Three billion. That’s about what number of pizzas are bought in the USA yearly. This 12 months, UCF Rosen Faculty of Hospitality Administration alumnus Dylan Pittman ’22 plans to serve a whole lot of pies via Pizza Pitt Cease, a meals truck he just lately launched.
Pizza Pitt Cease presently serves clients throughout Jacksonville and St. Augustine, Florida. Amongst its signature choices is the Talladega, Pittman’s private favourite, which has a inexperienced flag sauce, combining the flavors of Alfredo and pesto with hen and bacon.
“Ever since I used to be a child, I’ve at all times wished to have my very own restaurant,” says 21-year-old Pittman. “It wasn’t till a couple of years in the past that my thoughts moved from a standard brick-and-mortar to a meals truck. I simply noticed a variety of enjoyable alternatives for a scenario the place on daily basis at work was distinctive and would by no means get stale.”
To show his dream right into a actuality, Pittman earned his bachelor’s in restaurant and foodservice administration from UCF Rosen Faculty of Hospitality Administration in Could 2022. Whereas on the faculty, he shortly accomplished his basic training lessons to focus on his major aim: studying concerning the meals and beverage business. He accomplished his diploma in three years.
“My favourite class was Foodservice Operations, the place we have been accountable for our personal pop-up meals occasion on campus for our friends and professors to take part in,” he says. “My group developed a pop-up occasion totally primarily based round dumplings, the place we’d use dumplings as a enjoyable and distinctive vessel for different meals like hen parmesan.”
“It was nice to have the ability to discuss to somebody within the business that might present an expert but private dialogue concerning the thought of placing collectively a meals truck.” — Dylan Pittman ’22, UCF alum
It was throughout that class that Pittman linked with chef Jay Judy, a senior teacher within the Division of Foodservice and Lodging Administration. Judy turned out to be an excellent mentor for Pittman and his pizza meals truck enterprise.
“Chef Jay Judy did an excellent job supporting our concepts and is only a good chief. I used to be at all times in a position to come to him with questions and concepts,” Pittman says. “I took this class within the final semester of my senior 12 months, so I used to be actually beginning to make strikes with the truck.”
Pittman thought-about a couple of completely different cuisines to construct a meals truck round, however realized pizza simply made sense.
Pittman already had glorious pizza making expertise and sufficient concepts in his head of how one can make his meals truck desires a actuality.
“After the meals was set, I moved onto the title to actually nail the kind of pizza idea I used to be going for. I wished to incorporate my household’s title within the truck, but it surely was a brainstorming session with my two dorm roommates, Tommy and Tyler, that spawned the title Pizza Pitt Cease.”
Along with Judy, Pittman additionally had mentorship steerage via World Management Enhancement and Mentorship (GLEAM), a nonprofit volunteer community offering mentorship and management growth to underserved communities within the restaurant and foodservice business. Affiliate Professor Cynthia Mejia was chair of the Division of Foodservice and Lodging Administration when Pittman was a mentee within the GLEAM program.
Mejia says college students within the GLEAM program establish their “one large factor” they want to work on below the steerage of an business mentor. College students spend 4 months engaged on their challenge, and current completely different elements of their challenge to their cohort.
“Dylan’s ‘one large factor’ was to open a meals truck. He was actually passionate {and professional} about reaching his aim, and I bear in mind the seriousness with which he approached the weekly activity,” Mejia says. “And he did it in actual life! I’m so pleased with him, and actually impressed by him.”
For somebody as younger as Pittman to realize his objectives as an entrepreneur could appear uncommon, nonetheless Mejia says she observed a specific spark in him.
“Being an entrepreneur has quantity of threat concerned. I’m undecided to the extent that most individuals, not to mention current graduates, have the tolerance for threat,” she says. “Whenever you discuss with Dylan, he exudes a quiet confidence, but an openness to do what must be finished.”
Whereas Pittman is dedicated to his pizza meals truck, he is aware of the highway won’t at all times be clean.
“I’ve undoubtedly confronted challenges all through the truck build-out course of, and I’m positive there will probably be extra challenges now that the truck is open,” he says. “However I can’t hope to make this a significant enterprise if I’m not ready to face these challenges head-on. I knew this wasn’t going to be straightforward, however nothing worthwhile ever is.”
“My objectives for the enterprise now and eternally will probably be to supply , high quality product with glorious service. Pizza shouldn’t be sophisticated, and my enterprise gained’t be both.” — Dylan Pittman ’22, UCF alum
Pittman has an encouraging companion in his pizza entrepreneurship enterprise. Emily Davis ’22, who can also be a UCF Rosen Faculty graduate, has been by his aspect whereas additionally managing her personal enterprise, Lemonly’s Bakery.
