The Cheese Issue

Top Cheese Provolone Smoked

Trends Recipes Cheeses
Page 34 Page 38 Page 42

WHEN IT COMES TO GREATNESS,

NO ONE HAS TO TELL YOU.

Ctipfront_PIZ_0423_Grande.indd 1 2/28/23 8:42 AM

April 2023 / PizzaToday.com

MARCH 2023 / PizzaToday.com

Ctipfront_PIZ_0423.indd 1 3/6/23 2:55 PM

 YOU JUST KNOW.

Ctipback_PIZ_0423_Grande.indd 1 3/1/23 9:13 AM

 4

The Cheese Issue

2023
GHOS T KI T C HENS / / P E S T C ONT ROL / / S M O K E D C H E E S E S / / O PE NI NG & CL O S I NG P R O CE D U R E S

Top Cheese Provolone Smoked

Trends Recipes Cheeses
Page 34 Page 38 Page 42
A PRIL 20 23

April 2023 / PizzaToday.com

FC_PIZ_0422_CoverSpine.indd 1 3/8/23 9:27 AM

 Kiss of
Excellence

The perfect pizza isn’t complete

without the best cheese. And exceptional pizzerias
deserve exceptional cheese. With flavor as big as its
stretch, Bacio® Cheese from Performance Foodservice
delivers unmatched quality to help you shred the
competition. The blend of fresh, Grade A milk with our
signature Kiss of Buffalo Milk® creates an authentic
Italian experience in every slice.
Find out how Bacio can perform for
you at PerformanceFoodservice.
com/Bacio. PerformanceFoodservice.com/ItalianExperts

C2_PIZ_0423_PerformanceFoods.indd 1 3/6/23 9:28 AM

 COMMENTARY
Introducing the PIE Awards
E
merald Expositions and Pizza
Today magazine announced last
month a new industry awards
program designed to honor pizzeria
operators and help celebrate their busi-
ness accomplishments. The Pizza Industry
Excellence (PIE) Awards offer more than
20 categories covering a broad array of
foodservice business disciplines. Inde-
pendent and chain pizzeria operators
alike will be able to register for the PIE
Awards at PizzaToday.com now through
May 4.
Past award winners from the Interna-
tional Pizza Challenge often report a sales
increase in their businesses upwards of
30-35 percent after claiming top honors
at Pizza Expo. If you can garner press
in your market by touting a victory in a
national awards program, you’ll be able to
harness some lasting and meaningful buzz
and word-of-mouth advertising as well.
It’s a business-boosting win!
Though early bird entry pricing ended
March 30, there’s still time to enter. The
fee is $299 for the first registration and
$199 for each additional entry until the
May 4 cutoff date. If you’ve been looking
for an opportunity to make some noise,
here’s your chance.
Cover Photo: stock.adobe.com/Ryzhkov
003_PIZ_0423_COM.indd 3
JEREMY WHITE
JEREMY WHITE
Editor In Chief
jwhite@pizzatoday.com
To see a full listing of award categories, VOLUME 41 • NUMBER 04
APRIL 2023
read the rules and enter, visit Pizza Today.
com.
Speaking of PizzaToday.com, we’re put-
ting more new articles than ever online.
From exclusively digital content to an
early peek at magazine articles, there’s a
lot happening at PizzaToday.com that you
won’t want to miss. So be sure to book-
mark the site and visit it often.
Now that Pizza Expo is in the books,
our attention turns to the Pizza & Pasta
Northeast Show in Atlantic City (Octo-
ber 1-2, 2023). If you’ll be at the show,
be sure to drop me a line to let me know
what sort of seminar content you’d like
to see at this year’s Atlantic City event.
Likewise, if you’ll be at the show and
would like to be one of the featured
interviews at our on-site podcast, reach
out as well. My e-mail is beside my photo
and we’re looking to begin lining up
guests right now for the fall series. Why
not you?
Pizza Today® (ISSN 0743-3115) is published monthly. Domestic U.S. subscriptions are $29.95
for one year. Published by Emerald X, LLC, 100 Broadway, 14th Floor, New York, NY 10005.
Periodicals Postage Paid at New York (USPS 019-749) and additional mailing offices.
Postmaster: Send address change to: Pizza Today, P.O. Box 297, Lincolnshire, IL 60069-0297.
Return undeliverable Canadian addresses to: Emerald X, LLC, c/o P.O. Box 2601, 915 Dixie
Road, Mississauga, ON L4T0A9
A P R I L 2 0 2 3 / P I Z Z AT O D AY. C O M / 3
3/6/23 3:35 PM
 2022_SFP 2-pg Ad_PIZZA_TODAY_ATP2.pdf 3 11/17/22 9:58 AM

CM

MY

CY

CMY

PIZ_0123_Stanislaus.indd 2 11/22/22 4:55 PM

PIZ_0123_Stanislaus.indd 3 11/22/22 4:55 PM
 April
CONTENTS
Smoked Cheese | Page 42

26 Ghost Operations 44 Block vs. Shredded

Learn what you need to consider Cheese
and how to set up a ghost or Find out what you need to know
virtual kitchen. about buying cheese.
By Denise Greer By Dan Collier

28 Indoor Air Quality 48 Opening, Closing Proce-

Find strategies to approach this dures are Changing
often overlooked critical area. Get tips on adjusting opening and
By Daniel P. Smith closing tasks to better fit your
employees.
30 Controlling Pests By Nora Caley
What do you need to know
about invading pests to prevent
them?
By Annelise Kelly

34 Cheese Trends
Explore what’s happening with
cheese and get ideas on new
INSIDE
cheeses to bring to the menu. 3 Commentary
By Denise Greer 8 Digital
10 Conversation
38 Provolone in the Mix 12 Mike’s Monthly Tip
Explore menu ideas and recipes 14 Man on the Street
on how to incorporate this 16 Building Blocks
subtle, yet flavorful cheese. 18 On Deck
By Jeremy White 20 Knead to Know
24 Destinations
50 Product Showcase
42 Smoked Cheese
52 Pizza Today Yellow Pages
Trending
58 The Marketplace
Find out how to use smoke
66 Expo Spotlight
cheeses without overpowering
pizza.
By Denise Greer

6 / P I Z Z AT O D AY. C O M / A P R I L 2 0 2 3

006_PIZ_0423_TC.indd 6 3/6/23 3:36 PM

 Corto_Fresh_Squeezed_Ad_PizzaToday_ATP.pdf 1 6/28/19 5:42 PM

CM

MY

CY

CMY

043_PIZ_0819_CortoOlive.indd 1 7/15/19 1:35 PM

 P I Z Z A T O D AY D I G I TA L

Weekly
Editor-in-Chief, Director of Seminars & Conferences

SUBSCRIBE Jeremy White - jwhite@pizzatoday.com

Executive Editor
Denise Greer - dgreer@pizzatoday.com
Contributing Editors
PIZZA TODAY WEEKLY Tony Gemignani, Mike Bausch, Scott Wiener,
@PizzaToday John Arena, John Gutekanst, Dan Collier
Each week, Pizza Today Weekly delivers quick-to-read
on Facebook, Senior Creative Director
business tips and recipes developed specifically for
Instagram, YouTube, Josh Keown - jkeown@pizzatoday.com
today’s independent and multi-unit pizzeria operators
Twitter & LinkedIn Design Lead
straight to your inbox.
Katie Wilson - kwilson@pizzatoday.com
Production Director
THE HOT SLICE Nan McDowell
We’re bringing our award-winning interviewing and 40 years as a trusted Production Manager
pizza restaurant partner to the airwaves with real, in-depth conversations Vicki Peck - vicki.peck@emeraldx.com
with pizzeria owners, champion pizza makers, industry pros and others to Account Executive
help make your business better. Bob Baker - Robert.Baker@emeraldX.com
Senior Sales Executive, Expo
Kirstie Adanick - kirstie.adanick@emeraldX.com

Group Show Director

Bill Oakley - boakley@pizzatoday.com
Applications Billing Coordinator, Tradeshow and Advertising
Patty Crone - pcrone@pizzatoday.com
Executive Vice President
Jessica Blue - jessica.blue@emeraldexpo.com
Vice President, Global Brand Director
Pete Lachapelle - plachapelle@pizzatoday.com
Vice President, Global Food Group
Colleen Truman - Colleen.Truman@EmeraldX.com

100 Broadway
Fourteenth Floor, New York, NY 10009

Not into QR Codes? LISTEN WHEREVER YOU GET YOUR PODCASTS

President and CEO
Visit https://pizzatoday.com/be-counted-pizzeria-operator-survey-portal/ Hervé Sedky
Chief Operating Officer
Brian Field
Chief Financial Officer
Pizza Today is a trademark Subscription Rates David Doft
owned exclusively One Year: Chief Information Officer
by Emerald X, LLC. US: $29.95 Bill Charles
Copyright © 2015. Executive VP, People & Culture
Emerald X, LLC. Canada/Mexico: $139.90
Ren Akinci
All rights reserved. Foreign: $179.90 General Counsel & Corporate Secretary
Pizza Today Agency Discount: 20% Stacey Sayetta
502-736-9500 Executive VP, Communications
www.PizzaToday.com To order, please email or call Beth Cowperthwaite
Subscription
Senior VP, Controller
Customer Service:
Kate Elder
PTM@OMEDA.COM
847-559-7533 Senior VP, Corporate Development
Les Weir
Senior VP, Marketing & Digital Operations
Joanne Wheatley
EVP Content & Commerce
Danielle Puceta
SVP Editor in Chief
Bill Gannon

8 / P I Z Z AT O D AY. C O M / A P R I L 2 0 2 3

008_PIZ_0423_SFI.indd 8 3/6/23 3:38 PM

 GELATO & ITALIAN
SPECIALTY DESSERTS
STEP UP YOUR DESSERT GAME

Bring the sweet taste of Italy to your menus by offering Bellissimo specialty desserts. Bellissimo’s signature
recipe Gelato, Cannoli Cake, Limoncello Cheesecake, and Tiramisu are made using the finest traditional Italian
ingredients and guaranteed to leave a lasting impression on your customers.

Bellissimo’s creamy rich Gelato, available in 12 classic flavors, is hand made in small batches to provide robust
true flavors. Bellissimo cakes are available in single-serve or whole tray and are an easy way to escalate your
dining profile and increase your bottom line. Build your business with Bellissimo and serve authentic Italian to
attract new customers and keep dessert lovers coming for more.

Visit Bellissimo.com to contact a representative to request samples and pricing.

009_PIZ_0822_Bellissimo.indd 1
009_PIZ_0423_Bellissimo.indd 7/6/22
3/1/23 9:11
9:19 AM
 CONVERSATION
Marc Schechter
Square Pie Guys
San Francisco, California
Concept:
Square Pie Guys is a modern
chef-driven Detroit-style
pizza restaurant with three
locations in the San Francisco
Bay Area. Our leadership team
combines culinary expertise with
innovative technology to craft
the most delicious food, all while
prioritizing sustainability and the
well-being of our employees.
Our unique blend of chef-driven
techniques and empathy for the
team helps us strike the perfect
balance between creating
incredible food and running a
successful business. Square Pie
Guys is a must-visit for delicious,
You are in growth
mode. What’s next for
Square Pie Guys?
The next phase for us is
to continue expanding
throughout the region,
focusing on Marin and
Contra Costa Counties. To
achieve this goal, we plan to
utilize some licensing and
virtual kitchens as part of the
strategy. That will allow us to
extend our reach and bring
our delicious Detroit-style
pizzas to even more custom-
ers without incurring the
What is one of the biggest
lessons you’ve learned in the
business so far?
Adaptability. When we first
opened the business, I had lim-
ited experience in the restau-
rant industry and came from
a background in technology
sales. As a result, I had to learn
1 0 / P I Z Z AT O D AY. C O M / A P R I L 2 0 2 3
010_PIZ_0423_CNV.indd 16
creative pizzas and a welcoming
atmosphere.
Pizza Style:
Our DSPs are made using high-
gluten flour, typically fermented
for 24-36 hours, to develop a
complex, chewy texture and a
slightly tangy flavor. The dough is
formed into a rectangular
8x10 pan before being topped
with our signature cheese
blend and other ingredients.
Our pizza is then baked at a
high temperature through an
impinger oven to create a crispy,
caramelized crust edge and a
tender, chewy center.
costs and logistical chal-
lenges of opening physical
storefronts, although once
we confirm our hypothesis
about a new market, the
plan is to open a permanent
brick and mortar there. We
are positioning ourselves
for continued success in the
competitive Bay Area pizza
scene by continuing to grow
and adapt to new technolo-
gies and trends.
a lot on the fly and adjust as I
went along. I also relied heavily
on social media, particularly
Instagram, to build our brand
and talk to other pizza shop
owners. However, I quickly
learned that the restaurant
industry is constantly changing
and evolving, and I needed to
Marc Schechter (Right) and Danny Stoller co-own Bay Area-based
Square Pie Guys.
How have you been able to
capitalize on IPC wins in your
market?
We’re always looking for
exciting opportunities to
partner with chefs, personalities,
local brands, and athletes to
create limited-time pizzas that
delight our customers and
support important causes in
our community. Thankfully,
all the partnerships we’ve
launched have happened in an
organic fashion. So whether we
connected to the partners or
they ate our pizza and messaged
adapt and pivot to keep up.
This has meant being open to
trying new things, seeking new
opportunities, and learning from
my mistakes. It has also meant
being willing to change course
when something isn’t working
and being open to new ideas
and perspectives from my team
us about it, they’ve always come
together naturally. Also, the folks
we partner with align with our
values as a company and want
to raise funds for nonprofits
that focus on equity and food
insecurity, as these issues are
fundamental to us. Through
these partnerships, we hope
to not only raise money for
important causes but also raise
awareness and encourage others
to get involved in creating a
more just and equitable world.
and customers. Being adaptable
has been key to my success and
will continue to be essential as
I navigate the challenges and
opportunities ahead.
3/6/23 3:40 PM
 PIZZA IS YOUR LEGACY.
BUILD IT WITH BACIO.®
When crafting an unforgettable pizza, you’ll find
that you need more than the typical ingredients.
Choosing Bacio Exceptional Italian Pizza Cheese
means you get a distinctly rich and creamy taste
as well as an enduring relationship—the kind
that turns partners into family.

