Smiling with Hope Pizza is sold

[waltertore]

Our last day of operation is Nov.18th. On the 19th we are inviting our customers to come in the shop and hang out. No pizza.  I wanted to serve a few dozen cheese pies on our patio, but it is way too cold here and we are still not comfortable with dine in and masks being off.  People will have to wear masks.   It is a mixed bag letting it go but father time has made the decision for us.  I will be training the new owners and they will continue with using our name.  We are going to keep selling our Sicilian pans and I am going to do some high-end catering gigs at people's homes around the country working for my friend Ellie Olson.  Chris Bianco is on the team as well. Should be fun.

[scott r]

Thats going to be a blast!  Chris is one of the most fun and interesting people I have had the pleasure of hanging out with.   His personality is intoxicating.  Congrats Walter on your sale and retirement. 

[waltertore]

Thats going to be a blast!  Chris is one of the most fun and interesting people I have had the pleasure of hanging out with.   His personality is intoxicating.  Congrats Walter on your sale and retirement.

Thanks Scott    Eliie is a trip as well and I also love Chris.  It will be fun mostly make WFO pizza, empanadas, and sides for the rich and famous.  We are getting a dog again (pizzeria was too consuming for one) and probably a tiny little pull behind travel trailer to get to those gigs and escape the fires when then hit Reno.  Life sure has blessed us. 

[Jersey Pie Boy]

That sounds like a great life, Walter. Congratulations!

[waltertore]

That sounds like a great life, Walter. Congratulations!

 Thanks. The most exciting thing is to be able to pick and choose what I want to and not be concerned about money.   I want to continue doing something to help make the world a better place for those that struggle due to no choice of their own.  I am asking for guidance from the universe to lead me to that. 

[waltertore]

a video I put together today

[waltertore]

It still hasn't sunk in that we did our last night of pizza as owners of Smiling with Hope Pizza.  It feels like a vacation soon to end and time to get back to it.  We have worked over 50 years of our lives and that is a tough one to shake from the soul.  Our bodies made the decision, and I can say mine if feeling a lot better today than it would on a normal Tuesday with not having to do the preps and many things it took to keep our show rolling 🙂 
We will be training the new owners our recipes and they are going to keep the family vibe/special needs mission alive.  Here are some pictures of the last pies I made.  Thanks again everyone for all love, relationships we made, and support.  We will miss this more than anything.

[Travinos_Pizza]

It still hasn't sunk in that we did our last night of pizza as owners of Smiling with Hope Pizza.  It feels like a vacation soon to end and time to get back to it.  We have worked over 50 years of our lives and that is a tough one to shake from the soul.  Our bodies made the decision, and I can say mine if feeling a lot better today than it would on a normal Tuesday with not having to do the preps and many things it took to keep our show rolling 🙂 
We will be training the new owners our recipes and they are going to keep the family vibe/special needs mission alive.  Here are some pictures of the last pies I made.  Thanks again everyone for all love, relationships we made, and support.  We will miss this more than anything.

Not sure if anyone has said anything, but you look like Ian Mckellen (Magneto/Gandalf fame) with the mask on.

Congrats on the retirement, if you're ever doing a pop-up or something in the Cincy area, I would love to try your stuff.

[waltertore]

Not sure if anyone has said anything, but you look like Ian Mckellen (Magneto/Gandalf fame) with the mask on.

Congrats on the retirement, if you're ever doing a pop-up or something in the Cincy area, I would love to try your stuff.

That is the first time I heard I look like him   I don't know what the future holds for me with pizza.  I have a couple people that are looking at opening a pizzeria in the future and have asked me to consult.  That sounds nice.  I have a cousin from NJ who lives in Cincy.  You never know what will happen if one keeps an open heart!

[Travinos_Pizza]

That is the first time I heard I look like him   I don't know what the future holds for me with pizza.  I have a couple people that are looking at opening a pizzeria in the future and have asked me to consult.  That sounds nice.  I have a cousin from NJ who lives in Cincy.  You never know what will happen if one keeps an open heart!

