This week I'm joined by Santo, a second-generation pizza shop owner who walked away from the family business, spent five years in the corporate world, and then decided to come back and open his own pizzeria. We talk about what pulled him back into pizza, the realities of finding a location, negotiating a lease, build-out costs, equipment decisions, and what it's really like during those first few months after opening. If you're thinking about opening a pizza shop—or you're already in the process—this episode is packed with lessons that can save you time, money, and headaches.

Mark, owner of Leo's Pizza in Williamsport, PA, shares the story of closing his first shop, learning some tough business lessons, and reopening with a completely different mindset.

Today he's focused on running a simple operation, making great pizza, spending time with his family, and building the business around the life he actually wants.

In this episode we talk about:

•  Closing his first pizza shop and starting over 
•  The biggest financial mistakes he made 
•  Why he keeps the menu simple 
•  Running a one-man pizza operation 
•  Building a reputation through quality pizza 
•  His dough process and equipment 
•  Why he doesn't follow every trend 
•  Creating a business that fits your life 

If you're opening a pizza shop or trying to simplify your current operation, this conversation is packed with practical lessons from someone who's been through it.

After 25 years in business, Bill was burned out.

He was seriously thinking about selling his pizza shop before a visit with another owner completely changed his perspective.

In this episode, we talk about:

•  Why he almost walked away 
•  The marketing changes that helped his business grow again 
•  How better food photography increased online orders 
•  Using Toast Online Ordering and QR codes 
•  Why he still believes in in-house delivery 
•  The biggest lesson he's learned after 25 years in the pizza business 

Whether you've been open for 6 months or 30 years, this conversation is full of practical ideas you can use in your own shop.

What happens when a serious car accident forces you to start over from scratch?

In this episode, Bruce talks with Chuck Rozay, owner of Uncle Chuck's Pizza in LaSalle, Illinois. After helping build a successful pizza business and recovering from a life-threatening accident, Chuck took a chance on himself and opened his own pizzeria with no investors, no partners, and a limited budget.

They discuss building a pizza shop for around $30,000, running multiple pizza styles from one dough recipe, using DoorDash, creating a word-of-mouth business, and what it's like opening a shop in an area where most customers have never experienced true New York-style pizza.

In this episode, John from Johnny’s Pizza shares how he transformed an existing pizza shop in the Philadelphia suburbs into a modern, highly respected pizza brand. We talk about learning from New York pizza shops, experimenting with ovens, managing growth, opening a second location, hiring staff, social media, cheesesteaks, pizza trends, and the reality of running a successful pizza business.

This session, brought to you in partnership with Women in Pizza, explores  Independent ownership and how the industry relies on people who bet on themselves. 

"How Women Are Shaping Independent Ownership" highlights the women who are doing exactly that, and what their experiences reveal about where the industry is headed.

Host:
Anna Crucitt // Mercurio’s https://mercuriosgelatopizza.com/

Panelists:
Giorgia Caporuscio // Don Antonio https://www.donantoniopizza.com/
Mary Ann Giannone // Paulie Gee’s https://pauliegee.com/
Julia Molinari // Molinari's https://www.molinarisrestaurant.com/

Slice founder and CEO, Ilir Sela, chats with Tomor Turkeshi (Argento’s by Tommy), Kemal Andican (Tabor Pizzeria), and Vito DeCandia (Angel City Pizza) about rising costs, shifting customer habits, delivery economics, and the growing gap between chains and independents. 

Is your pizzeria set up to last? This episode of Shop Talk will leave you with the insights and takeaways needed for you to future-proof your shop. 

Panelists: 
Tomor Turkeshi // Argento’s by Tommy https://www.argentosbuckeye.com/
Kemal Andican // Tabor Pizzeria https://www.taborpizzeria.com/
Vito DeCandia // Angel City Pizza https://www.angelcityla.com/

More menu. More discounts. More promotions. Convention and tradition says do more to earn more. That’s not always the case. And for some, it’s actually the opposite. 

In Operating a Profitable Pizzeria with a Smaller Menu (and No Discounts), we take a closer look at profitable shops that made more with less. This is about focus, margins, and why saying no to complexity is one of the best business decisions an independent owner can make.

Three pizza shop owners. One mic. Zero filter. 

Tori T, Juan, and Gio get into with Bruce about what's actually moving the needle right now: 
- small menus
- social media hot takes
- when discounts help and when they hurt
- why cutting items off your menu might be the best sales move you ever make. 

In this episode, we sit down with Brandt Bishop, a former fine dining executive chef who completely transformed his career by launching a rural pizza pop-up business.

Brandt shares how he transitioned from high-stress kitchens to building a flexible and profitable pizza operation that supports his lifestyle and family. We talk about dough fermentation, pizza trailers, managing overhead, frozen pizza production, staffing, and why success in the pizza business means different things to different owners.