Foodservice-Equipment-Supplies
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Spin! Neapolitan Pizza’s concept combines fast-casual e&s segment spotlight ordering with a full service dining experience. $3&"5*/("/*$)& */5)&1*;;"$308% In the competitive fast-casual pizza arena, operators look to hone their competitive edge to set their businesses apart. By Lisa White he pizza segment remains a competitive land- D.C. “This type of concept lends itself well to a wide audience, scape, with a growing number of fast-casual as there are countless crust-sauce-topping combinations to restaurants continuing to enter the space. Though keep repeat customers engaged as well as bring in new diners.” 5 quick-serve restaurant pizza chains remain domi- Technomic reports fast-casual operations have grown nant, fast-casual operations continue to grow at a signif- pizza entree menus by 17 percent since 2013. Millennials cantly greater pace. continue to drive this growth: 44 percent of those 18 to 34 “There has been somewhat of a boom of build-your- years in age surveyed said they wish there were more fast- own fast-casual pizza concepts in recent years,” says casual pizza restaurants offering build-your-own pizzas near Annika Stensson, director of research communications for them and would order pizza from a location if they could the National Restaurant Association, based in Washington, customize their pies. 114 t'00%4&37*$&&26*1.&/54611-*&4tAPRIL 2017 e&s segment spotlight “Current food trends lean toward wider concepts and locations, strip malls and those attached to other businesses ideas more than single-ingredient-based items these days,” average between 4,300 and 6,600 square feet and seat as few says Stensson. “It stands to reason that this also applies to as 5 to more than 100. pizza, including locally sourced items, eco-friendly food and Pizza Ranch also unveiled a new prototype in Sterling, nutrition- and diet-conscious items.” Ill., that incorporates a new fow both in the front of the According to Chicago-based Technomic Inc.’s 2016 Pizza house, specifcally looking at a better approach to how cus- Consumer Trend Report, the top 500 QSR pizza chains’ sales tomers order and pay, and the back of the house to improve totaled $21.5 billion between 2013 and 2014 compared with effciencies. The protoype also includes an update to decor. fast-casual chains’ $4 million. However, QSRs’ year-over- “We’re taking a leaner design approach to give guests year growth rate was slightly less than 3 percent compared a more convenient experience getting in and out of the with fast-casual’s 11.8 percent. The fast-casual pizza segment restaurant,” says Point. “Our goal was to create a warm, invit- grew sales 22 percent and store count grew 27 percent in ing environment for everyone from Millennials to seniors, 2014 — more than any other category. changing our neutral color scheme to a more vibrant hue.” Healthy sides are a leading area of interest for those visit- Kitchens also have been part of the updates. The ing pizza restaurants, in addition to preservative-free ingredi- 1,500-square-foot back of the house includes pizza ovens, ents, whole grain pizza crust and organic ingredients. pressure fryers, make lines, coolers and freezers. Along with variety, convenient dining options remain a “Moving forward, we’re looking at a [leaner] kitchen driving force in the popularity of this segment. Close to half design that incorporates different technology that can help of consumers surveyed are more likely to call the restaurant streamline our process,” says Point. “We’re currently evaluat- and pick up the pizza, according to Mintel. That compares to ing what we have and what we’d like to have.” 42 percent who would order online through the restaurant’s website and 41 percent who would dine in. “Off-premise options are the largest growth area for the restaurant industry overall, and about three-quarters of restaurant traffc is now off-premise,” says Stensson. “This is especially true in the limited-service restaurant segment.” "$PODFQU&WPMWFT When Pizza Ranch opened its doors in northwest Iowa back in 1981, the concept was quintessential pizza. However, 35 The salad bar is part of years and 200 locations later, Pizza Ranch has evolved into a Pizza Ranch’s extensive buffet restaurant that also offers chicken. bufet oferings. With locations in 13 states from Montana to Michigan, and more on A diverse pizza bufet selection helps sets the way, it’s the variety that makes Pizza Pizza Ranch apart. Ranch attractive to its core customer base of families, says Justin Point, the brand’s vice president of marketing. Also, pickup and delivery services have been advantageous to its growth. In addition to pizza and chicken, the menu’s core includes a variety of potato incarnations, vegetables, a salad bar, soup, ice cream and dessert pizza. In January, the chain launched a new pepperoni pizza that includes two unique pepperoni types, riding the coattails of its most popular topping. “We have restaurants in communities with 1,000 people and in regions with more than 150,000, so each site has a unique approach due to the mar- ket,” says Point. Sites in standalone APRIL 2017t'00%4&37*$&&26*1.