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[Aldo]

Hey, I wonder, how many pizzas do you make in a day?  What days are your biggest days?  Your lightest days?  Any ideas why?

I ask because I always think about a pizzeria -- kind of like you, not soup to nuts, just what I love to make.  And nowhere near your neck of the woods, not that I could compete with you!

While I'm at it, how did you go about researching how to get into the business?  Any suggestions?

I appreciate any input you would like to share.  I admire your business approach -- passionate about what you do best, focused on excellence, making only what you feel you make well.  If everybody did that, the world would be filled with better pizza!

Thanks again for all your postings.

Aldo

[norma427]

tdeane,
Thanks for sharing where you purchase the liquid rennet. 
Norma

[Buffalo]

OK...its probably looking me right in the face, but will someone please tell me what the heck AH-BEETZ means.
Buffalo

[Pete-zza]

Buffalo,

See if you can figure it out from Reply 726 at http://www.pizzamaking.com/forum/index.php/topic,3944.msg53796/topicseen.html#msg53796 .

Peter

[Buffalo]

Peter;
I've checked out reply 726 as you requested...I guess I'm just too
tired tonight...or its too late...or I'm just "slow gifted"   BUT I still
don't get it.
Buffalo

P.S.  If its really something simple don't tell me.
       JUST KIDDING...PLEASE TELL ME

[Pete-zza]

Buffalo,

There are many pizzerias that use the name "Apizza" (like the famous Sally's Apizza in New Haven, CT). Apizza came to be pronounced "abeets" (as it might be pronounced in Italian). Terry cleverly transformed that to "AH-BEETZ" to name his pizzeria. To see the name in use, see http://www.pizzamaking.com/forum/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=7561.0;attach=12246;image. See, also, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apizza.

Peter

[Buffalo]

Peter;
Thanks for the clarification...I'll probably be able to get a good
nights sleep now...as soon as the migrain leaves that I got from
trying to figure this out.
Buffalo

[tdeane]

Hey, I wonder, how many pizzas do you make in a day?  What days are your biggest days?  Your lightest days?  Any ideas why?

I ask because I always think about a pizzeria -- kind of like you, not soup to nuts, just what I love to make.  And nowhere near your neck of the woods, not that I could compete with you!

While I'm at it, how did you go about researching how to get into the business?  Any suggestions?

I appreciate any input you would like to share.  I admire your business approach -- passionate about what you do best, focused on excellence, making only what you feel you make well.  If everybody did that, the world would be filled with better pizza!

Thanks again for all your postings.

Aldo

Hi Aldo,
  Sorry for the late reply. Fridays are our busiest days and the most pie we have done in one day is about 40. I'm the only one that makes the pizza and we are only open from 4-9pm(or until we run out of dough). The last few weeks we have been busy every day and selling out quite often.
 I didn't really go into this with any business plan. I just have a philosophy of trying to make the best pizza I can every day trying to have every ingredient or topping that goes into or on the pizza be of the highest quality. I have experience running kitchens because I worked as a chef before moving to NY as a jazz musician. What kind of pizza do you want to make?

[tdeane]

I made myself a pizza for dinner and took some photos to test my cell phone's camera. A margherita with sausage and red onions. I also threw a little pancetta on one spot for a little taste test. Just posting for fun.

[norma427]

I just made 4 lbs on fresh mozzarella today. 4 1/2tsp citric acid
                                                                   3 cups  water
                                                                   1 tsp liquid rennet
                                                                   4 gallons whole milk(raw or low temp pasteurized un-homogenized)



tdeane,
I purchased the liquid rennet and citric acid and now am waiting for it to arrive. 
Thanks again for your recipe. 
Norma

[Aldo]

Hi Terry,

I make Chicago stuffed pizza (picture attached), an entirely different beast from your beautiful creations.  I don't have a high heat oven or wood fired outdoor stove, though I have been experimenting in my 550 degree electric with different NY style and Napoletano style recipes for kicks.  I quickly see the advantage of high heat.  I am also amazed at how little goes on a NY or Naples style pizza -- but as I tend to add almost three pounds of cheese to oneof my 14 inch stuffed pizzas, it's a perspective thing.

So you make 40 a day on a good day?  Now ... if you spend ten minutes a pie, that's 400 minutes, that's just under 7 hours time spent cooking -- plus prep time, plus cleaning ... but you only are open for five hours a day ... wow, that's a lot of work!  It sounds like the next step is figuring out how to use hired help to help you increase your business even more.  Go go go!  I am cheering you on as a pizza lover who also would love to make pizza for a living myself.  I hope you continue to build your business -- and also find time to keep us posted.

Did I say thank you?  Thank you!  And your business plan/philosophy is mine, too.  I don't know how to start.  It is nice to hear that keeping it simple and passionate and focused on excellence can make it work.  I hope you now can take it to the next level -- you have a great gift for fabulous pies, obviously!  In addition to making great looking pizza and being a great guy, I am really impressed and grateful that you make time to answer questions from guys like me.  We all appreciate your updates and info -- by the way, the phone pics are great, as usual.