Exceptional Cheese.
Extraordinary Pizza.
©2023 Bacio Cheese Company

011_PIZ_0423_Bacio.indd 1 3/1/23 9:12 AM

 M I K E 'S M O N T H LY T I P
The Seasonal Exodus
H
andling the exodus. It's a
little dramatic, but it might
feel like that when you have
one, two or maybe even three employ-
ees that decide to leave all at once.
I've noticed that an exodus happens
about the same time each year, right
after the holidays and when school
starts. People have gone through
all the adrenaline of that season,
are ready for a change, and start to
believe the grass might be greener
somewhere else.
It's a common challenge that
happens to every restaurant at some
point. Losing great employees is
disruptive and costly, but you can
minimize or avoid this impact with
the right practical strategies. Here's
how to handle this:
1. The Eval:
A solid conversation addressing
MIKE BAUSCH is the owner of Andolini’s Pizzeria in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Instagram: @mikeybausch
1 2 / P I Z Z AT O D AY. C O M / A P R I L 2 0 2 3
012_PIZ_0423_Mikes.indd 12
MIKE BAUSCH
all concerns brought up in a frank,
open discussion will prevent some-
thing from going awry. Ambiguity is
your enemy, and getting in front of
the problem can help set you up for
success and keep the wandering mind
from thinking of moving on. Find
out what they believe is going right,
nail down what is going wrong with
them or what they perceive as wrong,
and map out a growth plan to address
each issue.
2. Pay and Benefits:
What are they moving towards, and
how will you compensate them when
they accomplish this? By the
employee knowing that there's more
to come — with a clear path —
breeds clarity. It must be clear that
they're not just getting more money
because they've existed at your res-
taurant longer; the plan must build
towards both parties set up for growth
and success. This conversation creates
a clear verbal contract for your mutual
benefit.
3. Be Cool:
Especially after a crazy summer or a
crazy holiday season, people might feel
burnt out. Especially if the restaurant
environment has been aggressive or not
fully productive by all members, they
might feel unappreciated and that this
is their time to exit. Ensure you have a
positive work environment; if you don't,
address whatever is lacking with a plan
to fix it; getting in front of the issues
that destroy morale is a daily task. Solid
managers in a positive work environ-
ment create employee retention.
4. The Schedule:
If you didn't have leeway in the
schedule, make time and make leeway.
It's way cheaper to figure out what
you're going to do with one missed
Sunday shift than 4-6 more without
that employee in the mix. Being a hard-
liner on a few days of the week is not in
your best interest. No one should have
free rein to do whatever they want, but
figure it out for employees who provide
excellent service and earn money for
your business. Compromise with them
and game the schedule hard because it's
in your best interest to keep great play-
ers in the mix.
5. Appreciation:
Retain the talent by showing appre-
ciation, giving gifts, and making good
swag. Let all employees know beyond
more than just money that you care
about them. Whether that's a party,
one they want to have, or individual
gifts that pertain to things they're
interested in, this is how you build
employees who know you care.
3/6/23 3:42 PM
013_PIZ_0423_Milanos.indd 1 3/6/23 11:06 AM
 MAN ON THE STREET
Killer Convenience
I
t wasn’t long ago that home food
delivery was a novelty. Even though
Chinese food and pizza delivery
both landed in the first half of the 20th
century, neither really took off until after
WWII. After just a couple decades, home
food delivery became the standard with
pizza as its poster child. Now you can get
just about anything delivered to your door
within minutes, from a dozen chocolate
chip cookies to a cup of coffee. Some say
it’s bliss, but I’m worried about what we’re
losing as restaurants give into the growing
convenience culture.
SCOTT WIENER is the founder of Scott's Pizza Tours in New York City and SliceOutHunger.org Instagram: @scottspizzatours
1 4 / P I Z Z AT O D AY. C O M / A P R I L 2 0 2 3
014_PIZ_0423_MOTS.indd 14
SCOTT WIENER
Every pizzeria has had to confront
the double-edged nature of third-party
delivery services. If a pizzeria is willing to
pay the high commissions and customers
are willing to pay premiums, the relation-
ship works. The true problem is that your
pizzeria isn’t just losing control over the
last mile of the transaction process, you’re
also losing your identity. No longer is the
customer yours, they now belong to the
delivery service. Customers no longer
order from Joey’s Original Pizza, they
order from Brand X Restaurant Aggrega-
tor, Inc. I can’t tell you how many times
I’ve heard the phrase, “I just want to go
home and order Seamless.” Your small
business is cut from the equation, treating
you merely as a kitchen.
I’m starting to see new concept com-
panies that partner with independent
restaurants to reproduce their food at
scale in a network of ghost kitchens. It’s
an interesting model that capitalizes on
consumers’ desire for convenience. But
what happens when the ghost kitchen
version competes in the same neighbor-
hood as the original version? Could the
licensee put the licensor out of business?
It’s entirely possible.
One of my favorite pizzerias in New
York City is Totonno’s Pizzeria Napo-
letano on Coney Island. They shut their
doors in March 2020 and only reopened
earlier this year. This is a classic pizzeria
that’s been around since the 1920s with
a rare coal-burning oven driving the
business. People used to queue down the
block hoping for a chance to score one
of the day’s limited pizzas. When they
reopened after nearly three years, the
business model was completely reborn.
Totonno’s no longer has dine-in service;
they do only takeout and delivery. It’s
admirable that they’ve figured out a way
to keep the business alive, but a piece of
me is disappointed that customers will no
longer be able to experience the dine-in
service of one of NYC’s classic pizza
parlors. Is convenience the savior or the
killer?
The trick for the pizzeria is to provide
the ease of use without losing identity. It’s
clear that consumers love convenience.
We like quick and easy ordering through
apps that already have our credit cards
locked and loaded. I just hope we can
stop ourselves from ending up in a future
where great food is just something that
arrives on your table with the push of a
button, entirely devoid of the passion and
heart that went into its production.
3/6/23 3:44 PM
 Now Accepting Entries

BECOME THE 2023

REAL CALIFORNIA
PIZZA CHAMPION
Pizza Contest 2022 Winners PRIZE MONEY ENTRY PERIOD
Grand Prize March 15 – May 21, 2023
David $10,000
BAKE-OFF FINALS
Jacobson Category Prize
Grand Prize
August 2, 2023
Winner: $15,000 $5,000 Each Napa, CA

Leah
Scurto
Category
Winner: $5,000

Marcus
Medina
Category
Winner: $5,000 Download the
Winning
EnterRecipes
Your
Pizza Today

pizzacontest.realcaliforniamilk.com
The Real California Pizza Contest is sponsored by the California Milk Advisory Board celebrating cheeses
made with 100% Real California Milk. For more information visit: RealCaliforniaMilk.com/Foodservice.

©California Milk Advisory Board, an instrumentality of the CA Department of Food & Agriculture

015_PIZ_0423_CMAB1.indd 1 2/28/23 3:23 PM

 BUILDING BLOCKS
The Value of Teaching — Rather
Than Training — Your Employees
The mediocre teacher tells. The good teacher explains. The superior
teacher demonstrates. The great teacher inspires.
— William Arthur Ward
P
izzeria owners are rarely
only owners. Instead, we don
many hats and understanding
every role in the shop. In fact, I know
one clever owner who wears a shirt
that says “Maintenance Man” on the
back.
Even if we’re not masters in every
facet of our business, we’re masters
of learning. But along with being
students, we’re teachers.
We can all think back to our years
of school and remember our favorite
teachers. But what made them so
NICK BOGACZ is the founder and president of Caliente Pizza & Draft House in Pittsburgh. Instagram: @caliente_pizza
1 6 / P I Z Z AT O D AY. C O M / A P R I L 2 0 2 3
016_PIZ_0423_BuildingBlocks.indd 16
NICK BOGACZ
memorable? They probably made you
feel special, like you were the only
kid in the classroom. They did that
through the passion that they felt for
teaching and for their role in helping
young minds discover the world. That
passion shines through and reflects
onto the one being taught. Let your
employees feel the passion you have
for pizza and the business — that
enthusiasm is contagious.
There are many things we must
teach in our business, from the simple
tasks of mopping the floor to the stuff
we take for granted, such as stretching
dough. All the way to more complicated
matters, like how to read a profit-and-
loss statement, these are things we want
to teach and not train. Systems and how-
to manuals are there to train our employ-
ees how to navigate certain operations
in the pizzeria. Teaching is an art, where
we inspire our employees to care and to
perfect the task they are assigned.
Timing is so important in life, as it
is when teaching. Teaching in a very
hectic situation like during dinner at a
busy restaurant is probably not ideal, so
set yourself up for success when you are
ready to teach your employees. Having a
dedicated time when you don't have to
tend to the oven, answer the phone or
perform other various tasks will be best.
It is important to teach because
employees want to work at places where
they feel like they are part of something
special. Most pizzeria owners know they
can leave a job and go just about any-
where for a shiny nickel. That's why there
needs to be a bond with your employees,
one strong enough where they want to
work for you, they want to do a good job,
and they want to learn.
Through teaching, showing our pas-
sion and guiding with patience, they
will experience just that. And not do we
just want to teach them, but we want
to empower them to become teachers,
too. When a new employee gets hired,
your team will take on the job of being
the teacher, showing their passion and
inspiring a new crop of employees and
team members.
That's when you can start to recog-
nize the ones on your team who have
become leaders and teachers. In our next
installment, we will break down just that
— how to evaluate and identify who you
should promote.
3/6/23 3:46 PM
 Because if your phones and web ordering are down,
you may as well send everyone home.
We become your phone company and provide a backup Internet connection

IP Phone Service Cellular Backup Internet

Increase revenue and lower cost Protect against outages
• No Busy Signals • When your Internet fails our cellular
backup router keeps your phones, credit card
• Call Recording processing and web orders all working.
• Call Queuing / Auto-Answering • The backup kicks in automatically in
• Multiple (random) start-of-call upsell seconds. So quickly you will not even drop calls
messages in progress when your primary Internet goes
• On-hold music/message loops down!
• Detailed reports—hold times, lost calls etc • The same router can be used to create chain-
wide virtual private network to
• Callerid delivered to POS system connect your locations.
• Auto-attendants—”If you have arrived for • SD-WAN LTE/LTE-A (4G/5G) modems.
curbside pickup press one”

We do not lock our customers into term contracts.

we keep our customers by keeping our customers happy.
We are adding between fifty and one hundred new customers per month.
Please give us a call or email sales@pizzacloud.net to find out why.

Call Center capabilities for one to thousands of locations!

Maintain control, and get the calls off the front counters. For a
small chain all you need is a large office at one location. Cut labor hours up to 50% and/or shift labor to lower cost
regions while increasing average ticket. Eliminate the constantly ringing phones at the front counters! Tight
integration allows calls to overflow to stores, so you can choose when to staff the call center.
The same tight integration, same detailed
reports and call recordings in your hands, same ability to overflow back to the stores, but you let some one else hire
and manage the staff. We can provide this service to you or work with your existing call center provider.
If you have any interest in call centers call us to discuss options
or visit www.pizzacloud.net to register for a webinar.

Sales@pizzacloud.net www.pizzacloud.net 866-511-5521

027_PIZ_1221_PizzaCloud.indd 1 10/28/21 2:19 PM

 ON DECK CHRIS DECKER
FRESH!
You may have to really open your mind to
try this pizza, but by now I hope you can trust
me that these flavors and textures work well
together. The creaminess of the beans, the pop
of freshness from the whole lemon slices, the
saltiness and smoothness of the Manchego, the
tartness of the artichoke ... it works.
There really is a lot going on, and I know you
will love it. This pizza is actually a take on a pizza
I did the first time I competed in Parma in 2018.
I used escarole there, but over time my tastes
have changed and I really prefer the pepper
flavor and the look of the micro watercress to
the crunch of the escarole. Not knowing what
the Italians would think of this pizza, and me
being super naive to international competitions,
CHRIS DECKER is managing partner at Metro Pizza in Las Vegas, NV. Instagram: @everythingbutanchovies
1 8 / P I Z Z AT O D AY. C O M / A P R I L 2 0 2 3
018_PIZ_0423_Deck.indd 18
I was surprised that they actually liked it. I think
you will too!
1 8-10 ounce dough ball
3 ounces Manchego (shredded)
1 ounce fresh mozzarella (cubed)
15.5 ounces can cannellini beans (rinsed &
dried)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon kosher or flake salt
2 ounces baby artichoke hearts (drained)
4 slices of fresh lemon (sliced as thin as pos-
sible, but still a full circle slice)
Micro watercress
Romano
Before you stretch your dough, add the can-
nelini beans to a mixing bowl and add the table-
spoon of high quality olive oil and a teaspoon of
salt. Mash the beans and stir to incorporate the
oil and salt, but keep most of the beans whole.
Stretch dough ball to desired size. Top by
spreading the Manchego, then dotting the fresh
mozzarella. Place lemon pieces around pizza,
then layer the beans and artichoke hearts over
the pizza. Gently break the artichoke hearts to
give you an even spread of toppings with gener-
ally the same size. Bake at 550 F for
8-10 minutes, then let cool on a cooling rack
for a minute or two before topping with freshly
grated Romano and baby watercress.
3/6/23 3:52 PM
 LISTEN WHEREVER YOU GET YOUR PODCASTS

THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS

baciocheese.com pos.hungerrush.com performancefoodservice.com

019_PIZ_0423_HOTSLICE.indd 43 3/6/23 3:54 PM

 KNEAD TO KNOW
with JOHN GUTEKANST

Beauty and
the Yeast
“The future of dough lies in its past. Sourdough is back and its here to stay for two reasons:
more complex flavor and better digestibility. Its a twofer thats hard to beat!”

Peter Reinhart
James Beard Award-winning Baker and
Author of Pizza Quest

2 0 / P I Z Z AT O D AY. C O M / A P R I L 2 0 2 3

020_PIZ_0423_KK.indd 20 3/6/23 4:01 PM

 W
a safer surf. Later, as we all bel- tides of the ocean, we work with
lyflopped on the beach huffing, we nature to get the best benefit of
hen I was young and
were told that sometimes you must taste and digestion.
crazy, I endured the grueling train-
work with nature to succeed and What is sourdough? Well, the
ing to become a Naval Aircrew-
if we had swum back diagonally short answer is that you rise your
man. This hellish school consisted
to the shore, we would have made dough using natural yeasts and
of an amazing array of tortures like
it. Now, after 23 years of owning bacteria. Once you set a convenient
being pushed from helicopters into
a pizzeria, I know that sometimes sourdough schedule, you’ll see the
floating knots of parachute cord in
you need control and sometimes oven spring puff of the cornicione
the Gulf of Mexico. One morning
you must work with nature. There’s (crust) and taste the heightened
our instructors lined us up on the
no better example of this than acidity and complex flavors. This
beach in our bathing suits. I knew
making pizza with sourdough. will be your expression, your ar-
this was going to get ugly when
tistic edge. So, what is sourdough
I saw several rubber-clad Navy
Doughba Fett again? Here is the long answer.
divers in boats loitering out in the
As restaurant owners and man- Yeast lives everywhere, and the
roiling surf. Our instructor smiled
agers, we all strive to make the best key is to capture the living yeast
and told us that this was a rip tide
product around. Our tolerance for with flour and water. When flour
area. He then ordered us to jump
uncontrolled behavior and actions and water are mixed, they trig-
in, swim out 20 yards and swim
is minimal. Sometimes our control ger enzymes that break down the
back. I, like the others, felt the
leads us to create a product that flour starches into simple sugars,
undercurrent pull my legs out to
is very predictable while running producing carbon dioxide (gas) and
sea as I tried to swim back.
through dough shifts that are ethanol alcohol. Once this yeast
Exhausted, I eventually stopped
merely transactional. With sour- colony is fed continuously, it will
as the current took me out to the
dough pizza, we give in to nature, rise and fall under the right condi-
rubber boats where the screaming
to the little bacteria and, like the tions of time and temperature. It
crew threw nets dragging us to

