Nicky from Nicky Slices Pizza Club joins me to talk about the path from making Detroit-style pizza at home during COVID to opening a brick-and-mortar shop in St. Louis that is on pace to do over $1.3 million in its first year.

We get into building an audience before opening, finding the right partners, why they do online ordering and walk-ins only, controlling food and labor costs, and the expensive surprises that came with opening the shop.

If you’re thinking about opening a pizza shop, this is a good one to take notes on.

Follow Nicky Slices Pizza Club:
Instagram: @nickyslicespizza

What happens when your pizza shop gets so busy that your biggest problem isn't getting customers... it's making enough pizza?

In this episode of How You Slice It, we're talking with Grumpy's Pizza in New Jersey to see how they've built one of the area's most talked-about pizzerias. We talk about learning sourdough, simplifying the menu, building systems, and why they're making the jump from an 800-square-foot shop into a much larger space.

What happens when you combine New York-style pizza, smash burgers, and a modern approach to running a restaurant?

In this episode, I sit down with Tony Parker from Smash & Slice to talk about building a business that's different from the typical pizza shop.

We get into:

• Why they decided to serve both pizza and smash burgers
• Growing from one location to two
• Keeping a focused menu without sacrificing creativity
• Using influencers the right way
• Restaurant marketing that actually drives sales
• The operational decisions that make running the business easier
• Where the restaurant industry is headed

If you're a restaurant owner looking for ideas on growth, marketing, operations, or building a stronger brand, this conversation is packed with practical takeaways.

Let me know what you think in the comments, and don't forget to subscribe for more conversations with independent restaurant operators.

Giuseppe Sacchetti didn't just open another pizza shop.

He spent years obsessing over dough, trained with Gabriele Bonci in Rome, opened during the pandemic, and built a business that now serves fresh pizza, wholesale dough, focaccia, and gourmet frozen pizzas across Montreal.

We talk about:

• Why dough is the most important part of pizza
• What he learned from Bonci
• The science behind frozen pizza
• Why he slices pepperoni to order
• Montreal's unique pizza culture
• His plans to build a pizza brand across Canada

This week I'm joined by Santo, a second-generation pizza shop owner who walked away from the family business, spent five years in the corporate world, and then decided to come back and open his own pizzeria. We talk about what pulled him back into pizza, the realities of finding a location, negotiating a lease, build-out costs, equipment decisions, and what it's really like during those first few months after opening. If you're thinking about opening a pizza shop—or you're already in the process—this episode is packed with lessons that can save you time, money, and headaches.

Mark, owner of Leo's Pizza in Williamsport, PA, shares the story of closing his first shop, learning some tough business lessons, and reopening with a completely different mindset.

Today he's focused on running a simple operation, making great pizza, spending time with his family, and building the business around the life he actually wants.

In this episode we talk about:

• Closing his first pizza shop and starting over
• The biggest financial mistakes he made
• Why he keeps the menu simple
• Running a one-man pizza operation
• Building a reputation through quality pizza
• His dough process and equipment
• Why he doesn't follow every trend
• Creating a business that fits your life

If you're opening a pizza shop or trying to simplify your current operation, this conversation is packed with practical lessons from someone who's been through it.

After 25 years in business, Bill was burned out.

He was seriously thinking about selling his pizza shop before a visit with another owner completely changed his perspective.

In this episode, we talk about:

• Why he almost walked away
• The marketing changes that helped his business grow again
• How better food photography increased online orders
• Using Toast Online Ordering and QR codes
• Why he still believes in in-house delivery
• The biggest lesson he's learned after 25 years in the pizza business

Whether you've been open for 6 months or 30 years, this conversation is full of practical ideas you can use in your own shop.

What happens when a serious car accident forces you to start over from scratch?

In this episode, Bruce talks with Chuck Rozay, owner of Uncle Chuck's Pizza in LaSalle, Illinois. After helping build a successful pizza business and recovering from a life-threatening accident, Chuck took a chance on himself and opened his own pizzeria with no investors, no partners, and a limited budget.

They discuss building a pizza shop for around $30,000, running multiple pizza styles from one dough recipe, using DoorDash, creating a word-of-mouth business, and what it's like opening a shop in an area where most customers have never experienced true New York-style pizza.