Most pizzeria owners wait too long to develop leaders. They’re hoping for someone to step up instead of creating a path that identifies, mentors and promotes the right people. This is a super risky way to run your business. If your manager quit tomorrow, would you have a bench of A-players ready, or just a few names of people who’ve been there the longest and that you hope would be able to fill in? From experience, I can tell you, you need people who want it, and you can’t force greatness on someone. With that said, some people just need a little push.
You can’t assume someone wants to be a manager just because they’re dependable. And you definitely can’t assume someone doesn’t want it just because they haven’t asked. Some of your best future leaders are probably battling imposter syndrome. They think they’re not ready and feel bad assuming they’re next in line. They’re unsure if they’re even allowed to raise their hand. And because they haven’t been tapped, they stay quiet.
That’s why you need to talk to every remotely viable candidate. Don’t wait for them to speak up. Interview them. Keep it conversational. Let them know leadership is an option and tell them what it takes to earn that role. Sometimes just hearing that they’re being considered unlocks the confidence they were missing. People rise when they know there’s a clear path for growth and someone believes in them.
You also have to be honest about who you’re promoting. Don’t make the mistake of promoting the best worker. Promote the best leader. There’s a difference. Your best pizza maker might be killing it on their station, but that doesn’t mean they have the judgment or temperament to manage a team. Leadership means decision-making under pressure. It means being accountable, staying calm, solving problems and coaching others to do the same. The best leader isn’t the one who clocks the most hours, it’s the one people naturally follow. That’s who you’re looking for.
Once you see that spark, start developing it. Give them details about how the business works. Let them sit in on your decisions. When they ask questions about food costs or labor or the P&L, lean in. You don’t need them to know everything, you just need them to care about the right things and be willing to learn. That curiosity is the foundation of ownership thinking. If they care about more than just their own tasks, they’re on the right track. MAKE THIS A BIG DEAL, when someone wants to know more about the business side of things, make it obvious you are excited to teach them.
Development doesn’t mean dropping a potential leader into the deep end. It means giving them projects, having them lead small teams, letting them try things and learn in real time. Mentor them. Let them fail with support. Let them win and make it obvious to everyone that was THEIR win. Our job as owners is to create the path, not just the position.
When you do this right, you don’t just get a supervisor; you build an intrapreneur. Someone who treats your store like it’s their own. Someone who takes pressure off you instead of adding to it. And when that happens, you’ve got a real team. One that can grow, scale and win on food cost, labor cost and accolades – whether you’re in the room or not. That’s the bigger win: the strength of your team without you, not with you.
Read the November 2025 Issue of Pizza Today Magazine
This month, we are diving deep on all things cheese. Learn how the fluctuating commodities market can impact the price you pay for mozzarella and other block cheeses. Then, find out how operators are using craft beer cheddar, gorgonzola and plant-based cheeses made from cashews, coconuts, peas and other bases to create pizzas that are visually and gastronomically stunning. Round out your education for the month by brushing up on pizzeria art, SOPs and winter squash.
Check out the full Digital Edition – Pizza Today November 2025.
