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
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.
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.
Everyone knows Monical’s for the Family Pleaser, the Salad Dressing, and the Breadsticks (are you hungry yet?) but we wanted to highlight another reason why Monical’s truly does “Bring People Together”.
2013 continues our 9+ year partnership with Toys for Tots. Many people only think of Toys for Tots near the holidays. Preparation to pull off the toy drive takes all year.
Toys for Tots started in 1947 in Los Angeles by Major Hendrickson. That year, 5000 toys were collected in LA alone. Now the organization has grown to over 750 areas. In Kankakee County, Monical’s works with Herb Volpe, who is the local coordinator for the county. Herb handles distributing the collection boxes, coordinating volunteers, collection and sorting of toys. He works with over 70 businesses and in 2012, Herb and his team collected 11,733 toys, 859 books and 445 stocking stuffers.
Monical’s Pizza Restaurant in Bourbonnais is particularly successful with the toy drive. We spoke with Jon the manager to find out their secret. His answer: EMPLOYEES! Besides the generous Bourbonnais community, the Monical’s staff adds to the collection to help even more kids receive gifts on Christmas.
The Toys for Tots collection boxes will begin appearing in October. Monical’s is happy to partner with Toys for Tots again in 2013 and together with your help, we cannot wait to see how successful this year’s toy drive will be!
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).
Do you remember the Sesame Street song “C is for Cookie”? We do! We thought we would try to come up with Monical’s menu items to fill up the rest of the alphabet! We were able to come up with 21 of the 26 letters in the alphabet. How many can you list?
A: Apple Slices
B: Breadsticks
C: Cookie or Calzone
D: Delight (pizza combination)
E: Extra Meat or Veggies (pricing per topping)
F: Family Pleaser
G: Gluten Free Pizza
H: Half Sandwich and Salad Combination
I: Italian Special (pizza combination)
J: Juice
K: Kid’s Menu
L: Lasagna
M: Mozzarella Sticks
N: Nacho cheese
O: Oven-Ready (Frozen) Pizza
P: Pecan Grilled Chicken Salad
Q:
R: Ravioli
S: Sweet Tea
T: Turkey BLT Sandwich
U:
V: Veggie Toppings (or pizza combo)
W: Wings
X:
Y:
Z:
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!
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).
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.
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. VisitStrength.org to get involved.
Here is a quick and easy recipe for Sweet & Tart Taco Salad! It’s great for Dinner, Picnics or Pot-Lucks! Swing by Monical’s today to get your Family Garden Salad and Sweet & Tart Dressing! 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).
Over half of all Monical’s pizzas are eaten outside of the restaurant. Because of the special nature of a thin crust pizza (and ours in particular), getting our food to its destination in good condition has long been a significant goal for our company. Packaging is an important part of this goal.
Long ago, we discovered that the best way to package our thin crust pizza was:
1) On a cardboard circle
2) Wrapped in foil
3) Placed inside a bag
We found this system to be the best at providing a hot carry-out or delivery pizza. To be honest, this method sacrifices some crispness in the crust. Putting a thin crust pizza in a box maintains more of the crispness, but sacrifices some heat. We’ve found that most of our Guests prefer the pizza hotter than crisper. As a result of listening to our Guests, we’ve kept our current packaging (thin crust) all these years.
We still continue to explore and experiment with new forms of packaging, hoping always to improve the experience of our Guests when they’re eating Monical’s at home. So far, we haven’t found a better substitute to our current packaging.
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.
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.
It would be difficult to find a restaurant that doesn’t make some sort of quality claim about their food. “Quality” is a word used often and it probably means different things to different people. When it comes to pizza does it mean 100% cheese, “real” tomatoes or pure meats?
I don’t know what the word “quality” means to other restaurants, but I do know what it means at Monical’s Pizza. It means that for over 50 years, we’ve kept to precisely the same recipe with the same ingredient specifications without diminishing the pizza sizes (our “large” has always been 16”). Our dough recipe is the same as it’s always been, the Mozzarella is still part skim (which is why it isn’t greasy), with a little Provolone to give it added dimension. Our sausage is fresh, pure pork with no fillers. Puree is packed fresh from the fields and comes from the Stanislaus Company of California, a premier producer of tomato products.
However, maintaining our quality is more than just using the same ingredients and procedures. Maintaining our quality means we’re constantly listening.
We listen to our ingredient suppliers because changes in weather conditions can produce different quality tomatoes and different milk output from the dairy herds. Production variations might occur at our suppliers’ facilities, which requires intervention on our part to discover what has changed and how to correct it so that we can continue supplying the product our Guests have come to expect.
Most importantly, we listen to our Guests. Quality at the restaurant level is monitored by management, as well as through independent surveys and an 800 Guest Hotline. We take quality and guest service seriously. To have maintained the same level of quality for over 50 years means we listen closely and do whatever it takes to ensure our Guests are happy.
When people spend their hard-earned money at a restaurant, they rightfully have certain expectations for that restaurant experience. Monical’s Pizza has a reputation for a unique and first-quality pizza (and everything else on our menu) delivered in a family-like atmosphere. Living up to that reputation isn’t something that comes easily, but we work very hard to meet or exceed the expectations of our Guests. That’s why the name of our company means what it does to the Guests we serve.
Darkness is beginning to fall and there’s a slight chill in the air. As the campfire is lit, campers are drawn to the warmth and the light. They circle around the fire and begin to converse, tell stories, and sing camp songs. It’s one of those shared experiences you look forward to, tend to remember, and want to repeat.
For Monical’s Pizza, our core menu items are our campfire. They attract people almost magically and make them want to come back again and again. And once attracted, they enjoy the social attributes of the experience. They converse, share stories and enjoy one another’s company. This is the “song-sharing” aspect of the Monical’s experience. This is “We Bring People Together.”
Our blog is intended to give our community an opportunity to hear and share the stories created around the shared experience of our beloved Pizza, Salad, Sweet & Tart Dressing and Breadsticks. Stories could include a first visit to Monical’s, a most memorable visit to Monical’s, or what a person misses most about Monical’s (for people who no longer live in the area). These same stories may also be told by our team members as they share the experience of their first day working at Monical’s, people they’ve met and served while working at Monical’s, or what working for the company has meant to them.
Please grab your blankets and join us. We look forward to the many stories that are waiting to be told!