“IThree billion. That’s about what number of pizzas are bought in the USA yearly. This 12 months, UCF Rosen Faculty of Hospitality Administration alumnus Dylan Pittman ’22 plans to serve a whole lot of pies via Pizza Pitt Cease, a meals truck he just lately launched.
Pizza Pitt Cease presently serves clients throughout Jacksonville and St. Augustine, Florida. Amongst its signature choices is the Talladega, Pittman’s private favourite, which has a inexperienced flag sauce, combining the flavors of Alfredo and pesto with hen and bacon.
“Ever since I used to be a child, I’ve at all times wished to have my very own restaurant,” says 21-year-old Pittman. “It wasn’t till a couple of years in the past that my thoughts moved from a standard brick-and-mortar to a meals truck. I simply noticed a variety of enjoyable alternatives for a scenario the place on daily basis at work was distinctive and would by no means get stale.”
To show his dream right into a actuality, Pittman earned his bachelor’s in restaurant and foodservice administration from UCF Rosen Faculty of Hospitality Administration in Could 2022. Whereas on the faculty, he shortly accomplished his basic training lessons to focus on his major aim: studying concerning the meals and beverage business. He accomplished his diploma in three years.
“My favourite class was Foodservice Operations, the place we have been accountable for our personal pop-up meals occasion on campus for our friends and professors to take part in,” he says. “My group developed a pop-up occasion totally primarily based round dumplings, the place we’d use dumplings as a enjoyable and distinctive vessel for different meals like hen parmesan.”
“It was nice to have the ability to discuss to somebody within the business that might present an expert but private dialogue concerning the thought of placing collectively a meals truck.” — Dylan Pittman ’22, UCF alum
It was throughout that class that Pittman linked with chef Jay Judy, a senior teacher within the Division of Foodservice and Lodging Administration. Judy turned out to be an excellent mentor for Pittman and his pizza meals truck enterprise.
“Chef Jay Judy did an excellent job supporting our concepts and is only a good chief. I used to be at all times in a position to come to him with questions and concepts,” Pittman says. “I took this class within the final semester of my senior 12 months, so I used to be actually beginning to make strikes with the truck.”
Pittman thought-about a couple of completely different cuisines to construct a meals truck round, however realized pizza simply made sense.
Pittman already had glorious pizza making expertise and sufficient concepts in his head of how one can make his meals truck desires a actuality.
“After the meals was set, I moved onto the title to actually nail the kind of pizza idea I used to be going for. I wished to incorporate my household’s title within the truck, but it surely was a brainstorming session with my two dorm roommates, Tommy and Tyler, that spawned the title Pizza Pitt Cease.”
Along with Judy, Pittman additionally had mentorship steerage via World Management Enhancement and Mentorship (GLEAM), a nonprofit volunteer community offering mentorship and management growth to underserved communities within the restaurant and foodservice business. Affiliate Professor Cynthia Mejia was chair of the Division of Foodservice and Lodging Administration when Pittman was a mentee within the GLEAM program.
Mejia says college students within the GLEAM program establish their “one large factor” they want to work on below the steerage of an business mentor. College students spend 4 months engaged on their challenge, and current completely different elements of their challenge to their cohort.
“Dylan’s ‘one large factor’ was to open a meals truck. He was actually passionate {and professional} about reaching his aim, and I bear in mind the seriousness with which he approached the weekly activity,” Mejia says. “And he did it in actual life! I’m so pleased with him, and actually impressed by him.”
For somebody as younger as Pittman to realize his objectives as an entrepreneur could appear uncommon, nonetheless Mejia says she observed a specific spark in him.
“Being an entrepreneur has quantity of threat concerned. I’m undecided to the extent that most individuals, not to mention current graduates, have the tolerance for threat,” she says. “Whenever you discuss with Dylan, he exudes a quiet confidence, but an openness to do what must be finished.”
Whereas Pittman is dedicated to his pizza meals truck, he is aware of the highway won’t at all times be clean.
“I’ve undoubtedly confronted challenges all through the truck build-out course of, and I’m positive there will probably be extra challenges now that the truck is open,” he says. “However I can’t hope to make this a significant enterprise if I’m not ready to face these challenges head-on. I knew this wasn’t going to be straightforward, however nothing worthwhile ever is.”
“My objectives for the enterprise now and eternally will probably be to supply , high quality product with glorious service. Pizza shouldn’t be sophisticated, and my enterprise gained’t be both.” — Dylan Pittman ’22, UCF alum
Pittman has an encouraging companion in his pizza entrepreneurship enterprise. Emily Davis ’22, who can also be a UCF Rosen Faculty graduate, has been by his aspect whereas additionally managing her personal enterprise, Lemonly’s Bakery.
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