a new life looking at us on the horizon

[ira]

Maybe it's time to take one of the casinos up on their offer to buy you out. Set up shop there with their staff, make sure you get paid good for the sensible hours a week you work and walk away with a pile of cash. I know it's selling out, but since you can't find anyone committed enough to do what you do, might as well make a killing on the way out so you can afford whatever happens post retirement.


Ira

[waltertore]

Not very encouraging news for me personally Walter. 
I am 58 and wrapped my last last engineering consulting( done it for 36 years) project about 4 weeks ago. My goal is to get into making pizza on my term from here on, i can not see myself retired. i need some purpose in living life so i managed to fooled my mind and my wife that i can do pizza 5 nights/week 3-9 pm. Goal is to make the very best pizza i can with best ingredients and sell it at reasonable price i can afford after paying all my bills . That way i feel i am giving something back to the society and make very high end pizza available to people who would not afford to buy. I do not appreciates corporations ruling our life where mom and pop stores can not compete unless they have a knock out product and business savvy to sell it. 
i have written road map for to go pizzeria and finding it very difficult to find suitable place for it. down the road i could share my plan with like minded to expand into more stores but keeping a identical size and operation.
people like Walter, Adam and few others were my motivators to dive into it. so very best of all you who are doing it day in and day out. Walter you hang in there my man as long as possible.......         

Thanks for the encouragement and update on your plans.  I say do what is in your heart as life is a short trip and don't listen to what others will tell you.  We were told our model would fail quickly, and if not we would burn out in a couple years.  We are going on 7 years and if it wasn't for the pandemic I think we would have many more years in us for sure.  For Judy and I turning the pizza making/being at the shop all hours, over to others, will never happen.  When I had my hips replaced, a very well known pizza person offered to run the shop for us.  It was a lovely gesture but, once you leave, the vibe changes and the pizzas will change as well, so we declined and opted to close for 3 months. 

Our model is successful due to our being there all the time. People know us, we know them, it is like stepping back 60 years in time.  People today try to convince themselves that they can run true artisan operations without being onsite and making all the pizzas and preps.  That is not how pizza got so famous in the USA.  It was based on small family models and all were trained from birth and took over when old enough and skilled enough.  Now you see the "best pizzerias" in food publications looking for - pizza maker, no experience needed, will train....  and will be making pies full tilt in a week.  How can that ever compare to someone that makes all the preps, dough, pies, for the entire lifespan of the shop?   Turnover for these "greatest pizzerias" is constant and I mean all jobs including dough and pizza makers. I am not putting these places down but what we are about is staying small, consistent, and old school.   

With our model we have no competition.  Many customers stop at our shop as they travel and tell us often they are from cities with some of the greatest pizzerias in them.  They wonder why we are not better known as they like our pies much better.  I answer - we could never do this in a major food city - rent too high to even break even with the flow we do.  Reno is a great fit for us and it will be a gold mine for someone when we decide to sell.  I look forward to hearing about your progress

[waltertore]

Maybe it's time to take one of the casinos up on their offer to buy you out. Set up shop there with their staff, make sure you get paid good for the sensible hours a week you work and walk away with a pile of cash. I know it's selling out, but since you can't find anyone committed enough to do what you do, might as well make a killing on the way out so you can afford whatever happens post retirement.


Ira

Thanks for the idea.  The truth of the matter is the best offer we got from the 3 casino owners was a nice steak diner for Judy and I.  The other 2 offered absolutely 0.   We have the faith the right person will appear when we are ready to sell who wants to make a nice living with out any where near the headaches the big names deal with all day with their multiple shops. 

[waltertore]

Back to Walter's thread. Questions, mate.
What you are doing now, shorter hours, no dine-in, etc., appears to be quite an improvement in lifestyle for you.
Many people do it here in Oz. Cut back, pare it down, basically ease off the workload, but still keep a few bucks rolling in.
But, for business people here, it's a bit of a double edged sword.
Cut back too far, turnover greatly reduced, much less business to sell.
Where is the balance? There will come a time when you simply cannot keep doing it. Will you need a decent sale price to keep the wolf from the door? There will come a time you must sell it or close it, unless you can appoint a decent manager, and let them run it while you take (hopefully) a little profit.

