Customer Service / Experience Features

Slice House by Tony Gemignani a 'slice' of heaven

by Mandy Wolf Detwiler — Editor, Connect Media

Renowned pizzaiolo Tony Gemignani has launched franchising for his Slice House by Tony Gemignani brand. With eight open and 34 in development, the company is…

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Mattenga’s Pizzeria grows to 6 units with tight operations

by Mandy Wolf Detwiler — Editor, Connect Media

Mattenga's is a six-unit brand in Texas. It opened four units last year alone, and co-owner Hengam Stanfield credits her managers for running tight ships when…

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Parlour fits niche in region lacking craft concepts

by Mandy Wolf Detwiler — Editor, Connect Media

Parlour, a five-unit concept in the Louisville, Kentucky, area, fills a niche for craft pizza, beer and cocktails. The brand will begin franchising this summer.

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Papa Johns franchisee becomes mogul in his own franchise

by Mandy Wolf Detwiler — Editor, Connect Media

Nadeem Bajwa began his Papa Johns career as a delivery driver. Today, he owns 192 franchises and has his sights set on 500.

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Palo Mesa Pizza brings Neapolitan, Roman, traditional pies to California's Central Coast

by Mandy Wolf Detwiler — Editor, Connect Media

Palo Mesa Pizza fuels the pizza needs of California's Central Coast. The five-unit brand offers traditional pizza, but also Neapolitan and Roman-style.

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Italian Disco marries old-school fare with modern flair

by Mandy Wolf Detwiler — Editor, Connect Media

Baltimore's Italian Disco pairs old-school Italian fare with modern cultural flair that makes it a standout on a crowded food scene. With a stellar pizza…

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WOWorks, Shipley Do-Nuts, Noodles & Company execs say loyalty programs a must-have

by Mandy Wolf Detwiler — Editor, Connect Media

Panelists Blake Johnson, VP of marketing for Craveworthy Brands, Donna Josephson, CMO of Shiply Do-Nuts, Mark Kreiner, VP of marketing for WOWorks and Stacy…

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Lena's Wood-fired Pizza & Tap prides itself on team members, food quality

by Mandy Wolf Detwiler — Editor, Connect Media

Lena's Wood-fired Pizza & Tap is run by team members who feel like family to its owners. The Alexandria, Virginia-based pizzeria opened in 2017 and has kept…

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Brixx Wood Fired Pizza + Craft Bar focuses on house-made ingredients to stand out

by Mandy Wolf Detwiler — Editor, Connect Media

Brixx Wood Fired Pizza + Craft Bar makes the majority of its items in-house. Yes, labor is intensive, but the quality of food is outstanding and sets the brand…

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ICX Summit celebrates 7th year with September event

by Judy Mottl — Editor: RetailCustomerExperience.com & DigitalSignageToday.com, Connect Media

The Interactive Customer Experience Summit, which is celebrating its seventh year, is a dual event in 2023 featuring the Bank Customer Experience Summit.

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Garces Group, Ballad Brands, Ideation Hospitality make Buena Onda winner

by Mandy Wolf Detwiler — Editor, Connect Media

In a keynote address at the Restaurant Franchising and Innovation Summit, three restaurant execs discuss launching Buena Onda, which now has five locations.

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Pisa Lisa uses dough as canvas to create masterpieces

by Mandy Wolf Detwiler — Editor, Connect Media

Sedona-based Pisa Lisa is the brainchild of Chef Lisa Dahl. Dahl moved to Sedona for a fresh start and opened several other restaurant concepts before…

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Rotolo's pizzeria, craft brand offers various styles of pizza

by Mandy Wolf Detwiler — Editor, Connect Media

Rotolo's operates Rotolo's Pizzeria and Rotolo's Craft + Crust, two brands expanding into new states.

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Young entrepreneur turns 1 Donatos Pizza unit into 4

by Mandy Wolf Detwiler — Editor, Connect Media

Spence Sheldon opened his first Donatos Pizza franchise in 2018. Today he has four under his belt and is ready to grow even more now that his systems and…

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Mister O1 proves pizza can be extraordinary

by Mandy Wolf Detwiler — Editor, Connect Media

Mister O1 Extraordinary Pizza is helmed by Renato Viola, a pizza chef who hails from Southern Italy. Viola believes in doing one thing really well, and for him…

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Zoli's brings traditional New York pizza to Dallas

by Mandy Wolf Detwiler — Editor, Connect Media

Zoli's pizza was born out of the Neapolitan craze -- some people just didn't like it, so owner Jay Jerrier sought to create a brand serving traditional…

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Chipotle, Fazoli's, Smokey Bones share drive-thru, AI insight

by Judy Mottl — Editor: RetailCustomerExperience.com & DigitalSignageToday.com, Connect Media

Top fast casual brand leaders offer valuable insight on how AI is driving a more robust digital drive-thru experience.

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Anthony's Coal Fired Pizza & Wings acquisition sets it up for franchising

by Mandy Wolf Detwiler — Editor, Connect Media

Anthony's Wood Fired Pizza & Wings was acquired by BurgerFi international in Nov. 2021. A year later, the integration has given Anthony's the support of…

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Chipotle, Jason's Deli, Ampex Brands talk AI role in customer experience

by Judy Mottl — Editor: RetailCustomerExperience.com & DigitalSignageToday.com, Connect Media

Artificial intelligence, from data gathering efforts to robot creation, is gaining ground with restaurant brands. Top leaders share insight on AI innovation…

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How to maintain your online reputation

by Mandy Wolf Detwiler — Editor, Connect Media

Can those dreaded one-star reviews be reversed? Experts say yes if handled correctly.

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