020_PIZ_0423_KK.indd 21 3/6/23 4:01 PM

 is then added to a batch of pizza
dough where the gas makes the
dough rise and the alcohol evapo-
rates in the oven later.
Commercial yeast is named Sac-
charamyces Cerevisiae and is used
because it is predictable, reliable,
easy to package, and control. As
it ferments, it converts sugars in
the flours to alcohol and carbon
dioxide. This makes the dough
rise in the oven. It also generates
a small amount of acid which the
yeast does not like because it slows
the yeast growth. As the dough
ages, the acid slows the yeast activ-
ity down and eventually the yeast
cells die.
“Sourdough,” or wild yeast can
tolerate the acids that kill com-
mercial yeasts. As you build your
starter, you build a culture of mil-
lions of living wild yeast and bac-
teria cells which produce a distinct
acidic flavor, hence “sourdough.”
This starter grows by removing
and replacing the starter with
flour and water which is called
“feeding.” Sourdough flavor has
different tastes and tang depend-
ing upon where you live and how
you grew your starter. (Fruit skins,
nuts, milk, potatoes, morning dew
or just the air where you live.) Like
commercial yeasted pizza dough,
sourdough starters and mixes can
be slowed down with refrigeration.
Puff Daddy
There are three stages to build a
natural yeast culture to use to make
pizza.
First Phase: This is when you
build the yeast strain with flour and
water. As mentioned before, you
can use fruit skins and/or different
rye or whole wheat flours to make
this faster because they contain
more yeasts and sugars. This can
take from four to six days.
Second Phase: This is making
the “Starter,” “Mother,” or “Sponge”
from the first seed culture above.
2 2 / P I Z Z AT O D AY. C O M / A P R I L 2 0 2 3
020_PIZ_0423_KK.indd 22
This will be your base to keep
feeding as well as nurturing its
growth by taking away and adding
flour and water to see the bubbling
growth.
Third Stage: This is making the
“Levain” to add to the final dough.
A small amount of starter is added
to flour and water and set aside in
a warm environment for up to two
days to increase fermentation activ-
ity. It will act as the basis for a rise
in each sourdough batch.
Austin Flours
Flour: All flours can work well
with a natural starter depending
upon the flour grind, mixing, tem-
perature, PH levels, and holding
time, but especially the combina-
tion of protein level as compared to
the hydration you add.
Water: Adding flour to water
will create gluten. This consists of
a web of strands containing the
proteins glutenin and gliadin. The
water allows these protein strands
to stretch, and mixing creates the
structure of the gluten net. Pizza,
as opposed to bread, needs a strong
gluten net. But not too strong to
stretch a pizza ... and the hydration
needs to be high enough for a good
oven spring. Also, it must support
toppings and the ability to slide
the pie into the oven. Other factors
are also in play with water, such as
temperature, bulk holding, mixing
speed, and when you add salt.
Salt: Salt slows down and con-
trols fermentation growth. Because
of this, there are more sugars left
inside the pizza dough when ready
to bake, which adds flavor, color,
and wheat-like aroma. Salt also
tightens the gluten net ensuring
that the carbon dioxide is captured
when baking. Most pizza aficiona-
dos will tell you that 2 percent salt
is enough to regulate fermentation
as well as giving your pizza dough
time to develop flavor. Some pizza
pros, especially in Naples, who do
not use refrigeration, put 3 percent
in their mix to facilitate a longer
fermentation time. Some pizza
makers use a bread bakers trick
called the autolyze method and do
not add salt to the already-mixed
flour and water for between 20 to
60 minutes. This lets the hydrated
gluten strands relax and thus
strengthens the gluten net.
Simple Sourdough Starter and
Levain
To make a simple sourdough
starter, begin with an open mind.
Know that this will take from four
to six days. My first starter was
made using the recipe from Peter
Reinhart’s book, American Pie.
Remember that your starter is dif-
ferent from the final Levain. The
starter is your basis, the levain is a
very active ingredient built from
the starter to add to your batch of
sourdough.
Day 1. Add 3/4 cup of water to
1 cup of flour, preferably whole
wheat, or rye. Mix until well
hydrated. Cover with a towel, paper
towel or cheesecloth. Place on a
countertop at room temperature or
warmer.
Day 2. There will no or not
much growth. Take out half the
dough and throw it away replacing
it with ½ cup high-gluten (pizza)
flour and ½ cup water. Mix again
and cover. This time, mark the con-
tainer with tape or a Sharpie where
top line of the dough is.
Day 3. There will still be very
little or no growth. Repeat the
process of Day 2.
Day 4. There should be a distinct
growth of the dough and depend-
ing upon the temperature of the
room, it may have doubled in size.
If the dough has not doubled in
size, repeat the process from day 2
3/6/23 4:01 PM
 and 3. If your starter has doubled
in size, continue to train the starter.
To train your starter
Throw out half of the active
starter and add 1 cup high gluten
flour and 1 cup water. This will
look like pancake batter and rise
and fall as you feed this starter
at the same time each day. The
fragrance will change from ripe to
sour to yogurt throughout the day.
This regular feeding will build a
sweet lactic acid character and the
fermentation will become predict-
able after a few days. Start feeding
your starter two times each day
for two days to insure a very active
starter. Now is time to either store
your starter in the refrigerator
to slow the fermentation process
down or make a levain, which is a
portion of the starter added to the
final dough to rise your crust. You
020_PIZ_0423_KK.indd 23
may scale up your levain to reach levain- it should float. Now you
your ultimate need. can add from six to 30 percent
of your levain to your final batch
For the Levain depending upon the length of time
It is important to create a very you’ll hold the dough. (So, if you
active levain for a great rise in your are mixing a 25-pound bag of flour,
final pizza. The percentage of you’ll need at least 1.5 pounds of
starter in your levain build levain.) To save the levain, you can
depends upon when you are going add flour to it to create a dry paste
to bake with the levain next and and refrigerate for later building.
the temperature the levain is kept
at. A good rule of thumb is JOHN GUTEKANST owns Avalanche
20 percent starter in your levain for Pizza in Athens, Ohio.
a 12-hour levain hold before final
bake. You may need a smaller por-
tion of flour and water for a
24-48 hour levain until you see the
yeasts activities develop and the
levain smelling sweet and looking
bubbly.
Test your Levain
To test your levain, fill a cup of
water and place a small amount of
3/6/23 4:01 PM
 DESTINATIONS

Casa Nino’s Pizza Bar Staten Island, New York

Pie Dog Pizza

This community driven pizzeria
Niwot, Colorado
has been in the New York City
This virtual pizza concept has
borough for 25 years. Casa
garnered a lot of local press for
Nino’s takes pride in being
its pizza. P.D.G. operates out of
the neighborhood workplace.
Farow, a farm-to-table restaurant
“We have hired kids from the
that has become famous for its
neighborhood over the last
bread. The Italian-style pizza
25 years in various positions of
with ingredients like cheese and
delivery drivers, counter people,
pepperoni imported from Italy
even those that have dabbled in
blended with local toppings is a
the kitchen and making pizza.
draw. The dough is made with
They come by the shop even when
fresh milled flours using local
they’re not working just to hang
grains and fermented for two
out,” says co-owner Anthony
days. Its menu is currently only
Mentesana. “We have created a
available for carryout and delivery.
destination for the neighborhood
P.D.G. keeps the menus simple
kids to come and actually learn
by offering cheese, sausage (with
something about business ethics
peppers and onion), pepperoni and
and once of age put their interests
veggie pizzas (with mushrooms,
to work and as nervous as they
onion, peppers and black olives).
are, for the first couple of months,
they become a part of our growth
and success. We watch them
flourish into these confident
young adults going out into the
Slingin’ Pizza
next chapter of their life.” Casa Little Elm, Texas
Nino serves up a New York-style As the name implies, this fun
pizza with over a dozen specialty pizza shop has mastered the art of
pies. What’s hot on the menu? throwing dough and they showcase
“Well let me start by saying the it, from in the restaurant to around
original cheese pie is our most sold town. The one-year-old Slingin’
pizza because it is delicious and Pizza is the creation of Audrey
everybody loves the original pizza, Jayne, who got her start working
he says. “Our Buffalo chicken in a pizza shop as a teenager. The
pizza is by far the most popular, menu kicks off with starters like
and makes customers crazy for Bowl of Asteroids — meatballs
more! The teenagers all the way paired with customer’s choice of
up to people as old as me (lol), veggies and sauce and baked. The
everyone loves our Buffalo sauce.” nine pies on its specialty menu
include the The Apollo with house-
made garlic Parmesan sauce,
meatballs, onions, bell peppers
and black olives. There is also the
Atomic Pepperoni, featuring a hot
sauce/buttermilk ranch base, extra
pepperonis, onions, jalapenos and
cheddar cheese. The dessert menu
highlights Twisted Cinnamon Space
Knots tossed with a cinnamon
butter.

2 4 / P I Z Z AT O D AY. C O M / A P R I L 2 0 2 3

024_PIZ_0423_DESTIN.indd 24 3/6/23 4:08 PM

 PDQpos.com | 877-968-6430

PDQ Siggattre Systems

The Top Rated Restaurant POS System for Over 35 Years

#1 #1 #1
Rated Rated Rated

MOBILE TABLET POS SELF-SERVE KIOSK POS THREE-IN-ONE POS

RUGGED DESIGN FOR RESTAURANT USE REDUCES LABOR COSTS POS STATION, POLE DISPLAY & KIOSK
GREAT FOR TABLESIDE ORDERS/PAYMENT INCREASES ORDERS BY UP TO 30% INNOVATIVE SMALL FOOTPRINT SOLUTION
LOCKING BASE; HANDHELD STRAP ELIMINATES ORDER ENTRY MISTAKES ENHANCES THE GUEST EXPERIENCE
FULLY COMPLEMENTS THE POS STATION VARIOUS STYLES; PODIUM & COUNTERTOP INCREDIBLY COST-EFFECTIVE

Sales@PDQpos.com 877-968-6430 PDQpos.com

PIZ_full_Template .indd 1 3/7/23 2:37 PM

 OPERATIONS

Going
Ghost
A look at ghost
kitchen operations

By Denise Greer

A
s the COVID-19
Pandemic shuttered
dine in and off-premise
sales soared, ghost and virtual
kitchens gained ground. These
operations exist solely for online
delivery orders through web-
sites, apps and third-party
delivery platforms. Some
marked them as the way of
the future. During that time,
Euromonitor estimated ghost
kitchens could be a $1 trillion
market globally by 2030.