We will sell it before turning it over to someone to run it for us.   No interest in hiring a manager and not being onsite doing it all ourselves.  It is the way we are wired to live.  The good news is we can cut down to 3 days for diner only and still make a decent living. 

Also we are real close to begin making 12"x12" cold rolled steel Sicilian pans that now are non existant since Allied Metal went out of business.  We can make them in our garage and ship to home pizza makers and pizzerias.

[Cogs]

On second thought… best to keep quiet.

[wotavidone]

Why do the protected have to protect themselves from the unprotected by forcing the unprotected to take a protection that didn't protect the protected in the first place?

I don't advocate for the protected protecting themselves from the unprotected by forcing the unprotected to take protection.
I am opposed to mandatory vaccination.
Personally, I've overcome my nervousness and had the jab.
But I still worry about taking a vaccine that hasn't been around all that long.
It remains to be seen whether there is a long term health effect no-one has predicted.

But, I made my choice, and the anti-vaxxers have made theirs.
Darwinism will run its course. At some point in the future, it will become apparent who was right.

Eventually whoever made the wrong choice will be weeded out and our ambulance drivers, doctors and nurses will get a well earned break.

I'd be interested on how you arrive at the idea the vaccines "didn't protect the protected in the first place".
But start a new thread, we've hijacked Walter's thread long enough.

[wotavidone]

We will sell it before turning it over to someone to run it for us.   No interest in hiring a manager and not being onsite doing it all ourselves.  It is the way we are wired to live.  The good news is we can cut down to 3 days for diner only and still make a decent living. 

Also we are real close to begin making 12"x12" cold rolled steel Sicilian pans that now are non existant since Allied Metal went out of business.  We can make them in our garage and ship to home pizza makers and pizzerias.

I reckon I'd feel the same. I think it would be almost impossible for me to hand over an award winning business to hired help.
I walked away from work I'd invested 40 odd years into, and have since resisted an offer to come back in an advisory capacity.
Wouldn't be the same, trying to get others to do it my way with only part time input from myself.
I like the idea of your being able to produce something in your garage to generate an income.
I'm less organised, but trying to achieve something similar.

[waltertore]

I reckon I'd feel the same. I think it would be almost impossible for me to hand over an award winning business to hired help.
I walked away from work I'd invested 40 odd years into, and have since resisted an offer to come back in an advisory capacity.
Wouldn't be the same, trying to get others to do it my way with only part time input from myself.
I like the idea of your being able to produce something in your garage to generate an income.
I'm less organised, but trying to achieve something similar.

Thanks.  We have several people interested in purchasing the pizzeria outright.    I would train them as part of the sale as it will include all equipment and recipes. . We are in no hurry to sell and will only go forward if it is pretty much stress free. 

[caymus]

Thanks.  We have several people interested in purchasing the pizzeria outright.    I would train them as part of the sale as it will include all equipment and recipes. . We are in no hurry to sell and will only go forward if it is pretty much stress free.

Walter, will you be giving up your Blodgetts? Somehow  I thought you would be buried (many years from now) with them 

[waltertore]

Walter, will you be giving up your Blodgetts? Somehow  I thought you would be buried (many years from now) with them 

Yes, they will go with the sale. They are too big and heavy to use at home.  I will get back into home oven pizza

[bigMoose]

Wow 7 years have passed already!  It seems like just yesterday that we were in your OH facility with Norma and Larry.  Such great memories.  You taught me so much.  I still use the couche you gave me for baguettes!

[waltertore]

Wow 7 years have passed already!  It seems like just yesterday that we were in your OH facility with Norma and Larry.  Such great memories.  You taught me so much.  I still use the couche you gave me for baguettes!

