other flavors. I prefer to store these in their juices, enough to cover them. They tend to be in large pieces, so I cut them in half.

I find there is a balance between retaining some of the natural juices of canned vegetables and draining them completely. On one hand, storing them on your makeline with the juices intact will preserve the quality and prevent them from drying out. On the other hand, too much juice will make for a soggy pizza or stromboli and add unwanted flavors to your pasta dishes. My preferred method is to store these ingredients on the line, with enough juice to cover the ingredients. I prefer to use a perforated portion cup or scoop so that the juice can be drained off at the time of use. I don’t find it necessary to rinse most vegetables, however, if I am using beans in a salad, I do prefer to rinse them before use.

Canned vegetables are convenient to use, easy to store, have a long shelf life, and are generally safe because the heat during the canning process kills most bacteria. That being said, it is important to handle canned goods properly to ensure the safety of your guests.

Here are a few tips for safely handling canned goods. Cans should be inspected during the receiving process. Significantly dented cans, especially if the dents are located on a seam whether it be along the lid, bottom or on the side seam should be separated from the rest of your inventory and labeled for return to your distributor. If you drop a can and cause the dent yourself, open the can immediately, place the contents in another container, and put the product into rotation. Ensure that your can opener blade is clean, sharp and in good working condition. Dirty blades can potentially contaminate food products with deadly bacteria, and dull blades can cause injuries. Partially attached lids are dangerous and can cause nasty injuries to your team. Do not store ingredients in opened cans. Place them in an NSF-approved container with a day dot as directed by your local health department guidelines.

While you may not think of canned corn as a typical ingredient in a pizzeria, corn is a creative way to bring some diversity to your menu. Take your basic green salad, add canned corn, grilled chicken, avocado, jalapeño rings and tomato for a fun southwestern salad. Zip up your ranch dressing by adding diced, canned jalapeño or green chilies and Buffalo sauce.

Elote corn or Mexican Street Corn is a dish that is typically made with roasted corn stripped from the Cobb, blended with mayonnaise, crema, Cotija cheese, and a chili lime seasoning. My version of Mexican street corn pizza is a creative spin on the popular dish. I make a white pizza, using cream cheese blended with diced, canned green chilies as the base and mozzarella cheese, drained canned corn tossed in lime juice, cayenne pepper, cumin, granulated garlic and chili powder, add grilled chicken, and jalapeño rings, and bake. Top with the seasoned corn and drizzle with a dressing made from a mixture of crema and mayonnaise and dress with fresh cilantro.

Summed up, canned veggies add efficiency and convenience to our operations, but why not have a little fun with them as well?

MELISSA RICKMAN is co-founder of Wholly Stromboli in Fort Lupton, Colorado, and member of the World Pizza Champions.

The post What do you do with Canned Vegetables? appeared first on Pizza Today.

Magical Pesto

Pesto is one of those magic pizza toppings that can turn the most basic pie into something really special. The classic recipe is comprised of just a few ingredients but there’s no limit to putting your own unique spin on it.

While most people associate pesto with the basil and garlic heavy version, there are quite a few traditional variations depending on what region of Italy you are in. The celebrated, and extremely delicious, pesto that is comprised of pine nuts, basil, garlic, Parmigiana Reggiano, Pecorino and extra virgin olive oil originated in Genoa in the province of Liguria. To truly make this in the Genoese way, a mortar and pestle are required. In Calabria, pesto all Calabrese consists of roasted bell peppers, garlic, black pepper, basil, cheese and olive oil. Sicily’s version is very similar but with the addition of tomatoes. Other countries have their takes on pesto such as in France you have Pistou, which is a combination of basil, parsley, crushed garlic and grated cheese. Spain makes Romesco, which is a red paste of Romesco chili peppers blended with tomatoes, sweet red peppers, pine nuts, garlic and olive oil.

Six Components to Pesto

Regardless of what type you are making, there are six components to any pesto:

Greens and herbs: Basil is the most common, but you can add or sub anything from cilantro to arugula to kale and even throw in some chives or mint. Of course, you can add other vegetables and fruits that aren’t green such as tomatoes and bell peppers.

Cheese: Traditionally aged, hard cheeses like Parmigiano-Reggiano or Grana Padano are used as they have a sharp, salty flavor. But you can also use other cheeses such as Cotija, Manchego or aged Cheddar. If you want to do a vegan version there are a lot of nut cheeses out there or you can forgo the cheese entirely and add in a squeeze of lemon and an extra pinch of salt to balance it out.

Nuts or seeds: There are so many options when it comes to this component. Pine nuts are delicious but they are very pricey so a few other great options are walnuts, cashews, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds and pistachios. You can enhance the flavor by toasting the nuts or seeds before adding them to the pesto.

Oil: I’m a purest when it comes to oil and almost always lean towards a good quality extra virgin olive oil. That’s not to say there aren’t other great oils out there and each has its own use.

Garlic: This is a big one and a very distinct flavor of pesto. That’s not to say you can’t substitute it for another plant in the Allium family. Spring garlic, leeks, green onions and chives will make for an interesting pesto depending on what you pair it with.

Salt and other seasonings: As with every other pizza or dish you make, the correct salt is essential. If you’re using a saltier cheese, you won’t need very much, if any at all, but don’t forget to taste the finished product.

Non-Traditional Pesto Ideas

After you’ve made your ideal pesto it’s time to put it on a pizza. Pesto is one of those toppings that go great with both veggies and meat. You can add it separately onto the pizza or use it as a marinade for other toppings such as chicken, pork, onions, kale or even a white fish or shrimp. Here are a few ideas to get you started

• Sun-dried tomato pesto with artichoke hearts, feta, Kalamata olives and red onion.
• Sunflower seed and lemon basil pesto with roasted fennel, Italian sausage and sweet onion.
• Arugula pesto with anchovies, thinly sliced lemon and breadcrumbs
• Cilantro pumpkin seed pesto with poblano chilies, Cotija, delicate squash and leeks.
• Roasted red pepper pesto with eggplant, zucchini and sweet onions.
• Pistachio pesto with mortadella and burrata.

The application of pesto is an essential part of the pizza — how and when you add it to your pie. If you put it on pre-bake you can either use it as the base of the pizza, use a squeeze bottle or pastry bag to drizzle it on or dollop it on top with a spoon. If you use it as the sauce on the base, I would recommend making the pesto itself thinner by adding more oil or even a bit of water so it’s easier to spread. The other option is to add the pesto post bake, which is my current favorite way. Putting the pesto on after it comes out of the oven is visually more appealing as it keeps its vibrant color. A squeeze bottle is also quicker and for the most part you get a better yield on the product.

Pesto is very versatile. Not only is it fantastic on pizza but it can and should be cross utilized throughout your menu. Don’t hesitate to make it into a side dish, think burrata with pesto and toasted focaccia. It can be thinned out into a dressing mixed with seasonal veggies or used as a pasta sauce option. You can marinate chicken or beef in it for toppings or something as simple as a dipping sauce.

Try this pesto pizza recipe.

Go Fish

This recipe features anchovies, Brussels sprouts, lemon and an arugula pesto.

Get the Go Fish Recipe.

Audrey Kelly owns Audrey Jane’s Pizza Garage in Boulder, Colorado.

The post The versatile Pesto sauce can be used as topping, base, marinade, dressing appeared first on Pizza Today.

Training Pizza Makers Takes Patience

As an owner or an operator of a pizza shop you are undoubtedly the master of your craft and the master of your domain. You have a product that you take great personal pride in. Over many years you have worked tirelessly to create, build and maintain a loyal audience of customers who love the pizza you make. The laws of nature dictate that you cannot forever be the only one making those beautiful pies 24/7. The time inevitably comes when you need to train someone else to take that lead position of pizza maker that you have perfected. It can be a daunting task at first, but it need not be. There are some basic ideas that need to be adhered to when training that next great talent.

Consistency is going to be key to maintaining that loyal following. Your new pizza maker will need you to give them the tools to succeed. The first tool you can give them is your patience. Rome was not built in a day, and your protégé will not be a master overnight. Have realistic expectations for the time involved with their growth. Remember how many of your first pies were served straight to the garbage can. You are not cloning yourself. If you’re ready for another Rome reference, remember that all roads lead to Rome. What we mean here is that we are looking for a great finished product from the new pizza maker. As long as they are following your guidelines then be patient and allow them to create in a way that best suits them. They may not put eight pounds of pressure on their index finger on the left hand the way you do when stretching out a piece of dough. That’s fine. Resist the urge to micromanage and allow them to grow and develop their own comfort zone so long as the finished product is consistent with what you have long created.

Training Pizza Makers in Each Station

Pizza making is a craft and you cannot train a master craftsman overnight. For some it will take weeks to master a station and others months, but each station in the process must be mastered first before moving to the next.

Start with making dough. The trainee should first become an expert at making dough. This does not mean just four steps in the mixing bowl, rather they need to be taught a full understanding of the composition of dough from flour, yeast, hydration, etc. Only then will they learn how and why dough can behave and react in different ways. This will allow them the knowhow to troubleshoot any issues that may ever arise with dough if you are not there standing over their shoulder.

When it comes to opening and stretching dough, regardless of your style of pizza, it is once again important that they do this in a manner consistent with what you have always done. So many factors need to be spot on, the consistent thickness of the dough when it is stretched out, the makeup of the crust along the edge of the pizza, and the correct size and shape of the pie. It just takes time and experience to get to that desired sweet spot of craftsmanship. Be prepared to work with them and throw out an inordinate amount of dough. It is a long learning process for an art which you can do in your sleep but is a completely foreign concept to the trainee. Think of the muscle memory and feel that you have when it comes to handling dough. You did not develop that overnight. You were once a hot mess when you were learning. Now be patient when creating the next great pizza superstar.

Next comes the actual construction of the pizza. Though this part may seem less complex it is still important for that new pizza maker to spend an adequate amount of time training on this station as well. Consistency in the amount of and distribution of the sauce needs to become second nature. For those of you who do not use measured portions of cheese, the maker will need to learn the correct ratio of cheese to be using. When it comes to topping a pizza, many rookies think that more is better. Taking the time to learn the station and not overtop pizzas will be key to developing that comfortable and consistent repetitious motion when pizza making.

The baking of this beautiful creation is where all the training now comes through to fruition. For those who use conveyor ovens you are in luck because a lot of this portion of the process is now automated for you. For the rest this part takes careful consideration and focus. We rarely cook one pizza at a time so the ability to cook dozens of pies at one time often across multiple ovens is a true art. There is a uniqueness in the cooking styles of many different types and brands of ovens. Many factors come into play from cooking on hot spots, to rotating a pizza and putting it back in the same spot, developing a rotation across decks and ovens to always keep an order for stone heat recovery, and keeping those cooking surfaces swept clean. Taking the time to work side by side with your trainee on this part will help them overcome the nerves of not cooking a pizza properly or losing control of the rotation of where every next pizza should be cooked. You will serve as a safety net for them in this ever-stressful part of the process.

And lest we forget the fun of launching pizzas off peels for the first time. Remember how many times you ended up sending piles of cheese and toppings off the pizza and into the oven only to burn into a smoky mess that needed to be cleaned up. How long did it take you to learn how to launch a pie into the oven that came off the peel in a round shape? Certainly, those who worked with you in the beginning saw their fair share of your pizzas that came out shaped like a football. It takes time. Patience is key to creating a consistent pizza maker. The amount of time it takes will not be the same for everyone. A commitment to patience and consistency when training will pay off as these new pizza makers are the ones that will carry your now great brand into the future.

Michael Androw owns E & D Pizza Company in Avon, Connecticut.

The post Crafting Our Next Great Pizza Makers appeared first on Pizza Today.

Insuring Safe Delivery

Pizza is the ultimate delivery food item. Whether you deliver your own pies or rely on a third-party provider like DoorDash or Uber Eats, odds are that your business relies on pizza delivery.

However, if your vehicle insurance isn’t right, delivering pizzas can cost you a bundle – even your whole business. A gap in coverage can leave you holding the bag, and it can be a very expensive bag indeed.

Here’s what you need to know to ensure that your business is protected from financial liability relating to car accidents involving your delivery driver.

Specifically, we’re going to delve into the insurance product known as non-owned auto insurance, with the expert advice of Rob Hoover of Risk Strategies, a specialty insurance brokerage and consulting firm, where he’s vice president of business development, and director of the hospitality insurance program.

What Is Non-Owned Auto Insurance?

Hired and non-owned auto (HNOA) coverage protects the business and the business owner as an individual from liability when an employee or third-party contractor is driving a non-owned-by-the-business car for business purposes. If anyone (owner, employee, contractor) is driving a vehicle that is not owned by the business and causes damage or injury, the owner and/or the business may be held liable. (While “hired” and “non-owned” are two different coverages, they are typically bundled in a single product called HNOA.)

Hoover describes HNOA insurance as a second line of protection, designed to fill in the gaps that may exist in the constellation of insurance coverage that exists for non-owned cars, including employee-owned vehicles, owner-owned vehicles, and hired (rented or leased) vehicles. “It doesn’t cover the individuals, it covers the business. It covers the legal expenses which result when an employee is found to be liable for causing bodily injury and/or property damage.”

In terms of assigning financial responsibility, “most attorneys will first name the driver, then they’ll name the owner of the business, and then they’ll name the business,” says Hoover.

“They look to the personal auto policy first. If there’s not enough coverage, then they look to the non-owned auto policy, which fills in the gap.”

Covering Gaps in Insurance Protection

What kind of gaps are we talking about?

GAP: your employee-drivers use their own cars, and don’t have the business use coverage they should have. Personal auto insurance does not cover business use.

GAP: your employee-driver has insurance covering business use but the claim exceeds the limits of their commercial policy.

GAP: your employee-driver forgot to renew their regular or commercial auto insurance and is  driving uninsured.

The same gaps apply when the owner or an employee drives the owner’s personal car, which should also be insured for business use.

When you rely on a third-party delivery service, there’s some uncertainty about liability – more on that below. That uncertainty represents another potential gap.

Why You Need HNOA Insurance

HNOA covers your liability when your employee is driving for work purposes. Even though the driver’s insurance should be first in line, you need to cover unexpected gaps. If you don’t have adequate coverage, you risk being held liable for damage to other vehicles and property, and for medical bills for injured parties.

Many deliver drivers are young and inexperienced. The odds are high that they’ll fail to secure business-use commercial insurance; lose their insurance; neglect to pay their insurance; or have low coverage levels. It’s not fair and not wise to rely on them to protect your business.

The bottom line is that any time your employee is on the clock and involved in an accident, your business is exposed to risk. While having all employees exclusively drive business-owned vehicles resolves this problem, it’s not financially feasible for most operators.

Please note that HNOA does not cover:

• When your employee is off the clock, driving for personal purposes.
• Damage to your employee’s (or your privately owned) car.
• Your employee’s (or your, if driving) medical expenses.

Who Needs HNOA Insurance?

Hoover replies: “any business in which employees drive their own cars for delivery or other business purposes, ever. I include it on every policy that I write, because you never know when an employee or somebody uses their own vehicle in the scope of the business. I would rather they have the protection in place instead of going ‘oh, man, I should have included that’.”Even if you don’t offer delivery, you may occasionally send employees out on errands, so you should have this protection unless they use a company-owned car.

Who Doesn’t Need HNOA Insurance?

If your driver-employees drive business-owned cars 100 percent of the time, and you don’t use third-party drivers, you shouldn’t need it. However, Hoover still advises that every business owner get it anyway. If you send an employee out in their own car to buy ingredients or to pick up a co-worker, and they get in an accident, you’ll need this protection.

Third-Party Delivery

If you use a third-party or hire a driver as an independent contractor (IC), you are still potentially exposed to liability.

Hoover notes that “some litigation is potentially bubbling up related to third-party delivery. I think that’s evolving right now.” He asks “do you have an adequate contract releasing you from liability for their actions? What’s the contractual language you’re using to sign that responsibility off for the individual operator? I think the big nationals are getting that sign-off. But the reality is that the smaller operators” are not adequately released from responsibility in their contracts, says Hoover.

Your agreement with your third party/IC may include assuming responsibility to obtain and monitor employee insurance documentation. However, “the enforcement of the requirements is equally as important as the articulation of them. If you fail to collect proof of required coverage and monitor it for updates (such as when policies renew throughout the year) you are providing yourself little protection in a claim. Often, your corporate insurance policies require you to be doing this and failure to do so can negate coverage,” according to the Risk Strategies website.

Variables

Circumstances vary.

“It is truly carrier by carrier,” observes Hoover. Talk to your insurance representative.

State laws govern insurance coverage. While minimum insurance is mandatory for all drivers in most (but not all) states, the financial limits vary. If your business delivers in two states, make that part of the conversation.

Cost of coverage will vary. Ask your insurance carrier about hiring and employment best practices that will save you money if you adhere to them, such as documenting motor vehicle reports, driving records, insurance checks, and car checks.

