BRUCE IRVING 🍕

What’s something you’ve changed recently in your pizza shop that you wish you did way earlier?

What’s one great thing and one awful thing about owning a pizza shop?

Questions You’ll Get Hit With as a Pizza Shop Owner at the Next Family Get-Together 📷 1. You still doing that pizza thing? 2. When are you opening another spot? 3. Have you tried that sourdough crust everyone’s doing now? 4. You ever think about going vegan? 5. Why don’t you do food trucks? 6. You should get on one of those food shows. 7. My buddy wants to start a pizza shop. You should talk to him. 8. Can I get a friends-and-family discount or what? 9. Ever worry AI’s gonna take over your kitchen? 10. Did you just pour whiskey into your Coke? What I miss?

Be honest — what “trash” pizza still hits the spot for you?

@andruyeung I saw this video walk through on TikTok and it's not actualy that small for a pizza shop. Just need volume and a good handle on food/labor costs.

How the hell do small businesses in NYC make money? This tiny pizzeria in East Village pays $13K/mo in rent Assuming: - $19K/mo in staff (3 ppl @ $19/hr) - $2K/mo in utilities - $3K/mo for everything else - repairs, insurance, software, cleaning, etc That means this tiny shop pays $37k/mo in fixed costs. Assuming pizza costs are 30% of revenue (standard), the shop would have to SELL ~2,000 pizzas a month to break even. Or ~68 pizzas a DAY… 6 pizzas an hour. And that’s at $0 profit. Do people eat that much pizza?

Tell me you’re in the pizza business without telling me you’re in the pizza business.

Most pizza shops screw this up: Too many items. Pizza, wings, pasta, burgers, calzones. Raising Cane’s hit $3.7B with one thing: chicken fingers. No burgers. No tacos. Just focus. Do one thing. Do it better than anyone. Simpler ops. Higher margins. Less stress.

A friendly reminder to all those who leave small businesses and creators one star reviews. No one likes you.

For the folks who think a slice shop charges too much… Don’t forget what the owner’s base salary is: $0 No clock in. No safety net. Just 16-hour days, grease burns, and praying Friday night makes rent.

Check out all our content over on YouTube.

It’s been a fun few months creating content, traveling around, and chatting with amazing pizza entrepreneurs. We’ve been to: San Diego Detroit Los Angeles Dallas Chicago Orlando Long Island All with the goal to bring amazing content for pizza shop owners.

@IlirSela @slice Love this!

“Pizzeria in a box” powered by @slice Local shops will soon have a higher success rate than the largest pizza chains

You don’t have to do what I say. I’m not here to tell you how to run your shop. I’m just sharing what I wish I knew 25 years ago. What I’ve learned running pizzerias. What I’ve learned from screwing things up. What I’ve learned from talking to owners who are in it every day. If something I say helps you avoid a mistake, great. If something clicks and makes your life easier, even better. Take what works. Leave what doesn’t. And let me be clear— I don’t have all the answers. I’m still trying to figure this thing out just like all of you. But if I can help someone get there a little faster, I’m gonna share it. Because you don’t need to learn every lesson the hard way. You still need to do you. But if you want to learn from someone who’s been in the trenches— That’s why I’m here.

You can tell what stage a pizzeria owner is at by what they focus on. Beginners obsess over the pizza. Intermediates focus on improving operations. Masters invest in their team. All three matter. But they don’t all matter equally at every stage. You don’t grow by endlessly perfecting your sauce. You grow by building systems. Then you scale by building leaders. Where you put your energy tells the story of your business.

Bruce, you’re 23 and just bought your first pizza shop. Here’s what you need to know if you want to make it work and not burn out in the process: 1. Keep the menu simple Too many items = slower kitchen + wasted inventory. Start with your best sellers. Master them. 2. Track every dollar Know your food cost, labor cost, and profit margins. Guessing will kill your business. 3. Clean is king Bathrooms, floors, counters—everything. A clean shop earns repeat customers. 4. When you find a great team member—keep them Even if it means taking home less for a while. The right people are worth it. 5. Dominate TikTok and YouTube Film the pizza-making. Show behind-the-scenes. Tell your story. Show your face. Post every day. These two platforms can drive real foot traffic—for free. 6. Never stop improving your dough It’s never done. Your dough is a living system—treat it like one. Keep refining. 7. Remember why you started The excitement will fade. But your why is what gets you through the hard days. 8. Everything is unscalable at first Learning the ins and outs of dough prep, customer service, and marketing feels slow. But that’s how you gain mastery. Build a system for everything. 9. Network with other owners Don’t go it alone. Talk to others doing this work. Share lessons. Trade ideas. Grow faster.

The last time I was at the Pizza Expo was 2018. Finally made it back—and it feels good. Let’s see what’s changed… and what hasn’t.

He transformed a failing shop into a retro 80s-style basement pizzeria. Watch the full Pizza Insider episode on the @slice YouTube channel.

If you visit Razza Pizza in Jersey City today, you'll find a packed restaurant, award-winning pizzas, and a team firing on all cylinders. But what you don’t see is the 4.5 years of struggle that nearly shut it all down. I sat down with Dan Richer, the mastermind behind Razza, to hear his story. He started with a failing restaurant, pushed through years of challenges, and turned it into one of the most respected pizzerias in the country. His secret? Relentless dedication, a passion for quality, and a belief in his craft—even when things looked bleak. Inside the Kitchen 🔥 
Dan gave me a behind-the-scenes look at what makes Razza special:
✔️ Handmade mozzarella & dough perfected over years
✔️ Locally sourced, seasonal ingredients
✔️ A team that cares about every single pizza Dan’s Advice to Aspiring Pizza Owners:
"If you just kind of want to do it, don’t do it. This business is hard, and you need to be all in. Take care of yourself, stay committed, and know your numbers." If you’re ever in Jersey City, make Razza a stop—you won’t regret it. Tag a pizza lover who needs to try this! 🍕👇

@PizzaSharkTX Love it. Glad what we’re doing is helping.

@thebruceirving That's how I'm doing it too. Learned a lot from following you.

Want to Open a Pizzeria? Start Like This. Most new pizzeria owners make the same mistake: they try to do too much too soon. Justin from Garlic Breath Pizza in Massachusetts did the opposite. He keeps his menu tight—just a few pizzas, one side, and one cookie. That’s it. And guess what? He sells out almost every day. Why? Because he focused on doing one thing exceptionally well instead of trying to be everything to everyone. Too many menu items = inconsistent quality, longer prep times, and wasted ingredients. But when you master just a few core pizzas, you:
✅ Build a reputation for quality
✅ Make operations easier
✅ Reduce food waste
✅ Keep customers coming back for the best version of what you offer Want to open a successful pizzeria? Start small, go deep, and perfect your craft. 📍 Garlic Breath Pizza proves that focus wins. Will you make the same choice?