Chris Battiste from Mia Ava East Coast Pizza breaks down what it takes to run a fast New York style slice shop and still compete at a high level. We talk speed of service, premium ingredients, and how to build a product that stays consistent day after day.

You will hear how Chris uses pizza competitions to sharpen his craft, why he wants the score sheet and notes, and what “balance” really means when you judge sauce, cheese, and toppings. We also get practical on dough systems, hydration, fermentation, and adjusting for heat and humidity. Plus, customer education, menu clarity, and the simple changes that protect reviews and keep the line moving.

If you run a pizzeria and you want better execution, better product, and fewer headaches, this one is for you.

Connect with Chris on Instagram @miaavaeastcoast

Learn More By Visiting ThrivePOS.com/PizzaKing

Support the show

Request my weekly P&L template
Email: info@tyrellreed.com

Download the free Lead the Shift 21-Day Workbook https://tyrellreed.com/leadtheshift-page

Apply for the March Leadership Accelerator cohort
https://tyrellreed.com/leadership2

Learn more about my work, tools, and events
https://tyrellreed.com

Upcoming events and appearances:

New York Restaurant Show
Javits Center, March 7

Pizza Expo Las Vegas
On the show floor recording podcast episodes

Powered By ThrivePOS

In this Takeout Tips episode of the Pizza King Podcast, Tyrell Reed breaks down GM planning and leadership routines during week four of the Valrico store takeover. This is the point where most turnarounds either gain traction or slide back into old habits.

Tyrell shares his actual weekly P&L and walks through the numbers live. Not a dashboard. Not a summary. The real tool used every week with the GM. He answers the question most owners avoid asking out loud. Are we making money yet?

You will learn how to use a weekly P&L as a management tool, not accounting homework. You will see how food cost, labor, third party delivery mix, and fixed costs affect profitability week by week. Tyrell also explains why manually tracking key metrics builds stronger managers and better decision making before relying on dashboards and reports.

This episode is for pizzeria owners and operators who want control of the business without adding stress. If you want to build leadership habits, understand your numbers, and create a path to profitability, this one matters.

What you will take away:
• How to structure a weekly GM meeting that removes emotion and drives clarity
• Why prime cost control matters more than motivational talks
• Real weekly sales and loss numbers from an active store turnaround
• How third party delivery impacts profit week to week
• Why manual tracking teaches managers how the business actually works
• When dashboards help and when they hurt developing leaders

Watch the full episode on YouTube
https://youtu.be/a9V_BFdrwHs

Request my weekly P&L template
Email: info@tyrellreed.com

Download the free Lead the Shift 21-Day Workbook
https://tyrellreed.com/leadtheshift-page

Apply for the March Leadership Accelerator cohort
https://tyrellreed.com/leadership2

Learn more about my work, tools, and events
https://tyrellreed.com

Upcoming events and appearances:

New York Restaurant Show
Javits Center, March 7

Pizza Expo Las Vegas
On the show floor recording podcast episodes

Listen to the Tory T’s episode mentioned in this show
Available now on the Pizza King Podcast

Learn More By Visiting ThrivePOS.com/PizzaKing

Support the show

Want to connect? Send me an email to info@tyrellreed.com

Pizza Driven Point of Sale by ThrivePOS

Detroit pizza in New York. Two locations. Big creativity with tight standards.

In this episode, Tyrell sits down with Tori Tiso to talk pizza leadership and real operations. You’ll hear how she builds new pies without losing consistency, why she simplified the menu to protect profit and labor, and how she trains people like a coach so the product stays right when the owner is not on the line.

If you run a pizzeria and you want cleaner systems, faster training, and better execution, this episode will help.

Links
Tori T’s Pizzeria: https://toritspizzeria.com/
Tori T’s Pizzeria Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tori_tspizzeria/
Tori T’s Pizzeria Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/p/Tori-Ts-Pizzeria-61557085002760/

Tori T Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thebronxpizzagirl/

914 Pizza: https://914pizzaharrison.com/
914 Pizza Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/914pizza/

Learn More By Visiting ThrivePOS.com/PizzaKing

Support the show

Want to connect? Send me an email to info@tyrellreed.com

Third-party delivery can wreck a great pizza fast.

In this episode, I sit down with Eric Bam, VP of Sales and Marketing at Perfect Crust Pizza Liners, to talk about the real fix. Protect the product from oven to customer door. We break down why packaging and food protection matter more than most operators admit, because customers do not blame DoorDash.

Customers blame your brand.

We also get practical on pricing and margin protection. If better packaging costs more, build it into your Uber Eats and DoorDash prices. Stop absorbing the cost.

Then we shift to catering growth with EZ Cater. We talk about why corporate and pharma orders can change a slow day, and the settings that drive profit, lead times, delivery fees, delivery zones, and simple bundles that make ordering easy.

We also cover a simple social media move most pizza shops miss. Stop posting only pizza photos. Show the experience, the people, and what customers should expect when they walk in.

Topics covered

1. Pizza delivery packaging, pizza box liners, heat retention, crisp crust, customer reviews
2. DoorDash and Uber Eats pricing strategy for profit
3. EZ Cater catering strategy for pizzerias, higher ticket orders, lead time, delivery zones, delivery fees
4. Restaurant social media video strategy that builds trust before the first visit

Learn More By Visiting ThrivePOS.com/PizzaKing

Support the show

Want to connect? Send me an email to info@tyrellreed.com

Get Your Free Demo From ThrivePOS

In this Takeout Tips episode of the Pizza King Podcast, Tyrell Reed gives a real behind the scenes update from week two inside the shop, focused on one of the most overlooked drivers of profitability for pizzeria owners. Cash management.

