If I had to choose between the best counter and phone person or the best pizza maker, I choose the best customer service rep. Pizza makers are made through a mentoring training program. You make and shape them into pizza assembly machines. On the oth...

Co-branding is a hot trend in the retail food industry today, but simply pairing with another brand does not necessarily produce results. In fact, the reverse could be true if you don’t select the right partner. There are several factors to kee...

Like other types of yeast leavened bread doughs, pizza doughs will benefit from fermenting for a period of time before using or baking it. Fermentation provides dough conditioning, making the dough easier to shape. It also reduces the propensity of t...

It’s a day pizzeria operators live for! Anxious customers await seats or gather at the register. Telephones hum with carryout orders. Sales flow like the Colorado River racing through the Grand Canyon. By the way, get a load of that fellow with...

A customer leaves without paying, and you want to make the server pay for the meal. Another customer spills red wine on her white blouse and demands you pay the dry cleaning bill. A manager works 51 hours one week and wants to be paid eleven hours at...

This is very easy to do, and all that’s needed is a simple calculator. Begin by deciding how much flour you want to use in your dough formula. Keep in mind that the weights of the ingredients will be given in the same weight units in which you ...

Spring and summer means outdoor pests are looking to find a way in, and your protein supply (think flour, more specifically) is a welcome mat for them. The following measures can help you overcome your battle with insects in and around your restauran...

Climbing commodities, fewer diners, eroding economy: does it spell “d-o-o-m” for your pizzeria? Not if you take control o your crucial costs — those that we can control on a daily basis. The total of these controllable costs are ter...

How long has it been since you checked the guard on your slicer? When did you last test the safety cut-off on your roller or examine the condition of extension cords? I’d do it sooner than later, because those items are among many pizzeria-appl...

• Place meats, fish and dairy products near the back of the walk-in, where it is the coldest. Also, do not store meats on top of or over other items, such as cheese. • Store produce and dough toward the front, where it is slightly warmer. &...

Three years ago we did a study to answer this very question. We found we could use the dough on the same day, if we allowed the dough to ferment for two hours after it was mixed and formed into balls. With fermentation times of less than two hours th...

The Dough Doctor addresses making pizza with low protein flour Q: Our regular high gluten flour has gone through the roof cost wise. I’ve got an opportunity to buy some lower protein content flour at a much cheaper price. What do I need to do to al...