Glass Nickel Pizza Company

Infobox Company
name = Glass Nickel Pizza Co.

type = Privately held company
genre =
foundation = 1997
founder = Brian Glassel, Tim Nicholson
location_city = Madison, Wisconsin
location_country = USA
location =
locations = 6 restaurants (2007)
area_served = Wisconsin
key_people =
industry = Restaurant
products = Pizza
services =
revenue =
operating_income =
net_income =
assets =
equity =
owner =
num_employees =
parent =
divisions =
subsid =
slogan = "In Pizza We Trust"
homepage = [http://www.glassnickelpizza.com www.glassnickelpizza.com]
footnotes =
intl = The Glass Nickel Pizza Co. (GNPC) is a mid-sized delivery, carry-out and dine-in Italian restaurant based in Madison, Wisconsin. The restaurant has six restaurants covering the greater Madison area and the Fox River Valley of Wisconsin.

History

The company was founded by Brian Glassel and Tim Nicholson in 1997 on the East side of Madison, Wisconsin.Fact|date=July 2008 Two years later an employee opened a store on Madison's west side. Since then, two more stores have opened in the Madison area: Fitchburg and Sun Prairie, as well as one in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. GN Independents, the franchising arm of Glass Nickel Pizza Company, began franchising, with the first franchised store in Green Bay, Wisconsin [cite web|url=http://www.greenbaypressgazette.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080111/GPG03/801110679|title=New Business: Glass Nickel Pizza Co.|work=Green Bay Press Gazette|accessdate=2008-02-05] and the second in Brookfield, Wisconsin.Fact|date=July 2008

Menu

The menu serves pasta, pizza, calzones, salads, appetizers, sandwiches, soups, desserts and beverages. Pizzas are available in a hand-tossed style, but may also be ordered thin crust, super thin crust or thick crust. Pizza sizes range from 10" to 16". The best selling pizza is the "Fetalicious," a specialtypizza topped with spinach, red onions, tomatoes, mushrooms and feta cheese. Other notable pizzas include "The Ranch," a pizza that uses ranch dressing instead of the traditional pizza sauce as a base, and "The Thai Pie," which uses peanut sauce as a base. Pizza toppings include the traditional and non-traditional, such as salami, corn, blue cheese and cilantro. Deli sandwiches are made with Boar's Head Deli meats, a selective East Coast deli.

Environmentalism

The Glass Nickel is known around Madison for its commitment to environmental sustainability and responsibility. The use of waste vegetable oil (WVO) and hybrid vehicles is unique to delivery restaurants in Madison [cite web|url=http://pizzatoday.com/features_articles.shtml?article=NTU5OHN1cGVyNTU5NXNlY3JldDU2MDI=|title=Nick of Time|work=Pizza Today|accessdate=2008-02-05] , and to most delivery systems in America. WVO vehicles are diesel vehicles that have been converted to run off used fryer grease, or other vegetable based oils. The original Glass Nickel has a system in place to automatically convert used fryer oil into fuel for vehicles. Used oil from deep fryers is transported through the building into a filtration room in the restaurant's basement. There, the oil is run through a series of filters and placed in a holding tank until needed for fuel for the delivery fleet. On the outside of the building is a diesel pump that delivery drivers and neighbors use to fill their vehicles [cite web|url=http://wkow.madison.com/News/index.php?ID=18267|title=Down to Earth: Running on Veggie Oil|work=WKOW 27 |accessdate=2008-02-05] [cite web|url=http://www.channel3000.com/news/4909261/detail.html#|title=Pizza Company Runs Delivery Cars on Waste Vegetable Oil|work=Channel 3000, Madison |accessdate=2008-02-05] . The entire configuration is self-contained within the store. The cars average 45-50 MPG on WVO. Because the oil is made from living plants, any carbon dioxide emissions are a zero addition to the atmosphere, as the plants used for oil--canola, corn, soy, etc,-- remove the carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. The Glass Nickel also owns and operates two hybrid vehicles in their delivery fleet. New franchisees are required to own and operate at least one Alternative fuel vehicle in their delivery fleet by their third year of operation, be it a WVO Vehicle, hybrid or electric.Fact|date=July 2008 Furthermore, the store is in the process of converting its interior lighting from fluorescent to L.E.D. light.Fact|date=July 2008 A new pizza oven shuts off when pizzas are not baking, saving natural gas. Only two of the GN stores currently own and operate these ovens: Fitchburg and the Atwood location.Fact|date=July 2008 Plans are in the works for a solar array to be constructed atop the restaurant as well.Fact|date=July 2008

Awards

* "Madison's Favorite Pizza" - Isthmus Magazines "Annual Manual" - 9 years in a row (1999-2007) [cite web|url=http://www.isthmus.com/mad-tools/madisons-favorites/favorites.php?category=Eats|title=Madison's Favorites, 2007|work=Isthmus Magazine|accessdate=2008-02-05]
* "Best of Madison" - Madison Magazine - 7 years in a row (2001-2007) [cite web|url=http://www.madisonmagazine.com/article.php?section_id=918&xstate=view_story&story_id=233598|title=Best of 2007|work=Madison Magazine|accessdate=2008-02-05]
* "Top 100 Independents" - Pizza Today Magazine - #13 currently. 3rd year on the list [cite web|url=http://pizzatoday.com/downloads/Hot100_2007.pdf|title=Hot 100 Independents 2007|work=Pizza Today|accessdate=2008-02-05] .

References

External links

* [http://www.Glassnickelpizza.com Glass Nickel Pizza Co.] - Official website