I made a huge mistake on January 1, 2019. That was the day I decided to reorganize my entire pizza t-shirt collection. I pulled out every single one of them and organized the whole lot by color, then posted a picture to Instagram. The next day, I had...

I just realized I’m getting old. Most people figure it out when they lose hair or experience back pain, but my red flag has been my reaction to the word “influencer.” Even typing it makes me cringe. My frustration is compounded when an “influ...

It wasn’t long ago that we were all enamored with the chime of a text message or the blast of a new ringtone. That was before we fell down the slippery slope of automatic updates and notifications. Today’s consumers want to get fresh information ...

Brand and Messaging Strategy The doors are open and you’re spending on marketing in as many ways as possible, but there might be a missing piece: your message. We’re not talking about coupons and menu mailers, but your calling card — the core m...

Firing on All Cylinders For more than a decade as the owner of Sciarrino’s Pizza in Wilmington, Delaware, Billy Gianakopoulos went without online ordering, the byproduct of a DOS point-of-sale (POS) system unable to accommodate digital orders. But ...

Evaluating delivery operations an essential step to a more efficient, productive delivery program When it comes to pizza delivery, Andy Hooper isn’t messing around. The president of the 41-unit fast casual & pizza chain, Hooper watched his Wash...

OK, new restaurant owners, if you’ve been following along, you made the right deal, opened your doors and designed a creative and delicious new menu. Now, you’re left with a bigger challenge — how to get people to walk in, and how to make the p...

Marketing makes your grand opening great Last month in this column, we discussed pulling off a “turnkey” — opening your recently purchased restaurant immediately. The location will be a work in progress for a little while, but at least the cash...

How customer data helps fuel results With New York on lockdown amid COVID-19, Brad Barnes ordered from his local pizza place every Thursday. Though Barnes had previously shared his e-mail and mobile number with the pizzeria, the shop never once used ...

Limited-time offers take on a new face We’ve entered uncharted territory in marketing during the COVID-19 Pandemic. Bill Vivian at Regents Pizzeria in La Jolla, California, has stated in a recent Checking In With video, “it’s like throwing idea...

Strike the Right Tone In the face of dwindling revenue and potentially debilitating circumstances, it’s hard to stay upbeat. Nonetheless, striking the right tone with your customer is vital. The time a customer will spend viewing your message is pr...

Of all the ideas to come out of the COVID-19 madness, my favorite by far has been the home pizza-making kit. With such severe restrictions on restaurant service, it’s become a powerful solution for staying connected to customers. Maybe you think it...