Wednesday, August 25, 2010

The Parlor

I went to register the business as The Parlor LLC and the name had already been taken! I had to make a last minute decision, so it has been registered as The Pizza Parlor. Lame, I know. I thought I was going to have to put 'Pizza' in the title since that is what it is now registered under, but when I went to get my EIN number (Employer Identifaction Number), it had a place for the registered name and then a place for the name I intend to actually use (or an AKA for the business). So, I think we will be okay calling it The Parlor. It is official!

Monday, August 23, 2010

Let's Have a Party!

The Pizza Party was a success!! Thanks to all of you who came; I think I had about 25 guests and got a lot of really great feedback. I cannot please everyone, so the changes I will be making are based on what I heard the most from people.

Everyone seemed to really love the flavor of the crust, but complained that it was a little too thin. I couldn’t agree more. I was a little disappointed with how the cooked crust turned out, and I think if I let the dough rise longer after it has been rolled out, it will create the thicker crust most people are wanting. Everyone also enjoyed the sauce, but I got some complaints about the sweetness of it. Again, I agree, and will not put as much honey in the recipe. People asked that I cut the veggies a bit smaller and to evenly distribute the toppings a little better. I will be sure to do that. I was also told that there needs to be more spice on the Buffalo Chicken pizza, and, again, I couldn’t agree more. It was also suggested that I put red peppers on the Buffalo pizza, which I think is a great idea. Lastly, people asked that I put more toppings and sauce on the pizzas. More sauce is not a big deal, but toppings may be. I want to be as generous as possible, but keep in mind that the more toppings you put on a pizza, the more expensive it is to make, and therefore the more expensive it is for the consumer. I will be sure to put on a fair amount of toppings, but it will not be like The Pie. The Pie is great; the cheese overload is amazing, but a pizza at The Pie costs anywhere from 20-25 bucks. That is expensive pizza, and I’m trying to make a more affordable product.

On a fun note, I am going to name the different pizzas after my friends. There is an ice cream parlor in Bakersfield called Rosemary’s that does this and I really like the concept, so I am stealing it. If your name is on the list of friends you will be getting a message from me very soon.

Lastly, after having finally been exposed to the wonderful world of Leslie Hall, I have been inspired. I really want to make this place reflect my personality, and I think I have found one way to do that. I love music, movies, books, the internet, and pop culture in general, so the idea is to incorporate these loves into weekly Friday specials which I will post on my Facebook and Twitter statuses (stati?). So, for example, if you come in wearing a Be-Jeweled sweater and/or golden spandex, you will get a special deal or a certain percentage off for that day. Your picture will be taken and put on the wall in the hall (rhymes!). So I’m thinking Beatles Friday, ugly Christmas sweater Friday, Star Wars Friday, maybe an Antoine Dodson Friday, so on and so forth. A Polaroid camera will need to be purchased, but I think this will be a fun way to bring people in, specifically the college crowd. If you have any theme ideas, let me know!

And that is your update for now! Comments are always appreciated.

Next week’s preview: Getting the loan for repairs. I need $12,000. Pray for me. Pray for the banks.

Thursday, August 19, 2010

Nuns Like Pizza Too.

Hello friends. Welcome to my pizza blog. Through this blog, I plan to update you on the progress of my business venture, including the clean-up and renovation of the building, menu ideas, the ups and downs of finding food distributors and insurance and computer systems, and so much more! Are you ready for the ride? First, I would like to invite you to my pizza party coming up this Saturday at 7:00 at The Fort (271 N 200 E). I will be providing samples and would love for you to come and provide some feedback. Also, please take a look at the poll I have going at the sidebar. Vote! And if you have suggestions for another name, leave a comment! Thanks friends and lovers! I am excited to really get going!