JANET V. DURAN (35) 550 Pizzeria - Laredo, Texas @550pizzeria What area do you feel like you currently need to improve upon to continue taking your pizza business to the next level? I currently feel like I need to expand my dining area and finally get a beer and wine license. Oh and delivery! It's hard to get delivery with insurance costs and also third-party companies and their rates just for a pizza to get delivered. What is something you've learned at Pizza Expo that has helped guide your business? Attending pizza Expo for the third time has taught me a lot! I was able to compete, something I never ever thought I could do! I was able to taste many kinds of pizzas, and then I started using some of those ingredients on mine. What do you do to motivate your staff during these challenging times? My staff are my everything! I have meetings with them to talk about how they feel, what problems can we fix. I celebrate every birthday once a month, and I try to do free money Friday once a month! What are you doing in your pizzeria to combat inflation and rising costs? We understand the value and the hard work that goes into making our product. Even though most of our ingredients have gone up in price, we anticipated it before we opened. We aspire to keep our product of the same or better quality no matter what. And with this mentality we try to keep prices fair for the customer, and yet that also allows us to compensate our employees for the work they do. JULY 2022 / PIZZATODAY.COM / 45http://www.PIZZATODAY.COM