Spotlight
Spotlight features individuals and organizations that create change every day for the health and well being of South Asians.
An Interview with with Radha and Miki Agrawal, owners of Slice
By Annu Mangat
April 16, 2007 
Miki and Radha Agrawal are owners of something that most of us who are watching our waistlines and counting our carbs consider impossible: healthful pizza that won’t pack the pounds and actually tastes good.
These 28-year-old entrepreneurs, who are identical twins, have opened Slice, a cozy restaurant in Manhattan’s Upper East Side on Second Avenue between 73rd and 74th that specializes in pizza for people who are lactose intolerant, have food allergies or simply want to eat more nutritious pizza. Miki actually founded the restaurant concept in late 2005 and Radha joined her in 2006 to help grow this business to its full potential.
For this month’s spotlight, Miki talks about her and her sister Radha’s journey from the Ivy League to the growing market in health-conscious cuisine.
Is there anything about your background that prompted your interest in Slice Pizza?
My sister Radha and I were born in Montreal, Canada in 1979. Our mother is from Japan and our father is from India, so we grew up with the perfect combination cuisine.
How did the pizza place come about and why?
Originally, the concept was born because I couldn't eat pizza anymore. I realized I was lactose intolerant and had to start giving up all kinds of foods that I loved dearly. Radha became lactose intolerant soon after me. I did some research and found out that one in five Americans becomes lactose intolerant and 80 percent of the world was lactose intolerant.
It became clear that I wasn't the only one who was likely to give up food like pizza and ice cream and that alternatives needed to be brought more into the mainstream. I then looked at what was happening in the health industry today and saw that the organic and natural foods industry was exponentially increasing, but the pizza industry was slow to respond. So I decided to open a healthy, all-natural and organic pizza place that could feed anyone and everyone this much-loved food.
Can you talk about how specific ingredients make your pizza more healthful?
People who are lactose intolerant can eat our rice mozzarella cheese or casein-free mozzarella cheese. Or those with wheat and gluten allergies can enjoy our spelt and rice crusts.
Doesn’t pizza usually have a lot of cholesterol?
The cheese in regular pizzerias has a lot of cholesterol, but ours is a 100 percent part-skim organic mozzarella cheese that has less cholesterol.
I read recently that a university was trying to enhance the anti-oxidants in pizza. Have you heard about that?
Yes! A big study from the University of Maryland did show that whole wheat pizza cooked on high heat in hot pizza ovens releases high levels of anti-oxidants.
What’s the health benefit of natural and organic ingredients?
Natural and organic ingredients simply do not have any pesticides, antibiotics and hormones and are not processed.
How many calories does a plain slice of your cheese pizza have versus a typical New York-style pizza?
Our pizza has lower calories on a gram-to-gram basis as any other pizza out there. On average, our slices are approximately 180 calories. But we really try to shy away from calorie counting as our idea is to supply good, tasty clean food to our customers that is broken down properly in our bodies. There are plenty of horribly processed foods that are low calorie but add no nutritional value to the body.
Who comes up with the recipes, and who does the cooking?
Originally, I hired a consulting chef, Tomas, to write the basic recipes and train my original staff. Now, my staff does all the cooking. My manager, Dave, is a great cook and actually came up with our all-natural barbecue chicken pizza and it’s fabulous!
What do your parents think of Slice?
Like every parent, they were nervous at first. They told Radha and me that it wasn't too late to go back to medical school. They now love it and are completely behind it and are very proud of us. My dad is still one of the first people I call if I have a business question. My mom is consistently supportive. She always says, "If one of your workers doesn't show up, call me and I'll drive two and a half hours to help!" One day, I'll take her up on that.
For more information, visit www.sliceperfect.com
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