Away we go!!!

Things have been rather surreal in my world lately. What started out as a great idea to open a couple of "hip" organic pizza joints has turned into all that and a bag of chips too. (Yes, Organic chips!) We just sold two locations in Philadelphia, two in Pittsburgh, and single units in Pembroke Pines, Delray Beach, Weston, Jupiter and Plantation. The future of Pizza Fusion looks like a bright one!

As each day passes, this has not only become an amazing business venture, but more importantly it has become a personal crusade as well. I have been blessed with an opportunity to be a part of something that will make an impact in this world. I have always dreamed of finding something that I am truly passionate about and said that I would play a part in "making a difference" in this world. If this translates to one business changing their model, then I have achieved my goal. If everyone were to just take ONE thing... one simple thing to do their part, then it would have a huge impact on our fragile planet.

A recent study shows that the average American has an "ecological footprint" of 24 acres of land. In other words, if everyone lived like we do, then we'd need approximately FIVE planets to accommodate everyones style of living. Now... here comes the wake-up call... we only have ONE planet!

Here a few simple things you can do that would truly make a difference:

1. LIGHT UP :: replace three incandescent bulbs with compact fluorescent (CFC) bulbs in your home and eliminate 300 lbs. of CO2 (lasts longer, burns less).

2. RECYCLE :: recycling half of the aluminum, glass, plastic, and paper you use reduces 2400 lbs. of CO2.

3. PURCHASE GREEN POWER :: if available in your area, purchase 100% green power from a company and prevent 3800 to 6200 lbs. of CO2 from entering the atmosphere.

4. BUILD GREEN & USE SOLAR POWER :: if remodeling or building a new home, use green materials and solar energy (use federal tax credits and state buy down programs if available) to reduce 1000 to 6000 lbs. of CO2.

5. TURN IT DOWN, TURN IT UP :: turn your heater down and your air conditioner up by three degrees and save 1050 lbs. of CO2 per year.

6. WASH COOL :: do two loads of your laundry per week in cold or warm water instead of hot (and hang stuff out to dry when you can), save 500 lbs. of CO2 a year.

7. STORE SMARTLY, SAVE MONEY :: buy energy star refrigerators and other appliances and save money as well as 1000 lbs. of CO2 a year.

8. BE WATER WISE :: buy low-flow toilets that can save up to 22,000 gallons of water per year for a family of four.

9. USE GREEN PAINTS :: buy No-VOC (volatile organic compounds) or low VOC paints that can eliminate eye, nose and throat irritation, and more severe health threats.

10. FAN IT :: Installing a whole-house or ceiling fan improves interior comfort by circulating cold and warm air and dramatically reduces the need for air conditioning at 1/10 the price.

For other great ideas on how to make your home more green, visit www.globalgreen.org.

We have store #3 under way!

It's so exciting to see a seed that was planted only 15 moths ago start to sprout. With strong roots, we have signed the paperwork to make Pizza Fusion store #3 official. We have been speaking with Rick and Linda Wilson of Hillsboro Mile since January. They are truly great people and I am very excited to have the opportunity to work with them on their Palm Beach Gardens location. It will be our largest store to date at approximately 1,500 square feet. It is being built in a BRAND NEW retail and residential community on PGA Boulevard. It reminds me of Mizner Park in Boca.

I will post some pictures of the spot pre-construction so you can track the progress.

Back in (blog)Action

So, it's been quite some time since my last post. A lot has happened since the Holidays. Where do I start? Well, first, we made a giant leap into the world of franchising! Michael and I had received such an overwhelming response to the concept, that when approached by my best friend to have "a chat" with his soon-to-be father in-law about franchising, we had to hear what he had to say. In short, we could create a company that could create profitablity through franchising while using it as a vehicle to help spread our message of environmental integrity and social responsibility.

Michael and I decided that this "chance" encounter with our now partner, Randy Romano, was no chance and found ourselves the perfect cog to our wheel. We have setup our corporate office in Fort Lauderdale and have started on this amazing journey. We have also made a few key hires when we brought on Eric Haley as our V.P. of Communications, and Katy Livingston as our Creative Director and Brand Manager. Both of them appeared at just the right time and we wouldn't be where we are if it wasn't for their talent and dedication to Pizza Fusion becoming a household name.

