Alexis Rorabaugh – Rose Pizzeria

Owner

Berkeley, California

(This Q&A is part of a series about pizzerias’ New Year’s resolutions. To read other operators’ resolutions, click here.)

What are your top three goals for your pizza restaurant in the coming year?

Tighten Operations

Streamline our systems so we can deliver consistently great pizza and hospitality, even during the busiest hours.

Evolve the Menu

Keep improving our seasonal offerings and ingredient sourcing while staying true to our simple, ingredient-driven style.

Grow the Team

Invest in staff development and leadership so our team feels supported, confident, and able to deliver their best.

How do you plan to stay competitive in a crowded market?

We stay competitive by doubling down on the things that actually matter – great food, genuine hospitality, and real relationships with our community. There’s always going to be a new spot opening or a trend passing through, but what keeps people coming back is trust – you know the pizza will be good, the vibe will be warm, and the experience will feel human.

We also obsess over the details: sourcing great ingredients, keeping a tight and thoughtful menu, and constantly improving how we work so the guest experience stays smooth even when we’re slammed. And honestly, part of staying competitive is not trying to be everything to everyone. We know who we are. We make our kind of pizza, we treat people well, and we keep getting better at it.

What’s one skill or area of knowledge you’d like to improve as a business owner in 2026?

I want to get better at stepping back and thinking more strategically instead of always living in the day-to-day fires. I’m great at the hands-on restaurant work – staffing, systems, food, service – but as we grow, I need to strengthen the “big picture” side: planning, forecasting, and making decisions that set us up 6–12 months out instead of 6–12 hours out. With our second location opening up in San Francisco (early 2026) this is taking priority.

Basically, learning to be less reactive and more proactive. If I can level up that skill, the whole team feels it – more clarity, more stability, and more space for everyone (including me) to do our best work.