Cheese ?'s

[system]

What are you paying for shredded cheese? I get a Part-Skim/Whole Milk Mozz. Mix, a 30lb case costs me $47.45 or $1.58/lb. I don’t know if this is a good price or not, I noticed that it hasn’t changed much in the 6 months that I’ve been open, and hear people talking about the rollercoaster cheese prices. Is this a good price? Also, a trainer from PJ’s came in the store and was telling me some of there tricks to get a better yield on cheese, one of them is “fluffing” the cheese or shaking the bags, do any of you do this and does it really increase the yield?

 

[td_VP192]

We pay $1.63 a pound.

I’m always ‘fluffing’. It doesn’t necessarily have to be in the bag. Usually pizza guys do their fluffing when the cheese is on the makeline. Makes it easier to spread over da pizzzzzzzzzzzzzzzaaaa !

 

[tyson]

i dont see how fluffing cheese would get a better yield if you are weighing out the amounts…should be the same weight either way. only advantage i could see is it would be easier to spread evenly.

we’re paying about 1.98 a pound for diced sorrento whole milk mozz. i feel like we’re paying too much but i’m too lazy to try to find a better deal right now

 

[Ellemeno]

are these prices for shredded mozzarella? Does anyone add other types of cheese to their mozzarella for a “regular cheese pie”?

 

[system]

Mozz/Monterey Jack 50/50. I pay $1.60lb for the mozz. (block) and $1.70 for the M.J. Haven’t had any luck with shredded.
Tom R

 

[MM1]

We grate, daily, a blend of block mozz, provolone, romano, and cheddar.

 

[system]

We’re at $1.58 per #- that floats with the cheese market- I think we’re getting a good price- look at all of your food items- not just cheese.

 

[NicksPizza]

I use a pre-shredded mozz/provolone right now, and last price was about 1.85/lb. I’ll never use stright mozzerella after the provolone blend . . . the balance of flavor is great with a blend.

I’ll shred my own when my volume goes up. It is too convenient in terms of labor and expence balance to stock the blocks and shred manually. That time will definitely come, but it isn’t here quite yet.

 

[tommieknowspizza]

Crusher, I use GRANDE cheese it runs about $2.15 to $2.65 a pound usually about $1.00 about Chicago Mercantile Exchange Block Price.
http://www.cme.com/wrappedpages/misc/cheeseindex.html

I worked for Dominos Pizza for about 15 years, and then for Papa John’s for a year, before I went out on my own. I have done several cuttings with different cheeses.

In fact, I did a comparison today with a very good mozzarella cheese from Caputo known as “LUGANO” it has a very buttery flavor like Grande, but it was too salty, and at the time and temp that I normally cook, the melt of the cheese had a lot of carmelizing, and burning on top but under the toppings some of the cheese did not melt.

I guess Crusher the price of cheese you pay should really depend on what market your trying to reach. If you are in the lower 1/3 of the market with the likes of Papa Murphys, and Little Caesars, and you average price for a 14" Cheese Pizza is about $5.00 ~ 7.00 then I would use the cheapest mozzarella you can find (maybe Costco Cheese).
If you are in the middle market of the mainstream with the likes of Dominos, Papa Johns, and Pizza Hut, and your average 14" Cheese pizza is $8.00 ~ $10.00, then maybe you might want to improve your cheese, by adding provolone, try della vita, or Caputo “Lugano”.
I am in the top end of the market place, My 14" Cheese pizza is $12.00 and comes with 9 ounces of Grande Cheese at 2.65 a lb.
Grande is expensive, and it increases my food cost by about 4 to 5%, but its worth it. Its one of those noticable differences, that the customers really rave about. It builds value in your product.

Definetly fluff your cheese, in the walkin, in the makeline, as your spreading out. the better the spread the greater the yield. If you concerned with yield, than hopefully you are weighing out your cheese, and your meats.