The 4 Pillars of Successful Pizza Restaurants

Opening a pizzeria can be a great investment, but how can you grow your pizza business and stand out in the crowded industry? The simple answer is found in one hyphenated word:?customer-focus.?If you look at successful pizza restaurants, you will find that the customer is at the center of everything they do.?

So, how does that play out in the day-to-day running of a pizzeria? Here we will explore four pillars that hold up all successful pizza restaurants.

What Successful Pizza Restaurants Have in Common

Successful pizza restaurants have four things in common:?

• An incredible?taste?that keeps customers coming back for more
• Fast?speed?of service, from order to delivery
• Consistency?in the customer experience (including product and interaction with employees)
• Top-quality?customer service?that makes the customer feel valued and appreciated

So how can you achieve these things in your pizzeria? Read on as we consider each of the pillars of successful pizza restaurants in depth.

1. Taste

Although many factors go into a person’s decision to purchase food from a particular restaurant, study after study shows that taste is the number one determinant. For example, EVERY survey that the?International Taste Institute?has carried out has found that taste is the primary reason for buying a product. Moreover, taste is vital for what is known as the ‘second moment of truth.’

The ‘first moment of truth’ is when a consumer decides to buy a product for the first time. Meanwhile, the ‘second moment of truth’ is when the consumer consumes the product. “In terms of food and drink, taste is central to the second moment of truth and is the most important re-purchase driver.”?

In other words, your business sign, a clever promotion, or a positive referral may bring a customer in the door the first time, but it’s the taste that will keep them coming back for more.

With pizza businesses abundant in every city and town, you can set yours apart by making sure your pizza tastes great and is unique. Meanwhile, franchise pizza restaurants should stick closely to the taste people already know and love.?

Some tips to make your taste more customer-centric:

• Focus on Fresh:?Fresh ingredients have the best flavor, and your customers will be able to taste the difference. If you focus on fresh, make sure to include it in your marketing too. A?2017 study?found that “made fresh daily” is the marketing statement that would best persuade consumers to try a fast-food or casual dining restaurant. Customers are also drawn to messages highlighting that the ingredients are fresh, local, or in-season.
• Build Your Menu:?Customize your menu to include the tastes that your customers crave. Is deep-dish pizza popular? Do people prefer certain ingredients? Find out what customers in your area like and put it on the menu!
• Listen to Feedback:?Pay attention to the feedback you get about the taste of your dough, sauce, and ingredients. This is especially important when you are trying new items on the menu.

In the end, taste is the biggest differentiator between your pizza and that of your competitors and the primary reason why customers will choose your pizzeria over the competition.?

2. Speed

Another pillar of successful pizza restaurants is the speed of service. Customers expect the ordering process to be quick and straightforward. In addition, they expect the food to be prepared and delivered quickly (whether they are dining in, picking up, or getting home delivery). Therefore, ticket times determine your ability to take more orders each day, and they also impact the likelihood of someone returning to your pizzeria.

Some ways to improve your speed of service include:?

• Proper Training:?Properly training your employees ensures that they know what they are doing and can execute tasks efficiently.
• Strategic Scheduling:?Consider employees’ knowledge, skills, and experience when scheduling to make sure people are placed in positions they can excel in and that the team can function well as a unit.
• Full Inventory:?Always have enough product available to handle that day’s orders, and ensure that workstations are fully stocked. If a menu item or ingredient is unavailable, make sure the person taking orders knows.?
• Effective Technology:?The right POS system can make transactions and payment processing quicker. By integrating your POS with your?cloud phone system, you can have key pieces of information, like the person’s name and address, already available for you.?

3. Consistency

Successful pizza restaurants are consistent in the customer experience. This means that the customer knows exactly what to expect from when they place their order to the moment they bite into their first pizza slice.?

Consistency includes product quality.?

To improve this, you can create pizza build sheets to ensure everyone who assembles your pies knows the exact procedure. Your instructional sheet should include proportion (the quantity of each ingredient and the ratio of one ingredient to the other) and process (what to do, how to do it, and in what order).

Consistency also includes the service that the customer receives.?

Once again, it is best to have an SOP and robust training so employees understand your business and know how to interact with customers both in-person and on the phone. With technology such as?call recording and live call monitoring, you can coach your team on how to answer calls and provide examples to help train new team members.

4. Customer Service

Successful pizza restaurants also provide stellar customer service. Employees are friendly and respectful when interacting with customers, providing them with a positive experience of the pizza business and a reason to come back next time.?Statistics?show that,?out of foodservice guests?who have a positive experience with a restaurant:?

• 39% say the good experience would encourage them to spend more.
• 41% say the good experience would lead them to recommend the restaurant to family and friends.
• 60% say the good experience would make them dine at that restaurant more frequently.

Looking to improve customer service in your pizzeria? Here are some best practices for your staff to follow:?

• Greet diners the minute they walk in the door.?
• If the customer calls by phone, you can greet the caller by name when you use?technology that connects your phone system with your POS.
• Make sure you’re always reachable with cloud phone technology that has a?cellular failover feature.
• Listen intently and pay attention to what the customer wants.
• Know the menu inside-out so you can answer questions and offer suggestions.
• Repeat the order to make sure you got it correct.
• Give accurate wait times for carryout and delivery.?
• If a mistake is made, apologize immediately, empathize (don’t blame!), then solve the problem quickly and without drama.

A Final Note

These four elements – taste, speed, consistency, and customer service – are four pillars that hold up all successful pizza restaurants. Like a sturdy building, if you take out one (or more) of these pillars, the structure won’t stand.?

Each of these four elements has to do with having a?customer focus?in your pizzeria. So, this discussion prompts the question:?are you considering your customers with every decision you make in your pizza business??

It’s an important question to ask yourself and something that should factor into everything you do, whether it’s crafting your menu, training your employees, or?choosing the right technology. So build your pizzeria with your customers—and these four pillars—in mind, and you’re sure to succeed.?

To learn more about the author, visit https://clarityvoice.com/