Mia Figlia (pronounced, “Mee-ah Fee-lee-ah”) is Italian for “My Daughter.” When John Boudouvas gave his Chicago restaurant that name in July 2010, it was to reflect “the two loves of his life” –– his daughters, Ellena and Angelina. An...

The fine line between helpful and harmful   My first job in the food business was at Chili’s in Clark, New Jersey. As a busboy, I was pretty much working for the waiters. The more of their tasks I covered, the more they tipped me at the end of...

Stamp out these five potential problems to make a better first impression Customers walk in hungry and toddle out satisfied — hopefully to return again and again. This cycle is the core of a successful pizza business. But what happens when the cust...

How to manage the logistics of customer wait times   Olive oil and fresh basil, spinning dough and sparkling drinks: the sights and smells of a pizzeria delight customers — and frustrate them. Waiting to be seated, waiting for the order and wa...

Expediting orders takes consideration, planning   We live in an accelerated world where patience is frequently in short supply — a reality placing increasing pressure on pizzeria operators and their staffs when it comes to speeding up thru-put...

Can you serve both the over-21 crowd and families?   You would think that an Irish tavern in New England, which opened its doors after Prohibition was repealed in the 1930s, would place a high priority on alcohol sales. You would think wrong. In...

Giving your product away for free to build sales may seem like a business oxymoron. But as the old saying goes, you have to spend money to make money. And although there is no such thing as a free lunch, food sampling is the next best thing for opera...

Dining room expansion gives you plenty of options Eight years ago, when competing pizza chains choked his business, Jim Jacobs renovated his dining room, adding a lunch buffet at Pisanello’s Pizza in Mount Pleasant, Michigan. The result was magic. ...

The idea of sitting at a table with complete strangers terrifies some, while energizing others. A table that seats eight to 16 may be considered communal-, gathering- or family-style, and it is a restaurant design concept that is building steam. Data...

Is a pizza buffet right for your restaurant? Introducing a buffet to the lunch or dinner hour can be a great way to draw in customers with a minimal equipment investment. But buffets can be wasteful and put food costs and food supply orders out of op...

Be in tune with rules for successful broadcasting   Even though pizza was created (and perfected) well before television was invented, they go together as if they were made for each other. Having a slice while watching the game is a great way to...

Nothing goes better with pizza than reclaimed wood. At least that’s one big trend in restaurant design right now. Operators and design experts say as the new year opens, emerging concepts and longtime restaurants are looking to classic finishes to ...