Ep. 034 - Cary Kemp, Owner of Pizzeria 22

03/13/17 • 42 min

THE SEA-TOWN PODCAST: Interviewing Seattle's Business Leaders and Entrepreneurs

This week’s guest is Cary Kemp, Owner of Pizzeria 22 in the Admiral District or West Seattle. Pizzeria 22 is West Seattle's first Neapolitan style, wood-fired, thin crust pizzeria. Cary traveled to and lived in Naples, Italy for sometime, along with his friend and colleague, Mike MCConnell (of Seattle's Cafe Vita fame) to learn and study how to make amazing Neapolitan pizza and bring it back to Seattle. Highlights From This Episode: Pizzeria 22 opened up in June of 2011 and was the first Neapolitan style wood-fired pizzeria in West Seattle. Cary's restaurant background goes way back but he got his start in the pizza world, assisting a colleague of his, Michael McConnell (who also founded and owns Seattle' iconic Cafe Vita coffee roosters/shops), starting Seattle's famous Via Tribunali pizzeria. Mike asked Cary if he wanted to help him on his journey to bring Neapolitan style pizza to Seattle (at the time, there was no certified Neapolitan pizzerias on the West Coast). The traveled to Naples, Italy and lived there for a while, learning and studying the art of Neapolitan pizza making. Naples, Italy is the birthplace of pizza as we know it here in America (1889), specifically the margarita style pizza. Cary got a job working at Sorbillo, a 3rd generation owned pizzeria in Naples, to be trained and learn how to make genuine Neapolitan pizza. Sorbillo was located on a street called "Via Tribunali", which is where they got the name for what became the Seattle pizza chain. To be a "Certified Neapolitan" pizzeria, there are a series of standards that need to be met, from the type of flour used, to limiting the ingredients in the dough to only flour, yeast, salt & water (nothing more), to the requirement of using a wood-fired pizza oven. It's also required to use a different kind of yeast (fresh cold yeast) for the dough and a "cold rise" or "slow rise" process, which takes several days longer to proof. This proofing process makes the dough very delicate and it takes a specific skill-set to be able to work with it (it takes several months to become proficient, so they can't just hire a pizza maker from a New York style pizzeria, like Pagliacci, to come over and be able to make Neapolitan style pizzas).

What do you love most about what you do? Being part of the community and being able to participate in community charity events like the annual Taste of West Seattle,happing May 25th, 2017 (Taste of West Seattle is a fundraiser event for the West Seattle Helpline - listen to WS Helpline's Executive Director, Chris Langeler's podcast interview on Episode 26)
What was most surprising or unexpected with opening your own business? Wasn't expecting to be as busy right away, as they were... and credits the West Seattle Blog in helping build the interest and anticipation prior to Pizzeria 22's opening.
What is your biggest challenge now? Staffing is the on-going challenge. It seems like these days, it's hard just to get applicants to show up for their scheduled interviews. There is also so many restaurants out there that it can be difficult get and keep good employees.
What set's you apart from other Neapolitan pizzeria's in the area? Cary created his own menu that offers some less traditional toping options and doesn't make the pizza as "wet" as most traditional Neapolitan pizzas are (doesn't put on as much sauce and strains the fresh mozzarella to drain some of the water from it).
What is the best advice you have ever received? One of Cary's mentors is Vince Mottola (who started and owns Pizzeria Pulcinella on Rainier Ave). Vince's dad started the famous South End Vince's Restaurants in 1957 (Burien, Federal Way and Renton). Cary helped Vince open Pizzeria Pulcinella and when Cary started Pizzeria 22, Vince told Cary that success in business "is not a sprint, it's a marathon"... you have to make decisions based on the long term.
Parting Guidance - "It's ok to send it back". In the days of yelp and other online reviews... if you ever have a bad dinning experience, it's way more helpful to raise the issue at the time and give the restaurant an opportunity to correct the issue. Rather then the increasingly more common method of posting a nasty review on multiple sites or smearing the businesses name online or starting a campaign against going to a restaurant without even letting the business know and giving them the chance to make it right.

