13595 Mon Dec 20 22:56:10 -0800 2004 43 4 Pacific Northwest 0 28739 Thank you for your response below. I know that you are probably preparing to get your new location open. I hope that my post did not offend, my friends who went to your restaurant only meant that it was expensive in that they had to commit to a whole pie (small one is barely enough to share, large one is almost too much). They are not big eaters, and would have preferred to get some slices with a salad. They did say that it was really great, and preferred not to get a pie loaded down with cheap toppings. I usually prefer to get a slice or two myself, but if your pie is truely as wonderful as people are saying, I will plan to get one and have leftovers for my coworkers to :P over. Mon Dec 20 22:56:10 -0800 2004 0 tmn 1 28752 Hee... You're kidding yourself if you think that there will be anything left for your co-workers. It's THAT good. Go for plan B: buying a second pie to take back to 'em. :o) Tue Dec 21 13:46:15 -0800 2004 28739 0 Jill-O 2 28829 I will--I've already got a basil, mushroom and olive with my name on it. Wed Dec 22 22:38:44 -0800 2004 28752 0 Tmn 1 28760 TMN, No offense taken. I look forward to hearing your impressions of the product when you find a chance to come in. Our last day here in Scholls is this Thursday night and we anticipate opening up at 4741 SE Hawthorne on January 12th. Brian Spangler Tue Dec 21 14:35:54 -0800 2004 28739 0 Brian Spangler 1 28762 btw, they have a sign up in the old Surabaya spot announcing "Apizza Scholls Coming Soon." Tue Dec 21 14:50:05 -0800 2004 28739 0 Nick 1 28773 I finally made it to Scholl's from Vancouver. My family of five (toddler included) intended to make it the prototype "Sunday Afternoon Drive" through the "country" and wind up at Scholl's Public House early. Well the lazy drive through the West Side doesn't exist anymore, but we were happy to finely arrive! What was once a lazy country intersection is now busy and fast moving. It was already crowded with happy groups of all age ranges. It would be 45 minutes to sit down so we opted for some "to-go's--one large pepp and one large sausage. We waited quite a while and left with the goods. I was cringing at the thought of my pizza steaming itself in the box until we got home so I passed out slices in the van and got down to business. The crust was exquisite. I thought I had perfected pizza and am even considering a wood burning oven in the backyard for the purpose of showing off--but now, I just don't know. I'm not a great writer, so I won't do justice to the crust here--It seems that the very bottom of the crust is the thinnest shard of dough that dries and takes on little charred spots. this paper thin crunchy layer holds up the remainder of the bubbly, thin, slightly chewy dough. The ring around edge is a beautiful puff (when I found out my tween dumped his "rope" as we call all crust edges, I choked). The dough has a wonderful clean wheat taste. The balance of toppngs to dough (for this genre of pizza) was perfect as was the balance of flavor in the toppings to the dough. I so look forward to the closer to me location. I heard that Olive Mountain made a desem. Are you going forward with only pizza? Todd English has a pizza w/ fig spread, gorgonzola, prosciutto, and green onions that would be lovely on your crust. Tue Dec 21 17:54:38 -0800 2004 28739 0 jgv 2 28777 Another question for Brian. We visited SPH on Thanksgiving weekend and ran across a policy that we thought a bit strange. We were told that we couldn't order a pizza and then wait for a table, so we had to sit and wait for a table and then wait for the pizza to be cooked. Doesn't it make more sense to be able to combine the waiting times? Why not allow customers to place an order for the pie and then wait for a table? If there isn't a table available when the pie is ready, then it just gets put into a to go box. Seems simple to me. Marshall Tue Dec 21 19:11:23 -0800 2004 28773 0 Marshall Manning 3 28779 It's very common to do that in Chicago, you place your order, they take your card. You wait and wait for a table, hopefully, by the time you get your seat, your "pie" is waiting. My brother in law and one of my best friends are from Chi- they say it's worth the wait. I personally like the thinner crust myself. Tue Dec 21 22:28:01 -0800 2004 28777 0 tmn 4 28787 I waited at Lou Malnati's for 45 minutes with two little brother's in tow this last summer and then sat down, ordered, and waited another 45 minutes for the pie. Personally, I'd prefer to wait for Brian's pizza. Wed Dec 22 03:18:17 -0800 2004 28779 0 Nick 5 28828 I personally don't like the thick crust pizza either. I will however wait for this pizza if it's as good as everyone says. Wed Dec 22 22:37:16 -0800 2004 28787 0 tmn 3 28796 I have worked in the industry for over 15 years and I have never heard of a restaurant that would allow you to order before you have a table. Can you tell me what restaurants you frequent that allow you to do this? Brian Spangler Wed Dec 22 12:31:12 -0800 2004 28777 0 Brian Spangler 4 28799 This is a very interesting window into the thinking of a restaurant owner. Thanks for participating in this thread, Brian! Are you worried that people will order a pizza, then get frustrated and leave before it's done? Is this any different from the risk you assume when people call in an order? If you are stuck with an orphan pizza--I'll bet that doesn't happen much--you could sell it off to hungry crowds who are tired of waiting. It seems like the best solution is explaining to people that if their table isn't ready when their pizza is, they can take it to go. Then they can make their own decision. By not doubling the wait time, you would antagonize your customers less (good for long term business) AND you would turn over your valuable table space faster by making sure that people sitting down are happy and eating, not angry and waiting. This whole thing might be self-correcting. If word gets around that it takes 1 1/2 hours to get seated and get a pizza, a lot of your business will shift to take out. (Or go somewhere else!) That might be good for you from a business standpoint, since you charge take out customers the same, and they don't take up any real estate. The risk is that this practice will just piss people off, and they won't come back. In the end, it's your restaurant. Do whatever you want. I would be interested to hear from other restaurant-going chowhounders about what takes the edge off waiting for a table, and what makes it worse. I think a seat at the bar, or a cup of coffee, or agreeing to call my cell phone so I can stroll around the block are all good options. Feedback? Wed Dec 22 13:05:46 -0800 2004 28796 0 benschon 5 28801 I know to some degree it was a rhetorical question, but... It's odd because most restaurants where the question could apply don't have 45 minute waits. When's the last time you went to a Chinese restaurant or another pizza place in town and would have to wait 45 minutes for a table? And usually people are choosing either take-out or sit-down. But most places where you'd wait 45 minutes, you don't even have the option of take-out. With fast food, you nearly always order then sit down. And places where you seat yourself, that's often the case, too. eg, any of the bakeries in town, you order, then you find a seat. Often that can be difficult at St. Honore or Pearl Bakery or Grand Central. At that point, you might decide to just take your food and go. I see a logistical problem in letting people who are waiting order unless they choose to use take-out. If someone is waiting and then several people come in behind them and order, thinking they'll just take it to go if they don't get a table, a back log of pizzas could be created making it take much longer for the person who was there first, once they sit down, to get their order, because they're waiting for people who showed up after them who have their orders actually coming first. I don't know if the tables are more of a bottleneck than the kitchen, though. Either way, just hurry up and move into your new spot and start feeding us! Wed Dec 22 13:58:35 -0800 2004 28799 0 Nick 5 28808 Benschon, your comment about seating turnover is exactly what I was thinking. By allowing people to order when they come in you're compressing the waiting period, and if there is a wait for a table, then, theoretically, at least, the customer should have to wait less time for a table because the other people who now have a table have already placed their order, too. And, in pizza joints I worked in when I was younger, an orphan pizza was always considered free dinner (G). Regarding restaurant waits in general, I generally don't do it. When we dine at nicer restaurants, we generally patronize those that take reservations. If they don't take reservations, we'll stop in and see how long the wait is, and if it's over 15 minutes, we have a backup plan and go somewhere else. Marshall Wed Dec 22 14:42:59 -0800 2004 28799 0 Marshall Manning 5 28809 With the new space, I do not forsee people having to wait as long for a table as they do here in Scholls. The reason is that we have a problem hooking up both of my ovens in this 100 year old building, so we are limited as to how fast we can shove an elephant through a straw. I will have both ovens up and running in Portland, which means we can crank out twice the amount of pizza in the same amount of time. Nick hit the nail on the head in his response. With our current situation we are trying our best to take care of to go orders as well as the dine in customers, whom in my opinion, take the ultimate priority. If I take everyone's order at one time we make everyone wait longer. There are times when I get 25 pizzas ordered in a span of 15 minutes with the in house diners and the phone orders coming in. If I took orders from people in line, it would only compound the situation. Then there is the issue of quality control... I am very passionate about my product. Personally I think putting pizza in a box ruins the pizza, but I understand