Firenza Pizza a small chain of 4 stores in California has a concept that every supermarket that sells pizza, and those who do not, should take note of.
Executive chef and World Pizza Champion Glenn Cybulski (winner of 119 culinary awards) is the man behind the concept that allows customers to specify gluten or gluten-free crust, choose your made-fresh-every-morning toppings and sauces at the pizza bar Chipotle-style, and 90 seconds later your masterpiece is ready to eat – courtesy of special flour as well as a special oven.
Yes 90 seconds. And while it may seem easier to just cook the pies and leave them out on warming trays until someone buys, it’s not better.
I love pizza. I’m from New Jersey. And I’ve tried hundreds of slices in supermarkets over the years. And while some do a good job, most of the pizza slices are not at the right temperature, even in those stores that have a pizza oven where they reheat the slice (which too often scorches the bottom and overcooks the toppings).
Then there are stores like Whole Foods 365 that placed whole pies on a heated self-service counter to find they had to dial back the temperature to avoid customers burning themselves when helping themselves to a slice.
This makes sense – and makes dollars. Convenience and personalization remain at the top of the food trends. It’s worth a trip to visit Firenza and see how your prepared foods offering can be brought to a higher level.