Whether you actually attend culinary school or spend years working in a pizzeria, the important thing is to gather the experience you’ll need to help your business be successful. This could be done through formal education or through hands-on experience. [1] X Research source Some pizza chefs recommend traveling to Italy for an apprenticeship to learn the original art of making delicious pizza.
There are many types of pizzerias, so spend some time thinking about what kind you want to create. There are family-style pizza joints, pizzerias with traditional wood stoves, buffet style pizza places, pizza by the slice, among others. You should also choose whether you want to offer delivery service or dine in and take out only. [4] X Research source There are also many styles of pizza to choose between – like Chicago-style deep dish, Sicilian, Neopolitan, thin crust, gourmet, etc. [5] X Research source Deciding what kinds of food you want to serve is important, but remember that most pizza consumers prefer quality over quantity. [6] X Research source You will also need to decide on what complementary food to serve. You may want to include salads for your more health-conscious customers. Or maybe you’ll want to include an excellent dessert menu with tiramisu and flan. Some more common menu items at pizza restaurants are varieties of pasta dishes, breadsticks, calzones.
Try to choose a realtor that has experience with commercial property, especially in dealing with restaurant locations. When choosing a location, it is important to know the area and keep your expected clientele in mind. For example, if you choose a location in a low-income area and decide to open a gourmet pizza place with expensive pies, your business may suffer. [8] X Research source
Your pizza business itself may require some renovations – like installing wood pizza ovens or additional seating for customers.
A good location is crucial, especially for a successful restaurant. Because pizza is such a popular food, a great location for your pizzeria would be in high traffic areas – like busy downtown streets, near shopping malls, close to college campuses, etc.
Additionally, keep in mind that you will need to acquire a liquor license if you want to be able to serve alcohol at your pizza establishment. This is another thing you will need to look into with your local health and safety authority, as regulations vary from state to state. If you are interested in starting a pizza business in your home, you can do so as long as you make sure you apply for a proper food license. [12] X Research source Without this license, it will be illegal for you to prepare and serve food to people for money – so don’t skip this step. Check with your local city hall to find out exactly what attaining the license entails since regulations can vary from place to place.
These costs include rent and utilities at your location, equipment costs, supply costs, advertising fees, employee salaries, among other things.
Additionally, look into grants and loans from the Small Business Administration. [13] X Trustworthy Source U. S. Small Business Administration U. S. government agency focused on supporting small businesses Go to source Check out Get a Business Loan, Get a Small Business Loan, or Get SBA Small Business Loans for more information.
This list, however, is not comprehensive. You should consider asking someone who already owns a pizza business for a complete listing of all the equipment they use on a daily basis in their business.
Also make sure to register your pizza business with your city if necessary to obtain a business license.
Check out How to Advertise, Promote Your Business, or Advertise Your Business for Free for more tips. Consider joining websites like Yelp so that customers can leave online feedback for others to see. [20] X Research source