Conclusion

It’s critical that every owner have a thorough and transparent dialogue with their insurance representative. Between property damage and personal injury, the potential liability in an accident can get sky-high fast.

“I don’t think most people read their policy enough to know that putting that sign on the top of your vehicle changes your own personal auto policy,” says Hoover. His own son got a job at a pizzeria, “and loved it. And I said ‘the one thing you can’t do, kid, is you can’t deliver pizzas with your own vehicle. I’ll support you in this job, but I don’t want to take that liability while you’re driving for work.’”

Annelise Kelly is a Portland, Oregon-based freelance writer.

The post Non-Owned Auto Insurance for Pizzerias appeared first on Pizza Today.

Guide to the 2023 Best Pizza Lists

See who’s making Best Pizza Lists so far in 2024. We scoured the Internet in search of this year’s leading national best pizza lists. Did your pizzeria make one of this year’s top pizza lists? Making best pizza in the US, state, region or even world can be a game changer for pizzerias. Be sure to bookmark this guide and visit it often. As new best pizza lists publish, we’ll update this guide.

Check out who drew national attention for their pies this year. Each “best pizza” list is based on its own criteria using expert panels, audience votes, reviews or other factors. Here are the biggest pizza lists of 2023:

Pizza Today Names Pizzeria of the Year 2023

BREAKING: Pizza Today has named Modern Apizza in New Haven, Connecticut, the 2023 Pizzeria of the Year. Congrats to owner Bill Pustari, family and his amazing team! The New Haven Style pizza place is the no. 1 pizzeria in U.S. Read more about Modern Apizza and its place in pizza history.

Reader’s Digest names the Best Pizza in Every State

For this list, its editors say, “We’ve done the detective work to find the best pizza in every state, using a combination of local knowledge, sales figures, rave reviews, and simply following our noses.” The selection for each state includes details about the pizzeria and what it’s known for. While some selections follow other popular best pizza in the state lists, for states for like Florida, Steve’s Pizza made the cut and in Iowa, Great Plains Sauce & Dough Co. made the list. Check out the complete list of the Best Pizza in Every State by the Reader’s Digest.

Top 50 Pizzerias in the World Announced

Top 50 Pizza released its newest pizza list naming the Top 50 Pizzerias in the World. Two Italian pizzerias tied for first place: 10 Diego Vitagliano Pizzeria in Naples and IMasanielli – Francesco Martucci in Caserta. Una Pizza Napoletana in NYC placed 2nd on the list and the only American pizzeria to make the Top 10. Razza Pizza Artigianale in Jersey City, NJ, came in at No. 11. Portland, Oregon-based Ken’s Artisan at No. 18 and Tony’s Pizza Napoletana in San Francisco at No. 19 round out the other American pizzerias in the Top 20 Best Pizzerias in the World. Go to the complete Top 50 list. 

Yahoo releases its Top Black-Owned Pizza Spots Around the Country

Yahoo spotlights black entrepreneurs making their mark in the pizza industry. There are some familiar faces on their list of Top Black-Owned Pizza Spots Around the Country including Nashville-based Slim & Husky’s and Last Dragon Pizza in Queens. Also making the list are Down North Pizza in Philadelphia and Tank’s Pizza in San Antonio, Texas. Check out Yahoo’s Top Black-Owned Pizza Spots Around the Country.

The Washington Post names best pizza in America — region by region

The Washington Post just released its Best Pizza in America and the major daily is breaking it down region by region. This list was created based on experts, historians and pizza professionals and highlights all of the major pizza styles including New York, Chicago, Detroit, New Haven and Neapolitan. Check out The Washington Post’s best pizza picks.

Top 50 Pizza rates 50 Top Pizza USA 2023

Top 50 Pizza released its newest pizza list at the end of June. Top 50 Pizza debuted a few years ago and has built a reputation of having a solid best pizza list. The Italian Guide ranks American pizza and international pizza. There is even an awards ceremony held in Naples, Italy to recognize the winners and hand out special recognition like its Pizza Maker of the Year — Ferrarelle Award, which went to Dan Richer of Razza Pizza Artigianale in Jersey City, USA. Razza is a previous Pizza Today Pizzeria of the Year honoree.

Pepperoni Pizza, Razza, Jersey City, New Jersey

The Top 5 Pizzas in the U.S. from Top 50 Pizza include:

1. Una Pizza Napoletana – New York, New York
2. Razza Pizza Artigianale – Jersey City, NJ
3. Ken’s Artisan Pizza – Portland, OR
4. Tony’s Pizza Napoletana – San Francisco, CA
5. Pizzeria Bianco – Phoenix, AZ

Check out the 50 Top Pizza USA 2023 and other special award recipients.

Food & Wine names 28 of the Best Pizza Places in the U.S.

Hellboy, Paulie Gee’s, Brooklyn, NY

In June the epicurean magazine looked at 28 of the best pizzas in America. This list is highly concentrated on Neapolitan and artisanal pizza. You’ll notice a few newcomers on this best pizza lists like the San Francisco-based food truck Casey’s, alongside pizza royalty like Pizza Bianco in Phoenix, Pizzeria Mozza in L.A. and Paulie Gee’s in Brooklyn. Other New York spots made the list, like Sottocasa, Motorino, Di Fara and Keste.

Go to Food & Wine’s 28 of the Best Pizza Places in the U.S.

Yelp names its top pizza spots in the U.S. and Canada

Yelp’s list typically come up with pizzerias not listed on some of the other national lists. The reason is Yelp is using its reviews, ratings and algorithm to generate top pizza spots. What’s Yelp’s criteria? The review platform “identified businesses in the pizza category, then ranked those spots using a number of factors including the total volume and ratings of reviews.”

A few pizzerias making the Top 10 pizza spots are:

• 

  Park Street Pizza, Sugarcreek, Ohio

  Sapori Di 786 Degrees, Pasadena, California

• Zeneli Pizzeria & Cucina Napoletana, New Haven, Connecticut
• Park Street Pizza, Sugarcreek, Ohio
• Dixie Pizza Wagon, Hurricane, Utah
• Toni’s Detroit Style Pizza, Mount Pleasant, South Carolina

See who else made Yelp’s top pizza spots in the U.S. and Canada.

Taste Alas identifies 50 Most Popular Pizzas in the World

Taste Alas typically has an international focus with its pizza lists. This pizza list is fun because it’s outlining best pizza styles and sharing best places to try the pizza. Browsing the ranking, you’ll discover pizza styles you’ve never heard of. Several American pizza styles made the ranking.

A few of the highlights in the 50 Most Popular Pizzas include:

• St. Louis at No. 50
• Tomato Pie at No. 44
• Grandma Pie at No. 42

See how many other U.S. pizza styles made the list. But did any American pizza styles break into the Top 10? New York was the only pizzeria to make the Top 10. See where NY style ranked.

Go to the Taste Alas’ 50 Most Popular Pizzas in the World.

Big7 Enjoy Travel names The 50 Best Pizzas In The United States

This best pizza list is factoring in tourism. Pizzerias can see a bump in tourist traffic when it makes a list like Big7. While Big7 did not list its criteria for their pizza selections, its pizza list includes pizzerias not commonly seen on other major Top Pizza lists.

On The 50 Best Pizzas In The United States, you’ll find:

• Dough Trader, Spearfish, South Dakota
• Alley Cat – Manchester, New Hampshire
• D’Allesandro’s Pizza – Charleston, South Carolina
• Transfer Pizzeria Café – Milwaukee, Wisconsin
• MōMō Pizzeria & Ristorante – Lincoln, Nebraska
• Spark Pizza – Redmond, Washington

Our 2022 Pizzeria of the Year ranked No. 1 on Big7’s list. Congrats Tony’s Pizzeria Napoletana in San Francisco, California.

Find out more pizzerias around America that made the The 50 Best Pizzas In The United States.

Pizza Today names 25 Pizzerias to Watch

Saving the best for last! Pizza Today, known for our Top 100 Pizza Companies and Hot 100 Independent Pizzerias lists has embarked on a new way of recognizing pizzerias’ efforts with our Pizzerias to Watch list. Pizzerias to Watch feature looks at the total operation, from sales and employee programs to community outreach and marketing. We present to you 25 pizzerias to watch as they continue to thrive and grow.

Here are 8 pizzerias appearing on the 25 Pizzerias to Watch list:

• 

  Righteous Slice, Rexburg, ID

  Pizzeria Tascio, North Kansas City, MO

• Dempseys, Watertown, SD
• Righteous Slice, Rexburg, Idaho
• State of Mind, Los Altos, California
• Verde, Baltimore, MD
• Old Town Pizza, Auburn, CA
• Thunderbird Pies, Dallas, TX
• Wooden Paddle, Lemont, IL

Check out the 25 Pizzerias to Watch and read a Q&A with the owners.

How can my pizzeria make a best pizza list?

Want to learn more about how to get your pizzeria in the spotlight? We have a few how-to and advice articles to help you get listed:

National Best Pizza Lists: Making the List

How to get media coverage

Man on the Street: Press On

The post Guide to the 2023 National “Best Pizzas” Lists appeared first on Pizza Today.

One of LloydPans’ best sellers is the smart choice for commercial production.

The popularity of Detroit-style pizza has spread nationwide, as consumers from Los Angeles to Miami to everywhere in between are asking for the pizza defined by thick and airy crust, light crisp exterior and frico edges.

LloydPans’ Detroit-Style Pizza Pans start with a durable construction using 14-gauge aluminum that is hard coat anodized and finished with our exclusive PRE SEASONED TUFF-KOTE (PSTK).

Detroit-Style Pizza Pans Specifications:

• PSTK finish adds a release coating, eliminating the need for any pre-seasoning
• Permanent Stick-Resistance: metal utensil safe and long-lasting
• Double thick flat rim adds strength and long-lasting durability
• 76 degree angle allows nesting when empty, saving storage space
• Lids are available for stacking while proofing, making prep efficient

Need to depan the LloydPans way? We recommend our Mini Peel, a blade that is 7 inches wide, perfect for easily depanning Detroit pizzas.

LloydPans, a U.S. manufacturer of commercial pizza pans and tools, bakeware, cookware and foodservice equipment, is located in Spokane Valley, Wash. In addition to an extensive line of standard products, LloydPans also offers custom solutions for just about anything their customers need. LloydPans’ products are sold online at www.lloydpans.com and through distributors.

LloydPans
800-748-6251
www.lloydpans.com
sales@lloydpans.com

The post Stretch Beyond the Motor City with Detroit-Style Pizza Pans appeared first on Pizza Today.

The ideal multipurpose pizza cutting tool for Valentine’s Day pizzas! The first patented dual purpose pizza cutting board for cutting the perfect heart shape pizza. The Heart Shape Portion PadL solves two problems that prevent many pizzerias from adding a heart shape pizza to their menu. Before the oven, consistently shaping the dough into a perfectly shaped heart and after the oven, cutting the pizza heart shape pizza. When using the Heart Shape Portion PadL, use the heart shape groove to consistently trim the fresh dough to make the perfect shaped heart. After the oven, use horizontal and vertical grooves of the Heart Shape Portion PadL to cut the pizza.

Order by January 31st within the contiguous 48 states, we’ll ship your Heart Shape Portion PadL in time for Sweetest Day. The Heart Shape Pizza can be ordered online at www.portionpadl.com up to a 20 inch pizza or order by phone, 330-608-5928.

The post Heart Shape Portion PadL appeared first on Pizza Today.

Mark these national pizza holidays, food holidays and other observances on your calendar

Updated for the 2024 Calendar Year. Everyone loves pizza. And fans love to celebrate their favorite food holidays. It’s a new year. Let’s mark all the pizza holidays. Sure, every day is pizza day for the pizzeria industry. Don’t miss the opportunity to connect with customers for some of the biggest pizza holidays, like Pizza Margherita, pepperoni, sausage, cheese and National Pizza Month.

Let’s look at 10 pizza days that you won’t want to miss:

February 9

National Pizza Day

It’s the day to celebrate America’s favorite food. National Pizza Day is the the biggest single day food holiday in the pizza industry. While for pizza pros, everyday is National Pizza Day, February 9 is an opportunity to showcase a pizzeria’s unique pizza in the local community.

March 14

National Pi Day

So it’s math, not food. The date commemorates the mathematical constant Pi (3.14). It has become synonymous for celebrating all things round, especially pizza. Piday.org explains the holiday: “Pi Day is celebrated on March 14th (3/14) around the world. Pi (Greek letter “?”) is the symbol used in mathematics to represent a constant — the ratio of the circumference of a circle to its diameter — which is approximately 3.14159.”

April 5

National Deep Dish Pizza Day

Chicago, this is your holiday, along with other areas that have adopted this thick pizza style. Chicago-style deep-dish pizza came into being in 1943 when two savvy entrepreneurs, Ike Sewell and Ric Riccardo, opened Pizzeria Uno on the corner of Wabash and Ohio.

May 17 (Third Friday)

National Pizza Party Day

“Ain’t no party like a pizza party ’cause a pizza party won’t stop.” Each year, this pizza holiday falls on the third Friday in May. Friday is the busiest day of the week for mopizza shops. Pizza is the perfect communal food for large groups and gatherings.Pizza parties are big revenue generators. Celebrate National Pizza Party Day with what else a pizza party.

June 11

Pizza Margherita Day

June 11 marks the anniversary of the naming of the Pizza Margherita — in a letter from the Italian “Department of the Mouth” on behalf of Queen Margherita on June 11, 1889, presented the pie that bears her name. Today, the letter hangs inside Antica Pizzeria della Regina d’Italia in Napoli.

September 5

National Cheese Pizza Day

Celebrate the holy trinity of pizza: cheese, sauce and crust. It’s the basis to which all other pizzas are judged. The cheese pizza is a quintessential staple deserving of its own holiday. Pizzerias around the country demonstrate just how innovative and creative a cheese pizza can be on National Cheese Pizza Day.

September 20

National Pepperoni Pizza Day

The No. 1 pizza topping in America is deserving of its own day. Pepperoni has stood a top the most popular pizza toppings for decades. There are several pepperoni styles that give pizzas a different look from the standard round and cup and char pepperoni to large old world and cubed pepperoni. National Pepperoni Pizza Day gives the favorite topping a moment to shine.

October

National Pizza Month

Pizza Today’s founder Gerry Durnell created the National Pizza Month observance in 1984 to mark the debut of the first issue of Pizza Today magazine. The U.S. Congress officially designated October as National Pizza Month in 1987.

October 11

National Sausage Pizza Day

In a few areas like Chicago, sausage vies for No. 1 pizza topping honors. Fans are passionate about their sausage pies. Give them their special day. Whether made in house and pinched on pizza or premade scattered around a pizza, sausage is a staple and is celebrate every October 11 on National Sausage Pizza Day.

October 25

World Pizza Makers Day

We wouldn’t have America’s favorite food with the passionate pizzaioli who strive to make the best pizzas. Thank pizza makers everyday!

(BONUS) November 12

National Pizza with the Works except Anchovies Day

Other pizzas get their day, so should the works, deluxe, supreme, kitchen sink or whatever you call it.

Pizza is always a reason to celebrate. Share your pizza holiday love on social media and create unique hashtags for the occasion, as well as the main holiday tags.

Food Holidays You Should Have on Your Radar

Pizza holidays aren’t the only days to celebrate. Almost everything on your menu has a special day! Check out the updated Pizzeria’s Guide to Food Holidays to find occasions, like National Flour Month, National Drink Wine Day, National Gluten Free Day, National Meatball Day, National Italian Food Day, Repeal of Prohibition Day or National Garlic Month. Explore a list of food holidays by month.

January

8 — National Gluten Free Day (Second Monday)

2o — National Cheese Lovers Day

February

13 — National Italian Food Day

18 — National Drink Wine Day

March

Women’s Pizza Month

9 — National Meatball Day

10 — National Ranch Dressing Day

20 — National Ravioli Day

April 

7 — National Beer Day

19 — National Garlic Day

May

16-22 — American Craft Beer Week

16 — National Barbecue Day

25 — National Wine Day

June

4 — National Cheese Day

27 — National Onion Day

July

29 — National Lasagna Day

29 — National Chicken Wing Day

August

20 — National Bacon Lovers Day

September

National Italian Cheese Month

National Mushroom Month

October

14 — National Dessert Day

15 — National Mushroom Day

17 — National Pasta Day

November

3 — National Sandwich Day

December 

4 — National Cookie Day

5 — Repeal of Prohibition Day

The post 10 Can’t Miss Pizza Holidays appeared first on Pizza Today.

A look at this year’s pizza trends, pizza industry statistics and analysis

Welcome to our second annual Pizzeria Industry Trends Report presented by Pizza Today. We provide you, pizzeria operators and pizza professional, with a gauge of vital pizzeria insights, issues and trends backed by your most trusted pizza industry source, Pizza Today.  This is also a critical resource for industry partners and others who want to gain insights on current pizza industry trends. We surveyed 748 pizzeria owners from across the country to see what’s happening in America’s pizzerias. We combed through surveys, national reports and key industry indicators to bring you the 2024 Pizza Industry Trends Report.

