Click here for an expanded, long-form, digital-only version of this story. By Stuart Meyer Mike and Vicki Nelson left Wappingers Falls, New York, in 2009 to start a promising new life with their three young children in Naperville, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago. They had just sold the commercial snow-removal … More
Marketing Idea Zone
Message On Hold Offers 60-Day Free Trial on All Products
Looking to reduce hang-ups, upsell your customers and make your employees more productive? That’s what Message On Hold is all about. “One thing we ask every customer is, ‘How much money do you lose on the phone every day?’” says Mike Wick from Message On Hold, a Houston-based company that … More
Accounting For Your Money
How to Optimize Your Chances for PPP Loan Forgiveness
Q: How long does it take to determine if I qualify for Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan forgiveness? A: At the time of this writing, the period to determine the forgiveness amount of a PPP loan is eight weeks, starting on the date of disbursement of funds from the lender. … More
Marketing Idea Zone
How to Grab as Much Carryout and Delivery Business as Possible
How much business have you lost during the last couple of months because you didn’t have enough phone lines or staff? There’s only one way to find out and that’s to open the sales faucet all the way. That’s where Voice Teleservices, the support heroes of pizza restaurant carryout and … More
Business & Marketing
An Expert Offers Social Media Tips for Pizzerias in the Pandemic Age
By Kristin Dyak The COVID-19 pandemic has put pizzeria operators in a unique position. On one hand, it has introduced diverse operational challenges, from supply chain disruptions to the sudden and complete loss of any revenue that would have come from events such as the NCAA basketball tournament and in-restaurant … More
Tips from the Team
How Brenen’s Restaurant Group Retains Its Best Employees
By Brian Hernandez Attaining and retaining quality employees is one of the key ingredients to running a successful business. But it has become increasingly difficult in the restaurant industry to find these diamonds in the rough. Unless they are truly happy, odds are that your gems will end up in … More
Eye on the Chains
Eye on the Chains – June/July 2020
CPK Market Offers Groceries and Meal Kits The coronavirus pandemic has prompted California Pizza Kitchen (CPK) to move into the meal kit and grocery business in a big way. In early April, the Playa Vista, California-based chain introduced CPK Market, which provides specialty meal kits as well as pantry and … More
Coronavirus News
Who Ya Gonna Call? Ghosts Keep Guests at Safe Social Distance
Ghosts love pizza, too, which might explain why the dining room at Trattoria Pizzeria Da Luigi appears to be haunted. Or maybe it’s just a frighteningly clever marketing ploy devised by owner Luigi Cutraro’s wife? Cutraro reopened his eatery in Royal Oak, Michigan, recently after three months in lockdown due … More
Business & Marketing
How to Improve Your Pizzeria’s Outdoor Dining Experience During the Pandemic
As many restaurants struggle to make money under pandemic-related restrictions on dine-in capacity, cities around the country are taking steps to make it easier to move dining outdoors. And that means now could be the time to take a second look at your pizzeria’s outdoor dining facilities and consider how … More
Business & Marketing
Heroes To Go: How the Pandemic Became the Pizza Industry’s Finest Hour
By Rick Hynum In the midst of the coronavirus pandemic this spring, two worrisome questions haunted every waking hour—and, most likely, the late-night dreams—of pizzeria owners nationwide: When will things get back to normal, and what will “normal” look like? Seemingly overnight, their world had turned upside down, capsized by … More
Marketing Idea Zone
How to Adapt and Stay Strong During the COVID-19 Crisis
With traditional restaurant dining rooms closed, pizzerias are uniquely positioned to grow. Some key points to keep in mind: Pizzerias can take advantage of the 44% to 64% increase in local business searches for takeout and fast food. Market analysts are giving “buy” ratings for stock in pizza delivery chains due to … More
SmartMarket
Our Town America: Get the Word Out about Your Pizzeria
By Brittany Johnson The past few months have thrown a curveball at restaurant owners. While your restaurant may still be open for business—feeding locals, healthcare workers and others on the frontlines—the way you’re running your restaurant right now is probably not “business as usual.” Dine-in has taken a back seat … More