Papa John’s China LLC has sold its ownership of all 34 locations in Beijing and Tianjin to Asia Gourmet Holdings (Shanghai) CO., LTD., according to a press release released today by the company. Tim O’Hern, President, International, Papa John’s, said in the release, "Asia Gourmet Holdings (Shanghai) is an experienced … More
Cheese Burglars a Big Problem in Italy
If you thought cheese was expensive here in The States, imagine having to protect it from thieves who show up in the middle of the night to steal it. That's exactly what's been happening for decades in Italy, according to a recent article in The Wall Street Journal. According to … More
Pizza Sweetens Up in the Bahamas
Rudy Waldner is an author and worldwide speaker on restaurant "trench" marketing and business success. His work as a speaker takes him to international venues to hold workshops. His trip in the Bahamas, however, was to visit some of the most frequented places by his writing hero, Ernest Hemingway. See PMQ's free webinar with Waldner on … More
Sweden Goes Gourmet But Remains Loyal to Its First Love: Kebab Pizza
Pizza in Sweden developed as a hodgepodge of culinary multiculturalism in the 1970s. Adopted in stores run by first-generation Italian immigrants, pizza was considered little more than fast food until recent years. Mike Arvblom, organizer of the Pizza Champion Cup, says he began putting together pizza competitions to raise … More
Results from Pizza Champion Cup in Stockholm
Sweden’s non-traditional approach to pizza makes it one of the most exciting places to judge culinary competitions. Pizza purists can scoff all they want, but the Swedes don't flinch when it comes to putting pineapples, nuts, or even bananas, on a pizza. Their anything-goes attitude stops short, however, when it … More
Romanian Pizza and Pasta Championship
I was recently invited by the Asociatia Culturala Euro-Est Alternativ (The Romanian Pizza Association) to attend the International Pizza & Pasta Championship in Bucharest, Romania, from March 11 to 13, 2018. My mission was to represent the Bulgarian Association Pizzaioli on the judging panel and help select this year's winner. The level of the pizza chefs, … More
You've Never Seen Balsamic Like This
You’ve never had Balsamic Vinegar Like This Before Italy Aged balsamic vinegar is an ancient tradition in Italy. Some fathers in Modena still start a new batch of balsamico when a daughter is born, to be contributed to her bridal dowry when she—and the vinegar—come of age. Nevertheless, balsamic … More
Olive tree pandemic, Chinese cheese coffee, and a new takeaway bag
Denial and Procrastination Results in Pandemic Olive Tree Pest Apulia, Italy The European Union (EU) gathered for an emergency meeting in Paris recently to address a type of bacteria that’s killing ancient olive oil trees around Europe. The microorganism was first detected in 2013, and the EU has now declared … More
The Unstoppable Juan, Using VR to teach kitchen standards, and Italian Happy Hour
The Unstoppable Juan Mexico City, Mexico The first time Tony Gemignani lost a dough spinning competition, he was up against rising star Juan Hermosillo at the U.S. Pizza Team Trials in New York. It was 2004, and Hermosillo brought a new twist to the art of freestyle by incorporating … More
How Parmigiano-Reggiano D.O.P. Is Made
You may have heard that Parmigiano-Reggiano is the good stuff. But what defines it? Over 300 factories in Parma, Reggio Emilia, Modena and part of Mantova and Bologna make it. And with so many hands in the cheese, how does the quality stay consistent? It's more than just the region that it's from that defines a … More
Bulgarian Pizza Plays Hide and Seek
Ryan Galer, also known as “Russian Man,” is an American comic writer and frequent traveler. In support of his crowdfunding campaign to travel the Balkans, PMQ's international correspondent Missy Green requested that he sample some pizza and report back to PMQ. In his stumbling, foreigner-style persona, Russian Man uncovers the … More
Pink Flamingo in Paris Uses ONE Low-Cost Marketing Tactic
In Parisian summer, staying in your shoebox-sized studio during waves of warm weather is unbearable. In most places, air conditioning is not really an option, unless you're a pricey brasserie or a place catering to tourists. Although tourism increases in the summer months, Paris' local population takes a definitive dive with … More