How to Start a Pizza Shop: Complete Guide for Entrepreneurs
Once you learn how to start a pizza shop, you may have a very profitable business venture on your hands. After all, pizza delivery is one of the most lucrative services within the restaurant industry. So what does it require to launch pizzerias from the ground up? We’re going to cover a step-by-step process in this blog post to make the journey as simple as possible. Read on for all the details!
How to Start a Pizza Shop In 11 Steps
If you’re wondering how to start a pizza business, this guide should help you out tremendously. From setting up the restaurant to the tools you’ll need to streamline pizza deliveries, this guide covers it all! See below for the details:
1. Write a Pizza Shop Business Plan
A thorough restaurant business plan will serve as the foundation for all your pizza shop endeavors. This document will outline every component of your business, from the mission statement right down to financial projections. It’s also important to have a finalized draft of your business plan when you begin to seek funding opportunities. Most, if not all banks and investors will want to see some kind of proof or credibility that they’re lending money to a promising venture.
2. Acquire the Necessary Capital
It’s going to take a significant amount of money to bring your pizzeria dreams to life. So, how do you plan to acquire ample funding? Some entrepreneurs seek small business loans to kickstart their venture. Meanwhile, others might partner with investors. Either way, we encourage you to consult with a financial advisor to thoroughly understand your options. This step is especially important if you’re trying to learn how to start a pizza shop with no money.
3. Rent or Purchase the Restaurant Space
No matter how much you research how to start a pizza shop, your plans can’t come to fruition without investing in the brick and mortar store. Choose a property in an area near residential communities. If it’s in a major city like New York, that’s perfect. But if not, ensure that the street it’s on gets pretty consistent traffic.
4. Write and Design a Pizza Shop Menu
Put your culinary expertise and family recipes to good use and craft a menu for your pizza shop. This will likely be one of the most enjoyable steps leading up to the restaurant’s official launch. From the appetizer list full of savory snacks to the dessert menu consisting of classic Italian sweets, create a PDF menu design with each category comprising delicious dishes and brief descriptions.
5. Choose a Pizza POS System
A pizza POS system is the tool you’ll need to conduct business and accept transactions. And while there are numerous POS providers on the market, using one for pizzerias can be beneficial. That’s because a POS system for pizza shop businesses can include mobile capabilities. Then, you'll be able to offer fast pizza delivery, contactless pizza delivery, and so much more.
6. Invest In Online Ordering Integrations
A pizzeria that doesn’t allow customers to order pizza online is at a major disadvantage. Some industry experts might go as far to say that such eateries are bound to fail. While it may sound extreme, this is due to the fact that most people who order a pizza do so via delivery apps. Even when ordering pizza for a group, people tend to favor the simplicity of food delivery apps. So, connecting your menu to third-party delivery service providers will probably be one of the most profitable moves you can make.
7. Select An Inventory Management Platform
The days of tracking inventory with pen and paper are over. Instead, you can leverage the power of a restaurant inventory management platform like BlueCart to do the work for you. As orders roll into the POS system, ingredients will automatically be deducted from your current inventory levels. Then, things like the reorder point and intuitive reporting can be completely automated. With this kind of tool, inventory control has never been easier!
8. Furnish the Pizza Shop With Appliances and Furniture
The physical restaurant space won’t be a pizzeria until you implement the proper furniture, restaurant equipment, and other furnishings. From wall art to cookware, this shopping list will likely be very niche-specific. Plus, the menu items you choose to offer will determine what kind of kitchen appliances and gadgets you’ll need.
9. Market the Pizza Shop Online
Let your creativity run rampant when planning restaurant marketing strategies. Some pizza shop owners might want to invest a big chunk of change into restaurant SEO efforts. Meanwhile, others might want to take the organic route by investing their time (instead of money) into social media marketing. Our suggestion? Conduct a mix of both!
10. Hire a Team to Run the Pizza Shop
Let’s face it–you won’t be able to run a successful pizzeria without hiring the right talent. From a sous chef to whip up all your recipes to an attentive wait staff, carefully hire your employees. They’ll be the first points of contact for all customers, so it’s vital that you can trust that they’ll deliver a great impression.
11. Open the Pizza Shop to the Public
Once you have all your ducks in a row, you’ll finally be able to open your doors to the public! While some entrepreneurs prefer hosting a soft launch, it’s entirely possible to kickstart your business with a grand opening. Besides, if you’re thorough in preparing the pizzeria for restaurant success, an official launch should go according to plan. Good luck!
Frequently Asked Questions About How to Start a Pizza Shop
Starting a pizza business requires time, passion, and innovation. As you’re likely already aware of this idea, a solid understanding of what goes into such a brand is crucial. With that being said, we think that the following selection of frequently asked questions and answers will help you during the process. Check it out below for extra insight.
Is Learning How to Start a Pizza Shop Difficult?
Learning how to start a pizza shop isn’t too difficult; however, launching a pizzeria can be! In many cases, something can be more difficult when put into practice than it is in a textbook, per se. Starting any type of business completely abides by this idea.
Is It Worth It to Learn How to Start a Pizza Shop?
If you have an entrepreneur mindset, a love for restaurants, and an interest in Italian cuisine, then it’s certainly worth learning how to start a pizza shop. After all, no amount of continued education is a bad idea. And who knows? You might end up putting your newfound knowledge to good use at some point in the future!
What’s the First Step Toward Learning How to Start a Pizza Shop?
The first step toward learning how to start a pizza shop is finalizing a business plan. There are numerous factors that go into starting a pizza business. By outlining the key topics of focus in chronological order, you’ll be creating a step-by-step guide to follow, from the ideation stage to completion.
Who Should Learn How to Start a Pizza Shop?
Anybody with an interest in entrepreneurship and the restaurant industry should consider learning how to start a pizza shop. Pizzerias are fairly simple despite their ability to generate massive profits. Plus, you’re always bound to have a solid customer base since everyone seems to love pizza!
How Much Does It Cost to Start a Pizza Shop?
It can cost an entrepreneur anywhere from $100,000 to a few million dollars to start a pizza shop. It’s hard to give an exact figure since there are so many variables that contribute to the cost. Labor statistics, location, and food costs can vary tremendously from one pizzeria to the next.
Learning How to Start a Pizza Shop Requires Innovation!
As you can see, there are many steps toward starting a pizza shop. Once you lay the groundwork, you’ll quickly reach the point where you shop for innovative restaurant technology. Be sure to book a demo with Revolution Ordering for all of your pizzerias online ordering needs. After all, that’s where the bulk of your sales will come from!