John Gristina grew up around pizza in the Bronx, fought it for years, lost a partnership, and walked away from the industry for 13 years. Then COVID hit. He started doing pop-ups. And the business that once burned him pulled him back in. 

Today John owns Pizza Fenice in Pelham, New York — Fenice meaning Phoenix in Italian. In this episode, he and Tyrell talk about the hard decision to walk away, the 13 years rebuilding his life, and what it finally took to go back. They get into his dough philosophy (your crust is the first and last thing anyone tastes), how he developed a creative menu including Captain Crunch chicken fingers and a green apple dessert pizza, why he built his shop around limited-time offers, and what it means to compete at Pizza Expo after years away. 

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

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

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

In this week's Take Out Tips, Tyrell Reed gives you one practical tip for your shop this week: build accountability without being the bad guy. Vague expectations produce inconsistent results. 

Your team is not the problem - unclear standards are. 

Tyrell breaks down how to set measurable standards your team agrees to, how to make results visible so the numbers do the enforcing, how to build a leadership pipeline so accountability does not rest on you alone, and how to address it when someone falls short without making it personal. 

One action step: pick one measurable standard in your shop, post the results after every shift for two weeks, and watch the culture start to shift. 

Keywords: pizza shop management, team accountability, pizzeria leadership, restaurant operations, independent operator systems. 

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

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

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

https://blacksicilian.com/bio/sedrick-crawley

Chef Sedrick Crawley built something that does not look like anything else in the pizza space. Black Sicilian Pizza Company is a ghost kitchen in Maryland delivering 100 to 120 pies a day — minimum 3-day cold fermentation, luxury-brand-named pizzas (the Birkin, the Louie, the Chanel No. 5), and a brand identity rooted in hip hop culture and Black identity. Most days they sell out. That is on purpose. 

Chef Sed came to pizza through Pizza University after 20 years in fine dining. He trained with Leo Spizzirri, John Arena, and Tony Gemignani. He got the blessing to name Black Sicilian from Tony at a bar in Atlantic City. And he has built a business that treats dough as the foundation — not the ingredients, not the toppings, not the cheese. The dough is first. 

In this episode: baker's percentage, the FOMO model, why new operators start with too many menu items, the yeast-in-the-freezer story, hip hop as brand identity, representation in pizza, mentorship, and the discipline of building something that tells your whole story. This is a long one and every minute earns its place. 

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.

Starting a Podcast? Try Riverside free


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

The flour debate is here. New York just moved on potassium bromate. California already did it. And if you run a pizzeria, it's coming for you whether you're in those states or not.

On this Takeout Tips Thursday solo episode, Tyrell Reed breaks down the bleached and bromated flour conversation from an operator's perspective. No science degree required. Just real talk about what this means inside your kitchen, your dough, your food cost, and your brand.

Tyrell shares what he learned running 700+ bags of Caputo unbleached flour three years ago, why cost and consistency stopped him from switching then, and what he's doing now as the pressure builds in every corner of the industry.

This episode covers: what potassium bromate does and why shops depend on it, the case for switching and the case for staying put, the three paths available to every operator right now, and the questions you must answer before you make any move

 

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

Get 3 Months Free With ThrivePOS
Pizza Driven Point of Sale. Schedule your free demo today! Tell em' the Pizza King sent you.

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

Giovanni Labbate from Tievoli Pizza Bar joins the Pizza King Podcast to talk about building a premium pizza brand, growing from food truck operations into a successful restaurant, competing on major pizza stages, and refusing to race to the bottom on price.

In this episode, Giovanni shares lessons from growing up in the pizza business, working in corporate restaurant operations, opening Tievoli, using competitions to improve the menu, and building around quality, systems, service, and consistency.

We also talk about food truck pricing, catering, customer education, social media, viral reviews, clean kitchens, team training, and why pizzeria owners need the confidence to charge what their product is worth.

This is a strong episode for pizzeria owners, operators, and managers who want to build a better shop without relying on discounts as the whole strategy.

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

In this Takeout Tip episode of the Pizza King Podcast, Tyrell Reed gives a quick store update from Westshore Valrico as April wraps up. 

Sales were up in January, February, and March, but the bigger lesson is where that growth came from. A lot of the increase came from third-party sales, which can be some of the most expensive sales a pizza shop gets. 

Tyrell talks through the need to grow first-party sales, rewards members, email, text, local store marketing, postcards, box toppers, QR codes, and direct customer relationships. 

