Another LCO makes the jump to a pizzeria

[Steve]

It seems like many many LCOs get into the pizza business at one time or another. Don't make the jump to pizza if you just think the business will be easier to run. It's not. Our friend Kurt can tell you some pizza stories of his own. Every business has it's pluses and minuses. You need to review and weigh them before you make the jump. Pizza Business Opens - Sean Stoffel, owner of Wise Guys Pizza in Fishers, offers a fresh alternative to local pizza chains. Stoffel worked in lawn care but bought the pizza place two years later and operated it for six years. After selling the pizza shop and returning to lawn care, Stoffel opened his second pizza shop, Wise Guys, and operated it for six years. Q How did you come up with the name Wise Guys? A Me and a buddy of mine were mowing lawns in Florida when I was 20 years old and we tossed around ideas. I watched the movie "Donnie Brasco" with Al Pacino and he always used to use that phrase. I thought that was a cool name for a pizza shop. Q Why did you decide to get into the pizza business? A When my family moved to Florida my first job was at the pizza place that I bought. I started there as a dishwasher at the age of 15. I also managed the business when I was 18. After I graduated from high school I started a lawn service. Two years later the owners wanted to sell the pizza business and know if I wanted to buy it. That's how I got my start.

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[Billz]

Lawn care business tips

The pizza business is even more cut-throat than the lawn business. I still work part time on weekends delivering pizzas, and it is getting worse as we go. Now $5 seems to be the price everyone wants to pay for a pizza...there is no money to make at $5...unless you sell 1000 per day! lol

[Steve]

How is the pizzeria you are working at doing? Are they doing well or do they find it to be a struggle?

Have you learned much about business from them?

[Billz]

I work at a Dominos Pizza here. They are definitely down in sales, in the 5 years I have worked there. Deliveries are down as well, by about 40% I would say. I do alot better job for them now that I know what it is like from an owners perspective. The minimum wage here in Michigan will soon be raising, and it might be the nail in the coffin for us...with payroll growing by at least 10% and comp, insurance, and everything else it will get too expensive to buy pizza soon!

$5 Pizzas? I wish I could get that here! :P

The Pizzarias I've seen which turn the best profit are the By-The-Slice joints. When I lived in Florida, tourists paid for pizza by the slice at $2 - $3 a slice (the price for us locals was $1).

Up here in Canada it's $4-$6 a slice, but a whole pizza starts at $15 for a small 8" - 9" (though most places give you 2 for 1).

Okay, I lied... I do know where you can get $5 - $7 pizzas here (Little Ceasars), and I also know where you can get $1.50 slices (downtown pizza joint), but these are rare exceptions...

[Steve]

Billz,

They are down in sales because of competition or other issues as well?