Keeping kitchen staff interested should be a top concern   Burnout on the cook or make lines can spell disaster for pizzerias, especially if undetected. Bored, fatigued or indifferent cooks can get sloppy and careless, endangering product consis...

Operators rush to add Mediterranean flavors and ingredients to their menus   Want to update your menu? One great resource is looking back at the classics –– Greek classics, that is. From sundried tomatoes and artichoke hearts to feta and oli...

Print Lost River Pickle Chips Author: Pizza Today   Recipe courtesy of Keith Coffman, Lost River Pizza Company, Bowling Green, Kentucky Ingredients 1 gallon Franks Red Hot 1 pound of butter 1 tablespoon of garlic powder 1 tablespoon of onio...

[SlideDeck2 id=39763] Like a lot of his foodservice counterparts, Keith Coffman didn’t necessarily plan to become a pizza maker. In fact, he was doing quite well in other industries before opening Lost River Pizza in 2011. “I had zero experience ...

Hire right, train right, sleep tight   Let’s eavesdrop on a conversation taking place in a pizzeria in Any Town USA right now…. Harried restaurant manager: “We’re short delivery drivers. Thankfully, this guy Joe just walked in lookin...

Increase your bottom line with inexpensive ideas   When it comes to increasing check totals, pizzerias have it tough. Pizza is filling by itself, and many customers don’t consider anything beyond pizza and breadsticks. I want to share some fas...

Mia Figlia (pronounced, “Mee-ah Fee-lee-ah”) is Italian for “My Daughter.” When John Boudouvas gave his Chicago restaurant that name in July 2010, it was to reflect “the two loves of his life” –– his daughters, Ellena and Angelina. An...

How will minimum-wage increases affect pizzeria operations?   On January 1, Rhode Island’s hourly minimum wage jumped from $8 to $9. The Ocean State’s third minimum wage increase in three years, the New Year’s Day mandate sparked a hefty s...

The fine line between helpful and harmful   My first job in the food business was at Chili’s in Clark, New Jersey. As a busboy, I was pretty much working for the waiters. The more of their tasks I covered, the more they tipped me at the end of...

Give respect to get it   Millennials … a word that can generate a predictable reaction from managers/owners and revealed with dramatic pause, punctuated with expressive eye-rolling, somber head shaking and maybe even a deep sigh. Sound familia...

Q: What’s causing your crust to be too chewy? A: There are a number of factors that can contribute to a tough and chewy crust characteristic. For example, use of a flour that is overly strong (high in protein content) for the dough management proce...

Liberty Hall Pizza 243 N. Union St. Lambertville, NJ  08530 (609) 397-8400 libertyhallpizza.com Recently opened Liberty Hall launched a “Guest Pizzaiolo Series,” bringing in top chefs in New Jersey and Pennsylvania to take over its pizza ovens f...

[SlideDeck2 id=39741] When Paolo Tramontano visited New York on a vacation in 1999, he likely did not realize what his future had in store for him. Nearly 16 years later, he’s living in Nashville and treating the masses to Neapolitan cuisine at his...

Cheaper cuts of beef can rock as hard as expensive protein   Beef is a popular menu item in most every restaurant. In fact, some steakhouses may have nine to 12 different cuts of beef on their menus while most pizzerias have only the usual groun...