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In this episode of The Hot Slice Podcast, Michael Androw, owner of E&D Pizza Company, in Avon, Connecticut, gets honest about what it actually takes to open and survive in this industry. He shares the hard lessons that recipes and passion can't teach you, from the financial traps that can cost you your home to the relationships that can save your doors from closing. If you own a pizzeria or dream of opening one, this conversation delivers the "down and dirty" reality most people learn the hard way.

Here's what Michael covers:

• Relationships before you need them. Why building genuine, non-transactional ties with your building and health inspectors matters, and how those ties let him reopen the morning after disaster.
• Surviving disaster. The Thanksgiving a car crashed through his building, and what it takes to manage contractors, insurers and inspectors when everything falls apart.
• The brutal math of slow days. A Tuesday in February with $75 in total sales, and how to hold your nerve on labor, utilities and staff morale when the register goes quiet.
• Outsource the numbers. Why accounting and payroll should go to professionals, because you can't afford to get tax codes wrong on zero sleep.
• Learning to let go. How over-managing slows your team and hurts your labor metrics, and why delegation is the hardest skill for a perfectionist owner.
• Consistency and creativity. Following recipes to a T for customers who expect the same pizza every time, while giving staff room to build fun weekly slice specials.
• Lease and loan landmines. The commercial lease clauses and loan terms that carry personal liability, and how to tell good money from bad.
• The emotional cost. Seven days a week for two straight years, and the private toll of ownership no one warns you about.

Michael brings this same candor to his workshop at Pizza Expo Columbus: W01, You Want to Open a Pizza Restaurant? on Sunday, October 11, from 8 a.m. to noon ($250).

Workshop Description: Dreaming of opening your own pizzeria from scratch? Michael Androw has been there, done that, and lived to tell the tale. This workshop is your crash course in everything from site selection and lease negotiations to zoning laws and start-up marketing. But it’s not just about the nuts and bolts — it’s about the blood, sweat, and tears (and maybe a few sleepless nights) that come with building your dream. Michael’s insights could be the difference between success and heartbreak. If you’re ready to take the plunge, this session is a must.

Register now for Pizza Expo Columbus .

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Twelve years ago, two guys in a baby blue 1967 Chevy truck were blasting 90s hip-hop at a D.C. farmers market and slinging wood-fired pizza to anyone who'd listen. Today, that operation is closing in on 10 locations and building a national franchise.

In this episode, we sit down with Chris Brady, co-founder and president of Timber Pizza Co. Chris and his partner Andrew Dana traded tech sales careers for a pizza oven in 2014, opened their first brick-and-mortar in D.C.'s Petworth neighborhood in 2016 and have since expanded across the Mid-Atlantic and Southeast. Now he's focused on franchising the right way: slow, intentional and rooted in the same community-first values that started it all.

Here's what Chris gets into:

· The origin story: Why he and Andrew walked away from tech sales, and how a Charlottesville pizza truck sparked the whole thing

· Timber's pizza style: Marrying New York-style crunch and hold with Neapolitan wood-fired chew, plus why provolone earns a spot in the cheese blend

· The 85/15 model: Keeping 85% of every Timber consistent while leaving 15% for local flair like regional craft beer and neighborhood decor

· The dough non-negotiable: Scratch-made recipe with a strict 48-hour proof at every single location, no exceptions

· Vetting franchise partners: Why integrity, a real operational plan and the right market matter more than the check that clears

· Building employee culture: Tip pooling across the house, wages above the tipped minimum and a "we've got your back" approach that's driven five to six year average tenure

· Advice for growing operators: Pay the pros, delegate your weaknesses early and be honest about where you're not the A player

· The road ahead: Staying committed to the Mid-Atlantic and Southeast, with a goal of five to six new stores in 2026 to reach the 15 to 16 unit range

Show Notes:

Timber Pizza Co.

Pizza Expo Columbus

July 2026 issue of Pizza Today magazine

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Like many family-owned businesses, Jasons NY Pizza had a moment of reflection during the COVID pandemic. If they wanted to continue to grow and expand, the leadership team would have to create more management positions and solidify a processes for employee pay structures and raises.

Chief Experience Officer Zachary Black joins The Hot Slice podcast to share how these changes have allowed Jasons to double the number of stores it operates in Maine and permitted the owners time to work on the business – not just in the business. The pizzeria now adheres to a pay schedule, and workers know when they can expect raises – and how much. Such new systems have reduced turnover and freed up time to work on a new employee-training program.

SHOW NOTES

Jasons NY Pizza: jasonsnypizza.com

Employee Experience Edition of Pizza Today magazine

Pizza Expo Columbus

July 2026 issue of Pizza Today magazine