Willy Olund took second place within the Worldwide Pizza Problem’s non-traditional class on the 2010 Worldwide Pizza Expo in Las Vegas.
Q. Coming into Worldwide Pizza Problem could be a daunting process. Why enter a gluten-free pizza reasonably than a extra conventional providing?
A: Once I developed the gluten-free crust, we obtained nice response instantly. People who don’t even eat gluten-free or must eat gluten-free have been making an attempt it and loving it. I had a girl … who was coming in frequently, and he or she stated she had a good friend who had competed in a gluten-free class in Italy — and our pizza regarded lots higher than that pizza. I believed to myself, ‘Properly, it’s time that I competed.’
Q. How effectively do gluten-free pizzas promote at Willy O’s?
A: We’re promoting most likely within the neighborhood of 250 or 300 per week. At this level, it’s pretty new. We’re simply now getting identified for it with Willy O’s being as new as it’s it’s solely 17 (or) 18 months outdated.
Q. One of many greatest issues of providing gluten-free merchandise is cross contamination. How do you keep away from it?
A: We do it just like how somebody would do it in their very own kitchen, and that’s paying shut consideration to what we’re doing and the way we’re doing it. Each time, earlier than we make any pizza, we expect to ourselves, ‘is that this gluten or gluten-free?’ So we do loads of handwashing (and) loads of altering of the instruments we’re utilizing to verify we’re staying on the gluten-free aspect. Our aim within the close to future, as quick as we’re rising, is to open a brand new facility. In that, we’re taking a look at constructing two kitchens to make it simpler. We really feel it’s simpler that means, however I don’t assume it’s unimaginable the way in which that it’s (now).
Q. A lot of what you make in-house is selfmade. How are you maintaining prices down in such a extreme economic system?
A: We’re actually making an attempt to maintain prices down through the use of all of our merchandise in order that we don’t have any that we have to throw away. … Proper now, for us, we’re not in a low-dollar pizza vary. Despite the fact that we’ve 5 pizzerias that we will see out our window, we’re not competing with these. We’re the one one with high-quality pizza, so we will demand the worth that we want for the standard that we serve.
Q. We all know you’re employed together with your spouse, Carla. What recommendation would you give to somebody getting into the trade about working with household?
A: I believe it’s good in that household is to be trusted. That’s one factor that you’ve going for you. It’s best to have the identical targets. There are all the time pitfalls (and) issues similar to with another worker.
