Wednesday, July 2, 2014

Why All Fast Casual Pizza Makers Should Attend Pizza Expo

For guys like us, it's all about the experience, the sights, the sounds, the excitement, the food and most importantly-the people. Where else do you get the chance to meet people from all over the world who share the same passion as you. In my years of attending I have made friends from every corner of earth involved in all aspects of the pizza industry. From the top dogs running multi-million dollar franchises to people from small towns in areas I have never heard of let alone find on a map. I have even met people from my home town and old neighborhood at the show. A chance to get away from the daily routine and stress with the ability to get an exterior view of your pizza and concept is valuable. Input from different people making a variety of pizza is fun and stimulating. Seeing the latest developments in the industry such as our Revolving Brick Ovens is priceless because it can prevent you from making costly mistakes due to lack of information and being in the dark because your head is buried int your business. Look for part 2 and why should compete in pizza contests and the incredible $$$ return on investment. Marc Cosentino

Sunday, June 29, 2014

The shoe maker's kids have no shoes(The pizza oven builder's kids have no brick oven pizza).

I'm sure you have heard the old story about how the shoemaker's children are the last to get shoes, seems the same has been going on for the oven builder. In today's hustle and bustle it' easy to get caught up in working and running around. When you have great pizza every day at work and you make brick ovens for a living the last thing you think about is building your own oven until your wife says " honey don't you think it's time we had our own oven so we can make pizza with the kids?" So my brother and I got busy building a "Mini" oven. This was a garage project and we decided to use miniature bricks to keep it in proportion and just the right size for personal pies. I'll update you as we proceed and look forward to your feedback as always. 

Wednesday, June 4, 2014

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


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?


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

Tuesday, May 20, 2014

Everybody Knows Cooking on a Stone Hearth is the Only way to Make Great Pizza

Yes that is so true that even conventional metal ovens have a "brick lining". Imagine if you could have a brick oven with a revolving stone hearth? Well you can. The guys at New York Brick Oven Company have several sizes available and recently set a world record at Pizza Expo in Las Vegas with Brad Kent,  the head chef from Blaze Pizza stepping up to the oven and putting out 201 pies in a blistering 52 minutes.
World Famous Goodfella's Pizza School of New York

Marc Cosentino of the New York Brick Oven Co.

Revolving Brick Oven at Blue Planet Grill-Ground Zero








Andy Scudera Lead instructor Pizza School NY
From the Goodfella's Pizza School of New York to the Oldest pizza place in Brooklyn-Totono's and all the new fast casual pizza places up and coming, anybody can tell you, "you can't beat a stone hearth for making pizza" .Just ask a pizza lover.
Totono's Pizza Coney Island New York

Saturday, May 10, 2014

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.




Wednesday, May 7, 2014

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.


Friday, May 2, 2014

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.