Pizza Today - September 2016 - 61

n a saturated market,
coming up with any new
concept can be difficult.
When your company
chooses a popular
industry segment -- pizza
-- in a densely populated area, the
task becomes even more challenging.
We caught The Pizza Press on the
cusp of an impressive growth plan.
Founder Dara Maleki and his team
have created a concept that is not
only unique but also thriving, with
$6 million in sales and 40 franchise
units sold.
The Pizza Press' original
location opened in an old sandwich

shop just across from Anaheim,
California's Disneyland in 2012.
"We were trying to get away from
the tired feel of the franchise realm,"
says Maleki. "Every company these
days is a logo, a color scheme and a
slogan. We really wanted to change
that up by focusing on three things,
and that's the quality of service,
the value of the product and the
environment. I think that's where a
lot of people fall short. It's always
like they're copycatting some other
large chain and taking a spin off of
it."
On the forefront of the createyour-own pizza movement, they
found a clever concept while looking
at their dough press, an integral part
of the fast-casual pizza movement.
"On a play of words, we made it into
this newsie throwback theme that
really just enchants so many people,"
Maleki says. "You know, when you
think about it, that was really the
way information was really delivered.
It was delivered by people -- the
earliest way of blogging or Twitter.
These young kids, outside selling
the news by the minute, and we're
selling pizzas by the minute. It really
works out."

Once the concept was
finalized, creating the menu

became easy. Pizzas like The Times,
The Herald, The Gazette and
The Tribute all correspond with
the restaurants' décor of old press
mechanics and black and white
photos. The company's build-yourown concept allows diners to move
down a make line, see their pizzas
being built and choose toppings.
Pizza accounts for 75 to 80 percent
of food sales.
While some diners prefer their
comfort toppings, The Pizza Press
offers its own creative signature
pizzas to encourage customers to
get a little creative. The Chronicle
features an EVOO base, mozzarella,
imported artichoke hearts, grape
tomatoes, red onion, crimini
mushrooms, chèvre, roasted red
bell peppers and a basil and pesto
finish. The Herald has a white sauce
base and is topped with mozzarella,
grilled chicken breast, ricotta,
grape tomatoes, red onion, crimini
mushrooms and fresh basil.
LTOs are offered to encourage
a little culinary adventure, such as
a summer pizza with pulled pork,
mozzarella, barbecue sauce and a
sweet coleslaw finish.
Dough is made daily, cookies are
baked fresh and vegetables are cut
in-house. Finding skilled workers
in a competitive market is tough
-- the company currently employs
about 80 people -- and utilizing
foodservice technology such as
quick-baking conveyor ovens and
mechanical slicers is critical at
the franchise level. It also creates
continuity, promotes food safety and
reduces waste. "We get high-quality
ingredients," Maleki says, including
sausage and pepperoni that are
custom made for The Pizza Press.
"You buy with your eyes. If it doesn't
look enticing, people aren't going to
eat it."
Pizza Today - September 2016

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