Part-skim mozzarella cheese has less fat and calories than whole-milk mozzarella cheese. Mike Leprino Sr. makes fresh mozzarella balls in the original Leprino Foods store. On the cheese side, Leprino hustled to satisfy Pizza Hut, which went public in 1972 with around 1,000 stores and, at its peak in the 1990s, accounted for 90% of Leprino's sales. In a pizza that needs little explanation, the newest Pizza Hut mash-up combines two of the most beloved foods of all-time – grilled cheese and pizza. AN AVALANCHE OF CHEESE pours into the test kitchen at the Denver headquarters of Leprino Foods, the mozzarella supplier to Pizza Hut, Domino's and Papa John's. "It was more of a handshake than it was anything else," recalls Michael Soignet, a former vice president of supply chain at Domino's. Mozzarella cheese also contains vitamin A and is an excellent source of calcium. The company announced Tuesday that its “Original Pan Pizza” is being completely remade, including a new cheese blend, sauce … Subscribe. I gravitate towards the intersection of food and mass manufacturing. , ". She is also a licensed mental health counselor, registered nutritionist and yoga teacher. As the diamonds of his watch bezel shimmer on his wrist, Leprino takes out his beat-up black leather wallet, removes the rubber band holding it shut and reveals a card featuring the four company watchwords: quality, service, price, ethics. Leprino was able to grow with them all by putting them in silos, granting each company its own specs and then troubleshooting as necessary. In North America, Pizza Hut has notably sold: pan pizza, baked in a pan with a crispy edge; stuffed crust pizza, with the outermost edge wrapped around a cylinder of mozzarella cheese; "hand-tossed", more … This... [+] 1978 company portrait is the only known image of Leprino Foods’ founder (right). Most chains of Pizza Hut use the brand Leprino Foods for their mozzarella cheese. ", He wasn't always so hands-off. Additional Charge For Extra Cheese, Stuffed Crust, Pan, And Extra Toppings May Apply. Brush the crusts … Italian specialties followed, including fresh ricotta, mozzarella balls and ravioli made by James' sister Angie. "My success is a fairy tale," he says. Over the next two decades, Leprino Foods also signed sweetheart deals with co-ops that eventually became the Dairy Farmers of America, securing a lasting milk supply with the country's largest dairy co-op; the company also purchased and renovated some of the older dairy plants, cutting off the options for competitors who wanted to process milk. And while Little Caesars uses other vendors--industry insiders say Leprino isn't exclusive with Little Caesars, in part because the chain's blend uses Muenster cheese, too — Leprino president Mike Durkin predicts that Little Caesars will eventually succumb. Leprino is also rolling out the company's first direct-to-consumer product, a whey protein powder called Ascent, which will have a dedicated wing at the Greeley facility. Mozzarella cheese has no carbohydrates and is a good source of protein, with nearly 8 grams per serving. Pizza Hut doesn't offer some of the less typical toppings such as spinach, feta, salami and sliced provolone. Pizza Hut franchises would sometimes wait too long to thaw the presliced mozzarella and reported that their cheese would crumble, so Leprino Foods responded with its first major breakthrough: a preservative mist. . The little-known Leprino (he declined to be photographed for this article) rates as one of America's all-time monopolists. Copyright Policy In the 1970s, Wisconsin and New York were producing most of the country's milk, but California's nascent dairy industry often priced milk lower. Mike Leprino Sr. stands in the original Leprino family shop selling Italian specialties. Two floors above this dairy deluge, in a dark-wood-paneled office with white marble floors, Corinthian columns and gold accents, sits James Leprino, the Willy Wonka of cheese. Visit today! Pizza Hut uses skim milk Mozzarella cheese for both the pizza topping and the cheese in the stuffed crust. Mozzarella cheese is available in part-skim, fat-free or whole milk varieties. On the manufacturing side, Kielsmeier cut down the cheese's aging period from 14 days to just four hours, which multiplied the company's production capabilities while cutting costs significantly. Leprino realized he needed to learn the science behind making cheese on a mass scale. DELIVERY & CARRYOUT LOCATIONS ARE OPEN! Every Monday at 11:30 a.m., Leprino walks down to the test kitchen along with two dozen of his most trusted executives for the weekly Monday Melts meeting like the one I attended. "Your employees have got to know you're not a phony," he says. Percent Daily Values (%DV) … He speaks with former president Wes Allen (left). For example, the Wisconsin 6 Cheese pizza comes with mozzarella, feta, provolone, cheddar, Parmesan, and Asiago baked to perfection on a -Parmesan or Asiago crust. Leprino Foods is the world's largest mozzarella company with sales of more than $3 billion annually. This silicone ingredient is not approved by the Food and Drug Administration for use in food. This pizza does not contain an abundance of cheese as we tend to use in America, as you want all three colors to shine through. Leprino Foods is a company based in Colorado and the largest mozzarella cheese producer in the world, according to the company's website. The Pizza Hut Name, Logos And Related Marks Are Trademarks Of Pizza Hut… They could even make a reduced fat "cheddar" by using a mozzarella base and then misting on cheddar flavor and orange food coloring. 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