Pizza production drops during summer months

As the spring semester comes to a close and summer approaches, local pizza shops in Bloomington will have to face staff downsizing and slower sales.\nPizza Express, which opened in 1982, has four locations throughout Bloomington and is only a carry-out and delivery service.\nJohn Ruedy, a manager of Pizza Express, 1791 E. 10th St., said that when the summer begins they will have to start cutting staff and drivers.\n“All employees are aware that when they get hired that in the summer there won’t be shifts available,” Ruedy said. \nSara Sheikh, the communications manager for Pizza Express, said the sales in the summer are 75 to 80 percent less than what they are during the school year.\n“It’s all relative,” Sheikh said. “Ordering (supplies) drops by how much our sales drop.”\nDuring the summer, Sheikh said it would be great if the 10th Street campus location breaks even, but it usually loses money.\nThroughout the school year, Pizza Express sells an average of 2500 to 2800 pizzas a week. Last summer, Sheikh said, the campus location sold about 700-800 pizzas a week.\nSheikh said that in the summer, the campus location is looking to expand their delivery area since the residential locations all close earlier. Sheikh hopes if the delivery area is increased by a couple of miles in each direction, sales can increase.\nMother Bear’s Pizza, 1428 E. 3rd St., another locally owned restaurant, experiences the same summer sales trend as Pizza Express.\nMark Hajduk, manager at Mother Bear’s, said that during the summer they usually need to cut shifts because it is not as busy.\nHajduk said Mother Bear’s is more of a walk-in restaurant than a carry-out or delivery restaurant and their busiest month is April.\n“I can speak for the staff when I say they’re happy that they can finally take a break,” Hajduk said.\nRay McConn, owner of Mother Bear’s, said during the first summer session last year sales dropped 50 percent from what they were over the school year. During the second summer session, sales were only down 30 to 35 percent.\n“It’s all directly proportional,” McConn said. “The slower sales, the less hours we have for staff and the less supplies we have to order.”\nMcConn said that over the years factors such as IU tourism and people coming to Bloomington for conventions have been attracting customers to Mother Bear’s over the summer.\n“We’re profiting all year,” McConn said.