Start Mobile First with Chef Tony Tomassi

Food truck or restaurant? Chef Tony Tomassi recommends proving your product and building a following before committing to a permanent space.In this episode of The Pizza King Podcast, I talk with Tony about the choices behind a mobile pizza business. He shares experience from Nina's Cucina Wood-Fired Pizza, Yo Pauley's, and Big Tony's South Philly Cheesesteaks, including the costs and responsibilities he compares with running a restaurant.We get practical about ovens, working in a small space, dough management, and serving customers during a busy event. Tony explains how he balances promoting his food with delivering pizza people want to order again. We also discuss selling out, communicating with guests, and knowing when a bigger operation adds more responsibility than you want.You will hear:Why Tony recommends starting mobileFood truck vs restaurant overhead from his experienceOven selection, recovery, and limited workspaceDough prep for wood-fired and Detroit-style pizzaStaffing, customer expectations, and repeat businessI close with a Takeout Tip on checking the costs and demands that come with growth.Follow And Contact Tonyhttps://www.facebook.com/NinasCucinaFollow for his posted updates and contact him through the page for catering inquiries.Episode SponsorsEDGE Pizza Ovens: https://www.edgeovens.com/test-bakeMailwise Solutions: https://mailwisesolutions.com/Mention the Pizza King Podcast and ask Mailwise about the $150 listener offer.Virnika AI Phone Solutionshttps://virnika.ai/demoPizza King ResourcesPizza King Weekly and more episodes: https://pizzakingpodcast.com/Pizzeria Operator's Playbook: https://pizzakingpodcast.com/playbook-1Pizza Pro Circle: https://pizzakingpodcast.com/communityContact Tyrell: [email protected] the show on your podcast app and send this episode to an operator comparing a food truck with a storefront.Support the showJoin us here: https://www.skool.com/tyrells-group-9324/aboutFree Tools and Courses for Pizzeria Owners &  ManagersEmail: [email protected] events and appearances: Pizza Expo Columbus 10/11-10/12Pizza Tomorrow Summit (Orlando, FL) 10/25-10/27

Paulie Gee expected to spend his days making pizza. As his business developed, he realized other people could make the pies and his attention could help the shop in different ways.I sat down with Paulie on the Pizza Expo floor in Columbus to talk about that change. We discuss his move out of corporate work, the belief he built before opening a pizzeria, and his responsibility to operators who put their trust and money into the brand.Paulie also recalls advice from Chris Bianco about fresh mozzarella and supporting other people in the pizza business.In this week's Takeout Tip, I explain how to give one recurring job a clear owner. Start with training and practice. Then explain the expected result, the decisions the person can make, when they should call you, and when you will review the work together.Your action for the week: choose one person, one responsibility, and one check-in.Watch the full conversation:https://youtu.be/jzkAwKmSoJYPizza King Weekly and show resources:https://pizzakingpodcast.com/Thanks to EDGE Pizza Ovens, Mailwise Solutions, and Virnika AI for supporting the show.https://www.edgeovens.com/https://mailwisesolutions.com/https://virnika.ai/Support the showJoin us here: https://www.skool.com/tyrells-group-9324/aboutFree Tools and Courses for Pizzeria Owners &  ManagersEmail: [email protected] events and appearances: Pizza Expo Columbus 10/11-10/12Pizza Tomorrow Summit (Orlando, FL) 10/25-10/27

Can you tell me what your best-selling pizza costs to make?Keisha Miller from Perfect Crust joins me to talk about cheese portions, team training, supplier relationships, and the customer experience after a pizza leaves the shop.Keisha spent about 16 years with Performance Food Group. We discuss how a food rep can help with cost tools, product comparisons, and questions beyond the weekly order.I also share why a liner was one of the first visible changes we made when we took over our store, and why I want owners to check their online ordering experience as carefully as their dining room.Choose one action from this conversation. Review a cheese portion, ask your rep about available resources, or test your ordering page from a customer's phone.Perfect Crust: https://perfectcrust.com/Samples: https://perfectcrust.com/request-form/Incredible Bags: https://incrediblebags.com/Free Playbook: https://pizzakingpodcast.com/playbook-1Pizza Pro Circle: https://pizzakingpodcast.com/communityThanks to the businesses that support the Pizza King Podcast:EDGE Pizza Ovens: https://www.edgeovens.com/Mailwise Solutions: https://mailwisesolutions.com/Virnika AI: https://virnika.ai/Support the showJoin us here: https://www.skool.com/tyrells-group-9324/aboutFree Tools and Courses for Pizzeria Owners &  ManagersEmail: [email protected] events and appearances: Pizza Expo Columbus 10/11-10/12Pizza Tomorrow Summit (Orlando, FL) 10/25-10/27

