Make a cheap pizza in China

[DullM]

I started a topic about western breakfast here and we couldn't resist to talk about making pizza at a reasonable cost in China.

When I hang out with my friend to a pizza place, some of them looked suspicious when they found that a pizza costs Y45-50. "That's the same price I paid in the Netherlands. Unbelievable." "In Domino, I pay the same price for two pizzas." "No way, they don't need to import these cheeses, I'm pretty sure that China has mozzarella cheese." Many westerners expect everything cheap in China, and didn't realise that having a western life in China could actually be even more expensive than their home countries because many items need to be imported.

In China, I've never seen any local morrezella or tomato sauce. It puzzles me and aristotle1990 a lot. With the local ingredients, is it possible to make a cheap pizza on your own without needing to import anything?

I would go for this Turkish pizza (Lahmacun), a pizza without cheese...

[liuzhou]

In China, I've never seen any local morrezella or tomato sauce.

I haven't done so for a while, but I used to by huge blocks of local mozzarella on a fairly regular basis. I stopped because the things were way too big for just me and you could only buy the whole thng, but I reckon a pizza place would get through them pretty quickly. It is still available. A friend bought some just a couple of weeks ago.

As for tomato sauce, er, tomato sauce is made from tomatoes. There are plenty of them!

[aristotle1990]

I used to by huge blocks of local mozzarella on a fairly regular basis

DullM, let's get this show on the road -- pizza parlor in Guangxi, here I come...

[abcdefg]

Might consider calling yours "designer pizza" or "special regional pizza" or even “Dragon Gate Hostel Pizza” or something original and then use offbeat cheeses and sauces. If you try to just copy Domino's or Papa John's people will automatically make comparisons which may be unfavorable to your pies. Think "Chez Panisse" instead. Might make your product stand out, especially if it tastes good. Admittedly I don't know beans about hostels, so this may be way off base.

Chinese pizza joints are full of very strange combinations, so it should not be too much of a stretch. Think how many times you have seen bizarre concoctions like "squid and fruit pizza" here in the Middle Kingdom.

http://www.amazon.com/Chez-Panisse-Pasta-Pizza-Calzone/dp/0679755365

Edit: Well, I reread the title and it says "cheap pizza" so I think the comments I made above are probably not at all relevant, but I'll let them stand for what they may be worth.

[liuzhou]

I have done a bit more research and can report that the mozzarella blocks are approx 5kg and around ¥300. ¥30 per jin.

BTW, They aren't only in Guangxi. I used to buy them in Hunan 15 years ago.

[aristotle1990]

That's 1.7 kuai per ounce. For small Pizza Hut pizzas (5 oz per pie?), that's 8.5 kuai per pie. Anyone know how much tomato sauce is? What if you make your own? Dough is dirt cheap, so tomato sauce should be the other major cost.

[xiaocai]

You can get tomato sauce for a quite reasonable price on Taobao.

[liuzhou]

Making tomato sauce in large quantities wouldn't come to much at all. It's 99.9% tomatoes.

Also, the prices given are retail. If I were running a pizza business, I'd be looking for wholesale prices.

[aristotle1990]

Damn. I think we might actually be able to make a pizza pie for under 15 yuan. (Chinese-forums pizza parlor?) Peasants will start buying them for Chinese New Year. (Anyone else love those KFC commercials where the family gets a big ass bucket of fried chicken for 除夕?)

[xiaocai]

Go through the list, you will find some of them do wholesale as well. Many wholesalers have their 网店 on Taobao.

[Kiz]

Damn. I think we might actually be able to make a pizza pie for under 15 yuan. (Chinese-forums pizza parlor?) Peasants will start buying them for Chinese New Year.

It's hilarious.

Anyone else love those KFC commercials where the family gets a big ass bucket of fried chicken for 除夕?

That's totally "恶搞". Chinese don't eat KFC during 除夕. But I once had McDonald on 除夕 which was pathetic. I had some experiments stuck me from going home.

But if you guys really work out a 15-yuan pizza, count me as your all time customer.

By the way, where do you guys want to locate your pizza parlor?

[liuzhou]

Instead of worrying about the tomato sauce, I'd be worrying more about finding decent strong flour to make the crusts. And I'd be wondering how to cook the things. What happens when ten customers all want different pizzas?

I've been in too many "western restaurants" in China which can only cook one at a time.

If you guys really work out a 15-yuan pizza, count me as your all time customer.

That is the direct manufacturing cost. Add on indirect costs (overheads) and some profit margin and you are looking at more like ¥30.

[md1101]

It sounds like the cheese would be the only major cost... Would any type of tofu cheese taste good? Or exist for that matter?

[Lu]

That is the direct manufacturing cost. Add on indirect costs (overheads) and some profit margin and you are looking at more like ¥30.

I wonder if by the end of this thread the resulting pizza won't be 40-50 kuai after all, almost the same as in Holland.

[heifeng]

You guys just need to find a place that sells 土家掉渣烧饼！ (and sprinkle your own cheese if needed)...or make your own bruschetta. Both not the same as an actual pizza, but can still hit the spot in a pinch!

[Kiz]

You guys just need to find a place that sells 土家掉渣烧饼！ (and sprinkle your own cheese if needed)...

hahahahahah! That's genius! That would be so much cheaper.

[heifeng]

There was a whole period of time (maybe ~2006-2007) these were popping up in Beijing and we were discussing them on the forum. (by god man, fix the search function, I swear it worked yesterday!heheheh)

They were gooooooooood and just one was surprisingly filling I would even go out and fight the crowds at 西单 for one...yummmm....

[liuzhou]

I wonder if by the end of this thread the resulting pizza won't be 40-50 kuai after all, almost the same as in Holland.

Indeed. The figures I gave made no allowance for any recouping on the initial investment in premises or equipment.

I still want to know how these pizzas are going to be cooked. A decent pre-owned pizza oven is around $5,000 in the US. You have to sell a ton of pizzas before you even start to make money.

[heifeng]

Oh, apparently you haven't read the latest goop article, here you go LIUZHOU heheh. Gwynenth actually addresses the whole pizza oven issue..hehehehe (you can use a pizza griddle or pizza stone)

[liuzhou]

you can use a pizza griddle or pizza stone

Yeah, and cook the pizzas one at a time. Great idea. I ask again, " What happens when 10 people order pizzas at the same time. Or even four?"