Going to Pizza Expo to get some Pizza School?

It's that magical time of year again when all the pizza men and women from around the world join together to share in the pizza experience of a lifetime. 

 From world champion pizza makers to suppliers of brick ovens, pizza experts to pizza eaters, it's all there.

 If pizza is in your blood and can't get enough of it. If you love being around your fellow pizza makers and enjoy the company. If

 If you love being around your fellow pizza makers and enjoy the company.

If you want to see the latest trends and get inspired, come see the pizza expo in Las Vega on March 23 and visit the boys from NY Brick oven Co,  Pizza School NY, and The World Champion Gooodfella's Brick oven Pizza New York. We would love to see you! Booth N2528

Get Ready Pizza Boys-Starbuck's is Coming!

Original Goodfella's S.I.N.Y Hyaln Blvd. with NY Yankee Pie

Starbucks has announced it's gunning for you and looking to dominate the pizza market as easily as they have dominated the coffee market.  http://www.travelandleisure.com/food-drink/starbucks-bakeries-princi-pizza? utm_campaign=&utm_content=584de4ff04d301412c7957b7&utm_medium=&utm_source=&xid=TrueAnthem_Twitter It may seem easy to do when you have a billion dollar business with contacts all over the world and the ability to buy supplies low and corner the market on real estate. However it has always been my conviction that a great local mom and pop can always outdo a corporate giant by virtue of not having to follow a cookie cutter outline and corporate dictated policy and recipe. Pizza is a personal experience and open to the incredible interpretation of the many fantastic men and women in the pizza business. There will always be chain pizza places such as Pizza Hut, Poppa John's and Little Cesar's to serve a fast low cost pizza. Then there the more modern chains such as Blaze and Piology serving a fast casual fresh topping pizza from a brick oven, and then you have the top of line, world class gourmet local heroes such as Grimaldi's, Patsy's, Goodfella's ans Tototonno's in New York serving the best, freshest ingredients with traditional Italian gourmet sauces and dough's. There is room for all levels of pizza in the industry and my point is that everyone can have a piece of the pie. The other thing  to observe here is that the American Pizza Industry is huge and of such importance that another giant wants to throw his hat into the ring and see if they can conquer the pizza world.

How do you compete with giant pizza chains?

Local Staten Island Favorite Goodfella's Pizza "Home of the Vodka Pie"

Standing up to the big boys requires 3 things: Personality, Great pizza and great promotion. This is an interesting article about David and Goliath: http://brickovensforsale.com/competing-with-the-pizza-chains/

What to Avoid in your new Pizza Place

5 Things to Avoid When Starting a Pizza Place

•  August 10, 2016
 
•  By Brick Ovens For Sale
 
•  starting a pizza place
•  0

Top 5 Mistakes When Starting a Pizza Place by NY Brick Oven Co.

Pizza Start-Up mistakes to avoid are many but here are 5 things to avoid when starting a pizza place, to begin with.

5 Things to Avoid When Starting Aa Pizza Place number 1.

First and foremost is Do Not Go Into A Business Under Capitalized.

Simply put make sure you have enough money to handle unforeseen circumstances, working capital and emergencies.  At first, this seems like common sense but when you are starting a business and don’t have the benefit of past experience it is very hard to predict what you just don’t know exists.  Here are some things new entrepreneurs may not think of. Marketing campaigns, insurance, salaries and the fees associated with them like worker’s comp and payroll, maintenance, natural disasters and the like. Although I personally feel that necessity  will drive you to handle most of these things and figure out clever ways to survive  them but why add the burden to managing your  place? Start out with as much cash in the bank as possible and 20% of your total start-up is a good number to think with.

2.  No Clear Direction.

This is responsible for a lot of failures. If you are making pizza for the first time then go to a legitimate pizza school that can both show you how to make a good pie and give you an idea on how a pizza place is run.  If you are doing a slice joint on a busy foot traffic city street then set the place up with a front counter and a window for easy access. Have the oven and pizza easy to get to fast. Have your most purchased items on display, prepped and easy to heat and go. Have your menu board and prices up. large and easy to read. Have your staff organize all the paper goods and condiments so that they are handy and flow. Next, if it is fast casual concept you after then make sure you have the long counter area, refrigerated toppings, and a high production

Next, if it is a fast casual concept you are after,  then make sure you have the long counter area, too small of a waiting area,  enough refrigerated toppings on display, and a high production revolving brick oven  to handle the demands of in and out gourmet pizza.

If you are creating a destination location then make it one that people are going to talk about. Have a comfortable stylish atmosphere designed specifically for your intended audience and not generic. Have your staff look a certain way to set the tone  and all your decorations, promo and marketing align with it.

