Hello fellow Wood Fired Oven aficionado,
I come from a family of opportunists. Ironically it came from the genuine need of establishing community. The value that the Italian and other European cultures put on the sense of community is arguably higher than here in the states. When my grandparents immigrated through Ellis Island in the early 1900’s they looked for opportunities not only to support their family but to recreate their sense of community on newly found soil.
Over the years I’ve worked for multiple companies and individuals. Most of my adult life I’ve been an entrepreneur. I have learned how important the life skill of walking through open doors and cutting one’s own path is. This approach can be applied to both one’s family and career.
7 years ago I started my first fire in a wood fired oven. From a humanistic side I still find myself at a loss of words when I begin to describe what it’s like to cook with one. “It’s something you need to experience for yourself,” is as elusive description as it is one of the honest ways to explain it.
I’ve managed to merge this want to help others experience it for themselves with one of the most tried and true successful business models. For someone who can identify with capturing opportunity and /or wanting to create a sense of community here are the 3 defining reasons why I went into the pizza concession business.
1) The Profitability of Pizza
A successful Italian mantra of business is: Pizza, Coffee and Ice Cream. They have very low food production costs with an incredibly high mark ups. The cost of ingredients per pizza can be well below $1.00 and the mark up can be anywhere from $5 to $10.
Low operating costs plus high markups equal money in your pocket. You’re selling a premium product and an experience, not mass produced food tailored to the lowest common denominator. If you’ve always wanted to keep more of your profit, this is the sure way to do it.
2) This Business Leverages NEW Unique Equipment
The great thing about this business opportunity is the unique equipment it centers around. The allure and appeal of wood-fired ovens is only just emerging or shall we say re-emerging. Using a wood-fired oven is an old world and old-fashioned experience. There’s a fantastic kind of romance to food that’s been cooked in a real, wood-fired oven, and an incredible taste, too.
The number of people in this business is extremely small. When was the last time you saw a pizza oven driving down the road? Right place, right time. Yes, it can be this simple. Take this unique and special piece of equipment and apply it to an industry that willingly accepts great ideas =success.
Because of the flexible nature of the trailer system, you have the ability to move your operation to wherever people are hungry for a high quality, premium product. And there’s no rent, no building insurance, no staff, and fewer general operating expenses.
3) This Business is Fun and Easy
It’s easy to understand that when you enjoy what you do you can become good at it. Anyone who has made a pizza will attest it is one of the funniest and most simplest foods to make. And if you enjoy a bit of showmanship, and like dealing with people with the ease of making pizza you’ll be hard pressed not to have fun at your job.
All the time invested in building a good fire and getting good hot embers for cooking is rewarding to me. I love getting a big wood fire going, tending it, adding wood and watching it burn. It took 2 and half hours to get my first oven up to temperature. I was pleasantly surprised on how it became something that brought more patience into my life.
This business is designed to make people happy. I found being around festive, social and intimate environments to be very satisfying all while be financially rewarding. When you finally have a delicious meal out of it, it is especially rewarding.
If you have your own unique way of explaining what it is that makes cooking with wood fired ovens such a special experience please email me. I’ll share them with the rest of the rest of the Wood Fired Oven aficionados along the way.
Warmly,
Joseph Pergolizzi
info@portablebrickpizzaoven.com
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