What do you love most about what you do? Being part of the community and being able to participate in community charity events like the annual Taste of West Seattle,happing May 25th, 2017 (Taste of West Seattle is a fundraiser event for the West Seattle Helpline - listen to WS Helpline's Executive Director, Chris Langeler's podcast interview on Episode 26)
What was most surprising or unexpected with opening your own business? Wasn't expecting to be as busy right away, as they were... and credits the West Seattle Blog in helping build the interest and anticipation prior to Pizzeria 22's opening.
What is your biggest challenge now? Staffing is the on-going challenge. It seems like these days, it's hard just to get applicants to show up for their scheduled interviews. There is also so many restaurants out there that it can be difficult get and keep good employees.
What set's you apart from other Neapolitan pizzeria's in the area? Cary created his own menu that offers some less traditional toping options and doesn't make the pizza as "wet" as most traditional Neapolitan pizzas are (doesn't put on as much sauce and strains the fresh mozzarella to drain some of the water from it).
What is the best advice you have ever received? One of Cary's mentors is Vince Mottola (who started and owns Pizzeria Pulcinella on Rainier Ave). Vince's dad started the famous South End Vince's Restaurants in 1957 (Burien, Federal Way and Renton). Cary helped Vince open Pizzeria Pulcinella and when Cary started Pizzeria 22, Vince told Cary that success in business "is not a sprint, it's a marathon"... you have to make decisions based on the long term.
Parting Guidance - "It's ok to send it back". In the days of yelp and other online reviews... if you ever have a bad dinning experience, it's way more helpful to raise the issue at the time and give the restaurant an opportunity to correct the issue. Rather then the increasingly more common method of posting a nasty review on multiple sites or smearing the businesses name online or starting a campaign against going to a restaurant without even letting the business know and giving them the chance to make it right.

Previous Episode

Ep. 033 - Erin Williamson, Owner of Pier Coffee

This week’s guest is Erin Williamson, the owner of Pier Coffee, a Seattle based cold-brew coffee brewer and distributor. They brew, package and produce their coffee cold and can it for ready to drink applications at grocery stores. The big idea is that when your on the go and grabbing a quick lunch at the grocery store, you shouldn't have to sacrifice having access to gourmet cold-brew coffee... even if it's out of a cold-case. Highlights From This Episode: Erin owned a coffee shop for a long time and after leaving that, she started a nano-brewery out of her laundry room in her house. Pier Coffee is now in a nice large brewing space that they share with Odin Brewing in South Center. The process for brewing cold-brew coffee and gourmet beer are pretty similar, so they take turns using the brewing equipment. They also have a tap-room off of the brewing space where they feature both Odin beers, Pier Coffee's cold brew, along with some food. Erin's transition from from the hands on brewing to more the business operations side of things has been very eye-opening for her. She's having to continually give up that she knows whats best all the time... realizing that she needs to give up control of certain aspects of the business to other people who are better at that aspect of the business then she is, and that she is also there to learn from them and that they are ultimately more successful in the end.

What do you love most about what you do? Love waking up in the morning, planning out her day and day never ends where she thinks its going to. There is always this joy of unexpected discovery everyday.
What was most surprising or unexpected with opening your own business? The steps required to grow in something and then the amount of hustle and need to project a certain image of "success" before feeling like your business was actually at that point.
What is Pier Coffee known for? That Pier Coffee really focuses on the technical aspect of cold-brew and the quality, coffee-sources, roasting & emphases on the brewing process. They also source all their coffee from woman owned coffee farms and cooperatives. Erin loves that they can bring together the technical and community aspect of making good coffee and running the business.
Where do you see the future of Pier Coffee being? Developing a really strong regional Pacific Northwest Regional presence. With the emphases being on quality and playing up the relationship between really good coffee and beer - tap houses and brewers were traditionally communal meeting areas. A place to exchange ideas and fellowship. In modern times, coffee houses have taken on that role too. Pier Coffee / Odin Brewery's tap-house is a place were you can can get both... and a meal.
What is your greatest strength? Curiosity. Erin reads about everything and is a big believe that we can fuel our own growth through knowledge. Erin is what she calls, an autodidact, meaning being self taught.
What habit do you wish you had ? To get up when her alarm first goest off.
What are you passionate about? Too much... Before she was in the coffee world, Erin was a non-profit arts administrator. She tends to get passionate about non-profit volunteer opportunities. She is involved with Ventures Non-Profit (checkout Ep. 28 with Beto Yarce, the Executive Director of Ventures) teaching a weekly class for startup low-income and minority entrepreneurs. She is on the board of the non-profit co-op The Bridge School and just founded a new non-profit, Engender International, with the mission of supporting woman around the world who are in commodity markets, specifically in textile and agriculture.
What has been your biggest challenge with running Pier Coffee? Discipline. About a year ago they had a product recall which was very difficult to work through and they had to stop and reflect on what they were really trying to do. The lesson learned was that in moments like that, don't get bogged down by focusing everything that needs to happen... just focus on the next step to move you in the right direction. And instead of thinking about the problem as this life shattering devastating moment, think about it as a puzzle and then try to fit the puzzle pieces in to put your picture back together.
In the past, what was holding you back from becoming the entrepreneur you are today? Erin didn't know that she was one. Ch...

