Pizza Start Up-top 10 tips for success.

Brick Oven Pizza from NY Brick Oven Company

When you are starting a pizza place there are many things you need to know but this basic list will get you in the ball park to start off on the right foot. A firm idea of where you are heading can make all the difference between success and failure. When you open your doors your customer should know what you are providing and get a clear idea of your brand. 

1. What kind of pizza are you going to make? Sounds too obvious but many people jump in without a clear idea of the the type of pizza they are going sell. What do I mean by this? Is it NY Style? Deep dish? Square? Brick Oven? Gourmet? Thin crust? Thick Crust? How about what size? Individual small pies or large family style? How many ounce dough balls will you be using? Some people may argue that this can figured out as you go or once you start but first impressions are long lasting and you only get one chance to make that first impression. The main reason to know your type of pie and how to make pizza is that it will determine most of your design and equipment choices and layout for production. Example-a fast casual pizza place where the customers walk up to counter and choose their toppings and then watch the individual size pizza hand assembled and placed in a revolving brick oven will have a different type of pie than a mom and pop place making a typical 16" Ny Stayle pie cooked in a regular deck oven. 

2. What is your concept? Your dough and the size of your  pies will have a great impact on the next critical factor and should be in alignment with your concept. The type of restaurant you envision will determine the size requirements  of your restaurant and its physical layout. Example-a typical slice place with a small seating area and counter space for about 15 customers will require a much smaller space than a full service gourmet pizza place with table service, a full menu and bar.

3. Where are going to put your concept? Concept design will also be a determining factor in choosing location. If your doing a small takeout and delivery place you may not need a prime location in high dollar strip mall or stand alone building but you may want to be located near that college campus with thousands of dorms or apartments near by. Also if your doing a fast casual concept you will need to have a high volume area with lots of foot traffic and a workers with a need for fast service.

4. Do you know how to layout the space? Seems simple but bad flow lines from order to service and delivery or dine in can make your place a production nightmare. If your in doubt consult an expert or minimally study the successful places in your area or concepts you like that are successful and you think would work with your demographic. 

5. Are you really capitalized to make  a successful go of it? Did you take into consideration the basics of rent, insurance, labor, promotion. marketing, equipment, inventory, attorneys, signage, contractors, city/town fees, permits, training...

6.Equipment? Do you know what type you need for your concept? For instance, what type and how big of a mixer do you need? What type of oven and how much space does it require-will it be part of the concept design or hidden? How big of a walk in box do you need? How many tables and chairs? What about flatware? 

7. Do you buy new or used equipment? Is it better to lease? The main consideration here is initial outlay and cash flow versus the tax savings and continued cost of lease on a monthly basis. 

8. Personnel? Do you have the people in place for your opening? Do you need to train them? Are the main chef? Is there a management team in place? Book keeping? Cleaning? Maintenance? 

9. Promotion Plan? How are you going to get your place known? Who will you invite to your opening? What local groups and activities will you support? Are you affiliated with the local school, church, sports team? 

10. Marketing? This is different from promotion. Promotion is making things known-publicity, talking, signs, shirts, hats and events. Marketing is bringing it to the market-selling it. Handouts, flyers, door hangers,  menus, inserts, val-pak, local newspaper, tv(expensive) radio and any other place you think your customers are. You have to offer them your product and tell them what it is, where they can get it and how much it costs. This is an expense and it is part of doing business unless you are in the home run of all locations with enough customers flooding in. 

All the above are valid concerns and should be evaluated before you commit to any location. Future articles will take each up in more detail and mention a few others like social media, pizza contests, donations and policies. Good luck and happy pizza!

by Marc Cosentino Co-founder of Goodfella's Brick Oven Pizza

Of Course Fast Casual Pizza

Spin Neapolitan Pizza Fast Casual

 Along with so many new concepts arriving on the scene such as Pie Craft, Lotsa Mozza, Genaro's, Fire Pie, Revolve, Cucinova and a an ever growing list of incredible pizza places there is a trend spreading across the country for Fast Casual Pizza. 

