In a column named “Building Blocks,” it’s no coincidence that we’re going to spend some time talking about building a team. After all, employees are among the most important “blocks” in your business. Follow along for the steps to fol...

The post-pandemic malaise is in full effect. Without seeking to knock on a ton of wood, it would appear that the pandemic is drawing to a close. Or as close to an end as possible. Will it ever be entirely over? Who knows? Probably not, but it’s...

“Leaders become great not because of their power, but because of their ability to empower others.” — John Maxwell, bestselling author/speaker/leadership coach. Often, I’m asked to share my secret for success. It is a humbling question — and...

Fixing a behavior in the workplace I had a recent situation where a person posted a bad photo of a slice of our sausage pizza served to them at lunch. It only had three pieces of sausage instead of the typical seven per the recipe. The knee-jerk reac...

Steve Jobs, who knew a thing or two about growing a business, once said: “Recruiting is hard. It’s just finding the needles in the haystack.” And the legendary co-founder and former CEO of Apple spent a lot of time hunting for those needles, es...

Lead By Example — Employee Leadership It’s imperative to lead by example. The way you act in your restaurant will determine how the rest of your crew performs. When you’re upbeat, fast-paced, enthusiastic and positive, it’s natura...

This month, it’s time to tighten up, or it’s time to loosen up. Think about all the things you are fanatically interested in and even maniacal about. Loosen up on that stuff a little bit. If you’re an absolute stickler for punctuali...

I highly advise copying the systemized practices of the major restaurant players. I DO NOT suggest copying their mass-market food style or lack of personal touch. However, interestingly enough, the big players are now factoring personal touch into th...

Nick Bogacz, founder and president of Caliente Pizza & Draft House in Pittsburgh You’ve done all the hard work, and finally, job hunters are calling you. Now what?  I like to break down the process into a few steps. But, first, if you reca...

In today’s labor market, morale needs a boost The refrain since the pandemic began is “We can’t find good help.” We see pizzerias daily shortening hours just so the owners and staff can get a break. While a plethora of factors have worked in ...

It’s a humbling endeavor to hire people. It’s on par with being a good coach, or teacher, to aspire to be a good boss. After working jobs you might not have liked growing up, with people you didn’t choose and a boss who did things you didn’t ...

Among the most significant business consequences of the pandemic is an epidemic — a hiring epidemic. While we haven’t been immune to this nationwide problem, we’re weathering it better than other restaurants, so I am frequently asked how we hav...