Operations

Slice House by Tony Gemignani a 'slice' of heaven

Renowned pizzaiolo Tony Gemignani has launched franchising for his Slice House by Tony Gemignani brand. With eight open and 34 in development, the company is poised for explosive growth.

Provided

July 17, 2023 by Mandy Wolf Detwiler — Editor, Networld Media Group

In March, Pizza Marketplace named its top 25 executives in the pizza industry, as well as the top emerging brands. Leading the charge behind both categories is one man: Tony Gemignani. Gemignani took home the No. 1 position as the top industry executive, and his brand Slice House by Tony Gemignani took the pinnacle position as the best emerging brand.

Pizza Marketplace sat down with Gemignani to learn how Slice House is poised for extensive growth and how Gemignani is spearheading that campaign.

He first opened Slice House by Tony Gemignani in 2010 next to his showcase brand, Tony's Pizza Napoletana, in the heart of San Francisco's North Beach district. Tony's, renowned for its authentic Italian pizza styles, was full service with a waitstaff and often had long lines. Slice House, however, had limited seating and was designed mostly as a carryout and delivery service where people could grab and go.

Tony Gemignani is a founding member of the World Champions of pizza and a California pizzaiolo. Provided.

The concept started to grow and went into concessions in places like Oracle Park where the San Francisco Giants play and Allegiant Stadium, home of the Las Vegas Raiders.

The first brick-and-mortar store on its own opened in Walnut Creek, California, in May 2016 and serves as the brand's corporate headquarters. "That's where we really grew the menu," Gemignani said. "I looked at it and thought 'we offer different styles of pizza, why not offer different combinations?' So currently now … it has a Detroit style, a Sicilian style, Grandma style, a New York 12- and 20-inch, a 12-inch regular and gluten-free … You're able to get any of our combinations in any style rather than having a category for Detroit, a sub-category for Grandma, a category for Sicilian. I married them all together (and) made it much more consumer friendly."

Gemignani said there was a rise in Detroit-style, Grandma and Sicilian pies during the pandemic. "We always said Slice House was pandemic-proof, and it was one of those concepts that did really, really well," Gemignani added. "Basically, we came our of COVID busier than we were pre-COVID."

Slice House was a concept Gemignani thought would franchise well, and he invested money and time into franchising the brand right. What started with one dough recipe and a triple-stack oven has evolved into an eight-unit concept with 34 in various stages of development and four in the contract stage. They've had several groups buy multiple units in large territories, and several franchisees already have experience with companies like Subway, Wing Stop, Nekter Juice Bar and Sourdough & Co.

Does he worry that they're growing too big too fast? Gemignani said no, that his team has been working on the infrastructure for a long time and the units in development could take up to five years to get off the ground.

Still, the concept is what's drawing potential franchisees to the brand.

"I try to make it as user friendly as possible for franchisees," Gemignani said. "It's a scratch restaurant. We're not like a lot of other franchises out there. We've met with a lot of possible franchisees and we've told them right from the start you're not going to pull (ingredients) out of the freezer and drop it in a fryer. It's not like other concepts. You'll make dough from scratch in-house, you'll make your dressings, your sauce, your croutons — there are a lot of items that are scratch-made. But it's a lot more user friendly than when I started it."

The next two franchises are expected to open in Thousand Oaks and Simi Valley, both in California. Gemignani said the L.A. are has been a "hotbed" for Slice House, but Colorado, Arizona, Texas and Nevada are also ripe for development.

A squash blossom and burrata pizza by Tony Gemignani. Provided.

On the menu

In some instances, the brand is introducing certain styles of pizza to the areas in which Slice Houses are located, like Detroit-style and Grandma pies. For example, Detroit, Grandma and Sicilian pizzas aren't "super popular in L.A. yet," Gemignani said. "They're around, but they're not all around. The areas that we're coming into — San Diego to Carlsbad, up to all over L.A. — I think you'll see all three of those styles taking the helm.

"Even the franchisees who have come here and eaten them with their chefs here in Walnut Creek say 'there's nothing like this where we're at.' … It's exciting to hear that because that's what Slice House has always been about. That's what Tony's has always been about and what Pizza Rock (Gemignani's concept in Las Vegas) has always been about. It's the diversity of the menu.'"

Gemignani said diners are savvier than ever and know good pizza when they taste it. Social media has brought to light more than just traditional pizza, letting other styles shine as well. That's what keeps customers coming back to his brands repeatedly — because there are choices available.

"I've never been in love with one particular style," he adds. "I've been in love with every style. … If it's done right, it's great. The diversity of the menu is a lot different than other places."

Fresh pasta, wings, salads and breads are also available at Slice House. Still, 85% of sales are pizza based.

Gemignani said so much is made in-house because it is a hallmark of his brands and it makes them reputable restaurants, especially in major metropolitans like San Francisco.

"The quality is important, and the flavors separate us," he added. "What separates you from your neighbor or the guy down the street? A lot of that is your items made in-house. The ingredients pop, the pizzas pop. It's your pride. When you start to franchise you steer away from a lot of that. We're not."

He still uses quality ingredients from Grande and Stanislaus for the pizzas, and customers can taste the difference. It's not a chain pizza, he said, and each one is going to be different, but still a consistent Slice House product.

The majority of prospective Slice House franchisees appreciate the hands-on approach to food. People love good food, Gemignani said, and people love to cook. He spearheaded a pizza school for many years, but shut it down when he started to franchise, as he didn't want to teach pizzaiolos how to make pizza and potentially end up as a competitor down the line.

"We're not the cheapest place. We're not the coupon place," Gemignani said. "You won't find $3 off coupons, the 'Buy Two, Get One Free.' We're not playing that game. The quality and consistency are behind that."

To teach consistency, franchisees spend three weeks at the Walnut Creek location learning how to handle dough and make pizzas. Then they spend three weeks in their own pizzerias. If they're not ready to open, more training is given. Corporate Regional Chef, Anthony Andreason, and Vice President Bill Ginsburg are vital to training, Gemignani said.

"I've been teaching for a long time. Now I need to implement that in my own system," he added. "I drill franchisees pretty good."

About Mandy Wolf Detwiler

Mandy Wolf Detwiler is the managing editor at Networld Media Group and the site editor for PizzaMarketplace.com and QSRweb.com. She has more than 20 years’ experience covering food, people and places.

An award-winning print journalist, Mandy brings more than 20 years’ experience to Networld Media Group. She has spent nearly two decades covering the pizza industry, from independent pizzerias to multi-unit chains and every size business in between. Mandy has been featured on the Food Network and has won numerous awards for her coverage of the restaurant industry. She has an insatiable appetite for learning, and can tell you where to find the best slices in the country after spending 15 years traveling and eating pizza for a living.

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