{"id":614589,"date":"2025-09-04T20:22:37","date_gmt":"2025-09-04T20:22:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pizzatoday.com\/?p=614589"},"modified":"2025-09-04T20:22:37","modified_gmt":"2025-09-04T20:22:37","slug":"when-and-why-use-a-commissary-kitchen-for-your-pizza-company","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pizzatoday.com\/news\/when-and-why-use-a-commissary-kitchen-for-your-pizza-company\/614589\/","title":{"rendered":"When and Why Use a Commissary Kitchen for Your Pizza Company"},"content":{"rendered":"

Building a production facility to scale your restaurant business<\/h2>\n

Consistency. It\u2019s the one word that makes or breaks the quality every pizzeria strives for. While consistency can be manageable in one or two locations, producing the same quality product across several locations can be challenging.<\/span><\/p>\n

Enter commissary kitchens<\/a>. They are commonly used by food trucks, pop-ups and ghost operations, often known as shared kitchens. For brick-and-mortar pizzerias, adding a commissary can be the move that points the needle to growth mode. When executed effectively, commissaries can produce cost efficiency, scalability, flexibility, a source of innovation, operations efficiency and quality controls for a growing pizza business. <\/span><\/p>\n

Two independent pizzerias with eyes on expansion share with Pizza Today<\/i> why launching commissaries has been a gamechanger for their businesses.<\/span><\/p>\n

Philadelphia-based Pizzata Pizzeria | A Commissary Built Out of Necessity<\/h3>\n

For Pizzata Pizzeria in Philadelphia,<\/b><\/span> a commissary was built out of survival. \u201cOur tiny take-out pizzeria was getting overrun by dough production. Every day felt challenging and, frankly, unsustainable,\u201d says co-owner Vinny Gallagher.<\/span><\/p>\n

With two locations, Gallagher and partner Davide Lubrano Lavadera searched for a commissary location that was perfectly positioned between the two spots. \u201cTo keep our options open, we scouted locations as though we were launching a brand new pizzeria,\u201d Gallagher says. If the commissary idea bombed, we\u2019d at least have a solid Plan B. That mindset helped us evaluate the market more clearly.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

They secured a space with a good lease and low rent in their target area. Building out the space was not cheap. \u201cTo give you an idea: Wall upgrades and whiteboarding came to about $12K, a new double front door for moving the big mixers ran us $2K, electrical upgrades including a phase converter cost around $20K, and plumbing fixes like installing sinks and resolving bathroom issues added another $7K,\u201d he says.<\/span><\/p>\n

Pizzata<\/a>\u2019s commissary is a dough-production facility. \u201cThe commissary\u2019s pretty decked out,\u201d Gallagher says. \u201cWe\u2019ve got three roll-in dough fridges, a mixer lineup that ranges from 10 quarts to 200 quarts, plus a proofer and a divider. Up next, we\u2019re adding a water meter, a chiller and a rounder to streamline things even more.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

It is still in the early stages, Gallagher says. \u201cBut the commissary\u2019s been a gamechanger. We\u2019ve expanded our hours, added new workstations since the dough gear got relocated, and our product quality\u2019s way more consistent. Plus, our payroll\u2019s trimmed down. It\u2019s not all smooth sailing, of course, but problem-solving is how we\u2019ve made it this far. Solving issues quickly (and correctly) is what we\u2019re banking on to keep us moving in the right direction.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Up next, Gallagher says they plan to add mozzarella and pasta production. \u201cWe\u2019re taking a close look at both our shops to see which items we can centralize, and which ones make financial sense to tackle in-house.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Scratch Pizza in Dayton, Ohio |\u00a0 A Commissary Built for Growth<\/h3>\n

Dayton, Ohio-based Old Scratch Pizza<\/b><\/span> has grown to four locations over eight years. Owner Eric Soller saw a need for a commissary with store No. 3. \u201cOur food is handmade, and we weren\u2019t willing to compromise on consistency, quality or labor efficiency,\u201d he says. \u201cA commissary allowed us to centralize time-consuming or complex prep, reduce redundancy across locations and elevate consistency.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

True to its scratch concept, teams were making everything at each location. \u201cBut with everything made from scratch \u2013 sauces, dressings, meatballs, condiments \u2013 store-level prep became overwhelming,\u201d Soller says. \u201cThe commissary relieved that burden and created space for better execution and guest focus.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n

Soller lucked out on a commissary location when a space adjacent to one of the locations became available. \u201cHaving the commissary right next door has been incredibly convenient \u2013 especially for recipe testing and sharing labor or resources between teams,\u201d he says.<\/span><\/p>\n

Old Scratch<\/a>\u2019s commissary serves multiple functions. \u201cOn the dough side, we use 140-pound spiral mixers, a water doser and an automated divider\/rounder,\u201d Soller says. \u201cFor cooking, we have combi ovens and a large tilt skillet. For prep, we rely on slicers, a 40-quart food processor and industrial immersion blenders. We vacuum-pack all prepped products for safe and efficient transport to our stores. One of the most critical investments has been walk-in refrigeration \u2013 lots of it. And, of course, a refrigerated truck to handle distribution.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe produce as much as possible at the commissary for consistency and quality,\u201d he continues. \u201cWe have around 35 products that we produce centrally and distribute to the stores. That includes all dough, dressings, sauces, pickles and toppings like roasted garlic and caramelized onions. We also slice all meats for sandwiches at the commissary, which has allowed us to eliminate slicers from the stores and improve safety.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Several items still are made at a store level. \u201cThings that are best prepped fresh, like lettuce and salad toppings, are still done in-store. Some items \u2013 like mushrooms, croutons, and meatballs \u2013 are also still cooked on-site for quality reasons,\u201d he says.<\/span><\/p>\n

Soller already is planning for commissary 2.0 as the pizza company expands, including a tilting mixer with 600-pound capacity, a scissor lift to make loading easier, ambient temperature controls in the dough-production area, and more walk-in refrigeration space.<\/span><\/p>\n

The expense to build a commissary is a broad spectrum, according to Soller, and costs are heavily dependent on the infrastructure exists. Dough production equipment alone may run $60,000-$100,000.<\/span><\/p>\n

Another area often missed in the planning is required certifications. \u201cIn Ohio, our inspections and licensing are handled by the state Department of Agriculture, as opposed to the local health department,\u201d Soller says. \u201cYou will also need people on staff with HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points) training and certification.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Upfront costs to build a commissary can be high, but pizza companies looking to scale should run the numbers on their store-level outputs and a projected commissary. It just might be the gamechanger that Pizzata Pizzeria<\/a> and Old Scratch Pizza<\/a> have found in their markets.<\/span><\/p>\n

Denise Greer<\/b><\/span> is Executive Editor at Pizza Today.<\/i><\/span><\/p>\n

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