Blog
What's changing for independent pizzerias, and what to do about it.
Google shut down Business Profile websites: what US restaurants should do now
The free business.site pages went dark in 2024 and the redirect ended June 10. How to check whether yours is dead, and what it says about renting your address.
October 21, 20264 min readOwn your customers, not DoorDash: what pizzerias give away on the apps
On a marketplace order the customer isn’t yours. What US pizzerias give up beyond the commission, and how to move regulars to direct orders.
October 21, 20264 min readOpening a pizzeria without DoorDash? Why that usually backfires
Skipping DoorDash and Uber Eats in year one usually means invisibility. A launch sequence that uses the apps for reach and moves regulars to direct orders.
October 21, 20264 min read10 local SEO mistakes that cost pizzerias customers
Wrong holiday hours, PDF menus, mismatched listings, bought reviews: the local SEO mistakes US pizzerias make most, and what to fix this week.
October 21, 20265 min readDoes a restaurant need WordPress? Usually not
A pizzeria site is a menu, hours and a phone number. Why six WordPress plugins is the wrong tool for most restaurants, and when it is the right one.
October 21, 20264 min readIs opening a pizzeria a good idea in 2027? An honest US look
Food cost, DoorDash commission, labor, sales tax and startup costs: what still works for a new US pizzeria in 2027, and what sinks most of them.
October 21, 20265 min readPizzeria equipment: where to spend and what to buy used
Oven, mixer and cooler decide your pizza; the rest can be used. What to spend on, what to buy secondhand, and what to check before plan review.
October 21, 20264 min readFood safety temperatures for pizzerias: the FDA Food Code chart in °F
41 °F cold, 135 °F hot, the 2-hour and 6-hour cooling rule, 165 °F reheating and 7-day date marking: the Food Code numbers a pizzeria lives by.
October 21, 20266 min readRestaurant health inspections: what the inspector checks in a pizzeria
Plan review, unannounced inspections, NYC and LA County letter grades, and the pizzeria spots inspectors check first: prep tables, dough trays, sinks.
October 21, 20265 min readFood traceability for pizzerias: the FDA rule and what to keep now
The FDA Food Traceability Rule reaches restaurants, with enforcement delayed to July 2028. What a pizzeria should record and label now.
October 21, 20264 min readPizza recipe cost card: how to cost a pie (with a free example)
How to build a pizza recipe cost card in ounces and dollars, why dollar margin beats food cost %, and what an extra ounce of cheese really costs.
October 21, 20265 min readPizzeria profit margins: the 6 ratios that decide if you make money
Food cost, labor, prime cost under 60%, occupancy, utilities and DoorDash commission: the pizzeria ratios to track, with a worked P&L in dollars.
October 21, 20265 min readPizza shop marketing: what actually brings in orders (and what to cut)
Google profile, the box, Nextdoor, EDDM flyers with a code per route, and why mailbox flyers are illegal: a measured local marketing plan for US pizza shops.
October 21, 20267 min readPizza loyalty programs: is the free 10th pie worth it?
What a punch card really costs a pizza shop, the digital and surprise alternatives that work, and the TCPA and CAN-SPAM rules for texting customers.
October 21, 20268 min readPizza order not picked up? How to stop no-shows and prank orders
What an unclaimed pizza order really costs, whether you can charge for it, the phone routine that stops prank orders, and when to require prepayment.
October 21, 20268 min readHow to get customers to order online from you, not the apps
Guaranteed pickup times, no app fees, a QR on every box and a phone script: how US pizzerias move callers and app customers to direct online orders.
October 21, 20267 min readHow to price pizza: markup, dollar margin and local prices
Markup ×4 to ×5, dollar margin per pie, sales tax at the register, size pricing by area and app menus: how to set pizza prices in the US.
October 21, 20268 min readHow many pizzas a day to be profitable? Worked US examples
The formula, worked examples in dollars for a pizza truck and a two-person shop, what app commission does to the number, and why your oven sets the ceiling.
October 21, 20268 min readHow many pizzas per hour can one person make? Real numbers
20 to 30 pies an hour solo, 36 to 45 with two: real output from working pizza makers, the oven math, and how to take phone calls off the make line.
October 21, 20267 min readPizza shop name ideas, and how to check the name is free
Name patterns that work, the phone and search tests, and the USPTO, state and Google Maps checks to run before you print a sign, plus trademark fees.
October 21, 20267 min read