We run a small pizza shop, husband/wife team, currently 2 other employees and occasionally sell out. Curious how long it took to build up the customer rapport and demand you guys have created? Our customers are starting to catch on but some (mostly new customers) do still complain about our limited hours.
We have been open 7 years next month and fortunately have had a lot of ongoing local/worldwide press and recognitions. Our concept is all about all our items being world class, great customer service, consistently, and the old school model I grew up with just outside NYC in NJ - the mom-and-pop shop where customers are coming in your house and become family. I shop for produce, make every dough/prep/pizza. My wife is on the phone, register, does the books. We have a few very part-time employees (none more than 12 hours a week). Doing it this way has made us what we are. No specials, coupons, and never have spent a dime on advertising.
Fortunately, we are in a town with a decent population of transplants from NY/NJ/PA/CT as well as the SF bay area and Los Angeles. Lots of people come for a vacation to Reno from around the country for the skiing/outdoors as well. Our overhead is low in rent, salary, food cost. Our food waste is under $20/week. Having this kind of model makes it a success. We charge a high price and stick to our rules of how to order. Our menu is just one size dough ball that is used for the NY/Sicilian pies, very few topping choices, one house salad/dressing, cannoli, choc chip cookie, canned/bottled sodas/water. and sell bottles of our house salad dressing. That is it. We closed the dining room since COVID and do curbside and patio dining only.
Judy and I are seniors, and the shop is in for sale (in contract). We had a bidding war with over 30 people actively trying to buy it. From a former bodyguard to the queen of England to an executive chef for Wolfgang Puck (sp??) to a private chef for Zuckerberg, and a lot of interesting people from all kinds of unique backgrounds were involved in the process. Our bodies are telling us it is time to let it go. Keeping a product/service model that is world class is demanding. Consistency with great quality ingredients is something that is hard to find because it is so demanding to do. If you can pull both off, you will be as busy as you want to be. You can read more about our concept with hiring people with cognitive disabilities on the website.
http://www.smilingwithhopepizza.com/