2 6 / P I Z Z AT O D AY. C O M / A P R I L 2 0 2 3

026_PIZ_0423_OPghost.indd 26 3/6/23 4:10 PM

 The post-pandemic boom of indoor
dining may have slowed the pace of
the volume of ghost kitchen open-
ings. You’re hearing less about the
trend in restaurant news. Were ghost
kitchens a fad or temporary solution
to the pandemic? The short answer is
no. The ghost model was increasing its
frequency even before 2020. But the
market forecast has changed and it’s
growing at a sustaining pace. Though
projections vary. The Global Cloud
Kitchen Market is at $31.90 billion
in 2022 and is anticipated to reach
$117.89 billion by 2031, according to
a new report from Astute Analytics.
While ResearchandMarkets’s
November 2022 release points to
$58.13 billion in 2022 and is expected
to grow to $89.5 billion in 2026.
We may have seen this trajec-
tory before. Could ghost kitchens be
following the fast-casual concepts rise?
Fast-casual pizzerias came in red hot
on the scene. The concepts that have
perfected the segment and learned
how to fit into the restaurant industry
landscape are still thriving and grow-
ing. There have been business casual-
ties along the way as the fast-casual
pizza segment crossed the decade
mark. Amidst the current turbulent
restaurant climate, we have already
seen some cautionary ghost and virtual
kitchen failures, but success stories are
abound too with models like Cloud-
Kitchens and Reef Kitchens.
Chuck E. Cheese may be the most
well-known ghost kitchen case study
in the pizzeria industry. The pizza and
entertainment company was among
the restaurant concepts hit the hard-
est by the pandemic's indoor dining
shutdown. Parent company CEC
Entertainment Inc. launched the
delivery-only virtual Pasqually's Pizza
& Wings in spring of 2020. Today the
company website notes more than 450
ghost locations nationwide with online
ordering available through its site and
third-party delivery partners.
026_PIZ_0423_OPghost.indd 27
Ghost Ops
Ghost and virtual kitchens have
their benefits. They come with lower
start-up and operational costs, as well
as typically lower labor cost through
the use of automation technology.
This provides established concepts
the ability to gain a foothold in a new
market and startups the chance to test
concepts within given markets without
the high overhead costs of a tradi-
tional brick and mortar. Just like any
other restaurant businesses, they also
have their drawbacks. Since ghosts are
delivery only, they tend to carry high
delivery service fees. Gaining market-
ing traction can also be a challenge,
especially with customer loyalty. With
multiple platforms delivering the prod-
uct, there can be inconsistency with
the customer experience.
To be successful in the ghost land-
scape, do your homework and get laser
focused on the business planning just
as you would a traditional restaurant.
Let’s take a look at some ghost opera-
tion logistics if you are considering
adding a ghost or virtual kitchen to
your concepts.
First, there are three common forms
of ghost operations. They are:
• Single Concept Delivery-Only
Operation. These concepts are often
referred to as ghost because there is no
customer-facing component, often no
signage, and orders go through third-
party delivery services.
• Shared Kitchen. Think of this
as a food production facility, often
with several concepts operating in one
kitchen or building. We’ve seen this
model used in another form as joint
commissary kitchens. They can also be
referred to a virtual food halls.
• Virtual Kitchen. A virtual kitch-
en operates in an existing restaurant
facility with a different brand that is
delivery-only. This is the most common
for established restaurants who want
to enter the ghost market and test a
different product or a certain menu
product as a stand-alone business.
There are several things you should
know before you dive into starting up
a ghost kitchen. Here are just some the
logistics you’ll need to nail down to
succeed as a ghost operation.
Select a menu that can thrive in a
delivery-only format. When deciding
on a menu, selecting items that hold
and delivery well. You also may want
to focus only high margin items.
Know your market. Customer
insights are vital. Do the market
research and find the right customer
demographic for the new ghost brand.
Location. Location. Location. Even
though it’s a ghost operator, location is
important to being in the right deliv-
ery zone for the customers you want to
attract. Whether you are setting it up
in a shared environment or in an exist-
ing restaurant, evaluate if the location
is optimal for the specific products you
want sell in the ghost environment.
Obtain all proper permits, licenses
and follow all health and safety
requirements. This is no different than
your current restaurant. You must con-
tact local and state entities to operate a
ghost kitchen. Processes and rules vary
by states and localities.
Make the right delivery decisions for
you. Some operations have their own
delivery program and others use third-
party or both. A majority select to only
delivery through third-party delivery
platforms. Research and find the right
delivery partners for your business.
Focus on your labor estimates. What is
it going to take to staff your ghost opera-
tion efficiently and effectively? For those
considering a virtual concept in an exist-
ing restaurant, ydon't simply tack the
ghost operation onto your existing team.
Run the numbers and staff it properly.
Factor in supply chain and inven-
tory. While a single-unit ghost kitchen
may not have to worry about inventory
as much, shared kitchens and virtual
concepts have to consider how much
product can be ordered and stored.
This can directly impact your bottom
line with supplier bulk pricing.
DENISE GREER is the Executive Editor of
Pizza Today.
A P R I L 2 0 2 3 / P I Z Z AT O D AY. C O M / 2 7
3/6/23 4:10 PM
 OPERATIONS
In the Air
A
s the COVID-19 pandemic
gripped the country in 2020,
Sean Chang noticed an
everyday behavior practiced by
millions of Americans – visiting a
restaurant – suddenly deemed risky.
For Chang, an associate professor
at Florida International University’s
Chaplin School of Hospitality &
Tourism Management, the aggres-
sively shifting consumer sentiment
intrigued.
“Almost overnight, people became
sensitive to something they didn’t
think twice about before,” Chang
says.
With a scholarly focus on inves-
tigating ways hospitality operations
can add value to their products and
services, Chang thought indoor air
quality demanded a look.
In the April 2021 edition of the
International Journal of Hospitality
2 8 / P I Z Z AT O D AY. C O M / A P R I L 2 0 2 3
028_PIZ_0423_OPairquality.indd 28
6 steps to improve indoor air quality
Management, a Chang-led study of
open-kitchen restaurants with grilling
and frying found these establish-
ments were likely to cause respiratory
health problems and elevate suscep-
tibility to COVID-19. Chang and
his co-authors suggested restaurants
use air quality surveillance systems to
monitor air quality and take preven-
tative measures to keep restaurants
safe and healthy.
“Indoor air quality has ramifica-
tions for the customer experience,
employee health and the restaurant’s
healthcare expenses,” says Chang,
adding that today’s customers and
employees are far more mindful of
indoor air quality than ever before,
which has elevated the issue with
operators.
Indoor air quality and the piz-
zeria
B y D a n i e l P. S m i t h
Commercial cooking is known as
the main source of harmful particu-
late matter pollution indoors, explains
Bendegul Okumus, an associate
professor at the University of Central
Florida’s Rosen College of Hospi-
tality Management and a research
collaborator with Chang. Particulate
matter is a mixture of airborne solid
particles, which can include dirt,
dust and flour, and liquid droplets.
Exposure to particulate matter can
cause short-term health effects, such
as lung or eye irritation, sneezing or
shortness of breath. It can also impact
lung function and potentially worsen
existing medical conditions like
asthma and heart disease.
“Anyone who breathes the restau-
rant’s air can suffer acute or chronic
health problems due to these particu-
late matter rates,” Okumus says, add-
ing that some commercial cooking
3/6/23 4:11 PM
 methods and ingredients generate
more particulate emissions than
trucks or factories.
For example, Okumus says the use
of charbroilers and gas, rather than
electric stoves, contribute to higher
particulate matter levels. In addition,
certain oils, including olive oil, pro-
duce higher emissions than others.
“Cooking methods, pans, cooking
temperature and lack of ventilation
are factors that increase particulate
matter emission rates,” Okumus says
of restaurant kitchens.
Toss in the use of cleaning prod-
ucts, moisture and a high customer
and employee density and maintain-
ing healthy indoor air quality in a
restaurant becomes that much more
challenging, says Tony Kolotov, an
indoor air quality advocate with
ATMO (formerly Atmotube), a San
Francisco-based company specializ-
ing in air quality and environmental
monitoring products.
In a pizzeria, Kolotov says good
indoor air quality is characterized
by clean, fresh air and the absence
of dangerous air pollutants, such as
particulate matter, volatile organic
compounds (VOCs) and carbon
dioxide.
Six practical solutions to
address indoor air quality
Admittedly, pizzerias face a chal-
lenging dilemma here. After all,
crafting tasty pizzas involves working
with flour and oils while keeping a
tidy restaurant demands the use of
cleaning supplies.
While the American Society of
Heating, Refrigerating and Air-
Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE)
provides standards for ventilation
and acceptable indoor air quality –
Standard 62.1, for those interested –
Kolotov says actual indoor air quality
levels will depend on various factors,
such as the size and type of estab-
lishment, the ventilation system and
local weather conditions.
To be certain, though, all restau-
028_PIZ_0423_OPairquality.indd 29
rants can take reasonable, simple
measures to improve indoor air qual-
ity in their establishments.
1: Tend to HVAC with care.
Operators should have their
HVAC and hood system inspected
and serviced on an annual basis
to ensure proper operation and
adequate ventilation. In addition,
operators should frequently change
air filters, a simple move that will
limit the amount of dust and debris
circulating around the establishment.
“It is important to check the hood
ventilation system regularly, as the
hood system is the key to keeping
the kitchen clean and preventing
harmful particles from entering the
eating area,” Okumus says.
These ongoing maintenance steps
are especially important in newer
or renovated buildings, Chang says,
where municipal codes designed
to promote energy efficiency have
created tighter and tighter seals that
can trap air inside without proper
ventilation.
2: Install an indoor air monitor-
ing system.
Running $200 to $500, an indoor
air quality (IAQ) monitoring system
does as its name suggests: it reports
real-time levels of common pollut-
ants, including particulate matter,
VOCs, carbon dioxide, formalde-
hyde and carbon monoxide. Ide-
ally, a monitor should be placed in
restaurant areas where air quality is
most critical, namely the kitchen and
dining area.
Kolotov says continuous air quality
monitoring “can help pinpoint high-
risk areas, be it cooking activities
that necessitate increased ventilation
in the kitchen or dining areas with
increased viral transmission risks.”
3: Clean often – and with the
right products.
Regular cleaning of equipment and
surfaces in the kitchen and dining
room creates confidence in diners
and employees, of course, but it also
prevents dust and debris from build-
ing up and wiggling into the HVAC
system. When cleaning, use VOC-
free cleaning products to reduce
chemical pollution.
4: Consider industrial-grade
masks for kitchen staff.
A potentially controversial sug-
gestion given the contentiousness of
masking in post-pandemic society,
Chang would nevertheless encourage
kitchen staff to wear industrial-grade
masks to protect themselves from air
pollution.
In his research, Chang found air
pollution levels in some restaurants
exceeding those found in an auto
paint shop. And yet, he says, whereas
auto painters wear industrial-grade
masks, such a practice does not exist
in restaurants.
#5: When applicable, use
natural ventilation.
While not always possible, open-
ing doors and windows will help
stimulate air circulation. Natural
ventilation is not a cure-all, Chang
reminds, but it can certainly help
during specific times of year.
In addition, Kolotov says using
air purifiers in the dining room can
prove beneficial.
#6: Call in professional help.
To discover the right interven-
tions for their pizzeria, owners might
contact an experienced IAQ expert.
These specialists can provide an
evaluation of the restaurant and offer
specific IAQ recommendations to
improve the indoor air environment.
DANIEL P. SMITH Chicago-based
writer has covered business issues and best
practices for a variety of trade publications,
newspapers, and magazines.
3/6/23 4:11 PM
 OPERATIONS
Preventing Pest Problems
7 steps to prevent pests from taking over your restaurant
W
hen it comes to pest control in
your pizzeria, your best offense
is a good defense.
Think prevention. It’s much easier to
avert an infestation than to get rid of one.
Prevent insects and rodents from getting
into your restaurant, and deprive them of
the food, shelter and warmth they need to
survive and reproduce.
According to Jim Fredericks, chief ento-
mologist and vice president of public affairs
at the National Pest Management Associa-
tion (NPMA), “a single female cockroach is
capable of producing 400 eggs in her life-
time, and each egg will hatch and grow into
a reproducing adult in as little as 90 days, so
populations can really explode.”
“Under ideal conditions, house flies can
develop from egg to adult in as little as a
week,” says Patricia Hottel, board certified
entomologist and technical manager at
Rentokil Terminix.
Plus, once you’ve got an infestation it puts
your business at risk. Customers have very
low tolerance for seeing rodents or bugs
where they eat. According to the NPMA,
59 percent of customers say that they won’t
return to an establishment where they saw a
pest on the premises.
We talked to some experts in the field
about how to discourage unwelcome critters
from coming into your restaurant and
setting up housekeeping.
3 0 / P I Z Z AT O D AY. C O M / A P R I L 2 0 2 3
030_PIZ_0423_OPpest.indd 30
Sanitation
“My first tip is having a specific sanita-
tion plan for who does what,” says Ian Wil-
liams, entomologist and technical services
manager at Orkin. “Make sure that the
dishes are done at the end of the night and
instead of sitting in a sink overnight. Make
sure that the floors are cleaned regularly,
that there’s product rotation for stored in-
gredients. Sanitation by itself is a huge step
in proactively and reactively dealing with
pest problems.”
Matt Lentine, a commercial branch man-
ager at Truly Nolan, agrees. “If you keep a
clean establishment, even when pests make
it into the building, it's easier to eliminate
them. Pests are all looking for harbor, food
and water, and especially at a pizzeria, you're
not going to be able to take their harbor
away entirely because of all the pizza boxes,
but you can definitely control the food and
water portion of it.”
Roaches in particular “are looking for
moisture. So dripping pipes, or not wiping
down a dish area well or leaving water in
it overnight, that encourages them,” says
Lentine. “We advise our customers to caulk
or seal as many cracks and crevices as pos-
sible.” Not only do these spots offer harbor
and possibly access to vermin, but they also
collect materials like flour and food waste
that provide food for your unwelcome
animal guests.
By Annelise Kelly
“Deep cleaning is really important on any
cracks or crevices where flour might start
to build up. Those places are a feast waiting
to happen for a stored grain beetle,” advises
Fredericks.
“Some areas, because they are not food
contact surfaces, can be forgotten and not
addressed in cleaning programs,” warns
Hottel. “This includes things like floor
drains, beverage fountain drip trays, grease
traps, suspended ceilings and dumpsters.”
Prevent Access
“Probably the one thing that’s most
important is making sure that pest entry
points are sealed up,” says Fredericks. “That
means keeping doors closed in warmer
months, and sealing any gaps, especially in
older buildings.” He points out that a mouse
can squeeze through a quarter-inch gap
under a door, which is about the width of a
pencil. If you’ve got gaps under the doors,
install floor sweeps to close them up. Mice
can also slip through a hole the size of a
dime, which may exist around unsealed util-
ity penetrations.
Look Out for Seasonal Trends
Know your local vermin and their sea-
sonal habits. For example, rodents will seek
shelter when the weather gets cold, and they
won’t leave when it warms up. Ants march
indoors during warm rainy weather. Flies
3/6/23 4:13 PM
 Coming Soon
Visit PizzaToday.com for more information.

069_PIZ_0323_PTawards.indd 43 2/8/23 4:28 PM

 tend to be a warm-weather problem,
while cockroaches and flour beetles
are problems year-round, according to
Fredericks.
Hottel advises that “insects and
related arthropods are cold-blooded and
so their ability to survive and reproduce
will be tied to temperature. The time for
an insect to develop from egg to adult
will be faster during ideal temperatures.”
Inspect Deliveries
“Some pests are good hitch-hikers and
can be carried in on ingredients and
employee belongings,” such as the Ger-
man cockroach, says Hottel. “Check
incoming product deliveries to make sure
there are no pests being delivered. Have
a designated area for employees to store
their personal belongings and monitor
those areas for pests like cockroaches.”
Fredericks also urges operators to
inspect all incoming goods for signs of
insect or rodent activity. Corrugated
cardboard is a favorite place for roaches
to lodge. “Often you’ll just see little
antenna sticking out.” In addition to
looking for the actual animals, “damaged
packaging is an indicator that you need
to take a closer look.” Cockroach feces
“might just look like little specks that are
almost pasted around the edges of gaps.”
Inspect Your Premises
Keep an eagle eye out for signs of
unwelcome creatures so you can address
the problem before it gets out of hand.
Williams suggests employing “a passive
monitor like a paper-based glue board
that’s placed in areas where German
cockroaches, for example, are likely to
travel, so you can detect them early.” This
helps indicate the level of population
and where the animals are coming from.
Take a close look for rodent and
roach fecal matter in crevices and inside
corners and around outlets and other
potential access points. Drop ceilings are
notorious for harboring pests. The insu-
lation around coolers is also an attractive
nesting area because the refrigeration
mechanism keeps it warm and cozy.
Rotate Your Product
First in, first out is not just about
keeping your ingredients fresh — it also
discourages infestations. It’s extremely
important to rotate your pizza boxes.
Cardboard makes a very inviting roach
030_PIZ_0423_OPpest.indd 32
motel and you can’t treat pizza boxes
with pesticides, so don’t keep too many
boxes on hand at a time and rotate
through them.
Seek Professional Support
Partnering with a pest professional
experienced in the restaurant indus-
try will help you keep on top of any
problems. Professional exterminators
know the local vermin and their seasonal
habits. They’re experienced at detecting
subtle signs of bugs and rodents, and
they have extensive knowledge about
safe pesticide application, especially in
terms of what products can be applied
where, and how frequently. “In some
states, it would be a violation of law for
someone to apply pesticides without the
proper certification and credentials,”
according to Hottel.
Lentine points out that using an
enzyme-based floor cleaner will help in
the battle against drain flies. “The enzyme
will eat away the bacteria and things that
drain flies live off, and it works hand in
hand with our products whereas bleach
deteriorates our products rapidly.”
The pros also have sophisticated tools
in their arsenal. For example, Williams
explains that they can place monitors
specifically for Indianmeal moths and
other flour-eating moths “that have
female sex attractant on them. If male
moths show up, we can know about it
immediately and react very quickly with
a management plan already in place.”
Fredericks points out that a pro won’t
“just react to an infestation, but will
develop a comprehensive Integrated Pest
Management (IPM) program that will
consist of preventative measures such as
identifying potential points of entry and
ways to modify the facility to discourage
entry, along with monitoring and early
detection for proactive instead of reactive
pest control.”
You want to be proud of every nook
and cranny of your restaurant, not just
your amazing pizza. Stay on top of pest
presence in your place, or else you risk
getting negative health inspections,
offending and losing customers, and
actually putting the health of your guests
and employees at risk.
ANNELISE KELLY is a Portland, Oregon-
based freelance writer.
3/6/23 4:13 PM
 GB-PizzaToday-FP-Bleed_Ispirazione_Panino-2023

Find your
Ispirazione
Italiana

What's my Italian Inspiration? It’s all about family. We have deep

roots in the restaurant business, so it only made sense that when we wanted to open our
own pizzerias, we did it together. We found a family in Galbani® cheese, too. We’ve never
been with a food company before that does whatever it takes to support you. We always
say, “Galbani è una famiglia”—and they prove it every day.
—GINO RAGO, LENNY RAGO & BRUNO BRUNETTI, OWNERS, PANINO’S PIZZERIA

Find more Italian Inspiration and our Panino’s videos at GalbaniPro.com.

