Topics
Brand & Marketing
Respecting the Craft: Food competitions
Tony Gemignani answers pizzeria operators questions Q: Why compete in food competitions at International Pizza Expo or anywhere else? A: As an owner everything is done to my specifications and wants. It is rare that I am tested and that I am out of m...
Topics
Employee Management
Social Media: Pizza Tweets and Feeds
Pizza Tweets Denver Pizza Company @DenverPizzaCo Stop in soon for our Lunch Deal. Monday-Friday until 3pm. $5 for a personal pizza, 2 toppings, and a drink. Why it works: Posting a special the day of doesn’t give customers a whole lot of time to pl...
Topics
Menu Development
The hottest ingredients for 2013
Today’s pizzeria customers are savvier than ever thanks in part to a growing trend in upscale options. Sure, pepperoni and cheese are still king in this industry, but customers looking for fresh, organic and locally grown toppings now have more cho...
Topics
Employee Management
Employee Incentives: Winning Attitudes
Pizza Antica was not selling much bottled mineral water. The servers at the four-unit concept, part of the Bacchus Management Group of restaurants in San Francisco, were not even mentioning bottled water to customers. So Pizza Antica launched the Bot...
Topics
Employee Management
Ask Big Dave: Employee morale
Q: I have a large group meet here on Thursdays, and they spend a lot of money. My staff gets bummed when they come because it’s frantic for a few hours. What gives? A: One of my customer service counter people turned to the kitchen and announced th...
Topics
People & Pizzerias
Did You Know? / Places That Rock
Did You Know? More than 10,000 pizza professionals gathered under one roof at last month’s International Pizza Expo in Las Vegas IBISWorld research suggests the pizza industry will grow at a rate of 3.4 percent in 2013 Kentucky has 942 pizzeria...
Topics
Menu Development
Dough Doctor: Wood vs. Metal Pizza Peels
Q: I was recently looking through a catalog that I got at the last Pizza Expo and I saw both wood and metal peels being offered by the different companies. Do you have a preference in one over the other? A: My preference is to use a wood peel as a pr...
Topics
People & Pizzerias
Il Pizzaiolo: Bella Monica
In the literary world, the phrase “write what you know” rings true for many writers. That same principle can be applied in the restaurant industry –– and that’s what Corbett and Julie Monica have done in their 2,770-square-foot trattoria-st...
Topics
Employee Management
Look Inside: Promoting Employees
In 1996, a then-16-year-old Clayton Krueger began working as a dishwasher at Farrelli’s Wood Fire Pizza in Lacey, Washington. Krueger later moved his way through various spots in the kitchen, earning more responsibility and praise along the way. To...
Topics
Employee Management
Man on the Street: Defending the Pizzarazzi
The crowd gasps an undeniable breath of anticipation the moment she appears on stage. After a brief announcement from the emcee, the crowd exchanges quips of admiration regarding the impending performance. As the moment of performance arrives, papara...
Topics
Menu Development
Master Of The Pan
Pizza pans matter when it comes to creating the perfect crust, flavor At an old used restaurant warehouse in West Virginia, I stared into a dark corner at several three-foot stacks of blue-steel pizza pans piled like greasy towers. Their thick, bumpy...
Topics
Employee Management
Move Over, Main Stream
As the Pizza Today crew travels the country and interacts with operators at events like International Pizza Expo, there is one trend that shakes the core of traditional advertising. In lieu of radio, television and newspaper spots, many independent o...