The Plug & Bake Pizza Solution

Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in food and beverage but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Gilad Shalom, founder, and CEO of Donna Italia, located in Hollywood, FL, USA.

What's your business, and who are your customers?

Donna Italia is a unique B2B turnkey pizza solution for hospitality. I have started Donna Italia to enable foodservice operators (from the smallest cafeteria to the biggest hotel) to serve premium Italian pizza without spending money on new equipment, adding the labor, or dealing with food waste. Donna Italia is like the Nespresso Pods system, only for pizza. Any hotel, bar, restaurant, or other foodservice operators can add delicious pizza to their menu without complexities. We provide the oven free of charge, and all the customers need to do is buy our pizza.

Our Italian-made ovens are specially designed for our baked products. We made them exceptionally simple in operation so any staff member (without culinary education) can bake a perfect pizza in only 3 minutes. They are plug and bake, countertop, and ventless. We jokingly call them ATM machines. Because they are portable and so easy to operate, a property can utilize them in multiple venues. For example, a hotel can serve pizzas in a café for lunch and then transport our oven to a catering event creating an attractive pizza station.

All our baked products are produced in Italy following the traditional pizza-baking method. They are made of the finest Italian ingredients without preservatives, baking enhances, or added sugar. Brands that value quality and healthier food appreciate Donna Italia products for their authentic Italian taste and quality of ingredients. Businesses without a kitchen or a chef enjoy our turnkey solution's simplicity and savings. Donna Italia currently operates in 13 countries, including the United States.

Tell us about yourself

I’m not from the Food Industry. I am an entrepreneur. The way I see it, Donna Italia is a high-tech concept in a low-tech market. I have loved pizza since childhood. Even though it seems like a very simple product, I learned that pizza is complicated to make. So I thought, why not let more people enjoy pizza and have a great experience by enabling more food operators to serve delicious, authentic Italian pizza. But how can I do it so that the foodservice market can appreciate the solution while keeping a consistent product? Then I thought, why not create a product they are familiar with, like coffee machines or ice cream makers. So, with that concept came Donna Italia. Combining equipment and product with the right service created something that the market was missing.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

The market well-received our turnkey pizza solution. Our customers love us for the simplicity and savings Donna Italia offers their operations, and their customers enjoy our Italian pizza. I am proud that we've been very consistent with our original idea (looking back ten years) by focusing on what we wanted to accomplish and how we wanted to get it done. The main challenge for any business owner is that expectations and reality don't always match. I'm also proud of the team I built and the people who believed and joined the company from the beginning. I can proudly say that my first salesman in Israel is now the CEO of Donna Italia Israel. I feel it's one of my biggest accomplishments to give talented people opportunities to grow and prove themselves with larger responsibilities and a bigger purpose.

What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?

One of the hardest things is that nothing can be taken for granted. Every day is a new challenge. Everything that you think you are going to have and when you are going to have it can change for good or bad. You must be very strong. You have to be very passionate and understand that you do not always get what you want when you want it. There is no good way to fall. There is no one else to help you when things go south, and you just must deal with it and remain optimistic, creative, and strong.

What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?

So, first of all, before you start anything, make sure you have the right business model. Many people think they have great ideas, but then you start getting deeper into the "how" you will be making money they don't know. You have to have a great business model baking up your great idea.
It's also important for when you want to start a business, don't just think about the idea itself but understand the concepts around and behind it. The second thing is you should never feel content. Don't think that whatever goes well now or as expected will be like that forever. You always need to push. Even when things are great, you always need to pursue new growth ideas. You always need to continue to move the business forward. You have to understand that for a company to stay where it is, even if it looks like it's a good thing, it means you are going backward. You need to make sure you are one step ahead.

I also believe in doing what you do best and outsourcing the rest. Meaning, don't try to do everything that you think you can when it comes to your business just because you can save a few bucks. Understand and be firm about what you need to do and what you do best. Then focus on what you do best, and don't try to do everything yourself. Sometimes it's better to pay a little more for someone who knows and understands the practice of how to do things that are related to your business. By doing that, you can focus on what you need to do and enjoy the experience and professionalism of other players in the market to do the rest.

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://donnaitalia.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/donnaitaliaint/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/DonnaItaliaUSA
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/donnaitalia/

If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solopreneur that you'd like to share, then email community@subkit.com; we'd love to feature your journey on these pages.

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