Special thanks to the 2024 Pizza Industry Trends Report Sponsors:

Table of Contents — 2024 Pizza Industry Trends Report

• 2024 Pizza Industry Key Findings
  • What’s Important to the Independent Pizzeria Operator?
  • Current Independent Pizzeria Market Trends
  • Pizza Concepts & Sales — Keeping it Casual
  • Current Pizza Industry Revenue Streams Changes
• Pizzeria Labor Trends — The Employee Conundrum
• Current Pizzeria Menu Trends
  • 2024 Pizza Style Trends
  • America’s Top 10 Pizza Styles
  • Pizza Styles on the Rise
  • Detroit is Still on Top as Trending Pizza Style
  • 2024 Pizza Toppings Trends
  • Top 10 Pizza Toppings in the U.S.
  • Hot Pizza Toppings to Watch
  • Pizza Cheese Trends — Cheese Please!
  • Specialty/Dietary Pizza Options
  • Pizza Toppings on Their Way Out
  • Regional Pizzeria Trends Breakdown
  • Best-Selling Non-pizza Items
• Pizzeria Marketing Trends 2024
  • 2024 Restaurant Marketing Trends to Watch
  • Where are pizzerias putting their advertising dollars?
  • Pizzeria Social Media Trends 2024
• Pizza Restaurant Technology Trends
• Pizzeria Equipment Buying Trends
• Pizzeria Industry 2024 Outlook: A Look Forward
  • Business Priorities
  • Eyes on Adding Units
  • Renovations on the Horizon
  • 2024 Looks Cautiously Optimistic

2024 Pizza Industry Trends Report Sponsors:

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2024 Pizza Industry Key Findings — Top Pizza Trends

After producing our first State of the Pizza Industry report in 2023, we knew the key this year would be not so much in the data, but in how it has changed (or not) in the last 12 months. The ability to compare makes it easier to identify and analyze trends, which is the primary consideration now that we have two years’ worth of extensive metrics.

Some key findings and takeaways that jumped out the most when filtering through the data delivered in this year’s operator survey came top of mind when we ran the numbers through AI to find out what is most trending. The results:

• Online ordering’s increase is not slowing. Its importance to the industry is paramount.
• Quality remains king. Operators continue to say the quality of the ingredients they use remains the driving factor in their ability to retain customers.
• Style variety matters. The trend of offering different styles of pizza is not slowing. Customers are now expecting it.
• Plant-based and Vegan demand remains. Operators continue ramping up their efforts to provide these options to consumers.
• Labor Woes. The pandemic may be over, but the labor pool has not gotten much deeper from last year, according to pizzeria owners.
• Automation. Operators are seeking ways to streamline operations to battle the lack of labor and to meet consumer expectations.
• Staying Social. Marketing via the various social media channels remains a critical opportunity, and sometimes a challenge, for pizzeria owners.

We uncovered many more trends, so this is just a topline overview of some prominent recurring responses in our survey data. Read on to dive deeper into what we’ve spent the last several months crunching and compiling!

What’s Important to the Independent Pizzeria Operator?

The pizzeria market as a whole is poised to continue its growth over the next few years. North America’s pizza market is set to grow by 6.11% and $51.38 billion, according to Technavio’s Pizza Market by Type and Geography – Forecast and Analysis 2022-2026. How big of an impact does the Independent Pizzeria Market have on those figures? Estimates vary widely from 40% to 60% represent independent pizzerias. Pizza Today classifies independent pizzerias as pizzerias not under a franchise or license agreement with nine or fewer units. The Indie Pizza Market is thriving in the U.S. post-pandemic. But, today’s independent operations are also facing many unprecedented hurdles. Let’s take a deeper look at the independent pizzeria market.

More independent operators completed our survey than the previous year. Of the 748 responses, 606 were independent operators. Amongst independent operation respondents surveyed, 73 percent of the pizzerias were single unit, while the remaining 27 percent operated two to nine units, which is the same unit breakdown as last year.

Current Independent Pizzeria Market Trends

Independents are finding optimism and challenges when we asked them what they see as the biggest pizza industry trends. While AI found the big picture ideas above, analyzing the independent market responses reflect what’s happening in American smaller pizzerias.

Costs and inflation are impacting the small pizzerias. This will require operators to continue to find cost savings and additional revenue sources in the coming year.

Operators are better equipped to tackle food costs. While costs soar, independents have been laser focused on reigning in food costs and it shows. We are seeing an encouraging increase in the number of respondents maintaining a 22% or less food cost and less operations teetering over that pivotal 30% mark.

Emphasize customer satisfaction. It’s more important than ever to find ways to keep customers happy, especially in a digital interface, whether that be your online ordering system or third-party delivery.

Innovation and technology are in reach of single-unit operators. As customers depend on technology for daily interactions, independents are meeting the demand by installing and upgrading systems. But, they are not stopping there, operators are continuing to upgrade their operating systems and equipment for efficiency and effectiveness and to ease labor issues.

Independents are leading the charge in menu creativity. They are rolling out new pizza styles and pizza topping combinations that are being noticed by major chains.

Independents are looking for sustainability and local sourcing. Each year we are seeing indies increasingly doing their part to create more sustainable businesses. A major factor is access to local products and pricing of eco-friendly products being more available to the singe-unit operator.

Casual dining dominates independents. While fast casual and counter service are trending, the bread and butter of the indie market is sit-down casual dining.

Indies need to explore new revenue streams. Offering catering, third-party delivery, merchandise, mobile units and beer and liquor are all up this year.

Look to events for additional revenue. We are seeing some upward momentum in room/facility rentals, fee-based special events and classes and entertainment on premise.

Pizza Concepts & Sales — Keeping it Casual

What’s in a concept? Apparently, everything. 90.31 percent of our survey respondents were independent pizzerias with 9 or fewer stores. When we asked them to define their concept type, 38.3 percent selected casual dining. Another 30.25 percent opted for fast-casual.

Meanwhile, 16.54% say they offer carryout and delivery only. We found that particularly interesting as that was the same number as in last year’s survey. Yet last year, the casual concepts totaled 72.4% compared to 68.55% this year. So, where’s the difference?

A surge in Quick Serve is where the numbers point us as compared to 2022. As consumers continue to lead busier and busier lives, convenience trumps experience.

Current Pizza Industry Revenue Streams Changes

With that in mind, do we see any changes in revenue streams as compared to the prior 12 months? Let’s dive into it.

In 2022, pizzeria owners told us a diversification of their revenue streams were essential to their businesses. Catering, food trucks, alcohol delivery and adding grocery items were the top responses. Fast forward to this year’s data and while those streams remain important, we see that catering, beer and liquor to go and market/grocery items have slightly dipped (less than two percent each), while third-party delivery (38.75% are deploying it) is slightly growing. The biggest growth witnessed in the last year, however, comes as a result of more pizzerias returning to a dine-in focus: 15.5% say room/facility rentals for large groups or parties fueled important revenue in the past year.

Speaking of third-party delivery, where do we as an industry now stand on what has often been a divisive subject?

In 2022, income from third-party delivery was a driver for 37.2 percent of respondents. This year, that number increased very slightly to 38.75%. However, the numbers show third-party sales are becoming a larger part of the overall revenue puzzle. In 2022, 18.5% of our respondents said third-party sales accounted for more than 11% of their total overall sales. This year? That number is up to 22.45% of respondents. So, while roughly the same number of pizzerias are partnering with third-party delivery companies, there is a nearly 4% boost overall in how much third-party is impacting the bottom line.

Can the same be said of online ordering? In a nutshell, yes.

• In 2022, 26.4% said they did not offer online ordering. That number is now down to 23.4%.
• In 2022, 14.6% said that online ordering accounted for 18-27% of their overall sales. This year, 17.66% gave that answer. Online ordering continues to drive significant revenue in the industry, and it appears to still be steadily and consistently growing.

2024 Pizza Industry Trends Report Sponsors:

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Pizzeria Labor Trends — The Employee Conundrum

Labor is not only a significant expense, but a most-oft listed headache amongst pizzeria owners. In last year’s survey we discovered that overall outlook was improving. Did that optimism come to fruition?

Not really.

Statistically speaking, the number of employees pizzerias have in 2023 vs. 2022 remains virtually unchanged. 38.3% have 10 or fewer employees as compared to 37.9% last year. However, labor costs are on the rise: last year 26% of operations carried a labor cost between 29-35%. Now, 28.33% tell us their labor cost falls into that range, while an additional 10.1% of respondents say their labor cost is above 35%.

13.54% of survey respondents say they have increased employee pay by 12 or more percent. Additionally, 19.67 percent of respondents say they have increased employee wages by 7-11%.

2024 Pizza Industry Trends Report Sponsors:

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Current Pizzeria Menu Trends

To stay up to date on the latest pizzeria menu trends, we examined what’s hot on pizzeria menus, what’s being added and what’s being removed. From pizza styles to other menu categories, operators shared what’s trending on menus across America.

First and foremost, our respondents know pizza! Nearly 80% of survey respondents shared that 55% or more of their total sales came from pizza sales and 41% said 80% or more were pizza sales.

Now, let’s dive into some menu category trends, including pizza styles, pizza toppings, and other menu items.

2024 Pizza Style Trends

Offering multiple pizza styles continues to dominate the pizza market with over 68% of our respondents offering more than one pizza style. That is up 4% over last year.

America’s Top 10 Pizza Styles

New York continues to be the No. 1 Pizza Style in America. There has been movement in pizza styles offered at pizzerias in the U.S. Comparing our responses from last year, Neapolitan moved up one spot to No. 5 and Chicago Thin fell two places to No. 6. NEOpolitan entered the Top 10 for the first time tying with Chicago Thick. Here are the Top 10 Pizza Styles in America:

1. New York
2. Traditional American
3. Sicilian
4. Deep Dish
5. Neapolitan
6. Chicago Thin
7. Detroit
8. Grandma
9. California/American Artisan
10. Chicago Thick and NEOpolitan (Tie)

More than 15% of our respondents indicated that they offered a style other than the 25 listed styles. Some common style themes among the respondents that selected other include blending two pizza styles, non-recognized local/regional styles, gluten-free, cauliflower crust and stuffed crusts.

Pizza Styles on the Rise

It’s challenging to predict which pizza style will be the year’s trending pizza style. So, we asked our operators if they intend to add a pizza style in the coming year, what style will they add. The responses were a bit different than last year.

Detroit is Still on Top as Trending Pizza Style

Detroit Style Pizza is proving it has staying power as the hot pizza style to add. A mover and shaker is New York-style pizza making its debut in the Top 5 Pizza Styles to add. Pushed out of the Top 5 by a paper-thin margin is Roman style. Here are the Top 5 Pizza Style trending this year:

1. Detroit
2. Grandma and Deep Dish (Tie)
3. Sicilian
4. New York
5. Chicago Thin

Are you looking to add Detroit-style pizza? We’ve put together a complete guide on Detroit pizza including characteristics of Detroit pizza, its history, tips on making Detroit style pizza, Detroit pizzerias to look at, and Detroit style pizza recipes and tutorials. Check out our Detroit Style Pizza: A Guide to Detroit Pizza.

Want to test one of the five Trending Pizza Styles?

We’ve created a guide with dough recipes and dough formula with tips from some the best pizza masters and dough experts in the U.S., including Tony Gemignani, Laura Meyer, Anthony Falco, Derek Sanchez, Jeff Smokevitch, John Arena and the late Dough Doctor Tom Lehmann. Go to Dough Recipes for Top Trending Pizza Styles and start testing a new pizza style in your kitchen.

2024 Pizza Toppings Trends

Pizza Topping preferences can very region by region. But first let’s see which pizza toppings are the most popular nationally. This year’s 20 most popular pizza toppings offer by pizzerias in America are:

Top 10 Pizza Toppings in the U.S.:

1. Pepperoni
2. Sausage
3. Mushroom
4. Extra Cheese
5. Bacon
6. Chicken
7. Onion
8. Red/Green Bell Pepper
9. Ham
10. Black Olives

Let’s round out the Top 20 Pizza Toppings in America:

11. Meatballs
12. Canadian Bacon
13. Jalapenos
14. Pineapple
15. Beef
16. Basil
17. Banana Peppers
18. Fresh garlic
19. Tomatoes
20. Spinach

Hot Pizza Toppings to Watch

Popular pizza toppings can vary by pizzeria. So, we asked operators what pizza toppings they have introduced in the past 12 months to get a gauge on what’s hot with pizza toppings.

We found toppings that are new to pizzeria menus include:

• Going with a different pepperoni style like cup and char or old world
• Vegan meat and cheese alternatives
• Sweet toppings including hot honey, fig jam and maple syrup.
• Cup and char sausage, as well as Italian sausage
• Caramelized and Pickled Veggies
• Sweet and hot pepper varieties, including jalapeños, cherry peppers, and pasilla peppers
• Mexican-inspired meats like Birria, chorizo and carne asada
• BBQ pork, chicken and brisket

Executive Editor Denise Greer’s 2024 Topping Picks

In addition to our operator survey, Executive Editor Denise Greer monitors topping trends in America. Her picks include mortadella, corn and smoked salmon. See what other toppings made the list.

Pizza Cheese Trends — Cheese Please!

Part of the holy trinity of pizza, cheese is an area of evolution. Operators are constantly looking for ways to make their pizza stand out from competitors and cheese is a big wow factor. The biggest take away from cheeses added is blending cheeses.

Among the new toppings operators look to add, new cheeses are hot. Here are some new cheese additions:

• Ricotta
• Cheddar
• Fresh Mozzarella
• Goat Cheese
• Parmigiano Crema
• Cojita Cheese
• Scamorza
• Vegan Cheese
• Blue Cheese
• Feta

Specialty/Dietary Pizza Options

Offering dietary and specialty pizza options have been critical for diners as parties choose restaurants that can meet the needs of every person in their group. We asked operators of the dietary/specialty pizza options, which they offer in their pizzeria. Here is the breakdown:

• Vegetarian — 82%
• Vegan/Plant-based Alternatives — 30%
• Dairy-free — over 29%
• Gluten-free crust — over 65%
• Cauliflower crust — 39%

Pizza Toppings on Their Way Out

The biggest takeaway from our operator survey on toppings to remove from the list is that the majority are not removing any pizza toppings at all. Of the respondents who indicated they have removed toppings, those items include: beef, black olives, vegan meat and cheese alternatives, artichokes and shrimp.

Pizza Toppings on the Horizon

Pizza makers and operators are constantly testing new pizza combinations. In our survey, we wanted to know what toppings are in research and development. This year, the creativity in pizza kitchens is high. Here are some common themes among operators who are experimenting with pizza toppings at their shop:

Meat is king! They are working with meat toppings out of the norm from pork belly and smoked brisket to prosciutto and cup and char sausage.

Find the right plant-based toppings. Pizzerias are looking for the best plant-based products that work for their vegan and meat- and dairy-free customers.

More shops are incorporating hot honey. Hot pepper-infused honey came on the scene years ago. But hot honey is still being added to menus across the country.

Play with unique and creative toppings. While some may be seasonal, unique pizza toppings are finding their way onto menus, from more exotic mushrooms like shiitake to persimmons, waffles and even octopus. Others include smoked Kalamata olives, sweet drop peppers, curry sauce, lemons and pecans.

Look to International flavors. Mexican, Cuban, Indian and other Asian specialties inspired pizzas are wowing culinary explorers at pizzerias.

New this Year – Regional Pizzeria Trends Breakdown

With so many responses from pizzeria operators, we’re able to look at what’s happening regionally in the Pizza Industry. The regions are broken down as follows:

Regional Key

Northeast Region – including New England (Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont) and the Middle Atlantic (New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania)

Midwest Region — including East North Central (Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, and Wisconsin) and West North Central (Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, and South Dakota)

South Region — including South Atlantic (Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, Washington, D.C., and West Virginia); East South Central (Alabama, Kentucky, Mississippi, and Tennessee) and West South Central (Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, and Texas)

West Region — including Mountain (Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming) and Pacific (Alaska, California, Hawaii, Oregon, and Washington)

Northeastern U.S. Pizza Trends

What Pizza Styles are hot in the Northeast?

The Top 5 Pizza Styles in Pizzerias in the Northeast are:

1. New York Style
2. Sicilian
3. Traditional America
4. Neapolitan
5. Grandma

The national Top 5 Pizza Toppings hold strong in the Northeast at:

1. Pepperoni
2. Sausage
3. Mushroom
4. Extra cheese
5. Bacon

But as we move into the Top 10, meatballs and banana pepper prove to be more popular in the Northeast than nationally.

1. Chicken
2. Onion
3. Red/Green pepper
4. Meatballs
5. Banana Peppers

Here is a quick glance at some toppings that pizzerias in the Northeast are testing: cup and char pepperoni, nduja, apples, vegan toppings and shredded pork.

Midwest U.S. Pizza Trends

What Pizza Styles are hot in the Midwest?

