GET THE CANADIAN PERSPECTIVE

Market like a master: The secret to raising profits by spending less
Speaker: Diana Coutu, Diana’s Gourmet Pizzeria

Who else wants more sales on a slow day without spending an arm and leg to get them? One of Canada’s best-known pizzaiolos will share her proven strategies for increasing sales through social media and other low cost marketing strategies that are proven profit makers. Diana will also reveal how to get savvy about managing her brand’s reputation online.

Diana Coutu is a two-time Canadian Pizza magazine chef of the year champion, internationally recognized gourmet pizzaiolo, co-owner of Diana’s Gourmet Pizzeria in Winnipeg, Man., and a member of the CRFA board of directors from 2009-2013. In addition to creating award-winning recipes, Diana is also a consultant to other pizzeria owner/operators in menu development, creating systems to run a pizzeria on autopilot, along with marketing and positioning to help operators grow their business effectively and strategically. Diana has been a three-time speaker for the American Institute of Baking and a judge and competitor at the International Pizza Expo.

How to serve gluten free safely
Speaker: Dr. JoAnne Bennett Mirsky

Are you gluten wise or gluten free? Don’t let the big chains be the only ones capitalizing on a this growing market. Dr. JoAnne Bennett Mirsky, a gluten-free consultant, will share her best practices for implementing gluten free menu items in pizzerias. She will discuss some of the issues pizza makers face in adding gluten-free goods, such as cross-contamination and staff training. Based on her success with restaurant clients, she will show you how offering gluten free options that can be seamlessly implemented and allow you to tap into a market worth nearly $30 million in Canada.*

Dr. JoAnne Bennett Mirsky, a member of the Canadian Celiac Association, is a Chiropractor by profession and previously owned and operated two different Chiropractic Clinics in the Greater Toronto Area for eleven years before becoming a gluten free consultant. Her gluten free consulting business has been built on working with restaurants and helping them develop gluten free options, as well as helping individuals and families make the transition to the gluten free lifestyle. Her continued focus on nutrition through her education and career, has allowed her to provide accurate and practical information with respect to celiac disease and the gluten free diet.

*Euromonitor International, Food Intolerance Canada and US

Demonstration: Gluten-free dough

Diana Coutu will demonstrate how to make her best-selling from-scratch gluten free dough recipe while sharing the operator’s perspective on how to successfully add gluten-free products to your kitchen.

How to line your pockets with line-ups:
why fresh beats the rest
Speaker: Rocco Agostino, Pizzeria Libretto

Rocco Agostino, this year’s Canadian Pizza magazine Chef of the Year, is the executive chef and partner of Pizzeria Libretto; which made En Route magazine’s list of top 10 new restaurants when it opened in 2009. The pizzeria hasn’t slowed down since its early line-up laden days, and has expanded to include a second location and a sister restaurant in Enoteca Sociale. Rocco will share his winning formula for turning fresh and local into real profits.

Executive chef and partner for Pizzeria Libretto and partner of Enoteca Sociale, his restaurants focus on simple, natural, honest, regional specific Italian cuisine using local and seasonal ingredients. Pizzeria Libretto is a certified Neapolitan pizzeria located in Toronto's west end. He is formerly the chef/owner of Silver Spoon Restaurant and his experience includes Chef at Ferro Bar Café and studies abroad in Rome, Italy, for several years. He is also a graduate of the Stratford Chef's School.

His philosophy is one of simplicity, flavor and passion: using a few seasonal ingredients to create a tasty dish that evokes memories of a passionate heart.