By Tyrell Reed
Most owners tell me they want better operations. Faster tickets. Better reviews. Less waste. Less drama. But here is what I have learned after years in pizza: Operations problems usually start as people problems. Not because your team is bad. But, rather, because your standards are unclear, your communication is inconsistent, or your managers avoid the hard moments.
A recent episode of my Pizza King Podcast with Stacy Richter hit that point over and over. Stacy started in a pizza kitchen, worked his way through service and built a career teaching people how to communicate with confidence. The lesson for us is simple: If you want a stronger shop, you need stronger conversations.
That starts from the very first minute. Your team watches you. Your guests feel you. The first 30 seconds of any interaction sets the tone. If you look rushed, short with others or distracted, your team copies it, and your guests sense it.
Try This for One Week
When you walk in, say hello to every person you pass. Use their name if you know it. Ask one quick question, such as, “How’s your shift going so far?”
When a guest walks in: Make eye contact. Smile. Say “Thanks for coming in.”
That is not soft stuff. That is leadership. It raises the standard without a speech.
Fix Training With Follow-Up
Most shops do not have a training problem. They have a follow-up problem. You teach it once, then you hope it sticks. But hope is not a system.
Pick one skill this week, demonstrate it and teach it. Just one. Here are some examples:
- Answering the phone with energy
- Repeating orders back to reduce mistakes
- Calling out ticket times on the line
- Cleaning and stocking the make line before the rush
Now add a simple follow-up loop with your team members:
- Show it.
- Watch it.
- Correct it.
- Praise it.
Do that every day for seven days. You will see change.
Make Accountability Feel Normal
Accountability scares leaders when they think it means conflict. It does not. Accountability is just clear expectations plus consistent check-ins. Here is a simple way to run it:
Before the shift, set one of the following targets:
- “Tonight we hit ticket time under 20 minutes.”
- “Tonight we do zero remakes from wrong toppings.”
- “Tonight every guest gets offered a side.”
During the shift, coach the moment. Do not wait for the end of the night. Keep it short. “Say it like this.” “Do it this way.” “Try again.”
After the shift, close the loop: “Here’s what went well.” “Here’s what we fix tomorrow.”
One win. One improvement. Done. That is how you build a team that executes.
Use Feedback Like a Tool, Not a Punch
Reviews and complaints can feel personal. They are not. They are data. Free data. If you get the same complaint more than once, it is a system issue.
Here is how to use feedback without getting emotional: Once a week, pull your last 20 reviews. Make three columns on a sheet of paper:
- What they loved
- What they hated
- What they mentioned twice
Then pick one fix. Examples:
- If they mention cold food, tighten your hold times and check your boxing process.
- If they mention slow delivery, adjust dispatch timing and set clearer promise times.
- If they mention rude service, role-play the greeting and the phone script.
One fix per week beats 10 random changes.
Sell the Right Way
A lot of operators avoid sales talk because it feels pushy. Your job, of course, is not to push. Your job is to guide. A good offer helps the guest order better and helps your shop grow. Train your team to ask one simple question:
- “Do you want to add wings or knots today?”
- “Want extra sauce on the side?”
- “Want to make that a combo?”
If you do not ask, you are choosing a smaller ticket for the guest. Run it as a standard, not a suggestion. Track it. Coach it. Reward it.
Language and Communication Matter
If your team has mixed languages, the goal is not perfection. The goal is clarity. Better communication means fewer mistakes. Fewer mistakes mean less waste. Less waste means more profit.
Pick the top 10 phrases that matter in your shop. Examples:
- “Behind you.”
- “Hot pan.”
- “Order up.”
- “Hold that.”
- “Remake.”
- “Gluten free.”
- “No pork.”
- “Two-minute pickup.”
Write them down. Teach them. Post them by the line. That is leadership through simple systems.
Here’s Your Move
Do not try to fix everything. Pick one thing from this post and run it for seven days. My recommendation:
- Choose one standard for the week.
- Coach it every shift.
- Review it in five minutes at close.
- Then do it again next week with a new standard.
Small steps. Tight follow up. Better execution. That is how you build a shop that runs smoothly without you babysitting every hour.
Check out the full episode with Stacy Richter: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2306999/episodes/18654117
Tyrell Reed has spent over 20 years building restaurant teams and opening pizzerias. He helps owners and managers improve leadership, tighten operations, and grow with simple systems that work. Tyrell hosts the Pizza King Podcast, trains the next generation of restaurant leaders, and recently assumed ownership of an existing franchised pizzeria, Westshore Pizza in Valrico, Florida.
