One of our younger staff members contributed this blog – the pizza industry would not exist with the love and support of young people. Enjoy!!

There is an undeniable connection between food and family. In my very Italian family at least, food is the constant centerpiece of every gathering. From my grandmother’s incredible Chicken Parmesan recipe to our tradition of homemade ravioli’s on Christmas Eve, meals mean more than mere sustenance. The process of shopping together for the ingredients, preparing the meal, and finally enjoying dinner is a bonding experience that is passed down from generation to generation.

Pizza has especially been a focal point for my family. When possible, Friday nights are reserved as homemade pizza night. Family and friends come together to create a variety of pizzas while sharing wine and good conversation. Everybody takes turns in decorating the pies with a seemingly endless supply of ingredients. I personally am obsessed by spicy food so my pizzas are often smothered with the hottest pepperoni, sausages, and salami. I also have no restraint when it comes to crushed red peppers as my slices are overflowing with the spicy speckles. (more…)

Summertime means it’s time to fire up the “barbie”, as in barbecue, and throw on anything formally a cow. But the hottest barbecue trend is grilled pizza with its intense smoky flavors.

New York City’s famous Lombardo’s on Mulberry Street made its name by using a coal-fired oven to impart the grilled burned flavor that is so famous. Given the restrictions on coal burning in most cities, real Pizzaiolos who want that authentic flavor had to find an alternative. American ingenuity moved in and the backyard grill took center stage.

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At the 2016, Pizza Expo a lot of talk was about the hottest trend in pizza restaurants: the Fast Casual concept. Kelly Weikel, Director of Consumer Insights at Technomics, presented an interesting seminar explaining the reasons behind the Fast Casual revolution as well as ways pizzerias can take advantage of these new opportunities.  

As part of Technomics wealth of data, Weikel pointed out that three in five consumers visit a Fast Casual pizza concept on a monthly basis. That number increases to 71 percent for Millennials.  (more…)

With the cooler autumn weather turning into frigid winter, driving gets more precarious. Pizzerias offering delivery should meet their drivers to review safe delivery practices. The following are a few tips to help ensure that every delivery arrives safely.

• Know the route – Prompt delivery is achieved through careful planning. Encourage your drivers to review the route before heading out on deliveries. Even if using a navigation system or smart phone with turn-by-turn directions, look at the overall route ahead of time. Quick turns do not mix well with rain, snow or ice.

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In a faraway place, long, long ago (around the 1970s), there were but a few football games on television.

Monday Night Football was in full bloom yet there were still only regional Sunday professional games and a handful of college games available on Saturdays.  There was no NFL Network or Hulu or vast internet on which you could find any game anytime from anywhere.

Then consider the incredible popularity of fantasy football and sports betting that have helped catapult football into the No. 1 sport in America. (more…)