Hosting a staff development party Hosting a staff development party is more than just a fun escape from the daily routine; it’s a strategic move to enhance team cohesion, and appreciation and reduce attrition. “I have enough on my plate b...

Operator Anthony DeSousa offers this commentary on the riddle of the employee rollercoaster The cycle repeats. Not with the regularity of earth’s orbit, instead more like a comet impacted by changes in gravity breaking apart in time. I’m describi...

Training Pizza Makers Takes Patience As an owner or an operator of a pizza shop you are undoubtedly the master of your craft and the master of your domain. You have a product that you take great personal pride in. Over many years you have worked tire...

Over the last 20 years I’ve been in this game, I have met and seen several restaurants close forever because of an owner who had to do it all. They wanted to keep it personal and be a part of every decision and task. These owners were incapable...

Holiday Planning should include strategies to help your staff thrive Here’s the reality: the holidays in the restaurant industry aren’t easy. It’s controlled chaos. The big parties, the weird weather, days closed and staff gearing u...

Learning Management System Technology can help crew members learn and managers track progress Training systems have evolved. Instead of expecting new hires to read employee handbooks or sit at a desktop and watch a series of video modules, pizzeria o...

Cuffers & Barneys: Long-term and short-term employees One of my managers quit on the spot. I walked into his restaurant at 6:00 a.m. on Monday morning, the time every manager performs their weekly inventory and paperwork. He was sitting at his de...

Strategies to improve your hiring game Hiring has always been critical, but it’s more important than ever for the post-COVID pizzeria operator. Lots of workers have left the service industry, and those that are left have higher expectations than ev...

So many of us are guilty of falling into the same trap: over time, we develop great faith in our people, so we continually provide what we think are opportunities for their advancement. After all, they are punctual, responsible, caring, excellent at ...

Substance abuse in the restaurant industry Anthony Bourdain, on multiple occasions, compared a restaurant to a modern-day pirate ship filled with counterculture non-conformists who all band together for a singular purpose in a small stuffy room and s...

When restaurant staff are ready for a promotion People love to work somewhere they can grow. Most employees want not only a job, but a career. Right beside that, employers understand their business cannot grow without great people. So, putting both t...

Pizzeria owners are rarely only owners. Instead, we don many hats and understanding every role in the shop. In fact, I know one clever owner who wears a shirt that says “Maintenance Man” on the back. Even if we’re not masters in every facet of ...