Pizza is a popular food item around the world, and in South Africa, Roman’s Pizza is one of the most prominent pizzeria chains around. Founded in 1993 by Arthur Nicolakakis in Pretoria, the chain was originally named Little Caesar’s. In 2002, the franchise was rebranded and renamed Roman’s Pizza.
Business Model
The franchise’s business model is based on seeking minimized prices while maintaining quality. Roman’s Pizza was well-known for its “two in one” promotions until the Covid-19 lockdowns in March 2020, which forced much the restaurant industry in South Africa to close its doors.
Roman’s Pizza has a wide selection of toppings on their menu, and their delivery services are generally good. However, there are other places that offer better pizza flavours at the same or better rates now that the “two in one” promotion has been discontinued. This has resulted in Roman’s Pizza losing some of its market share in the industry.
In June 2020 food houses and restaurants reopened. Roman’s Pizza discontinued its “two in one” pizza promotion, while some of their prices also increased, probably to maintain the profitability of the franchise. This move undoubtedly must have had a negative impact on their customer base.
Lockdown Challenges
In all sectors of business, smaller organisations had to close their doors during lockdowns, some never to open again. The restaurant and hospitality service industry was two one of the hardest-hit sectors during the 2020 pandemic lockdown, resulting in thousands of job losses.
In South Africa, only black-owned business models was offered a small amount of financial relief in lockdowns. This government decision was challenged in court. While the High-Court ruled in favour of spreading financial relief to all cultural sectors, no funding was left by the time that ruling was made. Available funds was already distributed to BEE partners, while most of the International Relief Fund allocated to South Africans was pillaged in government corruption.
Pizza Wars
The key to creating a good pizza is to strike a balance between adventurousness and simplicity when choosing your toppings. The competition in the pizzeria industry in South Africa is fierce, with each player trying to outdo the other with innovative flavours, deals, and promotions.
To stand out from the crowd, some pizzerias have started using unusual toppings such as fruit, caramelized onions, and even aloe vera, while others offer classic toppings like pepperoni, mushrooms, onions, peppers, and olives. You will often find a selection of dessert pizza’s at many pizzerias.
Improvising on Pizza Toppings
Pizza is a dish that can be customized to suit anyone’s taste buds. While most people stick to more conservative flavours, some pizzerias have taken the route to using more unusual toppings to make their brands stand out from the crowd.
Some people seem to enjoy fruit flavours. While it may seem odd to put fruit on a pizza, it can actually be quite delicious. Pineapple is a classic example, but other fruits like peaches, figs, bananas and even strawberries can be used to add a sweet and tangy flavour to any slice.
Another popular option would be to transform bolognese mince into a savoury topping, adding some freshly chopped jalapeño and avocado’s on top, or using pulled pork, thinly sliced Russians, cold meats and various veggies as different combinations.
Savoury Toppings
For a more savoury option, you could try adding roasted garlic or caramelized onions, which will give your pizza a rich, earthy flavour. Whatever toppings you select, remember that the beauty of pizza is that it’s entirely customizable, so experiment and find your own perfect combination.
Aloe vera, for example, is a popular ingredient in health drinks and skincare products. Some pizzerias makers have started using Aloe Vera to add a unique flavour and health benefits to the dish, or even started incorporating Spekboom into toppings. Other unusual toppings that have been used include cream cheese, chocolate, and even insects.
Simple Pizza Toppings
Whatever topping you decide on, have a clear flavour profile in mind when selecting your pizza toppings. Too much of a mix may throw out your flavour buds, making it unclear as to what you want to taste, while too little, or too plain a topping, may just be boring.
Be adventurous, but be smart. When selecting toppings, try to strike a balance between adventurousness and simplicity. Hell, try using last night’s leftovers. Chop, mix with a dash of cheese and tomato paste, herbs or use it as it is, flavoursome and chopped onto itself.
