Don’t overlook your hired customers There are two kinds of customers in our business. The paying customer and the hired customer. The paying customer is the obvious. They are the consumers who come to our establishments to buy the goods and ser...

The final chapter of Tony’s discussion on pizza peels In the September issue, I began a discussion on pizza peels and how I use them in my pizzeria. I followed up last month by taking a look at a few different types of peels. This month I’ll comp...

Does your staff know how to right a wrong? Pizza is an emotional experience! Mistakes happen, and how your crew responds with guests will determine their future patronage. Your team needs to know what to do when there’s a complaint. First… listen...

Menu boards can do more than list today’s specials Menu boards let customers know which pizza toppings are available, what today’s specials are and even what kind of establishment the eatery is. Pizza operators say they choose signage that matche...

Part II of Tony’s discussion on pizza peels Last month, I began a discussion on peels and how I use them in my pizzeria. Let’s continue by taking a look at some different types of peels (I covered out peels and perforated in peels last month)...

Servers and delivery personnel find their ‘game face’ In a past article I wrote for Pizza Today, I referred to service as the “deal breaker” in today’s restaurant economy. It’s actually an observation I learned from my mentor in t...

(And if so, how do you bring just the right one on board?) When asked what he’d do without his front-of-the-house manager Stacie Horton, Rick Drury doesn’t hesitate to shake his head. For the last seven years, Horton has been Drury’s dining roo...

Which pizza peel is right for your pizzeria? First off, peels are often referred to as paddles. And based on their look, I get that. However, the reason they are called ‘peels’ is because they help you peel the pizzas off of the stones in...

Exposed ceilings soar in popularity amongst restaurant designers Industrial duct work, wooden beams or a mixture of both reveal a look that is both modern and somehow a nod to the past. Restaurants that sport an exposed ceiling are on trend with desi...

I’m finally ready to admit I’ve been eating through rose-tinted glasses. When I evaluate a pizzeria, I tend to focus on the positive elements. Whether I’m acting in a professional capacity with a pizza tour group or with friends at an extracurr...

Regular upkeep is a necessity — find out why Tucked along Farwell Avenue on Milwaukee’s Lower East Side sits a Brew City culinary landmark: Pizza Shuttle. For the last 32 years, Mark Gold and his team have been dishing out award-winning pizzas, h...

The first few minutes of a private pizza tour are crucial. I have but a brief window of time to earn the trust and confidence of my guests, who make me run a treacherous gauntlet of questions before bestowing upon me the credibility I had just finish...