3.Bad Location

This can make or break any business but food can be critical. Do a slice joint off the main path or avenue and you could starve. Put a very trendy hipster looking place in the middle American suburbs with no audience and you may starve. Put a sit-down waiter service destination location in a working class, industrial, short lunch break area and you may starve.  And the opposite will at least give you a fighting chance if you have a decent product.  And don’t forget to consider seasonal locations and the fluctuation of visitors in your financial planning.

4. Bad or unwanted product.

This is number 4 but can easily be number 1 of the 5 things to avoid when starting a pizza place. Many would-be entrepreneurs make the fatal mistake of not surveying or at looking at what is needed and wanted in their geographical location. A good pizza example is trying to open a Chicago deep-dish place on a busy New York street in a tiny place where people would have to carry out an impossible to eat deep-dish pizza instead of a slice on a paper plate. Or trying sell vegan pizza in a meat and potatoes neighborhood. See eat the locals are looking for and consider working that into your menu like; pineapple pizza in Hawaii, meat lovers pizza in the midwest or a gourmet truffle oil pizza in a high-end travel destination.

5. Poor Service

Unless you are in  a location with a captive audience and limited choices such as Disney, Six Flags or the only game in town you had better pay attention to service. What is good service?

Good service starts with clean quarters. Is your storefront and parking lot clean? Are the windows clean and streak free? Is the parking lot swept? Is the building painted? Are your signs straight and in good order? Are your bathrooms clean and stocked with paper goods? How about your staff? Are their hands clean? Uniforms? Hair groomed? Are your customers warmly greeted and shown interest? Are the tables off balance? Is your staff rude?

In closing, these are not the only 5 Things to Avoid When Starting Aa Pizza Place or any business for that matter, but avoiding these at all costs will help hedge your bet and give you a better shot at success.

The Evolution of Neapolitan Pizza

Neapolitan Pizza has been around for a while and has become a big trend lately in America due the internet, food shows and the millennials desire for the latest trend and a movement for a return to foods that are more environmentally friendly.  Pizza in it's most basic form is a very natural product consisting of flour, water, cheese, tomatoes and seasoning. This puts it in the category of natural when made fresh with wholesome ingredients. Unfortunately many chains in bottom dollar, high production, food control, labor and a need for a standard recipe began prepackaging pizza sauce and shipping frozen pre-stretched dough shells. Now if this is the only pizza you have ever eaten it is probably better than a TV dinner(a heat and serve dinner in an aluminum tray with compartments for things like chicken, potatoes and the ever popular cinnamon apples that was popular in the 60's and 70's). There is nothing as delicious as an artisan pizza made with fresh mozzarella, a really good tomato of the San Marzano type on a hand stretched dough and cooked at high temperature in a brick oven.  Now when you add the smell of a wood fire and some tasty toppings you have a meal fit for a king or as the legend goes a queen hence the name Margarita pizza. My first taste of these incredible pizzas was as a boy growing up in Brooklyn and visiting Coney Island with my brother and grabbing a pie at Tortono's. Who knew it would inspire us to start Goodfella's Brick Oven Pizza and become world champion pizza men training people from all over the world to make pizza in a revolving deck brick oven  at the Pizza School New York. I really appreciate the the skill and art of  a good pizza man working a brick oven. The Italians that brought the skill to America opened the door for the current artisan pizza craze in America and the explosion of great pizza places all across this country of ours. The evolution of Neapolitan pizza is our current gourmet, fast casual build your own pie trend. When my brother Scot and I began Making pizza we payed homage to the old school but put a spin on it by creating things like the "Vodka Pie" which won a national contest and became a national trend itself. Adding a semolina recipe and squares with a mushroom sauce or brandy were non-traditional ideas that we incorporated into the menu evolving the Neapolitan Pizza to what we like to call a New York Brick Oven Pie. One of the points Lead Instructor from Pizza School New York, Andrew Scudera stresses to his successful students from all over the world is to be creative, try different things and see what your customers like and incorporate local favorites into the menu. America was founded by Revolution and it will take all kinds of entrepreneurs developing their own style of pizza to compete in the ever evolving pizza market. We pay tribute to the early pioneers as we eagerly await the latest creations of our friends. Happy pizza to you. Marc Cosentino 

Who will be the Chipotle of Pizza?

