Transitioning from Home to Shop

[nepa-pizza-snob]

Hi

I am constantly going over the commercial thing in my head so to quell the agonizing questions I have decided
to formulate a bit of a functional business model to see if I really think I can, want, should go for it. Now for the
questions.

I have a thin crust recipe that I love and that I am able to repeat consistantly I am wondering how I would go about
translating this to a commercial setting where time is money, money is money and consistency is godliness.

How do you NYC style shop owners handle your dough post knead if you do not mind sharing. I currently use a
kneading and proofing method that is not practical or cost effective in a commercial setting. I would like to keep
start up operation and costs simple. I currently use a 30 min room temp proofing before my 2-3 day refrigerated
ferment. I use a very low oil recipe and dust my divided balls in flour before wrapping individually in plastic wrap.
How do you prevent skin development when using big plastic bins, or proof boxes etc.

At home when I want to make pizza I take a few balls out 2-3 hours before hand - how is this tackled / scheduled in
a commercial setting? Take out 50 or so pies worth and throw in a 70 deg proofing box in the morning?

I will add more about me and my desired set up as well more questions as the answers, comments, and heckling adds up in here.

Thanks - let it begin

[Pete-zza]

nepa-pizza-snob,

Tom Lehmann routinely gets and answers questions like yours. Here are a few samples:

http://www.pmq.com/cgi-bin/tt/index.cgi?noframes;read=23130
http://www.pmq.com/cgi-bin/tt/index.cgi?noframes;read=28446
http://www.pmq.com/cgi-bin/tt/index.cgi?noframes;read=20711
http://www.pmq.com/cgi-bin/tt/index.cgi?noframes;read=17371
http://www.pmq.com/cgi-bin/tt/index.cgi?noframes;read=20675

Peter

[chiguy]

nepa pizza snob,
These are alot of questions to be answered in one shot. If you are serious about the pizza business you may consider attending The Pizza Expo in Las Vegas in March 07.
Here you can attend marketing and dough making seminars for free etc.. You can talk to distributers and make connections with people from companies who can help you make the transition. The class on dough making from General Mills is very good and they are more than willing too help you to get set up. Also Tom Lehmann teaches a course for a small fee. The Pizza Expo will no doubt help you with this venture.
Although this is a good site with excellent member support, i don't think you can rely entirely on pizzamaking.com to start you're business.    Chiguy
   

[nepa-pizza-snob]

hmmm.

[PizzaBrewer]

There's also the NY pizza show in March at the Javits Center.  I'm planning on going, perhaps we could share a ride (I'm in Mountaintop)?

www.newyorkpizzashow.com

---Guy

[nepa-pizza-snob]

That might be worth looking into - fill me in on the details my schedule will be a bit on the wild
side in March, but if I'm free I'll use any excuse to go to NY.

[nepa-pizza-snob]

I've been whoring around on the PMQ site and getting all sorts of good info. Im in a good place, not quite ready to jump
yet so I will be able to take advanntage of almost any situation that is unless of course it presents itself tommorow

Brewer that pizza show in NYC is in March if your still interested - I will be attending if schedule permits and dinning at
Luzzo's for lunch - I love going to NYC

Ps talk to me when you are ready to install your business security / cctv system - its what I do to pay the bills.

cheers

[DNA Dan]

The place I worked at prepped their stuff as follows. I don't think any of this is really out of the ordinary for most commercial places. Setup will vary by style, but scheduling and size of operation I feel are pretty straightforward.

Sauce - Made once a week in batches of 20 gallons using a big hobart mixer. Divided into 4 - (5) gallon buckets and put in the coldroom. This was enough for the whole week.

Vegetables- Sliced up and put in prep bins using a hobart meat slicer. This was done on Sundays and Thursday mornings.

Dough - 1 (25lb) batch made every morning, proofed for 1 hour right in the mixer bucket. It was then weighed, cut into balls, rolled out into skins then placed on a rack. The rack was lined with plastic and covered somewhat. This just sat here until it was needed. Another batch was made around 2pm after the lunch rush and again at 5 pm if it was a weekend day. (this was for American style pizza)

Cheese - Chese was ground (about 50 pounds) at a time using a shredding attachment on the hobart mixer. It was then put in prep bins and stored in the walk-in. This was done almost in step with the sauce. Although you typically use more cheese than sauce per volume, you just make more cheese when you do it. This way they end up running out about the same time.

Cold cuts - most came already sliced, pepperoni, ham, canadian bacon, pastrami, etc. The only thing that needed cutting were the exotics, like linguica, etc. This was done strictly on an as needed basis. Other veggies were canned, olive, pineapple, etc.

I would say once you have a recipe in mind, try to find a place that is willing to let you make a batch in a large mixer. In terms of scale, different productions using the same ingredients can produce different results. (as many on these forums noted.) The scaled process my actually improve or impair your recipe. GO FOR IT! It's only money and you have us to help you out! Pizza is easy, women are difficult. 

[thehorse]

As a veteran of the take out restaurant business, and IMHO, I would recommend either getting a part time job at a pizza place, and learning the business, or going into a partnership or hiring a right hand man with pizza restaurant experience. Preferably the former... partnerships can be a nightmare.                                                                                  PS-The food business is tough, the pizza making will be the easy part!

Mike