A custom website saved this shop $500k

Slice’s 24/7 customer service and shop-friendly pricing helped this NJ pizzeria achieve record sales — despite the loss of dine-in business during COVID-19.

SETTING THE TABLE

Nino’s Pizza owner, Anthony Beninati, has been in the pizza business for almost 30 years. Now, with the pandemic, he can truly say he’s seen it all.

When dine-in service was shut down, he was forced to shift 100% of his business to pickup and delivery. Even as one of Bergen County’s go-to shops, relying exclusively on to-go orders was a scary proposition. Fortunately, Anthony had a first-party partner who could keep online traffic flowing without devouring his profits.

When Anthony first opened in 2016, he figured all of the online ordering partners were roughly the same. Then, he saw his statements from Uber Eats and DoorDash. The apps were taking a 30%+ cut for their so-called “turnkey solution”. Instead, Anthony found himself babysitting delivery drivers on a daily basis. “Keep the soda separate from the pie,” he’d say. When they didn’t listen, Anthony was the one who had to handle angry phone calls and issue refunds for cola-soaked pizzas.

The in-store numbers were strong, but the online order volume was stagnant. Anthony reached out to the delivery apps for advice, but he usually didn’t hear back. The occasional response would come from a brand new rep via email, rehashing the same suggestions as the last stranger. As the industry shifted towards digital sales, Anthony knew that he had to make a change.

THE SOLUTION: TURN CUSTOMERS INTO REGULARS

Anthony needed a reliable partner who understood the pizza business inside and out. Slice provided him and his customers with 24/7 customer service to quickly resolve hiccups and foster loyalty. By day two, with help from his dedicated Partner Success Manager, Anthony’s Slice was fully integrated with his POS. Less than 48 hours later, Slice launched a custom website for Nino’s Pizza that topped local searches for “pizza near me.” Now, hungry folks near Hillsdale were ordering from Nino’s directly through Google, before they’d even see a link to Domino’s.

In Anthony’s first year with Slice, his average order value increased by 22%. Things only got better from there — in 2019 alone, he drove more sales than ‘17 and ‘18 combined. In 2020, despite the closures and lack of dine-in business, Slice helped deliver a record year for Nino’s Pizza.

“Pizza isn’t just their specialty — it’s their entire business. Those other apps would have destroyed us during the pandemic. Slice’s expertise and low, flat fees kept us thriving.” —Anthony, Owner, Nino’s Pizza