A great pizzeria needs more than a strong recipe.
Chef Peter Garces built By The Chef Pizza around premium ingredients, skilled people, simple systems, and hands-on leadership. In this conversation, Peter shares his path from culinary school and New York kitchens to pop-ups, Catapult Lakeland, and his own storefront.
You will hear:
1. Why Peter prefers a small, well-paid team
2. How clear roles create independence
3. Why owners need firsthand operating experience
4. How simple prep systems support speed and quality
5. How authenticity shapes social media and review responses
6. Why premium pricing requires a premium experience
7. How incubators can help launch restaurant concepts
Visit pizzakingpodcast.com for more episodes and resources.
By The Chef Pizza: bythechef.pizza
Instagram: instagram.com/bythechefpizza
Sponsors:
Edge Pizza Ovens: edgeovens.com/test-bake
Mailwise Solutions: $150 off for Pizza King Podcast listeners at mailwisesolutions.com
Virnika AI: $500 off the first year of Agent Penny with no setup fee. Mention the Pizza King Podcast at virnika.ai
George rolls up in the EDGE test truck and invites you to step inside, where you’ll bake your own pizzas in our oven—using your dough, your toppings, your process. It’s the simplest way to experience firsthand why EDGE powers some of the best-performing pizza kitchens in the world, and why our bake is widely regarded as market-leading.
https://www.edgeovens.com/test-bake
Support the show
This episode is supported by:
Edge Pizza Ovens
Schedule a test bake at https://edgeovens.com/test-bake.
Mailwise Solutions
Visit https://mailwisesolutions.com and save $150 as a Pizza King Podcast listener.
Virnika AI
Save $500 on the first year of Agent Penny with no setup fee. Mention the Pizza King Podcast at https://virnika.ai/
Want to grow your pizza shop with better systems, better leadership, and real operator conversations?
Join Pizza Pro Circle.
It’s a free community for pizzeria owners, operators, and managers who want practical ideas they can use in the shop.
We talk about sales, marketing, leadership, team development, operations, and the real work of running a better pizzeria.
Join us here:
https://www.skool.com/tyrells-group-9324/about
Free Tools and Courses for Pizzeria Owners & Managers
Email: [email protected]
Upcoming events and appearances:
Pizza Expo Columbus 10/11-10/12
Pizza Tomorrow Summit (Orlando, FL) 10/25-10/27