75 replies to this topic

[Fat Guy]

Reserving judgment is not the eGullet way.

[abbeynormal]

Reserving judgment is not the eGullet way.

You're right of course. My mistake.

[mrbigjas]

Reserving judgment is not the eGullet way.

You're right of course. My mistake.

Nice.

But seriously, abbeynormal is right: they can only cook so many per day, is why you have to reserve your dough. I find business strategies like that annoying too when there's no real reason for them, but in this case it's necessary, since basically they're running at capacity relatively frequently.

This thread is killing me today--we're actually going up to Tacconelli's tomorrow night and now I can't wait. Man oh man.

[Fat Guy]

Okay, but from where I stand, if they're running at capacity, it has nothing to do with reserving dough per se. It's just a reservation the same as at any restaurant. Is that the case?

[abbeynormal]

Okay, but from where I stand, if they're running at capacity, it has nothing to do with reserving dough per se. It's just a reservation the same as at any restaurant. Is that the case?

Apparently their oven only has the capacity to produce a certain number of pies per night, according to Vincent Tacconelli. Would you feel better if you had to reserve the number of pies you wanted instead? What difference does it make? As far as making it like a regular dinner reservation, my thinking is that the number of people in a party does not necessarily indicate the amount of food that will be consumed.

Edited by abbeynormal, 28 July 2003 - 01:33 PM.

[slkinsey]

I do know, however, that at the original Boston Chicken (long before it became that barf factory, Boston Market) in West Newton, MA you had to call ahead Friday afternoons to reserve a chicken because their ability to churn (rotate) them out was exceeded by the demand for the chickens.

I know it's OT, but I just have to say: big ups to West Newton! Our first house was in West Newton. Strangely, I've been hearing of Newton more and more these days, and I never used to hear about it.

[Fat Guy]

Okay, but from where I stand, if they're running at capacity, it has nothing to do with reserving dough per se. It's just a reservation the same as at any restaurant. Is that the case?

Apparently their oven only has the capacity to produce a certain number of pies per night, according to Vincent Tacconelli. Would you feel better if you had to reserve the number of pies you wanted instead? What difference does it make? As far as making it like a regular dinner reservation, my thinking is that the number of people in a party does not necessarily indicate the amount of food that will be consumed.

The explanation sounds highly suspicious, given that there are about a million and half pizzerias in the USA and this is the only one where you have to reserve dough.

[malachi]

I know it's OT, but I just have to say: big ups to West Newton!  Our first house was in West Newton.  Strangely, I've been hearing of Newton more and more these days, and I never used to hear about it.

Have you been to Lummiere?

[SteveW]

Okay, but from where I stand, if they're running at capacity, it has nothing to do with reserving dough per se. It's just a reservation the same as at any restaurant. Is that the case?

Apparently their oven only has the capacity to produce a certain number of pies per night, according to Vincent Tacconelli. Would you feel better if you had to reserve the number of pies you wanted instead? What difference does it make? As far as making it like a regular dinner reservation, my thinking is that the number of people in a party does not necessarily indicate the amount of food that will be consumed.

The explanation sounds highly suspicious, given that there are about a million and half pizzerias in the USA and this is the only one where you have to reserve dough.

Just a thought. Tacconelli's has a oil-fired oven, which is very very rare. The only other pizzeria I have ever heard, using an oil-fired oven is Modern in New Haven. Could this type of oven, limit the capacity of how many pies they can make?

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Steve

[Fat Guy]

Nodoby would dispute that the number of pizzas a pizzeria can produce in a day is limited. But how is that related to the concept of "you have to call and reserve your dough ahead 'cuz they only make so much per day." (This statement is repeated in various forms all throughout the literature on the place, e.g., "They reserve the dough ahead of time, and sell out early, especially on weekends" http://www.citypaper...rticle029.shtml ) Is the issue that they run out of dough? Or is the issue that they can only make X number of pizzas per hour? If the latter, why say the former, and could the pies-per-hour figure really be so rigid that people have to reserve pies rather than just a table? I can't imagine. And if the explanation is the former, why not just make more dough? If they "sell out early" it would seem to indicate some sort of truculent inefficiency rather than an oven-capacity issue. Totonno's has been known to pull this nonsense as well.

[Andrew Fenton]

If they "sell out early" it would seem to indicate some sort of truculent inefficiency rather than an oven-capacity issue. Totonno's has been known to pull this nonsense as well.

I think it is probably an intentional inefficiency, and I say more power to them. People in the restaurant business are always bitching about the amount they work; Tacconelli's system gives them some added control over that amount. My feeling is, here's a successful family business that makes an exceptionally good product. The owners have decided how much work they want to do on any given day and they stick to it. If they wanted to operate like a typical pizza place, I'm sure they could sell a lot more pies; they'd probably make a lot more money. But they don't want to. I really can't fault them for that decision.

[mrbigjas]

The owners have decided how much work they want to do on any given day and they stick to it.

I've always been a little intrigued by this concept; there are several hoagie places (I'm thinking of Chickie's, for one) in south philly that do essentially the same thing--usually they're family run places--they order a certain amount of bread, make that many hoagies a day, usually sell out, and close whenever they sell out.

It's an interesting concept. It can be annoying.


P.S. Edited to say I like the word truculent.

Edited by mrbigjas, 28 July 2003 - 06:42 PM.

[Fat Guy]

They can do whatever they want, but there's a really interesting innovation I've heard about that allows you to limit the number of hours you work. It's called "hours of operation."

[mrbigjas]

They can do whatever they want, but there's a really interesting innovation I've heard about that allows you to limit the number of hours you work. It's called "hours of operation."

Why that's just crazy enough to work...

[Andrew Fenton]

Indeed, I've heard tales, reported by travelers from distant lands, about such "hours of operation." But I always discounted them as delusions: for how could a pizza shop rely on such fictions? What if a humble pizza maker were to have many customers order many pies simultaneously, soon before his final "hour"? Why, he would be overwhelmed! His customers would riot and he would no doubt be torn to pieces by the mob.

No, I think we can safely assume that Messr. Fat Guy is jesting with us, and that we can include his "hours of operation" with such confabulations as "smoke-free bars" and "privately owned liquor stores."

Edited by Andrew Fenton, 28 July 2003 - 08:55 PM.

[Rodi]

Lived on Wooster street for years,

I'll take Sallys, except I eat more Pepes because of their hours, and there is one in my hometown, Manchester. That Pie is good, but I seriously know its not Sallys or the original Pepes. Plus they slice the mozz way to thick and you really notice it on the clam pie.

There was a restaurant on Dixwell ave in New Haven called the "Venice" been closed for years, but that Meatball pizza was as good as any other. There are also some great pies in East Haven, Tollis and Minivernis.

Pepes has a great topping in their Pepperoni, it is like nowhere else.