From going zero waste to creating sustainable restaurant design, Pizza 4P’s is the future of dining out.
What began as one man’s quest for spreading happiness through pizza has now evolved into a thriving 4P’s pizza chain in the Indochina region. Run by businessman Yosuke Masuko, the restaurant is a tribute to the ‘pizza parties’ he hosted in his youth in Japan. Since 2011, Pizza 4P’s (or Pizza for Peace) has grown to operate a chain of 25 full-service restaurants in Vietnam and its first international outlet in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.
The restaurant’s philosophy of Japanese hospitality ‘omotenashi” reflects the continuing effort to listen to customers and constantly improve their pizza experience. Pizza makers go through an intensive training period of up to one year with the aim of perfecting and deepening the Napoli-style pizza. The pizzas themselves are equally enticing, made with Japanese-inspired ingredients such as salmon sashimi, teriyaki chicken and soy garlic beef.
4P’s commitment goes beyond their food. There is a lot of emphasis and effort placed into designing the restaurant space. Drawing inspiration from architect Vann Molyvann, the use of reinforced concrete on beams and perforated brick walls are seen throughout the Japanese-Italian fusion pizzeria. The bar and a private wood-paneled dining room include Japanese touches against a subtle Khmer backdrop.
When a setting is this good, it comes with a responsibility to look after it and Kazuya Kubota is a country director who takes this responsibility very seriously indeed. As part of its larger vision, Make the World Smile for Peace, sustainability is central to Pizza 4P’s business model and vision. So much so that its Phnom Penh outlet has achieved a record 97% zero waste score within two months after its official opening.
“We are hugely passionate about sustainability, in all forms, and this is the perfect place to explore every possibility to create great food, whilst getting our customers on board with zero waste living,”
Kubota says.
4P’s is known for its fresh homemade cheese and sustainably sourced local ingredients. When the restaurant first opened, mozzarella and burrata cheeses were not produced in Vietnam and therefore had to be imported, they made a decision to produce its own natural cheese at a factory located outside of Dalat. The pizza chain has also become a pioneer in promoting the farm-to-table dining concept in Vietnam, prioritising organic and sustainably produced ingredients while promoting transparency in its sourcing processes. Their model relies on local ingredients to minimise the distance that food travels and ensure that every item on their menu has a purpose for being there.
Pizza 4P’s in Phnom Penh works closely with the organic farmers in Battambang and Siem Reap, and has arranged several co-operatives with local smallholdings which grow vegetables to order. Basil, cherry tomatoes and rockets from the local region come in regularly to furnish the kitchen team.
But the sustainability doesn’t stop there. By shopping locally, 4P’s is committed to reducing food waste without compromising the ability to create delicious recipes. Any leftover food is turned into compost which their local suppliers use to improve agricultural soil and mix with regular feeds as a source of protein to livestock.
The restaurant only uses products from packaging to restaurant design that can be recycled. By using recycled materials for their furniture and staff uniform, reclaimed wood for floors and walls, leather scraps made into bill holders, biodegradable bags for pizza takeaway and melted down bullets for pizza servers, 4P’s demonstrates that restaurants can and should take steps to reduce their negative effects on the environment. Setting an example of a progressive kitchen of the future, Pizza 4P’s plans to grow their presence in Cambodia with five new outlets in Phnom Penh and Siem Reap.
On your next visit, be sure to ask for a tour of the recycling room and join their workshop to learn the basics of zero waste living.
Pizza 4P’s
F02-01, 313 Quayside,
Preah Sisowath Quay,
Phnom Penh, Cambodia
T: 089 242 264
