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...

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...

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 ...

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...

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...

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...

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...

Fresh basil makes the summer rounds in pizzerias The heat is on as we are smack dab in the middle of summer. Although pizza sales are strong all year, you will notice that customers are looking for some fresher alternatives instead of or to accompany...

Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc can all be a bit daunting if you’re handling social media on your own. It can be even more frustrating when you upload a dynamite photo only to find that the image has lost its luster online or you have to crop awa...

Attract customers with eye catching exterior Magic occurs when the wall between you and your customers disappears. That’s the slight-of-hand trick used by architect Ed Shriver for a perfect building façade. Shriver is principal at Strada LLC, an a...

Get in gear with bike delivery With warmer weather in full swing, bicycles could make a smart addition to your pizza delivery fleet. In dense urban areas, delivering pizza on two wheels instead of four can be faster, cheaper and more eco-friendly. St...

[SlideDeck2 id=33655] Spinato’s Pizzeria — family owned and operated for 40 years Meet Ken Spinato, patriarch of his family and president of Phoenix, Arizona-based Spinato’s Pizzeria, which will celebrate its 40th anniversary in November. On op...