Thanks again,

Aldo

PS: One area I've thought could be a hinderance to commercial production of my pizza is the sauce.  I make my sauce using fresh herbs only, and I've found that I like that much better than using dry herbs -- but it costs more.  Moreover, it takes time to boil down or reduce.  (And I don't even take the seeds out -- which is a whole other thing I am going to try sometime to see which I prefer.)  I tend to make it in batches from a big can of tomato -- I use different types -- or, this past summer, I used fresh tomato from my garden (a mix of beefsteak and Roma.)  This all makes me wonder what you think about sauce production -- how have you managed to come to terms with your sauce?  I mean, maybe you need to outsource that or something at some point to meet volume demands and still find time to sleep after a huge day of work.  Mine has been the result of a twenty year odyssey, but it requires some reduction to make it the right consistency.  Any wisdom to share on the sauce thing and how you came up with a sauce you like well enough but can make in enough volume and time to meet business demands?

[norma427]

tdeane,
Your recent pie looks great.  It's great to read how passionate you are about making pizza.
Norma

[tdeane]

Hi Terry,

I make Chicago stuffed pizza (picture attached), an entirely different beast from your beautiful creations.  I don't have a high heat oven or wood fired outdoor stove, though I have been experimenting in my 550 degree electric with different NY style and Napoletano style recipes for kicks.  I quickly see the advantage of high heat.  I am also amazed at how little goes on a NY or Naples style pizza -- but as I tend to add almost three pounds of cheese to oneof my 14 inch stuffed pizzas, it's a perspective thing.

So you make 40 a day on a good day?  Now ... if you spend ten minutes a pie, that's 400 minutes, that's just under 7 hours time spent cooking -- plus prep time, plus cleaning ... but you only are open for five hours a day ... wow, that's a lot of work!  It sounds like the next step is figuring out how to use hired help to help you increase your business even more.  Go go go!  I am cheering you on as a pizza lover who also would love to make pizza for a living myself.  I hope you continue to build your business -- and also find time to keep us posted.

Did I say thank you?  Thank you!  And your business plan/philosophy is mine, too.  I don't know how to start.  It is nice to hear that keeping it simple and passionate and focused on excellence can make it work.  I hope you now can take it to the next level -- you have a great gift for fabulous pies, obviously!  In addition to making great looking pizza and being a great guy, I am really impressed and grateful that you make time to answer questions from guys like me.  We all appreciate your updates and info -- by the way, the phone pics are great, as usual.

Thanks again,

Aldo

PS: One area I've thought could be a hinderance to commercial production of my pizza is the sauce.  I make my sauce using fresh herbs only, and I've found that I like that much better than using dry herbs -- but it costs more.  Moreover, it takes time to boil down or reduce.  (And I don't even take the seeds out -- which is a whole other thing I am going to try sometime to see which I prefer.)  I tend to make it in batches from a big can of tomato -- I use different types -- or, this past summer, I used fresh tomato from my garden (a mix of beefsteak and Roma.)  This all makes me wonder what you think about sauce production -- how have you managed to come to terms with your sauce?  I mean, maybe you need to outsource that or something at some point to meet volume demands and still find time to sleep after a huge day of work.  Mine has been the result of a twenty year odyssey, but it requires some reduction to make it the right consistency.  Any wisdom to share on the sauce thing and how you came up with a sauce you like well enough but can make in enough volume and time to meet business demands?

Wow, I am not really a fan of Chicago style pizza. To me it's more of a pizza casserole, or pizza quiche. But, that really looks delicious!! It doesn't take that long to make 40 pizzas because you start making the next pizza while the other one is cooking, but I work a lot of hours prepping. I make my own cheese and some of my charcuterie. I make my Italian sausage, pancetta and capicola. I slice all of our meats and vegetables by hand daily. We sautee our mushrooms, roast our garlic, caramelize onions. So it takes a lot of time. If the sauce is your specialty, then that is definitely where you shouldn't  skimp. You will get known for the great sauce. Use the fresh herbs! My sauce isn't cooked so it is pretty easy to make it every day or two. It is important to make your recipe scalable so you can double or triple it if you need to and keep the same flavour profile.
  Thanks for the kind words by the way. Actually, thanks to everyone that has offered kind words on this thread!!

[tdeane]

some photos i took with my cell phone camera while making mozzarella today.

[norma427]

tdeane,
Wow..that mozzarella looks delicious..wish I could taste it now.  Great job!
Norma

[Buffalo]

tdeane;
Your recipe and procedure has given me the courage to attempt making mozzarella this upcoming weekend.  Wish me luck...How does this mozz work on pizza?  Is it stretchy...Does it make excess liquid when cooking...I will find out when I make it, but I guess I'm looking for a little heads up. 
Any input is greatly appreciated.
Buffalo

[tdeane]

A few more photos of the mozzarella and a photo of a pie made with it so you can see how it melts(and of course I have to throw in an upskirt shot).

[norma427]

tdeane,
Your pictures of your mozzarella are really great!    I really like how your mozzarella melts on you pizza, also. 
I just received my supplies to make mozzarella today, but will have to wait until next week to try my hand at making mozzarella.
Thanks for posting the pictures.
Norma

[norma427]

tdeane,
Do you mind telling me if that is an aluminum pan you are using to make your fresh mozzarella?  I want to try to make the mozzarella in the next few days.  I purchased the raw milk today and have the other ingredients.  Hopefully my mozzarella will turn out okay.
Thanks for all the information.
Norma

[s00da]

Norma,

You make mozzarella in stainless steel pans only as you don't want any reaction that happens between the added acid and the aluminum.

Saad