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So You Want To Start A Pizza Parlor...
“There's no better feeling in the world than a warm pizza box on your lap.” – Kevin James
There are approximately 3 billion pizzas sold in the United States each year. With numbers like that it’s safe to say that we are a pizza lovin’ country. Everyone at some point in their life has had a diet which contains pizza…and for good reason. Pizza places offer a wide selection of toppings, the pricing tends to be just right, and the delicious thing known as cheese that haunts our dreams is ever present. Have you thought about how great it would be to own a pizza place, franchise or original? Your head may be full with dreams of free pizza and success but before you go rushing out to buy supplies ask yourself this question:
What does it really take to open your own pizza parlor?
It can take more than you think! Between supplies, equipment, not to mention payroll you could be looking at hundreds of thousands to even millions of dollars spent to keep your business afloat. In this blog I’ll be detailing what you really need to successfully open your own pizzeria!
1. Permits and Business License To be a business you must first complete the necessary paperwork! Requirements for receiving a business license and what permits you will need differ from state to state. Once you know your state’s requirements (and meet them) you can apply at the local city hall/courthouse. Just as an example here are a few permits you may find yourself going after:
Public Health Operating License Sales & Use Permit Land Use Permit Industrial Wastewater Discharge Permit Alcohol license permit (if you choose to serve beer with your pizza) Burglary permit Fire permit Zoning permit Business registration
Visit this site for more details about your state’s requirements: http://www.business.gov/register/licenses-and-permits/
2. LOCATION!
With every successful pizza place there is a great location. Your pizza can be amazing but if you aren’t in an at least decent location…well, not really many people are going to KNOW your pizza is good. And anyway, who really wants to drive to the middle of nowhere to get a pizza?
3. Capital
It sounds important because it is. Business’s usually fail due to not having nearly enough capital for what they need for supplies, location, etc. Capital is the amount of money you have to invest in your business. To up your capital (and your chances of succeeding) you can obtain investments, borrow money from relatives/banks, and (of course) delve into your personal savings account.4. Floor Plan and Decor
What do you want your parlor to look like? Appearance is a very important element to a restaurant, after all people eat with their eyes first. For example: Choose a color scheme that incorporates a lot of red and yellow. Both of these colors increase appetite. Also keep in mind that you want the surroundings to appeal to your specific clientele whether it is a franchise, a little mom and pop place, or an authentic Italian pizzeria.
5. Knowledge and Experience
And now for a ‘duh’ moment: To own a pizza restaurant you must first know how to make a pizza. Either that or hire someone who does. It may also be helpful to have experience in business, marketing, and working in a pizzeria setting.
6. Communication with the Client!
You’ll be needing phones for call in orders for pickup or delivery. Also, advertising is your best friend so play with it! Get the news out there that you have a great establishment by handing out flyers, coupons, placing an ad in the local newspapers/internet, and of course there are always good old fashioned commercials.
7. Team Members!
You can’t run it all by yourself. You’ll need trusted and professional team members with experience at working in a restaurant setting.
8. EQUIPMENT & SUPPLIES
The kind of equipment you buy for your establishment can directly play a role in your success. For example: Did you know that there are several types of pizza ovens and that each one will create a different taste in your pizza? Wood burning and deck ovens tend to give off a more authentic taste but take longer to heat and may be more difficult to use. Conveyor ovens (used by most pizza places) are easy to use, cook evenly, and are quick to produce a finished product. Convection ovens are also pretty fast and use circulated hot air to speed up cooking times. Revolving tray ovens bring to the table flavor resembling what would come from baking a pizza in a deck oven but are more energy efficient, bake at higher capacities, and are more easily operated.
Depending on your business’s size you may want to invest in a great quality dough mixer, dough divider, and dough sheeter. A dough divider makes uniform round balls of dough quicker than by hand while a dough sheeter rolls the dough. This machinery shaves loads of time off of the preparation of your pizzas.
You will also need to get pans for your pizza, rolling pins, cheese graters, bins and storage boxes for ingredients, industrial can openers, pizza cutters, merchandising displays, not to mention refrigeration! Luckily you can find ALL of these on the KaTom website!
WILL YOU FRANCHISE?
If you’re going the franchise route it may help or hinder your financial situation. Some companies will help you finance your new business, which can come in handy. You might not know that, depending on what pizza chain you choose to open, there are royalty fees, advertising fees, and franchise fee requirements. I’ve provided a little bit of visual aid.
With all of that said, if having a pizza place is still your dream come true then GO FOR IT! With a great attitude, adequate funds, a sincere mission statement, and some good pizza pie your restaurant could be a booming success! And as always KaTom is here to supply you with any great quality pizza making equipment you could think of at unbeatable prices! To help you get a head start toward entrepreneurship I’ve made a list for all of the basic essentials you’ll need:
Unless you're specializing in uncut pizza you'll definitely need one of these pizza cutters.
Rolling out pizza dough means you'll need a rolling pin that can keep up with the glutenous dough.
It goes without saying that you'll need a good container to store all of your dough...
With so many cans of sauce or other ingredients you're bound to need a heavy duty can opener.
A Pizza sign lets people see what they are in for and also helps to draw more attention to your shop.
Using an insulated delivery bag will keep your customer's pizza warm, resulting in pizza satisfaction.
- Heather ;)
PS: Thanks to www.thefranchisemall.com and www.franchisedirect.com for information regarding pizza chains!