Spin Neapolitan Pizza is a prime example of the hottest trend in the fast casual segment. Pizza can now be prepared in a very consistent and fast manner, with each pie individualized for the customer baked to order. This has brought pizza to the forefront as a lunch option. In the past your only choice was to pick up a quick slice of whatever has been laying around but those days are gone. Enter the Chipotle concept of fast, fresh casual at a reasonable price and you can see that the pizza industry was ripe for the picking. What was holding it back was the long bake times and inability to produce a quality product very quickly. Enter the brick oven and moreover, the revolving brick oven which has taken all the great attributes of the brick oven and removed virtually all the downside by making it easier, faster and more consistent with less skill. Taking a great and well-loved food item such as pizza and making it so much easier to deliver is the answer. What are the main components? A casual environment that is trendy, a pizza assembly line where your customers can see and choose their own toppings, a visible revolving brick oven where the pizza man bakes the customers hand assembled pizza and gets it to him in just a couple of minute vs. the usual 15-20 minutes for a deck oven pie. When you add locally grown produce, organic toppings and dough made on premise each day with a tasty recipe, it’s hard to lose.

So join the revolution and get your slice of the pie. Happy Pizza!

Fast Casual Pizza From NY Brick Oven Co.

Fast Casual Pizza

Lady Ga Ga Pizza

Lady Ga Ga Pizza by Marc Cosentino NY Brick oven Co. 

I made this pizza in our revolving brick oven at the original Goodfella's Pizza on Staten island as a tribute to Lady Ga Ga some because I was amazed at her ability to capture the media and create a true monster of press and followers. I have huge admiration for her talent to to make this happen. Looking forward to meeting her one day.

Pizza Wars and the Neapolitan Connection

New York Brick  Oven Style Pizza

Most of the pizza in the world is made and sold in America to Americans. In the same way the Italians perfected that pasta they borrowed from the Chinese so too the Americans perfected pizza they borrowed from the Italians and made it into one of the world’s largest food segments.   Respect to those brave ground breaking entrepreneurs from Pizza Hut and Dominos who knew the masses would go for this new food and  the Italian American classics like Lombardi’s, Tortono’s and Patsy’s  who brought pizza to America early on creating an interest for those who followed and added their own American twist. There are too many to mention but some of the big players along the way that contributed were Uno, Bertucci’s, California Pizza Kitchen, Goodfella’s, Sbarro, Papa John, Uncle Maddio, Little Cesar’s  and the other hundreds of chains and independents in every town across this great land. Pizza is both territorial and universal at the same time because when all is said and done a pizza is dough, sauce, cheese and toppings cooked in various ways at various temperatures in various ovens. To think there is group of people from another country coming to the land of the free and the home of the brave with the nerve to say pizza can only be made one cookie cutter way, with one flour, with one type of mixer, one type of cheese and cooked at one temperature in one type of oven is bad enough but to force a pizza man trying to make ends meet to pay a monthly fee for a certificate to make pizza and buy an exclusive flour from only one company is a bit much for any red blooded American, besides being a bad business choice, since all the competition will be making the same exact product. Diversity is what makes America the place everybody wants to come and live. Whether you are on the West Coast like California or Hawaii and want pineapples and ham or maybe you are in Chicago looking for a deep dish or even New York City looking for a slice -we salute you and as the great Burger king says “have it your way” and eat more pizza, because it’s all good.

New York Brick Oven Co. Re-Energizes Pizza Profits with Revolving Brick Ovens

The New York Brick Oven Co. Re-Energizes Pizza Profits with Revolving Brick Oven Technology

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Who knows more about making prize-winning pizza than the people who sell it? And who knows more about the kind of oven it takes to get that pizza out there?

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The Cosentino brothers of Staten Island, N.Y., that's who. After decades of making pizzas and building restaurants across America the brothers, Marc and Scot – founders of Goodfella’s Brick Oven Pizza – have now turned their experience and expertise towards making the brick ovens that produce these delicious pies.

Aside from being voted the world's best pizza several times, they also have the Pizza School of New York. Here they teach people from all over the world how to make gourmet brick oven pizza at the original Goodfella’s of Staten Island.

But the way the brothers got into the oven business was very simple. “We were using other people's brick ovens and weren't happy with them,” says Marc Cosentino. “They would all slow down at the peak of production. So we started building our own, which evolved into the revolving brick oven. The revolving brick oven is the ultimate solution for brick oven pizza made easy. They started building them for their own places and eventually for others.

“The demand became too great to keep up with so we found a great company in Italy and partnered up with them to manufacture the ovens to American specifications. “Recently at Pizza Expo, we set a world record – 201 pies in 52 minutes in one oven! It was very impressive”.

Cosentino said his company's revolving brick oven stands out above the crowd because you can get a “gorgeous pie with minimum labor and skill. “It's perfect for fast-casual pizza chains and individual owners who want to have a consistent product and ease of operation.

The oven can save you thousands in labor and make perfect pizza every time. The value of the oven is priceless to all operators.

You don't need a long pizza peel, you don't have to move the pizzas once they're put in the oven. You can let it go round a couple of times and take it out.”

