Topics Operations

Dinnerware – Single Use

Disposable plates and utensils may not sound like a good way to go in this day and age of green fever, but some pizza restaurant operators are saying that’s what their customers want –– and what works for them, rather than real china and metal ...

The Driver’s Paycheck

With 130 Domino’s Pizza outlets under his charge, Glenn Mueller signs plenty of checks for delivery drivers. The head of Gulfport, Mississippi- based RPM Pizza, Mueller, a 30-year veteran of the pizza world, has watched competitors throughout the r...

Fresh Tomatoes — Selection, Preparation & Recipes

My first lessons in the art of tomato fanaticism came from an Italian chef and restaurateur named Bimbo. He looked like a tall George Clooney and I was just 14 years old when he hired me to wash dishes at his restaurant in Palatine, Illinois. Because...
Topics Operations

Ask Big Dave: Getting up to Speed on Accounting

Q: My brother and I own a pizzeria and deli. We have been open almost two years and business has been OK, but not terrible. We are paying bills, payroll is covered and my brother and I are making money. I don’t think we are making profit; I feel we...
Topics Operations

How well do you maintain your food costs?

The money captured from the sale of food is the epicenter of every restaurant’s monetary flow. From here, the flow starts as you pay off all expenses and are left with the reward of all your hard work. In 38 years in all sorts of restaurants, I’v...

Dough Doctor: Get Wet

Does water temperature really matter?   Q: I have heard you speak several times at Pizza Expo and I’ve heard you make reference to the need to control finished dough temperature. How do you know what temperature water to use to get the dough t...

Hiring a Manager

In 1993, Tony DiSilvestro and his wife, Cynthia, opened Ynot Pizza and Italian Cuisine in Virginia Beach. “We were 24 years old and doing it all,” DiSilvestro recalls, operating a store with little more than hope, previous experience and used equ...
Topics Operations

Floor Dance

With so many options available, upgrading or replacing a floor can be overwhelming. But, if an operator can identify the needs of the restaurant, flooring can be a perfect reflection of design and function. “Restaurant floors should be planned and ...

One-Minute Operator EP2 — Mike Spurlock, Loui Loui’s Authentic Detroit Style Pizza

How did you introduce a new pizza style to your area?   Mike Spurlock, who owns Loui Loui’s Authentic Detroit Style Pizza in Louisville, Kentucky, answers this One-Minute Operator question. [jwplayer player=”3″ mediaid=”34009...

Employee Stock Ownership Plan: Keeping Your Dream Alive

In the midst of the bustle of running your restaurant, perhaps you sometimes pause to remember when you first opened your doors. Do you think about that future day when you’ll make your exit? Barbara Gabel and Zach Zachowski, who are self-described...
Topics Operations

The Science of Servers

CRITICAL ISSUES: Employee Hiring Retention Hiring right people can make or break your restaurant It might surprise you to hear Brett Steiner’s No. 1 priority for his servers at Russo’s New York Pizzeria in Germantown, Tennessee: “School comes f...

Relocation: On The Move

When considering moving your restaurant from one location to another, there’s a lot at stake. As the owner of an established Italian restaurant here in Georgia, we wanted to make the right decision for both our business and our customers. Questions...
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