This probably could apply to many other categories here, too.
In recent years since I got into pizzamaking -- primarily through this great website -- so many people and test tasters of my home-made pizza products have said that I should open up a pizzeria and that it would be a great, great success. I take all those complements somewhat with a grain of salt, but I do harbor a thought that my pizzas -- both Chicago Style deep dish and Chicago Style thin crusts (which gets little recognition compared to the deep dish in the national popular media) -- would indeed be greatly accepted out there on the free market-place of delicious pizzas. But I'm not going to be delusional about it, as there would be a lot of work involved with it these days, esp. with the advent of the following.
Right now in Pizzaville America, artisan or Neapolitan style pizzas with wood burning or coal fired ovens are the rage of the nation. And I love a good pizza of that style from time to time, but it is not my first love or what I see as a great tasting pizza product compared to what I've experienced (see Pizza Cognition Theory). Everything comes and goes in cycles and that's how I think this current Neapolitan popularity will go also. I love the old style deck ovens. When I talk to many lovers of Spacca Napoli or Great Lakes in Chicago (artisan/Neapolitan styles), I learned that 90% of them are "out of stater's" who have no history or experience in the great neighborhood Chicago Style pizzas or are from the wheat fields of . . . . (I better not say). But they get front stage exposure in the media and popular press to express their great pizza knowledge and experience. I'd like to say that sucks, but I have to honestly realize that . . . to each his own.
But to those who may consider embarking upon such an adventure (starting a new pizzeria), I wish you the best of luck, please realize that it will involve a lot of hard work, and expect the unexpected and miscellaneous expenses as well. And for those pursuing the artisan/Neapolitan route (wood/coal oven), I especially wish the best of luck as I think it is a somewhat temporary phenomenon in their popularity, but they will always have their following. You will have to judge whether that will be large or small (as Clint said "do you feel lucky?").
As for fads, many remember just a small handful of years ago that the Uno's Chicago Grill pizza places were the rage of the nation and now today . . . bankrupt. And the many great other places . . . Roundtable, Shakey's, etc. Gone, but to many . . . not forgotten.
And to beat out the humongous pizza chains that have destroyed most of America's great Mom and Pop pizzerias, you must first have a superior product and then the moxie to beat them at their own game. Not an easy task, tho.
But in any event, for those who may be interested, here is a nice basic primer or article entitled
5 Steps to Opening a Pizzeria
http://www.openforum.com/idea-hub/topics/innovation/article/5-steps-to-opening-a-pizzeria-carey-jones
