Tag Archive: Guests

  1. The Wait Is Almost Over

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    For Immediate Release:

    Monical’s Pizza Paris To Re-Open

    Following the recent retirement of long-time franchisee Diane Boyer and subsequent remodeling of the Paris Monical’s Pizza, the restaurant is scheduled to re-open at the end of August.  Formerly a franchise location, the Paris Monical’s will now be operated as a company-owned restaurant with Jennifer Denton assuming General Manager responsibilities.  Jennifer has served as an Assistant Manager at the Tilton Monical’s and as General Manager of the Mattoon restaurant.

    The Paris remodeling includes upgrades to the kitchen and dining room in addition to new ADA accessible restrooms.  Work was done by general contractor Tony Grimes and a team of local sub-contractors. Guests will also notice several new menu items as well as online ordering for carry-out and delivery. Hours of operation will be 11:00 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily.

    New GM Jennifer Denton says “This is a great opportunity for our Paris team to take a long-lasting Paris tradition and continue showing why the Monical’s Pizza experience is so special.  We’re going to do our best to live up to our tradition and hope the community will love what’s new and what’s the same about their Paris Monical’s.”

    Monical’s Pizza provides a number of community outreach programs including “School Reading” Reward, “Pizza with a Purpose” Fundraiser and “Sports Backer” for local athletic teams.  A complete list can be viewed at www.monicals.com.  The restaurant also offers a new Catering Menu with carry-out and delivery packages for meetings, wedding rehearsals, graduations and parties of all kinds. Monical’s “Dippin’ Club” provides members with updates on new products, community programs and special deals and can be joined at the company’s website.

    Monical’s Pizza is the recipient of numerous local and national recognitions not only for their community efforts and “Readers Choice” awards, but also as an “Employer of Choice” winner from the National Restaurant Association.   Founded in 1959 Monical’s Pizza currently consists of 65 locations in Illinois, Indiana and Wisconsin.

    For additional information contact:
    Max Brigham
    Team Leader, Guest Satisfaction
    815.929.2025
    max@monicals.com

  2. Monical’s Pizza of Paris Announces Ownership Transition

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    For Immediate Release

    July 13, 2015 – After more than 40 years with Monical’s Pizza, Diane Boyer has decided to move on to the next phase of her life…retirement. She became the Franchisee of Paris in 1976 and has been the face of Monical’s in the community ever since. As a long-standing member of the Monical’s “family”, Diane leaves her restaurant in good hands as it will convert from a franchise to company-operated location.

    Janelle Reents, Monical’s Pizza President, says “We are excited about the opportunity to work with our dedicated Monical’s team members along with serving the people and community organizations of Paris. While there is a transition to manage, we know that with Diane’s support the change will go smoothly. Donna Jakob, Monical’s Chief Operating Officer, adds “Our tradition as a company has always been to be the place where people can come together to relax and share good company with food everyone can enjoy. That has been and will continue to be our commitment to the people of Paris.”

    The schedule currently calls for some facility improvements to begin in July with a planned re-opening in August. Changes will include décor enhancements, equipment additions and select menu changes. Monical’s Pizza, founded in 1959, now consists of 65 restaurants in Illinois, Indiana and Wisconsin.

    For additional information contact:
    Max Brigham
    Team Leader, Guest Satisfaction
    815.929.2025
    max@monicals.com

  3. Monical’s Nutritional Calculator

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    nutritionalcalculator

    In response to both increased guest demand and pending legislation under the Affordable Care Act, we decided to update our on-line nutrition information to make it more user- friendly.  We searched for a provider who could give us a more comprehensive approach for accessing our nutritional information.  After reviewing a large number of nutritional information pages on restaurant websites, we concluded that a “nutrition calculator’ would be an excellent approach for us to follow.  The nutritional calculator allows guests to “build” their meals and then receive a broad range of nutritional information.  A bonus of this effort was that the nutritional calculator would also list potential allergens to assist guests with food allergies in making safe meal choices.