The Top 5 Pizza Styles in Pizzerias in the Midwest are:

1. Traditional America
2. Chicago Thin
3. New York Style
4. Deep Dish
5. Detroit

The national Top 5 pizza toppings didn’t hold as Extra Cheese fell out in favor of onion. The Top 5 Pizza Toppings in the Midwest are:

1. Pepperoni
2. Sausage
3. Mushroom
4. Bacon
5. Onion

Here is a quick glance at some toppings that pizzerias in the Midwest are testing: cup and char sausage, chorizo, mortadella, plant-based alternatives, fried chicken, BBQ meats and pickled vegetables.

Southern U.S. Pizza Trends

What Pizza Styles are hot in the South?

The Top 5 Pizza Styles in Pizzerias in the South are:

1. New York Style
2. Traditional America
3. Sicilian
4. Deep Dish
5. Neapolitan

The national Top 5 Pizza Toppings hold strong in the South at:

1. Pepperoni
2. Sausage
3. Mushroom
4. Extra cheese
5. Bacon

But the rest of the Top 10 stray away from the national list. Beef moves into the Top 10. Here are standings:

1. Onion
2. Chicken
3. Red/Green pepper
4. Beef
5. Ham

Here is a quick glance at some toppings that pizzerias in the South are testing: short ribs, plant-based alternatives, crab and kielbasa.

Western U.S. Pizza Trends

What Pizza Styles are hot in the West?

The West favors California over Deep Dish compared to the national list. The Top 5 Pizza Styles in Pizzerias in the West are:

1. New York Style
2. Traditional America
3. California/American Artisan
4. Sicilian
5. Neapolitan

There is some shakeup in the West’s Top 5 Pizza Toppings with chicken entering the list. The West’s Top 5 are:

1. Pepperoni
2. Sausage
3. Mushroom
4. Chicken
5. Bacon

The rest of the Top 10 stray away from the national list with pineapple and jalapeno moving into the Top 10. Here are standings:

1. Extra cheese
2. Black Olives
3. Onion
4. Jalapenos
5. Pineapple

Here is a quick glance at some toppings that pizzerias in the West are testing: pickled jalapeno, salmon, Hatch green chilies, kale, potato, lemon and figs.

Rounding Out a Pizzeria Menu

While some pizzerias keep their menus tight, sticking with pizza only, many others offer a diverse menu of appetizers, salads, sandwiches, entrees and desserts. What’s working on menus at pizzerias?

Best-Selling Non-pizza Items are:

We asked operators what their top-selling non-pizza items were and there are several common items among pizzerias. They include:

Wings. Wings remain hot on menus whether traditional Buffalo style, dry rub or sauced with unique flavors. One piece of advice, offer some heat options.

Salads. Healthy, cold salads pair well with hot and filling pizza. Salads range from a simple wedge to Caesar and seasonal harvest salads.

Pastas. Offerings tend to favor classic Italian entrees.

Garlic Knots/Breadsticks/Garlic Bread. These low-cost apps are winners and use leftover pizza dough.

13 Pizzeria Menu Trends from the Pizza Industry Trends Report

Executive Editor Denise Greer outlines Pizzeria Menu Trends from the Pizza Industry Trends Report. Explore Pizza and Pizza Toppings Trends, popular entrees, hot appetizers, alternative pizza crusts.

Explore 13 Pizzeria Menu Trends from the Pizza Industry Trends Report.

2024 Pizza Industry Trends Report Sponsors:

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Pizzeria Marketing Trends 2024

Marketing trends in many markets fluctuate depending on what’s hot a particular year. The pizza industry takes a steadier approach to marketing. We do not see huge changes from year to year. But there are several indicators that are showing changes from last year.

First, let’s examine budgets. More pizzerias are devoting at least 1% of their overall budget to marketing at 87%, up 4% over last year. Approximately 42 percent dedicating one to two percent, and 28 percent of our survey respondents budgeting three to four percent.

2024 Restaurant Marketing Trends to Watch

We’ve scoured dozens and dozens of 2024 marketing trend predictions to give you a look at what’s hot and what’s relevant to pizzerias. Check out 10 marketing trends to watch in 2024:

1. Online ordering is more valuable than just order taking. It is a marketing tool to increase check averages and frequency.
2. A strong social presence will dominate campaigns. Restaurants will continue to pour energies and budgets towards social strategies with an emphasis on short-form video, influencer campaigns and social commerce.
3. AI has hit the small-business markets. Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning are being used to optimize the effectiveness of marketing campaigns.
4. Customer data is ever more vital to growth. Use customer data more personally, as well as protect that data.
5. Cause marketing never goes out of style. Hone in on the organizations that are important to you and fit your overall brand.
6. Go hyper local with your social influencer and media campaigns. While everyone loves national exposure, go after local for a high return.
7. Voice Search taps into your search engine optimization (SEO) ranking when users prompt “Hey, Siri”, “Hey Alexa” or “Hey Google” with local pizza questions.
8. Claiming and interacting with Review Sites will be critical to your online presence.
9. Giving customers free WiFi access allows you to capture customer data.
10. Optimize or upgrade those loyalty programs. A good loyalty program will have a huge ROI.

Where are pizzerias putting their advertising dollars?

In our extensive survey, we asked operators where they are devoting their advertising budgets. Here is a look at that breakdown:

Pizzeria Social Media Trends 2024

Over 93 percent of American pizzerias promote their businesses through Facebook, followed by Instagram (71%). X (24%) and TikTok (20%). Facebook and TikTok are up 5% from last year. When asked which social channel provides the best ROI, Facebook led at 67 percent and Instagram followed at 26 percent.

Takeaways from social movers and shakers 20024:

• Facebook still dominates the pizza industry’s social space.
• Instagram and X formerly Twitter have steady usage in the industry.
• Both TikTok and YouTube are on the rise.
• Recently launched Threads has almost zero presence in the industry.

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Pizza Restaurant Technology Trends — Tech Nation

Technology is driving development in pizzerias like never before. We asked pizzeria owners “Which of the following new technology and equipment did you invest in over the past 12 months?” Here were the answers:

• Point of Sale Systems — 35.85%
• Online Ordering Technology — 24.91%
• Contactless Payment — 15.47%
• Phone Systems — 15.09%
• Loyalty Systems — 14.34%
• Ordering Apps — 9.81%
• Tablets for Servers — 7.92%
• Digital Menu Boards — 7.17%
• Text Ordering 4.91%
• Order Kiosks — 2.64%
• Artificial Intelligence Voice or Chat — 2.26%

A whopping 36.23 percent said they did not invest in any new tech equipment in the past year.

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Pizzeria Equipment Buying Trends — Equipment Breakdown

What about general restaurant equipment? We asked our respondents “What equipment do you plan to purchase in the next 12 months?” Here were the results:

• Refrigeration: 46.83%
• Oven: 35.71%
• Prep Tables: 29.37%
• Freezers: 23.8%
• Ice Machines 19.05%
• Fryers: 18.25%
• Mixers: 15.87%
• Dishwashers: 15.08%
• Food Holding/Warming Equipment: 10.32%
• Dividers: 9.52%
• Rounders: 5.56%
• Display Cabinets: 8.79%
• Press or Sheeters: 8.73%
• Cheese Shredders: 8.71%

That’s good news for equipment and supplies manufacturers who are counting on pizzerias to buy in the next year. It should make for a busy Pizza Expo 2024!

2024 Pizza Industry Trends Report Sponsors:

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Pizzeria Industry 2024 Outlook: A Look Forward

As we move into a new year, some of the same concerns will remain paramount in the pizzeria market. In the coming year, operators will need to control costs as much as possible, add/increase revenue sources to offset higher labor and operating costs, raise prices when it makes sense and apply new approaches to find and retain employees.

Optimism is abound when it comes to sales growth, nearly 65 percent of operators surveyed expect their gross annual sales to be up in the next 12 months with 44 percent of respondents expecting sales to be up by 5% or more. With costs food, labor and operating costs continuing to climb, operators are less optimistic about their profit margins with over 53 percent of Independent respondents expecting profit margins to be flat or down.

Business Priorities

We asked operators to select their top three business concerns for the coming year. The top three align with last year’s priorities and include:

1. Grow sales
2. Maintain current business
3. Add employees

There is a big shift in the top six priorities with adding revenue streams moved up in priorities and community involvement entering the top six priorities. They are:

4. Add new revenue stream(s)
5. Sustainability
6. More community involvement

Eyes on Adding Units

As we analyze the independent market, some operators are looking to expand. Over 30% of independent operators surveyed look to add at least one new unit to their business in the coming year.

Renovations on the Horizon

A major cost for pizza operations are renovations. According to our survey, 41% of operations last renovated their business before the pandemic or never. Nearly 34% of independent operators indicated they plan to renovate their business in the next 24 months. The top six areas where they plan to focus their efforts are:

1. Paint
2. Décor
3. New flooring
4. New furnishing
5. Lighting
6. Kitchen/Back of House Configuration

2024 Looks Cautiously Optimistic

When we asked our independent pizzeria operators how they would describe the outlook of the pizzeria industry over the next 12-18 months, we see over a majority were optimistic at 66%.

The 2024 Pizza Industry Trends Report has revealed what’s happening in America’s pizzerias. Use our findings to identify areas to grow and improve your pizza business. The report delved into specific trends for independent pizzeria operators, highlighting their focus on cost savings, customer satisfaction, and menu innovation. Additionally, regional variations in pizza styles and toppings are explored, providing insights into the diverse preferences across different parts of the United States. Examine these key findings to explore your menu and strategies in the coming year.

About the Survey

From August 2023 through mid-September 2023, Pizza Today conducted an extensive survey of its readership with over 60 questions, taking participants between eight to 10 minutes to completed. The survey included pizzeria profile questions and was divided into various topics impacting American pizzerias. 748 operators participated in the survey. Of those respondents, 606 were independent pizzeria operators with nine or fewer locations. Respondents represented pizzerias across the United States.

The 2024 Pizza Industry Trends Report was produced by Pizza Today with analysis and coordination by Executive Editor Denise Greer and Editor In Chief Jeremy White. Layout, Photography and Art coordination by Senior Art Director Josh Keown.

2024 Pizza Industry Trends Report Sponsors:

The post 2024 Pizza Industry Trends Report appeared first on Pizza Today.

Water Works and Pizza

When I first sat down to talk all things water, I figured there was a really meaningful haiku out there about the beauty and amazing thing that is water. But all I could keep thinking about was Adam Sandler in the movie Waterboy yelling back and forth about water being better than Gatorade. Doesn’t give quite the same fuzzy feeling but still drives home the importance of water in our lives.

When you really start to look at water and the abilities it has, it really puts into perspective how underrated water is in the grand scheme. Water can be liquid, it can freeze, it can turn into steam, and can go back and forth. Water in its liquid state is a solvent in that other elements dissolve when mixed in. Water in its frozen state is extremely strong yet also buoyant. In its liquid state water has a boiling point, but in its steam form water can be heated almost to no limit which is why it can be dangerous and cause burns. All of these things make water a cool element and there are many more reasons as you dig into the molecular side of things, but besides flour, water is what makes pizza, pizza.

Before grain becomes flour, it begins as a seed. If the environment and temperatures align, the seed absorbs water making the seed swell and softening its outer layer. Cells inside this outer layer begin to produce amylase enzymes which converts starch (complex sugar) into simple sugar which the embryo needs to grow and turn into a mature plant, giving us flour. Without water, the seed is just a seed.

As pizza makers we talk a lot about flour and we’re constantly debating which are best for the types of pizza we want to make. But none of it would be possible without water. For those making New York style, you’re probably living under a rock if you haven’t heard or been told that you can’t make real New York without the water. Well, I’m a Bay Area born and raised California girl, and I’m here to challenge that thought. Water is very important, especially since it’s the second largest ingredient in our dough, but it’s what you do with it that changes everything. Even Italy has its bad pizza. So, is it just the water?

I know we say we mix our dough, but sometimes that can cause beginners to think that flour is dissolving in water. But that’s not the case. It’s better to think about mixing as hydrating. Flour absorbs the water kickstarting gluten development. As glutenin and gliadin, the proteins that make up gluten, absorb water, they begin to bond together. During the mixing process these bonds that form break due to friction, but reattach creating longer strands and making the dough more extensible. A higher water content adds to this development making the dough more extensible. But on the flip side a higher water content can make the dough a lot harder to manipulate and handle unless you are very skilled.

There’s a school of thought known as the no knead method. While this method does work, it requires a lot more time. Making a Roman dough with 80+ percent water can be done by hand no problem — but will require multiple folds and time in between. Yet a mixer can get the job done in one go. Water may be what makes flour into dough, but it still needs a helping hand. During the mixing process, the enzyme amylase (that helps the seed grow) is at play again, this time helping turn complex sugars into simple sugars and giving the yeast more food to live on, which aids fermentation.

A question I get asked a lot these days is “how much water should I have in my dough?”

Today it is common for doughs to start at 60 percent and go up, whereas only a few years ago it was common for New York, or classic American doughs, to contain less than that. The amount of water in your dough is going to drastically change your outcome, although the temperature at which you cook your dough and the type of oven all play into the final product. It may sound counterintuitive, but more water makes crispier dough if cooked correctly. Think about ciabatta bread. Normally it’s upwards of 100-percent water. Difficult to manipulate when raw, but once cooked it has an extremely crispy outer crust and a soft interior.

For pizza, higher hydration needs to be cooked slower and lower. The vents on your oven play an important role during the baking process. With vents closed in the beginning, the dough will have a better rise as the heat and steam is trapped, adding to oven spring.But the vents will need to be opened to release the steam so the crust can harden and crisp. Without opening the vents, the outside will not crisp, and the interior will be too wet, resulting in a very lifeless and soggy pizza. Steam outside of the oven is just as important to think about once you place a pizza on a surface, be it on a pan or in a box. That steam is going to reverse any crispiness you’ve created, which is why you see screens under pizzas to allow for some air flow under the bottom.

When it comes to starters, the main two are poolish and biga. The major difference is the water content. Poolish can be anywhere from 90-100 percent and Biga can be 50-60-percent hydrated. The difference in water creates a vastly different flavor profile and acid content (which, when added to dough, boosts flavor and affects the interior crumb structure).

Now let’s talk freezing.

Freezers have gotten a bad rap in the culinary world because the thought now is that if you freeze food, you’re not making everything fresh. That may be the case when it comes to proteins, sauces and other items. But when it comes to dough, freezing can be an asset when done properly. Flash freezing and proper wrapping ensures freezer burn does not happen. Freezing can be a great asset for those operations that produce in bulk. For those with large catering opportunities and making pan pizzas or for those making par-baked shells and selling them, freezing is your friend. You can mass produce with little effect to the product if used within a month or two. You will want to consider that during the freezing process evaporation occurs, so prolonged periods in the freezer are not ideal because when you go to cook the dough again the interior will be very dry and not palatable. High hydrated doughs last longer in the freezer.

So, is water in all its forms the pizza maker’s greatest friend? Better than Gatorade!

Laura Meyer is the owner of Pizzeria da Laura in Berkeley, CA.

The post Knead to Know: Learn More About How Water Impacts Pizza, Pizza Dough appeared first on Pizza Today.

Get The Humble Onion Pizza Ideas

Chris Decker, Founding Pizzaiolo & Partner Truly Pizza

When I was thinking of what to make next, I could not take my mind off onions. The most humble of all ingredients… always the bridesmaid, never the bride. Think about all the dishes that an onion is in to elevate that said dish. Think about how, as human beings, we are indeed like an onion where you must peel back our layers to get the real deal. Onions are used all over the world, in all types of cuisine. They are cheap, easy to cook with and readily available. What’s not to love?

I wanted to highlight this ingredient and use it in as many ways as possible. We could start with an onion cream sauce, talk caramelized onion, then sautéed leeks, then oven roasted shallot and cipollini, then scallion, then fried shallot for some crunch.  So many ways to get into this realm!

Here are some onion ideas to try out.

• Caramelized Onion.

Peel and thinly slice 2 large yellow onions and place in a pan with a half stick of butter on a very low setting. Cook for up to two hours, stirring gently until the onions turn a beautiful golden brown. Make sure to keep an eye on them as they can go from beautiful to burnt pretty quickly with too much heat or too much time on the stove.

• Sautéed Leeks.

Trim the white part of the leek away from the thicker green leaves. Thinly slice the white part and add to a pan on low heat with some good quality olive oil. Sauté for 10-15 on med/low heat, stirring as necessary not to burn. When leeks are translucent and soft, turn off heat and lightly season with salt and pepper.

• Oven Roasted Shallot and Cipollini.

Cut the cipollini and shallot into quarters and toss in olive oil, add to a roasting sheet pan and cook in your pizza oven at desired temperature. I put a rack under my pan to prevent them from burning (we cook at 550-600 F).

• Fried Shallot.

Using a Mandolin thinnest setting, slice two or three shallots and toss in seasoned flour. Fry at 350 F until they turn a light brown. Drain on a paper towel and season with salt and pepper.

• Curly Scallion.