©2022 Lactalis American Group, Inc., Buffalo, NY 14220. Galbani is a ® of Egidio Galbani S.r.l. All Rights Reserved. @GalbaniProfessionaleUS

033_PIZ_0423_Lactalis.indd 1 3/2/23 10:12 AM

 CHEESE
THE
DAY!
What’s Hot in Cheese

3 4 / P I Z Z AT O D AY. C O M / A P R I L 2 0 2 3
3 4 / P I Z Z AT O D AY. C O M / D E C E M B E R 2 0 2 0

034_PIZ_0423_IKtrends.indd 34 3/6/23 4:16 PM

 By Denise Greer

I
f variety is the spice of life,
then cheese is what makes
life interesting. There are
more than 1,800 recognized
types of cheese in the world
with classifications from
fresh, semi-soft to hard,
flavored and blue.
The global cheese market is massive
and is projected to reach $151 billion
by 2027. Cheese is big business in
the U.S. as purveyors, distributors
and restaurateurs have their eyes on
the Chicago Mercantile cheese block
pricing.
As you try to leverage prices with
your food costs, cheese is a major
factor. It’s not just finding the best
cheese for your product, but also
balancing proportion and flavor. That’s
why innovation and creativity are key
in 2023. Pizza chefs look to take the
coveted element of the holy trinity
of pizza and find new and interesting
varieties to stand out in a flood of
competition.
Consumers too expect new and
interesting cheese from the restaurants
they frequent. They are being
inundated with a greater cheese variety
than ever before. They are willing to
experiment with cheese themselves
thanks to social media inspiration,
like TikTok’s cheese obsession with
a barrage of cheese-based food
challenges. What can a pizzeria owner
learn from this? You can go outside of
the box with the cheese you select on
pizza.
In February, expert judges evaluated
2,249 dairy products at the U.S.
Championship Cheese Contest in
Green Bay, Wisconsin, in search of
the nation’s best. An aged Gouda
hailing from Bantam, Connecticut
took the top honor. An artisan hard
cheese was first runner up and medium
cheddar took second runner up. Will

034_PIZ_0423_IKtrends.indd 35 3/6/23 4:16 PM

 one of these stars become the cheese
of the year and spark new interest in
their cheese types? Gouda is already a
beloved cheese in pizza restaurants. An
aged Gouda has more of a Parmesan
texture and feel with more depth of its
rich and nutty flavor.
Or will the next big cheese sensation
come from one of the many consumer
interest pieces that have gone viral.
TasteAtlas recently ranked the 100 Best
Rated Cheeses in the World. It’s top
five included Parmigiano Reggiano,
Gorgonzola piccante, Burrata, Grana
Padano and Oaxaca Cheese. Italian
cheeses scored high on the list. In
fact, 14 of the list's Top 40 are Italian
cheeses.
In the retail space, top cheese
performers are cheddar, cream cheese,
processed cheese product, mozzarella,
Colby/jack and cheddar/jack according
to IRI WorldWide. Does what’s
happening in the grocery isle translate
to the pizzeria?
Location matters when it comes to
cheese preferences. Zippia conducted
data crunching in Google Trends to
find out every state’s favorite cheese.
The Deep South seems to love cream
cheese and queso bianco while Feta
won over Vermont and Massachusetts.
While these lists are fun, they lead to a
resource that you have available at your
disposal to evaluate what people are
searching for in your area. So, you can
see if a cheese you want to introduce
is on the radar of people in your state
or region. Go to trends.google.com/
and compare cheese types that you
currently menu and those that you are
researching to add. It’s a good metric
to understand how a new cheese may
perform on your menu.
We’ve been tracking what’s
happening with cheese trends all over
the industry, from operator surveys and
pizzeria new menu launches to trade
show trends and boots-on-the-ground
conversations with owners and pizza
chefs. Here are our cheese findings for
2023 and beyond.
3 6 / P I Z Z AT O D AY. C O M / A P R I L 2 0 2 3
034_PIZ_0423_IKtrends.indd 36
Mozzarella reigns supreme! But,
in which form?
The king of all pizza cheese is
mozzarella. Typically, it’s a whole-milk
or part-skim mozzarella that creates
that signature cheese pull. But today’s
pizza fans are craving more from
mozzarella, thanks in part to a few
mozzarella styles making their way into
the mainstream at fast-casual pizza
chains. Fresh mozzarella, Fior di Latte,
ovoline, perlini, Stracciatella, mozzarella
di Bufala and burrata are increasing
their reach. Once reserved for Italian,
Neapolitan and artisan pizzerias, fresh
mozzarella varieties are becoming star
ingredients on many pizza styles from
Detroit, Standard American to New
York and Pan.
Burrata is having its moment.
While, yes, burrata is a form of
mozzarella, it seems to be in a class
of its own with pizza fans. Burrata’s
popularity is being aided by TikTok
and Instagram’s fascination with the
beautiful cheese. Its presentation wows
customers with a whole burrata sitting
atop a piping hot pizza. It’s interactive
as one cuts into the burrata and its
contents made up of Stracciatella
spread over the pizza. For great burrata
pizza ideas, check out Editor in Chief
Jeremy White’s story “Burrata Baby”
at PizzaToday.com/topics/menu-
development/.
Plant-based Cheese is here to
stay.
We can’t talk cheese trends without
mentioning one of the hottest new
additions to pizza menus across the
country, plant-based cheeses. The dairy-
free cheese comes in many forms to
emulate popular pizza cheeses, as well
as having a few varieties of its own.
Cashew cheese is a spreadable vegan
cheese that some operators are creating
in house. At International Pizza Expo,
plant-based cheese is one of the most-
sought after items on the show floor
as pizzeria owners seek to find the
right plant-based mozzarella and other
varieties with the consistency, bake and
mouth feel that matches their pizza.
Herb and flavor-infused cheeses
are hitting specialty pizza menus.
Whether they are infused in or
marinated with the cheese, herbs and
seasoning are increasing in frequency.
Infusing strong flavors like black truffle
and hot peppers with mild to medium
cheese varieties can help prevent the
potent ingredients from overpowering
a delicate pizza. Another big infused
trend is smoked cheeses. You can learn
more about smoked cheeses in my
Kitchen story, “Where There’s Smoke,
There’s Cheese” on page 42.
Pizzerias look to stretch
boundaries with unique cheese
blends.
Pizzerias are finding a point of
distinction with new cheeses blends.
Popular blends include mozzarella/
provolone and mozzarella/cheddar/
Parmesan. More pizzerias are creating
their own custom blends. Experiment
with different mix percentages of
one or more of these cheeses: aged
Gouda, Asiago, Swiss, fontina, gruyere,
Pecorino, Monterey Jack, white cheddar
or even Muenster. If there is a type of
cheese that is a staple of your area, try
a blend.
Pizza cheese has gone soft.
We asked pizzeria operators what
toppings they have introduced/are
testing to add to the pizza menu for
our 2023 State of the Pizzeria Industry
Report. Cheese was top of mind.
Interestingly, a number of soft cheeses
were listed. Cream cheese, ricotta and
goat cheese stand out. Soft cheese can
offer so much differentiation on pizza.
Due to higher moisture, how the cheese
is baked or applied post-bake must
account for the added liquid.
DENISE GREER is Executive Editor at
Pizza Today.
3/6/23 4:16 PM
 No matter your pizza style,
we’ve got your pie covered.

PLATINUM LABEL LOW MOISTURE
MOZZARELLA LOAF
Premier cheese crafted for
superior performance
Easily shreds, slices and melts
WATER PACK
FRESH MOZZARELLA
Made to order
for optimum freshness
Traditional clean, milky flavor
PLATINUM LABEL LOW MOISTURE
MOZZARELLA SHREDS
Blend of Part Skim and
Whole Milk Mozzarella
Smooth melt and even browning

Discover our full product line

and get samples
foodservice@belgioioso.com
877-863-2123
belgioioso.com/Foodservice

049_PIZ_0223_BelGioioso.indd 1 1/5/23 4:36 PM

 NE This cheese

OL O ES
is a rock star

V IT
By Jeremy White

O R
Photo Josh Keown

R
P AVO
F

3 8 / P I Z Z AT O D AY. C O M / A P R I L 2 0 2 3
3 8 / P I Z Z AT O D AY. C O M / D E C E M B E R 2 0 2 0

038_PIZ_0423_IKprovolone.indd 38 3/6/23 4:19 PM

 © 2022 California Milk Advisory Board, an instrumentality of the CA Department of Food and Agriculture FOLLOW US: realcamilkfoodservice

039_PIZ_0423_CMAB.indd 1 2/28/23 3:28 PM

 I
f you’re seeking the powerful
combination of excellent
meltability and versatility,
provolone is going to be difficult to
beat. A cow’s-milk cheese originating
in southern Italy, provolone has a
rich history. Sometimes referred to as
mozzarella’s “older brother,” provolone
has more depth of flavor than the
ubiquitous mozz. An aged cheese,
provolone will range from mild to
sharper based on just how old it is. It’s
obviously a classic choice on pizza,
but its uses aren’t limited to just that
one dish. There are so many ways to
incorporate the cheese on your menu
that not carrying the product in a
pizzeria seems downright silly.

Here are some of my personal

favorite recipes that make use of
provolone. These are truly can’t-miss
creations on nearly any pizzeria menu!

MONSTER MASH PIZZA

14-inch pizza dough

Extra-virgin olive oil
6 ounces tomato sauce
4 ounces smoked pancetta
4 ounces pepperoni
4 ounces Italian sausage
4 ounces Portobello mushrooms,
rough cut
2 ounces yellow onion
3 ounces green pepper
3 ounces green olives, sliced
3 ounces bacon, crumbled
3 ounces cherry tomatoes, halved
10 ounces mozzarella/provolone mix
1 ounce scallions, chopped

Stretch dough to desired thickness.

Spread olive oil then ladle and spread
sauce, leave ¼ inch at edge.
Top with cheese blend.
Evenly distribute remainder of
ingredients on pizza.
Bake.

038_PIZ_0423_IKprovolone.indd 40 3/6/23 4:19 PM

 Sprinkle the Parmesan over the potatoes. Halve avocado and mash in a small bowl.
PHILLY CHEESESTEAK Sprinkle on the bacon. Add sour cream, a squeeze of lemon, salt
SANDWICH Add the grated provolone evenly over the and pepper.
crust. Mix until consistent.
¼ cup vegetable oil
Bake. Add a teaspoon of water until cream is
1 large yellow onion, cut into
reduced to drizzle. Set aside
rings
CHICKEN TACO PIZZA Stretch dough ball to desired size.
36 ounces thinly sliced rib eye
Ladle and spread salsa.
steak
2 tablespoons cilantro, chopped Add half the cheese blend.
6 ounces provolone cheese,
1 jalapeño, chopped Then top with chicken, red onion, jalapeños
sliced
¾ cup thick and chunky salsa and tomatoes.
6 crusty Italian rolls
1½ cup mozzarella, cheddar and provolone Evenly distribute the remaining cheese.
cheese blend, shredded Bake.
In a large skillet or sauté pan set
¾ pound grilled chicken, chopped Cut pizza into desired pieces and finish
over medium-high heat, sauté the
¼ cup red onion, chopped with lettuce (optional), crushed corn tortillas, a
onion in 3 tablespoons of oil until
¼ cup tomatoes, diced drizzle of avocado sour cream and taco sauce,
tender.
3 tablespoons sour cream cilantro and a squeeze of lime
Remove the onions and set
½ avocado
aside.
Taco sauce
Add the remaining oil to the pan
½ cup Leaf lettuce, shredded (optional)
and sauté the steak until it is just
3 tablespoons crushed corn tortilla chips or JEREMY WHITE is Editor-in-Chief at
cooked through.
corn chips Pizza Today.
Put a slice of cheese on each roll,
1 lime, quartered
then add 6 ounces of meat to each
roll.
Top the meat with the sautéed
onions.
Serve with sweet and hot
peppers or fried mushrooms.

POTATO, BACON &

PROVOLONE PIZZA

One 14-inch pizza shell

¾ pound red skin potatoes,
sliced almost paper-thin (about
35 slices)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large clove garlic, crushed
3 tablespoons finely chopped
fresh rosemary
¼ cup grated Parmesan
6 strips bacon, cooked crisp and
coarsely chopped
5 ounces shredded provolone

In a large bowl, toss the potatoes

with the olive oil, garlic and
rosemary.
Arrange the slices of potatoes on
the pizza crust in a circle working
toward the center, overlapping the
slices.

A P R I L 2 0 2 3 / P I Z Z AT O D AY. C O M / 4 1

038_PIZ_0423_IKprovolone.indd 41 3/6/23 4:19 PM

 Where
There’s Smoke…
There’s
Cheese
Smoked Cheeses add that
‘wow’ factor to pizza
By Denise Greer

