Pizza King Podcast: Empowering Pizzeria Leadership

Tyrell Reed | Pizzeria Leadership & Team Building Coach
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The Pizza King Podcast is where pizzeria owners and operators go to sharpen their skills, build better teams, and grow more profitable businesses. Hosted by Tyrell Reed—franchise leader, coach, and author of Next Level Leadership—each episode delivers practical insights, real-life stories, and expert advice to help you win in the pizza business. Whether you're opening your first shop or scaling your tenth, this show is your guide to pizza business excellence. 

  1. What Pizzeria Owners Need to Know About Hospitality and Mental Health

    1D AGO

    What Pizzeria Owners Need to Know About Hospitality and Mental Health

    Chef Vincent Tropepe joins the Pizza King Podcast for a conversation every pizzeria owner, restaurant operator, and kitchen leader should hear.  Chef Vincent has opened 95 restaurants, worked in serious New York kitchens, written multiple books, and now leads the Hospitality Mental Wellness Initiative USA. In this episode, we talk about what real hospitality looks like, why focus matters in the kitchen, how leaders set the tone during a shift, and why mental wellness in the hospitality industry can no longer be ignored.  This conversation goes beyond pizza. We talk about kitchen pressure, burnout, addiction, suicide awareness, restaurant culture, leadership, and how operators can create better environments for their teams.  We also get into Chef Vincent’s Brooklyn pizza roots, his favorite pizzeria, and why hospitality is not just a transaction. It is how people feel when they walk through your door.  If you own, operate, or manage a pizzeria, this episode will challenge you to look at your team, your culture, and your leadership with fresh eyes.  Learn more about the Hospitality Mental Wellness Initiative USA:  hmwiusa.org  Connect with HMWI USA:  Instagram, TikTok, and social media:  @hmwiusa  Support the show Join our free community on Skool  https://www.skool.com/tyrells-group-9324/about Free Tools and Courses for Pizzeria Owners &  Managers Email: info@tyrellreed.com Upcoming events and appearances:  California Restaurant Show August 24-26

    28 min

  2. 5D AGO

    How We Got a 6X Return on Pizza Ads

    Join our free community on Skool  https://www.skool.com/tyrells-group-9324/about In this episode, I break down what we’re doing right now to market the store better and drive real results.  We finally moved past the early setup stage and started building a real marketing system for April. I walk through how we’re using rewards, direct mail, box toppers, Facebook ads, and follow-up offers to bring in new customers and turn them into repeat customers.  I also share the real numbers from our first test. We spent $105 on Facebook ads, added 32 rewards signups, and those customers already spent $737. That’s a little over a 6X return so far, and we’re just getting started.  This episode is for pizza owners, operators, and managers who want a better plan for local store marketing, loyalty, and growth. If you’re tired of guessing and want to start tracking what actually works, this one is for you.  Streamline Your Inventory Process!📝 Track stock levels: No more guesswork! Discover the future of restaurant management: WookAIGet 3 Months Free With ThrivePOSPizza Driven Point of Sale. Schedule your free demo today! Tell em' the Pizza King sent you.Join the SPM Pro Owner GroupSPM Pro is a curated group of independent pizzeria owners. Monthly call and private group access.Starting a Podcast? Try Riverside freeDisclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.Support the show Join our free community on Skool  https://www.skool.com/tyrells-group-9324/about Free Tools and Courses for Pizzeria Owners &  Managers Email: info@tyrellreed.com Upcoming events and appearances:  California Restaurant Show August 24-26

    12 min

  3. APR 21

    How Troy’s Italian Kitchen Is Growing Through Relationships

    Neel Vaidya from Troy’s Italian Kitchen joined me for a conversation packed with real lessons for pizza operators. We talked about smart pop-up strategy, local partnerships, vegan positioning, Pizza Expo, leadership, customer service, and how he uses AI and simple video content to grow without losing the human side of the business. This one is practical, personal, and full of ideas you can apply in your shop right away.  Neel Vaidya is the owner of Troy’s Italian Kitchen in Arlington, Virginia. If you enjoyed this conversation, go follow Troy’s Italian Kitchen and connect with Neel online. Instagram: @troysitaliankitchen Facebook: Troy’s Italian Kitchen Website: Troy’s Italian Kitchen  Email: info@troysitaliankitchen.com Support the show Join our free community on Skool  https://www.skool.com/tyrells-group-9324/about Free Tools and Courses for Pizzeria Owners &  Managers Email: info@tyrellreed.com Upcoming events and appearances:  California Restaurant Show August 24-26