Trim the root end of the scallion and lay scallions flat on a cutting board. Using a sharp knife, slice lengthwise 4-5 times to create strips. Add all the strips to a bowl and cover with ice water. Within minutes, the scallion should begin to curl. Remove scallion from ice water and pat dry.

Use these ingredients on pizza or in dishes to elevate your menu!

Chris Decker is Founding Pizzaiolo & Partner at Truly Pizza in Dana Point, California. @everythingbutanchovies

The post On Deck: The Humble Onion appeared first on Pizza Today.

Spicy-sweet ingredients are the new bombshells of flavor.

One of the most pivotal memories I’ve had with food was when I worked as a waiter at an exclusive French restaurant in Chicago. One day, as service was winding down, my fellow waiters raided the walk-in and were cutting watermelon and cucumbers they retrieved. They squeezed lemon juice in the bowl and finished this weird combination with cayenne pepper and honey. We all jumped in and ate this concoction and from that first bite, I was hooked.  I felt the crispy grassiness and faint saltiness of the cucumber blanketed with the tart lemon, sweet honey and watermelon. It seemed perfect, then the cayenne hit me like a sucker punch to the back of my head. My eyes squinted followed by a trickle of forehead moisture. After a trepidatious second taste, I dove in again, and again, until it was gone. I had no idea what happened to my flavor appetite because I was averse to spicy heat but because of the sweetness, the heat turned into a flavor magnet for my mind. 

Spice Grinder

Sweet and spicy is so alluring because sweet ingredients reduce the sensitivity of heat sensors on the tongue creating a balanced flavor profile. Most complex and delicious pizza flavors result in a combination of tastes and textures. There are seven tastes — sweet, sour, salty, spicy, fat, bitter and umami. All of these can be combined in complimentary tastes and balancing tastes. Here is the difference between the two.

Complimentary tastes: These tastes accentuate one another to create harmony of taste. For example, sweet with fat, spicy and salty or sour with spicy.

Balancing tastes: These tastes oppose each other to create harmony. Some chefs call this a “foil,” or a contrasting flavor that prevents the heavier flavor from taking over a dish. An example of balancing tastes like spice can play down sweetness from becoming too sweet and spiciness can be mellowed out with fat and sweetness.

A perfect example of the combining flavors lies in the delicious ancient Chinese Sweet and Spicy Sesame Sauce. Complimentary flavors like red chilies keep a simple sugar sauce from being too cloying. This is combined with the balancing flavors of salty soy sauce and savory sesame paste.

Sweet Heat

Maple syrup works well on whole wheat pizzas and can be combined with a powdered spice like cayenne. The maple flavor is not too cloying and partners well with Feta, Gorgonzola, and Gruyere, as well as fresh mozzarella and walnuts. Classic examples of these syrup pairings are with blueberries and lemon, mascarpone and pistachio, caramel and pecan. Good protein pairings are pork belly, duck, bacon, ham and even foie gras. Because maple syrup is thick, it takes longer to macerate fresh-cut chilies for full flavor. Habaneros, Thai and Ancho pair well with maple syrup.

Honey is probably one of the most used sweet/spicy vehicles. Because honey is even thicker than maple syrup, it flows slower when presented on a pizza and mingles well with creamy mozzarella, Asiago, Manchego and even over stracciatella. Spicy honey is best used with berries, cream, almonds, oranges, figs, nuts, fontina cheese, mustard, pistachios and hazelnuts. Sometimes, honey will solidify due to the amount of glucose in the plants that the nectar-loving bees collect. This is remedied by immersing the glass jar in hot water.

Agave Nectar: This is a vegan alternative to hot honey but has a more neutral flavor and is thinner. It is sweeter than table sugar and doesn’t have the bitter aftertaste of some syrups which is why it works well with lemon and hot pepper flakes. I like the thickness and lusciousness of the dark agave nectar with sharp cheeses like Gorgonzola, aged Gouda, Monterey Jack, aged cheddars, and Pecorino Romano. Agave goes well with razor thin slices of Thai, Jalapeño, Serrano, and even Fatali peppers. Good with lime, almonds, cashews, salty pork, and charcuterie.

Getting Jalapeno Business

All types of chilies can be added to sweet sauces to macerate (flavor blend) into the hydration of the sauce if the chilies aren’t too large. This will facilitate the spread of flavor and spice instead of too-spicy “speed bumps” that ruin the flavor profile of any pizza. Some chilies’ powders are mixed with other flavors and labeled “chili powder blend,” or “chili seasoning mix.” Most chili powders are named after the name of the chili itself; others are named after the region where they are grown. Here are some chilies that could add power to your sweet condiments and flavor your pizzas.

Espelette pepper: This pepper was introduced into France in the 16th century and was used in medicine and for the conservation of meats. This chili powder has become a cornerstone condiment in the Northern Basque region, replacing black pepper. I love this spice because it is fruity, bright red and has a fresh smokiness without overpowering other pizza items. I use it in my blueberry duck balls with cumin and cherries and it adds a great red powder to the finish on burrata. (I used it on pizza recipe described at the end.)

Aleppo: This powder has moderate heat with fruitiness and the flavor of light cumin. This is a common condiment in the Mediterranean, Turkey, Syria and into Armenia and is named after the Silk Road spice city in Northern Syria. It is used for its perfumy sweetness like sun-dried tomatoes with an added kick of heat.

Ancho: The name of this powder is from dried poblano peppers that have been ground up. The saying is that Ancho is to Poblano what Chipotle is to Jalapeno. Ancho is hotter than regular chili powder but offers less heat and smokiness than chipotle powder. This pepper powder is famous for mole and chili seasoning. Other items shine with honey, barbeque, soups, mole, turkey, shrimp and pork. The great sweet and spicy vehicles for the Ancho powder are purees of mango, apple, pear, persimmon and orange.

Piri Piri: This hot pepper offers a blast of up to 175,000 Scoville units and is made from the dried Malgueta pepper. Originally cultivated by the colonial Portuguese in southern African territories and brought by them to other territories around the world. Piri Piri sauce has been described as “light, fresh, and herbal” by some chefs who can handle the heat. The bottled sauce is famous for its infusion of the chilies with garlic, citrus peel, onion, bay leaf, paprika, oregano and tarragon. Piri Piri is so hot that the infusion of sweetness as well as fatty meats works well. Bacon, ground pork and lamb as well as chicken with skin and braised fatty beef are nice combinations with sweetened Piri Piri.

Grilled Honey Lemon Chicken

This pizza is a wonder to behold because it has the lusciousness of lemony ricotta with the sour Asiago and melting fresh mozzarella. The grilling introduces a charred flavor and texture to the melt and the addition of the spicy lemon honey adds so much depth and pairs well with the basil and crunch of the sweet yellow peppers.

Get the Grilled Honey Lemon Chicken Pizza recipe.

John Gutekanst owns Avalanche Pizza in Athens, Ohio.

The post Sweet & Spicy Pizzas: Hang Fire! appeared first on Pizza Today.

Get the Grilled Honey Lemon Chicken Pizza Recipe

This pizza is a wonder to behold because it has the lusciousness of lemony ricotta with the sour Asiago and melting fresh mozzarella. The grilling introduces a charred flavor and texture to the melt and the addition of the spicy lemon honey adds so much depth and pairs well with the basil and crunch of the sweet yellow peppers.

The post Grilled Honey Lemon Chicken Pizza appeared first on Pizza Today.

Choosing the right location takes research and luck

When Giuseppe Amato walked into a bakery in Ocean View, Delaware, he saw a For Lease sign in the window. He chatted with the business owners, who said they had outgrown the space and were moving the bakery across the street. Amato, who with his wife was having a townhome built in the beach town, has been lamenting the lack of old school pizzerias in the area. So, he decided to do some research.

“I went online and looked at within three to five miles, new homes coming in and how quickly they were developing,” Amato says. “This area increased 12 percent in population since 2020 and is now increasing four percent a year.”

Amato, who opened Amato’s Pizza in 2022, liked the fact that Morning Buns Bakery was expanding, not failing, which hinted that it was a good location. The bakery owners sold him some prep tables and refrigerators, which helped defray costs. There is even a nearby church that opens its parking lot to pizzeria customers. “We have that rapport,” Amato says. “I donate pizzas to them.”

Due diligence is a crucial element of site selection.

Whether it’s the first location or the latest in a chain, it’s important to know details about the area and the building.

“It’s more of a risk mitigation process than a crystal ball,” says Troy Sproul, owner of Blue Square Pizza in Hopkinton, Massachusetts. Before he opened the pizzeria in 2022, he prepared a spreadsheet of 24 emerging markets near Boston. The spreadsheet includes key traits such as population, household income, age and percent of the population that is female, variables that Sprouls says correlate with higher sales on average.

The spreadsheet also listed each market’s existing artisanal pizza restaurants that would be competitors, which Sproul gave scores of 1 through 7, with 7 being most competitive. He then calculated the addressable market, or percentage of households earning more than $100,000 and therefore more likely to spend $25 on a pie. “What I really want to do is understand how many households have spending power to purchase my pizza,” says Sproul, who previously worked as regional operations manager for a regional pizza chain.

When he finished the spreadsheet and a business plan, Sproul contacted his broker, who sent him a Craigslist ad for a restaurant for sale in Hopkinton, 26 miles west of Boston and not on the spreadsheet. Sproul researched the location, applied the same variables, and found it rated favorably. There were only three pizzerias in the city of 18,600, the area had a high median household income, and 51 percent of the population was female. (Much of the data is available on the U.S. Census Bureau’s website, www.census.gov.)

Sproul recommends writing a business plan and researching markets. “You always learn something through a business plan,” he says. “You’re trying to take the emotion out of the decision.”

Even with emotion out of the decision, other qualitative factors can make a site favorable.

Esters Neighborhood Pub looks for buildings in family-friendly neighborhoods. The “casual beer and pizza joint” recently opened its third Denver-area location in a former restaurant in Wheat Ridge, a suburb west of Denver. “It starts with a cool old neighborhood,” says owner Paul Sullivan. “Once we saw the opportunity, we did run analytics in terms of demographics, population and restaurants.”

Sullivan says some of the restaurant’s food vendors supplied demographic information. The data confirmed his premise that the site would be a good one for a pizzeria where families could dine after kids’ soccer or other games, for a birthday party or to watch sports. After gutting the restaurant and installing new equipment and furnishings, Esters – the name refers to flavor compounds that result from the beer fermentation process – opened in 2022.

The three locations of Esters, all in residential areas, close at 10 pm. “I’m not sure our concept would do well in downtown Denver because we don’t stay open late,” Sullivan says. “It’s knowing your concept and being authentic about your concept and seeing where you fit.”

Some pizzerias fit best in busy areas.

“What we like to see is very visible locations, high traffic both foot and automobile, and very strong daytime and nighttime population density,” says Luigi Cardillo, co-founder and chief operating officer of Riko’s Pizza, which has four corporate-owned and four franchised locations in Connecticut, Florida and New York.

Riko’s Pizza uses market intelligence software that takes the demographic information of the brand’s current units to develop a profile for future locations. The analysis proves useful not only for new sites, but for relocating existing pizzerias. Riko’s Pizza, founded in 2011, moved its first three corporate locations from busy secondary streets to busier main roads and business doubled or tripled.

Cardillo recommends visiting the site 30 or 40 times, during different hours and various days. “The first time you visit on a Friday night and it’s hopping, you think this is the perfect spot,” he says. “Go the other days and see the traffic.”

Others maintain that the busiest streets are not the right fit. “In today’s world people are working from home, so it’s really about being in the center of the community,” says Cord Thomas, CEO of Pupatella, which has eight locations in the Washington, D.C. area and four in development. “Stay local. You know what works, you know the traffic patterns. That’s the community you will be in for the next 20 years.”

By focusing on a neighborhood instead of a busy downtown area, the pizzeria can get involved in community events, support local schools and learn the traffic patterns and preferences of the residents. Managing partner Michael Berger explains that Pupatella attracts people from three to five miles away, so it’s important for the pizzerias to be in neighborhoods. That’s in contrast to restaurants that open in large lifestyle centers, hoping to attract customers from five to 10 miles away, who are mostly just passing by.

“We prioritize small standalone buildings with accessible parking and convenience,” Berger says. One thing that’s changed lately is Pupatella is looking at smaller locations, 2,000 to 2,500 square feet instead of 2,500-plus square feet, as pick-up and delivery have increased.

Moving into former restaurants has not worked for Pupatella because they had to replace all equipment. “There are some cost savings initially, but you will pay for that down the line,” Berger says. “All of us need to be trying to make money from day one.”

NORA CALEY is a freelance writer who covers small business, finance and lifestyle topics.

The post Restaurant Site Selection appeared first on Pizza Today.

I love playing with different flavor combinations and textures. I want to surprise you and get you to open up and try new things. This month’s pizza will do just that. It’s sweet, bitter, salty, savory, tangy, creamy, crunchy and delicious. There are a few extra steps in this recipe, but they really help elevate the flavors of this pizza and are worth the extra work. First is grilling the radicchio. The resulting bits of char you get are so delicious. Secondly, rehydrating the dried cherries in some champagne vinegar and water plumps those cherries back up and gives them a real heightened flavor. Both steps are very easy and add so much. Here’s what you will need:

The post On Deck: Bittersweet Pizza appeared first on Pizza Today.

Butter Crust: When Pizza and Butter go hand in hand, there’s no margarine for error.

Many pizza makers are turning to different ways to enhance their customers’ pizza experience by using fats into and on top of their pizza crusts. Butter is one of the supreme ways to develop and boost the taste of any dough by adding a fatty crunch with a hint of rich sweetness.

Throughout the baking development of mankind, many cultures and civilizations have created and continue to rely upon age-old recipes to use butter in their breads. Almost all these techniques can be used in pizza dough but first let’s take a deep dive into the classifications of dough.

On a roll

Doughs are classified based on:

1. Hydration,
2. The way the dough is leavened with commercial yeast or natural bacteria,
3. The way they are made using direct or indirect methods,
4. The weight of the dough,
5. The richness of the dough.

Enriched doughs are made with fats that are used to tenderize and add sweetness. Eggs, animal fats such as lard, sugar and dairy added at a 20-percent fat-to-flour ratio create pastry, biscuit, croissant and puff pastry … although some pizzas like the traditional Chicago style pizza have 6-8 percent butter added, and other thin crusts have been developed with three percent butter (creating a well-heeled crispness with loads of flavor).

The World is a Butter Place

Butter is known in baking circles as “fat” introduced into or on pizza or breads. Here are some doughs around the world that use butter as a game-changer.

Nan-e gisu or Armenian Sweet Bread and Persian Nan-e shirmal, or Persian sweet saffron bread, both with butter, whole milk and baking soda with sugar and honey is like a brioche and braided for attention.

Persian Nan-e barbari and Nan-e lavash. Barbari is made early in the mornings and is a favorite breakfast flatbread made with oil or butter as well as sugar and salt. Lavash is fatted with unsalted butter and milk and is stretched to bake on a Saj, which looks like an upturned wok.

Spanish Coca is very popular and is a yeasted dough put in a pan coated with butter and Pastel de Carne is a butter crusted meat pie resembling puff pastry.

Moroccan Moufleta which is thin crepe-like dough mixed with butter and the dough balls are rested in oil then stretched paper thin to be cooked in a hot pan.

Yemeni Jachnun is a butter and folded bread which is baked in a pan for 12 hours. It is a hearty bread that is caramelized on the bottom and fluffy in the middle paired with spicy z’hug and tomato.

Israeli Malawach comes from the Yemenite influence in Israel. Like the croissant, it is folded thin with layers of butter creating a very flaky and delicious flatbread. (I’ve developed a great pizza with this technique below.)

Spread the Word about Butter Crust

Butter can be used in all the broad categories of doughs described as stiff, standard and rustic.

Stiff doughs with hydration of 50 to 57 percent. This may be dough for pretzels, bagels and thin crust pizzas. Butter works best with these stiff doughs as a laminate or folded in between stiff dough that is pressed out very thinly. If mixed with thin crust, it pays to keep the percentage of butter used below four percent because the oils will bleed during higher heat baking. (Fixes for this can be use of parchment- see recipe below.)

Standard doughs that are hydrated from 57 to 65 percent are exemplified in European style breads, sandwich doughs and even Neapolitan-style pizza dough. Butter can be slathered on the cornicione, or crust, before, during and after baking and be used as a laminate for a croissant-like dough baked at lower temperatures at or below 450 F.

Rustic doughs are above 65 percent hydration like Pizza in Teglia, Pizza Romana, ciabatta and an array of different pan pizzas and focaccia. Butter can be introduced with these high hydration doughs in the pans, like the Spanish Coca, especially if you use clarified butter to eliminate any steam creating soggy dough in between the pan and crust. I’ve used clarified and flavored butters on crusts at the last five minutes of baking to get a crisp and buttery flavor punch creating an elevated flavored crust.