4 2 / P I Z Z AT O D AY. C O M / A P R I L 2 0 2 3
4 2 / P I Z Z AT O D AY. C O M / D E C E M B E R 2 0 2 0

042_PIZ_0323_IKsmoked.indd 42 3/6/23 4:20 PM

 W
hen we first started
blending smoked cheeses
with traditional varieties
in the Pizza Today
Test Kitchen, I was
apprehensive. Smoking can easily overpower
other flavors. But I was wrong and years
later, I’ve savored several pizzas featuring a
smoked cheese around the country and at
the International Pizza Challenge that rival
some of the best pizzas out there.
Smoke gives cheese a unique and robust
flavor. Smoke often serves two purposes
with cheese: flavoring and preservation. The
deep, smoky flavor can enhance the overall
profile of a pizza when balanced correctly.
First, how is cheese smoked? The most
common way to smoke cheese is through
a cold smoke method. Ice is used to help
protect the cheese while the smoke is
absorbed into the cheese. Cold smoking
occurs with temperatures between 68 F and
86 F as to not cook the cheese but instead
infuse the smoke into the outer layer of the
cheese. Too hot and the cheese will melt.
There are also artificially smoke-flavored
cheeses, which impart liquid smoke in the
making process.
Did you know you can smoke cheeses
in house using the cold smoke method? It
is a deep dive into a rabbit hole that may
be worth it for some scratch-made pizza
concepts. But, for others, there are a number
of smoked cheeses on the market for you to
test in your kitchens.
Let’s dive into some of the best
smoked cheese for pizza. Creative
pizza chefs and makers might get way more
adventurous with the variety of smoked
cheeses, but here is the smoked cheese
starter pack.
• Mozzarella. The mildest of these smoked
cheeses. A great option to give a traditional
cheese pizza a boost.
• Provolone. A semi-hard, mild and
smooth cheese, smoking gives Provolone an
earthy and slightly smoky flavor.
• Fontina. The semi-soft cheese is both
sweet and pungent so when smoked, it gives
Fontina a bolder flavor.
• Cheddar. The sharp and nutty flavor of
cheddar gets earthy notes from the smoke.
Go milder for a better melt and less of a
punch.
• Gouda. Many smoked Goudas have a
signature brown rind. This creamy, buttery
cheese has caramel notes.
042_PIZ_0323_IKsmoked.indd 43
• Scamorza. The mild, rich and somewhat
sweet cheese holds a subtle smoky flavor
making it a good choice to stand alone on
pizza or for blending.
Some other contenders are smoked Colby,
Fontina, Swiss, and even goat cheese. It’s up
to you what works for your pizza and menu
choices.
A few things to remember:
• A little goes a long way, especially given
current cheese prices.
• Smoked cheese are often better to use
over other cheeses for baking.
• Don’t overload the flavor profile. Be
careful with the ratio of smoked cheeses
with other strong varieties.
• Find other uses across your menu. Think
mac and cheese, sandwiches, dips, etc.
• Test smoked cheeses in your day-to-day
environment to be sure you select the right
melt consistency you are looking for.
Here are three recipes to test smoked
cheeses in your restaurant.
SAUSAGE, SPINACH & SMOKED
MOZZARELLA PIZZA
14-ounce dough ball
¼ pound sausage, crumbled
8 ounces 50/50 blend mozzarella &
smoked mozzarella
½ pound fresh plum or Roma tomatoes,
sliced
10-12 ounces fresh baby spinach leaves,
coarsely chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh garlic
Stretch your dough. Spread half the
cheese blend.
Sprinkle cooked sausage over the
cheese.
Lay sliced tomatoes evenly over cheese.
Spread spinach leaves evenly.
Drizzle olive oil over spinach, followed
by chopped garlic.
Sprinkle remaining 4 ounces of cheese
and bake.
BBQ BEEF BRISKET & SMOKED
SCAMORZA PIZZA
14-ounce dough ball
1 cup beef brisket, pulled into pieces
6 ounces barbecue sauce
½ cup red onion, sliced thin
1½ cups smoked Scamorza
Stretch your dough and apply barbecue
sauce.
Then top evenly with beef brisket.
Add the Scamorza, top with red onion
and bake.
Remove from oven and serve.
CHICKEN FAJITA PIZZA
Smoked cheeses have made their way to
pizza menus for some time. Here’s a spicy
pizza in our pizza recipe collection from
Tony Palombino, Tony Boombozz Pizzeria,
Louisville, KY.
12-inch pizza crust
3 ounces chipotle sauce (recipe to
follow)
4 ounces smoked provolone cheese,
shredded
4½ ounces grilled chicken, cut into
strips
½ cup green peppers and red onions,
sliced
½ cup Asiago cheese, shredded
1 ¼ cups mozzarella cheese, shredded
½ cup Roma tomatoes, diced
Stretch dough ball to 12-inches in
diameter and place on pizza screen. Apply
chipotle sauce and top with grilled chicken
strips. Evenly distribute pepper/onion
mixture, Asiago, mozzarella and diced
tomatoes. Bake until crust is golden brown
and ready to serve.
CHIPOTLE SAUCE
1 quart pizza sauce
1 tablespoon chipotle paste
1/3 cup red onion, minced
3 tablespoons jalapeno peppers,
minced
1/3 cup banana pepper rinds, minced
In a bowl, combine pizza sauce and
chipotle paste and blend well. Add
remaining ingredients and mix well.
DENISE GREER is Executive Editor at
Pizza Today.
3/6/23 4:21 PM
 FEATURE

Blocked vs. Shred:

You've Got a Friend in Cheeses
By Dan Collier

4 4 / P I Z Z AT O D AY. C O M / A P R I L 2 0 2 3

044_PIZ_0423_FTshredded.indd 44 3/6/23 4:22 PM

 W
hen it comes to
cheese, I’m a block-
head. It’s true, but
even blockheads
know there are
more ways than one to cut the cheese.
If you are in the pizza business, you
are guaranteed to be faced with this
question: Should I buy block cheese or
pre-shredded cheese?
Block cheese comes to you in one
big block, or sleeves of smaller blocks.
In order to use it on your pizza, you
will need to shred it, cut it or dice
it. Pre-shredded (or sliced or diced)
cheese comes ready-to-use. You just
open the bag and put it on your pizza.
Is one method of purchasing cheese
better than the other? Let’s slice into
each method to discover what is best
for your wallet, your pizza and your
operations — BLOCK CHEESE VS.
PRE-SHREDDED CHEESE
044_PIZ_0423_FTshredded.indd 45
Price, freshness, whole food, bet-
ter melt.
These are the advantages of block
cheese and the disadvantages of pre-
shredded cheese.
• Price. With block cheese you are
in control of the price you pay for
the product. When purchasing block
cheese, here are the steps you would
take.
1. Ask your food distributor for a
‘cost-plus’ contract for your cheese.
2. ‘Cost-plus’ means that the price you
pay per pound of cheese is tied to the
Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME)
Block and Barrel Market, or Block
Market for short. More at http://www.
cheesereporter.com/prices.htm
3. Perhaps you negotiate to pay
20 cents per pound over the Block
Market.
Block Market Price + .20 = Your cost per
pound of cheese
4. This gives you the best possible pric-
ing for cheese along with full transpar-
ency.
5. With pre-shredded cheese, the
manufacturer and distributor arbitrarily
set the price based on their costs and
profit margin and there is no control
point or reference for the price you pay.
• Freshness. Your food distributor
manages their inventory in such a way
that not only are your block cheeses
fresh, but your mozzarella is properly
aged (approximately two weeks) before
you receive it. You shred the block
cheese each day as part of your daily
prep, thereby providing the customer
with the freshest cheese possible. Fresh
ALWAYS tastes better. Pre-shredded
cheese has been shredded weeks or lon-
ger prior to putting it on your pizza.
• Whole food. Block cheese has no
added ingredients. When you purchase
pre-shredded cheese, the only way to
3/6/23 4:22 PM
 prevent it from clumping and mold-
ing is to add potato starch, corn starch,
powdered cellulose, and Natamycin.
Block cheese remains a whole food
without additives or preservatives. Food
and nutritional experts all seem to agree
that whole foods are better for you. By
using block cheese that you shred daily,
you are providing a healthier pizza for
your customer.
• Better melt. Block cheese melts bet-
ter on your pizza in the oven. The more
additives and preservatives cheese has,
the harder it is for the heat in your oven
to break down the protein molecules.
Fresh, whole food block cheese has
nothing to inhibit the heat from break-
ing these protein molecules down into a
liquid. If you use more than one cheese,
this is even more important as the
liquidity is what allows the cheese fla-
vors to blend. Pre-shredded cheeses do
not melt as consistently as block cheese
shredded fresh.
044_PIZ_0423_FTshredded.indd 46
Equipment, labor, safety, blend,
storage
These are the disadvantages of block
cheese and the advantages of pre-
shredded cheese.
• Equipment. Shredding your block
cheese in your pizzeria requires equip-
ment. Whether you use the least expen-
sive option of a mixer attachment for
around $1,000, or more expensive
options ranging from $5,000 for manu-
al cheese shredders to $10,000 plus for
automatic cheese shredders, there is an
investment that the block cheese buyer
must make that is not necessary for the
pre-shredded cheese buyer.
• Labor. Although you have gotten
your block cheese for the lowest price
possible, you now have the labor cost
of shredding that block cheese. Hourly
wages are climbing with no apparent
end in sight. By using the attachment
to shred cheese, I estimate it costs
me .10 per pound to shred. The pre-
shredded cheese pizzeria does not have
to hire, train and pay an employee to
do this. They simply open the bag of
cheese and put it on their pizza.
• Safety. Using equipment to shred
cheese in your pizzeria means the po-
tential for employee injury. You would
not think that someone would put their
hand in the shredder, or repair broken
equipment with duct tape or bypass
the safety features of the equipment to
render it easier to use, but it happens.
These potential safety dangers are no
concern of the pre-shredded cheese
pizzeria.
• Blend. Often, pizzeria owners use a
blend of more than one type of cheese
for their pizzas. Purchasing block
cheese means you must purchase each
type of cheese by the block, shred it
and mix it together yourself. Since this
would require employees to do this
either during the prep process or on the
pizza makeline, the blend the customer
receives on their pizza may not be as
consistent as a pre-shredded mixed
3/6/23 4:22 PM
 cheeses product done to exact
specs by a manufacturer.
• Storage. Block cheese will need
to be shredded into plastic tubs,
usually the same size tub (full pan)
that is used in your pizza make-
line, making for an easy swap-
out. Where pre-shredded cheese
Block
Price
Labor Cost
comes in plastic bags requiring no
extra tubs, block cheese pizzerias
will need to purchase many extra
tubs for cheese. On average 30 or
more cheese tubs and lids costing
roughly $1000.
The following chart sums up the
advantages of each:
Pre-Shredded
By now, you can probably see why I am a
blockhead. The benefits of buying cheese in
the block form and shredding it daily out-
weigh the benefits of buying pre-shredded for
my pizzerias. However, it is also clear to see
there are benefits to buying pre-shredded. The
‘Big 5’, the pizzerias with the most locations,
have all decided that pre-shredded cheese is
the way to go. What is the right call for your
pizzeria?
Block or Shred? Either way, we all have a
friend in cheeses!

Equipment Cost

Freshness DAN COLLIER is the founder of Pizza Man Dan’s

in California and a speaker at International Pizza
Whole Food
Expo.
Melt

Blend

Safety

Storage

044_PIZ_0423_FTshredded.indd 47 3/6/23 4:22 PM

 FEATURE

Opening and
A
s restaurant operators look to tighten labor
costs, they are adjusting opening and clos-
Closing Procedures ing procedures. While pizzeria owners and
efficiency experts agree there are no shortcuts for certain
tasks related to cleaning and food safety, some items on
Pizzeria owners can save labor
the To Do list can be checked off during other times
costs by revamping some checklists
of the day, or the next day. The key is to figure out how
many people are needed to perform certain functions,
Story by Nora Caley
and to set goals for using the time efficiently.

