St. John's, N.L. – The Association for New Canadians, the Academy Canada and the Restaurant Association of Newfoundland and Labrador together have developed a social enterprise food truck that will provide training, mentorship and work experience to refugee participants.

The way to avoid sending negative signals to your customers is to become aware of them, writes customer service expert Shep Hyken.

Whistler, B.C. – Since September 2018, about 50 chefs have been recruited to restaurants in Whistler, B.C., by a local company formed to help fill a shortage of workers in the food industry. CBC News reports. | READ MORE

Testing for impairment from cannabis is no “magic bullet”. Rather, effective oversight, worker supervision and having an impairment-management program are key to navigating the post-legal-weed world. This was the message that Tom Brocklehurst, director of prevention practices and quality with WorkSafeBC in Richmond, Brit­ish Columbia, delivered during a session at the 2019 West­ern Conference on Safety in Vancouver.

Toronto – Gift card processor Givex recently acquired Giftcertificates.ca, the online service that sells gift cards from Canada’s largest brands direct to businesses and consumers.

A customer's complaint may not be your fault, but it is an opportunity for your business to shine, writes customer service expert Shep Hyken.

Canada has completed an overhaul of its trademark legislation, harmonizing with other countries to make it easier for you to protect your company’s image worldwide. New regulations will come into effect on June 17, 2019. The Canadian Federation of Independent Business explains what these changes mean for your business. | READ MORE

If you want to increase your pizzeria sales, try the following quick techniques.

New tax incentives will affect the Capital Cost Allowance and will allow your business to write off a larger share of costs in the year an investment is made, says the Canadian Federation of Independent Business. They apply to property and equipment acquired after Nov. 20, 2018, and will be phased out starting in 2023. | READ MORE

In the last issue, I wrote about elements to consider when starting up a new pizzeria. Here we continue the overview with a look at managing profits and losses, choosing equipment and getting involved in your community.

When it comes to food, many people think the most important sense is taste. After all, a meal that we savour and indulge in is the goal of every dining experience.

Leawood, KS – Online and mobile food ordering provider Menufy and point-of-sale system provider SpeedLine Solutions have launched an integrated system to help pizzeria operators grow their off-premise order volume.

OnDeck, an online lending to small business and Upserve, a restaurant management platform, will work together to give Upserve's restaurant clients online financing options from OnDeck.

Genus dei of Italy has a line polypropylene trays in difference sizes and colours suitable for multiple uses.

A new in-depth guide to pan pizza by baking expert Peter Reinhart provides recipes for Detroit-, Sicilian-, and Roman-style pan pizzas and focaccias in a home oven.

A new cloud-based point-of-sale system called Squirrel Cloud is available to restaurants of all sizes.

Seapoint Farms has launched two varieties of gluten-free low-carb and grain-free edamame-based rice alternatives: Riced Edamame and Riced Medley with edamame, cauliflower and sweet potato.

A new vegan pizza recipe book provides everything you need to know to create delicious, healthy pizza without any meat or dairy products.

Montreal – Lallemand Baking has introduced Lal^Ferm as the new brand name and packaging for its Eagle brand fresh bakers yeast in North America.

All-Clad Canada is introducing a D3 Stainless Ovenware collection featuring seven new durable and versatile ovenware pieces that feature the brand’s three-ply bonded technology.

An interactive, on-premise, self-service beer and wine experience from iPourIt is promoting consumer choice and sampling.

Meatheads Snack Company has a line of pizza-inspired jerky products that may increase your front counter sales.

LloydPans has introduced a line of pizza al taglio pans.

A system that uses induction to deliver hot food holding and precise temperature control in a waterless well has won an award from the National Restaurant Association.

Winnipeg – A Winnipeg takeout pizza place, SFC Pizzeria, is using sticky notes and the generosity of strangers to help feed hungry people who can't afford their food. CBC News reports. | READ MORE

Anyone who got their start working in a pizzeria will get a kick out of Dean Litster’s story.

People looking for home-cooked Italian fare in Cambridge, Ont., can find the real deal tucked away in a plaza near the workaday industrial area of the city.

Giuseppe Cortinovis never fails to surprise me. In the past, our Traditional Chef of the Year has wowed me with his dough experimentation, amazed me with his travels around the world in search of ideas and impressed me with his capacity to learn.

Milan, Italy – Gino Sorbillo is an enthusiastic and very successful pizza maker (with various pizzerias in Naples, Milan and New York and one about to open in Rome) who is keen to get his ideas across.

Forget Santa. We all know the holidays are about spending time with loved ones, showing kindness to others and sharing delicious food. I spoke with three pizza professionals who are helping unite their communities by making creative, delicious pizzas and serving them with love.

The five-year mark is big for restaurants. That’s one reason The Catherwood and the Kiln threw a backyard party last spring to celebrate its milestone.

Pizza and bowling seem to go together. They are both fun, shareable experiences that are easily customizable. Bowlers can take their families, friends can join a league, folks young and old can enjoy a date night at the local lanes.

