From childhood memories to LA's hottest slice: Insights from Shin's Pizza

In the heart of LA's Cypress Park, Shin's Pizza is serving up New York-style slices with a twist. Founded by Shin Irvin and helmed by Chef Melissa López, this pizzeria blends East Coast tradition with Asian-inspired flavors and a hefty dose of nostalgia. 

Recently, Shin and Melissa sat down with Slice founder Ilir Sela on the How You Slice It podcast to discuss their journey in the pizza industry. 

Here's a look at some key takeaways:

Honoring personal history

For Shin, opening a pizzeria was a way to honor his late mother and their Friday night pizza tradition. "I wanted to open something up to honor her. I decided that a pizzeria might be a cool idea, especially in LA where I feel like the East Coast style pizza is not really represented as much,” Shin said.

This personal connection to pizza drives the authenticity of Shin's Pizza. For aspiring pizzeria owners, this highlights the importance of having a genuine story behind your brand.

Perfecting the craft

Chef Melissa emphasizes the complexity of pizza-making:

"Pizza is a very difficult restaurant to manage and to open. Dough itself is just a whole other level of cooking that I had experience with but never dove so deep into."

Her advice for up-and-coming pizza chefs? "Write everything down,” Melissa said. “Any recipe that you're starting to develop, anything that you think is going to be good, just write it down."

Creating a multisensory experience

Shin's background in design and music influences the pizzeria's unique atmosphere.

"I always think a brand and any kind of experience is not just like one thing,” said Shin. “It's a culmination of all the senses that we have, which includes smell, taste, your ears, and what you see."

The big takeaway? When building your pizzeria and your brand, consider every aspect of the customer experience — not just the food.

The ambiance of your pizzeria — from the decor to the noise levels — plays a big role in shaping the customer experience. Beyond that, it’s important to personalize your interactions with customers whenever possible. Talk with your regulars and consider sending them exclusive promo codes to make them feel at home.

Building a strong team

Both Shin and Melissa stress the importance of trusting your team. Melissa notes that "Learning to trust people was a really big learning curve.”  Still, she’s “super grateful for the team that we have and the time and effort that they've put in to get better."

As a pizzeria owner, it’s important to delegate responsibilities and empower your staff. You can’t do it all by yourself, so make sure you’re taking the necessary steps to hire and develop your dream team.

Expanding thoughtfully

When discussing future plans, both founders emphasized their desire to remain community-focused. Shin envisions:

"Multiple shops, especially in neighborhoods where there's community... I see it more about the community than building some sort of cool little brand."

This community-first approach can be a valuable strategy for pizzerias looking to build loyal customer bases. And, if you’re thinking about multiple locations, be sure to start small and grow strategically — don’t launch too many shops at once.

To hear more about Shin and Melissa's experiences and get additional insights into running a successful pizzeria, be sure to listen to the full episode of "How You Slice It" with Ilir Sela.