Things are heating up! Today, for a change, we’re taking you behind the scenes at Adial to introduce our new trainer: Romain Besnard!
A young pizzaiolo who started his pizza journey in 2014, Romain is above all a passionate professional who learned the ropes alongside his father in a restaurant in Vernon: “I started as a cook there, and we also made pizzas. At first, we had a pizza maker, but soon he couldn’t keep up with the pace. My dad, watching me from behind the scenes, offered me the position. I accepted and spent six months behind the ovens, kind of blindly, just replicating what I had seen. One day, I told my father I wanted to get proper training to improve myself.”
Romain’s training journey:
Romain then undertook several training programs: “In 2015, I completed a week of training at the French School of Pizzaiolos in Paris. I learned how to make a great dough because, for the rest, I already had quite a bit of knowledge. Later, I took a second course at the school and even participated in the French Pizza Championships.”
An expert in automatic pizza distribution:
Romain has been interested in automatic distribution of artisanal pizzas for many years: “I discovered this concept about seven years ago, but with the restaurant business, it was hard to take the leap. It was in January 2021 that I decided to go for it when my father put the restaurant up for sale.”
Without hesitation, Romain decided to launch an automatic pizza dispenser: “In six months, I built the project, went to the bank for financing, and off we went!” Today, Romain runs his own company. He operates three Pizzadoor machines and one Panidoor dispenser in Gaillon, Heudebouille, and Vernon and plans to add three new dispensers by early 2024.
Combining experience, rigor, and a passion for teaching:
Adial chose Romain to lead training sessions for automatic distributor operators, not only for his experience but also for his rigor and ease of communication: “I am extremely meticulous in my work, and I love being around people all day, sharing my passion. I’ve always enjoyed passing on what I know, whether in the restaurant, in service, or in the kitchen. I’m versatile, and I love training others.”
Each training session accommodates a maximum of 4 to 5 trainees: “The two days go by very quickly. It’s intense but well-structured. It’s perfect for people undergoing a career change—you need to take the time to explain things. In my sessions, I cover both basics like pizza dough, tomato sauce, and pizza assembly. I also share top recipes, explain what works with distributors, how to choose the right products, and avoid the wrong ones. We conduct cooking tests and discuss communication strategies to promote the operators’ distributors. I try to present all the challenges I’ve encountered over the past two years to help them start their business as smoothly as possible.”
A tailored approach for every pperator profile:
For Romain, the main goal of the training is to enable operators to offer high-quality pizzas while growing their business: “Each operator is different. Some want one or two distributors, while others want many more. Some make it their primary activity, while others see automatic distribution as a complementary service to their restaurant.”
“Naturally, my approach varies depending on the profile. Sometimes, there are people who know nothing about catering, pizza, automatic distribution, or cooking. In two days, I have to teach them a whole new profession. I love it—it’s a real challenge!”
Support that continues beyond training:
For Romain, a successful training session is one where the trainee arrives with lots of questions: “When operators come with questions, I try to find the best solutions, which also helps the other trainees. If they don’t have questions right away, they take notes to absorb the information. Through discussion, I build my entire training program: the equipment, pizza dough, sauce, recipes, customer issues—I try to cover everything so Adial trainees have all the tools they need when they leave my training.” “When they get home, they practice and can call me. I remain very available to help them solve their problems, even remotely.” For 2024, Romain and the Adial team are developing a four-day training program for operators who want to specialize. The program will include two days of artisanal pizza training and two days of specific training on automatic distributors .
Staying connected with customers:
“With the distributor, the work hours are much easier. I stopped the restaurant business to enjoy life, to be home in the evenings. I love my job, but I don’t think I would have continued for another 10 years. However, it’s important to stay in touch with customers, to post regularly on social media, show them how we work, demonstrate that the pizzas are being freshly made, meet people in front of the distributors, and showcase the products. People want to know who is making the pizzas and who is behind the business.” When asked about the qualities of a good pizzaiolo, Romain answers: “Efficiency, speed, and the desire to do well, to make people happy, to be proud of what you do, and to do your best.” We wish him a fantastic journey with us!
