As Seen in the |
METROWEST DAILY NEWS
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By Bob Tremblay/Daily News staff
GHS
Feb 26, 2008 @ 08:35 PM
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In less than a year, owner Zack Chaves has opened two Superior Pie pizza parlors and franchised a third. The Natick resident opened the first Superior Pie in May in the former confines of Ryan's Pizza at 795 Concord St. (Rte. 126 at the intersection of Rte. 9) in Framingham. He opened the second in December in the former digs of Clockwork Pizza at 1 West Union St. (Rte. 135 in the K Plaza) in Ashland. And last month, he franchised a third in the former home of Damata Pizzeria at 55 Water St. in Milford. The franchise owners are Juberto Barros and Ramon Silva.
"We must be doing something right," says Chaves. He attributes Superior Pie's success to several factors.
"We're not afraid to innovate," he says. "Right now we're working on a new menu where we're going to start offering small and large sizes." The small-size option benefits people on a diet and on a budget, he notes. The new menu begins this week.
"The big reason (for the success) is we're still using high-quality ingredients," says Chaves. "Some people order from us every day."
The combination of a high-tech ordering and delivery system with good service is another plus, he adds.
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By Bob Tremblay/Daily News staff
GateHouse News Service
Mon Jul 16, 2007, 10:30 AM EDT
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Framingham, Mass. -
Just how popular is pizza in the United States?
Glad you asked.
According to statistics found on the Pizzaware Web site, Americans eat approximately 100 acres of pizza each day -
or about 350 slices a second. More than 90 percent of Americans eat at least one pizza per month and around 3 billion pizzas
get sold in this country annually. The pizza business, meanwhile, exceeds $30 billion a year. That's a lot of dough spent on dough.
The United States also provides a home to about 69,000 pizzerias, but as anyone who has ever sampled a slice of this Italian creation knows,
not all pizza parlors are created equal.
Some pizza pies contain enough grease to lube a Mack truck's engine. Others taste like pieces of circular cardboard dowsed with ketchup.
Far too many take shortcuts to maximize profits.
Zack Chaves likes profits, too, but the owner of Superior Pie in Framingham wants his pizza parlor to live up to its name.
“ Anyone can make pizza,” says Chaves, “but it's not easy to make pizza the right way.”
The right way, according to Chaves, is making pizza with 100 percent, high-quality mozzarella cheese, fresh vegetables,
homemade dough and homemade sauce and cooking the pie in a brick oven. “We also season our sauce and let it sit for 24 hours to
increase the flavor,” he says.
To cut costs, some pizzerias mix cheeses or replace mozzarella with cheaper cheddar, according to Chaves. Others use frozen dough and get their sauce
out of a can.
“I could charge $5 for a large cheese pizza if I did all those things, but I don't want to,” says Chaves. “I want my pizza to be good.”
The Brazilian native opened Superior Pie in May in the former confines of Ryan's Pizza at 795 Concord St. (Rte. 126 at the intersection with Rte. 9).
He had previously owned Top Speed Pizzeria in Somerville, transforming a Mexican restaurant that “looked like a Dumpster” into “the busiest
independent pizza shop in the city,” according to Chaves. “They now have eight drivers, three managers and are opening a second store.”
Not bad for someone who began his restaurant career 10 years ago as a dishwasher at Bertucci's in Holliston. Three months later, he began working
in the kitchen and has been cooking ever since. After Bertucci's, he worked at the Ninety Nine Restaurant in Ashland, Houlihan's in Framingham,
Naked Fish in Framingham and Red Sauce in Newton. Four years ago, he bought his first restaurant, the aforementioned Top Speed.
Chaves sold the eatery three months ago. The current owner “made me an offer I couldn't refuse,” he says. The Framingham location was also closer
to his Natick home and his family members who reside in MetroWest.
Chaves credits his wife, Heather, and his mother, Cleuza, for helping him turn Top Speed into a success. Both continue to assist him at Superior Pie.
Heather handles finances from home and Cleuza preps salads and works as a supervisor.