September sales at Westshore Pizza Valrico reached $36,557, up 108.5% from last September.I share the rewards results, Facebook ads, direct mail plan, box toppers, QR stickers, catering, and operational changes behind this month's update.The comparison needs context. Last September included closures and inconsistent hours. September sales also fell 13.3% from August. Sales growth and profit are different measures.Our newest change was a personal introduction in customer emails. Customers replied with encouragement and an opportunity to fix an order.Your Takeout Tip: send one personal email this week. Introduce yourself, explain your role, share one useful detail, and invite customers to reply. Choose who will respond before you send.Free Pizzeria Operators Playbook:https://pizzakingpodcast.com/playbook-1Ask about the Leadership Accelerator:[email protected] and operator resources:https://pizzakingpodcast.com/Thanks to our show partners:EDGE Pizza Ovens: https://www.edgeovens.com/Mailwise Solutions: https://mailwisesolutions.com/Virnika AI: https://virnika.ai/Support the showJoin us here: https://www.skool.com/tyrells-group-9324/aboutFree Tools and Courses for Pizzeria Owners &  ManagersEmail: [email protected] events and appearances: Pizza Expo Columbus 10/11-10/12Pizza Tomorrow Summit (Orlando, FL) 10/25-10/27

Someone told me EDGE is the oven for people who cannot make real pizza.I spent nearly 23 years working with deck ovens. Today, my pizzeria runs every pizza through an EDGE conveyor oven. That gives me a clear view of the conveyor oven vs. deck oven debate.This episode breaks down what each commercial pizza oven does well and how your choice affects pizzeria consistency, training, labor costs, production capacity, remakes, and pickup times.I share how our team handled an 88-pizza order while keeping online, phone, and third-party orders open. We produced close to 100 pizzas in one hour with my 14-year-old son working the oven station. I also explain how our cook time dropped from about 12 minutes to 5 minutes and 40 seconds after we learned how to dial in the conveyor.Deck ovens still have a place. Your pizza style, desired char, customer experience, space, team, and peak volume should drive the decision.The Takeout Tip gives you one step to run this week. Time five carryout orders, compare the oven exit time with the guest pickup time, and fix the gap.EDGE Pizza Ovens sponsors the Pizza King Podcast. I owned and used my EDGE oven before that partnership began. These opinions come from my experience in my own shop.Schedule a test bake at https://edgeovens.com/test-bake.Get the Pizzeria Operator’s Playbook:https://pizzakingpodcast.com/playbook-1Join Pizza Pro Circle:https://pizzakingpodcast.com/communityGet one useful idea for your shop every week:https://pizzakingpodcast.comSupport the Pizza King Podcast:https://pizzakingpodcast.com/support-the-showSPONSOR OFFERSMailwise SolutionsMention the Pizza King Podcast and save $150 on direct-mail services.https://mailwisesolutions.com/Virnika AIMention the Pizza King Podcast and save $500 on your first year of Agent Penny.https://virnika.ai/penny/If this episode helped you, subscribe, leave a review, and share the episode with another pizzeria operator.Support the showJoin us here: https://www.skool.com/tyrells-group-9324/aboutFree Tools and Courses for Pizzeria Owners &  ManagersEmail: [email protected] events and appearances: Pizza Expo Columbus 10/11-10/12Pizza Tomorrow Summit (Orlando, FL) 10/25-10/27

