by Peter Thor, President, Bellissimo Foods

Bellissimo is one of the sponsors of Pizza Expo so we had an opportunity to meet and talk to many peopple from all over the USA as well as some from Asia and South America during this year’s show.  We talked and listened to both operators and exhibitors who spoke of their successes and what they see as opportunities.  Here we share some of our observations of the show, especially what is new or different from prior years.  Bellissimo itself expanded our displays to show the wide range of products now offered by our distributors.

First the tone… The show was very busy with easily the largest crowd in the past several years.  Headcount is difficult to gauge since the show moves between pavilions at the Las Vegas Convention Center, but the crowd was definitely noisy and oriented to see what’s new.  While it is a bit difficult to describe, the enthusiastic tone of the attendees was more evident than it has been in the past, demonstrating that operators and exhibitors alike are more optimistic than they’ve been in several years.  We also fielded many questions from international visitors who attended the show.  In addition to wanting to make new contacts and see new products, they also showed a keen interest in the American economy and politics.

Exhibits… Vendors at Pizza Expo have also kicked it up a notch.  Many of the long-time vendors you see year after year have improved their exhibits and many brought along additional people and showed new products.  It is also always interesting to “walk the show” and note the new vendors; not only who they were, but what products they represented.  What stood out was the number of specialty food vendors, systems vendors, and exhibits demonstrating operational efficiency equipment.  The specialty food vendors ranged from unique gourmet toppings and sauces to the newish fads of whole wheat and gluten free, as well as the old standby “organic”.  The most interesting gluten free offering was a product and packaging combination that seemed to fulfill a common menu need to offer a (low volume) gluten free pizza that could be cooked in a normal restaurant kitchen.  Gluten free products are making progress on taste also as we see this as a trend here to stay.  Gourmet toppings like unusual meats (e.g. duck, lamb, prosciutto) and vegetables (e.g. artichokes, roasted garlic, exotic mushrooms, sweet peppers) were also getting a lot of attention as a way to “up-sell” pizza and also a way to market-differentiate your pizzeria from the common chain fare.

Systems vendors ranged from POS systems amd inventory scanning software, to a number of new software ordering systems for iPads and similar devices.  We must admit that the latter were very cool, but at this point don’t see the money payback.  More interesting were services that would provide help on websites, Facebook, Twitter, and other social media interfaces for those who see the need, but don’t have the time.   Also interesting were the number of ways even the smallest restaurant can personalize its menu, table tents and other items to help you sell more and increase your profits.

Efficiency and safety often go hand in hand, and some of the new equipment for the kitchen offers both.  Options for slicing, blending, mixing, and cooking now provide a variety of time-saving benefits, especially for those relying on inexperienced help.  It was good to also see the size options which can appeal to the small pizza shop as well as the larger restaurants.  A commonly voiced opinion was that these time-saving devices make sense for every busy operator, if only to allow more time for sales and marketing of the business.  It has proved true too often that the owner/manager spends too much time saving nickels in the kitchen when they could be earning dollars in the front of the house.

Know your customer… There was a seminar on the role of the owner/manager and the importance of that person being the visible leader out front.  This is key not only to motivate and set an example for employees, but it lends a special feeling to customers greeted by the owner.  It is also important to be visible within the community by participating in civic events and with local schools and sports teams.  As an independent buying products from Delco Foods, you have a better product and need to make the effort to display your talent because repeat customers are the key to success for the quality independent pizzeria.