There are tremendous labor savings, he adds. “You don't need a trained pizza man holding you hostage because he's the only guy who could do it. You don't have hot spots or cold spots. You don't have to regulate the temperature, and we also have a patented heated floor. This will allow your oven to keep up with any demand.

Cosentino notes that operators can produce their signature pies easily and consistently because the oven has high thermal mass, gas or gas and wood fuel options which gives chefs control of baking temperatures. “You can also vary the speed of rotation and the direction of the cooking surface to customize it for your pizza man.

Cosentino says the company's ovens are being used to make everything from Neapolitan pizza, New York Style Pizza, calzones and specialty breads.

“You can turn the temperature up to 900 degrees to create Neapolitan pizza like there's no tomorrow”. The ovens come in 4 sizes to meet the demands of any size operation.

In addition, the ovens can be used for, steaks, chicken and vegetables. “Anything you can cook in an oven, you can cook in our brick ovens.

Restaurants are using the ovens in all kinds of ways. “We have a Greek fellow up in Northampton, Mass., doing Greek foods in the oven. He has it decorated with columns on it. And we just put one in a brew pub in Kansas. We're getting tremendous feedback, it's simple and Cosentino says fast-casual restaurants particularly go for the oven. “They need to serve pizza that's fast, easy to make, with speed and consistency. And what's nice for them, a real bonus, is it saves a lot of space in the kitchen area. You don't have to have the long pizza peels with guys ducking in and out to avoid being hit.”
Venting is simple. Most installations are direct-vent, double-wall insulated pipe. The oven can also be assembled on site through any 36” door way.

The company also offers a full warranty on all electronic parts for a year and on the oven dome for seven years. They also have an installation team, and national repair service.

“What's so attractive to our customers is that you have a team of experts who are world-champion pizza makers, restaurateurs, master oven builders, and they know what it takes to make good pizza. We also have decades of experience in all aspects of the pizza business. We know what's necessary to run a successful pizza business, from creating the pizza at a reasonable price to ensuring a minimum amount of labor. There's virtually no question a dealer or consultant or operator can ask us that we haven't experienced in some way, shape or form.”
So Join The Revolution with the New York Brick Oven Company.

- See more at: http://totalfood.com/articles/the-new-york-brick-oven-co.-re-energizes-pizza-profits-with-revolving-brick#sthash.JNgTGgEm.dpuf

Coney Island, Nathans, the Cyclone and the Original Brooklyn Brick Oven Pizza

Growing up in Brooklyn South had it's advantages. On a recent trip back to the old neighborhood for a great Italian meal with the family at the famous Gargiulo's on W15th between Surf and Mermaid my brother Scot had to "make the rounds" of the old haunts and reminisce about the places we used to visit back in the 60's, 70's, 80's and 90's.

From little kids riding the carousel and reaching for the gold ring and staring with disbelief at the oddities at the freak shows to preteens riding the Cyclone to taking dates to the World Famous Nathans and the then little known at the time Totonno's Brick Oven Pizza with Jerry and the crew making fantastic Neapolitan pizza and telling complaining customers with his famous Brooklyn attitude " eat the part that's not burnt or get out we're closed". Coney Island is still a great place to visit with it's board walk, beach and the renovated Totonno's with it's original brick oven and asbestos shingles outside from who knows when.

The famous oven.

For the Best Pizza, You Need the Best Oven

Whether  your a single proprietor of a mom and pop store with plans to expand and make a brick oven pizza, building a new location or a multi-unit  franchise owner looking to be faster and more consistent while offering a better product, the revolving brick ovens from the New York Brick Oven Company are something you can't afford to miss. Ease of operation, consistent cooking, steady temperatures, labor saving and higher/faster production are what they offer. Wood, gas, propane, or a combination wood and gas help make the perfect brick oven pizza from New York style to Neapolitan. They even encourage you to try the oven in actual working restaurant. These guys have been in the pizza business for years and have won many international titles so they have a pretty good idea of the needs your facing for various types of pizza and types of locations. They have built ovens across the country in brew pubs, fast casual chains and  neighborhood joints so they can help you too. Call 1-800-OVEN-053 Now.

Pizza-a Neighborhood Institution

On the way from the church to the reception, a young couple "had to stop for pie"at Goodfella's Pizza Staten Island.