     

    We selected Nutritional Information Services (NIS), a company headquartered in Washington D. C., as our nutritional information provider.  We submitted to NIS all of our recipes (including specialty recipes from our franchisees) along with portion information and product specification sheets for all of the food products we utilize in our operations.  Utilizing our information, NIS built a calculator specific to our corporate menu which will be linked to our new website.  While the calculator will be specific only to the corporate menu, each individual franchise location will have a link to a PDF, which will contain nutritional information specific to their local menu.

     

    Healthy eating is a product of making good choices based on accurate information combined with an active lifestyle.  For most people it doesn’t mean giving up the things you enjoy, just making choices with balance and moderation in mind.  Monical’s Pizza is working to provide enjoyable food of high quality with the information our guests need to make good meal decisions.

  4. The Shipping Project

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    As the holidays are coming, many people are making a list and checking it twice.  For those loved ones who have moved away from their hometown, they often would like a “taste of home” as a gift.  We have researched, long and hard, on how to ship Monical’s pizza.  So here is the story.

    In order for us to ship our Oven-Ready (frozen) pizzas, they have to be manufactured in a USDA-approved facility. To date we haven’t found a manufacturer who can make our pizzas to our standards. We make them in our restaurants and can maintain quality that way, but aren’t able to ship them due to the USDA restriction. We continue to work on this and are making some progress, but don’t yet have a satisfactory solution to the issue.

    The biggest challenge to manufacturing the Oven-Ready pizzas on a large scale was the quality.  Monical’s dough process requires two days with multiple “hands on” or manual processes.  This “handmade” process ensures that our doughs (the crust), the heart of our product, maintain the real “Monical’s” texture and taste.

    After researching the possibility of producing USDA-approved frozen pizzas ourselves and discovering that it would be cost prohibitive, we began searching for an existing manufacturer.  With only one exception every manufacturer we contacted wanted a guarantee of production of units far in excess of our estimates.  We first met with this manufacturer in July of 2010 to tour their facility and discuss a potential partnership with them manufacturing our frozen products.  After some time spent reviewing and revising a proposed agreement, we were able to begin the production of our first test batch of frozen pizzas in September 2010.  Our dough production procedures were quite a bit different than the manufacturer was accustomed to and several modifications to our procedures needed to be made to fit into their production process.  Five different product batches were produced in September without achieving the desired crust quality.  We continued to work with the manufacturer to achieve our product quality goal.  Monical’s started with smaller test batches.  5-10 pizzas went well.  So we moved to 50 pizzas.  Still successful.  However when we made 300 pizzas, the production run uncovered glitches in the process.  Because the finished product did not meet our quality standards we decided not to sell the product and instead donated those pizzas to a local food pantry.  To date we have not been able to develop a process that will produce the infamous Monical’s crunch, flavor and aroma.  And isn’t that what you want?  So we will continue to investigate but wanted to be sure our loyal customers knew the “real” story.

  5. Another great recipe from a loyal fan!

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    Here is an amazing recipe that was submitted by John Sales, Jr., a loyal guest and one of our biggest facebook fans! He says: “I’ve been known to refer to Meatloaf as FOTG ‘Food Of The Gods’ with this recipe it’s closer to the truth!!”

    If you are not near a Monical’s location, you can order our dressing online by clicking here.

    Find this and other recipes right here on our blog by clicking our ‘Recipes’ link above (or click here).

    Sweet & Tart Suffed Peppers

  6. Charlie’s tradition

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    Charlie eats at his favorite restaurant on shot days.  I took this picture on July 27, 2010 at Monical’s- 3542 N. Vermilion, Danville, IL.

    Mommy gets spaghetti and Nana gets pizza so he’s all set!

    The employees and customers at CVS thought this picture was just adorable. They said it belonged in a restaurant or a photo contest. All of our friends and relatives (as my daughter and I both have 8×10’s in our kitchens) say he should be a bright blue-eyed Monical’s Poster Child.

