Habits are hard to break, and annoying server habits can break an operator’s bank and damage a guest’s experience. Servers are responsible for a guest’s happiness, and if all they serve up is a hot plate of annoying…well, their guests will no...

Here’s a Tip What’s the best way to deal with tips that roll into your pizzeria? In most cases, the answer isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution. “When it comes to tipping, it’s always complicated,” notes David Mitroff, a restaurant consulta...

Pepper the community with your brand The merchandise offerings from Hot Italian and Sizzle Pie couldn’t be more opposite. Sleek and fitted, the T-shirts, hats and other sundries at Hot Italian convey an elegant, chic, Calvin-Klein-esque vibe to ups...

Today’s diners need a different kind of menu than in the past What is the point of a menu? Does it just convey the price and the information of what the kitchen executes, or is it an opportunity to maximize a ticket average? I think we all know the...

Tabletop condiments help set tone for restaurant More than 40 types of toppings are offered at The Olive Theory, but that’s not where adding flavor to its pizzas ends for this pizzeria and many others. Diners who want to adjust the taste of their ...

Increase service speed without sacrificing customer service Don’t be the last to leave a party. Don’t outstay your welcome. Be a kind and courteous guest. Although this advice seems more appropriate to house guests than restaurant patrons, in tod...

I would be lying if I said it was all about the pizza. As much as I’d like to say every ounce of effort should go into your food — that dough formulation and oven skill were all that mattered — the truth is that even the greatest pizza cannot s...

Make your pizzeria a return destination for families Parents of young children often go out to eat with fingers crossed. So when they find a place that offers delicious, affordable food and keeps their little ones happy, there’s a good chance they�...

Are You Winning the Waiting Game? ‘‘Excuse me. Pardon me. Excuse me. Pardon me.” People hate hearing and saying that at the movies, airport, mall, theatre, concert venue…well, the list is endless. But, do you know where they hate saying and h...

A Guide to building a better beer list As of the end of November 2016, America has more than 5,000 breweries, 99 percent of which are small and independent craft breweries, according the National Brewers Association. Once you get into styles, there a...

Third-party delivery hits main street America Amazon and Uber have become big players in food delivery. In fact, the market is being flooded with third-party delivery startups. Do your due diligence to be sure a company delivering your product is rep...

Creative Director Rick Daugherty and I were in the beautiful city of New Orleans for a couple of days visiting pizzerias. After a quick stop for a requisite Po’ Boy, we summoned an Uber to get us from one pizza shop interview to the next. The drive...