Growing up in Brooklyn there was a pizza place in every neighborhood, and it seemed like every other block had one.  Our local pizza man's name was Frank. Frank was there all through my childhood and teens and I just took it for granted, like he was part of the scenery. Pizza has always been part of my life, from celebrating little occasions to first dates and quick slices. Any pizza is better than no pizza. When I run into Old timers and talk pizza I get a little nostalgic, especially when I try a place far from the old neighborhood and get a pleasant surprise of an authentic Brooklyn style pie. I had just such an experience the other night when I met Lou of Keyport Pizza and found out he learned his craft as an apprentice, and has been true to the recipe for over 30 years.

Big Lou-Keyport Pizza NJ

We talked of the good old days and "banging out" 500 pies in a night and how these young kids are in awe to this day when Lou takes over during a rush and spreads that dough at a mind boggling pace. As most place are doing now he asked me about Brick Ovens and what is involved in switching over to one to keep up with changing tastes. Although I have been in the brick oven game for decades and swear by them I still love that occasional Old School Slice of New York Style Pizza, Brooklyn Style to be specific.

How to start a pizza place, part 2 by founder of Goodfella's Brick Oven Pizza Pizza -The Concept

So let me begin by reiterating rule number 1 from my last installment: There are no rules. This is the prime rule and unless your in a perfect world there are  always going to be numerous ways to open a pizza place successfully

and advice will never be in short supply, especially from the un-informed. That being said and having opened a few successful places of various sizes and types in New York I can only speak from my own experience and hope it helps somebody new to this game or thinking about having a pizza place.

I am not a person who get's stuck on fixed ideas and unable to bend if need be but I also know that to get to a goal you have to set it or you can spin your wheels figuring as you go. What I mean by this is that if you start out building a full service restaurant with fine white linen table clothe dining and mid way through decide you don't have the knowledge or staff to make it happen, you may lose a lot of time and money regrouping and building a fast casual place. 

   What is your vision, at this moment we are in the midst of a huge fast casual pizza boom across America with at least one concept starting up in Canada that I am aware of of at this time. Simply put, the fast pizza casual concept centers around low cost, fast, small personal pies, high production where the customers are encouraged to walk up to prep area and direct the people assembling the pizzas as to what toppings they want without having to use a waitstaff to take orders at the tables. Self serve soda and a couple of grab and go items may also be available at the counter. Once the pie is made it is usually put in a wood or gas fired brick oven where it is cooked in under 3 minutes and handed back to the customer who then brings it to the table himself or takes it "to go".  The main contenders you can look at are Blaze, 800 Degree, Live Basil, Pieology, Rev and a soon to be concept in development from Chipotle called Pizza Locale out of Denver. 

  Then you have your traditional mom and pop slice places typified in film as a New York Pizza Joint where they make 16-18" pies in deck ovens and have various toppings on slices displayed at the counter for reheating as the customer orders or you can order a whole pie for the table, pick up or delivery. This is the place you see dough spinning overhead as it is stretched.  The slice joint usually has an a counter with an outside ordering window for walk ups and few tables in very small area. On occasion the pizza joint will have a dining room in the back and Italian staples like spaghetti, meatballs, chicken parm and rice balls on the menu too. 

  Next we have the Neapolitan style with it's strict cookie cutter pizza rules and certificates so that any place you visit should theoretically be like any other. These only use a traditional wood fired ovens, certain flour, toppings and must cook in under 90 seconds. Not conducive to take out and delivery but a favorite in parts of Italy. They usually have sit down table service and range in size and number of seats. 

  Next there your huge full service 200 seat places with a giant menu containing meats, fish, pasta, pizza, salads, drinks etc. These are usually chains and tend to be shopping high traffic areas connected to theaters, supermarkets or in tourist traps. 

  Brew pubs are gaining popularity and creating their own beer identity as they make various types and styles of pizza.

   Pick up and delivery only is what it sounds like in small store fronts with low grade pizza being the usual fair for your discount shoppers not particularly concerned with flavor, freshness or healthy choices.

   Lastly we have my own personal favorite and the places I usually search out when I'm in a new area: casual gourmet brick oven pizza such as the original Goodfella's Brick Oven Pizza On Hyaln Blvd. in Staten Island New York. Before it was called fast casual they were making every pie to order-no slices and allowing the customers to choose their own toppings such as freshly roasted peppers or one of their gourmet delights such as the "Vodka Pie". These places are almost always independently owned and operated, use the freshest ingredients, cook in brick ovens such as those from the New York Brick Oven Co and have menus of various sizes with authentic Italian dishes. This type of place is usually bigger than a slice joint yet more comfortable than a big box chain. Where these places shine is in personal care and ensuring the customer is part of the experience and that he always feels welcome. 