    45 min

  4. APR 16 ·  BONUS

    Pizza Expo Floor Stories With Tara, Tony, and Brett

    This week on the Pizza King Podcast, I’m bringing you a different kind of Takeout Tips episode. Instead of one topic, I’m sharing a few quick conversations I recorded live from the Pizza Expo floor at the Perfect Crust booth. These are short interviews, but there’s a lot in them if you run a pizza shop, lead a team, or care about the craft. You’ll hear from Tara Hattan of Andolini’s Pizza, world pizza champion and one of the most recognizable names in pizza acrobatics, Tony Scardino from Professor Pizza in Chicago, and Brett Geiger from Izzy’s Pizza, who shares his path from a Detroit-style pizza bus in Las Vegas to a brick-and-mortar shop in Nebraska. We talk about competition, pressure, freestyle creativity, building a pizza concept around what you love, learning from the industry, and why being around the right people still matters. If you’re an owner, operator, or manager, there’s a good reminder in this one. Keep showing up. Keep learning. Keep talking to people who care about the work. Let me know which guest you want to hear in a full-length episode. Streamline Your Inventory Process!📝 Track stock levels: No more guesswork! Discover the future of restaurant management: WookAIJoin the SPM Pro Owner GroupSPM Pro is a curated group of independent pizzeria owners. Monthly call and private group access.Get 3 Months Free With ThrivePOSPizza Driven Point of Sale. Schedule your free demo today! Tell em' the Pizza King sent you.Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.Support the show Join our free community on Skool  https://www.skool.com/tyrells-group-9324/about Free Tools and Courses for Pizzeria Owners &  Managers Email: info@tyrellreed.com Upcoming events and appearances:  California Restaurant Show August 24-26

    12 min

  5. APR 14

    Angel City Pizza’s Vito DeCandia Keeps It All The Way Real

    What happens when an old-school pizza guy sits down and tells the truth? In this episode of the Pizza King Podcast, I talk with Vito DeCandia of Angel City Pizza about what has changed in pizza, what still matters, and why so many operators get distracted by trends, lists, hype, and social media noise. We get into old school vs new school pizza, what keeps customers coming back, why some shops should stop trying to be everything to everyone, and how to stay true to your product while still adapting to the market around you. Vito also shares his take on influencer culture, pizza rankings, authenticity, patience, and why respect still matters in this business. If you own, operate, or manage a pizzeria, this one is for you. There are a lot of opinions in the pizza world right now. This conversation brings it back to product, people, consistency, and staying grounded in what actually works. Resources and links Angel City Pizza website:  https://www.angelcityla.com/ Angel City Pizza on Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/acpizza/ Pizza Pro Circle:  https://www.skool.com/tyrells-group-9324/about Thrive POS:  https://www.thrivepos.com/pizzaking SPM Pro:  https://spm.circle.so/checkout/spm-pro-group?affiliate_code=9ea4d9 WookAI:  https://lddy.no/1oadh PMQ articles:  https://www.pmq.com/category/contributors/tyrell-reed/ Support the show Join our free community on Skool  https://www.skool.com/tyrells-group-9324/about Free Tools and Courses for Pizzeria Owners &  Managers Email: info@tyrellreed.com Upcoming events and appearances:  California Restaurant Show August 24-26

