Topics
Menu Development
Chicken Wings
What is it about wings? They have become so popular that I wouldn’t be surprised if some scientist is at work trying to figure out how to come up with a chicken that has four wings. It’s no surprise people love them — they’re fun, fast and qu...
Topics
Menu Development
How Appetizing
A quick survey of appetizers on the restaurant landscape shows that many are still serving the old standbys. Indeed, Mintel Menu Insights, a leading market-research company, lists these as the most common listings: samplers; buffalo wings; nachos; mo...
Topics
Dough Production/Development
Dough Doctor Tom Lehmann takes a look at organic pizzas, local ingredients and artisan pizzas
Q: We have been getting some customer requests for natural or organic pizzas. Is there a way we can do this economically? A: The words “natural” and “organic” are consumer buzzwords in the food industry. There have been supermarkets, delis an...
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People & Pizzerias
The 2013 Independent Pizzeria of the Year is Pitfire Artisan Pizza
It’s 10:30 a.m. on a bright summer day –– not unusual for the California coastline –– and the folks at Pitfire Artisan Pizza in Costa Mesa are already hard at work. The front door is open to let in the breeze, and an employee stands on a la...
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People & Pizzerias
Pizza Places that Rock — January 2014
Roberta’s 261 Moore Street Brooklyn, New York 11206 (718) 417-1118 www.robertaspizza.com This wood-fired pizzeria is an oasis in an urban city with its patio and rooftop garden and greenhouse. Last year, the restaurant released an extensive cookboo...
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Menu Development
10 Panini Filling Ideas
Often, simplicity is the best route to take in the kitchen. This certainly is the case when offering panini. If you’re looking for a way to jumpstart lunch sales, here are 10 easy panini “filling” combinations: • Panini Rosta (grilled zucchin...
Topics
Operations
Waiting for a Profit
On weekdays, the lunch crowd from the local police academy and nearby industrial park pack out Lido’s in Meriden, Connecticut. And on Friday and Saturday nights, it’s all about serving it up to the kids — soccer teams and Brownie troops alike. ...
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People & Pizzerias
Motorino carves place in New York pizza scene
[SlideDeck2 id=28226] There’s no doubt that New York City is one of the pizza capitals of the world, perhaps best known for its large, foldable slices. But there’s a not-so-quiet movement to bring Neapolitan pizza to the forefront of that scene, ...
Topics
Dough Production/Development
Dough Doctor: Take-and-bake formula
Q: This might seem like a rather basic question, but how do you make a decent take-and-bake pizza? A: Several years ago take-and-bake pizzas appeared to be something of a novelty item, but today the novelty has worn off, and take-and-bake pizza has g...
Topics
Employee Management
For your review: Insurance policy coverage
Insurance policies should be reviewed annually to assure adequate coverage. Although pizza restaurant operators should notify their insurance agents whenever a change has been made that increases the value of the business or its exposure to liabilit...
Topics
Menu Development
Trending Recipe: Polenta Nera Pizza
In this recipe, I’ve taken the traditional “Polenta Nera” recipe of the mountainous Alto Adige region and modified it by using puffed buckwheat, barley or spelt as a wonderful pizza with anchovies. Polenta Nera Pizza 10 ounces of your in-house ...
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People & Pizzerias
Liquid Proceeds: Water usage is one overlooked expense
A pizzeria operator never wants to see money going down the drain. But that’s what happens when an operator is not careful about water usage. The National Restaurant Association reports that quick-service restaurants consume about 500 to 1,500 gall...