III. Description Of Business

Background

Pizza consumption in the U.S. is on the upswing. The credit for the insatiable pizza hunger lies both with a better product and with today’s lifestyles. “Fifteen years ago, pizza was greasy kids’ stuff, “ says Paula Werne of Pizza Today. Today there is much more variety available: you can order a pizza with cheese, vegetable toppings, pepperoni, anchovies, etc. Product improvements made pizza acceptable; and product convenience made pizza flourish. “Families are converting that one night a week they used to go to McDonald’s into a night at home with take-out and the DVD,” says Dennis Sheaks, owner of Joe Peeps Pizza in New York.

Pizzeria Fresco has developed its niche based on providing authentic Northern Italian pizza, in addition to the idea of serving a product that is healthier than other pizzas. Trends indicate that people have become generally more conscious of their health and relating it more to what they eat. As more medical information is disclosed relating food-intake to health, people are realizing that eating properly is a key to good health. Americans are consuming proportionately less fate and saturated fat than they were 12 years ago, according to the latest nationwide survey conducted by the National Center for Health Statistics.

Most existing pizzerias in the U.S. continue to serve the traditional “pizza pie” with the choice of added toppings like extra cheese, pepperoni, sausage, etc. the pizza is generally made with dough, tomato sauce and mozzarella cheese with added oil. The approximate nutrient value for an average slice of cheese pizza is:

Calories: 410

Carbohydrates: 40 grams (39% of total calories)

Protein: 23 grams (22% of total calories)

Fat: 18 grams (20% of total calories)

Although not the worst food a person can consume, the traditional pizza does have significant levels of fat, cholesterol and sodium. Pizzeria Fresco will enter the market with pizza that is lower in calories and fat than that of existing pizzas.

PRODUCT DESCRIPTION

Pizzeria Fresco will come into the market offering an alternative to traditional pizza. Pizzeria Fresco emphasizes “great taste”; low fat; low calories; high nutritional value; and value for the money (low-cost). Pizzeria Fresco pizza will be made with the Northern Italian recipe in mind, with a concentration on more healthy ingredients. Instead of “pizza pies” that Americans are used to, Pizzeria Fresco pizza will be baked in rectangular sheets.

Instead of using white flour, Pizzeria Fresco will use whole-wheat flour; low-fat cheese in place of tradition mozzarella cheese; light olive oil on an “as necessary” basis; meat products in moderation with seafood as an interesting alternative; toppings in the form of vegetables and herbs; and no fried foods in any of the pizzas. This results in a unique pizza that is appetizing in taste, appearance, and attitude: eating it results in a feeling of having done something food for oneself.

Consumers at Pizzeria Fresco will have a variety of appetizing pizzas to choose from as is shown below, in part:

Examples of Cold Pizzas

Pizza Capresi: fresh thinly sliced tomatoes, seasoned tuna fish, artichoke leaves, Greek olives, parsley, oregano

Pizza Capreciosa: fresh thinly sliced tomatoes, seasoned tuna fish, artichoke leaves, thinly sliced mozzarella, oregano, basil, optional anchovies

Shrimp/Aruguala Pizza: Arugula, pre-cooked shrimp, seasoning

Shrimp/Calamari Pizza: Lettuce, pre-cooked shrimp and calamari (seasoned)

Examples of Hot Pizzas

Mushroom Pizza: fresh mushrooms, tomato sauce, parsley, oregano, basil

Eggplant Pizza: thinly sliced eggplant, tomato sauce, garlic, parsley

Zucchini Pizza: thinly sliced zucchini, low-fat white American processed cheese, egg, and low-fat mozzarella cheese

Potato Pizza: thinly sliced fresh potatoes, low-fat mozzarella cheese, rosemary

Pizzeria Fresco also has recipes for plain pizza, traditional foccacio, fresh pepper pizza, stuffed spinach pizza, calzone and salmon pizza.

SCHEDULE OF OPERATIONS AND STAFFING Pizzeria Fresco will be open seven days a week, from 10:30 a.m. to 12:00 a.m. on Sunday through Wednesday, and from 10:30 a.m. to 2:00 a.m. on Thursday through Saturday. Preparation before the daily opening begins at 9:00 a.m. Pizzeria Fresco will be open for business on most holidays with the exception of July 4^th, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day.

The staff consists of two servers, one cashier, one pizza preparer and one operations assistant on each of the 14 shifts per week.