   If you haven't decided on your style yet you still have time for some fun pizza eating research. Go to types of places you might want to open and see what they are doing. Once you decide on the style that fits you(and your budget) you need to determine your decor, name, style of pizza, size of place, furniture, uniform or not, atmosphere, music and if it's self serve or table service. That my friends is your concept which will need to clearly defined for next steps which will be in a future installment. Happy Pizza!

Join the Revolution-Revolving Brick Ovens for Gourmet Fast Casual Pizza

Gourmet Brick Oven Pizza has met it's maker. The Pizza Revolution has begun and leading the way with it's Inferno Series Revolving Brick Ovens is the New York Brick Oven Company. They perfected an oven for making incredible gourmet pizza at a break neck speed with consistency. Fired by wood, gas or a combination of the two with a separate heating element under the cooking surface to ensure it never loses heat. Optimum temperature control, Italian lava fire brick surface and ease of operation are what made the founders of Goodfella's Brick Oven Pizza opt for these ovens. Fast casual pizza concepts around the country are placing orders to get ahead of the competition. What are you waiting for-Join the Revolution!

New York Brick oven Company delivers in the big city.

How to start a pizza place part 1 by founder of Goodfella's Brick Oven Pizza

When asked for a simple plan in starting a pizza place, Goodfella’s co-founder Marc Cosentino had these suggestions for the would be entrepreneur:

First there are no hard and fast rules in this game other than 1) Make pizza and 2) sell that pizza. Everything else involves those 2 rules and can be broken down accordingly.

Some people do a lot of research and can research themselves into never starting if their not careful and make it too complicated and think they will never be able to do it. Some people like m brother Scot and I just decided to jump in 20 something years ago with no knowledge at all about the business but pure drive unwillingness to lose. Most people are somewhere in between and tend to concentrate on the aspects of the business they personally feel are most important such as design, recipe or marketing. This is where having partners with different skill sets come in handy.

One partner may be good at admin and another at cooking or logistics but the key is to be willing to confront whatever obstacles arise as you start the process.

Once you have decided to jump in you’ll need to figure a couple basics such as your type of establishment. This can be a straight small pizza only shop with a couple of tables and counter service, a brew pub, full service restaurant, fast casual made to order on the spot, free standing store in a prime location, strip mall and so forth depending on budget, availability and ability.

Once you have that worked out you can start on a menu which will be important before you design your place because moving equipment and moving walls and equipment to accommodate production gets expensive fast.

Remember, you can always change your mind as you go but a clear target is a lot easier to hit than a vague ever moving one is. I am referring to things like doing pick up and delivery in a place designed for only formal sitting or adding a brick oven instead of a deck oven for a different type of pizza and dining experience. Your design should also reflect your location and clientele. The amount of seating and delivery will also affect your kitchen, storage and refrigeration needs. while your at it you may need to brush up on different types of leases and real-estate offers such as triple net leases and build to suit. Since these will effect your initial lay out. Another option to consider is cost of buying verses operating costs if you decide to lease your equipment. In a high volume, prime location the monthly equipment cost may be worth not having a very high start up cost and try to get an option to buy the property if you can because your landlord will be like a partner after a while always getting his “cut” regardless of your sales or viability.

I think the easiest way to get some reality on this is to use an actual store I set up and the basic steps involved.

Our budget was way, way under what I would recommend but we were young and didn’t think of several things as we proceeded. Being under-capitalized( not having money to promote, pay staff, rent, utilities, attorneys, vendors…) at the start puts a terrible burden on the beginner so after you do the math and figure all your expenses add at least a 20% cushion or more to your business plan to be safe for unexpected delays, permits, construction, shipping and the like. I have seen multi-million dollar restaurants go under in NYC because of this.

You get your rent, equipment, utilities, staff pay(don’t forget yourself in this) insurance, construction, attorneys, carting, small wares, ingredients, packaging, and any other costs you can think of for the location size you plan on acquiring, then add in a marketing budget for ads, flyers, menus, t-shirts or uniforms, cleaning, heat and A/C(if needed) water bills, plumbers, electricians(great if you have friends) and then look again for more costs such as signage, taxes, permits and you get it in the bank-before you start please. Promises can be brake your heart.

end of part one-stay tune for part two- What is my concept? Join the Revolution!

SAY NO TO DRUGS, YES TO PIZZA AND GET BUSY!