Chaves has made some changes at his second restaurant, including the name.
“Top Speed sounds like fast food and that's not what I want to sell,” he says. “What I want to sell is superior pie. I'm not selling fast.
I'm selling quality. I want the customer to leave here and think they've had the best food of their life. Sometimes you can't do that if you're
rushing.”
Chaves has also given the pizzas a stronger Italian accent by adding a roasted garlic and olive oil sauce. The menu is smaller, too. “I looked
at the sales (at Top Speed) and whatever sold the most, I put on this menu,” he says. “Whatever didn't sell was not included.”
The restaurant continues to specialize in Italian thin-crust pizza.
Big hits at the new eatery, according to Chaves, include the Veneziana pizza made with roasted garlic and olive oil, oregano, artichoke hearts,
fresh sliced tomatoes and spinach. For meat lovers, there's the Game Time Pie made with hamburger, sausage, pepperoni and bacon. The balsamic glazed
chicken salad is also popular.
A personal favorite is the Amore Mio made with oregano, shrimp, fresh sliced tomatoes and onions. “I made it for my wife,” says Chaves.
“She loves shrimp and she loves shrimp pizza.” He notes that Amore Mio means “my love” in Italian.
Pizza prices range from $5.99 for a small cheese to $17.99 for a large Amore Mio. Customers can also select their own toppings.
In addition to pizzas, the menu features appetizers, such as Cape Cod clams, with prices ranging from $3.99 to $10.99, homemade soups
(cup $1.99, bowl $2.99), calzones ($7.99 for a cheese rendition), pasta dishes ($8.99 and $10.99), dinners such as steak tips
($11.99 and $12.99; each dinner is served with side dishes), subs and wraps ($5.99 to $7.99) and desserts ($3.49).
Chaves says he's not afraid to change the menu either for variety's sake or if an item isn't selling. “I'll try to come up with something
better,” he says.
Superior Pie also has a children's menu and a catering menu. It sells gift cards and offers free delivery with an $8 minimum order in Framingham
and parts of Natick.
Chaves points out that deliveries are handled by a computerized system. It provides shortcuts for drivers and keeps track of customers' favorite
dishes. Customers can also order online with those orders going directly to the kitchen to expedite matters.
Returning to the emphasis on quality, Chaves notes that Superior Pie only uses Boar's Head meats. “It's the most expensive, but it's the best,”
he says. “We get the best cheese on the market, too. It costs more, but it makes a difference. ... Our prices are pretty much the same as other
pizzerias. Some items are more expensive. I'd rather give the good quality.”
The bread, meanwhile, gets delivered fresh to Superior Pie every morning. Log books also are kept to keep track of what's going on in the kitchen.
Recipe books get used as well. “We also make sure you get the same portion every time,” says the owner.
Chaves says business has so far been good with sales already exceeding the previous pizza parlor. He also plans to open a second pizzeria in the
MetroWest area at the beginning of next year.
“Cooking is simple,” says Chaves. “If you try to get too fancy, that's when you mess it up. A plain slice of pizza can be great.
Homemade dough, homemade sauce, good quality cheese, brick oven - that's what we do. You have to put in some love, some effort, some hard work
and you'll get good results.”
That hard work can translate into long hours. “To be a cook, you have to be passionate about what you do,” says Chaves. “The hours are long.
I typically work 60 to 70 hours a week. I worked 90 hours the first month we were open.
“But my passion for cooking is huge. When I'm home, I'm cooking. That's what I know how to do. I've had to hire plumbers and electricians.
I don't know how to do any of that stuff. I just know how to cook.”
(Bob Tremblay can be reached at btremblay@cnc.com or 508-626-4409.)
SUPERIOR PIE
Owner: Zack Chaves
Employees: 12
Industry: Restaurant
Company background: Located in Framingham, Superior Pie sells Italian thin-crust pizza, salads, appetizers, calzones, pasta dishes, subs, wraps and more. Its Web address is www.superiorpie.com.
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Article 2: Feb 26, 2008 | Article 1: Jul 16, 2007
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