starting your own pizza joint
Want to start up my own pizza business and was wondering if anyone has advice, or tips on doing so....also what makes your favorite pizza to order out your favorite?
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10 Comments:
I don't like pizza so you can ignore this, but this is what I want out of pizzas when I do have to eat pizza -- fresh ingredients, clean, good sauce, and the ability to listen and get orders right.
Oh, if there's a lot of foot traffic, pizza by the slice.
Credit card capability.
Cassaendra at 10:06PM on 10/27/09
It sounds like you have little or no experience in pizza operations, since if you did, you would know people in the business. Seems to me that you would be wise to either buy a chain franchise and let them teach you or do a long apprenticeship working in a pizza joint and learn the art and business of pizza. Call me a cynic, but from what I have seen, to make any money in the pizza business one either has to have exceptional pizza skills or exceptional business skills. We hear frequently of upstarts who seem to have one or the other. If you happen to have both, then you're probably in the top 1 percent and will gain a loyal following and make a mint.
Lorenzo at 10:08PM on 10/27/09
Start here:
http://www.pmq.com
Garvey at 11:06PM on 10/27/09
Also, check out the blog/twitter for Orangette (http://www.orangette.blogspot.com/), which chronicles the process of opening Delancey here in Seattle.
GirlFromJetCity at 12:23AM on 10/28/09
Had friends who about 30 years ago started a pizza business and lost their shirts. Took them years to get out from under. They mostly wished they had done more research before they opened the place.
I agree with apprenticing or at least working for a while in a pizzeria, so you have a sense of all that's involved.
lemonfair at 5:39AM on 10/28/09
Before you buy new equipment find your local used restaurant equipment dealer. they have tons of equipment from failed restaurants at a fraction of the cost of new. Make sure you have enough cash to be able to afford not to take any money out of the business for the first year or two. Expenses are always higher than you plan.
Meat guy at 8:39AM on 10/28/09
Hi munchin out!
Its a risky business; with high initial costs.
Recipe-wise:
- Good dough
- Pat-down sauce recipe is key
- Quality toppings
From a business-standpoint:
Meat_guy's right about ensuring you over-estimate costs. There's always unpredictable expenses.
Location of these places is also important.
Have you considered meeting with a mentor? Someone who's gone through the process (successfully?)?
hungrychristel at 10:11AM on 10/28/09
It reminds me of the old saw, what makes one tavern more popular than another? They both sell the same booze.
At least with a pizza joint, it's possible to have a better pie than the next guy.
Sorry.....I know this doesn't help.
tusti at 11:57AM on 10/28/09
It depends on the market too. If you open somewhere with limited pizza offerings or only one style of pizza, it's better.
When I was 8, the first pizza place opened in our area. Before that, the only pizza was Pizza Hut, 30 minutes away. Needless to say it was a huge hit, despite the fact that the pizza is pretty gross. Many years later, a "New York" style pizza place opened, and for the first two years they were open, the wait for a pizza was an hour long. They have been incredibly successful and I am sure the guy is now a millionaire.
eeels at 12:06PM on 10/28/09
I currently own a Northern Italian restaurant and in the next few years would like to start a pizza restaurant based on the traditional pies of Naples. Any suggestions on classes or places that teach proper techniques on pizza making?? (schools, classes, restaurants)
steven redd at 2:26PM on 11/14/09