Brick Oven 

Brick Oven

Pizza has been around since the days when Roman soldiers cooked bread on flat rocks around camp fires and it is finally catching on with the rest of the world. Moreover, in last few decades it has become an everyday item in the United States and with many of the big players now understanding the value, speed and flavor created in a brick oven it is rapidly becoming a phenomena with the lunch crowd  in the exploding Fast Casual Pizza segment. The ability to cook fast and consistently in revolving brick ovens has made it possible for  many of the up and coming concepts to expand at an alarming rate due to ease of training and operation. In the past old fashioned fixed deck brick ovens required a highly skilled pizza man to operate and were more suited to small operations doing the traditional types of pizza. This was limiting and not effective when expansion required a lot of specialized training and then the success of the concept depended on the skill of a few at crucial employees. The revolving brick oven not only cooks faster and more consistently but it is virtually employee proof with its ease of training and operation. Not only that but with a revolving brick oven you have the ability of avoiding the dreaded oven fade(when the deck of a regular brick oven gets cold from continuous use requiring shutting down the oven to build up heat).These revolving ovens have made it easy for operators to make consistent pizza every time while even though they are baking over one thousand pizzas a day! Yes the revolution is on again in America and the Fast Casual Pizza concept is leading the way. 

Brick Oven Pizza

Opening a Fast Casual Pizza Concept?

Many people about to embark on the Fast Casual Pizza adventure are wondering should I or shouldn’t I? When asking opinions remember that:

Opinions are like belly buttons-everybody has one so the best advice is to do it your way and follow your own vision. Ultimately you are the person putting in your monies and sweat equity so being the chief cook and bottle washer gives you the final say-good or bad.

A couple things to look at though are as follows:

1) Does your location have enough potential traffic to warrant a fast casual concept? In other words, is it in a place with people that need to eat fast and (usually) inexpensively?

2) Is there a potential for foot traffic and a lunch crowd verses a destination location that people will have to drive up to? If they have to drive to your location, is there ample parking?

3) Is the size of the space conducive to fast casual and laid out to facilitate easy entry? Service? Exit?

4) Do you have the proper oven and recipes for fast production?

5) Is your potential customer base and product in sync?

6) Do you have a trendy design?

7) Is your pizza any good or is just something to fill up on?

8) Is your model workable without wait staff?

If you have already looked at these questions you are way ahead of the game and stand a good chance of competing in the fast casual race. If you haven’t then you may want to consider speaking to someone with experience or going out and making the rounds to see what is and what is not working in different areas and environments. Personally I feel that a quality product delivered in a nice environment by a pleasant, courteous, professional staff will always find an audience if you can promote and survive long enough for word to get out. However most people are looking for the elusive “sure thing” which is mystical and not real because most of the successful places have had huge research, trial and error before they found the “formula” for success. Persistence, hard work and the ability to think and change on your feet will get you far but following what the big boys are doing and have already figured out will eliminate some of the trail and hopefully most of the error. For those about to jump in the arena-I salute you.

Here are some places you may want to visit in your quest and some contacts you may wish to make:

Revolve Pizza, Blaze, Pizza Locale, Spin Neapolitan, Pie Five, Piology, Fired Pie, Fuel Pizza, Goodfella’s Pizza School New York, Cucinova, 800 Degree, Papa Pancho, Pizza Studio and a host of others. The reason I mention Pizza School New York is for those who have no idea about pizza or brick oven pizza and want a first-hand view of a live pizza operation featuring the Mack Daddy of ovens from the NewYork Brick Oven Company for training. Many roads lead to Rome but as any tourist can tell you the easiest and simplest direction is best for strangers. Happy Pizza! May you roll in the dough and enjoy the adventure.

