Hours of Operation/Menu items/New Ideas. Based on the NUMBERS!

[pizzagod]

The short version:

What do you think about cutting hours? Why are pizzerias open 7 days per week/12 hours a day? Why is the menu a mile long? Why do customers expect you to have all these items? Does taking things away that don't work hurt you? Why be open on slow days?

Disclaimer: My shop is located on the cusp of rural/suburbs. Farmland abound. 55MPH state highway, two lanes each way. Cars doing 70 MPH but not stopping in unless they are local.

I recently had a post about being a frustrated pizza owner. Thank you for the replies. I wanted to sum of some of my feelings with some questions for the anyone out there who has adjusted based on the data. Granted, I am 42 yo and have worked in the business in and out my whole life. My Uncles operated pizzerias, and one still in business today. Yes, I've picked his brain many times, but he is in South Carolina on the coast in a tourist town, cant compare to Upstate NY country side.  I recently sold my Pizza Truck and I've been operating a pizzeria at break-even. So here's the thing..

I use Square. Yes, there are costs associated w Square but im here to talk about the analytics Square provides on my business and operating the pizzeria in a new-age way. First off, I am currently open 11am-8pm, Tues-Sat.

My lunches average $450 per day on the year. Averaging about $50/hr on Tuesdays 10am-3pm (pre orders before 11) and $75/Hr on Weds and Thurs lunch. Fri and Saturday I avg $115 per hour.

Lunch is dead. You see the numbers. My labor cost in these hours is 50% on average, some days over 100%! LOL!. But from 3pm-8pm things change. It's dinner time.

3PM-8PM: My business numbers

Tues: $250/hr
Weds: $253/hr
Thurs: $288/hr
Friday: $568/hr
Saturday: $404/hr

There you have it. It's like my shop should be open two days a week! LOL. Here is my plan/idea:

CLOSED: Tues and Weds

OPEN: Thurs-Sunday (adding Sunday) 11am-8/9pm

Still open 40+ hours, providing my staff with their consistent pay and hours. Sunday should be good. Maybe better than Saturdays. If I can do $3K per day for 4 days, I'd avg more than I avg now.

The problem is the public expects you to be open all day every day. Just is case they want a pizza one Tuesday every 6 weeks. Its a shame pizzeria owners have to always be open. Its desperation IMO. Please come into my shop! Ill be open 7 days a week for you!

I touched on the scarcity play. You have ppl selling pizza out their windows in NYC. Ppl using Ghost Kitchens, meeting you in a parking lot w a pizza. Its all psychological! I feel that element needs to come into the brick and motor. Limited hours=scarcity. Get it when you can on the 4 busiest days of the week.

Also, menu items. I have Wood Fired Pizza and then a conveyor. ALL BAKED APPS. No fryer! Honestly, the apps are OK. Wings do come out good but everything else is blah. But I offer it cause the people want it. And when you offer less they dont call! 

I see my numbers I know what sells. Nobody every said our frozen mozz sticks are the best. I just dont get how American pizzerias became so flooded with deep menus and added pressure. Id really like to just sell pizza and wings like wtf!

We also have beer and wine. We have SOLD MORE FROZEN DESSERTS than Beer! We have 8 booths inside and a 2,000 sq foot patio outside not yet completed could house 20+ people for Spring/Summer/Fall outdoor seating. I want to pack them in 4 days a week and sell a lot of beer and pizza! Shouldnt be this hard.

Im tired of customers and family telling me you should do this, have that, offer this. Enough! I see what sells and what doesn't! I want to offer Pizzas, Stromboli, Garlic Knots, Wings, and call it a day. But gotta have a few salads, a few hot subs, cold subs blah blah blah.

Id also like to eliminate the landline phone. Too many mistakes "I said I wanted Mild"  Just order online or walk in!

Now that my rant is over. I want to hear from those who stuck to their guns. Offered less. Opened less and made it work. Or I want to hear why I need to be open 7 days a week with 90 menu items?

More Notes to consider: I have NO WALKIN COOLER. The kitchen space is small. I have a 3-door cooler and a single-door cooler. Two freezers. I can't offer a lot on the menu if I wanted. No room!

Thank you in advance. Would love to hear all and any thoughts!

[scott r]

Pizza and salad is all you need.  If you have the bandwidth wings cook real nice and easy in a pizza oven too.  Its been proven time and time again by many.  If you want to close monday or monday and tuesday go for it, those are always the slowest days of the week except for monday holidays, so some opt to close just for tuesdays.

[Andrew t]

SOunds like you know the right answers. I suggest stop second guessing yourself.

ANdrew

[BrandEssPizza]

Don't worry about closing on slow days, you can make up the difference by focusing on a making a killer product. If it's good, word will get around. Social media savvy will be your friend with that.

For the wings, I'd lean into that. I know you said no fryer but without committing to a full size fryer would a smaller dedicated wings fryer be a consideration? Granted I run an incredibly low volume establishment but I have found that Avantco's dual unit electric fryer works well for me and they aren't nearly the headache of a full size.  Would you consider a smoker? That could really elevate the wing game.

I read your other thread and I feel the frustration. Best of luck making your business shine!