Pizza Today - August 2023 - 3

Commentary with Jeremy White
Still Standing
C
an you recall a time, prerestaurant
ownership, where
you went out with your
family and were really let
down by an eatery's service?
Th e wait was much longer than
quoted, the host was rude, no one
seemed to care? Your kids were
hungry, your spouse tired and you
just wanted to eat?
What thoughts ran through
your head as you had that miserable
experience? Did you think
that host should be in the back of
the house, if employed there at all?
Did you curse the management's
lack of oversight under your
breath? Did you swear that one
day, when you lived your dream
and opened your pizzeria, that you
most defi nitely would not run your
shop like THAT?
Fast forward to 2021. After a
shutdown of your dine-in, you're
welcoming guests back to your
pizzeria. While some consumers
are still skittish and opting
for delivery or carryout, many are
elated to be out and about again.
You didn't know if you'd ever see
people in those seats again, yet
here they were. Carryout and
delivery orders are still 20 percent
higher than they ever were. It's
booming!
But there's a problem: You can't
fi nd enough servers. You have one
host. You've called all the staff that
worked in your restaurant before
the pandemic hit, but many don't
want to come back.
You have more business than
ever, but fewer employees. You're
working 85 hours a week. You're
exhausted, you're cranky, you're.
about.to.BREAK.
Th en someone stops you for the
6th time in the past 20 minutes
and asks, " how much longer will it
be before our table is ready? " You
muster a half-hearted smile and
say, " 10-15 minutes tops. "
" Th at's what you said 20 minutes
ago. Th is is ridicu- "
And you lose it. You've lost your
cool, as well as a customer for life.
Oops.
You were NEVER going to run
your restaurant like that. You were
going to off er superb customer
service. You weren't going to provide
just a meal, but an experience.
It's harder than you thought it
would be. Why don't people want
to work anymore? Or do they just
not want to work for you? What
changes do you need to make to
save your business, your mental
health, your passion? Do you have
the energy to do it? Do you still
care enough? Should you sell?
Th ese are real stories I hear
all the time from great people
who got into this industry with
the best of intentions. Former
Heavyweight Champ Mike Tyson
famously once said, " Everyone has
a plan until they get punched in
the mouth. "
If this business has punched
you in the mouth - and if you've
been in it long at all, I know it has
- and you're still standing, then
I congratulate you. But a pat on
the back doesn't pay your mortgage.
And this business doesn't
accommodate glass jaws. So either
throw in the towel or get to work.
And for those who choose to get
to work, I'm proud to be in your
corner! Let's go win the fi ght.
Jeremy White
Editor In Chief
jwhite@pizzatoday.com
Pizza Today® (ISSN 0743-3115) is published monthly. Domestic U.S. subscriptions are $29.95
VOLUME 41 * NUMBER 08
AUGUST 2023
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Pizza Today - August 2023

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