We made an area development deal with the B&Y Restaurant group for the rights to the Miami-Dade territory. Michael Block and Jeffrey Yagoda have been an incredible asset to the parent company, as well as key operators for our inaugural store in Fort Lauderdale... our 1st Franchise! They are currently seeking prime retail locations for the 2nd of 5 locations they have in the works. It looks like South Beach will be store #3 of Pizza Fusion

On May 1st, we brought seasoned franchise expert, John Driedger, on to the Pizza Fusion Team. He has taken off out of the gates and has been busy interviewing potential new family members for our expansion efforts through franchsing! He's been speaking to people from all over the United States and I should be reporting some great news in the near future... right here, so stay tuned!

Your fearless, blogging, eco-friendly, low-impacting, organic pizza franchising leader!

Vaughan Lazar

Pizza Fusion @ Bloomingdales - 11/25

Our Executive Pizza Chef Ashley Rathgaber and co-founder Vaughan Lazar will be working some Pizza Fusion Magic @ Bloomingdales on Saturday 11/25 on the 2nd floor in the kitchen wares section. They will be the featured guests in Bloomgdale's guest chef series. They will be making their signature olive tapenade and focaccia sandwich.

More details to be posted shortly!

ORGANIC GIFT BASKETS for the HOLIDAYS!!!!

Invited to the In-Laws for Thanksgiving and have no clue what to bring?...

Pizza Fusion will be taking orders for CUSTOM Organic Gift Baskets starting at $40!

We have TONS of items to choose from:
- Organic Wines
- Organic Fruits
- Organic Oils & Sauces
- Organic Candles, Lotions, Bath Salts
- Organic Cheeses

and....

The soon to be completed Pizza Fusion "Organic Fusion" CD!!! A fusion of jazz, house and everything in between!!!!

Stay tuned... and if you are interested... hit us up!!!

PizzaFusion.com

Pizza Fusion gift baskets offer an elegant and thoughtful way to celebrate the special people in your life. Best of all, they’re arranged, wrapped and ready-to-go*, taking the stress out of gift giving.

Custom-made baskets are filled with a delicious selection of organic treats, perfect for holidays, birthdays, housewarmings, anniversaries, showers or any occasion that calls for something unique.

How To Order
To order your custom gift basket, call or visit your neighborhood Pizza Fusion and ask for the Manager. Share your ideas, price range and time frame, and our associates will create a unique basket that’s sure to impress.

Mike & Vaughan go to the market...

In an ongoing effort to always have the freshest ingredients, our founders, Vaughan and Michael made their weekly journey down to Glasers Organic Market in Coconut Grove to do some shopping. Glasers is South Florida's oldest organic farmers market.
This lively event takes place in a beautiful open air market with South Florida's widest selection of freshly harvested organic fruits and vegetables, nuts, seeds, grains and dried fruits. Come hungry and enjoy our unique raw foods deli, featuring Sprouted Spreads, Gourmet Salads, Giant Nori Rolls, fresh squeezed juices, and astonishingly beautiful raw fruit pies.

Stan Glaser is a local legend in the "Organic world" and is very helpful in finding exactly what you need. We consulted with Stan and the amazing folks at Glasers on several occasions prior to opening and our owners, Vaughan and Michael make an effort to be there every Saturday to get the freshest of fresh produce and raw foods!

Visit Glaser's Website

OR'KIDS - Our Kids Organics Class a success

We have had an overwhelming response to our monthly "ORKIDS" - Organics Classes for Children.


We offer the class on the third Saturday of each month and kids AND their grown-ups get a lesson in Organics 101, can make their own pizza, learn about the Hybrid cars we deliver our food in and more...

Classes fill-up fast and require a "reservation" so we can accommodate everyone. The class is approximately 1-2 hours long and is ALL fun. The class is for kids of all ages but find that children ages 6-12 get the most out of this activity.

Upon completion of the days events, the kids get to eat their pizza creation and also receive an official "OR'KIDS" Diploma!

To reserve your spot in the next class... stop by our store and fill-out a registration form or send us an email.

Spinach is Back!!!

The Food and Drug administration has given the nod of approval for Fresh Spinach to return to the marketplace.

Spinach lovers got the green light last week to start eating the leafy vegetables again--as long as they are not from certain California fields.

In statements Monday and Tuesday, the FDA said it had traced spinach tainted with E. coli bacteria to three California counties, and consumers could be confident that spinach grown elsewhere is safe.

In the last few days, bags of fresh spinach have started popping up on the same grocery store shelves that weeks ago had been stripped of every trace of the stuff.

All of our delicious salads are available, including our baby Spinach salad...

Enjoy!

