In a perfect world, you’ve found the “sweet spot” for your menu prices before you even opened the doors of your new store. Unfortunately, it’s pretty much a given they won’t stay there, as factors that increase the cost of your goods regula...

As we all experienced a crazy year with the pandemic and restaurants only able to do takeout and delivery, some are shutting down, and no one knows what’s coming next. However, have you seen the increase in demand for food trucks and mobile units? ...

The Deep Freeze Offering frozen pizza for carryout or nationwide shipment isn’t a new idea. The first frozen pizzas on the market can be traced back to the early 1950s. Favorite hometown pizzerias across America long ago installed freezer cases in ...

How to Analyze and Negotiate a Restaurant Lease Commercial lease agreements, particularly for restaurants, can be complex and burdensome —however, they are one of the most important aspects of running a profitable business. Performing the proper du...

Unless you’re living under a rock, you already know that the cost of nearly every good has risen dramatically recently. Case in point, as but one example: lumber. I called a handyman recently who has previously installed flooring in my basement. He...

How to keep costs down and protection up in today’s climate Interested in safeguarding his restaurant and his livelihood, John Panvino doesn’t hesitate to invest in insurance. The chef and owner of Trattoria Porretta in Chicago, Panvino knows tho...

When the big guys move, it can reverberate across an industry and impact those big and small. Consider retail. When a power player such as Amazon waives delivery fees or one like Kohl’s maintains forgiving return policies, it shifts consumer sentim...

A primer on the concept and how it’s being used in the pizza space Over the past year, the term ghost kitchens has popped up frequently. They’re also called virtual restaurants and cloud kitchens. In fact, when we asked leading operators during a...

Bottling a Brand Pizzeria owners who want to package their signature sauce, dough or whole pies to sell in stores or online might find the process is not easy, but the extra exposure and revenue are a plus. That was especially true during the COVID-1...

After spending the past few issues discussing menus, marketing and manpower, we’re going to discuss the big process underlying every facet of your business: controlling costs. I’m sure you have heard a lot about “prime costs,” or the direct c...

The Path to Payroll Protection Program Forgiveness Ankit Chudgar is asking for forgiveness. The owner of Primo’s Pizzeria in Louisville, Kentucky, Chudgar was one of thousands of restaurant owners to secure a Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan ...

Full Steam Ahead Expanding is tough. Small stores take a lot of effort and planning. A full-service restaurant roll-out can feel like it’s taken years off your life by the time you’re finally open. To handle it, I’ve refined my opening process ...