That’s neat! Well good luck in the future endeavors, a retirement that is well earned!

[waltertore]

That’s neat! Well good luck in the future endeavors, a retirement that is well earned!

Thanks and maybe we will meet in Cincy someday.

[waltertore]

We turned over the keys, website, social media sites to the new owner yesterday and today I started 80 hours of training 1 on 1 with the new owner.  Kinda weird to see your creation from the outside looking in but it sure is nice not having to make all the dough/preps anymore.  The ovens were getting to me as well with the insanely hot summer we had this year.  Also, talking to Chris Bianco the bakers lung came up.  I was starting to feel it and am wearing an n95 mask for training as we are mixing tons of dough for practice pizzas. 

[Travinos_Pizza]

Walter, was the flour getting through the mask or the mask constricting the breathing?

[waltertore]

Walter, was the flour getting through the mask or the mask constricting the breathing?

I have been around flour on and off,  and more on than off, 50 years.  Never wore a mask till the pandemic and only when we were making pies as we had staff working.  I did all the preps/dough myself during the day with no mask.  Then my seasonal allergies seemed to be getting worse over the past 5 years.  Had to use an inhaler for last 6 months we were open.   I have always been a serious work out person and was thinking the altitude here, 4,500ft was part of it. Now 3 weeks of no pizza making I feel 1000% better.  Breathing deep with no problems and no feelings of allergies.  Training the new owner was getting me worried but I am wearing a good n95 mask and so far no problems. I have 70 hours to go and I am done with pizza.

[Timpanogos Slim]

With regard to airborne contagion, an N95 can protect you from contagion, lesser masks protect others from your possible contagion somewhat.

I have a friend who makes granite, quartz, and limestone counter tops, and he and his crew are required to wear N95 while cutting and shaping to prevent silicosis.

I'm not sure what minimum level of mask is recommended to prevent baker's lung, but an N95 will do the job for sure.

[waltertore]

With regard to airborne contagion, an N95 can protect you from contagion, lesser masks protect others from your possible contagion somewhat.

I have a friend who makes granite, quartz, and limestone counter tops, and he and his crew are required to wear N95 while cutting and shaping to prevent silicosis.

I'm not sure what minimum level of mask is recommended to prevent baker's lung, but an N95 will do the job for sure.

Thanks!  The N95 works great with training as it is just the owner and myself.  When working the ovens they stink.  You get so hot and it is hard to breath through them.  I wore a surgical mask for that since the pandemic started. I never heard of bakers lung until I was talking with Chris Bianco on the phone a few months ago.  He described it and I thought maybe I was getting it.  I think I was and am so thankful we sold our shop and I can breathe normal again in just 3 weeks!

[Travinos_Pizza]

It is crazy that it’s a reality. Better than coal I guess, but still.

[Timpanogos Slim]

Thanks!  The N95 works great with training as it is just the owner and myself.  When working the ovens they stink.  You get so hot and it is hard to breath through them.  I wore a surgical mask for that since the pandemic started. I never heard of bakers lung until I was talking with Chris Bianco on the phone a few months ago.  He described it and I thought maybe I was getting it.  I think I was and am so thankful we sold our shop and I can breathe normal again in just 3 weeks!

Yeah - really makes us appreciate what health care workers have had to go through over the last couple years.

When i was a visiting friend at the incubator kitchen a week ago there was one gentleman in a well-fitted black fabric mask who never took it off or even touched it the whole 2+ hours we were both there. I'm not sure what he was preparing because he was on the other side of an island of ranges and ovens as my boba friends, the east-Indian couple preparing for a vegetarian catering gig, and the Argentinian couple preparing really delicious-smelling empanadas.

[waltertore]

The new owner of Smiling with Hope Pizza, Andrew Silvaroli, and I started training.  Here is a shot of 42 pies we made today with elbow macaroni to simulate mozzarella.  He did great and we are going to keep on it for hundreds of more pies.  He is hoping for a sometime in January opening.

[foreplease]

Best of luck and success for Andrew. I hope you will post photos once he graduates to penne or rigatoni.    Nah, that is a good way for him to learn!