how cool it is to sit around in your underwear with a pie, enjoying a movie or a good football game. For those dining in, I want them to be enjoying how great pizza is when it is only a couple of minutes out of the oven. This is when pizza is the absolute best! I have had customers take my pizza to go and tell me that they will never do it again, because the crust lost it's crunch, the flor di latte started to harden and the cheese looses that silky texture, etc. People who know this are willing to wait for a table and get the pizza at it's prime. But ultimately with the second oven being hooked up and the addition of another pizziaolo that I am hiring, I do not see the waits for a table being very long, unless everyone shows up at the same time, which seems to happen very often. We are also talking to a couple of the cafe and bar owners about setting up a system that would allow people who are waiting for a table to go next door for a drink while they wait and then we will call over when the table is ready. Every great pizzeria that I have been to, there has been about a half hour to an hour wait to get in the door. It makes me excited to go to these places because the anticipation of what is coming is so much fun. I know the line around the corner of the block means that the establishment is making a quality product that has gained a devoted following. Quality is worth waiting for and for those who don't like to wait, there is the fast food empire waiting to serve them in seconds. I cannot make everybody happy, so I am not going to try, but what I can do is always strive for perfection for those that are willing to come in and enjoy my vision of what pizza should be. Some will get it and some will not, but I am personally not worried about losing business to customers that want the world to be a fast food nation. They are not my audience. Brian Spangler Wed Dec 22 15:02:07 -0800 2004 28799 0 Brian Spangler 6 28810 Brain, I know this could change at your new location, but as a rule, what are the slower times (if any) that customers could aim for to lessen waiting time. Thanks! Wed Dec 22 15:16:48 -0800 2004 28809 0 Steph 7 28816 The first hour of operation is generally slower. Wed Dec 22 15:51:44 -0800 2004 28810 0 Brian Spangler 6 28814 First of all, let me say that I'm really looking forward to trying your pizza. I've never understood why in so many restaurants it seems like the people just don't care about food, so it's exciting to hear that someone is passionate about their product. I also believe quite strongly in slow food and I understand that good food takes time. However, I won't wait 1.5 hours for food--there are too many other options for food in Portland where I wouldn't have to wait. As someone else suggested, if you'll call my cell phone so that I can actually do something else while I'm waiting, that would be helpful. The neighboring bar idea would be good as well (doesn't Dot's or someplace on Division have a similar setup where you can go to the bar down the block?). Finally, IMHO it sounds like you're being optimistic about the wait times not being as bad just because you'll have double the oven capacity :^). I think you'll get more customers in the city than you did in Scholls, especially if the pizza is as good as I hear. I know that I never found time to drive out there, but I'll certainly go down to Hawthorne. Wed Dec 22 15:42:27 -0800 2004 28809 0 Nettie 7 28823 I think the whole 1 1/2 hour wait thing is getting a little to focused on. Yes, on a Friday or Saturday night between 6:30 - 8:00 pm, we have seen people waiting up to an hour for a table. Sometimes I can sell out of pizza on a Thursday night, with no wait more than 15 minutes for a table, if the pace of customers coming in and calling in is spread out. All restaurants have bandwith issues, no matter how good you are. People seem to forget, or don't understand, that I am the only one spinning and baking off these pizzas. When I find someone (who I think that I have found) who is as passionate and concerned about every pizza going out as I am, and who has learned enough to help me out, then I will allow someone else to touch my product. Until then, it is just me. Wed Dec 22 16:37:57 -0800 2004 28814 0 Brian Spangler 6 28824 Brian, I'm not sure if you were referring to my comments when you said customers who "want the world to be a fast food nation", but that's not my desire at all and wasn't the impetus behind my comments about our experience at the Scholls location. First, let me say that we loved your pizza, in fact it just might be the best I've had. Ever. And I really LOVE good pizza. Also, having slung a few pies in my time, working for 5 years at a small deli/pizzeria in the Bay Area and a small pizza joint in Chico, I've got some idea of how long the assembly and cooking process takes (from what I've heard, your actual oven cooking time is less than most pizzerias). Maybe you look at your restaurant as different than most pizza places, but as I said above, any other pizza place I've