Bring your calendar to its max potential. Not just dental appointments; I’m talking recurring calendar events and expirations that will keep your 2017 on point. • License expirations and an alert one month before expiration. Even if you have a sy...

In my various pizzerias I actually use three to four different sausages instead of sticking with just one. Many pizzerias just have one type, which is fine. But, for me, sausage is such an important ingredient and one of the most popular in our indus...

Your pizza box is an important part of your marketing arsenal Of the three billion pizzas eaten in the United States every year, about two-thirds are transported in pizza boxes. Besides the physical product, the pizza box delivers an opportunity for ...

How easy are you to find on online review sites? Believe it or not, I was relieved to find out via text message that the movers had delivered all of my Earthly possessions to the wrong address. With some free time on my hands, I decided to do what an...

Understanding server etiquette and how you can avoid the top faux pas The couple seated at table 23 is enjoying their meal: Not only did they ooh and aah over the appetizers, they also quaffed a couple of glasses of pinot noir and munched their way t...

Nostalgia can bring in big bucks When I think of the best pizza cities, Scranton, Pennsylvania, does not come to mind. Yet,  I found it impossible to disagree with a recent tour guest who pledged pizza allegiance to her hometown. I wasn’t about to...

More restaurants are moving away from gratuity models I felt like I was getting away with murder. Did the printer somehow forget to dash out the tip line? I played along with what I perceived to be a glitch in the system and signed my credit card rec...

Attracting customers takes more than great food and service In today’s market, great food and friendly staff aren’t enough. You’re competing with  up-and-coming and well-established restaurants, not to mention snack shops, convenience stores a...

Management responsible for preventing, handling staff tensions You can’t please 100 percent of the people 100 percent of the time. That old saying is never truer than in a restaurant. Despite an owner’s best efforts, nothing is perfect. Customer ...

Proactive HVAC maintenance helps ward off bigger, more costly problems Though food remains king in the restaurant industry, environment isn’t far behind. For any restaurant, a clean and comfortable establishment is central to pleasing guests and dr...

Given that commercial –– and certainly pizzeria –– HVAC units face unique demands compared to residential HVAC systems, it’s important operators find a service provider with the relevant experience and knowledge to address a restaurant’s ...

Do you need to offer Internet to your guests? With Sacramento and San Francisco as home to HOT ITALIAN’s three locations, it’s fair to say the pizzerias are ensconced in California’s cutting-edge technological landscape. Everything about this p...