Compound Interest

Below are some great herbs and flavors that integrate perfectly in butter. In many French restaurants I’ve worked in, these are called compound butters which can easily be mixed with semi-melted butter then rolled up and set in the freezer for later use.

Dried herbs such as thyme, sage, chervil, oregano and rosemary can be paired with spices like chili flakes or cayenne. I’ve found that limiting the flavor profiles to two items eliminates confusing tastes especially when it competes with pizza topping flavors.

Fresh herbs offer a more nuanced flavor to butter but fresh rosemary, sage and basil all stand out on pizza crust. Basil may need to be shocked in hot water followed by an ice bath to set the green chlorophyl for a better look.

Other compound butters become elevated with finely grated citrus rind, sun-dried tomato, smoked garlic, cilantro-lime, honey, chipotle, orange zest, ancho chilies, sumac and thyme, dried dashi, and the traditional parsley and lemon juice and even dried porcini.

A Butter Crust Recipe

Rosemary “Butter Cloud” Pizza with Cremini and Porcini Butter

This pizza is a bombshell. It incorporates butter and rosemary into a laminated dough and an intense mushroom flavored finish after the bake. It is made in the fashion of Yemeni Mulawah which has close procedural ties to the Israeli Malawach described above. This pizza is light like a croissant. The key for a great bake here is patience- the lower temperature of 450F enables the butter to expand the crust into an airy cornicione first before the second stage of cheese and pizza toppings is put on it.

Get the Rosemary “Butter Cloud” Pizza with Cremini and Porcini Butter recipe.

John Gutekanst owns Avalanche Pizza in Athens, Ohio.

The post Butter Crust Pizza Trend: Churn and Burn appeared first on Pizza Today.

Pizza Sheet Pans offer several versatile advantages

LloydPans Pizza Sheet Pans are a great kitchen tool designed for pizzas that can be made on the Sheet Pan and then transported to another location. Not everyone has a pizza stone or space for a huge pizza oven, so if you’re a pizza food truck operator, share a ghost kitchen or cater your pizzas, Pizza Sheet Pans may be the answer for you.

Pizza Sheet Pan Benefits:

1. Ease of Use. It’s easier to shape pizza dough directly onto the flat, rectangular sheet pan as opposed to round pizza pans or stones.
2. Sicilian and Grandma Pizza Making. These styles are traditionally baked in rectangular pans, and Pizza Sheet Pans are great for newer pizza makers testing out these styles.
3. An Even Bake. Pizza Sheet Pans provide even heat distribution, resulting in a uniformly baked crust.
4. Versatility. If you’re making multiple pizzas with different toppings for larger groups, Pizza Sheet Pans make it easy to prepare contrasting variations at once.

Pizza Sheet Pan Specifications:

• Available in full, half and quarter sheet sizes
• Silver-Kote or Dura-Kote stick-resistant proprietary finishes means no pre-seasoning required
• Clear coat or hard coat anodized 18-gauge aluminum
• Rust-Free

Remember that each oven is different! Our Full Pizza Sheet Pans are 18×26 inches and do not fit many home ovens. Please measure your oven before ordering. Contact Sales@LloydPans.com or call (509) 468-8691 for more information on Pizza Sheet Pans.

LloydPans, a U.S. manufacturer of commercial pizza pans and tools, bakeware, cookware and foodservice equipment, is located in Spokane Valley, Wash. In addition to an extensive line of standard products, LloydPans also offers custom solutions for just about anything their customers need. LloydPans’ products are sold online at lloydpans.com and through distributors.

LloydPans
800-748-6251
www.lloydpans.com
sales@lloydpans.com

The post Ease Pizza Making with LloydPans Pizza Sheet Pans appeared first on Pizza Today.

Will Roman-style pizza be the 2024 pizza trend?

Back in January 2012 I used this “Man on the Street” column to predict that Roman pizza would be the next big thing. I was wrong. At the time, I was wowed by the stunning square pizzas I saw at Pizza Expo or showcased at a few brave pizzerias across the U.S. It felt like the antithesis of the stereotypical greasy slice, something that would attract the adoration of both the quick lunch crowd and gourmands alike. But as I said, I was wrong. Rome didn’t conquer in 2012, but that’s because we weren’t ready for it. As we slide into 2024 I’m digging up my prediction, dusting it off, and reconsidering the style.

I should clarify which Roman pizza I’m talking about. There are a few styles that have become associated with the city, but I’m only referring to a relatively new version. Pizza Tonda Romana is the kind of pizza you’ll find in a restaurant. It’s thin, round and flat on the edge. It looks like someone deflated a Neapolitan pizza and ironed the edges. This style isn’t seeing a rise in popularity right now. Then there’s Pizza al Metro, a long thin crispy pizza often sold in bakeries or pizza counters. It’s often sold by weight and folded into a piece of wax paper to be eaten while walking. We’re not dealing with this one either. And then there’s a curiosity called Pinsa, with a dough made from a mix of wheat flour, soy flour and rice flour. Not this one either.

The Roman Pizza on trend right now is the thick, puffy version of Pizza Al Taglio (pizza by the cut) made popular by Gabrielle Bonci when he opened Pizzarium in Rome in 2003. Unlike the Roman pizzas that came before, this version has a much higher hydration dough (at least 80 percent) with a long, cold fermentation process, and often gets topped post-bake. It’s impressive because, when done well, it’s much lighter than it looks. The texture is delicately crisp on the outside yet soft and airy on the inside. To the Instagram generation (which didn’t exist when I wrote my first Roman pizza column) it’s a visual stunner both because of its toppings and sprawling interior bubbles.

If it’s so good, why has Roman pizza taken this long to catch on in America? First we should consider that this style comes with a high level of difficulty. Roman requires techniques and ingredients different from what most American pizzerias are using. You’ll need strong flour that can hold a lot of water and a mixer that can achieve a high enough speed to incorporate and knead the ingredients. Most bakers use electric ovens and baking pans specifically made for Roman. Roman is complex enough that several schools and courses have emerged to teach the necessary techniques.

It doesn’t hurt that Roman pizza has been featured on popular TV shows like Bonci’s episode of Chef’s Table and Rob Cervoni’s win on Chopped. There’s even a Roman category at American pizza competitions. But is this really enough to resonate with the American public?

Part of me is still skeptical about Roman’s ability to become as big a trend as Neapolitan or Detroit style. It’s attractive to dough nerds and tinkerers, but might be too complex for the average pizza maker. Most of the attention being paid to it is coming from the pizza industry, not necessarily from the consumer. It’s more expensive than most other styles, especially if topped with high-end ingredients. Several Roman pizzerias have closed since my original prediction. It’s fantastic and I love it, but I’m not as convinced as I was of its broad appeal as I was 12 years ago.

Are we finally ready to accept Roman pizza al taglio into the Pantheon of American pizza? Only time will tell. I’ll probably write about it again in 2036.   

SCOTT WIENER is the founder of Scott’s Pizza Tours in New York City and SliceOutHunger.org  Instagram: @scottspizzatours

The post Man on the Street: Roman-style Pizza — Are We Finally Ready for Roman? appeared first on Pizza Today.

Learning Management System Technology can help crew members learn and managers track progress

Training systems have evolved. Instead of expecting new hires to read employee handbooks or sit at a desktop and watch a series of video modules, pizzeria owners are turning to learning management systems, or LMS. As the workforce changes, so do crew members’ preferences for how they want to learn. Pizzeria owners are adapting with software training that leverages data, AI, gamification and more.

“It’s no longer, ‘I will put all of my content on the internet and employees can check it when they want to,’” says Rachael Nemeth, CEO and co-founder of Opus Training. “Employees demand content on the fly.” That means watching training videos and taking quizzes on their smartphones, not on a desktop.

Accessibility is important for all ages, and for people of different backgrounds. Learning platforms must be able to train workers in languages other than English, Nemeth says, as many foodservice workers do not speak English as a first language.

Data is another crucial component. Managers need to know whether employees completed their coursework, which areas need attention, and if crew leaders are improving their skills so they can train new hires.

Embrace AI 

In life, and on the job, learning never ends. Workers must keep up with menu changes and new policies, which requires frequent updates. For that, there is artificial intelligence, but not the creepy AI that is capturing much media attention. “The AI that we are building and machine learning models are not the kind that will ask you to marry it,” Nemeth says. “These are tools that help solve the content problem.”

The content problem is that pizzeria owners don’t have time to continually input instructions for new menu items and limited time offers. A training platform that uses AI can develop visual materials, write content and produce interactive training videos. AI can also communicate the changes to employees. Instead of sending out an e-mail that no one reads, Nemeth says, managers can use a content builder to generate a course that the team could take and get assessed on.

Innovations help

Improved metrics in LMS can enable managers to track employees’ progress, and help develop talent. “In the beginning, LMS quizzes and exams were a good way to validate learning,” says John Poulos, vice president of customer success for Crunchtime. “We needed to go beyond that.” The system can identify skills gaps, nominate high potential candidates for promotion and automate a schedule of courses and reminders. Crunchtime also has a survey component, so that course-takers can offer feedback about the system.

“It used to be side-by-side training, where you watch someone and then hopefully through osmosis you learn how to do it,” Poulos says. “You have the issue with standards, somebody learned from someone who is not doing it right.” He adds that blended learning, or taking courses through an LMS and then performing tasks, is most effective. For example, a kitchen worker would have to prepare three different pizzas, or a general manager would have to develop a local store marketing plan.

Must-haves

Poulos recommends using an LMS that is made for the restaurant industry and has foodservice-specific content. Ease of use is important, not just for new hires but for current workers who want to move to a different position within the restaurant. It’s important to have access to a large library of content that includes food safety training, harassment prevention, diversity and other topics.

Automation is another must. “Instructors should be able to set up automations, and let their platform do the rest: assign and remove courses, set expiration dates, arrange course sequencing and more,” says Natalie Petsali, director of customer success at Epignosis, the parent company of TalentLMS. “Automations help instructors update their content with ease to match the fast pace of their industry and because business needs and compliance standards are always changing.”

To start training right away, Petsali says, restaurants rely on LMS that offer ready-made courses that cover food and beverage industry topics such as compliance essentials and workplace safety, and soft skills and workplace topics. To engage the learner, the courses should be presented in short and interactive videos.

Gamification, or tracking progress through points and badges, can make learning more fun and rewarding. A system can challenge staff’s knowledge with questions such as naming the top three ingredients in today’s special. That can drive friendly competition through a leaderboard, and is useful for managers too.

“Interactive content is key to increasing engagement, retention and application of a restaurant’s training program,” says Brooke Hluza, vice president of sales for Restaurant365. “It’s also a great way for managers to gain insight into how confident an employee feels about performing their role and what else they need to excel.”

LMS pricing depends on factors such as number of employees, locations, courses and tech support. The billing could be a monthly subscription, or purchased as a bundle of courses. The pizzeria operator should also consider the hours needed for training, as workers would be paid wages while they take the courses.

“For the independent operator I would recommend thinking about what they are trying to accomplish,” says Poulos, from Crunchtime. “Looking at someone that has content that helps them get to where they need a lot quicker, from a compliance perspective, will be important when they think about learning development.”

Gen Z and Alpha Learners

Young adults really are starting at their screens. According to a 2021 Ipsos poll, 63 percent of Gen Z (age 16 to 24) are more likely to watch TV, streaming and videos alone on their smartphones. They prefer the small screen even if a big screen is available, according to the survey, because the small screen helps them focus.

For pizzeria owners, that offers insight into how to engage with Gen Z, and soon, Alpha, the generation born 2010 and later. “This is how they consume all forms of content,” says Rachael Nemeth, CEO and co-founder of Opus Training. “Whether it’s TikTok or a text from your mom or a text from your manager, none of this is on a desktop.”

It helps to make the information succinct, engaging, and interactive. Gamification can help: according to the Entertainment Software Association, 62 percent of adults age 18 and older, and 76 percent of kids under 18, play video games.

NORA CALEY is a freelance writer who covers small business, finance and lifestyle topics.

The post Software Training with a Learning Management Systems LMS appeared first on Pizza Today.

Wine sales may have flattened, but now is a great time to push wine and pizza pairings

In August 2022, National Geographic in the United Kingdom published an article about how vintners in Italy were reclaiming the centuries-old traditions of connecting with the land to produce extraordinary wines. As frequent eruptions from Mt. Vesuvius have lined the fertile grounds of the Amalfi Coast with wine friendly minerals, those who grow grapes for the purpose of winemaking are enthusiastically reconnecting with the past to celebrate the heritage, as well as the future, of wine.

In the United States, as the popularity of craft beer exploded and bourbon-based cocktails came en vogue, wine’s market share dipped. Those in the wine industry are voicing optimism as we head into 2024, however. A report published by Wine Industry Advisor earlier this year indicated the beverage experienced a 2.3 percent increase of on-premise sales in 2022.

On-premise is the sweet spot for wine. As put by the Wine Industry Advisor article: “Wine’s popularity continues to be affiliated with food-led occasions.” As such, the types of wine in demand by American consumers appears to be affected by the types of dining establishments to which the masses flock. Fine dining has suffered since the pandemic. The openings of fine-dining establishments are down, which means traditional red wines that count on these diners have suffered. Table wines lost 4.2 percent of market share in 2022, according to the aforementioned article. Meanwhile, sparkling wine is more popular than ever in the United States. Sales are expected to grow 15 percent in volume by 2026, according to Wine Intelligence.

White wine is poised for strong growth as well. According to Data Intelligence, the global white wine market reached $39.4 billion in 2022. That number is expected to hit $59.1 billion by 2030. The segment enjoys a compound annual growth rate over five percent.

Will overall wine sales continue to decline in a flattened market, or is a resurgence on the horizon? It seems that question has been top of mind for many, and the wine industry is making a push to ensure its products stay in the limelight as diners continue to evolve with their preferences.

Enter Barbera — an Italian wine that many sommeliers cite as the most ideal for pairing with pizza. Its high acidity stands up well to tomato sauce. Its mild, fruity flavor — plus low-tannin quality — is appealing to consumers. So much so that much of northen Italy considers this accessible vino to be an “every day” wine. Yet, while it is hailed for its versatility and ideal for pizza, Berbera’s popularity has been on a long decline.

That may be indicative of the ever-evolving landscape in which we live. As consumers shift their tastes, the wine industry — steeped in tradition and perhaps slower to adapt to change — is learning how to respond to the new normal.

Nonetheless, wine has always been an integral part of the pizza industry. No doubt it has suffered with the heightened emphasis on delivery and carryout post-pandemic, but for dine-in pizza consumers, wine remains a staple of the experience for many. The key is to carry the right wines and market them to customers. Well-done tabletop signage and a push from servers is often all it takes. Mentioning “specials” and/or how wine XYZ “goes so well” with the Margherita or the white pie can drive traffic. Consumers enjoy hearing about pairings, and the storytelling component to wine is a great driver that allows your servers to display a knowledge that customers find entertaining.

In your next server training meeting, consider having one of your wine sales reps conduct an educational pour and pairing session. These are enjoyable and provide a nice break from the typical staff meeting.

Lastly, as we head into the holidays, wine sales tend to peak. Christmas and New Year’s are huge for the wine industry. And that presents an opportunity for pizzeria owners to offer holiday pairings designed to boost check averages. Get to work with your distributors and kitchen crew now to roll out some holiday pairings.

Since white wines are top of mind to many of your diners at the moment, now’s a good time to roll out a “White Christmas” holiday special. Bundle a white pizza of your choice with a bottle or glasses of white wine recommended by your most trusted wine rep at a price that works for you and the customer.

Need a little help with the white pie? Here’s a Pizza Today favorite to get you started.

White Pie with Speck

Get the White Pie with Speck recipe.

Jeremy White is the Editor in Chief for Pizza Today.

The post Wine and Pizza Pairings: Wine O’Clock appeared first on Pizza Today.

The post White Pie with Speck appeared first on Pizza Today.

Creating a new pizza centers on creativity and balance

Whether you are a full-service pizzeria or a small slice shop, getting creative with your toppings and combinations is a great way to keep your regulars coming back, bring in new customers and shake things up a bit.

When I’m making a new pizza, I usually start with one specific item that I want to center the pie around. After I decide what that is, I go over its flavor profile in my mind and think about what it could be paired with, how different preparations will change the flavor and texture and how it can be optimized. Above all, the most important thing is an overall balance of the topping combinations. If I choose something that is salty, I want to smooth it out with something that adds creaminess or a hint of sweet. All of these principals can and should be applied to all ingredients whether they are meat, vegetables or sauces.

To me, having different textural elements (crunchy, chewy and creamy) on a pizza is a significant aspect of building a great pie. With this in mind, there are two ways to go about creating a fantastic pizza special — using singularly unique ingredients or preparing common ingredients in an interesting way.

The first can be something as simple as using a standout seasonal vegetable: heirloom tomatoes in the summer, delicata squash in the fall, root veggies in the winter or garlic ramps in the springs. On the other hand, you can use ingredients that are unique to where you are: Spam in Hawaii, lobster in Maine, Hatch green chile in New Mexico, or cheese curds in Wisconsin.

