Interior landscaping –– the use of plants and perhaps even elements like a fountain –– can add instant atmosphere to a restaurant. Rooms with greenery are warm and appealing, fostering a sense of well-being that in turn contributes to the bottom ...

A community is a group of interacting humans sharing an environment. In communities, a number of conditions may be present and common, thus affecting the identity and cohesiveness of the community. Where does your business factor into your community?...

Wine & Dine ‘em If you have a wine list, then perhaps you are schooled in the fine art of pricing. Diners in this lean economical atmosphere are looking for ways to maintain luxuries –– such as dining out –– without busting their wallets. S...

Introducing the Players Doug Ferriman, owner, Crazy Dough’s Pizza, Boston Kevin Suto, CEO and President, Zachary’s Chicago Pizza, Oakland Dan Collier, franchisee, Rusty’s Pizza Parlors, Ventura, California Peg Tomasso, owner, Tomasso’s Pizza ...

Last September, we produced our 09.09.09 Event in Print. It was a massive — and innovative — undertaking. We promoted the issue via e-mail, direct mail, Twitter, etc. We lined up key industry personalities and translated the magic of Internationa...

Any way you slice it, 105 years is a long time. That’s how long one of America’s favorite foods has been a part of our landscape, and much of our national fabric has changed since then. We’re still crazy over baseball and apple pie, to be sure,...

Whenever I speak at the Pizza Expo, invariably people ask me the same couple of questions, but mainly it is: “How did you do it?” The “it” is an amazing story of how I took Romeo’s Pizza from one to 31 stores over the last f...

October has been officially recognized as National Pizza Month. Since its inception in 1984, it has been briefly featured from time to time in the national media. Every year, Pizza Today gives it some ink. This year, I propose that our industry start...

At Oggi’s Pizza & Brewing Company, the recession first became evident last year. Our sales for stores open one year or more were stalled and, in some neighborhoods, were showing a decline. What wasn’t making sense was the pace of expansion in...

Back during the good ole days of 2006, one of the top complaints among owners of expanding restaurant chains was finding top-tier locations at reasonable cost. Not only were the best spaces taken, but buildout costs were expensive and finding good co...

Few pizza chains –– or restaurant chains, for that matter –– have generated the buzz that Ann Arbor, Michigan based Domino’s Pizza has over the course of the past 12 to 18 months. With the launch of several new products, to a new president, a v...

How many times have you asked yourself the question, “I wonder how the (you fill in the blank) national chains’ mega promotions are working out?” Sometimes, it seems like the big four national chains have an exclusivity on creativity. T...