    We just had to share this with you since it’s our favorite snapshot. Enjoy!

    Mick & Ruby F

  7. We love trying your recipes too!

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    With the cooler weather quickly approaching, why not try this amazing meatloaf! This recipe was submitted by Christine Loy, a loyal guest. She says: “The sweet and tart makes all the difference. It is awesome!” If you are not near a Monical’s location, you can order our dressing online by clicking here.

    Find this and other recipes right here on our blog by clicking our ‘Recipes’ link above (or click here).

  8. A duo meant for the ages… “Sweet & Tart”

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    For 50 years, Monical’s has been famous (in part) for our Sweet & Tart Salad Dressing.  Our Guests have learned to use it not just on salad, but also on pizza, breadsticks, sandwiches and just about anything else on the menu.

    [youtube=http://youtube.com/watch?v=fGoeVbU5gZY]The original Sweet & Tart recipe dates back many years, and the recipe is not easy to reproduce or duplicate. The slightest variation in the way it’s made can cause changes in color, texture or taste. Because of the incredibly loyal following this dressing has, our Guests or our Management Teams notice changes immediately. It’s then that our Quality Assurance Team must spring into action and work with vendors to find a solution.

    We not only purchase the dressing in large quantities for restaurant use, but also sell it (a lot of it) in pint bottles. We recently developed a “light” version with a nearly identical taste profile that is (shameless promotion to follow) for sale online or in our restaurants.

    Due to the extreme popularity of our Sweet & Tart Salad Dressing, we know we must do whatever is necessary to monitor and protect the quality and consistency of this product.  Salad dressing may not seem like a big thing to many restaurants, but to us and our Guests, it’s a significant part of what makes Monical’s special.

  9. Join Monical’s in taking a bite out of Childhood Hunger

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    Monical’s Pizza Joins Share Our Strength’s Dine Out For No Kid Hungry™

    September 18 – 24, 2011

    Restaurants Across the Country Embrace Week-Long Event to End Childhood Hunger in America

    Bradley, IL… Monicals’s Pizza is proud to announce its participation in Share Our Strength’s Dine Out For No Kid Hungry™, a week-long national restaurant event in cities across the United States. From September 18-24, Monical’s will be offering 20% off a one topping Family Pleaser® and making a $1 donation for every one purchased to NO KID HUNGRY. Participating store locations are available at DineOutForNoKidHungry.org and www.monicalspizza.com/shareourstrength.

    20% off Family Pleaser offer Aug. 29-Sept. 25, 2011

    This is one of the many ways thousands of restaurants all across America will be raising funds this September to support No Kid Hungry™, Share Our Strength’s national campaign to end childhood hunger in America by 2015. More than 17 million children in America—almost one of four—struggle with hunger. With the support of thousands of restaurants like Monical’s Pizza, dozens of corporate partners and millions of consumers, Share Our Strength is changing that.

    “Monical’s has been a an active supporter of numerous community services throughout our 51 year history. I can think of no better effort than to eliminate childhood hunger in America. That’s a cause we can get behind,” states Janelle Reents, President.

    “We are asking everyone—private citizens, businesses, policymakers and other nonprofits—to help us end childhood hunger in this country,” said Bill Shore, Founder of Share Our Strength.  “We continue to be amazed by the generosity and commitment of the restaurant industry and its customers. Last year, they raised more than $1.5 million through Dine Out For No Kid Hungry, a record high and twice what was raised the year before. Our goal is to involve as many restaurants and their customers as it takes to make No Kid Hungry a reality by 2015.

    “I encourage everyone to dine out often at participating Dine Out For No Kid Hungry restaurants in September, then visit our web site, Strength.org, to learn what more they can do to make sure every child in America has access to the nutritious food they need.”

    Share Our Strength’s Dine Out For No Kid Hungry is sponsored by Sysco, Ecolab, American Express, USA Today and the National Restaurant Association.

