opening new store help

[system]

can you open a new store and hire right away an experienced pizza maker to operate the making and cooking of the pizza? what would be a salalry for this person?would offer bonuses. i would then be able to put full attention to the customer service side and advertising ect.also would have kithchen people. Would this be a mistake when first opening? do you have to be hands on in this business to suceed from the beginning? i see alot of abesentee owners which seem to do well. i want to be there all the time but making the pizza myself (i developed my own receipies that the pizza maker would be using) as long as the pizza maker has experience doesnt seem to be what would make you suceed or fail is this true?it just seems to me that spending alot of energy making pizzas can be more useful putting that energy into building a strong business.thanks for any help.

 

[system]

I chuckle as I read your post because I was there with those thoughts 12 years ago and recently had the same kind of thoughts upon opening our 2nd location.

You will be focusing on the marketing and other details but that would be on your “day off” (assuming you close a day ) and during your sleepless stressful nights.

Seriously though, before you open your doors I would have all your marketing and advertising lined out for around 3 months. All the details of day to day operations (making sure you have copies of paperwork, new hire packets, plenty of uniforms, systems etc.) All the details that seem to distract us.

As much as you will want to do those things survival is going to be your focus for the first 3-6months.

We all think just because we can cut veggies, cheese and make dough etc in a short period of time everyone else can… You will find new hires experienced or not, struggle with these tasks. Making your dough and other prep won’t be easy for your crew from the get, not like it is for you.

We were determined to hire only experienced pizza makers and for the most part did but the thing to remember… Where do they come from? If they are so grand why don’t they have a well paying job at the last pizzeria. Most will tell you they weren’t paid what they are worth… so you will pay more hoping that was really the issue. But in reality a couple of them have some other issues and will scr**m you by no calling no showing or just be full of it.

I wouldn’t start anyone over the top, tell them in 90 days you will have a review but you want to see their performance.

If I were to offer advice I would get experienced servers and front of the house people. People with GREAT personalities that shine because regardless of what you think you are going to be in the kitchen for a while.

Good luck to you…and when you think you are prepared double check all of it…you can never be too prepared.

 

[system]

I would really discourage you from making the investment if you can not be putting in the time in the back of the house. There are way too many areas that a restaurant can fail from, that directly result from lack of proper leadership in this area. Don’t get me wrong the marketing is a huge part of the business, but great marketing of a poorly ran restaurant is going to cost you money not make you money. just my 2 cents.

 

[system]

I would scrap the idea all together. Like it or not, the entire industry is satuarated to a deadly degree. You can have the best product AND the best service, but the fact remains that there are too many stores for the population in MOST areas. Just my 2 cents if I could turn the clock back 16 months.

 

[system]

There is plenty of room for more pizza shops if you are not making lots of money shame on you for not educating yourself. As for a “pizza maker” train them yourself and start right away training an asst manager to run the store when you are marketing or handling other business related things. Eventually you will want a full time manager but lets not put the cart before the horse. Making a pizza ia not rocket science. creating good recipes can be tho. Educate yourself thru magazines like PMQ, attending shows finding someone who is “successful” in the pizza business to mentor you etc. All of the info to be successful is out there find it and USE it. When you have questions ask them here one at a time and lots of successful people usually will answer them with good answers. Good Luck !!