The Cheese Board Collective only serves one type of pizza per day, and customers still line up to try it.

Cheese Board Collective, Berkeley, California

Ever heard of a pizza shop with 55 owners? It’s a business model that has worked for the Cheese Board Collective since 1971. PMQ’s Missy Green visited this unique combination of pizzeria, bakery and cheese shop, which serves only one type of artisan vegetarian pizza and one type of salad per day. “Everyone who works here is a part owner, so we all have an equal share of the business,” Ridwan Schleicher told Missy. “We all get paid the same wage no matter how long we’ve been here.”

 

Creative tapas and wood-fired delicacies (including pizza) light up the menu at Forneria São Dinis.

Forneria São Dinis, The Azores

Forneria São Dinis in Ponta Delgada, São Miguel, attracts locals and tourists alike with its diverse menu of Azorean meats, Mediterranean-inspired tapas and wood-fired pizza. Senior copy editor Tracy Morin sampled the menu, including housemade sparkling sangria, garlic-laced wood-fired mushrooms, simple Margherita and truffle oil-drizzled white pies and the popular Nutella dessert calzone, dusted with powdered sugar and micro-fine white chocolate shavings. “On an island full of top-notch dining venues, it was easy to see why Forneria has cemented itself as one of the best,” Tracy said.

 

Attendees try a sample of cheese from exhibitor World’s Best Cheeses at the Winter Fancy Food Show in San Francisco.

Fancy Food Show, San Francisco

PMQ’s Linda Green and Missy Green were among nearly 20,000 attendees of the Winter Fancy Food Show, which spotlights specialty foods and beverages. Highlighting the event was the induction of 47 foodservice leaders into the 2016 class of the Specialty Food Hall of Fame. Paul Saginaw, co-owner and founder of Zingerman’s Community of Businesses, spoke about the entrepreneurial spirit in his keynote address to the group. Attendance for the show was up 16% over last year, organizers said.

 

PMQ will host its Think Tank Reunion in conjunction with the Nightclub & Bar Show in Las Vegas this year.

The Nightclub & Bar Show, Las Vegas

It’s one of the most exciting hospitality events in the country—the Nightclub & Bar Convention & Trade Show (NCB), to be held March 7 through 9 at the Las Vegas Convention Center (LVCC). PMQ will add to the excitement by hosting the third annual Think Tank Reunion at 6:30 p.m., Tuesday, March 8, at the LVCC. This networking event/reception is open to all pizzeria owners and industry suppliers, and there is no cost to attend. Additionally, pizzeria operators attending the Pizza Expo can pay a discounted registration fee of $20 to attend the NCB Show from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Wednesday, March 9.

 

PMQ staffers have dropped in to eat at New Orleans pizzerias like Theo’s and Pizza Kings (above) in the past. Which pizza shop will marketing director Anna Zemek and her family choose this month?

Pizzeria to be determined, New Orleans

Anna Zemek, PMQ’s marketing director, and her family will head to the Big Easy March 12 to 14 and check out at least one of the city’s finest pizza shops while they’re there. If you’re a family-friendly pizzeria operator in New Orleans, how does your pizza stack up against the competition? Does your menu have what it takes to impress Anna, her husband Lou and their two kids? Send an email to anna@pmq.com and let her know why the Zemek clan should drop in on your pizzeria during the trip!