Page 7 - OhioRA 2012SpringFlipBook

www.ohiorestaurant.org 5 Spring 2012 Issue

NAPICS 2012 Draws Enthusiastic Crowd

This year’s show was energy-packed and offered attendees valuable education and programming opportunities

The 2012 North America Pizza & Ice Cream Show (NAPICS) was held Jan. 29-30 at the Greater Columbus Convention Center in Columbus. Restaurateurs and foodservice vendors from throughout the region attended the show to learn about industry trends and the latest foodservice gadgets.

In addition to perusing vendors’ wares, attendees also sampled delectable treats created by visiting chefs and culinary masters. The show also hosted the Pizza Pizzazz competition in which competitors vie for frst place in one of two categories: traditional or gourmet. This year, more than 100 individuals competed in Pizza Pizzazz.

The frst place recipient in each competition received a cash prize of $6,000 and a media assistance package. The second place recipients received $1,000 and third place winners pocketed $500 for their culinary talents.

Garnering frst place in the gourmet competition was Brad Corbin, Sloopy’s Sports Café, located in Lakeside, Ohio, who delighted judges with his submission of the Hibachi pizza. Cindy Hamlin, of Capone’s Pizzeria in Parma, Ohio, secured second place with her submission of Philly Cheese Steak pizza. Third place honors went to Westlake, Ohio’s Dan Joyce of Sweet Basil Neapolitan Pizza, who submitted the French Dip pizza.

In the traditional competition, this year’s winner was Matt Mangan, Sloopy’s Sports Café, located in Lakeside, Ohio, with his submission of the Meatball Supreme pizza. Nick Mastrosavs, of Pizza King of Berea, Ohio, captured second place for his Meat Supreme pizza. Taking home third place honors was Kourtney Troyer, of Sugarcreek, Ohio’s Park Street Pizza, who won over judges with her submission of the Colossal Italian pizza.

NAPICS also offered attendees the opportunity to visit educational seminars and to better hone their business acumen. For the second time during NAPICS, the Ohio Restaurant Association (ORA) and its partners in safety, RiskControl360° and CareWorks Consultants, held a seminar in concert with the Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation and The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) that focused on the importance of hiring for safety.

Roy Getz, an ORA Board Member and one of the partners and operators of RCO, Limited, spoke at the seminar. He shared hiring and safety policies his business has implemented in order to reduce safety issues and workers’ compensation claims. This was just one of the important seminars held during NAPICS. Other seminars focused on marketing on a college campus, artisanal bread-making, customer service, menu engineering and marketing your pizza and ice cream stores.

Next year, NAPICS will be held Feb. 17 – 18, 2013 at the Greater Columbus Convention Center.

Jeff Zeak, American Institute of Baking, answers a question on the versatility of pizza dough during the seminar “Dough Trends and Issues Faced by Pizzeria Operators.”

Winners from the 2012 Pizza Pizzazz Gourmet Division include Brad Corbin, Sloopy’s Sports Cafe, Lakeside; Cindy Hamlin, Capone’s Pizzeria, Parma; and Dan Joyce, Sweet Basil Neapolitan, Westlake.

Winners from the 2012 Pizza Pizzazz Traditional Division include Matt Mangan, Sloopy’s Sports Cafe, Lakeside; Nick Mastrosavs, Pizza King, Berea; and Kourtney Troyer, Park Street Pizza, Sugarcreek.

A representative from Gordon Food Service distributes a sample of his product to a NAPICS attendee