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A report by a financial services firm, meant to help restaurant investors make better decisions, serves as a guide to pizzeria owners competing against red-hot fast-casual chains. What’s the No. 1 trait shared by the fastest-growing fast-casual brands, including pizza leader Blaze Pizza? They tend to offer a consumer value proposition that goes beyond price, focusing on convenience for guests, menu flexibility, employee training and smart restaurant design. This approach has positioned them to thrive in a “potentially more challenging consumer-spending environment” in 2017.

Drill down deeper into the Morningstar report’s details at PMQ.com.

How to Save Money on Silverware

When restaurant staffers toss dirty linens in the laundry bin, silverware often gets thrown out, too. William “Billy” Manzo, owner of Federal Hill Pizza, uses that carelessness to his advantage. “I went to my linen company and said, ‘So where do you keep all of your silverware?’” he told PMQ recently. “They brought me to a room filled with 700 pounds of forks, knives and silverware. I took as much as I could carry out to my car.” Manzo says he goes back for more every year and hasn’t paid for silverware since.

See the 10 things we learned about pizzeria operations from Billy Manzo at PMQ.com.

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PizzaTV: A Video Introduction to Snapchat

It’s the third most popular social media platform (after Facebook and Instagram), and teens and college students use it constantly. We asked Jac Bedrossian (a.k.a. Jac B), a college student and new PizzaTV host, to teach pizzeria operators how to get started on Snapchat, which Jac describes as “basically a faster-paced Instagram that younger consumers love—and I’m one of them.”

Watch Jac’s video at PMQ.com and get started on Snapchat TODAY!

Clean up the table with the Customizable Menu-Caddy (Sponsored)

Fire up your incremental sales and increase your check averages today! Menu-Caddy not only allows you to promote daily specials, new menu items and drink specials, it also keeps pizza condiments and shakers neatly in place on tables and allows staff to quickly remove items and clean the table.

Click here for more information on PMQ.com

&pizza Rocks the Vote with Election-Themed Pizza Box

&pizza in Washington, D.C. is encouraging its customers to vote next week with its packaging and marketing materials. According to an election-focused e-newsletter sent out yesterday, the company will offer eyecatching limited-edition carryout boxes with the slogan, “Be Loud. Be Heard. Vote.” and will give free craft sodas to customers who visit any &pizza store with an “I Voted” sticker.