A Q&A Mya Anitai, Franny’s Pizzeria & Restaurant, Highlands, New Jersey
Mya Anitai took over a longstanding pizzeria in Highlands, New Jersey in May 2019.
Concept:
Franny’s Pizzeria & Restaurant in Highlands, NJ is a neighborhood, family (and dog) friendly, classic beach BYOB hangout with indoor and outdoor seating. Our goal is to offer delicious food at a fair price with a focus on high quality, fresh ingredients. Franny’s is known for both its pizza and full red sauce. Franny’s red sauce lunch and dinner, featuring rotating seasonal specials, local seafood, vegetarian, vegan and gluten free options, is a hit.
Pizza Style:
Franny’s serves three types of pizza: classic, New York style flour-tossed round, oil-pressed, square granny pie and deep dish Sicilian.
What’s been key to successfully offering multiple pizza styles?
Social media has been key to advertising and showcasing our different styles. We have tripled the sales of the grandma pie made w/ Franny’s marinara sauce and the Tipsy Nonna made with vodka sauce since taking over in May of 2019.
How were you able to rebrand an existing pizzeria so effectively?
Francesco’s had been in business for 40 years before I purchased the restaurant and took over. With great bones and a neighborhood of nostalgic support, I worked steadily to modernize the menu and increase ingredient quality across the board. The most popular dishes from Francesco’s stayed as well as specials directly from my Richmond, Virginia restaurant Dinamo (@dinamorichmond). I spent months monitoring sales and learning my customer’s dining desires before fully rebranding and becoming Franny’s.
What advice do you have for up-and-coming women operators?
I purchased Franny’s when my youngest daughter was three months old. She spent days with me, taking naps on my back in a sling carrier while I worked. The home/work life balance is difficult to maintain but not impossible. My advice to women operators is to know the ins and outs of their business. Find and hire trustworthy employees when possible and treat them well. Kindness, honesty and generosity among your employees and customers goes very far.
