Hello, pizza nation!
I’m Bill DeJournett, and I’m the new managing editor at PMQ. Although new to the magazine, I’m not a stranger, having known the PMQ folks for more than 10 years. I am thrilled to be a part of the talented team here!
Our editor at large, Liz Barrett Foster, often asks, “What is your first pizza memory?” While I don’t remember a specific meal, I do remember that when I was growing up, my family would always eat at Pizza Inn on Tuesday evenings. The local paper ran ads for two-for-one pizzas on Tuesdays, so we’d get two thin-crust pies—the first one was always a Supreme, the second pepperoni. I looked forward to Tuesday evenings there, not just for the pizza, but the cool atmosphere of the place. I loved watching the pizza guys toss the dough. The restaurant was a popular hangout for high school kids, so there was a jukebox constantly playing in the background. I remember hearing the music of Queen there for the very first time, and playing my first video game—Pong. That’s my first pizza memory.
One thing we are always looking for at PMQ is a great story. So let me ask, what’s your pizza story? Drop us a line and tell us!
Meanwhile, in this issue, we give you tips to gear up for October—National Pizza Month. Now that I’ve joined PMQ, I’ve been amazed at some of the stats that show just how much we love pizza. Consider this—94% of Americans have had pizza at least once in the past month. The average American will wolf down 45 slices of pizza in a year. There are approximately 65,000 pizzerias in the United States—that’s one pizzeria for every 52 Americans. U.S. residents gobble up 350 slices per second. Pizza is a $44-billion industry in the United States. Every day, one in eight Americans eat pizza. With National Pizza Month and my favorite holiday—Halloween—October is definitely my favorite month of the year.
The editorial staff here put our heads together to come up with helpful tips you can use to plan for National Pizza Month (page 40). But there’s plenty more in this issue: Liz Barrett Foster gives us insight into the characteristics and history of Greek-style pizza in the United States. Tracy Morin tells us how to make the most of your pizza boxes, and “The Dough Doctor,” Tom Lehmann, offers tips on effective dough management. Elsewhere, Heather Cray fills us in on Facebook chatbots, and Steve Hitchcock covers how to determine the value of your pizzeria.
Finally, calling all artists: Check out our cover art contest from Heather Cray, our social media maven, on our Facebook and Twitter pages. If we select your image for our October cover, you will win $500, and 40,000 of our subscribers will see your work.
Have a pizza day!
Bill
