Offering customer-facing WiFi can do more than encourage customers to stay longer Free Internet, once the realm of coffee bars that doubled as workspaces for people with laptops, has become part of some pizzerias’ customer relations and marketing s...

Time to educate your guests I definitely live inside a bubble. My social media world is composed mainly of pizza makers who don’t stop talking about their dough. Cheese, tomatoes, and toppings are all important, but nobody I know stresses about tho...

How to update seating and stay within budget If booths are starting to sag, or scratches run across a high top’s previously smooth surface, an update is likely in order. Putting in new seating, however, isn’t a straightforward task. From cost to ...

Get comfortable being uncomfortable Have you ever driven a longer path on the highway, with less stop signs and stop lights, even though you knew for a fact it would take more time than the direct path? If so, why did you do that? I’ll do it becaus...

Having a light staff in the front can hurt sales When I was first starting out, I didn’t schedule a lot of front of house staff. I thought it would hurt my labor cost. What I found out was that whenever we did finally get a rush, we weren’t able ...

The promise and pitfalls of offering live music in your establishment From the day Blue Mountain Pizza opened in March 2004, live music was a part of the plan. “Live music just lends itself to a more social atmosphere,” owner Matt Danford says. A...

Having a solid and strong relationship with your food vendor What is the value of a relationship? In this business, having solid relationships is paramount to growth. Now, with that being said, the days of needing an awesome food rep aren’t the abs...

What’s on tap for flooring trends in 2019 and beyond? Embracing new trends and staying on the cutting edge of design while still making restaurants safe for employees and beautiful for customers is a tough balancing act for operators. High- traffic...

It’s not always easy, but sometimes necessary We all love supporting old businesses. When people tell me about a great pizzeria in their town, they always add: “it’s been there forever!” But as much as longevity is a badge of honor, it can be...

The use of gloves in restaurants is common, but is it done right? The impetus behind this story is a tale as old as time: while waiting to place an order for a donut and a coffee at a large breakfast chain, I waited for the only counter employee to ...

In the lead up to the 2018 Pizza Pasta Northeast show in Atlantic City, I was asked to lead a seminar called “I Am Your Customer and This is What I Want.” It sounded like a simple enough request since I spend quality time with pizzeria customers ...

How to effectively train a restaurant host Think of your host as a conductor of an orchestra. Instead of a baton, the critical crew member has a seating chart and a wait list. The entire rhythm of your restaurant hangs on their ability to set the tem...