By Charlie Pogacar
When Tyrell Reed first stepped into the pizza business as a young cook at Little Caesars in Michigan, he couldn’t have imagined where the journey would lead. From tossing dough in his early 20s to losing a staggering $80,000 in just seven months during his first attempt at franchise ownership, Tyrell’s path has been marked by hard-learned lessons and perseverance.
Now a successful Westshore Pizza franchisee and the host of The Pizza King Podcast, Reed is on a mission to share the realities of pizza entrepreneurship with the world—and to learn a thing or two in the process. “I was doing the work, showing up every day, but I didn’t realize how much I didn’t know,” Reed said on the latest episode of Peel: A PMQ Pizza Podcast. “I thought I was ready to be an owner, but I wasn’t.”
That humbling realization came after Reed’s first Westshore Pizza franchise failed. Reed attributes the location’s downfall to his own inexperience. He did not yet know much about cash-flow management or how to efficiently delegate tasks to his team members. On the podcast, Reed recalled a time he handled a lunch rush all by himself. He was proud—the store had done something like $1,500-$2,000 in sales with no labor costs—and presented his accomplishment to Westshore Pizza founder Bob Vasaturo.
Related: Peel (Podcast): Why Leah Scurto of PizzaLeah Isn’t Looking to Be a Millionaire
“And he was like, ‘Man, what are you doing?’” Reed said. “He goes, ‘You are literally doing this all wrong. This is where you need to either call me or bring your team in—you can’t do this all on your own.’”
Vasaturo went on to explain to Reed that the $30—or whatever it would cost to pay a cashier to work the register for a couple of hours—was well worth it if it could help prevent Reed from burnout. This was the crux of the transition Reed had to make in order to become a successful franchisee. Since then, his role has evolved from hands-on shop owner to a supportive leader and content creator, still known for his infectious energy and love for the craft.
“Pizza just makes people happy, and that’s what I’m all about,” Reed said. His podcast was born out of a desire to demystify the business and provide honest insights into what it really takes to succeed in the pizza game. The Pizza King Podcast isn’t just about showcasing pizzas and fun content—it’s a platform for storytelling, leadership lessons and amplifying the voices of operators who often go unheard. “There’s so much that goes on behind the scenes of a pizzeria that people don’t talk about,” Reed said. “My goal is to share those stories—the good, the bad, and the ugly—and help others learn from them.”
Through it all, Reed has remained a student of the game, soaking up knowledge from peers and continually pushing himself to improve. From experimenting with new dough recipes to sharpening his business acumen, he embodies the spirit of growth and resilience.
Catch his full story and more insights into the pizza world on the latest episode of Peel: A PMQ Pizza Podcast:
