Author Topic: Opening soon, Donaldo's Casa de Pizza (Read 13749 times)

Grimaldi · « **Reply #60 on:** March 09, 2012, 06:56:27 PM »

Perseverance! It is always a struggle to get anything off the ground - everywhere. Keep focused on getting your punch list cleared.

Soon you will be enjoying 10 -12 hour days in a hot kitchen!

buceriasdon · « **Reply #61 on:** March 10, 2012, 07:53:08 AM »

I hear you, I'm lucky not to be required to do many things those North of me would be to get a place open. I'll dutifully march back out to the county seat office early Monday and if once again am denied a license I'll just open without it. Nothing else I can do at this point. Taking delivery of the reefer this afternoon so I'll have a better idea of the kitchen layout and how to optimize the space. Installing some melamine temporary shelving today, hopefully Monday the man doing my two wall tables in the dining area will have them installed and I can discuss a cabinet above the sink being built and doors built for the sink table.
Don

Quote from: Grimaldi on March 09, 2012, 06:56:27 PM

Perseverance! It is always a struggle to get anything off the ground - everywhere. Keep focused on getting your punch list cleared.

Soon you will be enjoying 10 -12 hour days in a hot kitchen!

buceriasdon · « **Reply #62 on:** March 10, 2012, 08:16:11 PM »

A productive day in a number of areas.

As I was going out to look at my two wall shelf/tables today in any case, I drew up some drawings of a couple of wall kitchen cabinets to be built to get an estimate and a delivery date. The gentleman gave me I think a very fair estimate and said Thursday at the latest. Nothing fancy but functional. I'm very happy Alejandra pointed him out to me. The location lacks any storage of any kind and the kitchen will be in full view except when seated. I got the kitchen sink installed and plumbed, I looked every where for a three basin but had to settle on two , oh well, what are you going to do? The fridge came, on time, and I was glad the front counter and wait station are movable as they had to move forward about a foot and a half. Spoke to the flour supplier and he will delivery on Tuesday. I and Ale went on a shopping spree in the afternoon, she made up the list, and we filled two shopping carts. Oh, and on the way to Walmart I ordered five more woven back and seat chairs, still have to stain the eight of them. Only an eleven hour day but I'm dog tired.
Don

buceriasdon · « **Reply #63 on:** March 13, 2012, 08:20:43 AM »

My carpenter installed the two wall shelves in the serving area today and I got a coat of varnish on the parota wood. Alejandra, my KM was able to stain and varnish all but one of the wall seating chairs. I'll follow up today with some paintable chalk for the wall to shelf gaps. Later I plan to put tile above the shelves for ease of cleaning. I drew up some plans for a pizza warmer and a wooden peel and gave them to my carpenter for delivery in the next couple of days. The peel is a backup just in case my screens don't come in this Thursday. I think the by slice idea may help generate more sales so I'm going for it. His crew is coming back today to install my kitchen cabinets after which I can get some lights installed under them. I need lights over the prep table and sink. There are times I think I'm getting my punch list whittled down only to think of more to do but I do see some light at the end of the tunnel. My 44 kilo bag of flour comes today and perhaps the oven and mixer Wednesday. I'll put up some pics as soon as the oven is in.
Don

buceriasdon · « **Reply #64 on:** March 15, 2012, 07:54:24 PM »

Well progress today. The oven and mixer arrived and put in place. I bought the oven unseen, but looked at some other stoves made by the same outfit. It took six guys to get it place and we broke a sweat in the prossess. All stainless construction including the burners something you don't see much of here. The stones are a pale beige color at one inch thick. The mixer takes two guys to set it on the table I built for it, massive. We'll see how it does in the next day or so.
More on Friday when I fire it up.
Don

norma427 · « **Reply #65 on:** March 15, 2012, 08:17:20 PM »

Don,

Great looking oven and mixer!

Norma

buceriasdon · « **Reply #66 on:** March 15, 2012, 10:47:30 PM »

Norma, I am accustomed to my dinky KA and I was shocked at the torque and low speed of this pro mixer. It's going to be a whole new learning curve with this mixer and oven. I'm not very happy with the height of the oven between the stones and the top stainless roof, seems too high to me. I may have to come up with a way to lower the roof with ceramic tiles and a steel structure to support them. Next few days will be telling as Alejandra and I will be making a dough batch for baking on Sunday.
Don

norma427 · « **Reply #67 on:** March 15, 2012, 11:05:23 PM »

Quote from: buceriasdon on March 15, 2012, 10:47:30 PM

Norma, I am accustomed to my dinky KA and I was shocked at the torque and low speed of this pro mixer. It's going to be a whole new learning curve with this mixer and oven. I'm not very happy with the height of the oven between the stones and the top stainless roof, seems too high to me. I may have to come up with a way to lower the roof with ceramic tiles and a steel structure to support them. Next few days will be telling as Alejandra and I will be making a dough batch for baking on Sunday.
Don

Don,

A professional mixer is a lot different than a KA. You will love your mixer when you become accustomed to it. It will mix dough so fast. I don’t know what height there is between your stones and the top stainless roof of your oven, but you will see how your oven bakes once you try it. I still haven’t figured out my oven with heat, using different formulations, and where the best place is to bake in the oven. You will learn.

Best of luck!

