I just opened my pizza place wed. We are on a highly traveled road with no other pizza for about a mile(thats alot in new york). We did 800 the first day 1200 the second and today we did 1800. Im wondering if this is beginners luck and people just try the new place or do alot of places start out slow…oh yeah…I havent even advertised yet or put a grand opening sign…is all this uncommon?
Hello Pakula,for the most first part congratulations! Now comes the hard part,in most cases it will be busy right off the jump do to people want to try the ‘new place’ out.What you need to do now is keep them coming back and telling their friends about you.With great food and great service this will come naturally.But you must become a strong minded mngr. right away as far as consistency,quality and great service is concerned.Because no one will care the way you do.Be sure to take that first income and invest A.S.A.P. into a good marketing campaigne via door hangers/local paper ect…This will assure you that it will come back 10 fold.Remember do not hesitate to invest that $ right back into the business this will be your most important move you’ll make in the beginning.Wish you the best of luck.
NiccademoGet down wit’ yo’ bad self 
Welcome to the wonderful world of pizzeria ownership :shock:
My experience with my original opening and then my re-opening in new location is that there will be an initial; surge of business for maybe 4 weeks . . . if you are lucky . . . and then it is up to us to keep as much of that interest and business as we can. Also to convey those initial customers into word of mouth and still more customers. There will be an inevitable “end of the honeymoon” of some size or other.
I’ll suggest that you work very hard in generating NEW CUSTOMERS at the outset. Concentrate on getting new bodies in the door any way you can. Once that customer base is large enough and still growing, then peaks and valleys are not as wild as often, and you can build your average pretty nicely.
Thanks for the insight…but now comes the hard part…i need people who dont pass my store everyday to see or hear from me…what would you say is the best form of advertising,door hangers, menu drops, coupons, free food??where should I start…It seems like there isnt even enough hours in a day to go to the bathroom or eat while being at my new home
IMHO, good product, location, word of mouth, door hanhing complainentary pizza to the right places, and anything else that works better in your market, in place of any of the above,
Otis