Many operators are moving towards fried non-pizza items, such as deep-fried wings rather than baked. Have you considered fried appetizers? They often lend themselves to speedier service and improved taste. Deep-frying may or may not be right for your operation but it might be worth investigating. Have you considered fried items for your pizzeria?
I do a full fried menu. Cheese sticks, onion rings, and wings are the top items. We added jalepeno poppers a while ago, they are picking up. Also do corn dogs. I am in a small town in Central Ohio so fried goes well here.
One thing I’d like to see in this discussion is which products can be fried in the same fryer without impacting taste. For instance, fish sticks and cheese sticks would be a bad combo, same with onion rings and anything else.
Some things may work better together than I think, so I’d sure like to hear the experiences.
we fry the follwing and have no cross taste:
fries, meatballs(were in the south) mozz sticks, ravioli poppers(breaded ravioli), mushrooms, cheeder cheese broccoli bites, chicken tenders, wings and shrimp
Wings have been our number 3 seller behind pizza and calzones!!!
I purchased an Auto Fry System MTC-40 (double unit) a month after I bought my place. I felt strongly that not having deep fried appetizers, french fries, wings, desserts was a little like not being diviersified in my investments.
Within a month I was sure happy that I had purchased the double unit and I’m already planning the installation of a full service sub/fry station.
It’s hard (if not impossible) to grow sales with a Pizza Only strategy when everyone and thier brother seem to be opening a pizzeria.
Visit if you like at www.salspizzaparlor.com . Comments and suggestions are always welcomed.
You’ve also got to take into consideration your demographic and the availability of employees that are willing to learn all the facets of the business.
I worked at a place that started Fried items just after I left.
It was bad enough when I worked there and were doing sandwiches in addition to pizzas and calzones and pastas.
A lot of people would order those other items, and only one person usually in a shift knew how to make those. NOT good, as orders would get WAY behind…especially orders with a pizza/pasta/sandwich combo.
I can’t imagine how it must be there now, when they have fried items, too…when the place is a VERY SMALL delivery/carryout operation with barely enough room for the 4 cooks on hand on Friday/Saturday night.
The location I’m working at now is very streamlined…and we do get better pies than those with Fried items…
So, I guess the moral of my story is, offer them if you can, but don’t lose the focus on the main draw, the pies themselves.