Marketing pizza to schools can be a rewarding investment for pizza store owners looking for additional sources of revenue. There are several factors to consider if you want to penetrate the school segment. Additional labor costs and equipment are two factors along with the investment of your time in getting … More

If you are an owner/operator of an independent pizza shop, you begin your business with a handicap as soon as your sign goes up. Unlike franchisees of the major chains, you have a monumental task ahead: building name recognition. In my last column, I promised I would tell you how … More

According to a survey taken by the National Restaurant Association (NRA), the number one special occasion for dining out is one's birthday. Fifty-five percent of those surveyed said they dined out on their birthday, 30 percent said they dined out on their spouse's birthday and 30 percent said they dined … More

Papa John's is coming! Just the sound of this brings fear in the hearts of some pizza store owners. Remember that Goliath was beaten by a precisely placed stone from wee David. Pizza Rita in Spokane, Wash., heard that one of the Goliath's in the pizza industry was coming to … More

Whether your sales are mediocre or meteoric, you still want to improve the bottom line. Despite your best efforts, however, if your sales chart is flat lining, perhaps your pizza marketing plan is missing a key ingredient. My suggestion is that you add a ladle of radio to your mix. … More

Getting what you want requires that you to have the ability to convince someone that the value of your idea, product or service is worthy of their commitment. The communication process that you use to get a commitment is basically the same regardless of application: negotiating important concessions from suppliers, … More

Do you ever feel like your competition is crushing you with their coupons? Do you run into price resistance from shoppers who only compare price? Do you ever feel like the urge to turn the tables and twist the knife in your biggest competitor's heart? If you can't beat them, … More

Strategy #89 Bounce Back From Bounced Checks Nearly 66.9 billion checks were written in the U.S. during 1998. Approximately 1 percent of these checks bounced. And you probably got your share of them. So what's the solution? Continue accepting checks then chasing down the bad ones? Or, do you hang … More

Chef Danny Wolf creates a unique recipe for pizza success. "Building sales is easier when you're an independent community pizzeria." Danny Wolf has been on both sides of the fence. Once a pizza franchisee, he much prefers being an independent operator. Now, he's raising sales to levels higher than ever before … More

One line of media attention can be worth ten times the amount you spend on advertising space. So how can pizza operators get this free and extremely valuable media attention? Simple, break a world's record. Jeff Parker, founder and owner of the Original Brooks Pizza 2-for-1 Ltd., had no idea … More

Strategy #70 Color It Green       Who makes the eating out decisions in most American families? Of course…KIDS!      That's why we're constantly looking for ideas that will keep your restaurant #1 in the eyes of kids. And here's a beauty: iron-on transfers that kids can create in your restaurant. … More