&/54611-*&4 t115 e&s segment spotlight Pizza Ranch also plans on introducing a new pizza lineup In 1982, Russo opened his frst pizzeria in Houston at this year with more upscale ingredients, such as spinach, only 20 years old. Anthony’s Pizzeria was a 1,400-square- balsamic glaze and various spices. foot restaurant that offered New York-style pizza, along with sandwiches and salads. /:$4UZMFJO5FYBT “At that time, no one was doing pizza by the slice in Since he learned to make pizza at his parent’s upscale Italian Texas,” says Russo. “And most of my customers were from restaurant at 12 years of age, Anthony Russo knew his future the East Coast.” was in the pie business. Despite his dad pleading with him to continue working in the family’s fne-dining restaurant, Russo saw a huge opportunity and was determined to franchise his pizzeria concept. Fast forward to 1994, after 5011&340/ "(3085) 53"+&$503: Skeptics questioning the viability of fast-casual pizza need look no further than Toppers Pizza, a Whitewater, Wis.-based chain that anticipates opening its 100th location this year. “We’re anticipating 15 percent-plus growth this year in terms of the number of units,” says chief development ofcer David Biederman. Part of the growth stems from expansion into new markets, including Colorado, Wyoming and Virginia. Toppers also plans to increase its presence in the Carolinas with two to three more units opening there in 2017. Currently, the chain has sites in 14 states. The growth comes on the heels of a new restaurant design, currently in roll-out phase. This includes an open kitchen, or what the chain refers to as a show kitchen, that puts pizza preparation on display. “This not only gives our customers a view of our kitchen, but also access to our team mem- bers,” says Biederman. e&s segment spotlight Russo’s open kitchen features a sleek, streamlined design for the utmost efciency. much research, trial and error, and buying and selling of his stores, Russo fgured out how to expand and proft from his franchise business. “Since then, I’ve improved it, learned a great deal and worked on SOPs [standard operating proce- dures] to fne-tune it,” he says. What was working from the get-go was the food. Con- Although decor varies depending on location, Russo’s New York Pizzerias’ sequently, throughout this process, Russo kept the menu common design elements include brick, hardwood foors and granite counters. consistent, staying with the same recipes, ingredients, sauce and dough. Everything is fresh and prepared from scratch. “[In terms of equipment], I’ve tried it all and stick with The majority of ingredients are imported from Italy. Olive the best,” says Russo. oil trumps canola oil; pizza toppings are natural and hor- Every four to fve years, the chain refreshes its brand with mone free; and high protein four is a key crust component. the help of an architectural team. Gluten-free pizza and pasta also are offered. “What everyone is doing in the segment today is what In the late 90s, after hiring his frst franchise lawyer and I’ve been doing all along,” says Russo. “As a chef, I know the rewriting the franchisee agreement, Russo’s business began importance of using fresh ingredients, yet our food costs are to take off. Today, Russo’s New York Pizzeria has 48 loca- reasonable, which is attractive to franchisees.” tions, including 6 company-operated restaurants. Seven years ago, the chain opened its frst international location in the 5VSOJOH$PBMGJSFE5VSOLFZ Middle East and now has seven sites in Dubai, one in Riyadh The original business plan for 1000 Degrees Neapolitan and seven others planned for the region. Pizza was created about eight years ago and included a goal Sites are custom built and range in size from 1,500 to to develop a coal-fred pizza that was essentially turnkey. To 4,000 square feet. Although all have open kitchens, the some, the challenge may have seemed insurmountable. But decor varies by location. Common elements include granite to CEO Brian Petruzzi, who describes himself as entrepre- counters, old Chicago brick walls, photos of New York City neurial by DNA, his idea seemed destined for success. and hardwood foors. “I started four companies while still in college, and wrote Equipment remains consistent at all sites and includes the coal-fred model at the same time as I was launching a stone and brick pizza ovens, dough mixers, a saute station frozen yogurt franchise,” Petruzzi says.