| Opening a pizza shop or restaurant is nothing new. | | | | carefully. You may want to avoid toppings that are so |
| Finding ways to set your business apart from the | | | | unusual that you can't get your hands on them on a |
| competition can be a challenge, but there are clever | | | | regular basis. Also, seasonal items aren't a good idea |
| ways to cause your customers to remember you | | | | unless you advertise them as seasonal from the start. |
| over the others. | | | | If it's on your menu, it MUST be available.o Introduce |
| One great - and relatively inexpensive - way to do this | | | | new items in a special way. Are you getting ready to |
| is by adding special, custom pizzas to your menu. It's | | | | introduce a great new custom pizza? Then why not |
| hard NOT to remember a shop that sold, for example, | | | | get some extra exposure by offering a contest to |
| Wasabi Pizza. Granted, that particular example isn't | | | | name the new creation? If it's a wild flavor (see above |
| likely to be a huge seller, but the principle is the same. | | | | mentioned Wasabi Pizza), consider having a contest to |
| You need to stand out, and custom pizzas can help | | | | see who can eat the most in a specified period of |
| you do that. | | | | time. Let your customers know that something special |
| This idea isn't for every pizza shop owner, but should | | | | is happening.o Keep menus up to date. Menus that |
| you decide to give it a try, here are some tips to keep | | | | have items scratched out with ink and new items |
| in mind.o Keep the old favorites. You absolutely need | | | | added via sticky labels are very unprofessional. You |
| to continue to offer more traditional fare. Doing away | | | | need to work hard to keep your menus up to date. |
| with old favorites such as sausage and pepperoni will | | | | Don't launch your newest menu items until after you |
| almost certainly hurt your bottom line. You don't want | | | | have the new menus. You don't want your attempt at |
| to replace those items with custom pizzas. Instead, | | | | standing apart from the crowd to cause you to stand |
| you are adding to your existing menu.o Don't go | | | | out in a negative way.o Be creative with names. Is |
| overboard. There can be too much of a good thing. | | | | there a well-known local politician? Are you close to a |
| Don't offer so many crazy choices that your | | | | sport arena or college campus? Use your location to |
| customers become overwhelmed by your menu. Just | | | | help you choose clever names for your custom |
| a few custom pizzas will have the desired effect | | | | pizzas. |
| without making your menu too crowded.o Have them | | | | Remember that the point isn't necessarily to create a |
| available. One thing that will kill your attempt at getting | | | | best-seller. The point of this suggestion is to make a |
| more business by adding custom pizzas is to have | | | | name for your shop or restaurant, and to help and |
| them on the menu, but not have them available. For | | | | distinguish your business from the competition. What |
| this reason, it's important to choose your selections | | | | could do that better than a Wasabi Pizza? |