from the editor’s desk: September-October 2011

Doing small things with big heart is what changes the world. Everyone
can make a difference, and you already do in feeding and employing the
masses. But are you doing all you can?

Doing small things with big heart is what changes the world. Everyone can make a difference, and you already do in feeding and employing the masses. But are you doing all you can?

This year’s Saputo Pizza with Purpose winner exemplifies this idea, and adds business acumen. Joe Leroux, proprietor of Amadio’s Pizza, has both sincerity and method in the way he’s folded Amadio’s pies into the fabric of his community. You’ll find Leroux’s story and ideas for making participation a practical and easy part of life in your pizzeria on page 14. 

We live in such a busy world. It’s easy to forget to slow down and do such simple things as holding doors for the
elderly or frazzled parents pushing strollers. When we slow down, we take the time to ask questions, and often in questions are opportunities of mutual benefit.

The purpose of Pizza with Purpose is twofold: To honour and acknowledge a pizza operator who is going above and beyond in giving back, and to encourage you to reflect on what can be done and what you are already doing. The most common answer I hear from pizzeria operators when asked why they love what they do is that they love people. My guess is there is an awful lot of good being done out there by pizzerias, who seem to attract the naturally benevolent to their helm.

We all have our own circumstances and limits to what we can give and preferences for the ways in which we give. It’s important to do what you can and feel good about doing your best. There are rewards to reap, as Leroux’s story shows, but they come in time. Like any branding and marketing effort, it’s the repeated exposure in your community that will eventually turn into loyalty and sales. 

Because you are in the position of providing food, the list of ways to help people is basically endless. People get hungry and they need to eat; it’s as simple as that. Next time there’s a fundraiser going on in your community, offer to feed the volunteers. Contributing, making pizza with purpose, is an abstract notion that you probably do more often than you realize. A good deed does not have to be complicated to count.

The benefits of lending a hand go beyond the exposure to your business. “Helper’s high” has the attention of the science world, who are seeking to understand how our own altruism helps us live longer, healthier happier lives. We know, intuitively, that we feel good when we do good, and you can bet there’s good science behind that.

Congratulations to Leroux on his fine work in winning our Saputo Pizza with Purpose award. He’s a great example of why a pizzeria often gains such a reputation as a “local institution.” And he reminds me of why it’s so great to be part of the pizza industry in Canada – all the wonderful people!