The NY experience was in stark contrast to the VPN experience where traditions and rules have not evolved and adhered to strictly. But this was very important for us because we learned old world, time-tested methods of shaping and leavening dough, and really that is where the process of making excellent pizza starts. The dedication and commitment Italians display towards their craft is definitely a key inspiration for The Pizza Guys.
Was it a challenge hiring staff members/team for the kitchen?
We had a tough time finding pizza makers to help us make the kind of pizza we wanted. We operate our oven at 450 degrees, which is very high and higher than most pizzerias here. That means the pizzas cook pretty fast. We also make our pizzas a lot bigger than Napoli ones — it’s NY style, after all — so we needed a pizzaiolo who could stretch a disc of dough to 16 inches and then expertly cook and rotate it in an extremely hot brick oven, all in mere minutes. The best thing you can do for your business is take the time to hire the right resources. We cannot stress this enough.
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How involved are you with the menu creation?
The entire menu, including all recipes, was created by us. The recipes were tested over a period of many months until Rami was 100% satisfied. He has a strong background in hospitality and food with the Ritz-Carlton hotel in the United States. We are here every day and involved in all aspects of the operation. There are still some things that only we do, like mixing all the dough. I’m the only one that makes the Lindt dark chocolate chip cookies. The spice mix for the Wagyu meatballs — that’s also a secret.
What's the story behind having hormone-free wagyu beef? Why was that important?
There is a lot of hype in Dubai right now about food that is organic and gluten free. All that is great, but it’s not just about that. It’s also about chemical additives, growth hormones and genetically modified organisms, or GMOs. All harmful things that have can have serious repercussions for your health. We have been following the Monsanto pesticide controversy unfolding in the United States. It’s really unfortunate. Our preference always is for hormone-free food, for ourselves and our families. When we found a Wagyu farm in Australia producing hormone-free meat, we were over the moon. Free-range cattle eating grain free of chemicals and without the use of growth hormones; that’s exactly what we wanted.
Was it difficult finding suppliers of ingredients for your vision?
We’re blessed in Dubai. There isn’t much that we do not get. For the few things that are not available — that’s really an opportunity for us to get creative. New York City is a beehive of creativity and inventive eats. There is no reason why we cannot create that vibe here. Like any restaurant, we have a lot of suppliers. Emirates Snack Foods helped us import our pizza flour — Le 5 Stagioni’s flour for Pizza Napoletana — from Venice, Italy. In addition to food, we would be remiss to not acknowledge TSSC, our kitchen equipment supplier. At the end of the day, this is a kitchen with mechanical equipment that breaks down. Having a supplier who not only delivers equipment but is with you every step of the way is probably something often overlooked by most budding restauteurs. The last thing you want is a state-of-the-art kitchen with no technical support.
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