This week's Takeout Tips got a special guest host — my son Dallas Reed grabbed the mic and turned the tables on the Pizza King. What starts as a hard-hitting debate (sausage vs. broccoli) turns into a surprisingly real conversation about running a shop, respect, and what actually makes a leader. It's a fun, wholesome one — and a peek at the next generation of the family business.

👉 Subscribe for weekly tips and conversations with pizzeria operators: https://www.youtube.com/@PizzaKingPodcast?sub_confirmation=1

🎧 LISTEN EVERYWHERE Apple Podcasts • Spotify • YouTube — search "Pizza King Podcast"

— OUR SPONSORS

🔥 EDGE OVENS — This episode is powered by Edge Ovens. George brings the test truck to your shop and bakes your own dough, sauce, cheese, and toppings through the oven so you can see the quality before you commit. Book a test bake at https://www.edgeovens.com/test-bake, and follow #wheresgeorgetoday to see where he's headed next.

📬 MAILWISE SOLUTIONS — Thanks to Mailwise Solutions, direct mail that actually works for pizzerias, with no contracts. Menus, postcards, table toppers, and full mailing services. Pizza King listeners get $150 off. Visit mailwisesolutions.com or call (859) 341-3400.

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

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

New episode this week on the Pizza King Podcast. George Clark drives the Edge Ovens test truck across the country — Maine to Miami, Seattle to San Diego — baking real pizza in real shops to prove one thing: a conveyor oven can absolutely make a great pie.

In this operator-to-operator conversation, George breaks down why heat is the most important ingredient (and why he can dial a pizza in by the second bake), how a deck oven leaves your quality "up to an opinion" while a conveyor delivers the same perfect pie every time, and how consistency quietly solves your biggest labor headache. He also makes the case that the pizza business is far from dead — the closures were COVID oversaturation, and the hustlers are thriving — plus portion-control money-savers and catering hacks that once pulled in $6,900 before the doors even opened.

George is Director of Market Development for Edge Ovens, a company founded by pizza operators who started out rebuilding ovens in 1999.

👉 Subscribe for weekly conversations with pizzeria operators: https://www.youtube.com/@PizzaKingPodcast?sub_confirmation=1

🎧 LISTEN EVERYWHERE Apple Podcasts • Spotify • YouTube — search "Pizza King Podcast"

— OUR SPONSORS

🔥 EDGE OVENS — This episode is powered by Edge Ovens. George brings the test truck to your shop and bakes your own dough, sauce, cheese, and toppings through the oven so you can see the quality before you commit. Book a test bake at https://www.edgeovens.com/test-bake, and follow #wheresgeorgetoday to see where he's headed next.

📬 MAILWISE SOLUTIONS — Thanks to Mailwise Solutions, direct mail that actually works for pizzerias, with no contracts. Menus, postcards, table toppers, and full mailing services. Pizza King listeners get $150 off. Visit mailwisesolutions.com or call (859) 341-3400.

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

Listeners get $150 Off your first mailing. Visit https://mailwisesolutions.com/

Support the show

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

Most pizzeria "marketing" is really just a pile of one-off tactics — a flyer here, a boosted post there, a guy you hired to run social — with no strategy tying it together. In this week's Takeout Tips, Tyrell breaks down the only four levers that actually move the needle for a pizzeria, and how his shop pulls all four at once.

You'll learn why every plan has to start with the goal, the four levers (acquire new customers, reactivate lapsed customers, increase frequency, raise ticket average), why pizza is a local business and how to map your trade area (yes, using AI), and how one strong mail offer feeding a loyalty program can activate all four levers — with the tracking to prove it works.

🔥 EDGE OVENS — This episode is powered by Edge Ovens. George brings the test truck to your shop and bakes your own dough, sauce, cheese, and toppings through the oven so you can see the quality before you commit. Book a test bake at https://www.edgeovens.com/test-bake, and follow #wheresgeorgetoday to see where he's headed next.

📬 MAILWISE SOLUTIONS — Thanks to Mailwise Solutions, direct mail that actually works for pizzerias, with no contracts. Menus, postcards, table toppers, and full mailing services. Pizza King listeners get $150 off. Visit mailwisesolutions.com or call (859) 341-3400.

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

Starting a Podcast? Try Riverside free


Streamline Your Inventory Process!
📝 Track stock levels: No more guesswork!

Discover the future of restaurant management: WookAI

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.

Support the show

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

I sat down with Kevin Slaughter, owner of Mailwise Solutions, a direct mail and print company that has been serving pizzeria operators across the country for almost nineteen years. Kevin started at Mailwise in college driving a box truck for his father-in-law, worked his way through every department, went corporate for a while at Procter & Gamble and Kroger, then came back full-time in 2018 and bought the business in January 2024. We talked about what direct mail actually costs, why postage matters more than print, when to mail for the best results, and why the marketing plan behind the piece is just as important as the piece itself. This one is full of practical takeaways any operator spending money on marketing needs to hear.