My favorite items to add onto pizzas have big flavor. By that I mean that they bring a good amount of heat, salt, acid or more rarely for me, sweetness. If cornered, I would probably say that my absolute favorite pizza topping is roasted jalapeños and there are a fair amount of these gracing my menu at any given time. I love their bold intensity, the slight smoke it gives off and the fact that you can pair it with everything from juicy sweets, like fresh peaches, to tart pickled cauliflower or salty meats.

When I was at Pizza Expo this year, I made pizzas alongside Lee Hunzinger. He had made a pepperoni jam so good it haunted me. I kept thinking about it, dreaming about it. So, of course I needed to make my own version. I decided to center it around the Calabrese salami that we use at my shop. Naturally I added in roasted jalapeños then reduced it with a local Colorado beer to give it a depth of flavor. Once I had what I was looking for, I thought about what would balance out the assertiveness of the jam. To temper the heat from the jalapeños I made a base of whole milk mozzarella and ricotta cheeses. Since there was no fruit in the jam, I finished it with fresh blackberries and added crunch with fresh arugula and toasted pumpkin seeds.

Now onto preparation. Certain pizza toppings are no brainers when it comes to preparation while others require more time and thought. That being said, you can turn the most common ingredient into the highlight of any pizza. Depending on what equipment you have at your shop, there are multiple ways to bring out flavors and textures in produce. Whether you roast, fry, sauté, blanch, pickle, blend or just leave veggies raw will determine how they taste and feel in your mouth and how they work with other toppings.

You can turn an unassuming leek into the star of the show with different cooking techniques. Roasting it creates an almost creamy flavor. Dusting it in flour, frying it and sprinkling on sea salt makes it the perfect crunchy finisher and pickling it will add a hit of crunch and acid. Even spinach has multiple ways that it can be prepared: piled high as the base of the pie and baked into the cheese, added post-oven for a crunchy element or blanched and then pureed with cheese for a creamy sauce.

Meat is also transformed by how you cook it and when you add it to your pizza. Take cured meats. I am usually partial to adding them post bake since the beauty of a cured meat is slicing it thin and letting it melt in your mouth. There are instances where that rule can be broken. If you have the ends of prosciutto to use up feel free to put it on pre-bake and watch it transform into salty meat croutons. Sausage, on the other hand, can taste different just by its form. If you cook it off as a link and then slice it, the taste will be texturally different than pinching it raw from bulk straight onto the pizza. Other meats, like chicken, beef or pork can be marinated, braised, grilled or roasted to add dramatic flavors to your pies.

The main component of a pizza can also be the sauce. It’s actually one of my favorite items to create. One of our most popular pies is an Amatriciana pizza. I created a sauce that was my take on the classic Italian amatriciana pasta sauce, then topped it with bacon, sweet onions and finished it with a chili oil. Not very traditional but it makes an impression and works well as a cohesive pizza. Pestos are another great way to bring out bold flavors and add color. They turn a basic roasted vegetable pizza or standard pepperoni into something spectacular. Where you put the sauce will determine how your customers taste it. If it’s on top, then it will be the first flavor that hits your tongue as opposed to under the cheese where it is a bit more disguised and blends well with the fatty creaminess of your chosen dairy.

As you can see, there are endless combinations of creative pizza toppings. Once you’ve decided on your main ingredient, what you pair it with is just a matter of balancing it out.

Audrey Kelly owns Audrey Jane’s Pizza Garage in Boulder, Colorado.

The post Pizza Combinations: The Main Ingredient appeared first on Pizza Today.

Cuffers & Barneys: Long-term and short-term employees

One of my managers quit on the spot. I walked into his restaurant at 6:00 a.m. on Monday morning, the time every manager performs their weekly inventory and paperwork. He was sitting at his desk. I said, “Good morning.” He looked at me and said, “I can’t take it anymore”, handed me his keys and walked out the door.

Not exactly how I like to begin my week.

I pride myself on keeping employees long-term. Not every employee. Just the ones that should stay. What do I mean by this? After 40 years in the pizza business, I am a realist, and I understand the nature of those of us who work in pizza restaurants. To understand employee retention, we must first understand our employees’ needs.

The first category of employees is short timers. I call these ‘Cuffers’. The word is derived from a dating term ‘Cuffing Season’. Some roles in the pizza restaurant are, by design, transitory and minimum wage. These roles are not intended to be a career and they are not intended to be a ‘living wage’. These roles are for entry level, second job or students. They are temporary workers transitioning from one part of their life to another with us providing work along the way.

The second category of employees is longer term. I call these ‘Barneys’. Because Barney is a dinosaur…he’s been around a long time. Barneys may want to learn and grow with the company. They may want promotions and more responsibility. Some Barneys just want a steady full-time job with the same hours every week, so they can spend time with their family and raise their children.

As pizza owners and operators, we are in a business that averages an 80-percent turnover rate. That means if you have 25 employees on payroll, you issued 45 W-2s for the year. In other words, 20 people who you hired no longer work for you.

• Turnover rate = (#W-2s – #Current Employees / #Current Employees) * 100

How do we improve over the restaurant-industry average? The way we retain Cuffers differs from the way we retain Barneys. Let us discuss both.

Cuffers — long-term employees

It is interesting that managers often believe wages are the most important need of an employee. Not so with a Cuffer. Here are the needs of a Cuffer:

1. Schedule flexibility – time off
2. Schedule posted on time so they can plan their lives
3. Schedule flexibility – missing scheduled shifts
4. Get along with co-workers
5. Fun job environment
6. Desire to learn
7. Feeling part of a team
8. Management support with difficulties
9. Enough hours per week
10. Regular evaluations for pay rate increases

How do we retain Cuffers?

Notice that the first three needs relate to their schedule. By implementing the following system for scheduling, you will retain Cuffers much longer.

•Do the schedule weekly

•Post the schedule on Thursday

•Have an ‘Availability Form’ for each employee that indicates the hours they are available

•Have a folder next to the schedule on the bulletin board labelled ‘Request Off’ that says:

Must be on 8 ½ x 11 piece of paper

Must be in by Wednesday of the week before the schedule is made

Must have your name and the day/date/time requested off

•The rules are these:

All schedule requests will be honored

Once the schedule is posted, the shifts are the responsibility of the person assigned to the shift.

If the employee cannot fulfill the shift, the employee must get someone to cover for them

If an employee cannot find a co-worker to cover for them (they are required to try), they may call the manager and make it the manager’s problem

Taking care of the three primary needs of a Cuffer will result in a dramatic reduction in turnover.

Barneys — long-term employees

A Barney has different needs:

1. Enough hours per week
2. Regular evaluations for pay rate increases
3. Management support with difficulties
4. Schedule flexibility – time off
5. Desire to learn
6. Feeling part of a team
7. Get along with co-workers
8. Schedule posted on time so they can plan their lives
9. Schedule flexibility – missing scheduled shifts
10. Fun job environment

As you can see, the needs of Cuffers and Barneys are almost polar-opposite.

How do we retain Barneys? By monitoring how many hours they are working per week, reviewing their results as related to their pay, and maintaining an open line of communication. This can all be
accomplished by meeting one-on-one at least quarterly.

Just like a Cuffer, by addressing the three primary needs of a Barney, you will see a dramatic reduction in turnover.

Back to my Monday morning. My manager was a Barney who had been with me for over five years. We were just coming out of Covid and the challenges of his crew being out sick and the difficulty during that time of hiring new employees all led to tremendous stress and long work weeks. He was no longer following the scheduling guidelines, and often didn’t post the schedule until Sunday night. He was moody from working open-to-close shifts. In the preceding week, he had lost two Barneys. two more Barneys had given him notice that they were moving away. Let’s look at his three primary needs:

1. Enough hours per week. He was actually working too many hours.
2. Regular evaluations for pay rate increases. While he was making a lot of overtime pay, he was not achieving his goal numbers for pay raises or bonuses.
3. Management support for difficulties. As we were both busy, we had not had a one-on-one meeting for over a year.

As leaders, we must address the needs of our team members. Losing my Barney was my failure. It was a valuable lesson and the impetus for me to address the needs of the different types of employees. This has directly led to higher employee retention through lower turnover.

Because without Cuffers & Barneys, we’d be making ALL the pizzas!

DAN COLLIER is the founder of Pizza Man Dan’s in California and a speaker at International Pizza Expo.

The post A Lesson in Employee Retention appeared first on Pizza Today.

A Look at Pizza Places around the U.S.

Silly Al’s Pizza | Quartzsite, Arizona

Robbie Robertson helped his father Al build the restaurant in 1987. “We believe our continued success is because of our consistency,” Robbie says. “We are open every day 10-10, with the exception of Thanksgiving and Christmas. We have the very best employees, and we use the best and freshest products we can find. All of our Pizzas, salads and sandwiches are made to order. Our Pizzas are hand tossed and our kitchen is open so the customers can watch their food being prepared. We are always willing to adapt to changes in society and technology. We welcome all new ideas and input from employees and customers.” Silly Al’s offers a wide selection of pizza as well as a gluten-free, low carb cauliflower Parmesan crust. A house specialty pizza is Al’s Reuben Pizza with mustard, mozzarella, sauerkraut, pastrami, onions and cheddar. The menu also features appetizers, salads, sandwiches and pastas.

Slice and Dice Pizzeria | Albuquerque, New Mexico

This west side pizza spot just added a second location. The concept focuses on pizza, local beer and board games. Slice and Dice provides an extensive board game library that customers can choose from to enjoy while dining. They offer a wide menu of appetizers, salads BYO and specialty pizzas, subs and desserts. The menu also highlights vegan options. Specialty pizzas include the Blanco, a white pie with mascarpone, spinach, artichoke hearts and mozzarella. Desserts include churro dipped in cinnamon sugar with strawberry, apple or cajeta filling. Take it one step further with churro donuts.

Bird Pizzeria | Charlotte, North Carolina

This East Coast-style pizzeria was just named one of the South’s Best New Restaurants 2023 by Southern Living, referring to the menu as “purposeful and tidy”.  The menu offers a Kale Caesar and three pizza options (plain pie, white pie and vegan pie) to which customers add their favorite toppings. The list includes pepperoni, sausage, portobello/white mushroom mix, red/white onion mix, Calabrian peppers, jalapeno peppers, arugula, kale and hot honey. The quaint pizza spot has outdoor seating and a walk-up window.

The post Pizza Destinations: Silly Al’s Pizza, Quartzsite, AZ; Slice and Dice Pizzeria Albuquerque, NM; Bird Pizzeria Charlotte, NC appeared first on Pizza Today.

Fall Pizza Recipe by Chris Decker

Chris Decker, Managing Partner, Metro Pizza, Las Vegas

I think I speak for most when I say that autumn is the best time of year. The colors of the leaves, football, holidays around corner, and for all the Pumpkin Spice Latte lovers out there, this is your season.  So, I thought about the most “fall” pizza I could share with you. My first bite was like wearing my favorite sweatshirt. You know that feeling….

This, like most of my recipes, has some work involved. But it is worth it when you get a chance to try this. What you’ll need to make 4 10-inch pizzas:

Chris Decker is managing partner at Metro Pizza in Las Vegas, NV.  Instagram: @everythingbutanchovies

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Pizza is clearly my number one food, but my second favorite is ice cream. They’re both simple on the surface but much deeper upon examination. Ice cream brings us back to our youth, just like pizza. It’s not uncommon to see ice cream or gelato in a pizzeria, but not all shops have the real estate to squeeze in the equipment. I’ve noticed an interesting ice cream solution popping up at hip new shops across the country that takes up less space, is easier to serve, and makes it easier to customize unique flavors. It seems like every new pizzeria I walk into has a soft serve machine. At first, I thought it was just a quirk at a few pizzerias, but the sight of soft serve has become common enough for me to think it might be the next big thing.

The soft ice cream of my childhood wasn’t very good. It was grainy and flavorless, plus it melted way too quickly. On the contrary, soft serve I get at pizzerias now is creamy and sturdy, with stiff peaks that don’t disintegrate in the summer heat. It’s more like frozen custard than the stuff you get from a Mister Softee truck in New York City.

Pizzerias that serve soft ice cream all seem to be of the upscale variety, so they’re springing for the better machines and higher quality ingredients. These are the pizzerias that obsess over their fermentation process and nitpick over the settings on their ovens, so it’s only fitting that they’re extending the concept to their dessert options. Rather than buying gallons of somebody else’s hard ice cream, they’re creating their own flavors by adding fresh fruit, concentrates, syrups, nut butters and other natural flavorings to a soft serve base.

Just last week I had a phenomenal swirl of pistachio and cantaloupe at a pizzeria in Brooklyn that creates new flavors every week. I love how they’re able to employ the concept of seasonal rotation with soft serve just as pizzerias do on their pizzas. They must love it because I buy way more soft serve when I know I’m getting a limited-edition flavor that won’t be around next time I swing by.

For the operator, soft serve has plenty of logistical benefits over hard ice cream and gelato. The machine takes up less space than a reach-in freezer, so all you need is some available counterspace. Service is faster because it doesn’t require scooping. Most machines have just two flavor banks, so the customer doesn’t spend 35 minutes tasting and choosing between a million different flavors. There’s very little cleanup and maintenance unless it’s time to swap in a new flavor.

Just like with hard ice cream, toppings are a fantastic way to notch up your soft serve. The first time I experienced high end soft serve at a pizzeria was about 12 years ago at Pizzeria Picco in Larkspur, California. This was the first time I saw extra virgin olive oil and flaky sea salt on ice cream. It was a serious revelation for me because it combined the humble experience of eating ice cream with the upscale panache of fancy unexpected toppings. This past March, Chef Wylie Dufresne opened Stretch Pizza in Manhattan. Chef Dufresne is known for his incredibly creative and playful cooking methods, so it should be no surprise that Stretch’s dessert menu features a banana soft serve with optional peanut butter dip and babka breadcrumbs.

Pizza in general is becoming more mature and thoughtful as pizza makers dig deeper into their process. It’s a joy to see that ice cream is doing the same.

SCOTT WIENER is the founder of Scott’s Pizza Tours in New York City and SliceOutHunger.org  Instagram: @scottspizzatours

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One pizza maker’s journey into the business after “analysis paralysis”

I opened up a pretzel vending business in 2017 after finding a gourmet pretzel from San Diego Pretzel company. I acquired an old school pretzel cart from the guy who used to sell pretzels at the Pasadena Rose Parade. Not 100 percent sure what or where was next, my wife suggested, “Why don’t you sell pretzels at the Breweries?”  Genius!

We sold pretzels from San Diego to Sacramento and many breweries in between. As a big craft beer fan, it was a great gig. Beer and Pretzels are a perfect match. I also specialized in homemade mustard, flavored mustard blends and eventually several cheese sauces. It was going great, then Covid hit. The brewery business in California was closed for on-site consumption and events. I was out of business.

After re opening, I knew my model had to shift and grow. Selling “snacks” for $4-$6 dollars was fun, but not very lucrative or even profitable some days.  I decided making pizzas was next to get that average price up to $16-$20. Beer and Pizza are also a natural pairing, plus it’s a meal! 

I went all in on learning the pizza profession. I attended Pizza Expo in Las Vegas and nerded out, learning so much from the stars of the pizza world. I listened to almost 100 podcast episodes. I learned about different doughs, oven types, tomato manufacturers, cheese and so many stories about people rising in the pizza world. I already had a great game making home pizza, but I knew so little about the logistics of going pro for the public. In preparation to going back to the breweries, I followed a suggestion to donate pizzas to a local cause. I did a dozen pop-up events in front of my house to fundraise for my son’s high school football team.

I raised almost $2,500 for the program, got some great experience and received extremely good feedback on my pizza. Several neighbors suggested a local market had a pizza oven that no one was baking in. After talking to the owner of Jackson Market I started making pizza in their wood fired oven.

Some good deeds do go unpunished!

For the last several months now, I have operated Market Pizza by Drew Butler and it has been life changing. As a longtime excellent home cook, I never wanted to make my passion into a profession for fear of it turning into “work.” And I’m sure you all know the saying, “if you love what you do, you’ll never work a day in your life.” It’s absolutely true. I’m doing what I love, and my customers are loving my pizza. The plethora of positive feedback has filled my tank abundantly; more than anything else I’ve ever done. I now live for it, and it has made me very happy.

Of course, any business owner knows it is hard work with long hours that you wouldn’t trade for anything. I trained my son and he improved rapidly. To work beside him was a highlight of parenting. Truly. The pizza world has amazing people, community and consumers. It’s a fantastic industry that I’m blessed to part of.

In closing, may I suggest starting your dream, your passion today. It took me way too long to start while doing “homework” and investigating, etc. All of that is fine but can lead to analysis paralysis. In reality, dreams don’t start tomorrow; dreams begin right NOW!  Go for it. Today.

DREW BUTLER is owner-operator of Market Pizza.

