Outstanding Operator: Mamma Ramona’s

Mamma Ramona’s is Food On Demand’s next Outstanding Operator.

The smaller pizza chain is recognized for consistently testing and implementing new technologies from robots to software—all amid a goal to build an automated pizzeria powerhouse.

In 2020, just one month before the pandemic forced restaurant doors to shutter, Andrew Simmons purchased a small-town pizza restaurant outside of San Diego called Mamma Ramona’s.

The timing meant Simmons had to quickly pivot to an off-premises strategy, which ultimately led him to explore the world of automation.

Simmons soon began buying equipment to automate the restaurant and eventually moved the pizza hub into a smaller location that solely serves delivery and takeout.

One of his first technological investments was a pizza robot from Picnic. The Picnic automatically adds sauce, cheese and toppings to pizza dough and can make up to 135 pies an hour. He also brought in a dough press from Cuppone, which stretches and flattens dough. This took four minutes off of regular prep time, according to Simmons.

To speed up the cooking process he also installed smart pizza ovens to bake pies in just a few minutes.

“Using those three pieces means I can have just one operator who’s prepping, cooking and boxing pies,” said Simmons.

Solving for labor

Simmons says that the California Fast Food Act upping the minimum wage to $20 an hour, coupled with the difficulties in getting employees to show up every day, further pushed him towards automation.

But fewer employees meant Simmons could pay the staff better wages. Employees make $20 an hour, and Simmons hopes to increase that to $30 an hour.

“It’s less about the wages and more about how can I do more with less people,” he said.

Mamma Ramona’s eventually expanded to more locations. The pizzerias currently operate in Charlotte and Long Beach, California, as well as in Tempe, Arizona.

All locations are delivery and takeout only and innovation remains top of mind when opening new pizza hubs.

“As our volume grows, we start adding more equipment and we replace different pieces until we automate our process,” he explained.

Simmons is no stranger to trying out new forms of technology. At one point this included a server and bussing robot. But not all investments are flashy bots, a handful is back-end software to streamline operations.

He highlighted utilizing the platform Marqii to update menus across locations without the need to log into each system separately. He also uses Voosh to manage third-party delivery disputes—to name just a few.

Mamma Ramona’s Founder and CEO Andrew Simmons

In addition, Mamma Ramona’s offers a unique Pizza Passport subscription to drive loyalty. For $189 a year, subscribers get a pizza every week for 52 weeks. Consumers receive reminders each week to use their coupons, powered by Incentivio.

Building in public inspires peers

Simmons is not afraid to share his learnings with his social media audience. He posts two to three times a week on LinkedIn describing in-detail new technologies and software he’s testing and using, delving into what’s working well and what hasn’t—often racking up thousands of impressions. He also shares stories on his website pizzaroboto.io

“I think a lot of restaurants don’t have the bandwidth to kind of explore new technology, or to look at what’s out there. And so, by reading what I’m doing, following my story, they can at least make somewhat of an informed decision,” said Simmons.