Pizza Today - June 2020 - 3

C O M M E N TA R Y

J E R E MY W H I T E

Contributors

Pivoting on the Fly

ow are you adjusting to the
"new normal?" With states
slowly attempting to open their
economies back up while simultaneously
taking precautions to deal with the
COVID-19 pandemic, there seem to be
more questions than answers right now.
These, indeed, are troubling times.
On a daily basis I speak to pizzeria
operators. I have done so since the
pandemic started. The good news is that
I'm seeing a shift in attitude and outlook.
While we're still fearful and know we're
facing a prolonged battle, we're seeing
glimmers of hope. We're re-opening slowly to dine-in in some areas, we're working
diligently to maximize our carryout and
delivery potential in other areas. Some
operators tell me sales are actually up.
Others tell me they are down 40 percent.
Each situation, each state, each city, each
business is unique. But, across the board,
the general consensus I'm getting anecdotally is this: we're figuring it out.
That's not to downplay how disastrous
the pandemic has been. Make no mistake,
it has been downright devastating. I've
watched some large, longstanding companies file for bankruptcy. I've watched
some independent, family-owned pizza
shops with 50 years of heritage go out of
business.

I've also seen some pizza folks pivot
on the move and figure out ways to keep
their businesses afloat despite the circumstances.
We will be talking to many of these people in our new "Checking In with" video
Q&A series that you can find on PizzaToday.com. Each Tuesday we premiere a new
conversation with fresh perspectives from
your peers in the industry. They're going
through the same trials and tribulations as
you. They're fighting it the best they know
how and maybe, just maybe, something
they say will resonate with your business
and help you move forward productively as
we all figure this thing out.
We're in this together. We're #PizzaStrong. There's no one else I'd rather be in
this boat with, because pizzeria owners are
the most resilient in all of foodservice. I'll
bet on you every time.

DENISE GREER
Executive Editor, Pizza Today
(Pizzeria Lupo, pp. 44-49)
Max Balliet is among a new
wave of pizzeria operators who
have dipped their toes into
ownership with a food truck. See
how he went from taco truck to
Neapolitan restaurant.

NICK BOGACZ
Owner, Caliente Pizza
(Building Blocks, p. 16)
For many it's hard to know where
to start on your first pizzeria and
even harder to plan for expansion.
Block by block I'll will take you
through the steps to do both.

VOLUME 38 * NUMBER 6
JUNE 2020

Much love to all,

JEREMY WHITE
Editor In Chief
jwhite@pizzatoday.com

Photo & Layout: Josh Keown

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Pizza Today - June 2020

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