He also shares a bigger lesson for pizzeria owners and managers: 

Stop overthinking. 

Go do the work. 

Track the result. 

Make the adjustment. 

Keep moving. 

This episode is for pizza operators who want to grow sales, build stronger systems, and take more control of their customer relationships. 

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

Get 3 Months Free With ThrivePOS
Pizza Driven Point of Sale. Schedule your free demo today! Tell em' the Pizza King sent you.

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

Chef Vincent Tropepe joins the Pizza King Podcast for a conversation every pizzeria owner, restaurant operator, and kitchen leader should hear. 

Chef Vincent has opened 95 restaurants, worked in serious New York kitchens, written multiple books, and now leads the Hospitality Mental Wellness Initiative USA. In this episode, we talk about what real hospitality looks like, why focus matters in the kitchen, how leaders set the tone during a shift, and why mental wellness in the hospitality industry can no longer be ignored. 

This conversation goes beyond pizza. We talk about kitchen pressure, burnout, addiction, suicide awareness, restaurant culture, leadership, and how operators can create better environments for their teams. 

We also get into Chef Vincent’s Brooklyn pizza roots, his favorite pizzeria, and why hospitality is not just a transaction. It is how people feel when they walk through your door. 

If you own, operate, or manage a pizzeria, this episode will challenge you to look at your team, your culture, and your leadership with fresh eyes. 

Learn more about the Hospitality Mental Wellness Initiative USA:
 hmwiusa.org 

Connect with HMWI USA:
 Instagram, TikTok, and social media:
 @hmwiusa 

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 our free community on Skool 

https://www.skool.com/tyrells-group-9324/about

In this episode, I break down what we’re doing right now to market the store better and drive real results. 

We finally moved past the early setup stage and started building a real marketing system for April. I walk through how we’re using rewards, direct mail, box toppers, Facebook ads, and follow-up offers to bring in new customers and turn them into repeat customers. 

I also share the real numbers from our first test. We spent $105 on Facebook ads, added 32 rewards signups, and those customers already spent $737. That’s a little over a 6X return so far, and we’re just getting started. 

This episode is for pizza owners, operators, and managers who want a better plan for local store marketing, loyalty, and growth. If you’re tired of guessing and want to start tracking what actually works, this one is for you. 

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

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

Discover the future of restaurant management: WookAI

Get 3 Months Free With ThrivePOS
Pizza Driven Point of Sale. Schedule your free demo today! Tell em' the Pizza King sent you.

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

Monthly call and private group access.

Starting a Podcast? Try Riverside free


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

Neel Vaidya from Troy’s Italian Kitchen joined me for a conversation packed with real lessons for pizza operators. We talked about smart pop-up strategy, local partnerships, vegan positioning, Pizza Expo, leadership, customer service, and how he uses AI and simple video content to grow without losing the human side of the business. This one is practical, personal, and full of ideas you can apply in your shop right away. 

Neel Vaidya is the owner of Troy’s Italian Kitchen in Arlington, Virginia. If you enjoyed this conversation, go follow Troy’s Italian Kitchen and connect with Neel online.

Instagram: @troysitaliankitchen
Facebook: Troy’s Italian Kitchen
Website: Troy’s Italian Kitchen 
Email: [email protected]

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

This week on the Pizza King Podcast, I’m bringing you a different kind of Takeout Tips episode.

Instead of one topic, I’m sharing a few quick conversations I recorded live from the Pizza Expo floor at the Perfect Crust booth. These are short interviews, but there’s a lot in them if you run a pizza shop, lead a team, or care about the craft.

You’ll hear from Tara Hattan of Andolini’s Pizza, world pizza champion and one of the most recognizable names in pizza acrobatics, Tony Scardino from Professor Pizza in Chicago, and Brett Geiger from Izzy’s Pizza, who shares his path from a Detroit-style pizza bus in Las Vegas to a brick-and-mortar shop in Nebraska.

We talk about competition, pressure, freestyle creativity, building a pizza concept around what you love, learning from the industry, and why being around the right people still matters. If you’re an owner, operator, or manager, there’s a good reminder in this one. Keep showing up. Keep learning. Keep talking to people who care about the work.

Let me know which guest you want to hear in a full-length episode.

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

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.

Get 3 Months Free With ThrivePOS
Pizza Driven Point of Sale. Schedule your free demo today! Tell em' the Pizza King sent you.

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