Dos and Don'ts for Opening a Pizzeria in NYC

Which new pizza spot is this?

By Justin Hartung

New York and pizza go together, well, like bread, tomato sauce and cheese. And the city's pie boom seems to be continuing at a rapid pace, with new entries seemingly popping up every week. But is opening a pizzeria a surefire bet in a tough restaurant economy? A recent visit to a new Brooklyn arrival proved that there are a few basic dos and don'ts any aspiring pizzeria owner should heed. We'll leave the name of the place out, since we want to give them a chance to work out some of their kinks, but feel free to guess away in the comments.

Do...pay as much attention to decor as food. While this place had a great layout, boasting high ceilings and exposed beams, a handsome pizza oven and a sizeable outdoor patio, there were little touches that would have gone a long way toward adding to the personality. Completely bare tables are just not very inviting - get some candles, place mats, anything.

Don't...use pennant strings to announce your opening. You're selling pizza, not used cars!

Do...make your customers feel welcome. The bits of seasoned crust that promptly came over from the pizza chef as a pre-meal snack were delicious and much appreciated. The half-hearted goodbye from the staff as we left the nearly empty dining room...not so much. Every customer should be a potential regular, especially in the first few weeks after opening.

Don't...hire staff that's inattentive and unexperienced. We get that these are often family-run places, but if cousin Georgette has never worked in a restaurant before, definitely don't have her front and center opening week. Especially because she starts every sentence with "Like, um...."

Do...feel free to stick to the basics. Pizzas can be simple and still be delicious. While there were many pizzas to choose from at this spot, each pie wasn't overloaded with ingredients - this isn't California after all.

Don't...be afraid of seasoning. While all the ingredients on the pie tried seemed fresh enough, we were immediately thinking about flagging down the server for pepper flakes, Parmesan and even salt. But then we worried that might stress her out.

What are you pizzeria pet peeves?

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