Stop 50 Wood Fired Pizza, an Indiana independent pizzeria that’s just over the border from Chicago, has a smart, eclectic wine list. There’s a rare Pinot Noir from northern Italy, a plush Amarone, a Spanish rosé. And then there’s a Riesling fr...

What’s Up, Doc? Bugs Bunny loves carrots, and you should, too. Why? Because they’re the perfect way to sweeten a pizza sauce. That’s right, carrots have a built-in natural sugar, so they are excellent for that use. Wash and skin a large carrot ...

I have opened seven restaurants for myself and at least 30 more for clients in my career. The last one to open was last August in Ohio. I’ve designed fl or plans for stores smaller than my garage (900 square feet) all the way up to a couple of gian...

It’s not unusual for pizzeria owners to trademark their store’s names. But some owners are taking their quest for brand originality beyond the store sign and onto the menu by registering trademarks for distinctive offerings. Does registering a me...

Fifteen years ago, Don Bellis wanted to bring the concept of wood-fired pizza to the west coast. A little homework with other business owners told him that the new restaurant would be his life, and he’d likely spend more time at the restaurant than...

The average customer spends less than 40 seconds looking over your menu. In that time, the brain kick-starts into overdrive and a purchasing decision is made based on emotion, comfort zone, curiosity and cost. Some of your menu choices contribute lot...

An epic chain reaction has seized the entire planet. This will most likely be the ugliest financial fall-out most people have ever seen. Today alone, 11 pizzerias will slam their doors shut forever. A shake-out like the one gripping the entire world ...

2009 is an important year for International Pizza Expo — it’s the trade show’s 25th anniversary. Additionally, Pizza Today celebrated its 25th anniversary last year. I’m honored and proud to be a part of these two wonderful industry assets, a...

Climbing commodities, fewer diners, eroding economy: does it spell “d-o-o-m” for your pizzeria? Not if you take control of your crucial costs — those that we can control on a daily basis. The total of these controllable costs are termed...

77 percent of pizzerias apply between 4 and 6 ounces of sauce on a 14-inch pizza. In a recent Pizza Today Web poll, 86 percent of respondents said they had a sales increase of at least 10 percent on the day before Thanksgiving. 48 percent of American...

Like other types of yeast leavened bread doughs, pizza doughs will benefit from fermenting for a period of time before using or baking. Fermentation provides dough conditioning, making the dough easier to shape. It also reduces the propensity of the ...

Bear Silber co-owns Pizza Party, a one-store operation in Santa Clara, California. Once a Pizza Party customer, Silber, age 26, is in the process of buying the property from the couple that previously owned the pizzeria. At this point, they are equal...