been to (including those I've worked at) lets you order when you arrive. Then, it becomes your option to eat it there or take it home. And yes, where I worked there were often Friday or Saturday nights when the small (10-12 tables) dining room was full and there was simply no room for other people to eat there, so they had to take the pizzas to go. I'm not suggesting that you become a Round Table franchise, only that you take customers' time into account with your ordering policy. It just seemed inefficient to make customers wait for the table and then wait for the pizza when you could make the whole process easier for the customer by allowing orders to be taken when people arrive. Yes, we'd prefer to eat our pizza there (I agree that pizza really is best when it's fresh), and have a bottle of wine, too (BTW, I thought your wine list had nice selections to match with pizza and was reasonably priced), but we'd rather run the risk of not having a table and having to take the pizza home than stand around outside waiting for a table. Marshall Wed Dec 22 17:40:17 -0800 2004 28809 0 Marshall Manning 7 28825 Marshall, My fast food comments were not directed at you or any of your comments...just a little barfing on my part due to the fact that a lot of people come into my place thinking that "hey, it's just pizza... can't you just crank them out.?" Thank you for your kind comments about my product, by the way. We do have customers who come in, see the wait, and order a pizza to go. Many times, the place clears, they get a table and we scratch the "to go" off of the ticket and serve it to their table. Yes, I want the people to eat it there and yes, I want people to enjoy a nice glass of wine or an antipasti or salad because running a restaurant is expensive and you need those sales to keep the overhead down. You know, I am not perfect and maybe we can work out a system that will allow people to order their pizza while they wait and if a table is not ready, then they have no option but to take the box and leave. I just don't really like pizza going into a box, period. It makes me cringe everytime. All that work to make it something special, only to have it ruined. I have entertained what Chris Bianco of Pizzeria Bianco has already done... removed to go orders entirely. Let me think about it, Marshall, but no guarantees :) Brian Spangler Wed Dec 22 18:02:42 -0800 2004 28824 0 Brian Spangler 5 28811 In general, a place has to be really good for me to wait an hour for a table. Most of the time I'd rather go at a less busy time, unless there are couple of factors involved, 1 being that I am hanging out with friends and like the extra time to chill, 2 being that they have cocktails, beer or wine to drink while you wait (usually coffee at night isn't my favorite), and 3 being that it's the only game in town and I have to have it right then (vs. a less busy time). I also think acceptable waits vary with context outside of my own wants and needs. A pizzeria is a very hands-on place and I don't think it's fair to compare it to a place with a kitchen crew of 5+ who do a lot of mise en place and all that...how can you mise in place a pizza? An oven can only take so many pizze, and they need to be made right before they go in. In Italy you have to wait at the best spots, and it's just part of the experience. If you don't want to wait, you don't go get a pizza, you get something else. And... sometimes on really hot days, they just won't turn on the ovens before sunset... you show up because it says in your guide book that they are open at lunch, and they will tell you that they will not be turning on the pizza oven until it is cooler, and send you down the street to their friend's place for lunch. Sometimes they'll even make jokes about working with the devil soon enough, today is not the day to work in hell. It's not seen as the end of the world if you don't get a pizza but seen as just a part of living in a way that the actual environment can effect you (and your stomach) directly. regards, trillium Wed Dec 22 15:22:13 -0800 2004 28799 0 trillium 6 28815 Gee, I wonder why America has one of the highest productivities in the world? A note: when our PortlandFood group took 8 people or whatever to Scholl's we didn't have to wait at all. Further: I've never had to wait in Portland anywhere that I showed up before 6pm (except on special occasions, like New Year's Eve or Valentine's Day). Even Pambiche with their tiny little restaurant. In fact, I often think my service rating of places is off because I so often go out before 6pm and before a place really gets busy. Brian, I know you have some issues with doing lunch, but have you considered taking the Cheeseboard approach and just making one type of pizza a day for slices. I know you're from the bay area, so you've probably been there more than me, but I've never gone when the pizza wasn't coming off fresh and there wasn't a line out the door. You could just offer it from like 12-1pm and have a certain number of pizzas you'll max at, and when the