🔥 EDGE OVENS — This episode is powered by Edge Ovens. George brings the test truck to your shop and bakes your own dough, sauce, cheese, and toppings through the oven so you can see the quality before you commit. Book a test bake at https://www.edgeovens.com/test-bake, and follow #wheresgeorgetoday to see where he's headed next.

📬 MAILWISE SOLUTIONS — Thanks to Mailwise Solutions, direct mail that actually works for pizzerias, with no contracts. Menus, postcards, table toppers, and full mailing services. Visit mailwisesolutions.com or call (859) 341-3400.

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

Listeners get $150 Off your first mailing. Visit https://mailwisesolutions.com/

Support the show

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

Edge will bring their oven to you! Learn more at Edgeovens.com/Test-bake

Gary Wilson has been running Wilson's Pizza and Grill in Kansas City, Kansas since 1993, and what he's built there — through flyers, radio, Facebook Live, and now TikTok — is a real case study in what happens when you lead with community, show up every single day, and treat service as your real product.

Follow Wilson's Pizza & Grill on Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/p/Wilsons-Pizza-Grill-100054288770819/

Check out their take & bake products

https://wilsonspizzaandgrill.net/

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

Listeners get $150 Off your first mailing. Visit https://mailwisesolutions.com/

Support the show

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

Edge will bring their oven to you! Learn more at Edgeovens.com/Test-bake

Gary Wilson has been running Wilson's Pizza and Grill in Kansas City, Kansas since 1993, and what he's built there — through flyers, radio, Facebook Live, and now TikTok — is a real case study in what happens when you lead with community, show up every single day, and treat service as your real product.

Visit https://www.edgeovens.com/test-bake to schedule your demo 

Streamline Your Inventory Process!
📝 Track stock levels: No more guesswork!

Discover the future of restaurant management: WookAI

Starting a Podcast? Try Riverside free


Join the SPM Pro Owner Group
SPM Pro is a curated group of independent pizzeria owners.

Monthly call and private group access.

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.

Support the show

 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: 

California Restaurant Show August 24-26

I sat down with Odie O'Connor, co-founder of Boxcar Pizza in Portland and Odie's Pizza Co. in Oceanside, California. Odie shares how he went from making vegan pizzas in his backyard to running two sourdough pizza shops across two states — and the systems, partnerships, and mindset that made it possible. Whether you run one shop or are planning your second, this episode has something you can use today.

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

Listeners get $150 Off your first mailing. Visit https://mailwisesolutions.com/

Support the show

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

I talked to Eddie Stalewski — @eddiespizza412 — about going from the Pizza Bible in 2013 to standing on the main stage at Pizza Expo as a World Pizza Champion, and every connection, competition, and late Saturday pizza session that happened in between. 

If you have ever questioned whether the craft you are putting into your work actually leads somewhere, this episode will answer that.

Join Pizza Pro Circle, the free community for Pizza King Podcast listeners. Take what you hear and turn it into action you can run in your shop. 

Join free at skool.com/tyrells-group-9324

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

Listeners get $150 Off your first mailing. Visit https://mailwisesolutions.com/

Support the show

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

Join my FREE Community! 

Brandon Herriott is a pizza and Italian food specialist at Performance Food Group Roma in Pittsburgh, where his team sells over 30,000 cases a week to independent operators. In this episode, Brandon talks about what operators get wrong about technique vs. ingredients, how to get more from your food rep, the Detroit style pizza opportunity, where pizza trends are heading, and what separates great operators from good ones. If you buy food from a distributor, this conversation will change how you approach that relationship. Keywords: pizza distributor, food rep, PFG, pizza technique, pizza trends, independent pizzeria.

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

Listeners get $150 Off your first mailing. Visit https://mailwisesolutions.com/

Streamline Your Inventory Process!
📝 Track stock levels: No more guesswork!

Discover the future of restaurant management: WookAI

Join the SPM Pro Owner Group
SPM Pro is a curated group of independent pizzeria owners.

Monthly call and private group access.

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.

Support the show

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

Your slow season isn't coming — it's already scheduled. The question is whether you're ready for it.

In this Takeout Tips episode, Tyrell Reed breaks down how to plan for seasonal slow periods at your pizza shop. He covers why your slowest time of year is also your most expensive, how to adjust your hours and team schedule around seasonal patterns, and what he's doing right now to keep cash flow moving at his Tampa location during the summer dip.

Tyrell also walks through his catering strategy, his community event approach, and the one financial habit that gets most operators through the slow season without dipping into reserves or taking on debt.

If you own or run a pizza shop and you know a slow season is coming, this episode gives you a clear plan before it hits.

Find the free tools Tyrell mentions — including the weekly P&L tool and the Pizza Operators Playbook — inside Pizza Pro Circle on Skool. Free to join.

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

Join the SPM Pro Owner Group
SPM Pro is a curated group of independent pizzeria owners.

Monthly call and private group access.

Streamline Your Inventory Process!
📝 Track stock levels: No more guesswork!

Discover the future of restaurant management: WookAI

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.

Support the show

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