    About Monical’s Pizza

    Founded in 1959, Monicla’s Pizza consists of 63 restaurants in Illlinois, Indiana and Wisconsin.  More information about our company can be found at www.monicalspizza.com.

    About Share Our Strength

    Share Our Strength®,a national nonprofit, is ending childhood hunger in America by connecting children with the nutritious food they need to lead healthy, active lives.  Through its No Kid Hungry® Campaign—a national effort to end childhood hunger in America by 2015—Share Our Strength ensures children in need are enrolled in effective federal nutrition programs; invests in community organizations fighting hunger; teaches families how to cook healthy, affordable meals; and builds public-private partnerships to end childhood hunger, at the state and city level. Working closely with the culinary industry and relying on the strength of its volunteers, Share Our Strength hosts innovative culinary fundraising events and develops pioneering cause marketing campaigns that support No Kid Hungry. Visit Strength.org to get involved.

  10. Community Programs

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    One of the reasons I love being part of the Monical’s family is because of the dedication to giving back to the great communities we serve.

    We believe that reading is one of the most important things a child can learn. Monical’s promotes childhood literacy through the School Reading Program and Summer Library Reading Program. Both programs instill the importance of reading while making the learning process fun and exciting for children.

    Monical’s also helps new families with our Lamaze program (no, Monical’s doesn’t teach breathing techniques for when you eat too much pizza). When expecting parents go through a Lamaze class at a participating hospital, they get a coupon for a free Monical’s Family Pleaser®, something which will help on one of those nights when the new parents are simply too tired to cook.

    There are so many great programs here at Monical’s, and it’s more than just about pizza – it’s family. We are privileged to be a part of our communities, honored that our communities include us as one of their own, and we’re thrilled to give back whenever we have the opportunity.

    Full descriptions and opportunity for participation by organizations are available for review in the Community Programs area of our company webpage. 

  11. Monical’s – My first ‘out-on-my-own’ job!

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    Prior to 2002, I had been a regular at Monical’s Pizza with my parents. Typically around twice a month we’d have a meal of thin crust pizza, salad, and breadsticks and leave more than pleased. This had gone on for quite some time, as my aunt had worked at one of the Kankakee locations and my cousin worked at the Gilman location.

    Towards the end of 2002 we were at Monical’s for one of our regular visits. During this visit, it was busier than normal and my cousin happened to be working alone. I offered my assistance, and while it was declined because I wasn’t employed there, I was given an application and encouraged to turn it in in a timely manner. Not much later I received a call from that location’s manager asking me to come in for an interview. I was eager and ready for the opportunity; it could be my first “out-on-my-own” job. And sure enough, that’s what it became. I was hired as a pizza maker soon after that interview.

    Within the first week it was evident that I hadn’t just taken a job. I had never put much thought to the slogan of “Family Pleaser” until that week. Not only did we as a staff exist to bring families together and give them a great experience, we were also a family ourselves. Through my four years of working at that Monical’s location, I can think of hundreds of great moments while working, from customer compliments to laughs with co-workers; enjoyable meetings to late night cleaning events; maintenance tasks to employee get-togethers. It was never just a job that I attended to receive a paycheck. I was interested in learning new positions and everything that I could: I had started as a maker, but I also tended to the ovens, delivered, made dough, did morning prep, took orders, and (only at desperate times) helped serve and bus tables.

    As a matter of fact, I enjoyed my job enough to endure forty and fifty hour work weeks while attending at least nineteen college credit hours worth of classes. I lived halfway between college and work, so I would drive to class in the mornings, drive home in the afternoon, change, and head to work. I put a lot of miles on my poor car, but I had moved up to a shift supervisor position at the location and knew I had to keep up with school as well.