pizza's gone, it's gone, sort of like BBQ places in Texas. Make it seat-yourself, no table service. Sorry, Brian, I have to add a Cheeseboard pic, still one of my favorite pizzas ever, though a different style from yours: Image: http://www.extramsg.com/albums/album35/cheeseboard4.sized.jpg Wed Dec 22 15:49:39 -0800 2004 28811 0 Nick 7 28818 Opening up for lunch is not an option due to the amount of prep that goes into the product. We do not use anything that is pre sliced or shredded. We do not use frozen products period. We do it from scratch day after day. Slicing the pepperoni from the sticks, making the sausage from scratch, making the sauce, making the dough (which is a 24 hour process), slicing the onions and mushrooms, etc. I start working at 8am each morning and do not finish until 10pm. Our process of dressing is very unique and takes more time and I belive it makes a big difference in the final product. We do not use shredded cheese! We use slices of fresh mozz that we lay down over the skin before adding the sauce. This adds time to the wait, but again, it makes a much better product and I am not willing to cut corners. We will also be limiting what you can get on a pizza at the next location which will also speed up the process. Some pies that people order are so complicated that they take 5-8 minutes to dress. No more... no more than three ingredients will go on my pies from now on and the choices of ingredients will be limited to Anchovies, Pepperoni, Sausage, Hot Capicollo, onions, garlic, olives, XVOO, basil and mushrooms. Wed Dec 22 16:05:03 -0800 2004 28815 0 Brian Spangler 8 28819 I guess Trillium was right. No mise. You're like the French Laundry. I guess if you're willing to do it.... I'm a skeptic (not just here, but in most things) and would want to do blind tastings of some of those theories, however, like that pre-slicing the pepperoni or mozzarella would make a difference if kept in proper storage. But I admire your goal of only putting out the best product. I think you're just limiting the ingredients so you don't have to put up with the "pineapple doesn't belong on pizza" thing. Wed Dec 22 16:12:13 -0800 2004 28818 0 Nick 9 28826 "I think you're just limiting the ingredients so you don't have to put up with the "pineapple doesn't belong on pizza" thing." So, what's the problem with that?? ;o) Brian, you rock even harder than your pizza!!! No pineapple! No Canadian Bacon! Huzzah!!! :o) But will there be Sicilian pies at some point?? Possibly a traditional (to Brooklyn, NY, that is) calzone with ricotta (and also meat) filling? Even if the answers are in the negative, I will certainly come for the pizza as it is currently made. Can't wait for January! And yes, I never find I have to wait anywhere if I go before 6pm. The staff and kitchen aren't crazy yet and I find I often get better service. Even got a reservation at Hurley's for tonight yesterday...because it was for 5:30. Wed Dec 22 18:14:06 -0800 2004 28819 0 Jill-O 9 28827 Dude, have you ever tried to shred fresh mozzarella? If you don't want to slice it, you can cube it, but shredding is pretty much out. You could do your own blind tasting of fresh sliced salumi vs. sat in the cold room/fridge for 24 hrs. Try it at home. I for one, if I'm buying a cured meat, never get it sliced unless I'm going to be eating if that day. Otherwise the texture changes and the the flavor tanks, even overnight in the fridge. Not that I'd turn down a day old slice of good finnochiona, but it's not optimal. Pineapple doesn't belong on pizza, so I don't see a problem! regards, trillium Wed Dec 22 19:47:22 -0800 2004 28819 0 trillium 8 28820 i haven't been to scholls yet but after reading all the posts, i can't wait to try it. i'm from the east coast so this is exciting. what days are you open between christmas and new years...hours too? i must try this pizza. also i agree with you on not allowing people to order while waiting for a table. we used to go to a tex mex joint in baltimore that always had 45min wait. we just planned ahead and know that we'll have to wait for good food. if we didn't want to wait, we would pick some place else to go. the wait was part of the experience....but this place had a bar. Wed Dec 22 16:14:19 -0800 2004 28818 0 suki 9 28822 Today and tomorrow are the final days of Scholls Public House. We hope to open by January 12th on Hawthorne under the DBA of Apizza Scholls. We will operate from Wed-Sun from 5pm to 10pm, or until we run out of dough. Brian Spangler Wed Dec 22 16:30:34 -0800 2004 28820 0 Brian Spangler 4 28805 Sure, Brian, I can call New York, New York (or just about any other pizza joint in town), order the pie and either eat it there or get it to go. Or I could walk in and place my order, even if there isn't room to sit, and decide to take it with me or eat it there. And if it's a "fancier" restaurant, I can call and make reservations (which I'm guessing you don't accept) so I don't have to wait. Marshall Wed Dec 22 14:26:53 -0800 2004 28796 0 Marshall Manning 4 28846 