By Charlie Pogacar
In the midst of a cloudy economic outlook, pizzeria operators are looking for ways to create new revenue streams. But really, when is that not true?
Each month, PMQ prints three “Moneymakers”—or potential revenue-generating ideas—at the front of our magazine. These mini-articles serve as inspiration for our readership. Here’s a look at the three moneymaking tips highlighted in our March print edition—along with links to the full stories.
And, as always, we are open to hearing about your best-selling ideas. Feel free to email our editorial team if you’ve got a secret you’d like to share.
Related: Road Trips, Classic Cars and Pizza Pop-Ups: A Roundup of PMQ’s January-February Moneymakers
TikTok Treats: This Pizzeria’s Walk-Up Dog Window is Sheer Marketing Genius
In a marketing strategy we can only describe as paw-sitively brilliant, one of the two Bartoli’s Pizzeria locations in Chicago has found viral success with a walk-up window catering to man’s best friend—not for pizza to go, but for doggie treats. Thanks to a TikTok page (@pizzadoggietreats) showcasing the counter service for canines, Bartoli’s has racked up free publicity with videos featuring “regulars” like Juice, who showed up in mid-December looking dapper in a red sweater and earmuffs to sniff out a treat.
The TikTok videos often garner tens of thousands of views, sometimes hundreds of thousands. When beautiful Butters dropped by in late January and expressed disdain for a large cookie—just the plain doggie biscuits for Butters, thank you—that video topped 738,000 views and 134,000 likes. Bartoli’s owner Brian Tondryk credits his manager, Stacy Rozack, for developing the walk-up window.
“Oh, my God, there’s hundreds [of dogs] that…walk by every day,” Tondryk told USA Today. “When the owners are walking the dogs, they always want to stop at the pizzeria because [their pups] get a treat.”
A trio of local influencers partnered with Andolini’s Pizzeria in January to celebrate the chain’s 20th anniversary, reflecting owner Mike Bausch’s marketing savvy and the brand’s status as a beloved institution in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
For Andolini’s Battle of the Pizzas, each influencer created a specialty pie and took to social media to promote it, largely through high-energy videos on TikTok and Instagram. They also appeared together on a local TV news segment that helped Andolini’s reach a more traditional audience. Introducing The 918 Agent was Tulsa realtor Stephen Hester, with a combined 108,400 followers on TikTok and Instagram, who touted a pie with a white base, pancetta, fried onions and honey.
Tarra Quinn, who boasts a total of 53,000 followers on those same platforms, pushed the High It’s Tarra pie, topped with pickles, pancetta and a drizzle of garlic olive oil. An influencer known as @tulsabite (real name undisclosed), with a combined following of nearly 49,000, piled the Tulsa Bite pizza with cup-and-char pepperoni, pickled jalapenos, peppadew peppers and a dipping cup of ranch drizzle with hot honey. Plans called for the best-selling pizza to be added to Andolini’s menu “indefinitely,” with proceeds going to support Tulsa City Lights, a local nonprofit. Last week, Bausch took to social media to announce the Tulsa Bite pizza had won the contest.
Happy Joe’s Launches Scholarship Award to Help Student Employees Further Their Education
In an industry that relies heavily on young employees, pizza chains and independents alike are recognizing the importance of keeping team members on the job while helping further their career goals. Iowa-based Happy Joe’s Pizza & Ice Cream aims to do exactly that with the new Hollie Matthys’ Scholarship Award.
Named in honor of Happy Joe’s former CFO, who served the brand for more than 21 years, the scholarship is designed to support salaried or hourly employees who meet the criteria outlined in the employee handbook. Recipients get $500 per semester for tuition and expense support.
The first recipient, announced in December 2024, is Makynzee Balluff of Davenport, Iowa. Matthys’ own journey with Happy Joe’s began early in her career when she was assigned to audit the company while working for a public accounting firm. Her admiration for the brand’s values and leadership, particularly its founder, “Happy” Joe Whitty, led her to join the company in 2003.
“Her impact on our company was immeasurable,” Happy Joe’s CEO Tom Sacco says, “and this scholarship is a testament to her unwavering support for others.”