    When it was time to transfer colleges, I found that I could no longer do both, and chose my education. I don’t regret the decisions I made, but I’d be lying if I said I that I didn’t miss working at Monical’s. From the strange looks that I got from customers while wearing shorts year-round (it was hot in the kitchen!) to the custom food creations, there are plenty of memorable times.

    I’m still a customer, whether it’s just my wife and I carrying out or we’re with our parents at one of the many locations. I tend to keep it simple, not asking for any wild concoctions that I may have once created. Although, if I may suggest, everyone should try a pair of garlic breadsticks with all three (nacho, cheddar, and tomato) sauces mixed. Or, if you’re into a little extra spice, try your usual pizza, but ask for it as a “blue flame.” Just after the sauce is spread onto the dough, the crushed red peppers are sprinkled in. It has a good taste, given that you don’t mind it hot.

    —
    # Eric Wilborn
    # twitter: @ericwilborn
    # web: http://ericwilborn.com

  12. Recycling at Monical’s Corporate Support Center

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    It began with recycling aluminum cans. Many of us were drinking canned soft drinks, so we installed a can crusher on the wall in our employee kitchen and placed a lined plastic garbage can under it. After empty cans were crushed, they simply fell into the lined garbage can. Once a bag became half-full, we took it to the local recycling center and redeemed it for cash. The money was then used to buy Dairy Queen treats for the office.

    Next, it was paper and cardboard. We spoke with our waste collector and found that by choosing one day of the week to recycle paper and cardboard (Thursday worked best), we could reduce the quantity of pick-ups. In addition to helping the environment, this method of recycling actually saved the company money.

    Then, plastic recycling tubs were placed under our desks and a we put a large tub in the fax/copier area. We designated a 4’ x 8’ area in our file room to collect corrugated cardboard during the week. On Thursdays, we spend 15 minutes dumping our tubs into a large pick-up can where it’s then pulled to the outdoor trash area near our employee entrance. The corrugated cardboard is broken down, placed in saved corrugated cardboard boxes, and set out with the paper to await for pickup. It’s gone before the end of our work day.

    Next, we tackled the prospect of recycling plastic bottles. A garbage can was placed in our kitchen specifically for PET and polyethylene bottles. We began noticing that the employees who didn’t have recycling collection at home began bringing their used bottles too. This presented two more opportunities: batteries and plastic bags.

    We only needed three square feet of space to accomplish this. For batteries, we placed a basket next to our shredding area. For plastic bags, we placed a plastic laundry hamper in the same area. As we began recycling the batteries from various office tools, the plastic bags from our lunches, the used packing materials and mailing sleeves, we once again found that our employees were continuing the effort by bringing their own used batteries and plastic bags from home.

    The batteries are recycled at the Interstate Battery Store, located just a couple of blocks away from our office. Interstate has taken it upon themselves to collect and store used batteries until a recycling center in the area is identified. The laundry hamper full of plastic bags is taken to a local grocery store where they happily accept them.

    Finally, our IT coordinator began accepting copier and printer cartridges for his church to recycle. As a result of this, we’ve been able to divert 50% of our spent cartridges to support his efforts.

    We seem to be treating this process casually and consistently. The reality of recycling is that it doesn’t take much time or require huge amounts of extra space and, in the end, we save the company money. We enjoy this small group effort for a variety of reasons, and rewarding our employees with ice cream certainly adds to the enjoyment.

  13. Monical’s Pizza offers Calzone!

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    A calzone (Italian “stocking”) is a turnover that originated in Italy. It is made of ingredients similar to pizza folded over and shaped like a crescent.  The typical calzone is stuffed with tomato and mozzarella, and may include other ingredients usually associated with pizza toppings.

    If you’re into Monical’s big flavor in a new “package,” you should check out our version of Italy’s traditional calzone.  We start with our pan dough, fill it with Part-Skim Mozzarella, Puree and any three toppings (with a few exceptions that we’ve found don’t cook well). The dough is then rolled over into a half moon shape, sprinkled with Shredded Parmesan Cheese and baked to a golden brown.  It’s part pizza, part pie and part sandwich.  The best part is it still contains the same ingredients as every Monical’s pizza, but a completely new shape.

    For pizza lovers, Monical’s calzone is an old favorite in a new form.  It will be satisfying to large appetites and to those looking to not only try something a little different, but an Italian calzone with a definite Monical’s twist.  The catch is that it’s only available for a limited time, so if new is your thing then you’ll want to check it out pretty soon.

  14. Monical’s- The Scent of Childhood

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                                                                                                                                                                                          Monical’s – The scent of childhood
    It’s been said that smell is one of the most powerful senses to induce an old memory. I can think of many instances where this has happened to me, but one stands out more than any other – the scent of a Monical’s Pizza restaurant. To this day, walking into a Monical’s location brings back a flood of good times from my childhood in Central Illinois.

    I can’t recall my first trip to Monical’s. From tales I’ve been told, my first visit took place in 1983 in Normal, IL while I was still in my mother’s womb. My first real memory of being at a Monical’s comes from birthday parties at the location in Mount Zion. I’m not sure if it’s still located at the place I remember but, at the time, it was located in a small shopping strip along with a K-Mart, Kroger, Walgreen’s, a video rental store, a sandwich/Italian restaurant and a hair salon.

    My father was the manager of that particular Walgreen’s so, naturally, we were at Monical’s on a regular basis. We would pickup a Family Pleaser (14” or 16” pizza, Family-Sized Garden Salad and Pitcher of Soft Drink) and eat it in the break room at his store. I can recall the smell of cardboard boxes from the storeroom and the aroma of a fresh Monical’s pizza. To this day, that combination of scents immediately takes me back to those days.

    Any true fan knows that in order to fully enjoy the Monical’s experience, you dip your pizza into the French dressing before you take a bite. I remember being introduced to this classic method by Sharron, a Monical’s employee. Around that time, I also began dipping my breadsticks into my Coke. I haven’t done that in a long time. I should bring that back.

    After a short stay near the Monical’s in Mahomet, I moved with my family to Indianapolis in January 2000. At that time, there wasn’t a Monical’s anywhere near us. It was one of the most difficult adjustments to make in our new home.

    I recall bringing a cooler with me when I would visit friends and family in Illinois so I could return to Indy with a Monical’s feast. A few years later, while attending Purdue, I discovered there was a Monical’s in Lafayette, IN. Once I made that discovery, it became a requirement that I bring Monical’s whenever I visited the family in Indy.

    My true joy came in 2007 when I learned a Monical’s Pizza location was opening in Avon, IN. When I first saw the sign, I didn’t believe it. I was building a home in Avon and was pumped to be near a Monical’s again. The location was open by the time construction on the house was completed. Monical’s was the first meal in my new home.

    Every time I walk into a Monical’s, I’m always transported to that small, rough and memorable location in Mount Zion. The pizza is just as amazing today as it was then. To me, Monical’s will always be that scent that takes me back to the memories of my life.

  15. Making Memories with Monical’s!

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    I like pizza. My husband, however, LOVES pizza.

    The first time I heard of Monical’s, my then-boyfriend-now-husband suggested it because they had thin-crust pizza. I thought to myself, “Ew.” At the time, I only ate thick or pan crust pizza. But, I tried Monical’s and was so glad I did! Add some Italian peppers, and it’s my favorite pizza in the world.

    My husband and I were married near Bloomington, IL. We have a very large combined family with lots of children of all ages. When we were thinking about where to have our rehearsal dinner, Monical’s was the logical choice. We love the food and it’s a kid-friendly place. We knew it would be silly to go somewhere stuffy and pretentious. We wanted to be able to relax and enjoy our families, which we were able to do at Monical’s. The food is great, the service is excellent and, even though we now live half a country away, we ALWAYS make time for Monical’s whenever we go back to Illinois.

    Note the Monical's salad and placemats in the back