    47 min

  6. APR 9

    Why I Turned Down a 40 Pizza Order

    I turned down a 40-pizza order, and I want to tell you why. On the surface, it sounded like easy business. Big order. Multiple pizzas. More revenue. But once I heard the full details, I knew it was not the right fit for our operation. This was not about being too busy or not wanting the sale. It was about protecting the flow of the shop, the team, and the kind of business we are trying to build. In this Takeout Tip episode, I break down the decision, the thought process behind it, and the bigger lesson for pizzeria owners and operators. Not every dollar is worth chasing. Sometimes the best move you can make is saying no. If you run a pizza shop and you are trying to grow without creating more chaos, this one is for you. Support the show Join our free community on Skool  https://www.skool.com/tyrells-group-9324/about Free Tools and Courses for Pizzeria Owners &  Managers Email: info@tyrellreed.com Upcoming events and appearances:  California Restaurant Show August 24-26

    11 min

  7. APR 7

    The Kind of Customer Every Pizzeria Wants - Frank Zocco

    In this episode of the Pizza King Podcast, I talk with Frank Zocco from Dough Daddy Cooks and Slice Mob about pizza, community, and supporting local shops the right way. We get into positive reviews, ingredient quality, what real pizza people look for, and practical advice for anyone thinking about opening a pizzeria. Good conversation. Real lessons. A strong one for pizza owners, operators, and managers.    Connect with Frank Zocco online: Follow Frank for pizza reviews, recipes, Slice Mob gatherings, and community updates.  Website: https://www.doughdaddycooks.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/doughdaddycooks/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Doughdaddycooks Dough Daddy Cooks Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/697421286722589/ Slice Mob Events: https://www.doughdaddycooks.com/the-slice-mob-gatherings-past-events Email: mailto:Frank@doughdaddycooks.com  Leadership Lessons From The Great BooksUnderstanding great literature is better than trying to read and understand (yet)...Listen on: Apple Podcasts   Spotify Get 3 Months Free With ThrivePOSPizza Driven Point of Sale. Schedule your free demo today! Tell em' the Pizza King sent you.Streamline Your Inventory Process!📝 Track stock levels: No more guesswork! Discover the future of restaurant management: WookAIJoin the SPM Pro Owner GroupSPM Pro is a curated group of independent pizzeria owners. Monthly call and private group access.Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.Support the show Join our free community on Skool  https://www.skool.com/tyrells-group-9324/about Free Tools and Courses for Pizzeria Owners &  Managers Email: info@tyrellreed.com Upcoming events and appearances:  California Restaurant Show August 24-26

    41 min
  8. Social Media Is Not a Marketing Plan for Your Pizzeria

    APR 4

    Social Media Is Not a Marketing Plan for Your Pizzeria

    In this solo episode, I break down a simple truth a lot of operators miss. Social media is not your marketing plan. It is a platform. The real plan is how you drive traffic, get people to try your shop, capture them into your loyalty system, and bring them back again and again. I also share where we are in week 13 at the store, why now is the right time for us to market harder, and what we are actually focused on. That includes growing our rewards list, using email and text the right way, tightening up our offer strategy, and stopping the habit of handing our best deals to third-party apps. If you run a pizzeria and want a more practical marketing strategy, this episode will help you think clearer about what actually moves the business forward. Join Pizza Pro Circle for more practical tools and operator conversations.  Check the links in the description for the podcast, community, and offers Join the SPM Pro Owner GroupSPM Pro is a curated group of independent pizzeria owners. Monthly call and private group access.Streamline Your Inventory Process!📝 Track stock levels: No more guesswork! Discover the future of restaurant management: WookAIGet 3 Months Free With ThrivePOSPizza Driven Point of Sale. Schedule your free demo today! Tell em' the Pizza King sent you.Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.Support the show Join our free community on Skool  https://www.skool.com/tyrells-group-9324/about Free Tools and Courses for Pizzeria Owners &  Managers Email: info@tyrellreed.com Upcoming events and appearances:  California Restaurant Show August 24-26

    8 min
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4.7
out of 5
14 Ratings

About

The Pizza King Podcast is where pizzeria owners and operators go to sharpen their skills, build better teams, and grow more profitable businesses. Hosted by Tyrell Reed—franchise leader, coach, and author of Next Level Leadership—each episode delivers practical insights, real-life stories, and expert advice to help you win in the pizza business. Whether you're opening your first shop or scaling your tenth, this show is your guide to pizza business excellence. 

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