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Wiseguy Pizza, which has eight items, is beneath the helm of Thompson Hospitality Group. When Thompson took over the corporate, it left the nice pizza recipe alone, tightened operations and introduced in tech to help within the day-to-day operations of the model.
Wiseguy Pizza has eight items and counting. The model, owned by Thompson Hospitality Group, is situated largely within the Washington D.C./Virginia space with a pair in South Florida. One is beneath building in Virginia Seashore to open in 2025.
“We’ve a number of LOIs out to proceed our footprint in at the least the DMV (D.C., Maryland, Virginia) space,” Alex Berentzen, COO of Thompson Hospitality Group, mentioned in a video interview.
Thompson Hospitality Group was interested in the model’s success and the nice word-of-mouth Wiseguy had acquired because it launched in 2016. The model’s popularity spoke for itself, Beretzen mentioned. Thompson Hospitality Group visits shops to see them in motion, and Wiseguy had an unimaginable pizza with traces out the door.
Wiseguy is doing about $1,600 a sq. foot, Berentzen mentioned, “and that is simply trade main revenues for what are very small shops. Our shops are 900 to 1,200 sq. ft. That is it.”
“At Thompson Hospitality, we take a look at progress as idea creation or mergers and acquisitions, after which natural progress. We truly began a strategic partnership with the founding father of Wiseguy, his identify is Nuri Erol. He is a Turkish native and he traveled the world — actually — seeking the right pizza.”
Erol visited tons of of locations in New York, New Jersey and Europe, and he was on a mission to search out the right pizza crust and the right pizza. His mission turned discovering a “rattling good slice,” Berentzen mentioned. “That is the place the tagline ‘Rattling Good Pizza’ got here from.”
The objective was easy — to have a high quality pizza with one of the best sauce, flour and different elements no matter price and sourcing.
Erol had 4 items when Thompson Hospitality Group turned the model’s strategic companion in March 2022. A 12 months later, Thompson Hospitality Group took over the entire firm. Erol stayed intently concerned.
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Photograph: Wiseguy Pizza |
On the menu
“Folks ask ‘what is the secret?'” Berentzen mentioned. “Our secret is we did not mess with something. We left every little thing precisely the best way we discovered it.”
Beretzen mentioned what some firms do once they begin a strategic partnership or purchase a model is begin twiddling with the standard and elements and begin on the lookout for shortcuts. Thompson did not do this. The model makes use of an all-natural cheese from Wisconsin, a particular tomato sauce from California, extra-virgin olive oil from Italy.
The entire sauces and dressings are produced from scratch at a commissary kitchen within the DMV space to make sure consistency. On the S. Florida areas, the model makes them in-house.
Pizza accounts for 90% of gross sales. 5 % is non-alcoholic drinks, and the opposite 5 % is miscellaneous objects like cheesecake or fresh-baked cookies.
The model just lately launched three Italian subs and three salads to broaden the menu in a few of its newer shops. Wiseguy Pizza is in closely trafficked areas, and it needed to verify of us felt comfy eating greater than as soon as every week.
“We listened to our prospects and we had been watching the habits, seeing them come to us ceaselessly after which at time move our door and go elsewhere, so we needed to have the ability to give them that possibility as effectively,” Berentzen mentioned.
Cheese pizza is the highest vendor, adopted by pepperoni. A Korean Rooster pizza with cabbage and Korean barbecue sauce can also be widespread as is a Rooster Paneer pizza with Indian spice flavors. Gluten pleasant crust can also be out there, as are vegetarian choices just like the Paneer Tikka and the Mushroom Truffle.
“The specialty pies that you simply usually would not see in different shops are a few of our high sellers,” Berentzen mentioned. “They’re so good. They’re loopy good. My youngsters beg me for it each day.”
The crust is a medium dough that’s foldable, however friends enjoyment of a crunchy sound. Pizzas are baked in a Baker’s Delight stone deck ovens at 550 levels. The model does not use screens, however as an alternative bakes instantly on the stone to make the dough crispier. Wiseguy additionally makes use of a particular water filtration system so the water does not impart any further flavors.
“You’ve gotten completely different municipalities, you get completely different qualities of water,” he mentioned, and it truly impacts the dough.”
Whereas some of us choose to depart the crust whereas consuming their slices, Beretzen mentioned Wiseguy’s prospects get pleasure from the entire slice.
Dough is made in-house in a number of batches each day.
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Photograph: Wiseguy Pizza |
Operations
Berentzen mentioned when Thompson took over the model, the one factor it did was assist Wiseguy scale and assist with coaching and expertise. Erol continues to be concerned along with his model and visits the items repeatedly.
Wiseguy Pizza maintains consistency by being a disciplined model that plans as a lot as it could.
“We don’t skimp when it comes all the way down to coaching,” Berentzen mentioned. For instance, the model simply opened its Dupont location in Washington D.C., about 4 weeks in the past, however the hourly workers had been coaching within the different shops for 3 to 4 weeks. The workers strikes in, product is delivered and put away and a retailer can open rapidly in simply two to a few days.
Among the model’s managers have been in place since day one, and Berentzen cites worker Marvin Ramos as Wiseguy’s spine, as he has helped with each opening. Ramos labored with Erol from day one and continues to be with the model at the moment.
Berentzen mentioned the staff obtain a aggressive beginning wage and make good cash by sharing ideas. Workers make effectively over $20 an hour.
“The important thing to continuity for us is coaching, it is positively tradition. We’ve a really robust tradition,” Berentzen mentioned. “We’re obsessive about particulars and with pizza.”
Since taking up Wiseguy Pizza, Thompson Hospitality Group has begun layering in technological advances designed to make the model work extra effectively.
“You may order any method you need,” Berentzen mentioned, together with in particular person, by kiosk, on-line or for supply. Although the model does not have an app, it does have a cell pleasant web site for on-line ordering.
Thompson Hospitality will launch an umbrella loyalty program for the manufacturers beneath its belt this summer time with one on-line ordering platform that permits customers to order from any model and acquire factors.
“It’s totally person pleasant,” Berentzen mentioned. “It is aware of the place you’re. It finds the closest location. Final 12 months, we weren’t there, however this 12 months we’re.”