4 8 / P I Z Z AT O D AY. C O M / A P R I L 2 0 2 3

048_PIZ_0423_FTopeningclosing.indd 48 3/6/23 4:25 PM

 Take a close look at the specific
tasks the staff perform before service
begins and after the last pie goes out.
“The most important thing is under-
standing how much time it really takes
to open and close,” says Juan Pablo
Lopez, consulting director for Profital-
ity. When the Miami, Florida-based
industrial engineering consulting ser-
vice performs operational studies with
its clients, the experts collect data on
how many hours and how many crew
members it takes to do every activity
in the restaurant, from making pizza
to cleaning to opening and closing.
The equipment plays a role in the
time it takes to perform tasks. The
morning crew typically turns on the
oven, Lopez says, and some deck
ovens can take up to two hours to
reach the proper temperature. For
safety, at least two people work togeth-
er, so use that time to do as much prep
work as possible. The rest of the work
can be done later, after the lunch rush.
One task that can be postponed is
ingredient prep. “If you need to slice
and pan tomatoes, all those things
happen before the guests show up, but
it doesn’t have to happen that morn-
ing,” Lopez says. “You can do it at two
p.m., and the tomatoes could be used
the next morning.”
At Mattenga’s Pizza, with six
locations in the San Antonio,
Texas area, the evening crew had
a long list of closing tasks. That
changed when workers started calling
in sick, and a checklist designed for
multiple people had to be completed
by one person. So the closing pro-
cedures were reduced to five or six
important tasks, and everything else
scheduled for various times the next
day. “I am more pro keeping the team
productive the whole shift and not
dumping it all on the evening shift,”
says co-founder Hengam Stanfield.
“We always want to even out the
load.”
Otherwise, Stanfield says, workers
try to avoid being scheduled for busy
night shifts. By limiting the closing
048_PIZ_0423_FTopeningclosing.indd 49
tasks to sweeping, restocking the line
and other important tasks, workers
can be out in an hour. If there are five
workers, the manager will release one
or two early. “We’ll say, ‘Why don’t
you help out the closing team and put
two loads of dishes in the dishwasher
and then I’m sending you home,’” she
says. “Everybody wants to help out.”
Mattenga’s has standards and expec-
tations for each task, and team mem-
bers are trained on these. Stanfield
keeps track of labor costs through the
restaurants’ scheduling software, and
messages managers if they are running
up high labor costs and suggests they
send someone home. During Monday
meetings, managers review all the
clock in/clock out times and discuss
what to do when a location takes an
hour and half instead of an hour to
close.
Technology can help streamline
the opening and closing procedures.
At Nina + Rafi in Atlanta, workers
download an app, Jolt Checklist, onto
their phones, and management puts
the opening and closing checklist on
the app. “Employees will take pictures,
check off or give typed responses to
checklists that are programmed to
only be live during certain times of
the day,” says Jeremy Gatto, director
of operations at Nina + Rafi. “This not
only keeps them on task but allows us
to run restaurants remotely as e-mails
of completed checklists get sent to my
phone.”
Also, Gatto says, the schedule stag-
gers employees’ in and out times, and
kitchen employees are cross trained on
all tasks so everyone can help when
needed.
Some restaurants have shortened
their workday, and that helps alleviate
the labor shortages. Bird Pizzeria in
Charlotte, N.C. is open from 4 p.m. to
8 p.m., and stops serving pizza when
the kitchen runs out of dough. “We
started that way because we didn’t
have any employees,” says Nkem
Thompson, who opened the eatery
with her husband Kerrel in December
2021. “We can’t be here all day. We
just sort of did what we could do.”
The short days work well for the
five-member crew, which includes
the owners. “We are being mindful
of what is going to work to create
the best work environment for staff,”
Thompson says. “We make pizza, but
we are in the business of managing
people. We can’t do anything if the
staff doesn’t feel well or their knees
hurt.”
The first thing they do in the morning
is make boxes, and only a few of those
because the small kitchen has limited
space. The last thing they do at closing is
mop the floor. Tuesdays and Thursdays
are dough making days. “Every week is
the same,” Thompson says.
In pizzerias where the owners
are not working alongside the
crew, management must com-
municate the opening and closing
procedures. Videos and other online
tools can help, especially since work-
ers have varying schedules. “People
have one or two jobs, they’re going to
school, and they’re driving for Uber
at the same time,” says William H.
Bender, whose W.H. Bender & Asso-
ciates consultancy is based in San Jose,
California. “Have something cloud
based or digital based so they can
watch at one o’clock in the morning.”
In-person meetings are also helpful.
“Have a pre-shift briefing five to
10 minutes before the shift to psyche
up the team,” Bender says. “Talk about
what’s going on that day, whether you
have some big orders, and give one on
one time.” The goal is for the whole
restaurant to be ready 10 minutes
before the place opens.
At the end of the day, do a final
walkthrough to verify everything is
clean and food is safely stored. “You
want to leave a restaurant the way you
want to find it when you come in the
morning,” Bender says, “not a jumbled
mess.”
NORA CALEY is a freelance writer who
covers small business, finance and lifestyle
topics.
3/6/23 4:25 PM
 PRODUCT SHOWCASE
Mike’s Hot Honey - Extra Hot Chef’s
Bottle
Mike’s Hot Honey’s signature chili-infused
honey, kicked up a notch with more
real chilis and about 10x the heat level
of the original. Extra Hot can be used
interchangeably with the original, but its
extra kick is particularly suited for pizza,
chicken, BBQ, marinades and cocktails.
Founded out of a pizzeria in Brooklyn in
2010, Mike’s Hot Honey continues to be
one of the fastest growing pizza toppings
with best-selling featured pies on menus
nationwide. Now available in a 24oz
Chef’s Bottle for foodservice through your
local distributor and DOT Foods. For more
information or to request a sample, contact
us at wholesale@mikeshothoney.com. Visit
us online at mikeshothoney.com.
So bag-to-pan easy!
With scratch-made results so fudgy, so
fast … it’ll be love at first bake. NEW
Krusteaz Professional Brownie Batter in
a Bag helps operators serve fresh-baked
desserts in no time. Simply POUR. BAKE.
AMAZE!™ No training, no thaw time, no
mess. The batter bakes up fudgy with
a perfect paper top when popped in
a standard pizza impinger oven. With
such a flexible start, there are countless
ways for pizzerias to drive traffic and
boost check totals. Stir in toppings on
hand like bacon or pineapple. Bake in
various shapes and sizes for a point of
differentiation. Unopened bags have
a 10-month refrigerated shelf life and
baked product stores up to 4 days, tightly
wrapped. Request a sample:
krusteazpro.com/brownies-and-pizza
Contact: (888) 840-7627,
krusteazpro.com/brownies-and-pizza
5 0 / P I Z Z AT O D AY. C O M / A P R I L 2 0 2 3
050_PIZ_0323_PS.indd 50
New Private Label Infused Dipping
Oils
From the company that produces the
finest baking peels and accessories comes
their new line of private label infused
dipping oils! Mr. Peel, Incorporated makes
building your brand easy and affordable
by bottling oil with your company’s
logo on it. Provide us a high resolution
logo and we’ll do the rest - or if you’re
more artistically inclined you can design
your own labels with our easy to use
templates. Choose from five delicious
flavors: Pizza Oil, Spicy Sriracha Oil,
Roasted Garlic, Mediterranean Garlic, and
Basil & Sun Dried Tomato. Increase your
product portfolio and grow your business.
When you sell your own brand, repeat
orders, exclusivity and customer loyalty
are ensured. Quick lead times, 3 cases
minimum (6 bottles per case). For more
information on Mr. Peel, Incorporated
visit https://www.mrpeel.com/ or call us at
(888) 994-4664.
GO MARGHERITA!
Crafted with passion, using the highest
standards and traditional techniques,
Margherita Italian meats offer distinctive
tastes your guests will savor at every
meal. Our traditional and specialty Italian
meats feature only the finest cuts, which
we season, cure and package with pride,
using only the most sustainable practices.
From dried cured prosciutto and hard
salamis to capicola and pepperonis in any
format, you can take pizzas, sandwiches,
appetizers, sides, and entrées to a whole
new level to make even the simplest
offering exceptional. Margherita is always
ready to help turn the ordinary into
extraordinary by adding delicious and
unique flavors that your customers will
be sure to savor. Bring old-world style,
tradition, and flavor to your pizza today!
Visit smithfieldculinary.com/margherita
or contact a sales rep at (888) 327-6526.
The standard for Smoked Mozzarella
has been set!
Introducing Grande Fumella™, a one-
of-a-kind lightly smoked Part Skim
Mozzarella that will complement and
enhance your other ingredients without
overpowering them. This is a flavor your
customers will love! In fact, 4 in 5 prefer a
lighter smoke intensity making Fumella a
surefire hit for new menu ideas and repeat
customer visits1. The Fumella Difference:
Complement and enhance the flavor other
ingredients; Excellent melt, stretch and
reheat; Versatile across your menu; 100%
all natural with no preservatives, fillers or
artificial ingredients; Naturally smoked with
cherry and hickory wood; and Pre-shredded
to save time and labor. To learn more about
Grande’s selection of authentic Italian
cheeses, call 800.847.2633 or visit us at
grandecheese.com
1 these bold toppings can add a delicious
Datassential Consumer Omnibus Study, January 2022
Peerless Electric CE61PE Deck Oven
with Ventless Hood Option
No Hood? No Problem! Peerless Electric
CE61PE pizza oven, with the Ventless
Hood option, offers the best in quality,
performance and value, eliminating the
need for a costly traditional exhaust hood.
The Peerless Electric CE61PE Pizza Oven
offers exclusive features including a space
saving design, with electronic controls
and a variable control system for better
distribution of heat and better baking. The
CE61PE has a total of 2 decks, each being
42” wide x 32” deep x 7” high. 1” baking
stones are standard. The CE61PE holds
eight (8) 16” pizzas. Now offered with an
optional ventless hood and Ansul System,
the CE61PE-VL50 has the flexibility of
placement in your kitchen or anywhere
in your facility. With the optional ventless
hood, the CE61PE-VL50 has a footprint
50” wide x 42” deep x 88” high, saving
valuable kitchen space without sacrificing
output. The ventless hood is certified under
UL710b. The Ansul R-102 wet chemical fire
suppression system is available, where
required. All Peerless electric ovens can be
purchased with the ventless hood option.
Please contact office@peerlessovens.com or
call (800) 548-4514 for more information.
Burke Corporation Launches New
Mexican-Inspired Toppings
Burke Corp. (Nevada, Iowa) a subsidiary of
Hormel Foods Corporation and industry
leader in foodservice fully cooked meat
toppings and ingredients, announced
the launch of new BURKE® Mexican-
Inspired Toppings. These bold ingredients
are available to foodservice operators
across the country and give diners the
adventurous flavors they crave without
adding back-of-house complexity. The
toppings are fully cooked and ready to
pack a powerful punch of flavor to any
dish. This new product line includes
Cooked Sausage with Salsa Verde-Style
Seasonings, Beef Meatballs with Smoky
Chipotle Seasonings, Chicken Sausage
with Tinga-Style Seasonings, Pork &
Beef Meatballs with Albondigas-Style
Seasonings, Chorizo Sausage Crumbles
and Mexican-Style Beef Crumbles.
Inspired by the spirited flavors of Mexico,
kick all across menus. To request a
sample, call 800-654-1152 or visit https://
meat.burkecorp.com/mexican-inspired/.
Light Weight Food Handling
Solutions
Food safety is essential, and so is keeping
your employees happy and healthy in the
workplace. Providing equipment that can
be easily lifted, moved, and stacked is a
vital component of a productive working
environment. Lightweight does not have
to mean less strength. MFG Tray’s line of
light weight dough boxes have the same
durability as our standard containers but
at only 40 percent of the weight. With
foods such as bread and pizza doughs,
storing them in lightweight containers
can help ensure your goods are protected
through all stages; proofing, storage, and
transportation. MFG has created a line
of fiberglass dough boxes with securely
attached lids that are resistant to moisture
and humidity. You’ll get the physical
benefits of light weight storage without
worrying about quality control. Visit MFG
Tray at Pizza Expo – Booth #2757! Contact
MFG Tray Company — TF: (800) 458-6050
| www.mfgtray.com
3/6/23 4:29 PM

TO J O I N U S O N T H E S E P A G E S C O N TA C T :
B ob B aker, Ac c o un t Exe c uti ve,
Robert.B aker@em e ra l d X .c o m
DSC Scales & Balances
DSC is your source for name brand scales
and balances at discount prices. DSC has
a full staff of Engineers offering technical
support to help you to select the proper
weighing device for your application.
We offer field and depot service to
minimize your down time. We have been
selling weighing systems since 1991,
so we know what customers want, top
quality brand name scales at incredible
discounts. Call (800) 726-5883 or visit
www.dscbalances.com.
BelGioioso Enhances its
Restaurant Rewards Program
In an effort to support restaurant owners,
BelGioioso has recently renewed and
enhanced their Restaurant Rewards
Program. With the industry still
experiencing staff limitations and other
cost-related difficulties, the program
is designed to offer savings based on
qualifying purchases of BelGioioso
Cheeses. For the first time since its
launch in 2019, La Bottega BelGioioso
will also be included in the program
with a dedicated bonus to promote
the company’s premium selection of
artisan cheeses. Also included in the
program is Burrata, a popular and
trending fresh cheese that was recently
awarded the Gold medal at the World
Cheese Awards. Committed to crafting
high quality, BelGioioso cheeses provide
operators the consistent quality they
need for their customers to enjoy. The
2022 program is for restaurants who
purchase through a distributor and any
interested operator is invited to submit
their application through their BelGioioso
sales representative or local broker.
BelGioioso Cheese is a family-owned and
operated company specializing in artisan
Italian cheesemaking. Using natural
ingredients and fresh, local Wisconsin
milk, Master Cheesemakers hand-craft a
full line of exceptional cheeses guided by
a commitment to quality and a respect for
tradition. At BelGioioso, every cheese is a
specialty. www.belgioioso.com
050_PIZ_0323_PS.indd 51
Pizza-By-The-Slice Sales Profit
Maker
The patented Portion PadL is one of the
most popular portioning tools for cutting
pizzas into equal slices. A pizza cutting
board designed to cut pizzas into equal
slices, we custom make the Portion
PadL to your pizza size, shape and slice
applications. The Portion PadL is simple
to use, assures every pizza is cut equally
which reduces food waste and increases
profits. www.portionpadl.com,
greg@portionpadl.com, (330) 608-5928.
Tableside IQ --Handheld with
Pay at the Table
Streamline your table service with easy-to-
carry and easy-to-use hand-held devices
that take. Orders AND credit card payments
at the table. Tableside efficiency! No need
to run back to POS to process payment.
Fight chargebacks with processing by EMV.
Smaller form factor makes it easy to carry,
hold and use. Any restaurant manager
will tell you that serve ice efficiency keeps
customers happy and costs down. That’s
why device-based ordering and payment
collection has become so popular. Tableside
IQ now features a redesigned user interface
and a new, smaller mobile device for factor.
Best of all, the new devices accept credit
cards at the table, so your servers no longer
have to walk back to the POS, improving
security and helping turn tables faster.
Features include: Pay at the Table via EMV,
Signature Capture on Credit Card Voucher,
Coupon Scanning and Easy tip addition.
Contact FoodTec Solutions at www.
foodtecsolutions.com or (800) 350-3339.
APRIL 2023
Fuegorita Turns Up The Heat With
Crushed Red Pepper Alternative Draw a Crowd with Plastic
Fuegorita is turning the pizza world
Postcards!
Plastic postcards offer all the same benefits
upside down with its reinvention of
of traditional postcards, but they’re
crushed red pepper. Give your customers
laminated on both sides for increased
the option to raise the heat level of the
durability and an attractive glossy finish.
pizzas you create with a unique flavor
Because they’re about the same thickness
profile that will have them eating and
as a credit card, they convey more value
drinking more and coming back time
and make your restaurant stand out in the
and again. Carmen Zermeño created
mailbox. Whether you’re advertising a
the recipe from peppers grown by
promotion or want to send gift cards, our
generations of her family in Mexico, and
plastic postcards are a great option. Best of
now the Pepper Bandits co-founder is
all, detachable cards extend the lifespan
bringing the “hotter, better crushed red
of your marketing because people punch
pepper” pizzerias across the U.S. Call us at
them out and hold on to them until they’re
(818) 554-9236 or visit our website. Pizza
ready to redeem your offer. For plastic
Today readers get 20% off your first order
postcard pricing and to request a quote
when you use promo code “pizzatoday” at
visit themailshark.com/pizza-today or call
www.fuegorita.com.
(484) 928-7944.
Lillsun hand-made pizza peels and
bakers’ woodenware
Started in 1951 as a small, family-owned
business, Lillsun Manufacturing has
supplied quality hand-made pizza peels
and bakers’ woodenware to bakeries
and pizzerias across the U.S. Created by
Caputo Cheese Introduces Elevated the most experienced craftsmen in the
Cow CBD-Infused Fresh Mozzarella America’s Heartland, our hand-crafted
Award-winning Caputo Cheese is set to peels and proofing boards are made
using the highest-quality seasoned
launch Elevated Cow (www.elevatedcow.
hardwood and are lightweight, durable,
com), a new brand of CBD-infused
and easy-to-maintain. Founded by Harold
crafted fresh mozzarella. The new range
Sunderman, he combined his wife’s
of unique cheese is created with 100%
name Lillian Sunderman, to call the
organic hemp sourced in the United
company Lillsun. The Sunderman family
States, lab tested and verified. “A rigorous
continued to own the company until the
amount of research and testing went into
last year, when local entrepreneurs, Cory
developing Elevated Cow and we are
& Mandy Reber took over.The Reber’s
excited to provide our customers with
continue to follow the same standards
a new cheese experience,” said Natale
that our founders established, to produce
Caputo, President of Caputo Cheese.
the best peels and bakers’ woodenware
Cannabidiol is independently lab tested
on the market. At Lillsun, we are proud
for potency, solvents and for any potential
to say that supplying the baking and
contaminants. Verified CBD is then
pizzeria industries with peels and bakers’
infused into the cheese making process
woodenware is still our only business 70
under the watchful eye of Caputo’s
years later! Call (260) 356-6514 or visit
microbiologist staff. Final product is then
lillsun.com.
lab tested a second time for potency
accuracy. Each Elevated Cow Fresh
Mozzarella production run is specially lot
coded for potency and traceability. For
more information, visit
caputocheese.com or elevatedcow.com.
A P R I L 2 0 2 3 / P I Z Z AT O D AY. C O M / 5 1
3/6/23 4:30 PM
 YELLOW PAGES

00 Flour..................................................... 53 Dividers/Rounders....................................54 Pasta Equipment....................................... 55

Basil ............................................................ 53 Dockers.......................................................54 Pizza Boxes................................................. 55

Business Advisors .................................... 53 Dough Boxes/Proofing Trays..................54 Pizza Ovens................................................ 55

Car Signs.................................................... 53 Dough/Doughballs/Sheeted Dough........54 Pizza Pans/Peels/Screens........................ 55

Cheese........................................................ 53 Dough Presses....................................54, 55 Pizza Presses.............................................. 55

Computer Systems, P.O.S................53, 54 Dough Rollers............................................ 55 Proofers...................................................... 55

Conveyors...................................................54 Insurance.................................................... 55 Sauce........................................................... 56

Crusts..........................................................54 Magnets...................................................... 55 Spices & Seasonings................................. 56

Delivery Systems......................................54 Mixers......................................................... 55 Tomato Products....................................... 56

On Hold Marketing.................................. 55

Gain Business by Increasing Visibility!

List in the Pizza Today Yellow Pages!
BASE LINE LISTING LOGO LISTINGS:
$765.00 PER YEAR! for the first two lines $1,826 per half inch PER YEAR!
(approximately 65 characters per line) $3,619 per one inch PER YEAR!

