It’s a hot debate whether grilled pizza began in Memphis or Rhode Island. Some say, owners Johanne Killeen and George Germon served the first at Al Forno restaurant in Providence, RI. Others swear it was Coletta’s in Memphis.

Whether Northern roots or Southern, what is true is that the flavor and smokiness from grilling pizza on real charcoal cannot be beat. If you then add pepperoni on the pizza, you will double the smoky flavor of both the pizza and the pepperoni. Fire roasted bacon will also add tremendous flavor and a bacon-goodness smell to your restaurant. (more…)

When people picture the perfect pizza, they might imagine a deep-dish Chicago slice covered in various meats, a thin crust Margherita slice straight out of Italy, or a massive folded-over slice of Brooklyn pie. Regardless of personal preference over the ideal pizza, most consumers can agree that they’d appreciate their slice to contain quality ingredients. Which for today’s pizza lovers means natural or organic ingredients.

European consumers have always associated fresh and natural with quality; Americans are slowly learning as demand for organic products has skyrocketed in recent years. Organic food sales reached $47 billion in 2016, an increase of 8.4 percent over the previous year. Although organic food sales account for about five percent of the total U.S. food sales, the growth is very different from the stagnant 0.6 percent growth rate for the overall food market.  Recent studies indicate the market for organic foods will rise to $320 billion by 2025. (more…)

Pizzerias are neighborhood fixtures, serving the community as a friendly hotspot to dine in or to order take out. People tend to select a favorite pizza place and stick to it for a variety of reasons: preferred pizzas and toppings, convenient location, speedy delivery, the atmosphere of the restaurant itself, or for the excellent loyalty program.

Every pizzeria strives to have loyal customers as they are the building blocks of a sustainable, profitable business. Capturing loyalty is the initial feat of making programs lucrative, but maintaining that loyalty can be rather difficult. (more…)

Beer and pizza are the natural pairing served in pizzerias throughout the world. With the growing popularity of craft beers, there are even more reasons to enjoy a cold brew with any variety of pizza. But beer isn’t the only pizza-friendly drink option. For those who aren’t leveraging creative vino options as a revenue stream, it might be time to consider expanding your wine program.

With the U.S. now the no. 1 wine consuming nation in the world, restaurants can reach out to new customers, especially women, who represent nearly 60 percent of the total wine consumption. Pizzerias don’t need an extensive wine list, rather a well-chosen selection of whites, reds and pinks to serve with popular pizza types. (more…)

One of the reasons why pizza is America’s no. 1 comfort food is the sheer variety available – it’s the ultimate personalization food as the various toppings offer multiple choices starting with spicy pepperoni, crispy ham, juicy pineapple, and even… marshmallows? Yes, even marshmallows.

Dessert pizzas have risen in popularity in recent years, garnering quite the following on many pizzeria social media pages. Social media allows chefs to get creative and play around with recipes that stray far from traditional pizza pies. Online platforms offer them a fertile testing ground where people can like and comment on a newfound recipe. The chefs are then empowered to create the new pizza with the knowledge that customers are willing to purchase their creation. (more…)