This simple statement made me think of my past 20 years in the pizza industry and an observation I have made after seeing hundreds of employees come and go. Kids that are genuinely busy and engaged in attainable goals are not the ones using drugs. It is the ones that are not winning, not involved the game of life with no purpose or direction that get into drugs and the attending trouble. This is especially prone to occur when their "friends" are of the same ilk. There is always someone in the crowd who thinks it's cool to smoke weed and thinks nothing of the people he or she encourages to join him in using drugs as a way of combating what I have seen over and over as  pain, upset and lack of direction. When you say "hey that is not cool" you set the tone and make it known to all how you stand and maybe the example you just set will prevent another from going down that road. 

Lady Ga Ga Pizza by Marc Cosentino

When I see kids allowed to work, create and participate I see successful kids. When I see the ones who are coddled, given everything, not allowed to contribute, work, or participate, I see trouble coming. At Goodfella's Pizza in Staten Island I witnessed this over and over through the years. The kids thet enjoyed working and playing made something out of their lives while the ones always trying to "get over" get away with doing as little as possible, end up cheating themselves in the end. Drugs, crime, welfare, dependency always follow the "do nothings". In the police department we called them "empty suits"-guys just there to collect a check and never lift a finger to help anyone but themselves. I know you've seen similar things so encourage people especially kids to help, to work, find a hobby or a sport. They don't have to be good at it but they need to be encouraged to JUST DO IT because in this life that is the big difference between happiness and misery. 

Making Perfect Pizza with a Revolving Deck Brick Oven In Vegas vs. a Crapshoot

Fast Casual Pizza, Fast Casual Pizza, it's on all the modern day gold miners tongues. Places like Live Basil. Chipotle, Blaze, Spinfire, Pizza Rev, Uncle Maddio's, Revolver and the don't forget the big boys about to jump ship over to fast casual-Pizza Hut and Dominos. Now along with all these players are the dozens and dozens of start ups who envision being the next McDonalds of pizza. How do you get the odds in your favor with so much competition? How do you stand out in the crowd? What will make you better, more efficient and able to fight the big boys? Well one way a perennial favorite in New York did it, was by making an incredible pizza in wood burning Revolving Brick Ovens. The competition is fierce in New York City with pizza places coming and going on every corner year after year so when a Place like Goodfella's Brick Oven Pizza has it's 21st birthday it really is cause for celebration. "Staying ahead of the game while maintaining the integrity of your pizza and always streamlining production is key" said world champion pizza maker and co-founder of Goodfella's Pizza. A game changer for them was the addition of a revolving deck wood burning brick oven which allows for perfectly uniform cooking of each pizza while eliminating the drawbacks of traditional brick ovens such as: hot spots, cold spots, hard to regulate temperatures and unskilled pizza makers. The New York Brick Oven Company will be demonstrating there Inferno series revolving brick ovens at the this years Pizza Expo in Las Vegas Nevada at the end of March in booth 231 for those interested.
The next key "ingredient" is just that: you have to use fresh ingredients these days. The pizza eating public is not the same uninformed group as it used to be and they know they have a lot of choices now as to where they want to spend their hard earned money. Why would they buy frozen dough, sauce froma jar or even worse a sauce made from reconstituted powder. Then you have your cheese. Processed, hardened oils are a thing of the past and almost any supplier can give you access to a premium fresh mozzarella so why not use it. Produce is now being purchased from local growers when feasible and helps the community while ensuring a fresh product. That being said you need a little understanding of how to best assemble your ingredients to make a good pie so you can read up on it, watch videos, experiment or take classes from a place like the Pizza School of New York which turns out top notch pizza makers from around the world(the training is priceless in the course of a career).
Once you have that mastered, you need a business model to build your restaurant after. In this case unless you have experience it can't hurt to go out and see what the successful fellows are doing and then put your own spin on it by adding your own flare or style. A good idea is to avoid head on competition till you get your feet wet and gain some experience running your own place. I say this because if you start in a place with little or no competition you have a better chance of carving out your own niche and drawing customers without going head to head with major brand recognition, huge marketing budgets and tremendous buying power which can effect final costs and offers to your customers.
The pizza game can be tremendously fun and rewarding but is not without a lot of very hard work, knowledge and skill. Simple enough to say now go and make it so.