Call Rosario Woliver or Bob Baker to reserve your space

in the PIZZA TODAY YELLOW PAGES
Rosario Woliver Bob Baker
770-291-5466 732-429-2080
Rosario.Woliver@EmeraldX.com robert.baker@EmeraldX.com

5 2 / P I Z Z AT O D AY. C O M / A P R I L 2 0 2 3

067_PIZ_0223_YP.indd 52 3/6/23 4:41 PM

 YELLOW PAGES

00 Flour

THE FLOUR OF NAPLES

With a number of award-winning flours, including
their new “0” Nuvola Super for roman & contem-
porary styles, Caputo has a flour for every purpose.
Every pizzaioli deserves the most authentic and
highest-quality flour.
Exclusive importer:
Orlando Food Sales, Inc., Glen Rock, NJ
www.orlandofoods.com • 201-368-9197

Molino Pasini s.p.a. - Italy

Full line flours for Pizza, Fresh Pasta,
Ready Mix for gnocchi
Phone: 1-973-454-8534
+39 0376 969015
www.molinopasini.com - info@molinopasini.com

Basil

BASIL, FARM FRESH *DISTRIBUTORS WANTED*

The Green $$$ for Every Pizza Highest Quality All Jet Fresh
We are the Growers*12 Month Programs
Call: 312-519-5900/Email: qmpsalesinc@gmail.com

Business Advisors
We help you sell your business when you’re ready.
Buyers Nationwide. Largest seller of businesses.
Contact Tim Davis at tdavis@SunbeltMidwest.com
or call 612-390-0415

Car Signs
Bacio® Exceptional Italian Pizza Cheese
Uniquely crafted with fresh, Grade A milk and With a Kiss of Buffalo Milk®
To learn more or request a free demo visit baciocheese.com or call 855-BACIO85

Computer Systems/Point-of-Sale

Cheese Get Control: Point of Sale • Get Results: Point of Marketing

Get Serious. Get Arrow.

“Classic Italian Cheeses made in the U.S.A.”

Fresh Mozzarella - Water and Thermoform Pack
Fresh Mozzarella Special Formula for Pizza
Fresh Mozzarella Curd • Ricotta con Latte®
Provolone • Parmesan • Burrata • Stracciatella
Call Now! 888-378-3338........www.ArrowPOS.com
Gorgonzola • Asiago • Romano • Mascarpone
877.863.2123 belgioioso.com

CAP030_YellowPageListing_PT.indd 1 11/2/17 3:45 PM

A P R I L 2 0 2 3 / P I Z Z AT O D AY. C O M / 5 3

067_PIZ_0223_YP.indd 53 3/6/23 4:42 PM

 YELLOW PAGES

Computer Systems/Point-of-Sale Continued Dockers

• Fully Integrated POS Systems • Delivery, Self Ordering, Curbside, Take Out
• Stand Alone, Tablet, Kiosk or Mobile • Complete Inventory and Payroll
• Fully Integrated On Line & Mobile Apps • Real Time 24/7/365 Customer Support Desk
Dough Boxes/Proofing Trays
• Enterprise Management & Reporting
• Contact Less EMV PCI Credit Card Interfaces • Dough Trays -- Standard & Artisan Sizes – extremely durable and airtight.
Outlasts all other Plastic & Fiberglass Dough Trays!
• Dough Tray Covers – engineered to fit.
• Dough Scrapers – two ergonomic designs.
• Dough Tray Dollies – heavy duty.
The preferred dough tray of pizza operators
in the US and Abroad for over 30 years!
Order by phone or online.
908-276-8484...............www.doughmate.com The Leader in Dough Handling Products

Conveyors

Dough/Doughballs/Sheeted Dough

NATIONAL LEADER IN
Crusts
Custom Frozen
NATIONAL LEADER IN Pizza Dough
Custom Frozen WIDE VARIETY OF DOUGH
BALLS, PAR-BAKED AND
Pizza Dough SELF-RISING PIZZA CRUSTS
WIDE VARIETY OF DOUGH Contact Shawna | 920.662.0304 | www.akcrust.com
BALLS, PAR-BAKED AND
SELF-RISING PIZZA CRUSTS

Contact Shawna | 920.662.0304 | www.akcrust.com

Delivery Systems
Pizza Forms & Systems, Inc............www.pizzaforms.com
Specializing in Custom Delivery Forms & Labels for the Pizza Industry
155 Romeo, Suite 600, Rochester, MI 48307 Dough Presses
800-923-0004.........248-608-8726.........Fax: 248-608-6795

Dividers/Rounders

5 4 / P I Z Z AT O D AY. C O M / A P R I L 2 0 2 3

067_PIZ_0223_YP.indd 54 3/6/23 4:43 PM

 YELLOW PAGES

Dough Presses Continued Pasta Equipment

eview the proof below and sign-off on theDough Rollers

advertisement as shown or indicate changes in the column.
Please return this signed proof to Stacie Dennison at either:
Email: sdennison@pizzatoday.com
or Fax: 502-736-9518

Insurance

Pizza & Restaurant Delivery Insurance Program

Contact Julie Reisinger (717) 214-7616 .......................................www.amwins.com/apu

Magnets
Pizza Boxes

PBI Sales .........................................516-937-1133 ............................. www.pbisales.com

Boxes for Pizza, Slices, Catering, Bakery, Subs, Beverages and More!

Pizza Ovens
Mixers
Scan Code
for More Info
Precision HD-60 Pizza Mixer
7-Year Unconditional Parts Warranty Holdsbowl!
art
STONE HEARTH OVENS
on all gears and shafts in the 80-qundles a Wood Fired | Gas-Fired | Coal-Fired | Wood/Gas Combo
Ha . bag
50 lb our! Wood Stone Corporation | Bellingham, WA
planetary and transmission! of fl
1-360-650-1111 | woodstone-corp.com
www.pizzamixers.com • 1-877-R-MIXERS

Pizza Pans/Peels/Screens
On Hold Marketing

Pizza Presses

Proofers

U T H 8 T H S T R E E T, S U I T E 2 0 0 , L O U I S V I L L E K Y 4 0 2 0 3 • 5 0 2 - 7 3 6 - 9 5 0 0

d 1 5/8/19 10:07 AM
A P R I L 2 0 2 3 / P I Z Z AT O D AY. C O M / 5 5

067_PIZ_0223_YP.indd 55 3/6/23 4:44 PM

 YELLOW PAGES

Sauce

Pastorelli Food Products:

Pastorelli Foods takes pride in being this country’s oldest
100% family-owned and operating tomato co-manufactures.
Our fully prepared pizza sauce was the first of its kind back
in 1952 and has continued to earn multiple worldwide
awards for its exemplary quality. We continue to stand apart from the rest by providing
complex, unique, and quality-driven flavor profiles to all our customers. In addition to
our standard offerings, we also offer custom formulation and private label options. For
more information, we invite you to contact us at 312-763-3828 or www.
pastorelli.com or info@pastorelli.com.

Spices & Seasonings

Manufactured by

Great Flavor - Better Value

1-800-ALLSPICE
FREE SAMPLES allseasonings.com

Visit us at 2023 International Pizza Expo Booth #2231

Tomato Products

Family owned and operated for over 50

years, The Neil Jones Food Company is a
leading supplier of premium quality
tomato products and custom blend
sauces. We pack from the freshest and
finest vine-ripened California tomatoes
in traditional #10 cans and
#10 can-equivalent pouches.

5 6 / P I Z Z AT O D AY. C O M / A P R I L 2 0 2 3

067_PIZ_0223_YP.indd 56 3/6/23 4:44 PM

 LISTEN WHEREVER YOU GET YOUR PODCASTS

THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS

baciocheese.com pos.hungerrush.com performancefoodservice.com

057_PIZ_0423_HOTSLICE.indd 43 3/6/23 4:31 PM

 THE MARKETPLACE

Delivery bags

Untitled-4 1 3/3/23 9:10 AM

Dough/Crust Pizza Peels

The BEST name in Pizza Peels

Made in the USA Since 1951

Our peels and proofing boards are made with the
highest quality seasoned hardwood.

260-356-6514 www.lillsun.com
Lillsun@cinergymetro.net

Lillsun_PIZ_1220.indd 1 11/9/20 6:21 PM

58 / P I Z Z AT O D AY. C O M / A P R I L 2 0 2 3

Untitled-4 1 8/29/22 12:27 PM

088_PIZ_0323_MP.indd 58 3/6/23 4:37 PM

 THE MARKETPLACE

Computer / POS Systems

micoworks_top_PIZ_0817.indd 1 6/16/16 11:35 AM

micoworks_bottom_PIZ_0817.indd 1 A P R I L 2 0 2 3 / P I Z Z AT O6/16/16
D AY. C O11:36 59
M / AM

088_PIZ_0323_MP.indd 59 3/6/23 4:37 PM

 THE MARKETPLACE

Equipment For Sale

Untitled-2 3 11/1/22 3:06 PM

Cleaning Supplies

Untitled-5 1 8/29/22 4:08 PM

60 / P I Z Z AT O D AY. C O M / A P R I L 2 0 2 3

088_PIZ_0323_MP.indd 60 3/6/23 4:37 PM

 THE MARKETPLACE

Signs/Delivery

Equipment For Sale

Untitled-3 1 3/3/23 9:09 AM

A P R I L 2 0 2 3 / P I Z Z AT O D AY. C O M / 61

088_PIZ_0323_MP.indd 61 3/6/23 4:37 PM

 THE MARKETPLACE

Dough/Crust Equipment for Sale

Weekly Portion PadL

Pizza Cutting Guide

• Custom Made to Your Pizza Size and Slice Applications

• Ideal for Round, Square, Rectangle and Flat Bread Pizzas
Each week, Pizza Today
• Simple to Use and Easy To Clean
• Improves Kitchen Efficiencies, Reduces Food Waste and
Weekly delivers quick-to-
Increases Profits
• Perfect for Pizza by the slice applications and FDA Menu
read business tips and recipes
Labeling Compliance Requirements
Untitled-5 1

developed specifically for

3/3/23 9:11 AM

• Free Shipping When Ordering Two or More Portion PadLs

today’s independent and

www.portionpadl.com or call 330-608-5928
multi-unit pizzeria operators.

Weekly
Sign up now at PizzaToday.com
62 Untitled-2
/ P I Z Z AT2O D AY. C O M / A P R I L 2 0 2 3 11/7/22 10:26 AM
057_PIZ_0822_PTweekly.indd 1 7/12/22 4:56 PM

Each week, Pizza Today

088_PIZ_0323_MP.indd 62
Weekly delivers quick-to- 3/6/23 4:38 PM
 THE MARKETPLACE

Pizza Pans/Cutters/Screens

COMPANY PAGE # PHONE # WEBSITE

Untitled-2 1 3/3/23 9:08 AM

Untitled-3 1 8/29/22 10:08

AM Manufacturing 62 219-472-7272 www.ammfg.com

Baker’s Quality 58 262-513-9237 bakersquality.com

Edge Ovens 61 888-480-EDGE EdgeOvens.com

Electric HOTBAG 58 248-687-2733 checkcorp.com

Glissen Chemical Company 60 800-356-9922 glissenchemical.com

HTH Inc 61 800-321-1850 carsigns.com

Lillsun 58 260-356-6514 lillsun.com

LloydPans 63 800-748-6251 lloydpans.com

Microworks POS Solutions, Inc. 59 (800) 787-2068 microworks.com

Northern Pizza Equipment 62 866-543-0249 northernpizza.com

Portion PadL 62 330-608-5928 portionpadl.com

Thunderbird Food Machinery, Inc. 60 214-331-3000 thunderbirdfm.com

A P R I L 2 0 2 3 / P I Z Z AT O D AY. C O M / 63

088_PIZ_0323_MP.indd 63 3/6/23 4:38 PM

 The 5th Annual

October 1-2, 2023

Atlantic City Convention Center
PizzaAndPastaExpo.com

064_PIZ_0423_PPNE.indd 43 3/6/23 3:33 PM

 READER’S RESOURCE

NAME PAGE PHONE WEB ADDRESS

Bacio Cheese Company 11 303-480-2600 baciocheese.com

BelGioioso 37 877-863-2123 belgioioso.com

Bellissimo Foods 9 925-472-8700 bellissimo.com

California Milk Advisory Board 15, 39 209-883-6455 realcaliforniamilk.com/foodservice

Corto Olive 7 888-832-0051 corto-olive.com

Galbani, Lactalis Culinary 32, 33 877-522-8254 GalbaniPro.com/history

Globe Food Equipment 45 937-299-5493 globefoodequip.com

Grände Cheese Company Covertip, 67 800-8-GRANDE grandecheese.com

Milano’s Cheese 13, 68 800-244-2433 milanoscheese.com

Korok 46 hotrocksoven.com/tired

PDQ Pizzeria System/Signature Systems, Inc. 25 877-968-6430 PDQpos.com

Performance Foodservice 2 PerformanceFoodservice.com/ItalianExperts

PIE Awards 31 502-736-9500 pizzatoday.com

PizzaCloud 17 866-511-5521 PIZZACLOUD.NET

Pizza and Pasta Northeast 64 502-736-9500 pizzatoday.com

Savencia Cheese USA 41 savenciacheeseusa.com/foodservice

Slice 47 201-371-3097 SliceLife.com/New

Somerset 23 978-667-3355 smrset.com

Stanislaus Food Products 4, 5 800-327-7201 stanislaus.com

The Hot Slice 19, 57 502-736-9500 pizzatoday.com

Univex 21 603-893-6191 univexcorp.com

A P R I L 2 0 2 3 / P I Z Z AT O D AY. C O M / 6 5

065_PIZ_0423_RR.indd 65 3/6/23 4:33 PM

 EXPO SPOTLIGHT
PIZZA & PASTA NORTHEAST 2023
SAVE THE DATE!
P
izza & Pasta Northeast
continues to be your one-
stop shop for everything
you need for your pizzeria, including
the newest products, equipment
and technology hitting the market.
Throw in an education program and
demonstration program second to
none and you have a game-changing
experience. This year, you will also an
opportunity to attend Artisan Bakery
Expo East at no charge, which will
be co-located with Pizza & Pasta
Northeast.
Both the pizzeria and retail bakery
businesses are extremely similar. Both
industries are striving to elevate the
quality of their products to where
they are considered “artisan.”
On the show floor or in the
6 6 / P I Z Z AT O D AY. C O M / A P R I L 2 0 2 3
066_PIZ_0423_EXPOSPOT.indd 66
BILL OAKLEY OCTOBER 1-2, 2023
classrooms, you’ll find real solutions
and opportunities to bring home to
your business. This is your once-a-
year opportunity to meet face-to-face
with industry suppliers and take
advantage of discount pricing and
show specials.
“Education is the key to success.”
We feel so strongly about education
that we’re offering more than
20 business-boosting seminars,
demonstrations and workshops
dealing with today’s hot-button
topics, including the current labor
shortage, supply chain issues,
inflation and how to improve
customer service. If you’re located
east of the Mississippi, Pizza &
Pasta Northeast 2022 is truly THE
place for you to learn, network, see,
shop and make deals. You’ll discover
ATLANTIC CITY CONVENTION CENTER
endless opportunities to take your
business to the next level!
As always, our commitment to you,
our partners, is to produce the biggest
and best show ever!
Remember, attending Pizza &
Pasta Northeast is a tax-deductible
working vacation.
It’s all pizza and it’s all for YOU!
Bill Oakley
Group Show Director
BILL OAKLEY is the
Group Show Director for
International Pizza Expo and
Pizza & Pasta Northeast
3/6/23 4:34 PM
 There are no shortcuts to greatness.
OK, maybe one.

YOU DIDN’T GET INTO THIS

BUSINESS TO BE AVERAGE.

NEITHER DID WE.

C3_PIZ_0423_Grande.indd 1 3/1/23 9:13 AM

C4_PIZ_0423_Milanos.indd 1 3/6/23 11:06 AM