Kevin Abbott and his wife Allison own Stoner’s Pizza Joint directly across the street from my shop in Valrico, Florida. On paper, we compete. In real life, we help each other.Kevin shares why he left another industry, spent nearly a year learning inside another operator’s stores, and chose the franchise path. We also talk honestly about building a team you can trust enough to step away from the shop.This conversation covers working with your spouse, training, systems, community, competition, and the cost of being inside the business seven days a week.The episode closes with a Takeout Tip you can try this week. Give one full shift to your manager, step back, debrief the next day, and fix one thing.CONTACT AND FOLLOW STONER’S PIZZA JOINTStoner’s Pizza Joint, Bloomingdale3428 Lithia Pinecrest RoadValrico, FL 33596Phone: 813-436-0016Website: https://www.stonerspizzajoint.com/Order online: https://order.stonerspizzajoint.com/order/stoners-pizza-joint-bloomingdale-tampaInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/stonerspizzajointbloomingdale/GET THE PIZZERIA OPERATOR’S PLAYBOOKBuild stronger managers, create better systems, and take back your time.https://pizzakingpodcast.com/playbook-1SPONSORSEDGE Pizza OvensI use an EDGE oven in my own pizzeria. Schedule a test bake:https://edgeovens.com/test-bakeMailwise SolutionsDesign, print, and mail menus and postcards without a long-term contract. Mention the Pizza King Podcast and save $150:https://mailwisesolutions.com/VirnikaAgent Penny answers calls, takes orders, processes payments, and sends orders to your POS. Mention the Pizza King Podcast and save $500 on your first year:https://virnika.ai/penny/Support the showJoin us here: https://www.skool.com/tyrells-group-9324/aboutFree Tools and Courses for Pizzeria Owners &  ManagersEmail: [email protected] events and appearances: Pizza Expo Columbus 10/11-10/12Pizza Tomorrow Summit (Orlando, FL) 10/25-10/27

Last week Tyrell came on and said the shop had its best month, up around 75 percent in sales. Three days later the phones died for the rest of the day.This Takeout Tips is about the number you are actually comparing yourself to. The week finished down about 15 percent from the week before. Against the same week last year it was up 36 percent. Same week, two different stories, and only one of them should change what you do on Monday.Inside: what a dead phone system costs a shop that takes most of its orders by phone, why he did not touch the marketing or run a fire sale, and the case for taking a wider view before you hit the panic button.CHAPTERS0:00 Intro and who I am really talking to0:25 Our best month and being proud of it0:41 The pizza gods bring you back to reality1:09 The customer call that dropped out1:49 Phones dead and what that costs us2:45 The outage report and losing a whole day3:31 A terrible day then a dead Saturday4:19 Down fifteen percent from the week before4:44 Up thirty six percent from last year5:36 Hand off the panic button6:04 When it feels like the ship is sinking6:41 The crisis was not actually real7:14 Take a wider view7:22 The Playbook and the Accelerator8:06 The book I did not write8:56 The story of Marco10:28 Eighty four tools over fourteen weeks11:29 Sponsors and Pizza Expo in ColumbusFree Pizzeria Operator's Playbookhttps://pizzakingpodcast.com/playbook-1Leadership Accelerator: 84 tools over 14 weeks. It runs on Skool, so you can join any time. Ask about it at [email protected] Expo, Columbus, October 11 and 12. Booth 647. Record a 20 minute episode with me at the show:https://calendly.com/tyrellreed/pizza-king-podcast-pizza-expo-columbus-interviewQuestions, or want to come on the show? [email protected] EPISODE IS BROUGHT TO YOU BY:EDGE Pizza Ovens. Schedule a test bake: https://edgeovens.com/test-bakeMailwise Solutions. Direct mail for pizzerias, no long term contracts. Ask about the Pizza King Podcast offer and save $150: https://mailwisesolutions.com/Virnika. Agent Penny answers calls, takes orders and sends them to your POS. Ask about the Pizza King Podcast offer and save $500 on your first year: https://virnika.ai/penny/Please support the businesses that support the Pizza King Podcast.If this one was useful, follow the show and leave a review. It helps other operators find it.Support the showJoin us here: https://www.skool.com/tyrells-group-9324/aboutFree Tools and Courses for Pizzeria Owners &  ManagersEmail: [email protected] events and appearances: Pizza Expo Columbus 10/11-10/12Pizza Tomorrow Summit (Orlando, FL) 10/25-10/27