Justin Tanada, a sales trainer from Hamilton, Ont., loves pizza so much that he started an Instagram account dedicated to it. Known as Pizzatography the profile features photos and videos of pizza from all over the world.

The uniqueness of Maurizio Mascioli’s pizza has made his season-driven shop popular with locals and a must-do for visitors of Parry Sound, Ont., and surrounding area.

A beautifully prepared sweet treat is not only the perfect way to round out a pizza order, it can also boost sales significantly. We’re not talking about days-old packaged cookies here – we’re talking handcrafted goodies made fresh daily that will have customers spreading the word on your behalf.

If the people who work for you are excited about being there, it has a positive impact on the strength of your brand. Experiences are delivered by people – and your people are your brand, so you should want them to be in a good place. It’s great in theory but how does it look in practice?

Sardinia – Delicate and impossible to replicate, su filindeu – or the “threads of God” – is a pasta made of hundreds of tiny strands by a single woman in a hillside town in Sardinia. Pocket/Saveur reports. | READ MORE

Denver, CO – The Annex by Ardent Mills will partner with Colorado Quinoa to clean, mill and market quinoa grown in Colorado’s San Luis Valley.

Last year's Canadian Pizza Summit and Chef of the Year Competitions saw many great pizza moments. Here are a few – to whet your appetite for the next Summit on Oct. 21.

Las Vegas, NV – Canadian Pizza Chef of the Year Giuseppe Cortinovis, of Ignite Pizzeria in Vancouver, talks about his winning pizza and why he likes to compete. 

Las Vegas, NV – Canadian Pizza Chef of the Year Dean Litster, of Armando's Pizza in Windsor, Ont., talks about his winning pizza and why he likes to compete. 

Summer's coming! Here are tips for matching liquor with fruit to create delicious fruit cocktails, courtesy the Joey Restaurants.

Considering opening a bakery café or adding house-made desserts to your menu? Looking to learn new baking skills to enhance your pizza dough? The new Artisan Baking Expo, held in conjunction with the International Pizza Expo, was the place to pursue those aspirations.

Sofia Butera, owner of Il Sorriso Cafe & Pizzeria in Niagara Falls, Ont., since 2010, has a pizza on her menu called Fragoni (also pronounced Fraguni). It’s a light version of the pizza rustica loved by many of Italian heritage and traditionally enjoyed – hot or cold – by so many at Easter and on other family occasions.

Sofia Butera, owner of Il Sorriso Cafe & Pizzeria in Niagara Falls, Ont., has a pizza on her menu called Fragoni (also sometimes pronounced Fraguni). It’s a version of the pizza rustica loved by many of Italian heritage and traditionally enjoyed – hot or cold – by so many at Easter and other family occasions.

Do you build your pizzas with the cheese on the top of the toppings, or do you put the cheese on the bottom, meaning, underneath the toppings? What's the difference? Is there a difference?

Edmonton – Cheese’s high fat content has made it a dietary culprit in the minds of many people, but a new University of Alberta study suggests it helps control blood sugar levels. | READ MORE

Chicago – Restaurant digital orders, which are defined by meals or snacks ordered via mobile app, internet, or text message, have grown by 23 per cent in the U.S. over the past four years and are expected to continue to grow by double-digits through 2020 across all service modes including delivery, on premises, and carryout, says a new report by the NPD Group.

Mississauga, Ont. – In case you were wondering why you should enter or attend the Canadian Pizza magazine's Chef of the Year competitions on Oct. 21, here are the definitive Top 10 reasons you need to BRING IT!

Toronto – This October, the Canadian Pizza Summit adds a new event to its lineup – the Mystery Ingredient Challenge!

Restaurants Canada recently hosted a webinar on search trends and how restaurant operators can attract more diners by using relatively simple strategies.

Montreal, renowned for its creativity and cultural diversity, is now home to a growing number of pizzerias for all tastes.

A lot of Canadians are interested eating at home more often. I know this for three reasons. First, research reports have been predicting this trend, which goes hand in hand with tough economic times. When money is tight, people tend to hunker down with family and scale down their spending until the economy improves.

Chicago – A new report suggests the growing popularity of alternative proteins will increasingly overshadow beef and pork for health-conscious Canadians.

Younger Canadians appear to be eating cheese less often, a trend that could hamper the growth of cheese sales and consumption in Canada, says research company Mintel.

Turlock, CA – Interest in Eastern Mediterranean ingredients such as chickpeas, peppers, eggplant, mint, lemon and yogurt, is on the rise, according to a white paper by herb producer SupHerb Farms and research firm Technomic.

Retailers are in direct competition with restaurants for people wanting quick meal options, Technomic suggests in a new consumer trend report.

Anaheim, CA – The Pizza Press, a pizza chain out of California, has debuted the 'Extra Stinky Foodbeast' Pizza, featuring two cloves of roasted garlic, in partnership with digital publisher Foodbeast, The Anaheim Hotel and tourism organization Visit Anaheim.