Frozen foods take off at Cranky Pat's

August 14, 2006
Author: Maureen Wallenfang
Author: Post-Crescent staff writer
The Post-Crescent
Section: Business
Page: 06D

Article Text:
Q Are you happy with the way the new frozen pizza division is going?
A Yes, very happy. We've seen as much if not more growth than I expected.

Q When we talked last October, you were doing 200 frozen pizzas a week from the restaurant. You had a goal of 1,500 to 2,000 a week, with capacity of 4,000, by adding the new building. How many do you sell now?
A We've upped all of those numbers. We're currently doing 1,500 or 2,000 a week. Our goal is now between 3,000 and 4,000 a week, and we think we can do 7,500 a week out of that facility if we do two shifts.

Q What kind of dollar volume do you hope to have someday?
A In the next two years, I would like to see us do between $300,000 and $500,000 in frozen pizzas.

Q You've got a lot of competition, with some local and national brands selling for $2 or $3. Yet at Woodman's, a Cranky Pat's pizza is $7. Why are customers buying your pizzas?
A I'm carrying the same philosophy that we did in the restaurant here -- that is people are more interested in value than the actual cheap price. I'm counting on that. Most of the frozen pizzas out there are a pressed crust. Whereas what we're doing is recreating what we do in the restaurant. We sheet the dough. We use the same amount of toppings as we do in the restaurant. We buy tomato products that are not from concentrate. We do our own butcher work so we control the quality of the meat. We buy the best and freshest things we can.

Q You originally weren't going to sell to grocery stores. What changed?
A Before we actually even started making pizzas, I got a call from Cub Foods in Appleton that wanted to carry our pizzas. Our new salesman, Jeff Hovarter, set up a plan and made a list of big guys, medium guys and small guys. He started right off the bat trying to hit the grocery stores and he's had really, really solid success with it. Woodman's in Green Bay is in the next couple of weeks. Next week we'll be in three Festival Foods (plus) the Appleton Festival Foods once that is open.

Q So Jeff has been instrumental in your success. Who else is on your team?
A Lloyd Kitchen is the plant manager. He's doing a great job, too. He's very organized and good with the employees.

Q Originally you said the investment would be $150,000. Is that right?
A A little bit more than that. We probably have $200,000 into it.

Q When will you break even?
A If we get over 3,000 pizzas a week, then we'll really start paying some bills off. We're holding our own right now.

Q Where are your biggest sales right now?
A We do about 70 percent in the bars. But that's going to change in the next two weeks with Festival and Woodman's coming onboard. The smaller guys are the key for us for the time being. We do intend to start doing some outside marketing. Some billboards and possibly some radio to get recognition, to show the people we sell to we're motivated enough to drum up some business for them and for us at the same time.

Q You come from a restaurant background. What have you learned about the frozen business?
A Everything. I knew how to make pizzas and I know how to talk to customers and create a positive dining experience. But being a salesperson is a pretty difficult task. I tried to do it myself for a while and I realized I was not cut out for it. That's why we brought on Jeff. It's a tough racket for sure. I never imagined how competitive that actually was.

Q What would your dad have thought of this?
A I think he'd get a kick out of it. To begin with, I think he'd think I was a little bit nutty. He was always "Do one thing, do it right, make it happen." I really believe we still do do that. It's a little different take on it. I think he'd be impressed, especially where we are now.

David Earle
Title: Owner of Cranky Pat's new wholesale pizza operation co-owner, with sister-in-law Mary Sue Earle, of Cranky Pat's restaurant in Neenah

Address: 905 S. Commercial St., Neenah

Restaurant operation: Started by Pat Earle and Frank Pierri in 1955. Neenah restaurant opened in 1963.
Wholesale division: Started by David Earle in February
Earle's background: Age 38, originally from Appleton, now a resident of Little Chute

Web site: www.crankypats.com

Employees: Six full time in the frozen pizza division overall 60 full and part time including Neenah restaurant.


Changing opportunities
"When my wife and I talked about expansion, we talked about another restaurant. It's a lot of work and there's a ceiling on that. You have a certain amount of space, a certain size oven, this is how much you're capable of doing. Whereas the frozen pizza thing is essentially wide open for us."

$7 frozen pizzas
"I think people are ready for a good frozen pizza as opposed to a mediocre pizza."

Where To Find Our Frozen Pizzas:
Appleton
CUB Foods
The Corner Pub
Déjà vu
Fox Convenience Store - Prospect
Fox Convenience Store - Oneida
Fox Convenience Store - Edgewood
Fox Convenience Store - Wisconsin
Fox Convenience Store - Northland
Fox Convenience Store - Richmond
Fox Convenience Store - Appleton
Flanagan’s Stop and Shop
Friends and Neighbors
MT Pockets
Niemuth’s Market
Piggly Wiggly
Reid Golf Couse
The St. James
Video Planet
Woodman’s Market

Combined Locks
Larry's Bar & Grill

De Pere
Festival Foods
Piggly Wiggly

Green Bay
Biebel's Supermarket
Cranky Pat's/Frank & Pat's Pizzeria
Cub Foods East
Cub Foods West
Festival Foods East
Festival Foods West
Fox Convenience Store - Military
Piggly Wiggly
Woodman’s Market

Little Chute
Fox Convenience Store - North
Fox Convenience Store - Moasis
Piggly Wiggly
Pop in Again
Valley Liquor

Kaukauna
Piggly Wiggly

Menasha
Best Beverage
City Limits
Club Liquor
Dick's Wheel Inn
Germania Hall
Hank's Fifth Ward Tavern
The Hotel Pub
Jitters Bar
Just One More
The Locker Room
North Shore Country Club
The Old Grog
Pat’s Legend Inn
R & R Bar
Stack’s Bar
Waverly Beach Shell

Neenah
Bee Hive
Bring Her Inn
Cellars Wine and Spirits
Cranky Pat's
Dick’s Wheel Inn
Fox Convenience Store - Gillingham
FireLite
Fox Valley Roller Rink
I.C.U. Lounge
Last Call
Lucky Dog’z
Neenah/Menasha Elks Club
Paper City Pub
Reagan’s
Reunion
The St. James
Twin City Rod & Gun Club
Under The Dome
Westridge Golf Course

Oshkosh
B & E Lounge
Oregon Bison and Elk
Bottoms Up
C.B.C.
Captain Jack’s
Cranky Pat's
D.B. Paddock
DJ's
Evil Roy Slades
Festival Foods
French Quarter
Ginger Snaps
Houge's Bar
Jordy’s Beverage
Nigl’s
Piggly Wiggly
Reptile Palace
Timbuktu

Wauwatosa
Rosebud Cinema Draft House