Operations

Pizza Marketplace's most-clicked feature stories in 2023

Pizza Marketplace's feature stories take look at everything from loyalty programs to operations both big and small. Here are the five most-clicked feature stories for the year.

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December 25, 2023 by Mandy Wolf Detwiler — Editor, Networld Media Group

Pizza Marketplace's feature stories look at pizzerias both big and small. We cover marketing, franchising, restaurant design and more. We took a look at the most-clicked feature stories in the last 12 months and here's what we found:

1. Papa Johns franchisee becomes mogul in his own franchise

As part of our Franchise Focus, Pizza Marketplace talked to Nadeem Bajwa, who began his Papa Johns career as a delivery driver. Today, he owns 192 franchises and has his sights set on 500. Bajwa credits his success to his employees.

"I don't call it a pizza business," Bajwa said in a phone interview. "I call it a people business."

2. Young entrepreneur turns 1 Donatos Pizza unit into 4

Spence Sheldon opened his first Donatos Pizza franchise in 2018. He now has four in Kentucky and Tennessee and is ready to grow even more now that his systems and operations are in place.

"We loved that we could be a hometown feel but actually still getting the 'cheat sheet' (for operations) because Donatos wasn't so big that it was a household name just yet in my town," Sheldon told me in a phone interview, "so I could make it my own."

3. 'Epic' redesign livens up Papa Johns' legacy

This Q&A with Jennifer P. Striepling, who at the time was Papa Johns' vice president of global design and construction, took at look at the brand's remodel, dubbed 'Epic Dough.' The store overhaul featured an open kitchen, new colors and smooth textures.

"Our new Epic Dough design is unique as it speaks to our fresh ingredients through our color palette and the textures throughout the space," Striepling told Pizza Marketplace in an email interview. "The color palette ties in the red of the tomatoes, green basil through the board-and-batten wall, our signature garlic sauce through imagery (and) the warmth of the oven that is placed in the heart of our kitchen with touches of warm wood elements such as our pizza peel light fixtures. We have an open kitchen where you can see the Dough Show. Guests can see the team craft each individual pizza."

4. Anthony Coal Fired Pizza & Wings acquisition sets it up for franchising

BurgerFi International acquired Anthony's Coal Fired Pizza & Wings, and the BurgerFi team spent the last year integrating Anthony's into its system. Ian Baines, who has since retired as CEO of BurgerFi, said the transition went smoothly.

Anthony's stands out with its coal-fired ovens, which bakes both pizza and wings.

"The 900-degree oven is at the center of everything," Baines said. "It's coal fired. Each morning, the first job that the pizza maker has when he or she comes in is to coal the oven. We load that up with 340 pounds of coal every day to set it right and get that really, really high temperature."

5. Hungry Howie's franchisee credits his people for success

Hungry Howie's franchisee David Plait's family has been with the chain since it launched. Plait was included in some family meetings about their franchises before becoming a franchisee himself. He played a part in dreaming up the brand's flavored crust.

Today, Plait owns 21 units and touts his people as his reason for staying with the business. He's also gotten to be a pillar in his community through Hungry Howie's.

"This business has afforded me the opportunity and a platform to just be involved," Plait said in a phone interview, "involved in local church groups, involved in local civic groups, fundraising, helping others and being on boards in different communities has been the real joy. The pizza industry has opened up so many doors for me that otherwise wouldn't have been opened."

About Mandy Wolf Detwiler

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Mandy Wolf Detwiler is the managing editor at Networld Media Group and the site editor for PizzaMarketplace.com and QSRweb.com. She has more than 20 years’ experience covering food, people and places.
 
An award-winning print journalist, Mandy brings more than 20 years’ experience to Networld Media Group. She has spent nearly two decades covering the pizza industry, from independent pizzerias to multi-unit chains and every size business in between. Mandy has been featured on the Food Network and has won numerous awards for her coverage of the restaurant industry. She has an insatiable appetite for learning, and can tell you where to find the best slices in the country after spending 15 years traveling and eating pizza for a living. 

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