FDA identifies Natural Selection Foods as source of E. coli outbreak

There has been a recent outbreak of E. Coli across the United States linked to bagged Spinach. The U.S. FDA has identified "Natual Selection Foods, LLC as the source of the E. Coli outbreak.

Pizza Fusion ONLY uses Newman's Own Organics and Earthbound Farms for our salads and spinach toppings. Regardless, once the outbreak was first reported, we at Pizza Fusion IMMEDIATELY disposed of all products that may be infected as a precautionary measure. We will NOT have Spinach, Baby Spinach Salad or Fusion Spring Mix available until further notice.

Your Health is our ONLY priority!


A statement from Charles Sweat, COO Natural Selection Foods



SAN JUAN BAUTISTA; CALIF; September 15, 2006: After consulting with the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the California Department of Health Services (CDHS), we have voluntarily initiated this recall. This is a proactive step, taken as a precaution, to protect the health and safety of our customers. While neither the FDA nor the CDHS have yet determined the source of the e coli problem, we believe that recalling all spinach product packed in our facilities is the right thing to do. The FDA has said that they are looking at the entire industry and we will continue to do our part in their investigation.

Quality and food safety have been the centerpiece of our business and we pride ourselves on the high standards we have set and the great care we take in the handling of all the product that comes through our facilities.

With over twenty years of experience packing fresh produce we have built a track record that is unmatched by others in the industry. Our commitment to food safety means implementing a series of stringent measures:

Facility Sanitation
Our facility undergoes a thorough sanitation program every day. We provide thorough training in Good Manufacturing Practices, which govern strict sanitation protocols and standards.

Independent Monitoring
A Quality Assurance Supervisor oversees every shift; he or she continually monitors chlorine levels of our water, the temperatures of our packing plant, and the quality of our products and water. We participate in the USDA's Qualified Through Verification (QTV) program. As a part of the QTV program, USDA auditors review records, observe and interview employees, conduct preoperation
sanitation inspections, and follow a specialized Systems Audit Checklist to confirm that the company is following its QTV plan. As an added safeguard, our products and equipment are tested for bacteria by an independent certified lab.

We will continue to work with the government and our partners in the fresh cut produce industry to learn what we can about the source of this current problem.Consumers who need additional information about the recall should call 888-736-2840.


FDA Investigation; Packaged Fresh Spinach Recall

A statement from Natural Selection Foods, LLC.

SAN JUAN BAUTISTA; CALIF; September 15, 2006: We are aware of reports of illnesses in multiple states nationwide including one death, possibly related to e coli contamination in fresh spinach. We have been working closely with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the California Department of Health Services (CDHS) to try to understand the scope and locate the source of any contamination.

In an effort to minimize risk and afford the maximum possible protection to consumers, the FDA and CDHS have recommended that fresh spinach that is currently in the market be recalled. We have decided to voluntarily recall all of the products which contain spinach in all the brands we pack with “Best if Used by Dates” of August 17th through October 1st. Brands include: Dole, Natural Selection Foods, Pride of San Juan, Earthbound Farm, Bellissima, Rave Spinach, Emeril, Sysco, O Organic, Fresh Point, River Ranch, Superior, Nature’s Basket, Pro-Mark, Compliments, Trader Joe’s, Ready Pac, Jansal Valley, Cheney Brothers, Coastline, D’Arrigo Brothers, Green Harvest, Mann, Mills Family Farm, Premium Fresh, Snoboy, The Farmer’s Market, Tanimura & Antle, President’s Choice, Cross Valley, Riverside Farms. Products include spinach and any salad with spinach in a blend, both retail and foodservice products. Products that do not contain spinach are not part of this recall. We are working with the FDA and CDHS to offer consumers the greatest possible protection with the limited information available.

Products were distributed within the United States nationwide, Canada and Mexico. No illnesses have been reported to date outside of the U.S.

E. coli O157:H7 causes diarrhea, often with bloody stools. Although most healthy adults can recover completely within a week, some people can develop a form of kidney failure called Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome (HUS). HUS is most likely to occur in young children, the elderly and people with compromised immune systems. The condition can lead to serious kidney damage and even death. If consumers are experiencing any of these symptoms, contact should be made with their local health provider.

The health and safety of those who consume our products is our top priority today and every day. We remain absolutely committed to providing a safe, nutritious product to all of our customers and we will continue to work with the FDA and CDHS on their ongoing investigation. Consumers requesting additional information may contact Natural Selection Foods at 888-736-2840.

Consumers with any of the products described above should dispose of the products.