Scot Cosentino of Goodfella's Pizza with his Vodka Pie Sensation

de Blasio Fork Sells for Thousands in Tunnel to Towers Auction for Disabled Veterans

Andrew Scudera and Scot Cosentino displaying award winning pizza

Marc Cosentino of  Goodfella's Brick Oven Pizza Serving Mayor de Blasio the Smoking Goodfella

The infamous fork that was at the center of the international pizza scandal involving Mayor of New York Bill de Blasio's culinary skills has finally sold at auction. The fork was donated to the Tunnel To Towers Foundation by the owners of Goodfella's Brick Oven Pizza to help raise awareness for the foundation which has been a tremendous help in the community building housing for disabled veterans. "We got to work with Frank Siller and the Tunnel To Towers Foundation during the recovery efforts on Staten Island after Hurricane Sandy and we witnessed the dedication and commitment to helping the community and decided we would do what we could do to help them. My brother Marc is a veteran and decided to use the fork to help raise awareness and funds for Tunnel to Towers so we said sure, let's do it " said Scot Cosentino.  The bidding was started off by the New York Brick Oven Co. at $1000 dollars which kept rolling and ended off reaching the $2500 mark by auction end. The fork was purchased by an anonymous donor who then turned around and donated it back to Goodfella's saying " it's where this piece of history belongs". The fork is now on permanent display at the world famous Staten Island eatery.

Mayor de Blasio's Fork

FAST CASUAL PIZZA-THE RACE FOR A PIECE OF THE PIE IS ON

Scot Cosentino of Goodfella's Pizza, the original Fast Casual/Quick Serve Pizza Concept

The latest "Gold Rush" in the multi-billion dollar food industry is Fast Casual Pizza. Fresh ingredients, made to order and delivered quickly in a casual setting is the model being followed, with tremendous interest and investment from the such contenders as Chipotle, Blaze, Live Basil, 800 Degree, Uncle Maddio's and a slew of other contenders. What they are hard at work on is re-inventing Goodfella's Brick Oven Pizza- the original East Coast leaders in Fast Gourmet Pizza and New York Brick Oven style pizza, having defined the category decades ago. "A Revolving Brick Oven from the New York Brick Company is how we create our award winning pizzas at a super fast pace while retaining a consistently perfect product" said Andrew Scudera from Goodfella's. 

The emerging concepts are following a basic format and design of how the products are ordered, assembled and cooked. The main differences is the type of pizza, dough, sauce and oven design with the more high end companies going for the now standard brick oven and the the future minded entrepreneurs jumping on the New York Brick Oven Companies Revolving Brick Oven for authentic pizza with high production potential.

After major contenders failing abysmally in the red hot New York City market, many are taking it slow and are wisely playing it safe with much concept development on the west coast before attempting to take on the capital of pizza." What is to be seen is whose concept will stand out, be easy to reproduce and have staying power in what will be an area with huge potential and fantastic competition" said Marc Cosentino co-founder of the Goodfella's Brick Oven Pizza chain. brickovensforsale.com

Scot Cosentino  with his International pizza trend setting "Vodka Pie" www.goodfellas.com

Opening Bid on de Blasio Fork: $1000 by New York Brick Oven Company

Scot Cosentino, Frank  Siller, Marc Cosentino, Andrew Scudera

The New York Brick Oven Company Makes $1000 bid on fork from Forkgate Scandal. "It was only a natural since one of our ovens was responsible for cooking the infamous slice of pizza" said Marc Cosentino." It's all for a great cause" added lead instructor of the Pizza School of New York Andrew Scudera  a partner of the Original Goodfella's S.I.N.Y.

• The fork that made headlines around the world after Mayor Bill de Blasio used it to eat pizza can now be part of your kitchen.
  The Staten Island based nonprofit Tunnel to Towers Foundation began its charity auction Thursday of the infamous fork on its website. Marc Costentino, the co-owner of Goodfella's Pizzeria in Staten Island where de Blasio was caught on tape famously eating pizza with a fork, handed over the utensil to the organization Thursday. The starting bid was $1,000.
  John Hodge, the director of operations for Tunnel to Towers, expects that it will sell for much higher when the bidding ends on Feb. 21.
  "This fork is now a piece of New York history," he said. "Decades from now people will talk about this moment because it is one of those quintessential New York moments."
  All proceeds will help fund Tunnel to Towers programs, such as its annual race to Ground Zero, Superstorm Sandy relief and veterans home renovation initiative. Hodge said it has been in talks with the mayor's office and they fully support the auction.
  "We're having a lot of fun about this and Mayor de Blasio is being a big sport about this," he said.
  Log onto tunnel2towers.org to participate in the auction.

