pizza at the fair

[thezaman]

pete,that was a 7 day event.

[pizzablogger]

pete,that was a 7 day event.

2000 in 7 days is excellent Larry. 285 pies a day....that's good stuff! 

Looks like you had a refrigeration unit (a True unit?) in the tent as well. Do you have any pics of the full set-up you had under the big top?

Great looking pies Larry and congrats on what sounds like a very successful event.

More proof that if you make great pizza and have a good story (and some 'friggen dancing flames doesn't hurt!), people are going to buy it! --K

[thezaman]

 kelley, we did have a full single cooler brought in for us. i bought it new and had them agree to deliver to the fairgrounds and pick it up after.it is manufactured by continental.we are using it at the restaurant for all wood fired ingredients. dough sauce cheese etc.we did all of our cheese for this event from curd, 400 pounds of the stuff.  the curd is from grande.
 the way we handled the cooler was we filled it with 10 trays 240 balls, held our pepperoni, sauce, and cheese in it. we backed up this with two cambro's of dough,about 240 more balls. the third cambro held extra cheese,and sauce. the cambros were brought to the restaurant each night and left in the walk in cooler.each cambro had a ice slab made by cambro for these units.they were thrown in the freezer. in the morning everything was filled and delivered. the units hold
temperature for five to six hours.we were able to keep everything cold and rotated.the only day we panicked   was saturday ,we finished with over 350 pies.
 i know there is another discussion i started under my mobile oven,but pizza at the fair is the thread that helped me decide on my direction
  as a pizzeria owner i may not fit into the amateur category, but my love of neapolitan pizza started like all of the rest of you.i took it from my back yard to make it a business venture.there are a lot of members here that have done the same. thanks to all for helping and showing genuine friendship. kelly i have some setup pics.

[thezaman]

a few more

[thezaman]

 one more point my oven worked 12 hours a day and it was flawless.here is a picture of the oven builder who also helped on Saturday night. the best part of this wood oven thing is the excitement and friendships it has created.

[scott123]

Congratulations, Larry, on such a hugely successful event.

2200 pies at an average of $9 a pizza?  I'm not going to break out a calculator here, but is is safe to assume that the you're well along the way to paying off the oven at your soon to be brick and mortar? 

[pizzablogger]

Thanks for the pics Larry. Nice set-up!

Like the New Smyrna Beach tee on the guy who built your oven. When my grandparents were still alive and lived in Florida we went to New Smyrna Beach a couple of times. Add in visits to nearby Cape Canaveral when we did that and it was all a young 10-14 year old could wish for.

Time flies! 

[AimlessRyan]

Thanks for the pics Larry. Nice set-up!

Like the New Smyrna Beach tee on the guy who built your oven. When my grandparents were still alive and lived in Florida we went to New Smyrna Beach a couple of times. Add in visits to nearby Cape Canaveral when we did that and it was all a young 10-14 year old could wish for.

Time flies! 

I slept in my tent behind a bank in New Smyrna Beach once. Got a wake-up call in the morning from the cops.

[thezaman]

 tonight at the local winery my crew sold out of 125 dough balls in two hours. i had to turn it over to my daughter and wood fired friends. i had to stay behind and handle the always eventful friday night rush. they said it was weird working with 265 gram dough balls. i don't think they missed me.post fair full sized pie enclosed

[TXCraig1]

Beautiful as always. What is your formula and workflow on that dough?

[JConk007]

Crew questions ??
At the fair How many people  paid or family volunteers  working each Day, all day. Labor costs? Scott that goes into  the calculator too 5-6 employees everyday allday and 2-3 days set up and breakdown, with 0 pies , must be added or subtracted from the equation as well still a great success Larry
Winery ?
 Whats the crew comprised of to do 125 pizzas in 2 hours? thats movin! I  can only assume,  based on my own Minimal Mobile WFO experience that its minimum 2 people spreading and minimum 2-3 pies  in oven at a time. with set up heat up and breakdown would you say is 5+ hours right?
thanks my friend!
John

[thezaman]

 john, after the first two days i cut my labor to one front end person in the morning,two makers and a cook i was one of the makers or cook each day. the pop and water covered labor. my canned pop cost me .25, and water .15. we sold all for 1.00. we went thru a little over 100 cases.
 food cost on the pizza was under a dollar.
 you are right there are a lot of costs to consider, it is a hard week,but if the wether is with you you have a very large buying public each day.
  at the winery i think they went 2 to 2. 5 hours. there was three pies cooking in the oven most of the time.the wineries are requesting that i prep more dough. coming off of fair week, and trying to welcome freshman to oberlin made it hard to kick production up.
 

[petef]

one more point my oven worked 12 hours a day...

thezaman, before this event many of us were wondering how well received Neapolitan Pizza would be to the general public who may not fully understand this unique style of pizza. Well, now we know it was very well received. Congratulations on your success.

I'm curious, what were people saying about the pizza after eating Neapolitan for the first time, or otherwise?

---pete---

[JConk007]

Ah, bverages you told me about that slipped my aged mind  and they delivered right to you right ? Already hoping I can be there for the experience next year !
John

[thezaman]

thezaman, before this event many of us were wondering how well received Neapolitan Pizza would be to the general public who may not fully understand this unique style of pizza. Well, now we know it was very well received. Congratulations on your success.

I'm curious, what were people saying about the pizza after eating Neapolitan for the first time, or otherwise?

---pete---

pete we never mentioned neapolitan as a  pizza type,more wood fired pizza margherita. that term margherita is known by the majority of people. out of all of the pies sold we had to recook one three times to keep a older gentleman happy.i was shocked at how well it was received.i was planning to sell a lot of pizza, but in the back of my mind i was a little nervous.

[thezaman]

 john, there was a change on the pop being delivered to me. they tried to overcharge me at 11.00 per case. i bought it at wall mart for around 5.50 per case.i picked up what i needed each morning on the way.

[Chicago Bob]

pete we never mentioned neapolitan as a  pizza type,more wood fired pizza margherita. that term margherita is known by the majority of people.

Yep...people love drinking them there Margarita's!!  
I know you were expecting to sell a lot of pizza's Larry....but now, can you even imagine what next year will be like now that you have given them a taste of "the good thang"? !!
Man I love a good success story...thanks for documenting your Pizza at the Fair experience dude.

[pizzablogger]

Larry, that is a beautiful looking pie! 

[thezaman]

kelly,thanks for the image improvement. want to meet at nicoletta's this week? tuesday pm trying to get scott 123 and john conklin to come?

[pizzablogger]

kelly,thanks for the image improvement. want to meet at nicoletta's this week? tuesday pm trying to get scott 123 and john conklin to come?

Larry, appreciate the invite and would love to.....but cannot make it.

Going to be taking a vacation in a couple of weeks. Coupled with the shorter work week due to Labor Day, not going to have the time to take off early and get up there.

Hope you guys have a great time! --K