The Mash
Reliable Service Is Ingrained in This Pizza and Beer Joint
When the owners of Cochrane’s Half Hitch Brewing Company realized that each brew session produced up to two tonnes of spent grain product, they decided to find something to do with the leftovers. That’s how The Mash, their pizza and beer company, was born, with the spent grain serving as flour for their pizza dough.
“We realized there’s so much to this grain, it’s really high in protein and low in sugar,” says Britt Kozloski, Director of Restaurant Operations for Half Hitch Brewing Company and The Mash. “The best thing for this grain would be to give it another chance at life as a food source.”
The risk paid off for the family-run business, with five locations open in less than a year, and another five more opening by the end of 2021, all supplied with SmartWiFi from Shaw Business. “It’s so crucial to be able to rely on your internet to provide a service,” says Britt. “We rely on our internet to be able to make sure that our orders run smoothly. To have any orders that get dropped creates a huge disruption in service.”
With previous service providers, spotty WiFi resulted in the team closing their doors multiple times because they couldn’t function. “When there’s something that doesn't work with the tech, you may never get that customer back,” says Britt. “To always be able to know you can rely on something is an ingrained part of this business.”
Shaw Business takes care of its customers above and beyond—it’s almost like a friendship. One hundred percent, it’s the relationship that has kept me with Shaw.
The Mash serves everything from classics like pepperoni and mushroom, to their signature dill pickle and bacon pizza—and they do it with upcycled ingredients that taste amazing. Being a reliable business for their communities in Cochrane and Calgary is so important to the family, and the employees who become members of the team.
With almost 50 employees spread out across locations, Shaw Business’ SmartSurveillance also plays a role in keeping operations moving. “We use it to make sure the people we hire that we can’t see on a day-to-day basis are following the policies we created,” says Britt. “It gives me an extra set of eyes when I can’t be there to ensure the quality of service is the same across all locations.”
That consistency of service was so important to The Mash that Shaw Business built services from scratch in Township, where they planned on expanding. “They realized as a company where we’re going and got ahead of that,” says Britt. “They realized we were coming into an area that hadn't been serviced yet and took it upon themselves to make sure they could provide for us.”
Because the business is run by five siblings, people-powered connections are really important to them. “Shaw Business takes care of its customers above and beyond—it’s almost like a friendship,” says Britt. Their Shaw Business sales representative, Carlos, is even a customer of Half Hitch and The Mash. “One hundred percent, it’s the relationship that has kept me with Shaw.”
As the company continues to expand, Britt and her siblings know they’ll be busier than ever, which is why reliable service is such a cornerstone of their business plan. “There’s always something you can’t control, and when you know you don’t have to worry about your service, you’re laughing,” says Britt. “I can get back to the million other little things I have to do throughout the day.”
“That’s the beauty of Shaw Business.”