Doing more isn’t the answer. Doing better is.
Independent pizzeria owners are drowning in decisions. What toppings to add. Which third-party delivery app aren’t going to rip them off. Whether to run a Tuesday BOGO. How to compete with the national chains. How to make TikToks and manage the lunch rush at the same time.
In a recent chat with Milly’s In the Pan in Berwyn, IL, we got a behind-the-scenes look at a massively profitable pizza business… with just 6 menu items and zero paid advertising.
So how did Milly’s become a local legend with no gimmicks and no discounts?
If you run an independent pizzeria, pay attention, and steal these lessons.
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Before diving in, grab a free “Make More Money” worksheet and write things down as you read along.
A short menu isn’t a limitation, it’s a superpower
We get it. Adding more to a menu to cover more ground seems like a good idea. More toppings, more specialty pies, more build-your-own options. It makes sense: give customers more choices and you capture more orders.
But when you take your menu too far, your food costs spike, prep times go up, and quality can suffer. Shorter menus mean you can source the best ingredients for a select few items, train your team to make them perfectly, and actually make more money on what you’re selling.
Six items done exceptionally well will always beat sixty items done just-okay. If you want a test — find your best sellers, cut everything else, and really own those items.
Worksheet activity: Pull your POS data. What are the top 5 to 8 items by order volume and margin? That’s your menu. Everything else is noise.
Word of mouth is still your most powerful marketing channel
As an owner most likely doing everything in your shop, you’re probably hoping your pizza does the talking for you. And when people like it (because they will) they’ll tell their friends.
Word of mouth is earned. It means your pizza is so good that people need to tell other people. How? When staff remembers a name, a slice that looks exactly like it did on Instagram, a box with some incredible art… all of these help spread word of mouth.
A customer telling a friend “you have to try this place” is worth more than any ad you’ll ever buy. And unlike paid ads, it compounds. One happy customer becomes two, two becomes four. Tools like Slice’s marketing suite can help you stay top of mind with the customers already walking through your door.
Worksheet activity: Ask yourself: “Is my pizza good enough to make someone reach for their phone?” If not, that’s the first thing to fix before any marketing conversation.
Social media works when you give people something worth sharing
Speaking of word of mouth, pizzerias that blow up on social media aren’t always the ones with a dedicated person running the account. They’re the ones with a compelling product, a brand story, and a way to document it.
What we’ve seen hit:
- Blistered crusts coming out the oven
- Cheese pulls
- Behind-the-scenes dough prep
- Topical videos with staff
It’s not expensive, and it’s already happening.
Social media for independent pizzerias isn’t about going viral (it’s cool if you do, though). It’s about showing up consistently for your community, giving them content worth sharing, and letting that multiply over time.
Worksheet activity: Pick a channel (Instagram, FB, TikTok), and commit to posting 3x per week, to start — one behind-the-scenes, one product shot, one customer or staff moment. No strategy document needed.
Follow us on @slice on Instagram to see how other independent shops are doing it.
You don’t need a public relations company to get press coverage
It’s not shocking that getting featured in a local weekly publication, a foodie blog, or even a regional TV segment can drive more business than months of paid ads. But for independent pizzerias to earn that coverage is easier than you think. Why? Journalists and food writers are actively looking for local stories.
What makes your story compelling?
- Your origin story.
- One unique product and the “why” behind it.
- Your community involvement.
- A hot take on the pizzeria industry.
The press eats this up. And then customers will eat up your pizza.
You don’t need a publicist. You need a story and the confidence to reach out and tell it.
Worksheet activity: Write a two-paragraph pitch about what makes your pizzeria different and send it to three local food writers or bloggers this month. The worst they can say is nothing.
Consistency is your competitive advantage
Most profitable independent pizzerias have made the choice to go deep on a few things, versus spreading thin across everything.
- A focused menu.
- A reliable online ordering experience that works every time.
- A consistent brand voice.
- A product that tastes the same on Monday as it does on Friday night.
This is what builds a positive reputation. It turns first-time customers into regulars, and regulars into evangelists. It’s also what makes your life less chaotic.
The urge to chase every trend, be on every platform, and compete on every dimension is real. But the shops who actually build something lasting are the ones who decide what they stand for and refuse to compromise on it.
Worksheet activity: Write down three things your pizzeria does better than anyone else in your market. That’s your identity. Protect it.
Final thought: you don’t need to do everything, just do a few things right
The pizza industry has never had more tools, more platforms, more delivery options, more marketing channels, or more ways to reach customers than it does right now.
That’s exciting.
It’s also genuinely overwhelming, especially for an owner who’s already wearing twelve hats before opening.
- You don’t need to hire a social media manager — you need a simple plan. (See above)
- You don’t need to be on every third-party app — you need your own online ordering that works for you, not against you.
- You don’t need to answer every phone call yourself — phone ordering tools can handle that.
- You don’t need to figure out loyalty alone — the Slice Family Membership keeps your best customers coming back.
Figure out what’s already working, what your customers love, what your team does well, and what makes people choose you, and focus on that.
Forgot to write this stuff down? No worries. Here’s another chance to download the worksheet, print it out, and plaster it all over your office as a manifesto.
You build something remarkable not by doing everything, but by doing a few things with an uncommon level of care and commitment.
Ready to build a more profitable pizzeria?
Slice helps independent pizzeria owners take back control, with direct online ordering, no commissions, and tools built specifically for the way independent shops operate. We built the only tech in the industry that specifically supports independent pizzeria owners, and their need to grow on their own terms.
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If you liked these tips, share it with a fellow owner and check back for more tips, stories, advice, and guidance from pizzeria owners who are doing it differently, and doing it well.
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