DIY Basic Pizza Base Recipe
Pizza is a simple dish that anyone can make at home with the right ingredients and toppings. To make your base, you will need flour, baking powder, salt, olive oil, warm water, tomato sauce or paste, shredded mozzarella cheese, and toppings of your choice.
Pizza Dough
2 cups Flour
1 tablespoon Baking Powder
1 teaspoon Salt
1 tablespoon Olive Oil
¾ cup Warm Water
Mix the flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl. Add the olive oil and warm water and stir until a soft dough forms. Knead the dough for 5–10 minutes until it’s smooth and elastic. Cover the dough with a damp cloth and let it rest for 30 minutes. Form a ball and roll the dough out to the thickness you require.
Basic Pizza Toppings
½ cup Tomato Sauce, Tomato Paste, Tomato Purée or even Pasta Sauce
2 cups Shredded Mozzarella Cheese
Your choice of toppings (e.g., Pepperoni, Mushrooms, Onions, Peppers, Olives, etc.)
Preheat your oven to 425 °F (220 °C). Roll out the dough into a circle and transfer it to a greased pizza pan. Spread the tomato sauce over the dough, leaving a ½ inch border around the edges. Using a spatula or marinating brush works very well. Top with your selection of toppings, herbs, and spices. Grill to perfection.
Unconventional Toppings
Explore a selection of unconventional topping. Make up your own. Mix, match, try your favourite foods as a topping mixed with gooey cheese and a selection of herbs and spices blended with a tomato paste topping. Go insects if you want to be really bohemian.
Experiment with underrated toppings that will satisfy anybody’s need for a savoury treat. Olives, eggs, peppers, pickles, mushrooms, aragulla, mixed, or combined with ground beef and dash of pesto can be a flavour destination at any social gathering.
Consider unexpected combinations for a dash of the wildside. Sweet corn and jalapenos, Mango and red pepper or create a superfood option using roasted caulifllower mixed with fresh basil can be an expected flavour destination mixing saeet and spice, crunch tropical flavours, or fragrant earthy combos.
Fruits and Desserts
Adding fruits like pineapple, peaches, figs, or strawberries can add a sweet and tangy flavour to your pizza. For example, a Hawaiian pizza with ham and pineapple is a classic example of sweet and salty flavours that complement each other.
Alternatively, explore the unconventional world of pizza desserts. Consider toppings of melted chocolate, or try out a cinnamon sugar topping consisting of flour, butter, cinnamon and sugar. Bake for 15 minutes only before adding a drizzle of mixed powdered sugar, vanilla and milk, the lactose free kind also work.
Caramelized Onions
Cooking onions low and slow until they are sweet and caramelized can add a rich, earthy flavour to your pizza. Pair them with goat cheese or blue cheese for a delicious combination. Consider a combo of thinly sliced Russians or Pulled Pork for depth layered underneath the onions.
Eggs
Adding eggs to your topping can make it richer and more filling. You can crack an egg on top before baking it or create a breakfast pizza with bacon, sausage, and scrambled eggs.
Truffle Oil
Truffle oil is a luxurious ingredient that adds a unique earthy flavour to your pizza. Drizzle it on top before or after baking for a delicious touch of splendour.
Mac and Cheese
Top your pizza with mac and cheese and bacon bits for a delicious treat. Scatter with a dash of finely chopped spring onions after baking, or add slices of Avocado after for a fresh touch of flavour.
Honourable Mentions
If you use a baking tray in an oven, wetting some baking paper and placing it under your pizza base before placing it in the oven can prevent it from burning, or drying out completely. Even a crock pot can be used for cooking if that is all that you have.
If you are using a topping like avocado pieces, add that to the topping after baking to keep its taste fresh and wholesome. Cooked avocado and mince don’t always complement each other, although it can depend on the flavour enhancers you used for your mince.
Selecting and mixing different types of cheeses as your pizza base cheese topping can enhance the flavour. Spreading some cream cheese on the pizza base, before topping it with the tomato paste, makes a big difference to the overall taste of a pizza.
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