Granted, Chicago pies take longer to make (40 minutes cooking time), but yes, there are places that encourage ordering before you sit--especially if there's a wait. What I find funny is the fact that obviously you have a very savy consumer, who appreciates your feedback. Their suggestions are merely to help assist you and to maximize the experience for both them and you (more pies = more money). In today's market, obviously there are choices and most people choose to leave rather than give feedback. The feedback is an opportunity to learn. Take it as that. Sometimes as a small business owner, it's difficult to get out of the kitchen to find out what your customers are thinking--both good and the less than stellar. No one disputes you make a great product. But I'd have to say, after reading the threads, on occasion, you've been less than gracious to people who care about the success of your business. Link: http://www.ginoseastrollingmeadows.com/get2.htm Fri Dec 24 09:09:13 -0800 2004 28796 0 TLA 5 28848 I've been reading this thread from the beginning and I didn't get that sense. You don't expect him to just kow-tow and say, "Yez, mazter, the cuztahmer iz alwayz rayt." He's not our slave. He's not our servant. I'd much rather have an honest conversation with him than see him "graciously" accepting everything we say. Maybe we should be the ones who are more gracious, considering he both takes the time to come talk with us, despite obviously not needing to drum up more business, and he makes the effort to put out a quality product, despite knowing that he could improve his efficiencies and profits by putting out a crappier one. Fri Dec 24 13:00:48 -0800 2004 28846 0 ExtraMSG 2 28797 Unfortunately, I only have time to operate one business right now and I do not have any intention of bringing Olive Mountain Baking back to life, anytime soon. Brian Spangler Wed Dec 22 12:33:36 -0800 2004 28773 0 Brian Spangler 1 28830 This is an interesting thread. I have worked in restaurants most of my life and it's always perplexed me why people are upset to wait. Exercising your free will as a consumer, you have choices. The wait is what it is. But you could clearly do take out, or go somewhere else. Or next time, plan better and come earlier or later. If you come at 6:30 and you wait an hour, usually if you came at at 5:30 or at 8:00, it's unlikely you'd have to wait at all. The choice is yours...but don't beat up on the restaurant because you had the same idea, at the same time, as a bunch of other people! As for managing the wait, one of my favorite pizza places in Chicago has you order while you wait. When you sit at your table, your pizza is soon to follow. Since your pizza probably cooks in less time than the stuffed pies in Chicago, it still probably takes approx 20 minutes to make and fire that pie. I'd suggest that when you drop the check at one table, fire the pie for the people who are waiting to sit there. This would be a win-win for the server, customer and restaurant as you would get better turns on the table. Restaurants I've worked at recently have the Aloha computer system where you can ring in a whole order and put it on hold. Then, pacing for dinner, you can fire off drinks, appetizers, whatever as you go. Also, I'd use your hostess to create a culture where people are actually looking over the menu while they wait. There's nothing that irks me more is people who complain about waiting, and then when they get to the table, they still have no idea what they want! As for having people wait at another restaurant, while that's been done, the issue I have with that is you're giving away your best profit margin (drinks, maybe appetizers) to someone else. Instead, I'd open a ticket for guests who are waiting and serve them drinks. Waiting people drink more. From a business perspective, I'd encourage you not to give away that part of your business. Not only that, if the patron gets too comfortable at the other location, they'll just stay there. Again, the wait is what it is. I'd come up with another solution. Thu Dec 23 09:50:56 -0800 2004 28739 0 TLA 2 28833 Socrates was right. People with experience know what they're talking about. Better suggestions than us eaters gave. Thu Dec 23 13:27:26 -0800 2004 28830 0 Nick 2 28836 I agree with all your suggestions and I love the fact that such care goes into each ingredient at this restaurant, but at some point, the wait gets ridiculous and there must be some balance with service. Having come up for the night from Corvallis, I thought I would get a taste of this much talked about pizza but, alas, when I called at 6:00, they said they were much too busy for any takeout orders. When I asked if I could call later, they said no, "probably not". O.k., I understand they are closing and it might have been especially busy, but...if you can't service takeout as a pizza joint, there is something fundamentally wrong with the setup. I hope it works out better at the next stop. Thu Dec 23 16:17:55 -0800 2004 28830 0 lelkins 3 28837 I worked at a Pizza Hut