  Related

  Urbanite Jon Stewart doesn't approve of de Blasio's pizza-eating method
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Goodfella's Brick Oven Pizza Celebrates 21 Years of Service

Co-founders Scot and Marc Cosentino in Front of the Original Goodfella's Brick Oven Pizza

Partners Andrew Scudera and Scot Cosentino pose with an award winning pizza

Who knew those crazy Cosentino boys would still be in the pizza game after all these years, especially after opening in the countries highest Italian American populated area of Staten Island New York. The only goal of the time was just making a good pizza. They started off with the first brick oven in the borough and a dream of working together as a family. Fresh hand made ingredients like oven roasted peppers and fresh mozzarella set them apart in what may have been the first Fast Casual Gourmet Pizza place, with lines out the door daily and people coming from all over the world to try their trend setting Vodka Pie creation which soon became a national fad and is now a staple on menus across the country. The secret was really caring about the customers and making sure each pizza was cooked to perfection even though the constant demand made it hard to be the fastest at times. "We are doing the best we can, this  isn't Mcdonalds" could be heard from the staff on a Friday night even with 2 brick ovens going full force. "The customers are the unsung heroes, they were always understanding and supportive and spread the word like wild fire knowing their recommendation would always be appreciated by friends and family trying the pizza for the first time. Many have become close friends over the years celebrating important events from engagements, weddings, births, baptisms, first days of school and then college to starting the whole cycle again with the new generation. It's been one of the most rewarding experiences of my life" said Marc Cosentino in reflection. "Then there is the hundreds of incredible employees over the years who have contributed tremendously to making Goodfella's the place it is" said Scot Cosentino. "We have had successful chefs, managers, artists, actors, doctors, police officers, soldiers, teachers, writers, firemen, reverends,  and all kinds of business owners work with us on the way up and contribute to our success" said Andrew Scudera, who went from Eagle Scout/bus boy to working every position in the restaurant and ultimately becoming a partner and the Lead Instructor of the Goodfella's Pizza School of New York , not to mention his winning the World's Best Pizza Title. "One of the best compliments I ever received was in the wake of 911 when a regular customer came over to me smiled and thanked me for being here and said ' I don't know why but I stop by here every night on my way home from Manhattan and it just makes me feel better' said Scot thinking about the past 21 years. The fellas are looking forward to the next 21 years and thank each of the people who supported them through thick and thin for making them a great American Success Story. Visit them at 1718 Hylan Blvd. Staten Island New York and share your story. Best wishes and Happy Pizza!

Pizza Expo Fast Casual Pizza Demonstration by New York Brick Oven Company

2/04/2014 - The New York Brick Oven Company led by Scot Cosentino will team up with the Pizza School of New York led by Andrew Scudera for a blazing fast casual pizza demonstration at this years Pizza Expo. The team will be utilizing a revolving brick oven provided by the New York Brick Oven Company to make the pizza and are attempting 120 pizzas in one hour. Having recently made a "blaze" of 5 pies in 70 seconds they feel they can comfortably keep up with the pace of 2 pies per minute to reach their goal. You can see the live demonstration at booth number 231 on March 26th at the International Pizza Expo in the Las Vegas Convention Center.

The Original Fast Casual Pizza: Goodfella's Brick Oven Pizza Staten Island New Yok

Marc and Scot Cosentino with Goodfella's Captain America Mustang

Marc's Previous Job and Cover of his Book

Back in 1992 the Cosentino brothers opened what many industry experts consider to be the first fast casual brick oven pizza restaurant in America taking New York Pizza to a new level. New York had a handful of brick ovens pizza places at the time with fresh mozzarella but none were featuring fresh gourmet toppings cooked at blazing speed in a wood burning brick oven. Within the first year of operation they were winning titles in New York and across the country while garnering unheard of press coverage for the new kids on the block. The "Vodka Pie" which won the World's Best Pizza title soon became a national trend and their signature pie. With high aspirations and incredible drive they soon had 8 locations in the tri-state area and eventually were opening  locations across the country as far away as Puerto Rico. For most this would have been enough but they then added the Pizza School of New York  which has taught pizza students from all corners of the world, including New Zealand, the art of making great pizza. As they opened pizza shops and taught pizza makers, the demand for ovens grew so they soon took over the choirs of building their own custom brick ovens to ensure quality, which lead to them founding the New York Brick Oven Company. The Inferno Series Revolving Brick Ovens are becoming the Industry Standard for fast casual concepts due to the consistent cooking temperature, product and ease of use. The boys are never ones to rest and recently swept the media with FORKGATE which is the first international pizza scandal for the new Mayor of New York Bill de Blasio who made the fatal error of using a fork to eat his pizza. "We only started this business because we love pizza and wanted to work together, who knew it get this crazy" said Scot Cosentino who added "only in America".

The Infamous Fork to be auctioned for charity.

Andrew Scudera Winning International Pizza Expo

Scot Cosentino with the "Vodka Pie"