Operations
Cannoli Kitchen Pizza, a quick-service Italian restaurant that started as a beloved mom-and-pop pizzeria in Boca Raton, is now increasing nationwide by franchising. Vice President of Operations Rick Case highlights their dedication to genuine New York-style pizza and different Italian favorites, whereas sustaining a constant, premium high quality.
Picture: Cannoli Kitchen Pizza
Might 29, 2025 by Mandy Wolf Detwiler — Managing Editor, Networld Media Group
What started in 1996 as a beloved mom-and-pop pizzeria in Boca Raton, Florida, has since blossomed into Cannoli Kitchen Pizza, an genuine New York-style quick-service Italian restaurant now poised for nationwide enlargement by franchising.
Rick Case, vice chairman of operations, highlights the model’s distinctive place, providing premium, constant high quality and traditional Italian favorites — from over 20 specialty pizzas to signature pasta dishes and, after all, their namesake cannoli — all whereas sustaining the non-public contact of a neighborhood eatery.
Cannoli Kitchen Pizza grew to some eating places over the past 10 years, and the house owners realized that franchising can be the very best path to enlargement. The model partnered with United Franchise Group, and now it’s franchising everywhere in the nation, focusing primarily on the Southeast.
“What makes Cannoli Kitchen completely different is (that) we’re an genuine New York-style pizzeria nonetheless very a lot within the quick-service class,” Case stated.
Immediately, there are seven areas, all in Florida, with a number of items in growth. Numbers eight and 9 are anticipated shortly.
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Picture: Cannoli Kitchen Pizza |
On the menu
The model provides greater than 20 specialty pizzas, signature Italian dishes like pastas and hen recipes, genuine Italian desserts — particularly cannoli — like tiramisu and cheesecake.
“We’re extra of that mom-and-pop pizzeria, however with consistency, nice operations, nice programs and processes in a franchise-type enterprise,” Case stated.
Pizza is the model’s prime vendor and accounts for 60-65% of gross sales. Friends have a tendency to guide towards the fundamentals – the cheese and pepperoni pies – however the cannoli are large movers in each mini and enormous sizes.
The Rooster Parm is common, as is the Rooster Ala Vodka with ala vodka marinated hen topped with mozzarella. The penne ala vodka and hen Parmesan dishes are additionally favorites.
The skinny, New York-style dough is made at a commissary, balled and frozen after which despatched to Cannoli Kitchen Pizza’s franchise companions. “That manner we will get the very best of each worlds as a result of making dough will not be a simple factor to do,” Case stated, “and as you are scaling operations, it is necessary to ensure that the product is constant throughout your whole areas.”
With loads of snowbirds and transplants from the Northeast, the thin-crust dough is nicely beloved by locals.
Sauces are made in home, together with pizza, vodka and alfredo sauces and marinara, and the cannoli cream is made by hand. “That’s actually the main focus of the authenticity of our model,” Case stated.
Operations are saved tight to make sure consistency, comparable to making the dough in a single central place and utilizing dough presses in any respect the areas. The model makes use of Dragon ovens from Pizza Group USA, stone conveyor ovens.
“It nonetheless produces an genuine, New York-style pizza with a crispy undercarriage however with the comfort of a conveyor oven,” Case stated. “It might probably prepare dinner your pizza in lower than 4 minutes. The shops that do excessive quantity can truly add one other oven, to allow them to have two.”
Case stated the eye to consistency units Cannoli Kitchen Pizza aside from the competitors. “We offer that mother and pop-type pizzeria taste and expertise in a extra constant franchise mannequin,” he stated.
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Picture: Cannoli Kitchen Pizza |
Operations
The model is fast service, with visitors ordering on the counter. The eating places have little to no seating, preserving the footprint small. Takeout accounts for 70% to 80% of orders. Most of the eating places are in high-traffic areas, making lunch enterprise common.
The pizza business itself has been difficult for Cannoli Kitchen Pizza as QSR pizza chains compete with discounting. “We do contemplate ourselves extra of a premium product within the quick business, so we’re not the cheaper possibility,” Case stated. “We’re at all times going through the temptation to coupon and to push higher offers, however we all know that that is not the model, and all of our opponents are doing it.”
Hiring and retaining robust workers have additionally been challenges for the model. As a franchise mannequin, each location is individually owned and operated, so Case stated the manager group works with the franchise house owners to be extra personable with their workers.
“The workers truly get to know the proprietor of the enterprise,” Case stated. “That is a bonus with regards to hiring. The workers are usually not simply coping with a supervisor who offers with company that’s 10 states away. It is extra of a personable expertise. They get to know them, they get to know their household and I do assume we’ve a bonus with regards to that, and it does assist us somewhat bit, but it surely’s nonetheless an impediment.”
Cannoli Kitchen Pizza encourages workers advantages and perks. A optimistic working surroundings begins from the highest down, Case stated, starting with coaching, together with constructing relationships with workers and designing programs to encourage progress from inside.
Cannoli Kitchen Pizza makes use of Toast modules for its POS system and on-line ordering, “however we attempt to hold it easy with tech,” Case stated. “We at all times are dipping our toes into the most recent and biggest issues, however I am not diving headfirst into the most recent and biggest issues as a result of I really feel too many individuals get overconsumed with that stuff. You’ll be able to’t ignore (expertise), clearly, or else you fall behind. However diving into it headfirst is both an absolute homerun or it is a full crash and burn.”
Case recommends fledging operators give attention to consistency initially. “Consistency wins in the whole lot,” he stated. “Consistency with opening, consistency together with your workers, consistency together with your meals product, your prospects, the whole lot. Provide you with a plan and be constant.”
About Mandy Wolf Detwiler
Mandy Wolf Detwiler is the managing editor at Networld Media Group and the positioning editor for PizzaMarketplace.com and QSRweb.com. She has greater than 20 years’ expertise protecting meals, individuals and locations.
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An award-winning print journalist, Mandy brings greater than 20 years’ expertise to Networld Media Group. She has spent practically twenty years protecting the pizza business, from impartial pizzerias to multi-unit chains and each measurement enterprise in between. Mandy has been featured on the Meals Community and has received quite a few awards for her protection of the restaurant business. She has an insatiable urge for food for studying, and might inform you the place to search out the very best slices within the nation after spending 15 years touring and consuming pizza for a residing.Â
