When brothers Nick and Tom Farrell were working at a local pizza place in Glen Mills as teenagers, they probably never imagined that they would someday try to revolutionize the classic pizza restaurant experience. But, putting new spins on traditional dining is something that they both have done well over the past almost two decades.
Tom, the older brother, started his restaurateur resume while he was still in college at Drexel. He helped his cousin operate a lunch truck long before food trucks were all the rage. Then they opened a luncheonette together in Southwest Philadelphia, which helped solidify Tom’s desire to create new and interesting dining concepts. In 1995, Tom left the luncheonette and opened The Classic Diner in Malvern, which has become a staple favorite along the Main Line.
Nick Farrell, following in his brother’s footsteps, started working at Brother’s Pizza and Pasta when he was 12 years old. After completing his degree at West Chester, he attended culinary school in Pittsburgh. The brothers worked together again when Nick assisted in The Classic Diner’s kitchen for a few years. Nick then branched out on his own at the young age of 23 to open his still wildly successful Sovana Bistro in Kennett Square.
Over the years, Tom and Nick had toyed with the idea of opening a restaurant together, but were just waiting for the right concept. That dream came to fruition in May when RapiDOUGH Pizza Pies opened its doors.
Located in Collegeville’s Providence Town Center, RapiDOUGH Pizza Pies combines fresh ingredients with rapid food preparation for a modern pizza parlor dining experience. The brothers Farrell explained to me that they wanted to take all of their combined knowledge and create a fast-casual, yet refined restaurant. As busy fathers, they know how important it is to feed a family “on the go” without sacrificing taste and quality.
What makes the ordering experience both unique and rapid are the specially designed iPad kiosks. The electronic ordering provides consistent food delivery to the table in about five minutes.
Customers are greeted by “Linkers” when they arrive at the restaurant. Nick explained that “Linkers introduce this new generation of service provided by RapiDOUGH.” He continued, “The Linker introduces the patron to the custom-designed app, explains how to order and generally ensures the guests’ comfort with the ordering process.”
The iPad app is incredibly fun and easy to use. You simply select if you would like a pizza, calzone or salad and then choose your custom toppings. The menu is small, but focuses on fresh, local ingredients that are prepared daily. Nothing is ever frozen, and all of the dressings, dough, sauces, mozzarella and sausage are made in-house.
Once you place your order, you are given a device that has GPS capabilities. You simply place it on your table and wait approximately 5 minutes for your food. When your order is ready, there is no beeper or yelling out of numbers or names. Instead, a “Happy Do” will deliver it directly to you. Tom describes the Happy Do as someone who “is there to do whatever the guest needs, from delivering the food, to filling up drinks, to clearing off the table after you leave.”
RapiDOUGH, while fast on delivery of your food, is decidedly not fast food. The pizzas and calzones are baked in a custom oven that cooks your order in about 90 seconds. This is not your typical pizza joint that has already-made pies sitting on the counter and then throws a slice in the oven to reheat. Each order is prepared by a “Pizza Artist” who has received your order directly from the iPad app.
I selected the asparagus pie because I was intrigued by the ingredients. Starting with white sauce made of Pecorino cheese, garlic and olive oil then topped with goat cheese, chopped asparagus and arugula and finished with an egg in the center, this pizza proved to be a wildly interesting combination of fresh ingredients. The oven produces a crust that was light and crisp with a slight char.
I also sampled a salad that began with a variety of fresh, local greens. I chose to add roasted carrots and corn, cucumbers, mozzarella and chicken on top. The mozzarella added creaminess to the salad and the well-seasoned chicken provided a punch of flavor. I topped my salad with the slightly sweet and appropriately tart fig-balsamic dressing.
It is clear that Nick and Tom have a deep understanding of what it is like to work in the trenches in a kitchen. They told me that they want to create a work culture where employees can learn while enjoying their job. Essentially, they would like to ensure that their employees have a path to grow. And the Farrell brothers themselves are also interested in growth. They shared that they hope to have another two RapiDOUGH Pizza Pies outposts opened in the next 18 months.
Find RapiDOUGH Pizza Pies at 99 Market Street in Collegeville (near Movie Tavern); phone: (484) 961-8898. Hours of operation are as follows: Tues.–Sat., 11 a.m.–10 p.m.; Sun., 11 a.m.–9 p.m. Take-out is also available.
Pizza photo credit: Ronna Dewey; iPad, staff in kitchen and customer photos credited to Betsy Barron Fine Art Photography.
