Pizza Today - February 2022 - 48

Pandemic.
We're close to the end, right? Not
necessarily. The pandemic has fundamentally
changed our business and we
must adapt or die. Look at the results
of the pandemic. Some pizzerias closed
their doors. Others thrived. Why?
Adaptation. Necessity is the Mother of
Invention. Those who thrived saw the
need for change and acted. And their
customers responded. These changes
are not temporary. They represent the
new pizzeria business model. Outdoor
dining, indoor distancing, employee
masks, curbside service, no-contact
delivery, mobile app ordering, touchless
pay systems, carry-out incentives
and improved to-go packaging are all
successful adaptations made as a direct
result of the pandemic by pizzerias that
thrived.
The pandemic pain point can be
mitigated by selecting three changes
you made during the pandemic and
making them a permanent part of your
pizzeria. And by doing so, improve
each of them. Let us use curbside
service as an example. Do what it takes
to ensure a place for your curbside
customers to park. This may take
communication with your landlord or
the city. How do you know when they
arrive? Perhaps a hotline, or a camera
system or a triggered alarm. Consider
the packaging. Will their pizza be cold
by the time they get home? It might
be time to consider re-usable hot bags
with your logo. How about a curbside
condiment package that includes paper
plates, napkins, and other frequently
asked for condiments? Curbside service
came about because of the pandemic,
but we've discovered that customers
love the service even without the fear
of the virus. The ideas are endless. The
point is, select three changes to make
permanent and make them yours.
Make them part of your unique selling
proposition.
48 / PIZZATODAY.COM / FEBRUARY 2022
People
What happens when you pay people
to stay home? What happens when you
pay them $300-$500 per week more
than they were making while working
as an incentive to stay home? You know
what happens. Essential businesses are
unable to field a team and cannot keep
their doors open. We have all heard
the accusation, " They would if you paid
them more. " No, they wouldn't. No
business can compete with free government
money. The good news is that
most people want to work. Most people
want to contribute to society. Most
people want to be part of something
bigger, funner (yeah, I know, but it
should be a word), and more challenging.
Most people get true satisfaction
from work. And the minute it makes
financial sense, they will return to work.
So as the government reduces the financial
incentives not to work, the lives
of the pizzeria operator will improve.
The people pain point can be
mitigated by beginning with those
who got you here. Now is the time to
recognize those employees who stayed
and worked. Now is the time to ensure
they participate in the results of your
success. Can you increase their wages?
Can you send them and their family
on a weekend vacation? The key is to
demonstrate your appreciation with
both words and actions. You will also
need to build a strong team moving
forward. Understand that there will be
two different types of employees. There
are those who want stability, growth
potential and opportunity. And there
are employees who are passing through.
The pizzeria industry needs both. For
those who want to be part of your
company long-term, work to provide
training and guidance so they grow to
their full potential. For those part-timers,
students, minors, second-jobbers,
you must provide flexibility in their
schedule. Honor all time-off requests.
Give them shifts that fit their other
commitments and availability. The
combination will build a strong team.
Prices
Inflation. This is not a new word; we
just haven't been hammered by it lately.
To quote Elton John, the b***h is back.
Costs are rising faster than pizza dough
left to proof too long. But unlike overproofed
pizza dough, they will not fall.
Shipping costs, manufacturing costs,
raw material costs, and labor costs are
clearly rising out of control. We are not
talking about costs that are under your
control. Pizzeria operators need to keep
up with measuring the cost of doing
business and adjusting their menu
prices accordingly.
The price pain point can be mitigated
by charging the right price for your
menu items. The pizza industry lost a
great resource for this when Big Dave
passed on to the big pie in the sky. But
if you need guidance in this, others
have followed in his footsteps. Menu
analysis is critical, and pricing should
always be based on costs. If your target
is 30-percent food cost, understand
that any menu item that is over 30 percent
is driving up your costs. Do not be
hesitant to raise prices as costs increase.
Traditionally, price changes for your
pizzeria can be done annually. With
rampant inflation, food cost analysis
should be a weekly measurement, with
menu price change quarterly.
To those of you who worked and
provided food as an essential service
through this challenging era, I salute
you. You have proved to yourself, your
people and your community that you
can adapt and have emerged a stronger
pizzeria operator and businessperson.
Facing these three pain points this year
will require you to continue to apply
these skills. You got this. n
DAN COLLIER is the founder of Pizza
Man Dan's in California and a speaker at
International Pizza Expo.
http://www.PIZZATODAY.COM
Pizza Today - February 2022

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