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When it comes to pizza sales, ham is a top pizza topping contender

Ham doesn’t get the fame and notoriety that other pizza toppings do these days. But don’t discount ham. When it comes to pizza sales, ham is still a top contender. In our State of the Pizzeria Industry Report, we found that ham is a Top 10 pizza topping according to pizzeria operators in every state in the U.S.

Get to the “Bottom” of Ham

Ham is cut from the hind legs and rump of a pig. Simply cooking the fresh pork is still considered ham. But when you preserve the cut, that’s where the magic happens, and America’s most popular hams are born. While you can technically preserve any cut of the pork, only hind legs and butt can be considered ham. Common cuts are the center slice, butt end and ham shank. The shank tends to be fattier than the butt end. Ham can be purchased bone-in or boneless.

Taste varies widely by purveyor. Ham is either dry-cured or brine-cured with salt. Ham can also be smoked and aged.

Let’s look at four of the most common hams for use in a pizzeria.

• City ham. These are wet cured in a brine of saltwater and pre-cooked. City ham is typically found in grocery stores. City hams offer a well-rounded favor and moist texture.
• Country ham. The dry cured ham are salted and smoked. The curing process can take several months. Country hams tend to have a more robust salty flavor and a drier texture.
• Prosciutto. The dry cured Italian ham is thinly sliced. While some favor baking it, prosciutto is at its best as a post-bake item. Prosciutto is sweet, salty and full of flavor.
• Canadian bacon. This one isn’t really ham at all, though it often gets put in the same classification. It is cut from the pork loin, cured and smoked before it is sliced into the rounds its known for.  The lean meat is tender and tastes similar to ham.

Ham is a versatile pizza topping. There are few typical pizza ingredients that do not pair well with the hearty and salty flavor of the ham of your choosing.

One of my favorite combinations is the Capricciosa that features Italian (or substitute your favorite ham), mushrooms, artichokes and olives. You could also go with anchovies, instead of olives, if you have a market for them.

Since we’ve moved into the colder months, ham is perfect on a white pie that features an Alfredo sauce. Pair it with mushrooms and even balsamic caramelized onions or broccoli.

Four words: Chicken Cordon Bleu Pizza. This is one of the best sandwich turned pizzas out there. It’s hearty and flavorful. We happen to have a dynamite recipe that was created by a longtime contributor Jeffrey Freehof.

Chicken Cordon Bleu Pizza

Get the Chicken Cordon Bleu recipe.

The best ham and cheese sandwich meets pizza

I love ham and cheese sandwiches. I’m on a never-ending quest to find the right combination of cheese to pair with the saltiness of ham. Alas, a little restaurant I know makes the best ham and cheese I’ve ever had. It’s so great that I order it once a week. So, I’m using that as inspiration for a hot ham and cheese pizza. Since I’m based in Louisville, Kentucky, I’m using country ham but pick your favorite ham. I’m calling it the Oh Hot Ham and Cheese and here’s the recipe:

Oh Hot Ham & Cheese Pizza

Get the Oh Hot Ham & Cheese Pizza recipe.

The famous Hawaiian Pizza

Hawaiian Sunshine Pizza

Hawaiian pizza is one of the most popular pizzas in America. The traditional combination is tomato sauce, ham (or
bacon) and pineapple. We ended the debate of whether pineapple belongs on pizza a long time ago when the Hawaiian pizza was introduced in 1962. Sam Panopolulos is credited with creating the first Hawaiian pizza at his Satellite restaurant in Chattam, Ontario, Canada.

Over the years, several iterations of the classic Hawaiian have been introduced throughout America. Here are a few versions that we’ve seen hit big:

• Ham, pineapple, jalapeno, red sauce and mozzarella
• Chicken, ham, pineapple, BBQ sauce, mozzarella
• Prosciutto, burrata, pineapple, fresh mozzarella, basil, sweet red sauce
• Canadian bacon, pineapple, white cheddar/mozzarella blend, marinara
• Pepperoni, ham, pineapple, roasted poblanos, sweet red sauce and provolone/mozzarella blend
• Ham, bacon, pineapple, mozzarella, sweet bell pepper and red sauce

Here’s yet another take on a Hawaiian Pizza from PizzaToday.com:

Hawaiian Sunshine Pizza

Get the Hawaiian Sunshine Pizza recipe.

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Hitting Walls or Ceilings with Growth

From routine seasonal slumps to a global pandemic, there are many reasons for restaurant sales to flatten or decrease occasionally. Whether it’s due to the initial excitement of a grand opening wearing off, or people simply ordering less pizza than they once did, there are times when revenues decrease. Pizzeria owners say they have strategies for increasing sales during temporary slumps, and they also work to prevent hitting these walls or ceilings of growth.

In general, the COVID-19 crisis inspired restaurant operators to improve their delivery processes, build takeout operations and boost to-go sales. In later months, as protocols changed, restaurants had to come up with new ways to maintain or increase sales.

Lena’s Wood-Fired Pizza & Tap, which opened in Alexandria, Virginia in 2015, shifted to takeout sales and stayed open during the initial pandemic shutdowns. When outdoor dining resumed, the team installed a tent on top of the nearby parking structure and opened Lena’s Oasis, a pop-up tropical venue. There is also a dog-friendly Lena’s Beer Garden, a small outdoor space.

Later, when restaurants were allowed to reopen their dining spaces, Lena’s had to adapt again. People had eaten pizza throughout the pandemic, says operations director Donna Shore, so when competing restaurants reopened, customers flocked to those other cuisines. “We kept seeing these dips in our sales,” she says. “We had to think on our feet.”

The restaurant took over the second floor of its space and opened The Loft at Lena’s. The room changes décor every few months to offer customers a different immersive experience. Over the winter the space had a ski lodge theme, and in spring there were flowers and swings for Instagram posts. “The camera eats first,” Shore says. The social media exposure helped the neighborhood eatery gain a regional following.

Today the pop-up is closed but the Loft, Beer Garden and original Pizza & Tap maintain sales momentum by offering meals and experiences. Lena’s offers wine events such as $175 classes that include a four or five course meal, history, trivia and information on how to pair wines with pizza and Italian foods. The two-and-a-half hour classes sell out quickly. “It keeps us fresh,” Shore says. “It keeps people coming in wanting a piece of the whole Lena’s experience.”

Lena’s, which is named after owner Jason Yates’ mother, also expanded its private events offerings. Lena’s added new pizzas to the menu, such as jambalaya pizza and Korean barbecue pizza, and a feta and hot honey appetizer that is heated in the pizza oven. It also has promotions such as Meatball Madness, a March event that benefits the local Boys and Girls Club. “We do try to stay ahead,” Shore says. “That’s what the pandemic taught us, you can’t stand still.”

Some sales slowdowns are more routine, such as seasonal fluctuations. Take January for example. “When you look at people’s mindsets after the holidays, people are watching their waistlines and their wallets,” says Travis Smith, vice president of marketing at Mr Gatti’s Pizza, based in Fort Worth, Texas. “For new year’s resolutions, pizza is not the first thing you think of.”

The franchise company, with more than 70 locations open, emphasizes its salad bars and cauliflower crust pizzas in marketing materials during this time of year. Also, as a restaurant in the Family Entertainment Center (FEC) category, Mr Gatti’s also focuses on its games and party offerings.

Mr Gatti’s Pizza has signed several franchise agreements that will double the number of the brand’s units. One detail the owners must prepare for is a potential lull after the grand opening sales spike. Mr Gatti’s tries to be proactive to fend off these slumps. The owners start promoting the new restaurant 60 days prior to opening, and the event includes free games and giveaways. To build local goodwill, the team drops off free pizzas at the local firehouse and supports little league teams and food banks.

“We have locations in large markets and small markets, and the thing they all have in common is connection to the community,” Smith says. “The franchise owner is hands-on.” The goal is to be ingrained in the marketplace, so that dining at Mr Gatti’s Pizza becomes part of consumers’ routines. 

Owners seeking advice can call someone on Mr Gatti’s franchise advisory council or they can call Smith, who gives franchisees his cell number. “We can look to the system and the experience we have with other operators, and we are able to tap the knowledge that has been built up over decades,” Smith says of the 54-year-old brand. “We definitely have a resource in our history that we can tap and look back on what we’ve done in a similar time.”

It helps to have sales figures available so that owners can respond quickly. The three-location Taglio Bar + Pizzeria and one-location A Tavola in Cincinnati, Ohio completes several weekly and monthly reports and audits to analyze sales, costs and purchases. “We have regular weekly meetings with our teams at each location,” says Jake Goodwin, chief operating officer and co-owner. “We spend that time focused on building sales, systems, our teams, training and all costs and purchases reports and audits.” Also, meetings with the accountant were increased from monthly to weekly.

The group, which opened the third location of Taglio in June last year, tries to be proactive in maintaining sales. “As with all of our locations we have to become a part of our community and neighborhood,” Goodwin says. The restaurants joined the Montgomery Chamber of Commerce and volunteered for community events. They also teamed up with a real estate management company to provide open house and move in baskets for all tenants. Taglio/A Tavola created a calendar and systems to send out menus and delivery postcards to reach new customers, invested in new software for social media management and guest e-mails, and integrated new point of sale features including text marketing and an updated online ordering layout.

Maintaining focus is important. “We focused in on consistent service and food quality,” Goodwin says. “These two pillars are what Taglio is founded on and is what will continue to drive sales.”

NORA CALEY is a freelance writer who covers small business, finance and lifestyle topics.

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Pizzas from Across the U.S. to Get You Excited for National Pepperoni Pizza Day

National Pepperoni Pizza Day is September 20th. This food holiday honors America’s favorite pizza topping, the pepperoni. It is not only Pizza Today saying, pepperoni is No. 1. Pizzeria operators across the country indicated in our survey for the State of the Pizzeria Industry Report that pepperoni was the No.1 selling pizza topping.

Pepperoni isn’t the only pizza topping to get a special holiday, find out 10 Can’t Miss Pizza Holidays.

What is Pepperoni?

John Gutekanst answered the question (What is Pepperoni?) in Pep Talk. He said, “The history of pepperoni is vague. There is no cured meat called “pepperoni” in Italy. It is thought that the millions of Italian immigrants who landed here created this semi-spicy salami out of new-world ingredients. It could have been modeled on the Salame di Napoli, which is made with garlic, wine and chili. Or perhaps it’s based on the Salsiccia di Calabria, which has fennel, chilies, wine and garlic.

While pepperoni is like a lot of salami, its beauty lies in the depth of flavor released when it is heated. The fat and spice content, along with the small circumference of each slice in modern pepperoni, react to heat unlike any larger salami. Almost all dry-cured, medium-fat salumi like soppressata, lonza, coppa, Calabrese, Prosciutto di Parma and cotechino tend to release more fat and flavor when you lay a thin slice on an oven-warmed pizza, but not under direct heat. Pepperoni’s inherent flavor concentration releases copious amounts of fatty flavor in high temperatures without burning the whole slice. There are some advantages that certain pepperoni types have above the others. Like all foods you buy for your customers, it all depends upon the price you are willing pay for quality.” Read the full article Pep Talk now!

Pepperoni comes in many forms. There are several pepperoni styles that give pizzas a different look from the standard round and cup and char pepperoni to large old world and cubed pepperoni.

8 Pepperoni Pizzas from some of the Hottest Pizzerias in the U.S.

Pizza Today travels America visiting some of best pizzerias in the U.S. The Pepperoni Pizza is often one of the selected pizzas that pizzeria operators like to show off and let us try. Here is a collection Pepperoni Pizzas from our travels:

No. 1: Modern Apizza, New Haven, Connecticut

No. 2: Razza, Jersey City, New Jersey

No. 3: Metro Pizza, Las Vegas, Nevada

No. 4: Via Tribunali, Seattle, Washington

No. 5: Via 313, Austin, Texas

No. 6: Fine Folk Pizza, Fort Myers, Florida

No. 7: Paulie Gee’s, Brooklyn, NY

No. 8: Andolini’s Pizzeria, Tulsa, Oklahoma

More Pepperoni Celebration on Pizza Today Instagram and Facebook

We aren’t done celebrating National Pepperoni Pizza Day. Earlier this week, we did a callout for pepperoni pizzas. Pizzerias from across the country submitted their pepperoni pizzas. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram as we share pepperoni pizzas.

The post National Pepperoni Pizza Day — September 20 appeared first on Pizza Today.

4 Trending Chicken Pizza Recipes

Did you know that chicken is the 6^th most popular pizza topping? When we surveyed the pizzeria industry for the 2023 State of the Pizzeria Industry Report, we asked for their top pizza toppings on their menu. Chicken ranked as a Top 10 Pizza Topping.

Using Chicken in your Restaurant

Before we get to recipe ideas, let’s talk logistics of serving chicken. We assigned Melissa Rickman, owner of Wholly Stromboli in Fort Lupton, Colorado, to provide tips for serving chicken in your restaurant. Here are a few takeaways from her advice:

• Go for quality over price.
• Charge for a premium chicken product.
• Avoid using raw chicken on the makeline. The risk of cross-contamination is too great.
• Don’t be afraid to used marinades and seasoning to make chicken stand out.

Check out the full article: How to source and prepare chicken for your Restaurant.

Now let’s talk breaded chicken pizzas

Breaded chicken is a great option in a pizzeria due to its versatility. Use it in apps, salads, sandwiches, pizzas, pastas and other entrees.

We looked through our archives and this isn’t the first time that breaded chicken hit a hot trend. Gotcha Covered: Breaded chicken makes a great pizza topping, Pizza Today looked at delicious possibilities with breaded chicken.

Need inspiration for your own specialty breaded chicken pies? Consider the following combinations:

• Chicken Parmesan (breaded chicken, tomato sauce and mozzarella).
• Chicken-Bacon-Ranch (cheese, bacon, breaded chicken and tomatoes with buttermilk ranch dressing drizzle).
• Tex-Mex Chicken (either red or green enchilada sauce topped with corn, diced breaded chicken, chilies, cheese, cilantro and drizzled in salsa).
• Barbecue Chicken (barbecue sauce topped with cheese, breaded chicken, bell peppers and onions).

Go to Gotcha Covered: Breaded chicken makes a great pizza topping.

Trending Breaded Chicken Pizza Recipes that Customers Love

There are four tried and tested breaded chicken pizzas that are instant hits on menus. Depending on your customer base and region, one of these may be even more of a smash. Test these four trending breaded chicken pizza recipes in your kitchen.

1. Tony’s Trending Recipe: Chicken Parm Pizza

2. Nashville Hot Chicken Pizza

3. Boneless Buffalo Wing Pizza

4. Chicken “Cordon Blacon

Do you have a creative breaded chicken pizza? Tag us @PizzaToday a photo of it on social.

The post Breaded Chicken as a Pizza Topping is What’s Hot! appeared first on Pizza Today.

Q&A with John Tabone, Bar Pazzo Scranton, Pennsylvania

Concept:

Bar Pazzo’s concept is to be “not your average” neighborhood restaurant. With a strong commitment to service, we wanted to create something not only very approachable, but also hip and classy at the same time. The menu is centered around wood-fired pizza, but it also includes scratch-made pastas, seasonal plates and house made gelato. We recently celebrated our 7th birthday and I’m very proud to see our vision unfold.

Pizza Style & Dough:

Our wood-fired pizza is Neapolitan inspired. We utilize the same methods as the iconic Napoli pizza but with a local twist. We bake our pizzas at 750 F, which is slightly lower then the approved temperature of 900 F. This allows the pizza to achieve a bit more structure and a slightly crispier crust. Our dough is 65-percent hydration and is cold fermented for at least 72 hours. We offer four staple pizzas including the classic Margherita. We also offer four seasonal, chef driven pizzas such as our “Bikini Bottom” pizza. This staff favorite has ground beef chuck, kirby cucumber pickles, chopped onion and then finished with comeback sauce!

What is your background that led you to the industry?

Growing up in a close-knit Italian American family has undoubtedly led me into the hospitality industry. Food was always front and center. I witnessed early on in life that food not only curates experiences, but also creates connections. With a curious and creative mind set I entered the restaurant business. Early on I witnessed how food, service and hospitality can have an impact on someone and quickly became obsessed. I’m now doing this over 30 years and it’s become my lifestyle.

Your Sunday Supper Series looks amazing. Tell us about how you execute these special events that draw attention to your culinary focus?

My Sunday Supper Series is an opportunity for me to challenge myself outside the monotonous vigor of running the restaurant. Each theme combines my vision of what I’m researching at the time, coupled with an old-fashioned dining experience. Very much like the clique Italian Sunday dinner where everyone rubs elbows and sits together. This promotes a lot of fun interactions with the guests. The menu and execution has to be well thought out. Without compromising quality, I do as much in advance as possible, including all the baking and pastries. As a chef, everything must be centered around the quality and presentation of the food. I leave no detail unturned, including the table scapes, music and uniforms. I source as many authentic ingredients, wines and spirits to showcase and match each theme. These multi-coursed dinners have gained a lot of momentum over the past two years and continue to be fun for both me and my Sunday Supper family!

More Conversations with Pizza Pros in People & Pizzerias.

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