Yes time is a strange thing.  It goes tick tock but in reality it is fluid thing.  That time in Ohio was a fun time I will always cherish.

[jkb]

I absolutely enjoyed my job and career. After being retired for almost a year I think it's great, I have to pinch myself every morning. I'd encourage anyone to retire as soon as you are able!

You got to fly to cool places.  If you say retirement is good, it's got to be true.  I just passed the 9 year mark.

[thezaman]

 Walter, I have been involved with pizza since 1982. Never has it been as bad as 2020 and 2021. Not much fun any longer. Fortunately I have two children that have taken over the majority of the daily operations. But, since it is family I cannot walk away from the stress. I have been working a lot more then I thought I would be at my age. I do not feel it is fair to dump all of the problems that we are now dealing with on my kids. So I help as much as I can.
 Covid , the labor shortage, as well as product shortages have made it hard to be in the restaurant business.
 Since covid our town has lost 5 restaurants which puts extra demand on the opened businesses. That normally is a good thing, but with a short staff situation. it ads major stress to everyone.
 We had to increase all wages as other industries and restaurants have taken employees. I'm fine with getting wages up.as I truly believe a living wage is important.my employees are dedicated and all work very hard.
 Prices had to rise to help offset this,but not many complaints. Its very easy to justify higher prices as the consumer sees it everywhere.
 Walter you and Judy are in a good situation. You can adjust your schedule some and still be able to to make a living. You are helping others, and I'm sure that is satisfying, and one of the main reasons you two do what you do.
 

[waltertore]

Walter, I have been involved with pizza since 1982. Never has it been as bad as 2020 and 2021. Not much fun any longer. Fortunately I have two children that have taken over the majority of the daily operations. But, since it is family I cannot walk away from the stress. I have been working a lot more then I thought I would be at my age. I do not feel it is fair to dump all of the problems that we are now dealing with on my kids. So I help as much as I can.
 Covid , the labor shortage, as well as product shortages have made it hard to be in the restaurant business.
 Since covid our town has lost 5 restaurants which puts extra demand on the opened businesses. That normally is a good thing, but with a short staff situation. it ads major stress to everyone.
 We had to increase all wages as other industries and restaurants have taken employees. I'm fine with getting wages up.as I truly believe a living wage is important.my employees are dedicated and all work very hard.
 Prices had to rise to help offset this,but not many complaints. Its very easy to justify higher prices as the consumer sees it everywhere.
 Walter you and Judy are in a good situation. You can adjust your schedule some and still be able to to make a living. You are helping others, and I'm sure that is satisfying, and one of the main reasons you two do what you do.

You summed it all up Larry.  I am sorry you are having to work so hard. You put in the years to make it easier on you at this point in life.  Making pizza with the hot ovens and wearing a mask is about the worst part for me.  We are going to casually let out the word the place is for sale and are in no hurry to sell unless it is to the right person.  Until then we will ebb and flow with the times.  I have scaled back to where I can do all the prep mainly so I don't have to wear a mask from 10am -9pm everyday.  I get to take it off until employees show up at 4:30 and they are out the door by 8pm.  Fortunately we have a great crew right now.  A month ago we had no crew and that could change in a minute as we only offer part time positions with a max of about 15 hours a week each.  We raised our prices 2 dollars on all pies since the pandemic with no complaints.  We only  lose a little money with doing curbside only as we don't sell alcohol.  Many customers order sodas, salads, and our deserts, with their to go orders.  Our patio is open but the weather is getting colder so it will not attract much attention which is ok with us as it takes more labor to manage it. 

We are blessed to be in such a good place as like you said many restaurants have closed  here as well.  Our shop would be a gold mine to the right young person who could go full tilt with it.  Good Morning America contacted me this week and we are going to be on it Dec 1st.  They are filming at our shop Nov 17th.  I will miss this kind of stuff as I love the spontaneity of these things.  Say hi to Ohio for me