New automated pizza oven keeps prices down while producing fresh pies for hungry shipyard employees

New automated pizza oven keeps prices down while producing fresh pies for hungry shipyard employees

By Ben Hutto, PSNS & IMF Public Affairs

BREMERTON, Wash. -

Puget Sound Naval Shipyard & Intermediate Maintenance Facility leadership has found a way to make ordering a hot slice of pizza easier for command employees.

It is part of the command's effort to improve quality of service throughout the shipyard-in both big ways and smaller ways.

"This is a huge improvement for us," said Chad Davis, Morale, Welfare Recreation (MWR) Food and Beverage Activities manager. "This machine can do the work that would normally take six different people to do with only one percent waste. It's clean, safe and easy to maintain."

The device, The Picnic Pizza Station, is produced by Picnic, a company located in Seattle. It uses conveyor belts to move pizza dough through the device, where ingredients are placed on the dough, similar to a 3D printer. Pizza sauce is drizzled on dough from a nozzle in measured precise swipes before cheese and toppings are set in place with mechanical pods, in preparation for baking. The whole process is much more efficient than previous processes.

One of the oven's first uses was to provide slices for the Code 900S, Waterfront Safety, Pathway To Safety event in June. The oven was able to produce 500 pizzas that morning to support the lunchtime event. While that level of production isn't typical-the oven produces around 35-75 pizzas in an average week-it does show what the machine is capable of. Depending on the size of the product, the device is capable of working on 10-15 different pizzas at a time.

"Everybody loves it so far," Davis said to Rear Adm. Mark Sucato, commander, Navy Region Northwest, during a demonstration at PSNS & IMF. "The bottom line is that this will help keep the price low for our employees and our labor cost down. It's a win for everyone."

After sampling a slice and discussing the logistics of how the machine is loaded and maintained, the commander walked away from the demonstration impressed.

"It's not what I expected, but I thought it was pretty cool," he said. "I'm really impressed with its ability to scale and make products reliably. I think this will be a huge win for our workers here."

The device is now producing fresh pizza every day for lunch at all canteen locations at PSNS & IMF. In addition, employees can call ahead and get pies to take back to their office or home for dinner; instead of eating there. It is just another option that will allow workers to get quality food without leaving the shipyard.

"We have received zero complaints on flavor so far," said Davis. "I hope our workers will continue to enjoy it."