Chipotle and other Giants Join the Fast Casual Pizza Game

Once Fast Casual Giant Chipotle bought into the Pizza Local Fast Casual Pizza concept many foodies took notice, then came Wetzel Pretsel's with Blaze and Sparro's with it's new concept called Cuchinova and the floodgates for many franchise holding groups were open. They began looking for new concepts and started creating new concepts such as Revolve with namesake revolving brick ovens from New York Brick Oven Company pumping out brick oven pizza faster than can be assembled. What is the attraction? Why is Fast Casual Pizza Exploding across the US? What defines the category and who are the real players behind it. Well the pizza segment has always had it's share of the market with giants such as Pizza Hut and Domino's still dominating but what the attraction is, especially for millennials, is that it's fast, hot and fresh in a trendy atmosphere at reasonable cost. Factor in the entertainment value of watching your pizza prepared and cooked in under 5 minutes and you get the picture. Another very important part of the equation is lunch. What does that mean you may wonder since pizza was always available for lunch in most sit down restaurants with table service or slice shops dominated by players such as Sparro Pizza in a mall near you. Speed is the answer, most busy towns and commercial areas with a working clientele could not wait for a conventional pizza place to take an order, bake a pie and then serve it in the limited lunch break customer's had. Once you factor in getting to a location you see how pizza, especially gourmet pizza did not fit the equation. Then came the brick oven revolution with pies under 3 minutes and then the revolving brick oven revolution which made it possible to be even faster but more importantly to able to make a consistently perfect pizza without a highly skilled work force. This high speed production combined with a low food cost was the ticket to a successful model along the lines of a Chipotle or Panera bread. Now take this model and add  a reduced labor cost cost with a reduced  labor force since table service is not needed and less pizza men with revolving brick ovens and your set to crack the fast casual pizza code. Another big factor behind the scene has been the Pizza School of New York training and helping set up franchises, conversions, new concepts, brew pubs, pizza trucks and traditional mom and pop pizza places all over the United States and the world with tremendous results. Whatever your part in this brave new world of Fast Casual Pizza is, you are in for a big treat. From new contenders with dreams of bringing their concepts to the foreground to the small town mainstay looking to mix it up a bit there is plenty of room for everyone and the biggest winner will be the consumers with the ever widening choices being offered and a super healthy dose of competition to keep everyone on their toes and the pizza fresh. 

Courtesy of NY Brick Oven Co.

It is the year of the Pizza according to MTV

As evidenced by a recent article by MTV proclaiming "Why Pizza Is Totally having a moment right now" you can see that the media is finally catching on. Those of us in the industry have known for years that the lowly pizza is coming of age. From the cover of GQ to Fortune 500 and even articles on Goodfella's Pizza in the Wall Street Journal the word is getting out that pizza is big business. When pop stars like Beyonce'

are wearing pizza clothing and Lady Ga Ga has a Pizza made in her own image

it's getting wild. 350 slices per second, billions of dollars in sales, gourmet pizza places popping up in every city around the world and pizza schools showing would be pizziolos how to make a "Better Pie" it's no wonder that even MTV is getting on the pizza band wagon. One of the big reasons for the outburst of interest is the brick oven and the difference it makes in quality and taste of pizza. A new trend that is emerging for the fast casual pizza market is the Revolving Deck Brick Oven which makes consistency and speed a par for the course. If your interest is cooking, dough, investment, celebrity or the simple pleasure of good slice folded in half(NY pizza eating style) then the next few years are sure to please.

Julius Dilligard Jr. of Crown Hights Affair live at

When you have a friend of such of such incredible talent it's easy to take it for granted and forget the sheer power and emotion of his performance, that is until you are in it. I was having a cup of coffee at Starbucks this morning when the song Superfly by Curtis Mayfield came on and got my feet tapping and body moving when I immediately thought of Julius Dilligard rocking it in several venues I have seen him perform in.  From His top 40 hits with the Crown Heights Affair to his joyous soul lifting ballads, this man delivers-always.With his effusive smile and unabashed laugh you can't help but have a good time in his presence and when he hits the stage its an incredible ride where you witness something of depth and power, a pure aesthetic and true communication. If you ever get the rare opportunity to see him live you will understand what it means to be moved and taken into another world. I salute you Julius for both your talent and continued humanitarian endeavors I am fortunate indeed to know you sir. Marc Cosentino Goodfella's Staten Island Ny.

Happy 4th of July! From Goodfella's Pizza Staten Island New York.

Thank you to our forefathers. Independence was a courageous idea at the time considering the overwhelming power and suppressive nature of the British Empire. A recent visit to Boston gave me perspective on it. I realized the incredible entrepreneurial spirit of men like Paul Revere, who had a printing press and was a silversmith, engraver, dentist, goldsmith and courier. He had a lot to loose when he went out to participate in the Boston Tea Party. All these brave men knew it was all or nothing and freedom to pursue their own destiny drove them to victory against impossible odds. My kind of guys. Without them I never would have had the chance to become a pizza man in this great country and pursue my own dreams. God Bless America and thank you to all who in front and behind the lines that continue to fight to keep it free. www.brickovensforsale.com www.goodfellas.com
brick oven

PIZZA FOR DESSERT, NY STYLE

Cooking in a wood fired brick oven is fun, especially when it's in your own yard. Just about anything 

you can cook in a regular oven can be made in a brick oven and anything is up for interpretation. This pizza came from the kids liking Nutella and marshmallow sandwiches for a snack with bananas. All you do is spread your dough, spoon on some Nutella, add some marshmallows, then add some fresh banana and place in oven. Be sure you don't have a flame or the marshmallow will burn before your crust cooks. Rotate often and cook away from the fire till you have a crisp crust and lightly toasted marshmallow topping. Let it cool a few minutes because that hot marshmallow is dangerous, cut serve and enjoy! Stay tuned for more ideas and visit www.brickovensforsale.com and www.goodfellas.com for more pizza info. Happy pizza making to you, Marc

