Pizza Today - July 2018 - 18
Man on the Street
SCOTT WIENER
SCOTT WIENER
Shock Value
Over-the-top pizzas are good marketing tools if done correctly
M
y life flashed before my eyes
as I lifted the slice to my
lips. How did I get here,
to this moment in which I'm about to
eat a pizza that costs way more than my
monthly rent? I had heard about this
pizza and secretly wished someone would
offer me a slice so I could see for
myself what all the fuss was about. Paying for it on my own was completely out
of the question because this particular
pizza holds the Guinness World Record
for being the most expensive on Earth.
For the bargain price of $2,000 you get
truffle, foie gras and two different types
of edible gold on a squid-ink dyed crust.
For an additional $700, you can even add
1 8 / P I Z Z AT O D AY. C O M / J U LY 2 0 1 8
caviar! It's unlike any pizza I've ever seen,
which is exactly the point. Gimmick pizzas are designed to amuse, but shock has
its price.
The initial value of an over-the-top
pizza is clear. Both social and traditional
media explode when they find something
new and unusual, especially if it's visually
stimulating. But even if your crazy new
pizza gets massive attention from the
press, there's no guarantee it will translate
into sales. A pizzeria in NYC's East Village recently started serving pizza crust
gelato. It was featured on multiple TV
shows but the media attention didn't create the boost in business they expected.
If you do hit the jackpot and droves of
new customers show up looking for
the pizza they saw on Instagram,
it's essential that you are capable
of meeting the demand. Designing a comprehensive pizza with too
many moving parts can completely
backfire if you're unable to deliver
the goods. I've seen pizzerias successfully manage extravagant pies
by restricting their availability.
Establishing a limited number of
pizzas per day or offering the pizza
only one day per week are simple
ways to stay in control. You'll also
want to make sure your other pizzas
are ready for the spotlight because
customers are going to dig beyond
the initial attraction. If I make a
special trip, you better believe I'm
going to make it worth my time by
checking out what else the place
has to offer. If I'm disappointed, it's
strong indication that this place is
just a one-hit wonder. If the other
slices are good, the specialty pizza
becomes less of a gimmick and more
of a fun culinary experiment.
My biggest problem with stunt
pizzas is when they're all about the
numbers. The excitement over a
pizza that is five feet in diameter or
weighs 20 pounds, completely wears
off as soon as somebody makes a
pizza that's six feet or weighs
21 pounds. These are also the least
exciting pizzas to eat. When it's all
about the numbers, taste falls by the
wayside.
If your only goal is to be featured
in the social media profiles of local
Millennials, over-the-top pizzas
might do the trick. But if you really
want recognition for your food, it's
probably an unnecessary diversion. ■
SCOTT WIENER is the founder of Scott's
Pizza Tours in New York City and
SliceOutHunger.org.
http://www.SliceOutHunger.org
http://www.PIZZATODAY.COM
Pizza Today - July 2018
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Pizza Today - July 2018
Pizza Today - July 2018
Commentary
Contents
Contributors
Expo Spotlight
Interact
Conversation
Man on the Street
Tony’s Trending Recipe
At Your Service
Destinations
Knead to Know
Hiring a Bartender
Kitchen Design
Summer Salads
Menu Labeling Law in Effect
Road to Ppne ‘18
Young Entrepreneur of the Year: Sammy Mandell, Gapco, Dallas, Tx
Gapco
Product Showcase
Pizza Today Yellow Pages
The Marketplace
Reader’s Resource
Mike’s Monthy Tip
Pizza Today - July 2018 - CT1
Pizza Today - July 2018 - CT2
Pizza Today - July 2018 - Pizza Today - July 2018
Pizza Today - July 2018 - Cover2
Pizza Today - July 2018 - Commentary
Pizza Today - July 2018 - 4
Pizza Today - July 2018 - 5
Pizza Today - July 2018 - Contents
Pizza Today - July 2018 - 7
Pizza Today - July 2018 - 8
Pizza Today - July 2018 - 9
Pizza Today - July 2018 - Contributors
Pizza Today - July 2018 - 11
Pizza Today - July 2018 - Expo Spotlight
Pizza Today - July 2018 - 13
Pizza Today - July 2018 - Interact
Pizza Today - July 2018 - 15
Pizza Today - July 2018 - Conversation
Pizza Today - July 2018 - 17
Pizza Today - July 2018 - Man on the Street
Pizza Today - July 2018 - 19
Pizza Today - July 2018 - Tony’s Trending Recipe
Pizza Today - July 2018 - 21
Pizza Today - July 2018 - At Your Service
Pizza Today - July 2018 - 23
Pizza Today - July 2018 - Destinations
Pizza Today - July 2018 - 25
Pizza Today - July 2018 - Knead to Know
Pizza Today - July 2018 - 27
Pizza Today - July 2018 - 28
Pizza Today - July 2018 - 29
Pizza Today - July 2018 - Hiring a Bartender
Pizza Today - July 2018 - 31
Pizza Today - July 2018 - 32
Pizza Today - July 2018 - 33
Pizza Today - July 2018 - Kitchen Design
Pizza Today - July 2018 - 35
Pizza Today - July 2018 - 36
Pizza Today - July 2018 - 37
Pizza Today - July 2018 - Summer Salads
Pizza Today - July 2018 - 39
Pizza Today - July 2018 - Menu Labeling Law in Effect
Pizza Today - July 2018 - 41
Pizza Today - July 2018 - 42
Pizza Today - July 2018 - 43
Pizza Today - July 2018 - Road to Ppne ‘18
Pizza Today - July 2018 - 45
Pizza Today - July 2018 - Gapco
Pizza Today - July 2018 - 47
Pizza Today - July 2018 - 48
Pizza Today - July 2018 - 49
Pizza Today - July 2018 - 50
Pizza Today - July 2018 - 51
Pizza Today - July 2018 - 52
Pizza Today - July 2018 - Product Showcase
Pizza Today - July 2018 - 54
Pizza Today - July 2018 - 55
Pizza Today - July 2018 - 56
Pizza Today - July 2018 - Pizza Today Yellow Pages
Pizza Today - July 2018 - 58
Pizza Today - July 2018 - 59
Pizza Today - July 2018 - 60
Pizza Today - July 2018 - 61
Pizza Today - July 2018 - 62
Pizza Today - July 2018 - 63
Pizza Today - July 2018 - 64
Pizza Today - July 2018 - The Marketplace
Pizza Today - July 2018 - 66
Pizza Today - July 2018 - 67
Pizza Today - July 2018 - 68
Pizza Today - July 2018 - 69
Pizza Today - July 2018 - 70
Pizza Today - July 2018 - 71
Pizza Today - July 2018 - 72
Pizza Today - July 2018 - Reader’s Resource
Pizza Today - July 2018 - Mike’s Monthy Tip
Pizza Today - July 2018 - Cover3
Pizza Today - July 2018 - Cover4
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