Crowd at the new set of Take One in South San Francisco. FILAMSTAR PHOTO
SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, California — Take One Pizza on Sunday, December 14 held the grand opening of its second store at the new Westborough Square in this city, with two new toppings – It’s Snowtime and The Villain.
In less than a year after it first opened in the Bay Area city of San Jose, Take One Pizza has been moving pizza like burgers. Sunday, the rate was “about 100 pizzas since two hours after opening,” said owner Ruell Medina as he personally welcomed customers, guests and friends.
“We prepared about 1,000 today. We spread the word to like our pizza in Facebook then you get another pizza free, first come-first served, from noon until 8 p.m.,” Medina added.
From the look of the crowds waiting at tables and the snaking line, social media proved its power over traditional advertising once again. Medina said they even got the kinks out from all those Yelp! complaints about slow delivery resulting in cold pizza.
“What happened was, we auditioned our crew at soft opening day. There’s no way you’re going to get the perfect crew on opening day. Our concept has always been the presentation of the five-minute pizza,” he said.
When people read “fast and fresh in five minutes,” they called in orders. This was a mistake. Medina explained: “Our concept of the personal-size pizza is the presentation right in front of the customer. One pizza assembled per customer at a time. The brick oven bake time is about three minutes. So the whole thing takes about five minutes.”
At Pike’s Place in Seattle, Piroshky, Piroshky operates on the same principle and the lines are always long. But patrons wait in line because it’s worth it and enjoy the sideshow. Then the consuming of the hot, just-made pizza, just like piroshki, in the cold Bay Area weather is elevated to a unique experience. You don’t bring a Take One Pizza creation home to eat like Li’l Cesar or Domino’s. Take One is the theater of pizza. You pick it like a show and you stay for the show.
Since the first Take One, two additions have joined the ranks of the stellar pizza menu. The first is It’s Snowtime, concocted by Medina’s wife, Aubrey. It’s a veggie pizza with a white Alfredo-style sauce and a drizzle of balsamic vinegar.
But it seems like The Villain is going to be another hit, Medina said. This new topping is a special house blend with sriracha sauce for those who like their pizza hot.
The Villain, together with their signatures Italian Subtitles (pesto sauce) and Meat Action (their high protein), are Take One’s best sellers. Still, at less than $8 before taxes and still 11” thin crust, beating some 9” personal pizzas that cost more. Take One Pizza now also serves beer and wine.
Medina said they’re still on track to go with the plan of opening one branch every six months. But if business keeps doing well, they may become even more aggressive after a year.
Medina’s smart plan is “to spread out all over Northern California so we don’t cannibalize our own shops.” They’re targeting the high retail complexes to catch the flow of foot traffic in the area. They’re looking at the East Bay for their third prospective shop.
In Westborough, the scenario works out just fine with students from Skyline College, South San Francisco High School and other schools as captive audiences during the day, especially after school. At dinner, it’s a diverse crowd.