Revolving Deck Pizza Oven Trentino Italy

While visiting wine country in In Trento Italy we were invited to v a local pizza man named Alberto at his place called Albert's. We pull into this small city and are amazed at the architecture with its wonderful old buildings painted in  delightful colors such as Tuscany Yellow, reds and greens. More amazing is the mountain waterfall directly behind his elegant yet comfortable restaurant. We are greeted with smiles,  warm hugs and the familiar "2 cheek kisses" by an impeccably dressed young man in his Italian flag colored chef hat. The efficient style and high tech order of his place is enhanced by his own sharp appearance and as soon as he knows we are Pizza men from NYC the hospitality begins! We are sat at a well set table and notice something immediately-no condiments. That's right, no salt, pepper, oregano, grated cheese or the like because each pizza is complete with its own special flavor and seasoning. We are informed that all the ingredients are freshly prepared and are made locally from the Parmesan cheese, buffalo mozzarella, olive oil and smoked prosciutto to wine and beer he will be serving. It doesn't get much better for 2 Italian boys from Brooklyn. Alberto gets busy as we watch the well choreographed pizza making begin. The dough is opened  by hand then his homemade sauce is spread  with a ladle covering the pizza lightly. Next comes the fresh mozzarella grated for even cooking and into the revolving deck brick oven ( available from New York Brick Oven Company). The pizza rotates for a minute or 2 and then is brought to the slicing machine where smoked prosciutto  is sliced and placed fresh on the cooked pizza along with thinly sliced squash and other tasty treats. Alberto serves us himself and stands by proudly as we taste his creation. Unbelievable! Magnificent! We are all smiles and off again he goes to prepare more and more pizzas for us to try. This goes on until we can't eat anymore which is saying allot. But we have to have coffee and desert which is espresso and homemade raspberry and vanilla puddings-wow!! As we told Albert " your pizza and hospitality were overwhelming, you and your family always have a place to eat in America at Goodfella's on Hylan blvd. Staten Island NY. We can't wait to see him again😎🇮🇹🍕🇺🇸 

www.brickovensforsale.com

www.goodfelas.com

The joy of pizza!

Where do I begin? Taste, flavor ingredients, dough, prepping, or baking methods? Having been in the pizza business for over 20 years I have a lot to draw on here but it always comes down to my favorite part of the business, the people. I have been extremely fortunate in the pizza world but I realize it is like Thomas Edison said that genius is disguised as hard work, and working hard 7 days a week for years does pay off, if you survive. We started Goodfellas Brick Oven Pizza   www.goodfellas.com back in 1993 after my brother and I quit our jobs and went "all in". Serving our customers, hearing their stories and becoming part of their lives over the years is what made it worthwhile for me. From engagements to weddings and births to the first days of school, baseball, communions, graduations, and birthdays, wow! It's like having a gigantic family and the pleasure of sharing all the fun. Yes, there were times of heartbreak too such as 911 and Hurricane Sandy but I remember a customer saying this in the days after the attacks on our country " I'm disgusted and in a daze but I always stop here on my way home because you guys always make me smile and feel better".  What is that worth? Priceless. Next blog will be about cooking in the NY Brick Oven Co. Wood fired brick oven and how it adds to the fun.  www.brickovensforsale.com
brick oven

1000 year old brick ovens stand the test of time.

 Marc and Scot Cosentino of www.goodfellas.com were researching brick oven design when they came across these magnificent examples of medieval ovens at the Beseno Castle in Trentino Italy. The larger one had a gigantic cooking surface of about 12 feet. Interestingly the brick surface was at a  fairly steep incline sloping down from the rear towards the front(this probably made it easier to see and control the cooking). Cooking on such a grand scale required an artisan of both skill and strength to work the extra long tools required while ensuring the food was "fit for a king".  Fortunately ovens today such as the NY Brick Oven Co. wood or gas fired ovens www.ovensforsale.com
 are a lot more user friendly requiring only the ability to see if the pizza is cooked and then removing it without having to spin the pizza and estimate temperature and really work the oven. Having cooked about a million pies between them the Cosentino brothers agree modern technology has its advantages.
brick ovens

12 foot deep oven.

                                                  Marc Cosentino in front of the ovens.

                                                               Smaller wood fired oven.

Castle Beseno,  Trentino Italy