Why Calzones Are Slowly Disappearing From Restaurant Menus

A classic Italian baked turnover filled with cheeses, calzones have a long history. Often available on the menu alongside their cousin the pizza, calzones are a popular customer choice. However, today’s calzones face many challenges, including using ingredients that tend to spoil quickly. Let’s look at the calzone and how a blast chiller can help operators keep this tasty option on the menu.

A Calzone Renaissance

The culinary world has recently witnessed a resurgence of classic dishes. One notable comeback is the humble calzone. Created in the 18th century, the calzone began as a walkable alternative pizza. But rather than go into an oven open-faced and sans sauce, a calzone is folded and wrapped like a dumpling and baked. The result is a crispy pocket of flavor beloved by customers.

For many years, calzones appeared on pizza menus as an alternative option for eaters who wanted to try something different than traditional pizza slices. However, with rising concerns about ingredient costs and spoilage, some restaurants need help serving a quality calzone. Not only does this deprive customers of a delicious dish, but it also limits the amount of options on a pizzeria menu.

The Challenge of Expensive Ingredients

Calzones are a delectable blend of various ingredients, with cheese often taking center stage. As ingredient prices continue to soar, many restaurants need help to maintain the profitability of calzone offerings. While ingredients like sausage or onions are welcome in a calzone, cheese is always the star. However, having these ingredients in stock can be expensive if only used sparingly.

It is also crucial to avoid food waste from unused ingredients, which can quickly eat into the bottom line. Building a restaurant menu that utilizes expensive ingredients mindfully and without waste is critical for calzone creation and other menu preparations.

Spoilage Woes: The Cheese Conundrum

One of the primary reasons for restaurants starting to shy away from making calzones is the perishability of ingredients, particularly ricotta. Ricotta is a fresh cheese created from cooking whey, which gives it a lot of moisture. This process makes it more perishable than other types of cheese used in Italian restaurants, such as parmesan or pecorino romano. As such, traditional refrigeration methods may not provide the ideal environment to extend the shelf life of ricotta. 

There are many reasons why food spoilage happens, including incorrect storage temperatures and ethylene gas, both of which increase bacterial growth that impacts shelf life. Quickly taking food to a temperature outside the danger zone using a blast chiller can help preserve expensive ingredients and keep popular choices, like calzones, on the menu.

Reviving the Calzone: Tracking Ingredient Challenges with Thermo-Kool Innovation

With Thermo-Kool blast chillers, reducing bacteria and slowing spoilage helps operators maintain margins. But that’s not the only advantage of using a blast chiller. 

By allowing for batch cooking, blast chillers control labor and food costs. Blast chillers also let foodservice businesses purchase local, in-season products that they can use for extended periods of time. Most important of all, a quality blast chiller from Thermo-Kool allows businesses to maintain a HACCP system that protects their customers and bottom line.  

From extending the shelf life of cheese to preserving the freshness of vegetables and meats, Thermo-Kool offers a game-changing solution for restaurants looking to feature calzones on their menus.

Not sure if a blast chiller can help your foodservice business increase profits? Take our short, interactive quiz to find out: