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Bananas or bacon – or both? Making your own pizza at Project Pie
Pizza and a movie – in this case, 'Sana Dati' – at Project Pie. Photos by Riz Pulumbarit
Who knew that banana and Nutella would make a good pizza?
While most pizza restaurants usually offer only tomato- or cheese-based pizzas, Project Pie dares you to be adventurous and create a pizza that’s all your own.
Yes, they also do ready-made pizzas, but they have a wide array of toppings that you can add to your pizza.
A classic cheese pizza at Project Pie costs P245. The six other pizzas they offer cost P285 each. And if you want anything added to them from a choice of 29 toppings, the price...is still P285.
During an interview on January 31, Ramon “Cito” Martelino, Project Pie general manager, asked where else in the Philippines could you find a pizza place that does not increase the price no matter how many toppings you add?
Martelino said the possibilities at Project Pie are endless. “Today you may have a pizza with just cheese and vegetables. Tomorrow, it will be meat. Later on, you can combine [other ingredients]. You can have a salad,” he said.
“Here you come in and at the spur of the moment, you decide you want to do something else. Tomorrow you come back and you want do something else,” he added.
Martelino said the Project Pie restaurants in the Philippines are the first ones outside of the United States, where the pizza chain was founded two years ago by chief executive James Markham.
The franchise holder of Project Pie in the Philippines is the Prieto family, said Martelino, adding that the same family owns the Philippine franchise of Shakey’s restaurants.
Wouldn’t having two restaurant chains offering the same food – pizza – be bad for business?
Martelino doesn’t think so. He said Shakey’s and Project Pie have “totally different markets.”
In contrast to the veteran Shakey's, Project Pie opened its first restaurant along Shaw Boulevard in Mandaluyong City only in July last year.
Its other branches are in Alabang, Eastwood, and in the Bluebay Walk mall in Pasay City, where Project Pie launched “The Year of Artisan Pizza” on January 31, coinciding with Chinese New Year.
While most pizza restaurants usually offer only tomato- or cheese-based pizzas, Project Pie dares you to be adventurous and create a pizza that’s all your own.
Yes, they also do ready-made pizzas, but they have a wide array of toppings that you can add to your pizza.
A classic cheese pizza at Project Pie costs P245. The six other pizzas they offer cost P285 each. And if you want anything added to them from a choice of 29 toppings, the price...is still P285.
During an interview on January 31, Ramon “Cito” Martelino, Project Pie general manager, asked where else in the Philippines could you find a pizza place that does not increase the price no matter how many toppings you add?
The Project Pie outlets in the Philippines are the company's first outside the US.
“Here you come in and at the spur of the moment, you decide you want to do something else. Tomorrow you come back and you want do something else,” he added.
Martelino said the Project Pie restaurants in the Philippines are the first ones outside of the United States, where the pizza chain was founded two years ago by chief executive James Markham.
The franchise holder of Project Pie in the Philippines is the Prieto family, said Martelino, adding that the same family owns the Philippine franchise of Shakey’s restaurants.
Wouldn’t having two restaurant chains offering the same food – pizza – be bad for business?
Martelino doesn’t think so. He said Shakey’s and Project Pie have “totally different markets.”
In contrast to the veteran Shakey's, Project Pie opened its first restaurant along Shaw Boulevard in Mandaluyong City only in July last year.
Its other branches are in Alabang, Eastwood, and in the Bluebay Walk mall in Pasay City, where Project Pie launched “The Year of Artisan Pizza” on January 31, coinciding with Chinese New Year.
Project Pie was packed at the launch of 'The Year of Artisan Pizza.'
For the launch, Project Pie wanted its diners to have a taste of the classic American diner experience where pizza and movies meet. So it held an outdoor film showing featuring the critically acclaimed movie “Sana Dati,” starring GMA Network talent Lovi Poe, daughter of the late King of Philippine movies, Fernando Poe Jr.
After the film showing, the diners were treated to back-to-back performances by bands Hidden Nikki and Up Dharma Down.
But before diners think that movie night happens every week, Martelino explained, “We won't do this every weekend, but once in a while we'll do something crazy."
Artisan pie-making competition
Project Pie also had an artisan pie-making competition where the contestants were free to build any pie they dreamt by combining the restaurant’s toppings, which included several types of cheese—mozzarella, feta, gorgonzola, ricotta and parmesan—as well as pepperoni, Italian sausage, crumbled meatballs, bacon, grilled chicken, prosciutto, anchovies, caramelized onions and barbecue sauce.
Martelino explained that offering anchovies is one of the two things that differentiate Project Pie's pizzas here from those in the US. The other is pizza size. In the US, Project Pie's pizzas are 11 inches in diameter, while those in the Philippines are only 9.5 inches.
But the rest, even the design of the restaurant’s interior, is the same.
Burnt pizza?
Project Pie’s pizzas are also deliberately baked a little bit burnt, as artisan pizzas should be, said Martelino. But if you don’t like the way your pizza has been “burnt,” you can ask for a new one for free.
After the film showing, the diners were treated to back-to-back performances by bands Hidden Nikki and Up Dharma Down.
But before diners think that movie night happens every week, Martelino explained, “We won't do this every weekend, but once in a while we'll do something crazy."
Artisan pie-making competition
Project Pie also had an artisan pie-making competition where the contestants were free to build any pie they dreamt by combining the restaurant’s toppings, which included several types of cheese—mozzarella, feta, gorgonzola, ricotta and parmesan—as well as pepperoni, Italian sausage, crumbled meatballs, bacon, grilled chicken, prosciutto, anchovies, caramelized onions and barbecue sauce.
Martelino explained that offering anchovies is one of the two things that differentiate Project Pie's pizzas here from those in the US. The other is pizza size. In the US, Project Pie's pizzas are 11 inches in diameter, while those in the Philippines are only 9.5 inches.
But the rest, even the design of the restaurant’s interior, is the same.
Burnt pizza?
Project Pie’s pizzas are also deliberately baked a little bit burnt, as artisan pizzas should be, said Martelino. But if you don’t like the way your pizza has been “burnt,” you can ask for a new one for free.
The author's pizza, specially made for her, and with the crust slightly burnt just as it is meant to be.
Martelino explained that every box of pizza comes with a liner where the customer’s choices are listed. That way, when the crew members have to redo a pizza, there’s no need to ask for the customer to place an order again.
Martelino said Project Pie believes in “consumer empowerment and real value for money, allowing guests to put whatever they want in their pizza, and pay a reasonable price.”
He said they are amazed at how Filipinos embraced Project Pie, saying they have served over 85,000 guests since the pizza chain opened its first store here.
He also mentioned how people from all ages have taken a liking for their pizza. A 74-year-old lady in a wheelchair dismissed their offer of special service and instead opted to line up with her nurse, like the other customers. She bought three pizzas that day as she liked them so much, Martelino said.
He also talked about a six-year-old girl who approached him and gave him a cookie because she liked their pizza so much.
The way diners have embraced Project Pie has been really fantastic, Martelino said.
Their next project? More Project Pie restaurants every year, he said. Now that’s something Pinoy pizza lovers would be looking forward to. — BM, GMA News
Martelino said Project Pie believes in “consumer empowerment and real value for money, allowing guests to put whatever they want in their pizza, and pay a reasonable price.”
He said they are amazed at how Filipinos embraced Project Pie, saying they have served over 85,000 guests since the pizza chain opened its first store here.
He also mentioned how people from all ages have taken a liking for their pizza. A 74-year-old lady in a wheelchair dismissed their offer of special service and instead opted to line up with her nurse, like the other customers. She bought three pizzas that day as she liked them so much, Martelino said.
He also talked about a six-year-old girl who approached him and gave him a cookie because she liked their pizza so much.
The way diners have embraced Project Pie has been really fantastic, Martelino said.
Their next project? More Project Pie restaurants every year, he said. Now that’s something Pinoy pizza lovers would be looking forward to. — BM, GMA News
