“The love I feel can only be surpassed by the pizza I ate.” Those are the words etched in blue ballpoint pen in a bathroom at Piece Brewery & Pizzeria. If the restaurant’s sales –– $6 million-plus in 2010 –&nda...

Curiosity may be one of the most powerful tools in your marketing arsenal. QR codes speak to individuals’ inquisitiveness, and the phenomenon is sweeping across the country. Your customers who carry smart phones may be on the lookout for QR cod...

Dave, I really need to raise prices, but fear I can’t. I don’t know what to do and need your advice. What do you tell your clients on this issue? J.B. Linter Portland, OR How long has it been since you really re-did your menus? If you hav...

I’m going to tell you a dirty little secret: When I was eight years old, I didn’t like pizza. Can you believe it? Studies show that 93 percent of Americans eat pizza regularly — and we all know how much kids love this fine fare. But...

Pat Linch is vice president of operations and brand leader of Big Game Brands, which recently purchased the full-service restaurant franchise The Original Italian Pie. Big Game Brands plans to expand the New Orleans style restaurant that was founded ...

When Rick Smith was 24 years old, he started Main Street Pizza & Noodle in the skiing mecca of Park City, Utah. At that time, he says, a low-cost dining option did not exist in the city. The first night wasn’t exactly a barnburner — S...

When I was first asked to write a column for Pizza Today from my perspective as a professional pizza consumer, I polled my favorite pizzerias to find out what irked them the most about relating to their clientele. The responses were instant, uniform ...

With today’s numerous choices, can a radio ad really help a pizzeria? Will it produce direct, measurable results, or is it simply useful for brand recognition? According to radio executive David Pavlic of Renda Broadcasting, radio can accomplis...

I’m a pizza guy. Like many of you, I spend a good amount of my time with my hands and arms in a 485 F oven or bent over sticky globular masses of dough. After 11 years making pizza, I know my place in the strata of celebrity chefs, culinary pun...

You open the letter from the IRS to find that you are being audited. A shock goes through your body. Fingers begin to shake. The timing couldn’t be worse. You’ve got a business to run. Why you? Don’t panic. An audit doesn’t ne...

Domino’s Pizza may have won our Chain of the Year designation, but there certainly are other companies within the category that are either enjoying success now or setting themselves up for a promising future. Here’s a look at a handful of...

Labor costs typically account for 20 to 30 percent of restaurant sales. With the right tools and equipment, operators can increase productivity, lighten workloads for busy employees and decrease the cost of labor. Today, the supply of ergonomically f...