Next Episode

Ep 035 - Jacob Wiegner, Owner of Blackboard Bistro

This week’s guest is Jacob Wiegner, Owner of Blackboard Bistro in West Seattle. They are all about the food... simplicity, technique and flavor. Their menu is ever changing and reflects Chef Jacob's nomadic life prior this his settling in Seattle with his family. Enjoy delicious food while relaxing in the cozy restaurant atmosphere. Highlights From This Episode: Jacob was born in Iran to parents from Pensilvania just before the revolution and he has lived all over the US since then. When he was a teenager, they moved to London, where he started to cook (classically trained french cuisine), met his wife, Ginger (who is from New Zealand) and their oldest son was born. He still considers it a second home. After the birth of their first kid and living in London for 13 years, they decided to move back to the US. Initially they moved to Florida, to be close to his parents but at the time the culinary opportunities were limited... so they eventually made their way to Seattle. As a kid, he had visited Seattle several times with his family and always liked it and Seattle reminded Ginger of Wellington, New Zealand, where she grew up. Initially they were living in Ballard and he helped the open the Capital Hill restaurant Olivar and worked there for three years (before it closed in 2014 and is now the location of Marron). The owner of Olivar also graciously helped Jacob out a lot when he decided to open Black Board Bistro in West Seattle. When they moved out to Seattle, it was always their idea to open their own restaurant.

What do you love most about what you do? The creativity he can put into each meal and the evolving menu. They have some staple dishes but much of the menu changes regularly to keep the menu fresh and interesting.
What was most surprising or unexpected with opening your own business? Coming to terms with what they wanted to do and provide verses what their customers wanted. Finding the balance between offering the things they recognize and want and challenging them to try new dishes. He had to "get over his ego" as he realized that it's not about him but about providing a product that his customers want.
What kind of food does Black Board Bistro make? What is Black Board Bistro known for? It's eclectic fine cousin with locally bought seasonal ingredients and while there are some staple menu items (like gnocchi), the menu reflects what Jacob (the owner and chief) is into and feels like eating at the time. For example, they buy their fish fresh from Mutual Fish in Rainier and may base their current items on whatever the latest fresh catch is.
What habit do you wish you had ? Better people skills.
What are you passionate about? Food and his family.
What lessons have you learned with owning your own businesses? If your going to jump in, jump in with both feet & just take it one day at a time.
What is the best advice you have ever received? Putting into perspective that "we are just feeding people". This realization that at the end of the day, we are just feeding people helped give him some good perspective and felt very freeing. And "simplicity is the last test of the master" - Marco Pierre White. If you think about some of the best meals you have had, they were the simplest things (not overly complex or complicated).
What is a personal habit that contributes to your success? Stubbornness.
Do you listen to podcasts? What are your favorites? "Stuff You Should Know", NPR ones like "Wait, Wait Don't Tell Me" and "This American Life". "The Moth Radio Hour" and now since being invited on... "The Sea-Town Podcast". Christian recommended Gimlet Media podcast (if you like story telling NPR style podcasts)
What is your one book recommendation for our listeners?