Aaron Keaser runs Teaford's Pizza & Subs in Greenville, Ohio, a town of about 13,000 people packed with national chains and local competition.He refuses to compete on price.Aaron joins Tyrell to explain how quality, consistency, customer service, kitchen flow, and community relationships help an independent pizzeria compete. They also talk about dough, menu decisions, DoorDash, fundraising boundaries, stress, sacrifice, and the reality that nobody is coming to save the owner.In this episode, Aaron shares:• Why he refuses to compete on price• How a larger pepperoni improved production speed• Why hand-stretched dough works better for his shop• How he improved the flow of a 700-square-foot kitchen• Why DoorDash became one of his best marketing channels• How he protects the business when supporting local groups• What sacrifice looks like for a small-town owner• Why nobody is coming to save you when you own the businessAaron brings a direct operator's view. You hear the decisions, mistakes, tradeoffs, and standards behind a respected local pizzeria.Learn more about Teaford's Pizza & Subs:https://www.teafordspizza.com/https://www.facebook.com/teafordspizza/Get the Pizzeria Operator's Playbook:https://pizzakingpodcast.com/playbook-1Listen and follow:https://pizzakingpodcast.com/Support the showJoin us here: https://www.skool.com/tyrells-group-9324/aboutFree Tools and Courses for Pizzeria Owners &  ManagersEmail: [email protected] events and appearances: Pizza Expo Columbus 10/11-10/12Pizza Tomorrow Summit (Orlando, FL) 10/25-10/27

August should have been one of our slowest months. Instead, our Westshore Pizza location finished at $42,143 in sales, up 76.22% from last year and ahead of every month we have on record for the store.That result did not come from one promotion. The turnaround started with eight months of operating work. We cleaned the store, trained the team, simplified the menu, removed weak hours, fixed the order process, built the rewards list, mailed every week, and stayed patient while catering gained traction.In Episode 158 of the Pizza King Podcast, I walk through the monthly numbers, where the growth came from, which decisions made execution easier, and why first-party online and rewards sales matter so much.You will hear:How monthly sales moved from $27,000 in April to $42,143 in AugustWhy early third-party growth gave an incomplete pictureHow menu cuts and a six-day schedule improved executionWhy EasyCater required more than four months of patienceHow weekly mail, email, text, and rewards worked togetherWhy the team came before every sales resultGet the free Pizzeria Operator's Playbook: https://pizzakingpodcast.com/playbook-1Visit the Pizza King Podcast: https://pizzakingpodcast.comQuestions about the Leadership Accelerator: [email protected] the showJoin us here: https://www.skool.com/tyrells-group-9324/aboutFree Tools and Courses for Pizzeria Owners &  ManagersEmail: [email protected] events and appearances: Pizza Expo Columbus 10/11-10/12Pizza Tomorrow Summit (Orlando, FL) 10/25-10/27

Jeff Berman has visited more than 500 pizzerias across the country. During one New York trip, he reached 53 shops and tried 70 slices in four and a half days.Jeff is the founder of Pizza Lovers of Florida, a Facebook community that grew from a small Citrus County group to more than 5,000 members. He does not call himself a reviewer or influencer. He calls himself a pizza enthusiast.In Episode 157 of the Pizza King Podcast, Jeff explains how he chooses which shops to visit, why he orders the pizza a shop is known for, and why one visit should not define a pizzeria. He also shares why he refuses to turn his passion into a business, how Florida pizza has grown, and what it takes to build a community where people can disagree without becoming disrespectful.You will hear:- Why Jeff protects pizza as a passion instead of a business- How he planned a 53-pizzeria New York trip- What first-time customers should order- Why different pizza styles need different standards- What makes a pizzeria worth recommending- Why Florida deserves more respect as a pizza state- How consistent work grew Pizza Lovers of FloridaJoin Pizza Lovers of Florida:https://pizzaloversofflorida.com/Facebook group:https://www.facebook.com/groups/1355287455703996/Visit the Pizza King Podcast:https://pizzakingpodcast.comEpisode sponsors:Edge Pizza Ovens: https://edgeovens.com/test-bakeMailwise Solutions: https://mailwisesolutions.com. Pizza King Podcast listeners save $150.Virnika AI: Save $500 on the first year of Agent Penny with no setup fee. Mention the Pizza King Podcast at https://virnika.ai/Support the showJoin us here: https://www.skool.com/tyrells-group-9324/aboutFree Tools and Courses for Pizzeria Owners &  ManagersEmail: [email protected] events and appearances: Pizza Expo Columbus 10/11-10/12Pizza Tomorrow Summit (Orlando, FL) 10/25-10/27