An observation: Neo-politan vs Neapolitan

[hotsawce]

No more than 7 dollars. How they keep it at that price is beyond me....how they maintain the quality and do so is even more impressive.

How much is a Margherita at DM?

If someone asked me what I thought the average price for a Margherita is at a decent NP place here is the States, off the top of my head, I'd say $12-13.

[bakeshack]

No more than 7 dollars. How they keep it at that price is beyond me....how they maintain the quality and do so is even more impressive.

I believe their proximity to the ingredients and the pricing dictated by the market in Naples is what's driving their prices much lower than the US.  They opened in Japan and they sell their pies for 1,450 yen or about $16.  The doppio mozzarella is $18. 

[La Sera]

It does cost that in Tokyo, but the cost of living makes it feel much less than the exchange rate amount. I guess the old Big Mac analogy works here: that cost in Tokyo is equal to the cost of two medium Big Mac sets in Tokyo.

Another comparison is that it's 2/3rds the price of a 10" pizza delivered by any national chain.

So, it's pretty cheap.

[La Sera]

As someone in the business of trying to sell high quality pizza against large chain store "food" resembling something almost pizza-like, I can tell you that it's a hard road.

Sometimes I feel like I'm trying to sell Ferrari's and Armani suits to farmers. If you grew up eating Pizza Hut or Domino's, you think that Pizza Hut is pizza.

It's a small niche of people who understand and appreciate Neapolitan pizza outside of Italy.

I bet I could give away pizza and 90% of people would still pay an outrageous amount for the crap shoveled on loaf bread with ketchup on it that passes for pizza here. I wouldn't put a dent in their market share.

The power the national brands with TV advertising have over the masses is phenomenal.

[Tscarborough]

Neapolitan pizza made with in house mozzarella and local tomatoes would have minimal cost no matter where you made it, your fuel and flour would be the largest expense.  To me, the spirit of Neapolitan pizza is not using imported Italian ingredients that counts, it is the freshness and localness of the ingredients used, as well as the simplicity.

Here in Texas, that is not going to mean week old buffalo cheese that has 10,000 airline miles and canned tomatoes, it will be fresh mozzarella pulled daily, local Rockwell tomatoes prepared well, and a hot fire. 

[David Deas]

Neapolitan pizza made with in house mozzarella and local tomatoes would have minimal cost no matter where you made it, your fuel and flour would be the largest expense.  To me, the spirit of Neapolitan pizza is not using imported Italian ingredients that counts, it is the freshness and localness of the ingredients used, as well as the simplicity.

Excellent point.  I like it.

[David Deas]

I'm not suggesting anyone tell the customers "This is what it's supposed to be and you should like it like this".  I'm suggesting explaining to the customers what will be on their plate and why it is that way before it get's to them.  Take away the shock.

Waitress: "Have you been here before?"
Customer: "No."
Waitress: " Let me tell you a bit about our pizza then.  Our pizza is traditional Neapolitan Pizza.  It's cooked hot and fast in a wood burning oven, and because of that it might be a bit different then you are used to even from other pizzerias advertising Neapolitan pizza.  It's going to be very thin, soft, pliable, lightly topped and maybe a bit wetter then you are used to.  Traditionally it's made this way on purpose for lots of reasons from being easy to fold for mobile eating to ease of digestibility.  We make it that way because we think it tastes great, hopefully you do too."

All of this is in the goal of hoping the pizza get's a fair chance.  Put a 60 second pizza in front of somebody expecting a hot and ready and their mind will me made up before they ever taste it.  I'm also not pulling this out of thin air.  This is very similar to how I introduce people to Neapolitan pizza in my own home. 

Nice post.

[David Deas]

I am absolutely starving and I would eat 99% of any of that food shown in the STG yelp pics. Its surprising to hear that a pie with such a high degree of visual appeal (leoparding, charring, high quality ingredients) could taste as bad as David says it does.

Anyway, I am STARVING, if anyone cares.

That place is not strictly a pizzeria.  They do a lot of other foods.  Generally speaking, don't order pizza from a place that isn't strictly a pizzeria.  That goes for STG just as much as it does for the Olive Garden.

There *was* once an exception; Double Zero Napoletana when they first opened here in Atlanta.