Casual apparel retailer Urban Outfittersis getting into the pizza business after purchasingThe Vetri Family group of restaurants, which featuresthe award-winning Pizzeria Vetri. Forbes Magazine reportsthat the rapid growth of consumer spending on fast-casual dining attracted the retailer, which operates more than 400 locations in the U.S., Canada and Europe. Offering what Forbes describes as "preppy, quirky clothing," Urban Outfitters hopes to win back in-store customers lost to online shopping. It's not clear how the company will utilize the Vetri restaurants.Offering pizza in clothing stores or clothing in pizzerias are both possible tactics to "bring in different customers who can end up buying apparel and accessories," Forbes speculates.
Andy Knef of PizzaTV gets up close and personal with pizza entrepreneur Gino Rago, co-owner of Panino's in Chicago. Rago reveals the secrets of his success, including how he came to possess his Italian Mother Yeast, which he uses as the foundation for many of his pizzas and baked appetizers.
A pizzeria operator in Zanesville, Ohio, has combined two of America's favorite foods into one wildly popular menu sensation. Pizza Fries are all the rage atLock 9 Pizza, and they're precisely what they sound like: waffle fries smothered in pepperoni, cheese and other pizza toppings, with a side of marinara sauce. The Zanesville Times Recorder identifies JC Glaub, son of Lock 9's owners Todd and Marcia Glaub, as the mind behind the moundof fries. His proud mom says JC suggested a French fry mountain toppedwith anything ever found on a pizza.After some experimentation, shoestring fries were tossed for the crispier waffle alternative. Customers can ask for their choice of toppings, and takeout customers love the appetizer, which stays crisp on the drive home.
