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Rossano Boscolo, a hospitality and catering manager in Italy for Boscolo Etoile, defines his company’s latest invention – Konopizza – as ‘pizza without cutlery, eat as you walk, just like an ice cream.” Rossano is a well-regarded chef at Boscolo Etoile, an advanced institute of culinary arts. He says that the country that has already given us pasta and ice cream, has now rolled out a revolutionary product to rival fast food directly: pizza in a cone.
“The revolution is in the shape, not the taste,” Boscolo says. His company has been developing the concept for several years and now has the backing of Pikono Holding to take Konopizzas to the streets, far beyond Mother Italy. Pikono owns the brands, and the trademark. The company is responsible for developing Konopizza in Italy, and manages the relationships with the foreign Master Franchisees and controls the company. E.C. Engineering srl is responsible for the design of the proprietary equipment used both internally and throughout the retail outlets.
The cone-cept
According to Boscolo, the idea of Konopizza stems from “the inherent need to enjoy a pizza in an urban context, and the uncontrollable desire to revolutionize the habits and customs of a gourmet population.” He points out that the Italian population has not been as quick to embrace fast food as the rest of Europe or the US. In many respects, the very idea goes against a strongly traditional country where gourmet tastes and culinary rituals are prized and enjoyed, passed on from generation to generation. However, Konopizza, rather than apparently being a bizarre desecration of an otherwise internationally renowned dish, if not the symbol of Italy, is actually striving to be a tribute to the culture that has masterminded it.
A conveyor oven is used to cook the Konopizza, which usually takes three minutes. The mozzarella and tomato content of the pizza are prepared so that they do not release water, and the dough is crunchy to help consumers eat their pizza with minimal mess. Flavors include Margharita and Capricciosa, retailing at $6.50 per cone. Carry out, or what the Europeans call, “takeaway” boxes are also available. The pizza is a fusion of Italian and homegrown flavors including specially imported mozzarella plus local produce and meats. Of special interest is the Konobox, which holds from 4 to 6 konos. The boxes can be heated at 180 degrees.
The world is your Konopizza
Isabo Rinaldi, a spokeswoman for Boscolo Etoile, says that Konopizza is opening stores in the U.K., Russia and Spain as part of its expansion efforts. Last year, Konopizza was launched in Milan and has quickly grown to establish flagship stores in Spain’s Real Madrid football club stadium, Santiago Bernabéu, Verona and Rome. Konopizza now has franchise agreements in ten countries, including Germany, Greece, Russia, Kuwait, South Korea, Indonesia, New Zealand and Australia.
“The Konopizza is the biggest fast-food invention since the hamburger,” Isabo declares. “Nothing this comfortable has ever existed. You can even eat it while jogging,” she added. HEtoile Formule Franchising offers its know-how and more than 30 years of experience in the restaurant world in helping Konopizza select new markets. Konopizza staff analyzes every proposed location without any financial charge to the potential franchisee; the furnishings are designed differently from store to store, making each individual outlet different from the others. The company is also careful to pick cities with no less than 50,000 inhabitants and robust foot traffic. The location is up to the franchisee and most contracts are for six years. The home office also helps with design assistance, pre-and post-opening assistance, staff training, handbook, management system, national agreements, and marketing.
Cone Under
The Konopizza operations in New Zealand also rely on the diverse presentation of the concept. Angela Loesch is the Operations Manager for Konopizza in New Zealand.
“We have two stores in Auckland which opened last spring. One, in Westfield St Lukes, is a kiosk set-up, with two employees and is open seven days per week. The product range includes konopizzas, sweet konos, and drinks. Our operation in Tamaki Dr Mission Bay, is a café set-up, again with only two employees. It’s open seven days per week and three late nights. The product range includes Konopizza, sweet konos, fries, salads, drinks, and coffee. They really are two totally different places.
“All stores are company owned,” she continued. “We’re working on creating varied models for each store, such as the café, or the kiosk, mall outlets, even mobile units.”
Did New Zealanders need “educating” about such a revolutionary concept as pizza in a cone?
“Definitely,” Angela says. “Pizza in a cone is a totally weird concept for most people. Educating people is a non-stop essential process. We use in-store promotions, local news publications, vouchers and discount flyers. So far we’ve gotten positive feedback, particularly about the taste and practicality which has resulted in many return customers.”
Angela says the company expects to open several more Auckland stores before eventually moving into Australia.
‘Future of Tradition’
Pizza in a cone is slowly making its way to the United States. A company called Crispy Cones has been working on the concept in this country for three years. Nir Adar, is the founder and CEO. He says he expects Crispy Cones to roll out in January 2006 beginning in California and offer more options than its Euro-counterparts.
“I always thought the cone concept was more limited than it had to be,” Nir says. “We’re looking beyond pizza. We’re working on breakfast in a cone, salads, sandwiches, some Asian dishes like Thai chicken and teriyaki salmon, curried chicken, and even desserts. We believe the U.S. market is more complicated than the European, so we’re offering a more varied menu.”
Nir adds that the Italians put the concept on the map but “we’re looking to take it to the next level,” noting that the company already has hundreds of franchise applications.
Two of Crispy Cone’s most valued partners are Retail Element, which specializes in designing stores and restaurants, and Jecky’s Best Foods, one of the country’s leading purveyors of frozen dough.
“Both of these companies are blue-chippers who position us to better penetrate our markets,” Nir says. He admits that despite all that combined experience, introducing a new product can be risky business.
“There’ll be a learning curve, there always is with anything new. We’ve tested this product with a variety of focus groups. We’ve found that it tested well with ages from five to sixty-five. Still, it’s a new concept and will have to get legs as it hits the ground.”
Nir says that even though Crispy Cones may sound like something new and innovative, the concept actually has origins as old as the hills.
“Portable food came from the Middle East,” he points out. “The nomads had their meals stuffed in pita bread so they could keep moving. People have eaten out of cones all their lives. Most people have wonderful memories of eating ice cream out of a cone. We’re doing what I like to call creating the ‘future of tradition.’ We’re taking something that is already popular and putting in the future, that is, something new that will soon be a tradition. We think cone pizza will be the iPod of food this year.”