Panago Pizza

Very cool, old Italian flyer received in the mail. The photographs scream vintage and I wanted to be a part of it.

Fast forward to one of those nights where you don't want to go anywhere, yet your cozy sweats and fuzzy slippers are pleading to be paired with a movie and pizza.

So, naturally I thought of Panago's New York Deli pizza that happened to be front and center on that artistic cover.

This is how it went:

Ring, ring. Ring.

Someone from a place other than Fort St John answers and proceeds to take my order. That is weird. Process is pretty standard with Miss Teenager who mumbles a few sentences together too fast for my aging brain to pick up. I ask her to repeat some. Again, standard. Very pleasant, but still weird that Vancouver location is quoting me on my local pizza.

Miss Teenager quoted me 35 minutes. With all my ninja knowledge and expertise assisting me, I strategically arrived 15 minuted ahead of said quote. The pizza was staring at me as I walked in.

I find that pizza quote times here in FSJ (all across the board) are off. As in you in the pizza joint and your pie is already done and waiting. Ideally, you walk in and you still wait a few minutes--'cause then it's hot! And fresh! And delicious!

Not congealing as you drive there, stuff it in the special heater bag they sell you and continuing to congeal as you speed home only to find that the piping hot circle of goodness is really a semi-warm mass of meltedness.

Yuck.

I will say that Panago's choice of meat on this particular pie is good. I was surprised. It didn't taste like the weird processed stuff you find in some places (Dominos) or those totally gross frozen pizzas at any given grocery store.

Panago's dough is even better. I made the very correct choice of going with the Hand Tossed. Oh. Yeah.

I say cut off Vancouver and handle your own phone calls, FSJ Panago. I don't care if you "update your system in sync with theirs." You misquoted me and made me eat an expensive, luke-warm pizza. And I'm telling my friends.

GRADE: B+
I'm willing to bet that this place could deliver (pardon the pun) great pies if the timing was right.

Panago Pizza
(Totem Mall)
2050-9600 93 Ave
250.310.0001

From the Tip Jar

================================================================
From RestaurantOwner.com - December 8, 2009
================================================================
This Is a Great Time to Recognize the Manager You Want to
Keep
 
You can't create and sustain a successful restaurant
without good management.
 
In smaller restaurants the bulk of the management may be
provided by you, the owner, but few restaurant owners want
to spend their entire career managing day-to-day operations. 
 
Unless your goal is to create a job for yourself, you need
good managers who can lead people and run your restaurant
as well as (or even better) than you can.
 
You already know who your good managers are but here's a
quick checklist to quantify and evaluate some specific
traits and the effectiveness of your management staff.
 
 - Do they say what they will do and do all that they say?
 
 - Do they seem to attract quality staff to the business?
 i.e.,some of your best hires were a result of their
 recommendations. 
 
 - Have you seen sales and profits grow since they became
 managers?
 
 - Do they take the initiative to suggest new products,
 systems and procedures and have helped you put them in
  place successfully?
 
 - Do other staff members seek them out formally and
 informally for help, guidance, direction, support?
 
If you have managers who exhibit some or all of these
traits, you do not want to lose them. And rest assured,
there are businesses inside and outside the industry that
would love to have them on board.
 
The holiday season is a good time to let them know how
much you value and appreciate the contributions they make.
Do something that makes them feel good about being a part
of your team. It may increase the odds they'll still be with
you next year at this time.