Can’t wait to see your first pizzas.

Norma

scott123 · « **Reply #68 on:** March 15, 2012, 11:27:43 PM »

Quote from: buceriasdon on March 15, 2012, 10:47:30 PM

I'm not very happy with the height of the oven between the stones and the top stainless roof, seems too high to me. I may have to come up with a way to lower the roof with ceramic tiles and a steel structure to support them.

What is the vertical space between the roof and hearth? Also, any idea of the BTU output?

It's been a while since you talked about it, but you're catering to a clientele that wants a longer baked pizza, is that right? Golden brown?

If you do fashion a lower ceiling, my suggestion would be to use firebrick rather than ceramic tiles. The firebricks should still be pretty cheap while being more durable than tiles and give you more thermal mass. That's how the top deck gas ovens in the U.S. do it.

franko9752 · « **Reply #69 on:** March 16, 2012, 06:29:13 AM »

Nice looking oven and mixer! I am feeling the excitment of you firing up the oven today and getting closer to the grand opening. Can't wait to see your first pies.

buceriasdon · « **Reply #70 on:** March 16, 2012, 08:03:06 AM »

Scott, I'll get the distance measured this morning and get back to you but it's at least a foot. The documentation that came with the oven is extremely poor, I don't like not having operating instructions, and as I have to finish getting my restaurant license this morning I won't be able to call the supplier and tell them I want someone to come back and show me startup until later today. All I found was gas line hookup instructions, big whopee.
Don

Bobino414 · « **Reply #71 on:** March 16, 2012, 09:55:04 AM »

Best of luck with the restaurant.

How much time do you plan on testing the new equipment before opening your doors?

Regarding the license, your local firm of Mordida y Mordida could probably speed the process along.

buceriasdon · « **Reply #72 on:** March 16, 2012, 10:43:43 AM »

I just found the instructions for preheating the hearth stones, low heat for three days in a row, which is fine as I have to now have a stove island built as I miscalculated the size of the oven so no room for the stove top. So no pizza baking until Monday. Whoops, hate it when that happens. It looks to be next Friday for the soft opening.
Don

buceriasdon · « **Reply #73 on:** March 17, 2012, 08:41:26 AM »

Scott, The inside oven height is 11 inches from the top of the hearth tile to the ceiling. Not optimum by any means so I'm going to contact a metal shop today and have a frame/ceiling with steel legs built that I can slip in the door and set firebrick on to get the gap down. I've got three days of stone curing ahead so I'll have some time to get it built. Always something. I was able to download and print out a manual for it, I wouldn't have had a clue where the pilot was without it.
Don

scott123 · « **Reply #74 on:** March 17, 2012, 07:08:25 PM »

Sounds good, Don. One other thing to be aware of, which, considering your experience, you probably are, is that you probably want the lightest/least obtrusive frame possible so you don't impact air flow too much. I would also put sizable gaps between the firebricks (maybe 2") for the same reason. The big guys attach the firebrick frame to the ceiling, which get's it away from hot air coming up the side vents and down towards the pizza (like an M pattern), but I think that's more trouble than it's worth for your setup.

buceriasdon · « **Reply #75 on:** March 17, 2012, 07:32:56 PM »

Scott, thanks. I made a quick run into Puerto Vallarta to check into firebrick availability this morning, two weeks delivery time minimum so it's Saltillo unglazed floor tiles for the time being.
Don

Jet_deck · « **Reply #76 on:** March 20, 2012, 11:40:51 PM »

Is everything ok down there, Donaldo ? Things look kinda shakey...

buceriasdon · « **Reply #77 on:** March 21, 2012, 07:03:29 AM »

Gene, I hadn't realized there was a quake way south of me, glad no one was seriously hurt, until you mentioned it. Alejandra and I finally were able to get the pilot on the oven lite yesterday, I figured out I was using the wrong tank regulator, and allowing the stones to cure while she and I once again went back to the licensing office to once again find out we need more paperwork for yet another branch of the government.

Even she is getting frustrated at the red tape and I think it's best we take a different coarse of action today and go into Puerto Vallarta to purchase pizza boxes, screens, serving platters and office supplies while the stones cure for another day. My sign painter delivered a painting I commissioned and I just love it.
Don

TXCraig1 · « **Reply #78 on:** March 21, 2012, 11:57:13 AM »

It is a beautiful picture Don. Isn't dried hibisucs eaten in Mexico? Are you planning a pizza with it or agua de Jamaica maybe?

CL

buceriasdon · « **Reply #79 on:** March 22, 2012, 08:03:23 AM »

Craig, I'm not sure if Alejandra is planning on flavored waters or not yet. The two of us once again had to change our plans for the day as the fire inspectors showed up. They didn't like me using a free standing gas bottle so I ended up waiting for a gas tank to be delivered to be placed on the roof Thursday and hard copper tube run to the oven and stove. My fault really, I should have done that in the first place. More delays. I have no projected opening date at this moment, it will happen, just don't know when. They also had me move the fire extinguisher location to the front of the store, easily done but now have to take new photos of it's location. Since we will be stuck at the store until the tank is installed I'll have my metal fabricator come and get some measurements taken for having the hood built, another item that just kept being put off. The stone hearth temps run at 250 with just the pilot tube going.

Don