Re: Ready to build
First of all. I would consider creating a high end pizza, my average pizza 16" pizza is $20. I have gourmet pizzas, I have mainstream ingredients too, but I also have Basil Pesto, and Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto, Alfredo Sauce, Artichoke Tapenade, and Three Olive Tapenade. Your in California, land of the granolas and hippies! And all than green clean living stuff. My profit margin generally runs about 30%, when I worked for Domino’s Pizza I averaged about 12% of course if I wasn’t paying royalties it might have profited 20%. But I am certain there are plenty of low end, and mid market pizza joints out there. I am sure all the majors are in market. I would develop a menu using Grande Cheese, and set your prices the highest in the market. Say $22. for a 16" gourmet combo. If you set your prices high you can always hand out discounts, but if you set your prices to low, you can’t, and everyone loves a discount. I often wish when I started my franchise that I priced everything $4.00 higher, Say $26. for a 16" Gourmet then I could run a TWO-FOR-ONE SPECIAL all the time and make exceptional profits.
I would definetly consider Delivery! If you are in Marysville, CA. You have about 80,000 residents with 6 miles of your town, Yuba City, Linda, South Yuba City, Olivehurst, Tierra Buena. By offering delivery you can expand your market substantially. I would start by marketing within 1 mile of your store, but don’t limit your delivery area. I personally go out 30 minutes in all directions. I charge a delivery charge $2.00 outside of a mile, and $6.00 outside of 3 miles. You will have to determine that on your own.
I would sell pizza by the slice in your restaurant, as well as, in your gas stations, Cut a 16" pizza into 6 slices like Costco does, and sell them for $2.50 a slice, it is a discount, but it will get people to try your pizza.
You can make a great gourmet tasting pizza for relatively cheap, and get a good price.
A couple examples of gourmet pizza I sell:
The Mediteranean: 16" Pizza Dough Ball ($.65), 2 oz. Basil Pesto as a Base ($.40), 3 oz. of Sliced Tomatoes ($.20), 3 oz. Marinated Artichoke Hearts chopped up ($.45), 2 oz. of Feta Cheese ($.40), 2 oz. Sliced Kalamata Olives ($.30), .5 oz. of chopped garlic ($.05), and 12 oz. of Grande Cheese ($1.85) all total $4.30 food cost, I sell for $21.99. 19.5% food cost, I sell a 2nd for half-price at 39% food cost. My total Food cost about 26%, I usually run about 17% labor So my Contribution Margin is about 40%, and my fixed are about 10%. which nets me about 30% or $10.00 on a two pie order.
How about this one:
“THE RUEBEN” 16" Pizza Dough Ball ($.65), 8 oz. of 1000 Island Dressing as a base($.60), 6 oz. of Diced Corn Beef ($.80), 8 oz. of Bavarian Sweet Sauerkraut with Caraway Seeds ($.30), 8 oz. of Swiss Cheese ($1.25), 4 oz. of Grande Cheese ($.62) all total $4.22 food cost.
“THE GARLIC CHICKEN” 16" Pizza Dough Ball ($.65), 4 oz. of Alfredo Sauce ($.80, use a fresh alfredo sauce, Del Monaco is a good brand, not Kraft, or Best Foods ~ Yuck!), 8 oz. of Diced Chicken Thigh Meat ($.60, if you cook it yourself),4 oz. of Roasted White Onions ($.12), 4 oz of Slice Red Onions, 12 oz. of Grande Cheese ($1.85), and 2 oz of Shredded Parmesean Cheese, and .5 oz. of chopped garlic ($.05), and a dash of Oregano($.04)
all total $3.86 food cost.
“THE BBQ CHICKEN” 16" Pizza Dough Ball ($.65), 8 oz. of BBQ Sauce ($.60), 8 oz. of Diced Chicken Thigh Meat ($.60, if you cook it yourself)
4 oz. of Roasted White Onions ($.12), 12 oz. of Grande Cheese ($1.85), and 2 oz. of Smoked Mozzarella($.48), and .5 oz. of chopped garlic ($.05)
all total $4.35 food cost.
These are all great pizzas that people consider gourmet and will pay considerably more for, you will find that the gourmet topping are actually allot less per ounce than the traditional pizza toppings, and you actually can put less product on the pizza, cause the market hasn’t established what a normal topping is for them. Pizza’s like these will be somewhat unique, and this will differentiat you from all the other pizza places.