for a few months in college and the manager there would often take the phones off the hook. Thu Dec 23 16:24:08 -0800 2004 28836 0 Nick 3 28840 I find it interesting that you could say that there is something fundamentally wrong with calling off phone orders when I have a packed house with 60 people waiting for a table. I sold a third of my production to phone orders in the first hour, which slowed down service to people dinning in (WHO TAKE MY PRIORITY).I could have sold 200 pizzas last night, but it is not the point. The only way I can think to service in house customers better, so the wait is reasonable, is to cut off phone orders period. If I didn't, people would be waiting forever. The only thing fundamentally wrong is that everyone wants this pizza, but not everyone can get it at the same time. Tonight we are unplugging the phone as we anticipate the bussiest night ever, due to the fact the phone rings every 5 minutes or so. Brian Spangler Thu Dec 23 18:19:31 -0800 2004 28836 0 Brian Spangler 4 28841 I much prefer your approach, Brian. One of my complaints about Khun Pic's is that even though they only have one person in the kitchen and one person serving the floor, they pack in as many people as possible and just make the dinner take 2 hours. They should reduce the number of tables and just have a higher table turnover, imo. I'd rather know that there's a 45 minute wait and go somewhere else, than sit at the table wondering when I'll get more water, when I'll get a menu, when I'll get the check, when I'll get some food. Last time at Khun Pic's (which doesn't take credit cards), I walked over to Zupan's to get cash and bought my wife a Luna bar to tide her over. On the phone thing, it'd be nice if you just had an answering machine saying that you aren't taking phone orders tonight, rather than having people eagerly redialing hoping to get through, thinking it's like getting a table at The French Laundry. Thu Dec 23 19:22:38 -0800 2004 28840 0 Nick 5 28845 Nick, The outgoing phone message spelled it out very cleary as to what was going on and why we were not awsering the phone. It was smart to do as we sold 80 pizzas in the first 3 hours without phone orders. Needless to say, I am spent and looking forward to some great food in SF over the next 4 days. I wish all the happiest of holidays and I look forward to a new year in Portland! Brian Spangler Fri Dec 24 03:09:29 -0800 2004 28841 0 Brian Spangler 6 28847 Have fun. You know we're all looking forward to Apizza opening in January so you'd better get all the relaxation you need before we make you work like a dog for us again. Fri Dec 24 12:46:07 -0800 2004 28845 0 ExtraMSG 4 28849 I had a large party with several young children. The wait would have been difficult for us and that is why takeout was the only viable option for us. Yes, it is my opinion, that every customer should be important, even take out orders. If it was especially busy because of the closing, as I said, I can understand, and I guess I wish that would have been conveyed a little better. A recorded message indicating this would have been fine. Service, even when you are having to turn people away, can be as important as the care you take with ingredients. I offer my opinion to share with others and let people garner what they may from it. I think my comments, as such, were appropriate. Fri Dec 24 15:06:25 -0800 2004 28840 0 lelkins 5 28850 Here's my vote...if you're going to put all the care and artistry into a pizza that the folks at Scholls are attempting to do, you SHOULDN'T service takeout. If putting stuff out ASAP without caring about the quality is what makes you a "pizza joint", and being able to "service take out" is the standard by which you are judged, then screw it, who needs to be a pizza joint? Those places are a dime a dozen and people who don't want to wait can go to one of them. As for being gracious, I appreciate frankness and dedication to a chosen craft a lot more then ass-kissing, which tends not to be a major factor for me when choosing a place to eat, since in general, it isn't edible. Vive la difference. regards, trillium Fri Dec 24 17:51:01 -0800 2004 28849 0 trillium 2 28852 I don't think anyone "beat up" on Brian's restaurant, and it was a suggestion that I thought would be beneficial to his customers. As far as "planning better", my wife and I each have to work until 5:00 and don't generally get home until 5:30 or so. Then, with the best traffic, there's no way we'll get over to Brian's new place on a weeknight before 6:00, and realistically, with traffic it's probably 6:15 or a bit later. If we could call in a pizza to eat there, we'd be able to call once we hit Hawthorne and then have it, and a table, ready a little while after we arrive. If we have to wait until we arrive, and then have to wait to order until we're seated, we may not sit down until 7:00 and may not get a pizza until 7:30, or may not get one at all if it's a busy night and he's out of crust. Marshall Sun Dec 26 14:40:17 -0800 2004 28830 0 Marshall Manning