This episode breaks down how tightening up cash handling, deposits, tip policies, and discounts creates clarity for your team and control for you as the owner. Tyrell walks through the exact steps taken to clean up cash procedures, eliminate confusion at the register, and set clear expectations for closers and front of house staff. You will hear why tip pooling needed structure, how fair policies protect culture, and what happens when systems replace assumptions.

You will also get practical insight into early sales growth without aggressive marketing, adjusting store hours to match demand, building a catering advantage, and why throwing away 30,000 printed menus was the right call. This episode reinforces a simple truth. Clean operations come before clever promotions.

If you own or manage a pizzeria and want better control over cash flow, cleaner systems, and a stronger foundation for growth, this episode delivers clear lessons you can apply right away.

Topics covered include pizzeria cash management, tip pooling policies, POS systems for restaurants, coupon cleanup, catering strategy, store hours optimization, rewards programs, and building operational discipline in pizza shops.

Learn More By Visiting ThrivePOS.com/PizzaKing

Support the show

Want to connect? Send me an email to info@tyrellreed.com

Get 3 Months Free from ThrivePOS

In this episode of the Pizza King Podcast, Tyrell Reed sits down with Logan Whitehouse, co-founder of Virnika AI, to break down how AI phone automation is changing restaurant operations.

The conversation stays focused on real operator problems. Missed calls. Labor pressure. Inconsistent upselling. Customer experience during peak hours. Logan explains how AI voice agents can take orders, answer menu questions, upsell consistently, and scale call volume without adding staff. All while keeping your existing phone number and POS setup intact.

You will hear a clear breakdown of implementation timelines, common operator concerns, and how to measure ROI beyond labor savings. This includes higher ticket averages, fewer missed orders, reduced staff stress, and better focus during rushes.

Logan also shares why Virnika stays restaurant-only, how the system learns your menu in real time, and what the future of AI assistants in restaurant leadership could look like. This episode is built for pizzeria owners, operators, and managers who want practical insight into AI for restaurants, phone automation, labor efficiency, and smarter operations without sacrificing hospitality.

Learn More By Visiting ThrivePOS.com/PizzaKing

Support the show

Want to connect? Send me an email to info@tyrellreed.com

Thrive POS helps pizzeria operators gain control of sales, labor, and reporting with tools built for growing shops.

Request a demo here: https://thrivepos.com/pizzaking

In this Takeout Tips episode of the Pizza King Podcast, Tyrell Reed breaks down the first five days of taking over an existing pizzeria in Valrico and the exact steps he used to create fast wins without overwhelming the team. This episode focuses on food safety, equipment, repairs, and morale, the unglamorous work that sets the foundation for long term success.

You will hear how to run a simple self audit, prioritize issues, and address the biggest problems first. Tyrell shares why cleaning, fixing broken equipment, and tightening food safety systems should come before menu changes or marketing pushes. He also explains how small repairs like ovens, sinks, locks, and restrooms can immediately improve team morale and daily performance.

This episode is built for pizzeria owners, operators, and managers who are taking over an existing shop, inheriting a team, or trying to stabilize operations. If you want practical guidance on restaurant turnarounds, food safety audits, equipment maintenance, and leadership during transition, this episode gives you clear direction you can use this week.

Links from this episode:

Podcast episodes and resources
https://pizzakingpodcast.com

Free checklists and leadership tools
https://tyrellreed.com

Thrive POS demo
https://thrivepos.com/pizzaking

Learn More By Visiting ThrivePOS.com/PizzaKing

Support the show

Want to connect? Send me an email to info@tyrellreed.com

Powered By ThrivePOS - Pizza Driven Point of Sale

In this episode of The Pizza King Podcast, Tyrell Reed sits down with Carlo Bertolli of Pizza Boy Chicago to break down what it really takes to win as an independent pizzeria owner in a crowded market.

Carlo shares his journey growing up in a multigenerational pizza business, learning the grind firsthand, and stepping out to build his own brand in Chicago. He explains how obsession with product, culture, and experience helped him dominate a saturated pizza market without relying on discounts or paid ads.

The conversation goes deep into branding, leadership, hiring, and standards in a modern pizzeria. Carlo talks about building teams that step up under pressure, why most operators fail at accountability, and how old school work ethic still wins in today’s restaurant industry. He also breaks down how social media, word of mouth, and experience driven concepts like Cannoli Boy became major growth drivers for his business.

If you are a pizzeria owner, operator, or manager looking to increase sales, build a stronger team, and stand out in a competitive pizza market, this episode delivers real lessons from the front lines.

Topics covered include:
• Pizzeria branding and differentiation
• Leadership and accountability in the kitchen
• Hiring and training restaurant staff
• Growing sales without heavy discounting
• Old school work ethic vs modern restaurant challenges
• Building community loyalty as an independent pizza shop
• Turning experience into a competitive advantage

This is a must listen for pizza shop owners who want to build a business that lasts and lead with confidence.

Learn More By Visiting ThrivePOS.com/PizzaKing

Support the show

Want to connect? Send me an email to info@tyrellreed.com